Wednesday Wish List

Who'd like to see what's on my wish list this week?

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I'm crazy about the new 'Phoebe' dresses in Lady Vintage's 'Lady Voluptuous' collection. They're all stunning. I'm particularly dying to get my hands on the flamingo and kingfisher print dresses (#1&2), but I'm skint so I don't see that happening any time soon. Why do the most incredible things only appear when I'm poor?? One of life's greatest mysteries! The good news is, these dresses are plus size, and cater to sizes 16 to 30/32! 

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How cute are these PJs from F&F at Tesco? 

Collectif Dolores Doll Atomic Flamingo Print Dress

I love love love the tropical print fabric this dress is made from. Flamingos, watermelons, pineapples? Sign me up right now! It's a shame my size is sold out and I don't have a spare £60, or I'd have bought one by now without a second thought.

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These dresses from ASOS Curve are both so pretty.

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I am head over heels in love with these face and eye colour compacts from Paul & Joe. Aren't they gorgeous?  I love the packaging, and the animal shaped powders are too cute for words. 

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I'm loving all the turquoise, yellow, and lime green that is suddenly making an appearance; this colour palette is just so cheerful. The pineapple Keds and Monki parrot case are both so funky and eye catching. The fast food earrings are ridiculously cute, and the lime green dinosaur clutch from The White Pepper is nothing short of amazing. I need me a dinosaur clutch!

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I'd also love to add a watermelon to my novelty bag collection. I love these two from Modcloth and Simply Be; they're both so different, but I think they'd both be perfect for Summer. The Dirty Dancing references would be inevitable, but I think I could live with that.

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These hand-painted plastic brooches from Tukoni Tribe are adorable. Just look how cute the moth is!

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And last, but by no means least... I love these studded wide-fit gladiator sandals from Yours Clothing. I have really wide feet and it's not always easy to find fashionable wide fit sandals, but these two tick all the right boxes. They're even EEE width, which is brilliant because I know they'll accommodate even my horrible wide feet!

What's on your wish list this week?

Louise's Lovely Links #1

I've read so many interesting and inspiring posts this past week that I just had to share my favourites with you. I usually share links in my Sunday Faves posts, but as there have been so many brilliant posts in light of Plus Sized Wars, Jamelia, and #WeAreTheThey, I thought it was better to give them their own post this week. I did promise this post would be up yesterday, but I was being held hostage by stomach cramps, so sorry they're a day late!

Plus Sized Wars, #WeAreTheThey, Jamelia, Body Positivity, Et Cetera. 

♥ Callie Thorpe, one of the lovely plus size bloggers featured on Plus Sized Wars, told her personal story this week, hoping people will see her as a person, and not a bad role model or statistic. 

♥ Becky Bedbug wrote two brilliant opinion posts, Jamelia and #PlusSizedWars and #WeAreTheThey, on her new blog Curvert.

♥ I enjoyed reading Leah's thoughts on #PlusSizedWars and #WeAreTheThey, and she also penned a fantastic post entitled: you are not your dress size.

♥ Sera reflects on being bullied and body shamed from an early age, and talks about the affects it has had on her life and health.

♥ Charlotte talked about Plus Sized Wars from her perspective as a plus size fashion student, and followed it up with a second post that's also well worth a read.

♥ Becky, aka Mrs Bebe, shared her Plus Size Position.

♥ #WeAreTheThey by Em's Trends.

♥ Let's change the conversation: an open letter to Jamelia's ignorance.

♥ I am plus size and I'm not ashamed.

♥ Fat and fabulous despite what people think and say.

♥ Body confidence: it's okay to be shaky.

♥ Becky Brown asked ten plus sized bloggers what body confidence means to them, and compiled their answers in one interesting and inspiring post!

♥ I adore these 13 pieces of body positive artwork.

♥ 7 photos that prove women of all sizes look hot in bikinis.

♥ 14 women reveal why they wear make up.

