Fashion Friday: My very fashionable week

First off let me say hello to everyone again! My amazing husband and I took a vacation and we unplugged from the world. Limited phone use, limited internet, limited blogging, limited everything but good food and fun. My weight loss journey actually didn't take the hit I thought it might over vacation praise the Lord. I really tried to skip the apps when we went out and made sure to drink plenty of water and eat my veggies! Now, moving right along, I wanted to share my outfits for this week. Last Sunday I went through my closet and got organized and found so much stuff I forgot I even had! I went through jewelry and hair accessories so that things would be easy to choose from and not all tangled up. Such a good feeling. Now, let's hope I can stay that organized. Have an amazing weekend everyone and enjoy your time with friends and family...I know I sure will!

Lane Bryant dress and accessories. Shoes from K-Mart.

Top from Catos (love it), pants Lane Bryant, Hair accessory from etsy (red and white pin strip with a small gold anchor on it and I lust after this bow y'all). 

Dress is from my sister's closet (thanks sis), Coach bag and Coach flip flops. necklace from Catos. (PS look my hair is getting so long!)

Top from Catos, Jeans from Old Navy, Toms shoes and fake pearl necklace from target with a bracelet from Gulf Shores. The bracelet was a gift from vacation last year. Hand painted beads with little lobsters, anchors, and stars which I love! 

What I see now.

What I see now.

I see more days where I am happy. I see more days where I put effort into what I wear. More days with smiles and less days are filled with tears and insecurity. I am by no means saying things are perfect. On this new life style journey I slip and fall. But, with help from my husband, I pick myself up and try again. I have a vision board and when I feel shame about what I ate that day trust me it is hard to look up at it. I go for days without seeing it. But then I take a moment and look at the words and photographs and remember what I am doing. I hang motivation everywhere I can. Quotes on my desk and even a shirt is hanging from the curtain rod in my living room now. It is my dream shirt. I am about five more pounds from wearing it and not looking like a stuffed sausage. I am trying to get into that shirt for vacation. It is my current goal. I set goals daily and I try and focus. I have to even repeat it in my head over and over. Don’t binge eat. Don’t cheat on your new lifestyle with dirty foods. You can do it. So I am sharing a few pictures of what I see now. Please make a choice to do better, be better, act better.

I do not want to call this before and after but before and progress...more to come. 

Smiles. 

Party dress. 

So much exercising. Running. Bootcamp. 

The food. Okay so my food (my vegan food) is good. It is easy to binge on chips and candy. But, take some time and make something good. The dish on the left is eggplant, tomato sauce, and vegan cheese. Eggplant cutlets are sold premade cooked and ready to eat in the faux meat section at the store. Make life simple. To the right fresh organic asparagus with lemon, lime, sea salt, pepper, and fresh dill. So yummy. 

Again, I am not saying it is easy. But. It is worth it. 

<><

Very Fashionable Friday y'all

This was a shirt that was faded white that I brought back to life with a little Rit Dye. It was a navy blue dye but I did not let it soak too long so it came out a very pretty soft purple color. You can really update your wardrobe with a few simple things including adding new colors to dull pieces. Below is a picture of the back of the top which I love. The pants are army green linen from Lane Bryant and I am wearing some faux leather braided sandals from Target.

Red top from Eddie Bauer (yes you can get some plus size things there go check it out), Capri's from Old Navy, and TOMS. 

I never thought I would take a picture from the side but my current weight loss journey is making me feel so much better I thought why not! Dress is strapless from Old Navy last summer. Yellow sandals from Cato's. 

Necklace from Target and dress is an old one from Wal Mart about four years ago. Some things are just always great for summer and if you take care of your clothes they will last a long time. Also, my hair is finally growing out! 

Military green strapless dress from Old Navy, Cardi from Lane Bryant, Leapord Print flats from WalMart (about three years ago) and leggings from Forever 21. I posted a picter of my hair below. I used a sock roll to make a nice full bun and added a little tulle bow for fun. My necklace which is hard to see is from Target. 

 So what are ya'll wearing? What are your favorite trends for summer? Fill me in already! Happy Easter!

Have you seen the ducks?

If you have ever been to the Peabody in Little Rock (or Memphis, or Orlando) then you have seen the ducks. They have to be one of the best parts about visiting the Peabody. If you have not been able to hear the story of the ducks let me give you a little back story. In 1932 in the Memphis Peabody two friends (two happy on Jack Daniel's whiskey friends) thought it would be funny to put some live duck decoys in the beautiful fountain. Instead of people being upset the guests were ecstatic about the ducks splashing in the water and soon a tradition was born.

