Change...

Happy Monday guys!

Normally I don't like Mondays. Well, really it's Sunday nights that I have a problem with. It symbolizes the start of another five days that I have to wait until the weekend comes :) I'm such a weekend girl.

Well today, might have changed my gripe about Mondays. For a little while at least. Today Monday represented change. A sense of newness. The realization that I could see where I want to be, as well as the path that could take me there. I'm excited for new things to come!

It was also a beautiful day as far as the weather is concerned. Fall is in full swing here in Minnesota, and my yard has the fallen leaves to prove it!

Those leaves sure are pretty, but we will be some raking fools this weekend! lol!

This picture is one of my favorites! ;)

Do you get a case of "The Mondays" when weekends end too? What helps you get through?

Scarf - Target

Denim Shirt - Target

Skirt - JC Pennys

Boots - Target

Bag - Coach

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 

Musings of Me...

Hey peeps!! I'm all in my feelings this evening, so hang in there with me for this post. I'll try to get through this without putting all of my business in the streets :)

Lately, I find myself asking two questions. 1. Aside from being the best mom I can be to my children... What is my purpose? 2. When is ok to say "No"?

Ever since I was younger, I've been a helper/giver. To some extent I didn't have a choice, but now I'm to the point where I do. It all began with my great-grandmother (who raised me and my little cousins until she passed), then to my aunt who tried her best to take on that role after granny's passing. After a while, I moved to Minnesota to live with my mother, brother and sister. Lastly, I'm happily a help mate/partner to my husband. I won't go into detail, about those times, but just know that I was consistently tasked with duties well beyond my years at stages early on in my life. No complaints here, because no matter how hard things may have been, I'm a better person today because of it.

As I've gotten older, I realize that people basically define me as a helper/giver. Not in their words, but in their actions.

I'm aware that life requires assistance. No one moves through completely alone, no matter what people think. And I don't mind lending a helping hand every now and then. I've been blessed to have a foundation of love, hard work, patience & empathy. I also understand, with that comes a bit of responsibility. People gravitate towards me for help. No matter if it's monetary, "Lemmie hold sumthin". Emotional, "Gurl, let me tell you what he did!!". Physical, "I need a ride". Or requires my time, "Can you watch my kids?", just to name a few examples.

This brings me to question #1. My purpose. Because helping feels like second nature to me, and I almost have to talk myself out of it sometimes, is it what I'm supposed to do? Yes, I get tired. To be honest, I don't even want to answer my phone sometimes! But really. Is that what I'm here for? To help others? I know that we all should to a certain extent, but c'mon!! Y'all just don't know! I struggle with this daily. Well, maybe daily is an exaggeration, but for sure it's more than a few times a week. There's always something.

And if I am here to help others, when does that help become enabling? Question #2. When is ok to say "No"? Time is my most precious asset. The time that I spend with my husband and children is beyond measure. It's the one thing that I can't have back. Once time is spent, it's gone. When someone needs me to take them somewhere, pick them up, spend two hours on the phone, watch their children, etc., it takes me away from my peeps at home.

Now, don't get me wrong! Momma needs time to herself!! I also need time with friends, and family, but this different. Again. When is it ok to say no? Mostly when someone needs my time in the ways that I've described, it's an urgent matter. But, have I allowed this to happen so much that it's expected of me? Like, do people allow themselves to get caught up, or make plans with no regard because they know that I'll be there? That's enabling, right? Again, I struggle with this.

Then on the other hand, I love to feel needed. When my husband and kids need me, it's the best feeling in the world! Well, most of the time. When I'm in the bathroom and all I want to do is sit there and scroll through my phone, then I hear my name, or "MOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!" being yelled through the house, I cringe a little bit. But y'all know what I'm saying.

So this makes me wonder, do I help others because of my want to be needed? Placing blame can be easy sometimes. Way easier than looking inside and realizing that the fault lies within you. I've said it three times already. I struggle. #teambrokenrecord

I don't have the answers. I used this post as a way to ask some questions out loud so I didn't have to talk to myself and look like a crazy person. Thank you for reading, or just looking at the pictures. Either way, I know it was a lot & I appreciate cha! :)

Until next time...

Faux Leather Peplum Biker Jacket - SimplyBe
Crop Top - A store in "The Underground" in Atlanta (not sure of the name)
Dress (worn as a skirt) - H&M
Boots - Minnetonka Moccasin
Bag - Coach

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

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

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

Busy Body...

Happy Sunday! Spring has finally arrived! Well not so much here, but I've enjoyed seeing the pics and posts of you guys enjoying the warmer temps and sunshine in your neck of the woods. Minnesota is always a little late to the party, but we'll be there soon enough. 

Back in December, I participated in a Twitter chat hosted by Alissa of Stylish Curves & Simply Be (click the link for the dress). By using the hashtag #HolidayCurves during the chat, I won the chance to choose a dress from the Simply Be site. I chose this cute little number. Although my eye was drawn to the dress, I was hesitant to order it because there's a lot going on! Normally when I wear a pattern, it's usually stripes, and maybe a little leopard when I want to call myself pattern mixing. 

I stared at the dress on the site for a little bit, then said, "Why not?!". I placed the order and anxiously waited for it to arrive. I have to be honest and say, when I took it out of the packaging, I wasn't impressed. I held it up to my body, and thought that it wouldn't look good on me. The dress looked lifeless.

Let me tell you. I couldn't have been more wrong. I put the dress on and BOOM!! Instant sexy! I fell in love with the colors, the material, the length, the fit, and the way that it laid over my curves. It was the perfect example of the saying, "Wear the clothes, don't let the clothes wear you".

