What's On My Bedside Table?

Today I'm going to do something a little bit different, and give you a little peek at what I keep on and in my bedside table.

This is the bedside table on the right hand side of my bed. Both sides of the bed are my own, (yep, I'm single), so I have full reign over the decor, and can be as girlie as I like. So, of course, I've gone to town with colour, polka dots, and bold prints- I dress my home the way I dress myself! Ha ha!

I use this side of the bed most often, and it's laden with books and essentials.

I love my Cath-Kidston-style bedside lamps. I bought them on sale from Dunelm a year or two ago for about a tenner each, and they were a brilliant little buy. They go perfectly in my room, especially with the matching bedding.

On the table are two red polka dot magazine holders filled with books. If I'm bored, I'll pluck one of the creative books at random and complete a new list or creative writing task. I've always enjoyed creative writing, and writing lists, so I'm a little bit obsessed with the 'Things To Write' and 'Listography' books. If you enjoy either hobby, you need to check these books out! 

Hidden in the blue floral case is my Kindle. I couldn't live without this thing! I like to read from him every day.

I don't often have a lot of beauty products on my bedside table, as my dressing table is close to my bed, but you'll usually find a few sitting on top. At the moment there is a Nivea Essential Care lip balm, Neal's Yard Bee Lovely hand cream, a coconut Body Shop hand cleanse gel (used recently when I had a bad cold), and the Kiko nail polish from my last manicure. It's my new favourite.

I've had the clock for over a decade, from the days when my room was painted lilac, and I had no taste. Metal decor really isn't my thing. I keep meaning to replace it with something more my style, but I've still not found one I like enough to buy.

I've had this Eeyore coaster for years, too. Gotta have somewhere to park my drink.

Here's a little peek at what I keep in the drawers...

There's nothing naughty hidden away in my drawers; the contents are actually really boring. The top drawer is my medicine drawer, where I keep my medication (painkillers for my back and spinal pain). I have to take my meds four times a day, so I need it all nearby. There are also non-prescription medicines, like ibuprofen and aspirin in the drawer, some balms for sciatica pain, heat patches, plasters; bandages, Yankee candles, matches, cough sweets, a light bulb, a couple of biros, a pack of note cards, drinking straws, and my current and old mobile phones. Believe it or not, this drawer is usually much fuller!

The middle drawer is basically filled with chargers and USB cords for all my gadgets- my iPod, Kindle, cameras, and mobiles. It's also where I keep my travel accessories like passport covers, luggage tags, travel document folders, a hand-held fan, and ear phones. 

And in the bottom drawer there are a few notebooks, note cards, and books of sticky notes. (This is only a small percentage of the notebooks and writing sets that I own). The Paperchase seahorse notebook is my favourite; the cover is so pretty. This drawer is also home to a few random things, including an eye mask, a fabric fan, 3D glasses from trips to the cinema, and a tape measure.

I also have a make-shift night stand on the other side of my bed. I can't fit a cabinet here, so I've stacked up a few pretty suitcases, and balanced a lamp and a few books on top, and it works just as well.

And, finally, these are the books that are stacked on the suitcases. My diary, a notebook, a cloth bound copy of Alice in Wonderland with the most amazing flamingo print cover, and a hard back copy of Stephen King's Revival.

What do you keep on your bedside table?

Polka Spots and Freckle Dots Turns Three!

Three years ago today, I started a little blog called Polka Spots and Freckle Dots and nervously sent my first outfit post in to the void. I never imagined that three years later I would still be blogging in this little corner of the Internet; I guess a part of me thought I'd lose interest within a few weeks, posting less and less until I got bored and moved on to the next bright idea, like I often did.

Yet, this time, I didn't.

I'm still here.

By some miracle, I've continued to blog regularly for three whole years. And you know what? I'm so very glad I did.

When I published that first post, I never could have imagined the impact this blog and the wonderful world of blogging would have on my life; not for a second. It may sound cheesy, but I honestly don't know how I would have gotten through the last three years without it. It's been a real life line to me during three of the most difficult years I've ever had to face.

It's kept me occupied during the long hours I've been bed ridden, and it's given me something to do and aim for every day. There's always something to write, photograph, edit, promote, tweak, or reply to, so even though I've been house bound, I've rarely been bored since I began this blog!

