Outfit Post || Scarlett and Jo in Soho Square

Hello sweet peas!

I've just got back from a fabulous weekend in London where I met with a designer who's going to make me an off the peg dress (how exciting!) and I also went to a Curvy Kate blogger event, which was a riot. I also got to see my in-laws and our baby niece AND had a photo shoot so it was a fab weekend, but for now here's an outfit I wore a few weeks ago when I went to the TK Maxx event in London.

Caroline was my trusty photographer and the photos were taken in Soho Square. They were taken on my mobile so excuse the quality.




Here's Caroline and I snapped by Cass.


Dress, Scarlett and Jo last year
Scarf, gift
Leggings, Very.co.uk
Boots, F&F from Tesco.com last year
Hair flower, past season New Look

I'll be talking about this weekend later on in the week. 

Thanks for reading,
Leah xoxo

A lovely sunset

Hiya pickles!

I watched the sun go down the other day and took some photos to share with you.





Look at that sea! It's like a pond.


I hope you enjoyed!
Thanks for peeking.

Leah xoxo

Blogger buddies - the outtakes

Hello lovely ones!

Here are a bunch of silly photos of me and Mookie the other day when we were taking photos together.


This last one cracks me up because Mookie looks like she's going to the loo!


I've got a really busy weekend coming up so I'll catch you on the other side! Have a great weekend.

Leah xoxo

Outfit Post || Back in black

Hello love bugs!

I've had this dress in my wardrobe since summer but only got around to wearing it for the first time today as it was too hot for it before. I bought it from a plus size selling group on Facebook after seeing gorgeous Lucia wearing it.

Although I said I'm going to concentrate a bit more on the more alternative side of my personality there will still be some girly outfits too. I still love pink and florals - I'm just going to bring my alt side out a bit more.

Every time I take photos in front of this door I mean to apologise for the hideous carpet. When we looked at the flat initially they told us the carpets would be replaced before we moved in as they were stained, threadbare, fraying at the edges and cigarette burned. 4 and a half years on and that still hasn't happened. I raised getting them professionally cleaned with someone from the letting agents and they don't think they'll survive another clean so either I get on my hands and knees and scrub or get a runner carpet to put over it to hide it.

Sorry, I just totally spent half an hour looking at runner carpets. Ooh, zebra print you say? *yoink* Or maybe leopard?

Anyway, moving on from the exciting business of carpets, this dress is too short to wear out without leggings as when I bend over you can totally see my arse, but for indoor photos it was fine. ;)

I know a lot of you prefer me in colour and most of the time so do I, but occasionally I like to join Darth Vader on the dark side. 
Junk in the trunk!

Swishy!


Dress, Facebook selling group
180 denier tights, Big Bloomers Company
Boots, past season New Look wide fit
Rock n roll necklace, Punky Pins
Hair flower, past season Peacocks

Sorry there isn't much new stuff on the blog at the moment. I'm having to spend almost all my money on Christmas presents this month so I'm a very boring girl.

Thanks for reading.
Leah xoxo

Outfit Post || LOTR mania - One beer to rule them all

Hello loves,

I have another Tee Fury purchase today, and another Lord of the Rings themed one, too. Tee Fury do a t shirt of the day every day (although it's actually two t shirts of the day, usually based on the same theme) and then they go off sale after a day and into a gallery. Forum members can vote their favourites back into sale. So it's very much a case of grab something on the day if you see it.


Of course when I saw another Lord of the Rings themed t shirt so soon after the other one I jumped in with both feet. With postage each t shirt costs from about £10 (depending on size) including postage. I've made 3 orders so far (2 orders for me and one for James) all separately and there have been no customs charges as it's under the threshold. Basically in the UK, anything you buy which comes from outside the EU could possibly cause customs charges if you spend £18 or more on the goods and postage. I've bought something right on the £18 limit before (£14 goods and £4 postage) and still got charged about £11 in fees so I always buy one shirt at a time to ensure there are no customs fees.

I call this one the Evans online mannequin. :D

The t shirts are really good thick cotton and wash well. As you can see I've slashed the neck on this tee but I haven't shortened the sleeves yet.


