GUEST POST: 5 Things you need for hitting the beach by Voluptuous Chatterbox

Today we have a guest post by Kerry-Ann from Voluptuous Chatterbox. Over to her!

As the holiday season has begun packing for all occasions can be a bit of a nightmare which is why I’ve put together a post of 5 things which I believe is all you need to have an amazing time on your hols plus a killer look!

Face: SPF Foundation / moisturiser

Can you really afford to sit and slap on your full face of make-up instead of being out enjoying the sunshine? Instead why not opt for foundation or moisturisers with added SPF so you’re able to have the perfect glow and look after your skin! (Check out bareminerals original SPF Foundation here or even No 7’s Triple Protection Tinted moisturiser here.

Lips:

Taking care of your lips can often go forgotten about so to keep them well nourished when you're lying on your sun lounger - apply a bit of Nuxe Reve de Miel® - Ultra nourishing lip stick with honey. (I love this and am always using it!)  or to even go fully summery why not try EOS Smooth Sphere Lip Balm Summer Fruit.

Dry Shampoo:

Whoever invented this is a genius! It’s quick, simple, equals more time outside and the best invention since sliced bread! (I believe anyway). Batiste Dry Original or Batiste Cherry are great! This whole make is simply fab!

Waterproof Mascara:

This should just be included in every woman's handbag and make up bag and the perfect mascara and waterproof protection has to be no 7 Extravagant Volume Waterproof Mascara or Clinique High Impact.

Floppy hats anyone?

To finish of the look all you need now is a big floppy hat and voila you’re ready to go relax and enjoy your holiday. The much added bonus is you look a million dollars, your skin is well protected AND you’ve managed to get ready in record breaking time! Now for those hats check out... ASOS AND Yours Clothing.

You can also find Kerry on Twitter & Instagram.

GUEST POST: PUTTING A SPOTLIGHT ON SILLY OLD SEA DOG – Bye Bye Bailey

Today there's a guest post from

www.facebook.com/byebyebailey

Over to her:

As a vintage model, I've worked with a few different brands but Silly Old Sea Dog is up there as one of my favourites for a variety of reasons. They are a local company to me here in Cornwall so we have been able to nurture a great working relationship. It has also meant that Alison – who runs the company – has been able to get her creations modelled by local ladies, a lot of whom are everyday people. This means that:

- Great fit! Samples are made in different sizes and worn, tried and tested.

- Great fabrics – this company tends to import fabrics from America and most are punchy, colourful and unique.

- Great ethics – 100% cotton, made for a small business in a factory in this country, by workers being paid a fair wage. This does all of course mean the price is not as low as what you'd get in, say, Primark, but for very good reason.

- Great range – WOOHOO! They have produced clothing from a UK 6 to a UK 28, meaning women of all shapes and sizes can wear Silly Old Sea Dog. This also extends to their models, who have been a good range of sizes, all of which look fabulous.

Here are my top 3 favourite dresses of all time (worn in their size 18):

This is probably my most favourite, to be honest. There's so many colours going on that you can accessorise with pink, or yellow, or green, or purple, or blue, and nothing will look out of place. Similarly, teaming with black accessories such as a belt or necklace works well, too.

For me, I find this a great fit – the cut sits about mid-waist and flares out over the hips, something that's true of most of Alison's creations. As someone with bulkier arms I sometimes worry about sleeve width too. The arms fit close to the skin, but not tightly. This is very much a hit for me.

This was one of the first Silly Old Sea Dog dresses I wore. It is a style typically associated with the 50s (though in actuality the poodle design only lasted a short amount of time as a fad). I am wearing this a size too big – a 20. As a busty hourglass, often I find items that fit my chest swamp my waist, else I fit to the waist and endure a tight bust (usually my preferred option). This would fit a typical 20 and again, leaves plenty of room at the arms.

I can't leave this one out! Immediately eye-catching, I often get stopped wearing this one simply because it is so much fun! This is another one that fits great; though it is altered to fit my exact body, so perhaps that doesn't count. In any case, this is a gem of a dress that hangs with pride in my wardrobe, and can be dressed for any occasion.

What do you think?

