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Curvy Canadian

Curvy Canadian: March 2012

Monday, March 26, 2012

Introducing The Face of Full Figured Fashion Week: Venessa De La Rosa!

Some great news from Full Figured Fashion Week: the winner of The Face of Full Figured Fashion Week has been announced! Congratulations to Venessa De La Rosa!!! Can't wait to meet this beautiful and formidable woman in NYC. It must have been very difficult for the judges with such amazing women in the running, but this Venessa's got it all! :D Here's a bit more about Venessa from the Full Figured Fashion Week webpage:

































Congratulations to the winner of the
2012 Face of Full Figured Fashion Week™ Cover Model Search
Ms. Venessa De La Rosa

Venessa Ann De La Rosa, was born in Ft. Lewis, Washington and now resides in Atlanta, GA. Having a father in the military afforded her the opportunity to travel all over the US and abroad with her parents. As a young teen she grew up watching her father perform in the theater. She, too, caught the performing bug and began acting and modeling in high school. It was when Venessa participated in the Miss Teen San Antonio pageant that her dream of becoming a successful model grew into a passion. Her unique onstage presence led to an invitation to be a presenter at the Texas Tejano Music awards where she shared the same stage with the late singer Selena. After graduating high school, Venessa decided to follow her father's footsteps and entered into the US Army where she served four years. After serving her term, she entered into corporate America, working for OfficeMax and then relocating to Atlanta to work for the Home Depot Corporate. In 2007 she decided to return to the modeling industry after being inspired by the ANTM season that featured Toccara Jones. Toccara's resilience and positive affirmation of plus size women inspired Venessa to continue to pursue her modeling career.

Venessa recently landed an appearance in the Tyler Perry's "Madea Goes to Jail" and "I Can Do Bad All By Myself". She has also appeared on an episode of BET's "Pay It Off", hosted by Kim Coles. She has modeled on Good Day Atlanta with host Clinton Kelly of the TLC show "What Not to Wear". She has been an extra in several TV shows as well as movies, including, "What to Expect When Expecting", with Cameron Diaz and MTVs Teen Wolf. She has been in several fashion shows locally and nationally. This year she was able to accomplish one of goals by walking in Her 1st Fashion Week in New York for the Cotrice Collection. Her most memorable fashion show appearance thus far was the Salute to Barack Obama event which featured Felicia Dietrich designs. It was at this event that Venessa was able to meet Dr. Cornel West, an experience that she will never forget. Venessa was also honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from Nifty Magazine and is featured in an upcoming book entitled I Am Coffee Brown, by Regina Jackson.

While she is grateful for her success in acting and modeling, Venessa has also been faced with several life-altering setbacks that include a battle with cervical cancer, and an unfortunate time when she was hospitalized and unable to walk for several months due to an incident with an epidural injection. However, through her steady faith in God and the ability to remain focused, she has been able to defeat the odds and continues to live life to the fullest.

In Venessa's spare time she volunteers with Hosea Feed the Hungry and also coaches girls AAU & Rec League Basketball. Venessa is also a full-time mother to three beautiful girls and continues to inspire them to live out their dreams.

Special thanks to our panel of judges, Marina Zelner, Tiffany Braxton-Belvin, Madeline Figueroa-Jones and Steffany Bready-Edwards! Your task was definitely challenging and we thank you for your selection.

Congratulations Ms. De La Rosa and we look forward to seeing you on the red carpet at Full Figured Fashion Week in New York City on June 13-16, 2012!

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Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Outfit of the Day: Feathers and Flowers

Hey Guys!

I wore this outfit to teach a couple of days back. I really love this hat, which I found at a thrift store, after it had inexplicably been relinquished by its original owner... Why someone would get rid of this I have no idea - it's absolutely amazing. It's in perfect condition and looks as though it's never been worn. I have the most luck at thrift stores!

The lace top is something I picked up from Wal-Mart's G21 section. They actually go up to a 2X now, which is fantastic. I find most of the George stuff to be a bit too old-fashioned/not cute, but I am always seeing stuff I like in the G21 section. I wandered in there when Peter was browsing in the electronics section one day and I noticed that they had bumped up their sizes to the 2X, which made me happy. When they used to have 725 Originals, they had a full range of inclusive plus sizes, which I loved. Then, when they changed their private label brand to George (for middle-ish aged women) and G21 (an unmistakeable reference to another brand with 21 in its name, geared toward the younger generation), they did away with the plus sizes on their "younger" brand, and only offered plus sizes for George. I used to like George + more, but I find that the quality has really gone down lately, and the selection of items offered in the plus range are getting more and more matronly, which is why I am really glad to see Wal-Mart extend the sizing of their more youthful line. I would love to see Wal-Mart offer up to a 3 or even 4X, much like they did when 725 Originals was around. But I really love this lace top, which was rather economically priced at $9. The XXLs sell out pretty quickly, so make sure you buy as soon as you see something you like, or you are bound to be disappointed. One other quibble I have is that the G21 bikinis only go up to an XL. But the tankinis and the one-pieces go up to an XXL. I want some bikini love too! Not just Tankinis. BIKINIS. My stomach, too, would like to see the light of day. I hope Wal-Mart will begin to sell bikinis in at least an XXL. I went to Old Navy this past weekend to try some on as well, but the only bikinis in XXL were the drab gray ones. :( I guess I am going to have to buy online for that... I also got a skirt from G21 with an awesome bird print on it that I will share with you in my next Outfit of the Day post. The really nice people behind the @WalmartCanada twitter helped locate it for me and reroute it to a nearby store. I saw it in Lou Lou Magazine and I absolutely had to have it, but like 3 of the stores that were the closest to me were all sold out. So I was really pleased they were able to help.

