Outfit August 28/08 & thanks

Hello loves,

Happy Friday! This is probably going to be my last post until September as I have family staying from today and I'll be a busy bee. Can you believe it's nearly September?! Holy shee-it. I'm starting to think about my second-favourite C word, C*****mas!

I want to take a little break from blogging anyway, so it's good timing.

Thanks for the kind words on my ranty post. I feel slightly less crap now. Sometimes all you need is a few kind words, you know? (Note to universe - more kind words for everyone!) I should also schedule in a mental health break every 3 months as I seem to feel like everything is too much about that often. I'm wondering if it's my weirdo sensitive/empath witch-juju making me sensitive to the change of the seasons? That had never occurred to me before but now I think about it....hmmm.

When I do one of my wordy, soul-searching posts I most realise how lucky I am to have you behind me. Of all the things I'm proud about with this blog, having a 'tribe' of people is the greatest. Having a tribe isn't about having blind followers no matter what, or anyone blowing smoke up my arse, it's about that interaction between us and people having my back, and it's a blessing.

It's been a lesson about the way I act when I'm in the mental health danger zone, and also about looking closer at others who might be struggling too. I've had several people say they didn't want to intrude when I was AWOL, and then I noticed one of my fellow bloggers was off the grid a couple of days ago and reached out. Maybe it's a lesson to all of us - check in with your people often, even if you think you're just being silly. That reminds me, I need to call my mum. :D
 
Thanks also to everybody who's taken part in Outfit August. I intended to be a lot more hands on than I was so it was a bit of a fail on my part, but massive kudos to everyone who's brightened up my Instagram with your photos every day.

I took these pics when I was visiting family.

I'm wearing:

Hair flower, Peacocks.co.uk
Dress, past season Evans.co.uk 
Leggings, Yours Clothing
Shoes past season Very
Necklace, handmade & round the wrong way anyway ;)

So, what does September bring? Better things, better times, hopefully. Falling leaves, darker evenings, hot chocolate and planning for that C-mas occasion there's no running away from. ;)

I'm also likely to be doing more makeup posts (than fashion) for a while as nothing is floating my boat right now, and even if it was I have no money to buy anything with. I hope to do 30 days of lipstick to get some of those long forgotten pretties swatched and loved again, and I'll just plop a lipstick photo on the end of my posts, much like Christy has been doing on her Outfit August blog posts.

Catch you on the other side, and have a great weekend.
Leah xoxo

Outfit August 22/08 - Shades of Autumn

Hello love bugs,

It's been feeling a little Autumnal here the last couple of days, so when I opened my wardrobe looking for some inspiration this old ASOS Curve dress in warm Autumn shades caught my eye.

I got this dress for less than a tenner from eBay earlier in the year. Getting my hands on second hand bargains by buying them at the 'wrong' time of the year is one of my favourite things. Want a bargain coat? Look in summer. Want spring pastels? See what's selling in Autumn. There'll be less demand so you'll find bargains. Try it and see if you can find some treasures!

I took these photos after going to the docs to find out what's been ailing me since Sunday. Aaand it's food poisoning. It's been an experience but it's getting better. All hail the powers of makeup and a long nap for making me look semi-human. :)

I'm wearing:

Dress, past season ASOS Curve
Belt, ASOS Curve
Glittery head band, past season ASOS
Leggings Very, from twin pack
Shoes past season Everything 5 Pounds

Have a lovely weekend. What are you up to? We're going to be sprucing up our flat, but hopefully popping out to catch some sunshine at some point too as it's supposed to be nice this weekend.


Thanks for reading,
Leah xoxo

Outfit August 18/8 - Turquoise leopard

Howdy!

I wore this outfit to a local village to go to Holland and Barrett to pick up some vegan goodies. If anyone was staring at the inch of fat girl stomach visible, I was too busy to care. I'm finding increasingly that no one gives a crap apart the body parts I show or not apart from me (idiots notwithstanding, but who cares about idiots? Not me).