These ducks live the life let me tell ya. They have a Duckmaster, get to swim in a beautiful marble fountain, and live in the Peabody hotel. You can check out the march of the ducks at 11 am when they come down to the fountain and 5 pm when they go up to their penthouse for the evening. During those hours can always check out the ducks eating, swimming, and splashing around. When my friends over at Building Our Story came down for a visit I got to see a child's reaction first hand. The kids were so excited and the ducks were adorable. Everyone was taking pictures and smiling. You can tell it brought out the little kid in the adults too. Such a great moment.

Now a new tradition is coming to life with a very special blog (<--click here to go to the blog)about the ducks and the Duckmaster. The big blog launch will be coming up on Monday but I am giving you a little sneak peek! What is a Duckmaster you ask? Well let me share an interview that was done with the Little Rock Duckmaster.*


Little Rock's Duckmaster Lloyd

1. What made you interested in becoming the Duckmaster at The Peabody Little Rock?

I went to The Peabody Memphis and saw all the history and stories of the most incredible hotel I had ever been in, and I decided I wanted to be a part of the heritage of the Peabody Hotels.

2. What do you enjoy most about being the Duckmaster?

All the incredible people that I have met, not only celebrities, but the people going through a difficult time in their life. I get to be a part of making a difference by taking them away for just a moment during the magic of the Duck March!

3. What’s your most memorable moment to date?

Having a Duck March at the Cowboy Stadium and seeing the Ducks up on the Jumbotron. There are too many to list, but that has to be one of the best.

4. What part of a duck’s diet is most appealing to you?

Well, it would have to be the Romaine lettuce that I should get more of myself!

5. Would you live in the Duck Palace?

Probably not, but if I were a duck that would be the place to be.

6. What’s the funniest thing the ducks have ever done?

I had Scott Rook, the Ford Bassmaster champion, as an Honorary Duckmaster. He wanted to bring his duck call, and I told him it was “not a problem.” Well, he did and when we stepped off the elevator, he started to blow it and the Ducks went everywhere. There are several others but this one I do remember very well.

7. How do you explain your job to your friends?

Well, it is always an ice-breaker at any event and a great opportunity to highlight the hotel and all its many attributes.

8. What other responsibilities do you have at the hotel, other than being the Duckmaster?

I help in Guest Services and assist with bells, valet, concierge and local marketing efforts. I also help to put together promotions for the hotel during the year, so I assist our sales and marketing department with trips, school events, etc.


9. What personality traits have prepared you for this prestigious position?

I served for seven years in the military, six years in ministry, had my own business for 12 years and have been married almost 29 years while putting three children through college. These jobs developed in me commitment, discipline and a love for people that translates well to the Duckmaster position.

10. What advice can you give to someone who wants to grow up one day to be Duckmaster?

It is an incredibly rewarding job that can be a career or prepare you for one. The things you learn in hospitality will transfer to any career choice that you may be aspiring to.


If you have not ever seen the ducks let me share a few pictures of the Duckmaster and the stars of the show the DUCKS!

The Duckmaster for Little Rock, AR

Ducks on the move...coming down the red carpet

The ducks enjoying fresh food and a swim. 

The Peabody Little Rock, Ar

Don't forget to click here http://peabodyduckmaster.com/ or above on the big blue bold world blog to take you to the new blog.
*I did not conduct this interview and was not compensated for this blog review.

I made tiny vegan friendly pie. Yum y'all!

Today I am linking up with We are That Family

They want to know how you save money and what works for you. I was looking for a great sweet treat idea and instead of running to the store I checked out what I already had and found I could make something delicious with out breaking the bank. My best tip when it comes to grocery shopping is know what you already have in your fridge, pantry, or freezer. Save your money and use what you already have!

I know we have all seen so many great treats on Pinterest. As some of you know I have been vegan now for over a month (vegetarian since November last year) and I was looking for some sweet treats that did not need egg or milk. So when I saw homemade pop tarts on Pinterest I knew I could work with that. I had a pre-made pie crust in the refrigerator some fresh organic berries and organic cane sugar. Which meant I did not even need to buy anything! Win! I used a champagne glass to cut the rounds for my top and bottom because it had a nice clean sharp edge and was about the size I wanted. After I cut an even number of rounds I put them in the freezer for a few minutes while I cut up the fruit. Next I simply put fruit on one side and then placed a top on and pinched them closed. I brushed them with non-dairy no soy vegan friendly butter and sprinkled cane sugar (organic from Whole Foods) over the tray of pies. Next pop them in the oven on 350 for about 20 minutes. Watch them. I started check them at ten minutes and just kept an eye out to see when they got golden on the tops. Lastly set them out to cool a bit and then the best part is enjoy!

