2 Dates on Valentine's Day

Okay, so the title makes you think, "Scandalous!" I had two dates with B, so there goes that tea. LOL.  B and I had an early dinner at my favorite Italian restaurant, Fiorillo's. If you ever make it to the Bay, you must get there for dinner.  As a girl who is part Sicilian, grew up knowing the joy of great Italian food, and is extremely picky about where she eats it, this restaurant is the real deal.  In my humble opinion, Italian food should be judged by the marinara sauce and the lasagna and both make you want to melt into your seat.  It's the best restaurant Italian food I've ever had. I'm going to stop there because I may have to stop writing to go get a to-go order. LOL.  

Swiftly moving on...so I know the "to do" thing was to go and see 50 shades, but the thought of standing in a long theater line for a seat right underneath the movie screen wasn't our idea of fun and we weren't really pressed to see it.  Let me know if it's worth seeing. We came home watched a movie ON DEMAND, instead.  We saw the movie, "Dear White People," which was an indie film that won a host of awards.  Don't let the title put you off, it's good. Then we decided to play miniature golf and go to an arcade.  The thought of wearing a tutu to play miniature just didn't sound comfortable, so I slipped on these leopard pants and added some jewelry. My Valentine's Day was so much fun and relaxed. I sometimes think  we can get caught up in the pressure to have this elaborate day planned, but just being together and doing the simple stuff can be fun too.  I cried real tears when B took 16 strokes to make it into one hole (of course this was after he clowned me for the 12 strokes I took before him).   Please note that I won our V-day putting competition. #bloop 

Style Notes: I didn't know what I was wearing on Valentine's Day with B until the last minute.  I had been looking around, but before I knew it Valentine's Day snuck up on me.  I just shopped my closet for items that I already had. Some of the items are unavailable because I've had them awhile, but I'll link to similar items at the bottom of the post.  Cool tidbit about the leather jacket is that it comes with a piece that zips on and off and allows for two looks...one that is cropped and one that has a peplum hem. 

Shop the Post by clicking the image below:

Just A Little Flair

Yep, don't call me out, I've been on an outfit hiatus.   Things have been a little crazy and I needed a moment just to stand and breath.  In addition, with it being between seasons, I didn't keep doing winter clothing, but it was a little too early for spring clothing.  I probably have a few winter looks left, but as soon as March hits I am moving on.  It's already a decent 60 degrees here in the Bay, but this day I was in San Francisco, and it's always chilly there.  Anywho, some of you saw me post this dress on Facebook. Please note that I usually post items that I am going to purchase on Facebook.  I guess you can kind of call it a pre-warning.  Also, know that I purchase my pieces before I tell you guys or your snatch them right from under me. It happened a couple of times, and I said never again. HA! 

Style Notes: I ADORE this dress.  Things you should know about ASOS Curve is that you want to check the size chart.  ASOS runs big to traditional plus sizing, but the size chart tells you that.  I ordered a 20 in this dress, and it still fit a little big in the bust, but I will say that I like the dress being bigger.  Even though, it's meant to be a body con, sizing up gives it a professional option. I wore this to a meeting and felt this to be totally appropriate....yes even with this boot'ay. Had it been tighter, I wouldn't have worn it.  To me, this is adorable  for day or night and was nicely priced.  I also purchased some of the wide width shoes from ASOS.  OMG, they are super cute, nicely priced, and they fit well.  Note that they do only go up to an 11, but is a solution for women looking for wide width shoes.  Also, the original jacket was from Talbots, but it sold out. 

Shop the Post Below by clicking on the item:

Photos by Lydia Hudgens

Ordering Online & Fitting Those Special Body Parts

When ordering online you should always note the Special things about you. This could be a variety of things,  large arms, large legs, a small waist, large bust, etc.  You'll want to ask yourself, "What body part is consistently hard to fit with my clothing."  This can easily impact what size you get. Below are some tips on ordering online and fitting those "special" body parts. 