I've got a bee in my bonnet about novelty t shirts at the moment, as you can see. :) I've decided to embrace my alternative/nerdy side more on the blog. Everyone needs a niche, and fat-depressed-and-chronically-ill-blogger-with-a-shopping-habit isn't too catchy, so fat and alternative/nerdy will do. ;)

T shirt, Tee Fury
Skirt, past year's Primark
Shoes, past year's Evans
Lippie is MeMeMe lip cream in Persian Pink (one of the most moisturising lipsticks I own.)
And that bloody hair band on my wrist agaaaaaaaaainnnnn :O

Thanks for peeping!
Leah xoxo

Outfit post || Bloggers do Bexhill

Hello lovelies!

This weekend Mookie and her hubby Mike came to visit us and yesterday we went out to Bexhill to take photos - there are lots of beach shelters to keep dry under. It was FREEZING and peeing down with rain so you'll have to excuse a few streaks in some of these photos - they're zooming rain drops. I should've worn boots and gloves - I was soo cold!



We took a zillion photos so I may do an overspill post with a lot of funny ones in.


Oops, a streak of rain



I'm wearing:

Felt floppy hat, ASOS
Dogstooth scarf/wrap Very.co.uk
Dress, past season New Look
Cardi, from Mookie
Leggings, Very.co.uk
Shoes, from my FB friend Lauren
Hair flower, past season New Look
Lipstick, Makeup Rev Depravity

I'm wearing the hair flower on my dress in some of the photos as the bust line of this dress is basically open leaving my boobs like an all-you-can-eat buffet. :O

The scarf is about 7 feet long and 3 feet wide and it's so warm. I've had it a few weeks now and love it. I think monochrome is fast becoming my favourite thing.

I hope you had a good weekend? I had a great one.

Thanks for reading,
Leah xoxo

10 things I couldn't give a shit about

Hello flowers!

I'm pre menstrual and in the mood for some brutal honesty. Hold onto yer hats.

  1. Kissing the right arses. If I like a person or a company I'll say so and if I don't, likewise. I'm here to be honest (not have every company love me) and if my honesty about the lack of equality in plus size clothing pisses people off, GOOD. If they do something about it I'll shut up. ;)
  2. Bloggers who buy social media likes on Bloglovin' etc. Whatevs...
  3. Going outside in the cold. Bugger that! I'll be here, in my dressing gown, next to the radiator. 
  4. Washing my hair right now. Cold bathroom + water = eff off. I'll go back to every-other-day washing sometime next August.
  5. Shops putting 'Merry Christmas' signs up already. Do one. I like Christmas as much as the next elf but strictly from December 1st. Don't make me shank you. 
  6. Pedicuring my feet. Come next time they're out of boots (March) I'm gonna have hooves.
  7. Picking the crust off my septum piercing. How much can a hole weep? Actually, don't answer that.
  8. I'm a liability get me out of here....oops, my bad. I'm a CELEBRITY get me out of here. Celebrity?! *cough*. Anyone who volunteers to go on a show to chew on wriggling bugs is an eejit and I hope they get the shits for a month.
  9. High Street Chrismas shopping. Don't swear at me. I'd sooner have a Brazilian then roll around in a Scotch Bonnet puree. ALL OF THE SHOPPING SHALL BE DONE ON THE INNERNETZ. 
  10. Cooking. Why didn't I marry a chef?! Oh yeah, because he'd be out cooking for other people all day long. Someone come and make me all the foooooood.

What's sticking in your craw? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading.
Leah xoxo

P.S. I was deadly serious. I'm as premenstrual as all hell. 

Fibromyalgia, IBS and white bread

Hello loveys,

For as long as I've had Fibromyalgia, I've also had IBS. It was one of my first symptoms, and it still occasionally gives me hell today. Gradually I've worked out the things which upset it, the biggest of which is white bread.

I've mentioned before in the past how huge my stomach gets when I've eaten white bread, but because I'm usually smart enough to save myself the pain of eating it (and God, does it hurt if I'm stupid enough to have it a few times within the same week) I've never actually taken photos as evidence. I had a theory that if I had white bread toasted somehow it wouldn't affect me as badly, but this was proved as absolute bunkum a couple of weeks ago. James and I went to stay with his parents in London for the weekend and I forgot to take my bread, so I had white bread toasted a couple of times over the weekend. I knew I was really bloated at the time, but I didn't realise how much so until I took photos on the Monday and compared them to the ones I took the Thursday before. Here they are.


