11/1, One is the Magic Number

It's November 1st.
1-11
I've been seeing 11:11, every day, since I moved to NY almost 8 years ago.
17 days before my thirty...#th birthday.
The clocks turn back this weekend.
The city I love is hurting bad.
.  . .and it all leaves me feeling a little confused.

But then, there's the joy that is talking to my curvy lovers out there.

There's the joy of finding a job and career path that feels fulfilling and attainable.  (I start on Monday!)

There's the peace leaving behind the old model of my work life.
My relationship with my old job was like, well, like many of my relationships   The guy, I chased and from the moment I started dating him and had to prove that my quirky "me-ness" was good enough only for him to acknowledge I was good enough, but not....quite.

There is the joy in the freedom of knowing what I am worth, part of why I am here and a lot about who I am.

Therefore, this 1111 moment for me is one of grief at the past but with so much optimism and gratitude for the future.  Its of knowing I am where I am supposed to be at this moment and that God is guiding my steps.

This new year of life, is the year of one.  The year of me. Honoring myself means I honor everyone around me.

One is the magic number.

-Ericamichele

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Can "Big Girls" wear leather? (FashionStyle.com Guest Blog)

In a recent conversation with one of my favorite curvy friends, I suggested that she get some leather items for fall and she told me "Us Big Girls, can't wear leather!" For a moment, her comment took me back to the past - a past where I'd lived in ill-fitting skirts and pants from places like Wilson's House of Suede and Leather (hey, it was the early 90's!).  

I LOVE leather, the feel, the smell, the look; I even love the vegan and faux-leather and always have! Back then, I was willing to compromise true fashion just for the chance to rock leather that was often too tight or didn't fit well at all.  I could never find the cutest items in my size or that seemed to compliment my shape, which isn't quite straight size, but not quite, plus size either.

To read more of my thoughts on the leather trend for curves, click here.  Much thanks to the beautiful Kadia B. for the opportunity, love this site!

Portions of the original article re-printed via @fashionstyle.

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Join me for a #curvyactive October!

A friend of mine from college issued a challenge on her Facebook page: For the month of October commit to do 30 minutes of activity EVERY day.  You may be thinking to yourself, that 30 minutes of activity isn't hard at all. However, the discipline to make activity part of your DAILY life as opposed to something you do a few times a week is not as easy as it sounds.

Taking 30 minutes to honor your body daily should be a part of our daily activities.  However, as women, we routinely don't honor ourselves or our bodies.  We don't take the necessary time to relax and decompress from our busy lives or honor ourselves with the gift of physical activity.

I decided to take on the challenge for this October (a month before I turn 35!) in order to practice what I preach; after all one of the core beliefs (aka #curvyrules) is: 

My increasingly busy schedule has made me have to rethink activity in more lifestyle related terms.  This challenge for me, is less about going to the gym every day and more about the practice of taking 30 minutes a day for myself.  Not only is being active good for maintaining and tightening your curves, it is also great for stress relief and clearing your mental and spiritual space.

An L.A. girl to my core, I prefer working outside whenever possible.  My knees and ankles are shot, so I tend to favor long walks that have a variety of terrains available (hills, stairs, paved and unpaved areas), plus walking with and among nature is always good for centering oneself.  

Some other great ways to get to your thirty minutes of activity are:

• Take the stairs (at work, at home or at any other opportunity).
• Take a brisk walk for 15 minutes a few times a day, seeing the sun will lighten your mood and before you know it, you've done 30 or more minutes of activity. 
• Take the long way home; get off the bus, subway a few stops early.
• Park your car a block away from where you need to go.
• Don't order delivery! Walk, run or bike to pick up that food order.

Make a date! 
Another GREAT way to get your 30 minutes in to your everyday life is to make activity part of your social life.  Make a date! That friend (boy you crush on) that you've been meaning to get together with? Why not invite them out for a little active fun.

• Enjoy the city! Take a brisk walk, run or bike ride in your cities best public spaces (I love to do Central Park dates, myself.)
• Get active for a cause! Find a fitness minded charity event like SweatySaturday (October 13th) or Making Strides Against Breast Cancer's Annual Walk (October 21st) and get some friends together. 
• Sweat and Eat (or drink)! Create a negative calorie effect by making a date before your typical brunch, dinner or a drinks date to sweat it out.  Try that Stiletto Bootcamp you've been wanting to check out or use that SoulCycle online deal you bought months ago.  Either way, you can sweat (and groan) with a pal and then take the second part of your fun to your favorite bar or eatery.  You won't feel so bad about splitting an order of fries or a glass of wine if you just burned 500 calories!

