Holiday Hottie

Holiday party season can be stressful and expensive. And although we’ve almost made it through Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanza don’t forget about NYE. You can save yourself time and money by re-purposing already owned attire. If you’re like me, your weeks were loaded with multiple holiday parties. They kicked off November 30th, yep...I didn’t even make it to December. So far I’ve attended six (not counting the invites), and I still have four more to go. So here’s an example of one of my holiday party looks, in which I didn't purchase one single new item.  And I suggest you do the same ... Don’t go broke trying to buy something new for every single event! Get creative with what you already own.

1. Shirt (6 mos. old) - Fashion To Figure

2. Skirt (4 yrs. old) - Ashley Stewart 

3. Shoes (2 yrs. old) - Cole Haan

4. Purse (3 mos. old) - Torrid 

5. Choker (1 yr. old) - Forever21

Formal Flare

I recently attended a Masquerade Ball in honor of cancer survivors, hosted by the men of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.  This gala was a double win for me - a great cause combined with an excuse for me to get dolled up - so of course when asked about attending, I said "I'm There!" Plus, if you've ever seen the movie "A Cinderella Story" w/ Hillary Duff then you know what I was most excited about ... wearing the mask no doubt. Yes, I'm a fan of romantic comedies and teenage movies ... DON'T Judge me, I'm still 13 at heart. Anyway, I found the perfect, and when I say perfect, I mean perfect dress. Sorry, I mean gown. Sorry, I mean garment. Sorry, I mean frock.  Nope none of those work because a simple description doesn't do it justice. It was more like an amazingly stunning piece of fabric that was perfectly mixed with jewels and beautifully crafted to make any fabulous chick like myself look just as DOPE as she feels.  So where did I find this storybook dress? I thought you'd never ask.  Burlington ... yes, the former "Coat Factory."  I too am still in shock at this diamond in a rough.  Just browsing through the racks w/ one of my fav cousins, I spot this lone-wolf masterpiece and had to make it mine. I prayed silently as I entered the fitting room because it was the only one left and a size 18, numbers these thighs haven't seen in years.  Well, I'm happy to report it fit like a glove (in a good way), thanks to all these steps I've been racking up on my Fitbit.  Needless to say that stunning piece of fabric came home with me.  The best part of it all was the price, $50, another double win. By the way, the mask was purchased on Amazon, the jewelry came from Charming Charlie, shoes (not pictured) not new, hair styled by yours truly and my makeup was professionally done by The Girl w/Big Hair, whom is a friend of mine. So this look came together for less than $100. Well here she is!

Burrrr Baby

"Winter is Coming!" Yes, that's a Game of Thrones reference.  Yes, I'm missing G.O.T. Yes, I can't wait for Season 8.  Anyway, enough about that.  I'm legit warning you that "Winter is Coming!"  When I stepped out of my house this morning, I was disappointed that I did not remote start the whip.  That's usually my first indicator that short sleeves, no tights and open toe shoes are exiting stage left until April.  So what did I do as soon as I sat down at my desk this morning? Look for coats of course! One of my go to spots year-after-year for good quality, reasonably priced, plus size women's coats is Jessica London.  I literally buy three things from this online plus size store that Momma BBBThink put me on to years ago.  Those three things; tights, boots and coats.  I openly admit that I'm not a huge fan of their clothing.  They're apparel tends to look a little older/mature.  However, I am a fan of their boots and coats, they're classic and quality.  Another great thing about this shop, they ALWAYS have some type of sale, anywhere from 25 to 50 percent off. So in my morning "Burrrr Baby" search on Jessica London, I came across these hotties.  All under 200 bucks might I add!  Let me know your thoughts on which one or two I should add to my beloved collection.

Asymmetrical Coat

Faux Fur Coat

Asymmetrical Coat w/ Belt

Wool Cape

Suede Leather Moto Jacket

Red Trench Coat

3/4 Length Pink Leather Coat

Oldie But Goodie

I've often advocated for re-purposing, re-wearing, re-accessorizing veteran items.  I don't want to call them old because maybe you've only owned that top for a year or two.  However, it feels old because you wore it often, or took one too many pics for Facebook or IG wearing it.  Whatever the case is, I'm here to tell you that you can reinvent the wheel.  Don't give up on that two seasons ago maxi dress that's the go to for every cookout.  Just find a new way to rock it.  As you know, I'm still on my frugally fly kick... #adultgoals. Therefore, I'm making it a point not to buy new clothes but instead revitalize the veteran.  So here are just a few of my recently worn oldie but goodie ensembles.

