Give Me Body...

It's the weekend baaaaayyyybaaayyyyy!! I usually use for my Instagram peeps for Friday posts. Just thought I'd share :)

To kick the weekend off around my way, I wanted to talk a little about style inspiration. For me, it can come from anywhere/anything. From an item of clothing in my closet, to someone walking down the street, to colors in a magazine. Many times it comes from perusing the internets. Yes, I said internets with an S.

On this particular day, I happened to be scrolling down my IG feed when I saw this lovely lady. I follow In My Joi on Instagram because she has some of the coolest outfits. But this pic made me want a little black dress. Not just any LBD, but one that fit me like a glove. One that gave BODY!! You could say that I was inspired. From that moment, I was on the hunt for a perfect LBD. Not so I could copy, or look like her (no shade, because Joi is fierce), but so I could feel as sexy as she looks.

Enter, the perfect LBD for me. Y'all know Target is my bff. I swear that store never lets me down. While browsing the clearance racks per usual, and I spot a simple black dress. In true ME fashion, I looked at the price tag before holding it up. $13.98 is what it read. See?! I told you Target is a true friend!

I went into the dressing room to try it on, and it fit like a glove!! Yaaaaasssssss!!

I knew right then and there, that I would pair it with my cute Kimono that I picked up for $4. Go'head and pick up your lip! LOL! It was truly $4. Yet another deal that I couldn't pass up. I love to try trends out for the low-low. No sense in paying a whole lot of money for something that you may not even like once the hype dies. *shrugs*. But this was a winner! I will be rocking this Kimono hunny!

Now back to this dress! The subtle high-low action at the bottom was the icing on the cake. I ran out of the store with this bad boy! Because with or without the Kimono, this dress gives major BODY!!

What y'all know bout that "Gone with the Wind" fabulous?! =D

Do you have an item of clothing, or a pair of shoes that just makes you feel super sexy? Do tell!!

Until next time...

Dress - Target

Kimono - H&M

Heels - Target

Be Amazing...

Happy weekend!! I don't have to explain how much I love weekends. Just know that I do. I hope that you're having a great start to yours.

I just want to take a quick second (well, longer than an actual second of course), to rant about speak on something that I am just beyond done with. Women who speak about themselves in such a negative way. It is so sad to me that some women can see so much beauty in others, but fail to see it in themselves. 

I like how the sun rays show in this picture :)

I swear, some of the comments that I read on social media are down right sad. Let's just get something straight. NO ONE can tell you how to be confident in who you are. It comes from YOU. Do the work. And by work, I mean convince yourself that you are wonderfully made. Surround yourself with positivity, and embrace it. Speak light into your life.

I just love this dress. It's my favorite!

Stop running around all woe is me. I see a lot of this... "You look great! I wish I could wear that." "Your hair is awesome! I could never rock a style like that." "Where do you shop? I never find things like that in my area." It's fine to compliment someone. By all means, please do! Your kind words could very well make someones day! But the compliment does not have to be accompanied by a downplay of yourself.

That silhouette though!! Yaaaaaasssss! LOL!

You want to rock a pencil skirt? ROCK IT! You want to "go natural"? DO IT! You want to shop for a crop top, but haven't seen any in stores near you? Open your browser, and GOOGLE IT!  You have access to the same things as the person that you see on your screen. They have struggles just like everyone else. Not to mention, so many of them don't even wear what you see past the location they use to take the pictures. 

Smile. 

To be inspired by others is awesome. I can't tell you how much inspiration that I get every day by just scrolling through my Twitter feed, Facebook, and Instagram timeline. Just don't lose you in the process. Use that inspiration as a tool to better yourself.

Ok, I'm done. But, if you don't take anything from this post, please remember this... "You are the only you that the world is ever going to know. Be amazing." I'm not sure where I got it from, but I've been telling it to my daughter and son before they were old enough to understand. Try it.

Until next time...

Dress - Dots

Wedges - Jessica Simpson - Marshals

Better with time...

