A Solid Gold New Year

Dress - Shoxie (sold-out), Hair Jewelry - Headline Boutique, Shoes - Shoedazzle (super old)

Auld Lang Syne (New Year's Song) - Lyrics 

Should old acquaintance be forgot,

and never brought to mind ?

Should old acquaintance be forgot,

and old lang syne ?

CHORUS:

For auld lang syne, my dear,

for auld lang syne,

we'll take a cup of kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

And surely you'll buy your pint cup !

and surely I'll buy mine !

And we'll take a cup o' kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have run about the slopes,

and picked the daisies fine ;

But we've wandered many a weary foot,

since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have paddled in the stream,

from morning sun till dine† ;

But seas between us broad have roared

since auld lang syne.

Feel free to brush up on your new year's song lyrics before you head out tonight. (Feel free to use this post as a cheat sheet on your phone for the lyrics.  I swear I only know the first few words of the song and I've made up the rest.  LOL.  This year I plan to sing it right.  Ever wonder what this song means.  Quite simply, you should remember old friends and the good times from the past.  I can already feel myself getting choked up.  Anyways, I hope you all have a wonderful and safe New Year.  

Style Notes:  I decided to forgo the sequins and go with this festive gold dress from Shoxie. It's sold out now, but they may restock.  Please note that the dress is super long and will need to be hemmed.  If you are super tall - 5'11 ish or more this has plenty of length.  The hair jewelry is courtesy of Headline Boutique.  I never really get into the boho thing, but this was so cute that I had to indulge.  I love it and definitely a different look for me!

Happy New Year!!!

Flawless 13

As 2013 comes to a close, I wanted to recap my 13 favorite flawless looks from this year.  The looks that I know if I saw on the street would make me turn my head.  It takes a lot to turn my head.  I never really figured out if that was a good or bad thing, but it is what it is.  These looks (in no particular order) had my jaw on the floor....literally on the floor.  

So wait, is Allison McGuevna (both blogger & model) just going to do it like this.  Now this is how you wear undergarments as clothing.  In my head, she's the plus size Marilyn Monroe.  She just oozes sexy.  The thing is just from the few times I've met her it's a very natural sexy.  It's just there.  I warn you not look directly into her eyes. LOL...just kidding.  

I love when a blogger surprises me. You think you've got their style pegged and then they totally switch it on you.  Marie from The Curvy Fashionista has upped the ante with recent looks and this one slayed! 

A blogger that needs no introduction, Gabifresh was simply flawless in this look...and I was here for  ALL. OF. IT.  She is the reason I bought this jacket (at full price - I might add).  The thing I love about this look is that she took pieces that could all be the focus of this look and harmoniously combined them all.  This could have been too much, but on Gabifresh is was perfection.  

I died a little on the inside when I saw Amarachi Ukachu in this look.  To top it all off, she made it!! She made it, I said!!! It's perfect, she's perfect and did you see those legs?  

Kellie from And I Get Dressed snuck in the door and I didn't even see her come in.  She just came out the box with fabulous imagery and outfits.   We have tweed, gray leopard, red lips, and a natural crowning glory.   

My blogger boo, From Rez to the City, serving it all to you, on a silver platter, with the finest of golden forks.  Take it all in. 

All I know is that I saw this outfit on Instagram from Beauticurve.  I mean could a neutral look get any better than this. 

Let's also talk about this jacket that she designed.  I'm gonna need  you to take it's components. CROPPED. BLUSH. MOTO. Then add in the hair, lipstick, and shoes.  #swoon.  I have always subscribed to the school of that thought that taste cannot be bought.  I think it's something you can hone and cultivate, but it's something that either you have or you don't, but if I could buy it I would be first in line to purchase some from Nicolette Mason. 

I love to see plus size girls in white and Everything Curvy & Chic is no exception.  I remember seeing this jumpsuit and thinking it was adorable, but wondering could someone really pull it off.  Well this blogger shut me up.  I saw this casually stroll through my Instagram feed this summer and never doubted the power of the fabulous again.  

