Body Insecurities/Acceptance/Blogging

Have you ever had an unexpected conversation with somebody that completely changed the way you think? I had one yesterday on g-chat with someone & it really got me thinking .. A LOT! It was so eye opening to hear someone who I don't know personally speak to me objectively about my blog. Moral of the story is that my eyes have been opened & I want to share with you some changes that are going to be taking place on the blog as well as some more personal stuff.

Tee- GIFT SHOP IN BAHAMAS, Shorts-OLD NAVY, Shoes-NIKE

1. Why am I trying to fit into the image of what a "Fashion Blogger" should be?

I didn't even truly realize how much I was trying to be someone else by "taking the right pictures", "striking the right pose", "rocking an arm party" ... etc. The fact is that during the week I NEVER wear makeup, I never get dressed up for work (I work for a Police Department so it's khakis & a shirt every day), & I come home & change into sweats IMMEDIATELY! Most of my outfit pictures are taken by my husband & I make him take a TONNN just to get a few "blog worthy photos." Some blogs that I follow post looks of them wearing very extravagant/super out there outfits & I always wonder if they actually wear them in public. I want you to know that every outfit I've ever posted has been one that I've worn out for an event or just to chill with friends. Through this new chapter in my blogging life I hope to connect more with each of you & share with you all the randomness that I encounter.

2. I wanted to share with all of you the two pictures above.

I asked David to snap these last night before we went to the gym, because they're a more honest portrayal of what I truly look like. Stats: Age-23 // Height- 5'10 // Weight -180 lb.s // Size- 12 or 14. In the past I've let any number of these "stats" hold me back from doing what I've always wanted. Before I'm any of those things I'm a wife/daughter/sister/friend & much more. I'm writing this post for myself as much as for you readers, so please don't feel like I'm lecturing you. After I started working a 9-5 I put on over 10 lbs in the course of a year, it didn't seem drastic because of the fact that the weight gain was over the course of a year. I'm still at that extra 10 lb mark & not exactly thrilled about it, but I'm finding out more & more everyday that it's more important to be healthy than to just be skinny. I know everyone has heard that time & time again, but when it really clicks with you it's a great feeling. I'm not saying that I'm "fixed" or positive all the time because I'm not. Even last night at the gym when I was running I felt self conscious that the person behind me was thinking boy this girl is outta shape & those shorts are too tight she should have gone a size up. Moral of the tangent I just want all of you to know that we are all wrapped in different packages & all possess so much AMAZINGNESS within ourselves, it's time we really channel it & make something of ourselves!!

3. FASHION BLOG

I started this blog because I used to stalk lookbook.nu all day looking at all the different outfits & thinking to myself .. I think I dress cute I wanna be part of this! A couple months later I took the plunge & started up Pich & Roor. The idea behind the name "Pich & Roor" came from my belief that you don't have to be Rich to lead a fabulous life & the fact that some of life's best gifts cost nothing at all. Thus, "Pich & Roor" was born taking a play on words from Rich & Poor (if you switch the first two letters you get Pich & Roor). I initially wanted this blog to be solely outfit posts, but in the past two years that I've been blogging I've discovered that I have passion for so many other things as well including: cooking, traveling, thrifting, finding great deals, scrap booking, etc.! I want to share all the great things that I come across with all of you, & if that means I can't call Pich & Roor a fashion blog so be it. I'm' still going to post outfit posts whenever I have something cute to share, but there will also be a lot of other posts featuring things other than fashion.

4. Goals

Starting this upcoming Monday I'm going back to school to pursue a degree in Fashion Merchandising. I have always known that to be truly happy in life that I MUST have a career that involves fashion no matter how big or small. At this point in my life deciding what type of body armor to order is about as close as I get to fashion. My ultimate career goal would be to have a job as a buyer for boutiques or clothing stores or to be a stylist. These dreams/goals may seem lofty, but at the end of the day we only get one chance at life & why not go for what you really want? I also want to explore styling some more since I have been dressing my Mom & friends for years & want to work on turning that hobby into something more.

This was the LONGGGGGGGGGEST post ever & I know that it's all over the place, but I just wanted to let you all know what's going on in my noggin :) I Love you all so much & I truly appreciate all your love, support, comments, & the time you take checkin in on my blog it means everything to me!

Tasty Tuesdays: Healthy Homemade Banana Ice Cream

Lets be real, who really enjoys healthy food that tastes healthy?? Don't shoot me just yet all you health nuts out there. I grew up in a household filled with LOTS of healthy foods because my Dad has been managing an organic Health Food Store for about as long as I've been alive (he knows everything) so I'm very familiar with tofurkey, spirulina, ginkgo biloba, fish oil pills, etc.... Moral of the story is I'm not opposed to healthy foods as long as they don't taste too healthy, so basically trick me & I'm fine with it :) I've been seeing banana ice cream recipes for a while & have taste tested plenty of different variations & I'm here today to tell you about my favorite!

