DLOTW:Black, White, and Red All Over

Dress and Cardigan: Faith 21/Dot Textured Tights, Red Mary Janes, Necklace: Target/ Earrings: Torrid

RTWE: Part Deux

Hey Thick Chicks! I ended my last post with a challenge to myself...buy one item of clothing every pay period...JUST ONE!  Do you wanna know if I succeeded? You'll find out in a few, but first let me just say that shopping is like eating a bag of Lays Potato Chips (Betcha' Can't Eat Just One!)  That is, if you like chips! As I was saying, it's nearly impossible to go into a store and just buy one thing!  It's just so hard when you have a vision for a full outfit, to leave some of it behind.  While I say no cute top left behind!  My wallet screams...PUT IT BACK! PUT IT BACK!  This time...Dottie won the argument!  I say to heck with what my wallet says! Check out what I got! (Get my look at Faith 21!)

  

DOTTIE'S DEALS ALERT!! $8.00 SHORTS 

Shirt Length Knit Dress: $15
Colored Tights: $4 



Okay, so I know what you're thinking, it's frickin' cold outside, so why did I buy shorts? These were a steal...and I've got big plans for these babies :) Besides, I felt even better about buying them, when I got home and noticed that I really didn't buy them.  The cashier didn't ring them up!

I definitely need more dresses in my life...especially if they are all as cute as this one!

And who doesn't love a super cute pair of colored tights! I love crazy colors! 

So, no...I didn't stick to my challenge goal.  But, I did manage to stay under the budget I set for myself...well thanks in part to the free shorts!  I have two weeks until I get another go at it.  Hopefully, I will stick to the goal next time.  Either way you'll know! 

Now I wanna know...is it hard for you to just buy one thing when you're at the mall? Answer in the comment box below.  Until next time Thick Chicks! 

~Dots of Luv

The Road to Wardrobe Expansion: Part One

When I was in college I was a mall rat (like most girls J).  I was a serious American Eagle Outfitters addict…I had one top in 5 different colors.  My friends were amazed by the fact that I had more than 3 pairs of jeans.  Yeah, I was the talk of the town!  LOL!  As time went on my wallet took a huge hit and so did my closet.  In 2007, when I finished school and got married, I noticed that most of the clothes I had were circa 2003.  I had become the thing I feared most…an outfit repeater! (Insert dramatic music here.)  But seriously, I can remember a time when I could change my outfit 3 times a day if I wanted to, but those days were long gone. 

It was the same thing every time I wanted to go out…I had 2 pairs of jeans to choose from and tons of random shirts.  Then it donned on me…I had turned into one of my friends from high school.  To protect her reputation, I will call her “Suzie”.   Suzie was one of my best friends.  She was a cute, nice and fun loving girl.  However, she had one tiny little flaw.  Her wardrobe consisted of nothing but a bunch of random shirts.  You know, like T-Shirts in weird colors that really couldn’t be matched with anything.  They were often stretched out of shape and made from a strange ‘silk like’ material.  Anyway, she had a closet full of these and I can remember thinking to myself, “I’ll NEVER be like that”…so much for never!  I guess that was a prime example of what I feared coming on me.  I feared becoming ‘random shirt girl’, and lo and behold, that’s what I became. 

I had reached a turning point in my life.  “Enough is enough!” I shouted, while removing the ghost of clothes past from my closet.  I had been holding on to my favorite American Eagle jeans for 2 years.  After the second year, I knew that I needed to let go of the past.  Besides, I’m 25 years old…my wardrobe should be different than that of a 19 year old.  So, here I am today…trying to rebuild and better my wardrobe.  This would be easy if I was a billionaire…but since I’m not, I know that the road to wardrobe expansion will be a long and winding one.  Therefore, I have decided to tackle this, like I tackle most things in life…by making it fun of course!

I have decided to buy one piece of clothing per pay period.  Every week I will go to my favorite online stores and pick out 2 or 3 items (that are reasonably priced).  That list will then dwindle down to “Dottie’s Desire Of The Week”…this will be the item that I choose to purchase for that pay period.  Since I get paid bi-weekly, I’ll have 2 weeks to ‘window shop’.  There is only one rule: I can only purchase one item…no matter how inexpensive it may be…ONE ITEM ONLY!  This is going to be a challenge for me because I’m prone to buying things in two’s.  I figure this will be a fun, budget friendly way to expand my wardrobe.  Of Course I’ll document my progress every step of the way!

