Don't forget to move your bookmarks/reader/etc

image from http://acompletewasteofmakeup.com/i-moved/

Plus Size Curves Ahead is now located at http://honeychalice.com/. So come and visit me there instead!

Just a jump to the left...

It's been promised to me that it'll be in the high 50's on Sunday for Easter. But I don't believe it. It's going to be cold forever. I'll be wearing sweaters forever. So it's a good thing that I have plenty. In totally unrelated news, I've moved my blogs (this one and my book blog) to WordPress. Google just ticked me off for the last time when they randomly decided that they were kicking Reader to the curb in July. So, change your bookmarks to http://honeychalice.com/ for Plus Size Curves Ahead, and to http://judgementalbookreviews.wordpress.com/ for my book blog (Judgemental Book Reviews, and yes, I will start writing on it again). So, last post here, everything's moved including comments, and it's totally exciting!!

Is that a smile?!

Sweater - Simply Be, Pants - Denim 24/7, Shoes - Target.

IT is a smile! This next picture has a full on grin! Holy crap, I must have been randomly pleased this morning while taking my picture.

So now to move to something completely different. Do you ever have bizarre reactions to songs? Of course you do. One of my favorite songs is "Another New World", both sung by the original artist, Josh Ritter, and also by the Punch Brothers. I love this song. Love it. But listening to it affects me in a weird way, almost like when I have a panic attack. My chest feels tight and I feel oddly anxious during it, even while I'm singing along to it and thinking how gorgeous it is. What songs hit you in odd ways?

Meh shirt, Awesome book

This shirt has a beautiful pattern, but the cut is ehhh. I put it in my Gwynnie Bee closet hoping it would style better than it appeared, because the butterflies are so cute without being cutesy, but nope. It's was supposed to be A-line, but it's more like an inverted triangle. And that just wasn't something I ever wanted, which is really a pity since it actually has 3/4 sleeves that hit me at 3/4 length.

Evans Mono Butterfly Shell Top from Gwynnie Bee

But I got some other cute tops in from Gwynnie Bee today, and I got my copy of Aimee Fleck's DAMN GIRL THAT STYLE IS FAT!

It's a little book about curating your style and your closet. No, she doesn't say anything mind-blowingly revolutionary about either. She has the same basic tips you'll find most places, illustrated with gorgeous curvy women. Except...she does say something revolutionary. In her author's note, the very last sentence is the best of the whole book. "You are beautiful no matter what you wear - and I believe that's the most important style tip of all." (emphasis hers, bold mine.)

Dream Capsule Wardrobe

So I joked about making Gwynnie Bee into your capsule wardrobe. Then I was looking through, adding stuff to my online "closet" and I started to ponder the ultimate capsule wardrobe made up of stuff you could get from them. Their top tier is 10 items at a time. They don't offer pants, so I'll spot myself a pair of black pants, bringing it up to 11 total garments.

Simply Be slim leg jeans in black

So the challenge to myself was could I create a good, workable capsule? And the answer was of course!

I settled on 2 skirts, 5 tops, 2 dresses, and 1 jacket. One of the best things about Gwynnie Bee that I haven't mentioned is that you can get items that have sold out. Like the yellow star tunic from Simply Be brand Angel Ribbons - this sold out in my size before it got to a price that I was willing to pay. Throw some scarves, necklaces and camisoles into this mix and you've got a wardrobe you could really do something great with. Plus a few really bright shoes and purses. :)

Skirts:

Inc seamed knit pencil skirt

Kiyonna "Riley" ruched skirt (this is a gray, not black)

Tops:

ASOS Curve Wrap Top in Galaxy Print

Simply Be Ombre Floral Print Tunic

Angel Ribbons Star Tunic

Kiyonna "Sandy" Striped Top, Purple

Kiyonna "Lily" top, purple

Dresses:

Eloquii Tie Waist Batwing Dress

Inc Exotic Print Dress

 Jacket:

Mynt 1792 "Morris Moto Jacket"

Gently Cupped by the Best Shirt

Kiyonna top from Gwynnie Bee, Simply Be Cords and Boots and Cami.

Sometimes (bad) empire waist tops will make you look oddly hausfrau. Big breasts, just sort of drooping there over the top of the empire waist in an old peasant woman way. And of course you realize this only when you see a photo. This shirt, the Sandy Striped Top from Kiyonna, does just the opposite. I look pert! It shows off how smaller my rib cage is, glides comfortably over my hips, and it's actually long enough. You know when you bend over and all of a sudden, the shirt you thought was long enough is suddenly half-way up your back? Not this one. Yes, you need a camisole. Or not, depending on your comfort level/personal cleavage. Man, I really did not want to find out how great a $58 shirt was. And I just got the Riley Ruched Skirt in my last Gwynnie Bee shipment and it is utterly smokin' hot! Kiyonna, you're killing me here!

This is post 666. Cross yourself.

