Go Fourth and Fashion!

Fourth of July is right around the corner… and believe it or not, the Fourth is one of my favorite holidays … Not only because of the good food, spending time with family, and watching fireworks, but because I get to plan my Fourth of July outfit…There's just something very patriotic in planning an outfit for that day…  Take a look at all my social media feeds and you will find that on the Fourth I am smiling and sporting my red, white and blue…

Instead of buying something new this year, I decided to look in my closet and do a little matching.  The outfit below has been in my closet for at least a year… The red and blue printed pants came from Old Navy, while the blue peplum top came from Forever21.  Because these items are so old it was hard to find the direct link to them… But don't worry… I've included some looks that you can find right now for some last minute Fourth of July fashion ideas…

Still in need of an outfit for the Fourth? Check out these sites below. 

A Fashion to Figure Fourth by curvescouragecurlscouturechrist on Polyvore

Fourth of July by curvescouragecurlscouturechrist featuring high waisted jeans

Sitting on Top of the World

During the summer we are always on the go... Heading to this BBQ, that festival, this picnic, that party... I think you pretty much get it... Summer is all about fun and food, but let's not forget about fashion!  

I've always lived outside the city in the suburbs.  While living in Mississippi this wasn't a problem... A 15 mile drive only took you 15 minutes... Moving to Atlanta, however, changed my life... Traffic, traffic, traffic... This small town girl just could not get used to a 15 mile drive turning into an hour long road trip.  For the first 6 months I was literally late to everything...  I even arrived to my own pinning ceremony an hour late because I was stuck in traffic...

Fast forward... I've been living here for two years and I think I've finally gotten a hang of traffic... I know when and when not to leave my house lol... But most of all I've learned how to pack for a day.. Yes really... Everyday before I leave my house I pack a bag for the day...  It usually includes some workout clothes, pjs and an outfit for the next day... You just never know...  Especially after Snow Apocalypse '14 -- Yes I survived after being stranded... 

Just a little background...  

I live 33 miles north of Downtown Atlanta (according to Siri it would take me 51 minutes to get to downtown); my school is 23 miles from where I live (it takes 48 minutes to get to my school); however, my school is only 13 miles/25 minutes away from downtown... 

I spend most of my day at school... After classes there's always that one friend that wants to go somewhere downtown... But wait... I can't just rush home and change my outfit...  That's when I finally got the hang of Day to Night looks.. I always went places in my "school clothes" because I just refused to drive all the way back home and then head back downtown... In case you guys haven't checked... Gas is a little too high... and AINT NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT!! 

Since I've moved to Atlanta and now that I'm in professional school my wardrobe has totally changed... I find myself only buying clothes that are functional to my lifestyle... Can I wear it to school?  How can I transform it in case a friend wants to go out to dinner or to a party after class?  The easiest transformation pieces for me are skirts and dresses...  I always find myself taking a dress and pulling a skirt over it... Check out this Day to Night look I pulled off...  

This first look is perfect for brunch with friends or a BBQ with coworkers 

Have a date planned after that BBQ?  Slip off the skirt to show a more fitted dress perfect for any date! 

Dress from Target, Shoes from ASOS 

Skirt from Ross

Pictures were taken on the Jackson Street Bridge, Atlanta, Ga 

Stepping Out

Tis the season for Crop Tops + Florals…. So I've heard…

Summer Fashion is all about being bold and stepping out in tiny shorts, floral prints, tank/halter/crop tops, and short dresses.  Now I'm a fan of summer fashion,  but I've always played it safe with more "covered" approaches of summer fashion -- maxi dresses, long flowy skirts and kimonos.  Let's just say I've always been a little self conscious about certain things on my body -- especially my arms (I still don't think I'm ready to rock a tank).  Just recently a friend and I had a conversation about stepping out of our comfort zone.  As creatures of habit its so easy to get stuck into not doing something just because we've never tried it.  It reminded me of a blog post I read a while ago from For Colored Gurls.  If you've been following me since the beginning you know that my sole purpose for creating this blog was to be an inspiration to others.  The other day while watching +Chante' Burkett and +Kelly Augustine +Size Tag Video, Chante answered that her biggest pet peeve in the plus size community was women who claimed to be confident and an inspiration to other plus size women while opting to cover their bellies with oversized purses in every shoot.  After reflecting on what she said, I totally had to agree.  How can I be an inspiration to you guys and tell you to love your body when I choose to hide certain things about my body…. So guys… I stepped out!

