My Ellie

You arrived at our home at three months old, a tiny ball of black fluff.  So small you would have fit in a pint glass.  My first memory of you is being on the phone to mum while she brought you home for the first time, telling me all about you and then saying "The little bugger just nipped me!".

You had never nipped anyone before or since, but knowing your personality as I do now, I think that it was you saying "I may be tiny, but I am the boss now!" and you really were.  We belonged to you, not the other way around.  We used to joke that you were the queen and we were your minions.  Just as you deserved.

Your favourite places were rugs.  You used to roll all over each one of them in the house, your legs flailing in the air like a little horse.  I still walk into a room and expect to see you rolling around the floor like a lunatic.

You didn't like to go for a walk, often hiding behind my legs or looking up at me with those big beautiful eyes which practically said "Mummy, don't make me".  You won the battle most of the time because who could resist you?  Certainly not me.  You loved to run for a ball however, your dancing around for it earned you one of your first nicknames, Dancing Dora.

I have had and have known many dogs in my life.  None like you. I have loved every dog and pet we have had over the years, but none took hold of my heart like you did.  You decided that love was not enough, it was adoration that you wanted; and it is what you received.  It had been a very long time since I gave someone my whole heart, but you had all of it.

You had more personality than any dog I have ever known.  You had a truly unique character and really could do everything to communicate except actually speak.

I have so many memories of you.  The way that you always have a part of you touching mum when you slept, either on the back of her chair or on the bed.  The way when you slept on the floor you slept near her slippers.

Your expression of indignation when you would see Rosie on my bed.  The way you kept moving down the hall, sitting down every few steps with an incensed glare at me and Rosie.  You practically shouted "Oi!  That's my mummy!  She is mine!".

The way you would come to my door at night.  I would open the door and then  have to follow you, with you looking back to make sure I was complying as you went to the front door or to the sitting room, because you wanted to play on the rug with me.  I cannot count how many hugs and kisses I gave you on that rug over the years.  Millions.

You used to love being sung to.  So many times I would pick you up in my arms, you would position yourself so that you were perfectly comfortable, using me like an chair arm.  I would sing to you the song that mum used to sing to me when I was a little girl "You are my sunshine".  You were.

Your name was Ellie, but to me, you were Sausage Monkey.  I am not really sure how the name came about, maybe because your body was like a little sausage and you were a monkey.  But I called you Sausage Monkey more than than I called you Ellie.  You answered to either.

You gave us such much joy, love, fun and laughter every single day and we both loved you so very very much.

When you became ill, you were so strong and a little fighter.  Your spirit radiated out of you.

For such a small dog, you have left such a massive hole in our lives and in our hearts.  A piece of mine went with you, my little girl.  You will be missed every day and you will never be replaced. A dog as unique and wonderful as you never could be.

I cannot say goodbye.  The words will not come.  Instead I will say what I always used to say to you at night.

Night night sausa monkey, momma loves you.

The Goggle Box

After seven years of faithful service, my bedroom television has finally given up on me.  The DVD player no longer works and the picture was terrible (bought before HD so not great to begin with) and so the quest is on to find some new bedroom tech.

Times have evolved greatly in terms of what you can purchase, particularly in terms of size and picture quality.  The typical 19 inch cube like televisions have moved on to larger flat screen versions and the picture quality has improved by leaps and bounds.  From ordinary SDTV we have moved to to HDTV and now, the latest innovation is 4KTV with the likes of the Panasonic Viera range.

Photo Credit

When buying a new television, it is always useful to read to the latest tech blogs and check out the best TVs that you can buy within your budget range.  There are so many different types of television that you can buy, dependent on what you are looking for and the services you want it to provide.

When it comes to buying a television for a bedroom, often, you want it to be a multi tasker.  Are you a gamer?  Are you a Netflix addict?  Will you use it in collaboration with your laptop?  Do you want to connect to the internet?

All of these options can be catered for and given that the price of technology has come down in recent years, the cost of what you want is not going to burden your purse too heavily.

For me, I am a film buff.  I love watching films, either through my Freeview or on DVD.  Netflix will be my next port of call, I can no longer resist its calling.  With this is mind I have gone for a larger television, 32 inches which is the largest that I can have within my space capacities.

