I Choose...

Hey peeps! I hope y'all enjoyed the weekend, and you're looking forward to an awesome week ahead.

My last post was kind of heavy. At least it was for me. It helped me to get some of my thoughts and feelings out. It also caused me to find answers within myself and make changes where appropriate. We all have choices in this life.

I choose to love. Love is not just a feeling. It's an action. I make the choice to love others, and open myself up to being loved.

I choose to live. It's my journey, and I plan to find out what the future holds. But in the mean time, living out loud is the only option. I will.

I choose to learn. The only way to grow is to learn. I don't know everything, nor do I pretend to. Being both the teacher and student brings about a wealth of knowledge.

I choose to laugh. We all know that laughter is good for the soul. Go on! Laugh!! I mean one of those deep down, I can't breathe/my cheeks hurt kind of laughs. Feels good don't it? :)

I choose to be me. No one can do it better.

What do you choose to do, think, or feel?

Sweater - Old Navy 

Leggings - Deb Shops

Boots - JC Penny

Bag- Coach 

All the Rage...

Happy Weekend!! Well, end of weekend that is. I wasn't busy at all. I planned to do some cleaning. Didn't. I planned to do some laundry. Didn't do that either. I'll tell you what I did do though! I got my eyebrows threaded, and shopped a little. Both of those things make me happy. Not the actual threading so much, but the results always make me smile. Have you tried threading? What do you think about it?

On to the OOTD...

I FINALLY found a jumpsuit that fits the way I want it to! And on clearance for $7 at Deb Shops of all places!! I know you guys have seen so many jumpsuits out in the blog world lately. They're the hottest thing smoking in the plus size community right now, and I was starting to think that I'd never find one that I felt comfortable in. One that flows with my body and didn't work against it. All of the jumpsuits that I've tried were either too tight, not tight enough, or just plain old ugly on me. lol! That brings us to my Deb Shops adventure.

I haven't stepped foot in that store since high-school. The eyebrow threading place was packed, so I decided to walk around the mall. Lawd knows I wasn't about to wait for the six people ahead of me to finish up! I went in all of the stores that interested me, and was about to head into Cinnabon (terrible idea), when I saw that Deb had a 50% off of clearance sale. Y'all know I can't resist a good sale right? I had to go in there and browse. Everything was just as I remembered, so I was about to leave until I saw this baby on the clearance rack.

Because of my past experiences, I was skeptical. And to top it off, there's no stretch in the bottom part. But I liked it because the material is easy/breezy and felt like it would blow in the wind. Very "vacation chic". I brought two sizes in the dressing room with me just to be sure. To my surprise, the size large fit like a glove with NO SPANX!! That my friends is a non-scale victory for me. Even though I am wearing a very light nylon type shaper to minimize any jiggle, and sheerness because the material is so light, I still consider it a victory :)

The only down side is that the top half offers NO SUPPORT. It's kind of lacy and it stretches, so in an effort to avoid any future wardrobe malfunctions, I took it in a little when I got home. It fits perfectly now. I love it! 

I will be going to a "Black and White Day Party" next weekend, and you better believe I will be wearing the heck out of this jumpsuit! 

Lastly, I want to speak about this super cute maxi collar that I received. Shawn of Design by Shawn contacted me and asked if I would like to own one of her custom handcrafted pieces of jewelry. I was honored that she wanted to make a piece for me! The design process was fast and super easy, and I absolutely LOVE my collar and earrings! Y'all check out her website, and give her a holler if you have any questions. She's super sweet, and awesome to work with. 

Until next time...

Jumpsuit - Deb Shops

Sandals - Target

Collar/Necklace Design by Shawn

Consider me Clutched and Covered...

I hope you're all having a great weekend with awesome weather. It's been a little rainy here, but I plan to take advantage of every bit of sunshine possible. Yay Summer! Now on to the OOTD.

Who says big girls shouldn't wear white? Those same people probably say we shouldn't wear skinny jeans either. Tuh! Well, I'm about to get on some folks nerves with this one! Ask me if I care.

I have a confession: This "top" is actually supposed to be a dress from H&M. I saw it on the mannequin, and loved the color. I got the biggest size they had (large) and prayed that it fit. Welp, it fit... but not like the store intended!! I saw it as a nice, casual tunic type top and bought it as such. I always tell women, never write off a store because you don't think that the sizes work for you. You never know what gems you could be passing up! 

