Curvy Girl on the Run

My love for testing products started early in life. I remember being a teenager and walking in the mall and one of those lovely ladies came up and asked me if I wanted to get paid to test a product. I happily agreed and was sent to their office to receive a sample of an astringent for my face. I remember how bad this product was and that it was so strong, it removed the ink from my auto show stamp on my hand. Now I am a bit more hesitant to try products as I have more sensitive skin and need to be careful with what I put on my face. Imagine my delight though when I was contacted by Kohl's and asked to try a beauty box! I willingly agreed and they sent it to my home.  The first product I tried was the Hydroxatone Revitalizing Microdermabrasion. This was very creamy as it was applied on wet fingertips and massaged into the skin. It helps to exfoliate and smooth the skin while helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and large pores. It also helps to reduce

The weather is positively nuts right now! Calling for snow in Florida and no rain in California! Here in Michigan, we are having record low temps and more school cancellations because of the cold weather. As I'm writing this, the actual temperature is -6 degrees with a wind chill of -25 degrees! Brrr!  Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and I have an easy recipe for oatmeal that will fill you up and keep you warm. Bonus: set it and forget it!  I first came into this recipe in a Weight Watchers meeting a few years ago and it has become one that I reach for in times like these. I actually thought I lost this recipe and just found it lately as my husband was asking me to make it!  Here's a picture of the finished product and how I ate it this morning!  Let's get down to business! Here's the recipe: Cranberry Maple Slow Cooker Oatmeal 8 cups water 2 cups steel cut oats (Hodgson Mills is the brand I use)  2/3 cup dried cranberries 1/2 c maple syrup 1 tsp ground

I'm so tired of all of the cold weather and snow that we are having! I saw on the news today that we have had about 32" of snow in January and more is still falling! I'm so ready for spring! But alas, we will have to wait a little while longer!  Today's momod challenge is lace. I had a lace dress all picked out for today and decided to not wear it and go with pants instead since it's so cold! I have this salmon colored lace top from Loft (2012) and paired it with black jeans. I'm wearing this awesome tweed jacket that I got from Banana Republic a few years ago. I love mixing textures as much as I love mixing prints!  I went with black boots to match that are Bare Traps brand from DSW and look as good as they are comfortable.  For accessories, I'm wearing my dark metal necklace and earrings again from Premier Designs. I think these are are pretty and edgy at the same time. Probably some of my favorite pieces from them! I added my strand of pearls from J Crew

First of all, I have to tell you that I haven't always loved thrift stores. The smell sometimes gets to me and I am overwhelmed by the stuff that the stores have. I cannot believe some of the stuff that people donate because when I look at it, I see stains, holes, tears, etc. I am saddened that stuff like this gets put on the racks for others to purchase. This is typical in your larger thrift stores but not the smaller consignment stores.  That being said, I also cannot believe some of the stuff that people donate! It's name-brand and in great condition! I know you really have to weed through the racks and it can be a tedious process, but it can really pay off!  I like to go to thrift stores on a day off of work by myself and take my time looking. I generally look by color and by pattern. I look by color and pattern because if I am visually interested in the piece, I imagine it will be a great piece to wear. I search high and low all of the racks in case I missed someth

I've actually been wanting to write about this for a while. It's something that has been heavy on my heart though a lot recently. The Awkward Years? Remember those? You might even be reading this and thinking that you are still in your Awkward Years.     Recently, I received a couple of comments that could be perceived as negative on Instagram and it started to make me think about why I am doing this blog in the first place.   Why am I letting people into my private life by showing outfits that I come up with? Why am I showing the world how I look today?    I love fashion and I also love the fact that I can get creative and mix and match things- i.e. my love for pattern mixing, etc. Social media allows us to look into peoples' lives and also allows us an easy avenue to express our opinions or ask questions that quite possibly shouldn't be asked. I will tell you why I am writing this post at this exact time.   There are really a few reasons for this.   First o