You can find Alison at:
www.sillyoldseadog.com or www.facebook.com/Sillyoldseadog

Love,
Bye Bye Bailey

Guest post | Sister

Hello loves,

Today I have a guest post from an anonymous contributor which I think others could identify with, as well as giving well needed catharsis for the person involved.

Sister

Dear Sister,

I do not know why or can pinpoint an exact time when things went quite so wrong for us. 

My big sister, you used to look after and play with me; I was like a little doll that you used to push on the swing and tickle.   My love of makeup started with you painting my face.  I looked up to you and adored you.

Our great sister relationship continued into my mid teens and then out of nowhere it seemed, there was a shift.  On the surface, everything to an outsider would appear the same, but our relationship had gone.  More than that, you now seemed to resent me. 

Going through my teenage years I never understood why you would make a point of highlighting my faults and misdeeds to mom.  I was a good teenager as it goes and never got into any trouble, yet you seemed determined to pick fault with everything I did and try to put me in a bad light.  You found a way to undermine any achievement I had; you seemed to find pleasure in doing so.

When I would discuss a problem I had, looking for sisterly advice, you would sympathise and advise to my face, but then store my words up to be twisted and used against me later.  It was a good while before I cottoned on to this, because I did not want it to be true. 

I wanted nothing more than a happy relationship with you, like the one we once had, but you just were no longer interested.  You were happy to be sisters, but in a no contact, no interaction kind of way.  I thought it might change when we got older.

Well big sister, we are older now.  I thought that being in our 30s might change things but it is worse now than it has ever been.  I have never been out for a drink or a meal with you or indeed done anything with you that was not a family event.    

You still love looking for fault in me.  You continue to catalogue my words, list my faults and then tick them off to our mother like a stored up shopping list in what I now see is an attempt of "like her less, like me more".  It is childish.  If you resent my good relationship with our mum, would it not be better to fix your own instead of this endless assault against me?

It would be one thing if you had just decided not to have a relationship with me, but to maintain a constant war against me is something I cannot fathom.  

I have to watch what I say on social media as you have been known to save my words, to be used out of context and meaning weeks and even months later.   I cannot write anything on my blog because that is a previously used source of yours to pick apart and use against me as a weapon. 

So why I am writing these words now?  Because enough is enough.  I have never wanted anything more than I wanted a normal sister relationship with you, but now I see that this is never going to happen.  I can no longer forgive or brush aside the hurt you have caused me over the years. 

The façade is over.  Outwardly it will look like nothing has changed and no doubt you will continue to run your war against me, but something has changed.  I am tired of trying to be good enough for you.  I will never be it seems.  What I choose to do now is no longer care, about your actions, or about you.  We are done.

 

Well, I'm sure you'll agree that was an emotional read. Thank God you can choose your friends! I wish the writer closure, and hugs to anyone else out there going through crap at the hands of people who are supposed to love you.

Thanks for reading,
Leah xoxo

Guest blog | Weddings & weight loss pressure

Hello loves,

Today I have a guest post from my friend Rach, who's getting married in a little over two weeks. She TOLD me she was going to guest post on my blog, and I never argue with a woman who controls whether or not I wear a meringue for my bridesmaids dress. ;)

She's going to talk about the pressure on a bride to lose weight so if that makes you uncomfortable, please don't read.

She says:

I have lived in Canada for 2 years and recently have come home (to the UK) on a holiday. My first year out in Canada, I was based on the Sunshine Coast in Gibsons, I worked full time and was constantly tired. My problem I found over there was that I was unhappy.

People would judge me for my weight and would think they are "helping" by sending you diet tips and telling you not to eat certain foods because it's "no good" for me. People at work were judging everything that went into my mouth. Even the cashiers I worked with would look at my shopping, then look at me... I didn't know how to react to this. It was almost as if the best thing to eat according to them was DUST!

Once I moved to the city, people were more active there and as well as having a great gang of people to work with, they did not pass judgement on what I ate. I would even have a once a week lunch date with a girl from work to Fat Burger. Even though I would have a Caesar salad sometimes, I felt good that no one tutted or shamed me for my lunch choices.

Since I had moved away, there was always that couple of "friends" who would send dieting tips and "ways to stay healthy in Vancouver" type articles for me to read. I actually got quite angry at them for sending me this stuff.