These jeans you ask? They're from Target. I copped them on clearance for a mere $8.98. They are super comfy and soft. My first pair of white skinny's! I will have to be sure that I don't wear them too often. I don't want any discoloration, or rubbing in the thigh area (dreaded chub rub). I swear, if they had another pair I would have bought them too! 

Now lets get to this clutch! My girl Rocquelle of Consider Me Lovely started a clutch cover company: www.clutchedandcovered.com. This beautiful, stylish woman took a DIY project of her own, and turned it into a business. Her clutch covers are all hand made to order and FAB-U-LOUS!! I'm telling y'all, Rocquelle is creative and talented. Visit my girls' shop and show her some love. I promise, you won't be disappointed.

Until next time...

My girl Whitney over at Whitney Nic James.com has a personal style link up! Head on over and see what it's all about! :)

Top - H&M

Jeans - Target

Wedges - Target

Clutch Cover - www.clutchedandcovered.com

The Blues...

For the past month our Mac has been on the fritz. We have iPads, and iPhones in our home, but there's nothing like our beloved computer. But now she's back, she's fixed, and all is right with the world. Well, maybe not the world per se, but all is right in the Buchanan household. And you know what else?! I get to blog!! Believe me, I tried to do it from the iPad, but it just wasn't the same :(

If you hang out with me on Instagram, or Facebook, you've already seen these outfits. It's cool though.

Simply Be USA sent me a pair of Joe Browns Boyfriend Jeans. I had never purchased boyfriend jeans before because every pair that I tried up until this point had a weird fit. I thought that I would have to pass on this particular style because it just didn't work for me. When I put them on, they didn't look like all of the pics that I had seen of other plus size ladies who looked so cute in theirs!  Either they were too big in the waist, or too tight in the thigh area. A lot of them were also too long, or saggy in the crotch area. Lawd knows I can't stand jeans with a saggy crotch area! Ugh!

Anyhoo, these jeans are FAB! While they do have a bit of a gap in the back, they still sit up on my hips, and they are roomy throughout the thigh area.

I wore them to a Paint & Sip outing with my family and the outfit came out super cute.  I wanted to be casual and comfy, and I was just that. I decided to throw on a statement necklace as the focal point... and WAH-LAH! Don't you just love it when an outfit comes together just like you saw it in your head?! :)

Later on that evening, I decided to switch it up to see if I could wear the jeans with heels for a more dinner and cocktails casual look. Again, my outfit came together just how I imagined it. Not too dressy, not too casual. I just love these jeans! 

I am a minimalist when it comes to accessories, so I just added a little bracelet and a pair of black hoop earrings. My handy dandy blue clutch was perfect.

Have you tried your hand at Boyfriend Jeans? How did it turn out for you? What brand of jeans would you recommend?

My finished painting from the Paint & Sip event. I like it!! :)

Until next time...

Top - Target (Old)

Jeans - Simply Be USA

Clutch - Darby Smart

Heels - Madden Girl - DSW

Connect the Dots...

Happy Friday!! I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I LOVE the weekends!! There's just something about having the chance to rejuvenate after a long 5 days of work, work, work that makes me feel so good! :)

This was my OOTD last Saturday. The sun had finally come out, and the temps hit a little above 40, so naturally I had to show a lil leg. Ha!

This dress from H&M was perfect for dinner and drinks with my girls. My blue clutch was a no-brainer. I'm getting into taking pics with my bags now. That's new for me.

I was going to throw on a pair of simple black heels, when my leopard babies jumped out at me. What was I supposed to do? I couldn't just leave them in the closet! They were perfect! I kept the accessories to a minimum because I feel like there's a lot going on here. A simple gold necklace and hoop earrings was all that I needed.

The dress is a little short for my normal taste, but as I said in my previous post, I'm trying to step out of my comfort zone. I'm enjoying it so far ;)

Until next time...

Dress - H&M  (I couldn't find the dress on their site for the life of me)

Clutch - Darby Smart (A DIY company)

Heels - Target

Uniquely You...

