About the idea of extra weight being somehow wrong

Last week Nicole and The Rotund wrote of their different experiences and perspectives that led them to start a weight loss diet very very early in life. Both either by family, friends or society’s ideas got a message that if you carry a bit of extra weight, that is wrong or abnormal and needs to be fixed.

I, sometime earlier this year, in this blog, not long ago, ended an entry being aghast at the idea of extra weight being wrong or bad. Largely based on the fact that when I was a child, many of my esteemed elders, had extra weight. It did not make them less loved or honored.

Then much more recently I mentioned that I prefer the one line plus size fashion stores that show their apparel on people. So here is some of my latest finds showing full figure fashion on plump ladies. As much to see how the outfit hangs, as to show: If this is fat, what is the problem!?!




And there’s a pair of matching pants to go with this halter vest. OK, I am a bit, (Yep. A bit and then some), heavier than the lady wearing this vest. But one thing I like about Baby Phat
plus size fashions is that they do make us heavier women look great!

What’s more to like, for a few days, till August 3rd, you can get an additional 25% off sale items till August 3rd. Though no cute and trendy plus size clothing seems to be on sale at the moment, shoes, handbags, and accessories are!

And you can get free shipping with a free key chain on any full price footwear order. And they do have sexy and trendy shoes! That offer is good till August 24th!!

A store I like for their swimwear actually apologizes when ever they have to show, for a short time, a swimsuit or full figure lingerie style, on a slender women. That’s AlwaysForMe.com
They make their own swimwear lines now too. Three swimwear lines actually. All based on years of customer feedback from plus size women, and research!

You can check out one of their best selling swimwear styles of last year’s updated version here. And those updates were based on customer feedback! It’s a kind of real form fitting mini swimdress. They have lots of more modest swimsuits for us shy ladies too.

Anyway, the point I’m making is even visually, larger people are beautiful. I’m going to get these pictures, and the like, baby phat is excellent for this, in front of my daughter often. Pretty, beautiful, sexy, trendy and fashionable are not just for the thin!

It may be a small effort, but might be well worth it. Kind of balance out the stylishly thin ladies she normally see on TV and in magazines.

Bobbi Brown Nail Polish SS07

Last weekend while the makeup lady at MAC was trying on loads of eye shadow colours on my sister, I wondered over to the Bobbi Brown counter and fell in love with the BB salesgirl's makeup. She had a 'light' (as in not as dramatic as most of MAC's salespeople's makeup,) smokey eye. She proceeded to try it on me but they were out of a certain shimmery, creamy eye shadow base so the eye shadow didn't look at all impressive on me, (or maybe it's just that the salesgirl was really pretty herself -that is so unfair!)

Next I noticed her nails and loved the colour. They were a lovely milky, white-ish, pinkish, champagne colour. They were exactly what I was looking for -something milky, but not plain white or pink. But I didn't realise Bobbi Brown made nail polishes at that point so I didn't ask her where she got her nail polish from. Later on, a friend told me Bobbi Brown did actually make nail polish so I decided to head to another Bobbi Brown counter in the hopes that the salesgirl's nail polish was from BB. After looking through the six shades, half of which were already out of stock, I guessed it was Tutu.

Since I have zero skills in painting nails, I got someone to do it for me while getting a facial. The results were... a bit more pink than I anticipated. Now that I've had time to accustome myself to painted nails, I suppose they don't look as pink as they first looked. Actually I think I may be starting to like the colour! (Haha sorry, this is my 28 hours of thoughts after getting my nails done.)

The one really big thing I must complain however is that BB nail polish seems to chip REALLY easily. Admittedly, I've got three layers on because I wanted the colour to completely cover up my nails so maybe the polish on my nails is really thick. But I've been pretty careful about using my fingers in the past day and it's not like I'm doing any nail-polish-chipping activities. (Although did you know msn-ing people is terrible for your nail polish? Too much constant typing!) BG justifies the chipping to me as "Bobbi Brown isn't exactly known for their nail polish". I know but still, I expected more from the brand and the price! Oh well.

Nail-painting is such an irritating and time-consuming activity, who know? No wonder I only ever experiment with nail polish during school holidays! Please let me know what other nail polish brands chip or scratch easily so we can all avoid them!