It's offered a distraction from the pain when it's been raging, and during the moments I've struggled to deal with losing almost everything from my old life; all those things that made me who I was; even those little things I took for granted, like my freedom and independence.

It provided me with somewhere to go after so many appointments with doctors and physiotherapists left me frustrated, disheartened, and upset. It gave me a place to vent my emotions or just throw myself in to to shut those bad experiences out.

It may sound weird, but it's even given me a place where I feel less alone and less isolated, even though I am often alone, and almost everyone has stopped calling. You lovely guys make me feel so welcome, and I'm so thankful for the friendships I've made through blogging!

Polka Spots hasn't just helped me to deal with my health and the impact it has had on my life; it's done all that and so much more.

My self confidence and body-confidence have both improved enormously since I wrote that first post. I'd be lying if I said I was completely body confident, but I've come a very long way in the last three years.


Rewind a few months more, and you'd see a girl with pretty much no body-confidence or self-confidence. I was the girl who hid from cameras, untagged herself from photos, and cut the tags out of her clothes. I was the girl who didn't have the confidence to wear tights or leggings in public, so wore jeans under dresses instead. I'd spent twenty-six years hating every last thing about my body. I was self-conscious and embarrassed of my body from a very young age, and truly believed I was hideous. I don't think my painful shyness helped. I was so shy, I did everything I could not to draw attention to myself, and in the end, I just ended up shying away from life. It wasn't until I was twenty-four or twenty-five that I was beginning to come out of my shell. Then the spinal pain began in September 2011. I discovered body positivity and plus size fashion blogs on Tumblr soon after, and they helped me to see myself in a new light. It was as if a light had been turned on. I began to feel comfortable with who I was, my body confidence started rising, and it's those blogs that inspired me to start Polka Spots and Freckle Dots. They inspired me to share my personal style, and to start my journey down the road to body positivity, and the rest as they say, is history.

I could never have imagined how far I would come in the next three years. I can barely recognise myself sometimes. I never thought I'd be a person who voluntarily shared her outfits (and her face) on the Internet, and actually enjoyed doing so! It's you guys, my lovely readers, that have given me the confidence to keep sharing them. You guys have helped me along the road to self-acceptance, and that's something I'll always be grateful for. I'm further along the road to body confidence than I've ever been before, and though I'm not one hundred percent body confident yet, I have learned to accept myself for who I am. And that's something I never thought I'd be able to say! I never thought I'd learn to be comfortable in my own skin. That's the power of blogging!

Moving away from health, body, and mind, I think my blog has come a long way over the last three years, too. I think the quality of my posts has improved since day one. I try to write posts I think you'll enjoy, and I'm always striving to improve everything; that's the perfectionist in me! Blogging has helped me improve my photography, editing, writing, and computer skills, and definitely broadened my horizons.

I've been so lucky to have had some amazing opportunities over the last three years, and have worked with some fantastic brands. I'm not a famous blogger, I don't have a million followers, but I'm grateful for every opportunity I've had, and love where this blog has taken me. I've been able to share the things I love, the experiences I've had, and the things I know, with the most amazing readers and blog friends. I.e. you! I appreciate every last one of you for reading and commenting on my posts! It's you guys who make me want to keep blogging.

And I don't plan on giving up any time soon!

I want to keep blogging. I want to keep sharing my outfits, my experiences, and the products I love. I want to keep sharing the photos I've taken, and the thoughts in my head. And I intend to keep going! I've had so much fun blogging these past three years, and I can't wait to see where the next three years take me!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting Polka Spots and Freckle Dots and I over the past three years! I appreciate your support and love more than you'll ever know!

What would you like to see more of on the blog in the future? What posts do you enjoy best?

Wednesday Wish List: 50 Lindy Bop Dresses

This week I've mostly been lusting after dozens of Lindy Bop dresses. (Nothing new there, then! Ha ha!) So, I'm dedicating this week's wish list entirely to the brand, and have picked out fifty of my current favourites to share with you. 

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10

The colours of all of these dresses are stunning, and so are the prints. One of each, please!

11 // 12 // 13 // 14 // 15 // 16 // 17 // 18 // 19 // 20

Dresses 14, 18, and 19 are three of my absolute faves.