Nadia Aboulhsn delivers monochromatic perfection.  It's not enough that I am obsessed with the this wine color, but the blouse, the bra, and the perfectly fitting pencil pants.  This is just fashion insanity.  

Linda from A Fat Girl's Blues KILLED this look.  I swear to y'all  I bought this look both the the top and bottom and I looked like a bag of skittles had thrown up on me.  Linda wears it and looks absolutely flawless.  This was definitely a look from 2013 that bookmarked in my brain.  

Sometimes it's the simplest looks that cause the biggest uproar.  This photo, from Jay Miranda, is still floating around Pinterest and every time I see it I love it! Oh and did I mention she had recently given birth.  FLAWLESS!

So y'all know me. LOL.  I know this looks was one of the last looks of the year, but I think it's my absolute favorite.  I had quite a few that I loved this year, but this one took the cake for me. 

This is only 13, but honestly there were so many that were fabulous. If nothing else, this post proves is that plus size is bringing it fashion-wise and continues to get better every year.  My mouth has watered over every one of these.

Final Notes on my 2013: 

2013 was good and bit rough on me this year.  My husband and I literally packed up our lives and moved alllllll the way over to the west coast in a month.  It was between Atlanta & Cali.  I had gotten my hopes all up to move back to the place that I call home, but it didn't work out that way.  As person who doesn't deal well with extreme change just know my stomach was literally in knots for months.  Once again, we were having to start over in a new place and I was further away from my family than I had ever been.  Even though I was fighting this move internally, I knew I had to be strong for my husband.  I waited to spaz out after all of our things were moved in an unpacked.  I had one tantrum (LOL) and then I accepted the move and moved on. Honestly, I felt like there was a reason I was supposed to be in California and slowly, but surely that reason has become more apparent and clear. 

The second half of 2013 was all me.  I've gotten so many awesome opportunities this year.  I've also meet some really cool people.  I can say California has been really good to me and Garnerstyle. I have high hopes for 2014.  As I push into the next calendar year, I have my professional goals set.  

A Different World

When I came across the Hillman College sweatshirt on pinterest, I knew I had to have.  Before I went off to an real college, I was first a student at Hillman, every Thursday night like clock work.  I remember being 9 years old sitting in front of the T.V. plotting my plan to get to college.  

There are 3 huge factors that marked my way to an education.  The first was my aunt, who always brought me books.  She was a teacher and the well known college graduate of the family.  Always exuding intelligence, she is so smart, I always wanted to be just like her.  The second was my younger sister, with whom I refused to share a room with after the age of 18. Let's just say our personalities didn't mesh well.  The third, and probably the largest factor, was the show, A Different World.  To this day, I love this show.  My favorite episode is when Whitley and Dwayne got married.  Poor Byron (now Papa Pope on Scandal) got left at the alter.   I may be showing my age, but I never miss an opportunity to watch reruns.  

Style Note;  This is/was a full length sweatshirt. I cut and hemmed it with hem tape.  I figured I should put the Chastity twist on it.  This look is also a fantastic after - Christmas look.  Right now I don't even want to look at food or wear anything that is tight around my waist. LOL.  

Sweatshirt - Hillman College Bookstore, Skirt - Talbots (similar), Shoes - Lane Bryant, Bracelet - Headline Boutique

Do you have a favorite "A Different World" episode? What is it?

Faux Reals!