Thursday is on the left, Monday is on the right. I'm sure you'll agree I look like I'm about to give birth in the Monday photo.

White bread is absolutely a poison for me, but knowing it and seeing it are too different things. Now I can see how ridiculous the damage to my body is when I eat it, it has totally put me off. A moment's pleasure isn't worth the lasting bloating.

While I'm here I thought I'd mention some things which also aggravate my IBS.

  • dairy, especially cows milk
  • marmalade, except ginger marmalade
  • oranges and other sharp citrus
  • anything fatty
  • raw onions
  • caffeine and alcohol (it also affects my bladder)
  • sweeteners
What I've changed to make life easier on myself:

  • I have soya or rice milk, soya spread (a new change for me) and suffer for cheese but I'm not giving it up!
  • Don't eat marmalade except delicious ginger marmalade on brown, wholemeal or granary bread
  • Only eat satsumas - oranges are too sharp for my sensitive tum
  • Avoid fatty meals - there's a Chinese buffet in town and it's the worst thing for me to eat there
  • Cook my onions
  • I don't drink much alcohol (probably once a month) and limit myself to 1-2 cups of tea a day and 1 can of diet coke
  • I use agave nectar in my tea which doesn't aggravate my bladder or bowel

I'm not going to go too much into the gory details of IBS but the things I tend to experience if I eat the wrong food (or not enough of the right ones) are VERY sudden diarrhoea, terrible constipation (often the two will cycle from one to the other), bloating, wind, stabbing pains and churning sensations like I have a velociraptor in my stomach. Getting enough fruit and veg and plenty of water is really important, and if I do get constipated, it's wise for me to cram in loads of fruit and veg and drink extra water.

Do you have IBS? How have you dealt with it?

Thanks for reading.
Leah xoxo

Outfit post || Aces High

Hello chuckle bunnies! (Where the hell did that come from?!)

I tidied up all my novelty tee shirts and band t shirts the other day (well, at least all the ones I could find) and thought it'd be an idea to share some of them with you.

This t shirt was bought for me by my friend Helen (RIP) at Download in 2003, the introductory year of the festival. It's a bit battered and I've chopped it up in so many ways but I love it as it reminds me of Helen.

I like to play around with perceptions. I don't like to fall into the metaller cliché always, which is why I've paired the tee with the feminine skirt and hair flower. On the other hand I might wear a pretty dress with big boots. I guess I like to be a mix of light and shade.

I hope you don't mind a few more makeup shots creeping in alongside my outfit posts. The briefer the hours of sunlight we get the more I want to fall face first into a pile of makeup to cheer myself up. I can always tell when the depression is worse - I favour buying makeup instead of clothes and that's definitely the case at the moment. Chronic illness and depression aren't pretty, and look good feel good really works for me. Vanity as self care.
My hair is super long at the moment as I haven't had it cut for about 5 months. It really needs a tidy up but I won't have more than an inch off the length as I've been growing it for about 3 years now and eventually want it down to my waist.
You can't really see it but the necklace says 'Makeup whore' which is quite apt for me. ;) I'm a feminist who claims back words like 'bitch' and 'whore' which misogynists use to keep women down. I bought it from a shop called Trashy Doll who've since ceased to be. I'm sure you can find similar on eBay or Etsy though.

I'm wearing:
Tee, Download fest
Skirt, previous years' Yours Clothing
Cotton woolly feel tights, Big Bloomers Company
Boots, past season New Look
Jewellery various, all old
Hair flower, old Peacocks
Lipstick, MUA lip velvet in Criminal
Eyeshadow from the MUA Glamour Nights palette - it's not the best palette to be fair but there are a few good shades in there.

Do you have a collection of band or novelty tees?

Thanks for reading!
Leah xoxo

I Feel Good

Howdy!

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.


Ooh, sultry!

Thanks for reading!
Leah xoxo

Thick winter tights from Big Bloomers Company*

Hello sweet peas!

