“I just know that I was tired. I was tired of thinking less of myself because others did. People always ask me, ‘You have so much confidence. Where did that come from?’ It came from me. One day I decided that I was beautiful, and so I carried out my life as if I was a beautiful girl. I wear colors that I really like, I wear makeup that makes me feel pretty, and it really helps. It doesn’t have anything to do with how the world perceives you. What matters is what you see. Your body is your temple, it’s your home, and you must decorate it.”
Outfit of the Day: Cupcakes, Cocktails, and Curves Event
I know some of you have already seen these photos on the Facebook page, but I just had to share it here, too! The CCC event was really amazing for me. Not only was it the first event I had ever had for my store, but it was my first public event as a blogger as well. I was really nervous. We had so much to do last minute, but it ended up being a truly great night. I cannot express how wonderful and powerful it was to be in a plus size, body positive environment. Everyone was celebrating big bodies and great fashion. It was a great feeling to be in a room so full of positive, supportive people. I had a blast meeting so many of you, and I even made some new friends! I can’t even explain the amount of pride I felt after this night, not only for myself and my friend Susie, who held the event at her store, but for the entire fat positive movement. I will definitely want to do more things like this in the future.
As far as my outfit, I just had a few shots taken in the photobooth, so I don’t have a lot of the details photographed. I actually got the dress from Susie’s store, Embellish Plus that is now doing plus size consignment. A really sweet girl was dropping off her clothes to consign while I was at the store to work on the fashion show, and I had to get this dress the minute I saw it! It’s “vintage” Torrid. I love it! I’m a sucker for a dress with pockets! I felt really beautiful that night.
Dress: Embellish Plus (Torrid consignment)
Shoes: Steve Madden
Bracelet: Boutique in Nola
Here’s a few more photos from the fashion show featuring the new stuff at the store, and some of my favorite shots with fellow bloggers, store owners, models, and fabulous friends!
Me & fellow blogger Oh! Nikka, our friends, and me and Susie owner of Embellish 
The girls in my favorite new summer stuff for Big Bang Boutique! 
Bootay, cupcakes c/o Lucky 13 Bakery, and me and two of the beautiful models!
So it seems like wide fitting shoes are something that needs to be talked about and shared a little more! I got a lot of messages after my last post asking what brands carry wide fitting shoes, and if I knew anywhere to get some more variations that are on trend and cute. I also got a lot of questions about wide heels and wedges. The place I go to for wide fitting shoes is a long time partner of the blog, Viva La Diva. They carry so many different brands, from Toms, Doc Martens, to high end heels. There is a something for every shoe budget and great choices for all different fits. I don’t wear heels or wedges very often because I’m already pretty tall, but I am looking for the perfect shoe to wear for my wedding day. I mean, how amazing are these?! I’m really eyeing the red pumps, the silver sparkly pair, and the amazing rainbow bright-esque heels in the middle. How would those be for something blue?
Hope this helps give you some more options to add to your shoe collection!
Things the Internet Taught Me: Easy Marbled Nails
I have been seeing AWESOME marbled nails all over the internet. There is an artistry behind it called water marbling. If you have the time to do it, it really is worth a shot! You put nail polish and suspend it in water, marble it to your liking, and dip your nails into the pattern. It takes a lot of taping of your hands, and a lot of time but is really beautiful. I came across this method when simply looking for a tie dyed nail effect. I posted this pic on my twitter/instagram awhile back and everyone wanted to know how to do it. It’s really simple!
1. Simply pick the colors you want to use. I used pink, orange, blue, green, and purple. Also have some white on hand.
2. Paint your nails with the white as a base.
3. Once it dries most the way, glob on the colors you would like to use. I do them in a diagonal line across the nail. You want the nail polish to be heavy enough to where it sits heavy, but not too much to where it runs on its own. Like so:
4. Then, take a tooth pick and simply make lines across the opposite diagonal from the ones you painted with the polish. Do one nail at a time! Then sit and let them dry for a least 30 minutes. It is heavily painted, so it maky take a little longer.
That’s it! Enjoy your gorgeous nails! Use more or less colors, different lines and patterns for different looks. :)
Outfit of the Day: High-Low Tide
Man, has it been hot! Too hot to worry about exposed arms or manicured hair, if you ask me! I still try and look hot while beating the heat, though. I got new items into my store this week and had to try them on. This is one of my favorite pieces, and something I had to keep! I snapped a few photos before going out with some friends and my fiancé. I love the color blocking and the hi-low hem. It’s got two great trends in one! It’s also super comfy for an easy chic look. I just paired it with a belt, necklace, some sandals and pinned my hair up in a top knot. I will definitely be rocking this look again!
