New Me

I've had to take a major shopping hiatus since I am currently career hunting so my wardrobe is getting a mix & match work out but I can't help dreaming about a closet revolution! A new me, a new look.

I'm thinking of florals for spring.

Great fits and perfect cuts.

Fabulous bold patterns.

A love affair with the bow.

And lastly I think I'd love to try out a pair of patterned jeans like these ones!

*All of these beautiful pieces I discovered on the Dorothy Perkins website which carries regular and plus sizes

Teal You're Mine

It is my favorite colour. If colour could be considered a noun, teal would be my happy place.



marble ring from Butcher's Daughter.

I'm on the job hunt these days so I'll admit there have been numerous pajama days writing cover letters and searching job boards but it also leaves the time to put together fabulous combos I haven't thought of before.  I love this sheer top from Forever 21+ and have worn it with black or white tank tops underneath as well as rocked it with a black strapless bra for a night of dancing once!

 

Cardigan from Reitman's, blouse Forever 21+

Necklace from local & online boutique Silver Daisy Designs

Holiday!

Taken from my Instagram; DarlingDilemma

Oh what a long hiatus!
If you are anything like me you have almost no interest in an excuse, only a desire to get back into the swing of things.

Recently my husband & I went on our first ever vacation together. It only took 12 years but it was fabulous all the same.  Since I have been staring at snow and sleet, ice and grey skies for a few days, I think it is only appropriate that I start back in Cuba, with some sunny shots.

 

Besides the sun, sand and surf it was pretty exciting to pack for our first tropical vacation and I was a bit obsessive about it.  I dragged the suitcase out a month before our expedition and left it open.  Every time I thought of something I wanted to bring, or came across something to buy I just added it to the suitcase. So here are some snapshots of my favorite vacation wear items;

One of my Walmart scores for this trip - my beach hat for $10!

Polka dot halter top from Heartbreak Boutique (necklace from my Etsy shop Darling Dilemma)

 



A bargain shopping find for $15!

 

 

My other successful Walmart find, the $30 swimsuit

 

 



And finally this fantastic cover up from Pennington's & some new shades!

 



It was a pretty fantastic first vacation and now that we have caught the travel bug the only question is, Where next?

For the love of... OOTD

Are you familiar with my love of polka dots?
It never wanes.

Case in point - I purchased 3! polka dot tops in the last two weeks.
Oh and how about the polka dot Cherry Velvet dress earlier this week???
It is so rare to find polka dotted perfection, at least I find it so in plus size, so I'm a little bit giddy with my recent purchases.

Today's polka dot contribution comes from Heartbreak Boutique in uptown Saint John. They carry a variety of sizes and recently brought in these super cute polka dot retro halter tops.

Photo taken in the cute dressing room of Heartbreak Boutique!

I love the classic pin-up shape this top gives me. I had a good day in this outfit, loving my curves & feeling fabulously sexy!

Skirt from Forever 21+, is super well fitted, stretchy & a steal at only $11.80!! I'm thinking I
should snatch it up in other colors for work wear this fall!

I kept my accessories simple but with my favorites...

Sandy Beach & Pink Tulip

As promised I am trying to photograph & post my top 5 day-to-day outfits. Those perfect outfits that I love & can go to in a hurry because they are tried & tested. For some reason they just never make it to the blog!

When I first stumbled on this dress at Old Navy I thought it was nice but that the color was all wrong for me. When I noticed it had been marked down to $10 though... I thought, why not?!

At first I would only wear it with a black cardigan or jacket because of the color but one night out without covering up & I really started to like it.

Booties from Manchester Shoe Salon

It is short so I always pair it with thick tights or leggings, like these ones from We Love Colors but now that spring is here I was excited to add something bright to the mix!!

My brand new gorgeous clutch from ASOS paired up with a Forever21 necklace and some fun pink nails made me feel a little more seasonal with this outfit. Maybe some new colored tights are in order for other fun options?

Sparrow, Magpie & Robin's Egg

It seems crazy to me that somehow my favorite outfits never seem to manage ending up on the blog. My top 5 have yet to make an appearance here even though they are in constant rotation!! The only explanation I can think is that when I grab a favorite outfit I know it is going to work, meaning that in a hurry to look good, they are no brainers.

I'm currently on the hunt for a fabulous new job & that means resumes, interviews & looking great. I am putting myself to the task of photography my top 5 outfits (daily not special occasions) this week as I am out & about trying to work my magic.

This outfit, with skirt from Addition Elle has a few variation in my wardrobe but I always feel fantastic in it.

T-shirt is from Torrid with a keyhole back. I also pair this with a black long sleeve sometimes or a white tee & little black jacket.

$5 white flats pick up at WalMart

In the cooler weather this skirt looks fabulous with black or turquoise tights, boots or chunky shoes.

