New Year's Resolution (one month early)

This year I actually have a resolution I can keep: pare down my wardrobe to only things I will constantly wear and love. This means throwing out all the things that don't fit, flatter, or wow me anymore and investing in fabulous articles I can wear in all kinds of combinations. So I started early by purging my closet of all the things I no longer wear. Luckily, mi familia knows I'm addicted to fashion and I am looking forward to shopping giftcards as stocking stuffers. This means that my resolution to look more fabulous in the New Year is oh-so attainable. For now, I'm pairing the pieces I love and finding inspiration for great, versatile additions.


What did I wear today?

Mostly old pieces, or thrifted. The tank is from MaxRave, my ultimate cheapy store. The jeans are leggings on clearance from JCP. The boots are my new staples from Payless, but if you join their text-coupon club you can get 20% off your purchase! And the jacket... oh the jacket. My all-time best purchase at Plato's Closet, a franchise and you can find your local branch here. Originally from Wet Seal, and I wear it with everything.

All in all a sunny outfit to warm up the cold winter day :)

Fun, Fearless Fashion (when I'm lounging)

I'm not usually gutsy with my clothes when I leave the house, but when I'm lounging at home all day, I could push the boundaries of fashion better than any of those covergirls!


Now I know you're not supposed to mix two trends as it can look too "costume-y" or "faddish", but if no one can see me... well I'll be daring and try it! It actually paid off this time, and I was spared the usual OMG-what-are-you-wearing looks from my returning family members. I just bought into the military-fabulous, sequined epaulette trend and I LOVE it. Add in my favorite purple (yes, purple) cowboy boots and ta-dah! instant trendy casual. 

I think the key to coming off as fun rather than clownish was to keep the top neutral and only add a pop of color in the boots. If I had been leaving the house, I would have done my makeup with some 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Rockstar and my favorite Big Fatty Mascara (both from Urban Decay). 


Over-the-top? Maybe. Tacky? Perhaps. Comfortable? Always!


Eyeliner, and Miracle Mascara that I get from Sephora, my personal Nirvana. 

New Haircut!

New haircut, trimmed so it grows out semi-normally :)

Beyond Elation

A major part of my life is my boyfriend, who is currently an Electrical Technician 3rd Class (ET3) in the U.S. Navy! We recently found out that after C school in Virginia, he will be stationed on the USS John C Stennis in Bremerton, WA. That's my state! The last time I saw him was January 2nd, 2010 and I am picking him up from the airport this Friday, December 17th! That is twelve (12!) months apart, my friends. It wouldn't be worth it if we weren't truly in love.

Christmas 2009

Now I'd be a liar if I said this has been easy - it hasn't. Lots of tears, lots of letters sent, lots of phone calls and worries, usually on my end. But the good news of this coming Friday is not only do I get to see my love again for the first time in a year, but I also get to whisk him off to meet my family in the Seattle/Tacoma area. One of the unique challenges is that we've been together over a year and a half, but we've really only been side-by-side for a cumulative 5 months. That's not a lot of time.  So the regular timeline of meeting the family, getting into a more serious level, moving in together... that isn't an option. Our life goes more like:

• Meet, begin dating
• Get serious, fast (he was going to basic training; if we weren't serious, we wouldn't have made it)
• Meet family at the holidays
• [Eventually] get married
• [Eventually] move in together

The blessing wrapped in hard times is that we've had to grow, mature, and learn to love each other no matter what monkey wrench gets thrown in the works. Jealousy, concerns about communication, worries about the future... we can't ignore them and let time and familiarity sort it out. It's been a tough year, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I'm excited to reap the benefits of all our hard work in 4 very short days when we can be together and know we've really collaborated for our overwhelming happiness. 

Merry Christmas, indeed!

