30 June 2014

Why I'm Still Proud to be British

They are some things that will forever be known as quintessentially British.

Sunday lunches and afternoon teas; our reserved nature and under playing our achievements.   We all seem to love a good moan yet we have an innate inability to complain and of course, there is the famous stiff upper lip.

Surely the term quirky was surely made for the British.

The trait that makes me very proud to be British however is the way in which when times get back, differences are forgotten and the old war time spirit of “We are all in this together” comes into play. 

In times of the EDL, BNP, UKIP and Britain First; sometimes it can be hard to remember that feeling.  Now and again though, even when you have lost hope that we can all join together in a common cause again, that spirit remerges.


The clean up campaign that was organized on Twitter after the London riots is one of the recent examples I can think of.  Hundreds of people joined together to clean up the streets.  It didn’t matter who you were or what you believed in; it was British people coming together for a common good.

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Source
 A year later we hosted the Olympics and the roar of support in that stadium and all across the country when Jessica Ennis was running the 800m in the final stage of the Heptathlon will always stay with me.  I have never heard or felt anything like that in my life. 


Over the past couple of years however the vitriolic ranting by parties like the BNP, the thuggish and frankly terrifying nature of the recently formed Britain First and the thinly veiled racist and homophobic nature of UKIP seemed to have fractured our society into such a state that I didn’t think that it could be mended.
Yesterday however a little ray of hope appeared.   You may have recently seen the news about the Blackley Jewish Cemetery where dozens of headstones had been damaged and covered in swastikas by two teenagers.

Rather than letting such a blatantly anti-semitic attack pass them by however, the local community got together to help.  So many people turned up to help with the clear up that they had to be organised into shifts.  These people were from all walks of life and from many different religions; there was no “them and us”.  That didn’t matter.  They just wanted to come together as a community to help.

It is things like this that makes me remember that I am indeed proud to be British.  When times are hard we stand shoulder to shoulder as one.  When we are one as a nation there is nothing that can take us down.  Adolf Hitler couldn’t break us and I am damned if I am going to see parties like UKIP tear us apart.


So yes I am proud to be British, in the true sense of the word; not like it has been commandeered by Britain First.




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29 June 2014

Blogger Bucket List

I saw this on Blogclarity.com and thought it was a wonderful idea.  I intend to try this out!


27 June 2014

Suits You

I am really excited today to be starting a new monthly challenge called Suits You created by the gorgeous Leah of ThirtySomethingCurvyMe.

Every month we are given a different blogger who is involved in this challenge to style an outfit for.  Having only ever styled myself I am not sure how good I will be at this but can't wait to give it a go!
For this month I am styling the lovely Steph and you can check her out on the below links:


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Upon looking through her blog and having met her a few times, what I have noticed from Steph is that she prefers clean lines, a darker colour palette and her shoes tend to be flat (god I hope that this is right, I am totally winging this whole styling thing!). 

With that in mind I have chosen a Joe Brown dress from +Simply Be which I think will suit her shape beautifully, whilst adding a bit of summertime floral into the mix.  I suspect I might be challenging myself in there too!  I have also chosen a +New Look necklace to accompany the dress and some Hush Puppy sandals to round things off.

I hope you like what I have chosen Steph!
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 Please take a moment to check out the other ladies who are also involved in the styling challenge!

 


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25 June 2014

Elomi Caitlyn Bra

I was recently contacted by BrasandHoney and asked I want to have a look at their website and choose an item for review.

Finding a well fitting but also pretty bra is an everlasting search of mine as my particular bra size (46H) is always hard to find.  It is either non existent on many lingerie sites or if it is, the words frumpy and granny usually spring to mind when the images appears.

Happily though the first thing I noticed about the BrasandHoney site is the convenient quick search feature which enables you to put your size in first and everything available immediately appears.  This is a particularly good feature as time and time again I have found the perfect bra, only to then find that it doesn't come/isn't available in my size.

I decided to choose the Elomi Caitlyn Underwired Side Support Bra which comes in sizes ranging from 28B to 48k and is available in black, nude and pearl.  I decided to go with the black and happily I was also sent the matching briefs.


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Not me!





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I haven't on this occasion taken pictures of myself in the bra as the top half is sheer with beautiful embroidery and I didn't want to show to much flesh.  An unintended nipple flash would not be a great idea!

I can however confirm that the Elomi Caitlyn bra is extremely comfortable to wear and the fit is just right. 

You can believe me when I tell you this as I can't even count the number of bras I have worn over the years where I have had to compromise somewhere on the fit.  Straps digging a trench into your shoulders, the back clinging to you uncomfortably and riding up; the ends of the underwire poking you in the armpit, I have had them all...

With the Caitlyn, the gore (central panel) sits flat on my chest, the straps are resting on my shoulders without either falling off and feel secure and the band position is snug without being tight.  I feel supported but also comfortable which is all you can ever ask in a bra.

The Caitlyn is also available in nude and pearl and I will definitely be looking to purchase them in the near future.