If you've read any this blog before or know me personally, you know I love the color pink. It's funny because I can't say that I really liked the color pink a whole lot before I got married many years ago. I think my husband secretly tried to make me less of a tomboy by deliberately buying pink things for me. But I digress... He did purchase this jacket for me for Christmas though after I asked for it. I happened to see it 50% off during my Black Friday shopping and purchased it and he wrapped it up for me for Christmas. In my defense, he had looked for it prior to that and it was not on sale. So naturally when I saw it on sale, I had to get it!  I first saw this cool moto jacket in Gap probably back in October sometime though. I think it's really meant to be an outerwear item, but because it's so cold here, I decided to wear it as a jacket over a dress. I think it's a little "punk" and adds some edge to any outfit.  I wore this fun jacket over

Does anybody out there love Pinterest besides me? For the most part, I know that Pinterest took over the need for me to clip out articles from magazines and newspapers.  If I like a recipe now and I see it in a magazine, I will go to that website and see if it’s on there and then pin it! Done! No more keeping stacks of papers! If I see an item that I like on a website, I can look for their Pinterest button and pin it to one of my boards. I especially like this for my fashion boards as they can vary based on the type of items that I am looking at. I have also learned cleaning and organizing tips off of Pinterest.   Who knew that Cream of Tartar actually worked on rust stains? I learned this and so many more tips on Pinterest. Who likes the secret boards? I know I do currently have one secret board and trust me, it’s a good one! I love to plan things like parties and vacations and surprises and I certainly don’t need my followers asking me questions about what I have pinned! I l

I don't really have the blues. I just love wearing the color blue and I love wearing different shades of it even more! Believe it or not, I'm dressed in all Target today with the exception of the Loft bow belt that I put on top. This is a dress that is short- sleeved and I bought it before the 2014 Closet Remix Challenge at 70% off. I love the dress for many reasons: it's knit so it's super comfortable, it's a great length and it reminds me of a similar dress that I made in high school in Home Ec.  The sweater was also 70% off and I am truly able to mix and match with a lot of other clothes that I already own. I love the different shades of blue as well as the color-blocking.  I added some interest with the leopard heels and the bow belt. The heels are also old from Target and the belt is from last year. A lot of other jewelry or accessories really isn't necessary with this outfit because of the collar and the belt. I am wearing earrings and a bracel

I found this fun vest at Land's End in Sears and fell in love with it. I love the navy color and the polka dots! It's such a fun versatile piece to have and the price just couldn't be beat! I also think it's a more budget friendly piece in comparison to the J Crew striped excursion vest that I had been eyeing. This vest is a great addition to my wardrobe and I was finally able to break it out this weekend when the temperatures rose a bit. I have several other outfits planned to wear with this and I think especially in Spring, I will be able to break it out a bit more.  Today's look included some favorites of mine: the cute hedgehog sweater from Target last summer, my favorite plaid from J Crew Factory and of course, skinnies and riding boots! Also included in today's ensemble: my favorite tote from Phillip Lim for Target. My love for critters and pattern mixing is sure evident in this outfit today!  Here's some pics of me in this new beauty. Enjo

I don’t normally do a blog post on Fridays, but sometimes, I just have to show you all things that make me happy.   Last week I posted about this leopard faux fur vest and how I can’t get enough of it! Did I mention my husband bought it for me for Christmas? It makes it that much more special. I am doing a challenge this month, which is more like a guide, for something to wear on each day during the month.   I will admit that I love these challenges because they truly help me to plan and think outside of the box when it comes to my outfits.   I love to mix and match things and take risks and these challenges help me to think about things differently. The challenge this month is from More Modern Modesty. I love Chandra and her blog and her outfits that she puts together.   You can check out her blog here www.momomod.com .  Chandra is also very creative and was thoughtful enough to put together a list for us for January.   I will also admit that I do not wear dresses and skirt

I'm back to writing my weekly Sunday Style post now that Style Me December is over!  I recently discovered the faux fur trend and my love for wearing it! I never bothered to try this before but this year I decided to go out of my comfort zone and give it a spin. I was looking for a vest that was light brown but really couldn't find one that I loved. Then I found this leopard print faux fur vest at Banana Republic. I loved this one because it was different and had a pattern and would look good with solids or prints. My husband bought it for me for Christmas and this weather is the perfect time to use it! (While I am writing this article on Sunday, this look was from yesterday when it was actually sunny and not snowing here!) I paired the vest with a monogram sweater from Old Navy and a plaid from there as well. I also wore my favorite pair of skinny jeans and riding boots. For a little bit more glam, I also added my favorite statement necklace from very Jane. I also am