Jockin My Fresh

DD, has been on a shopping hiatus for about 3 weeks now. Oh, you got jokes? I'll have you know, I have not walked to the Holy Grail that is Downtown Boston and bought a single solitary item in three damn weeks. I have been at my job 14 months and have yet to stop shopping three weeks straight. That there is an accomplishment folks!

But this isn't about that! In lieu of shopping I have challenged myself to putting together outfits that I have not worn yet. Pairing a shirt with a skirt and blazer combo that has not been done, etc. It has been going very well. In fact, KB ambushed me on Friday night because he could not get over how phenomenal your girl looked!

And it seems KB isn't the only one that noticed. A co-worker who sits in the cubical next to mine has taken serious notice. It started with a compliment here and there, then graduated to a "wow, that is so pretty, where'd you get it?". Now she is straight up bold with it... wants me to detail the retailer of each garment I am wearing!

Initially, it made for good conversation, Lord knows we had little in common before fashion came up. Eh ehem... now I am a bit concerned. I quit this thing cold turkey and I've enjoyed finding new ways to appreciate the things I already own. But I feel like the extra attention and constant retail talks are going to lead to shopping! It is almost as bad as discussing drink recipes with a recovering alcoholic; eventually it will lead to a barhopping.

I cannot go backwards! Is there a polite way to say 'stop jockin my fresh'?...Jay wasn't very polite when he said it: "I can't teach you my swagg. You can pay for school but you can't buy class"

The "skinny"in Skinny Jeans

Not only am I a blogger, I frequent a lot of the other blogs out there. My fav? The personal style ones; you know the trendy-wardrobe-on-a-budget/this-is-my-cute-outfit-and-this-is-where-I-bought-each-individual-item type.

In my recent blog surfing binges I noticed a bit of a pattern. The phrase "skinny jeans are for skinny girls" is a recurring theme among most-if not all. Now I adore my fellow fashionistas but I respectfully disagree. And it's not just me being sensitive; I have not been "skinny" in about 6 years but you best believe I rocks my curves! And I own a pair, as a matter of fact I just ordered another pair a few days ago.

See, I believe personal style is about fit and confidence. I have seen some daring outfits, but when something fits well and you are rockin it like no one else...it just makes sense. So in that respect no, not every trend is for everyone. But looking good in skinny jeans is more about the looking good than the skinny.

I knew there would be haters when it came to this topic, so I did a little investigating. The video below schools us all (particularly us thick girls) on how to shop for the right pair. Take it away Toccara, girl!

A Mean Shoe Game

I know my ladies can relate. Nothing makes you feel sexier than a pair of heels. In fact, for the right man...some ladies will show up to the bedroom wearing nothing more.

I read that "Our intimate relationship with shoes begins shortly after we learn to walk. As soon as we want to feel 'grown-up,' we slip on a pair of our mother's shoes, preferably high heels, instantly heightening our sense of what it means to be female. And then what happens? We grow up and get to be the same size as Mummy and our personality begins to assert itself with the first independent purchase of shoes. As adults, we ask shoes to be our representatives. At any given moment, they are indicators of our age, mood and desires."

Doesn't that say it all?

For months now I have been searching for the perfect pair of heels to compliment this dress. I have no real idea what I am looking for. Maybe pewter, maybe bronze....and animal print would also be cute. But, overall, what I am looking for is that pair of shoes that makes makes me exhale when I put it on for the first time.

I thought that I found it in Aldo. I was drawn to the shoe immediately. I actually visited with it several times before I buckled down and tried it on. When I finally did I fell in love! And with it being on clearance I had to buy it. I had to! It was $24, tell me you wouldn't have!

Gorgeous isn't it?

The problem is the heel is five inches. FIVE! I am 5'7" so do the math. I have no business being 6" tall. For starters, I can see eye to eye with KB who is 6'4". If that isn't bad enough, it also inadvertently gives me a hooker stroll (you know that fast paced stride where you are leaning forward as if gravity will not allow you to stand up straight?).

Sadly, the shoe must go back and I have no prospects for a replacement. My trip to Miami is now 4 weeks away, I am starting to hyperventilate as I type. The shoe game is essential to preserving my sexy. Where am I going to find this perfect pair of heels?

Whoa is me....

***I never did return the shoe. Instead, I went home everyday after work and practiced walking in them. I did end up wearing them to the wedding and the ensemble was FAB!!

The 100 Calorie Snack Pack

In my recent efforts to preserve my sexy, I joined the 100 calorie snack craze. The girls in my office all pull out theirs at about 2:30 in the hopes of re-energizing mid-day. Seeing all the empty foil packages line the common area trash...I thought to myself "surely they know something I don't"


On my next trip to the grocery store, I made it a point to check out the options. As a cruised the snack aisle, I saw all the snacks I'd given up in these new 100 calorie packages. I was beyond elated! I bought the Smartfood, the Lorna Doones, the Hostess muffins, and a couple others. And just about everyday since then... at 3:00 I'm back at my desk munching on a snack pack.

