Curve Fashion Festival 2015

So last weekend I attended The Curve Fashion Festival in Manchester and it was a day filled with fabulous fashion and awesome babes.

My day started bright and early with a train from New Street Station to Manchester Picadilly where the lovely Steph from Seeing Spots met me and we trundled off to the venue. (Thank goodness she did as otherwise I would have been completely lost!!).

Obligatory Train Selfie 

We reached the venue and met up with all the other fabulous blogger babes and took photos with the #thisisplus sign (look on Instagram and you will see these pics), and then made our way in. 

My first port of call was the Scarlett and Jo sample sale where I bagged a dress for £20 and saw the lovely Georgina and Gifi. 

I must admit that I hit the clothing swap stand about five times and came home with more than I intended to including a Modcloth dress, in fact my bag broke due to the weight of the clothes!!

I spent most of the day with the awesome Sarah from Plus Size and Proud who really is the loveliest person you could ever hope to meet and we could be heard giggling for miles!! 

Sarah and me

My outfit of the day which was a last minute purchase from New Look!

There was a fantastic atmosphere and everyone seemed to really be enjoying themselves and the brands were fab at interacting. 

I watched one of the catwalk shows and you can find out my thoughts on it via my vlog and sadly I had to miss the seminars as I needed to get back to Picadilly to catch my train home. 

Tess Holliday during her meet and greet session

I totally failed in the photo department and took hardly any photos but I did vlog and below is my video highlights of the day!!

I hope everyone who went along had a fab time!

My First Scarlett and Jo OOTD

Hello and happy Friday I hope this week has been kind to you and if it hasn't then whack it with a stick and tell yourself it is nearly the weekend!!

So back in July I went to Style XL and whilst I was there I treated myself to a sample dress from Scarlett and Jo, because for £20 it would have been rude not to!!

I perused the rail and immediately spotted a prom style dress which I knew had to be mine, I didn't try it on I just grabbed it paid the money and hoped it would fit!!

Fit it does and in fact it fits like a dream (the sample sizes are mainly size 24) and has made me want to own more S&J dresses!!

So far I have managed to wear it to work dressed down with some brogues and I felt fantastic wafting round the office in it!!

I adore this dress the neckline follows the line of my bra beautifully and gives a subtle hint of cleavage without me feeling like I have too much on show. The dress comes with a built in petticoat but for extra fullness I added my net petticoat. I much prefer that this dress is lined as it lies better over my tights (my unlined dresses sometimes stick to my tights when I walk!!).

My mission now is to add some more Scarlett and Jo dresses to my collection as one is not enough!!

Don't forget I will be at the Curve Fashion Festival in Manchester this weekend if you coming please say hi!!

Outfit Details
Dress Scarlett and Jo via Sample Sale
Shoes Simply Be

#Hidden Gems of Birmingham*

I'm sure by now that most of you know I am a Brummie and that I am rather proud of my home city so when the lovely people over at Travelodge asked me to share my tips on finding the hidden gems of Birmingham I was more than happy to help.

When most people think of Birmingham I'm sure their first thoughts are the Bullring or Spaghetti Junction but there is far more to the city than this and it pays to sometimes head away from the popular shopping areas to see what else there is to discover.

1. Canals
It has often been said that Birmingham has more canals than Venice as we do have an extensive canal network. A walk through Centenary Square to the bottom of Broad Street will bring you to Gas Street Basin and Brindley Place. Filled with a fantastic array of bars and restaurants where you can enjoy a canalside drink or why not walk the towpaths and find a new way to see the city. If you want to get closer to the water there are narrow boat cruises that really allow you to see whole new side to the city.

2. The Library of Birmingham
I know what you are all thinking how can such a large building be a hidden gem, well it can be as it is situated away from the main shopping areas of Birmingham. An imposing and unusual building with secret roof terraces it makes a great place to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. Pack a picnic and enjoy the views from one of the two garden terraces across the skyline of the city.

3. The Great Western Arcade
Situated a stones throw from Snow Hill Station this arcade of shops is home to a fantastic selection of independent stores and always has the most pretty Christmas tree during the festive season. It is well worth a walk from Corporation Street and it feels like you have stepped back in time as you walk through and admire the architecture.

4. Museum and Art Gallery
Home to the Staffordshire Hoard, a beautiful collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings and even some Egyptian mummies there is so much to see. A fantastic place for visitors of all ages there is plenty to captivate and inspire enquiring minds and entry is free. (My eight year old son loves it here). Once you are full to the brim with art there is a beautiful Edwardian tea room serving delicious food and drink.

5.Jakes Coffee Box
Nestled on a side street off Colmore Row in the heart of Birmingham's business district is a a coffee shop with a difference. The difference being it isn't actually a shop but an old red telephone box! Jake took the opportunity to acquire a disused telephone box and turn it into a coffee shop- the smallest one in Birmingham. Popular with commuters it is well worth stopping by for a re-fuel whilst pounding the streets of Birmingham!

6. The Oasis
The Oasis has been a long standing part of Birmingham's history and thankfully has survived all of the changes to the city over the years.I used to shop here in my student days! Hidden away off Corporation Street it is well worth seeking out. A rabbit warren of shops and stalls once you enter through the doors be prepared to get lost in the maze of floors that smell of patchouli oil. Vintage clothing, retro games, collectables, tattoo artists and more all nestle within and offer a truly alternative and unique shopping experience.

