No Sleeves Attached

Flower crown: I made it| Bra: ELOMI, HERE & HERE + matching briefs HERE
Dress: HERE + similar HERE & I LOVE THIS| Handbag: Coach, another option HERE

While I was in Chicago a few months ago, I had the privilege of meeting with the local team that represents Elomi Lingerie. Little did I know that meeting would be life altering!
First off, I was custom fitted for a bra by a very experienced Fit Specialist. Her name is Suzanne, and she is an EXPERT in her field. If you're shopping on the Magnificent Mile, pop in and see her at Nordstrom! I learned so much during my time with her! Not only was I wearing the wrong size bra, I was also putting on my bras incorrectly. Who knew?! I walked away from that visit with the Elomi Sachi bra (worn in today's post) in tote, as well as an EXCELLENT strapless bra, the Freya Idol Allure . 
Note: Freya & Elomi are owned by Wacoal Europe.
I was so impressed with my new strapless bra that I wore it right on out of the store, and tossed the bra that I was wearing initially! Once I returned back to California, I immediately set about getting rid of all of my ill fitting bras. 
Literally, like on my first day home...
Next, I created a wishlist of Elomi bras that I wanted to add to my personal inventory😍 They have so many gorgeous designs and the fit is on point! As it happened, the brand representative reached back out to me again shortly thereafter - I immediately ordered the following matching sets:

• Elomi 'Matilda' Underwire Plunge Bra + briefs HERE
• Elomi 'Morgan' Full Figure Underwire Bra
• Elomi Bijou Flirt Underwire Molded Bra + briefs HERE
• Elomi Tia Underwire Bra + briefs HERE
• Elomi Kelly Palm-Print Underwire Plunge Bra + briefs HERE

Ladies, once you experience the V A L U E of exceptional support trimmed in STYLE- you never look back! I am loving the fit that Elomi offers me and my girls, particularly as a full figured woman👀
My posture is improved, my clothing fits better, and I even feel more confident - especially in my strapless bra 😉 There is no pulling, tugging, and or readjusting required - no matter how long I wear it! I never knew such a thing was even possible!
I am proud to say that I no longer own any ill-fitting bras👏 GOOD RIDDANCE!
Since then I have added a few more to my stash, in fact, my entire collection now consists solely of Elomi bras and I have absolutely NO regrets! 
The bra featured in today's post was made for plunging necklines - I ❤ how their designs serve multiple purposes 💣I have an idea -let's info share: What is your favorite bra line and why?
Until next time,
Xx

In Full Bloom

Flower crown: DIY project| Dress: c/o HERE| Belt: Ralph Lauren, old| Booties: Similar HERE

We're almost there Babes: FRI-YAY is just over the horizon!!! Although this was a short work week for me, I am still anticipating the weekend. Do you have anything special planned? What about me? Well, I may hit a festival or two plus make my normal retail stops, but I'm also carving out time to do absolutely nothing - LOL!

The weather has been so inconsistent, I have no idea whether it will be hot or chilly. I guess I should check the forecast...I mean can it just be summer already?!
Switching gears: I shared on the blog last week that I had exciting plans that I couldn't fully divulge until the brand's designated time. If you follow me on Instagram you already know what they were, but in case you don't use social media I wanted to make sure that I kept you in the loop 😉
I traveled for a few days with Charlotte Russe to host kick-offs at two new 💥exclusively💥 plus size stores!!! Our schedule was packed and I was wore out- but I had such a good time!!! As soon as I get my photos together and a few from the professional photographers - I'll share them with you! In the meantime, if you're in Grand Rapids, Michigan or St. Cloud, Minnesota check out Charlotte Russe Plus!

Until next time,
Xx

Spring Fling

Dress (14p): HERE| Wood Watch: c/o HERE| Pom sandals: Sold out, but check HERE| Straw bag: Thrifted & DIY trim

Loves I have a confession to make: There’s a new color in my life and I can’t get enough of it.