Fluffy Arms - A huge one for a lot of people is the arms.  Your bust/waist falls into one size category, but your arms fall in a bigger size category.  I use a variety of hacks. When the jacket is lined, I take out the lining in the arms only, this usually frees up enough space.  If the jacket has stretch, I get the jacket to fit my bust/waist.  Finally, when the jacket is structured, I will get the jacket to fit my arms and have the bust/waist tailored to fit. I usually save tailoring for items that I feel like I'm going to keep and wear over and over. You can use these tips for button up shirts as well. 

Cute & Petite - My best advice is to learn how to hem your items.  When it comes to sewing, it's one of the easiest things to learn how to do.  You can do by hand or buy an inexpensive sewing machine.  Also, you'll want to check out the hem.  Some hems aren't finished, meaning that they aren't hemmed, but just cut, this means that you cut the hem yourself to your liking.  I've done this myself.  When cutting a hem you want to measure from the bottom of the skirt up and mark with chalk, then cut. Don't free hand it and make sure you have a nice pair of scissors.  Things that may be the perfect length for your body type are skater skirt hems and ankle pants.  They are usually cut shorter.  

Boota'y - I'm always having the watch for the length of my skirts.  For those of us with big butts,  having our skirts jacked up in the back is more annoying and could end up in an accidental flashing if we aren't careful.   Most details on an item will list how long an item is.  I usually like to purchase items that are 28 inches or more in length.  My favorite length is 30 inches, but most places don't give you that much length.  Things that are 25 or 26 inches in length are a no go for me.  With dresses, I'm looking for a dress 42 or 43 inches in length. Please note that I am also, 5'9.  You want to pay attention to the information that they put online.  This is one of the reasons I like to order from Indie designers, they will generally be good about taking my length requests since that is an easy fix. 

Boobalicious -These tips are from CeCe from PlusSizePrincess, who is more knowledgeable in this area.  She says she sizes up in tops, because her boobs may make the top too short. When going for the layering look, she will wear Dickies to reduce the volume on the bust area. With a button-up shirt, she wears a tank underneath. If you have that pulling issue with your button-up then you can opt to sew the area between the two buttons that is pulling. Finally, if an item has stretch, give it a try. Items with stretch tend to work out, says CeCe. CeCe recommends Talbots and Foxcroft for button up shirts for the busty.  I am going to second her Foxcroft recommendation.  I have noticed the arm, and bust room is great AND the items I have gotten don't stretch.  That speaks a lot for the fit. 

Thighs like What - These thighs can be hard to fit.  A lot of plus size clothing, especially pants, are made for apple/rectangle/inverted triangle shapes.  This means a larger waist allowance and clothing that accommodates slimmer hips and thighs.  For me, I will always buy that size that are going to work better for my thighs.  That means sizing up one or two sizes. I am also looking for belt loops for jeans because the waist is always going to be bigger for me.  High waisted items are usually a better fit as well.  I can get the smallness in the waist but have room for my thighs. Stretch in jeans is always a must.  I will also cut the lining out of pants for leg room.  

Other things to consider when ordering online

Check the Size Chart - There is usually a size chart provided by most retailers so that you can figure out your size.  You will need to know your measurements, so grab your nearest measuring tape to get you bust, waist, and hip measurement.  

Size Notes -  You'll also want to troubleshoot when you fall between sizes.  If my hip measurement has me fall within one size category, but my waist measurement has me fall into another, if the item doesn't  stretch I'll go with the larger size.  Now if the item does have stretch and I will go by my waist measurement, correlate the sizes on the size chart, and then size up one size.  I want to give my hips enough room, but also I don't want the waist to be super big.  It's not uncommon for me to get the waists tailored down.  

Know your fabrics - I wrote about this some time ago here.  That will give you a more in-depth look, but the biggest thing you need to know is whether or not an item has stretch or not.  When an item says 100% polyester, then it usually doesn't have any stretch, and you should use the size chart to know the exact measurements.  If an item has elastane (or a word ending with "tane,") or spandex, then it will have some stretch.  Stretch will give you give a little room for error with the sizing.  

