Blog Loving

I think my real passion for blogging came after finding Cupcakes and Cashmere a few years back and, in doing so, I finally found someone who really inspired me. 

I think the thing with Emily Schuman is, that although she is much skinnier and lives in beautiful California, she has very similar colouring and style likes as me.

When I started writing the blog I wanted a way to share everything that I do.  People often asked for recipes, or 'how to' of DIY bits and bobs, or commented on my outfits.

I wanted a platform where I could share all things cool, but also somewhere to have a quick ramble.

I get a bit depressed sometimes and I find it easy to forget how good I have things, and how much I do get up to.

I've been so inspired over the last couple of years and have found some fantastic blogs that I really relate to.

Check out these fantastic bloggers and see what you think...

Rachel Schultz

Cupcakes and Cashmere

Cup of Jo

Fossil

Alana Jones Mann

Once Wed

Wedding Season

Baby Tuxedo Set - H&M

My Cousin is getting married in May and we are travelling to Newcastle to celebrate with them.  This year, not only do I need a lovely outfit for my post pregnancy/breastfeeding body, but I get to pick out something lovely for Noah.

As he is growing so quickly at the moment I didn't want to spend loads on an outfit, as he really will only get one wear out of it.

I am so pleased with this fantastic little set from H&M at £7.99! What a bargain and so totally cute!

Bon Bebe

My sister sent me a link to a fab baby website that I had never heard of before, Vertbaudet

I am dying to try some of their bits and bobs. Loving the European style to the cute little bits, and it's not too ridiculously priced.

Noah will most certainly be wearing some uber cool things from here!

New Home Editions

Really pleased with some of the new editions to the house that I got for my birthday last month.  I had blogged about this gorgeous John Lewis lamp before and Bean saw it, bought it, and gave it to me for my birthday! How lush!

This gorgeous Emma Bridgewater Honey and Marmelade jar was given to me my Bean's best friend, who always puts 110% into present buying.  This she bought to go with the Emma Bridgewater glass Jug and Cups that she had given us as a wedding present.

Fantastic new teapot, from Forlife that has an in-built strainer for making tea from loose tea leaves.

Getting Excited For Paris

G and I will be celebrating our 1 year Wedding Anniversary on the 4th May.  As a surprise G has booked for us to go to Disneyland Paris for the weekend.  I am so super excited, because not only will it bring back memories of our honeymoon in Disney World Florida, but we will hopefully get to pop in to the romance capital for a few hours.

I'm getting super excited about our weekend away and have been planning my wardrobe and having a look through the exiting things we could see when we pop into the city.  

I found this brill blog, Hip Paris, that has given me some inspiration.  After finding the brill markets in London the other weekend I like the idea of finding places that aren't too commercial when I visit a new city.  It's nice to find things that showcase the city for what it really is, not about the touristy attractions that everyone sees.

I love the idea of visiting the Love Lock Bridge, especially as it is a romantic anniversary trip.  The idea of adding our little padlock is exciting.

I'm also super excited by the fashion and am trying to pack cool looking outfits for the trip...you can't go to Paris and not think about your fashion for the weekend!  I found this fab boho bag on Boden that would be perfect for carrying bits around, and also am definitely needing to invest in some breton stripe tops before we head off!

Paris seems all about the stripes, scarves and big bags.  Eeeek I'm so excited.

Boho Bag, Boden

Stripes and scarves are a must for Paris

Fab outfit idea - not sure I'm quite trendy enough to pull this off

Winter Coat

So this is the result of when I ask mum to take the picture for the blog...blurry!  Oh well.  

I was so pleased with this outfit the other weekend when we went for dinner with both sets of parents.  We decided to meet mum and dad before they flew off on Holiday, and as G's parents live close to Gatwick we all went out for a lovely Sunday night dinner to Jai Ho in Horley.  Very tasty dinner and lovely to see everyone.

I am slightly disappointed that I had just got back into wearing this gorgeous coat from Aubin and Wills that I bought a couple of years back and now the weather is really a bit warm to be wearing a wool coat.

Not that I'm complaining though as the sun is more than welcome!

Are you sad to see the winter wardrobe go or do you love you summer wardrobe more?

Colour Chart Nails

For some reason when I was a kid I really loved the dulux colour charts. I would go to somewhere like B&Q or Homebase with my parents and would always head to the colour chart section and collect them up.

I'm not really sure what my fascination with them was. Maybe my arty brain just liked the spectrums and the way they just flowed. Maybe it was my inner creativity and love for interior design coming through.

Whatever it was though, when I think back to my love of colour charts, it's no surprise that I'm loving this nail style that I did over the weekend!

I tried a similar effect in the summer with corals (here) and think this grey one works perfectly for winter.