Join me this October in getting active and making time for ourselves and honoring our bodies!

Embrace your curves, embrace your life.

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#denimdelight with Catherine's

A few week's ago, I had the pleasure if enjoying some delicious lunch with Kellie B.and other gorgeous curvy women a The Park in New York City, courtesy of Catherine's #DENIMDELIGHT.

In the back patio of The Park, Catherine's set up a delicious spread including sliders, insane mushroom risotto and delectable Potato Gnocchi with Pancetta, Arugula and Pecorino. The team also had sangria and drinks available for us to nosh on while we mingled, tried on gorgeous feeling denim and getting custom made lop gloss courtesy of Giella Cosmetics.

I am always on the search for he perfect red and what better way to get it than to have on customized before your eyes.  After viewing my completion the technician from Giella added gold undertones to my gloss to compliment my skin tone.  I loved the results!  The best thing about Giella is that its custom, you can even come to them with something that is no longer made so they can match that hue of your favorite hard to find shade.

Giella Custom Made Red, Jewels courtesy of  Catherine's

The denim all felt gorgeous.  I really loved the feel of the jeggings (I wore them almost the ENTIRE #curvyinMA weekend) and picked up a pair of trouser jeans for my Mom.

My Mom and I modeling our Catherine's jeans on a girl's weekend in Massachusetts. #curvyinMA

For more on Catherine's Denim check them out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CatherinesPlusSizes

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MYNT1792 & Plus Model Mag Blogger Conference

On Friday, I had the pleasure of attending MYNT1792 & Plus Model Magazine's Blogger Conference held at the Ainsworth Park near Union Square in New York City.  This event had everything I love: good food and yummy portions (pulled pork sandwiches, hummus and chicken satay), gorgeous friendly curvy divas and great fashion.  It was a total blast!

Model Katherine on trend in a metallic jean.

MYNT 1792 will be launching its line in October via MYNT1792.com and at Nordstrom.com, but they have been around for years.  A family owned and operated company (as Adorn Fashions), they were tired of the popular "excuses" that many retailers gave them when discussing plus size fashion.  MYNT 1792 wanted to bring high end fashion to curvy women of all shapes and sizes and focuses on great materials and fit.  Calling their fashion sensibility "downtown trend with uptown sophistication," the Fall collection will include blazers, skinny jeans, motorcycle jackets and faux fur.

Model Kori with the luxe faux fur (with pockets!)

They are aware that one size, does NOT fit all; therefore, they use a number of different fit models (including friend of CITC Allie McGev) that have a wide variety of shapes (apple, hourglass, etc).   Most of the pieces we saw retail for under $200 (and we're talking amazing jeans, moto jackets and faux fur, here!) Best of all, MYNT1792 plans to offer FREE shipping, including internationally. How fab is that?

Alysa, from StylishCurves, Maddy of PlusModelMag and me!

The great thing about the blogger conference, besides the food and fashion was the opportunity to be in a room of smart and stylish women who all were focused on curvy confidence.  I left the event full, laughing, (a little tipsy) and inspired by the women I saw and met.

Model Allie and AThickGirlsCloset

Huge thanks to Allie McGev for reminding me to go and Maddy at Plus Model Mag for the invite!
Pictured above Blogger inspiration and sister in Cali, Marie Denee

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Welcome to Curvy in the City!

Well, not really welcome, but thanks for joining me here!  

I love to eat out and eat what I want (korean fried chicken and foie gras aren't exactly figure friendly) but I also want to feel beautiful and worthy of love at the same time.  Curvy in the City is an expression of my daily and perennial dilemma to justify my love of the city life (culture, cuisine, events, activities) and also as a means for me to begin to accept myself.

I began Curvy in the City in October 2012 with the Twitter handle @curvyinthecity and a Tumblr account. I began this journey, partly as a social media experiment (social media pro by day) and also because I knew that the thing holding me back in all facets of my life, was my lack of confidence, much of which was rooted in my life long struggle to NOT be a curvy girl.

I’ve been a size 8 through an 18 and while at each size people always remarked about my “figure."  Simultaneously, most of my life I was also asked if I wouldn’t be happier if I were a little bit smaller?  

