Love, Lydia - Notes from a geeky, plus sized artist.: date night
Showing posts with label date night. Show all posts
Showing posts with label date night. Show all posts

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Geek Week Fashion Challenge

Hi Friends!


Sorry I've been on a bit of a break from writing.  I've been going crazy producing videos on my YouTube channel.  I'm going to create some posts here for them to make them all available for you all very soon though.  I have a ton of things I want to write about too, so I'm excited to get to it.  I'm just trying to find balance between writing and making videos.  This month videos won, but next month should be better.  I'm not going to go into it all too much though, or I'd be here all night.

What I'm really here to write about today is the Geek Week themed challenge I've been doing this week with the Geeks & Beauties Community!  Different people approached this from a bunch of perspectives, and I decided to go with a fashion one.  First because I love making geeky fashion choices and it's been a while since I touched on the subject despite that being the last thing I wrote about technically speaking.  So let's take a peek!


Geek Week Fashion Challenge

Look #1

This book and fairy tale themed look includes a short sleeved shirt from Threadless.com, undershirt from Walmart, jeans from Torrid, and socks from Hot Topic.

Look #2

Day two shows itself in this Ravenclaw inspired outfit featuring a locally made necklace (purchased at the 2014 Boylan Heights Art Walk in Raleigh, NC), Top from Old Navy, Skirt from Charlotte Russe, leggings by LuLaRoe, and flats from American Eagle by Payless.

Look #3

This outfit was a fun one, I wore it for our Pokemon Tabletop RPG to channel trainers from the video game.  Items included are a vest from a boutique in Grandin Village, Roanoke, VA, tee from Hot Topic, wet look ponte pants from Lane Bryant, and flats by Reaction.

Look #4


We couldn't forget a Doctor Who outfit in the mix!  This one features a DIY key necklace, hair pin rose from Forever 21, 9th Doctor Dress by Her Universe◊(Affiliate to main site, dress no longer available), leggings from Modcloth◊(Affiliate), and flats by American Eagle by Payless. 

Look #5


Going with the Thor idea this outfit's a bit of medieval meets modern, Female Thor V Neck Tee by Her Universe◊(Affiliate), shorts by Torrid, Leggings by Bombsheller (This pair's no longer available, but there are hundreds more designs and you can get an affiliate discount with code GEEKMEUP), clutch by Deux Lux, and sneakers by Converse.

Thanks for sticking with me, let me know what you think and feel free to ask questions about sizing or anything else in the comments.  See you again soon.  Please check out my friend's work below if you've got the time!














Other Geeks & Beauties work for Geek Week


Sadie by Design -  http://www.sadiebydesign.com/2016/03/announcing-geek-week/

Lea Graham -  https://www.instagram.com/p/BDO-HuGBjXP/?taken-by=lovehellokittyandmakeup

ZombeeKittyMeow -  https://www.instagram.com/p/BDNS_iBClti/?taken-by=zombeekittymeow

Jasy - https://www.instagram.com/p/BDPjlxIA4IS/?taken-by=jasyuniquelyme
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDRiTpXg4B7/?taken-by=jasyuniquelyme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwZ_pxTku_E

ZombiieeNinjjaBeauty - http://zombiieeninjjabeauty.weebly.com/blog/geek-week-cult-classic-wants 
https://instagram.com/p/BDPi1DyD5hQ/
http://zombiieeninjjabeauty.weebly.com/blog/my-zombie-obsession



Jennifer Roman - https://www.instagram.com/romanj00/

Dusty Sabot - https://instagram.com/p/BDUr9cRHAAu/

xxBeautifulAliciaxx -  https://www.instagram.com/xxbeautifulaliciaxx/

Lena7623 - https://youtu.be/-s3KbkzqzIk

Monday, February 15, 2016

Valentine's Day Celebrations, Beauty Swap, and Card Exchange

Hi Folks,


Update

I've been busy this past week and fighting off a cold.  This winter is just a tough one for my body apparently.  But there are lots of good things to appreciate as well.  I've been filming a bunch of videos, mostly unboxings of fun beauty and lifestyle boxes.  I also have that darn winter capsule wardrobe post nearly ready to post.  I know I keep saying it's coming, but I keep running into snags while putting it together.  It'll be here soon, promise!  (Maybe today!?)