For an individual portion of ice cream you will need:
1 Frozen Banana
Scoop of Peanut Butter
A Splash of Milk/Almond Milk
Toppings :)  I used a plop of Nutella & Diced Almonds

Peel a banana & put it in the freezer in a plastic night the night before. Put the frozen bananas in a food processor, pulse it until all the chunks are mashed up. If it's too dense & not mixing well add the splash of milk. Once it becomes smooth add the scoop of peanut butter & blend to perfection. Quickly scoop it all out into a bowl & load it up with your favorite "healthy" toppings .. don't judge me 1 plop of nutella is better than eating a huge bowl of regular ice cream! I was pleasantly suprised how similar the texture is to regular ice cream, just make sure to eat it quickly. What's your favorite healthy sweet treat??

Review: Proliss Curling Wand

Back in December I saw a Groupon deal for an Iso Proliss Twister "Curling Wand" discounted from $300 to only $30! I've been wanting to purchase one for a while because I wasn't happy with my current clamp curling iron & had heard good things about the wand. I first checked with my friend & hair stylist Nicole who confirmed that the brand was reputable, after receiving her blessing I decided to give it a go. I waited 2 1/2 months for the curling wand, and it FINALLY arrived in the mail this past Friday .. yeah the wait for it was ridiculous, I don't know why it took so long. Anyways, I finally got to try curling my hair with it last night & I was pleasantly surprised!

Review: I am by no means a hair/hair product expert, just a regular girl who likes to curl her hair every once in a while & was very happy with this product. The Curling Wand package came with the 32mm wand as well as a heat glove to protect your fingers while using the wand. I burnt my fingers a couple of times at first (I didn't wear the glove) but quickly got the hang of it & was burn free for the rest of my curling. I really liked using a wand much more for curling than a regular "clamp" curling iron or my straightener. When I tried using a clamp curling iron or straightener to curl my hair I always ended up with one side looking fabulous & the other side looking crazy. The wand has only one heat setting & is very easy to use on both sides which makes it easy to achieve consistent curls all over. I usually struggle with curling the back pieces because they get all clumpy & it doesn't look natural, but that didn't happen when I used the wand. To keep the curls locked in I lightly sprayed them with some hair spray & they lasted all night! 

** I purchased the curling wand with my own money & chose to write a review because I enjoy sharing products with all of you that I truly love <3 **

Please ignore this goofy video I posted .. I was in one of those moods :-) Plus I laughed so hard at the original video here, that I felt I had to pay homage to the poor girl who burnt her hair off. Even though I was joking around in the video & didn't actually have it plugged in I used the same technique shown to actually curl my hair. I also separated my hair into different layers so that it was easier to keep track of what pieces I'd already curled. Good luck in your curling adventures!

#Friday5 : Black Tights & Booties VS. Sneakers

 

Yessss I know it's nearly tomorrow AKA Saturday, so now that we've established that I'm already behind on a series I only started last week (way to go Waverly!!) anyways, bare with me :) Since it's still chilly as I don't know what here & I'm super impatient for Spring, meaning I want to wear all my cute skirts & dresses ... how is this possible TIGHTS?! Black tights & booties are such perfect staples to work with because they literally go with anything .. case in point the proof above! I tried to pick outfits that had the same base to them but with a couple different tweeks to showcase all the different options. Ohhh yeahhh .. about the over sized sneakers I just thought they were fun & I was inspired to do a post like THIS last one since it had such a good response. Enjoyyyyy, I'm outta here <3

 

 OUTFITS 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 SNEAKERS

PS: The lovely ladies of A Little Something To Nosh On are hosting a tasting at 876 Cafe March 1st, to learn more about the event click here :) If the name sounds familiar that's because 876 was featured on Tasty Tuesdays :)

SCUBA DUBA DUU

You know that whole idea of "putting things out into the universe"?! I'm thinking that's what happened with this dress. Before I went on the cruise I did a post featuring a set I made on polyvore which featured a gorgeous Tibi scuba dress that retails at around $763. Two days later I was rushing around the mall picking up a last minute birthday gift when I accidently walked through Forever 21 to get to my car & I saw THIS dress ($14 in bright coral of course) ... & at that moment the clouds parted & the sun shown down on me :) & get this, the dress that I bought from Forever 21 was also called a "scuba" dress .. I mean hello fate?!

^^ Up Here ^^ the lovely inspiration! 

