Diana S – More Me Than Ever

Dia & Co: Third Unboxing

December 1, 2016 No Comments

Hi Y’all!! I received my third Dia & Co Box about 3 weeks ago, but with the holidays, travel, and a wee little bit of a dislocated finger I am just getting around to posting.

After the last box, I asked my stylist for some leggings and a warm, chunky sweater if possible (hence the sweater reference in her note). I do love that with Dia & Co I have worked with only one stylist, and that over time she will get to know my preferences. Pretty great. She did a really great job with this box, even though I did not keep everything.

Also, sorry for the picture quality. Due to work travel I only had about a day to decide what I wanted to keep (you get 5 days but my box arrived when I was out of town so what I did not want had to go back ASAP).

Here goes:

They do a nice job with the unboxing experience. Always fun to see what the box has (also side note you CAN, if you want, see what’s in your box before you get it by looking on your account). BUT, what is the fun in that 🙂

The price points in this box were pretty good for the most part. I will say that I would have to really love or really need an item (or both) to spend upwards of $100 for one piece…..

That said…I LOVED this dress. I am finding that I am more comfortable wearing prints and this dress was so much fun. Very Mad Men, right? I liked the cut of this dress a lot however the size was a little big so an exchange would be needed.

Now, all that said….I decided not to keep it as I just did not see myself wearing it that often. I felt it was a bit too much for work, and though we do social things pretty often, they are usually pretty casual and dressy events are kind of few and far between. Believe me….I tried every mental tactic to try to justify this dress. I almost fell back on my “I LOVE this” rule, but ultimately (and with Christmas and lots of fun travel coming up) I sent it back. Bye bye my sweet, funky, fun friend.

It was suggested by my stylist to try these two items together. I did not like the style of the grey shirt on me, but I did really like the green skinny jeans. The color and tighter fit are both a little outside of my comfort zone. I went for it none the less and kept them.

Pic is not the best but they are a bit of a yellowish green and pretty fabulous.

I really liked this Cornelia Blouse and paired it with my Pintuck Ponte Maroon pants from Cato to try it on. I loved it and this has been worn to work a few times already.

This skirt! Oye…I went back and forth on this skirt. Pros- the color (beautiful red), I loved the fit at the waist, it was slimming (I think), and lots of great colors that it could be paired with. The cons- I did not like the length and would have had to get it hemmed a little (just my taste) and ultimately, it came back to the question of how often would I wear this. Work…maybe but still feels pretty dressy. Out…maybe but how often? So…it went back.

There we are my friends. Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with love, family, warmth, laughter, and, of course delicious food!

With love, From Diana xoxoxoxoxo

Eloquii, Fashion, Glam

Experiments in Belting

November 16, 2016 1 Comment

Incorporating belts in my wardrobe is a new thing for me. I do remember one outfit I had with a belt that I liked, but for most of my life have avoided belts as a fashion accessory. I never felt very comfortable in them and felt insecure.

However, recently I have come to see that I actually like accenting my waist- much love to my full on days of tunics and leggings- but in general I see I am moving a bit more towards more fitted clothing and feel good wearing them.

My real push towards incorporating a belt into my wardrobe was that I received a dress from Gwynnie Bee that I really liked, but it felt a little frumpy without some more definition. I decided to order these two belts from Eloqui and loved the resulting look of the dress.

Belt 1

Belt 2

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My initial thought was that I would keep only one however after experimenting a little bit with other outfits I will keep and use both. Here are a few other looks that I have been experimenting with using belts.

I am now on the look out for a brown belt to wear with more casual styles.

How do you incorporate belts into your style?

With Love, From Diana xoxo

Dia & Co, Fashion, Glam

Dia & Co: October 2016 Unboxing

November 8, 2016 2 Comments

This post is a wee little bit late, as I received my second Dia & Co box in early October and my November box is sitting on my desk as I write this. No matter. The items that my stylist, Devon-Marie, put together for me was amazing! I had a lot of fun trying everything on and deciding what to keep. I did not keep everything in this box but loved the items I did keep and really enjoyed even trying the ones I did not. They always give me ideas of outfits to try or new ways to wear certain styles or pieces.

So the box…..The items in this box hit a lower price point in general than my first box. And everything was still beautiful quality. Score!!

Items in box, Prices, and applied Discount if all items purchased

I liked this denim shirt and it’s cute with this olive midi skirt. However, I had just purchased a denim shirt and I am trying to stick to only keeping things that I really love or really need.

