Restyle2013 - Week 4

It has been a crazy week for me! I was approved a rental property on Friday and have slowly started to move in over the week. I’m half done but still have a lot scattered over both places. At work I’ve had a huge sale on which has tripled my work load and because I’m going on holiday next week I have to get ahead on work so my fill in doesn’t get low on stock etc. So it’s been a little hectic every morning when I decide on what to wear for each prompt!
This weeks prompts were... 

 

Black and white was easy for me. I decided on this oversized top-become-dress I got for $5 or $6 in Geelong a while back. And I edited the picture to be black and white... because I could. 

This was a prompt I was dreading, mostly because I was unsure of what the term cocktail really meant. I always thought it was supposed to be a 3/4 dress but basically it can be any length just as long as it is styled as semi formal. Yes I googled it a while ago. Dictionary.com defines cocktail as: "styled for semiformal wear".

On this particular day I slept in and had to rush getting dressed. I just chucked on this purple city chic dress that cost me $20 which I thought was the closest thing I had to 'cocktail'. When I got to work I realised that the dress was from eBay, not an op shop. So I grabbed a cocktail glass from the bric-a-brac room of the op shop I work in and used it as a 50c op shop prop for the prompt cocktail. Afterwards of course I remembered that my belt was $2 from an op shop!

As soon as I saw  the word 'statement' I knew it would have to be a statement necklace. I used my 50c op shopped necklace that I thought was big enough to make quite a statement, however it made hardly any statement compared to some of the other necklaces I saw on Instagram! Mine was tiny compared to some. 

Due to my crazy week I have been trying to plan for the day ahead of me. I made sure I dressed ‘business like’ but when I was just about to go out the door I realised the business skirt I had based my outfit around wasn’t purchased from an op shop... which is the whole point of this challenge. So I grabbed another skirt I had bought for $4 a couple of weeks earlier for this prompt but had forgot about when trying to plan ahead. I also used a pair of $1 vintage silhouette glasses I still had in my bag that I had purchased the previous day as I thought they would go well in my dress up box...plus I really like to wear glasses...even though I don’t need them.

I had bought a bag especially for this prompt but because I’m half way through moving it is, of course, at the other house. So instead I snapped up a gorgeous vintage metallic bag from my work, an op shop to use in my pic...only $5 anyone??

You would think shoes would be an easy prompt but no. I have too many op shopped shoes to choose from. I eventually decided to show my four favourites.

 

Top left is my gorgeous leather boots from the brand 'bÆrn'. A Polish (I think) exchange student donated them to the op shop as they wouldn’t fit in her suitcase and I was quick to swipe them up! They are so comfy but I find the colour hard to match with the majority of my clothes. Top right is a $6 pair of Diana Ferrari shoes I got from Vinnies in Melbourne and I love them, they were practically new too! Bottom left is my purple novo heels that are a great heel to have especially considering I own a lot of purple clothing. Bottom right is a cheaper pair of rivers shoes. They were given to my mum who passed them on to the op shop, in which again I was quick to snap them up for $4! They are so comfy and cushiony so I can wear them all day at work!

 

...and lucky last for this week of Restyle2013 is 'Bow' on day 25. This cute MIMCO bow hair clip was op shopped for only $2!

Next week, the last week has a couple of tricky ones. Under $5 could be anything so that will be fine. Cuffed?? Um I'm not sure what I'll do for that yet...Jungle fever will be interested and outfit to donate back!?! If I didn't want it I would've donated it back already!

 

You'll have to read my blog next week to see what I do...or follow me on Instagram.

Aussie Curves - Work

 

It has been a really hectic week for me. I’ve been focusing most of my fashioning efforts on my photo a day challenge Restyle2013 that's about encouraging op shopping. I also got approved for a rental property unexpectedly quick and am half moved in, and on top of that I’ve had a huge sale at work that has tripled my workload which is much higher than usual at the moment because I’m taking some leave and need stock ready for my fill in.

So that's my excuse... back to the topic at hand, Work.

I’m really blessed that I work in an op shop. I get paid for roughly half the amount of hours I put in but it’s well worth it! I love my job and I’m basically my own boss so I can pretty much wear what I please to work as long as it’s respectable and not offensive. I could probably even wear pyjamas to work if I linked it to a pyjama sale or something!

Most days I just wear an easy outfit like jeans or a skirt and leggings but occasionally I'll mix it up and wear a really girly dress, vintage outfit or even do a cowgirl, biker chick or grunge look.

