Surgery Info and Update

Outfit Details Below

So here’s a LONG update for those curious about how my bariatric surgery went, or those curious about it in general. I should probably do 2 or 3 parts, sorry people, but I don't feel like prolonging this or talking about it forever.  I’ve had a lot of questions/messages from people thinking about it.

First of all, my doctor told me people would react in 3 ways. She said there would be ignorance, jealousy, or acceptance, no in between. I so so so appreciate the folks that have been accepting and understanding throughout this, there’s a lot more of you than I expected! It’s been nice! For the jealous folks, sorry, not much I can do about it other than pray for ya. It’s one of those things you can definitely “feel” from some people, but I find it so unnecessary. There’s nothing to be jealous of here, trust me! If you find yourself feeling that way, look at all the awesome things about your life, I’m sure you can find plenty, and then know that you can do the exact same thing I did! This isn’t some exclusive club, you’re allowed to have surgery. It’s up to you, nobody else!

For the ignorant folks, that’s not necessarily meant in a bad way. We aren’t calling you stupid, most of you, ha! It’s just a lack of knowledge about this procedure, that’s all. You’re not doctors, so you likely have no reason to know about it, me having it done may be the first contact you’ve ever had with someone who’s done it. That’s ok, I’ll try and shed some light.

For the ignorant ones who don’t understand it and also think it’s “the easy way out,” I’ve got some news for you. If you’ve lost a ton of weight naturally or are some sassy body builder type, that’s awesome, really, it is. You however are not better than those of us who turned to surgery, you aren’t morally on some high ground or superior bc your stomach is unaltered and you have this amazing will power that you’re so proud of. Nope. Not at all. One little factoid: bariatric patients probably don’t eat much differently than you...you’re literally on the same diet...you’re doing the same thing. You may also want to really think about where those feelings of superiority are coming from because, sorry, but that’s not normal. When I see a really fit person, I’m proud of them and think what they’ve done is great. No ill will, jealousy, or anything. When I see someone much bigger than me, I don’t think I’m better than them, not even close. We all have struggles in life, and judging folks is unnecessary.

Once upon a time, many moons ago, I too thought bariatric surgery was the easy way out. I was dumb. Judgmental and dumb. I’m here to admit I was a moron. If that’s where you are right now, welcome to the club, you also need a come to Jesus.

So before I tell you about my experience, I’ll tell you a bit about what this surgery entails. I personally had the gastric sleeve, so I can’t speak for those who have full bypasses or anything like that. In the sleeve, all they do is go in laparoscopically and cut out 2/3rds of your stomach. No rerouting of intestines or anything. Stitch and staple that sucker back up, and send you on your way...to another hospital room lol. You have a giant wound on the inside of you, and they likely had to move your liver around and prop it up for the surgery, you also have 4-5 small incisions on your tummy...they wanna watch you for a while mmmk?

Before you get there though, you’ve likely been through some stuff. I’ve only dealt with BCBS, two kinds, state and federal, so I can’t speak for other insurance, but I’m in a lot of groups and this is all extremely common across the board. You only qualify for bariatric surgery if your BMI is 35 with two comorbities, which means things that can kill you like diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. There are a few. Or if you have a BMI of 40, no comorbidities needed bc you’re now considered morbidly obese. Coverage for surgery varies, not many types of insurance pay in full. Typically you’re on the line for at least $5,000-8,000 if they partially cover it, $20,000-30,000 if it’s not covered at all. It’s getting more accepted though bc they’ve realized it’s better to pay for it than to cover medication and healthcare for an obese person for life, a life that will likely end in a major expensive disease.

So what happens leading up to surgery? You typically have to be on a doctor supervised diet for 3-6 months to prove that you can lose weight. You have to weigh in each month, and if you gain weight or miss your appointment you have to start all over again. They are pretty strict bc this is a major surgery and life change. They usually require low carb and to replace one meal a day with a protein shake. You have to pay for all of these visits, yes even if your surgery is 100% covered like mine was. It’s usually whatever your copay is ($20-30). Within these 3-6 months you are also required to have more separate appointments. You have to meet with a nutritionist 1-3 times, that’s a separate fee, usually $70-100 per visit.

You have to meet with a psychologist to get cleared for surgery mentally. This is a pretty important one. If you have a severe food addiction (typically if you are over 300 you are in that category) or a binge eating problem you do not qualify for surgery. You will have to go to therapy for some months to address that. The reasoning is that people with those issues are not successful long term with bariatric surgery and usually gain it all back. This of course can happen to anyone, but that group is at a higher risk. So what happens in these psychologist appointments varies greatly. I’ve been to two different ones bc I qualified 2 years ago and then found out I was pregnant. The first made me fill out an extremely long scantron personality test, graded it, then we talked about it and my reasoning for why I got to where I was and why I thought the surgery would help. His cost was $500, these appointments are not covered by insurance either and you are at the mercy of the psychologist and whatever prices they want to charge bc they are the ultimate sign off on surgery. The second one I went to to re-qualify was $200. I sat on his couch and got the cold sweats as he asked me a million questions and wrote down everything I said on a legal pad...this took over an hour. He asked me about my grades in elementary school all the way through college, all the extracurriculars I’ve ever done, how I met my husband and all the background of his life including all the jobs he’s had, how my parents met, where we’ve lived, what they’ve done for a living, my brothers and what they do, my best friends, how long I’ve had them, what they do for a living and where they live, all the jobs I’ve had, any conflicts I’ve had, about my kids and me as a parent, on and on and on. I thought for sure he’d call the white coats to come give me tranquilizer in the neck and that I’d wake up in a padded room. Turns out nope! Lol. His exact words were, “I hate to break it you you Morgan but you are absolutely normal and I can find nothing to write down other than obesity. So I hope that doesn’t offend you.” Huh? I thought he wasn't supposed to use words like normal, but I appreciated it lol. This is literally what I said to him: “offend me? Sir, I own a mirror, I’m well aware I’m a fatty. That’s fine with me. I thought I was going to be hauled away in a straight jacket after this conversation.” Luckily he laughed, signed my papers, and I went on my way...back through the creepy waiting room full of the same loud white noise machines I use to put my daughters to sleep at night. Still wondering if those are to muffle the screams. Then I went shopping bc I felt weird.

Then you have to also have a primary care physician, your main doctor, sign off saying they agree you need this surgery. My first doctor 2 years ago said I was too young. The surgeon had to literally override her and it wasn’t easy so I hear. Then I moved and got a new one who signed this time and she was very excited for me.

Then you have to have an EGD. It’s an outpatient procedure but they do put you to sleep for it. It’s an exploratory procedure to make sure your digestive system doesn’t have any issues, and they also use it to make a “map” or game plan for surgery. This is extra money too. Both of mine cost $150. Yep both, all of these things/appointments are only valid for a few months, so if you stumble or take a break from the process you have to do it all again. If they find issues, you have to go to a GI doctor and have those addressed before surgery.

They also take blood labs during all of this. If you have a vitamin deficiency they will prescribe you stuff you have to take up until surgery. If they find issues, off to a cardiologist you go to address those before surgery. These labs cost me about $200 bc they are special bariatric labs, not just your normal every day ones. I had them done at two different places, with two different insurances. Quest one time, and the surgeons office one time, both still $200.

Then you typically have to have a sleep study to make sure you don’t have sleep apnea, as that’s dangerous during surgery. I didn’t have to have one, but larger patients, 300+ almost always have to. I have no clue how much it costs.

Then you have all of that submitted to insurance and wait to see if you’re approved. This can take anywhere from 1 week to 1 month. They are required to answer in 1 month. In addition to all of the above, you have to have papers that demonstrate you’ve lost weight before. Weight watchers papers, weight loss center papers, etc. You have to have been successful on a diet before, it’s a red flag that you won’t be successful after surgery if you’ve never been successful before. I personally have lost around 100 pounds 3 times now and kept it off for a year here and 2 years one other time. I had this surgery so I could stop yo-yoing bc it’s bad for your heart and this surgery will hopefully be like a “pause” button. I gain extremely fast. People always say, “well you didn’t gain it overnight so don’t expect to lose it overnight.” You must not have met me or the people who gave me my genes. I seriously gained 60 pounds within a couple months once. So the surgery will help me not turnaround and be like oh Crap I’ve gained 60 pounds! It’ll be more like oh Crap I’ve gained 20, time to calm down and get life right Morgan. 20 is much more manageable. You also have to have a history of weight from your primary care doctor or somewhere. To prove that you have had this problem long term and didn’t just gain recently to get surgery.

