Visit Philly

The first time I visited Philly, it was eight years ago. Even though the city was in transition with all the construction, it still was one of my favorite cities. Fast forward to last weekend, I headed back to the City of Brotherly Love to hang out with my blogger boo Grown & Curvy Woman. In conjunction with Visit Philly, we wanted to show all that the city of Philadelphia has to offer. Not only is it a great vacation spot (it's only 2 hours away from NYC), there is so much to do in the city it's even great for staycationers (Grown & Curvy Woman lives in Philly). If you didn't get a chance to see some behind the scenes on Snapchat and IG (follow me @styleoversize) here is all that I saw during my weekend stay.

Walking Mural Tour

On Saturday, Georgette and I took part in the Mural Mile Walking Tour. The program was created in the 80's to encourage artists to create art in their communities and to deter graffiti. Cheyenne, our tour guide took us through the city and explained the history of the murals. Philly has over 1000 murals around the city, and some murals are maintained, repurposed to display new art, or even created in conjunction with those in the community. For example, the third mural was created alongside children participating in the arts program. The artist then took all the different pictures from the children and combined all the art into a cohesive mural. As a wall girl, getting a chance to see all the different art created was eye opening. There are so many murals in this city, it's easy to just walk or drive by and not give it a second look. To learn some of the pieces and the inspiration behind it was pretty amazing. The tour is two hours so make sure you have on some layers and comfortable shoes. You will not be disappointed. 

Reading Terminal Market

When you think of Philly, you think of the arts, the Liberty Bell, but Philly is starting to become known for the great restaurants. For foodies, Reading Terminal Market is the place to be. From burgers, to sushi, to Amish chicken, this is the place to go if you want to be in a food coma. There is a buffet, several places to buy fresh seafood, and all the desserts you could possibly want. Walking through the market is an experience all in itself because it is packed with people heading to different vendors to get their fix. I have a major sweet tooth, so I tried the red velvet layer cake in the last picture. When it comes to mini cakes, especially red velvet a lot of the time the icing seeps into the cake and makes it mushy. Not this cake. The layers and the cake was just perfection. If you love cannoli's and mini cake, definitely check out the Termini Bro's Bakery. This place has something even for the pickiest of eaters, so you must make it your mission to check it out. 

Philadelphia Museum of Art

On my last day in Philly, we went to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to check out their latest exhibit, Paint The Revolution: Mexican Modernism. The art featured spanned from the 1910's-1950's. Artists such as Frida Kahlo (one of my favorite artists of all time), Diego Rivera were amongst those featured. Kahlo & Diego are the most well known, but it was cool to learn about other Mexican artists such as Rufino Tamayo,  David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Dr Atl. If you are into the arts. the exhibit is available until January. If you don't get a chance to see this one, there are so may pieces of art available to make an afternoon of it. Also you can always run up the infamous Rocky steps and check out the breathtaking views of the city. 

Though my weekend was short, I definitely had an amazing time. I was able to see an amazing city with a friend, enjoy so much great food (which I do not feel guilty about since we did a lot of walking) and just enjoy some time away from NYC. Added bonus, our hotel was in walking distance from Dilworth Park so we got a chance to see people showing off their ice skating skills at the Rothman Ice Rink. I will always enjoy watching those ice skate, but this clumsy fashionista is staying off the ice (lol). 

Thank you again Visit Philly for this amazing opportunity. To see all that Philly has to offer and to help plan any upcoming trips, head to the Visit Philly website.

Enjoying my last day in the City of Brotherly Love. 

Fullbeauty Spring Preview

Wait what? Spring you say? Yes, I know we are just about to get ready for turkey day, but in the fashion world, Spring Previews are in full swing. I had the opportunity to head to Fullbeauty's office downtown to check out what they have in store for us. Well here you go lovers!!

ROAMANS  & JESSICA LONDON

Roaman's has been cranking out some gems this Fall, and it continues well into Spring. It's all about updated basics- tunics with lace detailing, open stitch sweaters, and bell sleeved tops. My favorite from the line is the fringed cardigan coat. It's a great layering pieces and completely versatile. In addition to all of the great tops from Roamans, there are fun printed pants. Gingham pants in pink, and floral pants are the standouts. Trench coats are making a comeback, but in shorter versions with kitschy prints.  

ELLOS

One of the latest brands added to the Fullbeauty family, Ellos has become one of my favorites. Their pieces are perfect for mixing and matching, and their color palette for Spring is effortlessly cool. I love gingham, and eyelet, and both are huge for Spring. The standouts again are their jackets. There is a cognac suede jacket that I am swooning over. Here in NYC, Spring does not start in March, so layers are still needed. This suede jacket would be the perfect addition to the closet. I love suede and it's not very often that we as plus size women get real suede or leather. So when the opportunity presents itself, I'm on it. 

 

ACCESSORIES

The biggest trend among accessories for Spring 17 are woven details. There is a lot of embroidery and fringe details as you can see in the sandals below. Mules continue to go strong with denim and stud versions. Lace up shoes are still in the picture, (to me they are a staple), in a traditional flat as well as wedge version. I love the woven clutch with the pom poms (it's on my must have list). 

There are definitely a lot of gems for this Spring. Now that the year is coming to a close, it's nice to see what is in store for us in 2017. There are some definite must haves on my list. What are you looking forward to?

