31 Days of May

Well hello

 

"Never regret anything, because at one point you wanted it"

 

For the month of May, I will be posting on my blog EVERY DAY! A few weeks ago, the lovely Kaye @ Polished Curves mentioned on Twitter about  giving herself a little challenge and blogging every day in May.... Now, when I first started my blog in November, I was trying to post everyday, but I had a lot going on over the New Year, I couldn't keep up with it. It didn't help that I had just started and I think it was a bit of a silly decision. But now...... I am up for the challenge :)

 

So, there are four of us who are taking the challenge, and the other two ladies are....

Kaye @ Polished Curves

Toni @ The Only Way is Toni
Nikki @ Natty Nikki

 

I signed up for this a few weeks ago, thinking that I haven't really got a lot on over the month of May, so I'll have plenty of time to get some good posts up for my lovely readers, but also had a few days out that I thought would be good to blog about.

Now....I have agreed to help my mum organise her 30th Wedding Anniversary party on the 1st June, so that is going to be a big part of my days in May, but nothing is going to stop me from doing this challenge! I'm taking it as a positive, and I may even include some 'party planning' posts :)

 

So I hope you will enjoy Kaye, Toni and my posts throughout May, we will be linking them daily on Twitter under the hashtag #31daysofmay.

 

toodle pip!

 

Beka

 

 

Quick OOTD

Well hello

 

Today we had a busy day planned, so I went for a comfy outfit.

 

 

Jeans - New Look

Green vest - George @ Asda

Blue/white polka dot blouse - Swanley Market

Cardigan - George @ Asda

Burgundy trainers - Primark

Bag - George @ Asda

 

We had to drop the kids off first, the to Mike's parent's house to pick up some tools, then drop something to his brother, then to Matalan, then for lunch at our favourite restaurant :) Lastly we dropped into my parent's so I could dye my mum's hair and discuss some bits for a party they are having in June that I am helping to organise.

Now we are home, Mike is finishing work on his car, whilst I am here catching up on some emails and watching Toy Story :)

 

Hope you are having a good weekend so far, I hope tomorrow is nice so we can visit the river near us!

 

toodle pip!

 

Beka x

Charity Shop Challenge!

 

Well hello
 

Now I love shopping in charity shops, but I only really look in the children’s section, and maybe the home ware section. Being plus size, I never really thought about looking in the adult clothes. I just kind of always assumed they would be ‘normal sizes’ and that was that!

So when Sarah @ Sarah Smiles asked for bloggers to be part of a charity shop challenge, I couldn’t wait to volunteer! She sent us some basic rules for the challenge, and away we went!

I had a think about which town I was going to look in, and I was already going into Bromley during the Easter holidays, so that’s where I started to look. My first thing I wanted to get was the basic parts of the outfit, i.e top, skirt, dress, trousers, then I could spend anything else left on accessories. I kind of knew straight away that I wouldn’t be able to get shoes in this challenge (unless they were mens) as I am a manly size 10. Anyway, the trip to Bromley was annoyingly unsuccessful and I found nothing! Gutted!

That weekend, Mike and I were heading to Chatham to visit my parents and have lunch at our favourite restaurant, so I dragged Mike around their charity shops. And I found all of this!

 

 

First I found this top in Shelter for £3

To be honest, I didn’t even know that this charity shop was even there! We go to Chatham every other weekend, and walk past it each time, but it’s got quite a small frontage and in a very quiet part of the High Street. But I was so happy to find this top in size 26/28 - a little big for me, but a nice style.

Next, I came across these goodies in PDSA….

 

This skirt was £3.49

　

 

 
And this bag was £2.99

 

I really love shopping in PDSA as we use them for our dog, so I’m always happy when I find something in there.

So I had around £5.50 left to spend, so I popped into British Heart Foundation to look for some more accessories. I found this lovely silver butterfly necklace for £3.99

 

 

And lastly I found this hair hand/clip for £1.49.

 

 

 

And here is the outfit as a whole....

 

 

I've added my own flip flops.

 

I really loved the top and skirt, and found a couple of other ways to style them. First, I put on some pink leggings with the top and created this look for around the house, or even to do the school run.

