Navabi OOTD

Hello and happy Friday I hope wherever in the world you are life is treating you well!

I have a new outfit post on the blog today and it is one that is long overdue and I have finally managed to find some time to sort out photographing it!

This is the first time I have shopped with Navabi as I discovered a code that at the time gave £50 off a £50 spend so the dress I bought cost me £1.50!!!

This dress just called out to me, it had pockets was long and slightly unusual almost lagenlook in design so I snapped it up. I have worn it a few times since it arrived last year and had lots of compliments as it quite different.
I also look forward to wearing it in the summer as it is quite lightweight so will be ideal for warmer weather.

I know that these types of outfits are not to everyone's taste as they aren't always deemed as flattering but if you know me by know I'm not one for being bothered as to whether and outfit is flattering! If I like it I wear it!!

Outfit Details
Dress Navabi No Longer online
Scarf H&M
Trainers Deichmann

Another Oversized OOTD!

Hello and yet again I feel I should start with an apology as the blog is still quieter than I intended it to be, but work and a new furry arrival in our house have kept me busy!

Anyway time for another outfit post and yes you guessed it another oversized top as I can't seem to get enough of them at the moment! This one I picked up in the sale from Yours Clothing for £10.00 just after Christmas.

Techincally this isn't really meant to be worn as an oversized top but I sized up to get the look that I wanted.

What drew me to this top was the colour at this time of year I like darker more muted colours, I know that this isn't a look for everyone but for me it is becoming my go to when I need something quick to throw on and go!!

The trainers were also a steal from Deichman at £7.90 in the sale and they are super comfy to wear.

I hope January is being kind to you, I have had a mixed month so far, good in that we have re-homed a cat and bad in that my TV blew up the other night!!! The month is nearly over and the days are slowly getting longer and lighter so we are nearly there!!

PS here is our new furry addition Bonnie

She is slowly settling in and has completed our little family unit!!

Outfit Details
Top Yours Clothing
Leggings Primark
Necklace New Look (old)
Trainers Deichmann

Plus 40 Fabulous January Edition

Hello and welcome to the January Edition of Plus 40 Fabulous, sadly I missed last months due to a combination of illness and work!!

The theme for this month has been chosen by Lee who thought it would be interesting to see how our childhood/teenage years influence how we dress today.

I make no secret of the fact that I was a total tomboy growing up who was far happier wearing my brothers old clothes than dresses so it still surprises me that now I love dresses and can be found wearing them more than jeans.

My early teenage years were spent being a Brosette but still with my own tomboy twist as I had short hair (which I wanted to wear in the style of Craig from Bros but could never get it to work!). The Brosette look appealed to me as it was jeans and clumpy shoes and had a boyish look which I loved.

In my later teenage years I became inspired by the 80's films like The Breakfast Club (I wanted to be Alison in all her misfit glory) and experimented with dyeing my hair black and wearing less mainstream clothes. My favourite outfit was black and purple striped tights worn underneath cut off shorts with doc martens and a black top! My mum was brilliant she never made a derogatory comment about how I chose to dress as I think she understood it was my way of expressing myself.

Looking back I dressed like a typical student of the mid 90's in stripy dungarees, lots of tie-dye (again my mum was great at letting me dye everything in sight!!) and Doc Martens which hardly ever left my feet!.

18 Year Old me in my first year at Uni!! (Holding a bottle of K Cider!!)

It took me until my late twenties to no longer dress like a student (even my now husband said that when I turned up for our first date he thought I looked like a student!!) but I still dress to please myself and have discovered since I started blogging that I don't have just one style anymore it changes from day to day!

I did however do an outfit post before Christmas which at the time I mentioned my 17 year old self would have loved (well the shoes would have to be swapped for some Doc's ) so sometimes yes I still feel the pull of the student in me (despite the fact that I graduated 20 years ago this year!!!).

Don't forget to check out the other fabulous ladies also taking part

Cathy

Christy

Daisy

Kath

Kellie

Leah

 Lee

Lisa: 

Mookie

Perelandra

Sarah

Steph

Vicky

Yvonne

Make Up Revolution Sale Haul

I may have indulged a little bit in the Make Up Revolution sale because well it would be rude not to!!! I decided to film a little YouTube video of what I got so if you want to grab a cuppa and take a look that would be most appreciated!!

My Sunday Photo

Swinging into a New Year

So hello and welcome to my first outfit post of 2016, which sees me return to a style of dress I had once loved but stopped wearing, of course I am talking about the swing dress.

The swing dress first burst onto the scene back in 2013 and I instantly fell in love and at one time I owned about five as I just loved them so much. I don't know what happened but I suddenly stopped wearing them but I spotted a stripy one from JD Williams something made me want to re-visit the swing dress.

Please excuse my rather pasty complexion in these photos as when I took them I had just started to recover from the flu and a gastric upset and it was the first time I felt human enough to stand in front of a camera!!

Yes this dress is really simple but I like it for that reason as I can pop it on and go. I teamed it with my trusty New Balance trainers which are like slippers for a more dressed down look but I would also be happy to wear it to work with smart shoes. I am always drawn to clothes with stripes on and if you want to tell me that stripes aren't 'flattering' (hate that word!!) or shouldn't be worn by fat women then please do one!