All of those things compiled, then you wait. Once you are approved, you then get to set a surgery date. Then comes the real fun!

You are typically put on a 2 week liquid diet pre-op to shrink your liver so it’s not in the way as much during surgery. Think about that. Only liquids, usually sugar free liquids, no solid food. No chewing, nothing. For TWO whole weeks. Disgusting and pretty difficult. Then you have surgery and guess what?! More fun! You are again put on nothing but pure liquids, clear liquids for the first 2 weeks, sugar free only and clear broth, then full liquids for another week or two, so fat free creamed soups strained, zero chunks. So depending on your doctor, you could be on nothing but liquids for a solid 5-6 weeks. Torture. Not for the faint of heart. I dare all you nay sayers to try it for even just a few days. After that we are supposed to be on a low carb diet for life...much like lots of fit folks...so we are basically doing the same thing as all you fit people, we just have a bit of extra help for the first year. After a year all bets are off, it’s up to you and the habits you’ve made to keep it off bc at that point your stomach can progressively fit more and stretch.

This is also where the mental health issues come in. Your hormones go crazy from surgery, girls typically get bad long periods right after (sorry guys, TMI). So if you have unaddressed binge eating, depression, etc. It can become a major problem early on or long term. It gets pretty grim. On the online boards I’ve seen plenty of suicide talk. Bariatric patients are also at short and long term risk for transfer addiction. So alcohol addiction, drug addiction, gambling, shopping, etc. So this is why it’s important to address all that before surgery.

You typically move on to pureed foods like baby food, then soft chunky foods the next week like tuna salad, then slowly week by week you add in flaky fish, chicken, beef, etc. The entire reintroduction process takes 6-10 weeks. So pre-op diet to real food takes about 3 full months, all while watching people around you eat. And if you had a food addiction, guess what? It’s been proven they are stronger than alcohol and drug addictions. Guess what else? Every other addiction you can avoid the trigger, food addiction...you HAVE to eat food to live. You’re literally always surrounded by your trigger. For life. Also why it’s important to address those things beforehand. 

We can’t have carbonation, use straws, or use NSAIDs (Advil, Naproxen, etc) for life after. Some wiggle room as people cheat and tolerate things, but those are the typical rules. Oh, and your hair falls out around 3-5 months out, a lot of it. There’s nothing you can do. They say vitamins and protein help, but it’s inevitable.

Other fun fact: yeast infections are very common after surgery, yes even men! So you could be recovering, miserable, and also get a yeast infection. It’s bc they pump you with tons of antibiotics during and after surgery. Messes up the good bacteria and your PH. 

There’s a ton of more complications, I’ll let you google them though.

As for me, it hasn’t been so bad. I don’t mind people eating around me, I’m honestly rarely hungry. Looking at food makes me mostly nauseous, so I haven’t been jealous of food. I occasionally want a cheeseburger, but that’s about it. Other than that I’m basically force feeding myself gross food and hating all foods and their smells. One of the most common reasons patients end up back in the hospital is bc of dehydration. It’s tough to get anything down, even liquids. I was determined not to be that person though. But guess what? I was! Not bc I didn’t try though! We were recommended to get in at least 30 ounces of fluids per day the first week. I was more than doubling that and my doctor was really proud. So when I got sick, we didn’t catch the dehydration right away. Bc an irresponsible parent took their sick kid to a birthday party, my girls got sick. So then I did, first week post-op. We all got 5ths disease! Kinda like the flu. Yay us!

Side note: don’t be that parent, everyone hates those parents. Your kid isn’t going to die bc they miss a birthday party. If you have a crusty nosed kid without allergies, or you know they recently had diarrhea or a fever, follow the 24 hour rule. It really is 48, but since so many people suck 24 is typically ok these days. DO NOT be a jerk and bring your sick kid places. It’s rude and people hate you for it. We can spot your snotty kid from a mile away and are giving you massive stink eye. My mom is also the director of a school, drugging up your kids in the morning so it doesn’t wear off until close to carpool time and hoping nobody notices they are sick...they know that trick...they think you’re a horrible parent...don’t do it. What’s also new in the last few years is parents ignoring phone calls while at work for a few hours so they won’t have to leave work to pick up the kid they know is sick...you’re a crummy parent. You chose to have kids...be a responsible parent for the love of God. You brought them in to this world, that means you will have to take off of work or find baby sitters or miss fun things, deal with it like an adult. Bc guess what? Your snot nosed kid could kill someone. It can be brought home to an elderly grandparent who ends up with pneumonia, a newborn sibling, an immune compromised person who has cancer or just had a major surgery. Don’t be a jerk. We’ve come across two sets of jerks the last month. One set knowingly gave our entire family, grandparents and all, a bad stomach virus. It hit Brett on a business trip while he spent an entire day in airports...puking in public toilets...embarrassed and feeling awful, and super furious. It almost pushed back my surgery which could have cost a lot of money. And the second was 5ths disease which not only dehydrated me bc of the chills and sweats, even though I was downing 64 ounces of fluids per day, but also gave me a super itchy rash while I was recovering. Talk about miserable. Also probably gonna get a sweet hospital bill for that bc it wasn’t a part of surgery. 

They didn’t think I was dehydrated bc of the amount I was getting in. They thought it was a blood clot. My resting pulse was 128! So I got to have a cat scan. It took 6 different needle pricks to get a vein. 2 from one nurse, then they sent down for the surgery nurses. They had to use huge needles bc the cat scan contrast is thick and it needed to be pushed through the line really fast, a 20 if that means anything to anyone. The surgery nurses finally got a vein. The cat scan nurse came in and said it wasn’t in the right place. So they sent for the anesthesiologist, and he finally got it! Then I got the cat scan, let’s just say that was hot and unpleasant. Nothing showed up so they gave me fluids and what do ya know! I felt like a new woman, like I could run a marathon lol! I was dehydrated, I was just losing all of those 64 ounces every day through sweats from the fevers breaking. Good times. Fun day at the hospital.

Moral of the story...don’t be a jerk with germy kids mmmk? That party/event/whatever isn’t worth it. Don’t be selfish. You could kill someone. 5ths diseases cause miscarriages, among other things. So don't be dumb. Thanks. Glad we got that cleared up. 

Anyhoo, I’m on day 19 since surgery. I’ve lost 30 pounds. Mostly in my face and boobs lol. My nose shrunk and my eyes opened up, like I was a pregnant woman or something lol. It’s been weird, it’s been tough but not too bad. I never had any pain medication. I didn’t believe Brett when I woke up after surgery and he told me that. So I asked the nurse and she confirmed. I’m an alien. I was even up walking around doing everything myself an hour after each birth...with a stitched crotch...swatted the nurse away who tried to help me shimmy into those sexy mesh undies lol. I can’t explain it, so don’t expect your experience to be the same. I don’t feel pain easily, which is a blessing and a curse.

The worst for me was the gas. They fill your whole chest cavity with gas during surgery and it has to dissipate after surgery. No it doesn’t come out in farts lol. It’s mainly burps and just dissipating through your skin. It’s really uncomfortable. It gets up into your shoulders and it’s common to think you’re having a heart attack. You have to walk walk walk it off, even when you’re too tired to walk bc you’re living off of 200 calories, gotta get up and walk it off. That lasts about 2-3 days. Then it’s all good...until you come in contact with germy Kids lol.

Anyhoo, it’s been a pretty ok experience for me. I'm pretty tired still, they say that lasts 4-6 weeks.  My surgeon is awesome so I only have 4 incisions on my tummy, each teeny tiny, about the size of my pinky nail. No regrets. I did it to be here longer for my girls. I’m SO sick of sugar free stuff it’s not even funny, but I’m ok. Drinking 64 ounces of water daily has made my skin baby soft lol, so get on that ladies!

