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Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
"When you feel like you don't fit in anywhere, find the people who fit you because there is no one else like you." ~ Issa Rae
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| The G6 minus Nanthale who was taking this pic (Left to right: Me, Jonquel, Fabiola, Brooke and Marlena) |
How An All-Girls Staycation Weekend Reminded Me To Enjoy Every Single Moment
Saturday, August 26, 2017
"Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we're here, we should dance." —Anonymous
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| Fabiola, Marlena, Nanthale, Myself, Jonquel and Brooke at Sunday brunch at Alice's Tea Cup. All looks provided by Eloquii. |
How An All-Girls Staycation Weekend Reminded Me To Be Present in the Moment
Thursday, August 24, 2017
Every day is a reminder to accept myself as I am. ~ Molly Tarlov
This year, my 47th birthday fell on a Saturday. That had to be a sign, right? The last few birthdays I spent feeling sad that my dad and brother were not here in the physical sense to celebrate with me. And I also made plans that I never followed through with.
I always want to be THAT person who hangs out with friends on my birthday or walks in on a surprise birthday party that friends organized for me. But it never happened. I learned over the years that I had to be accountable for that because I wasn't always present or put myself out there to build those relationships with others.
This year, when I mentioned that to my blogger sister Nanthale of N.E.C. Style, she came up with this wonderful idea to have a girls only staycation and do it during my birthday weekend.
I was down but nervous. It would be a group of six of us and while I had hung out with four of the other five girls in the group, I have never been one to hang out with a large group of women before and this was for two days!
But we did it and I have to say, I am very surprised at myself. This weekend was life-changing for me.
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| Nanthale, Brooke, Me, Marlena, Jonquel & Fabiola |
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| Marlena from Big City, Curvy Girl, Thin Wallet gifted me with the most amazing crown to wear during my birthday weekend. |
Day #1 kicked off at the Metropolitan Museum of Art where we did the #MuseumHack Badass Bitches Tour. Museum Hack offers what they call "renegade museum adventures in NYC, DC, SF, LA, and Chicago".
The tour was super dope and our guide Sara was the best. We learned that only 6% of the art in the museum was created by women (I know, damn!) and we also learned more about fun things like vaginas and how bootys were considered magical.
Seriously, I loved this tour because it was a feminist's dream. It was inspiring, empowering and very eye-opening. There are so many women like Audrey Munson (America's first Supermodel), who changed history and are still not given major recognition.
It was a great way to see the Met from a different point of view. We also had a blast from mirrored ceilings in the elevators to taking fun pictures and laughing a lot.
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| Us posting with Sara, our awesome tour guide (lower left) |
We also met Lilith, Adam's first wife before Eve, who became a demon who steals babies in the darkness. Yeah, it was creepy. Sara said that the statue is moved periodically along the wall so it never stays in one place.
I highly recommend doing this tour if you're interested in learning more about the history of women in art and female artists.
Best part of the tour was when Sara asked Brooke what her name was for the name tag and she said "Cardi" as in Cardi B. LOL!
Plus, Sara also works at The Meatball Shop location on 76th St and 2nd Avenue and she told us to stop by with our name tags and we'd get a free ice sandwich, which we did. Fresh baked cookies and in-house made ice cream... yes, please!
We ended the day with dinner and a movie at iPic Theaters in downtown Manhattan at Fulton Market. We thought it was fitting to see Girls Trip. I had never been to a theater that had pod seating and was a bit scared I wouldn't fit but I did and it was super comfortable!
I decided to go full-on cute and comfy for my birthday, wearing this amazing Chelsea Studio Smocked Knit Dress from Woman Within via fullbeauty.com. I ended up wearing my Adidas sneakers after the museum tour because my feet were killing me but it was so worth it.
Special thanks to fullbeauty for the pretty birthday dress and to the Met for the tour as well as the ice cream sandwich at The Meatball Shop. I had such an amazing time and it showed me that I can be present in a group of women and be myself. That's the most magical gift I received on my birthday.
Stay tuned for Day #2 of this All-Girls Staycation Weekend to come on the blog on Saturday!
