90s Remix and Opening Up

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about how much of myself I put into my online outlets. I've read soooo many articles about how to be a better blogger, online shop owner, etc. etc., and one common thread throughout is that people respond to people and not perfection. That's something that I really have a tough time with. Don't we all? The whole purpose of being body positive is trying to work through my own insecurities and learn to love myself just the way I am. But it's harder for me to do that on an emotional level, and not just about the way I look.





My sophomore year of college I was diagnosed with severe anxiety disorder. It all culminated one night in a really horrible panic attack that left me holed up in my dorm room for a week. I was scared and just physically exhausted and sick. I had a very unsympathetic roommate who made things even harder for me. She was a Psych major and felt qualified to tell me that things were just in my head and that I shouldn't take any medication because I could just "deal with it." But really, that's not what I'm getting at here! One by one my friends started falling to the wayside.





I get it. I mean, I really do. My disorder is a lot to ask anyone to deal with. I cancel a lot of plans last minute. Sometimes I can't deal with large crowds. I'm always afraid something will trigger a panic attack. And sometimes I feel bad just because, and I can't explain why. That's a lot to ask anyone to understand, especially people who are about 19 and 20 years old. By the time my graduation rolled around in 2010 I had zero school friends left, except for my then-boyfriend (now husband).





Even though I know on a higher level that it's messed up, what I took away from this experience is that I shouldn't always share too much of myself. If I'm too needy, or always down and sad, people just don't want to spend time with me. So since then I have prevented myself from forming close friendships because deep down I feel that as soon as I begin to invest emotionally in someone, they will realize what a burden my friendship is and leave.





This affects my blogging, even! When I have a bad day I just "edit" it out, so to speak. I don't mention it. I include very little text. And I think that needs to stop. If you're here reading this, I need to trust that something about me is interesting and valuable to you and that's that.





So, hey! That's me! This is a big step for me and I'm ready to make the commitment to you guys that I am going to be more forthcoming and honest about who I am-- not just as a fatshionista, but as a real life human being. Let's see where this road takes us!







90s button down shirt, thrifted. burgundy skinnies, kmart. necklace, dots. spiked flats, gojane.com.

Tropical Vintage and Short Shorts

This outfit isn't exactly groundbreaking in terms of being fashionable, but we're still in the 80s and 90s here in South Carolina. (And my car doesn't have air conditioning-- yikes!) So I'm still dressing for comfort and coolness around here. I wore this to go thrifting and do some cleaning around the house. I stayed nice and cool with this super cute vintage tank top. And hello! Still loving my coral hair. I touched it up with kool aid, no lie.











bar studs, target. tropical print top, vintage via my boutique. shorts, thrifted. coral sunnies, ross. sandals, marshalls.

Vintage Chiffon and Mint

I wore this outfit over the rainy weekend for about an hour before the humidity had me running for cover. I love living in the South, but MAN is it hot sometimes. Anyway, this is my attempt at bringing this awesome vintage top into the present. I'm not 100% in love with this look, but hey! I can't knock every one of 'em out of the park.









mint pants, f21+. vintage blouse, my boutique. stone ring, shop outside the petrified forest. earrings, target. sandals, kmart.

Shorts and Booties

These lace shorts really go with everything! They've become a closet staple for me. I wore them over the weekend to do a few errands and work on my boutique. Man, is it hot here or what! I'm a little jealous of people who are already beginning to talk about Fall weather. Not here in SC! At least not yet, haha.

I'm still getting used to my new hair, but it sure has been fun playing around with different ways to style it.











jeweled necklace, wal-mart. earrings, shop in helen ga. sheer top, gap outlet. lace shorts and booties, ross.














Psst-- if you follow me on tumblr, I'm currently hosting a giveaway to promote the opening of my boutique! Check it out if you're interested!

New Hair, New Adventure, New News!

Hey there, lovelies! I come bearing TONS of news this post! All of it good (GREAT) stuff, too.

First of all, you may have noticed a new-- and super obvious-- button on the sidebar labeled "SHOP." That's because my boutique is finally up and running! (You can find it HERE.) I am sooo excited to move forward with this little adventure. And this is only a taste of what I have in store for you guys. I've been snatching up a huge selection of fashionable plus size items, both modern and vintage. I'm also trying to extend the size range as far as I possibly can! I know fashionable items in larger plus sizes are hard to come by, so I'm making a concerted effort to have those available as much as possible. So make sure you keep checking back for more items all the time!

Secondly, I dyed my hair! To mark this new chapter of my life in which I get to be more bold and creative, I decided to get some hair that went with. So I now have a pale coral ombre pixie. I'm so totally in love with it! There's a Coco Chanel quote I spotted floating around Pinterest that says "A woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life." I couldn't agree with that statement more-- to me this new look is like the christening of this new chapter of my life. I'm so glad I get to share that with you guys!

Anyway, enough of my blabbering and on with the outfit! This look isn't too over the top. I'm testing the waters with what color combinations work with my new pinkened locks. What do you think?













animal print button-up, my boutique. necklace and pants, dots. blush platform heels, kohls. gray earrings, thrifted.