Image credit: www.bobbibrown.co.uk

Office Fashion: Suits I

Ah work clothes. I must say, I've always somewhat dreaded wearing it before- especially business formal. I always thought that it looked more like a uniform, and since my high school uniform, which resembled a prisoner's outfit, I never want to go back to wearing them again. But alas, the real world beckons. So lets take a look into office fashion and start with suit jackets.
Suits. The first thing that pops to mind is Giorgio Armani. As I always say when I write runway reviews about them, these are the things that makes me want to work hard. Don't they just look so sexy and stylish? (Left: Giorgio Armani, Right: Ralph Lauren)
But of course, in the real world, suits are not that sexy. For my first suit, I followed my best friend's lead, and went for the Theory, Hayward (left)(and no, I did not deliberately choose the same cutting, but I found that it fitted me best). Theory isn't Armani, but its pretty good. And the fit is quite good too. But still, for the first few times I wore it, I still felt very conscious of myself, uncomfortable and old. Like I was a poser, pretending to look professional when I'm not. But this summer, having worn it more often (almost like an uniform- changing the shirt of course- such a good investment!), I'm actually feeling much more comfortable in it (maybe I've aged too!). My friend once said that wearing a suit makes her feel sexy and I was confused- now I get it!
Just witness Calista Flockheart in Brothers and Sisters. Doesn't look like an uniform at all! She just looks very chic and put together.
I think the trick to looking good in suits is the fit. So try until you find the right one. Typically, I find one button suit jackets fit the best- for me anyway(note how this whole post is filled with one button suits). They also look slightly more casual, giving it a younger and chic look. (left: Elie Tahari, right: BCBG). My only problem is that my chest is small, so I have to be careful that I don't find an one button suit that is too loose in the chest- disaster! Some cheaper options, from Express (left) and J Crew (right). Who knew J Crew HAD suits? Turns out they have a pretty good selection, so go check it out.
Besides black, I also got one (very cheap from a local store in HK) with very thin stripes. Not quite as bold as these ones from Max Studio (left) and Express (right), but these are quite nice and sharp too. Next I'm looking to get a suit in grey (not sure dark or soft yet!) and beige/white (for summer)....wow, its like a whole new door of fashion has opened up- but all this will probably be when I actually get a real full time job.

Image Credit: Elle, BCBG, Express, Nordstrom, Max Studio and Brothers and Sisters

2007 Trend: The Slogan Tees

80's styled, bright-coloured slogan tees are 'in' this year. This unfortunate trend was started by House of Holland, which basically makes loads of this kind of tees. I suppose one of the reasons why it caught people's attention was the cheeky slogans about other designers and models, (such as "Do Me Daily Christopher Bailey" and "Wham Bam Thank You Stam" or somthing like that.) I really didn't mind this trend back when the only people I saw wearing the tees were in magazines and websites. Unfortunately, my local department store has recently started selling them and now I'm actually seeing the tees worn on people and featured in local magazines around me! Bleh, I'm obviously no fan of this look.

And thanks to rising model Agyness Deyn, who is claimed to be 'cool and hip' by various magazines, House of Holland tees are now also considered to be 'cool and hip'. Uh, tacky colours much? (And I mean both Aggy's makeup and the tee, or maybe it's the combination of both.)

If you simply can't resist this trend, consider these very affordable choices by Urban Outfitters (left) and Top Shop (right.) Just because I don't like this trend doesn't mean I'm going to stop you from experimenting. Afterall, fashion's meant to be fun too and I'm sure lots of people out there love this trend!



So ok, I still don't completely get why so many people and supposedly classy magazines like Vogue are crazy for these tees. They're just so... unclassy and flashy. But I suppose beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Plus, trends pass by so quickly these days, so why not? What does everyone think about this trend?



Photo credit: http://www.style.com/, http://www.topshop.com/, http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/

Revlon Make-Up Eraser Pen

When I first saw the clipping from the magazines for this eye make-up eraser pen, I knew I had to have it. It was like they had read into my mind and knew I was looking for such a product (recall my previous musing on Jane Blog about dabbing a qtip with make-up remover, putting it in my purse and hope it still works later into the night). My friend told me she thought some brands already had such a thing, but still, this is the first time I've heard of it. So holding the $2 off coupon, I rushed out to the nearest Walgreens and picked one up (I was disappointed to find that it was not easily singled out amongst the products, in my mind, it should be placed on a pedestal).What it basically is, is a spongy/felt tip pen that is soaked with eye make-up remover (not unlike my original idea, except they figured out a way that the eye make-up remover doesn't dry out). It doesn't quite magically cleans off eye make-up at a swipe of the pen, but more like it disburses minimal amounts of eye make-up remover and kind of smudges the area. I advised you to wipe the rest off with your fingers or a qtip to get maximum cleaning effect. Even though it is not as magical as I'd hope, so far I am loving it as I've discovered two ways of using it:

1. To very quickly and effectively get rid of make-up screw ups during application. This is especially helpful when you are applying eye liner and you accidentally make a thicker line than you wanted. Then simply swipe off the extra bits and you'll be left with a perfect eye line.


