A Celebration of Curves

Winner of Playtex Bra Giveaway

2010-07-18T19:24:21Z

Jennifer June you have really truly won a free bra from Playtex and A Celebration of Curves.

A great thing about being able to give things away is that it is really so much fun for me. Giving you free stuff makes me feel like a rich bitch. Another great thing is that I get to meet so many wonderful interesting people, some of whom are writing awesome blogs.

People you should go go go and read read read the witty writings of Jennifer June at her blog, The Lady’s Lounge.

So here is the bra dealio…the nice bra lady at Playtex asks that Jennifer June go to a store and get a free fitting. This means trying everything on. Because getting the right fit mean trying things on. There is a theme here (I think you can see it developing) involving JJ going to a store and trying on bras.

When she has a style and size that makes her happy and lifts her boobies up in that perfect shape that she has long dreamed of, she’ll let me know what she wants and she shall receive her free bra in the mail soon.

OK Lounge Lady – go get fitted.

Congrats and thanks for reading A Celebration of Curves, at least long enough to leave a comment and get yourself a free bra. Hey, that’s all it takes.

More contests coming soon!

My visit to the Playtex Bra HQ. I meet a bra expert and a bra giveaway for you!

2010-06-24T14:59:15Z

Four of my bras can be used as a flotation device in case of emergency

Yesterday I went to the Playtex HQ in midtown Manhattan. A few months ago Playtex asked women to write in and say why they would want to win a bra makeover. 10 women from around the U.S. have been flown to New York City and this week they have been filming their “webisodes” showing them being fitted for their new bra wardrobe.

I was invited by Playtex to share their experience. The pic you see above is the contents of the goodie bag that I was given as a gift for participating.

Years ago I wrote off Playtex bras because I just didn’t think that they had anything for me. Yesterday I found out that Playtex in NOT your grandmother’s bra anymore. The fabric is very pretty but more importantly, gone are the bullet boobs.

Mary, the Playtex fit consultant (AKA “boobie expert”) worked with me for over an hour. We tried on lots of bras and working with the inventory that they had in the showroom, I found three styles that worked for me. There may be more Playtex bras that I could wear and I’ll go to Macy’s or Penney’s to try on more. Also, I am a 38 or 40 DDD depending on the style of bra because just like any other item of clothing, they are all cut differently.

Next week I’ll be posting a video of my time spent with Mary and we’ll share some important information on fit, style, and comfort. I even get fitted right on camera to show you exactly where to place the measuring tape. Until then, here is a video on their website to help get you started on the path to perfectly fitted bras.

And now for another giveaway! Please leave a comment below saying why you need a new bra. Winner will be chosen by a random method and posted here one day next week, probably next Thursday but sometimes I’m a day or so late with these things.

You can get fitted for a Playtex bra and Shop for Plus Size Women’s clothing at macys.com

Announcing Igigi Gift Certificate Winner and a Summer of Contests

2010-06-23T17:36:27Z

Congratulations to commenter lucky 13 – rishabree has won the $100 gift certificate to Igigi. She has generously agreed to send in pics when her shopping arrives. I am looking forward to seeing her new outfit.

This is officially now the Summer of Contests! Another contest will be announced tomorrow.

Thank you to everyone who played along and posted a comment and a link. There will be many more chances to win something so stay tuned.

Dinner, drinks, and the DMV

2010-06-19T00:42:17Z

Fashionista Friends

What a (mostly) fun week this has been! If you read my last post, Visiting the House of Igigi and a Contest, then you know I had dinner plans with plus-size fashion industry leaders, Lisa and Jim Dolan from Lee Lee’s Valise, and Yuliya and her right-arm, Ozlem from Lee Lee’s Valise. We ate a fabulous meal at Print restaurant, which is midtown on Manhattan’s west side.

As an aside at this point I want to say that I have received no compensation for telling you that I love eating at Print and I highly recommend it!

Lisa and Yuliya are focused even though they appear blurry.

I consider myself very fortunate to have been a part of a wonderful evening of conversation. Professionaly, it is always a pleasure to spend time with business owners who care about the consumer. As a member of the plus size fashion industry, it is especially delightful to spend time with those who are dedictated to providing their customers with quality apparel, and an exceptional shopping experience.