The #AVAandVIV Lookbook

Shirt, Dress - Available March 1

Some of you have already seen these photos floating around, but here they are officially on the blog.  I can't tell you how proud I am of these photos. I don't consider myself to be a model, but I must say I did feel very "model-y" in these photos.  I felt very beautiful. Now, enough of that. LOL. I have great launch news on the #AVAandVIV collection at Target.  The first round of items will be available February 9th, which means today! The remaining items will launch through the next few months. I will link each item that is available today right below the picture.  You can also get a full view of what's available here. For those who are looking for some other pieces earlier, I will say that I have seen some of them in the store. Particularly, my striped maxi dress and Nicolette's striped dress are in my local Target, so check there for that.  

Style Notes: From what I've tried everything is pretty true to size.  The chambray pieces, which are on my list to get, are structured with no stretch, so note that.  My must have picks are the jumpsuit, striped tulip skirt, Gabi's palazzo pants & matching top, and the maxi dress. 

 Outfit 1:  Available March 1 | Outfit 2:  Black Top, Striped Tulip Skirt

Top | Pant - Available March 1

Outfit 1 - Cardi, Top, Skirt | Outfit 2 - Dress, Blazer

Dress - Available  March 1

Outfit 1: Top, Palazzo Pant both available 3/1 | Top - avail 4/5, Pants - 3/1

Thank you to Target for sponsoring this post, all opinions are my own. 

My Favorite Plus Size Budget Friendly Online Shops

Dress 1 | Dress 2 | Dress 3

The word "affordable" is something that is talked about a lot, especially on my social channels. I think it's important to note that affordable can mean something different to each person and their personal budget.  For me, I put clothing in the affordable category if it's $50 and under.  I will always be a hi-low shopper. Meaning that I mix low end pieces with higher end pieces, but you may want to know where I find my affordable or do my "low" shopping.  Low end shopping doesn't always mean that you are sacrificing quality either. I love to shop places where I can get higher end clothing that is marked down due to season changes.  Here are some of my go to places:

6pm.com - A sister site to Zappos, 6pm carries a lot of department store brands and items are priced high and low. You can find some great bargain with plus size clothing and shoes. Personally, I like to scoop up workout clothes from here. I also like to shop Rachel Pally here because it's usually marked down half or more. 

Hautelook - 3 words: SAMPLE SALE SITE - So this site will run a sample sale for about a week.  They list a variety of items, but they do a plus size sale every couple of months.  Sign up for the email notification, so you'll know when the plus sample sale is on it's way. I also buy a lot of home goods and beauty products here. 

Ideel - This used to be a sample sale site, but they turned into a regular shopping site. Find a lot of your favorite brands marked down, plus some brands you didn't know about.  I bought my patent leather skirt from my birthday look here. 

Nordstrom Rack - Y'all know I know Nordstrom, but I love Nordstrom Rack too.  I'm so glad they are online now.  I cruise this site for quality leggings, large size shoes, and marked down City Chic. 

SaksOffFifth - Last year I scored a $700 Marina Rinaldi jacket for $75 from this site. (As you can see, I'm still happy about this moment). SaksOffFifth deeply discounts a lot of the high end brands they carry in Saks.  One of the pricier of my "low" shopping, but this is a good place to get some of those special event cocktail dresses. 

Rebdolls - I've worn quite a few of their pieces. Great for party clothes and I see they are doing more casual everyday pieces.  They go up to a 4X and it isn't jr. sizing.

I've said this before, but can't stress it enough. When I am shopping, I never look to clean up.  I rarely buy more than 2 pieces of clothing at any store or website (except Asos lol) at even given time and usually never more than 5 - 7 from one store in an entire season (except Asos again LOL).  I shop a variety of places and love to mix and match. I would look at these places just like that, multiple places you can mix and match.  Also, some of these sites (and I think it's b/c of the markdown/budget aspect) don't showcase the clothing the best.  Don't automatically discount the item. I would encourage to imagine the item on yourself as opposed to how it's being modeled. 