MuteMath

Friday I headed out with my brother in law Michael to see MuteMath at The Cat's Cradle.  The last time I saw them live was back in 2006...the last time they were at the venue with Switchfoot actually.  While I don't think they allowed SLR cameras at the show I did take some reasonable phone shots and a little video I thought I'd share.  The show was just amazing, MuteMath is one of my favorite live bands hands down!



02-12-2016 Mute Math


Hopefully you can get a feel for their energy!  I think I was dancing almost the whole time!

Valentine's Day Celebrations

Next up is the real reason for this post - I wanted to share a pair of videos I made for Valentine's Day!   I did a card exchange with some fellow bloggers and YouTubers from the Geeks & Beauties Community.  And I also participated in a beauty swap challenge where Zainey Laney and I bought each other the makeup for a Valentine's Day date look for under $10!  These were both loads of fun and if you hop over to the videos on YouTube you can see links to other folks from the group joined in as well.  Part 1 has the cards and me opening the items for the beauty look.  Part 2 is putting on the makeup and chatting about life!




The cold I've had also made me have to take off the makeup almost immediately after putting it on....my eyes were just so itchy.  It made me sad.  And things stayed that way for our actual Valentine's Day date as well.  So I went with some extra bright lipstick and a couple doses of medication to help me make it to our double date with Bryan's parents.  We decided to see The Force Awakens again, and went out to lunch once we realized we'd have to catch a slightly later show than planned because the show we wanted was sold out.  It gave us a chance to go eat at Chili's together, and do a bit of shopping before the movie as well.  We oogled some board games at Game Theory, a great local gaming shop.  There may need to be some board game review posts here in the future!  We also discovered once we arrived at the theater that it was newly renovated and had super nice reclining seats.  We had a wonderful time watching Star Wars a second time and came up with more fan theories (you can hear some of my initial ones in this post) and discussed what we'd observed since we listened to the Hello Internet podcast on The Force Awakens this past week as well.  Here's a parting shot of us!



Thanks for reading, I'll see you all again soon.

www.lydiadickson.com

Monday, January 25, 2016

Find Your Perfect Valentine's Day - Quiz!

Hi folks,

This post is going to be fun and you know it, because it's a quiz.  I made it because I'm part of a great group called the Geeks & Beauties Community.  Some of us are going a collaboration this month where we all write a post with a Valentine's Day theme, and link to each others posts.  So if you'd like to check them out please scroll to the bottom of this post!  I'll be adding each post as they go up this week.

So I've been wanting to make a quiz for a while and this was the perfect excuse.  Are you wondering what to do for Valentine's Day?  Maybe you just don't want to think about it.  That's ok, take this quick quiz and maybe it'll decide for you.



Geeky Valentine's Day Date Planner

The day is coming, and no I'm not talking about the zombie apocalypse - Valentine's Day. No mater whether you're single or with a significant other you need a plan. Maybe it will even involve prepping some weapons to train for surviving in a dystopian future. Let's take a look deep into your soul and find your perfect fate in 7 easy questions.

  1. What's your immediate thought when someone mentions that Valentine's Day is coming up?

  2. Ugh, what an excuse for spending money!
    I guess I should do something so I'm not alone.
    I just want someone nice to spend the day with this year.
    I can't wait to plan something fun.
    Flowers, chocolate, and fancy dinners, this will be the best year ever!

  3. Pick your poison...

  4. The dark antihero story.
    I like all kinds of stories!
    A lighthearted comedy.
    Anything with David Tennant, or {insert other geek crush here}.
    A romantic story.

  5. What's you favorite kind of Con

  6. Conning someone into paying for a free dinner...that person on Tinder has no idea.
    I'm happy going to the one my significant other wants to go to.
    I'm up for an Anime or Comic convention every once in a while.
    Can I please go to all the ones near me?
    I'm not really into cons, too many people for me!

  7. What's you favorite holiday

  8. Valentine's Day
    Christmas
    New Years Eve
    Halloween
    Thanksgiving

  9. You have Saturday free so you:

  10. Take a trip to the farmer's market and cook up something tasty with a friend.
    Have to finish reading this fantastic book or binge watching another season of that awesome show.
    Get some shopping done and head out on the town all evening.
    Want to try that great new ethnic restaurant your co-workers told you about.
    Have a game night at your place with friends; grab your dice/controllers!

  11. How much planning do you want to put into this?

  12. A bit I suppose.
    Meh, I'll think of something...
    Why bother, it's just another day!
    I'm down for planning as long as it's worth it.
    I'll take care of everything!

