Every lady needs a little black dress. The dress that can be worn for any occasion, any time of year. I was shopping at Torrid and while I only went for accessories I had to try on a few items before leaving. This dress was one of those items, and BOY am I glad I did. This dress is very snazzy. The fact that the waist is right under the bust is very complimentary to those who are heavy busted. What I love most, is that this type of cut shows off the waist, cinches in the waist, showing off that curve. Score!
This dress looks great just by itself, or you can add a belt to make it fab. I like the belt because it really makes the waist go in. Plus, belts add more attitude to any attire.
The shoes are a bit funky! They have graffiti on them. Perfect for an all black dress. It adds a lot of color. Of course, depending on the occasion you may not want to wear such colorful shoes. However, if you’re going out with your girls or a hot date, shoes with color are a perfect match to this dress. I wore this dress to work with a short black sweater and flat gold sandals, super cute! So you can definitely dress this up in many different ways. I have also tried this on with a short turquoise sweater, and that was also adorable. There are so many alternatives to dressing up this black dress. Black dresses give you many options.
The dress was $68.50 and the belt was $18 at Torrid, check them out online at Torrid.com. The shoes are from DSW, and they are by Steve Madden for about $69, online at dsw.com.
Have fun dressing up your little black dress, Jewels!
People say this to me all the time, “You’re a girly girl.” Why, yes I am. So with no doubt I love dresses! Can’t get enough of them. Today I am wearing a dress I got a few weeks ago from Forever 21+. This dress was $22.90. It looks very dull on the hanger but it’s adorable, sassy, and cute on.
The pattern on it assist with drawing the eyes away from my heavy bust, love that. It’s the perfect cut for heavy busted ladies. The attention of the waist is right at the waist line. It’s not cutting across your “natural” waist line, very figure flattering.
I also really like the feminine touches of the gathered sheer fabric that runs down the middle of the dress. It is also on top of the shoulders. Very chic! Because I’m at work, I am wearing a black cami under the dress.
I’m only at work today, so nothing extravagant. I only added earrings and big silver bracelets. I also wore my James Avery rings to add more silver.
This dress will work for any occasion: work, church, date, or just out in the town. Depending on how you accessorize determines how dressed up or down you’ll be. This dress would be cute with black, silver, metallic, or vibrant colored flats; pointy toe pumps, wedges, or flat sandals. Pops of color in the jewelry will also be cute.
I always wear some sort of jacket or sweater to work. I love this long blazer with the dress because it makes the dress appear even shorter, and I love showing off my legs! 😉
The shoes in this outfit are so amazing. One, they are extremely comfortable. Two, they are so hot and high! Three, they’re by one of my favorite shoe designers, Steve Madden. I got these at Macy’s for $109. These shoes really set off this outfit.
I can’t seem to get away from black and whites, one day I will. But for now, I’m basking in them.
Share your thoughts and ideas on today’s outfit. I’d love to hear from you.
Date night is the best night of the week, at least for me. I always try to look my cutest on this night. This is the one time during the week that I have TIME to put on makeup, dress up in a fun/ flirty outfit, and wear shoes that impress.
This outfit was very easy to put together, and you can always change up the color of the top and skirt to fit your taste, as well as the shoes.
This skirt can go with many things, even more so because it is black. The best thing about this skirt is that it is high wasted. With it being high waisted, you are able to wear a short blouse like I did, a long blouse, or a high-low blouse with a skinny belt across the waist. The skirt is very fitted and shows off your curves, very sassy. This skirt is regular price $29, but it was on sale for $19 at Macy’s.
The top I purchased from Forever21+. The stripes on this is so adorable. This top can be worn with pretty much anything: denim shorts, any color skinny jeans, etc. It was $14.
Lastly, the shoes are from Aldo. I had no intentions of buying white pumps when I went in there. But I tried them on because they did not have my size in the black; instantly I fell for them. They are so different from the average pointy toe pump. They have a fine point with a platform beneath it, very chic! The best part of these shoes is that I got them half off! These shoes would work well with spring and summer dresses and many colors: pastels, bright colors, and of course white stripes. Purchased them for $50.