It seems that 2016 could be the year that I re-ignite my love of swing dresses!!

Outfit details
Dress JD Williams*
Trainers JD Sports

*Denotes gifted item

16 in 16

I am not one for New Years Resolutions as I struggle to stick to them, so when the lovely Sophie from Busy Little Fee suggested instead the idea of 16 in 16 I thought I would think about what I might want to do this year.

Sophie says "The concept of 16 in '16 is simple; an opportunity to sit down, reflect on the past year and think about what things we did well, what things we'd like to do better in the future and, more importantly, what things we'd like to achieve in the coming twelve months".

1. Include lifestyle content on the blog 
When I started this blog nearly three years ago the main focus was plus size fashion and it has largely remained that way. Besides my love of fashion I am considering adding some lifestyle posts to the blog such as days out with my family as I don't have the funds to constantly add new outfits to my wardrobe!!

2. More YouTube
Last year saw me start to do more with my YouTube channel including Vlogtober and over the year my subscribers have climbed to 167 which in the grand scheme of things is still tiny but for me it was a great achievement. I want to do more vlogging this year and I know Oliver is keen to get involved as he loves being on camera. 

3. Be more thrifty
I mentioned last year that currently we are one income household so I need to really learn to be thrifty. I have started to use Top Cashback for purchases (although I forget sometimes) and I always scour Ebay for bargains. Before I make a bug purchase I look around for discount codes or offers for free delivery as it all helps. I also have to curb my spending, my wardrobe is packed and lets be honest I can only wear one outfit at a time! I want to dig deep and see what hidden gems I have and not worry about repeating an outfit on the blog from time to time!

4. Grow my following
Now this is something that I am always trying to work on and I have seen my follower count increase over the last three years and I have goals I want to reach.
Twitter 4000
Instagram 2000
Facebook 500
I find the hardest ones to grow or Facebook and Instagram so we will see!

5. Bake more cakes
I do love to bake and my parents very kindly bought me an electric mixer last year which is fab, I do have a signature cake- Cherry, Almond and Marzipan which I haven't made for ages. I find it relaxing and I take great joy in seeing people enjoying what I have made.

6. Drink more water
I am terrible for not drinking enough during the day and it leads me to become dehydrated and headachey. We have a water machine at work so there is no excuse so I intend to keep a glass on my desk and fill it at regular intervals. I'm sure it would help my skin as well as it looks tired and I am convinced this is from lack of water.

7. Look after my skin
Now I am in my forties I really need to look after my skin (to be honest you should look after your skin no matter what your age!). I have become quite the fan of micellar water and I need to stop committing the beauty crime of not taking my make up off at night!! I have also started gently ex foliating my skin and using primer! 

8. De-Clutter
I am terrible for holding onto things I no longer need, albeit clothes, make up or just random stuff. I don't live in a very big house so space is at a premium. I also need to learn to be more tidy and put things away!

9. Social Media
I love social media but I often don't use it as much as I should for blogging purposes. I want to share more on Instagram other than just my usual selfies and I feel I need to be more chatty on Twitter. I think  my biggest problem is finding time so I need to see how I go with this.

10. Blog More
Last year I didn't blog as much as I wanted to due to my job becoming full time and very busy. What I need to do is manage my time at home so I can take outfit photos, schedule in advance and use my time effectively. I do have the blogger app on my phone and if creativity sometimes strikes whilst I am on the bus home from work I need to make the most of it! I am proud of how far this little blog has come and it makes me happy to know in March I shall celebrate my third blogging anniversary as when I started I had doubts as to how long it would last!

11. Remember to buy a lottery ticket 
Simple really I always forget and as my husband likes to remind me 'you have to be in it to win it'! 

12. Get better with make up
Somehow I have reached the age of 40 and I still cannot do winged eyeliner, I have watched all the tutorials who make it look so easy yet when I try nada!! I have more make up now than I have ever owned but I need to become more proficient in using it!!!

13. Walk More
I need to get of my bum and walk more I used to walk 20 minutes each way to and from work but before Christmas I discovered a bus that would mean I no longer had to do this! I am sat down at my desk most days at work so my plan is to get up every so often and stretch my legs even if I just go to the toilet and back!! I also need to get back to walking round the country parks where I live as I know I always feel refreshed after a walk- it blows the cobwebs away!

14. Attend more meet ups
Last year I managed to get three events (two of which were in Brum!!) now this is really down to finances allowing me to travel. I know I want to go to the Curve Fashion Festival in September but beyond that it will be down to money. 

15. Pinterest
I have had a Pinterest account for years (I think I had it before I started blogging) but I still don't really get it. I see a lot of bloggers saying it generates traffic to their blog but I don't get how! This year I want to get to grips with it!

16. Interact more
I read lots of blogs but I am terribly guilty of reading and running as sometimes there are demands on my time. This year I want to try and comment more because as bloggers we all love interaction and comments. I still love it when someone leaves me a comment as you know the post has been well received. 

So there you have it my 16 in 16 will I achieve them all well you'll have to wait and see!!!

Don't forget to check out the other lovely ladies also taking part


Daisy
Charli
Kerry-Ann
Tanya
Katt
Kitty
Vicky
Cathy
Lucy
Becky
Becky