(Seriously bootleg) Video Review: Torrid Stiletto Jean + some serious spookiness!

Hi!

As I'm writing this, I'm extremely frazzled.  I will tell you the reason why momentarily but I just need to gripe one second about my personal life.  Last year, the hubs applied for a position with the Boston Police Department. We were both elated when he got a call back several months ago to tell him that he was going to be considered among the pool of prospective recruits.  The process of being a prospective recruit entails a lot of document gathering, background checks, neighbor references, etc. Well, after working for the past TWO months to gather all the necessary paperwork for him (seriously, it was a mind-wracking process), he goes to his interview and is told that he has to be "bypassed" because of his driving record.  All that work I did!!!! For them to tell him that he would no longer be considered.  When he told me, I was deflated.  Seriously, you would've thought that I was the one who got shut down. Bright side (typed sarcastically)? He can reapply in 2015 because by then, the offenses on his driving record will have disappeared. *facepalm*

Moving on...I wanted to do a video review for Torrid's new Stiletto Jean because I didn't think that pictures would suffice.  There's been a lot of buzz about the jean and a host of blogger reviews about them.  You'll have to watch my video to determine if all this buzz is justified. It's also worth mentioning that I did not wash the jeans after wearing them the first time so they do not have that super fitted look of the first wear. Also, before you watch the video please keep in mind that the audio may not be so great (you might need to put it all the way  up) and that I did a really craptastic editing job.    If you can live with these two things (as well as my infernal "um's" throughout) then click away! Ready? Go!



Ok, so are you ready for me to tell you why I'm frazzled? Ok, so the video above is actually my second attempt at the review.  The first review was interrupted by some serious paranormal activity in my house.  It was one of those rare times when I was all alone (hubs took the kids out) so I decided to take advantage of the solitude and do a review of the jean.  Well, watch the video below and pay particular attention to the right of my face and the hallway behind me at about:35-:37. It appears that a ball is thrown and it makes a noise as it hits my floor.  If you reeeeeeally look closely (like near my right cheek, you can see an arm being raised as if someone is throwing said ball. Please note that this video has not been altered in anyway with the exception of shortening the footage so that you could view what I am referring to.  Also, I think it is worth stating that I was absolutely ALONE and that I don't keep any balls in the house.



WTH??? You saw it right??? What's even creepier is that you can hear the sound the object makes as it "makes contact" with my floor! I literally had to call my sister, dad, and mom over to my house so they could bear witness to what I was seeing.  NO ONE could explain it! If you care to hit me up with some possible explanations I'd LOVE to hear them because three days later, I'm STILL freaking out! Seriously, I've been sleeping with all the lights on in my house since this incident (don't laugh at me!)! I hope that my nerves calm down eventually but right now I'm a mess!

Pants on fire...

Hey!
I bet you thought I was joking when I said I'd be posting more eh?  So today I felt like wearing a vibrant color so I decided to wear my red-orange F21 pants that I purchased recently.  I had been eyeing these pants for some time but always held off buying them because I didn't know how I would make them work.  Well, I came across a F21 code and decided that I would buy them.  Surprisingly, the pants fit great (my luck with F21 pants is not so good) and the color is very vivid in person.  The pants come with this brown belt which admittedly looks and feels a bit cheap.  Since I'm a little obsessed about pairing bright colors with monochromatic ones, I decided to wear my striped Faith21 tank and topped the ensemble with a F21 woven cardigan.  I think the pants give the outfit a nice punch of color without being too in-your-face (which is not necessarily a bad thing). FYI, the pants I'm wearing are a size 16 so if you are wanting a looser fit, I would size up. 

Again, sorry for the craptastic pics! I will be getting my DSLR soon!

Pants: F21

Tank: Faith21 (now F21)

Cardigan: F21

Earrings: F21

Necklace: ??

Shoes: Old Navy

Rawwwwrrrrrr....

Hi!

