Day #8: I Love L.A. (we love it)

I'm sorry, I know there are a lot of you out there that LOVE Lalaland, but I am NOT one of them. However, I was told this past week that I had two choices. Rebook my ticket home from Sacramento for the next day and get my OWN hotel room, or take a chance that my flight from Sacramento to LAX might land in time for me to catch the flight to Phoenix leaving at the same time.

They were close. I missed it by minutes. But as they say, it's not over until the doors closed and the

doors closed. So, I got to stay at the Aloft in El Segundo where it's very, very retro decor and the bartenders are obviously very excited about making their martinis, which made me very excited since I love fruity martinis like this pomegranate blueberry one. 

I had so many blog posts started this week and ended up falling asleep writing every one of them, so I know I'm behind already on my New Year's Eve goals of blogging every day but I have so, so, so many pictures to share of me Roeing out in the wild. And this is one. 

I have discovered that Lularoe is just absolutely perfect for traveling. It's so funny but every time I think I've found all the reasons why this clothing line is the best EVER, I find another one. When I flew out to Los Angeles, as you saw the other night, I was wearing an Azure layered over leggings with a Perfect and Sarah. Great for travel. I was so comfortable. For the trip to Los Angeles, I wore a black Maxi with a purple, yellow and red floral print over eggplant leggings with a mineral wash berry Classic. Same purple striped Sarah. It was so incredibly comfortable for getting through security and to the gates and went perfectly to the hotel for dinner. 

When I was given about three minutes to grab a change of clothes for the next day, it was an easy

decision. I pulled out a Carly and a pair of leggings. Done. Unfortunately, I got home SO late that day that I forgot completely about taking a picture, but when I got off the plane, it took me comfortably to an Arbonne party with Shannon and to the grocery store to prepare for my in-home the next day. And the purple striped Sarah that I wore with the Maxi and the berry mineral wash Classic transferred perfectly to the Carly and leggings. 


Packing with Lularoe for a trip is a piece of cake because you can roll it and it doesn't require any ironing. You simply shake it out and go. But look at all the possibilities with the outfit that I had worn on the plane. It was a little chilly, so I didn't do the Maxi as a dress down to the bar for dinner, but if it had been summer in Los Angeles, which is on the warm side, look what I could have done. It's very, very cool in northern California over the summer, and if I had had to, I could have ditched the Sarah and the leggings for just the Classic over the Maxi, OR, I could have just tucked in my bra straps and pulled the Maxi up for a cute summer dress. So that was trip to Los Angeles. Maxi + Classic + Sarah, martinis, sleep, and then Carly + leggings for the flight home to Dallas. And that's how you Roe while traveling!

China Glaze Don't Desert Me

Looking for a Sarah like mine with the stripes or in the purple? I haven't seen my exact Sarah anywhere, but Serena Cervantes has an excellent selection of striped Sarahs in a variety of colors, and if you just love love love the purple, there is a solid one and one with stripes but almost in a chevron-shape. Make sure and check out her selection!

Have a great day, and now that I'm home from the West Coast, I'm hard at work on the core style reviews once again.

I did have time to paint my nails while in Los Angeles, so here is China Glaze Don't Desert Me. Great shimmery pink!

Day #7: Elegance...for work?

Why not? These girls look like they are ready to party it up every day of the week when the average person may attend one formal event every few years. Maybe.

I really had no idea what to expect when the Elegance Collection was released. All I knew was, several of my consultants were taking preorders, nothing in my size was available, and everything that I absolutely loved wasn't even made in my size. And it was expensive! And dry clean only!

But when it comes to clothes, jewelry, makeup, nail polish, whatever....I'm attracted to the sparkly. If I were a fish, I'd have been dead on a plate long ago. An old friend of mine used to yell "fish bait!" every time we'd be shopping and run into a display of jewelry that caught my eye. 

The first thing I got was the Classic T in a combination of silver and rose gold. That was a preorder and I was happy with it. The second thing I got was the sparkly Carly in the berry color. Also a preorder and I was happy with it. Everything else? Well, I came across this Lindsay in the picture at a multi-consultant sale after Christmas and told myself I wouldn't buy it unless it was still available at the end of the day. Obviously it was. I had several friends on the list to the left contact me when they had stuff in my sizes to offer me first right to buy. I had several friends say that they didn't think they would EVER sell X, Y or Z....and then I decided I had to have it. The rest of it? Imagine a lion hunting antelope and

that was me. See that picture? The antelope was the shiny blue Wonder Woman skirt and I was the pouncing lion. I justified it by telling myself that because I have fifteen nieces and nephews that are growing up and will be getting married that I need these semi-formal (all right, fine, they are formal!) clothes. Then I justified it by telling myself that they really aren't that Christmasy and I can wear them whenever I want. Then I made myself a promise that I would wear Elegance to every Lularoe party and pop-up and event this year to get my money's worth, a promise which I promptly broke on Sunday.

