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!

Sunday Favourites #131

This week's Sunday Favourites is another colourful compilation. Enjoy!

Yoga poses with street graffiti. As impressive as the yoga poses are (how on Earth are the last two possible?), I'm more in awe at the gorgeous street art.

This collection of artwork from Willem-Dirk de Toit is so simple but so eye-catching.

This DIY pretzel cushion.

I love this colourful office / craft space.

I'd love to visit Singapore, one day.

There's something so beautiful about Kaylah's beach trash collages.

Keiko Lynn's new tattoo is stunning.

I'm crazy about Sasha Unisex's amazing geometric fox tattoo!

Love this fruity manicure.

Kaylah's collection of oddities is fascinating!

This orphaned baby sea otter is too adorable for words.

This GIF (and video, here) of tigers swimming for the first time after being rescued from poor living conditions is so heart-warming. It's a shame their new enclosure is so barren, though, but it sounds like a big improvement on what they were rescued from.

These fields of flowers are so beautiful. The first one makes me think of The Wizard of Oz.

And I love these quotes and artwork.

I also have a big list of links to share with you this week, but there are so many of them that I've decided to share them in a separate post. Look out for them later today!

If you want to see more images like these, why not check out my Pinterest and Tumblr accounts?

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.