So my “perfect” purse is a piece of crap! I used it once or twice prior to gearing it up for my new job last week. Pssht! The moment I walked in the door the strap broke. “No problem, I know a repair guy!” I thought, foolishly! I also foolishly thought it was leather because inside it said “Genuine Quality” or some garbage like that. UGH! Sadly, repair guy said it’s made of vinyl, also showed me other spots it had torn or were about to (I’m assuming from just the one day’s use since I’d inspected it the day before and found no issues at all). He said it wasn’t repairable or even worth the effort.

The purse was perfect because the strap was the perfect length and the pockets are just right and in the right places but the closure is so cool! The repair guy said I should contact the company who made it (Relic) and send them pictures of it. He said it was shoddily made and really cheap materials. Funny, that tag inside said, “The finest materials!” I write to Relic and explain (minus the swear words) and they want me to pay for shipping to and from plus prove that I paid for it and it has to be within the last year, which was how I began the letter, “I bought this great purse over a year ago…” UGH!

So, hey, don’t buy their stuff. They suck! Their product sucks, despite it’s looks and “quality” promising and their warranty/customer service policy, while standard, left me feeling cold and unwanted. As a customer service guru myself (ask around), I take personal offense to this type of corporate bullshit! Hiding behind policy and not caring about one customer when you have so many…I know that the companies I have worked for, even some corporate giants, they cared about their customers. All of them! They stood behind their reputation for customer service and I mine!

I may take this sad sack to someone and see if they can make me a clone in real leather or if they could recommend a better material all together. I’d rather do something sustainable and not cruel if I can, but I need it to last a good long time! Y’all know I don’t have the moolah to go back to my old obsessive handbag hunt! Whew! Because I stopped when I found this bag! I found the “perfect” bag and stopped searching. How awful that I am so devastated by it’s failure now! Ugh! *ShakesFist*

Any recommendations on affordable materials for a close of my late, though not-so-great-after-all, purse?

Growing up poor the word glamorous didn’t even enter my life until high school. I wasn’t yet the word nerd I am now (I know I don’t exactly use my love of words here, wev). Later when the fantastic British comedy Absolutely Fabulous came into my life, I was suddenly obsessed! I bought a metallic silver mini backpack that I wore as a purse for ages! I would wear the weirdest jewelry and shoes! I felt at the time that I was somehow emulating those glamorous women when in fact I was laying the foundations of my own quirky style! I sourced much of my stuffs from Ross (Dress For Less) and the Contempo Casuals Outlet that I worked at.

I also see a hint of what I have found myself doing now which is adding a touch of glam to every day. No matter what I’m wearing or what I am doing I try to add just a little something to make me feel good! I don’t know, I suppose it’s useless or silly to some, but they underestimate the value of silly! Woo! I’m sure some of you have noticed my increasing use of fancy-fucky headbands, this was the reintroduction of glam for me most recently. My collection has grown! Ha-ha! But then rather than a typical blag wrist-let, I went with the silver bangle style. Glam! Instead of my usual “dress docs” (Doc Marten’s I wear to dress up things) I wore my black patent leather shoes with the cutie side bow on NYE! There is something about that little touch of glamor that make me smile.

One thing I adore and use all of the time are these two tote bags I got for free on Black Friday from Avenue (click the pic for the link). I have the red and purple and use them for sooooo much! Mostly groceries as of late, but the reactions I get from baggers and checkers is always fun. But they are great for any damned thing! They are sturdy with nice long straps so I can throw ’em over a shoulder. But they are cheap enough, and because they were

The other thing I’ve been enjoying is NYC Cosmetics Liquid Lipshine (click the pic for the link). My friend Jeanette talked me into buying the Midtown Mulberry and I use it almost every day now! It smells like vanilla cupcakes or that raw sugar lotion from bath and body works. It’s just yummy and the color is perfect for me! Even if I’m not wearing any other make up I will slap some of this gloss on and feel FABULOUS!!!