Date night is a fun night. Have fun dressing up, and being a complete doll whether it’s with your girls or your significant other. Don’t be afraid to try something different. Wearing this fitted skirt was completely out of the ordinary for me. But I am glad that I bought it. It’s a good thing to get out of our comfort zones.
Be bold Jewels! Make statements with everything you wear! 😉
What’s more important than clothes itself? Accessories! They are so crucial to an outfit. They bring personality to your clothes. You can wear the same clothes over and over again, but the accessories will change the look. Here are a few items I wore this weekend, that added sparkle.
Accessories vary, from earrings to belts, first up is this cap. I’ve had this cap for a while. Purchased it from Charming Charlie. What I like about it, is that on a bad hair day it covers up just enough to keep me looking good. It doesn’t say bad hair day; it’s more like added on to be sporty. Plus, it’s black so it pretty much goes with everything. The texture also assist in keeping it girly.
I’m not one for small bags, but I couldn’t help but to get this adorable blush pink cross body bag from Dress Barn. It went perfectly with my day on the beach. I’m always cautious when buying cross body bags because they tend to get heavy easily (I carry my life in my purse), which causes the bag to cut deep into my breast, very unattractive. Fortunately, I did not have any issues with this bag. It’s very light, hardly noticed I was wearing it. The color of it goes well with any neutral colors.
I love love love sun glasses! I have tons and craving more. Found these at Charming Charlie. I like that they are black and white. The white is just on the tip of the top, just enough to make a bold statement.
Another accessory that is a daily must have is a necklace. This one is so cute, and I love that you can wear it with many different colors. It’s a must have. Purchased it at Dress Barn.
Scarves take a t-shirt from level one to ten in a matter of seconds. You can wear them with anything: t-shirt, dress, skirt, jeans, blazers, you get the idea. I wore this one with a chambray shirt and shorts. This can be found at Charming Charlie.
Accessories are so fun. They can make or break an outfit, and easy to put together. They also say a lot about you.
Have fun putting accessories together with your outfits, Jewels!
I was just here two weeks ago, and I had to come back to visit the newest member of my family. Most of my time was spent away from the new baby. I was too busy enjoying the beautiful weather.
So many times plus size ladies feel as though their size hinders them from doing athletic things. I’m all for being active. I believe in good health, but sometimes I too feel as though because of my size I can’t participate in certain activities. Well…my best friend proved me wrong yesterday. She has been practicing acroyoga for several months now. I must say, my girl is darn good. I admire her flexible skills, but never had I thought my thick self would be doing acrobatic moves.
She insisted I get up and try it. I kept telling her, “No thanks.” I didn’t want to hurt her. She kept insisting, so I got up and made an attempt. I was very nervous, yet successful! It was so fun! Having all of your weight balanced on someone else is nerve wrecking so I did not do too many moves in the air. However, I did enjoy being the base. It was such a test of my strength.
All in all, I had a blast. It all started with going to The Fly Sunday evening at dusk to see the sun set on the Mississippi River, and it turned into an experience I’ll never forget. As well as, a teachable moment for me. Never allow your size to dictate what you can and cannot do, especially when it comes to sports. Being active is a great way to stay healthy. Which is quite crucial to living a long beautiful life.
Jewels, make attempts at things that may seem awkward for a big girl to do, because you never know how fun it can be. Don’t let your size be your excuse.
Detoxing is a long, draining, and depressing process, BUT the results are priceless. By day three I was tired of eating and I hated the smoothies. I also stopped drinking the tea. I know, very bad. Therefore, by day four I had 1 smoothie and I also ate a salad that evening. I could not help myself. I had no energy and I felt like I had to eat something to help regain strength so I had a salad. Not to mention, I drunk hardly any water that day.
When I woke up, I was not surprised to see that I had gained a pound: lack of water and nutrients.
Day five. I ate absolutely nothing throughout the day, no smoothie, was not hungry, but by the end of the day I had a salad. Did not drink the detox tea either.