2. To get rid of those smudges that inadvertently creeps up after a few hours of application of eye make-up- even when they say its water proof! To avoid smudges completely, I heard using bases, avoiding water/sweating and keeping your lids oil free helps...but good luck with stopping natural body responses to the environment.

Wow, if only I can patent my random thought processes. I'd make a fortune...

Photo source: Revlon

A better thing to teach our children about weight issues

The Rotund’s reply tells me her mother’s fear of fat pushed her to unhealthy dieting. And later her peers added to the perspective of being large made her less worthy and abnormal.

How sad and crummy! Actually I got a bit of lip from my father when I returned from Texas much larger. But I was in my 20s by then and didn’t take it to heart. Well he never seemed thrilled with me about anything else I was or did. By then I was of the “so what” attitude with regard to pleasing my father.

But if that had happened when I was 6 or 7 I’d be devastated. I imagine children in general want to please their parents. I know, no matter what the issue, it hurt me when I couldn’t please him. Which was most of the time…..

As a parent I know that no matter what perspective I endorse at home, my daughter’s school, the media and her peers can do much to turn that around. Does not matter what the issue is.

At least we can make sure our children know we love them no matter what their size is. And we can arm them with knowledge!

Kids like to be as smart, if not smarter than, (you), their peers and even teachers. And they can be pretty savvy about money.

I’m going to advise my daughter, when weight issues are pushed at school by the administration, or her peers to know this:

On page 94 of my copy of Children and Teens Afraid to Eat: Helping Youth in Today's Weight-Obsessed World (Berg, Francie M. Afraid to Eat Series.) the Follow the Money section of the book is something a child approaching adolesecenc might want to know. Especially is taking verbal abuse about over weight issues is likely.

This section, nicely back up by references, as is the whole book, points out that obesity researchers, the diet and drug companies would loose a lot of money if the American public decided loosing weight is not important. They also fund the flawed studies that make weight loss seem like a physical necessity.

Children, they are smart, can see that:

If the companies selling the products that supposedly help you loose weight

Are the same companies are the ones providing the studies that insist you must loose weight for your health

Someone, a whole industry, is just trying to get your money!

Your child would much rather spend it on the latest, toy, CD, movie or what ever. And your child would rather you spend your money on the family vacation and not weight watchers!

And lets not forget that ourselves! Let’s be kind to our selves and let the weight loss industry go get a real job. While we go out and play to get healthy!

Vanessa Bruno FW07 Presentation

Ever since I've noticed the rack of Vanessa Bruno clothes at Lane Crawford (which is like the Barneys of Hong Kong,) I've loved Vanessa Bruno the brand. VB clothes are Parisian chic, cool and classily casual. Plus VB stuff is relatively affordable. It's now a norm for me to get at least one VB item each season. So imagine how excited when Lane Crawford held a little VB FW07 presentation (tonight) and Vanessa Bruno herself was actually going to be there!

The event was a typical one: half an hour of cocktail and a mini runway show. It was a small event so there weren't actually any seats, so thankfully the event was short and started on time.

The presentation is pretty much like it is on the VB website. Even the music is the same!

The first outfit that came out was a lovely trapeze coat that I've liked from the Paris runway back in Feb and have been looking out for. It swayed so nicely along with the model's walk!

This was definitely my favourite dress from the presentation. SO gorgeous! It's so perfect for mild winters (with temperature around 14 degrees Celcius, as in Hong Kong.) The dress is youthful but looks so graceful and pretty. Sigh...

Remember Elyse Sewell from America's Next Top Model many seasons ago? She's been in Hong Kong since then.

And there's Vanessa Bruno in the middle! Spot the light blonde lady in a black skirt and plum-coloured top. She fits in with the models so well.

This collage really shows the style VB's clothes... feminine, light, carefree and pretty. Everyone was invited (err, encouraged) to shop the FW collection afterwards, but I was too tired today to appreciate the clothes I was trying on and decided that I can try on the clothes another day. Also, I'm just not in the mood to shop for FW clothes yet. My sister on the other hand, got a really pretty casual dress. Hmm, I'll definitely have to go back in September for my FW shopping spree!

Smooth Legs

Previously for fear of pain and mess, I've always been satisfied with shaving. Upon seeing the very cool Veet ad for their hair removal cream (with the zig zag thing), I'd also given it a try. Alas, I was sorely disappointed when it only worked half way (ads are SO deceiving).

