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Alice & Olivia Blue Jacquard Mink Skirt c/o Tootsies (Shops Around Lenox) || Alice & Olivia Embellished Metallic Sweater c/o  Tootsies (Shops Around Lenox) || Navy Christian Louboutin Heels & JW Anderson Handbag c/o Jeffrey at Phipps Plaza ||  J Nelly Photography 

Alice & Olivia is by far one of my favorite contemporary brands, because, (a) her (designer Stacey Bendet) pattern work is unique and exquisite, and (b) she knows how to dress real women w/curves (aka ME)! I am never going to be a size 4 –my dad is 6″6 ( I won’t say his weight b/c he would not approve!) It is just not in my genes to be a super tiny person, nor do I want to be.

So, when I find designers that make a point to design for the average female, I’m on board! Whether you are naturally thin with a fast metabolism or curvier, you have to love and accept yourself for who you are. I could diet and exercise like crazy and would still never be a super small size. There are some people out there buying Spanx tights with the fake butt cushions…the grass is always greener!

I would rather eat (mostly) healthy organic meals and be able to indulge a little…working out a few times a week than kill myself trying to be something that is not natural for me. When I was in college and even the majority of my 20’s, I was trying to make myself fit into this perfect box of being a size 4-6 and just wasn’t comfortable in my own skin.

I would work out almost every day and count calories just so I could have that “perfect body.” However, I was spending so much time on my “outer” self that I was not focusing on the inside the way I should have. Now I try to balance everything and spend just as much time on making myself a better person through healthy & balanced eating (no calorie counting), mixing in yoga and acupuncture instead of constant daily cardio, and just taking a walk around the park on a Sunday without keeping track of how many calories I have burned.

I understand that people are on weight-loss journeys and need to buckle down and do that…you should go for it and do what you need to do! For me, after 10 + years of watching literally everything, I need a break. Sure, it is easy to compare myself to other bloggers and fall back into that trap. But, I am never going to have the body of a 23 year old blogger. Yet, I would not trade the confidence and wisdom I now have in my 30’s for a faster metabolism.

Where are you in your journey to self acceptance and what are some tips that you have found helpful? 

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Thanks for Reading, Anne