When I left the restaurant I found that my car had been towed, even thought I had parked in a legal spot. New York City is a very exciting place and sometimes our Department of Motor Vehicles gets a bit over eager. I sat in the DMV impound lot from 1:00 a.m. until my husband could take a 6:00 a.m. train from Westchester to come into the city. He arrived at the lot a little after 7:00 a.m. Thankfully, he was very sweet about the whole thing even though he had to take a day off and make an unexpected early morning trip to NYC. I thanked him for rescuing me and he took me to breakfast. By the way, if you are married you might want to check and see if both your names are on the registration. It will affect who the car gets released to if ever impounded. I learned the hard way.

Strike a pose!

Yesterday I got back to having fun when, Yuliya Raquel and her business associate Ozlem Arpaci from Igigi visited Lee Lee’s Valise for the first time. Our day together was fun and educational. We discussed the plus size industry from our different backgrounds and business models.

After lunch, Lisa and I had the opportunity to give a very appreciative Yuliya some honest feedback about her clothes – giving her detailed information about what we like and what we felt could be improved.

I was even asked to model some of Igigi’s items so that Lisa and Yuliya could check how different cuts and styles worked on my body type.

My Igigi friends fly back home to San Francisco early Sunday morning and I will really miss them. Thank you ladies for a lively visit.

Visiting the House of Igigi and a Contest

2010-06-17T06:50:25Z

Tonight I am having dinner with my friends Yuliya Raquel and Ozlem Arpaci from Igigi, and Lisa and Jim Dolan who own Lee Lee’s Valise. It is sure to be a fun filled evening and I will post a report tomorrow.

Remember that contest that I promised you a couple of weeks ago? It all started when I visited the Igigi showroom. Contest details at the bottom, after my report of my day at Igigi.

When I was in San Francisco last month I was fortunate to meet Yuliya Raquel, the design talent behind the House of Igigi. My appointment to tour the studio was with Ozlem, Yuliya’s confidant, business manager and sargeant-at-arms.

I am a big fan of Yuliya’s design talents and I was thrilled when I learned that she would be joining Ozlem and I for lunch. But lunch would be later in the afternoon and first, I got to try on clothes.

This is the Floral Creme Brulee Dress. When I came out of the dressing room I told Yuliya and Ozlem that this dress is a miracle, and it absolutely is. Yes, I know that my lacy black bra is much too revealed and I would never leave the house like that, but I wanted you to see how it looked on my body shape. I am your virtual mannequin!

I am 5’7″ and I have a rack of doom (38DDD), so there is probably enough fabric to cover your tata’s, while I must wear a cami. But I decided that the dress is worth it. I am wearing a size 12 because the 14 was too big for me.

There are so many incredible design touches that I can not rave about this dress enough. There is a bit of ribbon on the sleeve that compliments detail on the neckline. The dress is designed to wrap, with the attached belt wrapping inside the dress and through the side, so the belt wraps around to tie in front. There is enough fabric to cover you (there was too much fabric in the 14 for my shape and that’s why I chose the 12), and most importantly the quality of the fabric is luscious. It floats beautifully, doesn’t cling, shines like silk…and for $112.00? I told Yuliya she should charge more so I suggest you get this dress before I talk her into it.

Francesca dress in amethyst

This is the Francesca dress in amethyst, size 12. I don’t think I need to say much here. A cut above the basic low cut cocktail dress and it is simply gorgeous. The fabric is a good medium weight, is fully lined, and glides around my legs as I walk.

I absolutely love this dress. I think it works best as an evening dress and I don’t think that I would wear this to the office. Perfect for dinner out, going to hear live music and dancing, etc. I would even wear this to the Metropolitan Museum of Art on evenings when they open galleries with a bar cart and a jazz combo.

They have things like that where you live, right?

Squeezing into something too small looks like this.

This is the Breezy Morning Dress in size 12 I should have tried the 14. I am posting this pic of myself, your virtual mannequin, because I wanted you to see what it looks like to wear something that is too small. You’re welcome.

The top of the dress is a similar knit to the Francesca dress, and the bottom is similar fabric to the Creme Brulee. The reason the dress fits so differently is because of the differences in the two fabrics and the style of the dress. This is not a wrap dress (there is a zipper on the left side), and so there is no extra fabric to adjust to your shape. I suggest you order one size larger.

Friendly faces at Igigi:

Yuliya and Igigi wedding dresses

Yuliya at the design table

Yuliya working with one of her many inspiration boards.

oooh fabric!

Ribbons and details and colors oh my!

People who work at Igigi seem really happy.

I wish I could find my notepad with everyone's name. Thank you for letting me post your picture, guy who works for Igigi.

Somebody has to keep things running smoothly around here.

Ozlem, me and Yuliya holding her camera shy daughter.

