Event Review: "Curves Gives Back" Holiday Party

Hi everyone! I hope that the holiday season is treating you all well and that you're in the presence of loved ones (or will be soon). Personally, I've been working my a$$ off and multi-tasking most of the days. This season I've realized that I absolutely despise shopping around this time of year. I've lucky found one key: go shopping either late at night or very early in the morning! I found this to be very successful after making a late night stop on the way back to NYC from Boston after the Patriots/Dolphins game last week! The store was populated, but not too crowded (it was midnight) and the lines moved quickly! 

Why was I one the road shopping at midnight? Easy, I had an event to be at the next evening and wouldn't have time to shop during the day. What event was it? It was a wonderful party/toy drive sponsored by a collaboration between Plus Model Magazine, Ashley Stewart, and Full Figured Fashon Week. The event, nicely named #CurvesGiveBack, was a nice holiday party that took place a small venue in midtown. Each guest was asked to bring an unwrapped toy, which would be donated to the Alex House Project and Children of Bellevue Organization, which I only knew a little bit about (go read about what they do!). I absolutely love supporting charity events, so when I got the invite I decided to get more than one gift. I bought a gift for a young boy, one for a young girl, and a non gender-specific gift (everyone loves "Connect Four"!). I can't stress enough how happy I was to see some of the biggest names in the full figured/plus size community giving back. I'm always on board for charity events, so if you're interested in having me perform, host, or attend an event for a worthy cause, be sure to contact me!

photo courtesy of Rick Jones Photography

Of course I was not able to leave work early, so I knew that I would not be at the event at the beginning. I have an hour-long commute to work, and when I got home I still had to do my makeup, get dressed, and head back to midtown, so we're talking about a four hour process in total! I chose to wear a cute little black dress covered in fishnet that I bought a while ago from Curvaceous Boutique, but never has a chance to wear. I paired them with a pair of gold studded booties from Torrid and sported some awesome pantyhose from The Ice Cream Lady (which I am totally addicted to after FFFW 2014). As I was arriving, some friends were outside getting some fresh air and they warned me that it was hot inside, but that the vibe was great. Upon entering the party it was hot as hell, but that was because there were so many people dancing, smiling, taking pictures, and looking fabulous! I handed over the toys I brought to donate and headed over to the bar. I was expecting your basic cocktail party beverages, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that there was wine from Sweet Bitch Wine (which I had before at another event) and some tasty desserts courtesy of Gift of Gab Events. 
In attendance was the who's who of the full figured community. The Ashley Stewart corporate marketing team was there in full force (including the president!), the brains, brawn and beauty of the Plus Model Magazine team was there (shout out to Madeleine Jones and Marcy Cruz), and a host of bloggers, models, stylists, and photographers were on hand as well. The vibe was electric. We danced, we smiled, we took silly pics, we instagrammed, and we all enjoyed each other's presence. It was a wonderful event for a great cause and I'm so glad that I was able to attend. I tip my hat (well, my wig!) to Plus Model Magazine, Ashley Stewart, and Full Figured Fashion Week on hosting a successful event! Below are some pictures that I was able to take during the evening. That's it for now y'all. Be well, and remember: being beautiful is not just about what you wear! 
-Sasha

 

HEY SASHA...WHERE'VE YOU BEEN?

Sacred Valley Region (Peru)

Hello everyone! I hope this posts find you all in good condition mentally, emotionally, and physically. It's been a while since I've posted anything, and it's mainly due to the fact that there have been some shifts in life since the weeks following Full Figured Fashion Week 2014 (don't worry, everything is fine). For the month of July, I was off the grid and not very active online because I was traveling.Some people hypothesized and said that I wasn't around because I was doing the newest season of RuPaul's Drag Race and that I said that I "was traveling" as a cover up. As you can tell, since they just revealed the cast for the upcoming season, I really was traveling. I spent some time in South America and enjoyed my travels through the Andes Mountains! I biked through the mountains at an elevation of 13,000 feet above sea level and the views were just amazing. I stopped along the route one day and took in the views, inhaled the fresh air, and then took a ton of pictures!