What bit of glam do you add to your daily routine? Do you rock a hair bird or giant flower barrette? I’ve been wanting to try the new nail stamping things, but haven’t truly committed to it yet. I know I have readers who love that stuff. Please recommend a good, beginner and affordable kit or something I could put together myself, perhaps. What other glam things should I check out? Lay it on me!

Since many parts of the world are getting colder right now I thought why not try something different than the old Tank Top Tuesday posts and go in the opposite direction: Winter Wear! I also hope to do a coat shopping guide/options post soon.  Please see below for information on how you can submit your own pics and info for future posts. Thanks.

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This week’s Fats in Winter Wear submission comes from Heather!

This is from last christmas! Beautiful sweater from Torrid and the necklace was made by me 🙂 sterling silver cypress leaf with quartz chips and swarovski crystals.  Finding good, attractive, winter clothing for fatties is not an easy task! We’re often stuck with sweaters with pictures of kittens- which is fine if you really love kittens, but it’s just not my style. I hate high necks, so I really love the low neckline and the gathered fabric and this has become my number one favorite winter sweater.

I found it on ye olde Craigslist and just couldn’t pass it up! It’s a SCHWINN “Jaguar” Ladies!!! I love it and got it for a steal and it’s a solid, steel frame thing. The guy repairs bikes all of the time and sells them, even offered additional services if I needed. Super cool!

I have wanted a bike for about four years, but always talked myself out of it. First, the money was always tight, still it but like I said the price was right as well as the timing. Next was the visibility of it, I mean, you’re like just out there! And the thing I still haven’t gotten over and perhaps won’t for some time: Fear of injury! I am still dealing with pain and stiffness in my knees. One is more stiff/sore while the other is a pulled hamstring. Neither seem to heal and I personally think that living upstairs only exacerbates them daily. I remember just a couple of months ago running around with my Puggyman in the morning or being able to sprint out to the front lawn for our walk. Ugh!

But you know what? All of that still isn’t enough to keep me from getting a bike! Because I have stopped giving a damn what other people think, I want to do what makes me happy and it has been twenty…Yes, you read that right…TWENTY YEARS since I’d been on a bike! And I fully intend to Glam-up my bike, too! I want to paint it to match this helmet…which I must have:

This one seemed to have no rules. I got along so well with the woman who interviewed me over the phone that at the end I simply asked, “I normally wouldn’t dare ask, but is is alright with you if I skip the formal business wear for this?” To which she said no problem, in fact she often wears her pajamas to work. Well, that’s because it’s in her house, but she was so nice and I really liked her just talking. Of course I had that fear though. You know the one, when things are going almost too well…but you haven’t met the person yet? Yeah, that one. The one that your inner critic won’t let you forget. “But what if she hates fat people?” Damn you inner critic, I thought I had sent you on a permanent vacation! F-U!!!

Ahem.

So I wanted to really wow her/them. It’s a tiny company, not unlike my cafe in a way. I’d be meeting with the CEO and CFO, Son and Mother respectively, for this interview and I wanted to knock their socks right off! What did I wear? Ha-ha! Like you had to even ask:

 

And it went well! I enjoyed talking with them and they did seem quite impressed with my ideas, experience, etc. They didn’t say when they’d let me know, but I suppose I should have asked. Anyway, I wouldn’t be starting until the new year so I shall press onward  until I do hear back. I may even send her an email to thank her or something. Ha-ha! I’m no expert, could ya tell?

The dress is The Chain Reaction Dress from Eshakti, I customized the size, of course, but added a puffed sleeve as well. I adore it! It fits perfectly and oh man, I just love it! The coat is from Lane Bryant about three years ago, maybe two. It’s this lovely purple near-velvet. I wore the hell out of my identical in navy one and took this baby out of the closet for the first time for this interview. The shoes I have on are the same Doc Martens I’d worn with the red dress. The feather is a pin from Jo Ann Fabrics, like three dollars or something, but what a pop of color?! It really works!

So fingers crossed on this job! I liked the people and the company itself and what they are doing. The pay would be just shy of what I am getting from unemployment, so perfect for now. And I’d mostly get 3 day weekends, which suits my current lifestyle quite nicely.

The Puggyman avoiding the camera!