A Whole Heap Of Stuff

Hello Everyone!! I hope you all had a great weekend and are hard at it today.  So, I did a lot of trying on over the past few weeks at a few places I love. I'd been trying to decide whether or not to split them up into different posts.  I finally decided to put them all in one post to save myself time and effort.  Without further adieu, let's get started!

My first stop was to Old Navy where they were practically giving away the entire store for up to 60% off.  They had a lot of goodies for everyone, and I found a couple of really cute things that caught my eye.

This little black number is supposed to be a dress.  But, for the sake of modesty, I decided to pair it with these red and black buffalo check pants. The red tam is my own and it just kinda worked out with the outfit.  This would be perfect for Christmas Day activities on the casual side.  You know, sitting around the house eating all day and not going anywhere special.

I. Love. This. Dress.  All I need are some black tights or leggings and some cute boots and I'm ready to go anywhere.  Unfortunately, this was sold out by the time I went back for it.  It's still available at Old Navy's website and it could possibly be on sale right now.  

I thought this sweatshirt was so cute when I saw it (and I actually bought it.) I'm also excited about the fact that Old Navy has a line of curvy jeans that I can actually wear.  These are from their Straight Curvy line and they fit like a glove.  It's totally an accident that all the items I picked out coordinated with my tam (as I like to call them.) My great grandmother used to wear them all the time and they kinda make me feel the nostalgia of my childhood.

My next stop was J.C. Penney where I FINALLY tried some pieces from the Tracee Ellis Ross line.  I've been wanting to try it on for myself after seeing several YouTube vloggers and various bloggers try on her pieces.  

I really wanted to try on the fuchsia one, but they only had the gold one.  I'm still undecided about this dress.  It reminds me of a really fancy caftan.  I'm wondering if that's the idea Tracee had when this was designed.  

When I first heard about TER's line and saw the pieces, I was excited about the tuxedo.  I've always wanted a feminine tux and could never find one until now.  The sad part was none of the bloggers/vloggers I watched tried on the tuxedo.  So, I knew I had to try it on once I found it.  THIS. GAVE. ME. MY.ENTIRE.LIFE. Not a lot of things give me this feeling, but this did!!! My only gripe is I'd have to get the slacks taken up in the waist because they're doing this weird floppy thing in the crotch.  Which I'm used to because I'm a pear shape and that's just the life I've been handed. And since I love it so much, here's another picture from another angle.

Pardon the bra showing, but you've seen one before.  The best part about this tuxedo is it's sold separately, so you can get the pieces in different sizes if you need it.  This shall be mine!! I've already got an outfit together in my head with a sharp bodysuit for New Year's Eve (as if I'm going anywhere on NYE.)  Sigh...

This little number is from the Boutique 9 collection from J.C.Penney.  It was cute on the hanger, but once I put it on, I was disappointed.  The neck detail was too big and didn't fit properly. Then, it wanted to be high/low but I don't think it's supposed to fit that way.  Out of the 3 dresses I picked to try on from Boutique 9, this was the only one I could wear.  

These darling babies were at my local Dillards.  The picture DO NOT do them justice at all! Sam Edelman always has makes really great shoes.  The front remind me of sea urchins and this great purple color is just 😍😍😍😍.  Now you already know I had to try them on!!

Keeping in the spirit of shoes, these cuties I picked up from my local T.J. Maxx for $29.99.  They remind me of  Sorel boots that I've been coveting for the past few years.  I've never gotten those because they're $250.  Maybe one day I'll be able to get the Sorel ones, but for now I'll take these by Esprit.   

Finally, to round out the post, my folks and I went to one of the thrift stores in my town and did some exploring.  Every item in this particular one was like $2.  So, were looking through the racks of clothes, I came across this really nice blazer.  I tried it on, thinking it wasn't going to fit.  Needless to say it did and it found a new home with me.  Brace yourselves for the fabulousness you're about to witness:

This men's blazer is from the Neiman Marcus line for Target that came out a few years ago.  My sister picked it up for me for a whoping $2.  It was brand new with tags and actually sold for $149.00.  Talk about a great deal and it's gonna get a lot of wear from my sister and I both (lol)  

Well, that wraps up the whole lotta for this week.  Until next time, I hope you all have a Happy Holiday season and an awesome 2018! 

OK Torrid, I See You!

On last week, I made an impromptu trip to my local Torrid.  Now, I haven't shopped in Torrid in a long time.  And, to be totally honest, I wasn't a fan.  Fast forward to 2017, Torrid has really redeemed themselves.  Their clothing has really evolved into something that every woman can wear.  From tee shirts to stylish shoes and jackets,  if you're in need of cool, unique pieces, Torrid will fit the bill.  Now you know I couldn't go and look without trying on a few pieces for you guys!

This dress was out of my comfort zone.  I don't wear body con anything at any time, but this dress made me reconsider.  This is perfect for any after hours party shindig you may be attending this holiday season.  And let's talk about these knee boots for a minute! For the first time in my life, I didn't have to slouch them down to zip them up! Big ups to Torrid for actually making boots for ladies with big legs.  

