A Stripey Twenty-Seventh

Hope 2016 is treating everyone well so far. Haven't honestly had too much going on yet. Hopefully that'll change soon!

 My twenty-seventh birthday was three days ago. Normally I feel nothing when I turn just one year older. I don't know why, but I felt a little something when I turned twenty-seven. It was just a good feeling. Like maybe this year is going to be the best year of all for me. We'll see I guess!

My husband, daughter and I are planning a little weekend trip in February. It really can't get here fast enough! I'm really itching to get out of this small town for a while. 

It's going to be nice to spend a couple of days doing fun activities like going to an aquarium, going on a little hike, and playing some putt-putt with my little family. 

I'm still having to be creative with pieces that are already in my closet. The clothing budget is still next-to-nada. Luckily, by mixing up just a few basic items, I was able to put together a whole new outfit!

I practically live in leggings this time of year (if I can be goaded into leaving the house at all) so of course I started with a pair of basic black leggings.

Add to that this great striped tee from the clearance rack and my thrifted purple cardigan, and you've got some neat contrast going on. I threw on this little teal scarf I've got, also thrifted, and the outfit was complete. 

There are so many things about this that I love. First of all, it feels amazing. Secondly, it is super-comfy. I love the stripes because they are fun, and also because I love proving people wrong about them. I love the colors too! I wore this outfit on my actual birthday, and it helped it feel so good to be twenty-seven.

Striped tee- Sears

Black leggings- Wal-Mart

Purple flats- thrifted

Purple cardigan- thrifted

Teal scarf- thrifted

Thanks for reading!

A Remedy for Gray Skies

It's that time of year again. The wonder and magic of Christmas is over and we're all starting to dread the cold months that are still to come before it's spring again. January and February are always the yuckiest months to have to get through, at least where I live, and we're starting to have that gray sky that plagues so much of winter.

 I feel like this time of year it's really easy to feel a little down and a little dull. It's especially important, for me at least, to remember that Spring and lovely weather are on their way. What better way to remind myself of this than by wearing some fun, bright colors and floral pattern?

Now, I know what you're thinking. Three-quarter sleeve cardigan in December??? Well, down here where I live it usually doesn't get super cold in the winter. We have a cold snap or two each year, and if the roads DO freeze we can't even function, and you better pray there's bread and milk left at the grocery store. I mean, it was 75 degrees on Christmas day!

 Those of you who have read my very first blog post ever, Loving Colors and Myself, might recognize this particular cardigan. I still really love it. How can you not feel happy wearing all of these fabulous colors? I swear, wearing the right color(s) can brighten any day!

Also, this winter I'm all about bringing my summer maxis into the colder weather. Layer on a cardigan, sweater, or denim jacket and you've got a new outfit. Switch those bohemian sandals out for some cute flats and you're done. You could even wear leggings underneath if it got too cold.

Again, as in previous posts, I would like to point out that while I do look kind of sad in these pictures, I am not. I just have resting sad face. Yep. I am forever cursed with random people coming up to me and asking me if I'm okay. Oh well, there are worse things. 

But really, wearing bright colors, especially fun florals, lifts my spirits a little every time. A perfect remedy for those listless gray skies. 

So the next time you are feeling a little blue (or gray!) reach for some color. Reach for a loud print. Reach for something that will brighten your cloudy day. 

Maxi dress- Wal-mart
Floral cardigan- thrifted

Thanks for reading and don't forget to love yourself a little today!

Just Being

Well Autumn is finally here. I mean, I've actually gotten to wear a sweater a couple of times without having a heat stroke! Yay!

 In honor of finally having just the slightest weather change, today's post is another creation I put together out of things I already had.

It may be hard to tell, but I do have on some really cute fringe boots. They blend in with the dead grass pretty well, but they are there!

Again with this suede vest, I couldn't decide whether I liked it better zipped or unzipped. I think it's pretty cute either way.

This shirt was actually given to me from someone. It's a little hard to see in these pics, but there is some pretty lace detail on the sleeves.

Of course, often when I am wearing my fringe boots I like to accessorize with my matching fringe bag. 

There was a time when I wouldn't have worn such an outfit, afraid of wearing anything "unflattering". I suppose it does have a bit of an ice-cream cone effect, but so what? I feel cute wearing this and that's all that matters. Don't spend your life chasing "flattering".