Essie: Smokin Hot

Essie: Chinchilly

Essie: Neo Whimsical

Essie: Fiji

Rimmel:  430 Porcelain

Rimmel: Ultra Shine Top Coat

Leopard Accessories

We had a busy Saturday last weekend catching up with friends.  On Saturday during the day G and I went to celebrate our friends 30th Birthday.  We had a tea party, drank some wine and then headed out for a lovely Italian dinner at Aldo's in Brighton.

We love Aldo's and have been there a few times now.  It's really proper home cooked italian food, not that expensive, and the best bit is that you bring your own booze!  Love a bit of that!

I had to rush away from dinner and head up to my friends leaving party.  She is headed off to a new exciting start with her boyfriend in New Zealand.

I had to get ready for the whole day at about 12 so wanted an outfit that could take me from day to night.  I thought a minimal outfit would work best and opted to jazz it up a bit with a big hair style and some leopard print accessories; scarf and shoes (if only I could get leopard print nails to match!)

I often find that keeping things simple with an outfit is the most flattering.  Being bigger I think that sometimes patterns, extra accessories and lots of fuss can make me look bigger, so I kept to simple lines with the sharp white blazer, some dark coloured skinny jeans and a plain black silk top.

(Excuse the background! I still haven't managed to get too arty with the fashion pics!)

Going Red for Spring

I was feeling like I needed a bit of colour to bring myself into the new season. 

Spring is my most favourite season- the daffodils are flowering, the trees are budding, the lambkins are all wobbly on their little legs.

I feel red is maybe more of a summer colour but what the heck! Embrace what makes you smile right?

I saw this Essie 'hip-anema' on Emily's nails and couldn't resist ordering my own bottle from amazon!

I also realised how wonderfully it goes with the new black and red sofa in the living room and my gorgeous Fox cushion.

Going Pink...

I have always wanted a pink and grey bedroom and seeing this beautiful picture inspired me.  When I first moved into my house one of the first things I did was paint the walls pink...it didn't look great!  I was so impatient that I painted over the wall paper, left the gross dado rail running through the middle of the wall, and picked a wood paint that wasn't quite white!  The look was pretty disastrous. 

Since then G has moved in and we've redone the room with green and grey - but the girl in me is still craving a bit of pink.

I saw this article, Pink at Brimfield 2013 and was drawn in by all the amazing vintage pink finds.

This fantastic montage of pink and grey rooms on The Pink Doormat really shows the kind of look I'm hoping for. 

 Loving this quilt from John Lewis - looks so cosy

Love the idea of these bedside lamps from John Lewis.  They have a formal office look about them but I think this would add something a bit different to the bedroom.

Finally, I've always wanted to have a nice reading area in my bedroom and I think this set up featured on Urban Outfitters website showcasing this gorgeous pintuck pillow would just go perfectly.

Pretty in Pink

I do love a bit of Mac and since experimenting over the last 3 or 4 years I have realised that definitely pinks suit my skin tone better than reds, browns or corals.  

I love the range of Mac lipsticks, and I especially love the fact that once you have 6 empty Mac containers, you can take them back to the store and get 1 lipstick for free!  When you use a specific product nearly everyday it doesn't take long to accumulate 6 empty containers.

My 3 go to lipsticks are these three shades of pink.  Creme d'nude and Snob are my go to every day choices and then Pink Nouveau is saved for evening and dressed up looks.

What Made Me Smile This Week...

Last weekend we went back to Canterbury to my parents and really saw nature at it's best.  We went on 2 gorgeous walks through the woods.  We foraged chestnuts, saw some beautiful fungi, found loads of ant hills, woodpecker holes and ate the the last of the seasons blackberries along the way.

This tasty apple dessert is on the list for dinner on Saturday night.  Emily Schuman of Cupcakes and Cashmere really does find some gooooood recipes!

I really love all of the meals that Rachel Shultz put together this week.  They all look so scrummy and I am a massive believer of meal planning.  The Asian Noodle Soup With Prawns was on our meal plan for Monday this week.

I got offered a new job which is fantastic but realised that I would need an updated wardrobe.  I popped to Next and was really pleased with the black knit skirt (only £18!) and gorgeous silky black vest. I could resist these skinny jeans (only £26) either (not for work) and I think maybe the fit even better than Dorothy Perkins jeans (my go to jean for years!)

Asian Noodle Soup with Prawns - 'Home at 7, Dinner by 8' by Sarah Wright

Next - Knit Pencil Skirt

Next - Skinny Jeans

Outfit Inspiration: Autumn is coming

Second Hand Barbour Jacket, Dorothy Perkins - Super Skinny Jeans,
Next - Western Boots,  Essie 'Fiji' 

I want to be able to use my blog to share where I find my clothes and inspiration for outfits as I find that a lot of the blogs out there are great, if you're tiny!  I'm not.  In all of my adult life I've been bigger, having gone from a size 20 down to a size 16, where I am now.  People often say that I have good style, but I often don't believe it because I'm busy thinking how much better the outfit would look if I was slim.