Learning to Love my Petite & Thick Body

            I was ultra thin in middle school and high school, and it was a shock when I got to college and started thickening out in many ways. The tight, flat stomach I’d maintained suddenly got softer and no amount of crunches would return it to its washboard form. My formerly thin and shapely legs got, well, shapelier. I’m a dancer, and used to having muscled and toned legs but ooh boy were these gams thicker. The size small tops morphed into mediums and the size 3 jeans slipped into 5’s, 7’s and (gasp) 9’s. Now, I know a 9 is NOT a large size, but it was a shock when I looked at the tag and my size had tripled. My dress size is still a 4 (I have a tiny waist, for which I am eternally grateful) so what was going on from the belt down?!

The stress came to a head when I went shopping this weekend for some stylish new threads. I’m a regular fashionista from the waist up, but usually too-tight, muffin-top jeans cover this booty. Deep breath here – I went jeans shopping. I started out confident, I was going to be fashionable… skinny jeans here I come! I conquered jeggings (denim leggings that are oh-so comfortable but look more polished than sweats; I've been wearing one pair for three years) and bagged a pair, my hunting trophy. Triumphantly I moved on to finding skinny jeans. So fashionable, so slimming, so chic on those tall, leggy celebrities; I was going to wear them, goddammit. While I tried on a couple of pairs with trepidation, I was faced with the fact that these sexy denim wonders would not fit over my gorgeous dancer’s calves, calves that I covet and show off as often as possible. The ones that fit over my calves got stuck right under my hips and butt, taunting me with how close I was, yet so far away. Enter my guardian angel, Myra the Miracleworker.

Seeing how close I was to tears, she asked me what I didn’t like – about the jeans, not my body. I told her I have huge calves and thick thighs and nothing would fit over my big ass. The clouds parted, the choir sang, and she said, “Let me bring you some things, honey.” Pair after pair after pair of jean leggings, skinny jeans, straight legs, enough denim to drown a girl, and she didn’t leave me to wallow through them alone, she wanted to see them and know what I did and didn’t like. Lo and behold, I found a pair of skinny jeans that not only fit me perfectly but they are now my favorite jeans for versatility and comfort! That’s right – this thick-thighed girl feels freakin’ fabulous in her skinny jeans. I’m an average woman with curves and I feel like I could give Kate Moss a run for her money in these puppies. The other pair I purchased are perfect for going out and don’t even need to be shortened! For a 5’3” gal wearing size 9’s, this is a MIRACLE.

My first pair of skinnies! $36 at MaxRave
       Top $14 also at MaxRave
          They are cuffed about 4" due to my short legs.

I’ve been clinging to smaller sizes lately, trying to regain that ultra-slim image I used to have, but I’ve got to say that showing off my wider hips and lovely butt balances me out in a delightful way, and I’ve found that I have one of those hourglass shapes everyone raves about! If I find a pair of jeans that fit and make me feel fabulous, that’s way more important than any number on the tag. Showing off my womanly thighs and hard-earned calves is a wonderful reward for the stress of shopping. Thank you dearest Myra, for the great experience (and the great discount)!

Jeggings were $9.99 at JCP, I'm a sales-hound. The jeans mentioned but not shown were $30, also at MaxRave. 

So I'm a little insecure; so what?!

A small glimpse into who I am and how I blow off steam and manage my stress. Freeform poetry allows me to express myself more easily than forced rhyme.

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So I'm insecure because I've been hurt before.

I may have been replaced and pushed out,

I might have been forgotten with distance,

I was erased by time,

but his love makes me permanent.

No matter how angry I get, I know

It's going to hurt and

I will get jealous but

That doesn't change a thing.

I'm still so blessed because

He's mine.

Step away, please; this isn't your life

I believe there's one out there

Waiting for you to start.

But it's okay,

If you want to stick around

I can show you how to fight.

I could live in the now

With no hopes and no dreams,

But that's not my style - 

I want to travel the world!

Knowing I have a hand to hold

Down the road makes the journey

All the more enticing.

So I'm a little insecure;

I've earned my emotional scars

And I've inflicted some on others.

I've lived and learned and

I'm who I am today because of that.

I'm not perfect, but I'm me.

If I'm not what you want me to be: 

So what?!