Top - 3 years old, Pants - 3 years old, Purse - 2 years old, Shoes - 1 year old

Jumper - 4 years old, Purse - Vintage but 5 years old to me, Shoes - new but not pictured

Dress - 1 year old, Shoes - 2 years old

Small Work-out Goals

This will seem very insignificant to most but for me, this is a big deal.  I have graduated from 5 lb. to 10 lb. weights. LOL!!!  For those of you who are body-building pros, cross-fit champs, marathon running experts ... I know you're saying "what the hell." But for me, this is a big deal.  I have never been a strength training enthusiast and as a matter of fact, I can't even tell you when I've ever been consistent with my workouts.  However, for the past year I have made a conscious effort to workout at least a few times a week.  I've primarily focused on cardio because frankly I've always needed to lose more weight than I thought strength training could help with. So this graduation is a big deal for me and I'm proud of it.  Onward and Upward ...

NY Fashion Week in Plus

Ladies, Ladies, Ladies as much as I bash mainstream fashion designers and stores for lack of size diversity and fashion options. I also respectfully give props when props are due. Last week during New York Fashion Week, plus-size models set a new record w/ 27 gracing the red carpet with their presence.  According to Glamour it's the most plus action EVER at this highly coveted event. Just to put things in perspective, last season just 12 plus size models strutted their stuff and in 2015 a whopping four.  So needless to say, we've come a long way.  I love the love that the curvy community is receiving in the mainstream.  I'm not sure if designers have grown a conscious or finally realized we spend just as much money as skinny chicks. Either way, I'm here for all of it and loving it.  So shout-out to NY Fashion Week Fall 2017 and all the fabulous fluffy fashionistas who made a splash on the runway. Here's just a few of my fav looks :)

Le Diner en Blanc

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of attending one of the most highly anticipated Washington events of the summer - Diner en Blanc DC.  The all-white, secret diner party, which started in Paris (hence the sexy french name) and is now in more than 70 cities worldwide, definitely lived up to the hype. This was not your average white-party, this was an ALL-white, who's who of Washington, flash-mob style shindig on steroids.  EVERYTHING was all white, tables, chairs, decor, attire ... even some of the wigs :).  It was my kind of affair; glamorous, avant-garde, tons of fun and exclusive.  Although, 4,500 people attended the DC extravaganza, more than 35,000 names were on the wait-list according to USA Today.  I can't lie, leading up to the event my friends and I were scrambling trying to get all of our white necessities...table cloths, dinner napkins, flatware, and of course outfits.  The whole time thinking, damn this is a lot of work ... this better be worth it.  Well, it definitely was.  The mere fact that I was dining and dancing in the middle of Pennsylvania Ave, just 10 blocks from the White House, and didn't get arrested :).  As for my all white attire, I went to Fashion to Figure ... one of my go-to favs these days, especially for inexpensive but cute ensembles.  Yes, I'm still on a budget and definitely living #FrugallyFly now more than ever ... remember I am a new homeowner :).  I had one desire for my look - SEXY!!! Well, after searching for about a week, the FTF store in Annapolis Mall came to the rescue.  As one of my co-workers exclaimed, "You look like a Grecian Goddess!"  I'll take that :). As for my accessories, the pearled out glasses were made by fashionista icon Raqui of  I-Wear by Raqui.  The necklace was a gift from my amazing mom this past Christmas and the shoes were a summer 2016 purchase from Zulily.  So here's the look and more pics from Diner en Blanc DC 2017.

Housewarming

Recently I purchased my first home and last weekend some of my favorite people threw me a housewarming that was attended by more of my favorite people. It was small and quaint, close friends and family, but it was one fabulous affair!!! And oh boy do I love fab affairs. My cousin cooked all of the food and she's an excellent cook. The menu consisted of all of my favorites ... chicken, fresh fruit, potato salad, pasta salad and more. My bff, who's also one of the best decorators that I know, adorned my new humble abode with fresh cut purple tulips (one of my favorite flowers), pink roses and other bright assorted bouquets. And two of my closest friends made THE cutest favors ... key shaped chocolates and rice crispy treats the looked like paint brushes. As for what I wore. Well, I purchased an outfit from ASOS, the week of, but when it arrived it was too big. I don't shop there often so I triple checked the size chart but still to no avail. So then two days before the housewarming I went on a wild goose chase to every plus size store in my area: Fashion To Figure, Torrid, Lane Bryant, and Ashley Stewart. I even checked out Forever21+. Well, believe it or not Ross came through for the win!!! There was only one left, it was in my size and way within my budget. Im still in shock that I found exactly what I wanted and at Ross. 