I'm wearing:

Hair flower, Peacocks.co.uk
Leopard studded top, past season Pinkclove.co.uk via Mookie
Skirt, past season Newlook.com
Bracelet, Bluebirds and Daisies
Plimsolls, New Look wide fit
Two in one handbag, eBay

Thanks for reading!
Leah xoxo

Outfit August 16/08 - acid wash denim

Hiya pickles!

I've had this dress for about 2 months but have worn and washed it so many times without showing it on the blog for some reason. It isn't actually denim, it just looks like it is. It's made of a really soft stretch material that's really comfortable to wear.

I've gone for a cutesy look with the buns today. When I had my hair cut last (just before Rach & JP's wedding) I couldn't get my layers trimmed (on strict orders by Carla who was doing my up-do for the wedding) as I needed the length to put my hair up, so now my shortest layers are about the bottom of my ear length. This means my hair's looking really flat and not as full as it usually does, but the bonus is I can wear my hair in buns without most of my hair sticking up at odd angles. :)

I'm wearing:

Earrings, past season Primark
Brooch, August Crown & Glory Glitterati subscription box
Bracelets, various, all old
Acid wash dress, ASOS Curve
Shoes, past season Mr Price
Lipstick - Freedom Makeup Sky-Walker


Thanks for having a look. :)
Leah xoxo

Outfit August 14/08 - Slogan tee

Hello loves!

I've had this t-shirt for about 10 years, and I never expected it to still be for sale but it is. YES! Back then the thought of a career in bitching/gossip ticked me, but now I take it as being bitchin' - being amazing. ;) I've cut the neck as usual and have folded the bottom under so it looks a little like a crop top.

I found this rainbow ball capture ring in with my stash of piercing jewellery. I have no idea where I got it from, but I love it. I've left the ball off as I like the open ended style of it.

I was wearing a scarf on my hair for 2 reasons - I had really greasy hair, and the monochrome picked up the black and white in the t shirt's printing.

I'm wearing:

Scarf, past season H&M
T shirt, TShirtgrill.com
Skirt past season Yours
Shoes, past season Mr Price.com
Lipstick - LA Girl glazed lip paint in Daring

I really love wine reds at the moment as Autumn is knocking and has made me really crave the dark jewel tones. I'm all about teal, purple and wine shades.

Happy Friday - have a great weekend!
Leah xoxo

Outfit August 12/08 - tropical sun

Hello petunias!

I'm wearing my false eyelashes in these photos because this day I'd tried to recreate my makeup that I did for Rach and JP's wedding, as previously promised I would do and upload to YouTube. I didn't expect it to be easy, but I never knew it would be so hard! My camera kept overheating so I had to record the video in 4 sections, then a parcel got delivered and cocked up my flow, and the sun was in my eyes so I couldn't see what I was doing. It was a total bloody disaster! My makeup came out all right, but the video was a total washout. I'm not sure if I can bare to have another go. Beauty Youtubers, I bow down!

Moving onto the clothes, I had to pop out to the post office so I threw on a really casual outfit in 5 minutes flat. A neutral colour + something bright is my go to. As we transition into Autumn/Winter styles, I'll probably buy a paisley print kimono and throw it on over a thicker neutral dress. I love paisley prints, so bring it on! I was born in the 70s baby - I'm made for this!

I bought another of those thin cotton H&M dresses in the sale. for £6. They are thin but they're great for the hot weather and I've lived in them all summer. I've also got the black one which is a 4X (seen here), the blue one which is a 3X (seen here), and this one is a 2X and it's the right fit for me.

When the sun is in my eyes I'm just going to bask in it!

I'm wearing:

Kimono, past season Yours Clothing
Cotton dress, H&M+
Leggings, Very (twin pack)
Shoes, who knows? James cut my feet off. :D

What's your go-to errand running outfit?