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The midi skirt….can we talk midi’s for a sec. I am becoming convinced that I just may not know how to wear them. That said this combo is the one my stylist suggested and it’s nice but I did not love it. The belt helped but ultimately decided not to keep it….and alas the is another midi skirt in my Novemebr box and I love the color. So I have decided I am going to figure this midi skirt thing out! If anyone has any tips please let me know.

Next up…the red skater dress. I knew I would love before even trying it on. I! Love! This! Dress! It will be perfect for the holidays and beyond and as I am such a big fan of clothes that will dress up or down and be appropriate for work or going out. Well, I am in love with this dress and it’s in my closet right now itching to get worn.

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This moto jacket was a total winner. I love love love it and have already worn it multiple times for both work and play. A definite yes!

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The final item Devon-Marie sent me was this necklace. I did like it with this dress and was leaning towards keeping it but the clasp broke so back it went. Which ultimately was ok as I did not love it or really need it. It just matched the dress well so ultimately best that I did not keep it.

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I was very happy with the pieces added to my closet from this months box. I spent about $90 on the two items I kept and feel this was money well spent. I am learning that I will need to be somewhat disciplined doing this, as to keep ALL the item would have only been about $50 more dollars but it’s not about quantity right? So, I felt great about my decisions and love having Dia & Co help me to continue to define my style.

With Love, From Diana xoxoxoxo

Fashion, Gwynnie Bee

Gwynnie Bee: October 2016

November 2, 2016 3 Comments

My second month of Gwynnie Bee was a bit of a revolving door (for a reminder on what Gwynnie Bee is see here or here). My fault really, as I was just guessing at sizes and kept getting this that did not fit. SO, not shocking. I would say that precision is not my strong suit, but really it is often patience. In this case, I could not find the tape measure so I just guessed. Multiple times. However, after getting the second shipment of clothes that were not quite right I found the damn tape measure took my damn measurements.

Here they are:

Bust: 46 1/2 in

Waist: 43-45 in

Hips: 51-53 in

** Variability b/c just a wee little movement of the measure matters on my body

And, wudda ya know- It worked.

All this sizing shenanigans aside, GB has a great section for finding your shape and each piece does have size charting.

Here’s a sample of the clothes that I received but they did not fit quite right. I was not able to snap pics of me in these pieces as I wanted to return then ASAP to get something that I could use and wear.

I loved this tunic dress, but the one I received was too small. It’s still in my virtual closet so maybe I will get it again. The colors are great for fall.

https://closet.gwynniebee.com/products/raga-guru-tunic-dress

These jeans were too big and too long

https://closet.gwynniebee.com/products/juliette-curvy-jean-in-olefina

This top came too small and in general the colors were not great IMO.

https://closet.gwynniebee.com/products/bb-dakota-jesse-feather-stripe-button-front-top

I then received these two pieces and really liked them both. I had planned to wear the black top on a trip to Charleston to see my family but a hurricane happened. I ended up sending that piece back to try something different as I did not have anything planned that it would be appropriate for. But I really liked it!

I also liked the V corset for something fun and different but again no upcoming events to wear it to. But it was cute.

https://closet.gwynniebee.com/products/city-chic-sexy-sheer-top

https://closet.gwynniebee.com/products/city-chic-deep-v-corset-top

This dress was the next piece I received and I loved it. I loved the neutral color combination. When I initially put it on it felt a little big and frumpy. It just needed some belting love. I wore this several times to work and out and about but did not end up keeping it. I really want to use this service to try new styles so I (reluctantly) sent it back.

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This geometric beauty was the other winner for this month. It is brighter than the tones I usually gravitate to but I got several nice compliments on this dress. I had a lot of fun wearing this and wore it on two occasions- both work related.

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I am continuing to really enjoy using Gwynnie Bee to add variety to my outfits and try new styles. A whole lot of fun!!

With Love, From Diana xoxo

Fashion, Forever 21 Plus

Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone

October 26, 2016 4 Comments

“In Any Given Moment We Have Two Options: To Step Forward Into Growth or Backwards Into Safety”

– Abraham Maslow

For me, at least today, this involved stepping into a pencil skirt and a crop top and outside my comfort zone of clothing. Likely not what Maslow had in mind. Whatever. I just made my first purchase from Forever 21! The only person that I know that shops at Forever 21 is my sister, Gabby, who is 24. I had thought that F21 was style for those 15 to MAYBE 26. Wrong my friends- turns out that the Forever 21 plus line is extensive, affordable, a bit daring, but also totally accessible for any age. You heard me right- any age!