*  This item was gifted to me but all my opinions are my own.

24 June 2014

Exciting News

So, I have some exciting news to share.

I write a monthly column for FashionWorked which started in November last week.  FashionWorked is a fantastic site which I have talked about often which I love not just for the fashion talk but also for the opinion pieces. 

The creator extraordinaire aka Ross wanted someone to write about plus size fashion and very kindly asked me and so The Plus Perspective was born.

I have talked about fashion, body image, had the occasional rant about trolls and most recent about the power of one person's voice and how I combat insecurity via Instagram.  I have an open ticket to write about what I want and for that I am very grateful.

Each month I send in my column and wait with baited breath to see if my post is thrown back at me with "What a pile of tosh, I'm not printing that" but miraculously it never has (yet!).  I am always nervous when writing for other people as it brings in my insecure side but writing for FashionWorked is something that I love and I wouldn't give it up, unless they kicked me out of the door of course!

Yesterday FashionWorked announced their yearly award winners for categories such as Best Independent Designer, Worst High Street Store and Style Icon of the Year.  One of the other categories was Guest Blogger of the Year and guess what? 

I only bloody won it!


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Am so very pleased and very touched as the things I write mean a hell of a lot to me and someone saying that they like the things that I write means the absolute world to me.

I'm now going to go off and start a happy conga line.  Toodles! xx



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17 June 2014

South Ruched Sleeve Tea Dress

So I had a spare ten minutes the other day and decided to have a look at the +Very.co.uk to see what they  had going on in the fashion section as I haven't checked it out for ages.  This was perhaps a bad move as I ended up coming away with two dresses...... Oops.

I have one of the dresses to show you today which is a pillar box red tea dress with a blue and turquoise cherry blossom pattern which I adore.  The length is a little shorter than I would normally wear but hey, it is summer after all!

The fit is true to size and I love the skirt to the dress which is very swishy (yes, that is a technical term).  I am 5ft4 for height comparison and I would say that if you are any taller than me then you would definately need tights or leggings.  The sizing ranges from 8 to 24.

I wore the dress with a turquoise necklace that I found in a charity shop, my crochet cardigan from +Simply Be and some Mary Jane shoes from +Clarks 

The South Ruched Sleeve Tea Dress is a lovely dress and for the current bargain price of £25.00, I do urge you to run and get it quick!  





What have you bought lately?


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15 June 2014

I Feel Good


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You know sometimes when you spend ages getting ready for a night out, an event or even just a blog post, and the reflection in mirror isn't what you hoped?  This challenge is for those times when you look in the mirror, no pre planning involved, and think "I look good today".  

We all have our good days and our bad, but this challenge is to record those good days and to remember that confidence, at any size, is beautiful.

I woke up this morning without any clue what date it was, and it was only upon reading a couple of blogs that I realised that today was the #IFeelGood challenge.

At this point I was half still in edge, the bed hair look was still in evidence and my face was makeup free.  I decided to point the camera at myself and see if I liked what I saw.   So here I am, Sunday morning face, unprimped and unashamed.






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13 June 2014

More About Me

Now I have completed quite a few of these sorts of quizzes in my time and swore I wouldn’t again, however my sister Lisa who is new at blogging (check out her felting blog www.feltsforever.blogspot.com by the way) tagged me in so I’m giving it a go.  You can’t turn down your sis!

Here goes 50 questions...

1. What are you wearing?
A bird print dress from SimplyBe, some gold metallic sandals, and a smile!

 
2. Ever been in love?
Yes, but it ended in tears, lots of them


3. Ever had a terrible breakup?
See above


4. How tall are you?
5ft 4 and a half...  I have one inch on my sister ;)

 
5. How much do you weigh?
I think that comes under the answer “none of your business”.  How rude!


6. Any tattoos?
Yes, nine.  Mostly small and non obtrusive.  My favourites are on my feet but especially Bertha, the butterfly on my wrist.  Yes, I have named my tattoo….


7. Any piercings?
I have my ears pierced and in a mad moment when I was 21 I decided to get my eyebrow done.  This lasted about three weeks.


8. OTP?
Eh??


9. Favourite show?
If this quiz originated in America then they mean TV show, which is Game of Thrones.  If the quiz started in the UK they mean theatrical show, which is Miss Saigon.  How’s that for thorough answering!


10. Favourite bands?
Radiohead and Green Day


11. Something you miss?
My dad


12. Favourite song?
My First, My Last, My Everything – Barry White.  Also love Ella Fitzgerald, At Last. Oh and Creep by Radiohead; and Good Riddance by Green Day.


13. How old are you?
35. Feel like 25.


14. Zodiac sign?
Pisces


15. Quality you look for in a guy?
Someone I can trust and someone who has the same sense of humour.


16. Favourite quote?
 No one can make you feel inferior without your consent – Eleanor Roosevelt


17. Favourite actor?
Morgan Freeman or Tom Hanks

 
18. Favourite colour?
Red


19. Loud music or soft?
Loud


20. Where do you go when you're sad?
Further into my head


21. How long does it take you to shower?
Including washing my hair, 30 minutes


22. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
I can be ready for work in 45 minutes, if I am going out, 2 hours.


