Mixed bag - sale dress fest.

While I was home for Christmas I went to Asda to look around the George sale. The changing rooms were closed so I just bough a couple of dresses for £8 each thinking that they're so cheap it doesn't matter if I didn't like them!

The first one is a size 20. I sort of think this is a bit boring for me - I do like to stand out from the crowed!. I like the shape and the stretch fabric, but the pattern is all a bit muted for my liking, and I'd like a lower neckline! Oh well, I'll wear it to work and see if I change my mind!

Okay I'm officially giving up on peplum dresses for good! They just don't suit me. For those of you who do suit them this dress is actually really comfy. Thick and stretch material. I found it too tight on my bosom but that's quite normal for me!

I am genuinely sad about this lovely dress from Very (Myleene Klass collection). I knew I was in trouble the moment I felt the fabric. Theres no give to it at all, and it's lined with non-stretch fabric too. it is just way to tight on my bust. WOE IS ME! I'd been waiting for this dress to go on sale for months and months (40 something pounds down from 60 something!) and I really love the mask print.

MAJOR gaping. I couldn't sew it up because I'd end up with flattened boobs. Very sad to send this back. I can't size up because this is size 24 and that's the biggest in this range. Besides which the waist and length was perfect so even if I could size up to fit my bust it would have ruined the dress on my shape. I'm consoling myself with the fact that I was expecting this to be a pale peach colour (like the pictures on the website), but when it arrived its a dark muddy coral colour, which doesn't really suit me anyway. WAAAHHHHH!!!

 Another Very purchase. This one is from the So fabulous collection so it comes in a massive selection of sizes. I got this in a 22 after reading some of the reviews saying it was a generous cut. you may have seen Naomi in it here and it works well on her shape. For me though I thought the cut was odd. the waist is just under my bust and because the top is designed to have a looseness to it I just look too boxy.

I wasn't quite willing to give up on this though, for a number of reasons. 1-it has long sleeves. 2-it's was only £22 in the sale. 3-the 'copper' colour is almost rose gold to my eyes, and there is nothing I love more than rose gold. 4-look at how in-your-face it is! I wanted to wear this for NYE 'cause it reminded me of fireworks! I think it looks much better with a belt. I'm still thinking about this dress. I will have to do something very rare and ask my boyfriends opinion!

Lets end on a high note! I bloody knew this 'so fabulous' Very coat would be amazing! Love it. It's not very thick so not great for full-on winter, but I got the size 24 so that I could wear big jumpers underneath (the arms are so joyously spacious!). The coat is on sale for £27 and I highly reccomend it!

Knowing that I'm sending back the Myleene Klass dress means that I can now buy the sale stuff I wanted from ASOS, so off I go to order up a storm! xx

Cold at christmas

Not cold as in the temperature - i'm actually thinking that it will be too mild for me to wear my christmas jumper tomorrow - but cold as in I have a terrible cold that has totally knocked me for six. Its not flu, but it is certainly the worst cold I've had in years. Typically it happened just in time to ruin my work christmas party,  and has been getting steadily worse. Therefore I am unlikely to post much over the next few days so I'm just going to add some snaps of trees and the clothes I brought home to wear. I tried to choose colourful clothes thst eould entertain my nephew! I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!

Faux Christmas!

 

My boyfriend and I have been having a lovely fake Christmas before we go to opposite sides of the country for real Christmas. This pic is from Faux Christmas Eve. These earrings are from the V&A's 'Hollywood Costume' exhibition btw, which is friggin' awesome - anyone who is London should check it out!

Just had on the swan print tea dress from Simply be and a primark cardi. Takin' it easy!

It's all about food for us at Christmas. Presents okay yeah, but can any gift compare to duck & grand mariner pate on toasted Brioche, or ginger glazed ham with butternut squash, piccante Gorgonzola, creamed leeks and a snowball?! I think not!

 Ahhhhhh faux Christmas day! The fascinator is actually part of a Mr Claus outfit I have for Tonight.

On with an old fave, my polka dot Queen of Holloway swing dress. I'm wearing an old floral cardi from Primark with it for a bit of clash (and warmth!) and of course my primani Rudolph slippers. I've got some of these for my sister too, because I really love mine!

My boyfriends mum has got my number, check out the cute hat and mitten set she got me from Next!

 As Always I've gone massively over the top with the Christmas dinner (sprouts, gravy & bread sauce are all on the stove behind me in this pic!) and there is probably enough for 6 massive dinners. I blame the supermarkets selling everything in bags.... always too many potatoes etc but never mind, we are both very greedy and will be having leftovers on Sunday before we go to catch our separate trains. I'll need a full belly tor travel on as I'm going to be trying to get to the West Country and the trains are bolloxed!

I'll probably do some real Christmas blogging from my family's place via my phone. I'm planning to get my mum & sister involved (and maybe my super stylish little nephew!

Happy Faux Christmas to you all!  xx

Christmas party

Last day at work before Christmas break with the work party on the same night. I promised my colleague I'd wear my pink jeans from forever21+ so I did! Wellies thanks the the constant rain, and a black peplum top from asos with a cardi.  Not ground breaking but comfy. Through jeans have really stretched out and are now really comfy.

