by Glitter | Apr 18, 2016 | Inspiration, Life, Travel
One of my favorite hobbies is traveling. By the age of 30, I had gone to over 35 countries, nearly every continent, and had to have pages added to my passport- twice. While I am hardly a travel blogger, my frequent adventures have taught me a few things about to see the world fearlessly and loving myself more.
1. Know your limits, and push them. What I learned about traveling early on is the best adventures are hard. They involve a little struggle. Don’t be afraid to be uncomfortable. Do something that terrifies you. Sure, you might fail. You also might succeed. Push your boundaries, just a little bit, and you’ll open yourself to a whole new world of possibilities.
2. Focus on enjoying life more, and how your body looks less. It’s amazing how many opportunities I missed early in life because I was afraid of how people would perceive my body. Traveling has taught me that beauty is completely malleable. There is no universal standard. So I accepted that some people would always find me beautiful, some would always find me ugly and all that mattered if how I saw myself.
3. The best adventures are off the beaten path. We are taught from youth to follow the path, to do the ordinary, to behave. Travel has taught me that the most exciting adventures, stories and learning doesn’t come from the average day to day. So be weird, do things differently, get off the path. You’ll never know what your missing as a result of habit.
4. Talk to strangers. Actually talk to everyone. One of my favorite memories is how I met these amazing men in Mykonos, Greece. I literally jumped on a bar at gay club and shamed the crowd for not dancing to Madonna. I then proceeded to show them how it was done. As a result I ended up with 3 amazing travel buddies for the rest of my trip, and no one shamed Madonna again.
5. Friends are important. Taking the leap to do something can be scary, you don’t have to do it alone. Having someone their to support you through the scary and shitty times, matters. This was a hard, but very important lesson for me, an ” I can do anything on my own” girl, to learn.
6. It ok to be basic. Somethings are just fun. Don’t shy away from something because everyone else has done it. For example, I went on a Guinness tour in Dublin, Ireland like every other tourist. Did the fact that tons of people had done it before make it any less fun. Nope. It was still great and ended the way I like most things to end- with free beer.
7. Support your local community. Sight seeing is fun, but my best memories are when I have wandered into a local neighborhood and explored how the people actually lived. For example, playing fetch with this dog in a London park. What makes people who they are isn’t their museums or their monuments, but rather culture and perspective in life. As a global citizen it’s important we take an active role in the community that surrounds us and change it for the better. If we don’t get involved, we cannot be angry when perceptions refuse to evolve.
8. Be yourself. Its amazing how many new people you meet and adventures you have when you don’t try to change who you are. I will always be loud and sassy and, dare I say it, a bit weird. I wore this Mexican wrestling mask all around Miami, creating some awesome experiences while being my weird goofy self. People think you need to be someone else to impress the world, nope. The people we admire most, usually got their by being true to who they are and refusing to let anyone steal their shine.
9. Approach everything with a smile. The more you greet new experiences with a positive attitude, the more fun those experiences are going to be. Even if they don’t work out as planned. Pushing yourself to try new things with a positive attitude pays off. Nobody likes a Debbie Downer, nobody. Plus smiles have a magical power to melt perceptions. I have personally experienced several times in my life where I have been able to change someone’s view of plus size people by being a positive force in their lives.
10. It’s ok to be a tourist. Sometimes in life you just want to try something new and not feel like you have to commit to it for life. Just as you are a tourist on vacation, you can be a tourist in life. You don’t have to commit to a change before you are ready and know its a fit for your life. It’s 100% ok to try something out for awhile, knowing full well you might abandon it later.
by Glitter | Jun 26, 2015 | Fashion, How To, Travel
Heading to Paris for work, I wanted to keep my wardrobe simple and my suitcase light. I have a little trick for when I am trying to go to the max with my wardrobe, but at the same time manage the increasingly smallness of my luggage. After years of living on the road and having to still work it like the sassy boss ass bitch I am, I found my balance by committing to the church of color poppin’. Color pops are the simplest form of color blocking and can do MIRACLES for your look. I mean you wear some hot pink pants and no one can ever pay attention that you forgot to do makeup, haven’t slept in 3 days and that there is a piece of bread from the sandwich you ate at 2 am more than little drunk most definitely stuck in your hair. Instead they just gush and co over your sassy fancy pants. Fashion witchcraft!!!! Here’s how I maximized the colors to keep me looking ace while traveling for work in Paris.
On Monday I rocked a pair of hot pink crops from Nordstrom with a black crepe top and patterned, but still neutral bomber. The key when wearing the world’s brightest pants and trying to be professional, is to keep the top simple. However if you aren’t at work, treat those pants as a neutral and go crazy. Just do you!