Here she is!

Not Beach Body Motivation

Tomorrow is officially the first day of Summer 2017 and this post is for the BBBthink beauties everywhere who are determined to proudly show skin from now through Fall. If you're feeling a little self-conscious, no worries, Full-Figure Model #AshleyGraham and #SwimsuitsForAll have a new commercial that's sure to have you feeling yourself.  This will give you the motivation, confidence and determination to put your big-girl bikini bottoms on (literally and figuratively) and take your tush to a pool, beach, backyard ... something-somewhere.  So pull out that two piece, high-cut swimsuit, coochie-cutter shorts and whatever else you're avoiding.  Trust me when I say I feel your pain, I aint lying to make you feel better. I know how hard this can be! As I've openly admitted many times before, I HATE-HATE-HATE my arms.  So while you're showing off that bikini bottom full of dimples and stretch marks all SUMMER long, I promise to wear spaghetti straps, halter dresses, tube tops and all that stuff that I purposefully AVOID.  This will be a huge accomplishment for me if successful. So this commercial is motivation for all of us. Oh ... an checkout how beautiful some of my fav plus size models are in swimwear.

Nicole Simone

Tess Holiday

Gabi Fresh

Chasity Garner

BBBThink Favs

So, I haven't shared a BBBThink fav in a while.  Mostly, because I haven't done much shopping.  I've still been on my frugally fly kick and my savings account is grinning from ear-to-ear.  I didn't know how talented I could be at re-purposing old items or reinventing ways to wear outfits over-and-over. However, I do want to share two really cool things that are not quite my typical favs but still worthy of sharing and definitely grabbed my heart.  One really exciting tidbit, comes from my friends over at Forever 21.  They recently announced the relaunch of their plus size collection.  I'm really excited about this because I love Forever 21+!! It's definitely a go-to of mine for inexpensive, cute apparel. Some of my favorite pieces of clothing were Forever 21+ finds so I'm expecting even better grabs in the future. Second, Jill Scott recently did an interview in which she talks about her beautiful full-figured lifestyle.  She points out that rest is a big component of her health ... that is something that I've been more focused on trying to do.  She also said this in regards to exercise, "But sometimes I get up and do it and other times, I don't.  But I forgive myself.  If all you're worried about is the size of my jeans, then I'm probably not for you."  Read the full story here: http://blackdoctor.org/485506/jill-scott/2/

Checkout these Forever21+ new arrivals ... I'm loving the Velzera Tunic :)

Pretty in Pink

Easter has always been one of my favorite holidays.  Really I love any holiday that includes warm weather, spending time with my hilarious family and eating soul-food and/or seafood (both of which go hand-in-hand whenever my clan is assembled).  My love for Resurrection Sunday in particular stems from a multitude of additional celebrations.  For one, my birthday, which is in April and usually falls within days or at the most, weeks from Easter.  As a matter of fact, I was born on Maundy Thursday ... the day before Good Friday.  So whenever my parents, grandparents, aunties and other relatives reflect on the day that I graced them with my presence, they talk about the many stuffed bunnies, fancy dresses and big hair bows that were gifted during the dual celebratory occasion of my birth and Jesus rising.  In addition, my younger brother is also an April baby.  So if we're not celebrating my birthday and Easter, we're usually celebrating his.  From the time that my brother and I were about 2 and 4  until we were about 8 and 10, my mother insisted on throwing us a combined Birthday Party/Easter Egg Hunt.  This went on year-after-year until I'd had enough!  When you're 9 1/2 sharing your birthday with your younger brother is just pure dreadful.  However, I would do it today in heart beat...love mi Hermano.  :)  In addition to my b-day and my brothers, we also have my grandmothers, great-grandmothers (RIP Grandma Vivian) and my first-cousins.  Yes, I know ... that's a lot of celebrations for one month.  April is total fat season for us! It's equivalent to October for bears....just stocking up for the winter. Well Easter Sunday 2017 was no exception. My grandmother turned 80 on Maundy Thursday of this year and we celebrated all weekend.  My mom and I treated her to a Motown Review Concert on Saturday.  My Aunts, Uncles and Cousins surprised her at Church on Sunday morning.  And on Sunday afternoon we had a surprise birthday brunch that included airfare to visit her brother in Sunny California.  So a celebration of Grandma and Christ was in full swing. As for what I wore: a #FashionToFigure pink summer dress w/ side rouching and high low split, my favorite necklace which I purchased years ago at a #CharmingCharlies in Dallas, TX and gray platform wedges (not pictured...my feet needed a break) which were a #Goodwill find.