Anyway, without further ado, my outfit:

Shoes and Lace Top - Wal-Mart/Tights - Courtesy of We Love Colors/Skirt, Necklace and Bolero - Forever 21+/Belt - Dots/Hat - Vintage from the thrift store

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Thursday, March 15, 2012

Big News! I've been selected for Full Figured Fashion Week's Fashion Front!

Hey Guys!


I recently got the great news that I have been invited to join the fantastic Fashion Front at the annual Full Figured Fashion Front! I will be reporting to you about all manner of news coming from Full Figured Fashion Week, and I will be covering all of the events once there. I am so pleased, honoured, and excited to be joining this absolutely fabulous group of wonderful women. Here is a little bit more information about the Full Figured Fashion Front, as well as links to the blogs of all the other members. 



The Fashion Front serves as the full figured fashion force at the front lines of Full Figured Fashion Week in New York- bringing the latest news, perspective, and exclusive access to FFFWeek™. For 2012, The Fashion Front includes an international eclectic mix of the plus size fashion community’s bloggers- whose unique voice and position within the community is both recognized and respected. 
 The Fashion Front for FFFweek
The Fashion Front for Full Figured Fashion Week™ was created by plus size fashion bloggers, Marie Denee of The Curvy Fashionista and Johara Tucker of Luvin’ My Curves.
With over 100+ applications, The Fashion Front for Full Figured Fashion Week™ welcomes 17 bloggers. From plus size fashion experts, stylists, outfit bloggers, femme fashionistas, bargain shoppers to the luxe fashion fanatics, The Fashion Front for Full Figured Fashion Week™ showcases and celebrates the diversity in plus size fashion with those whose voice and perspective is dominant throughout the community.
From the Netherlands, to France, down under in Australia, up North in Canada, back to the US, the Fashion Front definitely captures a diverse and enthusiastic selection of bloggers with a passion for fashion!
In Alphabetical Order, Please Meet The 2012 Fashion Front for Full Figured Fashion Week™:
  •  Belle-Noir Magazine

  •  Closet Confessions

  •  Curves and Chaos

  • Curvy Canadian

  •  Danimezza

  •  Gorgeous In Grey

  • Les Pitreries De Vanoue

  • Life & Style of Jessica

  •  Little Lime Dress

  • My Voluptuous Heart Loves Fashion

  • Queen Sized Flava…Made in Montreal

  • Swa-Rai

  • The Curvy Fashionista

  •  The Curvy Socialite

  • The Curvy Spot

  •  The Manfattan Project

  •  Too Many Sequins: A Fashion Blog
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    Thursday, March 8, 2012

    Addition Elle Spring Lingerie Preview

    Hey Guys,

    Last week I was invited to the Spring preview for Addition Elle's lingerie collection. I got to meet the stunning plus super model, Ashley Graham, who taught us all a thing or two about posing, hang out with my fellow Toronto plus size blogging buddies, and chat with Roslyn Griner, VP of Marketing for the brand.

    They are really focusing on making the brand more fashion-forward, which Rosyln told us will definitely be evident in their Spring collection, and even more so in Summer. She says that by Fall 2012, their rebranding will be complete, and the store will offer items that have greater appeal for a younger, more trend-conscious consumer. This is very exciting news, and I can't wait to see what they have in their back pockets.

    A big part of the brand transformation is their intimates section. Rosyln spoke with us about a few of their new designs (what we can expect for the Summer collection - totally cute), and their new "Smooth Curves" bra, which is designed to keep your back looking smooth under fitted garments, and eliminate the spill over that sometimes happens with traditional bra bands. This bra is seemless, and it looks like it would work wonders under tight fitting tops or dresses.

    It was really great to be able to sit down with Roslyn and talk about their new lingerie collection and the directions the brand is headed in generally. I really got the impression that she was listening to each of us, thoughtfully considering our suggestions, and that she would bring these back to the buyers at their head office when she returned. I am very excited to see where Addition Elle is headed over the next few months.

    Here are a few pictures of the event and some of the lovely new items from their intimates collection.