7. Indoor and Rag Markets
Thankfully despite all the changes to the city over the years the markets have remained and are a busy and very thriving area. Situated just behind the Bullring you can visit, the outdoor, indoor and Rag Markets. There is very little you can't buy here and a walk round on a Saturday afternoon can be really entertaining as the stall holders all shout over each other! There is everything from exotic fruits and vegetables, fish of every variety to snouts and trotters!

8. China Town
A short walk from the markets and you will find yourself in the Chinese Quarter and home to the Arcadian which at night comes alive with bars and restaurants. Filled with beautiful cafes and the most amazing Chinese Supermarket this an area not to be missed. If you visit during Chinese New Year you can watch the festivities including dancing dragons.

There you go those are my personal hidden gems of Birmingham make sure to check them out next time you visit, and also see how the city has evolved on the Travelodge blog. 

*This post was written in conjunction with Travelodge but all words, pictures and opinions are my own.

My Sunday Photo

Checkmate OOTD

Hello and happy Saturday I hope you are all having a lovely weekend (the sun is currently shining here in Birmingham). With the change in seasons I have been digging through my wardrobe and re-discovering outfits so I thought I would share with you my OOTD from yesterday.

I bought this dress from Evans last year and wore it so much so it has been lovely to wear it again, but this time I teamed it with my New Balance trainers which were a birthday present from my husband. I am quite the fan of dresses tights and trainers combo and I think as the weather gets cooler this will be quite the feature of my wardrobe.

Outfit Details

Dress Evans

Trainers New Balance

Necklace Black Heart Creatives

Autumn Wish List

Hello I thought I would do a quick wish list post today as it seems like ages since I last did one and there are a few things which have caught my eye.

My first pick is this lovely Khaki Dress from New Look it looks so comfortable and would be great for me to wear to work or dressed down with my converse at the weekend.

My second choice is the Voodoo Vixen  via Simply Be, I'm sure by now you all know I own and adore the Katnis dress and I would love to add this one to my wardrobe as I need more cat dresses in my life!!

My third choice is this gorgeous dress from Alice and You via ASOS Curve, I have been a fan of their dresses for awhile now and this just looks amazing and perfect for the boho trend.

I think I may be beginning to develop an obsession with denim dresses as I own two but want more in my life!
First up is the pinafore dress from Alice and You via ASOS Curve, which I think is so cute (maybe because it reminds me of the dresses I wore when I was little!!).
My second choice is this fab ASOS Curve shirt dress which again looks comfortable, I think I would size up for the oversized look.
My final pick is from Simply Be and this lovely soft dress which has pockets- it had me at pockets!!


What are you looking forward to wearing now the seasons are changing?

Cheeky Day Off OOTD

Hello I am finally back, sorry for being a bit quieter this month on the blog front I haven't had as much time due to life getting in the way again!!

I have had a cheeky day off from work today as I need to use up my remaining holiday allowance before the end of the year so I popped into Birmingham with Mr S.

I am struggling with outfits at the moment due to the changing seasons and temperamental weather so I decided to opt for my old H&M jumper and Aldi leggings. I love this jumper as it is a thinner material so I don't overheat and generous enough in size for me to pop a vest underneath. (I love my layers!!).

I also love these Aldi leggings which I grabbed last year when they did their first ever plus size collection- unless I missed it this year I haven't seen them come back again which is a shame as they are fab.

Anyway I am still here and if you follow me on YouTube I am hoping to do Vlogtober so that will keep me busy. I also have a fabulous dress to share with you all which I picked up at Style XL and haven't gotten round to featuring yet so look out for all of that coming soon!!!

Outfit Details
Jumper H&M
Leggings Aldi
Trainers Converse
Necklace New Look
Handbag Ollie and Nic via TK Maxx

Lady Voluptuous Phoebe Dress

There has been one dress that I have wanted for so long which is the Lady Voluptuous Phoebe Dress in flamingo print. I have waited and waited and waited some more to see if they would at some point put it on sale. You can imagine my delight last week when an email popped up advising a sale was starting at 9am last Friday. I sat and refreshed my browser (that is how eager I was) and then the site crashed due to everyone logging on looking for bargains.

Eventually I managed to get on and yes the flamingo Phoebe had been reduced and with a lot of encouragement from my colleagues at work I made it mine!!

After seeing other bloggers mention sizing with this dress I opted to size up, and to be fair it is a bit big and as you can see I have a cami on underneath to stop it being too low. I think that  my usual size would have been too small especially across the bust I think this could be solved if the dresses were single rather than dual sizes.

I have also added a petticoat underneath to give more fullness but this dress does actually come with a petticoat already attached so you get a fuller skirt already. I really do love this dress it is so comfortable to wear and the flamingo print is fabulous!!!

Sadly since I bought it most of the sizes have now sold out but keep checking as it may come back into stock and I am pleased to say that new lines keep being added to the range so who knows what other dresses may appear in the future!!

Dress Lady V London

Jacket Primark

Trainers New Look