So then I dolled myself up for the party. Wearing my kiyonna dress from curvety with an old belt from primark. Also lots of makeup!

Swans, polka-dots and the whole galaxy

I have a terrible cold at the moment and I'm in no mood to look at my red puffy face (hence the headless images - vanity, thy name is woman!) but clothes-wise I got lots of lovely new stuff today! This is my Domino dollhouse skirt. In all honesty I'm not blown away by the overall shape of it, mainly because it is almost midi-length on me and the pockets stick out in a lumpy way. Its shaped with a very curvy woman in mind - not curvy meaning fat, but curves like very big hips and a much smaller waist. Not my shape (sadly!). I'll be sad to loose the pockets, but I'm tempted to sew them up to get a smoother silhouette. Actually like it better in the pics than I did when looking in the mirror having said that! On the plus side the fabric is thick and stretchy - great for winter, and the galaxy print fabric is beyond delicious!

This is the first of 3 dresses from Simply be (all size 22 via the crazy clearance website) all of which I'd seen on the simply be site and liked, but which I had no intention of spending over £40 on. I wasn't sure if this dress would sit well on me, because on the site the image made the waist section look much deeper than it actually is. When I saw Rachel from a dress is for life in it I could see that it was actually a really flattering shape. This looks better in real life, and it's supersoft stretch jersey. An instant favourite and only £19.50.

I think I like this dress?! Not bad for £20. Colour is lovely and bright, and has a nice low neck. I think I'll grow to love it because I love polka dots! Again, super soft jersey. As always seems to be the way, the dress fits me but the belt that came with it does not. Too small so it's in the bin. Added my ASOS kissing turtle belt instead, because it does need the waist definition. Doesn't work too well with a big belt in my opinion.

I had this in my basket so many times when it was full price before deciding that was too expensive. But I was happy to spend £27.50 (and 10% off for registering with crazy clearance) and I do love it. What I love most is that it has full length sleeves - almost impossible to find even in winter for some reason! The fabric is so slinky, if there was no pattern it would look dreadful on me as I'm sure it would make every lump look like a mountain, but with this heavy pattern I can get away with it. I also makes my boobs look big from all angles, which I always enjoy! I really recommend this dress as it's smart enough for work and fitted enough to still look sexy.

The flash really doesn't do my thighs any favours does it?! Next up, forever 21+ jeans (feel more like stretch cotton trousers to me but whatever!). I don't care if these suit me or not. They are flourscent pink polka dot trousers and I'm bloody keeping them! Love that they are ankle-biters. these are a US20, supposedly a UK24 (hummmmmmm......)

The blue version, which are supposed to be the exact same jeans, also a US size 20.... couldn't even get them done up! Typical forever 21, sizing is massively inconstant! I'm a 22/24 in jeans, so if your a 20/22 then get these because they are so cool. I probably would have got more wear out of the blue pair, but as I was desperate for some neon jeans in the summer and never managed to get any I'm happy with the pink! Only cost £19.75.

Thats all from me for now. Goodnight my lovelies!

Lucky girl

Having managed to get my hands on the Anna Scholz for simply be feather print maxi dress on eBay for £35 (less than 1/2 the normal price) I was feeling rather chuffed this week.

It's a 24 so it is no longer riding up my backside! I'm make up free in these pics... don't be frightened! Also not sure that taking the pics after a massive roast pork dinner was the best idea, but never-mind!

So anyways, I visited primark at lunchtime on Friday (it was manic) with the intention of buying some Christmas stuff for my family. Sadly the marble arch store seems to have been ransacked so I didn't end up with anything festive, but I did find a couple of awesome things while I was there which I will show you now!

I am very happy about this cardi and top - I've been coveting an elbow patch cardi like this from asos (here) for ages so to find one for a tenner was great! 

I was mad for the woodland creature peplum top from asos as soon as it appeared on their website, but I just don't suit peplums - I don't have the right body shape ( unlike mrs bebe who looks fabulous in it - see here) so I just had to accept that I couldn't have that lovely print and moved on. Then hey-presto I find a top in Primani that has almost exactly the same print! There is a smaller variety of animals on it but I still love it. 

They had sold out of size 20 so I got the 18 and crossed my fingers - luckily it's pretty generous so it fits fine, and I guess the 20 would probably fit up to a size 24. 

I got a couple of other things that are regular buys from Primark too. Firstly they do my absolute favourite leggings for winter - they are basically like super thick opaque tights but softer and with stirrups instead of feet. 

I don't have a good relationship with tights, I have found it pretty much impossible to buy any that fit me, and even when they do my thighs chafe like mad and I end up walking like Clint Eastwood! 

These are my alternative. They're comfy and they come in quite a few colours. I have loads of black pairs, but the burgundy / grey and blue are all new colours. 

The other thing I always seem to get from primark are hair doughnuts!  Last time I went in I got some mini ones, this time I came out with a massive one!

I like them because they're quick to use. I just put my hair in a ponytail.....

Put the ponytail through the doughnut......

Then I push my hair backwards from the centre of the ponytail over the doughnut and pop a hairband over the whole thing. 

Bit if pinning underneath and it's done! Not sure if this is the proper way to do it but it works for me.

That's all folks!