Sidenote: I didn't mention Forever21 for a couple of reasons. The first is that most people know about them.  The second is that they are jr plus sizes that run small and a lot of people get sized out.  I know there are a lot of pieces that I can't wear due to cut and I didn't want to state the obvious.  

Confidence: Getting it & Keeping it

Photo Credit: Lydia Hudgens | Outfit details here.

This blog is probably long overdue, but I wanted to give some of my confidence tips.  

Stake your confidence in your abilities rather than genetics:  One of the biggest contributing factors to my confidence is my foundation.  When I was child, I never cared to be beautiful.  Beauty seemed unearned and just something you happen by on genetics or what someone else thought of you.  I wanted to be smart, athletic, accomplished, and independent...and I was/am.  I still go to batting cages and hit 80mph pitches just to make sure I can still do it, get a high off of running a successful business (my first and only business), and I ambitiously collect achievements.  Even though you can say that I'm in the business of beauty, my confidence is not my face, but the ability to put together an outfit and help other people do the same. I say all of that to say is be proud of what you can do and what you do for others.  External beauty will fade, but your accomplishments and abilities won't. You earned them.

I think, therefore I am:  Beauty is subjective and if you ask a different person about another person's beauty you'll get a different answer every time. The only assessment that matters is your own. I know this can be easier said than done.  So much of confidence is the willingness to believe in your own beauty, own it, and claim it.   Getting over your own mind.  As a blogger, I get attacked on so many aspect of my being every day, but I know who I am.  Someone else's opinion won't formulate who I am now or who I will be in the future.  I have already decided that I am intelligent, athletic, smart, and beautiful.  

Positivity breeds positivity:  My mom would tell me that negativity breeds negativity.  Surround yourself with people that are doing something with their lives and it pushes you to do the same.  These people will celebrate your victories and help you work through issues critically, but what they won't put you down or continuously put others down.  The friends and family that influence your life should treat you in a positive way. If they aren't, there are a couple of options.  If you do have some people in your circle that don't treat you in a positive way have a conversation with them. Tell them how you feel and give them a chance to do better.  If they still choose not to, then you can choose not to hang around them. 

Be a confidence booster for others:  I think you attract what you give out in this life. It's hard to explain, but making another person feel good by giving them an authentic compliment makes me feel more confident.  It's hard to explain, but just try it.  It makes me smile and feel good about myself and my own life's mission. 

Envy is a terrible drug:  I do put partial blame the media for this, but we must be proactive in our own self-preservation and self-worth.  So if you watch certain television shows make you feel inadequate, then don't watch them.  If that Instagram account of the girl with the perfect body that makes you hate your body, then unfollow.   When you have solidified your own confidence then feel free to re-visit those media channels.  You will learn that you can appreciate someone else's beauty without feelings of inadequacy once you love yourself. 

On a final note, I can give you tips on confidence, but at the end of the day it's you who has the ultimate say on how you feel about yourself.  It can be that simple or that hard.  It's truly up to you and if you don't get it anywhere else, I want you to know that you are enough. 

Sidenote:  Kind of off the subject, but on the subject, but I wanted to let y'all know about this because I am horrible about announcing stuff. LOL.  But for your bloggers or aspiring bloggers, I will be speaker/camp counselor at the Texas Style Council held in Austin, Texas.   I will be there as a blogger mentor, bunk captain (LOL) and I even have a break out session.  I attended their first event when I still lived in Texas and had a nice time and got to connect with some amazing people. This is actually the last event, so it's cool that I am getting to host a class at the last one.  It's being held the weekend of March 20 - 22.  Although, I am happy to help any blogger, it would be cool to be able to have some plus blogger bunkmates since it's my area of expertise. Find the information here. Hope to see you there.    

