Wednesday on Wednesday - Straight to Plus

This is my wednesday "Hump Day" look. 

jacket-August Max Woman; leggins-Loop 18; tunic-Marshall's; necklace-LaneBryant; riding boots-Avenue

I took a page from Corie's blog - Its My Taste. ... I think her style is awesome!
How did I do?

The week in REVIEW

Well I've tried to post all week.. But just getting back to work makes it difficult. I need to get my flow going and get back into the groove of things. Since I did take the pictures.. here they area, all together for the week!

TUESDAY

This was my first day back to work after a two week vacation.  The holidays were wonderful and I really enjoyed the relaxing days while I was off. But it was still nice to see all my coworkers when I got back.  I was surprised at how fast the day flew by.. I had 175 emails to read, so that kept me busy.

rose cardi-Macys: black pants-FashionBug: boots-NineWest; red rose necklace-Aldo

WEDNESDAY

This look is inspired by A Pretty Penny oops, it was actually Kendi Everyday. She wore this look as part of her 30 for 30 Remix. I swapped out her fab tweed jacket for a denim jacket.  Just another of my straight to plus looks. Tell me what you think.

How did I do?
(I'll update the link later.. check back tonight or tomorrow)UPDATED on 1/8/2011

brown sweater-Target: denim blazer-Ross: red jeans-from Aunt Rita: boots-Avenue: necklace-from Grandma

THURSDAY

Meetings all day today. I wanted to be comfortable. So I grabbed my new dress. I knew this was a great purchase when I got it... and it has pockets! One of my Christmas gifts was a sewing machine. I really may shorten this dress as one of my first projects. Although I am a little intimidated by the sewing machine. I'll conquer it soon!



dress and boots-Avenue: long necklace-from my niece: crown necklace-gift from Hubby

PURPLE FRIDAY

ofcourse I had to represent for my Ravens today! But I have a meeting, so I had to be "business Raven chic"

Ravens tshirt-from Hubby: black pants - Fashion Bug: purple long cardi-Avenue

 And please dont mind those uuuugly boots.  I need a pair of snow boots really bad.  I have been wearing my construction boots everytime it snows. And I've had these boots almost 10 years. YUP.. I dont get much wear out of them.. I had snow boots on my Christmas List, but I think I waited to long to tell Santa. Cuz he already had all my gifts. Oh well..

Here are a few styles that I selected:

http://www.naturalizer.com/
I absolutely love this pair. They would be my first choice if I were gonna run out and buy a new pair today!

http://www.6pm.com/
This is a safe bet. But I dont really like the suede (or faux suede). I dont like it. Thats why UGGS arent on this list. I think they look ugly when they get old. And snow boots are made for snow!



http://www.6pm.com/
I really think this pair is nice! But I would definitely need a new coat for these babies, lol!



http://www.amazon.com/
This is just a plain ole regular pair. But I like them.. and they are versatile. Im just not sure if they come up high enough to cover my ankles. That's an important factor in the snow. I dont want to end up with wet socks, lol!

And after all that virtual shopping.. I still might end up getting a $20 pair from Burlington. I dont really wear them that often. And in this case, I need something for function. cuz, baby its cold outside! My aunt bought a pair for my grandma, and I have been searching for them ever since. Imma go out today after work and see what I can find. The weatherman is predicting a few inches of snow next week Tues and Wed. I need to be prepared!

Have a geat weekend!

Pumpkins and Mice

I went to happy hour with my sorority sister at this local spot that she had heard good things about. I had been there and I wasnt real excited about the place, but I wanted to spend time with her.. and this is where she wanted to go.So I am always in fro the team! We had a good time eventhough there wasnt a happy hour crowd at all. But during our hang out time, we chatted about situations that are a "farse" .. fake .. unrealistic.. She used the analogy of Cinderella - "pumpkins and mice". All that we see is really pumpkins and mice although it looks like a coach and coachmen. what looks like glitter aint gold and at midnight its all gonna change back to pumpkins and mice.  We laughed about pumpkins and mice all evening. It was a fun time.

Have you ever realized after an event that you were just experiencing pumpkins and mice because after midnight all that you saw was going to change?

inspired by A Pretty Penny: Straight to Plus
What I wore while being entertained by pumpkins and mice:

shirt-JCPenney; skrt-Burlington; boots-NineWest; belt-from another dress

When I bought this skirt, I had already seen how I was going to wear it. I saw this post by Keira at A Pretty Penny and I loved the look.  She got it from this post by Kendi Everyday. Definitely two stylish bloggers! Thanks ladies, Im glad I could grab a look from you. And I think that each of us added our own stamp of style when we wore it.  I love the pearls that I added and since it was a tad chilly, I added boots and tights.

