|Style| Under The Sea

Since the Ripley’s Aquarium opened last year I've been so excited to go.  As a self proclaimed mermaid in a past life, I've always been fascinated by what’s under the sea.  There is so much life in the waters of the world, which I find so interesting and inspiring.  That, and I've always wanted to be in one of those ‘in the aquarium’ kind of aquariums.

For my 31st birthday my BF took me to the aquarium.  Having partied the night before, I was happy to have a chill birthday with my man and take in the aquarium at ease.  We went on Monday the 14th (my actual birthday), which also meant that most children would be at school, and not running around me screaming (I’m not at all a kid person.  Dogs yes, kids, no.).  

I also wanted to be comfortable.  I paired my new marbled joggers with studded flats and a roomy, gauzy tunic.  I topped that off with my new blower hat (hats might be a new thing for me) and a classic worn-in denim jacket.

jacket - Old Navy | top - Addition Elle | joggers and hat - Forever21 | shoes and earrings - Topshop | bag - Spring

It was a chill and fascinating day.  I took so many Instagram pictures that I must have flooded my followers‘ feeds (sorry, not sorry).  I felt like a little kid in awe of all the amazing creatures I got to experience.  It was a wonderful way to spend my birthday.

|Style| Birthday Witch, Supreme Style

dress and vest (modified jacket) - Forever21 | belt - Penningtons | leggings - Old Navy | shoes - Spring | hat - ebay | purse - gift from Protugal

I love birthdays.  More specifically, I love my birthday!  From the age of 24, I’ve been celebrating with themed parties, under the banner Gettin’ Loose And Messy With Jessie.  Since the first annual GLAMWJ Presents, there have been themes like Vegas Baby, The Mad Men Birthday (complete with early ‘60s fashions) and last year’s Peter Pan themed birthday (my 30th).  The themes come from all kinds of inspiration.  It could be the age I’m turning, a costume idea or a show or movie I’m into at the time.  This year drew inspiration from the latter.  

It was no surprise to people that know me well that I was obsessed with American Horror Story: Coven this year.  The story may have gotten a little side tracked at times, but there was no denying the killer style and design the show brought to the small screen (also see my On Wednesdays We Wear Black post).  The idea to turn my love of the FX show into my 31st birthday theme came from a lunch date with one of my best girlfriends.  We were enjoying a delicious meal at Southern Accent, a Cajun/Creole restaurant celebrating the food and culture of New Orleans.  As I was eating my chicken fried steak it dawned on me, this would be the perfect place to have a Coven themed party and a fabulous excuse to buy myself a version of the amazing hats I was living for on AHS: Coven!

Gettin’ Loose And Messy With Jessie Presents: Biffi’s The New Supreme - The American Horror Story: Coven Edition took place on April 13th.  Party guests were asked to infuse their favourite witch’s style into their outfit.  And as Fiona Goode would say, “wear something...black”.  

My look was a little Zoe meets Queenie, with a Biffi edge.  I paired a racer-back dress dress with a spiked jacket-turned-vest.  I punched up the witch vibe with a wide brimmed felt hat and cutout oxfords.  

The celebration was fantastic.  Great food and amazing friends (that also looked on point in their Coven inspired outfits), what more could I ask for?  I even got the opportunity to sit down with one of the in-house tarot card readers and have a spiritually guided conversation about what my next 12 months will bring with my career and with the BF.  It was very interesting and gave me a few things to think about.  

This was one of the best GLAMWJs yet.  I can’t thank everyone enough for coming out and celebrating with me in style!  You made getting one year older feel like the greatest thing in the world.  I am truly blessed.    

I wonder what I’ll do next year...

|Profile| PRiMAALA Part 2

Back in March I got a chance to check out the media opening of PRiMAALA.  Having had my own exclusive preview with store owner Rachel Holt, before the store was technically ready, it was amazing to see the racks full, stock tagged and the store in full swing.  As Rachel gave a quick tour and chatted about which brands were her focus, I couldn’t help but shop.  Having a chance to play dress up the first time didn’t stop me from popping back in the adorable change rooms to try on a few more must haves. 

Lundström tunic

The final touches

I fell in love with this Lundström cocoon sweater after seeing it on display.  I’m really into pieces with multi wear lately.  The fact that you can wear this as a cozy cocoon or as more of a shawl makes it versatile and the perfect season transitioning piece.

I also couldn’t walk away from snapping up these stunning Frug earrings.  I paired them with a few outfits in my first PRiMAALA post, but have been thinking about them ever since.  I love the metals used and the shape.  I know they will get lots of wear.

Outfit of the day:
blazer and t-shirt - Forever21 | skirt - Addition Elle | boots - Penningtons | necklace - Topshop | bracelet - Stella & Dot

I also got the opportunity to chat with Rachel on camera about PRiMAALA, check out the video below.

|Event| New Circles Plus Size Prom Donations

My birthday is less than one week away. As I face turning 31, I think about all the things I’ve done, and how some of those things seem so long ago. Especially at this time of year, prom always comes to mind. It feels like forever ago that I went to my high school prom (fade into movie montage of my two proms...yup, I’m an OAC grad, last of my kind, so I got two proms!)

Prom...getting all dressed up. Picking out the perfect dress and shoes. Doing your hair and makeup just so. Obviously getting your nails done! It’s an incredible time. When I went to prom, which was over a decade ago (wow...is it getting hot in here...anyone else seeing double?) I wish I had the selection of dresses that the plus size girl has today! But I know it can still be difficult, not to mention expensive.

A few days ago I was contacted by the New Circles Community Services, an non-profit organization that helps low-income families. One important mission of New Circles is to aid the youth of these families put together a dream prom look, at no charge to them. They unfortunately are low on plus size and accessory donations and I offered to help by getting the word out there about what they do.

New Circles will be taking donations (everything from shoes, dresses, accessories, makeup, suits, tuxedos and more) up until April 17th. The event itself will take place on April 26th, from 10am to 4pm. Personal shopper volunteers will spend an hour with each student to give them a full shopping experience and deck them out from head to toe. Knowing how pricey prom can be, I think this is such an amazing cause!

If you are interested in helping out in anyway, please check out New Circles for more information. You can also find them on Facebook. Please donate if you can. Prom is something everyone should be able to experience and everyone deserves to look fabulous for their special night.