7 Dresses for Valentine's Day

1. Rebdolls 2. eShakti 3. Nordstrom 4. ASOS 5. Evans 6. Eloquii 7. SimplyBE

Here's a quick little roundup of some cute dresses that can help you find a look for  Valentine's Day.  With this roundup, I wanted to do something a little different. I get a lot of questions on body type recommendations.  So I'll list the body type below and then list the dress number beside it that I would recommend for that body type. Please note that I do truly believe that you should wear whatever you feel good in and that maybe something that might not be line with your body type, but I do want to put the information here for those that want it. 

Apple  2, 4, 5, 6, 7 | Rectangle:  2, 3, 4, 6, 7 | Inverted Triangle 2, 5, 6, 7 | Hourglass 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 | Pear 1, 2, 3, 6

#AVAandVIV Launch

The launch of the #AVAandVIV line from Target was kicked off with a swanky party in the penthouse of the Standard East Village hotel co-hosted by myself, Gabifresh, & Nicolette Mason.  The room itself had the most beautiful panoramic views of NYC. The guest list included some of your favorites like, Maddy from Plus Model Magazine, Denise Bidot, Nadia Aboulhosn, Alissa from Stylish Curves, CeCe from Plus Size Princess, Sarah from Curvily, along with media from Fashionista, Yahoo, and Refinery29.  I even got my mom to come from Georgia and hang out for the evening. Hi mom! 

At the event you were able to physically look at #AVAandVIV on display racks. see it on mannequins, and gorgeous models. It really gave you a feel for the style of the clothing, which casual, cute, but still put together.  Everyday casual is always a challenge to me and I know I've gotten a lot of requests for more everyday kind of looks, so I think #AVAandVIV does a good job of answering that.  I, myself, have only tried on a few items, so I look forward to trying on some more. There's a fun video below that totally captures the event, the clothes, and the fun. 

FYI: There been a few questions about launch date.  I just want to clarify that officially the #AVAandVIV launches online Feb 22, BUT will be a rolling launch for the in-store arrival from now through March.  Pieces have already started showing up in-store.  I actually went to my local Target about 5 days ago and saw a couple things in store, so definitely cruise by the plus size section to see what has arrived. Also, here's a random tidbit, so at the party I found out about Target's cartwheel app that yields all types of coupons, it's easy to use while shopping in store, and eliminates the physical couponing.    My mom was getting the scoup from the Target team.  She does not play about her coupons. HA! 

Models on fleek! (Please excuse my overuse of that word LOL)

Alissa from Stylish Curves & Nicolette Mason

(left) My favorite look of the evening.  She looks so kick ass (right) Model in denim on denim look.  This was one of my looks in the lookbook


Super cute video of the #AVAandVIV launch party from Plus Size Princess. Had to include! 

This post was sponsored by Target, all opinions are by own.

Target Headquarters Visit

I know a lot of you have been wondering what I've been up to at Target. There has been a lot of speculation and I finally have the green light to spill the details. Last month Nicolette Mason, Gabifresh, and I (each on separate days) were invited to the Target headquarters for a couple of things.  The first was to learn about Target culture & operations and the second was to view a new plus size clothing line, called AVA & VIV, that Target has coming out in the spring.  The face to face meeting at Target provided a great opportunity to talk about some of the popular concerns of my readers.  I talk to you guys everyday, so I definitely wanted to give them feedback on your most popular concerns in the hope that the feedback can be taken into consideration for the future of the line.  I generally do a top 10 - 20 list of concerns that I have ready to share.

The first few hours of my day at Target were spent with the designers and social/pr people, asking me questions, and seeking the feedback of myself and my readers.  Let's just say it was a drilling session that I was happy to have. Sometimes I feel like a walking database and it was nice to release that information. It was at this morning meeting where I found out that Target's new clothing line, AVA & VIV would be carried in store and the line would be carried up to a 4X.  Target said a lot of their customers called and left feedback when the 4X was taken out of store, so they were bringing them back because of it.  I had that on the top 10 list of concerns from you, so it was good to see the feedback I received from social media comments were consistent.  Also, being a size 26 on the bottom myself, I was happy to see the 4xs return.   