Necklace from local shop, Silver Daisy Design. Watch Urban Outfitters.
Sparrow purse, Manchester Shoe Salon.
Nail colour - China Glaze 'Hey Audrey' with Deborah Lippmann 'Mermaids Dream'

Thanks to Melissa from Sigh..Gush..Gasp for snapping some photos for me today!

The Rollerball!

A few weeks ago I visited the local theatre for a showing of Moulin Rouge in support of the Imperial Theatre. This weekend I had the pleasure of attending another local fundraiser, for The Resource Centre for Youth (TRC), a local not-for-profit organization. "The Resource Centre for Youth (TRC) provides a safe and encouraging environment for our youth to explore their full potential."

The organization had the brilliant idea to host a 'Rollerball" as a fundraiser for the centre, featuring a derby game by our local Fog City Rollers as the entertainment!

The idea was to get all dressed up for cocktails but watch a derby game. They served mini burgers (even vegetarian ones!) & of course drinks. There was a silent auction, as well as a live one but those derby girls demand some serious attention!

I'm really starting to fully embrace the idea of fundraisers, especially their potential for wearing fabulous clothes! Before moving to the east coast I had my favorite hometown charities who's events I always attended but it is only recently, after fully falling in love with my adopted city of Saint John that I have discovered new places to support, events to attend & people to adore!
Check out one of the organizers/youth workers, my friend Letti & I!

We have rockin hair & are generally awesome.

Besides being full of fabulous in her own right, she is also shares my love of crafts & glitter. Check out the fully fabulous Rollerball Trophy she made!!

 I wish I had great photos of my adorable dress but the lighting was dim. I have one picture of Letti & I in our dresses (mine from Torrid, her's from Pennington's) but we look like some strange breed of cheerleaders with our awkward poses. (I really really need to figure out the proper stance for having my picture taken! You think after doing this for almost a year I'd have it figured out, but clearly not.)
However I've worn this dress before on the blog as you can see here so I decided to snap some close ups of the accessories I chose this time.

Tiny & cute rosebud necklace from Forever21 - love that the chain is pink too!

These earrings were one of my first etsy purchases..about 4 years ago!

A score for $8 a WalMart! I've been looking at similar much more expensive
alternatives to this lately so this was great last minute find.
If I truly love them, a more expensive, long lasting pair can be found

In keeping with the pink, I threw on these long lasting leggings from
Voluptuous in Toronto for some extra color!

Measured

I consider myself a fairly confident woman. I have worked hard to accept myself. Worked harder to love myself. And I walk pretty tall.

I have hips & curves. Smooth lines and bumps. I have stretch marks but blemish free skin too. I have a round belly but hips that match.

Thing is...sometimes I can still forget all of that. Some days I forget myself and fall back into old habits. Usually, something that can be referred to as a trigger will send me into these negative spirals. Today it was a fashion trigger. Today I was measured.

Knowing your measurements is pretty much mandatory if you want to order clothing online. You can think you know your size but each company seems to have their own opinion on what equates a 0 or a 2X, so check their size charts to your measurements and you should be able to order yourself a great fitting item. However taking my measurements this morning to double check before ordering a magnificent dress triggered all sorts of shaming feelings towards my size.

I definitely don't want to use this as a forum to talk about those negative feelings but simply just acknowledge that it happened.  It will happen again. It happens to all of us.
Somehow this is part of our contemporary lives.
For me it is body shamming, but for someone else it could be a different physical feature, a personality characteristic, a work related habit...

Right now the most important thing is for me to recognize that it was a moment and that it will pass. In the end I can like myself once again & remember all the things I am proud of & enjoy when I see myself. Even just writing this post & knowing that at least a few of you will know exactly what I mean, encourages the moment to fade.

Crazy for Color - Spring 2012

Spring 2012 by fulloffabulous featuring plus size skirts

Red tunic
evans.co.uk

Plus size skirt
$50 - asos.com

Asos Curve Exclusive Lavender Skinny #4
$57 - asos.com

$49.95
dress911.com

Evans Print Embroidered Hem Top
evans.co.uk

Pink handbag
evans.co.uk

Betsey Johnson - Pink Quilted Love Satchel | New
$108 - torrid.com

It is undeniable - spring makes us crazy for color!
Personally I try to ignore my black cardigan, black hoodie, black wrap, black sweater & black tee as soon as the first great sunny day hits my skin, but living in Canada part of me always fears that there is one last snow storm around the corner, waiting to spring itself on me.
So the hoodies & cardis are staying... for now - but my credit card might as well be floral or  painted pink! These are some of my current favorite finds for spring & while bright colors feature predominately I am on the current hunt for some pastel additions to my closet!!
Anyone come across pastel mary janes??


So enjoy the first signs of spring my friends & as always, stay fabulous!