Decked in Olive Fall Attire: Tweed & Leather

This week has seemed to drag on & on, despite being busy. Thankfully Wednesday has arrived! I pulled this suit out of my archive. It’s classic wool, olive-colored, tweed and in my opinion, timeless. It is perfect for fall temperatures, and layers well with my leather olive blazer.

I added a scarf for additional warmth - the bow for fun ;)

 

What I wore:

  Sunnies: Betsey Johnson

  Leather blazer: Chadwick’s

  Wool suit: Kasper

  Scarf: Art fair

  Tights: Hue

  Shoes: Bandolino

  Handbag: Coach

 

Don't forget to enter the #PlusSizeGiveaway !!!

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Windy Day At Academy of Television Arts & Sciences

I could not have been more pleased with the fall-like temps that visited LA last week. Like a kid in the candy store, I happily rummaged through my cool weather stashes. I transitioned this sleeveless dress from summer to fall with a nice leather topper.

Since then, summer temps have returned, and at present we are nearing 90 degrees Fahrenheit.... 
What a difference a day makes!

What I Wore

Earrings: Vera Wang

Pearls: Vintage, thrifted

Leather Jacket: Nordstrom's

Dress: Suzi Chin for Maggy Boutique

Ring: Gifted

Handbag: Dooney & Bourke

Boots: Guess

ANNOUNCING: PLUS SIZE GIVEAWAY! Your Chance to Win a VISA Gift Card!

I am thrilled to announce that I along with eight other fabulous bloggers and Curvy Market are hosting a 

#PlusSizeGiveAway!!!!

THE SCOOP:

OUR GIVEAWAY - Runs Oct 15th - Oct 30th. Giveaway closes at 11:59PM EST on Oct 30th.

PRIZES - Two $250 VISA Gift Cards . Prizes will be awarded in USD (United States Dollars). 

OPEN TO - US & International readers with a valid mailing address.

WINNERS - Two winners will be chosen at random and contacted via email by kirstinmarie.com within 48 hours of contest closing. Winner has 48 hours to claim prize and respond with valid mailing address. If winner does not claim prize within allotted time (48 hours), the prize will be forfeited, and a new winner will be selected.

HOW TO ENTER - It's simple! Join this blog as a follower! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Extra chances to enter to win- (after you've joined this site) :

• Follow me on Instagram: http://instagram.com/inmyjoi
• Follow me on Tumblr:  http://inmyjoi.tumblr.com/ 

Please be sure to check out my FABULOUS Collaborators and discover more ways to enter!!!

Kirstin Marie - http://www.kirstinmarie.com/

Ciaa - http://www.mycurvesandcurls.com/

Kelly - http://www.masquemag.com/

Emmie - http://authenticallyemmie.com/

Jo - http://icurvyworld.com/

Chastity - http://garnerstyle.blogspot.com/

Sarah - http://ravingsbyrae.com/

Margaret - http://getfiercestyle.com/

Curvy Market - http://www.curvymarket.com/

TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND USE OUR HASHTAG:
 #PlusSizeGiveaway 

Los Angeles Fashion Week Haute Curves Fashion Show

I attended an LAFW Fashion Show hosted by Elite Curves International / “Haute Curves” on Saturday, held at the Los Angeles Convention Center.  It was my first time attending a REAL-LIVE Fashion Show, I wasn't really sure what to expect. I figured it would be a good opportunity to support the community and network – and that it was!  A gal pal from my hometown (Detroit) attended with me (a fabulous Freelance M/U Artist for MAC, by the way). We arrived promptly and were able to get some nice shots before the venue filled up. A portion of the proceeds went to The City of Hope, for breast cancer research.

Quite fittingly, the “red carpet” was PINK!

One of the designers that helped to sponsor the event shared her touching story of being a breast cancer survivor. It was a great reminder: Tomorrow is not promised. Focus on what really matters.

Although there were quite a few designers, it was hard for me to get good shots in the dark. Here’s a pretty good shot of one of my favorites.

I loved her hair!

When the show ended there was more mingling, photos, and an after party. All in all, it was a very memorable experience!!

