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...

I Got a Secret...

Hey peeps!! As the weekend ends, I'm lounging in sweats, a t-shirt and socks. Minnesota weather is quickly turning to Fall, and we're at a cool 50 degrees and rainy, with no signs over summer left. I haven't left my house all day, and I make no apologies for it. I see most of my Instagram & blogger buddies wishing for Fall weather around their way. You ladies should come to Minnesota, we have all the chill in the air that you need :)

This was a work outfit from about a week ago. It was around 70 degrees and sunny. That's the perfect Fall day for me. I got to pull out my favorite knee boots and a cute scarf for a pop of color.

Wanna know a little something about this dress? It's from Target. Wanna know something else? It's from the maternity section. Yea. I said it. The Maternity Section. 

So there I am. Perusing the Target clearance isles, per usual. I came across this cute little striped number for $8.97. It was two of my favorite things. Striped and cheap. I took it in the dressing room and tried it on. It fit!! I looked at the tag again before going to the register, just to make sure that I counted all of my items correctly… and that's when I saw it. MATERNITY. o_O

Say what now? Maternity?! I was ready to put it back. I was so mad. I couldn't imagine that I would wear a maternity dress without actually being pregnant. I'm not sure why, but I just couldn't. It made me feel some type of way :/ Then I remembered a post from one of the first plus sized bloggers that I "followed". Ever so stylish GabiFresh blogged about a super cute dress that she wore from the maternity section of ASOS. Then, I thought… Why not? Because it sounded bad for me to be able to fit a maternity dress.

My next thoughts were, it's cute, and I look good in it, so I bought it and wore it. POW!!

Until next time…

Jacket - Rue 21

Dress - Target (Maternity Section)

Scarf - Target

Boots - Target

Mixing it up...

I hope everyones week is off to a great start. I just wanted to quickly post one of my favorite outfits to date. If you've been rocking with me for a while, you'll remember the bottom half of this dress from a post last year (May, 2012) titled, Curves Ahead. This dress was my very first purchase from ASOS and I love it! I refuse to let this dress go, so I had to "take it in" a bit because I'm in the process of changing said curves. I'm thinking that's a good problem to have. At least in my case it is.

Aside from my striped dress worn here, here, and here this top is my only other peplum item. I love the trend, but have found that not all peplum is created equal. You have the find the right cut for you, and I do adore my two lonely little purchases.

 As some of you already know (and saw if you clicked the above links) I'm all about repurposing a wardrobe item. This is no exception. I wore the dress as a skirt this time, and added my new peplum top from Target (which I got on clearance for $8.97).

Last but not least, lets just take a sec to talk about these lace covered Steve Madden heels!! They've been in my closet for over a year, and this was my first time sporting them. Super cute, with a capitol C! I wanted to wear them with this dress/skirt because it gave me the feel of print mixing. Subtle, but still there.

Until next time…

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

Repeat Offender...

Hey peeps! Hope you guys had a great weekend. I sure did. The sun has finally come out to stay in good old Minnesota and we're trying to spend as much time outside as possible these days. This past Winter was terrible and lasted longer than anyone would have liked. Our last snow fall was just a little over a week ago!! Ok, enough about the weather. On to my #ootd.

I love me some Old Navy. If you take a peek at a lot of my previous posts, you will find that I frequent that place often, and their clearance racks have me dancing in the isles. No really. Sometimes I do a little dance when I find a steal of a deal. #dontjudgeme Ha!

You've seen this skirt before, and I have no problem showing it again. It's actually the same skirt from my previous post, just in a different color.Yes, I am a… dare I say it?! Repeat offender. I wear things in my closet more than once. So sue me. And, if I find a cute way to wear it, you just might see me rocking it that way again. Shocking, I know. lol! That's just me. And here at Spoon Full of Sugar, that's what you get. Me ;)

This look is also my link up entry to last weeks Style Me Friday segment over at Eboni's spot The Fashionista Next Door. Head on over her way to see all of the other lovely ladies who linked up in their white Tees!!





Until next time…

White Tee - Dots
Striped Pencil Skirt - Old Navy
Shoes - Target

Life Happens...

Hey peeps!! Let me start by giving a big fat THANK YOU to all of you!! You didn't delete me from your readers because I've been MIA, and for that I'm thankful!! I've been around, reading blogs, looking at pics, reading tweets and "liking" Instagram pics. I just haven't had the time to get back to blogging until now. 

I have so much to say/show!! But, I'm gonna try to keep my first post relatively short as I get back into the swing of things. Please hang in there with me if you follow me in IG and have seen some of these pics. This won't be the norm now that I can get out and do OOTD pics again. 

First thing's first. Hubby and I purchased our very first (and hopefully last) home! We're homeowners y'all!! I love our home! Packing, moving, and unpacking is a monster, but I wake up smiling, feeling blessed, and thanking God every morning. This pic was taken in April... And yes, that's snow in April! O_o

Secondly, I haven't given up on my health/fitness/wellness journey. I must admit that I have stumbled a bit here and there with my eating habits, but slacking on being active is not an option for me. Exercising at least four days a week as helped me to reach my 2nd weight goal. I'm not comfortable with sharing that number just yet. Not sure if I ever will be, but it damn sure felt good to get there. I now have a new goal, and I'm working everyday to get there.

