Big Sale at Kiyonna

Two promotions at Kiyonna have just been sent to me by the lovely and talented Yvonne. They are so good I have to give them their own mention.

New Coupon Code and Discount on your next purchase through February 29th:
With your purchase of $150 or more, receive a coupon for $50 off your next purchase of $150 or more. Coupon emailed immediately following purchase and good between 2/19/08 and 2/29/08.

One Day Only -- Extra 20% Discount on Already Marked Down Sale Items:
Use Coupon Code "What Game" on Sunday, February 3, 2008, and receive an extra 20% off all sale items.

This is the time to get yourself that wrap dress you've been dreaming about. What can I say about Kiyonna that you haven't already heard? Designed for curves, rather than merely sized-up from a smaller/straighter dress pattern, I find the Kiyonna dresses drape the right way, flow the right way and hug the right way. My curves sure look good in them.

Now go shopping at This Lush Life you sexy thing!

Good For the Planet and Good For Me

My husband and I watched An Inconvenient Truth and were horrified to discover the damage done to Mother Earth every time we exhale. Then John Stossel on Nightline gave equal time to scientists who disagree with the Global Warming theories and they told us that we could once again breathe without guilt.

So with our heads spinning from months of hyperventilating we watched An Inconvenient Truth again the other night and after some discussion, these are the solutions that we came up with:

1. Whether or not the planet is showing warming trends we should still recycle our garbage because we don't want our planet to become an episode of Futurama. But of course I would gladly watch any episode of Futurama over and over until some network with any bit of common sense brings it back. Until then I have DVD's and soon a movie!

2. Whether or not the "alleged" warming trends are caused by human blunders (i.e., industrial waste, auto emissions, American Idol contestants) we should still recycle because it'll make you look smart to your kids (for those of you who have some in your house).

3. Whether or not recycling every single plastic water bottle, plastic shopping bag, and piece of paper will stop the global warming we should still do those things anyway because a pretty planet is a happy planet (ok that was more me than the husband).

I started This Lush Life because I wanted to shop for all the things that make my life more fun without the annoyance of a constant stream of diet ads, which can be found on most any website -- even ones selling plus size clothes. I want to shop for designer clothes that fit well, find products for my home that help me organize my life, and products that beautify my skin. And I want this shopping to be fun and feel good.

So I present some of my favorite natural products for looking good and feeling great:

Honey Girl Organics sells completely organic skin care products handcrafted in Hawaii using honey, bee pollen, beeswax, royal jelly, propolis and extra virgin olive oil. I've been friends with the people behind Honey Girl for many years and I highly recommend these products. The honey comes from their own bee hives that they maintain themselves on Oahu. My skin drinks in these crèmes unlike any other product I have ever used. Lines disappear and my skin feels soft and nourished. Really. This stuff is great.

Take long, hot baths using products from Lush. Famous for being the most wonderfully smelling store in all of London, I have been buying these products for years. Off the plane, leave Heathrow -- straight to the closest Lush. These bath bombs are straight up sexy with jasmine, ylang ylang and clary sage. Make love, not war with this sexy bomb. Lush Bath Bombs


Give gifts of Organic Food & Wine from Organic from Delightful Deliveries.

Free shipping on orders over $50 at GetOrganized! No coupon necessary. Free Shipping will be reflected at CheckOut. Expires 11/30/07
You could buy yourself storage containers or those new green bags that keep your food from rotting in the crisper drawer. Come to think of it, I think I'd better get some too!

Plus Size with Style - Enjoy What You Have

Have you ever tried on something in your size but it just didn’t look right? Even though it fits great it just doesn't feel like "it's you." I watch women go through it all the time in department store dressing rooms. She goes in with an armload of goodies and walks out with tears in her eyes. She then launches into a tirade of everything that is wrong with her body and if only she were some other size or shape then everything that she tried on would look just right. This can cause enough heartache that a woman resorts to buying something on impulse that doesn’t look great.

It is my opinion that finding your style has less to do with your body type, your hair color, or whether your skin tone is a Winter or a Summer and everything to do with how you feel about yourself when you look in the mirror. So today let’s discuss how to find your very own style in terms of enjoying what you have.

Plus Size Style

The good news is that the best plus size fashion designers are now using plus size models. As plus size women are insisting on size positive images we are seeing more and more fashionable images of full figured women in media. At This Lush Life, in our plus size women's clothes department, we exclusively represent companies using plus size models. If they sell plus size women's clothes but they don't show those clothes on plus size models then we won't post what they have to offer.

There are many places on the web where you can read about the right hem lengths, the right necklines, how to coordinate patterns and colors and how to tie a scarf. Personally, I watch What Not to Wear on TLC with religious fervor. So rather than worry about what they are wearing on the runways this season -- in this article, let’s focus on what’s going on in your head.