Evans peplum top through Gwynnie Bee

So I've had peplum issues*. As in, they look so cute on everyone else, but I was sure they would look odd on me. Because my hips are larger than my bust (which is large on it's own), so let's put a freaking ruffle right there to DRAW ATTENTION TO MY HIPS. Plus, most peplums are made out of...not stiff material, but not super-soft, either. More material that keeps it's shape, you know? However, this Evans top is made out of nice tee-shirt material, so it drapes well. It's really comfy, so now I want to try more Evans stuff. This top is a size too big, though, so I need to go down on my Evans sizing. Really, I need to take a tape measure and redo all my measurements so I'm certain of them.

Jeans and Boots - Simply Be.

What's the latest trend (yes, I know that I'm a little behind on the peplum bandwagon) you've tried? Either joyfully or with gritted teeth? Personally, I'm super-glad about some of the retro 90's stuff that's filtering back and flats being cool.

*Also, every time I try to type peplum, I type people.

Work shirt problems for bustiness

Keira top - Kiyonna from Gwynnie Bee

This shirt is gorgeous...but it is very low cut. I tried it on when it came and what I took away at that point was that I needed to wear a different bra. (My usual bra is a lacy one that the lace pattern showed through. I have about 6 of the same style in varying colors - this one from Cacique) But then I put it on this morning. And it looks fantastic, don't get me wrong. BUT. How low a plunge is too low for work? Or (reversed) how high should your work shirts be? This is a question that is really a problem for busty women, plus size or not. And I would say especially for petite women like me. Because anyone over 5'5" can look right down into the cleavage of this shirt. And while that might be sexy for a date, it could make some people really uncomfortable in the workplace.

Pants - Avenue, Boots - Simply Be, Scarf - Send the Trend.

So, instead of a necklace, I used a handy-dandy scarf! It drapes nicely right in the cleav area. Unlike the other shirt from Kiyonna, this one is not really camisole friendly. So I think I'll send it back. I don't have any hot dates coming up, and I know now that I feel a little uncomfy wearing it to work. And Lord knows, if I think it's too low cut, it really is, since I'm the Cleavage Queen!

Blue Skies

Sweater - Simply Be, Pants - thrifted, Shoes - Target.

So my niece has decided that blueberry smoothies are her FAVORITE thing to have for breakfast. You know, if Auntie makes them for her. I'm sure it's all about the flavor, and not about the fact that they're a bright purple and she gets to use a big wide straw. (Presentation is key, you know.) It's starting to get warm again. Hopefully, it'll stay that way, rather than suddenly freezing again and snowing.

Also key, a cute Sherlock gif:

Masterpost of ShockingBlankets #not dead gifs here.

Go forth and waste your night on Tumblr!

1st Gwynnie Bee!

I got home and my first Gwynnie Bee package was waiting! I talked about Gwynnie Bee in my last post, but for all the info, here's their FAQ page. And here's a picture of me in my first top! (I forgot my camera at work, so you get a cell phone pic with crazy eyes.)

Top - Kiyonna from Gwynnie Be, Cami and Boots- Simply Be, Pants - Denim 24/7.

I'm sending the Fluid Wrap Dress straight back  for a lot of reasons. I got it just to try it on, since I'd never tried anything from Coldwater Creek before. But; I'm not really a fan of the color (too teal), it's too big on me, and the sleeves are too long anyway. (Curse  you, short arms!)

I got one shirt from Evans, a black and white peplum top. Now, I've been personally unsure about peplum tops since they became such a huge thing. I was just sure that somehow they would look strange on me. And this was the best way to try one. But it looks cute! It doesn't look ravishing enough for me to go out and buy one, but I think I'll enjoy styling it. It's made out of a soft t-shirt fabric so it isn't a stiff peplum like you see in some magazines, and I think that helped me like it.

I got two tops from Kiyonna. See, if I had lots of money, I would buy TONS of stuff from Kiyonna. Just bags and bags of stuff. This purple striped shirt is one that I just looked at on their site. It's on sale for $58, and I really liked the look of it. But I just didn't know about the fit. So, once again, a great way to try it. It has a really low plunge to it, but it's loose enough to easily wear a camisole underneath. And yes, it's ADORABLE. Look at how cute the sleeves are!

The last item I got in this package was a gorgeous bright red Kiyonna top. It looks like a low plunge and a tight belly, but after you put it on, you just have to adjust it. Like a bra! The top of it sort of cuddles your cleavage, so it doesn't expose you, and once you stop pulling down on the bottom and let it the ruching go up properly, it provides a hourglassy effect.

Now, as far as cost, you can do:
       1 item at a time for $35 a month
       2 for $59 a month ($29.50 each)
       3 for $79 a month ($26.33 each)
       5 for $99 a month ($19.80 each)
       7 for $129 a month ($18.42 each)
       10 for $159 a month ($15.90 each)
And yes, you really can keep stuff for as long as you want. Unless you quit, obviously. Just going by this first package, I'm sold. If you did the top tier, you could conceivably do a capsule wardrobe with their stuff, pajamas, and a couple of pairs of dress pants only. Not that I could ever purge my closet to that level.

