Weekend Edition: Lane Bryant Style Off

Happy Monday all!

I hope everyone had a great weekend and fabulous Mother’s Day! I spent my Mother’s Day celebrating my late  mother Betty Niles.  My mom passed away when I was 27  after years of struggling with chronic illness.  In the past Mother’s Day was very difficult for me   but I’ve  come to realize that just  because  my mother  is no longer physically present doesn’t mean she stopped  being my mom.    Now I use the day to reminisce and give thanks for having such a wonderful mom who passed  her  love of travel and colorful sense of style to me.   When my mom was alive she was a huge fan of Lane Bryant and their clothes.    I remember spending many Saturday afternoons shopping with her and my sisters  at their old Fifth Avenue location.   Those hours spent together are some of the funniest and best memories I have of my mother. So when I found out I was selected to participate in Lane Bryant’s Blogger Conference during Full Figured Fashion Week I was so excited because my mom loved them.   Lane Bryant graciously gave each attendee a gift card to participate in their Style Off competition.  On May 20th you’ll be able to vote for your favorite outfit  styled by  bloggers like Rebecca from The Plus Side of Me, Bella from BellaStyles and Dani from DIY Fatshion on Lane Bryant’s Facebook page.  Here is my styled outfit from Lane Bryant’s collection.  I hope you like it and will vote for me on  May 20th !

Have a great day!

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Dress: c/o Lane Bryant

Blazer: c/0 Lane Bryant

Belt: c/o Lane Bryant

Necklace: c/o Lane Bryant

Sandals: c/o Lane Bryant

Casual Friday/Quick Change

TGIF all!

Im going to  a Cinco de Mayo soiree (partay!) after work with a bunch of girlfriends  so I  needed an outfit that could go from day to night.  I find that dresses are easy to transform  so I wore my favorite  hi-lo dress from Target,  added a white blazer and kitten heels for my daytime look.  For after work, I switched shoes, ditched the blazer and changed my accessories.    Easy as one, two, three!

Have a wonderful weekend!

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Blazer: Tahari Woman

Dress: Target (from last summer)

Belt: Target

Necklace: Lord & Taylor

Shoes: Tahari

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Necklace: Macys

Earrings: Target

Shoes: Seychelles

Bracelets: NY & Co.

Belt: Target

White Out Part. 2

Happy Hump Day all!

White it is a very polarizing color, either you like it or you hate it.  We’ve been told that we can’t wear white because it’s unforgiving but I reject that notion.  Prior to last year, I had never wore white pants. I was conditioned to believe if I wore a pair they would make me look bigger and highlight my ample thighs.  When I finally decided to buy white pants I was nervous as hell. I was deathly afraid of what people would say about me.    But surprisingly I got nothing but compliments on my ALL white outfit I wore last July (here). After clearing that hurdle,   I embraced wearing white on my bottom and started my search for a white pencil skirt.  It didn’t take me long to find this skirt from Talbots Woman.  Now my next search is for the perfect white dress!

Do you dare to wear white?

Have a wonderful day!

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 Shirt: Old Navy

Skirt: Talbots Woman

Shoes: Seychelles

Necklace: Jeweliq

Weekend Edition: One More Time

Happy Monday everybody!

Lately I’ve been feeling  that the blog was becoming one note with all of my work outfits  so I decided  include  more of my casual  outfits  because I do have a life outside of work (I swear I do! lol). On Saturday I had plans to run errands and go to a street festival. Instead of wearing  my usual t-shirt and jeans combo I paired my trusty Old Navy maxi skirt,  striped H&M top and denim jacket together.  I was going to wear red flats but chose my polka dot Keds because I knew they would be more kind to my flat feet (yup, I have flat feet).  I finished off my outfit with my new Coach crossbody for a pop of color.   I was very pleased with myself and  I  loved my outfit so much that I wore it again Sunday!  See I do recycle!

Have a wonderful day!

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My love for polka dots knows no bounds!

Jacket: Old Navy (got it for 20% off in store)

Skirt: Old Navy

Shirt: H&M

Sneakers: Keds

Purse: Coach

Casual Friday/To The Left

TGIF everyone!

I have a confession to make…I don’t like my left arm. Why? Because its bigger than my right  which makes buying long sleeve shirts and blazers difficult.   I know this may sound  silly but for me it’s something about myself I don’t like. While I dislike my uneven left arm, I’ll still show it  love and let it hang out in sleeveless dresses or tops. Basically what I’m trying to say is no matter what you dont like about your body, embrace it. Dont let it stop you from  loving yourself or accepting who you are.  In light of recent events in this country, life is too short to sweat the small stuff.  So be thankful for who you are and rock on!

Have a wonderful weekend!

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My big ol’ left arm! LOL

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Dress: Eshakti

Necklace: Old Navy

Shoes: Tahari (via Macy’s)

Crop It Out

Happy Hump Day all!