The hardest part has been not being able to pick up my girls. They are 1 & 2 and I can’t lift them for 6 weeks. So it’s hard to be around them bc they cry about it and don’t understand. It’s rough. So I’ve been away from them for a bit, it’s easier this way, but I can’t wait till July 30th, I’m going to pick them up and squeeze them for as long as they’ll let me! So probably 30 seconds. I’m so thankful both grandmas have pitched in majorly, I have no clue how I would have safely done it without them.

So to end this wayyy too long post. Easy way out? You can shove it. I’d even say I’m probably a bit tougher than most for having been through this.

Outfit Deets:

Dress: Macy's, Shoes: Macy's, Long Necklace: Kendra Scott, Short Necklace: Kendra Scott

I'M BAAAACK...AGAIN!

If you’re wondering what happened after my last “I’m back!” post, well...I had another baby. Ha! Oopsies. So now I'm Mama to a 1 year old and a 2 year old! I absolutely love how close together they are and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Now that both of them are officially toddlers though, they are giving me a run for my money. But that’s ok, I’ll take it! It wasn’t an easy road to get to either of them. LOTS of puking, and one gall bladder removal in the short 11 months between the two. But it’s been pretty awesome despite all of that. The last two years have been a breeze basically and I love being a mama. Things are getting challenging now in toddler land but that’s life right! We’ll be fine. Right? Riiighhtt??? Sure. Yes. We will. Maybe. #toddlersforsale #firmprice #nonegotiations

I still have that husband hanging around. He just keeps coming back home from work every day, walking in, kissing me, and taking the girls off my hands 100%. Sigh. My hero. He’s a bath time and bed time pro. He also whipped himself into shape, if you’re a friend on facebook or our family Instagram you’ve seen the before and after. It’s nuts! He’s one of those gym, protein shakes, Taco Bell once a week guys now lol. I don’t even know what to do with him. He drinks so much water now instead of sweet tea. Who is this man? He’s also gotten awards, bonuses, and raises at work. I’m so so proud of him. He’s the best example of “work hard, be kind” and you’ll succeed. I couldn’t love him more if I tried. The Carr girls are a lucky bunch.

We moved to a new city to be closer to his job. We sold our old house and built a new one. We love our new city and neighbors, so far it was a good choice! We have a huge long and flat driveway for the girls to ride bikes and play in, we have a big backyard that we use daily. Two really neat parks nearby and a library we love! Lots of activities we’ve been able to sign up for. We live right up the road from awesome shopping, but we have a massive forest and privacy directly behind our house. The kitchen is set up so that I can cook while I watch the girls play. It’s not a fancy mansion with chandeliers and marble floors, but it’s perfect for us. Only problem is that I decided to make our entire house white...with toddlers. I mean it’s ALL white. Countertops, tile, walls, everything. So not only is it already semi destroyed by toddlers, but I haven’t even hung anything up or decorated yet bc I have zero stuff that matches bc our old house was cream colored and the task of collecting and decorating is daunting to say the least. #hindsight Oopsies again. It’s a happy home though, filled with belly laughs and tons of little girl bows and giggles...even if I do still step out of the shower onto a folded towel after 7 months. Ha! You'll see some of the decorating process and get to be a creepy house stalker if you follow along on instagram.

The BIG news is that I'm in the middle of designing a plus size swimsuit line! WHAAAAAT? It's called Talley Grace Swim, and it's named after my girls. It's going to be a simple, feminine, classic, and southern plus size swimsuit line. It's spilled out here and there and LOTS of questions have trickled back to me. So here's the biggest one for you nosy people! Isn't that expensive? Yes. Yesssssssssssss. It's costing us the price of a car...a nice car...a car we could never afford. We were also determined to do this 100% alone, no parental help, no business loans, nothing. No, we have not turned to a life of crime, but we have cashed in our life savings. Pick your jaw up off the floor. It's fine. We are 31, if there's any time to take a risk in life it's now, when we are young enough to eat it and make it back if I fall flat on my face and fail miserably. Which is a possibility! No denial there! Plus, raise your hand if you're my age and have vast savings and investments anyway. I don't see any hands raised. It's 2018, life is rough for us millennial non boot-strappers. I'm pretty sure if I fail and start back at zero we will be in good company. Totally fine with us, I sure hope I don't fail though. I've been busting my butt and will continue to do so. Designing a clothing line has been THE dream for me for as long as I can remember. Even before the time I begged my parents to go to fashion shcool in NYC and they said no...until I wore them down and got to transfer there a year later. I think it's so important to show the girls to chase their dreams, even the crazy big ones, and what better way to show them than to do it myself! If I succeed, then maybe they can take the company over one day. Who knows. So far though, I'd just like to do something I love, fill a VERY needed void in the industry, make some women feel beautiful and comfortable, pay off my student loans, save for the girls' college, and show the girls that they really can do anything. It's going to be a very small collection at first, very very small. If it goes well, I hope to add to it as we go along. 

The other big news is that I am finally getting bariatric surgery TOMORROW! Monday, June 18th, if you're reading this later. If you read this old post, I was scheduled for it before and found out I was pregnant...after years of trying, and at the recommendation of my OBGYN to increase fertility. It’s all a huge blessing though because so much has changed. It's funny how life works out. No kids for you, $10,000 for surgery to maybe fix that bc you have crummy insurance, just kidding, a baby for you, here have another one, now $0 surgery for you bc your husband got an awesome job and better insurance. Crazy how life works out. It's all a part of His plan, not mine. It's so hard to remember that though, right? 

As you've probably figured out by now, I'm an open book, so instagram will have all the updates. How much skin will I need to remove? How much botox will I need when the fat goes away and the wrinkles screeching towards my face? How much of my hair will fall out? Everyone is welcome to follow along, the curious ones, the ones with questions, the lurkers, the judgmental ones who need Jesus, ha, everyone! Come one, come all, step right up and see with your very own eyes what transpires! 

So what else is going on? I’m closing down this blog shortly and moving to purely Instagram. I will have a website with a blog portion on it for all my favorite mom, fashion, travel, etc finds. That won't be coming until the big site launch though. So be sure you are subscribed to find out when that happens! (www.talleygrace.com) You'll be the first to see the swimsuits! Life is going to be extremely busy with flights across the country to LA & NYC, and all kinds of stuff to get everything squared away. If I look at the big picture, it looks like Mt. Everest. So I’m digging in and taking it one step at a time. 

Follow along on my instagram (@talleygraceswim) to see some behind the scenes of this big adventure! It will still have fashion with outfit posts like the one above (btw, outfit details at the bottom), but it will be more lifestyle geared. Fashion, home decor...when I get around to it lol, travel, family (yep, the girls & husband will be on it occasionally!), behind the scenes of the design and manufacturing process, and surgery updates. Laugh at me or with me and cry with me as I stumble my way through it all. 

Most of our close friends and family already know, I post about everything on our family Instagram, but we keep that super tight. There are even close relatives like sister-in-laws who can’t see that Instagram! Like all my sister-in-laws lol. So no hard feelings. It’s basically the place I word vomit and do the whole cringey brag about our kids that you usually only do in the comfort of you home with your significant other thing. Ha! It’s gross, I promise. I’m embarrassed every time I hit the submit button on a post there, but I’m comforted by the fact that the people on it love me so much they have no choice but to love me despite the judgement lol. You aren’t missing anything. Promise. We use it for memories, chat books, and all those grandmas and aunts who MUST see pictures daily.

Everyone is welcome at the @talleygraceswim instagram, and I hope you'll all come along for the adventure! Please share the link to my new website: www.talleygrace.com, if you know any ladies who would love to be updated about my swim line! 

Morgan

Outfit Deets:

Top: Old Navy, Shorts: Lands End, Sunglasses: Ray Ban, Watch: Kate Spade.

TOP BABY PICKS FOR NEW MOMS

Baby. Overload. I just had a baby, a niece was born 3 months ago, another niece was born last week,  I'm pretty sure I have another niece on the way (could be a boy though, we find out soonish), AND I have a sweet little nephew on the way any day now (Oliver buddy, you get here this instant and stop making your mommy miserable)! Plus almost every single one of my friends has a baby or two, and the couples that don't are working on it. Suffice it to say...we got babies galore. Due to all of these new life developments I've been getting asked by tons of family & friends about stuff on our private Instagram for our little girl. So since a lot of the stuff I've found for Chandler seems pretty popular, I figured I would share it for anyone else that might like it too!