 

 

Then, I put the skirt on, but pulled it right up to create a summer dress look, and then just added a black shawl. This would be great for when we visit the ford in the summer, and I can paddle in the river :)

 

 

I'm really pleased that I took part in this challenge and am even more pleased with what I found! And I'm came in under budget (just!) at £14.96 :)

 

Please check out the other lovely ladies taking part in the challenge.

 

Sarah @ Sarah is Smiley

Steph @ Seeing Spots

Kim @ Call Me Kim

Nikki @ Sunsets and Sparkles

 
toodle pip!

Beka x

 

Five Question Friday!

Well hello

It's that time of week again.... another instalment of Five Question Friday! I have really enjoyed getting to ask these lovely ladies some questions. Today, I am directing my questions to the gorgeous Toni @ The Only Way Is Toni.

1. How would you describe your style?

I don’t follow any particular style. I wear what I like, even if it doesn’t necessarily ‘go’

2. What is your favourite way to wear your hair?

I generally wear my hair down and straight. I would love to have curly hair….I even had a perm once. It was a bad thought!

3. Heels or flats, and why?

Oooh, this one is hard! I love heels but hate wearing them, but I have a stupid amount of flat shoes!

4. What is your favourtie nail varnish colour/brand?

Essie is my favourite brand. I have about 20 bottles varying from hot pink to black. At the moment I love ‘Poo Lil’ Rich Girl’ which is a deep cream red colour.

5. What is your favourite TV show?

I’m a long time fan of CSI. I quite fancied myself as a CSI when I was at school, but then realised how much training I would need!

I want to say a big thank you to Toni for taking part this week and answering my questions. Her blog is full of lovely clothes and general beautiness, so go and check it out :) And if you are visiting my blog, please read some of my other posts, and I hope you enjoy them!

toodle pip!

Beka x

Hair clips

Well hello

 

Today I wanted to share some bargain hair clips I got in one of my favourite shops.... Poundland!

 

 

I have been playing around with my hair for a few months now, trying to get more adventurous. In November I bought the Wild Ombre Kit and I loved it :) So anyway, back to the reason for today's post, my new bow hair clips :) As you can probably tell by the shop, they were £1 for the pair.

 

 

 

This one is navy with pink and green flowers on it. I think this one is my favourite :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This one is teal/green with deep red flowers. One side is slightly larger than the other, but I think it adds a quirky touch to it :)

 

What is your favourite hair accessory?

 

toodle pip!

 

Beka x

 

 

6 months!

Well hello

 

Today I just wanted to share with you something I wrote today to share with my friends via facebook talking about something I love. Well somebody.....

 

 

It’s been 6 months since I married the love of my life. He is my best friend, soul mate and husband all rolled into one and I couldn’t ask for more. These last 6 months have been wonderful knowing that I am going to spend the rest of my life with this amazing man by my side, do everything together, share everything and just be happy. I am so proud of my husband, he has been through so much since we got married, and he has handled it so well! From having a biopsy a week before our wedding, getting the diagnosis the week after our wedding, then straight into treatment, he has been so strong and positive throughout it all. Even more so now…. It has been 8 weeks since his operation, he is back to work, more active and I couldn’t be more proud of how he done. Mike, I love you now, and forever, and I know that with you by my side, we can get through everything, and I can’t wait to grow old with you :)

 

If you read all of it without being sick, well done! I know it's gushy, but I love him, and I can't help but tell everyone how wonderful he is!!

 

toodle pip!

 

Beka x

 

 

Five Question Friday!

Well hello

It's that time of the week again.....it's Five Question Friday! I have really loved chatting to these lovely ladies, and they have been really sweet at answering all the questions I have put to them.

This week, we have some great answers from the gorgeous

Emma @ Plus Size Millard

1. What is your favourite clothing shop?

I really love Simply Be at the moment and I have a fondness for George @ Asda as it’s cheap :)

2. What item do you have most of in your wardrobe i.e vest tops, leggings etc?

Oooh that’s a tough one, probably tunics I reckon. Easy to go with leggings.

3. What are your 'go-to' shoes for a night out and why?

Easy, my plum coloured heels from Next. They are a wide fit and so comfortable I can dance in them all night.