    A few lovely Toronto Plus Size Fashion bloggers
      Melissa from Killer Kurves showing off one of the sets for the camera
    Me with Ashley Graham, star of Addition Elle's intimates campaign, and plus size super model
    We were each given a certificate to get a complimentary bra and pair of panties. This is the set I picked out.
    I took this bra for the 18-hour day spin to make sure it was comfortable, and I can honestly say I was still totally comfortable by the end of the day!
    Femme Fatale Panty in Black

    All in all, it was a great event, and I had a great time chatting with the people at Addition Elle. I really love my new undies, and if you're looking for some, make sure you check out Addition Elle's intimates page or pop into one of their stores.


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    Tuesday, March 6, 2012

    You're Invited! Curvy Girls' Shopping Trip from Toronto to Buffalo, NY!!!

    Hey Guys,

    Ever since the bloggers' trip I organized with Lane Bryant back in November, I've been thinking that it would be amazing if there was a curvy girls' tour of all the awesome places to shop that are just across the border. Well now, I am actually planning it myself! So excited!

    The bus tour, scheduled for April 21st, will include pick-up locations in both Toronto (at a central location that is easy to get to, to be determined) and either Mississauga or east Oakville (location also to be determined), and transportation to and from all shopping destinations. We'll be departing Toronto at around 8am, and leaving Buffalo for Toronto at about 10pm that night. While we can't make it to all the places I'd like to bring you (since it is only a one-day trip), here are some of the places we'll certainly get to:

    Walden Galleria Mall
    -which has: Lane Bryant/Cacique, Torrid, Forever 21 (with a HUGE, well stocked, plus size section - though not after we're done with it, lol!) Macy's, Lord and Taylor, JC Penney, Cheesecake Factory (yum), H&M (which now has a small selection of plus size stuff in US stores), Sears, loads of places to pick up jewellery, accessories, and shoes, and many others.

    Target

    Dots

    Rainbow

    And one out of these two places. Maybe we can take a vote!

    Boulevard Mall/Northtown Plaza
    -Boulevard Mall has most of the same stuff as Walden Galleria, but Northtown Plaza has a T.J Maxx and an Avenue.

    Fashion Outlets of Niagara
    -They don't have all that much here that caters to the plus size shopper, but there is a pretty awesome Marshalls, and if you love discounted designer stuff, there's Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Coach, Burberry, and Saks Off Fifth Avenue. There's also a Gap here, and a Dress Barn (not my favourite store, but to each their own!).

    There will also be time to stop for lunch, (maybe at the end of our time at Walden Galleria) and I'll make a reservation for us somewhere for dinner. Again, I am open to suggestions, but Olive Garden is one of my all-time favourites.

    The trip will cost $50 (+ a 3% PayPal transaction fee). In order for the trip to be 100% confirmed, I need at least 25 people to sign up for it. If the trip does not go ahead, you will receive a full refund. This trip is limited to 50 participants. Hurry and book your spot now so you won't be disappointed!

    Just click the button below to pay and reserve your spot. PayPal takes all major credit cards, and you can even set it up so you can pay from your bank account if you prefer. I hope to finally meet lots and lots of you on this trip!







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    Thursday, March 1, 2012

    Outfit of the Day: My Blog's Birthday!

    Hey Guys!

    I was looking through some old posts last night, and I realised that it is my one-year blogo-versary! I started the blog in May of 2010, but I didn't really start focusing on it (and consistently posting Outfit of the Day posts) until the post from March 2, 2011. This is also when I "came out" to my friends and family as a blogger (and as a proud, confident fat woman), which is why I consider it my blog's "true" birthday. I hadn't told anyone about my blog or even participated at all in the amazing community that I am now a part of until then. I think a part of me was still ashamed of being fat, and incapable of loving myself or appreciating my own beauty.

    I am so glad I did went public with my blog, and I am so glad I have kept it up, even though there were days when I didn't feel like posting or putting together an outfit. It has changed my life and my outlook immensely, and I have all of you to thank for keeping me motivated by commenting and visiting so often. I never knew that my voice could reach so many of you. I thank you for the opportunity, and promise I will always be trying to inspire each and every one of you as much as you inspire me!

    I thought it would be fun to do a collage of my favourite outfits from the past year, kind of like musicians do "best of" albums, to celebrate this milestone. They are all in chronological order, so you can kind of see the evolution of my style over the past year (and the change in seasons!). It's kinda cool to see all of the outfits I loved wearing and sharing over the past year (and how long my hair has grown, and the fact that I have eyebrows now!). What do you think? Which outfit is your own personal fav?





    I know I personally hate it when tv shows do recap or clip episodes, and the collage post is sort of like a blogs version of that, so here's a NEW outfit of the day post for ya! I think this might be one of my favourite outfits ever. I wore this to celebrate my friend Gen's birthday with her. Hi Gen!

    Skirt, Cropped Jacket, Earrings, and Clutch - Vintage/Shoes - Torrid/Camisole and Bracelets - Forever 21+/Belt - Dots
    Oh, and if you haven't entered the giveaway with Your BIG Sister's Closet yet, there's still time! Enter here!

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