Dressing Room Depression

You bought a dress in a department store. You loved it in the dressing room. It hugs your hips in the best way possible, shows the right amount of cleavage and drapes perfectly over your bottom. You were happy in the store because you found something that fit so well but why does it just not seem right the first time you put it on at home?

You bought a dress online. You did everything right. You measured yourself, you measured the dress, you saw it on a model with a similar shape as yours and it looked great on her. You try it on and it fits perfectly so why does it just not feel right when you put it on in your bedroom?

Curing the Dressing Room Blues

Remember that dressing rooms lie! Dressing rooms lie. They do. They are sneaky and they will lie to you. Some are perfectly lit and highlight your beautiful checkbones and make you forget that a v-neck is better for you than a boat neck. There really is such a thing as a slenderizing mirror and chances are they have one at the store but you don't have one at home.

The photographs in catalogs and magazines lie! Photographs lie. They do. Not only are those models surrounded by a team of people fussing with their makeup, hair and clothes between each and every shot but even the models don't really look like the photographs after all the re-touching.

So how do I enjoy what I have and feel good about Plus Size Style?

1. Create a place where royalty would want to dress. Choose a corner of your bedroom and make it a sacred place for self adoration. Use Feng Shui, toss a coin or throw a dart but you must have a spot that is just for you to gaze lovingly at your perfect body in a full length mirror.

2. Did she say full length mirror? Yes, she did say full length mirror! You know in your heart that I’m right so go out there and invest in a good one. After all, you are going to be spending a lot of time in front of it admiring your luscious curves so you want something beautiful to frame your image.

3. Take a deep breath. Take a shower. Do your hair. Get ready like you’ve got a date with George Clooney…or Ellen Degeneres…whomever you are into. Light candles. Have a glass of champagne and put some fresh strawberries and chocolates in a bowl within easy reach. Play a Diana Krall CD. Remember that you are a goddess.

4. Take good look. God did not make any mistakes with you. You are beautiful. Now - pull your shoulders back and say three nice things about what you see. I mean it. Three...but feel free to say more. I like my eyes. I like the shape of my shoulders. I like the curve from the small of my back down to my right hip. This is really important. I do this every day. Sometimes I love what I see in the mirror and sometimes I don't but I won't leave the house without saying at least three nice things about my body.

Presenting the Stylish Plus Size Woman

I guarantee that whatever you try on now will feel differently than it did before. Can you guess why? It’s because you will stand differently. You will hold your head up, pull your shoulders back and be ready to toss out anything from your closet that doesn’t flatter your perfect frame. You don’t have to settle for something you don’t really love just because it hides a body you don't love. And when you go out, even wearing something from the back of your closet, it might feel new and you might feel like the most stylish woman you know.

There is no reason to wait to like yourself more. Start today and then share this with a friend.

It’s Hawaii theme today at Lee Lee’s valise, the new boutique catering exclusively to women wearing size 10-30. When I called Lisa to talk about her new Carroll Gardens based business (that’s in Brooklyn, New York for you out-of-towners), I could hear the ukulele playing in the background. Lisa’s assistant had just run out for lunch and of course I felt compelled to listen to the conversations that Lisa was having with her customers whenever she needed to put me on hold. You call it eavesdropping? I call it investigative bloggerism.

Lisa has a vibrant personality and greets everyone who walks in the door cheerfully and with an offer for personal attention while they shop – no matter what size that person might wear, “after all, I don’t know if they are shopping for their mother, their sister or a friend. A woman came in just the other day; I fit people all day long so I could immediately see that she was smaller than a size 10. She came in to Lee Lee’s to find something for her sister and then she saw something she liked for herself. A few days later I had it here in her size, special order. We are here for the community.”

I asked Lisa if she had ever been given the cold shoulder while she was shopping and if that influenced her open-door policy to all sizes. “Absolutely,” she told me, “many times I have been completely ignored by sales staff while I watched them be attentive to thinner customers. They have a “you’re wasting my time” attitude. I don’t believe it’s an issue with poor customer service because any shopkeeper would want a happy customer; they want to sell you something before you walk out that door. It’s sizeism – I have no doubt.”

Lisa speaks enthusiastically about how much fun shopping should be. “I started this whole thing to be the kind of place where I wanted to shop,” she told me. “You shouldn’t be worried about whether or not something will fit. Some women are afraid to come out of the dressing room because they don’t want anyone to see that something doesn’t fit well but I tell them that they have to let me see so I can help. If you come here, you’ll walk out with an outfit that’s right for your body.”

Lisa is getting a reputation with her customers for her warm shoulder. “Shy people, boisterous people; I can work with everyone. They stop by to say hi on their way home from work. One woman needed a dress for her step-daughters’ wedding, she was getting divorced, she was crying – it was a very emotional time shopping for that dress. Everyone in the shop helped her find an outfit, in fact two outfits, and then she couldn’t find a pair of shoes to match so I gave her a pair off my own feet to wear at the wedding. My customers are family.”