~Dots of Luv!

Adventures in Shopping:The Faith 21 Edition

Finally, after weeks…no…months of drooling all over the Faith 21 website it finally happened.  The big wigs decided to expand the Forever 21 at my local mall. With that expansion came…drum roll please…A FAITH 21 SECTION!   The tension had been building for months. I must have checked the store locator on the F21 website every day, only to find that Faith 21’s were popping up like wild flowers all over America…except for Michigan.  Needless to say, I was super excited as we made the 30 minute drive, I couldn’t sit still.  The closer we got to the store, the more I began to salivate.  Okay, not really, but I was awfully close.  As I walked into the store, I was literally thanking God for another store that sells cute, inexpensive clothes…that I could actually fit. 

I looked around for a few minutes, and then my husband finally spotted the Faith 21 sign in the right corner of the store.  Once we got to the section, I was disappointed, as it left a lot to be desired.  For starters, it was the size of a small bedroom.  This was noticeable because the store itself is easily 2100sqft. Of course the Forever 21 section was the largest, the Love 21 line came in second, and the Twelve by Twelve line came in third.  The rest of the lines had generous spacing.  But the Faith 21 line, seemed to be stuffed into this ‘itty bitty’ corner.  The racks were overcrowded and clothes were strewn about.  The other sections had workers walking around, performing general housekeeping duties, but the Faith 21 section was deserted.  One shopper had her eye on a dress that happened to be out of her reach, and she must have waited 5 minutes before one of the workers finally came to assist her.  Most of the jeans were mixed up, tops were wrinkled, and the overall appearance of the section just screamed, “Hey, we don’t really care”.   However, in the midst of madness, I was able to find a few items that would work wonders in my wardrobe.



Maybe this location was suffering from first time jitters.  Hopefully as time goes on, they will have an increase in clientele, and be forced to deliver a higher quality product and service. Until then I'll probably be doing my shopping on the web.

Here are a few of my picks...



I love this belted blue button-up...it took me a while to get down with the belt over a shirt look, but I finally got it!



I love cardigans because they can be paired with almost anything...I can't get enough purple :)



My husband picked these two...thanks Georgie!

This strap is really heavy around my neck, but it's cute for a date night!





I love tiered tops...they're super girly!

 





Love at first sight :)



What's a good haul without a cute pair of jeans?...I love the lace detail on these!



The Clearance Rack...A Plus Sized Girls Friend or Foe?

Okay, don't get me wrong...I love a bargain as much as anyone else.  But ever since I went from a size 12 to a size 18, the clearance rack and I have been on the outs.  As I'm writing this from the table of my favorite coffee shop I am peering across the parking lot at Target.  It's a store that we all know and love...but not so much for fashion.  Of course when I was a size 12...I would squeeze my booty into the jeans and my boobs into the shirts (yeah...it wasn't a pretty sight). But the clothes never fit properly.  So now here I am, embracing my beauty and booty (no pun intended) as a plus sized woman.  I don't mind going into a store and going to the plus sized department...on the other hand I do mind the prices.  $40 for jeans, $20 for tops...it's so easy to spend $300, but not really have anything to show for it .  So, the clearance rack is truly a God send, as there are certain times where you can go to Target and find the cutest items at as much as 50% percent off (and sometimes more). 

So there you are, face to face with the cutest pair of light wash skinny jeans in the world.  You begin to search through the racks and there is hope for you! You see a size 10, 12, 14...your heart begins to race and you just know your bound to find a 16 or 18 somewhere! After 20 minutes of searching through 40 pairs of marked down jeans, you come to the conclusion that it was all a shame.  All of the jeans were just repeats of the same size.  Everytime you got close to your size, the next pair proved to be an impossible size 6.  You then give in and buy the $40 jeans, since they have those in your size.  But you can't seem to shake that 'boyfriend broke up with you on Valentine's Day' feeling as you swipe your charge card.  After all, you were this close to buying some cute $12 jeans.  So you break up with the Clearance Section,  vowing to never again search it's evil racks of dread and despair.  Two weeks later, you find yourself in the same place, frantically searching for a top that you fell in love with...that just happened to be on 'THE DREADED RACK".  Once again, you decide that the Clearance Rack has it out for you...after all, what are the odds that everything that's a 10 on the cute-o-meter, is on 'The Rack'?And to go even further, why is it that every size is represented, except yours?  The Rack is out to get you, and you know it...but it's a vicious cycle that you just can't break.  