23. Ever been in a physical fight?
No


24. Turn on?
Someone who is confident


25. Turn off?
Someone untrustworthy

 
26. The reason I joined youtube?
I started to vlog, but then went off it

 
27. Fears?
Stairs and spiders.


28. Last thing that made me cry?
Watching the Supervet programme the other week


29. Last time you said you loved someone?
Yesterday, to my dog haha

 
30. Meaning behind your youtube name?
I couldn’t even tell you what it is


31. Last book you read?
A Night on the Orient Express


32. The book you are currently reading?
None at the moment, suggestions anyone?

 
33. Last show you watched?
Again, America version my answer is Made in Chelsea (yes I know, hangs head in shame), British version answer: Miss Saigon


34. Last person you talked to?
Our receptionist at work


35. The relationship between you and the person you last texted?
My best friend


36. Favourite food?
I love seafood or anything Italian


37. Place you want to visit?
New York, Paris, Thailand, Singapore, Italy, the list goes on.  I’d also love to go on the Orient Express.


38. Last place you were?
Bus station

 
39. Do you have a crush?
Nope!  Unless you count Adam Levine... 


40. Last time you kissed someone?
About 6 weeks ago


41. Last time you were insulted?
Someone took my photo on the bus to laugh at, I’d consider that insulting.


42. Favourite flavour?
Lemon


43. What instruments do I play?
None


44. Favourite piece of jewellery?
A diamond flower ring that belongs to my mum and one day to me.

 
45. Last sport you played?
Does The Circle of Death count?


46. Last song you sang?
Dream a Little Dream of Me, Mama Cass


47. Favourite chat up line?
What winks and is a tiger in bed? *Winks


48. Have you ever used it?
I’ve had it said to me, I wouldn’t say it myself ;)


49. Last time you hung out with anyone?
Last Saturday I was at my friend Vicky’s for her birthday along with some other great mates.
 

50. Who should answer these questions next?
Nikki from www.nattynikki.com or whomever wishes!

 

Phew that was a long one!!!

11 June 2014

My New Friend George

I have a confession to make:  I have never bought clothes from a supermarket; not even so much as a t-shirt and to be honest, I’m not really sure why.


I have seen many other bloggers with posts showing some really gorgeous clothes which they have purchased from supermarkets so I decided that it was high time that I investigated this new source of clothes for myself (apologies in advance to my credit card).


Given that my to go supermarket is Asda I decided to check out their George at Asda clothing line and pick some of my favourites.






£12.00

£35.00 but currently on sale at £20.00

£10.00

4  Floral Print Trousers
£10.00

£18.00

Ikat Print Jumpsuit
£14.00
 
I was pleasantly surprised by the pricing of everything and the fact that many items went up to a size 24.  There is also a plus size section which is caters from 16-26 but to be honest I preferred the items, and the pricing, of the main section.

Out of the above I think that my favourites are the animal print dress and the Ikat print jumpsuit but I have feeling that more than one will end up in my shopping basket.



* Sponsored post

10 June 2014

The Power of the Selfie

You may be aware that one of my favourite sites FashionWorked allows me to take over once a month and write about whatever takes my fancy in a column called "The Plus Perspective".  (Not sure if he knew what he was letting himself in for!!).
 
Anyhow this month I am talking about taking selfies and confidence.  Here is an extract:
 
Strangely what I have realised whilst writing this post is that from my neck down I would never dream of apologising to someone about the way that I look. Indeed, my brain is saying to me “What? Why would you apologise you idiot”.
 
You can read more here

8 June 2014

Magnificent 7th


We will be posting on the 7th of each month, and the aim of the challenge is to create an outfit to fit the theme, using clothes from our wardrobes, and yes that does mean digging deep into the depths and finding those long lost clothes! Hopefully one of us won’t end up in Narnia, but you never know with a bloggers wardrobe!


This month’s theme is dressing in the style of your favourite celebrity.  Now I can't really say that I have a favourite celebrity.  I don't particular immerse myself in celebrity culture or gossip magazines so am winging this a little.  I decided to go with Jennifer Lawrence in the end as I like her style, she seems to fall over a lot (like me) and seems to be the kind of girl that you would have a great time with.
When I have looked at Jennifer's style she always looks great in bright colours and isn't afraid to show a little cleavage so as such, I decided to show you a dress that I got some time ago, but haven't yet worn.







You can find the Enchanted Lands Dress at Taking Shape for £39.00.  On the website the dress looks a lot shorter than on me.  I am 5ft4 and the dress lands midway between my ankle and knee.  The sizing is spot on and the material is lovely and airy.

I love the vibrant colours of this dress and I don't even mind the hanky hem.