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Thursday, June 4, 2020

Unleashed Speaks on Take Back the Memory (#ThrowbackBookReview)


Too-doo-loo everyone! Ova Veugh here. It's throwback time at Unleashed Truth. Today, we travel back to November 2016 where The Unleashed One shares her views on "Take Back the Memory" by Augustine Sam.

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Take Back the Memory by Augustine Sam


Blurb: Paige Lyman, an accomplished psychiatrist, is on the verge of madness but she doesn’t know it yet. The madness begins when she gets it into her head to write her memoirs. As her brilliant mind assembles bits and pieces of her life for the book, ugly skeletons, long forgotten in the closet, begin to rear their heads.

It had all begun with a simple act of love. And love, for her, was a blond-haired Irish boy named Bill, so when Bill abandoned her for priesthood the world around her collapsed. Seized by a different passion—vengeance—she seeks her proverbial pound of flesh in the beds of various priests…

Until she meets Stern W, a medical researcher, who sweeps into her life like a hurricane and marries her. It is not until he dies in a helicopter crash that she discovers the startling truth about who he really was. And now, transformed from psychiatrist to patient, Paige is seared by a damning awareness that she had, in fact, gotten what she had always yearned for without realizing it.

Take Back the Memory is the saga of her compelling backward journey through her own life on a psychotherapist’s couch.

I am a believer that the blurb should tell the contents without revealing the whole of the book. This blurb tells about seventy-five percent of the book without one having to read it. That, in itself, causes the work to lose about ½ a point from the gate … at least for me.

As a suggestion, Take Back the Memory should have a disclaimer in the blurb about the erotic content. I’m no prude—people know that one of my favorite genres is erotica (when it’s done properly). However, as a favor to one perusing something to read, it would help that person to know if there’s going to be a “phallus” or “nipple” in every other chapter.

I confess to not being the greatest advocate of books that use people on the cover. Blame it on my high appreciation for the abstract and wanting to use my mind to dictate the beauty of a character. Yet, I do believe the image of the character should match the description of her in the book. Also, it is hard to tell whether the backdrop is actually of Kenya or of lands you would find through the Midwest or the South part of the United States. It didn’t match the content at all, so minus a whole point.

That is before getting to the content at hand.

Let’s get to the content.


Normally I would start with the pros yet there was not one pro for me. Even the author’s attempt to romance the words so that the sexual scenes would be stimulating was a fail. As a matter of fact, I compare it to watching a porn video but not being able to “get off” due to being distracted—the lady’s nails are chipped, the man’s butt is ashy, the music doesn’t fit the mood. Not that I’m an expert at looking at porn or anything … lol. I’m basically saying that it was more comical than sensual, especially one line which stated that a man’s eyes “were eating into her buttocks”. I don’t know about anyone else, but the thought of a man’s eyes eating into any part of my body, especially my derrière, conjures up another type of word. Trust me, it isn’t sensual, satisfying, or sexy.


The misplaced modifiers were the main culprit that kept Take Back the Memory from scoring any points in the syntax area. I would point them out but that would take up the majority of the review, and I want to spend more time on the actual premise of the book.

It takes more than “speaking of love” to establish a love connection. It was expressed over and over again how much Paige had this “love at first sight” bond with this guy named Bill. However, they were very young at the time—try at around age eight or so. I kept waiting for examples, painted out as vividly as the sex scenes—for this special chemistry between them in the interim. Instead, the foundation that led to the vendetta was skipped over, as if the author was in a hurry to get to the corruption of not only Paige’s way of thinking but also of these priests that caved in (too quickly if you ask me) to her seductive whims. I was not convinced of the love connection—even with the twist in the end.

Also, there were other happenings which confused me. For one, if Paige is a psychiatrist, why did she act ignorant of the technique that the psychotherapist was using on her when it was first introduced? Just because Paige did not practice this with her patients doesn’t mean that she wasn’t shown or taught it during the time she attended school. That did not ring authentic to me. In addition, the chapters had so much material that I believed covered several sessions, only for me to discover that only one session had passed.

Plus, I’m not one hundred percent sure if Paige was experiencing “madness”. Acting out, maybe. Being eccentric, for sure. However, there’s not enough revealed in Take Back the Memory for me to drink the psychiatric Kool-Aid. Besides, with Paige being a psychiatrist, she would be knowledgeable on the ins and outs of what justifies insanity, if you will. How could one really be sure that her deterioration was not conjured, as opposed to involuntary? For those who may talk about “nudity” as a side effect, maybe Paige just enjoyed being naked in her home. I never heard discussion of Paige romping around in her birthday suit in public. There were not any gaps between the ending of one session and the beginning of the next for me to draw up a definite conclusion, which placed Swiss cheese holes in the point of this tale to begin with.