Can you believe it's almost Christmas?!?!?  I am so excited.  I've got some surprises under the tree and I can hardly contain myself.  I have no idea what they are.  My husband snuck them past me some sort of way.  I usually leave overly obvious hints, so I tend to know what my gifts are going to be. It's gonna be fun to see what he comes up with on his own. LOL.  Anyways, in the case that I don't see you before the New Year, I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and an even more blessed 2014. Thank you for your continued support, readership, shares, tweets, smoke signals, pins, Instagram likes, anything else you can do on your phone. I love you guys!! #muah 

Style Note:  I'm usually scared of purple.  I have an unhealthy fear of looking like Barney.   In all my clothing adventures, it's still that color that gives me an instant flashback of middle school, where kids are cruel and if there was any combination of big and purple, you were getting called Barney.  GwynnieBee helped me conquer my purple fear.  LOL.  The site is awesome for trying stuff you might normally be scared to try.  

MakeUp Note:  My "go to" purple is Violetta from MAC.  My sister actually gave it to me and it's really hard to get, because it is from the MAC Pro Store and they don't have a lot.  Per my research, I saw that MAC's Heroine is a close shade.  I lined my lips with Currant by MAC.  My gloss is from MAC as well.  It's a clear shimmery dazzleglass.  It was apart of the Marilyn Monroe collection.   Any shimmery lipgloss will work, in my opinion.  

Dress - GwynnieBee, Coat - SimplyBe, Tights - Spanx, Belt - Lane Bryant, Shoes - SimplyBe, Lipstick - MAC Violetta, Earring - Roman Luxe by Karla Deras, Hair Donut - Asos

Post is sponsored by GwynnieBee, opinions are 100% my own.  Shoes are c/o SimplyBe.

Glovely

Polka Dot - Target, Long Leopard - LaCrasia Gloves, Ruffle - Talbots, Pink Bow - Espow, Fushia - Banana Republic, Tan Cashmere - Neimans Last Call, Driving - Macys, Long Black - Kenneth Cole

I have this love/hate relationship with winter.  I hate to be cold, but I love the layers and all the fashion that comes with dressing warmly.  Gloves are a definite fun part of the season and seeing that I loathe having cold hands, I make it a point to pick up a pair or two every season.  Leather and cashmere gloves are always my favorites.  I hope this helps in your glove hunt.  Happy Shopping!

Style Note - The teal ruffle gloves & the tan driving gloves have the smart touch technology.  Those are the gloves that allow you to keep the gloves on and still use your phone.   Also, for those concerned about the long glove fit, I personally have the Lacrasia long velvet gloves in both leopard and black. The comfortably cover my elbow. 

Ethnic Chic

It's time for another one garment three ways installment.  I love doing these, because it also helps me with thinking of how to use what I have in my closet.  Speaking of which, I know I used these printed pants in the last one I did, but they worked a little too perfectly for me not to use them.  This time around I'm using a top from the etsy based designer, Demestiks.  I actually tried to order from them previously, but I had some shipping issues.  My items are floating somewhere in USPS land I guess. Anyways, with black Friday in the midst I decided to try it again.  I bought 2 items and I'm loving both.  Since this was a higher priced item, it's always good to be able to wear the item in multiple ways.  

Peplums are one of the easiest items to wear for multiple body types.  I hear people say that they don't have the body for a peplums.  Peplums are for EVERYBODY, in my opinion. It's like wearing a fit and flare dress in top form.  This top, in particular, can make you look like you have hips, even if you don't.  My tips for finding a good peplum is to make sure you get a good length.  To me, it's pointless to wear a peplum when it doesn't cover your tummy.  You also want to make sure it has a good flare.  It doesn't have to be as flared as this one, but I've seen ones that have minimum flare and looks more like a t-shirt.  My homie, who I just went to Vegas with was like, "I love peplums, that means I can eat, cover my tummy and still be cute."  She is all of a size 2, but I swear her main objective in life is food, but she makes an excellent point. LOL.  

Style Notes:  Demestiks has a lot of fab items in gorgeous prints and they cater to size  0 - 4X.  Demestiks is really good about taking in special requests.  In my order, I gave arm measurements, asked for a couple more inches on the peplum and  on the skirt I ordered as well.  Everything came out perfectly.  As polished as this top looks, it's very comfortable as well.  I would also like to point out to my bustier gals that there is plenty of boobie room since this is a wrap top. Also note that this top is a wrap and you will need some sort of belt to close it.  

