Rachel Pally Giveaway

I've been slow to posting, I know, but what better way to get the ball rolling again than with a magnificent giveaway from Rachel Pally.  I adore this dress.  It's perfect for vacations, weekend fun, and anything else you can think.  When I got the opportunity to give this to one of my readers, I jumped.  You can check out the dress here.  There are seven ways to enter below.  The winner will be chosen next week.  Good Luck everyone!

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Celebrity Style Capture: Mindy Kaling

Okay, so I absolutely adore Mindy Kaling.  In my head, Mindy and I could totally be friends.  I had this perception of her just being a super cool girl and while on a road trip I listened to her book, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, and I found out that all that I had assumed about her coolness was so true.   Besides just seeming to be a very down to earth person, alot of her Mindy Kalingisms are things I wholeheartedly  believe in. 

Such as:

An Irish Leave:  An Irish leave is when you leave a party without saying goodbye.  I hate big grand goodbyes at parties.  I hate interrupting conversations and bringing all attention on me. It just makes me feel incredibly awkward.  I like to say goodbye to the host/hostess and slip out the door.  

Buying things with a debit card under $3:  I practice this all the time

Don't peak in High School:  Here's an excerpt - "Teenage girls, please don’t worry about being super popular in high school, or being the best actress in high school, or the best athlete. Not only do people not care about any of that the second you graduate, but when you get older, if you reference your successes in high school too much, it actually makes you look kind of pitiful, like some babbling old Tennessee Williams character with nothing else going on in her current life. What I’ve noticed is that almost no one who was a big star in high school is also a big star later in life. For us overlooked kids, it’s so wonderfully fair." Truer words have never been spoken.  I wish someone would have slapped me over the head with this one when I was 16.

Underwear is always necessary - I don't understand how people go commando.  I've done it  twice (by force of circumstance) and just felt so icky.  (This may have been TMI).

There is no sunrise so beautiful that it's worth waking me up to see it: Non-morning people unite!

Love for Karaoke:  I love karaoke, but please believe me when I say I can't sing a lick.  

Hell is waiting in line for brunch:  The brunch line is the worst.  If you are like me, I don't do brunch as often as I would like, but geez you have a a wonderful spread of breakfast/lunch yummies and it feels like you have to wait a lifetime to partake.  

Above all other things, Mindy is totally accepting of who she is and what she looks like.  I think she adorable, but at a "whooping" (and say that with sarcasm) size 8 she is definitely on the plus side of Hollywood stars.   She tells of photo shoots where stylists brought her all samples sizes of 2 and 4.  I was so mad for her, but I know this happens.  Anyways, I definitely don't want to spoil the book, but it a fun read.  I actually got it on audiobooks for a roadtrip (Mindy reads the book), but those darn things are super expensive.  

Outfit:  Dress - Catherines, Belt - Ann Taylor, Shoes - Nordstrom Rack, Bracelet - Forever21

Ashley Nell Tipton Spring Release

Remember Ashley Nell Tipton? Some of you saw her show at FFFWeek.  I blogged on her here and here.  I've been sitting on my hands awaiting the Spring Collection that would be available to the public for purchase.  Well it's finally here.  This collection is a mix of flowy garments with feminine accents and textures.  I'm so excited for this designer and I'm pumped that we can add one more fabulous designer to the plus size section.  Here's the quick lowdown on the Ashley Nell Tipton Collection:  Everything is under $100.  Another awesome point is that she offers sizes up to 6X.  I often get emails from girls who are still sized out of most plus size clothing.  Well this collection is all inclusive.  I ordered the Boyfriend Shirt (maxi) dress.  I am so excited.  Shop the collection here.  Obviously the Boyfriend Shirt is my favorite, what's yours? 

**Update - The first 50 customers will recieve 15% off their order.  Coupon code is ANTF50.

Peplum Confusion

Life in California has been pretty awesome this week.  I had a major (and I mean major) media outlet interview me this week.  Once it materializes, I definitely clue you in, but just note when I got the email my stomach started hurting. (A symptom that I often get when I'm nervous).  I also made some good connections.  I found an wonderful tailor (yes this important in my mind).  The shop I'm going to is Vitarelli Tailoring in Santa Clara.  It's run by the cutest Italian older gentleman, who definitely has skills.   I can say that I am starting to get acclimated to California living.  The mosquitoes are still the devil, but aren't they always going to be?  I also bought tickets the indie show for FFFWeek.  I kind of pumped.  I love New York and I love being in the among people with common interests   It's like being around family.  Anyways, I hope I get to see some of you next month.  

Style Note:  Santa Clara/San Francisco weather can be quite chilly.  You always need to have a jacket, but I hate trying to pair jackets with peplums.  It totally confuses me, it always seems like way too much is going on when I try to wear a long coat.  I opted for a short cap for minimal interference with the peplum. If it had been colder I would have opted for a Canadian Icons jacket.  I still don't think it was the best choice, but it was the best of what I had.  I'm still working on the perfect solution. 