Unleashed Verdict


#Ehh

Due to misplaced modifiers, story holes, and not being able to take any of the characters seriously, I cannot recommend Take Back the Memory. I feel if there was more thought given to the background to build the conflict and less focus on the sex, this book could have possessed better resonance.

Tuesday, June 2, 2020

Unleashed Speaks on Roads and Circuses (#ThrowbackBookReview)


Hello everyone! Ova Veugh in the building, presenting an episode of Throwback Tuesday. Today, we travel back with The Unleashed One December 2016, as she discusses her thoughts on "Roads and Circuses" by Tom Mazzone.


Roads & Circuses by Tom Mazzone

Note: A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Genre: General Fiction

Blurb:

Some Civil Servants are not so civil.
Marcus O’Malley is the brown-nosing suck-up everyone despised in school. He also happens to be Ireland’s best-known barrister who truly has it all: a beautiful runway-model wife, two perfect children, prestige, power and wealth. When he refuses a dangerous villain’s request to defend him of heinous crimes, Marcus is rightly intimidated. A seemingly random opportunity to run for political office pops up and only as means to save him from the threats does he decide to dive in.
With his reputation as a do-gooder, Marcus takes like a duck to water to the local scene and his meteoric rise through the party’s rank begins. But as he sets his sights on becoming Prime Minister, he must cooperate with unsavory colleagues, bide time and determine what’s best for him versus what’s best for the party. Could outside forces bring him down, ruin his career and potentially send him to jail? Can he play the game in the shark-infested waters of Irish politics? Does he want power just for the sake of having power? Is he able to see that the chaos and the mayhem in his life are self-created? Can he continue to fool all of the people all of the time? Including himself?
Roads & Circuses is a thrilling satirical look at the world of politics and the duplicitous mind of a politician. It’s not so much what a politician says or does that should worry you, it’s what they actually THINK! And although set in Ireland, Marcus O’Malley could exist in any country or political party in the world.

Note: I must warn that for some readers, this may not even come across as humor. For me, the “ha-ha” moments occurred in the Prologue, which was included in the copy of the book I received. The rest of it mimicked observation that would be discussed via CNN or MSNBC. Therefore, if you are the type of individual that is not into political ping-pong, then this type of read may not be for you.

Before I get into the content of the book, I would like to give two thumbs up to the cover concept. It really mirrors what this story represents—a balancing act between self-interest, party interest and people interest. It does really feel like a circus.

There was only a scoopful of things that I considered cons, so these will be touched on rather quickly.

Cons


Some of the sentence structure was elongated—to the point where run-on sentences were formed. The thoughts could have been better delivered in a more succinct fashion and better placement and usage of punctuation.

I feel as if the blurb/synopsis gave away quite a bit of the events. That is one of the reasons why if the blurb seems a bit too long, I get wary, due to the strong possibility of revealing crucial bits of information I’d prefer to stumble upon.

There were actions (coughing, mumbling, chuckling, tearing, wiping, etc.) that were written as if it were a screenplay, as opposed to being conveyed as if it was a story. The amount wasn’t immense, yet it was distracting enough to keep this from a perfect score.

However, those are light in comparison to the points that were refreshing.

Pros


I could relate very strongly to Marcus O’Malley. He had an initial thirst for helping his fellow man and gave tremendous thought as to whether what he went beyond benefiting him. I admired him for that because I tend to do my own pros and cons battles with decisions that I make. No, I am not in politics, but every choice in life has a benefit and deterrent. The winner is usually the choice which tips the scales out of balance. Marcus learned that the quicker one rises to the top, some of his core principles get worn down and he has to fall in line to prevent running into a career brick wall. With all of these different forces tugging at him, sacrifice is imminent. In Marcus’ case, the trip takes on a route of outrageousness with many detours into extremism.

The author did a fine job of bringing the reader into Marcus’ world—taking time to map out the differences between West Dublin and East Dublin, as well as painting the local mannerisms of each segment.

There were some passages that I really enjoyed, and I’d like to share a particular segment that hit home. It embarks on Marcus’ initiative to repair the roads, and he is explaining why it is important.

