My Top 10 Swimwear Picks for Summer

Summer is coming no matter what and if you're anything like me you WANT to be near the water!

Your size you should not determine the type of swimwear you own.  There is no more covering up at the beach, it's time to bare it all! I will be joining you ladies so let's see what's out there!

Below are my top 10 picks under $30 from Amazon! I have been an avid Amazon shopper lately because...I mean its Amazon and they have like everything! 

1. Two Piece Tassel

How cute is this? I'm loving it. It comes in a variety of colors and it hides the belly! What more can a woman ask for?

2.  Retro Glam - $25.99

This suit gives me Marilyn Monroe vibes. I can see myself sitting on the beach with a floppy and drink in hand! Now, I will warn you it's backless so if you aren't comfortable with your back out this won't before you. Plus it comes in a variety of colors and patterns! 

3. Tropical Vibes - $19.99

This one is beautiful and a tad bit risky! The cut is high and not one I would be bold enough to rock but that doesn't mean you couldn't!

4. Printed One Piece - $19.99

5. Ruffles Galore - $24.99

This is a plus size friendly suit and it's steaming hot! How could you not feel confident and sexy! Sizes: XL - 4XL 

6. Strappy 2 Piece - $15.99

I own this beauty and HONEY let me tell you I love it. I didn't think I would be able to feel so confident in a two piece but I do! I can't wait to show it off! It's coming!!! This is plus size only! 

7. All Black Everything 

I'm feeling the design on this suit. It conceals without being obvious! 

8. Let's Salsa - $20.99-24.99 (depending on the color)

This swimsuit makes me feel like I could enjoy a night of dancing! It's simple and classy with the right amount of sexy!

9. Girl Boss - $32.99

I love everything about this one! It's bright without being too bright and it reminds me of the 50s. I love vintage pieces and I believe this will give me exactly what I'm looking for.

10. Ship Me Away - $19.99

If you can't tell by now my style is simple and accommodating. 

I hope you have found something you like! Leave me a comment and let me know!

MaySlay: My OOTD Recap

May was FABULOUS! If you remember last month I did a series called Stepping Into Color. I love black! It's bold, sophisticated, sexy and let's not forget SLIMMING! I have hidden in black for a few years until recently because I am loving me. (Body included and I've been sharing some of my not so flattering moments over on my Instagram!)

*This post may contain affiliate links. 

Look #1: Grey Off The Shoulder

Dress: Boohoo $42.00

This is actually a duster, reading is fundamental, lol but hey, I rocked it as a dress and loved it. I was worried because it was fitting me kind of funny, so it makes sense as to why my legs were exposed... I should have had on pants. No worries, though. This bad boy will be making another appearance. It also comes in black and pink! 

Look 2: Trendy Chic

I've been holding on to this jean jack for a few years...waiting until I could fit into it. I'm sure we're all guilty of buying something too small just to give us a "goal" item. Well this was mine and as we can see...I'm in it! This outfit is very old but I will link similar pieces if you're interested! 

Shirt: Plain tank top

Jean Jacket: Option 1, Option 2

Skirt: Option 1, Option 2

Purse: Amazon 

Look #3: White HOT 

Dress: Boohoo $44.00

Dress Dupe

My Mother's Day Slay!!! I was so nervous about this dress. I swear it stressed me out for weeks. I didn't know whether I was coming or going. I originally picked out this dress for my photo shoot but as we see it didn't make the cut! ( I started seeing it all over instagram and I just wasn't doing that.) I'm actually glad it didn't because I like the dress I wore a lot better! 

Look #4: Color City 

This look took some time. I really had to figure out exactly what I was going for and how to feel confident enough to rock it. I loved the mustard color cropped trousers! They were beautiful, to begin with, and the black and white top surely set it off. I didn't want to go with my go-to of a black shoe. I figured we could have some fun and green chunky pearl shoes came in handy!

Shirt: New York & Company (NLA) Dupe: Target

Pants: New York & Company

Shoes: DSW (NLA) Dupe: Amazon or Target 

Photo by: Denise Benson

Look 5: Red, White, and Blue

I wanted to do a spin on the traditional red, white, and blue. So here it is and I'm pleasantly surprised with how nice it turned out! 