Hey peeps!! I hope everyone's week is going well! The weekend is upon us, and even though it seems to fly by, I'm always excited to see it roll around :)

I was surprised when I opened my email to see that I was contacted by a ModStylist at ModCloth to participate in their Uniquely You Campaign! The challenge was to build an outfit around this super cute Palette On Parade Dress. Yes Please! I really like the dress because reminds me of Spring, which I can't wait for.

I decided to allow the dress to be the focal point, and keep the accessories to a minimum. I've always loved the Mary Jane style heel, so when I saw these cute Member of the Board shoes in turquoise, I thought they would be perfect for this classy retro look. Add a cream cardigan (totally optional), and you got yourself a simple/cute Spring weekend outfit!

I've never shopped ModCloth, but doing this challenge has certainly allowed me to explore the site, and I now have a few items bookmarked for myself. Check out their selection of dresses which come in a variety of sizes.

Until next time...

Polyvore Outfit Challenge by shanticka featuring a black bracelet

                                 

Leather, Peplum & Marilyn

Happy Friday Eve!!! You may or may not know that I'm a huge fan of the weekend. HUGE!! I wear what I want, do what I want, and chill like I want. Of course they go by too fast, but I aim to enjoy them while they last. Do you make plans, for your weekends, or do you just go with the flow?

On to the OOTN.

You know how you have an outfit in your head, then you put it on and it looks nothing like you pictured it? Well this outfit was the opposite of that. It turned out exactly how I wanted it to. The jacket, the Marilyn Monroe crop, and the peplum skirt (another Target clearance steal) all just worked. My initial idea was to wear all black heels, but my lace Steve Maddens jumped out at me. I threw them on, and loved it. This type of thing only happens ever so often, so I relished in the moment.

Until next time…

Leather Jacket - Borrowed from SIL
Crop Top - Target
Peplum Skirt - Target
Steve Madden Heels - DSW

Blog Thuggin'

Greetings and salutations!! I hope you all have had a fantastic holiday season, and an even better start to the new year!

I won't get into the fact that I've been gone a while. It's the same old song. What I will get into is the fact that I made a promise to myself (a resolution of sorts), that I will blog at least once a week. It doesn't matter if I have one picture or five, I need to get it together. I made the usual excuses. I don't have a camera, it's cold outside, there's no light, yadda-yadda-yadda. While, all of those things are true… Who cares?! 

I have found that not blogging has stunted my personal style growth. That may not make sense to you, but the very reason that I started blogging was to help with finding my style, and build upon it.

So, I stole borrowed the phrase "blog thuggin" from my blogger buddy Lynn. It basically means that we don't have a camera, so we're about that camera phone life right now. LOL! I'm not shamed. It is what it is. A new camera will come in due time. But for now, I will take my shots and blog until my hearts' content.

This outfit is basically courtesy of Old Navy clearance racks. The polo, the sweater, and the pants! And the best part is, the entire outfit was less than $20 (with the exception of the boots). The boots are from Target. They're a few years old, and I probably need to get rid of them, but I can't. They are my favorite boots, and it pains me to let them go.

Do you have that one item (or two) that you just can't part with? What is it?

Until next time...

The Skin I'm In...

I hope you guys enjoyed your weekend. For those of us who work a 9 to 5 from Mon-Fri, tomorrow it's back to the rat race for another fun week of work. Yay *insert sarcasm*!!

Winter has come for us in the "Land of 10,000 Lakes". And even though it didn't stick, we've actually gotten some snow! That may be a surprise to you (depending on where you're from), but it doesn't surprise me at all. Pretty much, any time after September, we expect it. lol!

It was such a nice Fall afternoon, that I decided to step out and take a few pics! I'm giving myself and my daughter a huge pat on the back for this, because it's been a struggle. My bathroom "selfies" have been off the chain on IG because of how my schedule has been. Are you following me on Instagram (@TickaNascha)?? If not, you're really missing out. Well, you're not really missing anything, but you should follow me anyway. Capeesh? Now on to the OOTD.

The dress that I'm wearing was given to me by Sis-Inlaw. She's a rockstar with her weight-loss and gave me a bag of items that she could no longer fit. One of the items I chose was this dress, knowing full well that I could not fit it. It was just too cute to pass up! I tried it on later on that evening, which confirmed what I knew to be true. There's a little bit of stretch in the material, but I couldn't get it past my hips/butt!! At that time, I hadn't really started my health journey, but I knew it was coming. This dress became somewhat of a goal for me.