This morning I was feeling a bit like a vixen so I decided to spice up things a bit.  I recently bought a slinky leopard top from F21 and have been trying to find a reason to wear it to work.  After much deliberation, I was like: why the heck does leopard print anything need to be justified? So I know what you are thinking: Izzy, I thought you hated leopard print? Well I kinda still do when it's all-up-in-your face.  I do, however, like leopard print in small doses and when it doesn't comprise the whole of an outfit. 

The skirt I am wearing is from Torrid and was purchased during their haute cash promotion.  If you have been on the fence about this skirt, I definitely encourage you to get it.  It has a banded top (bonus) and an off center front slit and feels great on.  Easily, the skirt is one of my favorite pieces from Torrid.  I decided to throw on my sheer BCBG cardigan that I got from TJMaxx a long time ago.  I love this particular piece because it is very versatile and has amazing stretch.  My accessories include my patent belt from the Gap and my hammered hoop earrings from Ashley Stewart.  The shoes I am wearing are pointed flats from Tarjay.  I love these shoes because they are super comfortable but they are really beat up because I've worn them so much.  I've been  really trying to wear flats less often but it is sooooo hard!  Flats are my go-to because I have realllly flat feet and they make walking a bit easier.  My challenge for the new year though is to start wearing more heels.  I've made several amazing shoe purchases the past few weeks that I can't wait to share with you all.  They are all heels too!  I'm working up the nerve to wear at least one pair before the year is over.

One outfit, different styles:

Leopard top: F21+

Skirt: Torrid

Wrap top: BCBG via TJMaxx

Belt: Gap

Earrings: Ashley Stewart

Bracelet: F21

Watch: ASOS

Shoes: Tarjay

Monif C Emme Ponte Dress Review

Hi!

Sorry it's been so long since my last post! I hope everyone had a great holiday with loved ones because I sure did! I wanted to share with you my review of Monif C's Emme Ponte Dress.  This dress has been making the blogger rounds lately and I wanted to share with you my perspective.  Let me start off by saying that I love Monif C's designs, for the most part, they are cutting edge and very flattering.  However, I know I am not the only one who feels as though her price points are a bit too high. I decided to take advantage of the flash sale sale she had a few weeks ago and when the moment of truth came, I was literally staring at the "submit order" button for like ten minutes (hey, it's alot of money!).  I opted for the 1x even though I think the 2x would've fit better. I am trying to lose some weight so I figured that I'd rather have a dress that was too small than one that was too big.   

Here is what the dress looks like on a model.  I purchased the one on the left.

I apologize in advance for the poor quality of the pics, my hubby was using his camera phone.  I also apologize for my general appearance.  I quickly styled the dress so I had no time to hook up my hair, make up like I would've wanted. Also, I feel like I should've put on some more serious shapewear underneath (I'm wearing my Sweet Nothings tummy controlling bike shorts) because I'm looking a bit bubbalicious.

The fabric of the dress was very thick which I liked.  I didn't think it needed a back zipper because I ended up just pulling the dress up over my head. The material has some give and feels really comfortable on. So the ultimate verdict? I ended up returning the dress.  I wasn't crazy about it and I felt that I would need big hair to pull it off.  I do still visit it on the website from time to time though...*sigh*



What do you all think of the dress? Do you think it is worth $208?

Eloquii review

I'll let the video speak for itself...

A lament...

So I have some bad news...my camera is broken! Well, I actually smashed it in a fury but still. So this means that my outfit posts are going to be on pause temporarily until I get my act together. Luckily, I did take some outfit pics pre-smashage so I can definitely share those with you.

Quick vent: what the heck is up with all the leopard patterned...everything I am seeing lately? It's a bit overkill in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, I am all for animal prints in small doses but this trend seems to be on steroids or something. What do you all think? It seems that everywhere I turn I'm seeing something that shouldn't be in leopard print completely covered in it...let's give this trend a rest ok? ok. thanks.