Lisa was a web site designer for many years but she feels that this is much more gratifying. “I feel like this is what I was meant to do. Let’s make you as gorgeous as we can. Let’s dress you. Let’s see your body shape. Maybe an empire waist isn’t good for you. Not everyone is heavy in the same area. Arm issues, some women want to hide their butts. These are the same issues that thin women face every time they go shopping but heavy women are made to feel ashamed. Plus-size women have as much right to feel good about fashion. I say be proud of those curves!”

Lisa thinks that there are a few reasons why women with fuller figures feel more comfortable trying on clothes at Lee Lee’s Valise than elsewhere. “Partly it’s having the attention of a personal shopper, something that many of my customers have never experienced. Also, I made sure that the dressing rooms are larger for larger bodies; they are comfortable with fans and an Italian Tuscan theme.”

“Shopping for a new outfit should be fun not depressing. I want my customers to feel good when they come here and that begins by seeing the clothes in the store window on mannequins in sizes 16/18 and 20/22. That’s the reason why I chose my store name; because it sounds like a boutique. I didn’t want to use words like voluptuous or tons-o-fun because regular, fashionable women shop here. My weight doesn’t have to be announced over the front door.”

Lee Lee’s features some very stylish designers on the racks such as Trentacosta, Jessica Svoboda, B & Lu and the very new and trendy plus-size company out of LA, Fashion Overdose.

Alterations are available and coming soon will be “Jim’s Corner,” so named for her very supportive husband and others like him, which will feature a television, a lounge chair and an espresso machine.

I know that my husband will appreciate Jim’s Corner when we make our way down to Brooklyn so that I can have a Lee Lee’s Valise experience. I can hardly wait. Sounds like fun doesn’t it?


The name Lee Lee's Valise originated from Lisa's childhood. When she was a child she would always spend her Christmas vacation in Long Island with her Aunt Theresa and Uncle Mickey and their children. After celebrating Christmas in Midwood, the whole group would trek into midtown to see the Radio City Music Hall Christmas show. Lisa would always pack her clothes in her grandfather's battered valise and her Uncle Mickey would have to lug it to the city and on the train to Long Island. One year, Uncle Mickey (who worked for the Port Authority) thought it would be a good idea to put the valise in a locker to be picked up after the show but little Lee Lee was devastated. "My valise, my valise….Uncle Mickey they are going to steal my valise and all my new clothes and toys…oh no…..my valise!" Poor Uncle Mickey had to leave the show to get Lee Lee's valise so she could know that her clothes were safe. To this day, her cousins still tease her and ask "Lee Lee…where's your valise?"

Well, now Lisa can tell them that her valise is 368 Court Street at the corner of President Street, in Brooklyn, New York, and is open from 11:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. for your shopping pleasure. Lisa can be reached directly at 1-718-246-LEES (5337) and online at Lee Lee's Valise.

Mom, am I pretty?

Where does self-esteem come from and how do you get more? Can you feel better about yourself by thinking happy thoughts and is your low self-esteem your mother's fault?

Recently, Alison Lee posted a comment here saying " Good post! Women suffer from low self esteem due to how they look." Alison then went on to suggest that you, dear reader, visit her blog via the link so handily provided, where you will learn self-esteem by saying some of her affirmations and watching the movie The Secret.

While I appreciate anyone reading my blog and taking the time to comment and I am always happy to have the movie The Secret mentioned, I must say that I disagree with Alison's take on my post and it seems to me that she missed the point.

Perhaps it doesn't really matter if she understands what I am talking about here as it seems that she was just looking for a place to post a link back to her blog but I don't believe, as she said, that women suffer from low self esteem due to how they look. I believe that women are suffering with low self-esteem and poor body image issues because they are being brainwashed by the fashion and diet industries to believe that there is something wrong with the way that they look.

Women are the targets in a consumer driven war and self doubt is the weapon of choice. We are attacked every time we see a billboard, turn on the television, listen to the radio and go to the mall. Why must I be constantly told that I am the "before" picture every time I want to buy a shirt? It's because they want you to stop at the drug store and buy a protein shake for lunch and metabolism pills for dinner.

And about those "before" pictures...have you noticed that those women are getting thinner? Does it really make sense to brag that you used to be a size 10 and now you are a size 4? Does anyone else see that this is insanity? Remember, Marilyn Monroe weighed about 150 lbs and wore a size 14.

This is why I so strongly applaud Dove and their two current size positive and age positive campaigns -- yes, they are marketing their products but they are using real women in all their ads. The ads for The Campaign for Real Beauty and their line of Pro-Age products are using women of various heights, weights and skin color. These women have wide hips, round bellies, big smiles and all are beautiful. In the Pro Age ads they are using women over 50 with white hair, and they are naked! Without digital enhancement Dove is Celebrating every Curve.