Machu Picchu

One of my most enjoyable days in South America was the full day I spent at Machu Picchu! I went back for the second summer in a row because I felt like last year's trip wasn't fulfilling enough. I felt like my time at Machu Picchu was too short, so I had to go back and boy am I glad that I did! I arrived around 8am and walked the grounds that members of the Inca Civilization walked around centuries ago. I then hiked up Waynu Picchu, which is the huge cone-shaped mountain behind Machu Picchu. After descending, I spent the next few hours (until 4PM or so) exploring the grounds, taking thousands of pictures, and talking with other tourists about their journeys to one of the most historical and famous locations of the Incan Empire. From Machu Picchu, I headed to the Amazon Region of Peru (aka The Peruvian Rainforest), where I stayed in the depths of nature without electricity nor a cell signal for a few days. It was very peaceful and relaxing; the polar opposite of what us New Yorkers are used to!

Upon my return to the states, it took me a few days to adjust to everything from the food, to the pace of life, to even responding to thousands (no really...thousands) of emails and a few dozen voicemails. After being home for a few days (just enough time to pay bills and do laundry), I was on the road again to work music festivals and to travel around the US a little. I had to come to terms with the fact that I missed so many wonderful fashion events like Curves Rock Fashion Weekend in Baltimore. Even though I wasn't there, I heard a lot from fellow bloggers and received messages with pics and stories of the good times had by those in attendance. After traveling a bit, I was able to attend Brooklyn Night Out, which featured young local up and coming designers and featured the designs of Big Girls United. I then hit the road again and so I missed Plus Night Out, but again I was able to see how successful the event was due to friends messaging me, posting pics, and posting online.

with Isabella & Ruben Toledo

As the fall approached, I began to wind down my travels as my new role at work caused me to be around and in the office a lot more. With a new work schedule, I had to adjust to a new personal schedule. It took a while to get used to, but I was still able to attend events like The Color of Teal and Lane Bryant's release of Isabella Toldeo's latest line. I slowly made my way back onto the scene by also attending the Ashley Stewart Pop Up shop at the Source 360 Expo. It was good to connect with the team from Ashley Stewart, share some laughs, and pick up a few hot items for some upcoming events. I ran into the Ashley Stewart team a few weeks later at Alissa's Stylish Curve's Pop Up Shop (which was a big success). The Pop Up Shop also included designers and representatives from Eloquii, Fashion to Figure, Rebdolls, and a host of independent designers. It was nice to see a lot of familiar faces at the events and it was good to reconnect with people. Over the past few weeks I've also attended Ashley Stewart's "Thankful for Fashion" fashion show in Harlem, Plus Model Magazine's fashion event with Marina Rinaldi, and a few shows featuring local independent designers. There's so much going on that my next post will be in a few days (stay tuned!).

Since reconnecting and reading posts from other bloggers, I've gone back to comments, emails, and questions from my readers, followers, and drag fans to come up with the topics for my next few posts. I'm not going the route of other bloggers and talk about the hot colors or jackets/coats to wear for this fall & winter. Instead I'm personally going to focus on accessories! For some reason I have the urge to explore the world of scarves, hats, necklaces, earrings, and rings to spice up some pretty nice outfits already in my collection (you'd be shocked how changing the footwear and accessories for an outfit can change the whole vibe of a look). Stay tuned, because I'm going to consult with some of the giants on the plus fashion scene to get their input as well! For all of those who have asked about advice on where to buy clothes, tights, and shoes for bigger girls, do not worry: I will be posting an updated version of one of my posts (since I do have some new places to add to my list). Lastly, for all my drag fans out there, I haven't forgotten about y'all! We need to have a kiki about my personal "10 commandments of drag", the upcoming season of RuPaul's Drag Race (season 7!), and tips when getting ready to beat that mug for a night out or for a show!

My goals are ambitious, but I know that I can do it. It's good to be back around and I'd love to hear from you. Let me know what topics you'd like to read/hear about. In the meantime, be well and remember that "being beautiful is not just about what you wear!"

- Sasha