Dress: Big Bang Boutique
Shoes: Target
Necklace: Shop in Nola
Belt: Torrid
Sunglasses: Van Maur
In the fall I got a lot of questions about wide fitting boots, and now that we’re in into summer, I’ve been getting a lot of questions about where to get cute wide fitting shoes. It’s not like your shoe size is any different in the warmer months! So why is it so hard to find shoes that fit? It’s definitely hard to find cute stuff for any occasion when you wear a wide, or even a more narrow shoe. Believe me, I know! So looking around on the internet, I found DUO boots that offers lots of boots in various sizes and specialties. And wouldn’t you know it, they do wide fit SHOES, too! So here are some of my favorites from the site. Love the bright colors, basics, vintage, and modern looks!
It’s finally happening! Cocktails, Cupcakes, and Curves!
I’m going to be an event to meet all you beauties! I’m very very excited to be apart of this. It will be at my friend’s store, Embellish Boutique, right near Town Center Mall in Kennesaw, Georiga. It’s a quick drive from Atlanta. We will have cupcakes and cocktails served, a mini fashion show, a photobooth, and much more! Along with the merchandise of Embellish, my store Big Bang Boutique will have our entire stock on the floor for you to try on and shop! As if that wasn’t great enough, everything will be 30% off!
Still want more? Embellish is now taking plus size consignment! So awesome, right? And if you bring in at least 3 items to consign you get an extra 10% off your entire purchase! Spend some money and make some money!
We are also looking for a few plus size models to come be in the fashion show if anyone is interested. Details on the flyer below:
Make sure you RSVP on facebook by clicking here or the CCC flyer above.
Or just email us. Everyone is invited! Bring your friends! I am just so excited to finally be a part of an event and meet you all! Can’t wait to see you there!
Outfit of the Day: Low Key in Leopard
Hello loves! I’m finally back after two amazing music festivals and lots of good times. (I’ll post Instagram photos soon!) Since I got back it has been blazing hot! It probably doesn’t help that my A/C went out. (Ergh.) But this is definitely the point in Atlanta when everyone kind of says, “screw it” and just wears what they’re comfortable in. It’s too hot to worry about your arms, legs, cellulite and what not!
This is a really casual outfit, I know, but I want to stay true to what I usually wear. I’ve worn this several times for errands and school days. It’s cute and simple. The flowy top in a light color definitely helps beat the heat, and shorts protect from the dreaded chub rub. I can’t be glamousous every day but I always try and look nice! The back on this top is such a cute surprise! I’m still channeling my inner Carrie Bradshaw and letting my bra show, too. (Like I said, screw it!) I simply paired the outfit with a hat and some sunnies I’ve been basically living in lately. And there ya have it. How to beat the heat, keep it casual, and still look pretty (if I don’t say so myself!)
Top: Big Bang Boutique
Shorts & Hat: Target
Sandals: Steve Madden
Sunnies: Thrifted
I know you're a big Bonnaroo fan, and I'll be attending for the first time in less than a week's time! So what should I do about chaffing? Because I'm terrified I'm going to be down for the count by Saturday because of this.
Asked by
etc-etc
This is my fourth year so I know what you’re saying!! Bonnaroo and other music festivals are like chub rub in overdrive. It’s miles of walking every day in humid, 85+ heat. Here are a few thing I have learned throughout the years.
- Start taking care of chub rub before it happens. It is such a bitch to take care of after you already have it. So uncomfortable! Start day 1!
- Bring a shower bag, a shower tent, or pay for one there. It makes SUCH a huge difference and makes you feel like a million bucks. It will also help keep problem areas clean.
- Take a tip from the guys- Gold bond powder is actually awesome. You can also use baby powder. It really works. It’s kind of a pain in the butt to apply though, and can be seen on your skin, so I would only recommend it for when you’re wearing longer skirts or dresses.
- A lot of people use deodorant, too. It works, but I would be careful with it at Bonnaroo, it may not do the trick for Bonnaroo. It’s a good backup, though. It’s really important to just keep areas you get chub rub dry and as clean as possibly.