4. What is your favourite make-up brand?

It used to be Clinique, high end I know, but recently I’m loving MUA because I love the colours and the range is so affordable.

5. What is your favourite meal?

I’d have to say my nanna’s homemade Lasagna. Being an Italian girl, I love pasta dishes.



I would like to thank Emma for answering my questions for this weeks five question Friday. I love looking at her blog, and really enjoy seeing the posts put up by Mr Plus Size Millard and his views on men's plus size clothing. They are a lovely couple and I would love to meet them one day!

You can find their blog here - Plus Size Millard - and if you have come from there, thanks for visiting!

toodle pip!

Beka x

Recycling jars

Well hello

As you may have seen from some of my previous posts, I recently painted our lounge (finally) and have been putting up shelves and pictures over the last couple of weeks to make it more homely. One thing I love doing of an evening is snuggling on the sofa and lighting some candles, and we do have quite a few tealight holders, which are plain glass, but I really wanted something that would go with the colour of our walls. So, with an empty jam jar, some tissue paper and PVA glue, I got started.....

I believe I got this idea from Pinterest and a photo I saw on there - I am a little addicted to Pinterest and love to just scroll through the DIY/Craft section and am amazed at some of the wonderful things on there. Anyway, I managed to buy some blue/turquoise tissue paper from The Range, and I had some PVA glue laying around (I use it all the time!!) so I decided to give it a go.

I just cut up the tissue paper into strips - there wasn't really a standard size for these, and it depends on the size of your jar and the look you want to go for - and I painted some of the glue onto the outside of the jar. Then it's just a case of putting the tissue paper onto the glue, and then painting over the paper also. This not only helps if you want to layer the paper over one another, but it gives it a good sheen when you are finished.

Here are the two jars I have decorated so far....

I like the fact they are different shaped jars, a little bit more random, and I plan to make more in different colours for different rooms in our house, depending on the colour scheme. I have been rinsing out and putting all my jars through the dishwasher, and now I have a collection of jars, all different sizes and shapes, ready to decorate :)

Is this something you would try?

toodle pip!

Beka x

Five Question Friday!

Well hello

 

Welcome back to Five Question Friday! I really enjoyed contacting other plus size bloggers, they have all been so great in taking part in this new venture of mine. I have got a few of them lined up for the next few weeks, so I hope you'll enjoy them too!

This week, the questions are being answered by the beautiful
Becks @ The Ramblings of Mrs BeBe.

 1. What is your favourite accessory?
I have this really nice Aztec print scarf from Matalan. I only got it recently, but love wearing it to brighten up outfits!

2. What was the last piece of clothing you bought?
It was some jersey peg leg trousers from ASOS Curve. They're really great as they can be dressed up or down, and majorly comfortable.

3. Lip gloss or lipstick?
I very rarely wear anything on my lips, I've just never been into lipsticks/glosses, I always feel very conscious in them, and actually can't be bothered to keep topping them up! Lazy!

4. What has been your most expensive purchase?
I actually think it was back in the 90's. I bought a pair of Buffalo trainers the same as the Spice Girls wore and they cost about £130. FASHION VICTIM ALERT!

5. What is your ideal way to spend a girly night with a friend?
It's hard to choose, sadly now I'm married and a mum, I don't get girly nights very often, but it would be a choice between a girly pyjama night in, watching films, eating snacks, or maybe a nice meal out, either sushi or Turkish food (my favourites) so I could at least have the chance to get dressed up!

I want to say a massive thanks to Becky for taking part in five question Friday this week. Her blog is brilliant and worth taking a look at, if you haven't already! So thanks again for popping by my blog, and you can find Becky's blog here -
The Ramblings of Mrs Bebe, and please feel free to send me some possible questions for my next instalment of Five Question Friday :)

toodle pip!

Beka x


MUA haul

Well hello

Today I wanted to share with you my recent purchases from MUA in Superdrug. I have never bought from the brand before, but I had seen some other bloggers and Youtubers recommending them, so I thought I'd give them a go :)

 

 

 

I knew I was after a nude lipstick as I only have pinks at the moment and I want to try other shades. But the display in Superdrug was a little messy, and I found the tester for a shade I liked, but could not find any more. I really wanted to try one of them out, so I went for this one...