1. Zozu Baby Bows:

($12 You can find these all over the place, a friend that asked yesterday said she found a ton on Etsy, but I've tried a bunch and like Zozu best: http://www.zozubaby.com/)

This is by far the most popular one, and the on eI feel most strongly about, haha! I searched so so hard for bows that were more simple than the usual ones everyone gets. As soon as I found out I was having a girl the search was on, she had bows pretty much before she had anything else. I'm super picky about clothing type things, imagine that. I also seem to be missing some sort of southern gene, maybe it's bc my daddy is a Yankee. I say soda and sneakers and a lot of other words my Mississippi husband stares at me funny for. I don't like big bows, I think ruffled pants need to burn a fiery death, I hate most character type clothing, I do not and will not ever understand those weird leg warmer/sock things...you know they make pants right...even some with ruffles on them I hear! Matilda Jane type clothes can take a hike too, looks like leftover fabric remnants your grandma had and just threw together. Rhinestones can die a fiery death as well, and rosettes can hop in there too. However, I will fully admit that I think bows are a gateway drug. I can feel it already. Like, I just need one that's a liiiiitle bigger, just a liiiitle bigger. I can see how the vicious cycle starts. I'm not sure there's a way to stop it. But for now, these bows are my thing. Solid colors, nude skinny bands instead of those thick colored ones, and smallish sizes. Because wooo God forbid those awful ones with smooshed material that aren't even bows, but made to look like bows! It looks like a bird landed on your child's head. 100%. Nobody is telling you bc they are too nice, they are lying about it being cute. I won't lie. Stop that. Stop. It. Right. Now. So I started collecting these before she was even born, I'm pretty sure I have every solid color. Expensive but worth it. Anybody that knows how to sew though, you can totally make these way cheaper. I'm just lazy and like to be broke all the time. 

2. Billy bibs:

($25-$30 https://www.billybibs.com/collections/fall-collection)

Cutest bibs ever. Period.

3. Owlet:

($249 http://www.owletcare.com/)

This is just an extra peace of mind for mom and dad. When we first got her home we didn't get around to hooking it all up and figuring it out. It took a few days. So those first few days, we didn't sleep at all. We were just constantly checking her video monitor and looking to see her chest rising and falling to make sure she was breathing. I mean constantly. The screen goes dark after a minute or so, and that screen was lit up for days. She was sleeping pretty darn well, but we weren't. So we hooked it all up and almost immediately we slept. 

4. Fawn design:

($145.99-$155.99 https://fawndesign.com/)

I absolutely love this diaper bag. I'm seriously collecting every single color. It's a book bag and a purse type bag all in one. I'm a bit concerned about the quality bc it isn't real leather. So I'm worried it will fall apart quickly. Fawn folks...make a real leather version and you can have all my money immediately, even though you already get all my money. 

I tried a couple different book bags because I did a Facebook poll and every single mommy said they ended up getting a book bag.  I have the honest diaper book bag in black, I don't like it as much. I don't like the look as much. It seems bigger than the fawn bag, it even looks way bigger and bulky, but somehow it doesn't fit as much. It's harder to organize for me personally, probably works for lots of other moms. Fawn just works for me the way I like to organize things. I'm not a huge diaper bag packer, I don't feel the need to have a ton of stuff, so if you are one of those people then it might not be for you, it's on the smaller end.

5. Twistshake Bottles

($11.15 http://twistshake.com/en/)

I know I like most things neutral, shouldn't be a secret by now. I think most baby stuff is atrocious with all the bright colors and God awful prints. These however are awesome. So pretty! 

6. Tubby Todd

($67.99 for Basics Bundle http://tubbytodd.com/)

I. Love. This. Stuff. Perhaps your smeller is different than mine, so your mileage may vary, but I LOVE how this stuff smells. My daughter has really sensitive skin and eczema. We've tried lots of soaps. They all cause problems and the sensitive ones don't even have a yummy smell. How boring. This is different, it's sensitive enough and it smells awesome like lavender and orange jello powder. I didn't choose the crunchy life, it chose me. So this cleared it up and she looks like a little porcelain doll now...until she gouges her eyes out or scratches her face up...which is pretty common...we don't use those mitt things bc I could care less if she scratches her face up...we aren't trying to win any beauty contests.  

7. Moms on Call Book/App:

(http://momsoncall.com/)

This one is controversial. My child slept through the night at 6 weeks though (7:30pm-7am), so you decide for yourself. Every single question I've ever had was answered in this book, without fail. It was written by two on call pediatric nurses, you know the ones answering the phone at 2am when your newborn is losing their mind and you don't know why...yeah those nurses. They've heard it all and I swear they know it all. They also have about 8 kids between the two of them. From what to dress your baby in to sleep, the temperature of the room, how much to feed and when, etc etc etc. We started this the day we came home from the hospital. I had read the book 3 times to know it backwards and forwards, and downloaded the quick reference app (no you can't just download the app and not read the book and get the same results lazy bones, the book has too much extra info you'll miss). A few times we have deviated from the "magic book" and every single time we have regretted it. It never works when we think "we know what's best". We don't. We know nothing. So I will say this, if you are going to try this, you have to go all in and completely try it all, every single thing in this book. If you change one little thing it won't work I promise (we did however change swaddles, more below). But if you do it all exactly as they say and are consistent, I promise it will work like a charm. It does have a bit of the cry it out method, but if you start it right off the bat (3-5 mins at a time when they are super young), then you won't have to do a whole night or three of screaming and you crying outside the door. We never had to. A huge part of this is putting them right in their crib from day one. Apparently they can smell your milk and when they stir in the middle of a nap it wakes them up and they get hungry and cry. When they are a room away they don't wake bc they can't smell it. I asked a bunch of moms on FB about this before she was born bc I didn't know a soul who put their babies in the crib right away and I was scared, our parents did it when we were babies, but nobody does it anymore. I only had one mom out of like 40 that said she did it, funny enough her dad is the OBGYN that delivered me, so I felt pretty confident listening to her. Completely up to you though, I firmly believe we didn't "just have a good baby," I put all the credit on this magic little book and having the kahunas to follow through with it. I'm no doctor though, talk to yours, do your thing, safety blah blah blah. 

8. Adult Bed Pads:

(Walgreen's)

Whaaaaaaatttttt?!?!? That's weird right? I don't even remember how I thought of this. We use these as changing pads. Super cheap, disposable. Fit nicely in my diaper bag. I just kinda figured that the reusable changing pads folks lay on the bathroom changing tables roll up on themselves and get dirty that way anyway right? So I just throw this sucker away once I'm done. Though to be honest, we are super chill parents. She started going out to eat with us and shopping with us at 1 week old. We are already picking her pacifiers up off the floor, wiping them on our shirts, and shoving them back in her mouth. OH MAH GAHHHH right?!? Call the Po-Lice this lady is crazy!!! Or am I? Am I the crazy one you clean freaks??? Let's think on that.

9. Swaddleme Swaddles

($24.99 for Two https://summerinfant.com/home)

This is the only thing we changed from the Moms On Call book. We use these velcro swaddles instead of the ones they suggest. It's just easier than a blanket swaddle and we feel like we can get them just as tight. We started with the Original in size Small, and that's all we needed, didn't even go up a size. She wore them from the first day in the hospital (a little big bc she was 7lbs) until about 2 months old when we dropped the swaddle and just used footie pajamas (footies down below). 

10. Tommy Tippee Bibs:

($7.99 For Two Bibs)

Baby neck rolls + dribbled milk = stinky neck cheese. These prevent the milk from dribbling down as best as possible. Not cute though. At first you have to pull them tight yourself, but they will soon fit.  For cute ones see above and I also like Copper Pearl bibs, but they are just supposed to be for drool and don't work well for feedings.