I went back to the Coast for a friends birthday not long ago. I am due to be married in July and this was March, I had been pole dancing for 3 months, once to twice a week to keep FIT not to LOSE WEIGHT! The birthday girl proceeded to ask if I was going to fit into my wedding dress, or if I was going to Lose Weight for the big day!? The fucking cheek of her. Luckily I had a friend who stuck up for me and said I will look fabulous NO MATTER my size, plus James (she's also marrying a James - go James's of the world!) isn't going to marry me because I have lost weight, nor is he NOT going to marry me for the size I am. He has fallen in love with me for me!

This is the beginning of what a Bride to be has to focus on. It's probably the most stressful too! My dress is perfect and I am so grateful to my friend who altered and made my dress to fit me. All I have to do, is maintain who I am for a month which isn't as pressuring as I thought it would be. I am currently working part time whilst back in England so I am keeping active. My eating habits could be better. But I'm working in a BAKERY! It's torture! The plus sides are, I'm keeping up with Pole, I am active at work, I am trying to stay active on my days off. Back in Canada, I was no way near as active as I have been since returning to England. People are still judgy on sizes but I flick those bastards away and focus on me.

OK, it's Leah again. Did you feel pressure to lose weight for your wedding?

I wasn't worried about getting smaller, but I did worry about fitting into my wedding dress. Had I measured correctly?! Aarrrrghhhhhh. This is because the company I bought my dress from were a bunch of shits and my dress only came 3 days before the wedding. If I'd had it earlier I would've been much happier.

Really I think with all the other pressures on a bride, losing weight should be the least of them. I nearly went full Bridezilla as it was, let alone trying to lose weight as well.

Thanks to Rach for giving me a day off. :)

Leah xoxo

Guest Post week | Horse Racing

Hiya,

Today we have another guest post from Vicky from The Curved Opinion.

Feel free to leave her your thoughts in the comments. 

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Imagine you were invited to join a sport where:

·Someone whipped you in order to make you go faster.
·It would be classed as nothing unusual for someone to die.
·Should you die/be badly injured, the event organisers, TV cameras and fans would think nothing of just merely covering up your body and carrying on the event around you.

Would you want to be part of that sport? I certainly wouldn’t. But yet, it is a sport. A very popular one where all those things do happen, on a frequency that is frankly terrifying. Horse racing.

Since the 13th March 2007 Animal Aid have been tracking the deaths of horses during racing and incredibly, there have been 1253 deaths since they started their record. To break that figure down, that is an average of 3 a week. That’s just in Britain alone. With horse racing all over the world that figure is in fact much higher.

In the past month alone, 15 horses have died or have needed to be destroyed. Here’s the link for you to see for yourself.

I think that that figure would qualify horse racing as the most dangerous sport in the world. For humans, no, but for horses, yet.

The jockey chooses to enter the sport. He trains with the horse, rides with the horse, chooses to enter an event with the horse. The horse? Well he just likes to run.

The horse can’t be briefed for the race ahead. He doesn’t know how many fences there are, how high they are, how many people and horses are going to be jostling around him for places. He doesn’t know the fact that if he falls, he will more than likely be destroyed because he is then "commercially non-viable". He will be what the BBC called “an obstacle” in the Grand National a couple of years ago. I call it a travesty.

The Grand National is one of the national's favourite past times. An institution where once a year people, most of whom are not even interested in horse racing, pick a horse and place a bet. Families sit together and watch, work colleagues create competitions; money is won and lost and then forgotten about.

This year I want to ask you a favour. Don't bet. Don't watch. You don't have to like horses, this is about animal welfare.

Can imagine the outrage if a similar sport was created for pugs? Where they were whipped to go faster and killed if they fell, all while being televised for the nation's entertainment? The place would be torn to shreds with people trying to save the dogs. So why it is acceptable for this to happen to horses?

Horse racing is a business. If people stop making the bets and boycott the events, a difference can be made. Let's make a difference.

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Thanks again Vicky!

Guest Post | Mookie's favourite bloggers

Hiya! Today we have a guest post from Mookie.

Show her some love in the comments.