♥ Fashion doesn't just let me express myself; it makes me feel powerful.

Other Awesome Blog Posts

♥ Harlow, Renee, and Kayla look stunning amongst the roses.

♥ Sammi's Friday Favourites is full of gorgeous clothes and accessories this week

♥ Trees' Easter weekend looked like so much fun!

♥ The Pink Haired Princess's Skinny Dip novelty bag collection is amazing.

♥ Becky (lots of Becky's this week!) from Milk Bubble Tea shared her 10 basic blogger photography tips.

History

♥ 20 badass women who destroyed stereotypes and inspired future generations.

♥ 20 provocative images highlighting the fights women face.

♥ 24 incredible historical moments in photographs.

Health

♥ Spring has sprung and it's suicide weather.

♥ I found the 16 things people in chronic pain want you to know completely spot on. If you know somebody who's living with chronic pain, please pop over and give it a read. It might just help you to understand what they're going through every day.

Animals and Nature

♥ 21 cats being cat-shamed for their crimes

♥ 22 albino animals because albino animals fascinate me, for some reason.

♥ These 30 mischievous bunnies getting up to mischief made me laugh... and also made me wonder why their owners are so ignorant.

♥ A little girl born without feet, and a German shepherd pup missing a paw have become inseparable friends.

♥ This video of a face off between a dachshund and a crab is oddly entertaining.

♥ Have you heard about the veterinarian who killed a cat with a bow and arrow- and then bragged about it? I'm absolutely horrified. The woman has since been sacked, but whether she will lose her license and be charged with animal cruelty doesn't appear to have been decided yet.. In my opinion, it shouldn't need to be questioned; anybody who causes pain and suffering to an animal, who kills an innocent animal for fun, should be punished harshly. I doubt she will be.

♥ The last male northern white rhino must now be kept under armed guard 24/7. There are only five northern white rhinos left on the planet. Five. Poached to the brink of extinction for a little bit of ivory. How can anybody value a piece of ivory- a body part- over the life of a living thing?

♥ George, the Ginger feline, likes to walk around on two legs!

♥ While this cute kitty looks after sick animals at an animal shelter.

♥ I want this teeny tiny bearded dragon!

♥ 13 beautiful fields of flowers around the world.

and, let's end on a light-hearted one...

♥ The 31 most sarcastic things that ever happened. You can't go wrong with a bit of sarcasm.

Thanks for reading!

My New Look Novelty Clutch Bags

Over the last couple of months, I've added several new novelty bags to my ever-growing collection of oddities. I just can't help myself when it comes to these wonderfully weird accessories; they're so much fun to collect and accessorize with! 

I know many of you love novelty bags as much as I do, so I thought it was time I gave you all a little peek at my latest additions. I have four to show you and they're all from New Look.

First up is the newest- a big, red, in-your-face strawberry! I want to take it on picnics and go strawberry picking with it on my arm. It wouldn't be very practical, but just think how cute my outfits (and photos) could be! The fruit trend is set to be huge again this Summer, and this strawberry is one of the best pieces I've seen so far this season. It's bold, it's eye-catching, and the stitching is a sweet touch. It's the perfect Summer clutch, and such a bargain at just £12.99.

My favourite novelty clutch du jour is a white and stone "99" ice cream cone! Oh, hell yes, this bag actually exists! I had to buy it the moment I first laid eyes on it, and began day dreaming about taking it to the beach, and enjoying a real ice cream in the summer sun with this bag on my arm. Okay, I have little chance of making it to the beach this year, but this bag will definitely be accessorizing a lot of my outfits this Summer. Even if it's just to go to the supermarket. I just adore this bag, and I think it might even be one of my favourite bags ever! The fact that it's surprisingly roomy is just a bonus.

