NattyNikki A Year in Review 2015

So here we are at the end of another year and at the risk of sounding clichéd hasn't it gone fast?!

I thought I would look back over the highlights of the year and also reflect on what has changed. I know that certainly towards the end of the year I haven't blogged as much due to life getting in the way and I have also spent more time vlogging.

Anyway here are the highlights of my year...

January

So I decided to start the year off in style with my first ever purchase from Lady Voluptuous in their Christmas sale. I managed to get my hands on the Cupcake Estella dress which I had admired for so long and didn't disappoint. I have worn and worn this dress both in the winter and summer months and it is still in perfect condition. 

February  

This month saw me indulge my thrifty side by putting a second hand ASOS Dress and Dorothy Perkins jumper together. Both of these items had been purchased from fellow bloggers and it meant I could wear the dress and still be warm during the colder months. 

March 

This was the month that saw me start to explore the more casual side of my wardrobe and try looks that were less glam but comfortable and easy to throw on. I discovered a fab t-shirt from ASOS curve which I have worn so much this year and it became the basis to a lot of outfits.

April

I am pleased to say that I finally found my holy grail of jeans this year and surprisingly they came from Evans!! I nabbed them when they were on offer and I have loved them ever since, thank fully they still sell them so I think another pair will have to be purchased!!

May 

Another dress that came into my life this year was the Modcloth Oslo dress which I bought from the lovely Sarah over at Plus Size and Proud. I had wanted this dress for so long and I love wearing it and decided to try playing dress up with it to try a new look with it. 

June

I treated myself to this rather lovely skater dress from Yours Clothing this month which always gets lots of compliments when I wear it.

June was also the month that saw me turn 40 and I decided that the only dress to celebrate in was my Estella!! 

July

The weather finally became warmer enough (well not for that long!!) for me to wear a Lovedrobe dress which I had bought from New Look in the January sale for about £11!! It is a lovely cotton dress and was fab when we had those few really hot days!!

August

I have to be honest this was the dress of dreams for me this year, I missed it the first time it came out and managed to snap one up when it came back into stock on Simply Be. That's right it's the Voodoo Vixen Katnis dress and is probably one of my most liked outfits on Instagram!! 

I am going to be greedy and include a second outfit in this month as honourable mention needs to go to this dress which was a bargain buy from Ebay!! 

September

Lady Voluptuous had another sale and this time I had to make the flamingo print Phoebe dress mine!! I had wanted this dress since it was released so as soon as it went into the sale I grabbed one! I can't wait for the warmer months so I can dig it out again. 

Again I had to include another dress for this month which is the Scarlett and Jo prom dress which I picked up in the sample sale at Style XL. I decided to wear it to work rather than save it for best as I feared I wouldn't wear it. 

October

  This month saw me try out a dress from a brand that were new to me Lavitta and it didn't disappoint. I have worn this to work and the response was amazing. It is a lovely dress and one that will be a part of my work wardrobe again next year. 

November

The lovely Leah from Just Me Leah made us aware of a fab dress from Everything Five Pounds so I decided to give one a go and for a fiver I was impressed! I felt I was channelling my inner 17 year old who would have worn this dress with Doc Marten boots!! 

December

There was only ever one choice for this month and that is my wonderful Chi Chi London party dress. I felt like a million dollars in this dress for my Christmas party and it was worth every penny! I just wonder if I could get away with popping to ASDA in it?!!!

So there you have it my 2015 fashion highlights!!

I am sorry the blog has been quieter over the last few months but sadly my day job didn't leave me much time to blog and then illness just scuppered all my plans!! 

I do want to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to everyone who stops by to read my ramblings it is very much appreciated. I hope this year has been kind to you all and I would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year and I hope you have a fabulous 2016!!! 

Winter Oversized OOTD

Hello you lovely lot I hope you all had a good Christmas, mine was lovely and chilled and filled with plenty of food and drink!!

Before the year finishes I thought I would try and squeeze in another quick outfit post! If you are a regular reader of my blog then you will know I love oversized tops but finding good plus size ones has been in the past a bit of a challenge. Last year I discovered Yours clothing had some and bought myself one you can see it here . I decided I wanted another one but in a more autumnal colour so I took a punt on of there oversized tops with the dipped hem. 

I bought the 22-24 and I could have gone for the 20 as these tops are really oversized but I always feel it allows for a bit of shrinkage when washed. The colour is fab for this time of year and you could easily wear this with leggings as well as jeans. The dipped hem at the back is very long and bear in mind that I a 5'4 so if you are taller it will work well. 

I have to say that when it comes to these types of tops Yours have got it spot on and I may peruse the sales to see what other ones I can find to add to my collection!!! 

Outfit details 

Top Yours Clothing

Jeans Evans

Trainers Via blog sale from Lolly Likes

Scarf Primark 

Merry Christmas from NattyNikki

This is my last post before Christmas Day and I would just like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and I hope wherever you are you have a lovely festive season.

I will be taking a small break from the blog as I plan on spending some time with my family and making the most of my time off from work.

See you on the other side!!!

Christmas Party Dress OOTD

This post is long overdue as I actually went to my works Christmas Party at the end of November but due to work and illness I haven't managed to share on my blog what I wore!

I did what I always do every year and decided last minute that I wanted something new and I just happened to have a discount code for Simply Be!!

There was one dress that I kept coming back to but I had previously decided against it as it wasn't cheap but no other dress compared!! So I took the plunge and decided to try the Chi Chi London dress and I wasn't disappointed!