I’m not sure what you might call it, you see it’s not quite red  but then it’s not a true orange hue either. In my head, it is the perfect color in between fiery red and Sunkist orange. I think I’ll call it Fire Orange👌 
It is bold, it is fiery, it is fearless.

To feed my habit in true shopaholic form, I’ve scooped up a number of items already this spring in this fiery hue. Shall we call the dress in today’s style story, “Exhibit A”? Stay tuned for "Exhibit B"...

The style of this feminine frock is choked with things to love: dotted swiss, ruffles, and tiers. Thus far I’ve only styled it with my ‘loads of fun’ pom sandals (another option HERE), but I have a few others ideas in mind for future escapades...

What I really appreciate about today’s look is that it is a wonderful combination of style + comfort!

My wicker bag includes coordinating orange-ish fringe tassels, which resulted from a 10 minute DIY session. I opted to staple the strip of tassels on versus gluing it (like a tutorial I saw on Pinterest) because I wanted the style to be temporary. A second  DIY session is in the works to use poms instead 💕

Until next time Loves,

Xx

FLOWER CHILD

Hey Babes! I have been bursting at the seams to share this post with you since last weekend! You may remember that I talked about attending the Lovesick Launch in my previous post (see here). Today’s post features two pieces that I scooped up while at the Launch ;) 
Here’s what I know about Lovesick:

• Every dollar that you spend helps educate a girl in need
• They offer on trend and affordable fashion
• Styles are available in sizes 10-26 
• You can shop in-store or online

Now on to the fun part- what I’m wearing! I absolutely LUV the way that this look came together!!! The tank top gives me 90’s vibes, but in a good way. When the choker look first came back “in”, I was most certainly not a fan- at all. However, because I loved the color of this tank, I decided to try it on. Boy am I glad that I did!!! 
Note: this top ran large for me, so I sized down…actually I probably could have sized down one more time and still been comfortable. Nonetheless, it looks and feels ah-mazing!
It's time to spend some time on this pair of high waist jeans- the show stopper. I was over the moon in the dressing room with how wonderfully these fit me. Over    t  h  e    m - o - o - n…. Plus size jeans fitted to a curvy pear shape frame? Dreams do come true!!! Initially I took 3 larger sizes into the fitting room with me, I thought that I would have to size up. It’s a brand I’m not familiar with- which usually means that the sizing will be off. I was WRONG. These jeans fit true to size!!! Plus size jeans that fit true to size on a pear shape!!! Can you believe it? Curvy women everywhere rejoice! I left with a size 16 because they are super skinny (especially in the leg), but after wearing them, I definitely see that I would have been just fine in a 14. Even with that in mind, the fit is still fabulous <3 I love that the inseam actually stops at my ankle. Shortys, these jeans were made with us in mind! 
The best part of all: great fitting plus size denim under $50---Girl, these jeans are for YOU!

On a personal note: While taking pictures in this look, I was “feeling myself” in every single sense of the phrase. As women, we are often too hard on ourselves. We may think: I’ll be happy with my body when…I lose my stomach…lose 10 pounds…get a tan…and so on. But the truth of the matter is, there is no better time to be happy with yourself/your body than TODAY. If I could give each and every single one of you a gift, it would be the gift of  full and complete awareness  of your individually unique beauty. It is great to find/see inspiration in a variety of places, especially since the birth of social media…but…I want to let you in on secret: The best source of inspiration comes from within YOU!
Until next time,
XO

Flower crown: DIY| Sunnies: Nordstrom| Cutout Tank Top: c/o Lovesick Fashion| High rise skinny jeans: c/o Lovesick Fashion| Sandals: Kay Unger

DIY Fashion Bash

Today marks the very first style story on the blog for the month of June! I am truly in disbelief at how quickly 2016 is flying by; I mean, we’re halfway to December already!!! I have said this time and time again, but just for emphasis, I’ll say once more: It feels like time is speeding up! Ok, ok, I’ll get on with today’s post =)

The name of the game is DIY (do-it-yourself) and I would love to be a master player. After all, I spend a good amount of time dreaming up new projects and pinning to my DIY inspiration boards on Pinterest (see here and here).  However, there is one ever present obstacle to fulfilling all of my DIY dreams: Time. Or should I say, a lack of time. Even when I select a so-called “simple” project, it seems to take at least double the amount of time that I originally anticipated.

