DOTD: Happy Birthday to… ME!!

So today is my birthday. I am a spring baby. So much so, that when I planned today’s outfit it was supposed to be warm enough to not have to wear this outfit with tights. I have no where to go currently… but I wanted to look HOT… not cute, adorable, or sophisticated… I wanted to cause an ESCANDALO… and make people need to gulp water from my HOTNESS… I still really like this outfit… but it would have been something more exotic if my legs had been free to enjoy the “spring” weather. Only today it is like 38 degrees and raining. UGH!!!! This weather is infuriating!!! It won’t let me be great!

Anyway, I’m the birthday girl so I feel cute and my eyeshadow was really fun to do today. I was going to say something really deep and profound about us getting older and wiser… only problem is… with another year older… comes another part of my memory that has been flushed down the toilet. lol

So what are you doing on the best day on earth (too dramatic?)… What do you think of my outfit?

Before I forget… GO TEAM #ARIES!!!!

OUTFIT BREAKDOWN:
Black Ruffle Corset: City Chic 
Fuschia/Purple Leopard Skirt: Wet Seal Junior Plus
Tights: Silkies
Fuschia Shoes: Michael Shannon (Off Broadway Shoes)
White Jacket: Dots
Ring: Beauty Supply
Earrings: Claire’s

DOTD: Embracing My Vanity

So I was sitting back and thinking about vanity last night. It was when someone said that I am conceited but said it in the way of a joke. So last night, I sat back and thought about my “vanity” if you will. I remembered growing up on & off near my cousins and remember that I was the darkest skinned of all the cousins I grew up around. Not one of the darkest… but the darkest. I grew up hearing jokes about how I had been left in the oven too long… and how I was dark as midnight. Nicknames like “Blurple” and “Shadow” are things that I can’t lose. Then of course the lights out jokes that when the lights were out they couldn’t see me if my eyes were closed. Now add to this that I was also the largest of all my cousins as well. That one of my female cousins would borrow my t-shirts and wear them as dresses or nightgowns. I mean… that couldn’t possibly have a negative affect on my self-esteem. So I would ask my mom why I was so ugly, black, and fat. So I think it scared my mother. So she would constantly tell me how beautiful I was. She would tell me even when I looked my worse. Even when I didn’t seem to believe her… she constantly would reinforce this positive image of myself. So eventually it was all I knew. I would look in the mirror and see the beauty that my mother constantly told me I had. I would look in the mirror and not see my flaws but see the aspects of me that make me beautiful. My eyes that seem to say “come hither”, my lips that are supple and soft, and my one lone dimple that comes out when I smile so hard my face looks likely to crack.

Later in life, I was the first girl in the 4th grade to get boobs. Not like cup A boobs… I think I started in a C cup. It was like one day… my mom realized I couldn’t run bra-less for fear putting an eye out. I remember that in the 4th & 5th grade I went from being very popular and having friends to becoming an loner because of the mass attention I received from boys. When all the friends you have are flat chested and you are already rocking cleavage, you could understand how early the jealousy & haters started. So I believe that is around the age that I started dressing like a boy. I found their clothes could camouflage my curves, and could make me blend better. I found that the more I didn’t show my curves, the more friends I had. I wasn’t a threat. I wasn’t someone the girls had to worry would “steal” their boyfriends. So that is how I survived my youth. By not being honest with myself and just doing what it took to fit in.

So now I’m in my 30s. I am about to celebrate another birthday TOMORROW and I realize that I’m the strongest I’ve ever been. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. And all the drama and hate that I tried to avoid in my youth, I get now. Not everyone but I am finding that the blogosphere is kind only to those they don’t see as a threat. I guess that is why I don’t assume I will ever be famous. I don’t assume I will ever be a big time “BLOGGER”… mainly because if I can help, or raise up another blogger along with continuing to do my own blog, that is what I will do. I love the entire blog community. No one is more special than another. I think we will always put our own spin and ideas into our outfits. Especially since most of us shop in the same places. This is where our own brand of creativity shines through. Which is why I include all blogs in my side panel. You will only see the most current 25 but you can see them all if you click. If you are a blogger and aren’t in my panel, let me know… I will add you. I think that being a hater only blocks your blessings. And I kinda like being blessed.

So this little rant was just to put out there… that yes… you may look at my blog and my photos and see vanity… but I think that after 30 years of fading in the background, I deserve a little vanity… don’t you think?

So embrace your inner vanity… and embrace other bloggers… now… What do you think of my outfit? lol

What I’m wearing today:
Blazer: Curve Appeal Consignment
Lace Shoulder Trim Top: New Look (Inspire Line)
Skirt: Wet Seal (Junior Plus Line)
Teal Tights: We Love Colors
Lace Leggings: Torrid 
Booties: Ross or Marshall’s
Earrings: Beauty Supply
Ring: Burlington Coat Factory
Sunglasses: Baby Phat (Wal-mart)

Note: I got this tight layering idea from fellow blogger/friend Bethamint of Pretty in Plus

DOTD: Keeping my promise

I promised in my last post that I would NOT wear anything in the teal family in today’s post. It was touch and go there for a second as I had planned an outfit that was going to include teal and I had to debunk that to make room for today’s outfit. I wasn’t sure about it… but at the end of the day… I really like it. And anytime I can wear something that is Lucie Lu… that makes it all that much worthwhile. This dress is no longer on the website but I wanted to try it once with tights before it got warm (please oh please let it get warm soon).

