Aussie Curves : Fabulous Festival

Well I'm going to cheat a little this week for the festival post. Next week I have a work conference and our main day is a festival of sorts. The theme is Childhood. So think like a child, dress as your childhood hero, dress as something from your childhood, be all bright and rainbowy...whatever floats your childhood boat. There will be games and activities in child themes. So yeehaww a childhood "festival" it is.

So this is where the cheating comes in. A few weeks ago we had a meeting with a very similar theme. I'm wearing essentially the same outfit but with a few minor changes to accommodate for the "Hey, I'm from Melbourne, are you are trying to kill me Sydney with your 30 degree temps". So rather than putting it all together just to take a pic, I'm gonna rehash my last photos. Being the photo whore I am though, I'll be back with updated Sydney pics.

Hair bows : $2 type shop

Necklace : Big W

Bangles : Best & Less

Cardigan : Mix by Coles

Dress : City Chic Bunting Dress

Tights : City Chic

Socks : Best & Less

Shoes : Authentic *cough Cons from Bali

Don't forget to check out the rest of the festival fashions by all the other Aussie Curves chicks below.

Aussie Curves : Frugal $50 outfit

Running if with a really quick Aussie curves post today since I'm tired, sick (again *rolls eyes) and determined not to miss the deadline this week. So I apologise for the dodgy hair not done, no makeup since putting it on for work this morning pic.

Dress : Rivers - thrifted $12

Necklace : thrifted $6

Shoes : Target (on clearance) $9

Now looking at the pics, I think it needs a belt (not to mention a strapless bra) but firstly I didn't have one that matched and secondly I held it in kind of like an empire cut but it just looked weird as the hemline is shorter on the sides and it pulled it up too high. All said and done, I don't hate it but it's certainly not figure enhancing.

 Make sure you check out the fabulous outfits all the other curvy chicks managed to pull out for under fifty bucks.

Aussie Curves : Vulnerable Side

The title says it all..vulnerabilities. No matter how strong, confident and in control we all look there is still that little voice deep down inside that occasionally lets loose. I've read "fake it, 'till you make it" numerous time on Aussie Curves in the last 12ish months, and hell I've used that motto way more times than I care to admit. But do you want know what I've read more over the last twelve months? I've read and followed a mixed bunch of gorgeous women who from reading their vulnerabilities this week have no idea of the impact they're making on other people's lives. I've smiled, I've laughed and I've cried along with them. I see new people with their shy first "what the heck am I doing" faces and I've seen others totally strutting their stuff and I love them all. If only I had discovered something like Aussie Curves when I was a teenager, I think my life would've been a lot different.

In light of that, I'm giving a bit of a glimpse into me, the old me, in a letter to me, telling myself things I should've known but never did.

Dear fourteen year old me: Life does and did get better. You will become a strong, confident and beautiful woman. And even though you are broken and hurting right now, you deserve to live. You are a fighter.

Dear twenty one year old me: You had no reason to be horrified by this photo. Yes I know you're in tracky daks and an old favorite top with your hair not brushed but you are rocking those curves. There was no need to be ashamed of them. Screw what the media portrays and stop with the vicious cycle of dieting. All you're doing is screwing your metabolism for life. 

Dear twenty eight year old me: Your wedding day will be one of the most fabulous days of your life. You are marrying the man of your dreams surrounded by family and friends who love you. They won't have any clue that your hair looks nothing like it was meant to be. They will not be looking at your "fat" arms. They will not be thinking "Gee you think she would've lost some weight before the wedding". So you shouldn't be thinking about these things either. Focus on the man that's about to be your husband because a moment you will cherish for a lifetime is just about to happen.
Dear thirty year old me: Not everyone sails smoothly through pregnancy. You are going to be one of the unlucky ones. But that is NOT because you are overweight. You will get sick, very sick. You will put on 32 kgs in the whole pregnancy through no fault of your own. Do not beat yourself up over it. Your child will be healthy and beautiful and adored. Yes you are much bigger than you were before, but don't focus on pre-pregnancy weight, focus on that little boy because before you know it his brother will be on the way.
Dear thirty one year old me: Having a BMI too high to deliver your baby at the local hospital will devastate you. You will be inconsolable over it. Rest assured though, that the hospital you do deliver in is fabulous. The standard of care you receive is much higher than the local hospital was with your last child. This hospital will save your life giving birth to your next child.

And now to current me. I still have many insecurities. Like most people I have good days and bad (admittedly the bad ones are usually PMT driven). I have days when I look in the mirror and am really happy with what I see and there are days where I lament my fatness. Where I well and truly degrade myself, but those days are becoming less and less.

So what am I currently vulnerable about? Let me give you a few acronyms which I'm sure you've seen around: FUPR (pronounced Foopah), you know "fat upper pelvic region". Then there is GUNT. I leave that acronym for you to decipher. Either way that's what I'm vulnerable about. Oh and my fifty billion chins. It's where I carry the bulk of my weight. It makes it hard to dress. I'm always pulling at my tops and tees just to cover it. I struggle getting clothes to fit properly as tops need to be bigger to cover that area but that leaves them too big around my shoulder, neck and chest area. I need pants with adjustable waists as my waist is much smaller than my hips. So yeah, this is what I struggle with.

