How I became Pretty Plump & Pleasant

Born and raised in the South Bronx to a Dominican father and a Puerto-Rican mother has made me the woman I am today. From my fathers work ethics, to my mom’s housewife, traditional, “keep the family together” attitude; I’ve learned so much on what I want and don’t want out of life. I grew up with a mother who began cooking her habichuelas (beans) at 12’o clock in the afternoon so they would be ready to eat by 6pm. Canned beans ? NEVER!! This woman prides herself on cooking from scratch for her husband and children. My father, who along with his sister ran and still run the family business.
Thank God business has been good and it’s helped my family maintain a comfortable lifestyle.

This was a life I wanted for myself when I got older. Family dinners every Sunday at my grandmothers house in Harlem is a memory I will treasure for ever. The small apartment in Grant Projects was filled with the smell of arroz con habichulas, tostones con ajo and empanadas  (my favorite meal). You could also hear what would have appeared to be 100 different voices, from aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents all talking loud like a typical puerto-rican family. In all actuality there would be about 10-15 of us in that house every weekend yet it seemed like a lot more. Like every other family, we have ups and downs from addictions to illness, my family has been through it all. Yet at the end of the day my family is everything to me.

My upbringing has influenced my personality, my savvy fashion style and my love for a city with so much culture. I’ve learned to never ever judge anyone by their situation. Although growing up, I will admit to being very meticulous in who I hung out with. Needless to say I rolled with the prettiest chicks in school. Lol. Okay- so we didn’t always have the best fashion sense but it worked back then! ha!

Attending middle school and junior high school in Spanish Harlem introduced me to a whole other world. I would walk up one block and hear the voice of Tito Puentes, a great Latin Jazz and Mambo musician, then walk up the next block and hear the hip hop flows of the infamous duo Rob Base and DJ E-Z. I loved wearing leggings and L.A Gears and then switching it up to leg warmers, acid wash jeans and a bright sweater. This is when I fell in love with fashion. From wearing lace gloves like Madonna, to banana clips in my hair like Lisa Lisa from Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam. Fashion in the late 80’s to early 90’s was an era of different trends. You had the “grunge look”.. this basically consisted of not washing your hair so you can get that "greasy look" and literally throwing on big baggy jeans and a t-shirt. Ahh but fashion back then also had the likings of us ‘girly girls” rocking a pair of thigh-high socks with floral dresses. Oh the memories!! *smiling"

Fast forwarding to 2011 I love and adore my city and its fashion style more than ever. I will admit being a plus size woman who LOVES fashion is sometimes a challenge. I’m hoping this online blog shares the good, the bad and the ugly truth about issues affecting women especially us curvy chicks, affordable fashion, new and upcoming fashion trends, positive imagery and  the “How to” on becoming a better YOU!

Hope you all enjoy this journey with me.

xoxo
Tee Tee