Exiled in Style

2019 Goals: Read More

I had a long list of goals for 2019.

[NB: Maybe too long? My 2020 list will be shorter!]

One of those goals was to read more. And guess what? I did! As much as I love making New Year’s resolutions (or birthday resolutions or “It’s Monday, so why not?” resolutions), I honestly can’t remember ever sticking to any of them. But inspired by my book-loving pals and personally appalled by my own dismal reading list for 2018, I was determined to boost my book numbers for 2019.

I set a goal of reading 25 books for the Goodreads 2019 Reading Challenge. And I crushed it. I read 62 books last year. And while I got a lot out of the material that I read, I also learned quite a bit just by pushing myself to read more.

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January 3, 2020 1

Les Bon Mots de la Mode

“On Wednesdays we wear pink.”
KAREN SMITH, MEAN GIRLS (2004)

January 3, 2020 0

Les Bon Mots de la Mode

Many women have asked me if it is possible to have a well-built wardrobe on a limited budget. ‘Money,’ I tell them, ‘is no guarantee of taste, and an overstuffed wardrobe is often as bare as a skeleton when it comes to wearable apparel.’
Edith Head

February 8, 2019 0

I’m not a designer, but I love the Pantone Color Trend Reports! Anyone who would dismiss the importance of color should watch Miranda Priestly’s monologue about cerulean (and take notes). Each season the report selects 12 seasonal hues along with four core “classics” that work a neutral base to provide contrast to the color pops in the seasonal palette. You can read the full report, released today, here.

Chili Pepper

Biking Red

Sugar Almond

Guacamole

Eden

Dark Cheddar

While the Color Trend Report is forward-looking, you can find these colors already for sale NOW from some of your favorite plus-sized retailers. If you’re looking to stock up early, here are a few pieces in my favorite shades from the autumn/winter report.

Chili Pepper – Pantone 19-1557: Plus Size Ribbed Tie-Front Dress from Forever 21
Biking Red – Pantone 19-1650: Burgundy Ruffle Edge Ruana from Torrid
Sugar Almond – Pantone 18-1155: H&M+ Suede Biker Jacket
Guacamole – Pantone 17-0530: Effortless Feature Midi Skirt By ModCloth
Eden – Pantone 19-6050: Oh Say Can Museum A-Line Dress By ModCloth
Dark Cheddar – Pantone 15-1150: Dropped Shoulder Easy Dress from ELOQUII

These colors are BOLD! It takes confidence to wear them. But you’ve got this. And so do I. We all do!

What’s your favorite color from the report? Which new shades are you looking to incorporate into your wardrobe? Are there any of the shades you just can’t stand? Please share your opinions with me and others in the comments of this post. Thanks, y’all!

Movie Review: Dragon Ball Super: Broly

Dragon Ball Super: Broly is not the type of movie I would choose on my own. But as the mom of a teenage son with a January birthday, I found myself in the theater with my kid and four of his friends to watch my first Dragon Ball movie this afternoon.

Thanks to my younger brothers, I had some familiarity with the Dragon Ball Z animated series that was on in the 90’s and thanks to my son, I’ve seen a few episodes of the more recent Dragon Ball Super (2015-2018). So I wasn’t going into this completely blind. I knew about the Saiyans and going “Super Saiyan” and other basics such as that. I knew about Goku and Vegeta (but – whoops! – mistakenly thought they were brothers). What I didn’t know was that the Saiyan mythology is complex and full of little details that when taken out of context seem hella weird if you’re not a diehard fan of the manga and/or anime series. And I had no idea who or even what Broly is.

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January 20, 2019 0

Review: Instant Hotel

Instant Hotel, an Australian reality TV show, is the latest binge-worthy gem from Netflix. And I do mean binge-worthy! I watched all 12 episodes in one day! I just couldn’t stop!

Instant Hotel has everything I love about reality television: colorful characters, interesting locations and cutthroat competition. Pairs take turns hosting the rest of the group at their AirBNB-like home rentals. Hosts are scored by the guests on criteria such as location and value for money, while hotel expert Juliet weighs in with her own score to bring a little reason to the proceedings.