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My name is Mookie and I blog over at http://www.mookieslife.com. Since Leah is having a very deserved break I have kindly been allowed to write a little post on this wonderful blog.

And since I'm here on Just Me Leah I wanted to write a bit about my three biggest blogger inspirations. I had been reading blogs for a couple of years before I started blogging myself and I had a few favourites that I always came back to over and over again.

One of them was Just Me Leah. I loved Leah's way of writing and she made it easy to get to know her without knowing her. Her language is so colourful and fun that she does make a memorable impression. It's fun how she has become the one blogger I closest to in real life and call a very good friend. From the first time we met we hit it off so well. We couldn't stop chatting and laughing. Leah is just as witty and funny in real life and she is on her blog!! I love how she is so honest and open about her life and all it's ups and downs and her fashion sense is spot on too!! Absolutely a gem of a person and as a blogger.

The second blog I want to mention is my favourite travel blog. If you don't know me, I love travelling and I'm always in a battle with myself what to spend my money on, travels or clothes! I love to read about travelling and find inspiration for future travels. I have come across this travel blog called https://www.junglesinparis.com/ which is such a beautiful blog. It's two brothers behind this blog and they have managed to create a very interesting place to come even if you're not a big traveller. It has beautiful photography which speaks for itself and they add short films and exciting stories to make this blog a well worth read.

Photo credit: Jungle In Paris

Photo credit: Jungle In Paris

The third blog that I keep coming back to is http://inmyjoi.blogspot.co.uk/ . I can't help but love her style. She is colourful and bold. Her photos always look fantastic and her style sense are amazing. I came across her on Instagram and have followed her since. I wish I had money and eye for fashion like she does. In addition to being such a great blogger, she is a very friendly lady who always takes times to reply to her readers.

Photo credit: In My Joi

Photo credit: In My Joi

I could have mentioned a lot of other blogs as I try to get better and better at reading blogs. So far I'm reading a lot of plus size fashion bloggers, but if you want me to read your blog, please leave me the links in the comments section and I will take a look. I would also be very happy if you're not a blogger, but want to share some of your favourite blogs with me. I'm always looking for great and interesting reads. 

What kind of blogs do you like best?

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Thanks Mookie (and bless you!) - Leah

Guest post week | America

Hello lovelies!

The next week is guest post week while I have a little break from my blog, so please give Vicky from The Curved Opinion a warm welcome and show her some love in the comments.

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So today I wanted to ask a question.  What the hell is happening to America?

When I was a little girl, I dreamt of living in America.  The self entitled "land of the free and home of the brave"; the US seemed to be glittering, exciting and progressive.  A place where dreams came true.  The bright lights of New York, the glamour of Hollywood; the sunshine of Florida, I wanted it all.

Now, not so much.  I will tell you why.

Have you ever looked at those sites online which tell you about ridiculous laws all over the world that are still in effect?  Laws so completely ludicrous that lawmakers haven't bothered to do away with them.  Laws that do not apply in the modern world.

For example in Georgia :

"Chickens are not allowed to cross the road."

Laws passed in multiples states in America in recent years however would suggest that the land of the free is increasingly becoming only the free that religious, white, rich Republican men approve of.

Don't believe me?  Let us see if you can sort out the old bizarre laws from the new ones:

Anyone over the age of 12 may own a handgun as long as he/she has not committed a felony.

If a woman is raped and falls pregnant as a result, the rapist is legally allowed to petition for custody and visitation rights.

A woman is not allowed to drive a car unless a man is in front of the car waving a red flag to warn people and other cars.

You cannot get married if you are an atheist.

If a girl under the age of eighteen wants an abortion, an attorney is provided for the foetus to protect its rights.

All of these laws sound frankly unbelievable, yet all are true.  But which ones have recently come into effect and which are old laws that have not yet been repealed?  

This is an old law from Michigan.  Safe to say however that children are not running around with handguns.

This is a current law in 31 states in the US.  This law is still in practice today.

This is another old law from Memphis, Tennessee.  I am happy to note that this is no longer in use although the way things are going....

Oklahoma passed this bill 2 weeks ago.  This law would restrict the right to marriage only to people of faith.  They also do not condone same sex marriage and have ordered Court Clerks not to issue licences.