The Holiday Shop With Fullbeauty

November is here, and you know what that means- all things Holiday!!! The Instagram Wives and I were asked to be a part of Fullbeauty's Holiday campaign (Happy Dance), and we were so honored. We have been a part of their Ambassador program, but for them to ask us to star in their Holiday Campaign, we were ecstatic. Now that the video is finally here, I am so excited to share! Check out our Holiday Glam Video!!!

The video definitely captured all of our styles and personalities. The Holidays is all about spending time with those you share a bond with, and that is something that the Instagram Wives are all about. We met through blogging, and sharing our tales of being true shopaholics, but you can see the genuine fun we have with one another. I went with a sparkly jumpsuit from Ellos. If you recall, I went to their preview and fell in love with this number. It was definitely meant to be when we visited Fullbeauty and was asked to pick out Glam outfit. I loved the way it fits. It shows off the curves all while being comfortable. Ladies, I definitely recommend this jumpsuit for the Holidays. You know I am all about one and done dressing, so if you are like me, and like to keep it cute yet have the ability to get dressed in a flash, then get this jumpsuit. 

In addition to our Glam shot, we all had to pick one individual look based on Fullbeauty's Holiday Shop. Sandra's was Dark Florals, Darlene's was Plaid, and I was Denim (no surprise there!!). Our task was to put together a great Holiday look based on the shops. Now as the Denim addict, I took my time and really wanted to find items that ooze Holiday. First thing I found was the Pearl Jeans from 24/7. I thought this was a fun way to wear pearls. Embellished jeans are big this season, and these are definitely a show stopper. I wanted something that makes an impact, but can still play nice with a great top. So what to wear with these great jeans? I found a feather top also from Roamans. The top and jeans worked harmoniously and I think it's a great outfit to wear if you are entertaining guests at home.  To see all of our looks and then some, make sure to check out the Holiday Shops!

I want to thank Fullbeauty again for this amazing, amazing opportunity. How are you going to celebrate the Holidays? Share in the comments!!!

It's All In the Details

This season I have been all about wearing more of things that I always been on the fence about and just enjoying myself. Hat's are something that I always enjoyed from a distance. I would buy them and not wear them, or just forgo them all together. That all changed when I saw this hat. I love a good fedora, but this panama hat really caught my eye. I like panama's because you get the look of a fedora, but the brim is wider like a floppy just more structured. Since I am all about color, I went with red, but it does come in black and grey. 

My go to staple for fall is a turtleneck. When the temps drop, I love to throw one on with a skirt or underneath one of my favorite dresses. I was browsing Banana Republic, and I found this great striped one for $20! Striped tops are effortlessly chic and so Parisian. I'm wearing a XL, and it's pretty stretchy. I definitely want to get this top in more colors while the price is low for their F&F sale. 

Denim is a weakness of mines, so I am always up to try new brands or fits. My new favorite jeans are from Melissa McCarthy Seven7 collection. These are a fun update to the classic skinny jean. They have a seam down the middle and an ankle zip. These have 1% stretch and the rinse is a great color that goes with everything. The jeans are mid-rise and are definitely team thick thigh and big booty friendly. Great fit, perfect stretch without stretching out, and currently on sale- definite recommend!

As a full blown Eloquii addict, whenever they drop new collections, I'm all over it. When they dropped this moto earlier in the Fall, it was a must have. I love the flower detail, and the studs along the lapel. I must admit, this season I have found a good deal of great moto's that I have been wearing in rotation, and this is one of them. I like little details that gives a piece something different and extra. If you love moto's, give the Applique Moto a try. You will not be disappointed.

Do you have any favorites that has little details that just make it so much more special? Let me know in the comments. Muah!!

 

Brand Ambassador

One of the great things about being a blogger is all the great people as well as cool brands you meet along the way. One brand that I got a chance to work with this year was Fullbeauty. I as well as the Wives were a part of their Ambassador Program over the summer. It was a great opportunity to learn about the brands and things that have available for plus size women. In addition to the brands you may already know from them such as Jessica London and Roamans, they also have City Chic, Torrid, Violetta by Mango, Swimsuits For All, and the list goes on. The latest brand to the Fullbeauty site Ellos, has become a new favorite of mine (case in point, I am wearing head to toe Ellos...lol)

 

When I am traveling, I am all about comfort. So I like to stick to the basics, and layer. I usually wear a jeans and a tee, but when I saw this pieces from Ellos, I wanted to give them a try.

Jogger:  I love a good jogger, and these are great for my fellow #teamthickthighs.

Hoodie: The hoodie is slightly oversized which I like because I like to have coverage over my booty. It definitely kept me warm when I was in chilly areas. When I got warm, I just wore it open and kept it moving. 

Sneakers:  I have become a slip on sneaker fanatic, and when I saw these, I ordered them without any hesitation. Even though they are not wide width, they are comfortable. 

 

This past summer the Wives and I went to LA to attend BlogHer. Fullbeauty heard about our trip and wanted to send us a surprise. We were so shocked when we opened the boxes to see this super cute spinner. For the IG Wives to be named official Fullbeauty Brand Ambassadors was just the most flattering thing. The bag was soo appreciated and needed, because between 3 bloggers, there was so much clothes and swag that we didn't know how we were going to get back to NY. Thank you for everything!!! 

The IG Wives heading out to our next adventure...stay tuned.