Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween Friends!

I'm not exactly Halloween ready this year as we have decided to move!

(yep, we get the keys tomorrow & only decided on Saturday...)

Instead of a costume post I remembered this great hair day with one of my favorite accessories.

The hair piece was made by the gorgeous Christina of I Do Cake Toppers & seems to be in the spirit of the season...

Fabulous Chic! City Chic Shopping Cart

On Friday, online plus size fashion store, City Chic had a flash sale of 60% off everything!


Everything.

I'm relatively new to the whole online shopping thing when it comes to clothes, so each time I do order I like to try a new site.  60% off sounded like the perfect excuse to make City Chic my next stop! Oh and, (pay attention here, fellow Canadians) one of the best things about this site is that they actually ship to Canada for free!  I seriously cannot figure out why more & bigger clothing websites haven't managed this yet. I can often buy from UK based ASOS for zero shipping fees but somehow Torrid wants to charge me more that $30+ to cross the Canadian border...

So 60% off, plus free shipping AND... a coupon code worth an EXTRA 20% off led to the following delicious purchases...

Frill Hem Jacket with Belt

Love the cut of this piece! Puffy sleeves, funky belt and all on sale for only $39.20, regularly $98!
Can't wait to wear it with skinny jeans for shopping & form fitting skirts on date night.

Chiffon Flocked Spot Top

I think my love of polka dots is obvious by now, so this top should come as no surprise. At the regular $54 I would probably never consider this piece but for $21.60 I found it irresistible!

Velvet Leopard Print Jacket

I saved the best for last... for only $37.60 I couldn't pass up this beautifully tailored, velvet, leopard print jacket. Matching it up with a LBD, pencil skirt, jeans... even my pajamas! I want to wear this all the time, everywhere.
Looking for me? I'll be the one with the scarlet hair in leopard print.

Anyone else score some great deals from City Chic's sale?

Shopping Cart - The Etsy Experience

About a year & a half ago I opened my etsy shop, Darling Dilemma, selling my one of a kind beaded jewelry.  It has fed my bead addiction nicely and been quite successful as well as fun! I have to admit though, one of my favorite things about having the shop is watching my paypal account balance grow & know that on some quiet Sunday evening an Etsy shopping spree will spontaneously occur.  I will fill my cart with long ogled treasures, scout out new finds & before I know it dwindle that account back down to zero.
It gives me something to strive for!

So in case you haven't figured it out, this Shopping Cart is featuring some of my current favorite Etsy finds...

Magpie Flower Necklace from NestPrettyThings

 One of my favorite shops to browse is Nest Pretty Things. The colour palettes & designs are sweet & lovely. This piece is my current absolute fav!

Handcrafted Wooden Sunglasses by tumbleweedsoddities

These wooden sunglasses from Tumbleweed's Oddities have got to be the coolest thing I've stumbled onto lately & as a woodworker's daughter, I find them irresistible (in other words, I might be blowing my budget on them)!

Calliope Double Wrap bracelet by Twillypop

This is a colour combination that is just screaming to me this fall!! I'm always amazed at how simple design appeals to me, time & time again....Twillypop nails it!

Indigo Star Earrings by missficklemedia

Tiny, handmade stamped brass star earrings for only $12? Yes please! Miss Fickle makes some of the nicest materials, tutorials & a few select pieces. I've been looking for a set of tiny studs & adore these.

Rock the Casbah set by bullfinchbarbury

The textures in these enamel/mixed material bangles blow my mind but the colours are what draw me in every time!

Petticoat by Miss Brache

And lastly, the petticoat...
I think it needs to be a mandatory purchase for my wardrobe. In fact, don't even bother checking this one out because I'm off to fill my shopping cart now!

October vs. Em

Last night, after a particularly brutal day, I told my husband that I just couldn't wait for October to be over with. He looked at me puzzled and asked, why? I sat there staring at him in disbelief for a moment before shooting out, 'are you serious??'
My grandfather is in the hospital & grandmother is injured but home & the distance between my hometown & current home seems vast right now.  I miss all my family & wish I could be home during this tough time.  After struggling with the emotions of it all last week I set out of town yesterday for work, get an hour away to receive a phone call that my son is having trouble breathing at school! Crazed mad dash home down the highway, husband leaving work.. ambulance being called!!! Punchline is, he is fine & has a cold.  The unfunny part is, of course, the panic & stress these events put on this mama!