As a motivator, I decided to invite a few fellow blogging babes to join me for today’s post, with the common challenge of creating our very own take on something fashion related, whether it be clothing or accessories. Alas, I had such high hopes, and I felt certain that I would finally be able to pin myself down to execute several pending ideas. However, my favorite obstacle presented itself again, I simply did not have the time to do everything that I envisioned.

As in every situation in life, one must always have a Plan B lined up =) May I present my Plan B: Pompom Sandals! I decided to highlight a mega quick DIY that is totally on trend. Only 3 supplies are needed: Shoes+ Pompoms+ glue/hot glue gun. Total time spent? Less than 15 minutes! Success at last!!!

I scored the sandals at a local thrift for $7. An added bonus: They had never been worn. I bought 1 yard of pompoms for $4 in the district, and the glue/glue gun were already on hand. Total cost for this project? Less than $15!!! 

I glued each pompom on, allowing the glue to dry before starting on the next one. I like how they turned out and look forward to seeing what else I will pair them up with. I was feeling a bit indecisive this time around, so I opted for a simple black jumpsuit that actually has been lying in wait in my wardrobe, totally unworn, for almost a year...

To recap: Today's pompom project took less than 15 minutes to execute and less than $15 to fund! Please don't forget that today's DIY fash bash is in collaboration with:

Princess- www.personalbravery.com/ (@PersonalBravery)

LaQuita- www.thestylespoonie.com (@TheStyleSpoonie) 

Faith- faithlashablogs.wordpress.com (@Faith.Fully.Yours)

Check out their DIY projects on their blog(s) and let me know which tips you plan to use!

Until next time Dolls,

XO

Sunnies: Forever 21| Statement necklace: Nordstrom, also worn here|  Jumpsuit: Trina Turk| Handbag: Vintage| Pom Pom Sandals: Thrifted , DIY Project

Bohemian Chic

If you follow me on Instagram, you recently saw glimpses from my wonderful relaxing vacation in Mexico. My husband and I stayed at a fabulous adults only ocean-side resort, in a quiet part of the city. I spent most days basking out in the sun, eating and drinking to my heart’s content. Despite my mega relaxed frame of mind, I did manage to get a few shots of several resort style ensembles. Now whether or not each look will actually make it to the blog is a whole other story…and of course remains to be seen-LOL!

 

Today’s post features a look that I wore to breakfast one morning, and on a leisurely stroll throughout the resort grounds. When it comes to resort style, a maxi dress truly is a no brainer. It’s easily packed, highly versatile, and simply styled.

To be honest, as I believe I have mentioned before, maxi dresses are not my favorite style of dress. In fact, for some time I shied away from wearing them altogether. Generally speaking, I do not find maxi numbers to be flattering on my frame. Despite the current banter of ‘wear whatever’ – that is not and never will be my personal style mantra. I like to wear items that look good to me (personally), and in turn make me feel good. That being said, there are several maxi dresses and or skirts that have made their way into my heart and wardrobe. See examples here, here, and here. This dress won me over because of its captivating shade of hot pink, and fantastic flow of the fabric.

For me, the key to wearing a plus size maxi dress is the cut and flow. I like the way this one cuts in around my waist area, and then gently flows outward. The fabric although beautiful is a bit thin for my taste - wearing shape wear underneath provided a smooth silhouette.

 

My floral headband is a product of one of the easiest DIYs that I’ve ever done. I cut the flowers off of some old stems from Pier One, then used a hot glue gun to glue them to a plain black elastic headband, about 1 inch apart and wa-lah, bohemian chic done the easy way!

Floral headband: DIY (also worn here)| Necklace: Nordstrom| Dress: Cynthia Rowley| Clutch: Vintage