Burnt Orange, like a real Longhorn.

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

My favorite dress

I have owned this dress for over 4 years and wear it far too often. I love its shape, color, and pockets. You guys! This dress has pockets! 

I realize that when I wear it I look as though I am on my way to star in a Cinco de Mayo parade, but that is mainly why I love it. I found it in a vintage store by complete accident and was so surprised to see that actually fit me! It was meant to be, so I bought it. It is festive, whimsical, and did I mention that it has pockets?

Dress: Cream Vintage // Belt: Thrifted // Necklace: f21 // 

Hair flower: Sam Moon (purchased for my wedding) // Sandals: Avenue 

My mom hates this dress. She thinks that it makes me look like an indigenous person, but I don't see why that would be a bad thing. Half of family comes from an indigenous background. Why should we be ashamed of that? Oh, I remember now. We're only supposed to be proud of the European half. Riiiiiiiight.

Growing up in a mostly all-white school district was not always easy for a dark, Mexican girl with frizzy hair and a funny accent. I didn't always fit in at school, and when I would come home, I would get mixed signals about what I was supposed to be. My parents would scold me for assimilating too much and not being proud enough of our Mexican culture. Yet, my mother would get upset if I spent too much time out in the sun. "Te ves como una india!" she would yell at me and remind me to cover my skin so that it wouldn't get too dark. I played soccer like a good Mexican daughter, but I would also slather myself in as much SPF as I could find. Tan lines were not something to be happy about in my family.

Even though I thought my mother's dark caramel skin was beautiful and flawless, we were taught that we would be better off lighter skinned like my father. My brother and I got my mother's black hair, dark brown eyes and brown skin. My sister was born the guera with honey eyes, peach skin, brown wavy hair and a metabolism to envy. The consensus among my family is that she got the "good" genes. 

As a teenager, I remember seeing my peers spend their allowances on dark tanning oils while I hid in the shade, greasy with sunscreen. As an adult, I eventually embraced the color of my skin and actually enjoy my melanin. I appreciate that I do not burn in the sunlight. I like seeing the drastic contrast of skin color when I hold my husband's hand. 

Pockets! ( I was going to take a jumping photo from this bench but chickened out)

Even though my family hopes that our future children will end up with light skin and light hair like my husband, I hope that our children will get my melanin to protect them from the sun. Either way, we will raise them in an atmosphere where all skin colors will be accepted and valued. And if they have a favorite outfit that I may not like, I'll let them wear it proudly anyway.

Do you have a favorite item of clothing?

My first Thrifting experience as an adult

A couple of weeks ago I attended the Texas Style Council blogger conference, which turned out to be a wonderful learning opportunity. The weekend consisted of parties, mentoring, a field trip to a thrift store, and a full day of informative panels.

Trying to be Vanna White. (Photos by Rocio)

On the last day of the conference, during the creative consumerism panel, I tried to speak out about how it felt to be taken to a thrift store as a plus-sized woman who grew up as a fat child. I grew up on thrift store clothing not to be “green” or “cool” or “express” myself. I tried to share how it felt to be forced to wear clothes from thrift stores out of necessity. I wore tacky, used clothes because that was all we could afford. The clothes that fit my plus-sized body were never cute and trendy. They were matronly, itchy, and unattractive. 

I tried to express how maybe wearing used clothing was not something some of us wanted to do, nor was it something we should be forced to do or judged for not doing. I tried to express that it was frustrating to be told that our decision to spend our money on new clothing rather than used clothing was “destroying the planet.” 

Of course, I wasn’t very good about articulating most of these things because I ended up in tears before I could even form complete sentences. But at least I raised my hand and attempted to express myself. During my cry-fest, I was able to show off my newly thrifted skirt. It’s just too bad that I didn’t do a very good job saying what I wanted to say. But that's what my blog is for, right?

The famous Pretty, Pink, Pleated, Polka-dotted skirt that I thrifted the day before.

For some people, such as myself, walking into a thrift store brings back negative emotions that stem from being raised in poverty, being bullied about my size, and for being different. I spent far too many afternoons as a child desperately looking for clothes that fit me while trying to hide from anyone who might recognize me. As a result, I wasn't too happy about boarding a bus and revisiting a part of my past that I dreaded.

When we arrived to the thrift store, we were grouped together and a few bloggers shared their thrifting tips. I tried to be attentive and optimistic but it was hard to relate anyone speaking. Not everyone can relate to the super model who can literally wear any crazy ensemble from a thrift store and still look fabulous in it.

They shared ideas for finding clothing that no one else will have, for trying on all sizes, and for picking unique pieces. I overheard one blogger share how she had to squeeze into a *gasp* size 12 dress when she was more like a size 6. I tried my best not to roll my eyes.

I know that in the fashion world, what I am about to say might blow some people's minds, but it needs to be said: 

• Some of us do not WANT to be different all of the time. 
• Some of us actually want the option of being on trend.
• Some of us are bigger than a size 12. In fact, the average American woman wears a size 14.
• Some of us are wise consumers who do not want to spend our money on used clothing.