So I went back to shaving. And I was thrilled when they came out with a combination of two of my favourite razors- Venus and Intuition- clean smooth shave with a built in gel thing for those lazy souls out there like me. Naturally I dashed out to get one of these, Venus Breeze and was SHOCKED at the price tag ($10.99)- especially of the cartridges (23.21). But I persevered, convincing myself that each filler probably lasts longer-wrong! Because of the combination of design, the gel bar is very thin, and though it doesn't wash away as quick as the soap, it lasts for about 2 weeks at most. Ouch! Even if the catridge pack does contain 8 thats still quite pricey. (Note: If you still insist on trying it and you already own a Venus, my advice to you is just buy the refill right off the bat, because the attachment is the same. Although it may not fit onto the case anymore, it'll save you a few bucks!)

That, in addition with the recent summer heat and the short shorts trend, I decided shaving, with all its constant need of attention and unflattering stubbles after a day or so, is simply not good enough anymore. And so, I finally decided to brave the pain and go for waxing. Turns out, when it comes to beauty, I have a pretty high tolerance for pain. While it was messy and slightly painful at first, I soon got over it. Especially with these Veet wax strips, which makes it even easier (just remember to wipe off the excess with their special wipes or oil). The result were exactly as they had advertised it to be- clean and it lasts for ages! My only complain is that I don't always get everything, but I've found that skill and speed comes with practice.
So I've really tried many different methods of hair removal. Next on my list would be an epilator (above: Braun). But it is kind of pricey and I heard that the pain may be worse (I mean, they are literally pulling hair out one by one instead of all in one quick rip). Has anyone tried it? And how do you all out there keep your legs smooth?

Photo Source: veet and amazon

Thank you anonymous! And The Rotund, 7 Really, now I Am Terrified!

Dear Anonymous, yeah I get the feeling genetics play a real big, if not the entire part in being at or shifting one’s weight. I’ve seen it in myself and others.

At I can get in great tone by exercise. Yet other women, who really exercise more consistently than I, their bodies do not seem to respond much at all. I’ve seen my mother, maintain a Calista Flockhart shape, by perhaps walking the dog, keeping the house pleasant, and the occasional horse back ride and plenty of reading. She in no way ate small!

I’ve seen women eat like the tiniest of meals, low fat meals, while dieting, for months. And they did not loose weight. I switched to a lunch salad one summer, just felt like it. Seemed I did not loose any weight. And my salad dressing is a good strong squeeze of lemon juice.

Heredity many be all. Diets to loose weight don’t seem to be it. Exercise only works for some of us. Then again I’m speaking of my self, who thinks a well toned, energetic size 10 is perfect. I kind of get the feeling the General Public feels a size ten is a bit too heavy.

TO THE ROTUND

YIKES! Enlighten me! When, roughly, does puberty start? Diets to loose weight at age 7 are normal??? Actually my daughter started with the fat questions a few years ago, so I’m assuming, (GULP), that’s not puberty related…

Her fear of being a bad person because she hates the taste of most vegetables and fruit: That was this last school year. Direct result, so it seemed, of the school’s one week drive to get children to eat X many vegetables and Y many servings of fruit a day for a week.

Her concerns about me being on the large side, has been intermittent over many years now. Couldn’t be puberty related.

But can it be that she’s not interested in eating because of fear of fat. She may have a spare ounce. But I doubt it. Probably not. Pizza still rules! OK I’m still scared.

You really felt you needed to loose weight at 7? Did anyone ever mention all the years of still to grow you had in front of you at 7? Did you hide dieting from your parents? You mentioned diets you were put on. Had doctors failed to realize all that growing? And the sheer calories and nutrition, and rest, not stress, a body might prefer to do that with? Hey I’m in no way a doctor, or in any way medically trained but what is going on here?

Sorry. I’m aghast and confused. OK I’m in shock 7!?!
What’s the best way to explain the futility of this sort of dieting to a 7 year old?

Thank you and Best Wishes Nicole

My daughter is 7 now. You write you went on your first diet when you were 7. I realize the current assumption when one says diet is to loose weight. So I’ll take you to mean that. Were you dieting to loose weight at such a young age? While you had lots of growing to do? Were you compelled to loose weight by social situations, the media, friends, parents or doctors?

I got both inside and outside influence with regards to my weight.

As a child I was, forced by most baby sitters, to eat. I’m still a picky eater. So is my daughter. And I make sure no one forces her to eat anything. Well, doctor prescribed medication for the occasional aliment aside.

My Father, my mom left when I was 3, never forced anything. But when he caught sight of my actual size, or lack there of, he’d threaten to take me to the doctor to put me on a weight gaining diet. I got good at dressing loosely.

The first time I had any extra, as in perhaps too much, weight I had lived in Austin Texas. Where the cheap Mexican food and most excellent Texas bar-b-que is well worth changing your clothing size! Besides both the ice skating and swimming was cheap too!

