Five Question Friday - Leah

Well hello

This is the last post in my #31daysofmay challenge :) It has been a LONG month, and I have found it challenging to make sure my posts were both interesting and worth posting! But from the response I've had from you guys has been great. This is definitely something I would think of doing again, and would recommend it to any blogger to challenge themselves. 

Please check out the other lovely ladies that have also been taking part in this challenge
Nikki @ Natty Nikki
Toni @ The Only Way Is Toni
Kaye @ Polished Curves

Another week, another set of questions for one of the lovely bloggers I love to read :) This week on Five Question Friday I have been asking questions to the amazing Leah @ Just Me Leah.

1. Which celebrity’s style do you like the most?

Beth Ditto. She’s edgy, fierce and she wears what she wants. I think she’s a great role model for fat women.

 2. What are your ‘go to’ shoes for a night out?

Something comfortable rather than sexy. I can’t do high heels!

3. Lip gloss or lipstick?

Lipstick. I have an addictions - over 100 lipsticks and glosses. Eek!

4. What is your favourite clothing shop?

I love ASOS Curve. Everything is bang on trend and usually at a really goof price too.

5. What is your favourite meal?

Garlic chicken with chips and salad. There’s a restaurant about 20 miles from me who do the best garlic chicken in a gorgeous garlic and mushroom sauce. I’m drooling just thinking about it! Yum.

Don't forget to check out Leah's blog if you haven't already. She has great posts on there about beauty, fashion and general life :) I love her posts on fat acceptance, they are so good!

A big thanks to Leah again for taking the time to answer my questions, and I'll see you guys next week with another lovely blogger....

toodle pip!

Beka x

OOTD - new bits

Well hello

I managed to get a couple of bits the other day and I thought I'd share with you what I got :)

Top - New Look

Vest - George @ Asda

Skinny Jeans - New Look

Shoes - Primark

I popped into New Look with my mum to have a look for bits for her, and was excited to see a couple of Sale rails :) So I had a good rummage through and found these skinny jeans for £5, and I do love me some skinny jeans! And I loved the colour. To be honest though, they were the only thing that I found in the Sale section that I liked. I was walking to the till and the top caught my eye. I really liked the colour and the heart pattern on it. It wasn't in the sale, but I really wanted it :) And it ended up that the colour goes will with the skinny jeans, so I was really happy with that.

When I went out today, it was a little cold, so I put on my trusty George blazer style jacket and a lovely scarf I bought in Oxfam a couple of weeks ago.

toodle pip!

Beka x

Burlesque review

Well hello

Last week I had an afternoon to myself, and decided to sit and watch a film. The film was Burlesque starring Christina Aguilera and Cher. I knew it was a film that Mike wouldn't be that interested in, and not sure how suitable it was for the children, so having the house to myself was a great time to have a little watch.

****SPOILER ALERT**** I will try not to give away too much about the story of this film, but I will be describing the basis of it, so just a warning!*****

So as I said above, the main characters are Cher (Mermaids) and Christina Aguilera. I was unsure about the casting of Christina Aguilera as I have not seen her act before, but I was pleasantly surprised. I have seen Cher act before - I love Mermaids. Some of the other main characters are played by Cam Gigandet (Twilight), Eric Dane (Grey's Anatomy) and Stanley Tucci (The Terminal). All of the roles are played really well by the cast.

The plot - A small town girl ventures to Los Angeles and finds her place in a neo-burlesque club run by a former dancer. 
Cher plays Tess, the club owner who is struggling to keep the theatre alive, which isn't helped by the Burlesque Lounge's dancers being distracted by personal problems. There is also a wealthy business man (Eric Dane) who wants to get his hands on the club and more... Christina Aguilera is Ali, who leaves her past in Iowa to become a dancer. All she wants is to fit in and make friends, but it doesn't seem that easy! She needs to be given a break, and that happens one night, and her true talent is discovered. She becomes the star act at the Burlesque Lounge, more people come to see her, but is it enough to save the club?

The dancing is amazing, and the music and routines are brilliant. I am a fan of musicals, so the use of songs in this film is great. The cast are great, and the storyline is good, but a little predictable, but I kind of like that. 

My favourite part of the whole film, is any scene that Stanley Tucci is in! I have always liked him as an actor, and he steals the show in some scenes. He is funny and caring all at the same time!

Have you seen this film, or avoided it for any reason?

toodle pip!