11. Dohme & Portable Sound Machine:

($49.39 Dohme & $6.99 Portable)

This is the sound machine that we use. It's the one recommended in the Moms on Call book. They say to not have one with lullabies or ocean waves or anything like that. And no lights, the room should be pitch black (no night lights, black out curtains, etc). This is true white noise, it's got an actual little fan in it. This has made it so that she will sleep through anything anywhere anytime. We can watch loud movies, vacuum, have parties, you name it and she doesn't wake up bc she's used to sound. We have a portable sound machine on both car seats in both vehicles. They make other noises, but we just use the white noise one. We use it for long car rides to keep her asleep or in stores, restaurants, doctor's offices, etc. Life Saver. 

12. Adelisa & Co. Macrame Swing Chair:

($65 https://www.adelisaandco.com/)

These are made in Nicaragua and give back to the communities in which they are made. Pretty cool, and pretty pretty! 

13. Green Sprout Burp Cloths:

($20.97 Cloths)

We haven't needed burp cloths until recently when she started getting super active and puking on the move. The tommy Tippee bibs we use for feedings to wipe her mouth, so we don't need other cloths until play time. We've used all kinds of burp cloths, even the cloth diaper ones, bc we got so many. Hands down these are my favorite. Super soft and absorbent. And they curve over your shoulder perfectly. They come in lots of fun bright colors too, but we all know how I feel about that already. But if that's your thing go for it! 

14. Mamas & Papas Booster Seat:

($69.99 Booster Seat)

These are great for travel once your little one is sitting up and eating. I love it because, SHOCKER, its neutral. It has a little toy things to put on top too. 

15. Binxy Baby Shopping Hammock: 

($49.95 http://binxybaby.com/)

I get asked about this almost every time I'm out. This thing is awesome. I just pop it on a grocery cart really fast, plop her in it, and get my shopping done. She does awesome. Plus it leaves way more room in the cart than putting your car seat in it. 

16. Nano Urban Highchair:

($150 Chair)

It's an all white highchair, not much to say. Looks better than those bulky things with icky prints in my opinion. She plays in it while we eat dinner at night now. I like it.

17. Mamas and Papas Armadillo Flip XT Stroller:

($549.95 Stroller)

This sucker took some time to love. I got it bc the videos of it seemed super easy. Unloading and loading it, popping it open and closed. I was sold. Plus, I liked the leather handles and all. Well we got it and it was hard at first, we weren't too bright. It took a little while for us to keep remembering how to open and close it. But now that we have it down it's awesome. It's super quick and easy to use. Highly Recommend.

18. Nuna Leaf

($219.95 http://www.nuna.eu/usa/)

I LOVE all things Nuna, except the bulky highchairs of course. Its a European company so they do the sleek neutral thing really well. We got this before we found out about limiting time in baby gear, one of the first things we bought. So she uses it rarely bc I won't let her, but if you are into baby gear I highly recommend it with the attachments. She loves it and it's purty. 

19. Gerber wash cloths:

($6.44 Cloths)

These aren't actually wash cloths, they are supposed to be cloth wipes. I believe they are for the folks that cloth diaper and want to be green. I cannot stand those thin little wash rags that they make for babies. They get stuck on every piece of velcro you can possibly find while you wash and dry them. Hate that. So I use these little guys, they keep their shape, are super soft, and don't get all snagged and stuck on stuff. They obviously come in colors as well, but surprise surprise I like the cream ones. I have a really cute pink striped and mint polka dot set though too!

20. Nuna Sena Pack-n-Play/Travel Crib:

($249.95 http://www.nuna.eu/usa/sena)

We travel a ton. We go places most weekends, so this is a must for us. She will be able to play in it once she's older, and she sleeps awesome in it right now for travel. It's super easy to pop up and down. It's a lot bigger than most of the ones like Fisher Price and Graco. Plus it's simple and doesn't have a print all over it. I like how simple and classic it is. Most of our big stuff like this we got in neutral colors so we can re use it all for the next baby (God willing!). Plus, I can't deal with all the bright colors and pink things. 

21. Bebe au Lait Blankets:

($32 Blankets)

I love these. I think they are better than Aiden & Anais. They hold up better to a bunch of washes, and I love the prints.

22. Old Navy Footie Pajamas:

These are my faves. They come in a few different colors. I like the solid colors. They zip up, easier than snaps (snaps will make you want to scream once they get wiggly in a month or so), they have footies and little hand covers so they won't scratch their face. Again, I could care less if she scratches her face, we aren't trying to win a beauty contest, she's a little baby, things happen...but if you do...you're set with these! And the zipper on most sizes has a little cover so it doesn't stab them in the neck. Truth, I also have another favorite footie brand for her pajamas that are pastels and crazy soft that I'm getting monogrammed, but I realize that's ridiculous and most people won't want/need those. So here's the practical ones. If you want fancy pants pjs though, holler at me. 

23. Puj Flyte Bath:

($34.95 Puj)

Back saver. This little guy is awesome. It's a thick white foamy material. It's sturdy but squishy, it can hang to dry, and there are holes for the water to run out so it never over flows or gets too high. It also fits all kinds of sinks, even those old school shell shaped ones. We used it for the first couple months, and just wash her straight up in the tub now without any kind of washing apparatus. Worth it for the first couple months though, I promise!  

24. Wild Bird Linen Baby Wearer:

($64.95-$99.95 http://www.wildbird.co/)

These slings/baby carriers are soooo beautiful. I'd have one in every color if I could. Just go look, trust me. 

BONUS PRODUCTS:

As if this post wasn't already long enough! Truth is I totally forgot to put these little suckers in my pics, ha! Oops.

Milk Made Goods

($34.95 http://milkmaidgoods.com/)

Awesome. Can use these as ponchos, nursing covers, blankets, shopping cart seat covers, carseat covers, etc! Beautiful prints too!

Emily Ley Baby Book

($62 Baby Book)

Love this book. So easy. We have a photo printer at home so we just print out any pictures we want, and I use cute sparkly washi tape to put them in. It's awesome. I also love that it's not super cutesy and girly. This is a great gift and you can buy extra packets for Adoption, NICU, Loss, Infertility, and Foster! So neat! 

That's it and that's all folks! I hope if you are a mommy to littles or a soon-to-be mommy, that you found some great ideas! Or that if you are a grandma, aunt, friend, etc that you found some neat & modern baby shower gifts! 

I'M BAAAACK!

Y’all.

I have missed you guys. I have missed this silly little blog. This entire year off, I have been getting emails, messages, and blog comments to approve. Crazy. I got one from a sweet lady saying I was the first blog she subscribed to, and she was sad I quit. (sad face emoji) I also got a ton of feedback from moms that were allowing their young daughters to read my blog. I had no clue that would happen when I started this. Not even an inkling. It seem so funny to me that folks would use me as an example of a role model, ha! I'm just silly ole Morgan! The more I think of it though, it makes sense. The internet and TV is FULL of snow white stick thin, photoshopped perfect people. I will be the first to admit I love high fashion, I grew up reading Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar (thanks mom), and went to fashion school in NYC. So i do love me some high fashion folks, and there’s a place for that for sure. But everyone can be beautiful no matter their size, color, hair style, clothing style, etc. However, there aren’t many examples of big women with confidence out there, or even “normal” sized women. I get it. It’s awesome to have someone who isn’t perfect, and doesn’t claim to be, to relate to online. So, I’m back, and here is what my “lost” year looked like.

Lots has changed in the past year, so I figured I’d tell y’all all about it before I start really blogging (that word still makes me giggle, blogging, ha). So here it goes, a year of my life in bullet points.