You see, to those ex-boyfriends, old friends and family I wasn't "that fat," I could just stand to lose a few pounds, for me, of course (never for them). I felt as though there was something wrong with me, something I needed to change, because being curvy made me never quite "good enough."

This size paradigm chased beyond just interpersonal interactions.  Since I tend to hover between a 12-16, finding clothing that fits and fits well has been a life long struggle for me.  I could fit in to "straight" sized clothes...sometimes, if they even had my size. Then if i went to traditional plus-size retailers and department stores, they were either lacking style or didn't have things in my size either!  So because I didn't "fit" in any true paradigm of size this began to reinforce my low self perception.

However, Curvy in the City helped me realize that the issue of weight wasn’t totally about my body or fitting in to the latest fashions, it was more about me reforming my mind.  Reading articles about plus-size issues, seeing beautiful women who exude curvy confidence and tackling these issues forced me to begin to accept the fact that I am pretty fabulous and I deserve love and happiness without conditions—-no matter WHAT SIZE I HAPPEN TO BE!

As a result of all this, I wanted to open up the forum to have more orignal content, to bring my unique voice to this dialogue so I have expanded to this blog page!

Curvy in the City is my unique point of view on city life as a curvy woman.  A curvy lifestyle that embraces the love of my God given curves, city culture and cuisine.  When I speak to the curvy lifestyle, I speak with knowledge from the size 8-18 paradigm, although I am sure this isn’t the definitive curvy definition.  

Below are a few things that define the Curvy in the City perspective, they are some of my #curvyrules:

Run this town! Take advantage of all the events, attractions, tastes and sounds cities have to offer!
Accept your body for all it’s curves! (and sometimes lumps & bumps& dimples.) 
Eat REALLY, really GOOD food! (preferably tasty & good for you.) 
Keep on moving! An active, healthy and balanced lifestyle is a key to sustained happiness!
Know your worth! (and always be actively seeking to know it!) 
Be confident! 
Don't judge! (Body image is a issue outside of the curvy/plus size world as well. There is unity in knowing that many of our struggles are the same.)
Be a role model! (Walk in the awareness that your behavior influences others.) Your sense of self love, fashion, social and spiritual awareness should inspire yourself & others. 


Curvy in the City is one urbanista, attempting to help some one else realize what it took me decades to: 

Perfection is a myth.  

Life is a gift. 

Embrace your curves, embrace your life.

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Curvy Confidence: Korean Spa Days

One of my best friends turned 30 something the other day and we decided to brave the world of the Korean Spa.  We went back and forth between Spa Castle and King Sauna and finally decided on King Sauna mainly based on the price and overall rave reviews on Yelp.

King Sauna is a place for spa pros and not for the faint of heart!  However, I will say that I have never been more thoroughly scrubbed or massaged in my life.  One of the most daunting parts for most people, isn't the efficacy of the scrub (and believe me it's insanely efficient) its the nakedness.  At almost all times when you are in the woman's spa, you are naked.  Not only are you naked, other women are also there naked.  

For a curvy girl, a girl who has been for the most part taught to hide her body, this can be an "experience."   However, as a curvy girl, the experience is also liberating.  You see all shapes and size, no one has any place to hide anything.  You then begin to realize, it doesn't matter.  As you watch families, friends, scrubbing each other, and walking around unashamedly   You realize the way you look DOESN'T MATTER.  You are all here for the same purpose; and that purpose is to treat and love yourself.  

For $80 and a $25 tip you will be scrubbed by thorough and sweet korean woman with a loofah and soap.  Every part of your body will be buffed to perfection.  Then you are given a little face scrub, told to shower, sit in hot tub then finish off in steam sauna, you come back to a glorious multi techniqued wet massage.  You start off with a fresh cucumber mask and then the massage begins! Its a little traditional massage, a little hot stone and a little shiatsu, better yet, they STRETCH you out.  Hands down best massage, ever!  It ends with a nice shampoo/condition and you are a buffed moisturized goddess.

For the adventurous, you can try the Hip Bath, which is . . .

Well, basically you sit on a cushioned seat with a hole in the middle (think toilet seat) and under the whole is a steaming pot of tea to help rid your lady parts of disease and helps to clean and tighten the overall area.  It is in a word, intense.  However, I have to admit I have never felt so clean, down below.