  13. When all things are said and done you'd really like spend the day:

  14. Having a romantic day with that special someone.
    Keeping myself occupied to take my mind off the depressing stuff.
    Having fun geeking out with a person I love.
    Doing whatever I want!
    Going on a unique adventure.

A score of 7-15 = This just isn't your kind of day, put on some headphones, dive into something you love, hit ignore and do your own thing.

A score of 15-29 = Maybe you're single, maybe you're just not into big shows of affection, either way you should get together with a good friend or two and do something fun without any pressure.

A score of 30-50 = You like to keep things light and don't want something fussy. Whatever you do keep it simple so you can enjoy it without worrying about plans too much. Dinner and a movie is a classic that works well for you.

A score of 51-69 = Whether you're geeky or not you want to do something special and you're willing to put some effort in to make it memorable. Head out to a late night cult classic after hitting a foodie hotspot, or surprise your favorite person with tickets to that con or event they've been eying during your dinner date!

A score of 70-84 = Do you even need to read this? You know you want the most romantic day ever! Maybe that means it'll be a little sappy, but that's ok, the person you're spending the day with loves you. Just don't get too obsessed with planning that you can't enjoy each moment of the fun you have planned.


After hitting the button above if you follow the "Give Me More" link you can enter my giveaway for an Enchanted Beauty Box, or just go here to enter and hear more about this new Disney themed beauty box!

Thanks for reading, and be sure to tell me if you liked this quiz in the comments below.


Other Valentine's Day Posts From My Friends


From ZombiieeNinjjaBeauty we have this post on what shouldn't be on your gift list this year.



A great makeup look and giveaway with Realby Lamona.



From Bethany Summer we have a Valentine's Day date look the goes from head to toe!


Zainey Laney has another installment in her amazing Makeup & A Movie Series.



And finally Southeast by Midwest is here to share a great makeup tutorial.

Monday, January 4, 2016

New Years Resolutions or All The Lists

Hi friends!


It's a brand new year and I'm excited to hit the ground running now that the last Christmas celebrations are completed (The first weekend of January we had an extended family shindig).  In past years I haven't done much in the way of making resolutions, I've never believed in diets or going cold turkey to change your life.  But this year I'm going to try at a couple that I know will make my life better in healthy incremental ways that I wait to keep up for the rest of my life.

New Years Resolutions


  1. Make smaller attainable goals for my life each month, to improve my motivation levels.
  2. Not be discouraged by my failures, but learn from them.  Mostly the not be discouraged part though, 'cause seriously...I fail at my goals so often because life and mental health issues just happen.
  3. Celebrate the good stuff no matter how small, to cultivate gratitude and boost my positive thinking.
  4. Exercise daily, which is a habit I will build gradually.  But eventually I want to have at least 5 minutes and ideally 30 minutes spent doing something that's not sitting on my butt.
  5. Do some of the things I've had my list forever, and by this I mean fun things like that book I've meant to read, tackling Steam games I've had for over a year without trying, and new foods or travel experiences.
To get things started off I'm going to go over some of my January goals here, because writing about them makes me feel more motivated to take them on.

January Goals

  1. Write or post videos here 3 times a week.
  2. Get in exercise 2-3 times a week consistently this month.  Learn to love it along the way.
  3. Play 2 new Steam games, read 5 new books, listen to new music every week.
  4. Do one of those new things every day, because they're fun!
  5. Try cleaning my house for 15 minutes each day.

January Blog Related Goals

I almost didn't share this with you guys, but I feel like it's a really important part of what I'm doing that needs to be seen.  Bloggers work hard too, especially when we're making it our job.  And that's my main goal these days, which is hard sometimes, but all my successes get me excited.  I really want to share that with you all!

  1. Meet my new monthly goal of over 5,000 visitors here.  Last month I was down a bit at 2134, but in November I had 3630.  I can do this!
  2. Post to social media daily and increase followers to the specified numbers - Facebook page 125, Twitter 350, Tsu, empowr, and Instagram 500), and post to YouTube weekly to work my way to 50 subscribers.
  3. Blog about the cool new things I'm trying out.  Seriously, this is the fun part that I get to share with you guys!  Also I want stick with my planned post schedule at least 60% this month.
  4. Contact some companies that I love or want to try out and review them here in partnership posts.
  5. Give my blog a beautiful facelift with the help of some great branding advisors.
Here's a peek at some of the font tests, a bit of which I'm already starting to implement!