- Also, for Hangout fest I tried Skindura. It’s hand made and all natural. It’s also waterproof. It’s AWESOME. It worked like a dream. It’s a little pricey but I found it was completely worth it. The person who makes it did a lot of trial runs herself until she got it perfect. It’s definitely what I will be using for Bonnaroo.
- If you don’t have time to order it, there are other anti-chaffing gels and what not you can buy at any grocery or drug store. They work, too. My advice with Skindura and other gels though is to keep the area clean. I sat in the sand one day and it kind of ruined the whole glide effect & was a pain to get off my skin. I would bring a towel or blanket to sit on at Bonnaroo and you’ll be good to go!
- You also can’t go wrong with a good pair of bike shorts. I wear them a lot, actually. You also don’t have to worry about being modest when sitting at a show or anything. They’re the ultimate anti-chub rub! I got a pair at Target for $10.
If anyone sees me at Bonnaroo come say hey!
Hey guys! Just to let you know I have a TON of new clothes up on my selling blog! Including my first wedding dress I bought. (I ended up getting a tea length for my actual wedding.) AND the top that was the first outfit post I ever did. Almost everything is less than $20. Go check it out and get some great finds for super cheap.
Shop here. :)
Outfit of the Day: DIY Boho
So you’ll have to excuse me. When Summer hits I just dive right into my hippy boho looks. I think it’s really fun to try different silhouettes and looks. I never like to just look one way all the time. It’s nice to play with your aesthetic sometimes. I guess with all the music festivals and humid Georgia heat, it’s great to just throw on a sundress or a flowy skirt like this one.
Tank Top: Old Navy // Skirt: Thrifted & altered // Headband: Handmade & Gifted // Belt: Torrid // Necklace: Avenue // Sandals: Target // Sunglasses: Von Maur
As a part of the tie dye theme we’ve got going, I’m going to teach you how to broaden your thrifting horizons! This skirt was $5 at Goodwill. Although, it didn’t look like this at all. I was hunting for a flowy, mid-length, pink skirt for awhile now. I couldn’t find something I liked in plus size at all. So I just decided to make it! I took a skirt that had the right fit and look to it, and I decided to bleach and re-dye it.
Bleaching:
I used Rit color remover and dye. It worked amazingly! It was like magic! I had never done anything like this before so I was really excited it actually worked. I got all of it at a crafts store.
It took about 20 minutes of constant stirring in very hot water and a very large stock pot, but I got it to a pale khaki color. The directions said it may not get to a fully white color, and I knew with the dark color I started with, this was about as good as it gets. You can also dye it at this color, which I did because I wanted to keep the tribal print throughout.
Dyeing:
I used the same stock pot to dye once it was cleaned out, and I had thoroughly rinsed my skirt. I picked Petal Pink for a light, airy color. The directions were quite similar to the the color removal process. Lots of stirring! I let mine it a little longer that recommended, then washed it. Came out pretty cool, huh?
So there you go! So easy and it completely changes the look of the piece. Now you can shop for style and fit, and have an easy way to alter clothing just the way you want. Enjoy!
“Never underestimate the huge middle finger you are giving to the world when you make peace with your body.”
(via tangledupinlace)
Things the Internet Taught Me: How to Tie-Dye!
Welcome to tie dye week! I must admit, we got a little carried away in preparation for festival season, but I made a lot of really cool stuff, wore a lot of it (not just tee-shirts and psychedelic prints) that I really enjoyed doing and want to share with you. I’ve learned how to DIY a lot of things from various places the internet. This new section found at the top of the blog will be a one-stop-shop for all the great DIY projects, recipes, and other fun things I learn and want to share with you.
So let’s get to dyeing!
First things first- soak them in something called Soda Ash. It really helps your colors stay, and keeps them bright. I also use it for regular dyeing as well. You also want the shirts to be damp when you dye them, as it helps the dye soak through the shirt, too.
The Heart:
This one is my absolute favorite! It looks like it would be really hard, but it is actually quite simple!
- Fold your teeshirt or tank top in half and draw half a heart on it in washable marker. (As you can tell, it took me a few tries to get my heart right.)
- Then, start gathering the shirt up along the line. You are going to move and bend the top so that the line that made your heart is now a strait line when bundled together.
- Put one of two bands around that line.
- Now, just put parallel bands along the rest of your shirt.
- Mix your dyes and put them in squirt bottles. We got ours at a crafts store for $1 each.
- Where each band is signifies where to put each color, so chose what colors you would like where. You can also put a color right on the rubber band to get a sort of outline effect, like the black line around the heart on mine.
