Summer Blue Rescue

Hair: Danielle June "Madame Pompadour"

Makeup: Charlotte Paul

Photography: Kendra Blair

Dress: French Connection

Earrings: Forever 21

Sunglasses: Tom Ford

Heels: YSL Tribute Stiletto

Hello! How is your weekend going?  Lately, it has been over 100 degrees here in Southern California.  It's usually warm here, but not uncomfortably hot like it is now.  

Speaking of being uncomfortable, I've been getting comfortable with being uncomfortable for quite some time now.  Many of you know that I have been dealing with mental health issues such as depression and have been forced to face myself and actually deal with my problems in a healthy manner.  Talking about feelings for days on end in therapy is not easy and it takes a certain amount of mental strength to put ourselves out there and be vulnerable to speak about things that we would rather pretend don't exist.  Pretending that we aren't depressed, stressed, struggle with anxiety, or any form of disorder or addiction doesn't serve us.  What kinds of things do you struggle with?

There is a great quote about this from James Baldwin, 

"Not everything that is faced can be changed...But nothing can be changed until it is faced."

This is true and it stuck with me.  I had been so focused on accomplishing my academic goals through higher education and work for so long that I forgot to focus on myself and my mental health.  I put aside taking care of myself or self-care.  Have you ever tried to survive on very little sleep and coffee? Do you always eat at your desk or skip meals? Do you ever take vacations or take the weekend off?  Do you take the time to exercise or are you always too tired or too busy? Or maybe you always put your families first and yourself last?  Can anyone relate?  If we really stop and take the time to think about our answers to these questions, we may find that we are not practicing self-care.  Taking time to put ourselves first and re-evaluate our priorities can change our lives dramatically in wonderful ways.  You know what they say, "You can't pour from an empty cup." So true!  Also, on days when I feel like I can't do it alone, I pray and ask God to give me the extra push or energy I need to keep going in the right direction.  

How are you practicing self-care today?

Interview with Designer Ashley Nell Tipton

Hello!  Today I want to introduce you to a very special guest, Ashley Nell Tipton.  I met her at the “Curves Work” fashion show at Working Wardrobes recently where she was featured as a guest speaker and showed her newest plus-size summer collection.  One of the most memorable moments from that night was when she said, 

“It’s important to take chances and not care so much about what other people think.”  -Ashley Nell Tipton

That was my favorite part of the evening, besides seeing her new collection of course!

Ashley learned how to sew on her grandmother’s sewing machine when she was seven and continued on to get her AA Degree in Fashion Design and Technology.  She has been featured in: USA Today, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Brit + Co, The Curvy Fashionista, Fashionista, Crain’s, FabUPlus, In Style, Racked, People, and the LA Times.

Ashley is also the winner of Project Runway Season14 and had a contract with JC Penny as the face and designer of their “Plus-Size Boutique”.  She also has her own collection of sewing patterns for Simplicity, has her own jewelry line through K&M accessories, and has just released her new line of eyewear.   She recently launched her own collection as well. 

So here we go…

Hi Ashley!  Thank you for being a guest on the blog today.  First off, let’s talk about your pink hair.  How long have you had your lovely pink hair and how did you decide that pink was the color for you? 

I started the new year with pink hair. I wanted something different, something to “refresh” my look.

I read a few of your blog posts and was so touched my eyes started to water.  I especially enjoyed reading the one that covered “Body Positivity”.  Body image is a touchy subject to cover these days without offending someone in some way or another. How would you describe yourself, your approach to talking about body image publicly, and how do you handle opposition? 

I am now comfortable in my skin. I wasn’t always this way. It has taken me a lot of personal work to get to a point where I don’t care what others think about me. Everyone has the freedom to think what they want and I have no control over their thoughts. I only have control over what I think. I think I like myself. In fact I love myself!!

What got you interested in starting your own clothing line and what kinds of considerations did you make when planning out the details of your line? 

I wanted to start my own line because there is a big void in the market when it comes to plus size clothing. I am here to fill that void!!

What inspired you to design this collection and what sizes do they come in?

From 1x-5x. I wanted to design items that I would wear that do not exist. Body Suits and Pants!!!

How would you describe your new summer line and what is the price range? 

Sexy, Comfortable and Colorful. From 39-129.

I love the fact that you use your platform to reach other plus-size women who have gone through similar experiences relating to self-esteem, body positivity, and the struggle to find clothes that fit plus-size women and that you speak openly about that.  Can you tell me about a time when someone really connected with your story? 

I am constantly getting response on my social media regarding the joy my line has brought to people. This is why I am in business. This is the joy I get in my life—knowing that my creations are making a difference out there.

Where can we buy your clothes, accessories, and eyewear?

ashleynelltipton.com

Where can we find you? 

        Instagram: Ashley Nell Tipton Designs

Blog: Ashley Nell Tipton

Facebook: Ashley Nell Tipton Designs

  

Twitter: Ashley Nell Tipton

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and collection with us Ashley!  You have definitely inspired me to take more chances and to keep working on loving myself more, I think we could all be better at loving ourselves more for who we are.  Thank you for making a difference in the fashion community and shining the light not only on the need for plus-size fashion but also on body positivity.

Beach Style

Ruffle Tank Top/ Cover-Up: Free People

Swimsuit: Billabong

Necklace: Robert Lee Morris

Sandals: Reef

Makeup and Hair: Nora

Photography: Franz Swantko

Hey there!  How are you?  It's been quite some time since my last post and it's because I have been having so much fun enjoying my summer.  So, without further ado, I wanted to post some of my summer looks over the next few weeks before fall settles in. 

How do you feel about tribal prints, tie dye, and bright colors? These are my favorite pieces to wear during the summer months.  This swimsuit from Billabong incorporates all three of these elements.  I was excited to find it because I am extremely picky when it comes to swimwear.  How about you?  

What do you like to do at the beach?  Go for a walk, bike or skate?  Walking around on the strand requires comfy sandals.  I have worn these Reef sandals for a couple years now and they are super comfy. Also, this tank top from Free People was just the right length for a petite frame and is made of really lightweight material with a pretty ruffle on it. It's actually a medium tank top, but it also worked as a cover-up for the beach.  This necklace by Robert Lee Morris is one of my favorite necklaces right now.  These cool colors of blue and green are so soothing and remind me of serene beaches and earthy foliage.  I'm going to try to style it into more outfits in the future, but it will always remind me of summer.  Hope you enjoyed this post.

Hope you have a lovely week!

Joanna