AND NOW FOR THE CONTEST

Please post a comment (you click on the word “comment” beneath this post) with a link to something that you would get from the Igigi website and where you would wear it. Next Tuesday, June 22nd, I will be choosing by random number generator a winner for a $100 Igigi gift certifiate.

Cocktails at the museum? Best friend’s wedding? Someone planning on proposing to you? Your kid is graduating from college? Your kid is finally moving out? Be dressed for the occasion, or any occasion. Be ready for those moments when people take out their cameras. Igigi offers fashion, real fashion with a real design sensibility. The quality of the fabrics and the stitching is outstanding. I would say that their clothes are worth every penny so good luck in winning that $100!

San Francisco Web 2.0 Conference

2010-05-05T00:16:41Z

Hey everyone. I know I promised a giveaway and I got stuff to give you – just not today. I am attending the Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco. I am learning very important tech stuff that I will use to improve the etail shopping experience that I offer over at This Lush Life.

I’ve got great stuff to give you. A goodie bag filled with delightful fashionable items. But I just have too much going on here at this conference to put together a proper blog post with pics.

I hope to have the Giveaway posted this Friday.

Until then, any restaurant recommendations?

Loving Las Vegas: More Bling and a Giveaway

2010-04-30T16:41:56Z

Today is the second part of my two part posting about my trip to Las Vegas last week.

Day 3: Please refrain from touching the artifacts.

I had coffee for breakfast as I usually do when I am home. I would have spent another lovely day by the pool but it was a bit too chilly so I went to the Liberace museum.

If you are familiar with Liberace and his performances then you know his museum is tasteful and subtle…NOT. His costumes for performances could take a year to create. I am really sorry that I somehow managed to leave the museum without pics of the cars and the pianos. Seriously people, this place is worth a visit if you go to Vegas. The museum is located in a strip mall on East Tropicana. When Liberace died he left nothing to any member of his family or any of his companions. His will instructed that all of his homes and most of his possessions be liquidated and a foundation be created that has awarded thousands of students with scholarship opportunities.

After the tour we jumped off the shuttle at The Bellagio and had drinks in one of the lobby bars. I had my favorite spirit, Glenmorangie Port Wood with an absolutely perfect Romeo y Julieta 1875 because it’s Vegas baby!

That evening we went downtown to The Plaza Hotel. Built in 1971 it’s right across the street from The Freemont Street Experience. We had an edible dinner of Tapas at Firefly, which overlooks the light show.

We then headed downstairs to the Copa Room for The Rat Pack is Back!. It’s a fun show and I highly recommend it. Very talented lookalikes performed as Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop and of course, Frank Sinatra imagining that The Rat Pack were doing their famous Vegas show once more, tonight. Also, for a psychedelic moment, a song by a Marilyn Monroe lookalike. They did it old-school, in a way that was never uncomfortable, with some references to Sammy’s skin color, Dean’s drinking, Frank’s mob ties and “Joey Bishop” made fun of them all.

Due to some last minute arrangements I am going to post the giveaway on Monday. Call me a tease, but I want the package to be as big Vegas.

Loving Las Vegas: The bling report with giveaway! Part 1 of 2

2010-04-28T21:14:59Z

Spectacular Las Vegas
A shining desert jewel
My favorite oasis
I’ll always be your fool
—————————–

I spent 4 days and 3 three nights at The Venetian in Las Vegas last week. If you’ve been watching my reports via Twitter you already know some of the fun I had there.

Day One: Spa!
Until last Monday I’ve never had a spa day. A professional massage in a studio? Yes. A mani/pedi at a nail salon? Yes. Have I spent a lot of money getting my hair done at salons that specialize in cutting my corkscrew curls? Yes. But I have never been to a spa, and on my first day in Vegas I splurged and got myself a massage at the Canyon Ranch Spa, which includes a day pass and use of the facility. I was rubbed and loosened and rejuvenated by a strong man who also put incredibly hot stones on my back and I loved every luxurious extravagant second of that 50 minute hour.

I baked in the jacuzzi, the sauna, and the Aquavana rooms with hydro-pools and “experiential rains.” I floated out after relaxing for nearly 4 hours. Oh la-di-da I spent the day at a spa!

I was treated like a Queen and the soft, plush, cotton terry robes are available up to 5x. I thought that $160 was quite the bargain for the whole experience.