I did not get on the scale the sixth day because I just knew I had gained weight. The detox, even though I was only truly devoted for three days, still had great results. I am not bloated like I was when I started. My digestive system is much better. AND…today I got on the scale a whopping 12 pounds down. Three days of really following the cleanse and three days of trying to just stay a float of being healthy and I feel better and lost a little over ten pounds. It was definitely worth it. I want to do it again! I think the second time around it will be a little better, and hopefully even better results.
Of course, now I am back on track with putting fruits and veggies in my diet. As well as back to snacking on healthy foods throughout the day: nuts, boiled eggs, greek yogurt. The detox did some good, and I highly recommend this to anyone who just wants to cleanse, even if it is for three days. I know for sure a day will not be enough, maybe two, but three did it for me. Next go round, I am hoping I can get to five days. I am happy walking away from this knowing three days can do the trick for me.
A major plus is also the inches I lost around my waist, FOUR! Plus, my face is slimmer. I am very happy about my results.
Best wishes to those you will attempt the cleanse. You can do it!
The entire day I have felt drained. No energy whatsoever! Early part of today, I did not have any cravings for food, and I had to make myself drink the smoothies. However, by tonight I desire FOOD.
Today, I ate less. The snack I had after breakfast was blackberries and raspberries, barely a half cup portion of it. The remainder of the day I had about 6 or 7 almonds, 2 Brazilian nuts, 1 boiled egg, and three smoothies (replaced the three meals of the day). I also drunk a good amount of water today and two cups of detox tea.
Despite feeling like I may possibly faint, I was not hungry. I managed to go the gym and workout for a good thirty minutes. The last thing I wanted to do was over do it. For some reason I believe in pushing myself; unfortunately, at the gym I was not able to do that today, for obvious reasons. So for those who do decide to detox and workout, keep it light until you know how your body will be.
At this very moment, I WANT FOOD. But, fortunate for me I am going to sleep; therefore, no eating! Whenever you feel like you’re going to grab food, make yourself go to sleep, that way you can’t eat, haha.
By the way, I weighed myself this morning, and not to my surprise only a whopping 2.4 pounds gone. Maybe over indulging in the nuts yesterday did that or the lack of water. But, today was a new day, and I think the scale will have better results.
Where do I begin? Immediately woke up and felt a few pounds lighter (you know in the morning you always feel refreshed and lighter than the day before). So I had to weighed myself, and to my surprise five pounds smaller, yippee. Yesterday was easier than today. I was at home yesterday. Today I was at work; and during lunch I was watching other people eat and the smell of their food was really getting to me. I really wanted to quit, but I kept thinking about the five pounds. My biggest struggle of today was not having anything salty to eat. I was craving fried and salty foods.
Whenever I have done detoxes in the past I have experience headaches. Today was no different, the headache was really bad and was hours before it past. I did not drink as much water as I would have liked to today, so hopefully that will not affect the scale, fingers crossed.
The book says not to have more than a handful of nuts while snacking, but I had a couple of handfuls of nuts today. I couldn’t help myself. The scale will determine my success of today in the morning.
No meat, no artificial sweeteners or preservatives, nothing fried, no processed foods, only water, tea, and organic fruits, veggies, and nuts, must say this was a healthy day.
Well, spring break is a done deal. It lasted a great Monday through Friday, it’s now Sunday. Thinking back on all the scrumptious delights I ate during spring break brings me to what I have started today, a detox. I love food. I am a southern girl from Crescent City, and there is nothing that comes between me and good food. As soon as I arrived to New Orleans I already knew what I wanted to eat, Chinese! From Cajun to seafood to Popeyes to Chinese, EVERYTHING in New Orleans taste better than anywhere else. So upon getting into town, I ordered some Chinese food from my favorite local place. The taste is authentic, comforting, and reminisces of all the reasons I love going home. Besides all of that, the food is just that dang good! I ate so much food that every day I was sick. Ask me if I cared, I continued to eat. Now I know that sounds disgusting and glutinous. BUT, until you have gone to New Orleans and experienced the food, you simply will not understand. I do not care where I go, the food just does not compare. It is in its own category.