I found this gorgeous floral two piece crop top set from Stacked Apparel

Shoes: Urban Outfitters Purse: Michael Kors 

Everything you ever wanted is one step out of your comfort zone. 

Looking to find a matching crop set of your own? Check out +Alissa Wilson and her blog +Stylish Curves where she tells you were to get the latest Two Piece Crop Top Set 

Plus Size In The City

So we all know that Carrie Bradshaw started it all - the tutu moment we all remember!  I absolutely loved watching Sex in the City just to see what Sarah Jessica Parker would wear next... That was the first time I thought about getting a tutu...  I still remember that gorgeous mint tulle skirt she wore while in Paris right before Big told her she was... The One... but she can get away with anything...right?  I mean she's so tiny and petite so everything is cute on her...  Plus, I couldn't dare put on a skirt that would make me look any bigger than I was... 

Fast forward a few years after that movie and the TuTu Trend jumped off... Everybody was wearing one... Still I didn't feel comfortable getting one... What grown woman would wear a tutu? But then life was received and I starting seeing plus size bloggers I admire wearing one...  +gabifresh,  +Garnerstyle,  +NaturallyFashionable,  +Chardline Faiteau, +Jay Miranda  and +CeCe Olisa.  I knew the time had come... I buckled down and started looking for a tutu.  I surfed all over the web... The tutus I found were at least $100... I'm not sure about ya'lls coins... but mine just didn't agree with paying that much for a skirt I would probably wear once.... I had given up... A year later while getting my daily dose of IG, I ran across a picture of my prophyte promoting her new business Krafty Kreations.  She specializes in designing Krafty Kreations including wreaths for any occasion, tutus, home accent pieces, etc. Not only were her tutus AMAZING, but I also paid under half the cost of tutu's I was finding online.  If you like my tutu definitely contact her and place an order wreaths_4_u@yahoo.com.  Here's a look at my tutu and some other tutus she has created… 

So, I finally have my tutu and I'm stuck... How do I wear it? I researched a million Pinterest sites just to find how other people were pairing theres... Nothing seemed to catch my eye.  Then one day while looking for a sweatshirt to wear for Mardi Gras, I stumbled across the site CustomPlus.  I'd fallen in love with the Beyonce "Surfboard" sweat shirt only to get it and it was a BIG BUST!!!  The "S" and "D" literally stretched to underneath my armpits... I was completely done with the site... But before I closed out, I decided to give it one more try and bought the +Size tshirt thinking it would go great with my new tutu... As soon as it came in I tried it on with the skirt and ding ding ding, WE HAVE A WINNER.  I paired the outfit with shoes from ASOS.  Check out my outfit below and let me know what you think.   

It was my photographer's idea to get balloons… I think it adds a nice romantic touch to the photos!! 

Like my hair in the photos? Check out this brief video to get an idea of my Twist and Curl for transitioning hair! 

  

I'm So Fancy

Two weeks ago while browsing Facebook, I came across a Lip Sync Battle between Jimmy Fallon and Emma Stone.  Jimmy's first song was Fancy by Iggy Azalea.  The beat drops, "First things first I'm the realest," and I was in love.  This was my first time hearing an Iggy Azalea song so I rushed to youtube to see the whole video.  Definitely click here if you haven't seen the video.  The music video is spin off of the classic 90s movie Clueless… What I loved most about this music video was the Alicia Silverstone- esque black and gold pleated skirt with matching blazer.  There's something just so FANCY about that color combination… So I decided to recreate a fancy look with black and gold items from my closet.  Check it out below… 

I believe this is my second time wearing this black pleated skirt that I got from Gap over two years ago. Once I put it on I fell in love with it all over again.  Unfortunately, I have no clue where the top came from.  It was "thrifted" from an Instagram vintage boutique.  Probably bought during a random I'm tired of school so lets shop fits (I usually have these fits after a test)… If I find out the name of the IG account I will update this blog ASAP.  My shoes are from Ross.  Every time I wear them I have a classmate telling me I look like royalty.  Ross is my go to store to find basic items such as workout clothes and shoes.  I may do a recent haul post on some cute workout pants I purchased from there.  If you would like to see a post about them just let me know in the comments.  

If you're ever in the Atlanta area I highly suggest renting bikes and riding the BeltLine.  These picture were taking on it's trail.  It amazing how this colors of the street art perfectly matched my outfit.  I'll just call it divine intervention.