How did I do? did I nail it?

inspired by A Pretty Penny : Straight to Plus

If you dont know by now.. I am always inspired by other bloggers. I like to copy cat.. and I hope that they dont take it personally but imitation is the highest form of flattery. Also this is why I started blogging, so that I could get some style ideas. I figure myself a pretty snappy dresser.. but I needed more ideas.. and thanks to all these wonderful bloggers, Im doing pretty good so far. So much so, I need to purge my closet to find a place for all the wonderful stuff that I buy from the great fashions that I see.

I started reading only plus size fashion blogs.. and I only had a few straight size blogs that I read. But more recently I figure, why am I limiting myself.. Style is Style - no matter the size.  Today, I was inspired by (copycat) A Pretty Penny. I borrowed a look from her summer bootcamp - Back to School. Let me know if you think I nailed it!

jacket-Lane Bryant; striped long sleeve tee-Old Navy; denim trousers-JC Penney; shoes-Macys

MONDAY Post

I chose this outfit today because I saw my cousin wear a very similar look at our family cookout for Labor Day.

jean shirt - JCPenney
tshirt - Old Navy
jeans - Ashley Stewart (given to me from my Aunt)
shoes - Macys
accessories - NY&Co

This is the look that my cousin Aaron was sportin at the family cookout.
... and then ... Cousin Nikki found this pic and sent it to me (she knows my love of fashion, lol) ... so I knew I was on the right track by putting this look together.

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Just a random photo from the hood. i love to see murals in the inner city. Most of them are pretty inspiring.

I spent the day running errands and doctor's appointments.

Inspired by Budgetnista : Straight to Plus

surfing the net last night .. as I do.. and reading some of my daily fashion reads.. and thinking.. "what am I going to wear to work tomorrow" .. i noticed that Kimberly used Fashion du jour as one of the September Inspiration Calendar looks.. well then I read some of Fashion du jour's posts (She ROCKS!!! .. I looove her style.. I will definitely be doing a few "inspired by" looks of hers too)... and then I found Budgetnista. Her style is so chic and effortless. AND THE SHOOEEESSS.. hoooooneeeeyyy!! whew! she is not playing on her "shoe game"! its serious! See, this is why I love the fashion blogs. There are so many great ideas out there. [ha haaaa.. that was a seriously long ramble.. oh well, njoy!]
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This look is "inspired by (copycat)" from Budgetnista (here). I thought her look was so comfy and cute. I had to copy. I have been wondering when or how I was going to wear this shirt. I actually took it to Cancun (dont forget to enter the giveaway).. but I never wore it. (That sounds like the story of my life, "i never even got the chance to wear it") , sad.. what does that say about me.. I buy to much junk OR I pack to much stuff.. maybe both,lol.
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I know that several "plus" bloggers will translate a "straight size outfit" into a "plus size outfit" and i am always inspired to see how I can get some of the looks that you see in the magazines.. Well, here is my translation for the day. What do ya think? Is it close?

top -JCPenny

jeans - Ashley Stewart

shoes - Avenue

bracelets - Cancun.... I bought my own, but these are some of the same ones from my giveaway

crown necklace - gift from Hubby

and I totally forgot my earrings today.. aaarrrggg!

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what are your plans for the holiday weekend? going any place special or interesting?

Inspired by Bouchard

When I started this blog I needed some serious style inspiration. I was in a style rut and I had no clue what I was wearing.. I WANTED to look different. I knew I had a style in there somewhere but I had no idea how to pull it out.. SO.. I started blogging.. and thanks to all of you.. I feel more like myself again! Thats why my name is "Truly Inspired"

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And I say all that, to say, I often use other bloggers as my inspiration for outfits.. And today is no different... Today I was inspired by Renee T. Bouchard of Style ... The New Black. She made a post on a rainly day post outfit that I thought was so cute and simple. I had to try it.. so, here it isssss! Thanks Renee!

This is the polyvore that Renee put together. You can read her post about each of the items.

And this is what I put together....

Today's Outfit

yellow top - Old Navy

gray skirt - Target

necklace - Andie's accessory giveaway

shoes - ??

belt and bracelet - Scottsdale, AZ

I am wearing this awesome belt that I bought in Scottsdale, AZ. I was on a trip that I took with the book club. I dont get to wear it often, but this was the perfect outfit for it. I have on a really nice silver bracelet that I bought at that same time in AZ, but the pics didnt come out to well.. but it has a really nice floral relif design all made of silver.