So onto the pics...I want to share with you a couple of pics of me in my tribal tunic dress from Fashion to Figure. It was my very first purchase from them ever since seeing this particular piece on Gabi's blog. I had it in my closet forever and finally decided to dust it off and see how I could style it. I'm on the fence of the pic of me with a red clutch. My inital thought was to give the outfit some color because I can't do 100% monochromatic anything. I don't know if the sheen from the clutch throws it all off--it seems as though the red should be more of a muted red...what do you think? The actual tunic is divine. It is super soft and has amazing stretch to it. The one thing I do not like about it is the fact that it has attached sleeves. I remedied that problem by using a belt which I think gives the tunic a bit more contour.

And because I am who I am, I decided to take another pic of me with a black clutch. I don't know which I like better though...

Tunic/Dress: Fashion to Figure
Boots: Eddie Bauer
Belt: Style & Co via Macy's
Bracelet: Ashley Stewart
Earrings: H&M
Red patent clutch: Aldo's
Black satin clutch: Payless

Since purchasing this piece, I've made several purchases at FTF since. They seem to be a great company who are very attuned to their client base. I am looking forward to see what else they have in store in the coming weeks!

Be sure to stay tuned for more outfit posts and some additional contests! Please comment below and let me know what you think about the outfit!

Not too shabby...

I initially heard about Shabby Apple through a friend and since then I've been in absolute love with their dresses. I recently decided to take the plunge and buy the Baja striped dress which I had been eyeing for a while. Since the XL was out of stock, I purchased the large and couldn't be more happier with the style of the dress. The large is a bit snug on me but the fabric does have some stretch to it. I decided to throw on my Gap skinny belt in wine which I think adds a nice pop of color. I am also wearing my fave Corso Como pumps in a luscious patent red.

Dress: Shabby Apple Baja dress (size large)

Earrings: H&M (they are a few years old)

Shoes: Corso Como "Delicious" pumps in patent red (the most comfy pumps ever!)

Before purchasing anything from the site, I encourage you to search the web for coupon code as they are frequently issued by the company.  This dress was on sale for about $44 plus I used a 15% of coupon! Also, there is free shipping on standard domestic orders! For those that are curious, Shabby Apple sizing does go up to an XL.  They also have select plus size offerings as well.

My next buy from Shabby Apply will most likely be the Gondola dress shown below.  Look how pretty the green is with those blue and white stripes!

OOTPP: Outfits of the Post Preggy and win an Ashley Stewart dress!

Hello Lovelies!
It's been a while but I'm back in the building! Surely, you didn't think I'd be gone forever did you? So, I am officially post preggy and am getting used to being a mom for the THIRD time.  It's only been three weeks but I truly can't wait to get back in form (pre-preggy shape) so I can share all of my clothing finds with you! I managed to convince the hubby to take some pics for me and wanted to share with you some outfit posts. I am actually giving away the Ashley Stewart dress so read on to see how you can snatch it up!

Dress: Forever 21 (1x)

Earrings : Forever 21

So I initially bought this dress because I was in love with the colors.  After getting it in the mail., I threw it in my closet and forgot all about it. I'm kind of on the fence about it still because the silhouette is not something I'm accustomed to.  I'm also not in love with the ties at the waist...a smocked waistline would have been 100 times better in my opinion.

 A plus though, definitely the puff shoulders--just the right touch of whimsy.

Verdict: Ehh...

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Dress: Forever 21

So I don't know how I feel about this dress either.  I love the pattern which is why I purchased it in the first place.  As we all know, F21 sizing is extremely wonky.  I am usually a 1X in their clothing (which this dress is) but it seems that I should have purchased this in a 2x. I love the fact that is zips in the back but dislike the fact that it is as short as it is.  I guess no bending down to pick up lost change while in this baby!

Verdict: Ehh...

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Camisole: Sweet Nothings via Walmart

Pants: Rainbows

Top: Akira (one size fits all)

Belt: Forever 21 (main range)

I love, love, love this outfit.  I wish I had a slouchy leather satchel to go along with it! I copped the pants from my local Rainbows and am surprised by how nice they feel.  The pants are really slinky and have these really cool slouchy pockets.  I'm also loving the top from Akira! They don't cater to plus sizes but there are a lot of pieces that will accommodate a plus sized frame.  This top is very billowy and is sure to be flattering on many body types.