Beka x

Pretty Poochie

Well hello

I love my dog. She is so fun and cute. So cute that, when her hair is a bit too long, she will be scratching herself, and her nail will get caught in her hair...... then she makes this cute little whining noise to let you know that she needs help! So cute! So she had got to this stage about 2 weeks ago, so I called a groomer shop near us to book an appointment.

A little history - I used to go to a lady called Sandra who did dog grooming in her garage, but about 3 months ago, she told me she was moving. OK, where she was was quite convenient, but I wouldn't mind travelling a bit more to keep using her......She was moving to Ireland! So she recommended a dog groomers near here. Now, when I used to call her, I would normally have to wait about 2-3 days for an appointment, so I was a little naive when I called this new groomer..... Their first appointment was in 2 weeks. I booked in and gave Lulu a little trim around the eyes, just so she could see!

So today was the day..... This was her about 2 weeks ago. Her hair gets so long and it especially grows around her face, sometimes so she can't see!

And this is her today!

She looks so fluffy! I love it! They have cut her hair so nicely, she still has some hair, which is good, but it looks so tidy. Now, that may sound weird, but she always seems 'messy' just before she gets groomed. her hair goes in all directions, and she always looks like she needs a good brush, even just after she HAS had a brush! I am so so happy with what they have done, and they were so lovely. The price was very reasonable too, it was the same as what I used to pay with Sandra, so even happier at that :)

If you live nearby, I highly recommend them!

The Pet Groomers

5 Portobello Parade

Fawkham Road

West Kingsdown

Kent

TN15 6JP 

toodle pip!

Beka x

Primark Haul - Feet treats!

Well hello

On Wednesday I went shopping with my mum to find her a nice dress for her and my dad's 30th Wedding Anniversary party next month. She managed to pick up a very nice dress from Bon Marche, but we are not sure if it is dressy enough.... so we need to do a bit more searching next week!

Anyway, whilst we were out, I popped into Primark to get some more trainers as I have worn my last pair out. And I ended up getting these bits and bobs.

Before I start, I do have to say that all of these are from the men's section as I have size 10 feet...

I picked up two pairs of slip on trainers, in black and dark red. I bought a dark red pair back in March but managed to spill bleach on them a while ago. But they are so comfy and a bargain at £3! I also went for the black pair just because I like to keep my shoes plain, especially if I have an outfit with lots of colours in, and vice verse if I have a plain outfit, I add the red ones for a pop of colour.

I also picked up some espadrilles. I have been looking at these for a while, but wasn't too sure about them. But I kept seeing people wearing them and felt a little jealous! So I opted for the navy pair with navy and white striped front panel. I can't wait to wear them in the summer :) I haven't worn them out yet because, as I am writing this, it is raining and hail stoning outside.....

As I got to the till, I grabbed a pack of trainer socks as I seem to lose mine all the time! And then I picked up some socks to wear with my new shoes :) I had seen them last time I was in Primark but didn't pick any up. But I picked up 2 pairs, and at £1 a pair, I thought it was a good buy. They are so comfy! I am not really a sock wearer, don't ask me why. So it was nice to wear these, and it not feel like I was wearing socks.

And this lot came to £13......You can't go wring with that! I'm glad I didn't have more time in their as I could have spent a lot more!

Don't forget to check out the other lovely ladies taking part in the #31daysofmay challenge

Kaye @ Polished Curves

Nikki @ Natty Nikki

Toni @ The Only Way Is Toni

toodle pip!

Beka x

Curvissa - Behind the scenes of their S/S TV advert

Well hello

Curvissa wants to share with you some of their great plus size fashion with us! Their brand new TV advert is live and they have asked me to share some behind the scenes footage with you from the video shoot.

We might not have had much sun yet this year but the new Spring/Summer collection from plus size fashion brand Curvissa is bound to put a smile on your face.

  

Check out the videos and let the team and me know what you think of the new collection! 

http://youtu.be/U4Wq_strBvA - Advert

http://youtu.be/L0HYtqTYO8c - Behind the scenes footage

For the full collection check out www.curvissa.co.uk

toodle pip!

Lovely Hubby :)

Well hello

I just wanted to share with you a lovely present my lovely husband bought for me today :)

Last night, I spent some time designing and printing off some business cards as a few people had asked me for details and ways to contact me. So I had a little play around and made some, printed them off and was planning on taking them to my parent's this morning to use my dad's brilliant paper slicer. 