Thanks for reading.
Leah xoxo

Outfit August 11/08 - fatkini part two

Hiya love bugs!

Here's part two of the fatkini photos. This is another two piece from Forever 21+, and this one is more tight fitting than the previous one I wore.

I was worried wearing these bottoms that the elastic would ping off and I'd suddenly be flashing the world. I think those side panels are at the limit of their stretch, but they managed to last a day while I sunned it up in the sun room, so maybe there's hope yet. ;) The top is much more supportive than the other bikini top I have from F21+, so I'm happy with that.  I'm wearing a 3X in both.

I'm wearing:

Bikini top £12
Bikini bottom £12
Plimsolls, New Look

I've since bought another pair of plain black bikini bottoms from ASOS Curve which are genuinely high waisted on me, which is no mean feat since my acres of arse and belly eat up fabric like no one's business. I can mix and max fatkini tops with black bottoms now. Yaaass!

You can also see ladies who are only taking part on social media by searching the #OutfitAugust2015 hashtag.

Have you taken the two piece plunge yet? I'm wearing my fatkini to the beach at a fat blogger beach day this weekend. I can't wait!

Thanks for reading,
Leah xoxo

Outfit August 10/08 - prints charming

Hiya loves!

I hope Monday and the rest of the week are kind to you.


Today's outfit photos were taken in Rye, at the harbour. It's nice and peaceful there, and not far away is the nature reserve where you can see lots of wildlife and walk to a deserted beach. I bought this dress in store during a sale for £7 a couple of months ago. New Look do a lot of these dresses - sleeveless, made from a very lightweight polyester, and shirred at the waist. The reason I like them is they don't crease, they fold to nothing for holiday packing, they wash up so well and they're reasonably flattering/easy to wear. I know some polyester is hideously sweaty and I have had some dresses like that in the past from New Look, but the majority of them seem to be fine. Any static-y cling usually disappears after a couple of washes. I probably have about 6 of their polyester dresses and they're fine for the rarely-sweltering UK.

My mum and step dad stayed the weekend these photos were taken. This was before his diagnosis of Burkitt's lymphoma and the start of a brutal regime of weekly double chemo - into the Hickman line in his chest - and soon to be starting in his spine. Initially they thought he had non-Hodgkins lymphoma, but Burkitt's is a rare, very aggressive form of cancer that they're hitting hard. He's having 24 hours of chemo a week. He was very weak when they visited but I think the change of scenery did him some good. It was a rest for my mum too.

I'm wearing:

Ethnic pint dress, past season New Look 
Cardi, past season Asda
Leggings, Very (twin pack, one long one cropped)
Plimsolls, New Look
Handbag, eBay

Also check out the hashtag #OutfitAugust2015 on social media. 

Thanks for reading,
Leah xoxo

Outfit August 09/08 - Flower Garden

Hey you.

I have a photo heavy post today with lots of pretty flowers to look at. These photos were taken a few weeks ago, the day after we got back from Cornwall. I was in so much pain from the long trip back in the car that I needed to get out and walk out the stiffness and pain. We went to a lovely garden in Battle called the Almonry Gardens.

This was our first visit to this garden, and we've already been back again. It's the perfect place for us to stop off for some outfit photos in tranquil surroundings before going to Holland and Barrett to stock up on vegan goodies.

My favourite part of the garden is tucked away through a doorway, where there's a well, lots of hanging baskets and tables full of brightly coloured flowers. It was so tranquil there I really didn't want to leave. There are a few benches in the gardens too so it's great for other people like me with pain or fatigue conditions to sit in and rest up for a while.

There must be such an awful lot of upkeep to keep the garden looking this lovely. If you're ever in Battle I highly recommend a visit - it's at the opposite end of the High St to Battle Abbey. Battle is one of our favourite places to visit locally - it's bursting with cute little gift shops and historic buildings - yet has a very relaxed feel to it. 