Okay, so maybe I'm being a little melodramatic...but this is a touchy subject for me, as 'The Rack' has broken my heart so many times.  But, don't fret none fellow Thick Chicks here are a few tips for relationship bliss between 'The Rack' and you.

1. Go the distance!
     **If you live in a big city, like me...certain sizes will go fast.  So in many cases you may find that other stores (that may be farther from home) will have the size that you need.  This is fun...especially if you like road trip adventures). You may be asking, 'But Dottie, have you seen gas prices lately?' Don't waste the gas...have your local store call another to avoid making worthless trips.

2. Last minute chicks, never get the fix!
     **Don't wait until the last week of summer to check 'The Racks' for that cute jean mini that you've been eyeing all summer.  Most stores...Target especially will have the summer clearance racks out as early as late July.  So check in often and be the first one to the clearance party!

3. Don't Give Up!

     **It all comes down to one question...Do you love it? If you love that top, those jeans, or dress then act like it!! Take your time searching 'The Rack'.  Look in the corner and even on the floor.  Don't be swayed by the size on the hanger.  The hanger can tell lies so, CHECK THE TAG!

I've had many successes and failures at 'The Rack'...but obviously the successes out weigh the failures as I still visit the Clearance Racks at most stores that I shop at.  So in the end the Clearance Rack can be a Thick Chicks best friend as long as patience is at the core of the relationship.

So how is your relationship with 'The Rack'?? Leave comments telling me your story!

~Dots of Luv  

Dottie's Look Of The Day

Hey Thick Chicks! This is my first DLOTD...there will be many more to come!


Yes...I am on a picnic table...




This is great...my hubby loves action shots!!



Top: Torrid $20
Pants: Pure Energy $18
Sweater: Target $15
Shoes: Target $20

 

These shoes hurt ya'll!!







These are my favorite pants, I have another pair in grey. They are comfy and cute...two things I look for whenever I go shopping. Pants are always hard for me because as you can see...I am short! So, leave comments and tell me your fav stores to shop for pants.

~Dots of Luv xoxo

The Girl Behind Dot

Dottie's Fall Must-Haves!!

Okay ladies I know that it’s a little early to start thinking about winter. But it is never too early to think about the perfect boots for a brisk fall morning. I make it a habit to check Torrid’s website for New Arrivals at least every 2 weeks, sometimes more than that when we are on the brink of seasons changing. Oh, and for those of you who have been living under a rock…Torrid is the trendiest destination for all things plus-sized.

So the first thing on my list of fall must haves are the Annie Over-the-Knee Flat Boot. These sexy steppers come in black and brown, and like most of Torrid’s shoes, they fit a wider foot and calf.


Annie Over-The-Knee Boot Just $68

In my opinion, you can never go wrong with a peep toe wedge. Pair these Black Jade Paperbag Wedges with a light washed skinny jean or jegging (jean legging) and you’re comfortable enough for a day of hanging with the girls, and sexy enough for a night out with your guy.


Source Of Wisdom-Stretch Grey Skinny $52
Jade Paperbag Wedge Heel Just $39

There is nothing like using darks to offset lights. That’s why my color for fall is a warm brown against a flirty cream. Love, Love, Love all things over the knee…from boots to knee high socks…these things just scream mature, but definitely fun luvin’.


Cream Short Sleeved Cardigan $44

Brown Leggings (Mimi’s Must Have only $20)


Super Cute Brown Knee-High Socks Just $12



I love to have that one item in my closet that I can mix and match with a million other things…this Jayden Faux Leather Boot…is one of those things. This boot goes perfectly with leggings, skinny jeans, and even your fav shirt dress.


Jayden Faux Leather Boot $65


Last, but certainly not least are leggings. Leggings of any color are great for days when you wake up and you dread the thought of shimmying into your jeans. Pair your legging with a tank and shrug and you’re ready for a long day of classes, running errands, or my personal favorite relaxation.


Black Denim Knit Black and Silver Grommet Leggings $29
Leggings W/Ankle
Zipper $20

Go to torrid.com to check out prices. You can also view dozens of look books as well as new arrivals to find out what style suits you. And remember, God created us to live well, laugh well, love well, and yeah… even dress well…LOL!