I have a confession to make...

In December 2012 I had a gastric bypass. This may come as a shock to my fans but I hope this post will shed some light on my decision and not alienate any of my readers.

First I want to say that I am still a HUGE believer in loving yourself at any size, the fact that I had weight loss surgery DOES NOT change that. I also still LOVE my curves and if on this journey I lose them I will be very sad indeed. 

So this is why I made this decision. After many years of struggling to lose weight and succeeding only to gain it all back I was frankly just tired of the yo yo. But more importantly, both of my parents have Type 2 Diabetes along with myriad other health problems, I also have PCOS and a genetic blood disorder which extra weight can exacerbate. 

I hope my fans understand that my desire to dress and feel curvy and sexy at any weight, is and will always be true! I may be smaller now, but my curves are still in tact and my fashion sense remains. I am still a huge advocate of size acceptance and will continue to support plus size companies and initiatives. 

Now after all this confessing I'm sure you'll want to see before and after pictures!! It's been 16 weeks and I have lost 70lbs already! Also what this means for you is that I have a whole lot more clothes in sizes 18-22 that are up for grabs and need new homes!! More posts to come in the next week or so with great pieces to add to your wardrobe!

Thank you for standing by me through thick and thin (literally!) 

Curvaliciously yours, 

CD

Would you like me to update you on my progress? Are you considering the procedure and want to hear first hand what it's like? Ask me any questions in the comments section and I'll answer!

And now without further ado....

Tragedy in Brooklyn: Re/Dress closes its doors November 20, 2011

I am very sad to report that beloved plus vintage store Re/Dress is closing its doors on November 20, 2011. For the last 4 years Re/Dress has provided us curvy girls with a place to go to feel like a queen, dress our sexy bodies and sell clothes on consignment so when we're done with our duds some other curvy fashionista can share the love! I always found some awesome piece to add to my wardrobe and often took out of town friends who couldn't believe such a place existed. This store did more for us curvy girls than cover our bodies, it gave us a place to feel special and sexy. It will live on in its newly open online boutique but Brooklyn will never be the same!

You can read all about Re/Dress's difficult decision to close their doors here, and if you would like to join me for a shopping spree in October please contact me!

Frugal Fatshionista Friday: Forever 21+ under $25!!

While I was shopping for Full Figured Fashion Week I came across this little number. It is easy breezy for summer, cotton, light and bold all things I like to be! Well I don't know if I like to be cotton since I have NO idea how that would work... Anywho, the dress is from Forever21+ and can be found here for $22.80. The shoes are Steve Madden found (as a giveaway not stolen :))on the streets of Park Slope, Brooklyn circa 2008! (Don't worry they've been thoroughly disinfected and cleaned!!) I liked the idea of pairing this with yellow peep toe pumps to really punch up the boldness factor. I hope you like it!! (Apologies for the photo quality! I need a new camera... stuck with the phone cam for now!)

Curves at Sea: Full Figured Fashion Week Kicks Off!

Off to the fffweek White on White cruise! So excited! Will update later!


Update! Curves at Sea for Full Figured Fashion Week was a total success! Since I was attending on my own, I was a little nervous but I'm not shy so I introduced myself around and had a fabulous time! A couple of lovely girls even asked to take a picture with me on the dance floor (presumably because I was one of a handful of white girls dancing... Girls: Weather you think so or not you CAN dance and even if you look like an idiot its fun so do it anyway :) )

There were quite a few curvalicious divas there last night, and even a few guys, the boat was full and everyone was having a great time! I was especially impressed to see that not one white outfit was duplicated and everyone was rocking their white with confidence and power! Moral of the story ladies? Don't be afraid of white!!

It was great to meet some of my favorite fashion bloggers and personalities: The Curvy Fashionista, Curves and Chaos, Chic in Every City, T Minus T Plus, Lips, Hips, and Fashion Tips, Curvy Girl Chic. As well as my colleagues from Venus Diva Magazine! I also ran into an old singing buddy who is now on the marketing staff at Ashley Stewart! All in all a wonderful night and I cant wait for Saturday's runway show!

New Weekly Post: Frugal Fatshionista Friday! - Sonsi Full Figured Fashion Week Edition

I don't know about you, but I'm young, curvy, and broke! BUT that doesnt mean I don't want to look like the sexy fierce woman that I am. We all know that finding great clothes when you're voluptuous is difficult but finding CHEAP, nice clothes is even harder. SO without further ado I usher in Frugal Fatshionista Friday. Now I dont claim to be a stylist I jst like what I like so hopefully one or two of you will too!

Normally I will try to keep the looks under $100 but with Sonsi's Full Figured Fashion Week less than a week away I thought I would put together a look I would LOVE to wear to the White on White Cruise that kicks off the weekend on June 16, 2011. So I upped the ante just a little to $200.

This look is inspired by Salma Hayek's flirty white cocktail dress above!

For the Dress we turn to Macy's, who sadly make it impossible to copy and paste pics so you'll have to click through to see this gorgeous little Suzi Chin number! It retails for $148 but right now use code SUMMER and save 15% making it $126!

Now for the sassy red accents! Pumps from Target for $22.99 and belt from Torrid for $22.50

And the final touch, a pair of textured hoops from Forever 21 for $3.80!!

Now if only I'd discovered these gems 2 weeks ago we'd be in business! Lemme know what you think or maybe what you're wearing Thursday night so I can be on the lookout! :)

Maxi Dresses for the tall diva!

My twitter handle (@elsasdream) was mentioned on The Dame's Got Moxie's blog about the difficulty of finding maxi dresses for tall girls! Read her post here: The Dame's Got Moxie

New TJMaxx in NYC!!!

Today is the Grand Opening of the Columbus Circle TJ Maxx! I was afraid there were going to be hordes of people and I was not wrong! There are a zillion people shopping there right now which makes navigating the aisles quite a nightmare... However if you are lucky enough to score some great finds (like the awesome "leather" jacket above for only $39.99!) the wait for the register is a dream! It looks like the longest line ever but as it is opening day they are VERY efficient and I was probably only in line for 5 minutes. The Plus section is minimal but has some gems including gorgeous Calvin Klein dresses for $49.99. So if you're in NYC and near midtown check out the new TJ Maxx!