One step forward, two steps back...

Hey guys,

I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but I'm sorry for the lack of posts here recently. My back pain has taken another turn for the worse and has been keeping me hostage in my pyjamas all week.

I began my first session of hydrotherapy yesterday (on three hours sleep). I'll admit I'd been a little nervous at the thought of being dressed in just a swimsuit in public as it'd been five years since I'd last been swimming, but I really needn't of worried. It was a small group and everybody was absorbed with their own pain. A conversation with the other lady patient in the pool did briefly have me questioning my appearance and self-worth when she confided that she had been 'large, even larger than you'. Larger than me? Was that meant to be a compliment, or was she confirming that all people see when they look at me is a large girl? I don't even think she meant to be nasty (and she was roughly my size!), but it did take me aback that she felt comfortable talking to somebody like that. She also implied pain levels were down to weight, not the fact she'd been in a motorbike accident or anything... I just kept quiet and bit my tongue, and put my energy in to the stretches.

Although the hydrotherapy experience wasn't as bad as I was expecting, the aftermath was a whole lot worse. I arrived home in a bit of a state, and attempted to put a post together before crawling in to bed, but I didn't have the energy. I ended up falling asleep while catching up on my Tumblr dash at 1am- the first time I've fallen asleep before dawn all year! I slept on and off for thirteen hours with the added comfort of a new memory foam mattress topper- (makes such a difference I swear!) but today I'm still feeling a bit delicate.

 As for outfits? I  haven't really got anything new to share with you exactly, but this is the first time I've worn these pieces together. It was the outfit I changed in to once home from hydrotherapy.

This fish print dress from AX Paris is one of my favourite dresses. It's just so unusual! It has capped sleeves, goes in at the waist, and then exaggerates the hip area with lots of draped material and big slouched pockets over the hips and upper thighs. Normally I'm not a fan of garments that add bulk, but as the shape is in proportion I like how it looks on my figure. I sized up for comfort, but I really needn't of. The pattern looks like little fish crackers, and being a fish enthusiast I couldn't resist! I also have the dress in yellow with a bird print.  (Please excuse my uneven face- it's a combination of freckles and a dislike to pool chemicals!)

You've seen me wearing the dress before, but this time I dressed it with a navy cardigan and purple leggings (although I wasn't happy with my legs in the photos so I cropped them out). I also have a navy bow bag on my shoulder in the top pic.

Just keep swimming...

I would wear the dress with my lovely blue shoulder-bag if I was out and about for the day, as I think the soft faux leather and colour work nicely with the fabric of the dress. I bought this bag from Accessorize a year or two ago and used to use it for work quite a lot.

It has a dark floral lining.

I dug out one of my Abilu Creations charm bracelets which I bought from the stall in Camden a few years back, but she also has a website now. The jewellery is all handmade and designed to have a vintage rock feel. Many of the charms used in her designs are also vintage, which I'm sure I was told the little Pepsi can charm is, and each piece is finished with a signature guitar plectrum. I was won over by the quirky, retro look the moment I laid eyes on the stall. I bought this bracelet along with a necklace on my first visit, and a seaside themed bracelet on another shopping trip. I specifically chose this bracelet as I loved the pepsi can!

Along with the bracelet, I accessorized with my owl brooch (I love owls!), my anchor ring, and my little purple rose earrings. A random mix, but I liked it! I've had the brooch and earrings for a couple of years now.



 I was also wearing these two nail colours (red on the fingers, purple on the toes), which I picked up on the ASOS website for just £2.00 each on the weekend. The bright red Barry M nail polish is my all time favourite, and I just had to order a new bottle when I realised how gloopy the one I owned had become. I've been wearing this colour regularly all through my twenties and I love the colour more and more as time goes on. It's become my signature nail colour. I haven't used Rimmel nail polish since my teens, but I was impressed by how well it managed. It went on easily, dried smoothly, and only took two coats to get an even colour- not bad for a couple of hundred pennies!

Dress: AX Paris

Cardigan: New Look

Leggings: New Look

Bag: Accessorize

Bracelet: Abilu Creations

Brooch: Accessorize

Earrings: 99% sure they're Accessorize

Nail Polish: Barry M and Rimmel via ASOS

I promise to try harder to post regularly again. I really will.  I have actually been around catching up on other blogs and working on improving my own. It's still a work in progress, but hopefully when I'm done Polka Spots and Freckle Dots will be nicer to look at, more organised, and easier to navigate. Let me know what you think so far, and if there's anything you'd like to see more of from me here in the future. I do have a few ideas for future posts, but I'm open to opinions and suggestions!

Night guys,