Outfit of the Day: Doors Open Toronto and a Day at The Beaches

Hey Guys!

Another Outfit of the Day post! This past weekend, Peter and I were in the very awesome Beaches neighbourhood of Toronto, and we passed the Fox theatre with their beautiful marquis, and I couldn't help but take some shots outside of it.

Peter and I had a lovely day. We went to go see the R.C. Harris Water Treatment facility as part of Doors Open Toronto (the one weekend every year when historical buildings normally closed to the public open their doors so you can see them). I read about the facility in a Michael Ondaatje book called In the Skin of a Lion, and I've been fascinated by it ever since. I've visited the outside, but was disappointed that we couldn't get inside, so when I heard they were opening their doors as part of this annual heritage festival, we couldn't help but rush down there.

The inside is SO beautiful. The outside is pretty cool as well, but the inside is art deco, which I adore. I was going to take some pictures, but I only had my iPhone with me, and I knew I'd find better ones online. Here are a few that I found:

Stunning, isn't it? I was really pleased I got to go in and finally see the inside. 

After our tour of the facility, we just walked by the water for a bit and then went to browse around the shops area of The Beaches. There were many cute vintage stores, and I'm definitely planning on going back to check them out more thoroughly!

Here are some pictures of what I wore:

Shirt Dress and belt- Dots/Shoes - Lane Bryant/Purse and Headband - Available on Your BIG Sister's Closet/Sunglasses - c/o Penningtons

I made the headband by hand, and I'm selling them on Your BIG Sister's Closet. I can make custom ones too, so if you're looking for a specific colour/pattern, let me know and I will design one for you! If you're in the greater Toronto area, you should definitely check out the Beaches. It's such a fun, cool area! 

Outfit of the Day - Weekend Casual, and getting crazy excited for Full Figured Fashion Week!!!

Hey Guys,

Here is one of my latest outfits, which I just wore for my typical weekend stuff, hanging out in the Junction area of Toronto, a bit of window shopping, a few errands, nothing too special, but overall a pretty fun and relaxed day. Sometimes I find that those are the best kind.

I am amping up for Full Figured Fashion Week, and I couldn't be more excited. I leave in less than two weeks! I have so much to do between now and then (including cleaning out my very messy closet so I'll be able to find everything I want to bring with me and have enough patience to actually plan some outfits). Some of Peter's new clothes arrived today, and they look pretty awesome. I am still waiting on his suit. I have to meet up with a couple of Toronto plus size fashion designers who've agreed to dress me for some of the events to pick up my outfits. I am really glad that I will be able to represent the Canadian plus size fashion scene at this event, not only as a blogger, but also as a living, breathing example of the exemplary work that is being done here. I'm not divulging any secrets about who's dressing me for what, but I've been dropping some hints so some of you have probably already figured out at least a couple of the designers I'll be wearing! Lincoln is providing Peter and I with their 2013 MKS for the drive down to NYC, so I'll be sure to keep you all in the know about that! Arriving in style, just the way I like! ;)

I have also been hoarding some of the new items I've been picking up so that my outfits in NYC will be all new (at least to you guys, lol). Some of my favourite looks so far are very geometric inspired. I am looking forward to FFFWeek because it allows me to be a little more bold and daring with my choices without having the entire suburban population look at me as if I have two heads. Context is everything, I suppose, and this context allows me to be a bit more wild! A few words that describe some of my outfits for FFFWeek are: geometric, sheer, architectural, indie, Canadian, hats and fascinators, gowns, AMAZING. You can expect to see me wearing at least 10 different outfits for the events at Full Figured Fashion Week (and it's only 4 days!). I know my days are going to be jam-packed with awesomeness, and I can't wait to meet lots of fabulous ladies there, as well as cover the launch of several new brands and celebrate the new collections of old favourites.

Anyway, without further ado, here is my weekend casual outfit...

Jacket and Sunglasses - c/o Penningtons/Camisole - Forever 21+/Cardigan - Swapped at Big, Fat Toronto/Jeans - New Look Inspire/Purse and Necklace - Your BIG Sister's Closet

Curvy Girls' Cross Border Shopping Trip Haul Video

The Curvy Girls' Cross Border Shopping Trip in the 2012 Lincoln Navigator!

Awhile back, I organized and led a cross border shopping trip for curvy Canadians who wanted to access all the fabulous US brands that aren't available here. Let me tell you, it was A BLAST!