A bumpy road may be a fact of life and indeed a more interesting ride, but it is the well-maintained road that allows one the energy to be well and truly able for one’s destination and the reason one travelled in the first place.

Give a man a vehicle and he has the ‘What’ and the ‘How’ …

Give that same man a good road and he now has the ‘Why’ and the ‘Where’ …

There were some striking parallels between this series and what is happening in politics, touching on circumstances that hit the United States. It makes the absurdity, the greed, and the angst very real, resulting in a small, nervous chuckle on each occurrence.

Unleashed Verdict


I recommended Roads and Circuses not as humor but as a tale with mirrors political pitfalls that can apply to any area in the world, not just in Ireland.

Saturday, February 29, 2020

Unleashed Speaks on Verizon Customer Service

Hello. The Unleashed One here.

It's been quite a while since Unleashed Truth has had something new. Not for lack of content but more for getting busy with life. Yet this year, I am getting more organized, which means more activity from here on out.

Before I get into the meat of the post, here is some background information leading up to this situation with this company.

Name of Company: Verizon (www.verizon.com)
Phone Number: 1-800-837-4966

#RECAP

On Wednesday February 26th, I wanted to change the account associated with my auto pay. I tried multiple times on the Internet and the My Fios app, but both kept giving me a connection error. I was engaged in online chat, and the representative was receiving the same error. I was then told by the online representative to call Verizon Customer Service.


Since Verizon Customer Service had high call volume, I gave my cell phone number to arrange for a representative to return my call. The phone call was returned approximately 45 minutes later.

After the Verizon Customer Service representative resolved my auto pay issue, I inquired if there were additional plans that were close to the same price I was paying for high speed internet and phone. She introduced me a basic cable package (which was exactly what I wanted ... this point is important) that also include the $100 Prepaid Visa and Disney + free for a year. Since there wasn't much variance in the cost, I agreed to it.

As the call was going on, I asked the representative if I would have to pay the $99 installation fee. She told me that since the residence "already had Verizon FIOS in the past, there would be no fee". All she would have to do is "ship the box" and if I had any issues during the self-install, I could call Verizon Support to assist. She also added that they would be shipping the box that day.

Friday, February 28th

I noticed that I hadn't received any further information in regards to shipping the box (such as tracking number, status updates). I called Verizon back, but got three different stories.

The 1st story was that it was put in as a "pick up order" and that someone had picked up the box. How was that even possible if the representative I talked to and I discussed shipping?

The 2nd story was that it was put in as a "pick up order" but no one had picked up the box. Again, I said nothing about doing a pick up.

The final story was that Verizon Customer Service would have to fix it, but that their offices were closed. This person arranged for them to call me Saturday (which is today) at around 9:45 in the morning.

Okay, we're all caught up? Good.

I explain to Ken what had occurred. I mean, how hard could it be to fix the order to where the box could be shipped to me?


I was placed on hold a few times while Ken checked into it. He told me what I had already conveyed to him, which was that it was put in as a pick up. I reiterated that was not what was discussed when I talked to the representative on the 26th and that I needed the cable box shipped to me.

After being placed on hold many more times, Ken said, "Unfortunately there's no way that I can change it in the system."

I say, "Well, in that case, I will have to cancel."

Instead of just going ahead and cancelling the service as I requested, he proceeded to ask me, "Why?" I told him that it was because I had no way to go out there and pick up the box. Also, because shipping was discussed, not picking up the box."

Instead of accepting this statement as a valid one, he's like, "I get that it's inconvenient but the nearest place is only 8.6 miles."


I say, "Ken, I was not the one who made the error. Verizon did. I just told you I don't have the means of getting there."

Then he goes, "Well, to have the box shipped is $25.00."

"Ken, that's not what the other representative told me. If you aren't able to ship the box, I'll have to cancel. Do you expect me to walk 8.6 miles just to pick up a cable box that should have been delivered in the first place? The customer has to be punished for an error the company caused?"

Then he goes, "Well, yes. You sure you can't find a friend or someone that can take you over there within a week?"


By this time I'm livid. I've already (1) expressed my wish to cancel (2) the reasons why I'm cancelling and (3) the reason why it's inconvenient and Ken wishes to assume that I actually have means and ways to get the box? That's absolutely asinine!

