It was all JustFab

The premises of this blog is to talk about the different fashion ideas i have and push my fashion limits as much as I can, all while doing it on a budget. Well I am SO EXCITED to tell you that I have found my happy place!

The weather in L.A. has been kind of grey lately, so I was unsure how I was going to spend my weekend. So today, I decided to meander around town. I ended up in Glendale at the Galleria and I discovered that there is a JustFab store in the Galleria! I had to go in! 

I was weary at first because I know that most shoe stores don't carry a size 11, but when I asked Kat (the really awesome employee), "What is the largest size you carry in the store?" She smiled and said "Are you an 11? I wear 11. Yes, we carry that size in the store."

I WAS SOLD! For $39.95 I got a pair of the Isabella Mary Janes and the super cute Taj Mahal tan handbag.

JustFab: Isabella Mary Jane

JustFab: Taj Mahal 

I signed up for the VIP Membership program and each month for $39.95 I get to pick either a pair of shoes or a handbag! AND if I don't want to pay $39.95 that month I can skip the payment! PLUS, if I pay $39.95 for the month and I don't get anything, I can bank my money and use it later!!! I'm impressed!! 

Well played JustFab, well played. 

SoCal Winter

As a native Southern California girl I never grew with different seasons, so dressing for winter has never been a concern. Once I moved to San Francisco for college and discovered that there is a world beyond 75 degrees in January, I fell in love with winter! And its clothes!

This past weekend I was down in San Diego visiting friends and family. As I packed for the weekend, I found myself in a dilemma. Should I pack for 75-80 degree weather, which meant maxi dresses and jumpers?  Or should I dress for winter, which meant jackets and boots. I decided to meet myself in the middle. Since I have a love for winter fashion, but have no real need for it here in southern California; I packed dark jeans, a thin but bulky sweater, thin polyester tops, boots and booties. I figured that if I was going to attempt to live in both worlds, I needed to do it in layers. I have loved the “legging look” this winter, so going home to San Diego was a perfect chance to wear my new leggings by yummie tummie by Heather Thomson.

Jeans: NYDJ (something similar)

Top: H&M/ Chiffon Blouse

Watch: Micheal Kors

Booties: Report (old) 

My trip home to see my family and friends was great, as expected. We eat plenty of Mexican food (which is the BEST in San Diego), and danced the night away! It’s always nice to come home and see the people you love. 

To Shape or Not to Shape

As a girl who is larger than your average L.A. girl or larger than your average California Girl, I live and die for really good shapewear! There are so many choices. From your favorite brands, to the areas you would like to smooth out, and now actual shapewear clothing! A lot of shapewear designers are making garments that have the DNA of your favorite shapewear, but you are able to wear them with your favorite outfits!

Most recently, I have discovered an AMAZING pair of leggings by yummie tummie by Heather Thomson. As the Glamazon that I am, they are long enough to come all the way down to my ankles and they hold in EVERYTHING in!! I had been looking for a good pair of leggings for months and I found them!

I found my pair at Nordstrom and they were on sale for 29.97! WOO HOO! Regularly they retail for 49.50, so I was super excited to get them on sale. I am planning on wearing them for the rest of winter with boots and dresses that are too short to wear as a dress, and tops that are long enough to be a dresses. ;-)

On my shopping excursion I also discovered Skinnygirl Smoothers n' Shapers. I had a party coming up and I needed something that was going to smooth out my mid-section, but I was tired of wearing my regular shapewear. I wanted something that was going to focus mainly on my mid-section and not necessarily my thighs. I was in the mood to show off my curves and extenuate my small waist. Here is what I found. They are great because I don’t have to worry panty lines, plus I get the smoothing coverage in my waist I was looking for!

Here is a list of some of my favorite shapewear brands:

Spanx

Skinnygirl Smoothers n' Shapers

Maidenform

yummie by Heather Thomson

Hourglass Angel

Bare Necessities

Try out as many brands as you can until you find what works best for you! There are so many choices and so many different styles to choose from. Happy Shaping!

Winter's New Year

With the New Year we always look for new ways to challenge our fashion choices. The good news is that January is right in the middle of winter, so there are so many cozy and cute choices to pick out each morning. I live in southern California, so winter clothing is not always doable. But who’s complaining about 75 degree weather in January? Not me! J

What I have done is try to expand my choices for the winter holiday functions I had at the end of the year. Christmas and New Year’s Eve are always a time when you get dress up a little more than you would when you are having drinks with the girls or just going to work. Here was my choice for New Year’s Eve.

Dress: Adrianna Papell (old), Booties: REPORT, (old)

Tights: ASSESTS by SPANX, Watch: Michael Kors (old),

Bangles: Target, Earrings: Nordstrom (old). 

Some great news about the New Year, is all of my favorite stores are having their semiannual sales! This is my chance to stock up on basics that I will need all year long! And get some great deals on items I had been eyeing. WOO HOO! 

Rise of the Glamazon

After 2 ½ years of living in Los Angeles (I'm originally from San Diego) I have found myself in a very familiar place. Sitting at home on a Friday night online shopping. Or most recently online faux shopping! Don't act like you haven't done it before! You go to your favorite stores and put items you fall in love with in your cart. And instead of clicking "Submit Order" you just click on the little red "X" in the right hand corner…don't judge me. J

I love to look my best and try out new looks, but sometimes my average salary defines my average looks. Well, as the New Year comes I have decided to push my own personal boundaries and create a better me.
To the fashion world standards I am considered to be plus-size. But to my standards I am considered to be FABULOUS! I have spent way too much time trying to be something I am not, and trying to fit the image everyone else wants me to be. I like to consider myself a GLAMAZON. Yes, you read it correctly, I typed GLAMAZON. I am 5 foot 11 inches and currently I my size is somewhere between a 14-16, plus I wear a size 11 shoe. Because I am smaller on top and heavier on the bottom, I have the luxury of being able to "shop on both sizes of the fence". I usually have to get my pants in the plus-size section (making sure they're tall of course) and I can get my tops in the "regular" sections of stores. This usually gives me more options on what I can choose. But not always. The best thing I have learned in my quest for what looks best is tailoring! If I find something I love and it doesn't fit the way I know it should, I take it to the tailor. Buying something a little big works best, because now my tailor has more room to work with.

Lately shopping for shoes has gotten a lot better. With the rise of celebrities with bigger feet (thank you Paris Hilton and Wendy Williams), shoe designers have realized that making something other than a wide orthopedic shoe or sneaker would be in the best for their business. I don't always find what I am looking for, but I would be lying if I said that they weren't out there.

I have always dressed to my figure and tried to be more daring in my fashion choices, but often times the chatter of insecurities speak so loudly that they take over. Well no more! The time has come for me to tell the insecurities to zip it and take some fashion chances.

I'm using this blog to document what I think looks great, in addition to any beauty tips I discover. Mainly I want to challenge myself in my fashion choices. I have decided that it is time for me to dress how I feel and try some new ideas! Plus, spending Friday nights faux shopping can only last for so long. J


"If you can't beat them, dress better than them." Anna Wintour