Outfit Details - Top - JCPenney, Skirt - JIBRI, Necklace - Target, Cape - Dzire Boutique

Gone with the Wind Fabulous

Some of you saw this look on instagram. One of my instagram homies said it was "gone with the wind fabulous."   After my husband got home, we went for a quick ride.  He looked at me and said, "Are you riding in that?" I just looked and him and said, "don't come for me, I got this."   He fails to realize that shapewear = biker shorts.  Also, please excuse my ruffle on my shirt, it kept flying up.

Style Note:  I love this skirt, but I don't love wearing Halloween colors.  Black and Orange equal Halloween in my eyes.  Black and Navy equal a way better option that won't have anyone mistaking me for a pumpkin..LOL.  Black and orange are a hard combo to wear,  I still haven't mastered it.  

Outfit Details:  Top - Banana Republic Outlet (similar), Skirt - JIBRI,  Shoes - Steve  Madden (similar)

I Love Haters

So this is a post that I am reluctantly doing, really because I don't like acknowledge haters.  I also like to keep everything fashion related.   Most recently, I was featured on Fashion Bomb.  Now, I'm very aware of Fashion Bomb's readers and how they react to the plus size fashion bomb of the day.  They are very predictable.  The audacity that a fat girl might love herself and try to show off in some cute outfits.  Now in the words of Beyonce, "I love haters."  You need them.  They get the crowd going.  In the last few days, I've gotten so much traffic just from their rants and raves on my weight.  That works wonderfully, because through their rants and raves women who needed that encouragement to love themselves find my blog and other plus size fashion blogs.  Anytime I can help someone accept themselves, I'm all for that.  

To my readers.  I love yall.  Yall go toe to toe for me. I got so many emails about the comments.  Honestly, when I'm on a site like that, I stay away from the comments, which is unfortunate because a majority of the commenters are really positive.  There's no need for me to read what I already know is gonna be said.  It usually goes like this - you're fat, you need to lose weight, stop eating...blah blah blah blah blah.  Which is fine, because everyone is entitled to their own opinion.  Members of the Ku Klux Klan get to have freedom of speech, why shouldn't they?  

Here are some of the best comments

(By best, I mean these "women" went in & I didn't correct their grammar & spelling)

Dkny

I just dont feel comfortable saying that shes fashionable.her size bothers me. Shes too big. She won’t live to c 40 if she keeps it up. How does she keep herself clean?what man really wants to be seen with a woman that out of shape. Get some cute workout outfits and live in the gym. Being obese will never looking good with or without clothing.

Who Gone Check Me

At the end of the day she’s still morbidly obese and IDC what way any of you try to sugar coat it. Get it together and lose weight. People like you are the reason the First Lady has to force schools to implement fitness & dietary programs. No self control I tell you! And then the rest of us are expected to coddle you with sensitivity and encouraging comments. NO! You’re not curvy. You’re OBESE. There’s no way she feels good about being that size. There’s no way she’s comfortable bc the human body isn’t designed to support that much weight and she’ll know when her heart and joints start to give out. Fucking pansies stay trying to convince folks you can be healthy and overweight. “love yourself big girls”. Yes love yourself enough to take care of yourself. This is no different than being dangerously in the fashion industry. Its unhealthy and unnatural. If a 90lbs girl got up here y’all fat asses would tell her to go eat! So I’m telling you Chasity to back away from the fucking table. Nobody is overweight because they can’t help it. She’s overweight bc she’s lazy.

Concerned

I love, love, love this bobmshells style but I can’t help but to notice significant weight gain which worries me! Plus-sized and style indeed belong in the same sentence just as love and health do! Sure we love Chastity ‘s style but if we love Chastity we would not totally ignore this mere fact. Chastity, if you are reading this, please do not take offense. As a woman who has struggled with weight all my life, as many of us have, I am in support of you, the best you! Losing the weight is not about style, it is about health! On Chastitys fourth post as a Bombshell (because I hope she is sure to return) I’d like to see not just her classic style but her progress in being the healthiest Chastity there has ever been! Nothing but love…Kei  (I love this one is particular because I'm actually a few pounds lighter than I was on my submission a year ago and this is the perfect nice- nasty combo LOL)

To view the complete post and comments you can go here

My main reason for writing this is because I know that some let internet bullies ruin their day and some even let them take their lives away.   You see too often where children and adults let people's comments on the internet affect them drastically.   Now, I've been fat all my life.  I guess you can say, "I was born this way."  The fat kids are usually easy targets, so I've been well seasoned in bullies.  Fortunately for me, I was tall as well as big and I was pretty good in sports, which left me as somewhat of a popular kid.  The last time I let a bully affect my life was when I was 13 years old.  I've accepted myself and who I was and what I looked like a long time ago.  I know some are not as strong in their self loving as me.  I want those people to know that these people don't count.  They just don't. Don't be afraid to live your life and to shine as bright as you can, because you are afraid what somebody else might say.   To my parents: my mother told me and my siblings we were beautiful all the time, even though I was put on diet plan after diet plan during my youth, my mom still made it clear that I was beautiful.  It is so important to let your kids know how fabulous they are.  This is why I am the confident and happy woman I am today.  Keep shining and I love yall!