The unicorn clutch bags are unfortunately no longer available, but I finally got my hands on them on sale back in February. They just galloped in to my basket when I bought the ice cream cone. I'd wanted them since they landed online late last Summer, but I guess holding back worked as I got them both half price! I was intending to keep one and put the other in the present stash, but in the end, I fell in love with both colours and couldn't choose between them. They look so different, even though they're ultimately the same design, so I had to keep both! I think the black stallion is my favourite; it's far more striking than the iridescent, and I love that it's so unlike the usual white or fair-coloured unicorns most unicorn things tend to be. The iridescent is awesome, too, though, and it definitely adds a whimsical touch to my outfits that five-year-old me would be proud of.

New Look novelty clutches are great because they're so purse-friendly, and their designs are so fun this season. They have several other designs, including a banana, pineapple, watermelon, and an ice lolly, which are all at the top of my wish list.

Have you bought any good novelty bags recently?

Wednesday Wish List

So, this week, I haven't been drawn to all that many new garments, but I have found a few real gems which I'm coveting like crazy. It's been a good week for finding awesome novelty bags, though, which I think you're going to love as much as I do (trust me, they're amazing!), and I've got the cutest scalloped wide-fit flats to show you, too.

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I'm keeping the text short and sweet today as it's half four in the morning, and I've not been to sleep yet. My favourite finds of the week are the Lindy Bop navy polka dot Matilda shirt dress (another colour, at last!), the shell print jersey dress from Dorothy Perkins, the yellow scalloped flats from Evans, and the brilliant White Pepper dinosaur clutches. I especially love the holographic design, but the black is amazing, too. I think they might just be the best novelty bags I've ever seen!

What's on your wish list this week? Which of these do you like best?

Review | Barry M Speedy Quick Dry Nail Paints

Barry M has been one of my favourite nail polish brands since my early teens, so when I saw their new Speedy Quick Dry collection in Boots last week I couldn't wait to give them a try.

The collection is made up of the prettiest, delicate pastel colours, and I had a hard time narrowing down which ones to road test first. The polishes were on 3 for 2 in Boots, so of course I just had to buy three. 

I chose a cheerful flamingo pink called 'In A Heart Beat.'

A fresh Spring green called 'Pole Position.'

And a fashionable blue, somewhere between duck egg and mint, called 'Road Rage.'

Three very pretty shades that were made for the perfect Spring manicure!

I wasted no time in trying them out, and used them all in one manicure later that same day. I have to say, I was impressed with how well they handled. The polishes all have wide flat brushes which make applying each coat super easy; the width helps to cover a lot of nail in one swipe, so it takes no time at all to apply each coat.  

I needed 3-4 coats to achieve an opaque finish, and it took less than a minute for each coat to dry! Both hands were done and bone dry within fifteen minutes. I don't know about you, but I hate waiting an age for my nails to set, so this Speedy Quick Dry formula is a God send! 

They're the perfect polishes for anybody who has limited time to get ready, and for people who have a difficult time sitting still long enough for their nails to dry. I've lost count how many times I've smudged my nails because I've not left enough time for them to dry properly, but I haven't had that problem with these three polishes. I'm sold. They even stayed in place for three days without chipping!

My only real issue was that 'Road Rage', the duck egg blue, went on a little bumpy unless the brush was drowned in polish. The brush kept sticking against the nail, instead of gliding over it, which I think was down to the quality of the brush and not the formula.  With a little patience, I worked around it by flooding the brush, but it took a little longer to brush off the excess polish to get an even finish.

Aside from that little issue, I really love these nail polishes. They're easily some of the loveliest pastel polishes I've ever worn. I still can't decide which is my favourite; it changes from minute to minute. I'm leaning towards the pink right now, but in five minutes I'll say green or blue. All three shades are fresh, bright, and cheerful- and you just can't go wrong with pastel polishes like these for Spring.

The Speedy Quick Dry polishes are very affordable at £3.99 each, and should be available in all good pharmacies / drug stores like Boots and Superdrug. 

Have you tried their Speedy Quick Dry nail paints yet?