Dress-F21, Necklace-THRIFTED, Heels-NINE WEST

Aside from the length of the dresses being a little different & of course the color, they're pretty much identical. This dress is so flattering & surprisingly well made for Forever 21 standards. It's a bright coral/pink in person & is also really stain resistant .. some wine may have tried to dance on my dress, but it came out pretty easily. I would definitely recommend this dress & am thinking about purchasing it in black as well :)

Tasty Tuesdays: Turkey & Spinach Enchiladas

It's confession time ... I pin way more than I actually do. I've pinned tons & tons of wonderful looking recipes in my "fOOd" board, but have only made probably 10 or so of the recipes. However, since I'm trying to cook at home as much as possible & keep up some variety in my dishes I've been visiting my "fOOd" board a lot :) Several weeks ago I was in the mood for Mexican, but still had some spinach I needed to use up so I searched around in Pinterest & came across TURKEY & SPINACH ENCHILADAS!!!!!! I followed the recipe "exactly" with the exception of regular black pepper & normal tortillas. Let me tell you Yum, yum, yum, & yummm <3 David isn't a huge fan of spinach & I could tell he wasn't looking forward to dinner, but he went back for seconds & didn't even mention the spinach :)

This dish was also super easy & quick to make. The longest part of the recipe was waiting for it to bake, which allowed me to clean up & put everything away :) I am Waverly Bair & I approve this message Recipe!

#Friday5 : Bloggers

Yay yay yay!! The day is finally here :) I'm so excited to share with you the first of many #Friday5 posts, this week featuring some of my new & favorite bloggers ..ENJOY <3

While paroozing through LookBook.nu I stumbled across Alana's stylish sporty look featuring a letterman jacket, clutch, & studded boots. Those 3 items are pieces that I would never think to pair together in one look however she totally makes it work effortlessly! There's nothing better than finding a versatile blogger who pulls unique items together to create a solid all black errrrythang outfit. 

When you hear the saying "dress for yourself & not others" they were taking a note from Bebe Zeva because this chick legit wears whatever she wants & switches up her style constantly one day wearing pearls the next day skulls. She can successfully pull off grunge/baby doll/anime/prep/beatnik/glam .. you name it she rocks it :) If you need inspiration or want some ideas on how to create a statement look then I definitely recommend you head on over to Fated to be Hated! The following are some of my favorite looks she's posted: Steel Carnation, Give A Sugar, Long Live McQueen,& Caturday <3  Ahh there's too many to pick from, prepare to devote several hours to looking at her blog, it's addicting!! 

Jay Miranda where do I start?! First off her skin .. it's so radiant & glowing (Yes, I noticed that before her outfit, so sue me) absolutely beautiful! I also love that she's always mixing patterns & finding cool ways to layer pieces. I always struggle with pairing pieces that are different patterns because I'm afraid I'll look like I got dressed in the dark, but her blog provides plenty of perfect examples! So now we've established that she's willing to take risks, I truly admire the fact that she doesn't let "fashion rules" limit her wardrobe & style. Alright alright, I know you want an example .. "Horizontal stripes make you look wide" ... yeah whatever I don't care who said that because she is making this black & white stripe dress werrrrrrrrrrrk!!! Now that you're in love with her too go zoom over to Jay Miranda & show her some love <3

First off how adorable is Sharon?! One of my favorite things about her blog is that she's always smiling in her posts & doesn't take herself too seriously. I always love seeing a new post from her in my news feed because I always know I'm going to find a new favorite outfit :) Oh did I mention she lives in Hawaii?! Yes, I know I'm jealous but at least I can live vicariously in warm weather through her outfit posts. This fellow married lady also has a fashion forward husband who she affectionately refers to as the "Pirate" .. need I say more?! Now go run over to ELISHARON and see all the fabulousness for yourself <3

If you are not farmilliar with Krystin from Be Loud Be You you NEED to get to know her! This fierce mamma-jamma is also a MOMMA .. I know right, I was thinking the same thing "that body is unreal & there's no way she ever had a big old preggo belly!" I've had the pleasure of getting to know her over the past year or two through Cap FABB & other various events & she is ALWAYS dressed to impress :) This chica also has a fabulous online clothing shop 8 Vintage which carries AMAAAZING vintage & reconstructed  pieces that she runs with her bff Denisio! Another thing that makes Kristen one of my faves is that she's an avid & accomplished thrifter which I am all about, so when you visit her blog be prepared to see tons of vintage & thrifted pieces that she pairs with the HOTTEST heels out there.

I hope you've enjoyed reading & checking out these blogs as much as I enjoyed writing about them! Make sure to check back next Friday for another addition of #Friday5 :) Would you like to see more fashion blogs, recipes, music, or artwork for next Friday's post??