The wrap dress is one of those closet staples that every woman should own.  This one is made out of a soft sweater material which makes it perfect for the office Christmas party.  Ankle strap wedges  (which I love) make this outfit a hit.  Just add a sparkly necklace, earrings, and clutch and you're all set to make heads turn.

I HAD to try on this skirt after seeing one of my favorite You Tubers (Glitterandlazers) wear it in one of her videos.  It's actually the reason why I made the trek to Torrid in the first place.  And it has a sexy slit in the front with laces.

Please excuse the fact that I'm not wearing shape wear.  To me, not wearing shape wear should be one of the 7 deadly sins.  It makes you look more put together and smooths out all the lumps and bumps for a more streamline look.  I've always loved an off the shoulder top of any kind, so this sweater is no exception.  

I decided to top this outfit off with a cute little band jacket with a slight peplum.  I could've gone down a size in it, but you get the idea.  It also comes in olive as well.  

I thought this was the cutest little sweater dress, with emphasis on little.  I'd definitely add some tights or leggings to this for modesty's sake.  And the belt with the bow just adds that special touch.

I never would've picked this dress out for myself.  When Katie the manager handed it to me, I was like....eh heh.  Once I tried it on, it fit like a dream and really shows off my curves.  And...

it's got sexy splits in the front!!! Definitely adds something extra to the 90's flower child dress that's unexpected.  Kudos to you @torridfashion.

I know I've already bragged on these knee boots, but to add another reason to buy them, I was able to not only zip them up without slouching, but I was able to zip them WITH A TUCKED IN PANT LEG!!! This is unheard of for me (and probably a lot of other women with larger calves.) You can't go wrong with all black either.  Especially during the winter months.  Plus, it makes you look smaller.

For this next look, I decided to swap the black sweater with this red one.  Usually, I;m not a fan of the cold shoulder AT ALL!! But, this sweater has made me change my mind.  I really like it a lot and it's perfect for the holidays.  I've also stepped out of my comfort zone once again and I'm wearing jeggings.  The fit of these is nothing like jeggings I've tried on in the past.  These actually feel and fit like jeans.  Since I'm pear-shaped, I always have a problem with pants/jeans doing that weird thing in the crotch.  Not with these, though.  If you're also pear-shaped, I suggest trying on a pair of their jeggings for yourself.  You won't be disappointed!

So, I decided to save my most favorite piece for last.  You'll be able to tell it's my favorite because of the number of pictures I took in it.  **Warning** you're about to see a whole heap of pictures that you may find unnecessary, but I think it, was so deal with it.  LOL!!

I. LOVE. THIS. COAT. Do you hear me???!!! It has faux leather sleeves and epaulets on the shoulders.  It kinda reminded me of a fancy band jacket/ military uniform jacket.  And the placement of the pockets are awesome.  So, to show you guys how much I love this coat, here come the pics!!

All and all, Torrid has made great strides to be a contender in the plus-sized retail market.  To be able to do that, retailers have to provide consumers with pieces they want to wear and make them feel and look great.  Torrid has excelled above and beyond my expectations.  I'm truly impressed. 

So, if you're ever in the Hattiesburg area, don't hesitate to visit Torrid and be blown away for yourself.  Tell Katie and Lisa that I sent you.  You won't be disappointed.

Making the Jump

So, how have you been since I last posted? I hope you guys have been doing well.  Oh me, I've been going through a lot of changes since last year up till now.  Some good, some that could've been better.  But, I wouldn't change it at all.  It's all about living your life to the fullest and how you want to live it.  In my 40 years of being on this Earth, I've learned that you can't live your life for other people and expect to be happy with it.  It's OK to make life decisions based on how YOU feel.  No one can live your life for you but you.  So why not do it the way you want to.

With that being said, I've decided to finally "jump" and do something that I've wanted to do for a long time now.  This has been in my heart and spirit for a while now, but I've been deathly afraid to put myself out there and do it.  When I told my friends what I wanted to do, they really encouraged me and said that I could do it.  But, I was holding myself back and didn't go through with it.  It's been in the back of my mind for some time, waving at me and not letting me forget it's there. So, I think I'm ready to finally devote my entire self to what I want to do.

I've made the decision to start my own style consulting business.  I'm going to offer a few services to start, and build from there.  This is something that I've wanted to do for at least 4 or 5 years, but I was afraid to do it because I didn't know what the response or the outcome would be.  I know I can't worry about the response because the people who feel they need the help will respond.  But, I don't have any control over the outcome; that's my biggest problem.  Not being able to control the outcomes of my life is something I work on daily and I try to stress less over.  I'm making baby steps to get there (constantly a work in progress.)

If you have something you've always wanted to do, no matter how silly it may sound to yourself or others, please at least try it on a short term basis.  If it doesn't work out, that's fine.  At least you can say you did it.  But, if you never do it, you'll always be wondering "what if."  I don't want to be at the end of my life filled with what ifs because I was too afraid to take a chance on myself.

If you or someone you know is interested in my services, you can email me at dialsforstyle@gmail.com.  Or, feel free to give me a call at 601-298-4025.