2016 A Year In Review

2016 is nearly over and I'm sure that most of us will be breathing a sigh of relief as this has to be the year that we will all be glad to see the back of!

For me personally it hasn't been a great year from experiencing an early miscarriage in April to Mr S having a collapsed lung in December this is a year I would rather forget.

I don't want to finish the year all doom and gloom so to try and inject some light into what has been a very dark year I thought I would take a look back at my favourite outfits from this year.

Ann Harvey Winter Coat

 Hello I'm back with a beaut of a winter coat that I found on Ebay after a bit of searching!

I have been in the market for a new coat as my beloved George Duffle Coat which is entering its third winter is looking a bit sad and bobbly. I also needed a coat to wear over my dresses as my duffle coat didn't really work.

After a bit of scouring Ebay I spotted this Ann Harvey coat listed which doesn't appear to have ever been worn as the pockets were still stitched closed.

Vlogmas Day Three

Hello and welcome to Day Three of Vlogmas which sees Oliver and me wander around the German Christmas Market in Birmingham!

Enjoy!!

Vlogmas Days One and Two

So it is that time of year again, the festive season is again upon us so I have decided to do Vlogmas again this year.
It hasn't quite gotten off to the start I wanted but I have managed Days One and Two, so sit back with a cuppa and join me for Vlogmas 2016!

Sun, Moon and Stars OOTD

This is my first OOTD since returning to blogging and it doesn't feature a dress- shocking I know! I have been trying to diversify what I wear but I noticed I had a distinct lack of tops to go over jeans so of course this had to be rectified!

I had a mooch through the Black Friday sales and a top that I had looked at previously was on offer for £10 plus free postage so I decided to nab one!

My Sunday Photo

Birmingham MCM Comic Con 2016

Last weekend we were lucky enough to be able to attend MCM Comic Con over at the NEC in birmingham and I was beyond excited! I have never had the chance to go before but I had an idea of what to expect after watching lots of YouTube videos of other Comic Cons.

It was an early start as we made our way to Hampton in Arden Train Station to grab a train to the NEC (much cheaper and easier than driving and paying to park on site) and once you arrive at the train station it all connects to the NEC.

Up at an ungodly hour on a Saturday morning but I don't mind as we are off to Comic Con!!!! #comiccon #selfie #selfieforselflove #rebelliousselflove #geek

A photo posted by NattyNikki 💋 (@nattynikki) on Nov 19, 2016 at 12:07am PST

Hello I'm Back

Hello........ Did you miss me? Well I'm back from my blogging break a little bit earlier than I originally intended but the urge to return was too strong!


So how have you all been whilst I have been away? I hope life has been treating you well as we head into the winter months and start hurtling towards Christmas!!

Vlogtober Days One to Six

Hello.... I know I'm not blogging at the moment but I am currently having a go at Vlogtober instead.

If you haven't seen any of my offerings yet then please check out Days 1-6 below!!

Do I Stay or Do I Go?

This blog post has been floating about in my head for awhile now and I decided it was time to get it out of my head onto the screen.

If you are a regular reader of my blog you will have noticed a decline in blog posts this year and even Outfit August which I normally love couldn't seem to motivate me to do outfit posts.

Somewhere along the line I seem to have lost my love of blogging and my mojo- well that wandered off awhile ago never to be seen again! When I first started blogging three and a half years ago I was so excited everytime  I blogged a new outfit post and it gave me a much needed confidence boost.

Outfit August Day Nine

Hello and welcome to day nine of Outfit August, today is the last of my sale purchases from Lindy Bop and I have finally gotten around to blogging it!!

Outfit August Day Six

Today I am back with yet another Lindy Bop dress which I grabbed in the sale- when Lindy Bop reduce stuff they really reduce it!

Outfit August

I am very pleased to say that I am once again taking part in Outfit August which is now in its third year! It is organised by the lovely Leah from Just Me Leah and it gives me the chance to delve deep in my wardrobe!

I probably won't manage an outfit everyday like I have tried to in the past instead this year I shall post when inspiration strikes!!

To get things started and to make a change from all the dresses you usually see me in my first outfit includes jeans!!