Wearing of the Grays

Fused Glass Labyrinth necklace

It's been a neutral few days here, in the matter of colorways. Not purposefully, it just happened that way. Do you ever get stuck in an accidental color rut? I should get a package though to kick me right out of it soon. I joined Gwynnie Bee. I kept seeing the name all over various plus-size fashion blogs, so I looked it up. Basically, it's a plus-size clothing rental service. You sign up to rent so many items a month (various price options), get them in the mail and keep them as long as you want. Then you mail them back, together or separately, and get new ones.

Zippered shirt - Lane Bryant, Pants - Avenue, TOMS.

It starts at size 10 and goes up (yay, plus size!). They have casual and dressy stuff, and it's all really nice quality stuff (Kiyonna, Eloquii, Igigi, etc). I think that this will be a great way for me to try trends/styles I'm not sure of/pricey stuff before I commit to buying anything. Shipping is free, they do all the washing and checking before sending it out, and it just seems like a really great system. I'll post even more when I get my first package, which should be in the next day or so.

Sweater - Roamans, Pants - thrifted, Shoes - Dexter.

Orange!?!

Lovely Haitian beads bracelet won in a giveaway from Carrie!

So, I realized one of the reasons that I dislike the color orange. The short story "1408" by Stephen King features a heavy use of the color orange as a grotesqueness. If you haven't read the story, do yourself a favor, it's one of King's best (you can find it in Everything's Eventual or online here). Also, I had a bit of a John Cusack weekend, watching 1408 and Identity.

Dress, cardi, and boots - Simply Be, fleece lined tights - Wal-mart.

Fleece-lined tights rock, and these George tights from Wal-mart are just large enough for me. They're like fancy leggings. This ponte dress is long, coming way below my knees, and it comes in several colors. The cardigan is still available in a few larger sizes, too.

Labyrinths

So, I've been stressing over writing this post, hoping something magical would happen so I didn't have a reason to even think about it. No luck. The polyps they removed from my surgery last week turned out to show simple hyperplasia. Yeah, I'd never heard of it either. I've got way too much estrogen, and it's 

causing the excessive growths/polyps they found. It wouldn't be such a big deal, but it's a fairly worrying risk sign for pre-cancerous cells. The treatments range from progesterone pills all the way up to hysterectomies. At the moment I'm on progesterone pills, which are as ever giving me odd side effects.

A keychain I turned into a necklace, the traditional Chartres labyrinth

I'm pulling out my happy jewelry, since everything seems to be going all pear-shaped. For a long time, I've felt a big affinity for labyrinths, tree of life jewelry, and other...branchy type symbols. So, pro-tip? Go see your gynecologist regularly, unlike me, who slacked off until I had several very weird ultra-long periods.

Let's Play Grownups

Quick: in one of these pictures, I look like more of a stereotypical office worker than in the other. Guess which one. If you guessed the second one, you win the prize! I forgot to post on Tuesday, so I went to post a two-fer today, and the differences between the two pictures really struck me.

Tuesday

 In both, I'm wearing a cardigan over a t-shirt, pajama-style dress pants and socks (I wore my rain boots both days outside). But on Tuesday, the look is much more boho than Wednesday's classic business. The soft, flowing lines of the cardigan match my wavy hair, and a repeated dusty pink enhances my skin tone.

Wednesday

Today's red/black combination works with my skin in a different way; more of a Snow White contrast. And with my hair back in a bun, and the cleaner, more blazer-like lines of this cardigan, I have a more conventional business look.

Obviously, I'm not going to say one is better than the other. I'm the one wearing both of them! I just thought it was worth looking at how lines and colors can make big differences, even when you wear the exact same pieces of clothing. And let's face it, I have a TON of cardigans and pajama pants!

Tuesday: Cardigan - Simply Be, Shirt - Avenue, Pants - White Stag, Socks - Target.
Wednesday: Cardigan and Shirt - Avenue, Pants - Denim 24-7, Socks - Sock Dreams.

Gurneys are the work of the devil (also, I cut my hair)

Sweater and boots - Simply Be, Shirt - thrift store, Pants - Denim 24/7,.

So, it turns out that hospital gurneys are the hardest, most evil beds known to man. I had my surgery* (they found some polyps, but everything went fine), but it was delayed because the surgeries before mine took more time than they planned. So I spent approximately 1,400 hours on a gurney. Give or take a few hours. My lady-parts** felt fine, but my back still hurts from the gurney and the surgery was on Thursday. Also, in a wonderful turn of events, anesthesia makes me weepy. So I came to after surgery with an already sore back, and then started crying. Yay.

Also, I finally got Jen to cut my hair! As is so very obvious. Really, I just got her to give me a blunt cut, evening up the ends, because the back was longer than the front, because of horrible layers that I had. So the front is still the same length, the back just got trimmed up 2 inches to meet it. I'm so much happier with it like this. Layers in my hair make me stabby.

*My surgery was a D&C for excessive bleeding.

**When my sister, who has been vehement about calling body parts by their right names for her kids, was asked by the munchkins why I was having surgery, she randomly lost all control. She told them I was having surgery on my girl-parts. I later informed my sister that I have lady-parts.