OOTD Vintage Tea Dress

Oh man, I have been both mega busy and mega ill! I have so many pics for outfit posts in the pipeline but this is first chance I've had to post them!

So anyway..a few weeks ago three of fave plus bloggers Lolly, Rachel and Lisa posted about this tea dress from Very being reduced to £10.50.

I'm a massive sucker for a bargain so I couldn't resist, and it looked fab on all three of them.

I ordered the 18, and it fits OK apart from the top, its built for someone with alot more breasticles than me. I could probably have got away with the 16, but they didn't have it in stock when I ordered.

I'm wearing it with grey tights and black wedges.

As you can see, its very roomy up top on me, so if you're a larger cup size it would be perfect.

I decided to try it with my cute bow cardigan and this felt much more like me. Digging this pairing.

 

Overall for the money I think its really cute. I think it would be perfect for a summer wedding, or summer work wear.

Its still available on the Very website, but its now back up to £21.

Check out Lolly, Rachel and Lisa's blogs to see how they styled it. 

More rad fat swap goodies

Here's a few quick pics of more rad fat swap stuff.

A lovely blue primark jumper which still had tags size 20, some great basic work trousers and nice white t-shirt

This is the same t-shirt which is semi see-through and a really good fit, I'm also wearing the great primarni leggings from the swap too in a great green shade.

And lastly (can't believe I forgot these!) the awesome strawberry ear muffs! Someone put them in my hand the minute we arrived. It all happened so fast I can't remember who it was, so if it was you - thank you! Xx

OOTD Rad fat outfit #1

Here's a quicky that wore today at work. At the swap I found these awesome high wasted, thick linen, trousers (Next size 18) and this awesome red cardi too. Teamed it with my basic black top and carboot belt.

Since I sat in them all day they're a bit creased, but they're a great fit.

Rad Fat Clothes Swap

I only really have one word for Saturday. AMAZING.

At 11.30 I picked up two lovely ladies I'd never met before - Cynthia, and Sarah from Nottingham station and we road tripped all the way to Leeds. When we arrived it was already in full swing.

Basically you take items of clothes that are the wrong size, or you just dont want - along with accessories, makeup etc...put them in piles - then go at it! I was brought up on charity shops, carboots, thrift stores etc...so I was in my element, grabbing armfuls at once to try on.

The wonderful Rebecca Northcott took photos on the day and has given me permission to re-post these - you can check out her post about the day here.

Below: Here's me and Sarah having a dig through the pile of tops. (All I can think about this picture, is that arm is BEGGING for a tattoo sleeve...)

 

Below: Cynthia and I trying on trousers. (Looks like I've spotted something at the tops table and I'm salivating over it! - Probably one of the beautiful rad fats looking gorgeous!)

Below. We all went for dinner afterwards - which was lovely! Was great to meet so many awesome people at once. 

A few of my favourite finds were:

• A brand new sporty swimming costume - which I've been needing for a while.
• A brand new skater dress - (a style I've not tried before)
• A new primark jumper
• 3 pairs of black trousers
• A white and navy stripy t-shirt
• A cookie monster tee for training

And there was tonnes more awesome stuff. Outfit posts to follow shortly!


I enjoyed it so much I'm actually considering organising a midlands one. We shall see..

A big thank you to everyone involved, Laura and Rebecca for organising, Rebecca for taking photos, Cynthia and Sarah for being my car buddies and all the other lovely new people I met.

OOTD - feeling foxy!

Firstly excuse the terrible photos! We have just purchased a tripod for our DSLR, so I'm hoping pic quality will be drastically improved soon. For now iPhone it is...

I got this cute little top from Oxfam a while back, and have been meaning to do a post on it for a while. I had been coveting a few fox print pieces for a while including this blouse from Asda that Rachel from a dress is for life posted about in october - sadly I missed out on that one, so when I saw this on the rail - clearly it was fate for me to own a foxy piece.

 

 

The top is sleeveless, so I wore a plain black top underneath so I wouldn't need a cardi at work.

This is me trying to fit my head it the frame...still not mastered this yet clearly.

Teamed the tops with black leggings, spotty shorts that I got from ebay and my massive platform creepers which make me about 6ft.

Also wearing my lovely hello kitty glasses.

Here's a very un-lady like way of showing my huge shoes.
They're from this ebay shop

This top never fails to make me feel cute :-)

Exciting things

So I am in possession of two very exciting things today.

The first is my hello kitty glasses. They are cheapy (£5.99) frames from amazon that I stuck on my Xmas wish list and hubby bought for me. Obv for that price they are just empty fashion glasses, but since they turned out to be the one thing I was most excited by on Christmas Day, I had to find someone who would lense then for me so that they are wearable (I'm short sighted, so need specs for distance)

Here's me on Xmas day, and me very happy bunny after they were lensed.