HD is a must given the amount of films that I watch and I can only imagine how great some of my old favourites are going to look like on a much larger screen with much better resolution.  Avatar, Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, the Fast & the Furious series; all will be getting a dusting off and a marathon film weekend will be happening soon!

The Funny Fat Friend

I saw a meme tonight.  When you go on the internet you see many.  Some hilarious, some make you want to beat your head repeatedly against a wall.  This was one of them.

There is a perception in society that says that if you are fat, you must compensate for it.  Whether this is dressing always in black, being on a permanent diet and hating yourself or being the kind of fat person that is the "good fat" aka hating on other fat people, the "yes I am fat but you can like me because I insult other fat people, we are horrendous I agree with you" type.

There is another "good" type of fat person.  The funny fat friend. We see it in films all the time.  Fat people playing a role, aimed at us being more "acceptable".  I have fallen into this role before.  Over compensating for my size by trying to be funny.  Trying to detract from what I look like.

You cannot hurt me if you think I am funny.  You do not need to see me as a woman, a sexual being if you can put a label on me and put me in that box.

SCREW THAT.  I am not a label.  I am not just one thing.  I do not need to "compensate" for what I look like.

This is something that has been rumbling in my head for a while now.  The people that expect fat people to be funny.  To compensate.  That people that say "Oh I bet you are funny" when trying to picture me in a friend group.

Sometimes I am funny.  Sometimes I am a bitch.  Sometimes I am quiet.  Sometimes I am fun.  I am not here on this planet to play a part or a role for someone.  I am myself and if you don't like me, that is fine.  If you don't find me attractive, that is also fine.  But I am not here for your fucking entertainment.

I am tired of the perception that if you are fat, you must compensate others.  Trade off what you look like by offering something up, like humour by way of a payment for them having to look at you.

I am enough,  You are enough, We are all enough.  Fat, funny or a fucking bitch.  We deserve to be taken for who we are.  Not treated differently or have expectations put on us because of the size of our stomach is something that you have to blank out and find something else about us to talk about.

You are enough.  Do not like ANYBODY tell you different. 

The Lazy Girl's Guide to Eyebrows

Eyebrows.  Ten years ago (the first time I was ever convinced to wax my eyebrows), I did not see what the fuss was about.  As long as you did not have a monobrow, the thought of colouring them in, shaping them and making them a part of my make up routine did not even occur to me.

Ten years now and eyebrows are a big business.  We wax them, we tweeze them; they are kept in place with gels and drawn over with pens and liquids.  Some of us even shave them off, to be replaced with a tattoo version (don't try that at home kids, remember, your face wrinkles as you age, so will the tattoo).

You can, and many people do spend a fortune maintaining their eyebrows and keeping up to date with the latest brushes, gels and products.  As for me, although I now love a well filled in eyebrow, I prefer to do the same on a budget; and without much time or effort involved.

While I like my eyebrows to be groomed, I still want a natural look and not tweezed within an inch of their life.  To maintain a natural line I use the Tweezerman Slant Tweezer

Here I am, sans makeup, ready to put my makeup on to start my day.  It is first thing in the morning so please excuse grumpy face.

I never put anything on my face in the right order (does anyone even know what this is?) but I always start with the eyebrows.  I use a slanted makeup brush which I bought from Superdrug (similar found here) and a £1 eyeshadow from MUA, which I find stays in place all day.

I simply fill in the eyebrows in, following the line and then I extend the eyebrow out another half inch with a thin line, which I find looks better on me as I have quite stumpy eyebrows otherwise.

I never have too much time in the morning, I prefer to sleep, but eyeliner is my master and I must obey its rule.

Finally, here I am to start my day.  My makeup usually takes 5-10 minutes to do, the majority of time on that being eyeliner.

Eyeshadow (for eyebrows) - MUA  £1.00
Eyeliner - Loreal Super Liner £6.99
Mascara - Clinique High Impact £17.50
Foundation: Rimmel Lasting Finish £6.00
Blusher - MUA £1.00
Strawberry lip balm - gift

Embracing You

I saw a quote by Hugh Laurie this week that really struck a chord with me.

That is what I think about confidence.  If I had a pound for every time during my life that I have thought "When I am older, I'll be confident then" or "Maybe I would be confident if I were to change x, y and z about myself" then I would probably be a billionaire today.