I request to speak to a supervisor because Ken's customer service is not acceptable. I get put on hold some more. Apparently, because the supervisor doesn't feel up to dealing with the situation or handling another customer who has had crappy service, Ken gets back on the phone, citing that he has talked to the supervisor and that a brand new order will be keyed in to where it would be getting shipped.


Um ... that was what I wanted in the first frigging place!

Okay, so after trying to re-key the order, Ken tells me, "It's not giving me the option to ship it in your area. The technician has to bring it personally."


Is that code speak for predominantly black, gentrified, dangerous ... this "in your area" talk? 

Then I ask, "With the technician bringing the box, that would incur the $99.00, I suppose?"

Ken says, "Correct."

"Why would I have to pay for the installation fee when I was told by the other representative the house already had Verizon FIOS in the past? Why can't the guy give me the box and I can do the install myself? Ken, this is utterly ridiculous!"

I request again to cancel; he asks me why. I said, "Ken, stop reading your script. I just told you why."

Then, as a final attempt, he offers me half off the install.

By this time, I've been on the phone with this guy for almost ninety minutes. I wasn't even at home during this phone call. I'm out washing and folding clothes. At this point, I am tired of being on the phone with Ken. I'm wishing Jesus would just take me while I'm on the phone. I am wishing I was sitting in a bubble bath, breathing in pleasing incense and basking in the glow of candlelight.

I take the deal. Then, we are on the phone for a few more minutes. It takes him not once, not twice, but three times to get the order right. Then, what adds to my annoyance is that he tries to up-sell me.

Here's a tip: If a customer is already feeling some type of way (like dissatisfied, disappointed, disillusioned ... all the "disses"), the last thing she wants to hear is about a plan that will make her bill more expenses. If anything, you should be offering her additional monies off the bill for the inconvenience. I can't get ninety minutes back.

Unleashed Rating

#Nope

I almost rated it #UtterShite. The only pot at the end of the rainbow is that a box is coming. However, I can always come back in and adjust.

Let's see how March 4th pans out.



Saturday, January 12, 2019

The Unleashed One Speaks on Pop Fit Clothing


The Unleashed One here. Today I'd like to share with you my thoughts on Pop Fit Clothing. Before I jump into my experience, let me provide additional information.

Name: Pop Fit Clothing
Instagram: @popfitclothing

The founders of Pop Fit Clothing believe that leggings are pants and wanted to make leggings as functional and comfortable as possible. The sizes range from XS (size 0-2 USA size) to 3XL (size 24-26 USA size).

I first got wind of Pop Fit Clothing while randomly scrolling through my Instagram. I do admit that the look of the pockets excited me, for most of the leggings I had lacked pockets, or the pockets were only big enough for one set of keys, but not both sets of keys and my cell phone.

Pop Fit Clothing had this offer for free leggings just pay shipping and handling. I gave it a look see and decided to get the style "Stella" for my first pair. Then, there was the offer to be part of their V.I.P. program. The Pop Fit V.I.P. program is $29.99 a month. You get 40% off the leggings plus free shipping. You also have the option to skip if you don't want to order anything; if you skip, you don't get charged the $29.99. You also have the option of building your own wish list and having them send you things from your wish list for the $29.99 or Pop Fit makes the selection for you.

There are other perks but you can visit the website to get wind of all of the extra.

I adore "Stella" for many reasons. (1) It comes in many different colors. (Some of the other styles have limited selections) (2) Although I know that the sheer/mesh are in, sometimes a girl wants a bit of extra coverage. I appreciated that Stella wore like a basic legging and not that whole peek-a-boo business. (3) They stayed put: held where they were supposed to and the like. (4) I love the pockets. These aren't wimpy "I can only hold pennies" pockets. These are "I can put keys and my big phone in there" pockets. The roominess is nice.

Well, I guess it is better I show you rather than tell you. Keep in mind that I typically don't take full body shots of myself and that when I go to work out, I go to work out, not pose for Facebook and Instagram. However, I do want you to get the gist of how they fit on my body. Also, I don't want the question of "why aren't you smiling" to pop up simply due to the fact that if one has had a vigorous workout, the first thought in your brain is not "let's smile and pose for the camera". #justsaying


I ordered "Stella" back in early November. This picture was taken in early December. I have washed them a few times, and they have held up rather well. It's best that these are washed in cold water and line dry (or put in a dryer with low or no heat) to ensure they keep in good shape. 

Since the "Stella" purchase, I have ordered additional designs.