Shirt: New York & Company (NLA) Dupe: Target

Pants: New York & Company

Shoes: Target

Look 6: Southern Belle 

Everything about this dress makes me feel sexy and classy! The peplum top hides the belly while allowing you to show off your legs and shoulders. I really thought about adding my first lady hat with this outfit for true Southern Charm!

Dress: New York and Company 

Shoes: Amazon

Handbag: Coach 

Teen Pregnancy Prevention Event

Recently, I had an epiphany. It was like the light bulb just went off in my head and things finally started to click again. While planning content for each month, I like to have a theme and it felt like I had no clue what to talk about for May besides Mother's Day. 

And boom...just like that, I was invited to an event that brought everything full circle. A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending a Wine and Oyster Night for the SC Teen Pregnancy Prevention Agency. After having my oldest daughter, I always said I wanted to make sure other young girls were more cautious and informed than I was. This event lit a fire in me and gave me the motivation I needed to get back on track with my mission. Check out the photos from the event!   

I was so nervous...if you know me you know I don't do crowds! I'm very shy but I realized that without stepping outside of my comfort zone I would not be able to take myself to the next level. I put on my big girl panties and showed up! Everyone there was friendly and the food was great! So it wasn't so bad after all. 

Fun Fact: Teen pregnancy has been on the decline in South Carolina since 1991!!!

I'm truly blessed to experience what life has waiting for me. Remember life happens when YOU do!

Special Thanks to my little sissy Brittnay, (sister by choice) for attending with me. When God places special people in your life treat them well. Brittany was there for me EVERY step of the way during my pregnancy and I'm truly gratful! 

Mother's Day 2018 💐💐💐

“Motherhood is a choice you make every day, to put someone else’s happiness and well-being ahead of your own, to teach the hard lessons, to do the right thing even when you’re not sure what the right thing is...and to forgive yourself, over and over again for doing everything wrong”

— Donna Ball

Have you ever had the feeling of needing to PRESS your way? Meaning you need to keep going even when you don't want to. That was me, Sunday. I just didn't want to. I felt so out of it. I had such an emotional day with my children the day before that I was mentally and physically exhausted. I sent the girls to church early with my mom so I could have few moments to gather myself. Well, I lost track of time. I found myself playing music and lighting candles...once I caught a glance at the clock I knew I needed to get a move on it. I'm so glad I did!

My granny and i 

mommy and me

The message was right on time, as it usually is when you don't feel like going to church. I felt a little better about things knowing that this was just a moment in time and not a forever place that I would be in. My daughters will get older. Fighting is normal, my sister and I did it forever! The only difference is my 4 year old is EXTREMELY bossy and my oldest doesn't know how to handle that.

But that's not what made this day so special for me. After church, I went to my Granny's house where my aunt and cousins joined us and I realized something. We have A LOT of women in my family. Where are the men? Not saying that you need a man but when do our children see a male figure in their lives? I grew up with both of my parents but their relationship is different than what I vision for myself. My grand father died a few years ago and he was an amazing man. I try not to allow myself to think about him because it's painful. One of those things I don't think I've fully dealt with...but that's a different story.

My mother and I ended the night with one of her best friend's and her daughters. It brought EVERYTHING full circle for me. This has been happening A LOT lately and I'm so grateful for the clarity. It was just a typical night but conversations begin to spark and ideas were being shared and in a group of 7 women we all had different experiences. It didn't matter that my mother raised me or that her friend raised her daughters we were all DIFFERENT. That made me want more...I felt the need to engage in adult conversation with older women. Sometimes, you need to take a back seat and listen. People can share things with you that you never knew you needed. One thing that stood out to me most from that was when Mrs. W responded to my mother's comment of "hearing someone else's story helps you to realize that you are not as bad off as you thought you were." with "Yes, but that doesn't make your story less important or real." That cut me like a knife!!! I think we are constantly telling others "it's not so bad" or "you could have it worse" and not allowing that person to feel their pain and have that moment. There is so much healing that HAS to happen. Mothers and daughters, sisters and brothers, FAMILIES need to have those hard conversations. It's time to stop sweeping things under the rug and we wonder why we're walking around with broken children! 

I went out on a limb and reached out to Mrs. W with the idea of us gathering more to share experiences, give advice and speak openly about a variety of topics. She said YES, so I can't wait for this to happen. I'm even more excited after watching Red Table Talk my heart is so full and I can't wait. I hope your Mother's Day was fabulous! 

Also, are you watching Red Table Talk? If so, let me know what you think!