 Also today my new book arrived. I actually heard about it from F*ck the diets, and since that site often speaks a lot of sense I was intrigued when I saw this Free Range Humans idea - which basically involves crafting your own career based on who you are and the type of life you want to lead. 

So the glasses will be making an appearance in an outfit post soon and after I've read the book lets hope I can formulate a new life plan...

High hopes....

Hippys, rainbows and unicorns

So yesterday I posted a link to this Paul Compos article on my facebook yesterday. I've been posting more and more interesting counter "obesity war" articles lately and they largely go ignored or I get the odd like.

Well yesterday it caught the attention of someone I must have added at some point due to Roller Derby (thankfully I don't actually know personally). He repeatedly insisted that weight can be controlled by diet and exercise by 99% of the population. And despite my very careful reasoning, and explanation of WHY I have have come to the conclusions I have, he repeatedly insisted his point.

What got me was he had the gall to question me about my sources when I said I held PERSONAL belief about set point theory (based on my own experience) and that dieting messes with it, yet kept throwing the stupid weight registry study at me, which is skewed, ambiguous and badly reported, but of course he wouldn't accept that either. Once I gave it my best shot I deleted him but he messaged me and said I was being uncivil!

He had no response to my general comments about it being non of his concern whether people were fat or not or the fact that whether they could indeed control their weight was irrelevant - or the blatant ableist paths this pointless argument inevitably takes anyway. Basically he was a total douche canoe and I don't know why I even engaged with him as he wasn't open to discussion. But you know, since it was something I posted in public and he came to my page to tell me that I'm wrong (and to be honest I'm a sucker for an argument), I had to defend myself. My point after all with posting those kind of articles on my FB profile is to provide people with alternative messages in the hope that it will at least give them something to think about. So what right does he have to come along and just flat out say that I'm full of shit? Disagree by all means, but don't just dismiss my opinions and harass me.

As my first little proper run-in with a weight bigot determined to derail me, I was fairly pleased with how I handled it. My own mother even stepped in mid flow to say she was proud of me, bless her (I wish she would take more stock of the things I'm saying because I know she's unhappy about her body and wants to lose weight, but thats another story entirely). As a mere hatchling HAES advocate I did OK - although in the end it achieved nothing.

However it did get me thinking about my beliefs which is a good thing, not in what he was saying, because its NOTHING I haven't already heard, but in the fact that even if I woke up in a world tomorrow where HAES & FA were utterly dismissed as complete tripe with no support, (which is simply not true) then I would still see great positives in the movement and would still chose to believe and support it.

This is what I don't understand about people who try and aggressively debunk HAES supporters specifically. Its offering a kind, healthful approach to eating, encouraging people to love and take care of their bodies. No one has to believe in it, or follow it for themselves, not even fat activists (as many don't) - but what harm is anyone doing by believing in it and adopting it? The way fatophobes talk about it, you'd think it was about killing babies and puppies. Why not live and let live? I guess that answer comes down to the role of privilege and how much people have invested in the idea that they are morally better. To just let the fatties be, is to relinquish their own superiority.

I'm an atheist. I don't follow a religion, I don't agree with it, its not my choice, but I don't go around trying to disprove the existence of God to Christians or tell them their beliefs are harmful. Its none of my business!

Except HAES isn't a religion, it does have science behind it, plus something much more valuable than ANY study - the experiences of real live people! People living fat lives who are worthy of respect.

So even if people think (and I know many do, even my friends) think that body acceptance, HAES and fat acceptance is all hippys, rainbows and unicorns then tough shit, because I see the positivity it brings and the affect it has on peoples lives, (including my own) everyday. I also see the terrible, disgusting, detrimental effects that the flip side has and for me there is no going back. 

The new years goals and whatever...

This is probably a bad idea I know – me, and goals...and time frames...and stuff don't tend to work. I'm the biggest procrastinator, worse self-motiviator and just general 'off-putter of stuff I really ought to be doing'.

This blog has come to be included in the list of things I really ought to be doing, and I want to give myself another stab at achieving something with it. I still have no ultimate goal or purpose for it, but I've come to realise that’s OK. I think the best I can do is just mind dump, and see where that takes me.

So that leads me to...well...we'll call them aspirations...

Aspiration No.1 – Blog more.

I'm not putting strong holds on this one, lets just say once a week would be nice. Once a day would be magical, and I'm going to allow myself to post one paragraph, one photo – or heck even one sentence posts, if that’s what’s on my mind. I figure quantity over quality might work in the long run and eventually help me find my blogging mojo.