I returned to New Jersey about a size 12, or perhaps it was 14 or 16. I did not care. Sadly I had the return of a stomach problem within a year of returning. I lost both lots of stomach lining and weight. I racked up loads of time writhing around in pain. If I ever hate anyone, I won’t be able to wish my stomach problem on them. One of the many non-recommended kinds of weight loss. It comes from simple stress, in my case.

After that, my take on food was and remains, if I can digest it, it’s good food! But I do endeavor to get my daughter and I to try to eat a few more vegetables a week…Maybe will get back around to the fruit food group someday too!

I feel real lucky my daughter is into ice hockey. Lots of padding! She selected this as a line of ice skating to pursue when I suggested skating lessons. If she selected figure skating courses, I’d be even more frightened than I am now at her “Am I fat?” queries!

I try to protect her from created food issues that all picky eaters face. In her case: other parents, even adults in her life with out children and her school all really try to force the eat this, eat that issue. I do not believe it helps.

I have even had to listen to another, non-parent adults, tell her she can’t have desert unless she cleans her dinner plate. I assured her it was not true. And, as quite often, she didn’t like the desert anyway. And she has also asked me if she is a bad person because she does not like fruit and very few vegetables!

One of the many things I like about the 2 Afraid to Eat books I keep links to in my right column is that they are filled with livable suggestions to healthy eating even a pair of picky eaters like my daughter and I can appreciate. Based on these books suggestions, I figure it’s my job to keep a variety of foods in front of us to try, or not. It’s also my job to keep the stressors away from her! Both those books have info on some of that. My experience as a life long picky eater supplies me with the rest!

If your child is a picky eater, and you are concerned, here is what I have found. Get them to play with their food! Have you child help you in the kitchen, and in the garden. Mud is a wonderful thing! Seeing plants grow is too! And cooking is basically fun!

I was never afraid of weight gain as I child. I was afraid of being forced to eat. I figure I ended up overweight due to lack of exercise.

I also consider if it took several years to get this overweight. It should take no less than a year or two to get back in shape. And I’ve been a sickly 95 pounds as an adult. As well as a robust, strong and healthy 130 pounds. I figure if I gradually work more exercise, and perhaps vegetables, in to a life long aim to feel great, the results will likely look pretty good too. I guess that’s a good thing to show a child too. Eat when you are hungry, play when you feel energetic, sleep when you are tired, if you can. The aim is to feel great.

Thoughts From the Weekend

OK, excuse this very random post. I had lots of little random thoughts over the weekend so I thought I would just group them altogether. First off, I went shopping yesterday and found out that shops are now having their 'Final Sales' (usually 50% off,) so people, this is the time to exert a lot of effort into picking out potential bargains! But remember to never to buy something that isn't up to your usual standards just because 'it's so cheap now'.

Secondly, thanks for everyone's comments on my Tiffany's earrings dilema post last Friday. I ended up buying the first one because it really is the one I originally wanted and is the only affordable choice anyways. I haven't worn them yet but I can't wait -they'll be so perfect for my next night out!

Thirdly, as I'm sure you all know by now, JANE magazine will be folding this month and has just issued its final issue ever. For those of you who've been with us for awhile, you'll know that BG and I guest-blog for JANE. So I just wanted to say bye to JANE here.

Lastly (and possibly most importantly,) what did everyone think of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows? 21st July has been one day that I've been really looking foward to in the last two years. After making the rare effort to wake up on Saturday and buy the book, I absolutely refused to leave my house until I finished the book. (Thankfully I finished before dinner because I had to eat out.) I love love love the book! Everything came to a full circle and the writing was fantastic as usual. There was the best of the Potter world -friendship, growing up, witty dialogues, magic, fighting, love and the quest for answers. Even though the ending was a happy one, I felt so sad at the end because that was really the end of the whole adventure. Gosh, I'm going to miss Harry, Hermione, Ron and the whole magical world so much. *Sniff* I really must go reread it again...

Photo credit: www.amazon.co.uk, www.tiffany.com

Revlon Lash Jewels

The first time I saw the ad for the Revlon Lash Jewel in the mags, I thought, "Wow, they really are starting to run out of ideas. What are they going to come up with next?"

Because really, as pretty as the ad looks, why would you want to have drops of crystally things on your lashes. It doesn't really enhance your lashes to make it more dramatic or any longer. In fact, one would imagine that the extra weight will weigh down your lashes!

Despite my rationale however, I decided to give it a try anyway. I mean, who am I to argue against a whole team of Revlon product developers and researchers who probably spent hours and hours working on this product? So I carefully dripped the clear gel liquid onto my lashes trying VERY hard to get even droplets and ...... that sit! Its basically applying clear gel onto your lashes and the gel basically just stays there...like glue. It does not crystallize and shine or anything. Just sticks there like a blob of glue. And if you want it off, you can literally just pluck it off your lashes, like it was a piece of dirt. And my mom told me it looked like a piece of dirt too!

