Tag: Fashion

Shopping on a Low Fat Budget

I should probably preface by saying —I’m not one of those people who see a $500 dress then find it marked down to $100.00 and get excited.  Somehow that just doesn’t sound like a deal to me.  When I do make a purchase of $100.00 or more on a single item, please know that I have thought long and hard about it, that was no impulse buy. Just ask my best friend, Erin Almond, I usually mull over my big ticket purchases with her for a full year before I actually commit. Like my Tory Burch flats or my Stella and Dot necklace! I have serious committment issues. Which is also why I am not a couponer—it takes too much work to get those kind of savings. I don’t want it that bad.

coupon queen

The truth of the matter is that I love to shop but I don’t like seeing money leave my bank account.  I have spent my adult life working for various non profit organizations (that don’t pay all that well) while being an independent filmmaker.  That means any extra money I have usually goes into my art. Struggles of the Film Fatale! But that doesn’t stop me from partaking in retail therapy.  Trust me, there are ways for us on skinny budgets to get quality items.  Can we say T.J. Maxx and  Nordstrom Rack?

whenishop

Like seriously—I don’t understand why anyone would pay full price for anything with these two stores around. It’s like someone offering you calorie free fat free ice cream with all the flavor and you purposely choose the fatty calorific version.  You aren’t trying to live in the best of both worlds! Or you have a ridiculously high metabolism and you don’t have to give damns about what you eat—which is really nice and now I’m jealous.

i hate you

Nordstrom Rack’s extended size shoe collection is everything! Seriously ladies if you were a size 10 or higher—go right now to Nordstrom Rack, you will thank me!

getinloser

I go to TJ Maxx like some people go to Target. I get my purses, kitchenware, linen and basically everything from T.J.Maxx. AND they have a layaway plan—the only place in the world I use it.  This helps me avoid impulse buys.  If I see an item that I want and didn’t budget for but I feel strongly that the world may end if I don’t buy it, then I put it on layaway (a $5.00 fee plus 10% of the total purchase) and allow myself to budget for it in the next 30 days. I call it controlled impuse shopping.

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If you like to to shop you can’t afford to NOT check out these two places…my secret weapons. Where do you shop for great items. Leave a comment to let me know!

by Categories: FashionTags: , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

How to Make Pink Eye Sexy

divashadesLast night, I sat in urgent care with the largest darkest tinted shades  on that I could find.  I had a serious headache and any type of light felt like flood lights from heaven piercing my cornea. The brightness of my text screen caused my retinas to screech! I was simply miserable.  So I grabbed my shades (at 9pm) and headed to urgent care.

The door opens and a very kind yet overly sarcastic doctor (a dose of my own medicine) opens the door and murmurs, “oh we have a dramatic one.”  She examines me and diagnoses me with conjunctivitis, writes me a prescription and a doctors note and sends me on my way.

Although at first, I didn’t know how to take her sideways statement of being dramatic, I later realized that she was on to something.  For all of us struggling with the Bob Costas Eye Syndrome, we just have to take ownership of our jacked up, runny, sometimes crusty eye and make it sexy.  For the next week, I vow to rock my shades outdoors and indoors, morning, noon and night.  When I return to work fashionably on time, I will do so wearing my brightly rimmed Dolce and Gabannas and dare anyone to say anything.

And if we could turn back the hands of time, I would encourage our friend Bob to do the same.  Forget “professional journalism”.  You are the face of Olympic news updates! We should have encouraged Bob to rock his dark Rayban aviators and dare someone to question him.  You are Bob Freaking Costas!  Don’t be another causality of Sochi, take that and turn it into something powerful!

Wait, I forgot, I cannot wear contacts for another week and I don’t have prescription shades… So long for being sexy with conjunctivas!

bobcostas eye

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Plus Size Swexy

Swexy= Swag + Sexy

#ToastTip Sometimes we are so overly critical of a situation we forget to appreciate the beauty of what’s right in front of us.

Elle Cover

Actress Melissa McCarthy recently covered Elle Magazine’s annual …Women in Hollywood“ Spread.  The first thing I said when I saw the cover was …WOW! She looks amazing!“ For the record, I’m pretty sure most people said the same thing however there were a few critical folk who made a stink about the fact that Melissa did not show enough skin. They feel that the curvy diva should have shown more skin and flaunt her curves.

I am all about women dressing for their bodies and not being ashamed to flaunt what God gave them. I think there needs to be a lot less fat shaming and more self love. I also think there is nothing wrong with being classy and keeping things covered at times.  In this photo of Melissa rocking this charcoal Marina Rinaldi coat is absolutely classy, feminine and smoldering hot!  This woman looks like a glamazon!  I realize that I may be overreacting because I’ve never seen her dressed this way.  I instantly think …Bridesmaids“.

So no, plus size women should not be confined to muumuus and large flower print smocks.  And yes plus size women should not be afraid to dress sexy and feminine (check out my fave fashion blogger, Gabi Fresh).  But when the time calls for it, less can be more.  So stop hating on what’s not and let’s celebrate what is.  Not to mention Elle put a plus size woman on their cover…that is rare in fashion, so I salute!

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Let’s Go Nude!

“Christian Louboutin is bringing good tidings of nude shoes for all, rolling out a capsule collection of pumps designed to ‘disappear like magic and become a fluid extension of [the leg].’” ~Jihan at FashionBombDaily.com

#ToastTip: Don’t give a brown girl a beige pair of shoes and tell her that they are nude color.  We are brown and our nude is brown so give us a brown pair of shoes.

I had this very thought this week as I was shopping around for a pair of pumps to replace my “nude” (read beige) pumps.  I was wondering if instead should I just opt for a pair of chocolate brown patent leather pumps instead.  Apparently my friend Christian had the same idea and came up with a dope (long overdue) concept of having a nude line tailored to women of every color.  I love it!  But I don’t love it enough to break the bank and get my first pair of Red Bottoms. Nope…instead I will continue to wait for the Steve Madden look a like pair to surface on DSW. Champagne Dreams on a malt liquor budget.

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