Please don't get me wrong. My thrifting experience was overwhelmingly positive. When I walked into those doors, I felt my heart race, my palms sweat and I had convinced myself that I would walk out of there completely empty handed. Instead, I left that store with a bag full of nearly-new shoes, 4 adorable skirts that actually fit my body, and new ideas to be a smarter consumer.

I can not even begin to say how theraputic it felt to browse through racks of clothing with no shame this time and then look up to see my favorite bloggers appreciating the same items. What I wouldn't give to go back in time and share thrifting role models and tips to the 13 year-old-me!

Will I be a forever thrifter now? I can't say for certain. However, I am forever grateful for the opportunity to overcome my fears. I love a good bargain and I sure did find some at the thrift store. I scored a bag full of adorable things that averaged less than $5 an item. The frugal fatshionista in me is extremely excited about those prices! 

How do you feel about shopping at thrift stores? Do you have any tips for a new thrifter, like me?

Tiny hats were all the rage at the 2012 Texas Style Council

© Airstream Photobooth featuring: Becky, Rocio, and the husband.

The Texas Style Conference this weekend was phenomenal! It was equal parts fun, exhausting, glamorous, intimidating, and inspiring. One thing that I learned this weekend about me and my blog is that I owe it to myself and my readers to share all parts of my life as a Frugal Fatshionista.

As Kendi so wisely reminded us, we need to remember that what we see on blogs is often a person's best.  We must remember that their best is not their always.

This weekend I made the conscious choice to not be the kind of blogger who only shares the perfect parts of life. I want to share all of it; the good, the bad, and the ugly. So, let's start with the ugly.

The Ugly.
I'm generally a confident woman, but sometimes I have days where it is not so easy to be fearless. This weekend was full of difficult moments where I let my insecurities get the best of me.

     Friday:

• I panicked about the Swap and worried that nobody would care about the plus sized items that I carefully picked to part with. I kept checking to see if they were still there. I was very relieved when they found a new home. I even scored some really cute finds at the swap.
• I dreaded walking over to the LuLu's rack to pick out an item. I feared other bloggers would judge me as I tried to find something that fit both my sense of style and my plus sized body in a rack of straight sized clothing. My fears were pointless because I found a pretty poncho that fit like a dream.

     Saturday:

• The Speed Mentoring Breakfast was very intimidating at first. I needed a few minutes to have a mental dialog with my brain about why I needed to stop being shy and get out there to learn. At first I made a list of the people that I wanted to speak to and am proud to say that I eventually checked everyone off that list.
• I almost chickened out and skipped Saturday's field trip to Savers because I have had such negative emotions about thrift stores and buying used clothing. More on that in a future post.
• I had a mini panic attack on Saturday night after feelings of remorse for listing a beloved dress on Poshmark and worries about my out-of-control afro. This resulted in my husband comforting me with speeches like, "no, your hair doesn't look like a birds nest," while I cried into his chest about how a bird could call it home at any moment. It's not easy being married to me.

     Sunday:

• Sunday, after sleeping in and nursing a well deserved hangover, I decided to stop the foolishness, told the insecure voice in my head to SHUT UP, and enjoyed a full day of learning and laughter during the symposium. I should have shut that voice up sooner.

The Bad

• Austin is such a wonderful city, so it was a shame that the weather did not let many of our visitors enjoy all of its glory. South Congress would have been a wonderful place for our visitors to explore, but we desperately needed the rain, because we are still in a severe drought. However, I won't deny being annoyed at the rain for changing my clothing choices all weekend.
• The extreme humidity was also a pain in the ass when it came to my curly hair. I was forced to use styling products for the first time in over a 6 months! My poor tresses hair is not very happy with me right now, but some deep conditioner will undo any damage. (See what I did right there?)

The Good GREAT:

• I met some incredible people from all different parts of the blogging spectrum. I befriended new bloggers, veteran bloggers, and super-star bloggers. I really appreciated the approachability of (most) bloggers in attendance and tried my best to soak up as much wisdom as I could. (I will be sure to share more of my favorite blog discoveries in the near future!)
• We were introduced to so many wonderful merchants and brands that I had not heard of before. I was lucky in winning quite a few amazing prizes from many of these brands and I can't wait to learn more about them all.
• I got to spend the entire weekend with my BFF.
• My thrifting experience was truly therapeutic in a way that was totally unexpected. I'll elaborate on that and the amazing Creative Consumerism panel in my next post.
• The Posh Party was so much fun and I am so glad that my husband was able to experience a little snippet of the weekend. The photo-booths and open bar really lightened up the mood, and I had some of the best conversations that evening.
• The absolute greatest result of this beautiful weekend is the way it left us feeling. I woke up on Monday morning feeling inspired to share my voice, find my own purpose and dream big. That was the whole purpose of this conference, and they certainly accomplished their goals.