- Saturate each area. Then flip it over. You can see what colors are where. Saturate the other side.
- Leave it somewhere overnight, or even a couple days if you’re really patient!
- Rinse in the sink with COLD water to set until water runs clear. Wash in cold/warm cycle in the washer.
- Enjoy! This can also be done for just rings, or various other shapes.
The Spiral:
A classic! Also really easy and comes out super cool. You can also add as many spirals as you want to an item!
- Simply lay your shirt out flat.
- Decide where you want the spiral to be, and pinch it. Start turning it in either direction until it starts to spiral up into a little bun. You can do several spirals if you like.
- Take the excess tee hanging off, and tuck it by the side.
- As many colors as you want, put that many rubber bands on the shirt to secure it. We wanted 4, so we did two bands to make 4 sections, but you can do more.
- Color each section as you did before, making sure each side is saturated. Leave for 12-24 hours.
- Rinse in cold water until it runs clear, then wash.
The last one I did was a crop top. It was damp, as were the other shirts. I over saturated the bottom of the shirt, and let it sit. It naturally ran up and ombre’d itself when I walked off! Happy accident. Pretty neat, though.
That’s it! Super easy and simple. Now all you have to do is rock them! Make sure to wear gloves and do it outside or on some trashbags or tarp! It’s fun and slightly messy! Have a blast and don’t be afraid to be creative! Groovy, man.
“
When [your friends] say “You’re not fat,” what they really mean is “You’re not a dozen nasty things I associate with the word fat.” The size of your body is not what’s in question; a tape measure or a mirror could solve that dispute. What’s in question is your goodness, your lovability, your intelligence, your kindness, your attractiveness. And your friends, not surprisingly, are inclined to believe you get high marks in all those categories. Ergo, you couldn’t possibly be fat.
But I am. I am cute and healthy and pleasant-smelling (usually) and ambitious and smart and lovable and fun and stylish and friendly and outgoing and categorically not icky. And I am fat — just like I’m also short, also American, also blonde (with a little chemical assistance). It is just one fucking word that describes me, out of hundreds that could. Those three little letters do not actually cancel out all of my good qualities.
[…]
Because fat should mean only having more adipose tissue than the average person, but it doesn’t. And every time you ignore what’s in front of your face to tell me I’m not fat because you can’t bring yourself to put me in that nasty, ugly category, you’re buying in to the idea that real fat people are all sorts of nasty, ugly things I’m not. Horseshit. I am a real fat person, and very few real fat people live up to the worst stereotypes wielded against us.
[…]
Too many women look at me and think, She can’t be fat —she looks fine, then look at themselves and think, I’m so fat — I can’t possibly look (or be) fine. Even ones who are built exactly like me. As long as the horseshit stereotypes persist — that fat women can never be healthy, smart, driven, disciplined, fashionable, attractive and eminently lovable — women who are all those things and fat will keep seeing themselves as fundamentally disgusting and unworthy. So every time someone tries to tell me I’m not fat simply because I don’t fit those stereotypes, I’m gonna keep telling them I am, too, fat, dammit! Le fat, c’est moi. This is what fat looks like.
I am a kindhearted, intelligent, attractive, person, and I am fat. There is no paradox there.
”
Outfit of the Day: Such a Heart Throb
Hello loves! I hope you all had a fabulous Cinco de Drinko! I know we did. We opted out of the usual craziness of a Mexican restaurant, and had a cookout at our place with some close friends. It was a lot of fun and was so nice to catch up with people I hadn’t seen in awhile! I’ve been oggling this dress at Torrid for awhile now. I’m a sucker for a dress with pockets. Lucky for me, it went on clearance! It is a great piece because I could really dress it up or down. I opted for a more casual look by just pairing it with sandals, sunglasses and my favorite hat. The sunglasses were something I’ve been trying to hunt down for awhile now. I finally found some in Europe I loved that were part of my fatini wishlist that wouldn’t ship to me! So I ended up finding the light colored pair of these AJ Morgan ones I’m wearing on Asos, and then lurked the internet for a cheaper price. Tada! The wonders of the internet. If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram you know I’ve been wearing them all the time! They’re too cute. You may also notice I slightly ombred my hair in colors of red and copper. I think I like it for the most part. Whatcha think?
Dress: Torrid on clearance!
Sandals & Hat: Target
Sunglasses: Von Maur
Necklace: F21