Tuesday I brought out my favorite chartreuse a-line skirt from Eloquii. I paired it with a check patterned top from Target. the key to this look is to make the top strong enough to support such an unusual and bold color. A plain black top could come off thoughtless and make the look seem as if it was “missing something.” Introducing the subtle pattern makes the style sing and the boys go ooh la la.
On Wednesday I rocked my most favorite clearance rack find- my neon orange moto jacket from target- over a sleek black dress and leggings. To pull this look off, I relied on accessories to tie the deeply contrasting colors. This Oliver Bonas necklace did a rad job of bringing together two cross spectrum colors and made the pairing almost seem obvious.
When you travel, bringing your entire bejeweled caboodle filled of sparkle is not always option. I instead opt for clothing with interesting necklines and pizazz to make the look a stunner even with out my preferred amount of bling. Here I used this amazing secretary pussy bow blouse from Monif C and add a little of snazziness with this cheap yet elegant looking Charlotte Russe tulle skirt. It looks sassy, classy, and leaves nobody thinking “where’s the glint, Glitter?”
Today, I faced the reality that I needed to be comfortable and kept my color blocking look real… real simple. I paired this t-shirt dress with my go to Lola Getts leggings and the bomber jacket. I like that even though I am wearing the same jacket as Monday, changing up the color blocking helps the jacket feel fresh and unique.
So ladies and likely gay gents, that’s how I use color blocking to make the most out of my travel wardrobe. It’s s simple and fun way to make travel clothes stand out with out having to over pack or haul every accessory you own (even though I always want to). So get out there and get get get it poppin’ with some fun colors. It is summer after all!
by Glitter | Jun 24, 2015 | Fashion, How To, Travel
sourced from http://www.scpr.org
Macaroons, croissants, wine and baguettes to you all! This week I’m blogging from the quaint cobblestone streets of Paris as I take on the city one board room at a time. In between fierce meetings (Buy! Sell! Buy! Buy!) I’m finding myself exploring this beautiful city as a flâneur (a person of leisure wandering the streets) and clearly brushing up on my French! My goal is that when I take the stage in a celebrity death match-style karaoke battle later this evening I won’t be told “tu chantes du yaourt” which literally translates to “you sing yogurt!” That’s apparently a French thing. Yogurt singers. While my French obviously needs a wee bit of brushing up, my French fashion style is on point! After many a fun trip to France for the work ( ooh I sound so fancy), I’ve become pretty aware of what makes Parisian women some of the most fashionable in the world. So grab your beret and your over-sized sunglasses because I am about to share with you five ways you can bring ze Parisian flair to your daily wear. Props to my lovely Parisian coworkers for being French, stylish, and willing to allow me to chase them with a camera.
- Structured Pants: Many still consider Paris the fashion capital of the world and while we are often enthralled with what’s happening on the runway, the fashion on the streets can be just as notable. There’s a perception that French women rock the fancy frocks all the time, but the reality is that they want to be as comfortable in their day to day wear as you and I (sans yoga pants; sad face). The French love a good pair of trousers for their versatility and comfort level. The average lady on the street would much rather be in a nice pair of slacks coupled with a stylish top than to be dressed to the nines on a day to day basis.
- Minimal Make-Up: When it comes to make-up, French women abide by the “less is more” philosophy, which also happens to be my personal philosophy on eating steamed carrots. In this theory, make-up should be nude and almost invisible, used to merely enhance your natural features yet not stand out on its own. The rare exception might be a pop of color on the lips for a little ooh la la man flirting. This way the only thing that should be standing out is the bootay!
- A Fitted Staple Jacket: Another stand out wardrobe staple for the ladies of Paris is a well-cut jacket that is tailored to their body. Rather than having a closet full of jackets that almost fit, French women will spend the big bucks to have one or two jackets made especially for their body for daily wear. And with the versatility of a exceptionally tailored jacket they really get their money’s worth.
- A Statement Scarf: French women love to spice up an outfit with a sassy neck scarf. With all the amazing fashion brands available in Paris, the scarf is the most financially accessible for the average person to add to their wares. In order to incorporate upscale elements into their outfit, French women rely on scarves to help show the season’s current trends without breaking the bank. It’s almost like French women invented the phrase “ballin on a budget!”
- Neutral Palette: I have also found that French women dress in primarily neutral colors, especially black, to serve multiple purposes. Relying on nominal but thoughtful accessories to add interest to the look, French women can wear their neutral palette wardrobe in a variety of ways to make an expensive but minimal wardrobe serve any event. (Just beware of that powdered sugar on your delicious crepes! It will leave hand prints. And trust me, trying to lick them off does not work. )
You can combine these looks together or you can pick and choose different elements to create your own je ne sais quoi! Now, I am off to a power lunch with a street mime, a plate of cheese, and copious amounts of wine. It doesn’t get much Frenchier than that! Au revoir, chiennes!