I'm going to attend a Plus Size clothes swap a week on Saturday, which I'm both mega excited for, and mega nervous. Its run by some gals from a Facebook group I joined a while back and will attended by some of my favourite plus bloggers. So whilst I'm mega excited to meet everyone I'm nervous as its been a while since I've been in a totally new situation with totally new people.

Which is aspiration No.2 – Do things that are scary/say yes more often. 

Overall I think pushing comfort zones and barriers with myself will lead me to unexpected places - which can only be a good thing right?

I really looking forward to going, because honestly the further along my body appreciation path I get, the harder it is to connect with others on topics revolving around it. No one truly gets it, or why I'm doing it, or why its such a wonderful thing for me, and could be for them too. I'm surrounded by fat people who want to diet, and people who are still chasing perfect, or want to be thinner or still believe thinnest is superior and being body critical is the norm and are as shitty about their own bodies as they are about other peoples. I can't change their opinion on these matters, but I can chose to not engage. Also, apart from meeting like minded, confident, beautiful people, I'm also going for the lovely clothes and nic naks to swap!

Once I said yes I then offered to drive some other lovely rad fat chicks to the event, so I am now fully committed. So I guess that is...

Aspiration No.3 – Commit to stuff, namely the important stuff.

This one is hard for me, as I mentioned in the first paragraph. Its not my style. I bore quickly, I get super duper excited then my brain wonders to the next wonderful exciting thing. But this year I'd like to really think about what I want to put my energy into and run with it. 

Skating and playing derby is at the moment still very high on my list. Its my only source of good exercise endorphins that I don't get bored of, so I don't want to lose that, but what I have come to accept is that I am not prepared to bust my ass and beat myself up over not being the best any more. And chances are with my natural disposition and complete lack of any kind of sporting background, it wouldn't happen anyway. That's not to say I'm going to give up trying, I just have to stop comparing myself. I have also realised lately that there is a lot of joy to be had at the remaining grass rootsy levels of the sport- the women who play because its goddamn amazing fun, and don't care that their team isn't the top of a league table. They play for the love. Coaching has also helped me with this too. I like sharing my knowledge, and although I may not be the best in my eyes, I'm still a super hero to those who have only just laced up their skates. I can do a t-stop, they can't. I AM GOD! ...ah such power...anway...

The other things I really need to commit to are finding a career path for myself and helping hubby with his, and possibly finding a way that the two can intersect. He has just started training to be a chef – a little late in life some would say, but I say utterly brave and awesome! He has a massive amount of talent. In fact between us we have a whole host of creative talents and interests that I'm really proud of. Hubby is a great cook, but he also loves podcasting (we ran our own for 6 months), he has a wonderful singing voice, can play guitar and write, he loves video making...Me? I'm trained in graphic design and have 10 years experience. I dabble in marketing, I'm head of PR for the team, I love crafting, I can also sing, and I'm finding this whole new passion for fat politics and spreading the anti-dieting message, I'm OK at writing, sorta, a bit....

Somewhere...Somewhere amongst all that is a business or a passion we can both share! I think we should be the singing, cooking, craft making, travelling duo...or something to that effect.

I literally have no idea what I want to do this year, but I know two things. 1) I need to keep paying the mortgage, and 2) I need get out of my job rut and do something I love. 

So really I need to commit to the things that make me happy, work hard on them, and trust that somewhere the inspiration for living how we want to live will come along. 

Its not often I will ever make affirmations like this, I guess its kind of risky writing it down...and I'm definitely a more “go with the flow” kind of person. I'm pretty trusting that my path will carve itself, but I just think this year I need to maybe give it a helping hand? 

I have a different feeling about 2013, maybe its my new perspective on everything? And for that, I owe the Fat Acceptance, Plus Bloggers and HAES communities a lot, and of course everyone's muse of late, the beautiful Tess Munster who's images kicked started a chain reaction.

Who knows what the year will bring?

New year, new start...

...I know, I know, I'm one of those people who say that shit all the time. (I get bored and complacent way too easily)

But let me tell you that for the first time in many years I am most definitely not talking about my weight. (Hallelujah!)

I'm talking specifically about this blog and documenting my experiences. I have a good feeling about 2013 and will be doing a full on post about my plans, but just to kick it off, and before the end of 2013 day 1 - here's a quick outfit post!

I finally found a good place/way to snap pictures. So here's my New Year's Eve outfit.

Short and sweet tonight for tomorrow we blog...

Xx

Red, knitted tube skirt by new look inspire, primarni black leggings, and a Fred and Florence bow cardi my mum gave me that's she's had for a while - finished with car boot belt and red cons.