Link up: Curvy Girl Fashion Friday

So last week I asked you where you shop for clothes. This week I want to know what are your best tips for pulling on outfit together. For me it is all about a pop of color. I think that color can take any outfit from boring to fabulous.

A bright color pant can really brighten up your day.















Sometimes a bright scarf is all you need to spruce up a top.

What are your tips for bringing an outfit out of the dark and into the light? Do you use fun make up, nails, accessories, shoes, let us know!

Don't forget to link up below.

Making your Mark! ***Giveaway***

Welcome to the Making Your Mark. In March $200 Beauty Products Giveaway Event!

You have a chance to win $200 worth of mark. products PLUS ‘Get Positively Beautiful: The Ultimate Guide to Looking and Feeling Gorgeous’ Paperback Book by Carmindy (a $15.99 Value)!

The $200 Prize Pack contains the following:
* mark Super Flip Color Kit – 9 Eye shadows, 1 Highlighter/Illuminator/Bronze/Blush ($20) * mark Super Flip It Kit – 9 Eye shadows, 9 lip glosses ($20) * mark Sassy Fragrance Mist - 1.5 fl. oz. ($16) * mark Multifaceted Necklace in Smoky Mix (Light Color) ($30) * mark Midi Cosmetic Bag ($7) * mark Bling On the Brushes Mini Brush Kit ($16) * mark Make It Go Away Makeup Removing Wipes ($10) * mark Mist Opportunity Multi-tasking Refresher ($8) * mark Primed for Perfection Face Primer - 0.4 fl. oz. ($10) * mark Keep It Going Longwear Eyeliner & Shadow in Iconic ($11) * mark Glow Baby Glow Hook Up Lip Gloss in Smooches ($6.50) * mark Glossblossom Ripening Lip Tint ($6.50) * mark Make It Big Lash Plumping Mascara in Raven (Black) ($7.50) * mark Get in Line Hook Up Liquid Waterproof Eyeliner in Cleo (Black) ($6.50) * mark Glowdacious Illuminating Powder in Shimmied Up ($13) * mark Get Misty Lemon Sugar Body Mist ($12) * ‘Get Positively Beautiful: The Ultimate Guide to Looking and Feeling Gorgeous’ Paperback Book by Carmindy ($15.99)

PICTURES of EACH product can be seen by CLICKING HERE! :)

The giveaway will run from March 1 till the 15th (ending at 11:59PM EST on 03/15) but the winners will not be announced until March 17, 2012 so we can make sure that everyone who entered followed all the rules.
I made sure to double check the links and made sure everything was working but if you run into any problems, let me know!
This giveaway is open to U.S. & Canada readers only – we wish we could include international readers as well but we hope you guys understand. (If you're in Canada, please check our Giveaway Policy to make sure you qualify to enter You may be asked to answer a question if you win.)
Must be 18 years old & older to enter. Winner will be chosen using Random.org. Winner will be e-mailed & will have 48 hrs. to reply or we have no choice but to pick another winner.
The Rafflecopter will be split & the links will be put on 3 pages. Just in case it doesn't work below, here are the links to find the follow links for Facebook, Twitter, & Google+.
Below are the following blogs who helped sponsor in this giveaway along with the Rafflecopter! We all have the same Rafflecopter code so just as long as you enter in one blog, it’s okay – as long as you make sure to visit each blog to follow them according to the Rafflecopter form below (we check for duplicate entries)! ALL ENTRIES WILL BE VERIFIED so please don't try to cheat. ;) Good Luck!

Life According to Damaris EverChanging Gumdrop Pass Building Our Story Shopaholic Mommy Midnight Mommy Mama Luvs Books Africa's Blog Mary's Cup of Tea Momma T and Baby E I Love Coupons & Giveaways Parga's Junkyard Peanut Butter And Whine Coupons For Wisconsin The Go To Mommy Me, Him and the Cats Giveaway Promote My Messmerized Life Simple Abundance Concert Katie Gluten Free Felicity Family and Life in Las Vegas Bumblebaby Diapers Couponing From Florida to Michigan Thrifty Divas The Flower Hazard Tales of Two Girls Heavenly Savings My Charmed Mom Powered by Mom The Coupon Sweeper JustFindIt4U I Dont Get Sundays Andies Adventures Scrink, Bring Me Up It Won't Be Like This For Long I Heart Giveaways bbproductreviews Free Makeup and Beauty Samples Celebrate Woman Today The Skeptical Sweeper It's Not Over After 30 It's a Vol! Adventures in Coupons Diary of a Working Mom The Mommyhood Chronicles

(Make sure you have Javascript enabled to see this giveaway!)