21 // 22 // 23 // 24 // 25 // 26 // 27 // 28 // 29 // 30

Yes, I do need all nine of these navy polka dot dresses... And a plaid one for luck.

31 // 32 // 33 // 34 // 35 // 36 // 37 // 38 // 39 // 40

These frocks prove black doesn't have to be boring. They're all so beautiful.

Wouldn't dress 31 make the perfect bowling dress? Not for practicality; but just because it has that "fifties bowlarama" look. 

41 // 42 // 43 // 44 // 45 // 46 // 47 // 48 // 49 // 50

And the last ten are a real mix of colours and patterns. I want need 48 and 49 so badly!

I could have easily added 150 more dresses to this wish list, but I think I'll stop at 50 to appear less crazy! Is it working? Probably not!

I can't help it! 

Lindy Bop have become one of my favourite brands over the last year, and I'm definitely hooked on their beautiful vintage reproduction clothes. They make the most amazing dresses, in a variety of gorgeous styles, colours, and prints, and the best part is that they're all so affordable. Most (if not all) of these dresses retail between £29.99 and £34.99! You'd think for that price band the quality would be awful, but the fabrics and the craftsmanship are actually high quality. I have five LB dresses so far and I can't fault any of them! They're so beautifully made.

They're a great brand to try if you want to dip your toe in to rockabilly or mid century style without spending a fortune. And the good news is, they're cater to a decent range of sizes- UK sizes 8-26! Fantastic, right? Hopefully one day they'll extend their sizes even further.

Are you a fan of Lindy Bop? Which are your favourites from these fifty?

50 Ways to Beat Boredom at Home

For the last three and a half years, I've been house bound and bed ridden for 99% of the time because I live in a high level of constant pain from spinal conditions. At first I really struggled to beat boredom, and the days would drag on like a prison sentence, but I soon began to find ways to fill my time. This not only helped to keep me busy, but it helped to take my mind off the pain, and the sudden changes to my life, too. These days I'm rarely ever bored at home- even from my bed! I have countless ways to pass the time.

So, today, I thought I'd share a list of ways to beat boredom at home for anybody who is stuck at home and going a bit stir crazy. Of course, if you're living with a chronic or on going illness, injury, condition or disability, the things you'll be capable of doing will depend on your circumstances, but I hope a few things on the list come in handy just the same.

1. Read all those books you've been meaning to read but never found time to.

2. Kick back with your favourite magazines.

3. Catch up with your favourite blogs. (Looking for more blogs to follow? Here's a list of my faves.)

4. Read posts, and articles online. (I can get lost for hours in Buzzfeed, Lifebuzz, Earthporm,, xoJane, Huffington Post, and the trashy, random news stories from The Mirror).

5. Start your own blog. You'll never have nothing to do again! (I started this blog to keep myself occupied, and it's the best decision I could've made. I couldn't have got through the last few years without it.)

6. Listen to music. Stay away from sad, melancholy songs (especially if they make you feel down), and blast out happy, uplifting tunes instead. It's a great way to keep your spirits up!

7. Create playlists of your favourite songs for every mood and occasion. 

8. Watch videos on Youtube. (It doesn't matter if you watch music videos, beauty vlogs, or videos of cute cats, as long as they make you happy!)

9. Watch TV / binge watch some TV box sets, and get hooked on a new series or two.

10. Watch your favourite movies, and check out all those films you've been wanting to see for ages.

11. Create videos or vlogs.

12. Write emails or hand written letters to your friends and loved ones.

13. Phone up, Skype, Face Time or message your friends (or your Granny!) for a good catch up.

14. Bake or cook something delicious. Try out new recipes or practise your cake decorating skills.

15. Start an inspiration, happy memories, or art journal / scrapbook.

16. Keep a diary. It will clear your mind and one day you'll be able to read through it and see how far you've come.

17. Write lists; they're a great way to organise your thoughts and get your mind working. (Personally, I love filling in the Listography books, and creating lists on their website here).

18. Creative a bucket list to work through in the future. 

19. Make a 101 Things to do in 1001 Days list to work through. 

20. Try your hand at some creative writing, write some poetry, or even write a novel! (Need some inspiration? I love using the 642 Things To Write and 742 More Things to Write journal books).