"Ruby" with pockets in a Grey/Turquoise combo (I checked on the site and it looks like it may have gotten discontinued due to their new 2019 items)

"Stevie" with pockets (Dark Green and Black): This design does have a side sheer mesh panel from the mid-thigh down. If you are overly self conscious of your legs or if you like wearing long socks, these may not be the ones for you. Most who rock this one wear either long socks or no socks at all.

"Penelope" with pockets (Grey and Black): This design has the pockets set lower on the leg, just above the knees actually. On "Stella", "Ruby", and "Stevie" the pockets are just a little bit down from the waist. "Penelope" has a decorative mesh overlay. Pictures of "Penelope" are below.




I wear "Stella" and "Penelope" the most, followed by "Ruby" and "Stevie". I am building up my fitness legging collection so that I can have more variety. Yet, there are some styles out there (I'm speaking more in general now than this company specifically) that are mostly mesh and makes you look as if you are just walking out with nothing covering the skin. To me, that just looks weird but to each its own: if you're comfortable, do you.

Pros:

1. Their membership cost isn't as expensive as Fabletics
2. For each type of leggings, they show women of all different sizes so you can know what they would look like on you
3. They have amazing stretch
4. They hold up well with washing and drying, provided proper instructions are followed
5. The material isn't heavy and even with the colder weather the legs don't get cold
6. It's a woman owned company so they understand the needs of women when it comes to leggings
7. They do have other segments, like underwear, sunglasses, tops, and bags but their main selling point is the leggings
8. No chafing
9. The names are rather adorable

Cons:

1. Some of their styles have more colors than others
2. One doesn't get a warning if a style of theirs is discontinued. (Had I known Ruby was going to get the boot, I would have stocked up)
3. If you are signing up for the V.I.P. you have to be mindful of remembering to skip (otherwise, you'll get charged)
4. Their sizes only run to 3X
5. No petites sizing

Unleashed Verdict



Thursday, December 27, 2018

The Unleashed One Speaks on Texas Roadhouse (#ThrowbackFoodReview)

Hello there! Ova Veugh here. It's a great time to have a Throwback, don't you agree? Um ... well, even if you don't, how about one anyway ... lol.

This time, let's talk about food. This throwback is from December of last year (2017) where The Unleashed One talks about her very first trip to Texas Roadhouse.

Name of Establishment: Texas Roadhouse
Address: 1305 NJ 33, Hamilton Township, NJ 08690
Establishment Type: Restaurant
Foods Served: American cuisine, primarily steak

This is a tough review because this place scored high in one area and would have stayed there had it not been for the disaster that happened as we were getting ready to pay, but I will get to that later.

My boyfriend (at the time) and I just hit the 6 month mark in our union, and he wanted us to go out to celebrate. Texas Roadhouse was the other steakhouse spot he always wanted to go to (Longhorne was the 1st). 

Wait Time: Relatively short. We didn't have to wait too long before we were seated. 

Initial Friendliness: The staff does go out of their way to try to make you feel welcome once you reveal that you are a first time visitor (both he and I were), almost to the point of over kill ... in a sense where there were times when he and I were deep in discussion about something and then we would get interrupted. On the bright side, the waitress did take a picture of us. 

Food: We both enjoyed our entrees. For me, the bread I could take or leave.

Now, here is where the tide turns. Our waitress hands us the bill. I look at the ticket, and it is around the 66-67 ball park. My boyfriend (at the time) gives her the credit card. However, the amount he got charged was close to 80 bucks. I noticed just before he signed that the dollar amount was wrong.

Although the management apologized profusely, it really put a crimp on what was an otherwise delightful evening.

Overall score:


#Ehh

Largely because of the major mess up with being billed for someone else's food. If that hadn't occurred, the score would be more like ...


#ICanWorkWithThat

Moral of the Review: Always pay close attention to your ticket.

Well, despite the mess up, this makes me want to have some steak, but I'm trying to watch my figure ... oh, we have run out of time. Thanks for checking out another Throwback Thursday.


Thursday, December 20, 2018

Mini Truth Speaks on Primitive Fix (#ThrowbackBookReview)



Hello all! Ova Veugh here, and welcome to another Throwback Thursday. Today's throwback is from January 2014, on a book entitled Primitive Fix by Alicia Sparks. Is the fix in on this book? Let's see what Mini Truth have to say.




Primitive Fix by Alicia Sparks

Available on Amazon


You ever get a book and think to yourself, “Oh boy! I can't wait to read it!”? Such was the case for me in this book.

