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.


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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