While two great things were happening in my life, I also lost someone very close to me. My Aunt Berda was called Home to the Lord. Her passing was devastating to my family, as she was/is our backbone. She was one of the most kind, loving, passionate and family oriented people that I know. She had a significant role in raising me to be the woman that I am today. I know she's watching over me and I am comforted knowing that she's no longer in pain and can be forever young. Rest in Peace my Angel.

The next thing that I'm going to mention makes me smile every time I catch my reflection. My hair. When I tell you that I love the way my natural hair is shaping up, I mean it! There were times when it was growing out that I wasn't so sure about it. I'm sure now. From braid-outs, to twist-outs, to afros, to this cute little bun that I recently learned how to do, I LOVE IT!!

And last but not least... (I know I said I would keep it short, but I just couldn't. Ha!) An outfit post. Let me just say, I just love this Marilyn Monroe top. 

Thank you guys again for hanging in there, and shout out to those of you who checked up on me to make sure that I was ok. I'm good. BABY I'M BACK! Please stay tuned. Until next time...

Tee- Target

Tank - Old Navy

Striped Pencil Skirt - Old Navy

Leopard Flats - Target

Candied Leather...

Hey peeps!! I hope you guys had a fantastic weekend! I sure did! Even though the weather has yet to break into Spring, I've had a bit of a pep in my step lately.

The home buying process is still weighing heavily on my mind (and wallet), but it's coming along. If all  continues to go well, we will be in our new home come this time next month. Wooooo-hooooo!! Thank you guys for your well wishes.

I haven't been out to party lately, but my girls and I decided to hang last night. It was the perfect time for me to get my mind off of things. I love it when we get together because we completely turn up. #pourupdrank ;) It also gave me the opportunity to get dressed up and take some pics.

I've shown this super cute candy striped dress from ASOS in a previous post here. I just love this dress!! The leather jacket took it to another level for me (shout out to my sis-inlaw for the loaner).

***NOTE: Being that Google Reader is going away, please don't hesitate to follow me via BlogLovin, Twitter & Instagram***

Until next time...

The sun was really shining in my eyes :)

Jacket - Unknown (borrowed)

Dress - ASOS

Shoes - Steve Madden

Hooked...

Hey peeps!! I hope you're having a great start of the week!! For me, it was a very busy, yet fulfilling day. I am an eMentor (mentor over email) to a high-school student, and I got to meet her today. She came to my office for half the day to participate in a job-shadowing opportunity. While it was an awesome experience for she and I both, I had to basically cram a full day of work into 4 hours once the job-shadowing was over. It was at that moment that the wheels flew off of my day! I finally gained control of everything before it was time for me to leave. Whew! I'm assuming tomorrow will be better.

Anyhoo, on to the OOTD…

So, here's the deal. I can't stop wearing stripes. No matter how hard I try to steer clear of them while shopping, they just keep callin me **insert Pookie voice from New Jack City**!

Chris Rock as Pookie

 This skirt was no exception. I picked it up from the Old Navy Outlet for the lovely price of $8.73 a piece! When I saw that the clearance price was $12.49 + an extra 30% off, I realized that there were 2 other skirts (plus a blazer) that NEEDED to come home with me. Ha!

The black and white striped skirt just begs to be paired with my leopard shoes. I love them together.

I pinned one side of my hair just to see if I would like it… and I do! I think, I'm getting the hang of this whole natural thing. lol I've been browsing Youtube looking for more styles that fit with my length. If you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments section, or hit me up on Twitter or Facebook, and now Instagram!!!

Until next time...

T-Shirt - Dots

Skirt - Old Navy

Shoes - Target

Weekend Girl...

Hey peeps! As usual, I hope you guys are enjoying the weekend. Being that I don't have to work tomorrow, I have a bit of extra pep in my step =D

The weather is beautiful. Right now it's 57 degrees and sunny. I know that's not considered beautiful for some of my warmer climate friends, but to us in Minnesota, it's a lovely Fall day. On to the OOTD.

To continue my stripes and legs theme from Summer into Fall, I'm wearing this cute as a button sweater dress from Old Navy. Hubby and I went to one of the outlet malls and the entire store was 40% off!! You know that sent my Spidey senses a-tinglin'! This dress ended up costing $11.96! It would have been a crime NOT to get it! ;) I decided to dress the look down and make it more casual.

I hope you guys aren't tired of my Moccasins already… because I'm far from it. These are a Fall staple for me. And here at Spoon Full of Sugar, you get ME! On another note, my hair is growing nicely. The afro is getting a little bigger these days, and I love it!

I have a blogiversary post coming up this week, with a lil sumthin-sumthin for my readers. I can't thank you guys enough for your constant support & love. Stay tuned.

Until next time…

Dress - Old Navy

Moccasins/Boots - Minnetonka Moccasin 

Legs & Stripes...

Hey y'all! Hope you're having a wonderful weekend, and are enjoying your Sunday.

This post is my farewell to Summer. It was my first Summer blogging and I must say that I loved every second of it. I decided to post some of my favorite looks from the past few months.

In my adult life (after having children), I was never one to show my legs too much because I wasn't  confident that they were nice enough to be shown. Blogging kind of changed all of that. And because I feel in love with my legs, and apparently stripes at the same time, I dubbed this past season, "The Summer of Legs & Stripes".

I can't choose a favorite look, but I love the black & white striped skirt with the denim vest, and the brown pencil skirt with the pink top/shoes. My third favorite is the orange blazer with the jean cut-offs.

What have you learned about yourself this summer? Were you drawn to certain items or colors?

Until next time...