NO.  Strive for confidence now.  DO NOT WAIT.

You can your whole life thinking "If only I was thinner, taller; prettier, then I will be happy", or, alternatively, you can live your life and be happy.  But how?

How do you suddenly become confident?  Well the answer is, at least it was for me, is that confidence is not an instant thing.  It takes work.  It is a journey.  You are constantly learning.  You will have off days.  But they are just bumps in a very long road that has your happiness at the end of it.

The trick for me, was to start small.  What do you think will improve your confidence?  Do you love fashion?  Start with that.  Do you love makeup? Play around.  For me, in a wardrobe full of black, it started with colourful shoes.

Next, the wardrobe.  I knew I loved colour and pattern, but going there was a long journey.  But one day....

This next photo took so much confidence, you can see the trepidation on my face.  The fear.  But I did it.  Which led me to, a couple of months ago wandering round a spa in this swimsuit without a care in the world.

 One thing that really helped me with my confidence was to do a photo shoot.  This was arranged by the utterly fabulous Pamper & Curves.  Betty Pamper was running a vintage style photoshoot and I jumped at the chance.  You can see the pictures from the shoot in the link above, but this is a selfie I took between shots.  I felt beautiful.  It was a cornerstone of finding my confidence.

But it isn't just about makeup and clothes.  Who are you?  Who is that person that you have been hiding beneath your under confident self?  Who is the person that your friends have seen glimpses of and know is there, even if you don't.

Use your voice.  Think about what drives you, what you are passionate about and start speaking out.  Be present.  You are allowed to have an opinion if you want it.  

It took a long time for me to realise that the size of my body and the way I looked did not mean that I was not entitled to speak my mind.  I realised that being fat was only a very small part of who I was.  I began to embrace the outside, love it, but also, let the real me out.  The one talking to you now.

I have seen and spoken to people who are much older in years than I who never found their confidence.  They waited for that lightening bolt that never happened.  Because you have to make it happen.

They say that a journey starts with a single step.  I say that it starts with the second step.  The first step is the want.  The second step is the drive to move forward.

Where will your journey take you?  Take that first and second step.  It is worth it.  It is beyond worth it.

Fun Wedding Reception Ideas

I don't know whether it is my addiction to "Don't Tell The Bride", but I am always on the lookout for fun, memorable and unique ideas to have at weddings.

The best weddings are always the ones that are unique to the couple, have a fun element and ones that you can take away wonderful memories from; whether you are the ones getting married or a guest.

One thing that I think is really fun to do, which is becoming very popular these days is having a photo booth at your wedding reception.  Professional photographs, although lovely for the ceremony and group photos, really have no place at a wedding reception where you want to have fun in a more relaxed setting.

Photograph courtesy of OMG Photo Booth Hire

As well as having fun props and getting random combinations of guests posing, this is a really fun addition to your wedding reception.

An essential to a good wedding reception is the music.  What you do not want is an empty dance floor or even worse, twenty drunk people doing the Chicken Dance courtesy of a bad DJ.  A great idea to do is add a song request option to your wedding RSVP invite.  When you get the cards back, simply create a playlist, adding a few of your own favourites to the mix!

Hey Mr DJ

 The card featured here is downloaded from Etsy at the low cost of £4.22.  You can just print out the cards yourself to add to your wedding invitation envelope.  Fun for a tiny cost!

Another idea would be to invest in some personalised wedding pens.  They can either be added to your wedding invitation envelope or placed on the tables at the reception, perhaps to use in the next idea.

Wedding Pens

These pens cost £30.00 for 50 and will be a nice memento of your wedding (as well as getting the phone number of that wedding guest who you have decided after a wine or two is your one true love!)

The people you ask to your wedding are (in an ideal world) all the people that you love and spend time with.  A great idea would be to leave these wedding advice cards out for each guest on the tables in place of a wedding guest book.  Cheaper and will invoke some great memories in years to come.

Wedding Advice Cards

I found these on Etsy for the cost of under £20.00 for 50.  Not a bad place at all for some interest at the table and great reading afterwards.

Finally, at the end of the night when toasts have been drunk, many drinks have been consumed and that wedding breakfast seems a very long time ago, how about a popcorn food stand?