Shameless....I really could talk myself into walking off a cliff if I tried hard enough. 

So a few tips for those of you that are like me and have a ridiculous amount of Elegance and won't admit it (but you know you do):

1. If you have one of the glittery sparkly Carlys and you are freaking out about the glitter dust that is everywhere, I heard from another consultant that if you take it outside, shake it out and then spray it thoroughly with Scotch Guard, the glitter fall out will be at a minimum. Another suggestion is hairspray, although I'm not going to be trying that, thank you very much! Here's an article that talks about how to keep glitter from falling off clothing. 
2. I have heard from several wearers that the glitter fabric scratches the bejeezus out of the underside of the arms when you wear it. I don't have any input on that yet since I haven't worn mine anywhere except around the house, but I'll update this article when I wear one for more than five minutes. I would suggest wearing a Lindsay or Monroe with it to help with the chafing. 
3. Read the care instructions on every piece that you have. I have heard that dry cleaning is recommended for these pieces, but I seriously doubt I am ever taking it down to my local dry cleaner to let them have at it. Since I'm an insurance adjuster, I know people in the textile restoration business, so I'll probably be doing that as needed but only as needed. Any piece that can be hand-washed, I would do that with the most delicate soap possible and wash by hand. 
4. Be careful with it and watch your jewelry, especially on the stuff that can snag. I didn't even bother wearing a bracelet Christmas even when I wore my Elegant Lucy that has a tulle overskirt. (You can see the picture of me wearing that green skirt in this article.)
5. I seriously wasn't kidding about wearing it to every pop-up party I attend this year, but I'm not going to wear head to toe metallics or glitter. I plan on toning some of those pieces down with some solid shirts and skirts. 

And with that, it's a perfect segue into the title of my article where I actually did wear Elegance to work. My first Lindsay that I bought (ouch, I just admitted I have more than one, didn't I?) was a bronze shimmery Lindsay with gold threads running through it, and I thought it went really well with this combination of a mineral-washed black Classic tee, a floral Azure skirt in tones of gold, gray, and white on a black background, and tan leggings underneath. Definitely four pieces that I would not have thought about pairing together, but it just kind of....worked. Which is odd considering that there were four fabric types in this outfit....mineral wash, gauzy chiffon with metallic threads, slinky Tencel in the Azure and then everyone's favorite leggings. It was dressy for work without being overkill, and it was fun. (Karaline, if you are reading this, I told you I had worn the mineral wash to work!)

And the Azure is such a cute topper for leggings...it's swingy, it's comfortable, and you can pick a color out of the pattern in the Azure to bring to the forefront with your legging choice. I was trying to highlight the gold in the floral pattern to bring out the color of the gold threads in the Lindsay.

I loved pairing the Azure with leggings so much that day that I decided to give it another shot today when I was traveling, except this time I paired the Azure and leggings with a Perfect tee and a Sarah cardigan. It was great for flying, so much better than the jeans I used to travel in. Unfortunately I didn't find anyone that I felt would stop what they were doing and take a picture of me, and I hate taking selfies of myself in the mirror, so I took this one of me from the waist down . The "bell" of the turquoise Perfect blouses out perfectly over the Azure, a lavender cotton with a rich vibrant purple and turquoise thinly striped grid-like plaid, which I layered over purple leggings to match the "grid" in the Azure. I wore a purple striped Sarah over the entire thing, and now you get a close-up of my Skecher ballet flats. When I travel, I only bring one set of jewelry, so I just was wearing my wedding rings, some handmade turquoise black beaded earrings and a stainless steel Fossil watch with a white marbled face. 

But this weekend I am hosting my first in-home party AT my home, and you bet I'll be wearing one of my fancier dresses then...maybe I'll try one of the glittery Carlys and see if I can irritate my husband by getting glitter all over the couches that he'll insist on vacuuming to perfection before my guests arrive. 