Maria and Rocio

Photo courtesy of © Peter Tung

I want to thank all of the organizers for doing such a wonderful job putting together such an incredible weekend. I must also admit that it's going to be hard not to stalk Indiana now. I want to be her when I grow up. ;-)

It was a phenomenal experience and I can not wait for next year!

"Your purpose is much bigger than your blog"

I am lying here in my bed resting my swollen, pudgy feet and trying my best not to fall asleep on my keyboard. What I should be doing is snoring like my adorable husband right beside me. Instead I feel like I must try and make sense of everything that happened this weekend at the Texas Style Council, but my brain is too tired for complete, coherent sentences.

For now, I will leave you all with this short list of thoughts:

• The conference was incredible, and I gained so much invaluable wisdom.
• I enjoyed meeting and connecting with so many lovely people. I look forward to exploring all of the blogs.
• Networking is exhausting, and I fear that I will forever be the awkward girl in a sea of confident women. I'm working on it.
• I am no longer terrified of "thrifting."
• I am, however, still terrified of breaking out into tears in front of a room full of amazing women over a silly story about a pretty, pink, polka-dotted skirt. (This happened. I.am.ridiculous.)
• My voice is unique, and this weekend's events helped me realize that I need to share it. I will share it.

However, that won't start tonight. Tonight will be spent snuggling up to my snoring husband who has been the most phenomenal support on this bumpy, blogging world.

Smart Shopping

I very rarely purchase an item of clothing unless I can imagine wearing it in many different ways and for many occasions. I find that it saves me a lot of money, time and effort because it results in my full closet being at my disposal. 

Though it is true that I do own some items considered too casual or too formal for the work place, I try to keep that categorization to a minimum. If I buy something, it has to function for work and play. The best way to accomplish this is to buy items that I can dress up and dress down.

The blouse that I am wearing in the following OOTD is something that I purchased when I was looking for interview attire. The print is what attracted me initially, but I also liked the modest neckline and sleeves.  I have worn it to interviews by dressing it up with a grey crepe skirt from Eloquii, tights, black pumps, pearls and a fitted cardigan. It provided the perfect pop of color to my interview outfit. However, it also works well for a casual look, as you can see below. I wore with a high waisted skirt and comfy black flats to trek across campus and run some errands on a beautiful spring day.

Blouse  //  Similar Skirt  //  Satchel  //  Flats

Peppered Panther

I am taking a piano class this semester which is both fun and challenging. One of our recent assignments consisted of composing an art song for piano and solo voice based on the following poem:

The Panther

by Ogden Nash

The panther is like a leopard,

Except it hasn't been peppered.

Should you behold a panther crouch,

Prepare to say Ouch.

Better yet, if called by a panther,

Don't anther.

I think it's an adorable little poem, and I had a lot of fun with this assignment. It was a valuable experience composing a piece that was tailor made for my own voice range. I was so into it that I even wore my lonely leopard print dress for inspiration.

I say lonely because it literally is the only item of clothing that I own in animal print. I'm not usually a big fan of animal print, but when I found this dress on clearance in Honolulu's F21, I knew that I had to step out of my comfort zone and try it out. It is a big change for me, but I like it. Perhaps I'll be inspired to try other animal prints in the future.
  

Pink and Pearls

I have not always been a big fan of Valentine's day. In fact, my sadness over being single used to manifest itself into a deep seeded hatred for the entire month of February. Even grocery shopping would make me grumpy as I was bombarded by displays of pink and red hearts stacked with cheesy gifts that I would not be receiving. If I happened to be in a relationship during February, I had a difficult time participating in what I used to consider such a shallow "holiday." I didn't understand the concept of waiting until mid-February to tell your loved ones how you felt. Why not do it year round?

My thoughts on the "holiday" did not change until I met the man who showed me how to embrace romance, how to spoil and how to be spoiled at all times of the year. This man is the type of person who makes his cards by hand rather than buy them at the store. One of my favorites was this card from our very first Valentine's Day together.  He wrote out every thing that he loved about me and included them in little strips inside of the card. There were hundreds of little strips of paper to read through. It was the sweetest thing anyone had ever made for me.

This lovely gentleman that I speak of is now my husband. As cliché as it sounds, meeting him was the best thing that could ever happen to me. Perhaps one day I will share our love story, but for now, I'll leave you with photos of what I wore during one of our many romantic nights this weekend where we spoiled ourselves silly.

Reporting back from the Austin Domain Forever 21

I visited the Forever 21 located in the Austin Domain that just yesterday started carrying the Forever 21 + Plus Size line.  I am reporting back as promised!

We couldn't find the plus size section initially. I asked a sales associate for assistance and she was very excited to show me the new addition to the store. With her help, I found my fat-girl-clothes heaven.  Can you tell that I am excited?

T minus 1 month

Can you believe that the Texas Style Council is in one more month?! Time flies! My Bestie is coming in to town to hang out with Lisa and me. It's going to be so fun. Will you be there? If so, say hello!