One particular day a light bulb went off. The snack tastes exactly the same as it did before...when they remove the bad stuff it usually tastes different. I flipped the package over and gazed at the ingredients curiously. Same damn shit. To further explore my theory, I grabbed a $0.30 bag of Doritos. 120 Calories! So really they prettied up the package, gave me 4 less chips, charged me a couple extra cents, and led me to believe that I was making a SMARTER choice. I'll be damned!

Once I finish off the ones I have in my cabinet I am resigning from the 100 Calorie Snack Pack bandwagon. I cannot condone these companies ripping off the hungry-with-healthy-ambition-club (I am not just president, I am also a member). This blog entry will serve as my two weeks notice!

The Skin You're In

I realized today that my lifestyle change is more about control than being healthy. It is about wanting to change something (ie. my weight) that very well may remain the same. I have started running, walking, taken stairs in lieu of escalators. I've obsessed over calorie in take and taken dietary supplements. I've prayed religiously and I've been on the verge of tears more often than I can count.


Nothing has changed...

Today when I looked at myself in the mirror, I thought about what my actual goal is. What is it that I really want? More than anything I desire to be happy in the skin I am in. That does not equate weight loss. That isn't about toned thighs and a tight rear end; nor does it mean I should overexert myself for abs of steel.

http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/diet-fitness/learn-love-skin-youre-in.html?pageNum=2

Being happy in the skin you are in is a mental change. And from this day forward...I'll be getting just as much mental exercise as physical.

Being THAT girl

I want to start off by saying my fitness and lifestyle change have been going very well. I am sincerely proud of myself for taking steps toward a leaner more toned body. It has only been two weeks so I cannot say confidently that there are any visible changes.... but I am so proud of myself that I can carry on without anxiously awaiting results.

I treated myself to a dress this weekend in celebration of the hard work. It was a great deal! $10 on a miraculous sale clearance extravaganza! It is so sexy and I loved it immediately after seeing it. I couldn't wait to see myself in it but I was already running late and needed to get back to work.

Sadly, when I got home and tried it on, it only confirmed that I indeed have a ways to go. I stood in the mirror in horror. The areas I am targeting in my fitness were protruding outward and were in plain sight for everyone to gawk at. I immediately cringed and damn near teared up.

Now my dilemma is whether or not to return it. I even asked my boyfriend, KB's, opinion! For the life of me, I do not want to be THAT girl. The one who hangs a dress on her wall hoping to one day fit into it. That wouldn't work for me; it would only depress me as I try it on week after week, hoping my thighs won't be bulging this time.

On the other hand, it IS something I have been working on. That is the key area for my weight loss and toning so it makes sense to have a goal. And I can only imagine how rewarding it will be this summer when I show up to an event in that dress feeling beautiful, sexy, and fierce.

But (yes there is a BUT) I have a little nagging voice that says nothing will change and eventually I will make myself miserable.

I have 12 days left to decide whether or not to return it; after which I am stuck with the garment or store credit, lol

What should I do?

Preserving My Sexy

Earlier this year I began a food diary. Yes, if you must know it WAS a New Year's Resolution! I wanted a detailed account of what I was putting in my body; hoping it would lead me to an explanation of why I have gained an excess of 15 lbs since my college graduation four years ago.

That food diary lasted two weeks. Recounting everything I put in my mouth seemed tedious. And I had all sorts of "better things to do". So I renounced my eating log and went back to the merry me.

I haven't been self-conscious since high school, and even then it was because I felt too skinny. Up until recently I was fine with my shapely self...so why the sudden need for fitness and healthy eating? Preserving my sexy!

A friend of mine will be getting married in Miami, Fl later this year. This means two things; South Beach body and preparation for the "so when are you going to tie the knot" questions. Either way I have to be every bit as sexy as I was when I went in 04 just after college graduation.

Now do I intend to lose 15-20 lbs? No. In all honesty, I like me the way I am (do I sound like Tocarra addressing the Celebrity Fit Club judges). But I would like to drop down one size and tone. I want clothes to fit more comfortably. I want to eat without regret and second thoughts. I want to love my arms, which have become a little meaty. And I don't want to feel like I have to constantly be ready for the camera, I am not tryna be sucking and tucking!

Starting yesterday, April 1, I am back on the food diary. And I intend to be proud of what is written! I am going to start jogging (which should be interesting because at least 7 of the new lbs are in my bra), and I will also be taking a few supplements (herbal ones no Slim Quick, TrimSpa and the like).

All the ladies out there who are starting to notice some excess weight...join me in preserving my sexy. You'll wish you did when I post those South Beach pics!