Recently Laura from Big Bloomers Co sent me two pairs of thick winter tights to try out and share with you. I was kindly sent the All Woman 180 denier tights and the All Woman cotton (woolly feel) tights.

I tried the 180 denier ones first as they were the first ones I grabbed out of the parcel.

BIG BLOOMERS COMPANY PLUS SIZE TIGHTS IN 180 DENIER

Before I start, both pairs of tights look like this before you put them on. The thigh room is magnificent in both pairs of tights. They are so stretchy just where I need it.


As you can see in the photo collage above, the tights are virtually opaque, even taking into account the flash I use to take photos. (I use flash as it slows my camera down and enables me to change poses without blurring the shots.) The upper portion of the tights (the darker section as worn in the photos above) is thicker than the material in the lower legs. This ensures there's very little chance of chub rub wearing the tights thin over time. As you can see in the top right shot you can barely see my knickers on under the tights so they would be totally blush free should your skirt or dress blow up in a wintry gale. The tights are incredibly soft, warm and touchable and have a waistband which is over an inch deep and is very comfortable. I could pull these tights up to just underneath my bra and there was ample room throughout every area as these tights fit hips up to 60". My hips are actually larger than that, but because these tights fit people of 6ft tall or more there's obviously more give in the thighs at my 5ft 5 and a half. The tights didn't fall down on me nor did they move about uncomfortably during wear, probably because you can't feel the seams at all. Rough seams ruin tights for me. These tights are utterly comfortable and are a total winner for me.

Onto the cotton (woolly feel) tights.

BIG BLOOMERS COMPANY COTTON WOOLLY FEEL PLUS SIZE TIGHTS

As I took the tights out of the packet they resembled the 180 denier ones closely up until the join in the legs, where the fabric changes to cotton ribbed tights. The upper part of the legs to the waistband is again as thick as the first pair, completely opaque and very stretchy. As to fit, these ones were a little lower in the crotch and did need pulling up a little more carefully (and a little more often) but that is to be expected as the ribbed cotton isn't as stretchy as the 180 denier tights. These tights fit up to a 64" hip. I could pull these tights past my waist, but not quite as high as the other pair - but it's a moot point as I don't need to wear them that high. As you can see in the bottom left photo, there's plenty of room left in the thigh. I would say it's entirely possible these tights would fit up to a 70 inch hip if someone were a similar height to me or shorter (I'm 5 ft 5 and a half.) There's the same deep, comfortable waistband and unobtrusive seams as the first pair of tights and again they're supremely warm. These tights do remind me of the ribbed tights I wore to school as a child, which pleases me as up until I started blogging I didn't think I'd ever find ribbed tights in my size.

When it comes to comparisons between the two it's incredibly difficult as they both have their merits. Because of the crotch slipping a little with the cotton feel tights I would say if I was having an active day I would err towards the 180 denier pair (I hate pulling my tights up in public - there's simply no way to do it gracefully!) and if I was looking to warm up at home I'd pick the cotton feel ones. There's no fighting and sweating to get into either pair of tights. In the past I felt like I was undertaking some kind of Krypton Factor challenge to shirk on a pair of tights with rough seams that move, legs that twisted uncomfortably (before I'd even pulled them up!) virtually cutting off my circulation, and the whole experience put me off tights for many years. Now there are choices out there, and this has rekindled my love affair for tights. I love the way they look, the way they feel and the way they keep me warm and toasty.

The 180 denier tights:

£18.95
  • Fit hips to 90″ (225cms) in the larger size and 60" in the smaller size
  • 180 Denier
  • Extra long in the leg
  • Extra wide in the thigh
  • Made in Italy exclusively for us and available in sizes 22-32 UK (which I'm wearing here) and a size 32-42 UK in black.
The cotton woolly feel tights:

 £19.95
  • A very fluffy woolly soft feel
  • Fit hips to 64″ (162cms) size 24-34 UK
  • Flat seams and gusset
  • 60% cotton 32% polyamide and 8% elastin
  • Black only (for now)
Yes these tights are a little on the expensive side, but they're worth every bloody penny. The tights by Big Bloomers Co I reviewed last winter were worn over and over again and look as good as new except for a few bobbles on the feet where I've worn socks over the top.

