this little life of mine

UPDATE: The winners of the IGIGI contest have been announced! My winner is TARA and she will be hearing from the Weetacon administration very soon. For a list of all of the winners please go to to the IGIGI at Weetacon page.

 

 

 

General Disclaimer (wording paritially borrowed from KarenD): The "Rosita" dress discussed in this entry was provided to me for review purposes by IGIGI. The content of this entry was not dictated by IGIGI; I get to keep the dress for my personal use. Links to the IGIGI site in this entry are affiliate links for Weetacon.

I am excited to review the adorable "Rosita" dress  supplied by Igigi for our Weetacon 2013 fashion show. Igigi is well-known for making beautiful, well-fitting, functional designer clothing for plus-size women, and modelling their designs is one of the highlights of our annual weekend trek to Green Bay, WI (second only to the sleigh ride/brats and booyah fest, I'm sure!). When I was making my top three choices, the Rosita was my #1 (followed by the equally adorable Doris 2-in-1 dress and the simply lovely Gywneth Draped Dress). I would've been thrilled with any of them, and am seriously considering purchasing the Doris dress anyway!

For this dress I requested size 14/16 after matching my measurements to the website's size chart. Also, that's pretty much the size I am on top right now, and with the Rosita's full skirt, I didn't have to worry about my waist and hip measurements. When I first tried it on, it was a bit baggy in the bust area, but after switching to a better fitting (padded, push-up) bra, the top fit perfectly (as seen in the photo above)! I love the draping on the bust and coupled with the empire waist they gave the illusion of a beautiful hour-glass figure, which I normally do not have, as I am a "Triangle".  Another great feature is the modest neckline which makes this dress work-friendly without requiring any lace camisole or clip-in modesty panel.  I was initially concerned the arms would be too tight, as that is a problem for me with most long-sleeve tops/blouses/jackets, etc., but the sleeves were actually a little big, so my arms fit and I was quite comfortable.

The full,  A-line skirt's just-below-the-knee length is perfect for me as I'm not very comfortable with anything above the knee, and it flows beautifully when I walk. The Viscose/Elastane-blend fabric is lightweight, and has just the right amount of stretch to fit perfectly and be comfortable at the same time. I also love that it's already lined, so you don't need to add a slip underneath. The print is lovely - a combination on of polka-dot, floral print, and solid that work beautifully together. I chose this dress because I thought it would be perfect for my cousin's wedding this June, but it will also be great for work, too! I paired it with white Capri leggings for the Weetacon event, but I think it would work with brown tights as well, or even bare legs if you choose.  

And, yes, just like last year, there is a contest!! Here's all you need to know:

 

I love earrings. As you can see from the display above, I have quite a collection. The more unique or bizarre the better. I have earrings shaped like fish skeletons, feather earrings, dragons, coffins, eyeballs, bats, even miniature rubber stamp earrings (that really are functional rubber stamps!). Sure I've got some pretty and normal earrings as well, but when I find something wacky, I usually buy it. Recently I have been trying to steer away from some of the cheaper, clothing-store-type earrings and start buying pieces that are slightly higher quality while still being unique and unusual. Some of my current favourite pieces are below: 

These gorgeous earrings are made with sea glass and were purchased at Teresa Belle Gallery in Cambria, California. I love that they are one-of-a-kind, hand-made earrings, and the colours are beautiful!

A wreath of metal dragonflies for your outdoor living space or garden. Super pretty, but I don't know where I'd put it!

 

A couple weeks ago, I bought myself a little present: a travel coffee mug that looks like a camera lens. I saw it around the web, and absolutely HAD to have one. I bought this one off amazon.com, and ended up buying the larger white one as well. Too much fun!

Finally printed up some pictures from my recent trip to Wisconsin and Ohio to display on my Art Wall. It's funny I just realized that all the Wisconsin photos were taken at the Rock K Ranch during the sleigh ride. As if we didn't do anything else that weekend! The three kitties belong to my BFF in Ohio as does the backyard shown in the one really snowy picture.