Aeryn, from the blog Geek With Style, hooked me up with an amazing contact who works with Ford, and they lent us a fully decked out 2012 Lincoln Navigator for our journey!!! We were travelling in high style! This SUV has so many amenities! My favourite were the step bars that automatically descend for you when you open the door, and close when you shut it, giving the body a sleek appearance.

We felt like celebrities riding in this thing, and man, were we getting jealous looks from our neighbours! We even took my in-laws out for a quick ride in it the night before Buffalo, and they were really impressed too. The inside boasts (very comfortable) all-leather seats (which can be heated or cooled to your liking), wood finish trim, in-dash voice activated navigation, a THX stereo system, individual climate control, and seating for 8. Not to mention how awesome it looks from the outside! Here are some pictures of our amazing ride and some pictures from the trip itself. You should definitely consider a Lincoln if you're in the market for a new car.

All the ladies who came along were very excited when we came to pick them up in the Navigator, and were all really impressed with how spacious and comfy it was. We had quite an intensive day of shopping, as you can see!

I can't remember ever having laughed so much in one day. I think the people at Olive Garden, where we had dinner, were just about getting ready to kick us out because we were laughing so much, but we just couldn't help it! I had such a fun time with these ladies! And Peter made an excellent chauffeur. All he was missing was the hat! Oh well. Next time, lol! 

We had to return the car the next day, which neither Peter or I was happy about! We just loved having the Navigator. This GIF pretty much sums up Peter's reaction to giving up the Navigator and getting back into our dinky 2007 Hyundai Elantra.

Man: Have some fun with that truck. Okay, time's up. Hands kid cardboard cut-out truck. Here ya go. That's a nice one, I made that.

Kid: It's a piece of junk! I want the red truck.

Man: Well, you can't have the red truck. See, that was a limited time only offer. It's right here in the fine print. 

Kid gives perplexed look.

Many, many thanks to Ford and Lincoln for lending the Navigator to us! We had such a fantastic time!

Happy Mother's Day from Curvy Canadian and Penningtons

When I was a little girl, my Mom would always dress my sisters and I in the most adorable outfits, even if it was just to go and play with our friends outside. As I got older, I guess I some of that dressing well wore off on me (and what I like to wear now is really not a lot different from what my Mom dressed me in when I was just a kid, lol).

So this year, for Mother's Day, since my Mom is SO special and wonderful and deserving, I thought it would be really nice to return the favour and dress her for a change, so I contacted the wonderful people at Penningtons to see if they would help.

Well, they kindly agreed and provided an AMAZING Mother-Daughter Shopping Day for the two of us, which was so much fun, and so wonderfully generous! My Mom was smiling from ear to ear all day, and the wonderful staff at the Heartland Town Centre location in Mississauga made us both feel so special.

From the moment we stepped through the doors, Shyrna, the Assistant Manager, and many other wonderful members of her team, were so helpful and assisted us in finding items and making our shopping experience fun and comfortable. Shyrna had pulled several pieces from the Summer 2012 collection and pre-styled them into suggested outfits for us, which I thought was so nice and helpful!

We had our own rolling rack full of options to try on, and my Mom was feeling really pampered (and so was I, actually!). We perused the store's Summer collection and found so many pieces that were really pretty.

Checking out the different types of fit for the trousers

Looking through Penningtons' New Footwear Collection

Look Number 1

Look Number 2

Look Number 3

Look Number 4

Look Number 5

Look Number 7

Shyrna and the others making us laugh! Also, Look Number 8 for my Mom, a repeat for me

And now, the accessories! No outfit's complete without them!

Shyrna giving us some helpful suggestions!

And back to check out the new shoes again!

Shyrna rolling away the piles and piles of clothes we tried on!

YAY SHOPPING!!!!

We left looking and feeling absolutely amazing. SO many thanks to Penningtons!!!

It was an absolutely fantastic day together that I'm sure neither of us will soon forget, and I have to give my heartfelt thanks to Penningtons for pulling out all the stops and providing a fantastic Mother-Daughter shopping spree day for us!

So I have to ask... I have my own personal favourites in terms of the outfits both my Mom and I tried on, but what are yours? My Mom and I have a little friendly bet going on which ones you'll all pick!

I also put together a short video chronicling our fantastic fashion day together if you're interested in checking it out!

Once again, I can't thank Penningtons enough. You should definitely check out their Summer collection (and new footwear line) for a little treat for yourself, or if you're considering treating your Mom to a fabulous day like mine had. Happy Mother's Day to all of you out there, especially my Mammy. Love you so much! ;)