Everyday Bombshell - TCL Edition

Last Friday, I wore the cutest dress on Twin Cities Live.  It was sent to me by LucieLu, as a little preview of the springy designs to come, so it's not available for sale quite yet.  The dress is sleeveless, and a really flattering empire waist.  initially, I was uncertain whether or not the waist would hit at the right spot, or if it would be a little short and make me appear pregnant (which I am not).  Lo and behold - it fit my proportions perfectly.

To winterize this springy dress, I layered a black tee shirt and thick black tights underneath.  The necklace is an anchor pendant I bought from the Realia by Jen sample sale a few weeks ago.  This has become one of my favorite outfits, at the moment.

For some reason, Twin Cities Live hasn't updated their home page to include video of my segment on incorporating emerald green into your makeup bag.  I'll be on again tomorrow (Tues, Feb 5th) so hopefully I'll be able to share with you that segment.

Outfit Details:
Blush lace dress with gray accents- c/o LucieLu
Black scoopneck tee- Old Navy
Black tights - Avenue
Black pointy heels - Payless
Anchor pendant - Realia by Jen

Everyday Bombshell

Last week, I enjoyed a nice lunch at the ABC affiliate TV station in St. Paul.  I was invited to a meet-and-greet/brainstorming session with the other regular guests on Twin Cities Live.  It was a lot of fun to meet some of the people who I've watched put together terrific segments for the TV show.

I raced over to the TV station during my lunch break from my day-job, so I had to wear something that fit both occassions.  Enter - my new winter uniform:  dress, tights and long cardigan. The long (33") cardigan is key to pulling off this cute/casual look.  Any shorter, and the cardigan will break up the long line and will make me look stumpy and frumpy.  I'm saving my waist-length cardigans for tee shirts and skirts.

The Outfit:
Gray cardigan- gift from my mom
Watercolor print dress- LucieLu
Black tights - Hanes
Black heels- Payless
Silver Christmas bracelet- Red Envelope
Jade mongram necklace- Red Envelope

Everyday Bombshell - LucieLu, Meet Talbots

topics: plus size fashion, LucieLu, Talbots, Tyler Stained Glass Creations

As I said - it's all LucieLu and Talbots up in here lately.  So the two are long overdue for an introduction...LucieLu dress, meet Talbots boyfriend blazer.

The Outfit:
Floral bib-front dress- LucieLu
Black boyfriend blazer- Talbots
Purple slingback heels (obscured by my sweet photography skills) - Jessica London
Jeweled belt- Gap Outlet
Cute Little Birdie Ring - c/o Tyler Stained Glass Creations
Silver hoop earrings- Lia Sophia

Beauty Guru Debut

Yesterday, I debuted on Twin Cities Live as their new beauty guru.  It was such a fun experience, and I'm excited for our next segment in the coming weeks.  Yesterday's segment highlighted a few of my favorite drugstore products that might be skipped over because you're not quite sure what they do.  With all the choices of products on shelves, it was not hard to find only four to feature!  Here's the clip:

And here are a few behind-the scenes photos with my models - Ashley Sand, Erin Sartor and Jenn Emmerich. 

 Erin & Ashley after touching up hair/makeup in the dressing room. 

 Jenn, texting away!

 All three of them, in the midst of Friending one another on Facebook.

 We watched the show in the green room, waiting our turn.

A celebratory glass of wine at Cupcake was in order.

My Outfit:

Lucie Lu  Reverie Dress

Pink netting pin from Lily Rose (a local store, at Rosedale Mall)

Ballet flats from Payless

LucieLu Trunk Show

My love of all things LucieLu is well documented on this blog. So you can only imagine how excited I am that the brand is putting on a trunk show at Bombshell Boutique this Saturday. LucieLu is one of the more affordable brands carried at Bombshell, and the latest offerings will be shown and feted with cocktails and the ability to pre-order new items from the line. I will SO be there, cash in hand.

In the meantime, here are six of my favorite pieces from the current collection. I really appreciate the easy dresses LucieLu is known for- perfect for dressing up at work or dressing down for play.

LucieLu Favorites by bombshellbeautyblog featuring a lace dress

Bombshell Boutique Splashes onto Grand Ave

St. Paul's historic Grand Avenue has long been a destination for boutique shops that cater to the boho-eclectic style of the city's straight-size women. Last night's launch party for Bombshell Boutique was a celebration of plus size fashion and it's new home in the neighborhood.

Situated in a cozy spot next to Bruegger's Bagels and across from the North Face store, Bombshell Boutique's facade is a welcome addition to the Twin Cities' style scene. The owner, Denise Alden, exemplified everything that her store stands for: welcoming and personable, with a very Bombshell up-sweep of platinum blonde hair, decked out in a curve-flattering lace overlay dress from Kiyonna. She was the consumate hostess, welcoming every party guest into her boutique with pink champagne and a tour of the clothing racks. Denise spoke passionately and knowledgeably about each of the designers she carries, pointing out this skirt that lays just right and that dress that feels amazing on.

My friend, Stephanie, and I had a great time wandering through the store, checking out the well-edited selection of clothes, jewelry and purses. We both loved the silky printed wrap tops from INES, and were very interested in the Not Your Daughter's Jeans display. I tried on a dress from LucieLu that had to come home with me, and Stephanie snagged a gorgeous red purse.

I'm very passionate about supporting the small businesses in my neighborhood, and I'm especially excited about Bombshell Boutique. If last night's party was any indication, Grand Avenue is going to be looking a lot more glamourous for a long time to come.



I'm looking forward to having lots of these cute shopping bags...



This LucieLu dress has so many great details - epaulets at the shoulders, zipper front, ruching along the waistline, and pockets at the hips. It's very soft and comfortable. A new favorite!