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Jacket: H&M faux leather biker jacket (size 14)

Camisole: Sweet Nothings via Walmart

Pant: Forever 21 fringe legging

Belt: American Eagle

So how bad-ass is this outfit? I'm in lurve with this jacket from H&M. What would make it perfection is if I found it in a size 16 as the jacket doesn't actually close on me.  I like the fringe legging from F21 but it has a sheen to it that I'm not really crazy about because it accentuates every bump and lump on my body.  I thought I'd throw on the AE belt to offset the monotony of the black.  Pink (in small doses) always seems to calm me down...

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Ok, so this is not an outfit pic obviously but I wanted to show you all my cool hat from ASOS.  For some reason I've been obsessed with bobble hats and had been on the search for a perfect one.  I love the rich teal color of this hat and the fact that the knit is so chunky and substantive. I can't wait to rock this when it gets colder! Oh, excuse the neck naps in the last pic!

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So to commemorate my return from preggo-hood, I'd like to offer you all a chance to win this Ashley Stewart wrap dress! It is band spanking new and is a size 14/16 but I think the dress could easily accommodate a size 18.  All you have to do to enter this contest is to follow my blog and leave your email addy in the comments section.  I will be using a random number generator to select the winner.  Enter now, contest will end Monday, October 10th at 8PM EST!

Recent Buys...

So what if I'm almost pregnant and can't technically wear most of the stuff I have purchased?  I like to believe that I'm pretty attuned to my body (especially the super squishy parts) to know which pieces will fit post-pregnancy and which ones will not.  That being said, I've made several purchases the past several weeks that I'm very proud of.  One was what I like to call a dice-roll.  You know, when you buy something and you have absolutely no idea how it will fit.  Amazon recently offered a discount off of its clearance clothing and I decided to take the plunge on the Democracy Womens Floral Bed Jacket top:

Cute huh?  Well, the floral pattern reminds me of something that belongs on a couch but still...I liked it because it looked really flowy and nonrestrictive, two clothing attributes that I utterly need right now.
In person this jacket is so adorable and the floral pattern is not too kitschy or overwhelming.  The shoulders have a puff detail that I absolutely fell in love with and the fabric is soft and has a slight stretch to it. I bought this in an XL (the largest size).  Verdict: Keeper.

The next item is from ASOS' main range (size 14).  What drew me to this piece was the chunkiness of the stripes and the fact that the piece seemed very versatile (it could be worn as a top, a dress, or a skirt). I've been obsessed with anything stripey as of late so it was not a major shocker that I saw this and fell in love with it.  It didn't hurt that it was on clearance for 17 bux...

When I got this in the mail, I noticed that the white stripes were actually cream-colored, a detail I must have overlooked while reading the description of the item.  The dress skimmed over my hips pretty easily and looked great as a knee-length skirt. Since my belly was in the way, I had a difficult time envisioning it as a dress. The material is extremely stretchy and the garment is solidly constructed.  Verdict: Keeper.

My next purchase was from Talbots.  Oh, Talbots, you know how to tantalize the desires of the pregnant woman don't you?  I purchased this wanting to fully take advantage of Talbot's 40% off sale (which is still going on mind you).  I had been coveting this skirt for some time but hadn't taken the plunge because I was a bit put off by the description of the material as a "linen-blend".  Linen...you know, the same material that wrinkles no matter how many times you try to iron it? Yeah, that material.  My craving for Cold Stone ice cream one weekend brought me face to face with a Talbots.  Spying the coveted skirt on display in their window, I giddily entered.  Oh, this skirt felt like a dream! The material was very substantive and the stitching was divine.  I snuck in a corner and rubbed the skirt against my cheek.  Heaven!  The rest is basically history. Verdict: Keeper.

So that is basically it for now. I've recently purchased a host of items from Forever 21 that have not arrived yet.  Once I do, I will be sure to post a review.  I know, I know...A review is not really a review without trying the clothes on right?  Well, cut me some slack...

More preggy pics on the horizon so stay tuned!