The Rainbow Roads of San Juan

PUUUUUERTO RICO,

You lovely island . . .
Island of tropical breezes.
Always the pineapples growing,
Always the coffee blossoms blowing . . . 

I grew up on classics I'm talking Singing in the Rain, The King & I, Bye Bye Birdie, The ORIGINAL Parent Trap, Swiss Family Robinson, My Fair Lady, & one of my ALLL time faves ... West Side Story as I'm sure you've guessed from the lyrics!!!! My Mom lived in San Juan for a couple of years & always spoke so fondly of it that when we had the option of cruising there I was ALL for it. The second to last day of our cruise we docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico & it was hands down my FAVORITE day of the entire vacation :) From the moment we stepped off the boat I was in LOVE <3 They have the most beautiful brightly painted buildings everywhere as well as the most deliciously amazing fresh pineapple drinks ... oh yeah & the breath taking views aren't too bad either :) 

Shirt-EXPRESS, Shorts-H&M, Bikini-WET SEAL

Sunnies-DEW DROP SWAP (Can't remember the name of the boutique)

We spent the day walking through all the little streets & shops of Old San Juan, sampling local foods (lobster empanadas), exploring the forts, & refueling on fresh tropical drinks. I also got a chance to practice my rusty Spanish speaking skills, I was surprised how many words came back to me. I'm so glad that I finally got to showcase these shorts again here on the blog, the last time I styled them on here was back in August at the Neiman Marcus Event. I seriously am getting "homesick" looking at these pictures, can you be homesick even if you've never lived there?! Either way, I want to go back to San Juan ASAP & for way longer than a few hours while passing through on a cruise ship. Wishing you all a terrific Thursday & I hope you'll stop by tomorrow for the first #Friday 5 post :) 

Oh yeah, HAPPY VALENTINES DAY <3

On The Road Again

Ahhh I'm finally able to connect to internet!!! It's official I'm typing this from the couch of our new apartment :) I've seriously missed blogging & can't wait to get back to our regularly scheduled program! I'm also excited for a new feature I've been working on coined "#Friday5" the idea behind it is that every Friday I will share with all of you 5 "things" from the week whether that be my top 5 outfits/bloggers/instagrams/songs/food pics/whatever-I-want/etc. This idea for #Friday5 all stemmed from the fact that I read wayyyy too many blogs & some of them are so inspiring & wonderful that I feel it is my responsibility to share them with the WORLD aka YOU :) 

So .. yeah back to my tré tré chic MBFW/NYFW packing outfit. At first I wasn't going to post it because WHO CARES WHAT SWEATS I WORE WHILE PACKING, but the truth is this is the last "outfit post" that was ever shot in that sweet little apartment so it had to be posted! Please ignore the creeper faces, I was in a really silly/goofy/crazy mood (that always happens when I'm around David's little sister). A lot of thought was put into this outfit such as "what can I wear that is warm & won't matter to me if it gets completely destroyed?", moral of the story by the end of the day my shirt had a new friend named hot pocket splattered across the front of it!

Tee & Pirate Headband-THRIFTED, Sweat Pants-PINK

All the boys working hard loading the last piece in the truck, it really was like real life tetris (David just informed me that everyone compares loading a moving truck with tetris .. & hear I thought I was original .. oh the tragedy)! I have A LOT of DIYs up my sleeve including some that involve frogs, gold spray paint, & wine corks .. don't worry those three aren't for one project ... or are they :) Ohh yeah I also wanted to share a quick little video of my new place .. warning: it looks like a hurricane ran through it & I was so exhaustedso my voice is monotoneAKAboring!

Sheer B&W

.. Yes I'm back to more vacation pictures :) Thanks for understanding the fact that I CAN'T cope with this cold weather & therefore will be reliving my recent vacation until temperatures are back to at LEAST the 60's! These photos were taken right before I proceeded to throw my entire body down the steps which caused enough noise & commotion to stop the "Love & Marriage" game show, you don't get an award in high school for "Most likely to fall down the steps" for being graceful. I tried to play it off & got up quickly to continue walking to our seats, but the damage (bleeding cut & bruised up legs) had definitely already been done. I'm also very relieved that I opted for a pair of shorts under the dress that night rather than a micro mini skirt! 

Dress-COTTON ON, Shoes-MACYS

I've had this dress for yeeeears I'm talking right after I graduated High School .. lets not count how many years ago that was :) I bought this dress when I was living in Sydney (Yes, Australia) at Cotton On's sale rack for under $10, since then I've worn it countless times & even as a swimsuit cover up. I love the cut of the dress because it hides any less than desirable rolls by smoothly gliding over your curves as well as being the perfect length to make your legs look super long. I can't wait for the temperatures to return to beachwear levels so I can wear this dress out again!