This Week's "Menu"

  1. Start the cleaning and exercise routines mentioned above.
  2. Start the post routines on social media.
  3. Plan time for fun new things daily and make it happen.
  4. Write a book review post Wednesday.  (Let's see how I did on my 2015 reading challenge!)
  5. Finish creating my Winter 2016 Capsule Wardrobe. (So excited about this one!)
  6. Prep for and then talk to my branding advisors.
As you can see things are looking good, and I'm hoping for a fantastic year of growth in many areas of my life.  And to top things off, this past week Bryan and I had our third anniversary.  We have yet to really sit down and celebrate it, but we're going to try to do something special soon.  This week we're opting for a normal date night, which I don't mind since we're just getting back into the swing of things after all the busyness of the holidays.

I hope all you readers had a great holiday season, let me know what your resolutions are in comments.  Or better yet tell me how you've been able to keep up with the resolutions you've made in the past!  Tips are always welcome when you're just starting out in any new endeavor.


Happy New Year,


Friday, August 21, 2015

"What has It Got in Its Pocketses?"

Hi folks,

So today I've got just one outfit for you and the fun of seeing what's in my bag.  The only thing missing is my phone, which I used to take the picture!



Wallet (from Target a couple years ago with money, cards, and coupons inside)

Notebook (Fabriano brand with dotted instead of lined paper, where I keep my notes plus sketches)

A pen or mechanical pencil are always with me

Keychain (keys, Oregon keyring, Happy Meal toy Bratz legs, and a little Swiss Army Knife with scissors, pen, LED light, screwdriver, knife, and nail file all on my Columbus College of Art and Design lanyard I've been using since freshmen year)

At least two lip products.  (The ones in this shot are Starlooks Lip Gloss in Guilty Pleasure, Nyx Butter Lip Balm in Red Velvet, Naked Lips Organic Lip Balm in Peppermint, and Jane Iredale Just Kissed Lip & Cheek Stain in Forever Pink.)

Some kind of mints that aren't mint flavored (Bryan doesn't like mint flavors) Strawberry Tic Tacs and Choward's Violet Mints (weird but great)

Headache and allergy meds (I use Goody's Pain Powders mostly)

A sharpie (random)

Coke or Sprite caps (random, but not unusual since I use the codes for gift cards and movie tickets)

A piece of scrap paper with post office info since we're still trying to clear up some issues with out mail service. (le sigh)

Coins turned into magnets as a project.  I only realized today that I can take them out and put them up since we're done moving.

And lastly photo gear - an Olloclip fisheye, micro, macro lens set, and also I'm going to start carrying my new Joby Gorillapod tripod for phone pictures. (shown below)


What do you carry with you everyday?


And finally the promised outfit from our recent poetry slam date night, taken by Bryan while we were on UNC Chapel Hill's campus for the slam (won by our housemate DJ with a love poem!):
bag - Rosetti via TJMaxx, kimono - ASOS, gold leaf necklace - Pick Your Plum, top - Kmart, skirt - Catos, sneakers - Converse via Macy's

And yes, the quote used for the title of the post is straight from The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien.  Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to show me what's in your pockets in the comments.

Love,
Lydia

Saturday, August 15, 2015

Thoughts on Fast Fashion


Hi guys,

This week marks my last week trying out Gwynnie Bee (a plus sized clothing rental service), which has come with just one real success.  Everything else just didn't work for me in some way or another.  Which is why I love being able to try things on before buying them, but when it comes to shopping Bryan is not such a fan of going with me.  It means I buy more online and try to make my shopping trips fast or with someone other than my husband.  I always look forward to our week at the beach each year knowing I'll get to have a trip to the outlets where I can spend an afternoon trying all kinds of thing and hopefully coming home with a few good finds.  This year was no exception, however I'm waiting to unveil new things with my fall capsule.  However, I did find myself trying to buy more than I needed, which is something I hope to continue changing with the capsule wardrobe.  I want to get to a point where I'm less tempted to buy things I already have a similar one of and also move towards more ethical and perhaps sustainable clothing.