But I'm going to harden up and leave you with some outakes. The ones I deemed too hideous to put online but in the spirit of Aussie Curves, I'm breaking them out..FUPR, GUNT and all.

Don't forget to check out these wonderful women I'm taking about below.

Aussie Curves : Lovable LBD

This week starts with another trip in the Delorian but not quite the kindergarten years, this time were talkin' 2011.

A time where a girl's bestie gets married and I get to play bridesmaid complete with the lovable LBD.

I've seen a few people asking recently about Light in the Box, so I'll add my two bobs because this is where this gorgeous dress came from, all for the *cough hefty sum of $79 (well at least I think that's what it was). And it was custom made. The cut was beautiful, it was made really well and in super quick time. The only issue I had with it was that I had to adjust it a tad (but I think that says more about us doing the my measurments than the actual supplier). So anyway, check out the LBD.

Here's a pic taken of me looking refreshed waiting for the ceremony to start and getting the pre-wedding pics done. It's really amazing what a great makeup artist and hairdresser can do because even I don't think I look like me.

Doing the nervous walk down the aisle. For all my loud outgoingness (for want of a better word), I'm not really a fan of being in the spotlight so walking down the aisle while everyone is staring waiting for the bride really made me nervous. Can you tell LOL?

And on to the beautiful ceremony. Was short and sweet and a tad emotional - just how a wedding should be when your standing in the same spot in a pair of killer heels.

And lastly to show off my hair (cause I loved it) and my tired baby girl (cause I love her too).

 

Please take the time the check out all the other gorgeous LBD's below.

Aussie Curves : Worthy Work

Of all weeks to do a work challenge, this was an unusual one for me.
Most days are the same day in, day out so my work attire doesn't really change too much. Our dress code is black and white (and a color of the season that each individual store chooses) and business casual. So tailored pants and a nice top and cardi are usually the go.

But this week was out of the ordinary. Firstly we had stocktake which is about a 14 hour day and it's casual clothes. Comfortable clothes. So jeans, hoodie, t-shirt and cons was the go. So casual, that I forgot to take a pic in fact. Oops. Then we had a managers meeting. And not just your run of the mill meeting, this one was a special by invite only Rainbow Theme, think like a kid fancy dress meeting. Yeah, so not in my comfort zone but what the hell, if there is anything I've learnt from Aussie Curves, it's embrace something different. So embrace I did.

Oh and a PS, if you are worried that I'm looking rather serious and almost makeupless for the start of a workday it's because they're taken at the end of each day by a five year old...who was not so happy about being the photographer.

So here's to the working week:

Cardigan : MODA for Target

Top : City Chic

Tank : K Mart

Pants : Avella for Big W

Shoes : Ruby Shoes

 





Top : City Chic

Bangle : Thrifted

Pants : Avella for Big W

Boots : Famous Footwear

Cardigan : Mix by Coles

Camisole : City Chic

Pants : Avella for Big W
Shoes : K Mart

And now we have the Rainbow Party attire:

Hair bows : $2 type shop

Necklace : Big W

Bangles : Best & Less

Cardigan : Mix by Coles

Dress : City Chic Bunting Dress

Tights : City Chic

Socks : Best & Less

Shoes : Authentic *cough Cons from Bali

Check out the links below to see how everyone else dresses while workin' hard for the money.

Aussie Curves : Celebration Essential 80's Norty 40 style

Just over a month ago I was posting about the lead up to my Norty Forty Epic 80's party but just like the procrastinator I am, I never got around to doing a follow up post.

So what better opportunity than Danimezza's opening challenge for the second year of Aussie Curves weekly challenges : CELEBRATE.

And celebrate I did. It's the first child free party I've had in the last 10 years so I really let my hair down...as you can tell by the pics LOL

Now before you start thinking "Dude, WTF is she doing?", yes, I was doing duck face. Somewhat obsessively. Alcohol has a lot to answer for. Also I should add that it was 80's themed, so think Madonna in Desperately Seeking Susan (hmmm something tells maybe I should've saved this pic for celebrity copycat).

Anyway, here's the clothing lowdown including pieces that you'll see in pics further down.

Lace Headband : Spotlight

Glasses : Random $2 shop (yes I know they're not Madonna inspired but I was drunk..and I liked them)

Necklaces & Bangles : Diva, Equip, Profile

Blazer : Best & Less

Bustier : City Chic

Pants : Avella for Big W

Shoes : K Mart

Now if you're friends with me on Facebook you would've already seen the eleventy billion party photos, but if not scroll on down and take a peek. While you're at it keep on scrolling on right through to the bottom to see how all the other Aussie Curves chicks celebrate in style.

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Right, let's get back to the Epic 80's Norty Forty Celebration. I'm an obsessive party planner. I will spends weeks organising, purchasing, DIYing, arranging, really just going nuts to get the party just right. This is why I'm in love with Pinterest. All my party ideas and inspirations in the one place. Anyway, I'm babbling now so I'll just let my pics do the rest of the talking.

 

 

  

Nomming it up at the 80's inspired lollie bar

 

My gorgeous sister and I and the husband and I - George Michael and Maddona, 

now that would make good coffee table reading. 

My crazy family

 

 The girls from work livening up the place

 The besties partying like only besties do

 

From talking to most people it sounds like they had a ball.
I know I did.