These were taken on the night of my party and I must admit I felt amazing in this dress I really stood out in a sea of black dresses and all my work friends loved it!

It comes with layers of net underneath to make the skirt all swirly but it is also lined so the net doesn't scratch your legs and makes it comfy to wear. I opted for the size 24 and I felt it was a little on the generous side even over my boobs! The top part is padded so gives a fab shape and hid my bra well.

Full price this dress is £75 which normally I wouldn't pay but after finding a discount code I ended up paying about £55 and I would say it is worthy of the price tag as it is a beautiful dress.

If you are wanting a dress with the wow factor then I would try it, it is still available over at Simply Be.

Dramatic Dresses with JD Williams*

Christmas is fast approaching and if you are still trying to decide what to wear then you have come to the right place!

JD Williams have a whole host of style guides ready to help you choose the perfect Christmas outfit and if you fancy a more glamorous look this year then why not use Strictly Come Dancing as your inspiration and waltz your way through the festive season!

When it comes to Christmas day along with a touch of glamour I also like a bit of comfort as after all there is usually lots of festive treats to be enjoyed so here are my favourites for the festive season.

My first pick is this lovely Joanna Hope lace maxi dress, the colour is so festive and I just imagine twirling around the ballroom- well okay my living room in this one.

Maybe something like the foxtrot is more your style and what is more foxy than this slinky velour dress. I love the ruched detailing across the waist add some jewellery and you are ready to take the dance floor.

If you are a fan of the flapper style but don't want to get into a flap then maybe try this Beaded Shift Dress and you can do the Charleston!

For those who like to jive what about this lovely prom dress to show of those legs with a bit of sparkle as of course Christmas is all about the sparkle!

Left to Right
Clarks T Bar Shoes
Sole Diva Slingback
Joanna Hope Peeptoe


Of course don't forget to put on your dancing shoes and have a fantastic Christmas!

*Post written in-conjunction with JD Williams

George Toy Stories*

Christmas is once again nearly upon us which means time for the annual flurry of gift shopping. In amongst all the Christmas presents you have received over the years is there still that one you treasure above all else or that you have kept to pass on? 

George at ASDA asked me if I had ever been given something that had been passed down or was in someway significant I thought about it yes indeed I had so here is my toy story.

Many years ago when I was very young we spent one magical Christmas with my beloved Grandparents which for me was a huge treat. Both sets of grandparents lived in Somerset so we didn't get to see them that often and the trip down the M5 felt like a journey to a far away land!  I woke up on Christmas Day morning to find a huge home made Basil Brush waiting for me which was a total surprise complete with his own jacket!  He had been made by a friend of my Grandmas who worked in a shirt and collar factory and she adapted a teddy bear pattern and so he came to life!
I loved him so much and to this day I still have him but he now belongs to my son and resides in his bedroom and he is a one off! 

I adored both sets of grandparents but sadly my paternal and my maternal grandmothers passed away when I was only seven and eight and I still miss them to this day. My grandma was an amazing person and very handy with a sewing machine which meant she used to make my school summer dresses complete with huge pockets! Being a tomboy growing up these were the only dresses I actually enjoyed wearing! ! I also remember sitting and watching her put the poppies together for Remembrance day every year and even now 32 years later those poppies still remind me of her.
Even though she was only a part of my life for a short time I think about her a lot and the memories of that Christmas will stay with me forever.

My older brother, Grandma, my parents and me as a baby! 

So what will Oliver's legacy be well he loves a good Nerf  gun and ASDA were kind enough to send the Modulus for him! As you can see from his face this is rather exciting and he is amassing quite the collection. I tried to hide it away for Christmas but I couldn't keep it a secret!!  I would like to hope that one day he has someone to pass them onto who will love them as much as he does along with Basil Brush of course!! 

Do you have any good Toy Stories if so please let me know!!

*Post written in conjunction with George but all words and photos are my own.

Winter Hat Time with SnoodyDo*

In recent years I have become quite the fan of a good winter hat especially as my hair is now shorter so it makes me feel the cold.

When SnoodyDo very kindly sent me out a lovely winter beret I was really excited to try it out!

I was lucky enough to be sent the Fleur Knitted Lambswool Beret which has the cutest woolly flowers on it and will brighten up even the darkest of winter days!

Make sure you check out SnoodyDo as they have a fab selection of winter warmers!

November Instagram Round Up

Can you believe it is December already this year seems to have flown by?! November was a quieter month on the blog and Instagram due to life getting in the way but I did manage some pictures so here is a round up!

I think the most exciting thing was wearing my new Chi Chi London dress to my Christmas party (full blog post coming soon!!).

I hope life is treating you all well and I will see you soon!!

Magic Accessories Butterfly Necklace Review*

You may remember that last month I reviewed a beautiful Poppy Necklace from Magic Accessories, (you can read it here), so when they got in touch with me again to ask if I would like to review another set I was thrilled.

This time I have been sent a lovely necklace and earring set from the Butterflies range and the attention to detail on them is amazing, I also like the fact that the chain is a good length and not too short.

They are so pretty and would make a fantastic Christmas present as they are really unusual.

As an extra treat I have an exclusive discount code  NKBLUEM which gives you 25% off anything from the website and is valid until 1st January 2016 so treat that special person in your life!

*Items gifted for review but all words, pictures and opinions are my own.