When I was younger, I heard grown folks say that they weren't getting older, they were getting better. And it wasn't just Furious Styles in Boyz in the Hood neither! Older people in my life used that phrase all the time. I never really knew what they meant until now. 

When I was a teenager, I thought that time would NEVER move. It took what seemed like an eternity to get from 9th to 12th grade! Not literally folks. Actually, it only took the normal four years, but I wanted to be grown so bad that I could taste it!

1995 Snow Daze Dance. I thought I was killin it in this dress! 

1996 in my high-school halls with the jailhouse pose 

Once I turned 18, I moved out. At the time, getting "old" (in my eyes old was 30) seemed light years away. 

Me with my best friend at our high-school graduation

In my 20's I didn't really think much about my age. I just cruised along. Hanging out with friends, raising my children, being a young wife, etc. Nothing could touch me! 

Then there was 30. The big 3-0 hit me kind of hard. I wasn't prepared! Where had the time gone?! I mean shoot, I still felt 20 something!

My 'Golden Birthday'. See what I did there? #solidgold

Time passed. I got older. My children got older. Life started moving a hell of a lot faster then it did before. All of a sudden, I look up, and I'm on the later side of 30, damn near pushing 40!! I decided to start taking better care of myself. To focus more on me. To look in the mirror and be proud of the woman who stared back at me. Thus began my weight loss/health journey. With diabetes, cancer & high-blood pressure running in my family I couldn't afford to ignore my weight anymore.

I knew that I wanted to lose some weight, but I never really saw myself as THAT overweight. Below is the first 'before/during' picture where I took a good look and realized that I didn't know where my weight had taken me. Well, I knew, but I didn't. I knew because as you can tell in the picture on the right, I tried to use that poor little clutch as a shield for my tummy. Sad, but true. I say that I didn't know because I actually thought it worked! lol! When I look at these pics, I see a different me from my hair, down to my knees :)

This 'before/during' pic was from a week or two ago. I posted it on Instagram as motivation for me to get to the gym. I was having a hard day, and I needed to let myself know that I don't plan on going back to the old me.

 This pic is from Dec, Jan & Feb. It was my goal dress. I went into Target, saw this dress for super cheap. I tried it on, and it was pretty tight around the mid section. Being that it was a medium, I gave myself until March to fit comfortably into the dress. I DID IT by February! YAY ME!!

I said all of that to say this. I'm not done. Not even close. Being active, and consistently making small changes to live a healthier life is ongoing for me. I slip. Hell, I fall! But I will never stop. And in the process I'm beginning to realize that, like fine wine, I'm getting better with time.

Do you feel like you become a better you as time passes? What are some of the things that keep you motivated to do better?

Until next time...

This was Friday of last week :)

Sweater - Old Navy

Scarf - H&M

Jeans - Old Navy

Boots - Target

All Compliments Are Not Created Equal...

Hey peeps!! I've been MIA for a lil bit on the blog, but I have good reason. Hubby and I are searching for a home!! It's exciting, nerve wrecking and scary all at the same time. It's keeping us busy though. Please hang out/connect with me on Twitter & Instagram. I'm there on a regular basis with my antics and random pics. With that said… Blog Family, I have something on my mind.

The few faces of yours truly ;)

Attention: This is a small rant. It'll be over soon, I promise.

I may be a part of a small percentage of plus or straight sized women who feel this way, and you might not agree with me. But if I can't let it all out here, then where, right??!!

Whenever I see articles or blogs about body types, our shapes are compared to the rectangle, the hourglass, the pear and the apple.

All of the advice for dressing said shapes is geared towards making us appear to look like the hourglass. Everything from the A-line skirts/dresses to cinched waisted tops, belts and a host of other items. God forbid an "apple" actually be alright with her wonderfully made round top portion. Would it be so bad if the "rectangle" loved her straight muscular build? And what about the "pear"? Would the world end if she was fine with the fact that her bottom half is larger than her top half and didn't try to "trick the eye" into thinking there was balance?

