The Pretty Pear

My favorite things about summer

I'm not really into hot weather. To be more specific, I don't like sweating. But there are things about summer that I really do love, including:

I can afford to buy fruit. Living in the midwest is really great for a lot of things but fresh produce isn't usually one of them, unless you really like corn. I bought a package of strawberries for $2 at Target the other day. I don't even know how much strawberries cost in the winter because I don't look. My neighborhood's farmers' market starts at the end of the month and I can't wait.

Street festivals. Chicago is well known for its street fests and there's one almost every weekend when the weather warms up. This ties in closely with my love of cold beer, cased meats and food items on sticks.

Bright light exposure. That's what my sleep behaviorist calls sitting in the sun. Being outside getting fresh air and allowing some vitamin D to enter my body via my skin cells has done much for my mood. I also get a cute smattering of freckles on my face and arms.

People watching. The best thing ever for me are those first few days of warm weather in the spring, when people frolic about in the new clothes they've been itching to wear. If you're ever in Chicago, find a spot on Michigan Ave. or State St. where you can sit for a few minutes and really watch the people coming and going. It's fascinating.

Not having to wear socks. Something about the the absolute necessity of wearing socks really upsets me. Being able to walk around barefoot at home or in flip flops outside is my #1 favorite thing about summer. I guess I'm easily pleased.

Some honorable mentions: obnoxiously bright toenails, baseball, grilled meats, being sun tired and taking a nap with the air conditioner blasting, the Pride parade, and fireworks.

What do you love about summer?

My summer essentials, part 2

Every morning, I roll out of bed, toss on some clothes, leash up the dog and go for a 30 - 60 minute walk around my neighborhood. As you can imagine, I'm not really strutting around in designer fashion. I carry a roll of poop bags and a baggie of liver treats. It's not very glam! And I definitely don't want to wear anything that I'll cry over if it gets dirty or sweaty. So I own a lot of t-shirts.

My favorite tees right now are the Old Navy Women's Perfect V-Neck Tees from the misses line. Old Navy's crazy vanity sizing makes it possible for me to wear the XXL with room to spare. These are not high quality, wear like iron tees. I like them because they're light weight and airy. At under $10 each, I just bought a bunch in different colors and barely made a dent in my credit card. They're not perfect but they get the job done.

If you're looking for something a little nicer, I like the entire Supima cotton line from Lane Bryant, especially the cotton shirred sleeve top. The cotton really is super soft and the colors are pretty. If you like your tees to have a slightly longer sleeve, you'll want to check this one out.

I just got WAY too excited about a shirt

Have you seen Coco avant Chanel? It's about Coco Chanel's life as a teenager/young woman before she became thee Coco Chanel. Anyway, there's a scene where she's vacationing by the sea (I forget where, exactly) and she spots a group of sailors wearing these great striped shirts. In the next scene, she's wearing the same shirt with trousers. It's fantastic.

I'm so excited because LL Bean carries very similar shirts and they come in plus sizes up to 3X. They even call them the French Sailor's Shirt.

They come in other colors but the cream with navy stripes is the obvious choice. I don't even know why you'd have to think twice about it.

My summer essentials, part 1

Yes, I need a series of posts to cover things I'm into lately, I just keep discovering stuff I really like and I want to share the love with you! This post will be dedicated to skincare.  Where to start...

Clarisonic Mia
I've been wanting to try this thing for aaaaages so I really had to silence the little voice in my head that was screaming "I can't believe you're paying that much for a skincare brush!!!1!" If you want to splurge and have really clean skin while doing it, get a Clarisonic.

I like the Clarisonic Mia because the handle is smaller than the full size version and mine is pink. I got a little carried away with it at first and my skin was like oh hell no but I cut it back to once a day and now my face is happy and super clean. This is especially important in the summer when I'm piling on sunscreen, makeup and dirt from being outside more. Don't go overboard with it and your skin will thank you.