Photo Credit

These are just some of the great ideas that I have come across, all designed to make your wedding that little bit more special and something that you will always remember.


*Sponsored Post

Bored of the Diet Talk

I know that I am not alone in saying this, because I have seen many fat positive women saying the same, but the typical New Years Resolutions of “I am going on a diet because I ate a turkey, four mince pies and a chocolate truffle over Christmas; I look horrendous” are this year, really starting to get on my wick.

Now I am, as you know, a fat person.  It is a part of me but not all of who I am.  I am aware of it and the impact that seeing my body sometimes has on others.  You know the types, either those who like to insult you; in varying ways of behind your back (or hiding behind a computer screen) or those jellyfish stinger types who say “Oh I wish I had half of your confidence!” 

Which translates to:

“If I was as fat as you, I would hide in my shed”

I like my body.  I have no wish to change it.  If others wish to change their body, be it because it is a New Years resolution or otherwise, then do it, but for the love of fuck, stop trying to involve me in your diet talk because I am not interested and what’s more, it is boring as hell!

I cannot count the number of talks I have been party to or brought into with regard to weight loss recently. Including before Christmas “With all I am going to eat this Christmas, lets all challenge ourselves to a weight loss competition in January”.  Erm, no.  That is ridiculous.

Weight loss is not a competition and we should not be compare and contrasting each others bodies in order to declare a winner.  If you want to change something about your body then change it, but leave others out of it.

If your self worth relies on the size of your stomach and the number on your bathroom scales alone, then perhaps your New Years resolution should be to love yourself more.   Because losing 10 pounds after Christmas will not change that. 

Here is a New Years Resolution I intend on sticking to.

Photo Credit

You Are Not Alone

Christmas.  A time of swapping presents, seeing family and having fun.  A time when everyone is supposed to be happy and jolly.  A time where complete strangers who never normally speak to you will say Merry Christmas.

One of the things about Christmas however is that expectation to be happy and jolly.  Problems do not stop just because Christmas starts and sadness does not disappear underneath a sprig of holly.  With 1 in 5 of us suffering from mental illness at some time during our lives, sometimes, we all need a little help.

This year I am using my last post of the year to join Kellie from Big Fashionista in posting telephone numbers for people who may be in need.  You are not alone.

MIND

Website www.mind.org.uk

Tel No   0300 123 3393

Samaritans

Website  www.samaritans.org

Tel No      116 123 

Alcoholics Anonymous

Website   www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk 

Tel No     0800 9177650 

Stonewall

Website    www.stonewall.org.uk

Info line 08000 50 20 20 

London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard

Tel No    0207 837 7324

SANELine

Website   www.sane.org.uk

Tel No     0300 304 7000

Papyrus, Prevention of young suicide

Website  www.papyrus-uk.org 

National self-help body for the Transgender community

Beaumont Society

Website http://www.beaumontsociety.org.uk

Information Line 01582 412220

Childline

www.childline.org.uk 

0800 1111

Depression Alliance

Website   www.depressionalliance.org

Refuge

Website   www.refuge.org.uk

Tel No     0808 2000 247

Beating eating disorders

Website https://www.b-eat.co.uk 

Help line 0345 634 1414

Youth Line 0345 634 7650

Shelter

Website  www.shelter.org.uk

Tel No    0808 800 4444

NHS Direct

1111 

No Panic

Website http://www.nopanic.org.uk 

Tel No  0844 967 4848

Youth helpline     01753 840393

Fabulous Coats

When it comes to winter, I think of two things when it comes to clothes.  The first is warmth.

Cosy jumpers, decorative scarves; gloves to keep your hands warm and toasty socks in bed at night.  Surrounding yourself with these items during the winter months will ensure a warm and comfortable time.

When it comes to coats and jackets however, I like to add a little glamour and luxury.  There is no reason why you cannot be both warm and look glamorous.  So here are some of my favourite elegant and glamorous coats to see you through the next few months of the cold.

Best of all, all of the coats I have found are on sale!