PS. Apologies for the state of my nails in these photos. I know it's pretty much the worst looking manicure ever. I have really shaky hands these days (from the pain and painkillers), so I currently have the artistic ability of a three year old! I don't have the patience to try again, but I decided just to blog these photos anyway, as I wanted to share these polishes with you.

My Cath Kidston Heart Print Collection

It's no secret that I'm a huge Cath Kidston fan. I feature their products regularly on the blog in everything from outfit posts to wish lists, and home tours to What's In My Bag? posts. I adore their quirky prints, and I've built up a large collection over the years because I just can't resist them! While I own many different prints, I think my favourite to date is the red and white heart print, which launched earlier this year. 

The heart print is so bold, eye-catching, and fun, and it's a great alternative to red and white polka dots. I'm slowly collecting the pieces I want from the range- just a piece or two at a time, because I'm not rich- but I thought it was time I blogged about the ones I have so far.

My favourite heart print piece so far is the large dot hearts travel case. It's probably the best travel case I've owned to date. It has two large compartments, with plenty of room to be used as a wash bag for holidays, and more than enough room for holding make up essentials, with room to spare. I can even fit my make up brushes in with them. I'm hoping to pick up the smaller case to go with it, so I can use one for make up and one for beauty products when I pack for future holidays. Since they're made from PVC, they're easy to wipe clean, and should withstand major shampoo explosions!

The dot hearts make up case is great for carrying my make up essentials in, although I can't quite fit everything I need in it at once. (Which is why I want to get the smaller travel case). It fits a decent amount of products inside, though, with more than enough room for eye make up, lippy, blusher, and powder. If it was just a little bigger, it would be perfect. I do love the design, though, and enjoy using it. I think it could also work well as a pencil case.

I bought the dot hearts zipped travel purse to use when I'm carrying smaller bags with limited space, like my New Look novelty clutch bags. The star print clasp purse I usually use is getting grubby and tarnished, and this purse seemed like a good alternative. It has a zipped compartment for cash, and space for a few cards, or tickets. It also has a key ring that can be zipped in with money, so it's a convenient little purse, and ideal if you need to travel light. It doesn't take up much space at all, so it's perfect for clutch bags. The only negative is that it's a bit over-priced at £12. (Thankfully, my sister's student discount saved me a couple of quid).

The mini dot hearts key fob is one of the nicest key rings I've ever owned. It's so pretty, and looks really smart. It's my second CK key fob, and I only replaced my last because it's starting to get a little grubby around the edges. I've had that key fob for at least six years, and I'm impressed by how well it's held up. Apart from the dirty edges, it's still in great condition, and I see no reason why this one won't last as long. It's strong and sturdy, and can be easily wiped clean if it gets dirty.

The hearts Stanley mug is the newest addition to my collection, and has become my new favourite mug. The design is so lovely, It's a good size and shape, and it's really well made, too. I think this is the third or fourth CK mug I've owned, and one of the reasons I love them is because drinks always taste so nice from them. That probably makes me sound crazy, but it's true! The right mug, cup, or glass makes a difference!

I even have some heart-print tissues! I bought a couple of packs a month or two ago when I had that awful cold, and was low on handbag tissues. I'm usually a Kleenex girl, but I'm impressed by the quality of CK tissues. They're reasonably thick, and they look cute, too. These don't appear to be available online, but there are other designs here.

And that's my heart print collection... so far. I'm still hoping to get my hands on the sandwich plate, small travel case, and ticket holder before the season is over and the design is retired. I only wish there were more items in the print, especially more homeware, stationery, and luggage. I'd kill for a good heart-print purse or wallet!

Do you have anything from Cath Kidston's heart print range yet? Which piece is your favourite?

Wednesday Wish List

It's time for another Wednesday Wish List...

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My favourite find this week is the amazing dinosaur dress "Dino My Gosh" from Modcloth. I think that print might just be one of my favourite novelty prints to date! It's awesome and cute rolled in to one, and the colour only tempts me more. The good news? It goes up to a 4X!