• Went to check-in for surgery, found out I was pregnant. No surgery for me!
• Got extremely sick, puked about 5 times a day for almost the entire 3 trimesters, hated life.
• Lost about 40 pounds from said puking, plus I was terrified of getting gestational diabetes and had super high blood pressure…so I ate like a person is supposed to eat. They are finding me again, and I don't care one bit. Enjoying the #momlife and the #yogapantstage. Give me all of the elastic and all of the caffeine.
• Was high risk during pregnancy, so I got seen a lot and poked & prodded a lot. How many times do they need to give me a glucose test before they rule out gestational diabetes?!? A lot apparently. And how much blood could they possibly need?!?
• Got put in the hospital for pre-term labor 3 times, and got shot up with the most painful and evil shot known to man to stop the labor. Pregnant ladies, If you hear whispers of “terb,” yank out that IV and runnnnnn. Kidding, save your kid’s life, duh. Just cry a little on the inside, or the outside, whatever it takes.
• Got put on bed rest, hated life.
• Brought a tiny human into the world in 2.5 hours start to finish, with 2 failed epidurals. Do not recommend.
• Brought sweet baby girl home the day before sweet husband started a new job, completely unexpected. A new job he got recruited for and worked his butt off for. A new job that allows me to stay at home and only film weddings if we want a new couch or to go on a nice vacation, ha! Thank you Jesus. 
• Sweet husband went out of town for most of the first 2 months. #singleparent #ilovemymom #rough
• Had severe abdominal pain 2 weeks after birth, about the same as labor pains, sometimes worse. Ended up having to have my gallbladder removed. No, I’m not making this up. I promise. #thisismylife FYI if you feel like you are dying after child birth, you probably aren’t, but go get your gallbladder checked. Apparently its super common but NOBODY tells you about it! Yes, even for the non fatties, it happens. May the odds be ever in your favor.
• Started hating owning a business. Crappy clients sucked the fun out of it during the super stressful time. Totally not worth it anymore in my mind. A couple bad apples, made my decision to hang up my hat easy. More important things in life.
• Had my business computer crash in the middle of it all, had to replace an expensive MAC video card. Do not recommend. 
• Had a full time job for about 6 months in the middle of all of that. Loved it. It was tough to work while I was so sick, puked in the bathroom in silence one too many times. Plus, it was such a long drive home so I had no time in the evenings for anything, but it was perfect. It was graphic/web design in fashion, and I worked with two really fun and sweet girls in the headquarters office. Also…fashion companies = tons of girls. I was raised with only brothers and married into a family with 4 boys…girls are crazy y’all. Girls. Are. Crazy. Y’all. I can only handle so much, I’m way too laid back to even sit around and listen to that kind of drama. Girls. Are. Crazy. 
• Dreamed about the new Gilmore Girls episodes about a million times (if you bother me on Thanksgiving I will punch you in the throat), and cringed at The Bachelorette exactly one time before turning it off…seriously guys, how do you watch that, it physically pains me to watch that. I have to turn my head away I get so uncomfortable. Started Stranger Things...took me 2 hours to get through the first 20 minutes. Kept having to pause it and go do stuff so I could get the nerve to watch it again. 
• Had a bad hair year, slowly climbing myself out of the bad hair pit. 
• Ignored my poor dog Finn way too much. 
• Had major foundation problems on my 4 year old house…been fighting folks to fix it/pay for it for a while. Finally got it fixed soon. #suckitbuilder #thankyouwarranty Sold it for asking price #thankyoumaddecoratingandphotoskills We are building a new house, with a new builder, in my favorite city by all the fancy shops I love. I will post some of the process here! 

That about sums it up. It feels like it has been years since I started this blog, not just one. Nuts. I’ve been wanting to come back this entire time, but I just didn’t have it in me. My entire pregnancy though I kept telling my mom, best friend, and husband that I have soooo many maternity things I NEED to share with you guys! It’s tough being plus sized and pregnant. If you thought finding fashionable plus sized clothes was tough, just try and find plus sized maternity clothes. Ridiculous. So that will be a post soon! And next time I get pregnant, God willing, I will for sure document it for you guys because I know the plus size pregnancy info on the internet is a wasteland. Nothing to see. I also have a few favorite mommy things I am going to share with you guys, but just one post. This isn’t a mommy blog, and won’t turn into one. I’m the last person that should be dispensing mommy advice! Tons of mommy bloggers out there that do an awesome job already.

There won’t be any pictures of my baby girl. With my husband's new job it's best that we don't post pictures of her online. Frankly, nobody really wants to see those anyway, beyond folks with pure curiosity to see whether my child looks like an alien or not (yes I see you instragram lurkers and follow requesters…I know what’s up…you know who you are). Outside of your close friends and family…nobody cares to see your kid…yes even your beautiful special snowflake of a child…nobody cares. An occasional picture sure, and the aforementioned curiosity, but generally...They. Are. Lying. And just being nice. Your baby looks like an old man or alien, just like mine, no yours is not the acceptation to the rule. Trust me. My mother-in-law says her mom used to always “let” people see pictures of the grandkids. “Let” them, when really you are forcing them to see, ha! So I won't force, ahem "let" anyone be subjected to multiple kid pictures online. Also, I had a problem with creepers on my blog. I’m sure they will crawl back out of the woodworks. I’m not subjecting my child to internet weirdos. You may occasionally see her in a snapchat or instagram “story” (btw what in the world, are we ditching snapchat y’all, are we doing both, what is happening?!?!?! If I can’t make a puppy dog face on instagram stories what’s the point?!), but that’s it. Hope you’ll understand and respect that. 

Also, I do not take it lightly that young girls are reading my blog. Trust me. I feel the weight of that and it’s importance. However, I love Jesus but I curse a little. That’s just me. Doesn’t make me a bad person, doesn’t make you better than me, doesn’t mean anything. My guess is, if it bothers you, you probably love Jesus but judge a little. So let’s get over it, shall we? I will try my darnedest (see there!) to not curse, scouts honor. Thing is, I write in a sort of stream of consciousness (if you’ve ever texted with me you will understand this, and bless your heart). I did really really well in English classes in school and college, I can write. Yes, I know the difference between there, their, and they’re, etc. This blog is different. I don’t care about grammar, I write super fast (pretty sure I could win some kind of texting competition, for real), and I write like I think. Sometimes that includes a curse, sometimes that includes improper grammar and punctuation (all the time actually). Read it before you let them read it, which you should be doing anyway, duh. If you have a problem with it, just show them the pictures or nothing at all. No worries. You do you. 

Now let’s get back to some fashion shall we? Soon! Let me finish all my business stuff, its backed up like whoa and i'm busting my butt to finish it all. Sooooooon....

BLUE AND WHITE KIMONO

Outfit Details:

Blue & White Kimono, White Skinny Jeans, White Tank Top (Similar), Wedges (Similar), Kendra Scott Necklace, Tiffany Gold Studs, Marc Jacobs Watch (Similar)

Labor Day is coming up in less than a week! Do you know what that means? Put all the white things on your body and wear wear wear them! No white after labor day remember? I mean I personally don't give a hoot, but your grandma and/or mother might. I will be wearing my white skinny jeans into Fall and Winter, with darker colors of course, but still, someone try and stop me! So in an ode to the end of Summer, here lies my last bright white outfit. It has some blue in it too, but of course!

This here kimono came from a boutique in Mississippi called Material Girls. These boutiques are quickly spreading all over the state, and for good reason! They have a great, nicely edited selection. I usually stop in to the one nearest me for my Kendra Scott fix...I know, I know...I'm seeking help soon you guys. They don't sell plus sized clothes (womp womp), so I usually just browse the clothes quickly, then move on to the jewelry. All of my best friends happen to be size zeros, or very close to that. So I live vicariously through them, simply because I freaking love fashion, and always imagine specific friends wearing certain things. So I regularly text pics of stuff I find to them, like YOU HAVE TO BUY THIS!!! Also, as you might have read here, sometimes a unicorn pops up! This particular day, I found another unicorn! By now, I am a pro at zeroing in on stuff that might work for me, in regular sized stores. Typically things like kimonos will work for bigger girls! This one is a size large. I don't wear a large, ever. Soooo ladies...try stuff on! Just do it!

I paired the kimono with a white tank top. Any tank top will do, mine is a super soft Ralph Lauren tank, but it's sold out now. The jeans are by Michael Kors, and I have worn them all summer long. I love them. They are super comfortable. They drag on the ground if I don't wear heels or wedges, so keep that in mind shorties (I'm 5'10ish and they are a size 20). They are on sale right now for 40% off, so hop on it! The wedges are the same ones seen here. I have looked all over the place, but they don't seem to be for sale anymore. I found a very similar pair though, and linked that above. I could have sworn I saw them in Belk last week though. So give it a shot! I imagine they are pretty cheap right now if you can find them!