Jojoba oil
If I could fill a giant tub with warm jojoba oil and soak in it for an hour, I totally would. Throw in something lavender scented and you'd have to drag my ass out of there. I guess jojoba oil is so moisturizing because the size of the molecule is similar to the oil that your skin actually produces, so it will moisturize without making you oily or clogging pores, blah blah.

All I know is that mixing just a bit into my face cream makes my skin look and feel amazing. It's also perfect for mixing in with hair conditioner for a deep treatment or with your body lotion for extra awesomeness. What's even better is that I've had my bottle from acne.org for about two months now and I've only used a fourth of it.

philosophy shelter SPF 30
I'm one of those super pale people who turns pink and freckly after being out in the sun for a nanosecond. I really need to protect my skin to avoid an uncomfortable second degree burn situation but everyone should wear sunscreen. We all know this but how many people really do wear sunscreen every single day?

I think a big part of it is that sunscreen can be oily, stinky, and generally annoying. Shelter from philosophy is none of those things. It sinks it nicely, leaving a soft, matte finish with no smell. It's not waterproof but it's great for everyday use under makeup, etc. I guess it has peptides and stuff in it but I'm just after the non-annoying sun protection.

Review: Faith21 by Forever21

I’ve been keeping an eye on the items available as part of the Faith21 line since its debut last fall but I didn’t feel compelled to pick anything up until really recently. I have to say, I’m really glad I gave it a chance and ordered some stuff because I’m happy with every single item I ordered. Keep in mind that I didn’t push things too much – I stuck to stretchy knit tops and didn’t buy any pants or dresses.

My measurements for tops are just a bit bigger than their sizing indicates but the tops I got all fit well. I typically wear a 22/24 in tops and the 3X fits just fine. Even better is that the quality is nicer than I was expecting, especially considering how inexpensive everything is. The fabrics are soft, the construction is good, and I can’t say that anything looks cheap or flimsy. That doesn’t mean I think that they’ll all last for years but I don’t expect anything to disintegrate in the wash, either.

There are two down sides. One, their stock turns over really quickly so if you see something you want, you have to snap it up quick. Two, the items in the Faith21 line aren’t as fashion forward as the items in the regular Forever21 line. There are a lot of drapey cardigans, empire waist dresses, etc. I hope they’ll branch out into more creative and unique pieces some time soon. One more thing – they offer free shipping but it’s on orders over $75. This is great but when almost everything is under $15-20, you might need to toss in some accessories to hit $75.

Bottom line:

• Really affordable prices
• Decent selection of tops, bottoms, and dresses
• Good quality for the price
• I’d definitely shop with them again

I hope this was helpful! If there’s a store you’re curious about and you’d like me to write a review, leave a comment and I’ll see what I can do.

Essential reading this summer!

Summer is swiftly approaching and some of you will have a mini panic attack when reading this phrase: SWIMSUIT SHOPPING. Now would be a good time to read this post from Dances with Fat: How Not to Obsess About Looking Fat in a Swimsuit and F-ing Enjoy Yourself!

Not really related but still exciting: Lane Bryant is having a 40% off sale through the 23rd. Just use the code 000409735.

Annnnd I'm back

Alright! I promised I'd be back today and here I am! My head is cleared and I have a better idea of what I want from this blog. Part of that involved clearing out some content and other things, namely the contact form. I got so much miscellaneous email, it got to be kind of a bummer (some of it was great, the rest... not so much). I'll put it back eventually but I kind of need to blog inside my own bubble right now.

Some things to note:

1. I'm giving up on making this blog 100% about clothes. I can't do it anymore. Every time I thought of something non-clothing related I wanted to write about, I got sad because I felt like it was deviating from the main topic and no one would want to read it. Tough titties. I'm writing about whatever I want now. If you don't like it, too bad.

