Bathing Suits

Tomorrow is May 1st...and that means summer is right around the corner.  (And so is my birthday!!!)  So I thought I would do a little digging into the bathing suit options and see what is out there.  My usual bathing suit style is a bikini, usually with a triangle top.  Last summer, with the twins at the beach all the time, I was getting really bad tan lines so I searched for a bandeau top that ties in the back.  Those of you who are better at filling up a bathing suit top could probably wear any bandeau, but my small friends could not so I had to find a tie back.  But in general, I like to stick with the triangle tops.  My usual go-to spot for bathing suits is Victoria's Secret so I started there. And if you are shopping on a budget, you can always find good options in their clearance section.  I got a bikini for $14 last month!

I really like this Tie-dye bikini from Victoria's Secret from the Beach Sexy Swim Collection.

For those who like a bit more coverage, this tankini from the Forever Sexy Collection is great.  Love the print!  And you can get any style bottom you like, from string to high waist.

If you are in the mood for a splurge on swimwear, I love Vix Swimwear.  It is a bit more than other stores and brands, but they are made so well and fit great.  I got my first one for my honeymoon :-)  I LOVE this one...but its $176 so be prepared before you fall in love too. I especially love this one because the print is gorgeous and the ruffle on the top is nice for us flat chested ladies!

And if you prefer a one piece, there are so many stylish ones out right now.  The key with a one piece is to make sure the fit flatters your body type.  I think it is harder to find a flattering one piece than a bikini or tankini.  The ruching is key for trouble areas. If you are well endowed, wear a v-neck suit to draw attention to the girls and away from your hips and tummy.  Show them off I say!  If you have the time, I think trying these style suits on is a better bet.  Or, find a website with easy and free return shipping.  I found this one at Macy's by Swim Solutions for $84, and its 15%off today.  

Oh, and self tanner always helps.  I found a great non-toxic one at Target. 

Clothes for the 'Regular' Woman

While flipping through a magazine with a friend who shall not be named (because she told me not to) she asked me to "teach her how to dress."  I told her to read this blog!  And she informed me that this blog is for "skinny bitched like you."  So...I am devoting this blog to her...even though I cannot name her.  And I used the term 'regular' because I was told 'curvy' would be wrong.  Love that I get to learn things through this blogging process!

First thing I thought of was this picture of Kim Kardashian we found in In Style Magazne.  Now, I really do not like Kim, but this look is great and I had to put my love of this outfit over my dislike of the person wearing it.  She claims to be my jean size and weight...yea right.  But regardless, she definitely has curves and this proves that anyone can pull off a pencil skirt.  So I went on a search to find this for you!

The skirt is by Trina Turk for $178.  I found it on both Piperlime and Nordstrom.  I also found one at Nordstrom by Halogen for only $59 and it comes in a ton of colors, including a teal one.  You could get creative with this look and switch up the colors to suit you and your skin tone.  The key here with a pencil skirt is tailoring.  It only costs an extra $10-$20 to alter a skirt and the difference it makes is priceless!  You can guarantee that Kim K got hers fitted to her body.

The yellow top is a tricky one to find!  If you like this color combo and want to stick with teal and yellow, this tank by Tinley Road is beautiful and comes with a built in necklace along the color for only $49.

If you are up for switching around the colors, this top from Ann Taylor is beautiful and it is 40% off right now!  It comes in this vibrant pink, as well as blue and white.  And I love the idea of pairing a bright top with white jeans so you could get so many outfits out of this shirt.  

Lastly, the shoes.  I love a nude platform pump.  The nude color makes your legs look longer and the platform adds height, making your legs look leaner and your butt look lifted.  Really, what's not to love about shoes like these???  I own a pair and they are in constant rotation...well they were before I fell off the porch.  Grrr.  Anyways, here is the pair I have by Jessica Simpson.  You can find them a lot of places, but I found them on Zappos for $89.  There are tons of nude platforms on this site, and they offer free shipping and free returns on all orders so there is no risk ordering online.  

Stay tuned for the next 'Regular Woman' blog...with bathing suits!  

Pointy Toe Flats...All Under $50

I hope everyone had a fabulous Easter this weekend!  I myself had a great time out East on Long Island with the whole Franklin clan.  It was my mother-in-law's 60th birthday and she requested we all be together.  So we invaded and took over this wonderful B&B called The Harvest Inn.  The couple who owns it could not be nicer!  And for those of you not familiar with New York, out east on Long Island is wine country.  It has a similar feel to up north Michigan, very country and rustic with TONS of wineries.  I think this trip I had some of the best wines ever!  Along with the best dinner I think I have ever had, complete with oysters and beef wellington (filet wrapped inside perfectly cooked pastry for those who don't know because I didn't either) and a red wine all the way from France.  It was amazing!  And the family time was great too...needless to say all that wine led to lots of laughter...and a little performance by 'Unique Pitch' late one night.

But enough about my trip...and on to shoes!  While in NY this weekend I got to debut my new flats!  I still can't get my ankle into a heel of any kind so I went out and got a pair of flats.  I intended to get this yellow flower Sam Edelman flats from my blog a couple weeks ago.  But then I found the same pair with a snakeskin pattern and I was sold!  I wore them all weekend!

But while I was showing off my new favorite shoes, my sister-in-law Liane told me that she could really use some new flats but that she prefers pointy toes.  So I made it my mission to find her some!  And here is the results of my intense searching! 

These are from ASOS and are only $35.81.  There is also a yellow pair with a red bow for the same price, depending on what fits best with your wardrobe.  

These are also from ASOS, for $44.76.  They have the studded toe detail, which makes them more exciting than a plain black shoe.  And they can be worn with anything!

These are from JCPenny and are only $30!  They were also featured in People Style Watch Magazine.  And if you sign up for JCPenny emails or their credit card, you can use a coupon to make them even cheaper.  I always get $10 off your purchase coupons in the mail.  They have these in a gold, peach, and white color as well. All for only $30!!!

My last suggestion is Nordstrom Rack, if you have one near you.  They have many of the shoes that were recently in Nordstrom stores, but for half the price.  They are sorted by size in the store so you can shop hundreds of different styles at once.  Last time I was there, they had tons of pointy toe flats.  If you don't have this store near you, try a TJ Maxx or Marshalls.  They don't have as many shoes, but they usually have a pretty good selection at really good prices.  

Next up, by request, is a blog devoted to any woman out there who is not (and I quote) a skinny bitch.  A.k.a. real women with curves.  So stay tuned!  And let me know if you have any requests!