I'm wearing:

Cropped cardi, Bonmarché
Dress, past season New Look Inspire
Cropped leggings, Very (from twin pack - one full length, one cropped.)
Shoes, past season Very
Necklace, Drown Soda - no longer in business, check out Bete Noire

Hair clip, Crown & Glory Glitterati subscription box

Thanks for reading!
Leah xoxo

Outfit August 07/08 - Stripes

Hiya!

Since I've had my new camera (which is light enough to carry around with me all the time) opportunities to take photos happen a lot more often than when I was carrying around a DSLR the weight of a small child. Because of this I'm capturing a lot more photos, even if they aren't that special. The way things have been for me recently I'm celebrating every day I get dressed.

Because I've been completely up in the air mentally since my step dad was diagnosed with the big C I keep finding stuff I'd forgotten about, and this outfit is one of them. I wore this on a roasting hot day in June when my dad (not my step dad) was visiting, so I got him to take my photos.

Doesn't my pops look fetching in my hat? ;) We went for a walk then went to the pub.

I'm wearing:

Hat, past season New Look
Top, Asda
Skirt, past season New Look
Plimsolls, past season Primark

Even though these photos were taken a month ago they're still very much in the ethos of Outfit August as I've made a point of using older stuff for a while. I guess I've grown disillusioned with some parts of blogging - particularly the capitalist side of it. I like new things as much as the next person but I like to have a mixture of old and new things on the blog, which is not very fashion blogger-y at all. The very successful bloggers are new-new-new all the time, which of course they CAN do as they're supplied with everything. But that isn't indicative of real life, and it's important as bloggers and readers to realise that. I've come to realise that being the bastard child of UK plus size blogging with allegiance to no brand (thus being able to call them out if they disappoint) is a bonus, not a drawback. If success is being under the wing of a brand (or a few brands) and my blog no longer feeling like mine, I don't want it. I think maintaining your own flavour under that kind of influence must be difficult, so I'm starting to feel glad I'm not 'bought'. Happiness for me lies in doing my own thing. The blogs I really like to read are by people who look at what they've got in their wardrobes, get creative and try new ways to pair things up. So yes, I'm leaning away from the capitalist thing deliberately.

How do you feel about bloggers and the amount of brand influence they have on their blogs? Do they lose their voice? Does it bore you if I wear older things?

Thanks for reading,
Leah xoxo

Outfit August 04/08 - Brockenhurst

Hiya pickles,

These photos were taken when we were on our way back from holiday a few weeks ago. We stopped off in Brockenhurst in the New Forest to see the animals that graze in the town.

The cows were very unimpressed with us but the donkeys were very friendly. I was fussing over a couple of pregnant donkeys and I left them both in a kind of trance. I'm like Dr Doolittle - I talk to the animals and they relax so much they go into a kind of catatonic state. It's very weird!

As they're wild animals they were absolutely filthy! My hands were so grotty afterwards, but it was well worth it to stroke some cuties.

The donkey below was one of the pregnant ones, and she had such a sad face. I wanted to adopt her and give her lots of love. It was funny because another donkey came over to say hello and she bared her teeth at it until it backed off. She didn't want to miss out on any fussing I was giving. Both the pregnant donkeys look really fed up, and I'm not surprised. The heat was stifling that day.

The horse you can see streaking down the road in the photo below was hilarious. It had attitude! Not only was it whinnying like its life depended on it (you could hear it from quite some distance) but if a car got too close it turned around and gave a long stare as if to say 'Do you mind?!'

I love the New Forest and have holidayed there a few times before. It's lovely to see wild animals grazing in towns and villages, just as they would've done hundreds of years ago.

I'm wearing:

Dress, past season New Look Curves
Lace cardi, Asda 
Cropped leggings, Very.co.uk (from twin pack, one full length/one cropped.)
Shoes, past season Very
Fake designer bag, eBay


Thanks for reading.
Leah xoxo