Biba Luxe Leopard Faux Fur Coat

£139.40

Alice & You Faux Fur Coat

£60.00

Jane Norman Beige Bonded Fur Collar Jacket

£35.00 

Oasis - The Great Coat

£77.00

Uttam Boutique Contrast Kimono Coat

£55.00

3 Things That Can Ruin Your Gap Year and How To Avoid Them

It usually takes time and effort to scrape together the funds for a gap year, and these adventures take plenty of planning too. So, the last thing you want when you finally set off on your globetrotting trip is for something to ruin your experiences. Here are three things that have the potential to spoil your fun, and some top tips to help ensure they don’t.

1) Sickness

When you’re away from home, it’s more important than ever to take care of your health. After all, if you get sick when you’re abroad, you might have to bring your adventures to an abrupt end. There are lots of potential health threats to watch out for too, from stomach bugs caused by poor hygiene to tropical diseases. Before you set off on your travels, it’s important to do some research to establish what risks you are likely to face. Depending on where you’re going, you might need to get vaccinations to protect you against diseases like hepatitis A and B, typhoid, yellow fever, tuberculosis, rabies and Japanese encephalitis. You may also require protection from malaria. There is no vaccination to guard against this disease, but you can take anti-malarial medicines. For example, you may be advised to take a course of Doxycycline malaria tablets. This treatment offers protection from one to two days after you start the course, so you’ll need to begin taking the tablets before you enter at-risk areas.

More generally, pay careful attention to food and water hygiene and make sure you don’t overexpose yourself to the sun. If you’re ever in doubt about health-related issues, you should be able to find reliable information and guidance online. 

2) Running out of money

Another sure fire way to spoil your trip is to run out of money. Budgeting for gap years is notoriously tricky, and you’ll have to be savvy if you’re going to make your money last. Firstly, be realistic when you’re working out how much cash you’ll need to fund your travels. Being overly optimistic about how far your money will stretch is a recipe for disaster further down the line. Meanwhile, try to pay for most of your major travel costs upfront so that you can ensure you won’t end up stranded in some far flung location.

Create a spending plan too, and keep a record of your expenses as you go. This will show you how quickly you are working through your resources and help you to identify where savings need to be made. Make sure you keep your money secure as well. For example, don’t carry large sums of cash around. It’s much better to use travellers’ cheques and prepaid cards. In addition, it’s useful to have an emergency fund that’s separate to your regular spending money and that you can use in the event of unexpected problems.

3) Missing home

Right now, the thought of getting away from everyday life at home might be one of your major motivations for hitting the road. However, when you’re thousands of miles away from family and friends, you may surprise yourself by how homesick you feel. It’s normal to miss the comforts of life back home from time to time, especially if things aren’t going to plan. To stop this getting in the way of having a good time, make an effort to keep in touch with loved ones by scheduling regular video chats and using email and social media. 

Your gap year could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore the world and expand your horizons, and by following advice like this, you can ensure you make the most of it.

*In collaboration with Lloyds Pharmacy

Hello, It's Me

Hello little blog.  It's me.  I'm wondering if after all these months, you recognise me.

OK, so I am shameless stealing Adele lyrics here, but the question remains true.  But I have been here, posting, writing; and yet I haven't.  The me that loves to do fashion posts has been absent, the writer who loves to rant has been gone; the woman who pours her heart out through her blog has been MIA.

Victoria the ghost writer has made some appearances, but in general, my heart has been gone from this blog for many, many months.  Why is that?

Well, it has been a bloody hard and horrible year with not many highs.  A long hospital stay followed by the death of my step dad, the aftermath of that and me wondering how I could have lost both my dad and step dad before I'm even 40.  Drawing inward.

"They say time's supposed to heal ya, but I ain't done much healing"

I have to be careful with my heart.  I know how easily I can fall into sadness and when dark days can turn into dark periods.  Under times of stress I have to be especially careful. I have had to be strong, I could not fall under the spell of sadness.

I have not been unable to understand why my passion for writing has been gone.  I have not been able to understand why I have pulled away from friends, stepping in now and again but remaining distant.  I could not understand the need that roared inside me to ensure that I told my mum I loved her so often.  I could not understand why my joy for life seemed to be on mute.

After much soul searching and facing up to truths, I now understand.

I have been on pause.  You know when something huge is about to happen in front of you, you freeze, hold your breath, draw your body inward?  That has been me.  I have put myself on pause, thrown a safety net around myself and anchored in.  Because I have been scared of what comes next.