Let's rewind just a small bit to bring you all up to speed.

I won this book from a Twitter Giveaway Contest.



SIDE NOTE 1: The author was extremely prompt in her delivery. That's commendable. So kudos.

I delved into the book and the first thing I noticed right off the bat was the poorly constructed cover. The next thing I noticed was the poor formatting.

The top of the book, the place where you'd usually find the header, like the author name a book title, was cut off. Also at certain intervals there were blank pages. Another thing that could've used some polishing was the separation space between the chapter title and the text. It was too close.

From the first sentence, I instantly knew that this book was just another knock off in a long line of Shape Shifter books. The wanna-be Harlequin Romance.



SIDE NOTE 2: It did have some spicy erotica scenes. Truth be told however, they were written in an almost bland delivery. Like a cheesy porn flick to be honest. But, steamy nonetheless.

Here is the gist of the story line:

The main character is Kenyon a tiger and 2nd in the blood line. He needs to save his older Brother Nik also a tiger but 1st in the blood line. In the process of trying to save him he re-encounters his true love—a Wolf. Apparently they were distended to be together per some promise-slash-tradition-slash-ritual.



SIDE NOTE 3: Per the story, these unions could not produce children and were the only ones tied to this covenant. Any other brethren could live freely and marry freely except for the first in the bloodline which had to marry INTO the bloodline... or some such nonsense.

Sorry, but this made absolutely NO SENSE! How in the hell is a TIGER going to mate with a WOLF? I mean seriously, a dog and a cat? Pfff!



SIDE NOTE 4: The chick, is NOT JUST a wolf, but also a person to person shape shifter. Basically, imagine if you will Mystique from the X-men, only also a wolf.

Nik (brother number one) has lost his humanity and Kenyon (brother number two) feels like it's his job to save him and help him regain his humanity.

Sage, the girl-slash-wolf-slash-Mystique, feels it's her responsibility to help both families but really wants out.

Kenyon loves Sage, and Sage loves Kenyon, but they are both too stubborn to give in. Sound familiar? Yes. I'm sure it does as every single cheesy paranormal romance book I've ever read has this same premise.

In all truth I felt no connection to the characters, the plot or anything in this story for that matter. It felt to me as if the writing was dry and unemotional. Just a person telling what was going on from the outside.

The writing was good enough. There were every few, barely noticeable, editing mistakes.

Unfortunately, I just did not like this book.

Final score ...


#Ehh


The fix was in but not in this author's favor. What can you do?

Thanks for checking out Unleashed Truth on this Throwback Thursday. Have a terrific day everyone!

Thursday, December 13, 2018

The Unleashed One Speaks on Chic and Curvy (#ThrowbackFashionReview)

Greetings everyone. Miss Ova Veugh here, welcoming you to another Throwback Thursday. Today, we take a break from books and venture into fashion. 





This throwback is from April 2013, and it is The Unleashed One's time to shine. Will Chic and Curvy's review be #onfleek? (I've always wanted to say that.) There's only one way to find out.

Name of Business: Chic and Curvy (known as Chic and Curvy Boutique when the review was done)
Based in: Inglewood, California
Target Audience: contemporary plus size fashion, the curvy confidant, plus size women





Hello. Unleashed One here. Before I get into the crux of this throwback, I have to share with everyone a few things about me.

(1) I rarely buy anything for myself. It is only within these past few years that I've become more selfish as it pertains to my needs.
(2) My wardrobe, in the past (and who am I fooling ... currently), consists of items made for everyday and multiple function. It is slim when I have an item that is for a special occasion.
(3) If that special occasion does not come into fruition, the item will just sit in the closet until (a) it doesn't fit anymore (b) I find someone who may need it more than I or (c) I end up donating it.
(4) Ninety-five percent of the time, when I do buy something, it is on sale ... and the sale has to be forty percent or greater. I'll even take a buy one, get one free. If there is no sale, I will find a coupon, or a coupon code ... worse case, Honey will find something. (My review on Honey to come soon.)

The year 2013. One of my closest friend (nickname: Sugar Plum) was telling me about an event that she was going to have around her birthday. It was going to have the colors of black and white, and she asked me about attending. Although she and I have been connected since the days of Yahoo 360 (dang that makes me sound old), we had yet to meet. Of course I agreed.

So ... in my typical fashion (read: get prepared many months ahead of time), I started to shop around for the perfect outfit because nothing I had would do. Then I came across this dress ... and something about it made me excited.