Want to hear more about this magical day? Click on the links below to read about it on Nanthale's, Marlena's and Brooke's blogs:
Fabiola: #BloggerBooStaycation Part 1
Jonquel: Girl Staycation Weekend! Day 1
You can shop my dress here at fullbeauty.com.
Year 47 is looking to be amazing so far!
"Women who support other women are confident, generous visionaries." ~ Mariela Dabbah
When Alysse from Ready to Stare and I planned our LA trip, we had such #tripgoals that involved many blogger meet-ups and fun nights out on the town.
Unfortunately, it did not go as planned with our jam-packed schedule but we quickly realized that we had each other and that's what counts. We also connected unexpectedly with so many amazing women that had us feeling so empowered. Our tribe is one that is magical and so amazing.
And sometimes when things don't go as planned, that's when the most awesome things happen.
One of those amazing women we connected with is Anaheim-based blogger Veronica of Cid Style File who gave us a mini tour of Anaheim and had dinner with us at the Anaheim Packing District on that Saturday night.
Veronica was my +1 to the Torrid Pool Party earlier that day and I haven't seen her in years so it was a great opportunity to see her hood and also connect her with Alysse. That's how tribes grow and strengthen. And when it comes to plus size women, tribes are truly important because they are safe places where we are accepted unconditionally and don't always feel like we're the only big girl in the room. Veronica blogged about this herself here.
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| Veronica and I |
Veronica is such a sweetheart and she and Alysse hit it off quickly. For dinner, we knew we wanted to be comfortable and wear effortless looks that are chic but fun. The weather was a bit chilly while we were there so I opted for a maxi dress and strappy wedge sandals, both from Lane Bryant.
Alysse opted for an LBD with a twist. The crochet ruffle hem was so cute and girly!
You can definitely see our style aesthetics in our dress choices but also where we dared to venture out of our comfort zones. The tie-dye print of the maxi dress made me pause for a minute because I thought maybe the print wouldn't look good on me and I usually wear flats. Alysse's dress was a little longer than her usual and a bit more conservative than what she usually wears. But I love how she made it her own with the choice of her sandal and statement necklace, all from Lane Bryant.
I'm so in love with this maxi dress from Lane Bryant that I actually wore it twice in LA! The second time I wore it, I paired it with some pull-on sneakers and some fun sunglasses.
The length was perfect on my 5'7" frame and it was lined, which made it even more comfortable. It was lightweight and didn't get snug when I sat down. This is a dress I will be wearing all summer. I'm wearing a size 26/28.
I can never find strappy sandals that fit my wide feet and these sandals from Lane Bryant fit with no problem and I was able to walk well in them. They were really comfortable. I'm wearing a size 9W.
Overall, this LA trip has changed my life. It has empowered me to live more fully and strive to live my best life daily. It has renewed my hope in community with the amazing tribe I became a part of there. And it has shown me that when women empower each other, we are unstoppable. My dad used to say, "No (wo)man is an island." And he is so right.
I just hope that the next city Alysse and I visit on our #bestfatlife travel series will be just as amazing. Stay tuned!
Special thanks to Veronica for taking our pics!
You can shop my look below:
Black clutch - my own
You can shop Alysse's look below:
Thank you for coming along for the ride on our blogs during this amazing experience. And don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook to see even more photos. @readytostare @fearlesslyjustme
Click here to read about Alysse's night out experience and see more of what she wore from Lane Bryant.
*This post is in collaboration with Lane Bryant but all thoughts and opinions are my own. This post also contains some affiliate links and I'll earn a small commission if you shop through them. This is one of the ways I can continue to bring you inspiring content. Thank you!
"The greatest fear in the world is of the opinions of others. And the moment you are unafraid of the crowd, you are no longer a sheep, you become a lion. A great roar arises in your heart, the roar of freedom." ~ Osho (Courage: The Joy of Living Dangerously)
What started out as a day where I thought I would be body shamed and told I was wearing a "tablecloth" actually turned out to be one of the best days of my life.
I have secretly loved gingham for a long time but never had the courage to wear it. I always felt uncomfortable at the thought of wearing a print where I knew someone would have something to say.