I really don't mean to look so sad in these pictures! You know how some people have resting bitch face? Well I have resting sad face. I promise I was pretty happy that day!

Here! Here is a little smile. I was so happy that day because I was wearing a color that is supposed to be unflattering on me, and while wearing jeans that are supposed to be unflattering. And I felt fabulous while wearing them. Once I let my mind loose of all the silly notions society put there I felt so relieved. I could just be.

Shirt- hand-me-down
Suede vest- thrifted
Jeans- Old Navy
Boots- local store Charmed
Bag- Factory Connection

Thanks for reading!

Blogiversary Post: The Year's Top Five Outfits

It has been one whole year since I started Prettiful Style, and what a fun year it has been! Blogging is a whole lot more work than I anticipated, and I didn't do as many posts as I'd envisioned for the year, but I'm pretty proud of the ones I got done. Hopefully I've shown at least a few others that it is possible to recover from all the negative stigma surrounding being a fat or differently-shaped person. You can learn to accept and love yourself just as you are!


 I've decided to celebrate my blog's first anniversary by taking a look back at the year's five most-popular posts. I hope you've enjoyed reading about them as much as I've enjoyed creating them!





# 5  Peplum Perfection

Rocking a peplum top for the first time ever, this post shows off the cute outfit I put together. This outfit consists of the top from J.C. Penny paired with a thrifted tube skirt. Black accessories complete the look.










#4  Mad About My Maxi

Maxi dresses have been wildly popular for a few years and seem to be getting more popular all the time. This post features the first maxi I've ever owned. I love this thing!








#3  Embracing Chevron Madness

Chevron is everywhere and has been for a few years now. This post features a cute sheath dress in the popular pattern. I especially liked the way the dress fit and made me feel!











#2  Plaid Leggings

Although this post has a pretty unimaginative name, it proved to be one of my most popular posts. One thing I know for sure, people love plaid, and people love leggings. I'll be rocking looks similar to this one all fall and winter!








#1  Loving Colors and Myself

The number one, most viewed post is the very same that I posted one year ago today. I still love this outfit; it's hard to beat that color combo! I remember getting a little emotional as I wrote it. This post will always be special to me since it was the very beginning of my self-love journey. 


I am so grateful for every read, comment, like, and share. To all the loyal readers, few though you may be, I am so glad that you care what I have to say. 
It has been my goal to help others realize that your shape and size doesn't matter; you deserve to wear things you like and feel good about yourself. I know this blog has improved my self-confidence in leaps and bounds, and if it has helped even one other person feel better about themselves, then I consider my goal reached.
Thanks to everyone who reads my blog and follows me on social media!


As always, thanks for reading.

         Love, Ashley

Falling for Suede

 Well there's a chill in the air at last, however slight it may be. Not exactly sweater-weather yet, but I believe it may be just around the corner.

I've been continuing to shop my closet for new fall outfits since my Autumn clothing budget is still approximately zilch.

I'm actually pretty proud of this one. How I managed to go all summer without wearing this amazing dress I do not know. All I do know is that it looks pretty cute when paired with this awesome suede vest.

Suede is the biggest trend for fall 2015 so I'm told. I think it's true, since I see be-fringed suede vests in every clothing store I enter. I love it when I pick something up at a thrift store for next to nothing, and it turns out to be a hot trend. It just tickles me pink.

Actually, this whole ensemble came from the same thrift store. The little brown and tan flats were $2. This beautiful lace dress was $5. I spent a whopping $4 for the suede vest. I was honestly shocked when I tried it on and it fit me.

I just couldn't decide how I liked it best; zipped or unzipped. I just love that either way the vest gives the outfit some structure. It really was a hidden treasure.

And how about that lace? I feel so pretty and feminine in this dress. I know it would look amazing with some nude heels and a string of pearls, but I love that I was able to make a casual outfit out of it.

My personal style is ever-evolving, and I'd like to think it is maturing a little as well. A couple of years ago I never would have thought to put such different pieces together.

I'm discovering that pairing different kinds of pieces, fabrics, and textures really adds some interest to an outfit. I can't wait to try more combinations!

Coming up with new outfits from things I already have has been challenging so far, but so much fun! Nothing better than getting excited over a piece of clothing that you had forgotten you even had.

Remember to stay fabulous! If I can do it, so can you.

Thanks for reading!