My necklace is the "Rayne" necklace by Kendra Scott, in "Mother of Pearl." I wear it a lot because it just goes with everything...are you guys noticing a theme to my blog yet? Ha! Go read my FAQ here, under "Fashion Rules." If something is on the expensive side, I tend to buy it in a neutral color, unless I just absolutely fall in love with a random color and HAVE TO HAVE IT NOW. I get more wears out of stuff that way. You see my gold & white Marc Jacobs watch? That sucker has seen it all, I also have it in silver & white. Because they are neutrals, I've worn them like WHOA for years. My gold ball studs are from Tiffany, my mama got them for me years ago for Christmas. She loves me. She also knows that they are a classic that will never go out of style, and will last forever. These are keepers. If you don't have silver ball studs, gold ball studs, and diamond studs (classy ones, not giant ones like you're in a rap video) then that should be a goal. They will last more than a lifetime and be worth every penny! I pretty much never have naked ear lobes. I swear, if your face is bare, your hair is a hot mess, and you are in yoga pants at the grocery store...popping in some studs makes a world of difference. They brighten up your face or something. I don't know what it is, but they can make you look semi put together, even on your worst day.

*Lipstick: my old faithful "Syrup" by MAC, with "Hip n' Happy" MAC lip liner below it, and MAC Plushglass gloss in "Ample Pink" on top of it.

Photography by The Husband 

RED AZTEC PRINT DRESS AND SHOOTIES

Outfit Details:

Red Aztec Print Dress, Braided Belt (Similar), Brown Shooties (Boots), Target Earrings (Silver), Kate Spade Watch, Lane Bryant Bangles

I posted a dorky picture of myself, in this outfit, last night on Instagram.  It got picked up by Tess Holiday's folks, and as of my writing this, has over 2,500 likes. So funny. Hop on over to my Instagram to see the pic, and read why it makes me giggle. If you are a new lady joining me because you found me on Instagram, WELCOME! I'm so happy you found me, and hopefully you'll stick around for my ramblings and fashion obsessions. As a result of that post, the booties became super stars! Everyone wants to know where they came from, welllp, click on the link above, and read below for more info!

This dress got a lot of love on Instagram too! You can find it at Belk online, for all you yankees and westerners, or in your local store for my southern gals. It's only $43.99 right now! Awesome deal. Also, it can easily be worn into Fall, with some tights and layers. I belted it with a Fossil Belt that is probably older than your dog/cat/animal of choice, and probably just as loyal. I found one like it though, and linked it above. It isn't meant to be worn like that, it's supposed to go around a skinny lady's waist. As you have probably learned though, I don't follow the rules, I shop everywhere and do what I want (I'm sticking my tongue out at you fashion industry!).

Ahh, the shoes. Shooties. Booties. Brown Boots. Magical mystical brown shoes covering my chipped toenail polish like champs. These are from Belk as well. They are made by Unlisted, and some of you might know what that means...CHEAP...or "inexpensive" for you sensitive types. These babies are only $49.99 right now! GET THEM...Fall is coming. You can obviously wear them in any season though. You will see these guys again, probably with skinny jeans or tights, come Fall. 

The earrings are from Target, as linked above. The link only takes you to the silver ones though, the gold ones I found in my local store, not that long ago. My watch is a mainstay on the blog and on my wrist, it is linked above too. Same story for the bangles, Lane Bryant is one of the only places that makes bracelets that fit big girls; I wear them a lot. My nails are a special polish that I will tell you guys about soon! If you weren't into the gel system here, this stuff is the next best thing, better than regular polish. Keep an eye out! Lipstick is "Impassioned Amplified" by MAC.

Photography by The Husband

ROYAL BLUE TOP AND LINEN SHORTS

Outfit Details:

Royal Blue Top, Linen Pull On Shorts I, II, III, IV, V, Kate Spade Beige Faux Croc Purse, Kate Spade Watch, Etsy Morganite, Diamond, and Rose Gold Ring, Jessica Simpson Wedges, Kendra Scott Earrings

This outfit has a unicorn in it. Look really close, I promise you'll see it. No, it's not hidden in those fancy pants (er shorts) I have on. It's my shirt! I'll explain down below. In the meantime, check out that purse, that's fancy too huh? It's full of random kleenex, granny style, that I was using to wipe my brow. Only thing missing were some fuzzy hard candies! But really, today we broke records in central Mississippi! I'm not sure about everyone else, but my thermometer at home read 104 degrees in the middle of the day. Plus some of that sweet sweet humidity. Today was the perfect day to take a stroll downtown, it was super comfortable! Just ask my husband, he had a blast! We also may have contracted West Nile while we were at it. If I did, Brett captured a picture of the tiny satan on my leg, so I have evidence! 

So why is this top a unicorn? Because, it is not a plus sized top, but it fits me. I found it in the "regular" section at Macy's. This is where things get complicated, and this is why people asking me where I shop all the time is a hard question to answer. Not only do I scour the plus size sections in stores (when possible) and online, but I definitely scour the regular sections too. Ugh, I know, that's a lot. I just can't help it because every so often I find a sparkly shiny unicorn, hiding amongst the stuff that won't fit me. I'd hate to miss out on that! So this top is a size XL, and I love it. In fact, I've worn it more than any other top this summer. So be on the look out for those unicorns! Ya never know what you might find! Try things on, it's worth a shot!

These shorts are what they are calling "soft shorts". They feel like linen to me, so that's what I'm going with. I assume some versions come in a spandexy type cotton, and I would say that those probably aren't the best idea. That just seems weird and tacky, like they are trying really hard not to be athletic shorts, but failing miserably. So go for the linen feeling ones. They are insanely comfortable: elastic waist band, slip-on, pockets, you get the idea.

The wedges are by Jessica Simpson, and they are on sale for $39.99 right now! That's a crazy good price, so snatch them up before everyone else does! The purse is Kate Spade, and I got it at T.J. maxx, so it's just one of those things I can't really link to. That place makes me crazy, I generally don't shop at stores like that because of all the disorganized stuff. But my mom promised I would find some good stuff, and she was right! Funny how that works, huh? The watch is also Kate Spade, and I have had it for years. It's two-tone, gold and silver colored, goes with everything. The earrings are Kendra Scott again, I can't get enough. I need a Kendra Scott anonymous meeting. The ring I linked to in the last beauty post as well. It's actually an engagement ring, but the husband gave it to me for my birthday, and I don't care, I do what I want. 

Photography by The Husband

NAVY POLKA DOT WEDDING GUEST DRESS

Outfit Details:

Nine West Heels, Navy Polka Dot Dress I or II (Similar), Kate Spade Clutch I or II (Similar), Ray Ban Sunglasses, Kendra Scott Earrings

I don't know about y'all, but my life has been FULL of weddings lately. Either filming them (that's ma job yo), being in them, or attending them. This is the perfect wedding guest look for summer, and in the deep south, you can just throw on a sweater or cardigan for Fall and be set too! I absolutely love polka dots. I know that's super cliche and bordering on tired, but I don't care. Polka dots make me happy. I'm going be that 90-year-old lady wearing pig tails, polka dots, orthopedic shoes, and cursing like a sailor when you try and run me and my poodle over. Promise.

I got this dress at Macy's not that long ago, but with all things plus size, it sold out really fast! If you are new to plus size fashion issues, well here's another one...not only do we pretty much have to shop online for everything, but when something cute comes out, it gets snatched up quick for the most part. We have limited choices for sure, but it is getting better! I have linked to two similar options. One that is a breezy navy chiffon dress with sleeves (comes in other colors too!), and then a navy polka dot Michael Kors dress. The MK dress is a bit shorter, but it's a wrap dress, and those look good on everyone! 

These shoes are Nine West, and I have 4 different pairs. I'm not kidding. I have two nude peep toes by them, and 2 nude pumps in varying heights by them. You can never have too many nude heels! The key is to get them as close to the color of your skin as possible, it elongates your legs. Obviously I am insanely pale, so "nude" generally is not the color of my naked skin, ha! Nine West makes the lightest colored ones I can find, that are comfortable, and come in all kinds of options. Pardon the toe cleavage...fat girls + summer heat = swollen ankles/feet...pregnant women feel my struggle. *Fat Foot Fist Bump*

My sunglasses are Ray Bans, I have them in gold and silver so they will go with anything. I've had them for years, pretty sturdy. I have linked to similar Kate Spade clutches, that one was on sale a few weeks ago, so it got scooped up. I have a Kate Spade store near me now, which is extremely dangerous, but also awesome when I can pop in and find sales like that! Clutches are a must for weddings, and this one actually has a wrist strap inside if you are into that. My earrings are linked above as well, but you can't see them. Just trust me, the best Kendra Scott earrings. They go with everything. Go click! 