Perfection is the inclusion of things, all experiences, all events in your life. Not the exclusion of those things of which you don't approve. Look at yourself in the mirror and praise everything you see that you can find approval for and do it for at least 10 minutes. Even if you are saying the same things over and over.

One day, not too long ago, I was feeling very unhappy about my physical appearance so I decided that to change the way I looked I would change the way I thought about myself. I stood in the mirror, looking myself in the eye and saying out loud what I thought was attractive. When I started I could only get as far as my eyebrows and my lips but I repeated "I like my eyebrows, I like the shape of my mouth, I like the outline of my lips," a few times and then I noticed that my hair looked great so I added "I like my hair." Then I noticed that my shoulders have a very appealing curve so I added "I like my shoulders." I had to move to the full-length mirror because there was so much that was great about me. I loved myself so much after 10 minutes that it was hard to leave the mirror.

So to answer my own questions from the first paragraph I would say that self-esteem comes from yourself and you have a limitless supply of more, thinking happy thoughts will absolutely make you feel happy and while it might be your mother's fault she really did do her best and she has issues of her own so give the gal some credit.

maunderings from dissertation hell: Celebrating Curves

Hey everybody! I got my first fan mail! Woo hooo I am sooo excited. Not only because I got a shout out from another blogger but mostly because my ranting about plus size women Celebrating our Curves gave a curvy girl a self-esteem boost and that's what this is all about.

I very much enjoy reading Maunderings blog about her life written with an hilarious self-mocking tone. She also sells homemade soaps on Ebay - Dr. Sharna's Natural Soaps.

I felt much less afraid of her proclamations of love after realizing that she makes homemade soaps. After all, why would I be afraid of someone who lives on a remote Texas farm, sees very few people, writes a blog making reference to being from hell, spending her quiet days making soap....oh. Suddenly it sounds like a scene from Misery. hmmmm......

So Dr. Sharna is good for your funny bone, good for your skin and good for the environment! Send her some love people, I think she's loony...um I mean lonely.

Check it out.
maunderings from dissertation hell: Celebrating Curves

Joy Nash. Watch her funny and inspiring fat rant!

Rock on Joy! I love your characters, your wardrobe and I especially love what you say!

How To Shop Online. But will it fit?

Full figure women frequently ask my advice on how to determine whether an outfit will fit them from just looking at a picture. You can make some smart decisions about an outfit based on some basic research that can found right on the website where you are shopping.

In my previous post I counseled on the importance of knowing your body measurements. Now that we've made friends with our body shape ("upper arm, meet centimeter....centimeter, meet upper arm") it's important to know the specific measurements, cut and shape of that dress with the too-die-for embroidery that you are contemplating.

Every clothing website should have a link to their size chart. There you will find measurements that are equal to a specific size. If a website represents different designers, like alight.com does, then you have a great opportunity to compare the cut and shape of the same size of different items. It's a good idea to compare each designer because the measurements may vary.

Other factors in determining the drape of a dress are: the weave of the fabric, the way the fabric is cut, the placement of the seams, and the stitches used on those seams.

Look carefully at the pictures to see where the seams are and then look at your wardrobe. Do you have anything cut in a similar way already hanging there? Look at items that you have bought from the same designer. The chances are good that a similar template is used to create the entire line. For instance, an a-line dress with princess seams by Catherines will fit you differently than an a-line dress from Torrid.com


Now that we are intimate with the particulars of our inches, and we have become acquainted with the cut, design and shape of the dress, whether or not that cute little dress with the sequins is going to look fabby on your body still must be determined by your own shape.

Look at two women who are the same height and weight but one is a pear shape and the other a triangle. One will be fuller on top and the other wider on the bottom. The dress will drape differently on each woman. If it doesn't fit then just move-on to another designer.

It's truly wonderful that so many plus size clothing designers are using plus size models. How else would I be able to figure out if that daring dress with the plunging neckline from SizeAppeal.com is going to hug my girls, or will they pop out on the dance floor while bumping and griding unless I can see the dress on a model built like I'm built? By the way, this actually happened to me once to the delight of my partner. I was wearing a dress that a friend, an aspiring clothing designer, had made for me. We both learned important lessons that night about how clothes fit!

In fact, almost everything I wear I bought online. I even bought my wedding dress online from the Lane Bryant Bridal Boutique. It fit perfectly and there were no unexpected surprises. Well, except for how amazingly chilly it got that day for our outdoor ceremony!

Many websites now offer free shipping so you may want to have your new wardrobe delivered to your home where you can comfortably try on clothes in privacy.

Corinna Makris
Editor

< This Lush Life for your plus size shopping!

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