21. Buy an adult colouring book and work your way through it. Honestly, colouring in is so therapeutic, relieves stress, and takes your mind off whatever's plaguing you.

22. Keep your mind active with cross words and Sudoku puzzles.

23. Start a cross stitch or embroidery project. (I love working through the Riverdrift House cross stitch kits.)

24. Learn how to crochet or knit something.

25. Learn how to make jewellery.

26. Customise your clothes or accessories.

27. Decoupage something.

28. Try your hand at some paper crafting, such as card making.

29. Or try some other craft or DIY you've always wanted to try.

30. Create some art. You could sketch, draw, paint, pastel, oil, charcoal... what ever type of art you enjoy best.

31. Take photos and try to improve your photography and editing skills.

32. Make collages, GIFs, and / or other images from your photos.

33. Learn something new. Take a home course, or e-course, or Google things you've always wanted to know more about. 

34. Window shop online and day dream about being rich enough to afford everything that catches your eye.

35. Dress up in pretty clothes. (I always feel a lot brighter when I'm wearing a pretty dress / outfit and think I look half decent on the outside.)

36. Go through your make up stash, and try out lots of new make up looks.

37. Pamper yourself with a relaxing bubble bath. Put on a face mask, light some candles, lie back, and relax.

38. Style your hair in to different looks. You could learn how to perfect victory rolls, fish tail braids, the perfect curls... whatever takes your fancy.

39. Try out some nail art designs. Practise makes perfect.

40. Give yourself a mani pedi and paint your nails in all the colours of the rainbow.

41. Explore images on Tumblr, and endlessly scroll through your dashboard.

42. Create moodboards on Pinterest, and pin the shit out of the Internet!

43. Connect with friends on Facebook and Twitter.

44. Tweet your favourite celebs on Twitter; if you get a reply it will make your day!

45. Share photos of your day on Instagram, and find lots of awesome people to follow.

46. Create collages of outfits on Polyvore.

47. Enter competitions online; you never know when you might get lucky!

48. Play computer games online, on your phone, or with a games console. (I love to play old nineties Sega games like Golden Axe, Sonic, and The Lion King here when I get bored. Reliving my childhood is so fun!)

49. Spend time with family, house mates, friends, and pets. Get your besties to come round for a cuppa, a few glasses of wine, or a girls night in.

50. Look through old photos, and remember the good times. 

And most importantly, for those of us with ill health...

Rest! 

It might be frustrating being stuck in the house for a while (years, even), but if your doctor has told you to take it easy, and your body is telling you the same, listen! Don't push yourself too hard, and only do as much as you feel you can without making your health worse. Some things just aren't worth the pain and exhaustion that follows.

And those are my 50 ways to beat boredom at home! I hope you've found them helpful.

How do you like to pass the time from home? Let me know in the comments below!

Wednesday Wish List

Who's up for another wish list post? I've got lots of lovely things to show you today....

 1 // 2 // 3 // 4

Four of my latest Lindy Bop crushes. I can't decide which one I love best... perhaps I need all four??

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6

These Voodoo Vixen dresses and cardigans are gorgeous.

Kelly Brook Dress

I'm in love with this stunning Kelly Brook dress. To quote Augustus, I would like to take it to Vegas and marry it; I really would! That print is to die for; it's just so colourful and happy. Plus it's covered in daisies and pansies; which are some of my favourite flowers, so the dress really needs to get in my wardrobe pronto! Or I'll cry.

1 // 2

These two Fever Fish pleated flared dresses are so pretty.

1 // 2

New Look have brought out some wide fit jelly sandals! These would be great for Spring and Summer... although, I can feel the blisters forming just from looking at them.

1 // 2

These wide-fit glitter ballet pumps from New Look are so lovely.

1 // 2

I love these two novelty bags from ASOS. The ice lolly is especially cute.

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12 // 13

And last but by no means least, I'm loving Cath Kidston's current range of jewellery and hair accessories. The collection is so fun and colourful, so you know it's right up my street!

What's on your wish list this week? 