Reason number 500 to love Spring: cropped pants!   Their versatility is the reason why I love them so.   Whether you pair them with a blazer for work or a tank top for running errands, you can’t go wrong.  Cropped pants are an easy way to add print and color to your Spring/Summer wardrobe without the extra fuss.   Also they can be  a  cooler alternative to wearing jeans in the stifling  Summer heat.  

Are you a fan of cropped pants?

Have a wonderful day!

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 Blazer: Nordstrom Rack (last year)

Shirt: Old Navy

Pants; Talbots

Shoes: Tahari (via Macy’s)

Necklace: Jeweliq

Mission Accomplished

Happy Monday all!

It seems like I’ve been searching for a structured white blazer forever.  I have  almost every color blzaer  except for  white.  Most plus size white blazers I found were either  off white or ivory colored with 3/4 length sleeves,  made with very lightweight (practically see through) material with a loose/boxy  fit.  I almost gave up on my search until I came across this white Tahari Woman blazer on Nordstrom.com . As you ladies know, online shopping can be tricky so I wanted to try the blazer on before buying it. Luckily my local Nordstrom  had the blazer in stock so I called and had them hold a size 18 for me.   The blazer fit my arms but was bulky in the waist and needed to be taken in. Lisa (the sales associate) informed me that Nordstrom offers alterations in house, something I didn’t know. I nearly did a somersault when she told me this! Their tailor came to the dressing room and pinned the blazer to the fit I desired.  With the extra inches off my waist the blazer  fit  me  perfectly.   After paying for the blazer, I was told it would be ready the  following Saturday for  pick up.  I picked up my blazer yesterday and was completely satisfied with the results. I’m glad that my search for the perfect white blazer is finally over!

Have a wonderful day!

P.S. Sorry for the poor quality pics. It was raining outside so I had to take these indoor.

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Blazer: Tahari Woman

Pants: Calvin Klein

Shirt & Bracelet: H&M

Necklace: Macy’s

Lady in Waiting

Happy Hump Day!

I promise today will be the LAST day I complain about the awful weather we’ve been having . I desperately want Spring to begin but Winter keeps hanging around like a jilted ex!    Unfortunately my complaining isn’t going to make the weather change any faster so it’s a waste of  time to continue to be frustrated.  Grrrr! 

So whether it’s 30 or 40 degrees outside I’m still going to flaunt my Spring  colors.  I know my skirt looks coral/pink in the pictures but it is really orange  in person. So while my necklace looks out of place in the picture, it goes perfectly with the skirt.   Also if you notice, I’m not wearing earrings  in the post.  Why you ask?  Because of my poor habit of procrastinating which causes me to rush every morning, I couldn’t find them. Grrr!   “Why do today what you can do tomorrow” has sadly become my motto. I keep telling myself I’ll do better but I continue to procrastinate!  Any suggestions on how kick the habit?

Have a wonderful day!

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Jacket: Kohls

Skirt: City Chic

Blouse: Gap Outlet

Necklace: Nordstrom Rack

Shoes: Nine West

Bracelet: Lord & Taylor

Its About You Too!

Happy Monday all!

I want to apologize for not having an outfit post today. After waking up to a  snow storm, taking my pics was the last thing I wanted to do.  My frustration  with the weather keeps a  semi-permanent scowl on my face. Basically I need Spring to start  NOW!

Last year I wrote a post called It’s About You   which discussed me wanting  my blog to be a platform for women of all ages and sizes to feel good about themselves.   Since then I’ve received many comments and emails saying just that.  I’m so honored that  through my journey (which continues) other women have started down the path to self acceptance.  While my purpose hasn’t changed  it is very  important for me to check in with you, my WONDERFUL readers to see what you would like featured.  I see my blog as a collaborative effort because without you  there would be no Grown and Curvy Woman!  Let me know in the comment section your suggestions and  I’ll do my best to make it happen! 

Have a wonderful day!

Spring Trends Part III: Leather

TGIF everyone!

For week three of the Spring Trend challenge we are tackling leather. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking, “Leather for Spring?!” but since  Winter is still hanging on, wearing it doesn’t seem so crazy.  I don’t own real leather pieces like a jacket or skirt so I had to make do with my faux leather peplum shirt.  Honestly I don’t feel very Spring like  in this outfit.  I tried to incorporate it into a Spring outfit but it just didn’t work.  So instead of driving myself crazy I decided to recycle the outfit I wore in this  post.  The only change I made was switching out the ankle pant  for a full length trouser.  

Although this trend  didn’t work for me,  don’t be discouraged to try it. You never know, it might just work for you!

Have a great weekend! 

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Peplum shirt: Forever 21 (sold out)

Blouse: Old Navy

Pants: Calvin Klein

Necklace: Macys

Bracelet: NY & Co.