I really wanted to go out and take better pictures… but… lazy!!! That is all… lol

What do you think?! Are you as ready for warm weather as I am?

What I’m Wearing Today:
Dress: Lucie Lu
Tights: Spanx
Boots: Shoedazzle 
Earrings: Beauty Supply

UPDATE!!!: I got some feedback on this dress NOT in the comments. I gave it to my mother as I was told… It is NOT… ME. lol

DOTD: Allergic Reaction

Okay, so today I realized something… I’m allergic to something at my church. Now usually I would use this an excuse to look for a “new church home” which translates into me sitting home each Sunday NOT going to church. But I generally LOVE this church. The people are sooo sweet and they remember my name. Do you have any idea what it feels like to walk into church and have the Pastor address you by your name… not sister, or child, or young lady… but the legal name you were born with… its like HEAVEN (no pun intended). So instead of leaving the church I realize that before I walk into the church I will have to pop an allergy pill to keep my eyes from watering and my nose from dripping and my face from puffing. I bet here you’re wondering… why is it that two months in… I’m just now noticing it. Well, to be honest. I was in such shambles over my life and just depression and just sad. That every Sunday when the Pastor would speak I would burst into tears. Mainly because what he was saying was speaking to me. But since I joined last week I feel a change. You may not have noticed because well… its not that apparent because I’m blogging and well you don’t see me everyday. But I’m calmer and more at peace with where my life is… So today when I was in church… I didn’t cry. I just felt… at home and at peace.

I know all my readers may not like this subject matter… but its where I am at this current time in my life. So… I hope I don’t offend…

Now onto the fashion… This dress… this dress right here… lol… it is old as my son (give or take 5 years) which means this is about 10-15 years old. Yeah… I know right. My mom owned it and then “gifted” to me when I lost a lot of weight years ago and I literally had nothing to wear to work. So this was her gift… then after I had my 2 additional kids and I gained like a gazillion pounds and couldn’t fit an 18/20 anymore… (I seriously will post pictures one day of me in a size 24/26) so I put this dress into the back of my closet because… in my head… I could still wear it in my 24/26 size because it was stretchy… only it didn’t quite… ummm… fit. LOL. So I put it away to donate…. and honestly forgot it was in my closet. So now as I’m just completely at my wits-end on what to wear now that winter has somehow decided to NEVER LEAVE… I am doing what I can and wearing what I can to keep myself from going nutso!! Also, I realized that this is like the 3rd post in a row where I wore something in the teal family… I’m sorry… I mean to have more variety… but I don’t know what happened. So my intention is to make it up to you in the next outfit post.

Outfit Breakdown:
Sweater Dress: Ashley Stewart (gifted from mom)
Teal Cardigan: Motto (Curve Appeal Consignment)
Belt: Lane Bryant
Tights: Wal-mart
Boots: ebay (don’t recall the sealer)
Necklace: Wal-mart
Earrings: Beauty Supply
Ring: Burlington Coat Factory

DOTD: Yoli Bad Arse

Ever make a purchase and hmmm & hahhh because you’re not sure of the purchase? Well that is how I felt about this dress. It was $10, but I kept asking myself… how would I wear it? I thought to myself it would be another item that would just take up space in my closet. Then I bought this bomber jacket for $22 at Dots and I thought hmmm… a $30 outfit could work. So this morning I put them together. And I have to admit… I really like the outcome. It has a girly element but as says that I’m a bad arse and you can’t touch me… lol

I really didn’t want to wear this outfit with tights… but seriously this weather and its inconsistency is really working my last last nerve. But it was either this outfit or pants… and I’m just really over this pants, sweater, and jacket weather. Actually that is not true. I love wearing my blazers, sweaters, and cardis… but I am just not a fan of winter wear… its just not me…

While I have your attention, I wanted to let you know that I reverted back to my old comment feature. Because the other feature was so glitchy and I was missing out on communicating with some of my best readers. So I am going back to the blogger method. I know that means it won’t notify you when I reply to your questions… but if you want to know when I reply you can subscribe to the comments or you can email me any questions you really want answered. I am here for you and I don’t want you to feel I’m not listening.

So I hope you like this look… and I hope you enjoy your weekend!!! Do you have anything fun planned for this weekend? What do you think of this outfit?

What I’m wearing today: 
Olive Tank: Wal-mart
Dress: Burlington Coat Factory
Tights: Lane Bryant
Shoes: ShoeDazzle
Earrings: Blessed Treasures
Bomber Jacket: Dots Fashions
Sunglasses: Baby Phat (Wal-mart)

I can’t tell you what I used to create this look because I used a little togo kit I got at CVS. But believe me when I tell you that I had to intentions of it coming out this well… lol.