As I continue on my health/fitness journey, I've found that I'm not concerned about what patterns or pieces of clothing make me look slim. I joked on FB that I'm an "hour JUG", cause ain't no glass over here!! LOL! I'm here, in all of my glory. Bumps, curves, lumps and all. Granted, I'm doing things these days to decrease said bumps, curves and lumps, but I'm more concerned about what I feel good in. That's what works for me. I wear belts over shirts and things like that to accentuate certain parts of my body, but I'm never trying to pass my frame off as something it's not. Here's one of the comments that I don't like, "That pattern is really slimming on you." Not my concern. And contrary to what some people think, feeling and looking good does not equal looking or feeling thin... for me anyways.

Yes, my hair looks a mess, but hey. It's not a beauty contest. That elliptical don't play! 

I said all of that to say this. Wear what you wear because YOU want to wear it. Not because someone said this is how you should present yourself. If you are into A-Line or pencil skirts because you love the look, then by all means, do you. But if you're an "apple" shape and damn near passing out because you have a tight belt around your waist because someone told you it's needed... Please re-evaluate. Or if you're a "pear", and you're running around in a hot blazer with shoulder pads in the summertime because someone told you that you need to create balance... Please re-evaluate. In the words of Sweet Brown, ain't nobody got time for that!!

My outfit on Valentines Day. I loved the J's with the skirt.

Last but certainly not least, I am your link-up host for this weeks #BLMgetFit Challenge. The IG and TwitPic challenge is #LBSGone. Find some way to show us how many pounds you've lost throughout the week through pictures. Be sure to use the hashtags #BLMGetFit and #LBSGone so your pic will be counted!! LINK UP with your fitness/motivational inspired posts!!

Put Me In Coach (Link-Up)...

Happy Monday!! No different than any other Monday posting, I hope you guys had a nice weekend. I enjoyed hanging at home for the majority of it. Nothing special. Just rest & relaxation. I should say that I should have done laundry, and cleaned a little, but hey… Nobody's perfect, right?? I have one more day to get some things done since I don't have work today. OH YEA!! And Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!!!

I know it's a day off, for most of us, but it can also be a day of reflection and/or service. I'm headed to an MLK celebration breakfast this morning. The breakfast will also include a panel of influential Black Leaders of Minnesota, as well as a host of young people who will present and discuss things that they are doing in our communities to make them better for everyone. Their will also be opportunities to volunteer and donate to the respective causes. In the words of our beloved OutKast, "Get up, get out and get sumthin".

And btw, I love this song!! If you've never heard the MLK, Jr tribute song, click below. You're welcome! =D Siiiiiinnnngggg Celebrate!! Sing, sing celebrate!!

In other Spoon Full of Sugar news, I lost another 2lbs!! That's five pounds total in two weeks!! The #BLMgetFit challenge is really giving me the boost that I need to continue with my health/fitness journey! Last weeks #NoSweetsWeek challenge had me thinking about some of the junk food that I consume, and it re-assured me that I can abstain from it IF I want to ;)

This weeks challenge is #BLMMoves. The winner of this challenge will have exercised the most collective minutes in a week. This will challenge me to make my workouts longer to achieve maximum results. I'm excited per usual. 

**To all of my BLMGirls, WE CAN DO THIS!!! Let's continue to make lifestyle changes that will continue to keep up healthy and strong.**

I'm the link-up host this week for all of your inspirational/motivation posts. Please share with us! The post doesn't have to be exercise or fitness related, just positivity and inspiring in some way =D And don't hesitate to visit the blogs of those who participate!! 

Until next time...

Blogger Inspiration...