Also check out Caroline Curvy Wordy's post, as she has some full body shots of the tights on and of course, you can see what she thinks about these two pairs of tights too.

Has this post made you excited about tights? Good tights are out there! ;)

Thanks for reading.
Leah xoxo

*Items supplied by Big Bloomers Company. Opinions are honest and my own.

Missguided Plus - but not as plus as I'd like

Hello love bugs!

Here's a bit more plus size shopping news. Missguided have today launched a plus size line, which goes up to a size 24 UK. I actually like a lot of it, so I hope they might consider increasing the size range later on. Won't somebody clothe the fatter fatties?! If the fit is anything like the Boohoo+ size 24 I might be able to squeeze into certain items. We shall see.

Here are some of my faves.

I'll take one of these in each colour, thanks.




Ooft, these have got Christmas day dress written all over them!

You can see the whole 70 item line here.

Do you wish this range had a larger size range?

I know women of a UK size 26 and above want to be included in these ranges that spring up. We have money we want to spend, and when people do include us, it engenders real customer loyalty. Only if these companies would listen to us. We're virtually waving our money in the air.

Thanks for reading.
Leah xoxo


Makeup Revolution Iconic Palette 1 - Naked Dupe

Hiya pickles!

I'm continuing my love affair with Makeup Revolution with this palette, which is a dupe of Urban Decay's first Naked Palette. (A dupe is a dead ringer, usually at a cheaper price.)

Makeup Revolution Iconic Palette 1 - Urban Decay Naked palette dupe

It's a gorgeous palette full of nuanced shades and it's an absolute steal at just £4. You can find the Makeup Revolution Iconic Palette 1 here on the Makeup Rev site or (if you're lucky) in Superdrug stores and online. I usually buy direct from the website as they generally have more stock.

Makeup Revolution Iconic Palette 1 swatches

There's a little fall out but not too much and the colours pack a punch and last all day if you use an eyeshadow primer.

There's not much else to say, except go get yourself one! I used to think I had an MUA addiction, but my Makeup Rev addiction is even worse.

Thanks for reading!
Leah xoxo

Out and About || Avebury, Wiltshire

Hello beauts!

A couple of weeks ago hubby and I went to visit our friends M&T in Wiltshire. We went to Avebury on the Saturday afternoon.

This tomb was lovely, and set aside in the graveyard of St James's Church behind gated railings. Although much of the text is illegible, I increased the contrast enough to see this is the tomb of Captain Leopold Christian Duncan Jenner, who was born in 1869 and died in 1953. There's a small Wikipedia entry about him here.

Below we have the baptismal font (which is late Saxon) and the carvings which are 12th century. The large piece of wood to the right is part of the original bell frame, dated 1636. Info from here.


 Avebury stone circle is a lovely walk on a sunny day. Avebury is a lovely little place with lots to see.



This week has been a hard one. I've felt so fatigued on all but one day this week. The dark and rain is really bringing me down and it's so hard to get out of bed. I've let the house slip - I've barely looked at the spare room in the last couple of months, for instance (It's James's domain) but this weekend we're going to blitz it to make it more homely for visitors when they stay.

I'm also really sad because I'm self-medicating with pretty things too much to try to cheer myself up, and thus am worried about how I'm going to pay for Christmas. I'm going to have another clothes clear out I think as James has a very 'bah humbug' attitude to Christmas (having his birthday on Christmas Day has both ruined Christmas and his birthday for him) and we always have friction at this time of year as I need money to pay for presents and he doesn't want me to bother.

So I feel really crap. About the only thing keeping me from falling off the edge is slapping on some make up and taking selfies, as if by looking good I can kid myself I feel good too. Sometimes it might seem like someone is big headed when they post a lot of selfies, but like me they might be doing it to mask some other crap going on.

I hope you've had a better week. Have a fab weekend!

Thanks for reading,
Leah xoxo

My septum piercing - the first week

Hello loveys!

I was asked to write a post about the healing of my septum piercing and I'm only too happy to do so if it gives someone else the confidence to have it done. I'm not one for quick decisions when it comes to permanently changing my appearance - tattoos and piercings are generally long-pondered and this was no different. I've been mulling over getting a septum piercing for the last couple of years. This is a wordy post so go grab a drink!

