fashion schlub bettye rainwater plus size blogger (1)

First post of 2018. Well, yesterday’s Week in Review was first but that was supposed to go up over the weekend, I’m just running on delay right now…this is the first intentional post of 2018.

fashion schlub bettye rainwater plus size blogger (5)

And still, before I speak to resolutions/goals/etc for the new year, I want to talk about something that hit me last week. While this blog is newish (ha ha, almost 2 years old and it still feels new to me), I’ve been blogging for quite a long time. There were blogs about the town where I lived, a blog about the house I lived in, which morphed into the first Brooklyn apartment (the blog, not the house); a blog about the Brooklyn neighborhood I lived in; a blog about my vintage clothing business on ebay,  which turned into a personal photography/thoughts/feelings/hopes/dreams sort of blog. There was an updated professional photography blog. There was one I did with my daughter when she was living far away from me (I can’t put my finger on a link to that one right now). Suffice it to say there have been many blogs. But my personal favorite is Once I Saw a Dragonfly, which is the “hopes dreams feelings” one.

fashion schlub bettye rainwater plus size blogger (8)

I’d sort of forgotten about it and came across it last week while looking for something else. And I started reading the old posts. And I couldn’t stop til I’d read them all. They didn’t feel to me like something I had written, but I found them charming and touching. And I long to create something that lovely again.

fashion schlub bettye rainwater plus size blogger (7)

So, while Fashion Schlub will of course remain fashion based, I plan to share more of myself in that way I was once able to in Once I Saw a Dragonfly. I hope this is alright with you. It really won’t be that different than it is now…and maybe that time has passed and my voice is just different now. I will also share more of my personal photography, sometimes within an outfit post, sometimes in a separate post if something seems worthy. I used to so love photography…but some of the passion faded when I started doing it professionally and *my* vision was no longer the priority. I hope to find my vision again.

fashion schlub bettye rainwater plus size blogger (3)

Because here’s the thing about blogs, for me: my favorite ones are not necessarily about one topic or another. I might wind up up on a new blog because of the topic: fashion, photography, cooking, gardening, whatever. But I’ll keep coming back because of the writer’s voice. Because something in their words or experiences resonates with me. Because they invite me into their life. Because they end up feeling like a friend. Because they DO become a friend.

fashion schlub bettye rainwater plus size blogger (4)

That’s the sort of blog I want Fashion Schlub to be. A place where friends come.

fashion schlub bettye rainwater plus size blogger (2)

Okay, enough mushy stuff! The new year has me feeling very sentimental and emotional.

fashion schlub bettye rainwater plus size blogger (6)

About the outfit! Once again, the magic invisible dress. The much sought-after denim jacket – FINALLY!!! A loaner leopard scarf from a friend (Hi, Mochi!). My cozy lined footless tights combined with a pair of thin silk sock liners (it seemed really cold the day we shot this – now that temps have been below 20 for over a week, that day seems positively balmy!). A super easy, comfy outfit that can be worn to work, on a date, or on a girls’ night. A perfect look to start the new year in.

What I Wore:

  • Black sleeveless Asos Curve dress, size 22. Old, similar here.
  • Plus size denim jacket, size 3x. Sold out, similar here.

I’m linking-up with Emma Peach’s Style with a Smile link up. Be sure to visit and check out her amazing black lace New Year’s Eve dress (WOWZA!!!) as well as the other lovelies who are linked up there!