So I'm staring with disbelief at my husband & he says...'you went to new Brunswick's first fashion week as a blogger, you got yourself new boots, your hair is awesome, we've had tons of fun with friends, we got a kid free weekend & you won 6 cupcakes! .....so how is October NOT awesome? You had a bad couple days babe.' and with a kiss on my forehead, he left the room.
Man I married a smart one!

So here is a look back at my month in Instagrams...

So what do you think of the new blog design?

Full of... Courage?

Lately I've been wondering - how much is enough?

How much confidence is enough? Do I just need a little more... or a lot?
There are body acceptance movements, of varying types that I have been exploring mostly as a voyeur thus far.

Blogger & fashionista, Jessica Kane recently had a 'full body shot' campaign, accompanied by a contest to liberate us bigger gals to take a full body photograph of ourselves.  A daunting feat for any self conscious woman, so an interesting concept to tackle with plus sized readers.  The response was  fantastic from both women & retailers with Jessica receiving 1100 entries.  She will be drawing the winner's today.
I love Jessica's blog & have been thinking about this idea of empowering someone to love themselves & physically SHOW the world all there is to love.  Writing a plus size fashion/lifestyle blog has forced me in front of a camera and instead of just the (as my husband calls them) 'myspace portraits' I used to take & use as profile pictures I have to think of myself in a more 4x6 format... full body, outfit pictures.

A typical Emma portrait from back in the MySpace days...

Moving from close up to 'wide format' (ok that pun was totally intentional) takes guts.. bravery... courage! So I must have some, right??

Bah!! Wide Lens!!

But about 10 seconds after a blog post goes up, the self doubt kicks in. So clearly, not THAT brave.
Sometimes the posts don't even go live because once I see the photos on the screen I think 'now THAT was a bad outfit decision'! So clearly, not that much courage.


Another body acceptance movement I stumbled on was, funnily enough (& not at all a coincidence given my choice of wording) on tumblr*.  There are tons of accounts just there to promote beauty of one kind or another... be it very specific, (fuckyeahchubbyfashion or tattooed & chubby ) or just open to positivity (lovethechub or Curvy is the new black ).
I really dig the idea that girls can just go & post a picture of themselves from when they felt fabulous! In fact both my friend Vanessa & I have done it!

Hot Vanessa-ness

Not only is it accessible & easy to have a 'feel good' moment, but your fellow tumblrs are right there, supporting you through it & cheering you on (in the form of reblogs & likes... tumblr lingo but sweet all the same).

This isn't a post with any resolution, or even a glaring insight. It is strictly a post of me rambling about something that has been on my mind a lot lately, something I am trying to examine about myself.  When do you know that you have enough courage? How do you test bravery?

I will keep you up to date if there are any further developments or acts of bavery.

Stay fabulous....

Em


*I should warn you right now that not all of tumblr is safe for work, familiy viewing etc. Anyone can post images & thoughts about whatever they would like. Please use your own discreation.

Bloggerfull

Last night I attended a local blogger meet up at the shoe heaven known as Urban Shoe Myth. It was great to talk about our blogs, recap recent fashion events & enjoy some munchies from one of our favorite restaurants, Saint John Ale House.
Of course the shoes were distracting...

Before we dug our heels into deep discussion & deliciousness bloggers Kate, Chelsea & I took the opportunity to hit the streets for some outfit shots.

Chelsea being photographed by Kate, while Candice instagrams the moment & I catch it all... that's how we bloggers roll!

Heels & shiny tights... nothing slows a blogger down

The great thing about when bloggers meet is we don't pass up the opportunity to have someone else take our photos & make us look less like a dork in a public place with a tripod.  Thank you Kate for playing photographer for me!

I came pretty much straight from work so wasn't overly glam in my Reitman's denim & leggings but I love my new polka dot top from Old Navy. I kept warm with my black George cardigan & necklace from Laura.

I jumped at the chance to take my new Remonte Dorndorf booties from Manchester Shoes out for a spin! Oh how happy they make me!! If you saw my previous post about my sad lack of footwear, you might understand why.

Hello pouf! Hair experiments gone right!

This vintage bracelet was a gift from my aunt when I was in high school. I adore it.
OPI nails in Malaysian Mist

Strike a pose...

Boutique Talk - PGal's Closet

Last week I took a short drive to the nearby town of Rothesay to visit the lovely ladies of PGal'sCloset, Baye & Patricia. 

There was a better picture of me with them but they are too smiley & gorgeous here, so they win!