What I Wore:

Dress – Free People
Clutch- Vintage
Shoes- Kenneth Cole

It Never Rains in Southern California

But it rained on the day I took these photos! I'm not complaining, just explaining =)

I can count the number of times it has rained since we moved to the west coast. It's a far cry from my home, Detroit, MI - where rain seems to dominate every season. Although not previously fond of rain, I must say that now I find it quite refreshing.

Blazer: Ralph Lauren

Necklace: Precious stones

Silk blouse: Rena Rowan

Sweater dress: Lord & Taylor

Tights: Nordstrom

Booties: MIA

Umbrella: Betsey Johnson

Handbag: Coach

Have a great weekend!

Color Blocking with Shades of Melon

 I was in the mood for color blocking, so I paired melon shades together, and headed to the office. The top is one of my peplum favorites, but I decided to tuck it in this go round. You have to love the versatility of peplum! How do you color block? I don't necessarily follow a specific method, I play with colors until I create what looks right to me.

Earrings: Precious Stone (Thrifted)

Necklace: Precious Stone (TJMaxx)

Top: Bar III (Macy's)

Belt: Nordstrom Rack

Skirt: Vintage (Thrifted)

Sandals: Giani Bernini

Handbag: Classic Coach, throwback

Business As Usual

Well it's Monday. I had an AMAZING weekend, I received a beautiful gift that I will treasure for many years to come.

{Contains immense excitement}  

I repeat: "Well it's Monday"- back to the grind...

Here's a fit worn to the office. The jacket caught my eye at the thrift shop, but I wasn't sure how to pair it with my existing pieces. I nabbed it anyway and decided to pair it with a sheath dress that's a similar hue of blue.

Jacket: Thrifted (Evan Picone)

Dress: Lord & Taylor (Kate Hill)

Shoes: Nine West

Handbag: Dooney & Bourke
 

A Big Announcement on a Peak with a View

It has been a busy week my friends, how about for you? Happily I am getting things accomplished on my "To Do" list, which means I get to cross them off! And you know what? It feels fantastic! 

Moving on...

Exciting news: I am hosting a week of giveaways just for you, my fabulous readers!

What that means: Freebies

When: Random giveaways during October 8th - October 15th 

My fellow vintage lovers may be particularly interested in some of the items that will be offered. 

Stay tuned to my Instagram account for details!

If that doesn't tickle your fancy, check this out:

Bigger news: I am participating in a group giveaway beginning Tuesday, October 15th! 

What that means: A $500 gift card is up for grabs!

When: Starting Tuesday, October 15th!

Follow me here (simply click the "join this site button" on the right hand side of this page - browser view), or on my FB page/ Twitter/ Tumblr/ Instagram for details! International participation is encouraged and welcome!

As you can see, the wind was blowing like crazy. It was hard to get a shot with my hair off my face, but the views made it worthwhile.

What I wore:

Earrings: Macy's

Chambray shirt: F21

Belt: Banana Republic

Bracelets: Indiska (Stockholm)

Ring: Thrifted

Skirt: BCBGMaxAzria

Booties: Steve Madden

Why I Started Blogging; Got My Peplum & Skinnies On

I feel retrospective today. 
Let's talk blogging. I thought about starting a fashion/style blog for a few years. It took me some time to decide to actually do it because I tend to procrastinate...I also rationalized: There are already a number of EXCELLENT curvy fashion bloggers (who I consistently follow), how will my blog be any different? Finally though, with much encouragement from my husband and close friends, I decided to take the plunge. Why?
In my opinion, there aren't nearly enough images/resources of/for real sized, real life women flooding social media. If the average woman is considered to be plus size, why don't at least 50% of the images of women on social media and the net reflect that? 
I love to find inspiration in the styles of other women, but I noticed that when surfing Pinterest, FB, IG, and fashion blogs- most women, although stylish, did not look like me, which led me to feel uninspired. 
It is my hope that one day, when I look for images of style inspiration, the majority of images found, will be real sized, real life women. Being curvy is nothing to be ashamed of. Let's show the world, the media, and our peers: WE ARE HERE TO STAY!

What I wore:

Sunnies: Vintage, thrifted

Earrings: L/A Fashion District

Peplum Top: F21

Skinny Jeans: Not Your Daughter's Jeans

Shoes: Bandolino

Handbag: Coach (classic throwback, 90's)