Inspired by F4EC

Today's look was Totally Inspired by Fashion for the Economically Challenged. I loved this look the moment I saw her wear it.. and I knew then that I would be inspired (copycat) by it. So Thanks so much for this great look and ofcourse the inspiration!

Today's Outfit

Blue wrap dress - RainbowPlus

Black Belt - Torrid

Butterfly Sequin sweater - Macys

Tstrap Croc shoes - Shoesgotsole

I havent worn this sweater in a looooong time..WHY? well mostly because when I first got it, I wore the hell out of it.. and then I got new stuff so this just slipped to the back of the closet.. Its still pretty cute, so I guess I can move it back into rotation. Oh, and when I commented on Fashion4theEconomicallyChallenged when she wore the dress, I asked her where was the red lipstick.. so I figured I would add some hot pinky purple lips to this look. But I have a meeting at work, so I will probably just wear gloss to the meeting.

The weekend of LOVE!

We started out on our Valentine's Day weekend and I wanted to look cute and be warm. All of the advice that I got from my blog friends was to dress in layers. I did my best.

Saturday's Outfit

White ruffle blouse - JCPenny
Yellow VNeck Sweater - Lane Bryant
Denim trousers - JCPenny
Tights - JCPenny

I added a pair of Juicy (Nordstrom) sunglasses. I knew there would be alot of sun shinning off of the bright snow. These glasses are actually grey and black which is a very versatile combination.. You would think that I wear them often, But I dont. So I pulled them out for this weekend and they were perfect. Also, the bracelet that I am showing off is my silver charm bracelet. I have been collecting charms from every place that I travel. Some of the charms from different locales are:
Georgia Peach from Atlanta, GA; Eiffel Tower from Paris, France; Steamboat from New Orleans, LA; Roullete wheel from Las Vegas, NV; Kokopeli from Scottsdale, AZ; There are a few more ... and counting ...

On to the reason for the season. We celebrated Valentine's Day on Saturday night. After we went snow tubing (see pics below), we arrived back at the hotel and had an awesome dinner. If you get the chance, visit Wyndam in Gettysburg, PA. It was such a nice hotel. The restaurant was nice but the service was not as high quality as the actual location.

In honor of the Day of Love, this is the outfit that I wore, which was an inspiration (copycat) from Gilding the Frilly from one of her recent date nights with her new boyfriend.

The Love Day Outfit
Blue silky shirt - Macys
Jones New York skirt - Macys
Brown shrug - Lane Bryant
Belt - ?
Gold shoes - Nine West

I even got Hubby to pose for a photo. Isnt he handsome?!

Hubby's Love Day Outfit
Grey sweater vest - K&G
Joseph Abboud Striped Shirt - K&G
Black slacks - ??
Shoes - ??

The next morning, which was today, we woke early for a nice breakfast and then we went to the outlet mall for a little shopping. This is the outfit that I wore to the outlets and back home.

Today's Outfit
Black sweater vest - Express Men
Yellow and black print shirt - Lane Bryant
Denim Trousers - JCPenny

This shirt had a really nice design. The designs are line drawings of ladies and men dressed in victorian clothing. Hmmmm, maybe not victorian.. but some other period clothing. Either way its cute!

Well, these are a few pics of the activities that we did over the weekend. We stopped in downtown Gettysburg and had lunch at a little diner called Ernie's Texas Lunch House. It was a little spot that I found on google maps, mostly a spot for locals. As soon as we walked in, we felt as if we walked back in time. And they werent really used to seeing folks like us (black and city folks) to often either. No one was rude or inappropriate, but you could still just tell. I cant really explain it.

Ernie's is known for their hotdogs loaded with chilli and onions. It was pretty good. Hubby had a hotdog and he got a breakfast sandwich too.. now THAT was soooo good!! He got bacon, egg and cheese on english muffin.. and it was a reaaally good sandwich.

After lunch we made our way to the slopes at Liberty Mountain.

This was the tubing lanes and it was sooo much fun. I dont think I was fully dressed with enough layers and socks, but we had such a great time snow tubing. We have agreed that we will definitely go back again!!
Yup, thats Hubby with his face all covered up. The wind and snow was making him loose his breathe, so he needed to block some of it. We will be better prepared for out next trip out there.



well we had an excellent weekend celebrating our Love! I look forward to reading all your comments .. and seeing what you all did for the Love Holiday!