The bronze Lindsay with the gold threads is available for purchase from Jessica Martin in sizes medium and large.  She also has the berry sparkly Carly, the green Lucy with the rose gold diamonds and the Classic tee in the silver and rose gold, so if you are still on the hunt for Elegance, it's a great place to go shop, and she is offering special pricing through tomorrow evening. 

Have a great day and remember, any day is a good day to dress in sparkling clothes!

Oh, and one last thing...look what I spotted at Hudson News at Dallas Love Field! Sure do look like MIMIS, don't they? Just goes to show you that EVERYone wants to Roe!

The Madison skirt....hand pleats just like a cheerleader skirt...

The Madison skirt is such a fantastically tailored skirt and looks so great on the right body shape...I refuse to give up on it for me, even though everything tells me that it won't look right on me ever. And that's why there is no Madison in my closet. 

I love, love, love the Lularoe line up of skirts so much and was determined to give this another go after it was a bust at a pop-up I went to last year. At that time, I tried a 2XL. At the time, I thought that it made me look pregnant so I didn't buy it, but later I went to a multi-consultant event and decided to give it another shot, but size down. I chose a beautiful soft chocolate brown XL Madison, one that I would consider buying, and paired it with a dusty rose knit Classic. It was actually kind of funny, because I realized when I got in the dressing tent that I needed a shirt and asked the nearest consultant to hand me a Classic in 2XL that would go with brown and that's what she chose for me. AND I ended up buying the shirt. The knit Classics are awesome, like short-sleeved sweater tops, and I thought that this knit top would blend well with the fabric of the Madison since both fabrics were so fancy.

Sadly, I did not buy the skirt, although I did realize that a XL was a better choice for me than the 2XL. This skirt is absolutely beautiful on the right body type. It has a tailored waistband with elastic in the back, perfectly hand-set pleats and pockets big enough to fit your entire hand and probably little things like keys or a coin purse. (An excellent clubbing skirt, if you don't want to keep up with a purse!) It is very flowy and twirly, and when you sit down, it pools just right around you in the chair. The fabrics on most of them also are a little heavier than the typical Lularoe fabric, so it's really got some meat to it. And the pleats are just so adorable. It reminds me of a cute pleated cheerleader skirt and when you spin, it actually flares out. 

However, there is one big reason I didn't buy this skirt, and it's not the Madison's fault. It can be summed up in three words: Baby Got Back. I could not figure out why when I held up the skirt, it was perfectly even and then when I tried it on, it almost looked tilted. Easy answer: my booty was lifting up the back and making the back portion look shorter than it is. The reason why this happens with Madison and not the other skirts is because this skirt has a completely even hemline all the way around whereas the other Lularoe skirts are cut just a tad longer in the back to accommodate those of us with a little extra junk in the trunk. Even the Cassie is slightly longer in the back. My suggestion if you are interested in this skirt is to try it on first (unless you have a fairly flat or non-bubble butt) and make sure it is a good look for you. It is fairly true to size although I felt one size down for me looked better. I even tried pulling the shirt flat instead of blousing it over the waistline and that didn't help with my booty issue, sadly. 

Jennifer Klump of Sweet and Sassy Lularoe wears the Madison better than anyone I have ever seen, and as such gave me permission to use her pictures of her wearing her beloved unicorn Madison skirt in my blog. Look at how well the pleats drape and how great she rocks this Madison! She looks so beautiful! It is a beautifully well-made skirt without a doubt. And the Madison comes in solids, prints, silky fabrics, heavy cotton fabrics and was released in the Elegance lines in 2016 in a variety of styles including heavy tapestry plaid fabrics and velvets.

I am also featuring a more recent picture of me wearing a black, red and peach print Madison with a peach Classic tee. While it looks better now that I have lost some weight, you can still see it raising up in the back because I have a booty!

So....truly personal preference. I refuse to give up on this skirt, but I also admit that this skirt may not be the best choice for my hourglass figure, just as the Randy baseball tee is also not the best shirt choice for me either. 

The minimum advertised price (MAP) set by Lularoe for the Madison skirt is $48.00. 

If there are any questions about the Madison skirt, please post them below. Make it a great Lularoe day!

The Perfect Tee...Simply Perfect!

2XL red Perfect

The Perfect tee is one out of the four shirts in Lularoe's line. It is truly special and unique to Lularoe as I have never seen anything styled or cut like it. 