Ethical and Sustainable Clothing


I know it's not something most of us think too much about, but more often these days I think it should be.  Almost all of us buy these clothes, and we don't often think much of it.  Perhaps we feel some guilt, but it's a habit we like.  For some of us it's hard to afford more expensive clothing after all. But clothes are often made by people, frequently children, in poor conditions who are underpaid for their labor.  This is covered up by subcontractors who sent jobs to cheaper factories and workers so that we can have the trendiest and cheapest clothing that fast fashion can offer us.  The process is explained more fully in this John Oliver video. (Warning - he's funny and informative, but uses foul language)


My goal in the next year is to transition to more ethical brands, which can be tough in plus sized fashion.  But I know I can at least move closer to this ideal with each capsule I build.  At the moment I'm compiling a list of places that carry plus sized fashion that fits this description and will be sharing it with my readers and keeping it updated as well as I can.  You'll be able to find it in the top navigation bar along with more information on some of my other goals and a more detailed profile, so that all you new friends can get to know me better.  You'll also notice I'm transitioning to a new look for this blog, so feel free to give feedback along the way.  And if you've heard of any great plus sized clothing brands who are doing things right let me know and I'll include them on my list!

Outfits


And now here are a couple of the outfits I've worn over the past few weeks, including a new kimono which I am in love with, which replaces the geometric top in my capsule.  I found I wasn't comfortable in the top, so it will be finding a new home soon as I prepare to give away/sell more of my clothes that don't properly fit while I create my fall capsule.  This first outfit is from a date night right before the family reunion.

Kimono - ASOS, Camisole - Kmart, Shorts Levis via Amazon, Sandals - Modcloth
This next outfit is from our double date night at the beach with Davey and Keri.  We dressed up a little, I ended up being the least dressed up since I decided not to wear the Gwynnie Bee dress I'd brought with me.  More details on that further down.
Kimono - ASOS, Necklace by my friend Amber Goulet (detailed view below, you can find her blog here), top - City Chic, Shorts - Lane Bryant, Sandals - Modcloth

I love this pendant to death, it used to have a leather cord, but it wore out and I switched it onto a silver chain I had.
Earlier this week we went to the memorial service for our nephew who passed away recently, so this is what I wore to that.
Top - Catos, Skirt - Torrid, Sandals - Modcloth

Gwynnie Bee Tests

So now for the Gwynnie Bee picks, first off the clear winner, a lovely asymmetrical top that's a Gwynnie Bee exclusive by Isabel + Alice.  I ended up buying it because I loved it so much.  I wore it to this week's date night in fact!


Tunic - Gwynnie Bee, Necklace - Forever 21, Jeans - Torrid, and Fjip-Flops - Old Navy

Dress by Adrianna Papell, just a bit too big.

 

Dress by ABS, fit ok, except for that zipper.


 

Dress by Triste, fit fine, but required shapewear to be smooth looking....and I wasn't going to put up with that as hot and humid as it was at the beach!

There you have it, loads of stuff about clothes, and so far not a lot about more ethical ones, but we'll get there.  So hang on tight,  I look forward to making the journey with you all.

Love,
Lydia



Saturday, August 1, 2015

Blue Moon Fashion

Hi everyone,

Today we've got a blue moon in the sky (a blue moon is when there are two full moons in the same month) and I thought I'd share a rare outfit too in keeping with that theme.  What I did was allowed my husband Bryan to choose an outfit for me to wear on our date night this week, and I opened up my closet so he could use things in and out of my capsule wardrobe, coaching him through how things might work.  Here's what we got:

Top - Macy's, Necklace by Suzanne Love Jewelry (Raleigh artist), Purse - Target, Skirt - Torrid, Shoes - Toms
And here's an OOTD (Outfit of the day) I wore to the family reunion in Georgia last weekend:



The hair clip is from Modcloth, Top - Catos, Skirt - Catos, Sandals - Modcloth (Keri was my photographer here!)

The next day on the drive home I wore this comfy outfit.
Top - Anthropologie, Neckalace Phoebe Marie (Cleveland, OH artist),
Shorts - Levis via Amazon.com, Shoes Converse Kids via Macy's


And here are some shots from the trip and the reunion itself:

Hummingbird moths!



Mist on the Nantahala River


Teaching Keri to play Ricochet Robots



The yearly DS party

Sharing chips with our 8 year old cousin

These shots are at what has got to be one of the most beautiful rest stops I've ever seen.





All the Confederate flags!! But it was a cool little flea market.


At the Blue Ridge Parkway Folk Art Center...the lighting from those windows was too good to pass up!



As you can see I really enjoy taking pictures of nature when I can get out into it some!  It's been a busy week here and we're packing up to head the the beach, with DJ valiantly staying home to take care of the bun (our rabbit Scarlet, which you can see a video of here).  I'll write again once I get to the beach.

Love,
Lydia