The second part of the day was spent with the designers, touring their space, and getting a physical introduction to AVA & VIV, which has it's own dedicated design team. During that time I viewed the part of the collection that was ready.  I would view more pieces in the following weeks. Although the spring line was already completed, I was still able to give feedback  with hopes that it would be considered for the fall pieces as the line progresses.  The feedback was well received. I'm very up-front when people ask me to give my feedback. I triple check to make sure they really want it first. LOL.  I actually learned from them how to better take criticisms and turn them into valuable feedback that you can use to better yourself.  It was an unexpected takeaway from the experience. 

My overall take on AVA & VIV is that it's a chic, versatile line with both basics and trendy pieces that fill the void of the affordable/trendy, non junior size clothing.  The collection is nearly 90 pieces that will include tops, pants, dresses, swimwear and outerwear at prices ranging from $10 - $79.99.  The roll out of this collection has started and will continue through March.  The online launch will be February 22. Gabi, Nicolette, and myself were all invited to be a part of the lookbook, which I can't wait to see. I really got to see everything come alive, try on the clothes, and get a better feel for the line.  Those photos are coming later this week.  The combination of the in-store roll out of AVA & VIV, 4X's being brought back, and the extension of Lilly Pulitzer all feel like a big step in the right direction for Target's plus fashion. 

On my tour, there was an area that was like a preview section for the upcoming season for all the department.  I loved what they had coming up for home goods and the accessories section.  I love the idea of affordable totes that have a similar feel to the pricier designer ones. 

Getting a first glance of AVA & VIV with some of it's designers. My favorites from the collection have to be the pants. 

(left) I was awe of this room. It was like mission control for social media. It's crazy how social media has changed the way of business. (right) The artists behind the gift cards are phenomenal. 

(left) A jacket from the collection I got to try on. I loved the lines and the details of how the lines were pieced together.  (right) Some super cute chambray pieces from AVA & VIV

This post was sponsored by Target, all opinions are my own. 

Finding the Best Jeans for You

Jean 1: JustMySize | Jean 2: Torrid | Jean 3: Not Your Daughters Jeans

Jeans are a P-A-I-N in the butt to find.  I avoided them for years, but in the last year or so I've found several pair of jeans that dare I say, "I love to wear." I thought I would share some of my favorites jeans while giving you some tips on how to find your own.  A little bit about my body type is that I am a extreme pear shape.  My waist is 39 inches, my hips are 62 inches. I wear a size 24/26 in jeans.  I'm 5'9 with a long torso and average length legs. My biggest fit issues are finding jeans fit my very large thighs and jeans that will fit my waist as well. 

JustMySize - The advantages to these jeans are:  Budget-Friendly, Pear-Shape/Hourglass friendly (No Gap Technology for a better waist fit), The Cons are: They are basic. You're not going to get fashion forward designs or style.  

Torrid - Advantages:  They fit a variety of body types. (I have a lot of blogger friends that love them that have a different body type than myself) They are fashion forward and stylish. They have a good amount of stretch and are comfortable. I've had a couple pairs for a couple years, so they are pretty durable. The Cons are they are pricier.  

Not Your Daughter Jeans:  They have a natural high waist design. You don't have to worry about sitting down and they come down.  There is a nice amount of stretch.  Cons:  The most expensive out of the 3.  They are over $100 per pair, however, you can find them at Nordstrom Rack for a fraction of the price. 

Ashley Stewart (not pictured, honorable mention) - I wanted to mention Ashley Stewart, because I like their jeans.   They are budget friendly (usually under $50) and work well for an hourglass and pear shape.  They can be a hit or miss with the style of the jeans.  For me, sometimes they are a little too trendy and while they maybe in style for the year, the next year they may look outdated. 

