Vedette Shapewear: in the daytime

Vedette Shapewear asked if I was interested in trying out one of their shapewear garments and styling it as day to night outerwear. I was reluctant at first glance because I have never worn shapewear before and I've always thought it was made for people who wanted to hide their love affair with peanut butter, and not girls who were proud of their bodies.

It wasn't until I read their mission statement and browsed through their "I've got nothing to hide campaign" that I was convinced shapewear is more than just a garment for disguising belly fat but also a garment that celebrates your body and is a pretty addition to your wardrobe. 
"At Vedette, we understand the unique needs of our customers and offer you a wide range of shapewear and support garments for any occasion. Our goal is to provide you with high quality shapewear and garments that help you achieve your ideal silhouette but also make you feel comfortable."
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I chose the Tatienne corset for its lace-up accent and the nude color for its vintage appearance. I wanted my daytime look to linger in the golden sun, dreamily like I was headed to a place where flowers grow. The corset itself is very soft, as though it were a sheet of perfectly fitted silk. I didn't find myself pulling at it or getting annoyed like I usually do with tucked in blouses. 

What I found most grin-worthy about the entire outfit was how comfortable I felt inside of it. Sure, it's great to have a belly appear smoother and flatter but the shapewear didn't disguise my body or make me look like a photo-shopped pear, it made me look like me.

I have been that girl. I have stood in front of a bathroom mirror with two hands cupped to my belly, cheeks soaked with tear salts, wondering how did I ever allow myself to grow this island below my bosom? And those creases between my belly button and thigh could swallow a rain drop! I have loathed and I have cursed this body I was given and for each time I have done that, I have lost a precious moment where I could have been admiring the blood and heart that beats beneath it.

Yes, I have hips and dips. I have lines and freckles. I get bruises, bumps and hair in unforgiving places. Cellulite? I got that too. I have come a long way from wanting to hide all of these marks that make me who I am. Now all I want to do is wear clothes that celebrate my body.....

and my brain.

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Stay tuned for the night time look & a giveaway for you to win your own shapewear!
Sunhat - Value Village  | Beige Shapewear Vedette Shapewear  | Floral Trousers - Forever 21
 Flower Petal Wedges - Oasap

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*Please note: reviews on my blog are unbiased and honest. If I don't like something, you'll hear it. Fortunately, I try to only accept reviews that sound promising and don't compromise the integrity of myself or my readership.  

What to wear to a summer wedding:

 
I always know when spring has been welcomed by the presence of May tree flowers. You can smell them bursting into bloom and filling their branches with little white clusters. Fruit does not drop from the tree for humans to eat, only squirrels and quick birds get lucky sometimes.

 The biggest May tree in our neighborhood grows in my backyard every spring but sadly Black Knot disease has taken over and left our tree pale and without flowers. We've tried to save it ourselves by scraping the disease that hugs the branches but calling for an arboist (tree doctor) seems easier. We'll just have to twiddle our thumbs and wait to see if our tree can be saved. If not, my heart will surely shrink in size.

These photos were taken for Fashion Magazine's latest style panel question: 
"What would you wear to a summer wedding"? Here is my response :)
If you've been invited to a summer wedding and you think that means you’re obligated to buy a new fancy gown, think again. Weddings can be formal occasions where you should dress your best but that doesn't mean your best needs to be bought. Why not wear one of your favorite summer dresses in a new way (with a shawl and your hair curled)? Or if you’re concerned about colors, wearing a romantic one like lavender will almost always suit the wedding’s atmosphere.
Wearing comfortable yet stylish shoes is often overlooked when getting dressed for weddings. Sometimes you’ll end up doing a lot of standing or maybe you want to head straight to the dance hall after the ceremony, a Mary Jane or t-strap with a small chunky heel in pastel colors is an ideal shoe. After all, you don’t want to miss out on the dancing because your feet hurt!
I don’t believe weddings should have strict rules on event attire. However, wearing white is too risky unless the bride has advised you to and opting for shorter-length dresses best suits the summer air. Assembling flowers into your hair or wearing a crown is a beautiful way to complement the season and blend into the romantic atmosphere.
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Lavender Dress - Mod Cloth  | Tstrap heels - Bait footwear | Floral Crown - Dolly Darling 

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flowers and other wild things

A simple walk in the woods and you'll find the height of my happiness. The trees are everywhere, growing tall and circling the dirt as if they have been painted. It is so quiet here, the only sounds are made by living things that are wilder than I am. Sometimes I travel to the woods alone but now I have found a friend who will go with me.

Her name is Ash and she sees flowers the same way I do, as little parades and anthems growing through the ground. She herself is a flower and I am so glad she wants to wander the woods with me. Luckily the sky that day was clear and sunny so we were able to witness all of the insects and birds coming to life.

On our quest to find a perfectly shaded tree for taking pictures, a butterfly with a golden trim landed on Ash's hat and refused to take flight. I couldn't stop laughing and marveling at the whole ordeal but somehow I managed to capture a picture that wasn't fuzzy. 

You watch these wild things until you start to believe winter was just a dream and all of the blossoming flowers and singing birds never really left.
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Crochet Top - Oasap  | Skirt -  Romwe | Boots DNA Footwear | Hat - Value Village

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sweater weather

Don't let the title of this post or the coziness in the photos mislead you, sweater weather has finally left our city. No longer does the cold earth sleep below us. We are sunburn, swimsuit & freckle-bound.

I hope it is a long time before I see another cloud of snow. This winter felt so long I was afraid summer would never stir from its slumber. Now that the dawn is rosy and warm, I can lay underneath the sun and wait for my freckles to appear. I've already been sunbathing for the past three days and I am starting to look like the inside of a strawberry rhubarb pie. I need to remember to be kind to my body and lather up the sunscreen!

Today is a day of celebration, not only because the sun is making everything gleam but also because my parents come home from Italy and Carter turns twenty four!

Happy birthday Carter, you are the poet's harp to me. As long as you stay by my side and remember that your heart is like a singing bird, adulthood will never be a bad thing. Love you.

P.S these photos were taken before Summer weather arrived!


What I'm Wearing 
  Sweater : Sheinside | Skirt : Sheinside | Shoes :  Oasap | Straw Hat : Spring

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flower petal pants


All day I dream through the conversations I have with my mother. She is in Rome right now with my dad and soon will be taking a train to Florence. We only talk through broken telephone calls. Every once in awhile the sound stops working and all I can hear is something that sounds like a bee farm. It's not easy to hear the voice of a loved one so faraway, even worse is to hear their voice fade out like a forgotten dream. 

You start to realize the sky's vast depth and how without those you love around you, you're nothing but a shadow. My parents will be home soon and I plan to squeeze their Italian feast-filled bellies and beg them to never leave me again.


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For those of us who follow our nose to the flowers, it sure is nice to add blooms to our wardrobe without having to pull them from the ground. Flower printed jeans are an easy way of making yourself feel garden-bound and ready for the magic that is springtime. They don't require rain nor sunshine to bloom and you won't find them crackling to the passing wind. I try to convince myself to add more solid patterned clothing to my closet but floral always wins.  


The pair I'm wearing are from Nygard. If you haven't heard, they're a North American fashion brand that is committed to making clothes for real women. Real women means 'All' women, no matter the shape or length you walk in. If you want to snag your own pair of printed jeans from Nygard - I'll be hosting a giveaway very soon.  

Until then, love your weekend!
 
What I'm Wearing 

  Pants: Nygard | Blouse : Oasap | Straw Hat : Spring | Shoes : BlowfishShoes | Parasol : Western Mercantile

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