This Pencil Skirt in Rust and this Crochet Top in Mustard were my purchases. The top is listed under ‘Cropped’. Not my usual, as I do not typically wear tighter clothes and a crop top-um never- but I had a vision mixed with a little ‘What the hell’! AND it was 50% off. With the skirt coming in at $11.90 and the top at about $10 it was a go. I ordered the top one size larger to give me a little length. Honestly, I am also a little suspect of the quality and how these clothes will hold up over time.

I thought that I could wear this as a cute casual outfit paired with a jean jacket for the fall , or pairing the pencil skirt with a button down top and blazer for work.

Here was my first try on of that combo with a jean jacket from Ann Taylor Loft. I really like the color combo. It does feel tighter and more revealing than what I typically wear. The top is shorter but IMO not cropped (no midriff showing here). I think for me to feel my best in this outfit I am going to try out some shape ware to tuck in my tummy and smooth my legs over.

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Here is the same outfit with shapeware for tummy and leg shaping (P.S. I LOVE shareware…today’s shape wear is not your Grandma’s Girdle 🙂 ).

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In general I am happy with my first Forever 21 Plus purchase. This outfit does feel a little less ‘safe’ for me but also really good! I am excited to try more from Forever 21 Plus. Maybe, one day, I’ll be brave enough to let that midriff show- just a little!

Have you ever tried Forever 21 Plus? What did you think?

Dia & Co, Fashion

Dia & Co: My First Unboxing

October 13, 2016 No Comments

Hi Y’all! I had a deal going with myself for a while that if I lost a certain amount of weight I would get a Stitch Fix subscription. I believe that Stitch Fix styles up to size 14 and I have been hanging at 16/18 for a while. Seriously, why wait!

Enter, Dia & Co., a plus size subscription styling company.

I was excited to start this service and looking at their site, Insta feed, Facebook, etc, they are committed to women embracing who they are no matter what size. I really value this!

When you sign up for a Dia & Co account they lead you through an extensive survey of style and fashion questions in order to get a good gauge of what you like or not. You have a say in what you would like to receive by vetoing items you are absolutely not interested in, putting emphasis on what you’d love, and everything in between. You can even give them full reign and just be totally surprised.

There is a $20 styling fee which is waived if you keep anything in the box and if you keep everything in the box you get an additional 20% discount. They also provide a prepaid envelop to mail back anything that you do not want to keep. There is no commitment to keep anything sent to you.

After filling out my survey I put this little blurb about myself:

I am in my 40’s and still feel like I am trying to figure out my style. I am starting to see

that I like to wear things that mix casual with a little edgy. For example,

a cocktail dress with a leather jacket. I am starting to experiment more with prints,

and am trying to work more skirts and dresses into my wardrobe. I have 1000 t-shirts.

I like both neutrals and color and often wear a neutral base and a bright purse, jewelry, or jacket.

I also added this on a different page:

Right now my favorite brands are Mod Cloth, J.Jill for basics

(skirts and basic shirts but don’t love their clothes in general), Eloqui, Simply be,

and I do well at Target. I love Anthropologie but they have few plus size items.

I used to like Loft but as I get older I am finding their clothes boring.

I am a physician and work a lot, but I like having comfort and style while I work.

In my off time I hike a lot, spend time with my husband and friends, travel,

and run errands.

There was an additional section that ask you for any specific needs and they would try to work that into your box-I asked for jeans.

I was very excited for my first box to arrive. Like a kid IN a candy store ON Christmas morning excited!!

My box arrived about a week after I initially signed up for the service. I was thrilled with the content and can tell my stylist and I will have a very good relationship.

My box stuffed with excitement:

Lovely Initial Presentation:

A personalized letter from my stylist. And I received a pair of jeans!! I really liked that they also discussed suggestions for how to wear your items.

Here is my itemized list of items, prices, and what it would cost if I buy everything. At this point I have only paid $20 which I will get back if I purchase anything from the box. The 20% discount is if I keep everything.

This is how it looked right out of the wrapping:

I am going to include several photos. The first were taken the night I got the box! So excited to try everything and the photos outside were taken by my supremely talented husband.

The first item I tried on was the Chetta B. Red dress. My face in this photo does not do justice to how much I love this dress. I felt classy!! This is not something that I would likely pick for myself. My only concern is that it would not get the wear it deserves. I don’t usually dress up this much for work and only go to dressy events a few times a year. But I would be ready with this dress!