I couldn't wait to style it, and take pics! Now I can't wait to wear it for a night on the town with my girls or with the hubby.

I decided to keep accessories to a minimum since I felt like such a busy body in the dress. I could have done a black clutch, but that's no fun. I pulled out my pink one since there's pink in the dress. But the way I see it, the possibilities are endless for color pairings.

These ankle strap Sam Libby heels from Target are the bizness!! I copped them on clearance about a month or so ago, and I'm swooning over them! They aren't too high, and they're just the right amount of sexy to pair with this dress.

Until next time...

Dress - Simply Be

Shoes - Target

Clutch - JC Penny

Weekend/Winter Flow...

The weekend is coming to a close, and we're also coming up on the last week in February. While I'm sad to see the weekend go per usual, I'm happy that the Winter months are going by. From what I gather, this Winter has been a pain in the you know what for quite a few states that don't normally have too may issues. I'm sure we all saw the icy happenings in Georgia, Mississippi, and a few other southern states. Well this Winter hasn't taken it easy on us here in Minnesota either. Our schools have closed for a record number of days this year due to the snowfall, and/or sub-zero temps. And more importantly, it's hard to get your "cute on", and head outside to take pictures in these conditions! lol!

OAN: Please excuse the salt on the ground. It's imperative that we use salt to melt the ice on our stairs in hopes of preventing folks from falling down and suing the pants off of us. Can't have that now can we?

Alas, my daughter and I braved the wind, and stepped outside my front door to snap a few, then literally run back inside. I look a little crazy because it's hard to genuinely smile when it feels like the wind has a vendetta against you.

I decided to take my plain old black (strapless) body-con dress, and make it casual by wearing a denim jacket, and my cute little boots that I picked up from on sale for $10 at Sears. There was a BOGO half off clearance sale, and I was happy that I came across these.

Until next time...

Denim Jacket - Rue 21
Dress - H&M
Belt - Target
Boots - Sears

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

Steal of a Deal

I could get used to this regularly posting thing! HA! I don't want to get ahead of myself here, but I'm freaking happy to be blogging again! 

You know the feeling that you get when you're browsing the clearance racks at your favorite store (in this case Target), and you come across an item that you just can't pass up? Well my friends, this dress was that for me. I had been hesitant to try the "Skater" style dress/skirt because I'm Poison… you know… BBD? Poison? Big butt, smile, etc. Yup, that's me! I felt like I was too Poison to have my business all in the streets from the back in a skater skirt/dress, so I never even tried them on. Then I spotted this color-blocked bad boy!

Picture is from my Instagram

When I looked at the price tag, I ran to that dressing room! lol! Once I saw that it fit, I knew that it was coming home with me. Now you may be wondering why the receipt says $6.80. I got to the register, and the clerk noticed that the belt had a rip, and gave me an additional 10% off. SCORE!! I think I may have even done the running man. I just love a great steal deal!

Have you scored any great deals lately? Do tell!!

Until next time...

The dress is a pretty nice length. Not too short for my taste.

I put on my Target leopard pumps, because the colors are perfect with the dress.

Even though the back of the dress does rise, the opaque tights add a level of comfort for me :)

Spotted...

No need to adjust your eyes, or refresh your browser :) After almost two months of allowing dust to cover my blog, I'm finally posting. I haven't been completely incognito though. I've been around… Reading blogs, tweeting/retweeting, commenting and "liking" on IG and Facebook. I promise, I have! Even though I haven't put hand to keyboard here, I've seen and interacted with most of you on other social media outlets, so trust me when I say, I haven't forgotten about you.

To the peeps who don't currently "follow" me elsewhere, please take a moment to do so if you can. I'm on Instagram & Twitter for the most part. I also have a FB Blog Page. Now, admittedly I'm not very active on the FB blog page, but I promise to pop up every now and then :)

After my outfit post for date-night, there's a few pics that I've also posted on Instagram. Stick with me though! I mean, you've come this far, so why not?!

Now, about this outfit… For some reason, blogger buddy Kim of The Natural Fashionista has me thinking that I can sport crop tops!! Yea, I said it!! Crop tops!! And ya girl drank the Kool-Aide. I saw this cute crop at H&M and couldn't pass it up. The polka dots caught my eye, and it's right on trend with the now fading comic art craze. Not that I'm super trendy or anything, but I do like to try new stuff sometimes.

Let's talk for a second about this high-waisted pencil skirt!! I picked this bad boy up at Stella Blue, a little boutique in my area.They normally don't carry plus sizes, but I always stop by just to see what they have, and to try a few things on. Plus they sell some really nice smelling body oils. I was drawn to this skirt. The $10 price tag may have had something to do with it, but I digress. But when I saw that it was a size M/L, I got a little said. Something told me to try it on. Again, it could have been the $10 tag, but I can't say for sure. I tried it. The end result?!? It fit, and I loved it! Throw it in the bag! 

It started raining outside, hence the final pic in my basement ;) Ha!

Top - H&M

Skirt - Stella Blu

Shoes -DSW (Steve Madden)

I received this shirt from a fellow IG buddy. Check out her on-line store for more styles of tees for ladies with natural hair! 

Bella Donna Kinks Tees

Tee - See link above

Shorts - Calvin Klein (DIY Distressed)

I just kind of loved the color of this wrap dress that I picked up from Old Navy. I paired it with my leopard print babies from Target to add a little flair :)

Dress - Old Navy

Shoes - Target

Until next time (which I promise will be sooner than later)…