This law came into effect in Alabama in 2014.  If consent is not obtained from the parents of the girl in question, the Court appoints an attorney for the foetus.  The foetus can call witnesses to testify against its carrier and even if the Court grants permission for the abortion to go ahead, the attorney for the foetus can appeal.

I look at America today and I see a once dazzling nation going backwards in so many ways.  Only this week Indiana enacted a “religious freedom” law which basically makes discrimination against the LGBT community legal.

I do not want to live in a place like this.

In the America Revolution the cry was "The red coats are coming, the red coats are coming".  Today in 2015, it is the Republicans who are coming and they mean business.

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What do you think? Please feel free to leave Vicky a comment.

Guest post - Curvas Libres

Today we have a guest post from Gisela.

Hello hello everybody! I´m Gisela, and you can usually find me blogging at Curvas Libres (Free Curves).  I can pretty much say that life as I know it today started last February. Till then, I was working on a regular 9 to 5 job without much ambition of it ever changing. And then I was laid off, and found myself with too much time in my hands and a reliable notebook, so I started spending hours online. I found some amazing plus size bloggers who lived the life I never knew I wanted –loving their bodies for what they were and flaunting them around. This women and their vision of what life can be baffled me, and so I started going deeper and deeper in the Fat Acceptance movement. It seemed like a new world was appearing in front of me. It may seem like an exaggeration, but that was the ways it felt for me. 

Around the same time, I signed up for a 30 days self-portrait e-course called Be Your Own Beloved. I still don´t know why I did it, ´cause I´ve always hated seeing pictures of myself. But I guess it came at the right time. After a month of taking self-portraits, I learned to see my body with much more kindness and love than ever before. It was a truly transformative experience for me. I started to feel more confident and beautiful –more like the woman I always dreamt of being.

It was such a life changing experience for me that I started to search for other people near me that were already living according to the Fat Acceptance movement and the HAES principles to share our point of view and perhaps meet sometime –the more fabulous fatties, the better. I spent days searching the web, and then asked my BFF to search too. We couldn´t find any blog or group in Buenos Aires, or Argentina, or even in other Latin American countries. (If you know of anyone, please share!). It was heartbreaking. Not just because I couldn´t get an FA buddy, but because there´s probably many many Latin women out there that get fed with all the media BS everyday and don´t have anyone like them to tell them that there is an alternative.  And that´s how the idea of Curvas Libres was born. I started blogging in August and every response I´ve got till this day is positive. I don´t try to portrait myself as any kind of expert –not at all. I just share my experience and my point of view, and hope to plant at least a small FA seed into someone´s mind. 

So two month ago, my new life is going great, except that I was still unemployed and without any good prospect in sight. And that´s where my mom comes in. One evening she turns to me and says “So why don´t you start selling plus size clothes?” I can swear the sky opened and a choir of angels started singing Aleluya. Of course, I had to sell plus size clothes. That´s exactly what was missing in my life. I´ve love fashion for many years and the new vision of my body had only increased that love, but buying clothes had always been an excruciating process for me, just like it was for every other fat woman I know.  And so Curvas Libres Indumentaria (Free Curves Attire) was born. 

September 2^nd I set up a Facebook page where people can check out the clothes that are available and purchase them directly -everything in plus sizes only, most pieces going up to 4XL (if the online convertor is correct). Each piece is specially selected to celebrate our body and flaunt our curves, not hide our rolls or our butt.  I also set up a showroom every Saturday, so any women that want to see the clothes in person can come. My dream is to offer them a safe shopping experience, with no one making fun of how they look or shaming them for their size. I have a poster on a wall that says “This is a body hate free zone. Every body is loved and celebrated here”, and I mean it.  

I leave you a few photos of our Summer/Spring production. Please be nice to the model –it´s me. My budget doesn´t allow me to hire a professional model just yet.

I hope you enjoyed today´s post. I know it´s totally autobiographic, but I wanted to share with you how my life changed after meeting incredible ladies like our lovely Leah. I´ll see you over at Curvas Libres if you wanna check it out (it´s in Spanish, but there´s always Google Translator).

-Gi-