Here is some (not all) of the food I got to indulge in for a few days:
Crawfish MumMudbugs (Craw fish)Yummy Shrimp Fried Rice, Sweet and Sour Chicken (your choice of dark or white meat), and an egg roll the size of a burritoBeignets and Cafe Au Lait from Cafe Du MondeFried oysters and shrimp
Consequently, I have to get back into the habit of eating my fruits and veggies. Plus, after eating so much good food (mostly fried) my body needs a good detox. I have decided to do the 10 Day Green Smootie Cleanse created by JJ Smith. Now being the person that I am, I am not following the cleanse to the T. In fact, I plan to just do 5 days. I was told by a friend who has recently done it that she lost all of her weight within the first 5 days. She said after that nothing came off. So I figured 5 days will be sufficient enough for me too. The other change I am making is the smoothies. My doctor has always told me to stay away from all fruits except berries. So I will only be juicing berries with a small piece of pineapple for sweetness. Of course, I will have my leafy greens (turnip and mustard greens, kale, and spinach- these are the ones I juice with all the time). That is it for my changes. I am confident that this will be a good cleanse. Last summer I did something very similar except I only juiced for two meals instead of all three. That cleanse had good results.
Today is DAY 1. So far, I am craving everything but what I am supposed to have, but I am by no means hungry. On the 10 Day Smoothie Cleanse you’re able to eat nuts, veggies, and boiled eggs as snacks (read the book for more information on how much, when, and any other questions you may have). I have snacked on nuts today. The only nuts I am eating are Brazilian nuts and almonds. I am also drinking my weight divided in half in ounces. For example if you way 200 pounds you should drink 100 oz. of water.
I plan to share daily updates on how things are going.
Oh Bra, how incredible you are; how thankful I am for you. Some days we’re besties and other days enemies. As Machiavelli would say, “keep your friends close and your enemies closer”; Bra you know me better than any friend. Despite the discomfort you most often bring, we work together to achieve the challenge ahead- getting the girls through the day without breaking backs. Cheers to you Bra, I love you!
Every girl knows what it is to have found a bra that it just right. Finding the right bra can be just as hard, if not harder, as finding Mr. Right. There are key factors that must be taken into consideration: the uttermost one is comfort, style (for some this is not important, but to me it is- I like my bras to be cute), longevity (will it get me throughout the day- a good 10 hours), it needs to nip, tuck, and tighten in all the right places, and needs to be cost friendly (for bustier ladies a reasonable price is at least $40- to get a good bra).
I have purchased several of Lane Bryant’s bras. All of which ended up being either uncomfortable and left me feeling like I had more rolls with the bra on than off (so unattractive). Hence those experiences, I have promised myself that when I go bra shopping I will always look for these three things: comfort, wide enough ban on the back to prevent rolls and back support, and lifted support of the bust (who wants sagging boobs?).
Notice price is not a part of my list, why, because I am full busted. I have no say so in purchasing a cheap bra. All of my bras since high school have been $45 plus. My mother once bought me a bra, just 1 bra, that was $71. I simply cannot go cheap when it comes to my bust.
But, it is important to me that my bra is comfortable. Because I am heavy chested I need a bra that is comfortable and can support my load. Anytime my bras are uncomfortable my back hurts, which typically comes from having a bra that does not support my back very well. I find that the bras with wide bans across the back better support your back and prevent those rolls caused by bras.
Lastly, I hate that bras for bustier women do not have push-up affects like the ones at Victoria Secret for smaller busted women. Even though a full busted woman does not need anything extra, we still do not want our boobs to sag. Therefore, I also take into consideration when I am bra shopping to find a bra that gives my breast a lift.
Click pic to check it out online
With that being said, the following bra has all of the above: lifts the breast, supports the back and diminishes rolls, and this bra is very comfortable. This bra is so awesome that I went back to LB and purchased several of them; it’s that great!
Click pic to check it out online
CaciqueIllusion Full Coverage Bra
The great things about this bra is that it is full coverage, medium width strap (doesn’t dig into your skin), and the back is smooth, so no one even notices your bra.
This bra is available in quite a few colors. The price of it varies from size, $42.50- $54.50. Check it out online or in-stores.
lanebryant.com
If you have any questions or comments about this bra or anything bra related please comment below.
The Curvy Chateau 