Simply Be Midi Dress OOTD*

Hello I hope you are all having a lovely weekend and enjoying the sunshine (well that is if the sun is shining where you are!!).

As you all know I love my dresses and during the summer months they are my go to outfits to keep me cool and I am always on the lookout for new midi dresses as the length is perfect for me.

The Story of Citrus Dress OOTD

A few months ago I once again took a chance on trying a dress from Modcloth in their latest Stylish Surprise. I paid my money and waited to see what would arrive (I think I am more excited by the element of surprise than the dress!).

This time I got The Story of Citrus Dress which I have since worn to work during the warmer weather.

Feeling Hot Hot Hot OOTD

Hello my lovelies I hope you are managing to stay cool in the hot weather, not easy I know in this heat!

When the mercury rises I tend to reach for loose fitting clothing to keep me cool especially as the office I work in gets very hot and I have to endure bus journeys home from work!

As it was my birthday last month my mother in law very kindly gave me a voucher for Yours Clothing and I headed over to the Merry Hill store and treated myself to a new dress.

Plus 40 Fabulous July Edition

Hello and welcome to the July edition of Plus 40 Fabulous and the theme for this month is holidays!

I have wonderful childhood memories of the family holidays we used to go on which most years were spent at Holimarine in Hopton on Sea Norfolk. As a small child it felt like a magical adventure and the excitement at seeing the entrance gates to the park has stayed with me!

Our days would be spent swimming in the outdoor pool, trips to the beach, pony rides and sessions of crazy golf!! In the evenings we would head off to the club house for the entertainment and then it was a walk back to the chalet with some chips- this was a real treat!!

New Look Cold Shoulder Dress OOTD

Helllooooooooooooooo I'm back after a blogging break- did you miss me?!!!

To get things off to a good start I am collaborating on today's post with the awesome Leah from Just Me Leah.

One of the benefits of having blogger friends is being made aware of bargain sale finds in plus sizes and Leah seems to have a knack for finding some serious bargains which she very kindly shares (seriously she should be on commission!!).

A few months ago she posted a link to a dress that was reduced to £5.50 from New Look and there were quite a few sizes left in the sale so of course I nabbed one (because you know I don't already have enough dresses in my wardrobe!) and I love it!!

A Quick Update

Hello have you missed me? My break from blogging has been a bit longer than intended and rather than bore you all with my written words I recorded a quick YouTube video to explain what has been going on in my life.

My Sunday Photo

31 Dresses of May A Look Back

So I did it I managed to rummage in my wardrobe and find 31 Dresses for each day of May (ok I may have bought two new ones in the Lovedrobe sale!!)!

I thought I would do a quick re-cap of all the dresses so that if you missed any now you can see all 31 in their full glory!

31 Dresses of May Day Thirty One

So it's the final day of 31 dresses of may and I have saved the best till last as I wanted to finish on a high!

This is the only dress besides my wedding dress that has made me truly excited to say I own it and if I could pop down to ASDA in it believe me I would!!

This is my Chi Chi London dress which I bought last year from Simply Be to wear to my works Christmas party. I have had this dress on the blog before I never felt the photos did it justice so I got it out and played dress up in my back garden!!!

It has layers of netting under the skirt to make it all flouncy when you walk and the bust line is padded which gives a lovely shape. This is a size 24 and I found the fit to be perfect almost a tad generous which is unusual as lot of people mention they come up on the smaller side. Since I bought this dress it is no longer available online but there are other prom dresses which are similar in style.

You can buy them from Chi Chi London, ASOS Curve and now Yours Clothing are selling them (my local branch has them instore as well) and I'm pleased to say that I spotted some styles in a size 26-28 so they have extended the size range.

These dresses aren't cheap but for the way this dress makes me feel it was worth every penny I paid for it.

My shoes are old New Look ones which I bought in 2014 again for a works Christmas do and they came out again last year for another Christmas party!

Please excuse my feet I have just used a foot peeling treatment on them!!

Outfit Details
Dress Chi Chi London
Shoes New Look (old)


So that concludes 31 Dresses of May and I just want to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who has commented here or on social media as there were a few times I wanted to give up but I did it!!!

I shall do a re-cap post in the next few days and then I am taking a small break to re-charge my batteries!!

