Charming Pumpkin Goes Frock Stock!

Hey everybody! Just a quick post to let you know that the beautiful Loren of Frock Stock graciously invited me to pen a guest post for her blog. Squeeeeeeal! Loren and I became online friends right around the time I started Charming Pumpkin. On the prowl for plus sized items that fit Frock Stock's aesthetic, Loren contacted me for advice about potential plus sized articles of clothing for her online store, Frock Stock. Many, many wonderful emails later, Loren settled on some of the cutest plus sized clothes I've seen online. It's very Modcloth... only cheaper, and for curvier gals. Frock Stock has an ever-expanding collection of plus sized clothing, so check back regularly for new additions!

For my guest post, I put together a few outfits using two of my favorite plus size items currently on offer at Frock Stock. The clothes are cute, they're vintage inspired, and best of all, they're reasonably priced. You can find my post here, so pop on over and say hello!

p.s. Don't forget to check out Frock Stock's accessories. They're adorable!

#4: Wedding Planning Update

I'm all, "Hiiiiieee!" Mr. CP is all, *smug face*... or, "Quoi?" I can't decide which.

Sorry I've been an absentee blogger recently. Life has been a bit hectic, so I'm struggling to keep up with everything. Since it's been so long since my last wedding update, I figured I'd go ahead and fill you in on the wedding plans as they currently stand.

I have a confession to make. I'm not much of a wedding person. You know how a lot of little girls run around wearing pillow cases over their heads pretending to be brides? I didn't do that. I pretended to be an astronaut. Or, when I was in high school, Indiana Jones. True story. I worked on archaeology digs and learned Latin, both of which are mind-numbingly boring, by the way. But I digress. Growing up, I occasionally talked to my girlfriends (now unofficial bridesmaids!) about what The Guy would be like. In my more emo-tacular moments I even entertained the notion that no one, ever, anywhere in the whole Universe could possibly understand my pain, and wrote surly poetry about it. But on those occasions when I was thinking about The Guy, it was always vague; always unclear. Because, to be honest, getting married was never really a priority for me. I was never against the idea. I just never thought too much about it. If it happened great, and if not great. 

In point of fact, I'm fairly certain that just about everybody close to me was shocked when it became clear just how serious things were between Mr. CP and I. The post-engagement conversations I had were essentially a variation on the same theme: "You're getting married? I always assumed that you might find someone to spend your life with, but I never thought you'd get married!" I never found it insulting. On the contrary, all of those conversations were absolutely hilarious. Something in me rejoices when I have the opportunity to surprise people. ;)

Because I never really thought too much about my "future wedding," the process of organizing everything has been interesting. I've learned a few things about myself. What I've learned first and foremost is this: all the trappings of a wedding -- announcements, photographs, the dress, the groom's attire -- are largely irrelevant to me. I mean, sure, they're things I'm thinking about. But they're just details, details that will really only matter for a tiny fraction of one day that is itself just a tiny fraction of the rest of my life. The wedding, at least for me, isn't the point. The marriage is the point. Growing magnificently crotchety, and exceptionally wrinkly with Mr. CP is the point. And focusing on that has allowed me to accept, guilt-free, the fact that we just don't want a big, traditional, fancy pants wedding.

SO, here's what we've planned so far:

• I picked out a dress! Huzzah! It's not white. Double huzzah! It has six -- count 'em, six -- petticoats. Yeah, those will be getting the old heave-ho. 
• Mr. CP seems to like the idea of a natural colored linen suit. I left it up to him. He could wear board shorts, and an old t-shirt if he wanted to. I'd still claim him. =P
• The wedding date has been set for February 6, 2013 on Maui in Hawaii. We're planning on spending the weekish beforehand with our guests. 
• The guest list is itty bitty. We're currently sitting at a whopping 3 guests.
• There won't be a wedding party. Just our guests standing around us on a beach.
• Instead of a rehearsal dinner, we will be attending a luau, and gorging ourselves on delicious food. Oh, man, am I going to eat!
• Our honeymoon: a 7-day cruise that will hit all the Hawaiian islands.
• Let me preface this next bit by saying that I have nothing at all against traditional wedding vows. I think that they're beautiful and meaningful, particularly if they're important to the couple in question. They're just not our cup of tea. Looking at the vows typically used by the company we're going through for our ceremony, I can't actually imagine saying them without a) feeling vaguely uncomfortable and b) laughing. Don't get me wrong. I plan to do a lot of laughing during our vows. But they're going to be just that: our vows. We're writing our own. Because we're history geeks -- Mr. CP is about to finish up his PhD in Ancient Roman History, and I spent a couple years working towards a PhD in Early American History -- there will be a lot of bad history jokes. "You're the Julius Caesar to my Brutus" is one option, though arguably not a good one what with the whole betrayal/assassination thing. Maybe, "You're the Julius Caesar to my Brutus, pre-Ides of March" is an option. Ahem. Any and all suggestions are welcome. The more ridiculous the better.