I find it so hard a lot of the time to put outfits together because I see things on skinny people and think that I can pull them off!! I must remember to tell myself 'No'.  Not in a negative way, as I think it's positive to embrace how you look, but I think it is important to say No and be REALISTIC about your size.

It has taken me a long time to find what suits, and often I don't get it right.  But I hope that by sharing what can work on here, those of you out there who are bigger ladies and struggle will feel inspired.

I am loving the chilly weather meaning I can embrace coats, boots and layers.  Having just picked up the newest Simple Things, a mug of green tea and rain outside is most certainly making me embrace the autumnal layers.

Super purchase is my early Xmas prezzie from G - my good as new second hand Barbour from Dirty Harry's in Brighton for £100.00!!

Cardigan Creativity

Jeans - Dorothy Perkins, T-shirt - Aubin & Wills, Cardigan - Noa Noa,
Necklace - Alex Monroe, Watch - Fossil

{6th August}

I have lost 3 stone in the last 3 or 4 years and I've gone from being a size 18-20 to 14-16.  I'm definitely not where I want to be yet and I am still not happy with how I look, but sometimes I find outfits that I'm happy in and I feel confident in.

As a bigger person I don't really every truly feel comfortable going out and I never feel like outfits really sit as well as they would if I was smaller, but sometimes an outfit comes together that makes me happy when I go out.  (I don't know about you but if an outfit is wrong it can make me feel so uncomfortable that it will pretty much ruin almost any occasion).

It tends to be the plain outfits that actually end up looking the best.  This was a new cardigan that I saw and loved in Noa Noa and as it was in the sale I had to snap it up.  I love the neutral colours and the plain front and the back is just so different with the silk polka dot panel at the back.

I have found that plain tees work really well in hiding a multitude of sins that lie underneath.  Pair this with the right jeans that are right for your body shape, and this can be a really flattering look.

I paired these with some classic shoes and some delicate jewellery and it was a good outfit day.

Lounging On The Farm

{1st August}

On Friday last week I finally made it to Lounge On The Farm for the first time.  LOTF is a local festival in Canterbury that was set up on a farm about 5 miles down the road from my parents house to showcase local bands, local food sellers, local comedians etc.  I have been thinking for years how I would like to go, but the dates never seemed to work out.

I went this year with Bean and we had such a brilliant day.  I bought my day ticket last minute on the Monday and it was £51 online, and was then waiting for me to collect at the gate.  The weekend ticket includes 3 days and camping and is only about £100 if you buy it early enough.  Definitely something I will be doing for next year.

Favourite things about LOTF were: Coco and the Butterfields - definitely check them out, The burrito stand for lunch - yummy, Free bright orange sunglasses with a pint of Oranjeboom, and spending the day sitting out on the grass chilling and chatting with bean.

I love the fact that when people are at festivals they wear the most bizarre outfits, but it's all part of the fun of it.  As it was such a hot day I brave shorts and wore my denim shorts WITH NO LEGGINGS!  I don't ever do this but in the morning I had a 'who cares what other people think' moment and donned my shorts and rocked up at LOTF with my legs out!

TOP TIP: prepare yourself for the day when heading out to a festival.

• take a bag that isn't too big so that it doesn't weigh you down - however this means you need to be economical about what you take.
• wear comfy shoes - think about the weather, if you do wear sandals be prepared for them to get ruined if it rains
• prepare for sun - take a small SPF lotion and a hat
• prepare for rain - take a wheelie bin liner that you can make into a poncho. You can then use this to sit on or put rubbish in at the end of the day
• take a scarf or pashmina - you can tie this to the strap of your bag so it doesn't take up any room. It will provide warmth for when it gets cold later or you can use it to sit on instead of a rug.
• Take a phone/camera.
• Take cash as machines will charge a bomb and a lot of stalls won't take cards.

Whitstable Wonders

Outside Sundae Sundae, Harbour Street

{31st July 2013}

This week Prince Charles and The Duchess of Cornwall visited Whitstable.  Why am I never about to see the royals visiting Kent! Grrr!  The Queen was in my home town of Canterbury a few months back and I missed her as well.

Charles and Camilla were in Whitstable celebrating the start of the Oyster Festival this week and it was fun to see Prince Charles in the Metro earlier holding up a tiny t-shirt for Prince George with 'Whitstable Oyster Festival' written on the front! How cute!

I popped over to Whitstable on Friday last week when I had a day of holiday and spend the day with Bean wandering around the shops, eating ice cream and sitting on the quay.

We had lovely ice cream from Sundae Sundae, tried on some cute dresses in the The Whiting Post, and spend some time looking in Flory & Black.

I know I live in Brighton and it is cool, but nothing every seems quite a quaint and pretty as Whitstable.  I love the beach, the fish market, the yacht club, the cute shops, and bumping into people you know.

Maybe one day we will be lucky enough to live back over in Kent with Whitstable as my local seaside town again.

Inside Sundae

Beautiful clothes in The Whiting Post, Harbour Street

Cute display in Flory & Black, Harbour Street