This mother/daughter duo are known for their kind, sweet nature, beautiful looks & fabulous shop, PGal's (which is accompanied by Country Treasures the home decor side). You might remember Baye as a guest blogger while I was on vacation in September.  She told us all a bit about the Sympli line they carry at PGal's and after the blog post I figured I should check the line out for myself...

I wasn't 100% sold on Sympli before heading out to visit the ladies.  Currently the line is sizes 2 to18 & I wear a 20, sometimes even a 22 so I was concerned nothing would fit me properly. Patricia tells me that Simpli will be coming out with a plus sized line late this fall & though I am excited to see it, I needn't have worried... just as Baye told me.

Firstly, whether you are interested in the Sympli line or not it is always worth a visit to PGal's. The accessories, beauty products & home decor are always fully fabulous & the attention you get from all the staff is top notch.  It is another beautiful example of why I am SOLD on Boutique shopping.

Some of the lovely & cute items at PGal's! I adore this lip gloss!

 

Baye & Patricia played dress up with me for about an hour, trying different combinations of pieces from the collection & jewelry.

Chakra Tunic with Oliva leggings, Infinity jewelry scarf

The pieces are definitely forgiving, even to my size 20 body- feeling as comfortable as pajamas or yoga pants!  A few selections didn't quite fit my chest & not everything suited my personal style but most of the pieces were flattering.

Timeless tunic & the infinity frill scarf (LOVED this scarf.. I may have to come back for it ladies!!)

It is awesome how the collection is styled to layer, mix & match or even be worn with your own favorite pieces in your wardrobe.

Aria tunic with Culture cover, with my favorite Forever 21+ jeans & jewelry from PGal's
This outfit is probably my favorite look that I tried on, although the colour is maybe not the right one for me.

PGal's keep a selection of pieces that work together in stock in a variety of sizes but you can also custom order your pieces, mix & match! The Sympli line comes in a HUGE assortment of colours & takes about 6-8 weeks as each piece is made to order (all by women, Canadian women!!!).

The lovely Baye, showing of the huge assortment (36) of colours to choose from!

 You can be sure that when the plus size line is out I will be back out for another visit with the PGal's to let you all know about it...although truth be told, I probably won't be able to stay away that long.

New Brunswick Fashion Week - Overview

Media Party, Fashion Forward, & NBFW runway show

What a week! I'm not going to lie, I'm exhausted.  Between trying to adjust to my new schedule & flying out the door each evening to events, I'm so glad my Saturday consists of a latte from my favorite barista & a red velvet cupcake from our new local bakery!  It is also Canadian Thanksgiving weekend so I have 4 delicious days off with nothing much to do!!

As I enjoyed my coffee & cupcake this morning I pondered today's post. 
After attending the Fashion Event last night I wondered what approach i should take in covering the event.  There was some fabulous fashion, some baffling decisions & some obvious hard work, but as a Plus Size blogger I wanted to offer my perspective.  My intention was to focus specifically on the plus size pieces, accessories & overall general tone of the affair, since it was my first fashion week.  I asked about plus size long before the event & was told specifically there would be plus size representation, in models, clothing & with at least one local designer - exciting!!!
Unfortunately the 'plus size' component seemed to have disappeared by the time the event came to fruition.  There were no plus size fashions, designers or models*.  Although I was glad to be included in the event & have my opinion valued, I'm left wondering, as a blogger, what do I say?


What I can say is this, we have some amazing local talent & contributions to the fashion world!

Our stylists work hard & come up with stunning looks.

Our local designers have vision & talent.

Chainmaille Obsession by Andrea Cyr

Our shops have amazing product & staff.

Runway look from Walsh Luggage

And our local bloggers support their community & fashion! Check out my fellow bloggers & their different takes on the events of the week;

• Barb of barbbarbbarb
• Leigh-Ellen from LittleWaterlily, Big Pond
• Melissa of Sigh..gush..gasp
• Chelsea, our Maritime Shopaholic

With blogger, Chelsea

I was really enjoying all the opportunities I had to dress up this week! This outfit was put together of simple affordable components but I was so happy with how it all came together. The dress is several years old from Reitman's, top from Old Navy, shoes came from Payless & I layered several necklaces. Oh, the clutch was a score at Winner's, from XOXO.

Overall I had a fun night out, with lots of great company & saw so many beautiful, fashionable things. Do I wish that my plus size community had of had representation? Absolutely - but there is always the spring collections, right?





*there was a plus size model in the hair competition, but not in the runway show