31 Dresses of May Day Twenty Nine and Thirty

I hope you have all had a lovely Bank Holiday Weekend, mine has been spent chilling out in my garden with good food some wine and music!

Here are the two dresses for Days 29 and 30.

Day Twenty Nine

My beloved Cupcake Estella Dress from Lady Vintage London which was a sale purchase at the beginning of last year. I had wanted this dress for so long and managed to grab one in their January sale which mad me beyond happy. This was my first Lady V purchase and it hasn't been my last. This dress never fails to make me smile when I wear it.

Outfit Details
Dress Lady Vintage London
Shoes New Look Wide fit

Day Thirty

This maxi dress is from Modcloth and was my most recent Stylish Surprise purchase (these are always a gamble!). It is a lovely soft jersey dress with an elasticated waist and fully lined- so no see through issues!! My only gripe is again the armholes are massive and it is very long but I think if I adjust the shoulders I can fix it so I can enjoy the Summer in this one.

Outfit Details
Dress Modcloth
Sandals Evans
Necklace Cherry Diva


Make sure you come and see me tomorrow for the final dress of 31 Dresses of May as I have saved the best for last!!

31 Dresses of May Days Twenty Six, Twenty Seven and Twenty Eight

Hello I am back with days twenty six, twenty seven and twenty eight of 31 dresses of may and I can't believe how quickly the month has gone!

Anyway on with the dresses!

Day Twenty Six

I bought this lovely Modcloth Bea and Dot dress from the always awesome Leah after she had it on her blog and mentioned that she was going to sell it. Having always wanted this dress I snapped it up and I am so glad I did. The best thing about this dress- it has pockets!!!

Outfit Details
Dress  Bea and Dot Bookstore Browsing from Modcloth Via Leah
Jacket Primark
Trainers Converse

Day Twenty Seven

My beloved Katnis Dress had to make an appearance at some point! I don't wear this one as often as I should as I like to keep it for when I need cheering up!

Dress Voodoo Vixen
Jacket Primark
Trainers Converse

Day Twenty Eight

This lovely dress from Retrolicious was a lucky find at a clothes swap last year. I love the wrap over neckline and the tie waist cinches it in to give me a lovely shape. My only gripe with this dress is the armholes are huge but I can get round this by popping a vest top underneath to hide my bra.

Outfit Details
Dress Retrolicious Via Clothes Swap at CFF last year
Shoes New Look wide fit.

Three more outfits to go and that will be the end of 31 dresses of may!!!

Stay tuned for Day 29!

31 Dresses of May Days Twenty Three, Twenty Four and Twenty Five

Time to start yet another post with an apology as I have missed the last two days due to a combination of tiredness and getting home late from work!
What that does mean is you get three for the price of one in today's post!!

Day Twenty Three

I decided to try out a Lindybop dress that I bought in the sale after Christmas but haven't worn or blogged about yet. It is the Daria Dress and I love the scallop detail on the neckline and again the belt that comes with the dress actually fits!! I think one of the reasons I haven't yet worn this one is that it needs a bit of adjusting as the shoulders are too large for me. I am quite narrow on the shoulders so this is quite often a problem I have with dresses. You can see in the photos it wants to fall off my shoulders so I think I am going to try altering it.

As with most of the dresses from Lindybop it has a lovely full swishy skirt and for added oomph I popped my Lady V petticoat underneath.

Outfit Details
Dress Lindybop
Jacket Primark
Trainers Converse

Day Twenty Four

So the green version of this dress has already been featured earlier in the month but this was the original one I bought from Ebay and a year on and I still love this dress.

I love that these dresses have a drawstring waist under the bust so I can cinch it in and still be comfortable and it allows room for my boobs.

Outfit Details
Dress Ebay (last year)
Trainers New Look (last year)

Day Twenty Five

It is the return of an old Modcloth favourite the Oslo dress which I bought from the lovely Sarah over at Plus and Proud last year. If you saw me at Style XL last year this was the dress I was wearing. I still adore this dress it is a lovely thick cotton and so well made.

I don't think I shall ever tire of wearing this dress!!

Outfit details
Dress Modcloth via Sarah's blog sale
Jacket Primark
Trainers New Look