2XL white Perfect

The construction of this shirt is similar to that of the Classic tee in that it has the hemmed sleeves and a hemmed bottom, but the neckline is a stitched scoop and the sleeves fall to the elbow, so they are a little longer than the Classic sleeves. They are similar to a Classic at the top although the bust area is just a little larger. As the shirt flows down, it flares out at the edges like a bell with a four to eight inch slit (depending on your size) on either side that just give it a little something extra special. However, these slits also allow the shirt to be tied in knots at the sides if you want a more fitted look by your hip area. The sleeves come down to about the elbow, but are generously sized so they are not clinging. It is a very dressy version of a t-shirt and just absolutely perfect to mix and match with anything from jeans to full-length skirts. 

Sleeve Length

3XL Perfect over leggings

Unlike the Classic, the Perfects really do vary from size to size, but sizing up may be the look you want to achieve depending on your preference. In the Perfect, I wear a 2XL or a 3XL (which have 6" slits and 8" slits respectively) and while the 2XL is my perfect size and the one that I prefer, I do like to wear 3XL Perfects with leggings because they hang a little longer (similar to the Irma tunic). However, what I think is really neat about sizing up one size is that an oversized Perfect, because of the way it is cut, looks like a baby doll dress...or even a miniature Carly dress...and looks really great with leggings. It is a cute and playful look especially for the weekends. They come in a variety of prints and solids, although the only fabric I have seen them made in is the standard Lularoe polyblend of polyester and spandex. They are a great addition to any wardrobe to wear with skirts, leggings, pants and jeans. I bought one gently used Perfect from a consultant who had worn it as a bathing suit cover up on a vacation so the possibilities for what you can wear them for and pair them with are endless!

The Perfect tee will accompany any of the Lularoe skirts very well, but to me, the Perfect and the Cassie skirt go together like peas and carrots. The Perfect drapes down perfectly and the flare at the bottom (the part I refer to as the bell) hits right at the hip line. Depending on your figure, the slits will separate slightly and show the colors of the Cassie that you are wearing.  

Perfect tees are also available in a staggering number of prints as these are included in the styles that Lularoe cuts their limited edition printed styles from. You can find Perfects in geometrics, animal prints such as butterflies, florals, stripes, and so much more. 

The minimum advertised price (MAP) set by Lularoe for the Perfect tee is $36.00. 

If there are any questions about the Perfect tee, please post them below. Make it a great Lularoe day!

Day #2: Why was today a holiday?

I have never quite figured out why New Year's Day or especially the day after New Year's day is a holiday. To me, it seems very strange. I get why New Year's Eve is special; it's the last day of the year. The first day of the year? That's a happy day and the start of a whole new clean slate.

I guess what I'm getting at is WHY WAS THE MAIL NOT RUNNING!? It is a Monday! I want my Lularoe!!!! I look forward to opening that!!

Anyone notice my iMood addition to my blog to the right or the fact that I figured out a way where you can sign up for text notifications when I publish a new article? Pretty neat. Anyway, my status is relieved. I don't want to get into all the specific details, but I was having some pretty significant problems at work this past week. It turns out that it was ALL a misunderstanding (a pretty significant one if you ask me) and miscommunication (imagine that) and they asked me to stay and give them another chance. I'm so relieved I can't even express. I feel like the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders! So, all you girls that reminded me that Lularoe is hiring? Sorry, gotta stick with insurance!!!! My new all-male team needs some estrogen to balance them out. *wink* You ladies are stuck with me endorsing you!

As for work? Well...that's not apple juice in my hand....For Monday, I signed up for the skeleton crew at work which actually turned out just to be me alone. I wanted to be comfortable but still look nice, and the high today was 72, so I decided to wear a Maxi skirt over bare legs with sandals. I remember when I bought this skirt and I loved it SO much; it reminded me of kind of a New Age patchwork quilt pattern! The colors in it are so varied that you can match a ton of shirts with it. It's a mesh block design of black, tan, coral pink, blue-gray, teal, and pale yellow. It's made out of the tencel material, so it's very silky and slinky. I paired it with a stone-colored mineral wash Classic and a light cotton heathered sky blue Lindsay cardigan. Perfect. For accessories, I am wearing black and gold Teva sandals, a silver Kenneth Cole watch with a pink pearl face, a labradorite cocktail ring, a plaid headband in the same colors, and a pair of handmade champagne flute earrings with champagne beads to celebrate the new year.

The Lindsay cardigan I am wearing in heathered sky blue is available in small from Serena Cervantes.

Thanks for reading, welcome back to work if this is your first day back after the holiday, and make it a great Lularoe day!