So in conclusion, it was impossible to handle and make even blobs of "jewels" on your lashes AND to top it off, the "jewel" turns out to look like blobs of glue. Needless to say, I am unimpressed. I stand by my initial reaction to this product.

Tiffany & Co.'s Elsa Peretti® Mesh Earrings

When I graduated from high school, family friends offered or actually gave me various little things from Tiffany & Co., half of which were from the Return to Tiffany's collection. Every girl around me seemed to love the collection and I don't think it was possible for me to walk around the city without seeing at least one girl wearing the braclet or necklace. But honestly, I hated it. Mostly because it was just oh-so-typical, but also because I didn't feel the particular need to be tagged "Return to Tiffany's" (even though I appreciate some girls think it's cute or whatever, no offence.) And since receiving said braclet, I've been put off Tiffany's, thinking either too many people owned the items or they were just too boring.

But a visit to Tiffany's to buy these earrings made my fall in love with Tiffany's. I now totally appreciate Tiffany's as THE place to get simple, quality jewelry. Since I can only afford the simple Tiffany jewelry once a year, I've chosen to focus on the simple shapes, namely the ones from the Elsa Peretti collection. (I can't stress how much I love this collection.)

As a little end-of-year present, I've decided on getting a pair of earrings (because earrings are almost the only jewelry I bother with,) by Tiffany's. I originally was planning to get this pair of gold mesh earrings. While I'm impartial to the little pearls, I like the shape and the way the mesh moves when you move. So last Sunday, I visited a Tiffany's boutique and tried them on. Wow. I've always wondered why people would buy these instead of the ones I see around all the time in much cheaper stores, and now I know why. The quality is amazing. The mesh feels SO smooth and silky.

After deciding the earrings were fantastic, the salesman recommended me this pair of earrings (photo above.) He said they were younger and more attractive. He was right. My mum and sister thought this pair was prettier too. This pair was younger, louder and had a way slinkier shape than the first pair. But I was so shocked by the US$1295 (HK$10000+) price tag that I left the store very quickly afterwards.

Now I'm annoyed. I mean, obviously I would like to get the Mesh Scarf Earrings (the second pair,) but there's no way I'm going to just dish out that amount of money for a pair of earrings, esp since it's not like I even have an income.

The salesman and my mum tell me that no matter which design I choose, the gold ones would last way longer than the silver ones because the silver ones tarnish quickly, whereas gold would last a long time. Another question that I'm trying to answer is that will the current trend of wearing gold jewelry end after this summer? Afterall, gold jewelry has made it's revival from the 80's around 2-3 years ago, and silver has just made it's revival this summer. But now that I think of it, these shapes are such classics I don't think they're really trend items anyways.

The salesman also (nicely and annoyingly) presented this design as an alternative. Thankfully I don't like this design as much as the others so I can quickly discard this design.

So that's my thought process. Right now I'm thinking I should just get the first gold pair because they were the original pair that I wanted and they're still really pretty and (relatively) affordable. Plus, the fact that the second pair has a louder desgin means that it's less versatile and repeatable than the first pair. Which pair would you pick?

Photo credit: www.tiffany.com

Another reason to blog, any blogger might enjoy

Recently I signed up at Pay Per Post. I was intrigued by the concept of getting paid for what I write about anyway.

While any blogger might enjoy the idea of getting paid to post in their blog, you’d want to write about your normal blog’s concerns. I was concerned, upon signing up to find their current categories did not include any kind of women’s apparel, or size acceptance issues.

But I figured, not to worry. Eventually some one will require some blogger to write about plus size women’s clothing or size acceptance issue.

Then just today, just to see if there were any opportunities for me to write about I logged on and took a look.

Well payperpost considered Keepcash to be up my alley. And upon looking into it I found a wide variety of coupon codes regarding stores I refer to in my blog anyway. So then I was happy to write about that.

It seems it could pay to blog and to keep an open mind. At least till you check out the given opportunity! Today’s writing opportunity has stores I could look into for my readers here to see what they have to offer the plus size women. I know Amazon has books about size acceptance and full figure apparel. Soon I’ll find out if Banana Republic has plus size women’s fashions, or just really nice accessories!

Considering I’m just as apt to get ideas about what to look into next from the occasional blog comment. Or a remark about being fat from my very slender 7 year old leading me to explore size acceptance issues.

Pay Per Post is a win win website for me! Could be for any blogger!

Look good. Feel good. Save your money!

I believe I’ve mentioned here my desire to help us all save our money. Well here’s a website designed to do just that! It’s called Keepcash, and you can easily save your money using their daily updates coupon codes. On women’s clothing, books, music, toys, lots of things!