Tatty Devine Jewellery Wish List

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12 // 13 // 14 // 15 // 16 // 17 // 18 // 19 // 20 // 21 // 22 

23 // 24 // 25 // 26 // 27 // 28 // 29 // 30 // 31 // 32 // 33 // 34 // 35 // 36 // 37 // 38 // 39 // 40 // 41 // 42

These are just some of the pieces of jewellery from Tatty Devine that I have my eye on at the moment. There are so many amazing designs on their website right now, and I just had to share my favourites with you. They make the coolest perspex, and wooden pieces.

If I were a rich girl, I'd snap all of these beauties up in a heart beat. and live happily ever after, accessorising every outfit with a different funky piece of jewellery every day, If only! Sadly, I'm not rich and don't have enough zeros at the end of my bank balance, so I can only admire Tatty Devine jewellery from afar for now... but, it doesn't hurt to dream, right?

My favourites are the April Showers rainbow rain clouds, and the carousel horses.

Which ones are yours?

Outfit | Cobalt Blue and Red Polka Dots

I'd like to introduce my new favourite dress; Matilda, the red polka dot swing-shirt-dress. She's the latest addition to my ever-growing collection of polka dot dresses, and don't tell the others, but she's quickly becoming one of my favourites.

She's one of those dresses that I fell in love with the moment I first saw her, and one I couldn't stop thinking about until I was able to snap her up. I don't know what it is, but there's just something about polka dot shirt dresses that I go crazy for, and this one tops them all. Matilda is the créme de la créme of polka dot shirt dresses, and since she's a Lindy Bop frock, I'm not surprised; their dresses are always so beautiful and high quality.

What sets Matilda apart from all the rest is that she is a swing shirt-dress, so she has an amazing full, flared skirt that gives a gorgeous silhouette, and also has plenty of room for a petticoat underneath, to make it even fuller. Unlike most shirt dresses, she is only buttoned to the waist, which I personally love because there's no worry of popping or losing a button and accidentally flashing your underwear to the world. She's made from good-quality cotton, but the fabric is still light enough to wear during the Summer. It's a sleeveless frock, too, so it's ideal for those hot sunny days. You can be sure that I'll be rocking this dress with pops of yellow when the weather gets warmer!

As it's still a bit early for wearing bright yellow, I've been wearing Matilda with bold cobalt blue, and a little bit of black. The colours of the dress and the blue pieces haven't been captured well in my photos, though. It was a cold and dull, grey day when I shot these photos, and the light kept changing from grey to dull yellow. I took over a hundred photos, but I'm not happy with how any of them came out. To be honest, I'm not pleased with the ones I'm sharing, but I decided to share them anyway, because I loved wearing this outfit and wanted to show you this dress before it sold out. So... just imagine that the dress is a really vibrant tomato red, and the blue shrug, belt, bracelet, and satchel are very bold shades of cobalt blue, because they are in real life.

I had so much fun wearing this outfit, which is just as well, as I had a nightmare with the sizing of the dress. I actually had to order Matilda three times, sizing up once more each time in determination to get the dress to fit! I  loved the dress too much to give up on it. I found my usual Lindy Bop size and the next size up too tight on the waist. They fitted nicely over the bust, but I still had problems with gaping buttons, as I always do with buttoned shirts. While I'm not very busty, I am naturally broad shouldered and chested, so I never get along with shirts. I almost always have to size up a few times to avoid gaping, so it's rare that I ever get to wear a properly fitted shirt. I'm wearing a dress three sizes larger than I generally wear here. It doesn't gape (hurray!), but it's not actually all that loose around the bust or waist. It isn't perfectly fitting, though; sizing up has meant the top button starts over the bust, and the waist is a little further down, but it's nothing that cinching in the fabric belt, and adding a stitch or two can't sort. Just bare that all in mind if you're broad shouldered or chested, and want to buy one. She really is worth persevering for, though!

She's a gem of a dress, comes in sizes 8-26 UK, and a bargain at just £29.99! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she'll be made in other colours; if she is, then I'd happily buy them all! I bloody love this dress!

Outfit Details

Dress- Lindy Bop // Shrug- M&Co (similar) // Satchel- ASOS // Brooch- Cath Kidston // 

Bracelet- Cath Kidston // Shoes- Fashion World* // Tights- Evans