 

 

 

It's in the shade 15 Juicy and is a pink/orange/coral colour and I really like it, and it's a bargain at £1! I thought it may be too dark for what I wanted, but it turned out to be right in the middle. Not as bright as the colours I already have, but not too light for my skin tone.

 

I also got a lip gloss from their 'Out There' Plumping Lip Gloss range...

 

 

I got this in shade Nude. It gives a lovely sheen to my lips, adding and bit of the nude colour. This was £2 and is very long, so will hopefully last a while. I ended up actually using this over the top of the lipstick and I loved how it looked.

 

Lastly, I saw some blushers, so I thought I'd give them a go, especially at £1 each....

 

 

So this is in Shade 1, which is a light pink/coral colour with a slight sparkle - which I love for my cheeks. And you can't got wrong for blusher for £1, you know how much I love a bargain!

 

Here are swatches of the three products.

 

Top - Blusher

Middle - Lipstick

Bottom - Lip Gloss

 

I was wearing my new Swanley market buys too, so here is my shopping OOTD :)

 

 

Jacket - George @ Asda

Blouse - Swanley market

White top - George @ Asda

Denim skirt - New Look (old)

Leggings - Swanley market

Shoes - Evans (old)

 

Have you tried any MUA products?

 

toodle pip!

 

Beka x

 

A day by the river....

Well hello

Saturday we had an amazing day of sunshine! So Mike and I took a stroll down by the river with the doggy to feed the ducks.

The ford and bridge

Pretty river

 

We are very lucky to live in Eynsford in Kent. We have a beautiful ford and bridge over the river, and it's a lovely place to take the kids in the summer, paddling in the river. These pictures are a couple of years old, but just to give you an idea....

 

 

It's lovely and refreshing to dip your feet into the river, and the kids love splashing about in it. You definitely need shoes on if you want to stand in the river (we have our trusty crocs normally) but its worth it. If you are in the area, it is such a great place to spend a sunny day, and you can cool down with the ice cream van who is there :)

Here are a few more pictures from our day on Saturday....

 

The third duck up from the bottom - just behind the black-headed one - has some kind of afro going on!!

 

 

Toodle pip!

 

Beka x

Best Friends!

Well hello

Today, I want to tell you about my bestest friend in the whole wide world!

The pictures in this post are either from my hen party or from our wedding :)

Leanne

This is Leanne. We met in 2002 through a mutual friend, and hit if off straight away. She was in the year below me at secondary school, but is technically only just over a month younger than me (stupid August/September school date poo! But anyway, we didn't meet until I was pretty much at the end of my time at school. We only lived about a 15 min walk away from each other, but it was up and down the valley in between us! But it was worth it. We would often just spend evenings meeting up on a local field and chatting about not a lot in particular. Then I passed my driving test (with my instructor being Leanne's mum!) and then I would go and pick her up after work and we would go for road trips! The majority of them ended up at one of the many McDonald's drive thru's near us! But hey, we had a laugh :) We would also, without fail, go to a local alternative club on a Friday night, and always had a great time. People ALWAYS asked us if we were sisters, and we would get annoyed a bit, so one Friday night, we dressed in the same outfit, but me in blue and her in pink. Then, about halfway through the night, we swapped! It was so much and fun and we confused lots of people :)

I lost contact with Leanne whilst I was with my ex. We went around 2 years without talking :(  But she was the first person I contacted after I had moved back home.... and we just clicked back into place! She had a boyfriend at the time, and I had started to see Mike, so we often went around their house for dinner and had a great time :) We are still great friends, and, although we may not talk everyday, Leanne is always there for a chat, a drink and especially sushi :) She was my bridesmaid at my wedding last year, and she did so much to help with the day, from decorating the cupcakes, to organising an AMAZING hen party, to being sooooo supportive on the day!

She is amazing, and wonderful, and someone that will always laugh at my stupid jokes. She is my best friend and I couldn't imagine my life without her.
Just in case she reads this....I love you!

So there is the amazing, beautiful woman, who makes me smile.

toodle pip!

Beka x

Having a go at Blog lovin'

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Bag bag bag! and a cheeky OOTD :)

Well hello

Today's post is about my new handbag......I was going to wait until I had used it a bit more - I only bought it on Thursday - but I can't wait any longer to tell you about it!