Your other body types (rectangle/apple/inverted triangle) out there might be wondering where should you start looking of denim.  Through my own experience with trying different denim I like to clock in my brain jeans that I think would work for other body types.  Here are a few brands to help you get started looking:

Avenue 

Talbots

Target

Land's End 

Torrid

Tips for finding Jeans

Be patient - It can take a while to find a pair of jeans that work for you. Know that non-plus have a hard time too.  I have two friends that go through a lot to find jeans. 

In store:  If at all possible, find in-store locations to find jeans. Once you find your favorites, then you can order online.

Different washes could mean a different fit: The wash (the color) could affect how much the jeans stretches. They could be the exact same jeans, but fit different.  It's happened to me before.

Trial & Error - I found the jeans that worked for me through trial and error. I wish I could say, "Yes these jeans will work for you," but that's just not true.

Find your brands - I've found that certain brands work best for certain body types. I'm not saying that all body types can't try all brands, but from my experience, brands tend to work either work for curvier or straighter body types.  I feel like it may be dependent upon the fit model that they use. 
Tailoring takes a good fitting jean to a perfect fitting jean: I've come across a few good fitting jeans, but never perfect. If you want perfect, then you'll have to tailor. 

Finding jeans isn't an exact science, but I hope I helped to give you some places to look and some tips that will help you while you are looking.  Because I only represent my body type, I would love if some of you girls that have found jeans that work well for your body would share the brand below along with your height, jean size, and body type.  It may help the next girl find a cute pair of jeans. 

#PSPFit & My Healthy Curves Update

With it being January, this is perfect timing to give you an update on my own healthy curves journey.  I've been getting tons of questions about what I'm doing. So most of you know I had been on "the frozen meal plan". I probably was on the program about 6 months or so.  It gave me a good jumpstart in getting some weight off that I needed to lose in order to help get my hormones under better control, but I knew I still could do better.  Frozen meals are processed, so I knew there was still big piece in my own diet that I was missing. Then I thought about #PSPfit.  So about 2 months ago, I gave CeCe from PlusSizePrincess a ring. I'm like, "okay CeCe, I know I need to incorporate more fresh foods, more vegetables, whole grains, etc and I know you have all of that in your program." I basically bombarded her. I tend to do this. HA!   

#PSPFit includes nutrition and fitness videos to help you reach your health goals. It promotes health at every size.  I can't rave more about her Kale smoothies. They give me so much energy and have so many health benefits. Kale, for me, took a little getting used to, but now I'm addicted.  They also help so much with my inflammation issues while flying, among other things. I fly a lot, so it makes me much more aware of my body and how it feels. #PSPfit has helped me feel so much better during travel in addition to my day to day.   

Here's a little about CeCe herself & more info on PSPFit: 

#PSPfit is a Healthy Curves challenge that makes professional nutrition and fitness coaching affordable for any woman who wants it with 30 day challenges for Healthy Curves at Every Size.

Last year CeCe from PlusSizePrincess.com shifted her focus from “ get skinny” to “get healthy”. She hit the gym, started working with a nutrition coach and quickly saw changes in her body. Her PCOS symptoms became more manageable, her acne disappeared, her eczema flare ups went away, her period became regular, her hair and nails started growing faster and to top it off, she lost 55 pounds. After seeing the power of nutrition coaching and clean eating, CeCe created #PSPfit for her blog readers.

Members of #PSPfit are given weekly plus size workout videos, delicious recipes and meal plans created by our nutrition coach and weekly community engagement online and via phone. Joining #PSPfit means taking the challenge to work out and eat right because you love your body, not because you hate it. #PSPfit has members all over the United States and in countries around the world. For more information and to join, visit www.PSPfit.com​ Registration for the January challenge ends on 1/15/15. Questions? PlusSizePrincess.com/Contact

What We Get:

• Four Weeks of professional nutrition coaching
• Four weeks of fitness training
• “What is Clean Eating?” Guidebook
• Daily inspirational emails
• Weekly phone calls with CeCe & Abra Pappa, Nutritious America
• PCOS Support
• Private Workout Videos (Cardio + Total Body Toning)
• Weekly Recipes
• Weekly Meal Plans
• Private Facebook Group Access (Daily Inspiration, Support and Accountability)

CeCe is my bosom buddy, so I'm super proud of her, but I know she is helping so many people. Heck, she's helped me. She literally lives and breathes this program. I've seen it. She never lets anyone (not even me) deter her from her gym time. She is so passionate about this program and helping people.  (Had to put that mother hen tidbit in there LOL)

Post sponsored by #PSPfit, all opinions and love for kale are my own. 