The Lindsay cardigan...the perfect layer like icing on the cake

The Lindsay kimono was actually my second piece of Lularoe that I acquired. I was gifted a plain black knit one as a thank you for helping a consultant photograph and stage her initial on-boarding inventory. I remember at the time thinking that it was kind of a strange piece and that I wasn't sure if it would look right on me, but out of all of the Lindsays that I have acquired since that initial piece, the solid black one is the one that I have worn the most. 

Out of the entire Lularoe lineup, the Lindsay cardigan baffles me the most. Not the piece itself...but why it is not more popular. Why this piece does not sell out as soon as it comes in, I don't get. I admit that I have eclectic tastes, but this piece is the easiest way to dress up a pair of leggings and a t-shirt or to throw over a dress when you are cold or just to accessorize with a put-together outfit to bring out a color to the forefront. Below I have demonstrated how you can take a t-shirt and leggings to the next dressy level just by adding a complimentary Lindsay to pull it all together. 

The construction of this piece is simple. It is like a cardigan in that it is put on like a very light, thin sweater, but there are no zippers or buttons. The sleeves are elbow-length and have a large droop at the bottom, similar to a kimono on a geisha. See the similarity? There is just enough exposure to let the lower part of your forearm show, but enough coverage to cover your upper arms and keep the chill off. They are well-made with seams at the top of the shoulders

The Lindsay cardigan, which is kimono-style, really should be in everyone's Lula wardrobe even if JUST in black or gray. For me, it is my go-to piece to grab when there is a chill in the air and I just want something to cover my arms, or if I just want to dress up something casual, or if I want to accessorize a dress and bring a color out of it to the forefront. It is a wonderful accessory piece to wear over Classics, Perfects, Irmas, and all of the Lularoe dresses. 

If you have any dresses that are strapless or sleeveless that you want to wear to work but have a no-bare-shoulders rule like my office does, the Lindsay is the perfect solution. They are light and thin enough to wear all day long in the office and come in a variety of fabric styles such as knit, lace, chiffon and brocade. For the colder climates, they are thin and cool enough to layer under heavier winter coats and for the warmer climates, they are warm enough just to take the chill off as the arms are about three-quarter length. As an example, look at how I am wearing my Maxi dress. I am wearing it as a skirt with a Classic tee and a turquoise topped with a turquoise jacquard Lindsay. Lose the shirt, pull up the Maxi, and now it's a strapless dress with a midcalf length but still work-appropriate because of the Lindsay. 

For sizing, you can see that the Lindsay runs large. No question. I am a full 2X full-figured woman. I have long arms, so long that I need an XL in the Sarah cardigan just for that reason. I am 5'7. I have a 38D bust. Yet, I can wear the Lindsay in the small, medium OR large. I prefer the large because the arms are a little longer and more generous, but if I find a Lindsay cardigan in a color that I like and it is only available in medium, I don't have an issue wearing it as there is a very negligible difference. I have plenty of room in my Lindsay in the back, shoulders, arms and midsection, and the back is almost Irma-length which is perfect for me. The main difference in the sizes is the length; the smaller the size, the shorter in the back. Featured below is a small in gray, medium in green and large in peach.

What I find interesting about the Lindsay from critics is that lace is not a preferred fabric and that girls with narrow shoulders find that they dwarf them. I find it interesting, but I understand why. Lace as a general rule is not thought of as a jacket-type material, which is why I consider my lace Lindsays to be more of accessories than actual jackets for warmth. I think if your thinking adjusts to that frame of mind, that these are layering accessories more than actual jackets or sweaters, you will find that these are more versatile than you think. 

As for the dwarfing, well....you can't change your body's frame, but you can change the way you wear the Lindsay. I have seen Lindsays knotted in the front to bring the bottom up. I have seen Lindsays gathered in the back to pull the the sides back and almost convert it into a shrug. I'm sure that there are other things that can be done with this kimono-style wrap that I haven't even thought of yet. 

One thing for sure is that if you think you might want to have one, even just to keep at the office for those chilly days, give it a try. It's a very warm and soft piece of clothing, there are lots of styling possibilities, and you can buy one as basic and non-frilly as you want or as dressy and lace and feminine as you want. There are lots of jacquard-style Lindsays that are incredibly dressy and can make the most casual of outfits look fancy and dressed up. 

The minimum advertised price (MAP) set by Lularoe for the Lindsay cardigan is $48.00.

If there are any questions about the Lindsay, please post them below. Make it a great Lularoe day!