One of the prompts for my photo a day challenge this week was 'It's all business' so I decided to use those pics for this challenge as I haven’t found time elsewhere.

Work outfits always make me think of prescription glasses for some reason. I found these old skool vintage glasses with huge frames and thought I'd go for the librarian business look.

 

My granny business skirt is also from the op shop and because its woolly and older looking it made me feel mature, and therefore more business like. Totally stereotypical I know but who cares, dressing up is fun! 

 

So that's it! Just a quickie to show you all my fake business attire.

 

Join in on the Aussie Curves Challenges. Its so much fun and great for building up your confidence and self esteem! 

 

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Restyle2013 - Week 3

This week has definitely been a challenge but that's what its supposed to be I guess! Op shop love was really difficult because I have so many things I love from the op shop! Less than $10 was also hard because I have so many things I've paid less than $10 for... including most of the other themes I've covered this week like.... 

Day 12 was all about flower power! My extremely floral $2.50 bag, which is way to floral for me will be heading back to the op shop! I didn’t realise the dress I decided to wear that day had flowers on it until I took the photo which came out double floral...ewww!!! The floral skirt-turn-dress I wore was only $3 and I love it way more than the bright floral bag which was purchased from an op shop just for this challenge.

I wore an oversized Autograph cardi that was only $3 and had the knot tied in the middle. I was going to wear something blue, in regards to the something old, something blue saying you get from weddings, and weddings being tying the knot ...but a literal knot was much easier and less complicated to explain on Instagram.

My $10 vintage wool cape. I love this op shopped buy! It’s black with a green layer on the inside and super warm!

My wool pic made it to the Perth Fashion Festival sum up of the days styles I was so excited I felt famous! A little pathetic I know but I felt proud :)

Leather was Thursdays challenge and I decided to use my $5 leather GiGi.Club satchel I use to put all my work stuff in.

Op Shop Love!!! I had too many of these so I chose a few I was wearing to work that day. My $4 MIMCO barrette. My previously unworn tie-dye big city chic top that was $3, my amethyst Pandora ring $20 and some very handy glove thingys, pardon the pun, arm warmers that were $1 and worth every single cent because it has been sooo cold here in Bendigo....brrrr

This was the first time I wore this city chic neon pink and orange singlet number. Op shopped for only $4! Come summer I think it will be great.

and lucky last for this week was less than $10. These are my Zola collection heels that I used in my feminine post for Aussie Curves that cost me way less than $10 from an op shop; they were even less than $5! Plus they make me feel really sexy... not to mention tall!

I'm looking forward to next weeks shoes theme even though it will be a big decision to make! I think I might just have to pile all my op shopped shoes together and take a pick to save me from choosing!

Check back next week for my sum up of this week to come or follow me on Instagram!

Aussie Curves - Feminine

Feminine...
What makes me feel like a woman?
I’d have to say wearing heels and a dress or skirt are the main things for me.

 

 

Wearing make-up also makes me feel like a woman but I don’t think it is something I need to feel feminine.

I’ve been moving house this weekend so things are all over the place so I thought I would just chuck on a dress and some heels and see how I went.

and.. Yep I felt feminine without overdoing it. Hardly any makeup, no jewellery or accessories and the main surprise for me was no cleavage!?! And I still felt like a woman...fancy that! ha 

 

It’s a bit of a difficult theme really...what does feminine feel like? If I dressed up as a man or in jeans and runners I would still feel feminine because I am a female. I don’t think you have to be all pink, floral and glammed up to look feminine and I think my minimal “feminine” look has helped me realise that.

 

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What's with all the photos?

So you've noticed all my selfies & outfit pictures I've been taking?
Well here is why.

I joined a group on Facebook called Aussie Curves. It is a group for plus sized women interested in fashion to connect with like minded women. Its a very empowering group and I initially followed all these gorgeous women posting outfit photos, talking shopping and fashion, asking for advice etc. and posting links to their own personal blogs where they would each week take part in the Aussie Curves Challenges.

I followed these ladies for quite some time in awe of their seeming confidence and their ability to make me feel like I have a right to be interested in fashion, despite my weight.

I soon realised how high I regarded these women and how often I would talk about them in my everyday conversations. It got me thinking about the fact that even though I am according to the BMI chart "obese" and am apparently not worthy of Abercrombie and Finch's quality clothes that I am still human and deserve the right to enjoy what I enjoy, even fashion and to be proud of my body, whether I am fat or not.