These are the Love & Legend skinny jeans paired with a Mossimo top from Target. I LOVED these. Felt like they were made for me.

This is an attempt at a close up of the necklace they sent me. How did Dia & Co know that I absolutely love turquoise!

My husband took the below pictures outside a few days later and it helped me decide what to keep (though, let’s be real- I was a goner for the jeans and sweater!)

I ultimately decided to keep the jeans, sweater, and the necklace. While I love the dress and clutch, for my job it’s a bit too much and I felt it would not get worn.

I am thrilled about adding these pieces to my closet and cannot wait for my next box.

With Love, From Diana xo

Fashion, Gwynnie Bee

Gwynnie Bee: My First Month

October 6, 2016 2 Comments

What if you could have an ever changing wardrobe? Imagine having a few classic pieces and others that you could wear once or twice or even never and then send back with no commitment, no cleaning, and no worries! And if you love something you can buy it at discount.

Enter Gwynnie Bee, a clothing rental service for sizes 10-32. They offer a month free trial and then you can choose to subscribe to have one ($45), two ($69), or three ($95) items out at a time. There are options for more but these are the basics and most popular plans. It’s kind of like Netflix for clothes.

One thing that appeals to me about GB is that it will allow me to try styles that I may not typically wear. It also appeals to my (sort of) minimalist side.

Once you join you can look through their site and add items to your virtual closet. They encourage you to have at least 25 items in your closet and you can prioritize certain items. So far, I have received one prioritized item with each shipment (it helps if you have multiple items prioritized). You can keep the items as long as you want. I have kept most out 1-2 weeks, bought one item, and sent one directly back that I did not like on me. They also offer a styling service (included in the subscription price) but I have not taken advantage of this yet.

I do not have pictures of the first three items but the links are below if you are interested. The first is a printed shift dress that I loved but I did not keep it as it was pricey at $79. The second is an empire waist paisley shirt that I liked a lot but did not love. The third was a black asymmetrical hem top that was just way too big so it went back.

Karen Kane Shift Dress

Igigi Red Paisley Shirt

Alfani Asymmetrical Top

The next two items I received were a red and white floral peasant top and a pair of boot cut jeans.

Raglan Peasant Top

City Chic Bootleg Jeans (I Really wish these had worked!!)

I loved the peasant top and it was my first Gwynnie Bee purchase for $38. I have already worn it a few times. Cute. Comfortable. Versatile. Check, check, check!

I wore this outfit to work. Felt good in this and very comfy.

Pants: Athena Marie Bootcut Tummy Control Pants from Steinmart (I LOVE LOVE LOVE these pants and a steal for $29.99)

Bag: Purchased in Germany from an Individual Boutique

Shoes: Josef Seibel I bought these when I was living in Germany. Here is a similar style from Zappos

I really wanted to like the jeans (I REALLY need some jeans) but they were too long so back they went.

I am happy with Gwynnie Bee thus far. There have been more hits than misses and I am excited about my next month of revolving fashion!

Grit, Hiking

Miriam Gap to Big Meadows Hike (5.5 miles- Easy)

October 3, 2016 No Comments

As a high school student I dreamed of going to University of Colorado at Boulder. My Dad took me to visit the campus and I was in love! It was so close to the Rockies, so much hiking, and adventure to be embark upon. And a $40,000/ year price tag (in 1993!). It was a no go 🙁

However, when I was a freshman at The University of South Carolina (Go Gamecocks!!), I heard about the National Student Exchange Program (NSE). Basically, you pay your in state school tuition and can go to any of the schools that participate in the US. I remember my heart beating so fast as I walked to the NSE office to see if I could finally get to Boulder. A little heartbreak ensued learning that at that time there were none (NONE) in Colorado (now there are 6). After my initial heartbreak, my eyes moved a little south on the map, and I chose to spend a year at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ.

That year was one of the best years of my life! While I was there I was able to travel around the southwest, and it was there that my love of hiking and backpacking was really ignited.

Flash forward to spring of this year. I had been on hiatus from hiking for a while (just life) but was determined to get back to it and have been hiking consistently since then. I have joined several Meet Up Groups in Charlottesville and this past weekend I joined GetHiking! Charlottesville for a hike on the Appalachian Trail. The awesome thing about going with a meet up is that much of the planning is done by the leaders. I also hike alone but it is really good to be part of the hiking community as well.