A Tyrannosaurus Rex cannot see you if you don't move and that is how I have been treating that fear.  Do nothing, and nothing bad will happen.

I have not been writing, although I have wanted to, because I write with my heart and my heart has had a cage around it, keeping it safe.  I have pulled away from my best friends because they know me so well and I wasn't ready to see my reflection in their eyes.  They know what I am like and because they are amazing, they have waited.  Knowing.

I have told my mum that I love her every single day not because I adore her, which I do, but because somewhere inside me was saying "What if she dies too".   Losing my dad when I was younger and losing my step dad this year has made me pull her so close, because my heart is in no state to deal with that kind of grief.

I am improving now.  I am writing again finally and the words are flowing freely through me again, like they always have before.  There comes a point where you have to take that jump and continue living again, fully; not on safety mode.

Most people would not press publish on this post.  It is deeply personal and a working through of how I have been feeling.  A "Dear Diary".  But I believe that it is important to document your feelings, remember how you felt and how you brought yourself through it,  It is a marker in my life that proves how strong you are,

Writing has always been therapeutic and I am finally ready to let it heal me.  My sparkle is coming back and I feel more like myself again.  Hello little blog of mine, I have missed you so much.

Tips to Protect Your Data

I remember when I was first introduced to emails and the internet, many years ago now.

This was a time when Ask Jeeves was your go to for information and I think my first internet search was "how to cook a chicken".  I remember emails being described to me as being "like a text message, but on the computer".

Roll forward to 2015 and our entire lives are on the internet.  We share our photographs, do our banking, talk about our lives, chat with friends.  We rely on virus software to keep our emails save and on websites to have adequate security to hold our passwords and bank accounts safe.

Keeping our identity safe has never been more important than now.  We had have photographs stolen and shared to the world from the ICloud,  hackers who infiltrate your business emails; doxxing by individuals who share your address online and on a larger scale, groups like Anonymous.

So what do we need to do to keep our identity and data secure?

Data Label recently commissioned a study into how to avoid online scams and you can find the infograph below.

Online Scams & How To Avoid Them

The Age Factor

Age and how you perceive it, is a funny thing.

I remember being 13 and thinking that I couldn't wait until I was 18 and I could do what I wanted. 18 was the epitome of cool to me then.

I remember turning 21 and feeling that I was "old" now.  25 was full of "shoulda, woulda, coulda" with what I should have done and be doing with my life.  Turning 30 filled me with dread.  40 was, and still is at my present age of 36, an unknown but daunting prospect.  But why is it a daunting prospect?  

What I have come to realise however over the past couple of years is that age does not matter.  

The only problem with whatever age you happen to be is the limitations that we and society as a whole place on us.  Our lives are governed by this invisible set of rules and regulations of what you have meant to achieve, be and look like at various stages in your life.

I remember being told when I was around 26 that I had better get a boyfriend soon because "You don't want to be left on the shelf".  A man said this to me in all seriousness; like I am nothing more than a thing to be bought, sold or discarded.

At 30 the kindly advice people went up a notch.  "You are getting older now, you need to get married and have children before you can't have any"  Apparently the fact that I have never wanted children nor have (yet) met the right man means nothing against the milestones and rules that we apparently have to obey.

At 40 you are told that you are "over the hill".  Well I don't know about you, but some of the most vibrant and fabulous people I know are in their 40s,

Fast forward a few decades and you are in the winter of your life.  Twin sets, purses, iron grey perms, slowing down.  Why?  You are old, not dead!  My mum is living proof that your 70s can be fun and fashionable.  You do not have to give up and change who you are just because you are a certain age.  Rock it!

Age: 36   Amount of Fucks Given: 0 

Christmas Gifts

I like to start my Christmas shopping early, ideally in mid November before things get scarily busy in the shops.  I am a planner when it comes to gift buying and I always try to buy things for people that are treats, something a little different or something that they would not buy for themselves.  That is what a present is all about!

Here are a few of things that I have come across whilst present buying this year that I loved and took note of.  

