Blogger Dinner Party with Addition Elle in Toronto

Hey Guys!

So this past Tuesday, I was invited to celebrate with Addition Elle at a blogger dinner party commemorating the grand opening of their new flagship store at Queen and Yonge in Toronto. I wanted to wear an outfit from Addition Elle to the dinner, and I picked out this gorgeous coral lace bodycon dress and some great accessories. I also picked out my very first pair of designer shoes! I tried a bunch of different shoes that I really liked from Vince Camuto, Sam Edelman, and David Dixon, but I ended up falling hard for this pair by Ivanka Trump that came home with me :D

Dress, Jewellery, and Belt - Addition Elle/Shoes - Ivanka Trump from Town Shoes

I got a chance to meet/reconnect with some of my favourite blogger idols - L to R, Nadia Aboulhosn, Gabi Gregg from GabiFresh, and Marie Denee from The Curvy Fashionista

The stunning supermodel and star of many of Addition Elle's ad campaigns Ashley Graham, left, and fellow Canadian blogger in from Montreal, Sarah St. Fleur from Queen Sized Flava. Ashley announced that she is coming out with her very own lingerie line to be sold in Addition Elle this coming November. Very exciting!

All of the lovely bloggers and ladies of Addition Elle...

Sasha from Flaws of Couture and Ashley Graham

Check out all the fab outfits! Definitely some very fashionable ladies...

Many thanks for Addition Elle for the lovely dinner with some of my favourite fellow bloggers!

The navabi 2012 Curvy Blog Award

Hey Guys!

I have a really big favour to ask of all of you! navabi, this really awesome website that offers the most amazing plus size designer fashion, is hosting the very first Curvy Blog Award. The grand prize is a trip for two to London Fashion Week in February 2013, a meet-and-greet with one of my all-time favourite designers, Anna Scholz, and 500 euros to spend on navabi's website for a beautiful designer dress. Needless to say, the stakes are super high, and I really, really, really need to win this one!!! I would love to cover this event, and attend London's first ever Plus Size Fashion Weekend (where I can also provide you all with great coverage and maybe make some new UK designer contacts for my new store, Your Big Sister's Closet (and you all know how great UK fashion is - they're always at least a season or two ahead of us in trends!).

I really need to win this one for my hubby, Peter. Peter and I met when we were both still in high school, and we've been through so much together. He went to work to help put me through University, and he has been working hard ever since. I've travelled a few places as a part of my studies (with him always providing the financial support necessary for me to go) but he himself has never had the opportunity to travel at all outside North America. After all he's done for me, I really want to win this one for us so I can show him all the amazing things I was able to see in Europe as a result of all his hard work. He really deserves it, and I am going to do absolutely everything I can to get us there. That's where you guys come in! PLEASE VOTE. It only takes a moment or two of your time, and it has the possibility of being life-altering for us. I am SO lucky to have such a wonderful man in my life who cares so much for me, and loves me, and who has taken (and continues to take) such good care of me. If I can do this one small thing for him, and show him some of the beauty that his hard work has allowed me to see, I will be so happy!

Peter and I in a photo booth back when we first met as teenagers - (notice my nineties grunge style with the crazy brown-red lip and the denim overalls! LOL)

Peter and I just before the prom.

Peter and I after my University graduation. He had a huge part in me being able to get my degree.

Peter and I this past summer....

To vote, (please please vote!!!!) just click the link below and I am #61. Click the little dot beside my name and hit submit, and I will love you all forever and ever. You can vote once from each device you have (so say you have a laptop, desktop, and a smart phone, you could vote from all three). Please vote as many times as you can. I really appreciate it more than you'll ever know!!!

http://blog.navabi.co.uk/en/voting-curvy-blog-award-2012/

#jeansdujour - My "Sunday Brunch" Video wearing Addition Elle's Coloured Jeans

Hey Everyone,

This is the #jeansdujour post I've been the most looking forward to! I get to share the plus size jeans videos I made with Addition Elle!!! I think they turned out really wonderfully, and I had so much fun with the team while making them. I got to invite some friends to come along, and I brought the lovely Dayna from the blog xxelle, my friend from grad school Kelsi, and my sister Gill. We had a really great time. Here are some pictures that Dayna and I took at the shoot!



So many jeans to try on... I had such a hard time picking my favourite pair since they were all so nice!



Having my make-up done by the fabulous Onna Chan



Fantastic shoes by Sam Edelman provided by Town Shoes - I absolutely adore these and they are surprisingly comfortable! So gorgeous...



My full outfit - top designed by Love & Legend and jeans designed by DKNY Jeans, both c/o Addition Elle/Shoes by Sam Edelman- c/o Town Shoes/Handbag - Marc Jacobs/Necklace - New Look/Earrings and ring provided by stylist





Aaaand... action!



Shooting Dayna's part!



Touch ups...

  

Dayna and I after wrapping the shoot

 So without further ado, here is the finished product! The first video is our Sunday Brunch video, and the second shows you how to get the look! Hope you enjoy watching them as much as I enjoyed making them!!!

#Jeansdujour - Yes, Plus Size Women CAN Wear (Snake Print) Skinny Jeans!!!

There is a common misconception that plus size women shouldn't wear skinny jeans. This is totally absurd. Plus size women can look great in any kind of jean, they just need to style it well! A pair of skinny jeans looks amazing with a long blouse or top, a really well-tailored blazer, and of course your favourite heels. And these are just some possible suggestions. There are so many great ways to style skinny jeans to make them look totally amazing on you. As Coco Chanel once said "Fashion is architecture: it is a matter of proportions." You don't need to worry so much about your size, but more about the aesthetic of the shapes you are creating using different garments. Don't be afraid to experiment with coloured jeans or prints either. There are far too many women out there who are too self-conscious to try styles they're not used to, and it's such a shame. You don't know just how beautiful you are. You should feel totally free to express yourself through whatever sort of fashion calls out to you, even if that means rocking snake print skinny jeans as a plus size woman! Don't let anyone tell you what you should or should not wear just because you're plus size. Welcome to the fashion democracy, ladies!!!

Jeans - c/o Addition Elle/Top - Re/Dress NYC by Necessary Objects/Shoes - Rainbow/Jewellery - c/o Penningtons/Jacket (in later shots) - Sears by Attitude Jay Manuel

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