It was £10 in Asda.

This bag is a tote style, mustard yellow background with a mixture or navy's, pinks, purple and white floral pattern. The edges and handles are a light brown colour. You get the standard bag handles (at the top of the picture) and then you also get a removable shoulder strap (laying in front of the bag).

Now, being a larger lady, finding a bag with large enough handles for me to get my arms through is tough, this bag is pretty much the same, but manageable. The best part for me is the length of the strap! My previous bag also from there and was a small over the shoulder bag, but, even at full length, the bag only came just by my ribs - manageable, but not great.

Jeans - New Look

Navy top - Swanley market

Black cardigan - Swanley market

Shoes - Evans (old)

Bracelets - Evans (old)

So as you can see from the picture, the bag is by my bum! I love it! It also came in handy when I was food shopping early in a shop that makes you pay for carrier bags, and being a cheapskate, I wasn't having that! So I just piled my shopping into my handbag :) Brilliant! I was very pleased with myself

My usual neutral toned makeup for today - see my What's in my makeup bag post here for more information.

Hope you are all having a great day and enjoying the sunshine, even if it is still cold. I'm currently enjoying the sun from the comfort of my sofa having a nice cup of tea :)

toodle pip!

Beka x

Five Question Friday!

Well hello

Welcome to my first Five Question Friday! Today, my questions are being answered by the lovely Rachel @ A Dress Is For Life

1. What do you think is your best feature and why?

This is so hard as I love my whole body but I do have a thing for my forearms so I love things that show them off.

2. How would you describe your style?

Individual, playful, with a hint of vintage.

3. What is your favourite accessory?

Headscarfs. I love them and you can wear them so many ways.

4. If you had £1000 to spend on any one item, what would it be?

I'd probably spend it on a Kate Spade handbag. I love her book clutch.

5. What is your favourite film and why?

I have so many favourites, but if I had to pick just one, I guess it would be the Green Mile as I love the original book to much too. I also love Tom Hanks too!!

I want to say a massive thank you to Rachel for taking part in my first Five Question Friday, and I highly recommend visiting her blog A Dress Is For Life. And if you already know of her blog and are visiting me, please take a look at my other posts :)

More questions with a new blogger next week!

toodle pip!

Beka x

Market bargains!

Well hello

 

On Wednesday morning, my other half and I ventured out in the cold to Swanley market. It's on every Wednesday in Swanley shopping centre - but is actually outside, between the Asda and all the other shops on the other side of the walk way.

 

Anyway, the first thing we needed to do was get some cash out, then, there just happened to be a Plus Size (16-32) stall near the cash machines :) Then, as I approached it, I noticed the £5 sale sign, which was on every rail! Oh I got so excited!! I managed to get 3 things, but oh, I could have got a lot more! But I'm trying to be good this month with my spending. So here is what I picked up (this time!)

 

 

 

This top is bright pink and opal stripes, nice and long, and has an extra section on the bottom on both sides that wings out.

 

 

 It's nice and stretchy and has little cap sleeves. It is quite thin, so will also be good for the summer :)

 

 Next is this cardigan. I have been looking for a plain black cardigan for ages, but at £5, I couldn't resist! The sleeves are nice and long, and has four buttons at the cuffs. It was advertised as size 24/26, but on the label inside, it's just XXL. It does up, but pulls a little on the buttons, but I'll probably only ever wear it open anyways :)

 

This top is silk looking and is a little more green than in this picture (and a little less creased - it could use an iron!). It has got 3/4 length sleeves, well on me anyway, and is slightly longer at the front and back than at the sides. I didn't really think that it flattered me too much, so I grabbed a belt and .....

 

 

Much better :)
 

I also popped into Poundland and managed to pick up another colour from the Collection 2000 Hot Looks Dry Fast range (I previously got these colours here).

 

 

 

This colour is called Angel Wings and is a very light grey colour. It looked really white in the packet, and I was a little worried that I wouldn't like it, but now it's on, I really like it. It's a colour that I can match with anything :)

 

 

 So that is my shopping for today :) no more, I promise!!

Have you found any good market bargains recently?

toodle pip!

Beka x