There will be photos but not close ups - no one wants to gaze up my nostrils! :)

The process

We were in Swindon as we were visiting our friends in Wiltshire at the time. The tattoo studio we went to didn't have a piercer in that day, so our friends recommended Blue Banana. We went along late in the day and they had time, thankfully. The staff were fantastic and warm and I would highly recommend them.

Before I was pierced they asked me to fill in a questionnaire asking about health conditions. With no problems barring me from having the piercing they told me to go get a sugary drink, so the boys went to get me a full sugar Coke and my friend and I sat down to wait. I slurped half the Coke to make sure I wouldn't flake out when I was pierced. I was given a form with after care instructions and a packet of salt in a cute little zipped case with skulls on it.

I did get a little nervous beforehand and did some breathing exercises so I didn't have a panic attack. I went into the piercing room, sat down and the piercer put a clamp on my nose to see where my 'sweet spot' is, which is the thin bit of skin in front of your cartilage. Satisfied, she told me to close my eyes, repositioned the clamp and told me when to take a deep breath and when to let it out. There was a LOT of pain for about 2 seconds as the hole was made, and I was really glad I had a lot of Coke otherwise I think I might have passed out. My response to pain is shot to bits because of Fibromyalgia, and tattoos and piercings are WAY more painful now. There was another couple of seconds of pain as she put the jewellery in, and then she told me to open my eyes and tears streamed down my face. Because of your sinuses, your eyes water a lot at the time of a septum piercing. I was given some tissue to wipe my eyes and my newly bloody nose, then I went to sit down for 10 minutes in the shop waiting area and drank more Coke to make sure I didn't pass out when I got up again. The girl behind the till told me I looked beautiful as I walked out. Aww!

The first evening & day 2

I got a blissful endorphin high soon afterwards and felt all giggly. Aside from having a bit of blood crusting on my nose that night, there were no problems at all. I slept very carefully, scared of knocking or catching it, but all was well.

I woke up the next day with an insistent sinus headache all across my forehead and thought 'Uh-oh, I'm getting a cold!' but soon realised it was connected to my piercing. I cleaned my nose with some boiled water that had cooled a bit, added salt and wiped off any crusty blood and weeping with cotton buds. It was a little tender and a bit swollen, but not too bad.

Day 3 - Monday

There wasn't too much pain today. I still had a sinus headache, but it wasn't as bothersome as yesterday's. I was still bathing it in salty water twice a day with no issues. Today I noticed how much I move my face about, as I kept knocking the jewellery upside down, which moved any scabs around  and made it sore.

Day 4 & 5 - Tues & Weds

Nothing to report except the underside of my nose was noticeably red.

Day 6 - Thurs

It had really started to hurt now and was bothering me a lot. I realised it might be the salt water which was making my nose red raw as it stung like hell every time I cleaned it. The underside was red and flaky and I was starting to resemble Rudolph the reindeer!

Day 7 - Friday

I used salt water in the morning and it hurt so much my eyes started streaming. I swapped the salt water for tea tree oil for the evening clean. I put some tea tree oil on a cotton bud and applied it neat to each side of the wound, let it sit for about a minute, then rinsed it off with a cotton wool bud dipped in hot water. If there were any particularly stubborn crusties on the jewellery I dunked my nose in and out of a small dish of warm water until I could loosen the scab and remove it with a cotton bud.

I'm now 11 days in and since I've changed over to plain hot water and tea tree oil the pain has subsided a lot. It's really not bothersome at all now. My face is fully mobile again without hurting and the only time I do get pain is when I accidentally knock it and it disturbs a scab. There is a fair amount of scabbing still - yellow little crusties which can be a swine to get off the septum ring, but it's totally normal. It should take about 6-8 weeks to heal completely.

I totally love it and am so glad I had it done. I like my face with this piercing. If I was in Swindon again I would definitely use Blue Banana as their staff are awesome.

Here's some of my face, as if you don't see enough of it already! ;)


I'll do another update in a couple of weeks. Any questions?

Thanks for reading,
Leah xoxo