Lunch before spa at Taqueria Cañonita. Shared a delicious meal by the side of the “river” with my friend. Perfect margaritas, but then again Patron Silver is always perfect. Appetizer $14 – Ceviche Trio: Ahi tuna with cantaloupe and rice vinaigrette, Veracruzano with manzanilla olives, Shrimp and Calamari sangrita. Entree $9- Smoked Chicken Quesadilla Platter Flour tortillas with shredded chicken, tomatoes, onions, serrano slaw, guacamole and Pico de gallo. Served with black beans and cilantro rice. Singing Gondoliers — priceless.

Dinner at the magnificent Tao. What can I tell you that you don’t already know about the famous Tao? The room design is sumptuous although I always find the music too loud and the sushi is fresh even on Monday. I don’t care what Anthony Bourdain says in Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (HARDCOVER). I’m not listening Tony! (fingers in ears).

Day Two: OMG WAYNE NEWTON

Breakfast at the Wolfgang Puck poolside restaurant, Riva. I had the American Breakfast $17: two organic eggs any style (over easy for me), chicken-apple sausage, and sourdough toast. I wasn’t in the mood for potatoes so the kitchen placed a very pretty mixed fruit arrangement on the plate and it was all decidedly yummy. Also, my waitress shared my first name so we totally bonded over coffee. I lingered and enjoyed the serenity for nearly 2 hours.

Most of the day was spent being lazy in the sun. Ummm I mean laying in the sun. Oh, same thing.

In the evening we headed for The Trop (Tropicana to the rest of you) because we had tickets to see Mr. Las Vegas himself Wayne Freaking Newton!

Is he old you ask? Yes, Wayne is old. Can he still sing? Um…that all depends on your definition of the word “sing.” But come on! It’s Wayne! And this is pretty much it, his last big (but not as big as it used to be) show called “Once More Before I Go.” There is a movie screen on stage and between stories about his career Wayne shows videos as a kid on different tv shows and of himself singing with celebrities. There was a medley with Dean Martin and he sang “You’re Nobody Until Somebody Loves You” with Sammy Davis Jr. Did you know that Wayne has released 165 albums and has had seventeen #1 songs?

There were too many jokes about little blue pills but the audience was filled with people who appreciated those jokes. And every time Wayne shook his tush every grandma screamed like she was 16 years old and that is a wonderful thing.

Dinner at Bacio, an Italian restaurant at The Tropicana. I had the sea bass ($22) and my friend had baked ziti ($17). I have to say that I was a little worried but both were pretty good, although the sea bass was the stand out dish. My only warning is that you might want to stick with a cocktail because the wine list is abysmal.

Late night snack: Delicate and delicious beef and shrimp Dim Sum at Zine, in the Palazzo — the more contemporary hotel tower on the other side of gondolas from The Venetian.

Tomorrow — Liberace, Scotch & Cigars, The Rat Pack AND A GIVEAWAY
Until tomorrow I leave you with a bit of Mr. Las Vegas.

Interview: Kathryn Finney, The Budget Fashionista

2010-03-20T22:12:14Z

Quick Update to this Post to anyone reading this in a feed reader like Google Reader, or Bloglines, etc. I just realized today that the video portion of the interview doesn’t appear in your browser. Please click through and visit my website. It’s my very first on-camera interview and I am really happy about it. I think it went pretty well!
—————————————————————————————————————————
Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with Kathryn Finney. You may be familiar with her website, The Budget Fashionista, and maybe you have her books on bargain shopping. We had a really good time talking about maintaining your wardrobe on a budget and still keeping it fresh. Kathryn is delightful to spend time with as well as being informative.

I found out minutes before the interview that both our grandmother’s were seamstresses. There are some very practical words of wisdom that you learn from women who made their own clothes during the depression.

Kathryn gives sensible advice and I love that she doesn’t tell you what to buy, except for expressing her love of statement necklaces! I was also very pleased that our conversation included some encouragement for full figured women to break out of the black/brown box and wear some bright colors and bold patterns.

I liked everything she had to say: look for sales, negotiate for a better price at retail stores, ask for tailoring.

I heard on my local news a couple of years ago that if a store offers free alterations for men then they are required to offer the same for women. Kathryn talked about the importance of ironing and hanging your clothes (she said this off camera) to maintain freshness. She also suggested that you can keep your wardrobe looking spot on with seasonal trends by buying statement pieces and accessories.

Do you have any follow up questions for The Budget Fashionista? Post your comments and share your insights into budget shopping.

Disclosure: The interview was sponsored by Tide To Go and Kathryn handed me one of the stain preventing sticks as I was leaving the studio. I haven’t used it yet, so I can’t tell you anything about it, but now you know that I have one. This interview was not conducted just so I could get a free stain stick.

Save the kittens. Stop watching TMZ.