Top - DemestiksNYC, Pants - Forever21, Brown Belt - Michael Kors, Denim - Macys, Skirt -  Talbots (similar), Gold Belt - Lane Bryant, Navy Shoes - Thrifted, Tan Belt - Michael Kors (similar), Leopard Shoes - Christian Siriano for Payless (soldout), Gold Shoes - Torrid 

Now, Swap It Out!

So I'm pumped about this.  I felt bad that the sequins dress was sold out when I posted it and I was thinking about how can I give mine away.  I'm constantly bringing new things in and this item, for me, was a wear it once type of deal.  I've worn it, I loved it, now it's time to give it a new home.  So when Swapdom approached me to write about their new website, I thought this the perfect opportunity to swap some of my old fun stuff, including my Christmas Card Dress, for some new fun stuff.  

Swapdom is a free swapping site that allows you to exchange your items for some new.  This isn't your traditional swapping though.  Swapping is done in a round robin fashion.  See the illustration below. 

Why is this awesome? 

• Well first off it's free to swap and you are swapping items you already have. The only thing you pay for is the shipping.  For those of us on a budget or looking for ways to save money this offers an awesome alternative to shelling out cash.  (I think Christmas has me shopped out LOL.)
• Swapdom does all the work for you.  Just list the items you want to swap, search community items, request which ones you want, and watch the magic happen.  
• From a plus size perspective, this is a real gem.  Since we are a largely online shopping community that can sometimes get stuck with items that we don't want.  This offers a place to exchange some of those items and get something that will work.  Imagine a community full of plus size swappers with fabulous items up for grabs.  Who doesn't love that?!? 
• Searching for plus size items are made easy, once you're registered and start a swap, you can filter by size. All you do is click on "start a swap" then browse or search for items you want and offer yours in exchange.

Get in on the swapping here by joining Swapdom today!

My Swapdom items:

Sequins Dress:  As seen in the Christmas Card Post - Find it on Swapdom here. 

Dress originally from eShakti - Find it on Swapdom here. 

Striped Dress: As seen in the Reddy Post - Find it on Swapdom here. 

The post was sponsored by Swapdom, opinions are 100% my own.  

I Woke Up Like Dis!

Okay well maybe I didn't wake up like this, but I can dream, can't I?  Normally, I would not go this jazzy to concert, but it was Vegas at Christmas time and the fact it look liked one of Beyonce's stage costumes.  I just couldn't resist. Anytime I can walk around in head to toe sequins and it's totally appropriate, I am going for it!!  I totally felt fabulous in this jumpsuit.  It's like the perfect Christmas/Holiday look.  

(This was actually a re-shoot of my Vegas look.  Because I didn't want to lug my camera to the concert, I didn't get any photos besides the one on my Instagram).   

Style Notes:  This is one of those pieces that you hold your breathe on.  It looks stunning on the model, but the combination of being a jumpsuit and the look of structure just looks like a difficult fit.  It actually was pretty right on with the fit, especially for me having not done any alterations.  The jumpsuit has some give, but not a whole lot.  I ordered this during the MonifC Black Friday sale.  In regards to fit, I could have used 2 inches vertically.  Being that I am extremely hip/butt centric, it took some of the length out of the jumpsuit making it difficult to sit.  Apparently it wasn't that hard though, because I sure wore it.  Finally, I must address the "sequin scratchy." Being that it is the holiday season, sequins garments are a-plenty and they can scratch your skin while wearing.  I actually researched the problem and I saw that sites recommended the liquid bandage to protect your skin from scratches.  You would just apply this product to the areas likely to get scratched by the sequins.  