Another favourite of mine is the pretty floral Dorothy Perkins dress. I just love the print and the delicate colour palette. So perfect for Spring!

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I'm lusting after a bunch of beautiful dresses from Tatyana, and these are just some of the pieces which have caught my eye. I've never shopped with them or even heard of them until this week, but everything looks stunning. I think every one of these dresses goes up to a 4X, too, which is fantastic.

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These dresses from Matalan all need to join my Summer wardrobe.

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South have a gorgeous collection of dresses available through Very right now. I think the black heart print number is my fave, but I love each of these and several more. (I've had to link back to these dresses via Pinterest, as Very's website was down as I was writing this. If you click on the images on Pinterest, they will take you through to Very).

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Modcloth's bunny ears ballet pumps are so bloody adorable! I want them so badly!

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Monsoon's 'Louise' dresses are so beautiful. I obviously need them, since we share a name, and everything...

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I adore these satchels from River Island. I already have several of their satchels, but I'd love to add the lilac and grey to my collection.

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And finally, I love these two bags. The colour block bag from Simply Be is so cheerful, and the cloud print clutch from Modcloth is so cute.

If you want to see more of the items I'm coveting, check out my fashion boards on Pinterest here.

What's on your wish list this week?

Another Boring Health Update (April 2015)

It's been about a month since my last health update, so I thought it was about time I stopped by to tell you what's been happening.

If you read last month's post, you might remember that I'd just been diagnosed with an inflammatory condition, but was waiting to see my doctor to find out which one I'd been diagnosed with.

So, the big news?

I couldn't tell ya!

I still don't know.

It's been six weeks since I received the letter which brought word of a diagnosis, and I still don't know the full picture.

I naively thought the process of finding out would be pretty simple; phone up the hospital, make an appointment, see the specialist for a chat, come up with a new plan of action, come home, the end. Sadly not. It's been frustratingly complicated.

For starters, it took me the best part of a week to get hold of my specialist's NHS secretary to make an appointment, only to be told I need to get referred back again by my GP. (My specialist is a private spinal surgeon, but he chose to take me on as an NHS patient in early Autumn.) I've just spent four or five months going to physio with his osteopath colleague- who he referred me to- in the same hospital, but because I've not seen him personally in three months, I have to be re-referred. It's frustrating because my specialist sent me for treatment, got my blood tests results, made the diagnosis, and sent me the letter to tell me. Surely that should count as being under his care?? Apparently not to his secretary.

I wasn't thrilled about having to go back to see my useless GP after all that had happened. I think I even expressed how determined I was to never see him again in my last update. He'd made too many mistakes. I couldn't deal with the stress of going to see him, so I put off phoning up for an appointment for a week or two, to give myself a break. I finally manned up, and went to make an appointment about a month ago... only to learn he'd had a stroke that weekend. Poor guy. As useless as he's been, he is a nice man, and he didn't deserve a stroke. I don't know how bad it was, but I guess even mild ones can be life-altering. It's sad because he's only fifty-something.

I made an appointment to see a different GP who I have seen in the past, but I had to wait a few more weeks because all of the doctors were busy taking on his appointments as well as their own.

I could have gone to see my specialist privately the same week I received the letter, but I thought it was stupid and careless to pay £175 to see him (the fee for a 10 minute consultation), when I could wait a little longer and see him for free. £175 is a lot of money to waste and there are so many better things it could be spent on. It's the reason why my specialist offered his services for free; he said he'd rather we spent the money on treatment instead of wasting it on his consultations.

On Wednesday, my doctor's appointment finally came around, and shock horror, she was even on time! I asked her for the referral, but she said she couldn't refer me back to the specialist because the specialist's last letter didn't say I needed to see him! She could refer me to the rheumatologist he wants me to see next, but she can't refer me to him. I had to explain the situation a few times, but she wasn't having any of it. I wanted to bang my head against a brick wall. Seeing a private doctor on the NHS can be a pain in the arse at times; it's hard for some people to get their head around it. She said she'd phone his secretary to find out if I need to see him and get back to me by the end of the week, but that never happened. I never got a phone call. This is why I leave every NHS appointment wanting to tear my hair out. Nothing ever gets done.