2010-02-04T02:50:31Z

“Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die.”
Mel Brooks, The 2,000 Year Old Man (1961)

A few days ago I posted a piece about the dangers of contagious misinformation. At the end I mentioned the possibility that watching the TV show TMZ might kill kittens. I’ve received a couple of emails from people defending their right to watch TMZ, and one comment posted by fellow blogger Ivan Greene. I feel very strongly about this subject and so I’ve decided to respond publicly.

Human beings enjoy watching others suffer. This isn’t new and won’t end any time soon. Tours of dungeons were common in the Middle Ages. A few years ago, one of the Yeomen Warders (also known as Beefeaters), at the Tower of London told my group that nobility invited to tour a dungeon while torture was taking place would bring snacks and stay a while.

We no longer take pleasure in the physical suffering of people or animals. At work we learn anger management and sensitivity training. Going to therapy is so normal that we talk about it on public transportation.

These days we prefer intelligent conversation and entertainment that improves our society, right? That’s why we like snickering at photos of beautiful women in embarrassing situations like that horrifying picture of an actress at the beach with her young children. She’s wearing a less than flattering bikini that doesn’t really hold up her tata’s all that well.

Remember that movie star, who, it turns out, has cellulite on her thighs? Can you believe her husband has to look at the horror of her body fat? Thankfully someone with a telescopic lens was there to reveal the “news” to the world because I saw that bitch in a movie once, and her flat tummy made me feel bad about my body. That last line, to be clear, was sarcasm.

I get the appeal of watching celebritainment. There is an element of funny right? Ha ha she thought she was so much better than me, with her movie star life and her movie star looks, but she isn’t better than me after all because she has body fat, or an alcoholic boyfriend, or an embarrassing mother. Her tragedy is my comedy, as explained by Mel Brooks.

Remember Candid Camera? I am not opposed to laughing at people being pranked, and on that show at least, people always ended up laughing at themselves. It is good to help friends laugh at themselves.

But TMZ does not encourage viewers to laugh at themselves. Rather than creating a combination of relief (because that’s not me on the screen) and self-awareness (because I know that I have been in that same position as the person on the screen), instead TMZ encourages treating someone very poorly and laughing not so much at the person, but at how clever it is to be mean.

Recently I saw this scene as I was flipping channels: a group of TMZ “reporters,” sitting in a room filled with desks in an approximation of a news room, passing around a photo of a female celebrity. They are all wide eyed and gasping in horror at the photo that the viewer cannot see. As anticipation grows, one man says to the room (I am paraphrasing), “You are never going to believe this. These thighs belong to…” Cue ominous music and a close-up of one man expressing disgust. The famous actress with cellulite on her thighs will be revealed after the commercial.

I believe that viewing programs that are based on determining a woman’s worth as a human being entirely on a few centimeters of flesh will program your brain to see all women that way, including yourself. Every time we snicker with contempt when someone pretty and popular is revealed to have “flaws,” we destroy a part of our own humanity. Hence, we kill the kittens in our soul. And by the way, there is no such thing as a flaw, because you are perfect.

I know that a lot of you watch TMZ, Entertainment Tonight (ET), The Soup, etc. and I want to be clear that my main concern is with TMZ. ET includes some actual news about contracts, casting and box office. The Soup isn’t only about celebrities but about anyone who chooses to go on a TV show and then they poke fun at the way people behave.

The difference with TMZ is that they use stalker tactics, the same tactics used by the photographers chasing Princess Diana the night she was killed, in order to reveal private moments entirely for the purpose of making someone look bad.

I think if you are really interested in finding out about Hollywood news then you might consider reading The Hollywood Reporter.

For research purposes I watched an episode of TMZ when I decided to write this post. I cannot bear to embed the video here but if you want to see, go to the TMZ website and watch the show that aired Monday, February 1, 2010. Please do yourself a favor and skip most of the atrocities and go right to 18:45 on the video.

You’ll see a hilarious video of a very drunk or drugged, unidentified young woman being dragged across the street and thrown into the back of a car by an unidentified man. A man in the TMZ “newsroom” comments, “This is the most wasted girl I’ve ever seen on a video. She’s literally getting dragged to some guy’s car in a gas station. (ha ha ha) I’m hoping he knows her.” This comment is followed by laughter from several voices. Back to the footage of the drunk girl being dragged and another guy says, “Also known as Last Seen Footage!” Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha.

Yeah, there’s nothing funnier than women being abducted.

Watching TMZ is not a harmless guilty pleasure. Watching TMZ has consequences and one of those is the killing of kittens.