                                                     

Autumn; Apparently

It's Autumn; apparently. I mean, that's what they tell me. That's what my calendar says. I guess Mother Nature didn't get the memo.                              
                                               

Ok, technically it's not Autumn for another day, and I seriously doubt the weather is going to change drastically to suit the date. I see my fellow lovelies online, looking all cozy in their over-sized sweaters and their leggings tucked into adorable riding boots. Sigh. 

I guess I shouldn't be bummed out. This happens every year. In Arkansas, we almost don't even have an Autumn. We have summer, and then slightly cooler summer. We count ourselves lucky if it gets chilly by mid-October. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. We never know what it's going to feel like on Halloween. Seriously. More often than not, our poor kids are sweating in their costumes.

Anyway, I've been trying to make Autumn-y looking outfits that I can actually wear without dying. (Ok, I exaggerate, but it is still HOT.) 

Oh, also I have nearly no budget for new clothes. I'm having to be inventive, although I don't mind the challenge. Basically I have been layering vests and cardigans over my summer dresses. Also throwing in fringe whenever I can. So glad fringe is trending right now! I have always loved it.

I have always loved belting this particular fringe vest. (I guess you'd call it a vest?) I just think it creates an interesting look and I love the shape it gives me! Sometimes my back fat tries to eat my belts, but whatever. I'm still cute!

And these ankle boots! I got these last fall and I'm planning on wearing the heck out of them this year, too. Also my cute fringe cross-body bag. I've already been using it a lot.

Wow. I've got triple fringe going on in this outfit. Is it too much fringe? No. The answer is no.

To all my fellow Southern fashionistas, stay cute. Stay cool. Stay comfortable. Be fabulous. If I can do it so can you!

Dress- Factory Connection

Fringe vest- Factory Connection

Ankle boots- local store, Charmed

Fringe bag-Factory Connection                                      

                                  Thanks for reading!

Loving Life at the Lake

My husband, my daughter, and I went swimming at the local lake today. We found a little swim beach (Yes, in Arkansas we have trucks dump sand by the lakes and we do call them beaches) that we had all to ourselves. It was such a perfect day. It wasn't too hot, the water felt just right, and we had so much fun.

I was kind of feeling myself today in my swimsuit. I hadn't planned on taking pictures for the blog. I'd already decided that it was too late in the summer for a swimsuit post anyway, but I just felt like I should. I said, "Sweetheart, wanna take a few pictures of me?"

While we were playing in the sand with our little girl and lounging around in the water it struck me how many times in the past I've restrained myself from having fun at the lake. I didn't like the way I looked in a swimming suit. I didn't think I deserved to have fun because I was fat. Even more than being fat, I was shaped funny. What right did I have enjoying my life and having fun when I had so much to be ashamed of?

I have a very hard time finding a suit that is flattering on me. During the past few years, I would either wear a darkly colored swimdress or a pair of shorts and a tee-shirt. Don't get me wrong; I still love a cute swimdress, but I was not comfortable wearing anything that didn't have a skirt attached.

My last year's swimdress, although pretty cute, was much too tight in the bust. It dug into my shoulders painfully. I went online, to Swimsuitsforall.com, which is a wonderful resource for plus-size swimwear. I found this suit and fell in love with the big, bold, floral print. I had reservations about whether it would be flattering on me or not, but I ordered it anyway.

It's not flattering, not really. The high neckline isn't supposed to look good with large breasts. I'm not supposed to wear large, bold prints and colors when I am fat. I wasn't comfortable at first wearing a suit without a skirt to hide by flat butt and belly bulge. The low back shows some of my back fat.

But it fits. It fits, it's comfortable, and I love it. Even though it should look awful, according to all the "rules", I love myself in this swimsuit.

This isn't the first time I've worn this suit; the first time was to a different beach on a different lake. There were other people there. I was afraid. As the day went on, I noticed that other people weren't even paying attention to me. They were too busy having fun. I quit worrying and started having some fun of my own. Even though this isn't a two-piece, I feel like my body is pretty much on display. All of my imperfections are visible, yet I have learned that they are part of my body. Hating them won't change them. Hating them helps nothing. Embracing them let's me live my life and have a great time at the lake.

And anyone ever is bothered by my shape, my imperfections or my fatness, they can look at this gorgeous, colorful print instead. Or they can just not look. 

I will be blissfully unaware, not giving a damn. I will just be loving my life.

Thanks for reading!