Click on this promo codes link. Then select coupons and you’ll find an alphabetical list of stores with saving codes. Or you can just type your favorite online store’s name into their search engine box!

I found variety of coupons for Bare Necessities. A store I happen to know has full figure bra and panties on sale now. One of my favorite plus size bras is at a ridiculously low price, as on discontinued color. Blush, a color I like! Now with one of Keepcash’s coupon codes this should be really good!

Keepcash, what a nice name, updates there coupon codes daily. So it’s well worth it to bookmark this site and come back before you buy much of anything. They have coupon codes for a wide variety of goods.

Just at a glance I see, with regards to plus size women’s wear, and mom concerns, they have coupons for Avenue, whose having a really great sale on plus size swimwear now, Alight, Amazon, Avon, several baby stores and Banana Republic, (great accessories!), Figleaves, FreshPair, lots of toy stores, as well as Disney…ok there is just so much!

Keepcash updates daily, so who knows what all will be available tomorrow. Some coupon codes have expiration dates, some don’t.

You can get their deals in your inbox too! It’s a great way to save you money. And saving money fits perfect and makes us all feel a whole lot better!

Too Short

As much as I've been going on and on about how hot short shorts are recently, there is an occasion when I don't find them so hot. And that is when it is worn by guys. I don't mean to be sexist here, but when it comes to short shorts for guys, there is such a thing as being too short.

I thought this was just one of those obvious rules that everyone knows about and adheres to, but apparently not. When I was flicking through the Prada men's catalog for SS07- purely for research purposes of course ;)- I was aghast to see men wearing such short shorts! Call me traditional, but I do not think guys (no matter how good looking they are) should be wearing such short shorts on the streets in public unless they're going to the beach.
Especially not printed short shorts with a printed top. It just seems so inappropriate! I thought that perhaps this may be a phenomena reserved for the runway like some trends are. But my friend assures me that it is not and that one of his friends actually own a pair by Marc Jacobs. So just to reiterate, men should not wear short shorts on the streets no matter what Prada says.

Ps. Who else is jealous that these male models seems to have better and more hairless legs than most women?

Photo Source: Men.style.com

A new tool that makes sizing and shopping for plus size bras and jeans easier!

Thank you anonymous for your comment! Click on this Zafu and enjoy, perhaps, the shortest route to the best fitting full figure bras and plus size jeans! Unless you know exactly what you want already!

They do ask you a few questions about the bras and jeans you usually wear and some aspects of how they fit you. Also they ask what you’d like your bra or jeans to do for you fit and shaping wise.

Their plus size bras only go up to band size 40 and cup size DD/E. but if your are within, roughly, bra sizes up to that, this should be a handy tool.

With bras and jeans, plus size jeans starting at size 14W, they calculate your answers and provide you with a list of suggested bras, and / or jeans. You can even save your info! It’s pretty neat!

If your bra cup size is, or you suspect should be, larger than DD/E cup size, you might want to try what I did. It worked wonderfully and you can read about it here! You’ll also find 2 stores that will give you 10% off your full figure bra order!

I’ll continue trying to find and keep the current sales on plus size and full busted bras posted at the top of my intimates page. I will to the best of my ability. Because bras that fit me cost about $40 to $50! OUCH! So I pretty much have to keep track of those sales!

My Dream Shoes ATM: Nude-Coloured Shoes

Ever since Hilary Duff started doing promotion for her CD, there have been more and more photos (paparazzi and at events) of Hilary and I really started to notice her clothes. (Yes, I know she's got a stylist who picks out her outfits with her.) The one item that I've really loved and have been inspired to look out for are nude-coloured pumps.

I admit I've never thought of nude-coloured shoes before seeing Hilary in them. I've only recently read that nude was apparently one of the IT colours of the 80's, thanks to Armani. Normally, when I think of versatile shoes, I think of typical black pumps. If you think about it, celebrities have all been wearing black or metallic-coloured shoes recently. So as an alternative to those typical colours, I think nude looks pretty fab. Nude doesn't add much colour to your outfit, and it goes with a lot of different coloured outfits. Look at Hilary's outfits -the nude-coloured shoes go with her orange dress, all-black outfit, and the white and grey outfit. Very versatile and sophisticated. Plus they seem to sort of extend one's legs don't they?

This pair of beige-coloured Christian Louboutin pumps are SO gorgeous. I love the colour and the shape, (although I'm not big on the wooden soles.) Don't they look absolutely perfect with the black dress? The only problem with beige-coloured shoes is that they're extremely hard to find cheap/ affordable ones that don't look cheap. They are definitely on my look-out-for list now!

