Everyday Bombshell - Wedding (Coordinator) Wear

topics: plus size fashion, wedding coordinator, Avenue

One of the coolest parts of being temporarily unemployed* is that I've been given the opportunity to do a lot of things that I otherwise might not have.  While job searching, I've been amazed and grateful by the support that I've received from so many people in my life - by way of encouragement, networking opportunities, and offers to earn a few bucks doing odd jobs.  One of those odd jobs?  Wedding coordinator at my church.

My pastor called a few weeks ago and asked me to fill in for the regular coordinator who abruptly vacated her position. So this weekend was my first go at the job.  For the wedding rehearsal, I wanted to wear something comfortable enough to get me through 90 minutes in an un-air conditioned sanctuary.  But also something cute and professional.  Here's what I came up with:

This dress from Avenue fit the criteria perfectly, thanks to the split sleeves that flow open at the shoulder.  Very cool and comfortable.  I'm not thrilled with the self-tie belt that matches the fabric (I usually ditch those straight away in favor of a buckle belt), but I couldn't find quite find a different one in my closet that really worked, either.  So will hunt up a more structured belt and swap that in next time. 

The necklace is from mark, and it's the perfect vertical contrast to those horizontal stripes.

*I accepted a new job on Friday, which is good news on many levels- but for you, it means I will be back to getting dressed in blog-worthy outfits more often!

Everyday Bombshell

I checked out the iconic St. Paul Festival, Grand Old Day, for the first time a couple weeks ago.  The festival has been going on since the 1970's; and I've lived in downtown St. Paul for eight years...but have never been to the G.O.D before.  It might be safe to say that I've purposely avoided the festival.  I have Golden Girls tendencies that keep me from enjoying events that combine crowds and children's activities and beer gardens.  

I know.  I'm only 32.  I should not be the old lady yelling at kids to get off the grass, yet.  So in an effort to be more Blanche than Sophia, I put on a cute outfit and joined the fracas.  I mean, the fun. 

I absolutely loved wearing this outfit - from the black and white zebra print tank, which was flowy and cool enough to wear out in the sun all day - to the touches of hot pink, which could not be more Bombshell-riffic.   I spent my first Grand Old Day with fun friends, listened to a danceable band, and did not hate my first (albeit last) experience with the festival.  

The Outfit:

Britney Tank - c/o Sealed with a Kiss

Jeans- Avenue

Pink patent flip flops- Payless

Pink flower pin - Lily Star

Silver bangle bracelets- Karma

Silver leaf earrings- Forever 21

Everyday Bombshell

Gray and yellow (even if it's just a touch, like in today's jewelry) is one of my favorite color combinations.  And when it's possible to sprinkle in a little sparkle- like on this Talbots gray striped sparkle tank and cardigan - all the better. 

The Outfit:
Lemoncello necklace- Lia Sophia
Sparkle tank & open cardigan - Talbots
Jeans- Avenue
Purple chevron print purse- Patina Stores
Wedge sandals- Nordstrom Rack
Random shoes on the floor behind me - Dan's

Everyday Bombshell

You're going to start noticing a trend in my everyday outfits; jeans and heels.  Longtime readers know that, for a long time, I've not been a fan of jeans.  Or pants of any sort -I'm a skirt/dress kind of girl.  But I've found myself reaching for jeans more and more often, lately.  And nothing goes better with jeans than sky-high heels. 

Also?  I kind of wonder, What's the point?" if I'm not at least 6'4" tall.

I wore this outfit to a happy hour with the group of people with whom I went to Guatemala a few weeks ago.  It was a fun, festive evening!

The Outfit:
Black open cardigan- Avenue
Tropical printed tank top - Lane Bryant
Jeweled belt- Gap Outlet
Jeggings- Avenue
Wedge sandals - Nordstrom Rack
Pinecone necklace- Grandma Ruth

Everyday Bombshell

The weather here in St. Paul has been a little sketchy lately - we rocked the 80's in mid-March and are now shivering through the 40's for some reason.  So light layering has been key for me, and one of my favorite layering pieces is a long tangerine cardigan from Talbots.

I'm also a huge fan of v-neck tees that I found online at Old Navy - they're very thin, but come in tall sizes so they skim the top of my hips.  It's the perfect proportion for my long torso.