How's everyone's week coming along so far? I didn't work Monday, so that was great, but today was really hectic. Short work weeks are always tough. Almost makes me wish that I had gone to work Monday… well, not really, but you know what I mean. ;)

Today's outfit is totally inspired by one of my favorite bloggers. When I saw that Lexy over at BeautyFash posted the below OOTD, my mind immediately scanned my closet. Lexy is always bringing her A-game. I love her blog because she's a working mom & wife, like myself. I relate to her posts and Twitter updates on a regular basis (she may or may not know this, ha).

http://www.beautyfash.com/

My outfit is not an exact replica, but it's my interpretation of this comfy/casual look. 

Until next time...

On another note: As you can see, these pics debut my afro puff. This puff is very special to me, as I have been trying to accomplish the look for months and months. I took my twists down, and wha-la!! There it was! I will get better at styling it as I get more acquainted with my natural hair. Wish me luck!! LOL!

Button down - Old Navy

Tunic/Tank - Target

Maxi Skirt - Stella Blu (neighborhood boutique)

Flats - Target

Celebrity Inspiration...

I hope your weekend has been going a fabulous as mine. Hubby and I have been kickin it all weekend as if we've had something in particular to celebrate. My weekends are never this packed. Thursday, we went to a Dave Chappelle comedy show. Friday, we went to a club to hear some live music. And Saturday, we went out for a nice dinner at an AWESOME restaurant. Today, I'm on chill mode. I will be taking my Kinky Twists down and relaxing.

Saturday I wore a super cute dress that I picked up on clearance a few months ago from Torrid. When I saw it, I immediately thought of this dress that Alicia Keys wore a while ago. Isn't she FAB?!

 The dress was yet another purchase that I made in a size 16 with the expectation of being able to fit it comfortably sooner rather than later. I'm there y'all(personal victory)!! I am completely in love with this dress!! It's super comfortable. I can't say enough about it! The silhouette that it creates brings out my inner sexy! lol!! (please excuse the lap wrinkles, as it wrinkles easily when I sit)

Until next time…

Dress - Torrid

Shoes - Urbanog.com

Style Inspired...

It's been around a week since my last post. That's not long at all, but for some reason it feels like forever. My little family went on a road trip to Chicago for my annual Family Reunion. It's ALWAYS a great time getting together with family. I will post a few pics in a future post and introduce you guys to a some of my near and dear family members =D

For now on to the clothes. It's crazy where inspiration comes from sometimes. My outfit was inspired by my baby girl. She got dressed, and I loved the colors that she had on. My mind immediately went through my closet.

She really didn't want me to take the pic, but hey… what mama says GOES! =D

I think I captured the colors pretty well. The tank was just flowy (yea, I said it!) enough for the weather, and one can never go wrong with white pants. On to the shoes. These are my Fergalicious babies! Sometimes wedge shoes with a cork or yarn-like heel throw me off. I didn't care with these shoes though!! I had to have them! When I first saw them, they were $59.99. I really wasn't in the mood to spend that much on shoes at the time. Y'all know I love a good sale and/or clearance!! I left them at the store :( Well wouldn't you know that my sis-inlaw was shopping at another store and saw them on clearance!?! She sent me a text, and I was up there immediately! Copped for $19!! BOOM! They are super comfy, and I love the color.

Until next time…

UPDATE: I've linked up for another edition of Trendy Tuesday with Corie over at Its My Taste! Head on over to check it out!! You should link up too! =D

White Tank - Target

Green Tank - H&M

Pants - Old Navy

Shoes -  Fergalicious - Herberger's (Bostonian, Carson Prairie Scott)

Inspired...

Happy Monday!! Hope everyones weekend went well!

Shea from Curves and Confidence started a "re-create her look" series on her blog. I love Shea's blog because she's so versatile with her clothing. If you haven't visited already, head on over to check her out!! She's one of the first bloggers that I saw rock gymshoes, besides myself. When I saw this look, being that I had the same style of Jordans in my closet, I knew that I had to participate in the series:

How did I do???

Jacket - Gifted

Tank - Target

Jeans - Rockstar Skinnies- Old Navy 

Shoes - Jordan 3's (True Blues) 

Purse - Coach