Travel Notes:  I had never heard of the Vdara before this weekend.  It is right next to the Aria. It really was a lovely hotel.  I enjoyed.  I had the executive corner suite.  The panoramic views of the apartment were breath-taking.  The view was even included in the bathroom.  I literally left the shades up the whole time.  I hope no one was  looking through any binoculars, because they sure got an eyeful.  LOL.  The room had a very chic condo feel.  I would definitely stay there again. 

I know you see the baby hair - Bwawawawah!!! I promise I didn't do that on purpose.

Jumpsuit - MonifC, Shoes - Lane Bryant, Belt - Michael Kors (similar), Earrings - Kate Spade, Lip - Ruby Woo + Viva Glam 1' Lipglass

Now for a parting message. 2014 is going to be all about self confidence. (Thanks to Marie from The Curvy Fashionista who this to me.)  I personally think that ever woman should do this in the mirror EVERY morning!!!  Try it, I bet you'll feel fabulous every morning.   

All Gray Errthang!

I'm actually here in Vegas to see Beyonce's boo, Jay Z, do this thing.  Today was casual and comfy for me with this monochromatic maxi skirt and top combo.  Last night's concert was totally awesome.  Being a JayZ fan since his Reasonable Doubt album, I was pumped that he did songs from that album.  My friend's brother actually asked me, "What album are these songs from?" I cranked my head around and almost thought he was kidding. I was like, "Only his first and best album ever! Ugh! I'm gonna need you to go get that." These young kids! LOL. Anyways, the concert was at the Mandalay Bay, which was cool because it's a smaller arena and more intimate.  If you were thinking about going, you definitely should.  

Style Note:  So I went back to link this skirt from eShakti and I couldn't find it.  I swear this happens every time.  The site is a little weird.  Items will come, go, and come back again.  So I would just check back.  Also, you can customize the length.  When ordering you enter in your height and they cut it accordingly.  As you can see they got it perfect for my height.  More posts on my trip to come.  Also, this top reminds me reminds me of Kathyrn's top in Cruel Intentions.  I'm kind of pumped about it.  

Skirt - eShakti, Top - Macys, Shoes - Michael Kors, Bag - Kate Spade, Belt - Ann Taylor (old), Necklace - Charming Charlie

Christmas Card

B & I shot our Christmas card today, so I thought I would share my look for it.  I think every plus blogger has this dress and rightfully so.  It's like the perfect holiday dress.   I've had mine for some time, but just needed a reason to wear it.  I'm sure quite a few of your have been eyeing this dress, so I figured I give you the low down on it.  I was nervous about it because I really couldn't tell from the fabric how it was going to fit.  It's stretchy, so if you are unsure on your sizing then not to worry it will have some give.  It's a beautiful dress, but like with most sequin items the sequin can rub your skin.  I paired with tights, because it's on the short side. 

Style Note: My gloves are opera length but I decided to wear them scrunched.  They come up comfortably to my elbow.  They do come past my elbow, but because of my arm size that's when they start to roll.  I have another pair in leopard.  I ADORE them.  

A photo mistake, but I thought it was cute. LOL

Dress - SimplyBe, Gloves - LaCrasia Gloves, Coat - Macys (similar), Tights - Spanx, Shoes - 6pm, Lip - RubyWoo, Gloss - Venetian, Belt - Eloquii 

Dress c/o Simplybe, Gloves c/o of LaCrasia Gloves

Our Christmas Card (for those who wanted to see it)

20 under $30 - December Edition

It's time for the last 20 pieces under $30 segment of this year.  I must say that it's getting a little expensive doing these segments every month. I literally end up buying 3 - 4 of the pieces that I scouted out.  I bought gold turban, the cream turtleneck, and the leopard jeggings.   I working with a different format this month that allows you to just click the photo and it will take you the the item.  Anyways, as always, HAPPY SHOPPING!   

Update:  Coupon codes:  OLD NAVY - ONSAVENOW for 20% off, ASOS - MOREMOREMORE for 30% off, MACYS - GIFT for 20% off.