Even with all the semi awkward moments as described above (nakedness evey where). The best thing about King Spa is that you can make a day of it!  King Spa is focused on sauna/dry heat so if you are looking for a wide variety of pools, jacuzzis, etc, this may not be the best place for you.  But, to my surprise the dry heat was quite wonderful and restorative.  Also, there are plenty of chances to have good Korean food or even catch a nap while watching Korean TV or the occasional football game.  This place (despite the nakedness) is also child and couple friendly.  I saw all ages here and everyone seemed to be throughly enjoying themselves.

Overall worth they $28 dollar admission (get the e-coupon!) and totally more than worth the price. I feel like this will soon become a part of my overall beauty regimen.

Take your friends, your boo or yourself and let go of how you feel.  

Curvy girl you are beautiful and don't ever forget it.

DETAILS:

King Sauna & Fitness

321 Commercial Ave

Palisades Park, NJ 07650

201-947-9955

http://kingsaunanj.com/

Read my Yelp (and other reviews as well) here.

Photos courtesy of: http://kingsaunanj.com/

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Mrs. Wilkes, you had me at hello!

When I travel I always like to research where it is I am going.  I like to find out the must see attractions and the best bars and restaurants. So when my girls and I planned a trip to Tybee Island just a few miles from Savannah, GA I was excited.

You see, I have been wanting to visit Tybee, ever since reading about it in Pearl Cleage's Baby Brother Blues.  Since, I am waiting on my very own Blue Hamilton I knew I had to check out this magical place.  Tybee doesn't disappoint, its beautiful.  We saw dolphins, sting rays and ate amazing seafood.  What makes Tybee truly special though is the sense of peace and serenity of the place with the fun, causal Southern fun of Savannah only 20 miles away.  

View from our rented one-bedroom condo

Savannah is such an interesting city.  It is a virtual ghost town and southern charm exudes out of every corner. But that my curvy friends is not what excited me most about Savannah. No, it was the allure of fried chicken!

An avid Food Network and Travel Channel watcher I'd heard of Mrs. Wilkes.  The place is often mentioned in best places to eat list, all raving about the fried chicken, beef stew, country biscuits and more.  I HAD to go there, h-a-d to. I mean what curvy girl turns down a legendary Southern meal, and on vacation nonetheless.

OMG, Mrs. Wilkes is one of those places you MUST eat at once in your life.  This place is on my food bucket list. (Yes, I'm curvy I have a food bucket list.)  The food here was an experience.  

First, the wait is insane.  But you know that going in.  The thing about the wait, however; you get to meet the people in line and you have an idea about who you'll be eating with, since at Mrs. Wilkes you're eating family style.  

Once you get in the door you are lead in to a home with tables all set up, you pick an empty table and sit down to a full table full of Southern goodness.  One bite, sent me way back in to my childhood.  If I didn't know better my great grandmother, or Mother as we called her, was back there cooking.  They even made sweet potatoes like hers with coconut.  I found out that that style of southern cooking is known as "low country," and the delicious flavors took me back to the recipes and flavors I had grown up eating and learning how to cook.

Was it the best fried chicken I ever ate? Not sure about that one, but it is up there with some of the best I've ever eaten.  My other personal favorites on the menu: 

• beef stew (they make this simple dish taste like a rock star)
• sweet potatoes (mashed with butter, coconut, raisins and pecans--like Mother made)
• black-eyed peas (better than mine, and mine are d*mn good)
• turnips
• greens
• dirty rice/jambalaya
• mashed potatoes and gravy
• cabbage
• BBQ pork (also, in a word ridiculous)
• creamed corn
• BISCUITS!
• cornbread

The list above, isn't even HALF of what they bring you out to eat.  With sweet tea or water to drink, its like the Southern Sunday Dinner on acid.  What's more they bring out cobbler or banana pudding for dessert!

Mrs. Wilkes has a winning formula, good service, consistent delicious food and a heritage of low country southern cooking that made the trip to Savannah delicious and I certainly left a bit curvier.

Details:
Rent a condo with Tybee Vacation Rentals stay on the north end of the island if you prefer dolphin watching and less traffic and south if you want more local attractions, bars, etc.

YOU MUST EAT AT:
Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room
107 West Jones Street
Savannah, GA 31401
http://mrswilkes.com/
Open Monday-Friday
$18, cash only 
11-2pm

(pictured above, the spread POST meal)

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