The Outfit:
Long cardigan - Talbots
Tall tee shirt- Old Navy
Jeggings- Avenue
Ballet flats - Payless

Everyday Bombshell

After going back and forth on the jeggings bandwagon (should I, shouldn't I?) I finally caved. My desire to branch out into more casual styles outweighed my fear that jeggings look cheap and chintzy when compared to either true leggings or jeans. 

I have to say that I love them.  LOVE them!  My body looks better in tight pants and flowy tops than it does in tight tops and bootcut pants.And my fear that the jeggings would look chintzy was alleviated by Dan's reaction to them: "Those are jeggings?  Huh.  They look like real jeans."

I bought my pair at Avenue; they fit perfectly and are true to size.  AND - they come in tall. Perfect!

The Outfit:
Ponte knit tuxedo jacket- Gap
Turquoise Laura top- c/o Sealed with a Kiss
Jeggings- Avenue (Note- the color shown online is a lot lighter than the actual product, thank goodness)
Ballet flats- Designer Shoes.com

Everyday Bombshell

A couple weekends ago, Dan and I headed down to Des Moines to visit my parents.  Well, it was a little more than that.  

We were summoned by my parents.  As in, "Get down here and take out of the garage all the tubs of stuff saved from your childhood that we've been hauling around for the past 20 years.  Because we're moving one more time and your stuff is not invited!" 

So we came home with 7 tubs of Barbie dolls and Babysitters Club books; milestone clothing (Brownie uniform, baptism gown, First Communion dress), pictures and soccer trophies and art projects from elementary school and high school year books.  Going through all of that stuff was a lot of fun.  It made me realize how lucky I was to have the childhood that I did.  And the parents/brother that I do. 

I helped my mom clean out her closet - seriously, for a woman who claims to not really "be into" clothes...she has a ton. There were several pieces in her "No" pile that I'd given her.  Like this gray tunic from Old Navy.  Does it look familiar?

 

 I wore the heck out of this little dress two years ago.  And then one day, I was tired of seeing it in my closet and on myself.  So I gave it to Mom. And then she tired of it. And now it feels fresh and new, but comforting and familiar all at once.   I wonder how many more years we can pass this piece back and forth?

The Outfit:

Gray tunic/dress - Old Navy

Black knit leggings - Avenue

Black riding boots- Avenue

Faux snakeskin belt- Lane Bryant Outlet

Pink open cardigan- c/o Sealed with a Kiss

Silver hoop earrings- Lia Sophia

The Under Layer

My sleeveless denim dress was in heavy rotation this summer. I wore it to work, to a friend's prenuptial dinner - lots of places, in lots of different ways. So I spent an hour a few weekends ago trying on every single one of my long-sleeved shirts underneath it, in an effort to see just versatile it could be through Fall & Winter. The results? Very!



Both pieces of jewelry are very sentimental to me. The earrings are part of set that my husband gave me the first birthday we were dating. It's actually the first jewelry he ever gave me. And the bracelet has my maiden initials on it: SJR. It's a Tiffany ID bracelet, given to me by my brother & sister-in-law to commemorate my college graduation. It was first piece of Tiffany jewelry, and I remember the thrill of opening up the Tiffany blue gift box every time I wear this bracelet.

The clothes:
Purple ruffle neck tee - Gap
Denim dress - Lane Bryant
Reversible belt - Gap Outlet
Sparkly earrings - Patina
ID bracelet - Tiffany & Co
Brown boots - Avenue

Nice and Nautical

I broke out my knee-high boots for the first time since last winter, and it felt great! I'm reveling in the cooler temperatures and the changing scenery outside. I felt kicky all day in this outfit:



Whenever an outfit needs a necklace but I don't want anything too overpowering, I always reach for this Waterford Crystal piece that I hijacked from my mom's collection.



Tomorrow, I'm meeting up with Kimberly of Fab Finds Under $50. She's in town visiting a friend and I'm so excited that she has time to reconnect after we met at the Lane Bryant Blogger's Conference this past June. Hopefully, we'll do a joint photo shoot and you can see what we each wore while jaunting around the Twin Cities.

The clothes:
Necklace- from Mom
Striped dress- Gap Outlet
Green cardigan- Lane Bryant
Brown reversible belt- Gap Outlet
Boots- Avenue