Maybe it was the way the black was in between all of that white. Perhaps it was the confident pose of the lady. All I know was that the dress looked to be all that and a bag of chips. The song "Brick House" by The Commodores would be in my head, so my nickname for the dress was "The Brick House Dress".

I also noticed that one would have to have oodles of body confidence to pull off such a look. However, I was convinced I would get some by the time the event rolled around. Sure, I checked out other spots, but I kept circling back to this dress. It was different from anything I had ever worn, much less ever worn ...

Now that I got the background set, let's get into my thoughts.


It was around February (2013) when I first saw the dress. The dress that made my jaw drop. It’s rare that I see a clothing item that screams to me, “I have to have it.” I tend to be very frugal as it pertains to getting anything for myself.

But this dress right here … I had to have it, and you had to pre-order it. I went ahead and pre-ordered it, waiting patiently.

The anticipated ship out date was to be sometime in early March. A week past that date came and went, but still no dress. I looked in my e-mail to see if tracking information was sent for my item, and I didn't see any. I contacted them via Facebook to inquire about my order. They sent an e-mail to me, letting me know that because of the huge demand for this particular dress, there was a one to two week delay.

To compensate for this, they offered to do one of four things:

1. Exchange the dress for another items or items on the website.
2. Receive store credit for a future purchase
3. Exchange that dress order for the sleeveless version of the dress to ship around late March
4. Wait for the original.

In other circumstances, I would have taken the credit, but I couldn't forget the feeling I had when I saw the dress. I let them know I would wait for the dress.

The dress arrived about a week and a half later. The first thing I noticed was that on the model, the white color looked closer to cream. I didn't mind it, but I would have to be careful to make sure I didn’t get it too messy.

Next thing was to try the dress on, which was a slight struggle to get to the opening but I finally did. 

Side Note 1: I’m glad I did proper measurements for this dress. I almost went a size up, but the dress wouldn't have fit properly on me if I did that.

It fit perfectly in the chest (not overly snug). The chest is what I was the most concerned about, since my chest is a bit over-sized compared to the rest of me. A nice fit in the waist, but slightly loose in the hips, which didn't surprise me because my hips aren't overly wide. The sleeves also were a little long but not long enough to where it couldn't be remedied.

Some substantial heels had to be worn with the dress because the skirt drags the floor (it also doesn't help that I'm just 5' 6"), but other than that, the dress is definitely a winner.

Side Note 2: The styles definitely cater more to special events or club wear. Also, to those women who are a bit taller.

Side Note 3: If you tend to like more conservative (less flashy) styles, this site may not be your cup of tea.  

Side Note 4: If you are hyper sensitive about certain parts of your body, then a few of the fashions may not be what you are looking for.

Pros:

1. The designs are full of color and prints.

2. They actually have plus sized models that are modeling the clothes so you can get a real sense of how it would fit on the body.

3. They e-mailed about the delay and gave options to remedy the inconvenience.

4. Great for those who are proud of the curves.

Cons:

1. At times the website was a bit tough to maneuver through. Like I would place something in my cart but when I went to check out, it wouldn't immediately take me to the check out screen.

2. There was quite a delay in when I got the item I ordered (I did get notified about the delay when I inquired).

3. Need more variety with the jewelry and accessories section.

4. The sizing is Junior Plus, and no sizes above a 3X. There's also no Petite section.

Overall, my rating is:


#IDigIt

Now Ova, I know this is the part where you wish everyone farewell, but I do have some very important updates as it pertains to "The Brickhouse Dress".


Okay, you're still here? Good!

Well, Sugar Plum ended up canceling her event, so the dress (and the similar looking shoes) stayed in my closet that year ... and the next year ... and the next year ... you get the picture.

Until this year (and in a different closet in a different location ... but that talk is for another day).

One of my co-workers was having a re-commitment ceremony and Mini Truth and myself were invited. Since the dress code was formal, "The Brickhouse Dress" came to mind. 

However, it had been a little over 5 and a half years since I purchased the dress. My body had gone through some changes, particularly this year with losing weight. Therefore, I was uncertain whether I would still be able to wear the dress ... or had I lost too much weight for the dress to fit properly?

Luck was on my side, so I present pictures of yours truly in "The Brick House Dress".




This has concluded another Throwback Thursday. Let's hope it's not another five and a half years before I get all snazzy ... lol