Happy Jackson Earphone Case - £8.95 found here

Novelty Eye Mask - £3.99

Bath Glass Wine Holder - £6.95 

Memory One Line Per Day Diary - £11.95 

Picture Quote from Alice in Wonderland - £12.50 found here

These are all of the stocking filler type of price gifts which most of the women I know would to receive, but would not usually buy for themselves.

Surprise in the Post

Sometimes the most exciting things come through the post, the best of which are things that you never expected!

When it comes to the winter months I adore anything that is fur and soft to the touch.  Enter my new clutch bag from Helen Moore, which was a gift from 32Red

This a great piece to have to add to your winter clothing collection.  It can add a touch of luxury to an outfit and is just the right size to keep your "night out essentials".  Plus, who can resist a pom pom?

Shoe Gift Guide with Jones Bootmakers

Ladies’ gift guide

Struggling to find the perfect present for the lady in your life? Jones Bootmaker has created a great ladies’ gift guide, showing you what to buy every type of fussy females. Read on to sort your Christmas shopping in one fell sweep!

The party princess

Does she crave the shine of the disco ball? Is she often spotted on the dancefloor? If so, make her Christmas and invest in her most essential item: a pair of party-ready shoes!

This season, it’s all about metallic court shoes. Offering the perfect level of shimmer for any disco diva, the heels are ideal for dancing the night away over the festive season. The JonesBootmaker Cerys court shoes are ideal, as they also nail this season’s must-have reptile-inspired trend.

 For an extra stocking filler, why not buy her a pair of cushioning insoles to keep her dancing for longer without the dreaded aches and pains?

The office style queen

Shopping for an office style queen? Take her from the boardroom to bar with a pair of our black patent tasselled loafers. Our JonesBootmaker Genara loafers, for example, tick all of the boxes for this season’s trends. Tassels? Yes. Fringing? Got it! Pointed? Yup! Is there anything these shoes can’t do?

The casual chick

If your recipient lives life at a million miles an hour, they’ll need a pair of footwear that can keep up with their lifestyle. Whether it’s maintaining their yummy mummy status during the school run or enjoying a lunch date with friends, a pair of casual-cool ankle boots make for an ideal gift — the Jones Bootmaker Orchid ankle boots are a perfect choice.

The functional female

You don’t have to wear sky-scraping stilettos to make it onto the best dressed list — flats are stylish too! Give her the gift of fashion and function this year and purchase a pair of stylish ballet pumps. These JonesBootmaker Gartree flats are an ideal choice, as they are comfortable and boast a high-shine finish — perfect for nailing this season’s hottest trend. They’ll complement almost any outfit too, making them a truly great investment. 

The laidback lady

Does your recipient prefer a night in to a night out? The couch to the cocktail bar? If so, we have the ideal present for her: a pair of slippers! An absolute staple Christmas gift, they’re perfect for those that like to hibernate during the colder months.

These Sheepskin Duchess slippers are an ideal choice. Their super-soft lining and trim make them perfect for keeping feet warm during the colder months. 

My Current Favourites

City Chic black dress, £79 / Michael Kors wrap dress, £55 / Hell Bunny green dress, £72 / Plus size dress, £49 / Avenue hi low dress, £47 / Bell sleeve dress, £19

Shoes for the Party Season

We are once again approaching the Christmas season.  A time where presents are planned and bought, nights out and get togethers are planned and the annual work Christmas party fast approaches.

It is nearing the end of November when I usually start to look for something to wear for the party season.  I usually try to wear one dress from last year, but to a different event, and buy something new.  One thing that I do like to buy every year however are party shoes.

When it comes to the party season, finding the right style of shoe to carry you through all the events and parties is a must have.  Something classical but stylish that will go with anything.

I have picked out a few of my favourites that are available this year, some of which are also happily on sale!

These strappy shoes from Office will add a sexy edge to a basic black dress or complement a more colourful outfit

 

 These sparkly court shoes from Carvela are the perfect pairing if you have dresses of different colours or patterns

 These iridescent numbers from Dune are quite right for adding a touch of colour and sparkle to your outfit whilst still being understated.  

You can't lose with these simple court shoes from Dune with silver bows,  Classically elegant and would look great at the office party.

Then of course, there are the shoes that you find and fall in love with.  These are my absolute favourites for the party season and worthy enough of planning the rest of your outfit around.

You can find these from Head Over Heels

What are your go to party shoes?