Review: Eliza Parker Portofino By Night Dress

Alternatively Titled, "Kelsey vs. The Cleavage-Baring Dress"

Dress: c/o Eliza Parker/ Portofino By Night Dress in Black (here)

Earrings: Forever 21

Bangle: Forever 21

Belt: Target

When Eliza Parker recently offered to send me an item of my choosing from their online store, I squealed with delight. Lilli and Rebecca had both managed to convince me that Eliza Parker makes some of the comfiest -- and most beautiful! -- clothes out there, so I had been dying to feature the brand on Charming Pumpkin. I waffled back and forth a bit about what I wanted, but ultimately settled on the Portofino By Night Dress in Black. My reasons were two-fold: first, I own exactly zero -- count 'em, ZERO -- long dresses. Second, low cut dresses and I have had an interesting? hate hate? relationship in the past. In the interest of trying something new, though, I figured this would be a wonderful opportunity to give a long, low cut dress a whirl, and boy am I glad that I did!

Made of a soft, weighty, wrinkle-free and luxurious jersey knit fabric, the Portofino by Night Dress is fully lined, and has thick straps for those of us with, ahem, heftier maidens in the chestal area. No spaghetti straps here, ladies. Hallelujah! I sit right around 5 feet 6 inches tall, and the dress proved to be the perfect length with flats; it doesn't drag on the ground at all.

I initially had no idea what kind of a bra to wear under this dress, low cut as it is. Enter the amazing and oh-so-helpful Jessica. I sent her an email enquiring what the models on the website wore under this dress, all the while crossing my fingers that they hadn't rigged something up that involved copious amount of duct tape, and no small amount of luck. Thankfully, she responded promptly and informed me that the models had worn one of Lane Bryant's plunge bras. How's that for customer service?

I cannot even begin to tell you how much I love this dress. As I'm sure you've noticed, I don't typically wear low-cut dresses. I apparently have the sensibilities of a Victorian maiden that way. I felt surprisingly comfortable and at ease in this dress, though. I felt sophisticated. While it certainly falls ever-so-slightly on the dressier end of the spectrum, the Portofino By Night can be dressed up or down depending upon the occasion, which makes it a versatile addition to anyone's closet.

Eliza Parker carries dresses from sizes 10/12 to 26/28, and every single item on the site is impeccably tailored, beautifully colored, and utterly flattering for curvier figures. I have my eye on the Monaco Dress in Burgundy and the Nantucket Dress in Navy. If you haven't checked out Eliza Parker's site, you should head over there right now! I would be shocked -- shocked! -- if something doesn't catch your eye.

Eliza Parker's founder, Jessica, was kind enough to answer some questions for all of you about her clothing collection! Enjoy reading her answers; I know I did! =)

CP: When did you first know that you wanted to break into the fashion industry? 

I have been plus size my entire life, and I have always been passionate about fashion. Throughout my life, I have struggled to find stylish clothing that fit my body. I did a bit of research and found that I was not alone. 43% of women in the US are size 14+ and many of them are unsatisfied with current apparel offerings. If you walk into a shopping mall, there may be six stores where a plus size woman can shop, but 40 stores for a "straight-size" woman. The opportunity was apparent, and I knew that with the right team, we could offer curvy women stylish clothing that fits.

CP: What's your design and/or fashion philosophy?  

Fit is critical and I love silhouettes that show off a woman's curves.  I also spend a lot of time thinking about fabrics, colors, prints, and special details and trims.  My goal is to excite our customers.  I want women to wear our clothing and love it.  I develop silhouettes that flatter the curves, pick fabrics that are luxuriously comfortable, and add details, like pockets, that make me smile. 

CP: What is your design process?

We sketch out different ideas, develop patterns and samples, and have fittings with our fit model to perfect the fit and details.  We will never produce anything unless everyone on the team loves it.  I even wear all of the samples out on a couple of occasions to make sure that I'm happy with the fit and that the style can be worn multiple ways.  The fit, style, and fabric all have to work together perfectly before we'll put it into production.

CP: What's your favorite thing about what you do?  

I love interacting with our customers.  I try to personally answer as many emails from customers as possible.  I want to hear feedback (good and bad!) about our clothes and service. 

CP: How would you describe the quintessential Eliza Parker woman?

I am designing for a woman who is always on the go. Our customer needs great separates for work and party dresses to wear to weddings, cocktail events, and other occasions. She is stylish and loves clothing that fits her curves. 

CP: How would you describe your collection's aesthetic?

Our aesthetic is classic with a twist. Many of our looks can be worn season after season and are easy to

transition from work to play. At the same time, we add great details and trims that keep our styles youthful, special and on trend.

CP: What are your current favorite pieces?

It's so hard to pick a favorite (it's like picking a favorite child!).  I will say that I wear the Sofia dress every week and I wear the Million Ways Cardigan almost every other day.  Both are just so easy, comfortably and chic.  My favorite party dresses right now are the Monaco and Portofino.  

CP: Where do you find your inspiration?

I love to draw inspiration from 1950s and 60s silhouettes -- a time when women's curves were really celebrated.  Our Monaco dress was inspired by a dress that Grace Kelly wore in Rear Window.  It's timeless and dramatic, yet wonderfully charming. 

*Eliza Parker was kind enough to send me this item free of charge. This in no way affected my opinion of the item or the company. I'm an opinionated beast of a woman, so you can be sure that if I hadn't liked the item and/or company I would have said so. For serious.