The Grit factor for this hike was pretty low, but I needed an easier walk. The past several I have done were really tough for me.

Here’s a brief description from the Meet Up Website:

The hike will start at Milam Gap Parking Area in the Park’s Central District, where we will hike North on the Appalachian Trail (AT). This pretty section of AT will lead us up to the backside of Big Meadows, where we will enjoy some great views from Blackrock (not the same place as the Blackrock Summit).

From Blackrock, we’ll hike down to the Lodge at Big Meadows. The next almost mile of the hike may be too pedestrian for some (this is not a hike for trail ‘purest’), as we’ll make our way down to Big Meadows ‘Wayside’ on a paved footpath. We’ll stop for a break at the Wayside – don’t forget to bring lunch/snacks. We’ll depart Big Meadows along Skyline Drive, where we’ll catch a good look at the ‘Meadows’ – from here we’ll reconnect with the AT and return South to the parking area.

I had a great time on this hike! The trail in general was easier -i.e about 5 miles and relatively flat- barring one steady incline. It also was the first hike I have been on since the spring where it was not above 85 degrees outside. There was one view point (Blackrock) that….well, you’ll see in pics below. It was a wonderfully, cool, misty day to be in the mountains and I am excited for more hiking adventures with GetHiking!

A Deer Hung out with us — A Deer Hung out with Us

The Misty Summit…Next time :-) — The Misty Summit…Next time 🙂

Chester Loved The Hike too!! — Chester Loved The Hike too (but he would not hold still for a picture)!

Fashion, Glam

Shopping in my own closet with the Stylebook

September 15, 2016 No Comments

I don’t know about you, but I have a consistent desire to minimize my loads of stuff. This has kind of always been a part of me- ask my Mom, who does not have this same desire (love you Mom)!

When I started a concerted effort to evolve my personal style, I realized that I have A LOT of clothes. So I started doing this thing that I was calling ‘Shopping in my own closet’. I am sure someone else coined this phrase but at that point I had not heard it- honest!

On Sunday, I would look through my closet and pull out various outfits for the week, trying to mix and match things in new ways vs. making a mad dash each morning and basically wearing a slightly different version of the same thing. And this worked for, oh maybe three weeks and then my efforts fizzled. You know, life.

Jump to about a month ago when I discover that there’s an app for that! I am sure there are a few but the one I have been using is called Stylebook. Holy moly, y’all. It has revolutionized my ability to ‘Shop in my own closet’.

Stylebook allows you to photograph and categorize your clothing and then build endless combinations of outfits from the clothes you own (think Polyvore or Pinterest outfit combos but YOUR OWN CLOTHES). There is a little time investment up front with photographing and cataloging. But the pay off is worth it and for me, Stylebook has been an incredible time saver. Additionally, it has cut out many “Oh yeah, I forgot I had that moments”, as it is all right in my hot little hand. Stylebook also will allow you to track when you wear certain outfits or pieces of clothing and you can see what is working and what needs to be passed on to the donation box or sold.

The Stylebook app and website are excellent at explaining the process and have very helpful tutorials.

The Stylebook App cost $3.99 and I have found it’s worth the small investment.

Here are some screen shots of my personal Stylebook (It’s a work in progress).

If you decide to try Stylebook or something similar please let me know what you think. I am planning a post soon chronicalling a week of outfits that I wore using Stylebook but I have been so impressed with Stylebook that I wanted to share ASAP!!

Much Love, D xo

First Blog Post

My First Post!!

September 14, 2016 No Comments

Hello there and welcome! I am excited to start this blog and happy you are there for my first official blog post. I am starting this space in order to chronicle my experiences in developing my personal style and living a healthy life in my 40’s, no matter what my weight or clothing size. This includes eating nutritious foods, exercising, being ok with where this takes me regarding the scale, and feeling great in my own skin and clothes. I have a lot to learn and figure out and am looking forward to doing that on these pages.

As I move forward, I want to focus on things that deserve my time and energy and learn to accept where I am with my body on any given day.

I will also journal my adventures in Hiking and Traveling- two things I love. My family and friends may make some cameos as well.

I have had two travel blogs in the past, one that chronicled my family’s three week trip to Italy in 2012 and http://withlovefromdiana.com, where I wrote about various adventures that I had while living in Germany and traveling in Europe. I had such a great time with both of my past blogs that I decided to start MoreMeThanEver to continue to document my journey.

I am thrilled to be able to share my experiences with you and, again, thank you for being here with me.

With Love, Diana XO