2. I might write a lot, or a little, or not at all, or too much. The worst thing about having a blog is the constant anxiety that you're not doing it right. I'm giving up on doing it right. When I try to do it right, I end up not doing it at all. I've been blogging for over ten years (yes, really) so if I haven't figured out how to do it right by now, I probably never will and I might as well have fun instead.

3. The #1 thing people tell me they want to see more of on this blog is pictures of me. I get it, people like to see pictures of real women wearing clothes. The thing is, I'm not photogenic at all (no, really). I'll try to post more pictures but if you want to know what I'm wearing it's pretty much always PJ pants and a tank top or jeans, a tank top, and a hoodie. I work from home!

4. My dog is awesome and adorable and she's much more photogenic than I am. I hope you like pictures of dogs.

5. That's all. Leave a comment and say hello.

The Pretty Pear will be re-launching on May 17

I'm stating this publicly before I change my mind or chicken out - this blog will be relaunching on Monday, May 17th. I'm starting all over. I don't know what that means yet or exactly what will be different. I'm giving myself a month to think about it and then going for it.

I thought about shutting this blog down, starting over under a new URL and rebuilding from the ground up. But I realized that I don't need to do that. What I need is to get back to square one with this blog and give it the attention it deserves. But from now on, I'm doing it for myself.

Some personal updates

Hi folks! Have you missed me? I’ve had so much going on lately (on purpose, really). I thought I’d just share some of what’s new. Most of it is great but there’s a not so great thing, too. I’ll start with the great.

I got a dog! Her name is Joy. She’s a Shetland Sheepdog/Australian Shepherd mix (as far as we can tell anyway). She was pulled from a shelter in Michigan the day she was scheduled to be euthanized. She was so shut down and terrified that the people at animal control didn’t think anyone would want her.

Her foster mom brought her down here to Illinois and worked with her for five weeks. She’s gone from being a scared, nervous wreck of a dog to a delightful little girl who I just adore. She’s still quite anxious and jumpy but she’s getting better every day. She’s on the bed with me right now, destroying a stuffed lizard. She even has her own blog, if you’re interested but I’m sure she’ll make lots of appearances here, too.

I’ve been in my new apartment for about three weeks. I’m all settled in and now I’m in the furnishing and decorating phase. This apartment is twice the size of my old one, so I have plenty of space to spread out still. My next project will be setting up my home office, so that’s fun!

I turned 30 over this past weekend which wasn’t bad at all, especially since I totally distracted myself with moving and getting a dog. I decided that I’d do something positive instead of wasting energy on being bummed out about my birthday and it worked great. I feel like I’m entering the next phase of my life and I have a furry little companion with me!

The only really negative thing going on right now is that I was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea. I’ve known for months and months that something was going on with me physically and I’m glad that I have a diagnosis now. It also explains the constant exhaustion, anxiety, etc. It really is a pain in the ass but it’s treatable. I had a sleep study last week with the CPAP machine and I slept better than I have in months. I’m excited to get my own machine and start sleeping normally again.

If you suspect that you have sleep apnea, I urge you to consult your doctor. It seems like a minor disorder but it can be deadly. And also keep in mind that sleep apnea doesn’t just happen to fat people and snoring isn’t the only symptom. I actually snore very little, sometimes not at all, and I have moderate to severe sleep apnea. If you’re tired all the time, talk to your doctor.

Squashing the Right Fit retirement rumor

I’ve been hearing rumblings that Lane Bryant is planning to discontinue the Right Fit line. A nice reader pointed me to a thread on the Lane Bryant Facebook page that confirms that this is untrue. See the screenshot below:

So I guess they’re keeping the line but going back to traditional sizing. I’m pretty relieved myself. I really rely on the Right Fit stuff and I’d be sad to see them go!

It’s time for a giveaway!

I don’t know if you know this but Valentine’s Day is this weekend. To celebrate, Lane Bryant has provided a $50 gift card for me to give away to a lucky reader. All you have to do is fill out the form below. I’ll choose a random entry Sunday afternoon and email the winner then to get a mailing address, so make sure to use a valid email.