Photography by Sharon Coker.

MULTI COLORED CHEVRON MAXI DRESS

Outfit Details:

Chevron Maxi Dress (Similar), Kate Spade Statement Necklace I and II (Similar)

In the deep south, we don't actually get cold weather until after Thanksgiving sometimes. A lot of times actually. I have had more 70 degree Christmases than I care to count. That's just life. So while some fashion bloggers are already breaking out Fall type stuff, I'm over here like...you're kidding right? It was 102 degrees yesterday, PLUS crazy humid. I'm gonna keep rocking dresses and shorts until I'm sitting under the Christmas tree unwrapping presents! Kidding, I love Fall clothes too much. You'll probably catch me in a wool coat, walking around with sweat dripping down my butt crack, pretending I'm cool as a cucumber sometime soon.  But in the meantime...

This dress is really lightweight and breezy. If you are big busted it's awesome, your bra straps will for sure be covered. I'm bottom heavy, big ole booty, so I don't have a really big chest. If you do though, there's a lot of room in the top black part, I barely filled it out. Sadly, this dress is sold out at Macy's, and I'm sure you can see why. It's super cute. However, the link above will take you to a chevron maxi made by the same designer at Macy's. It comes in black and white, or navy and white. It's just as cute and roomy on the top. BONUS: those dress are only $18.99 right now!!! At the very least, get one and throw it in your closet for next summer. Plus, pretty much all the maxis are on sale at Macy's right now...go load up!

I love this dress because of all the bright colors. I promise I wear more than blue, haha! I hate nothing more than when I hear someone say, "oh I can't wear that color" or "oh I don't wear sleeveless things" or my least favorite, "I don't wear shorts." WHY NOT?!? Who cares? Seriously, I promise that you are more concerned with how your bingo wings look than anybody else you come across. Nobody cares, they are more concerned with how they look! So do whatever you want! 

This necklace is Kate Spade, it's one of my favorite brands on earth. They totally reel me in with all their clever marketing, and I don't even care. In fact, if they made plus size clothes, I'd probably lose my mind. It would be bad, they would get all of my money, so it's probably best that they don't. The necklace can be made longer or shorter, but not much, and it's fairly lightweight as far as statement necklaces go! I have linked to two similar necklaces up at the top. 

Photography by the Husband

PLUS SIZE PAJAMA PARTY

Outfit Details:

Ralph Lauren Navy Polka Dot Short Pajama Set (Similar), Ralph Lauren Coral Stripe Short Pajama Set, Tiffany & Co. Silver Ball Earrings, Gold & Silver Fleur De Lis Ring.

Oh hey Channing Tatum's face (on the cover of Vanity Fair), let's casually sit in bed together and sip on some coffee. Oh, you want to help me write some thank you notes too? But of course! Your wish is my command.

I'm a pajama girl, always have been. I love nothing more than a fancy pair of matching pjs to sleep in. I routinely get a new pair for birthdays, christmas, etc etc etc. Every special day deserves a fresh pair of jammies! Plus, I work from home for my day job, so occasionally I don't feel like getting dressed like an adult. On those days I'm glad to have my fancy and comfy jammies! Side note: That adorable address book is made by Emily Ley, and if you haven't discovered her yet, you're welcome. I LOVE everything she makes. 

These pjs are all Ralph Lauren, the polka dot one is my fave, but unfortunately it's sold out. I linked to another polka dot version up top though. The coral striped one below is actually on a big time sale right now, so if you click the link you are in luck! Ralph Lauren also makes a few pairs that have longer shorts if that's your thing.

In another post I will tell you my secret for long-lasting nail polish. It's a pretty neat little system I have, and I love it. It's gel polish, and it's COMPLETELY dry within 15-20 minutes, start to finish. Not kinda dry and you need to be careful. I'm talkin, pull on some really tight jeans and not mess up your nails, dry. I'll also show y'all my all time favorite monogrammed pjs. Super soft, love love love them. Keep an eye out! 

Photography by The Husband

NAVY BLUE RUFFLED MAXI DRESS

Outfit Details:

Kiyonna Maxi Dress, Kendra Scott Statement Necklace, Target Earrings, Sam Edelmen Sandals

Hey! Guess what? I'm wearing blue again! Guess what else? I have A LOT of other blue outfits in my closet. So if you are into blue, you're in luck! If you're not, take a hike! This is one of my absolute favorite outfits for summer. So if you see me a lot, you've probably seen this dress, many times. Repeat offender. 

This dress is called the Maritime Maxi Dress by Kiyonna. I'm wearing it in mariner blue. It's a true wrap dress, not a faux wrap. I am 5'9-5'10 and it sort of drags on the ground in the back, so keep that in mind if you are a shorty. It is super comfortable, and hands down my favorite maxi so far.

My shoes are the Gigi shoes by Sam Edelman, in gold. They have a faux alligator/croc texture. They are pretty flat and lightweight. Fun easy, summer sandals. One of my big fashion rules is that every summer I get sandals in all the neutrals. So I get a white pair, black pair, brown pair (sometimes a dark and lighter one), silver pair, and gold pair. If i had a particularly sturdy and well made pair from the year before, I will keep it in rotation until it gets worn out, and then replace it. Some sandals last years, some don't, usually the amount you spend on them correlates to how well made they are, up to a point of course.

My necklace is the Harlie Statement Necklace in Mint by Kendra Scott. It can be worn long, short, or in between. There is no clasp on the back, just double hooks so you can hook either side on whichever rung you want. You can customize the length to fit your outfit. My giant gold half sphere earrings are by Target. They are studs with posts, not clip ons. I couldn't find them online, but I just picked them up at Target not too long ago. If you hurry in you might still be able to snag a pair! 

Photography by Sharon Coker.

ROYAL BLUE MAXI SKIRT & WHITE TANK

Outfit Details:

Tart Maxi Skirt, Dolce Vita Sandals (Similar), Calvin Klein Top, Target Necklace (Similar), Charming Charlie Earrings (Similar)

Y'all, it's HOT in Mississippi right now. I know it's hot all over most of the country, but summer in Mississippi is like walking through invisible clouds of soup. It's wet and sticky. Gross. So pardon me kind sirs and madams if you find me in this beautiful maxi skirt, standing over your AC, airing out the under carriage.

This skirt from Nordstrom, is so soft and silky, and it has pockets. Duh, bonus. The top from Macy's, is a lightweight fabric with a gold zipper down the front. I assume they put that there so you could decide for yourself about how scandalous you want to be that day. Kind of them. Also, it's white, so if you are sweating your little southern kahunas off, it won't show up! 

Those earrings are from Charming Charlie, if you don't have one near you, I'm sorry. They no longer sell them, these are pretty old, but I have linked to a similar pair at the top of the post. It's a super inexpensive place to buy accessories. Purses, jewelry, scarves upon scarves upon scarves. I would never buy a purse from there because it wouldn't hold up as well as a real nice leather purse, but it's great for fun fashion jewelry! It's a little overwhelming at first, but just jump right in, it's color coded. My necklace is from Target, and it isn't available online. You might be able to find it in your local store though, because I just bought it. The gold bangle bracelets are from Lane Bryant. They came as a big bundle of gold, rose gold, and silver. If you are "big boned" like me, it's hard to find bracelets that fit. Lane Bryant makes them big enough. Other than that I do a lot of custom bracelet ordering from Ippolita, which can be found online or at your local Saks. They are a bit pricey, but they are REAL gold and silver, so they will last forever. 

My shoes are from Nordstrom, and they just stopped selling them. I have linked to a similar sandal at the top. These are pretty padded, but they have gold metal on the heel, the part that actually touches your foot. So from behind there's a little flash of metal, a little odd feeling at first, but kinda cute. Great inexpensive summer shoe.

Photography by Sharon Coker.