The opinions of others can be a pain in the ass and can really make you feel crappy. Yeah, I said it. People can be mean and it's not just strangers. Family members, friends, neighbors, hell, that lady at the bus stop... someone always has something to say about my body, my health and what I wear.
I love prints but have not always been as confident in wearing them as I am now. It took a lot of work on myself and how I let the opinions of others affect me.
Over time, I realized that many opinions are fueled by a person's personal feelings about the thing they are giving their opinion about. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ME AT ALL.
Shocker!!!!
And I have a choice in how I let the opinions of others affect me in my life. I can accept their opinions and let it limit me or I can basically wear what I want and do whatever I want in my life. After being limited for a long time, I chose the latter. You can't live your best life if you're letting others limit you and affect how you feel about yourself.
When I went to Los Angeles with Alysse from Ready to Stare, I vowed that I would live my best life during this trip. And I did! I wore a two-piece swimsuit on the beach, I wore white and now I wore what some would say is a "tablecloth".
Well, I call it magical. And seriously, I am in love with this Gingham Fit & Flare Dress from Lane Bryant so I don't care what anyone says.
We started the day by visiting Little Damage in downtown LA to try their Black Roses ice cream. It's $7 ($6 plus $1 for one topping) but well worth the experience. We stood on line for like 30 minutes and then met up with some of our blogger friends to indulge.
It tasted alright but it's not something I am eager to try again. It tasted perfumey to me but hey, you only live once, right?
Then the rest of the day was spent at The Plus Bus Boutique for our closet sale during their Birthday celebration. It was an amazing day spent with amazing people in an amazing dress.
Plus, Alysse and I were twinning! She had on Lane Bryant's Gingham Belted Skirt with their Chambray One-Shoulder Top. Alysse is not someone who wears full skirts so she definitely stepped out of her comfort zone. I love how she made this look her own with the top, which is her style. She wore Lane Bryant's Faux Suede Mule in tan while I opted for some pull-on sneakers, also from Lane Bryant. (Mine are sold out but there's white ones still available)
So when we spied this heart mural wall while getting some elote the night before (shoutout to the Elote Man!), we knew we had to return and take some pics there in our gingham fabulousness. How fitting that we posed in front of a wall of hearts and love, wearing a print that people would surely body shame us for. How's that for sticking it to the "man"!?!
Next time someone tells me I can't wear something, I am going to keep walking and decide for myself if I want to wear that style. It is my body, my rules and my style.
And always have a kickass friend beside you as you live your best FAT life.
You can shop my look below:
Click here to read about Alysse's gingham experience and see more of what she wore from Lane Bryant.
Plus, Alysse and I were twinning! She had on Lane Bryant's Gingham Belted Skirt with their Chambray One-Shoulder Top. Alysse is not someone who wears full skirts so she definitely stepped out of her comfort zone. I love how she made this look her own with the top, which is her style. She wore Lane Bryant's Faux Suede Mule in tan while I opted for some pull-on sneakers, also from Lane Bryant. (Mine are sold out but there's white ones still available)
So when we spied this heart mural wall while getting some elote the night before (shoutout to the Elote Man!), we knew we had to return and take some pics there in our gingham fabulousness. How fitting that we posed in front of a wall of hearts and love, wearing a print that people would surely body shame us for. How's that for sticking it to the "man"!?!
Next time someone tells me I can't wear something, I am going to keep walking and decide for myself if I want to wear that style. It is my body, my rules and my style.
And always have a kickass friend beside you as you live your best FAT life.
You can shop my look below:
Flower Crown - my own
You can shop Alysse's look below:
Chambray One-Shoulder Top from Lane Bryant
Chambray One-Shoulder Top from Lane Bryant
Stay tuned to our blogs for more of our California adventures! And don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook to see even more photos. @readytostare @fearlesslyjustme
Click here to read about Alysse's gingham experience and see more of what she wore from Lane Bryant.
*This post is in collaboration with Lane Bryant but all thoughts and opinions are my own. This post also contains some affiliate links and I'll earn a small commission if you shop through them. This is one of the ways I can continue to bring you inspiring content. Thank you!
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