Photo credit: http://www.net-a-porter.com/

SS07 Trend: Peep Toe Shoes

As I am sure most of you have noticed by now, peep toe shoes are all the rage this season. After many months, I finally hoppped onto the peep toe wagon as well.




Not so much because I was thinking about this trend too much, but more because I was waiting for them to go on sale. As most of my friends know, I've been lusting after this pair of Marc by MJ peep toes for MONTHS, because its so simple and elegant and the height looks just perfect. At some point I was going to give up, because my mom told me that white patent will go yellow after some time. But in the end, I FINALLY caught them at half price and got them. And I'm LOVING them. Except I accidentally dented the heel a bit at the back recently and patent leather is not really fixable :(


For other simple, summery and elegant choices, I am loving these pairs from Aldo (left) and Steve Madden (right). Especially the Steve Maddens. My friend has the similar Marc by MJ slip ons and it looked SO GORGEOUS!

After my shoe drought of the past few months, I started REALLY getting into peep toes...especially with the amazing sales going on around me. I bought a pair of black patent wedges similar to these Aldo (left) ones here with the cross in the front. They are soo cute and very similar to these ones at Chanel which is waaay out of my budget. I love the cross thing because it adds a bit of a twist to the simple wedges, unfortunately though, it also pinches and hurts in the front, so I'm still trying to wear them out. For something just as simple but interesting, I like these flats from Steve Madden (right). Except make sure you get the right size, there is nothing more unflattering then too much feet peeping out at the toe.


For the night, I love these peep toes from Jean-Michel Cazabat (left) and Aldo (right), and I don't even generally like snake skin. But in this instance, they just seem so appropriate for this style!



But alas, I guess I will always go for the classics. I ADORE these pair of sexy black peep toe sling backs by Jimmy Choo (Left). And then there are these gorgeous red heels by Oh..Deer (right). They even have a red sole, so you can pretend they are Louboutins!

Quick question for you working girls out there. Googling up "Business Casual" and "Office Clothes," I found this list of tips from about.com, and it said that "any shoe with an open toe are not acceptable in the office." Do you agree? Does that completely rule out peep toe shoes, even though they look perfectly demure and acceptable to me? i.e. my pair of white Marc by MJ's...

Photo Source: Shop Bop, Net-a-Porter, Aldo Shoes, Steve Madden and Shop Intuition

Updating you wardrobe made easy, beyond cheap plus size swimwear

Since I brought up the issue of feeling good at whatever size you happen to be, by dressing well….I must point out the summer sales. another way to feel good about yourself is to pay yourself by putting your money in savings! Rather than other stuff.

Right now you’ll find Summer clearance sales on, full figure bras, summer dresses and other apparel, as well as cheap plus size swimwear! As well as preseason sales!!

Maybe it’s the single mother perspective but I find drastically reduce prices make updating my wardrobe, not so easier, in my case, but possible!

Here are some fine examples: This baby phat vest, I did not wait to go on sale is now just $29.99! This vest is polished enough for work, if you can get away with denim. It’s still available in sizes 2XL and 3XL!




If you are waistline conscious, it eliminates muffin top, over your waist band! Hides bra straps of too too slender summer dresses and tank tops! Well it does all that for me!

Here’s a baby phat sale skirt to go with it! Just $29.99 and still available in all sizes 1XL to 3XL!




One reason I didn’t wait for it to go on sale is I waited for a Silhouettes’ denim vest to go on sale this fall. Recently I waited for a plaid cotton summer dress, made along the lines of this georgette one, to go on sale. Well both vest and dress went out of stock! I knew the baby phat vest was too much of a wardrobe stretcher to take the chance. What I found out, upon getting this vest is, it’s extremely well made, and I love the adjustable back buckle!

I had my doubts about the Silhouettes’ cotton dress I mentioned because:
A) My daughter, who loves plaid, didn’t take to it.
B) I have doubts about plaid being a real fine thing for us plus size ladies.

Now Silhouettes is coming out with more dresses for fall. I wish their summer print dresses came in solids too. Something that a couple of Avenue plus size dresses do. Come in prints and solids!

Right now both Avenue and Silhouettes’ have many of their summer dresses on sale! And here’s a sleeveless, shirred, crossover neckline dress, in solid salmon or black by Avenue. This dress is cut to make the most of many of us full figure women’s curves!

Oh and the other thing I like about many of these new and summer sale dresses. Easy wear and care. Just drop many of them into the wash!

Regards to wardrobe building: I read it some where in the last year. Either written by a French lady, or regarding how French women shop.

Shop often, buy infrequently.

Or words to that effect. It may be what I have to do, but I would still do that even if my budget permitted frequent buying. It’s just sensible, and you may miss a few things, but you make choices you feel real sure of.