Something Old, Something New

I doubt that people know this about me, but I still do shop resale, thrift e-shops, and vintage.  Those items rarely make it on the blog, because it tends to be a sore spot with people when they can't buy the item. I just usually find one of kind pieces and keep them to enjoy for myself.  I do all of my thrifting online.  Plus size thrifting is challenging, so I like to go to places where the shop owner has taken all the work out of looking. Thrift e-shops can be an   awesome way to save money and to get some one of kind (or rare) pieces.  Blogger shops are also great places to find current, barely worn items at a fraction of the original price. I figured I'd share a few of the Thrift shops that I frequent:

1. StyleMarqui  - Vintage finds
2. Fattoo (Facebook Page where people re-sell items, you have to request membership) 
3. The Curvy Elle - Vintage finds
4. StylishCurves  - Blogger Shoppe 
5. GwynnieBee - GwynnieBee actually sells the previously worn, but retired items, at a very low price. 
6. Cat's Closet 

Style Notes:  The outfit that I have on a mix of new and thrifted.  The jacket is re-sale and the dress is new.  This jacket was purchased at StyleMarqui.  The dress was purchased in a 3X. You'll also want to note that most of these re-sale shops don't take returns or exchanges. 

Dress - Rebdolls, Shoes - Talbots (similar), Jacket - StyleMarqui, Sunnies - Gifted, Lip - LimeCrime Red Velvet

#LillyPulitzerforTarget, the Boycott, & MyThoughts

It's another season and Target is rolling out another fabulous designer collection, except this collection is a little different from most of Target's collaborations.  Last night, I attended the announcement party for Target's newest designer collaboration, Lilly Pulitzer for Target. I'm excited to share awesome news that Lilly Pulitzer for Target will include plus sizes up to a 3X or a size 26W and will be sold exclusively on Target.com.  The event itself, outfitted a couple of plus size models in pieces from the collection.  This line will arrive April 19th.   

If you recall, this summer, I wrote an open letter to Target (find it here) expressing my frustrations of the exclusion of plus size from the designer collaborations and the lack of options in the Target stores, which led me to boycott Target.  You joined in, made it a movement, and Target heard you loud and clear.   Now, here's the thing.  This collaboration is a huge opportunity for plus size shoppers to vote with their wallets and show Target you want plus sizes to be included in designer collections. If you love it, then shop it. The opposite is true, as well. Don't vote and we wont likely be seeing plus sizes included in future collaborations.  Lending your support through social media was amazing and has lead to some impressive changes and fabulous opportunities, but we also have to say we want this through demand. This is how theses things works. In addition, I've been working on some amazing things at Target (some of you may have seen this on my Facebook or Instagram) and that's about all I can say, but great things are soon to come.  These proactive responses (and a $400 binge shopping trip lol) have lead me back into being a Target shopper. 

Now to the good part, Lilly Pulitzer for Target is true to the brand offering beautiful bright spring colors in vintage-esk prints with a modern take.  In my mind, this is the perfect affordable resort wear line for my upcoming vacations.  Gorgeous bikinis and one piece swimwear options got me excited, along with some really chic cover-ups and maxi dresses. I'm also extremely excited about the shoes, jewelry, and home apparel pieces.  I can't wait to brighten up my home with the home decor items.   

Please note: I found out about this collaboration last upon entering the party.  These things are super top secret. I didn't work on this in anyway and was invited to the event a courtesy.   This blog post is NOT sponsored.

Outfit Details: Top, Necklace, Skirt (similar), Shoes (sold-out), Tights