Six weeks have passed since the letter landed on the door mat, and I still don't have any real answers or even an appointment with my doctor.

My parents now just want me to make a private appointment to see him, to get it over and done with. They think too much time has passed already. The last appointment I had at the hospital was in February. I've been trying to refuse, because I don't want to waste their money, but they're refusing my refusal, so I think I don't really have a choice. I'll probably end up going for a private appointment soon. They're off on holiday on Monday, so it's buying me a little time.

I personally don't mind waiting, because I don't think the diagnosis is going to really change anything for me. Even having a full diagnosis, I'm pretty sure I'm still going to have the pain and other symptoms every day, along with all of my other daily challenges. I know it'll be easier mentally and emotionally knowing the whole picture, but I doubt my life will change physically from day to day; at least not to begin with.

Nothing has been confirmed officially, but the GP I saw this week does seem to think I have rheumatoid arthritis. It didn't say so in black and white on screen, but she was confident by what she read. (Which is interesting since my usual GP told me my results were negative!) It's actually been my number one guess since I got the letter telling me I have an inflammatory condition. I can relate to what I've read about it, and it makes a lot of sense- particularly since I've already had some arthritis found in my lower spine. I guess I'll know for sure before too long, and if I have got it, hopefully I'll be able to find out if it's causing any of the pain, and if anything can be done to make me more comfortable. But, one step at a time...

I don't want to self-diagnose or jump the gun before I know for sure; it won't do me any favours.

I'll be sure to keep you all posted as it all unfolds! I'm sure I'll have my answers in the next couple of weeks, and when I do I'll write another update.

I just wanted to end this post by saying a big 'thank you' to everybody who read and left such lovely messages of support on my last personal post. Your messages really meant a lot to me, and I'm still so touched that you took the time to write them. I really do have the best readers and blog friends! 

Thanks for reading, and thanks for continuing to tolerate my boring rambles! I promise tomorrow's post will be far more exciting.

Wednesday Wish List

This week I've been lusting after...

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These pretty pastel pieces from Dorothy Perkins. Make it blue; make it pink!

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These Collectif cardis and jumper are so lovely. I'm not sure if you can see it clearly, but the jumper has the cutest bunny pattern all over it! It sorta looks like something Professor Umbridge would wear, but I really love it anyway. I'm dying to get my hands on it!

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Collectif  have so many gorgeous gingham pieces at the moment. I'd happily fill my wardrobe with all of them, although the Sophia gingham tops (#1 and #4) are my favourites.

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I also love the red and pink gingham clothes from Collectif, but I think these have been around for a while. I've probably even featured one or two of them at some point, but now it's Spring I can't help being drawn to them again; I have gingham on the brain.

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Collectif also carry the cutest brooches.

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I'm loving Rocket Dogs' flamingo print trainers. I saw the laced pair in Schuh a few weeks ago, when I popped in with my sister (she was shopping for trainers), and I fell in love with the flamingo print instantly. Well, you know me and quirky prints!

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I'm smitten with these three Lindy Bop dresses... even if they are quite wintry colours for this time of year. I need that plaid Courtney dress in my life!

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How cute are ASOS's match box clutch bag, and snail purse?!

Urban Decay Vice 3 Palette

And finally, I just had to add the Urban Decay Vice 3 eyeshadow palette to this week's wish list. I saw it in Debenhams about a month ago, and I fell in love with it the moment I saw it. It's made up of the most beautiful shades, and I love that it's got a good selection of neutrals and colours. I'd buy it for the green shadow alone; it's stunning!

What's on your wish list this week? Which of these do you like best?