Fast forward to now… I forgot all about it. I was looking for something to wear to work, complaining as usual about having nothing to wear, and this dress jumped out at me. Literally. It fell off of the hanger. I stared at it, and went back and forth on if I should try it on or not. Even though I know I'd been consistent in the gym (still got some work to do on my eating habits), I didn't see myself as being able to fit into the dress. I didn't want to be disappointed. Long story short, I tried it on, and... WAH-LAH!! It fit!! I haven't stepped on a scale in months, but once I was able to pull this dress down over my hips and it didn't cut off my circulation, I knew a few changes had taken place.

This served as a reminder for me. A reminder to continue to work towards my goals. Just because I don't see change everyday, doesn't mean that it isn't present. I'm going to keep going, and keep loving me along the way. This is why I rock =)

Blazer - Target

Dress - The Limited

Shoes - Urbanog.com

Better Late Than Never...

Hey peeps! I hope you guys are enjoying your weekend!! I know I am. Currently Hubby and I are working on getting our pool & hot tub together so they can be in usable condition by the 4th of July. We're almost there. All we need now is for the weather to cooperate, and it will be all good.

For those of you who rock with me on Instagram & Twitter, you can look forward to a plethora of pics that include me chillin by/in said pool with some sort of cold beverage (which may or may not be of the alcoholic variety). #dontjudgeme ;)

Moving on to the OOTD. As I've said in a previous post, I am a "repeat offender" when it comes to clothes. You might read other blogs or have friends/family who you never see in the same thing twice. I am not one of those people. And since my blog reflects me, you will see some of those things once, twice or three tiiiiiiiiimes (a laaaaadaaaayyyy) here. *sorry about that Lionel Richie reference, it just came to my mind*

I was trying to get my life together to participate in the #StyleMeFriday segment of Eboni's blog, but I didn't make it in time :( It was all about peplum. Since I only have one item in this style (I actually JUST purchased a shirt from Target today), I had to dig deep to figure out ow to re-work it since I've worn it twice on the blog already here and here.

I think this worked. It turned out just as I saw it in my head. Don't you just love it when that happens?

Until next time…

***Remember that Google Reader is going away next week. Check out my previous post regarding migrating all of the blogs that you read to Feedly so that you don't miss any updates/new posts***

Dress - ASOS

Jeans - Old Navy

Shoes - Payless

Dare to be...

Hey peeps! Long time no see!!

I've come to the realization that Instagram has been my mistress for the past few months. Like any cheater, I've neglected my home, so it became less appealing. The interaction that I get on IG is awesome because it's in real time and I feel like I'm getting to know those of you who are over there.

I do miss the writing side of blogging and I also miss those of you who aren't on IG. Btw, what the heck are you waiting for? Get on over there and connect with me! :)

Anyhoo, on to more pressing matters. Like the fact that most of you know, Google Reader is going away. Aside from Instagram, you can still find me on Twitter & BlogLovin. And for you guys who are worried about finding/losing blogs that you read everyday, (mine included) I've transitioned over to a really cool alternative for Google Reader. It's called Feedly. I was able to migrate all of the blogs from my Google Reader to Feedly very easily and it's actually better than I thought it would be! Try it!

I've babbled long enough. It's time for my OOTD. I know that this outfit is not everyones cup of tea. Hell, I wouldn't even wear it without the Hubs!! There's no need to give me "constructive" feedback on how NOT to show my midriff. Yes, I know I have stretch love marks & this tummy ain't flat (I'm working on that part). I have two children and I've lived with all of the love they've given me for the past 14 years (shout out to my babies!!).  I've heard/read it all. Seriously. I got this.  There's a reason why it's called personal style. It's, well… Personal. There's also something awesomely liberating about owning your own style. Hits, misses, and everything in-between. Do it. I dare you!

Until next time…

P.S., my daughter cut my feet out of every pic & I didn't notice until I started editing. Ugh! Gotta love her!

Denim shirt - Target

Skirt - H & M

Sandals (not shown *eye roll*) - Target