Fashion | BulgingButtons

November 27, 2013
by BulgingButtons 3 Comments

Amber Riley Can Move

Until last year I had never seen an episode of Dancing With The Stars. I don’t dance (two left feet, I’m afraid) and I’m not starstruck (okay, maybe there are a few exceptions, Chris Powell and Channing Tatum come to mind, but never mind that). Why would I want to watch some B list celebrities prance around a ballroom and makes fools of themselves? Then I watched an episode.

Oh my. Look at those moves. She’s not a dancer? Really? He’s a singer/football player/spokesmodel? I had no idea. But look at those moves. I loved the routines, I loved the variety, I loved the costumes and sets, and I grew to love those formerly unknown “stars.” Well, some of them. Some of them rubbed me the wrong way and I looked for every little flaw in their routines. If only I had my own judges scoring paddle at home.

That was last season. I started watching partway through the season, but was invested enough to be thrilled when Kellie Pickler won. She did a dance in silhouette that took my breath away. This season I buckled in from the first week. This group was going to be tough! Some of those people have been paid for dance, that’s kind of unfair, don’t you think? But dang, I loved to watch them dance. Still, I wanted someone who wasn’t a “dancer” to win the competition and take home the coveted mirrorball trophy. I didn’t have a clear favorite until about halfway through the season. I liked Leah Remini‘s spunk, and Brant Daughtery was certainly one to keep an eye on. Snooki was just fantastic, and Corbin Bleu and Elizabeth Berkley Lauren took my breath away. Even the stiff guys, Jack Osbourne, Bill Engvall, and Bill Nye were a pleasure. Oh heck, I liked them all! Let’s face it, I just plain enjoy the show, but when it got down to the final few, it became clear to me that Amber Riley was my choice. Of course she could not have done it without her fantastic partner, Derek Hough.

First of all, this young lady is gorgeous, inside and out. Every time the microphone was in her face she was smiling and upbeat. Whether that’s the sign of a really positive attitude toward life, or a really disciplined actress is a mystery to me, but either way I was impressed. Oh, and then there’s the dancing. The girl can move! She was dancing with an injury for most of the season, but she was still very fluid and light on her feet. I just loved to watch her dance, and the performance she did last night and the night before with the male professional dancers? Well, it blew me away. I could not be happier that this woman, whom professional dancer Karina Smirnoff described as not having a traditional dancer’s body (what a classy way to put it, Karina) danced her heart out and won over the judges and the audience. Way to go Amber. Thanks for winning one for the big girls!

November 24, 2013
by BulgingButtons 18 Comments

Loving Leggings

Who says fat girls can’t wear cute clothes? We can, it’s just a matter of finding them, which can be quite a challenge. I’ve had some luck with Dress Barn for Women and Old Navy online (no plus sizes in the stores as far as I’m aware, still). Last month I was out of town and needed an outfit for a college reunion event. I headed over to Dress Barn and was pleasantly surprised to find a few pieces I liked that fit well. On a whim I grabbed a pair of black leggings, expecting to feel something like a sausage being squeezed into its casing. Surprisingly, I did not. I bought the leggings, along with a few other items, with the idea that I can wear them around the house during the cooler winter months.

Fast forward to now. The cooler weather has begun and I’m in the leggings. Yes, they’re great for lounging around the house with a giant t-shirt, but they have so much more potential than that. I’ve discovered that they look great with a long sweater and my cool ankle boots with the buckles the are usually hidden under jeans. Sometimes I even pull on a short black skirt over my leggings. That look takes me back to my college years, but I don’t think it looks too young for me now, as long as I don’t put a giant bow on my head and layer 23 black rubber bracelets up each arm. The leggings also look really good with a long coral peasant top and a pair of ballet flats. Finally, the cute v-neck swing style t-shirt and a pair of sneakers makes a sporty casual outfit. Woo hoo! I’m getting way more wear out of these than I anticipated.

The keys for me (and I would think for most fat girls) are as follows:

1. Make sure your leggings fit properly. Too tight and they may try to roll down, too loose and you’ll look wrinkly and weird. Either way you won’t look right and you’ll be uncomfortable.

2. Don’t wear leggings if you have giant legs. I’m fat, but I carry the majority of my weight around my belly. My legs, while not tiny, are shapely and not particularly jiggly.

3. Wear a long top. Yes, cover your entire butt. Even if you have a cute butt. Leave it to your jeans to show it off, not your leggings. They are meant to let your legs pop out from under your top, not expose every curve you have. Girly bits are not meant to be paraded around in public. If your top isn’t up to the challenge, go put on some real pants. Nobody wants to see that much of you, even if you aren’t fat.

4. As an alternative to wearing a long top, wear a short skirt. This will still cover up the butt and girly bits, and make the leggings look cute.

November 19, 2013
by BulgingButtons 8 Comments

Ten Things You Didn’t Know About My Mother

In keeping with the ten things theme, here are a few interesting (to me anyway) bits of information about my mother.

1. Her first job was at Sears folding underwear. To this day she doesn’t shop at Sears. I think she holds a grudge.

2. Her parents, hardworking immigrants, gave her a car at age sixteen.

3. My mother took care of my father’s medical practice’s business side from home. She also filled in at the office when needed. She even had a cute white uniform for the job.

4. My mother used to be a sun worshipper. Did I mention that my dad was a dermatologist?

5. My mother used to be late for everything. I was always the last kid to be picked up from things. Now she’s habitually early. Weird.

6. My mother enjoys taking her 5 grandchildren out to lunch. I think it’s because she steals their french fries.

7. My mother’s favorite mug features a photo of my son and my niece when they were quite small. She drinks hot water from it. I’m not kidding.

8. My mother LOVES Zumba.

9. My mother has always had the most beautiful gardens, beginning when she was a young bride with a tiny yard.

10. My mother refused to give up on my father in the last years of his life, when he was terribly sick. She hired around the clock help, put a hospital bed in the family room, and wouldn’t hear a word about placing him in a nursing home. “He took care of me my whole life, now I’m taking care of him,” she would tell people. I never realized how strong she was until then.