Also I have been disturbed by the fact that one day I will have children who will look at photos of me and one day ask why there are no photos of me after I turn around 16...why I didn't even seem to be in any photos of family nights out and why I didn't seem to exist in photos anywhere...the truth is I am overweight and photos remind me that my own self image is not so spot on, that I don't fit into a size 12 anymore and that yes I have 2 chins.
 
So I joined in the Aussie Curves challenges hoping to gain more confidence in myself, inside and out and to create some evidence that I do exist and that I do attend family outings. Even if I do take 50 photos before I find one where I look stunning.

If you want to follow me on my journey feel free. If not fine. I'm happy either way and now thanks to the Aussie Curve gals I'm not just happy,  I'm happy and proud. Proud of myself. Proud of what I look like, of how I live, of what I do and proud to have curves!

Restyle2013 - Week 2

 This has been the second week of the Restyle2013 Op Shop photo-a-day Challenge and I am really enjoying it!

Monday I was straight back into the challenge wearing sequins. I wore this top I got for a score at $2 and also used a sequin op shopped bag I got for $4 to put my work stuff in for the day.

Day 6 was 'Accessorise'. I was looking forward to this as I love to accessorise however the hardest part was making sure I didn't over do it. I think I did. I should've gone with Coco Chanel's quote "before you leave for the day...take one thing off..".
I wore an op shopped:
- belt $2
- necklace $4
- earrings $2
- sequined hair sticks $1
- black rose ring 50c
- purple bangles 20c each; and
- my Pandora amethyst ring which I got for $20. I love it and amethyst is my birthstone too!

The challenge on day 7 was customised. I found a lot of people interpreted this prompt differently to me. As I can't really sew I stuck to simple and what I know so I turned a 50c blinged up letter 'C' keyring into a pendant for a chain.

The majority of other people on Instagram added stick on diamontes to collars or phone covers. I was very proud of my customise take; simple yet elegant.

Day 8, the day of the scarf was a day I thought would be easy...I was wrong. I don't own too many scarves and those I do are all fairly plain and boring. I changed outfits numerous times trying to do something different or exciting for this challenge but I ended up just going with a boring plain $2 opshopped scarf and played around with the photo effects instead.

 

Bag on day 9 was a no brainer for me. I used the same bag I use religiously everyday. It's a bit grunge, it's designer, it's stylish and it's black so it goes with every outfit, I love it! It was only $5 as it has a big ink stain on the inside but this Filippo Raphael bag was most definitely worth every cent!

On day 10 I wore my red city chic blazer that I scored from my op shop for only $5 and added a sequined black flower brooch just to break up the colour.

Day 11 was colour block which I think I interpreted a little different to everyone else doing this challenge. I wore a Gabriella Frattini top that was op shopped for $4 before I even knew it was a good designer brand. It just reminds me of Mondrian's paintings..... Most other people on Instagram seemed to just wear a few different items each a different colour.. Colour blocking their whole outfit. I just used this one top that has the colour block style and I think it looks good.


I'm looking forward to next week. Neon is finally coming up which I'm really pumped about! Also op shop love, less than $10, leather, floral and more.
To keep updated follow me on Instagram

 

Aussie Curves - Celebrate!

I have so many reasons to celebrate.

For starters, I'm alive. I have a faith in God and an amazing family that surrounds me and supports me with what I do and who I am. I may only have a few close friends but they are good value. I live in a country that allows me the freedom to be who I am. I have all my limbs and digits and my curves clearly show I can afford to eat and am not starved and malnutritioned like so many other people in this world.

There is a neverending list of things I take for granted every day.

For this challenge/outfit post I am going to celebrate me & what I am so lucky to have in my life....one thing I have is curves and this amazing group Aussie Curves has helped me to appreciate this; that I am not any less value than other human beings because I am overweight and that despite my size I still have every right to be interested in fashion.

This dress I call my 'bumblebee dress' for obvious reasons. I chose this dress to celebrate in because I always get loads of compliments. I'll let the photos speak for themselves and you can decide why I get compliments....

 

 

Yep, you guessed it!
I've got it so I'm gonna flaunt it!!!!

Have you flaunted what you've got lately?
Go on, do it!
You will feel so much better about yourself for doing it, just make sure you tell me all about it!

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