The “What would you like to see more of on my blog?” section is required but this is a random winner contest, I’m not judging the responses. I figure I’d take the opportunity to gather some feedback at the same time.

You can enter the giveaway once and it’s open to readers in the US. If you can’t see the form below, please go here to fill it out.

Random fat art spotting!

via www.zgallerie.com

The bulky shape of these Ballerina Figures adds to the dimension, extension, and light-heartedness of their poses. Oddly elegant, the exaggerated roundness of the sculptures highlights the precise movements involved in the plié pose and grants the Leaping Ballerina with the possibility of flight.

I was checking out Z Gallerie's furniture selection when I spotted these figures. I actually did a double take. Do these strike you as positive depictions of fat bodies in motion? On their own, they do for me but the description has me scratching my head just a bit.

What do you think?

A glimpse of what’s to come

Hello! I’m really excited about life right now. I’ve been quite down since before the holidays - mega stressed out and shall we say, emotionally tender. It kind of all spiraled to the point of going back on an anti-depressant, which certainly wasn’t in my plans but had to be done. I’m on it more for anxiety than for depression but it has certainly helped with my mood.

I’m emerging from a lengthy funk and I have a lot ahead of me. I’ve found a wonderful apartment that I’ll be moving into at the end of this month. It’s in a whole new neighborhood where there are lots of things to see and explore.

The building is extremely pet friendly, so I’ll be getting the dog I’ve been sulking about for the past four years. I’m very much a doggie person so I expect that getting my own dog will bring even more happy into my life. The chances that the dog will be obnoxiously well-accessorized and doted on hover around 110%.

My new apartment is twice the size of the one I’m in now, which is fantastic and above my expectations. It has a small second bedroom which will be my work/creative space (let’s avoid the word office) and THREE clothing closets. I know, it’s awesome. Don’t even get me started on the linen closet in the bathroom.

I’m excited about all that, plus I’m turning 30 on March 20th. Because my birthday is on the first day of spring and the first day of the zodiac, I feel like the universe is aligning and saying GET MOVING, GIRL

I’ve felt so stuck and confused about this blog. I’ve decided to just let go and follow my own intuition. It’s hard to not get wrapped up in what other people think, what they want from me, what they expect from me, and the people who would love to benefit from my own apathy and failure.

It can feel like the whole world is expecting the very best from me, more than I can give. I also feel like there are people who are hoping I’ll fall flat on my face, sneak off into the dark and disappear. Or it’s all in my head. Either way, my feelings toward the whole blogging thing have become dysfunctional and just bad.

This is the thing – this blog was never supposed to be a personal blog or at all about me. But in making this blog not about me, I’ve lost the connection with it and with you. It feels like a chore sometimes and there’s little joy in it. I want to change that. So instead of doing what I do – planning, thinking, formulating – I’m just going to let go. If you like what I write, great. If not, that’s OK, too.

I don’t know when I’ll be back to a regular posting schedule but I do have a giveaway planned very soon, so stayed tuned for that. I’ll be busy for the next month or two, getting moved and settled. I think I’ll document some of it here. In the meantime, ask me some questions! I'm having fun with that.

In lieu of actual blogging...

I've set up one of those nifty formspring.me pages where you can ask me questions. Ask about clothes, shoes, life in general, whatever. I will reply to just about any question asked, so fire away. If you want to keep up with questions and my answers, go here.

Why yes, I am alive.

I’ve (obviously) decided to take a blogging vacation. I’m not sure when I’ll be back in earnest but yes, I will most definitely be back.

I just need some time to take care of life stuff (moving, having a minor emotional meltdown about turning 30, getting a dog!) and figuring out a direction for this blog. The topic will stay the same, I just desperately need a new approach and to shake things up.

In the meantime, I invite you to follow my personal twitter and check out my other blog.