On the way to my parent's this morning, we had to stop at the Post Office so Mike could send a parcel. I was waiting in the car and he came out with a little box for me....

I opened it to find this lovely thing inside.....

I was a little confused to start with as I wasn't actually sure what I was looking at. But then I realised it was a business card holder :) Mike and I had been talking about them last night, and he tried to find an old one he had, but to no avail. So, on his way out of the shop where the Post Office is, he saw this and thought of me. So sweet!

So, we got to my parent's and I cut up the cards I had printed and put them straight in there. They looked so good :) 

I can't wait to have the opportunity to give one to someone!

And I wanted to let you know how thoughtful and lovely my husband is :) Gushy, I know!

toodle pip!

French Bread Pizza

Well hello

Today I wanted to share with you a recipe from my lovely mummy :) This is something I remember eating from when I was little, and was always fun to make with my mum...French Bread Pizza! To be honest, I haven't had or made this since I lived at home with my parents, 5 or 6 years ago. But as soon as my mum mentioned it a few weeks ago when I was asking her for another recipe.

Now it's pretty self explanatory.....it's a pizza made from French bread. So easy, and so tasty! Now I am using the ingredients my mum used to use, but you can change and add to make it how you like it. For example, Mike isn't a big fan of tomato-based pizza's, so I would not use the chopped tomatoes for him, and just use some BBQ sauce instead. 

Ingredients

3 rashers streaky bacon

1/2 onion

4 mushrooms

tin of chopped tomatoes

1/2 pepper

1 stock cube

grated cheese

French baguette

Firstly, you need to slice the bacon, onion and mushrooms. The thinner the better. 

Then fry them off in a frying pan and a little oil. I then diced up 1/2 an orange pepper and added that once the bacon, onion and mushrooms had cooked through.

Then I added half of the tin of chopped tomatoes and crumbled in 1/2 the stock cube - I was only making this as lunch for me, so I scaled down a little.

You need to prepare your french bread, so I used half a small baguette and then cut it length ways in half to give me two pieces. Once the mixture in the frying pay has thickened, spoon some mixture onto each of the halves of bread. Then sprinkle with grated cheese.

Then you just need to place these under a grill until the cheese has melted. The put onto a plate and enjoy!

This was so yummy! I plan to make this more for Mike and the kids now I have the recipe again. And I can't wait to experiment with other flavours and toppings.

Hope you enjoy!

Don't forget to check out the other lovely ladies taking part in the #31daysofmay challenge

Nikki @ Natty Nikki

Toni @ The Only Way Is Toni

Kaye @ Polished Curves

toodle pip!

Beka x

Five Question Friday - Becky Brown

Well hello

It's Friday...... I have some questions.......five to be exact..........so it's Five Question Friday!! I am still really enjoying asking these ladies questions, and even more so that they answer with some great answers :) Today is no different! This week I have lucky enough to get to ask some questions to the lovely 

Becky @ Does My Blog Make Me Look Fat.

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

I am pretty boring with my hair, it isn't long enough to do much with, and it is naturally very straight and fine so if I try to curl it, the curls just drop out in hours. So I normally just blow dry it and go, I do sometimes pin my fringe as it is quite long and in my eyes.

2. What is your favourite clothing shop?

I can’t say Ebay as it isn't a clothing shop but it is one of my favourite places to shop. Actual clothes shop would be ASOS Curve, they have their finger on the pulse of fashion and are giving plus size ladies really fashion forward pieces that we are proud to wear. Size isn't an issue for the, they just give us what is current and on trend.

3. What is your favourite nail polish brand and colour?

I am having a love affair with OPI, I think I have over 30 of the now. They just do great colours and have great staying power. Picking my favourite colour is hard as it depends on my mood, but I have a Herring problem is stunning. It is a pale blue shimmer

4. What has been your most expensive purchase?

I think my most expensive purchase was a dress from the Clements Ribeiro Swan collection, it was for my graduation. It was called the Rebecca Dress which just seemed apt! 

5. If you could go anywhere in the world on holiday, where would it be and who would it be with?

I have a real wonderlust, I want to see the world and everything it has to offer, but I think the place I want to visit the most in New York at Christmas, it just looks magical and the shopping would be amazing. I would take my BF there is something really romantic about New York at Christmas.

A huge thanks to Becky for answering my questions, and even adding some pictures in to her reply! They really help when trying to describe products, and I think she looks gorgeous in that dress! Don't forget to check out her blog if you haven't already, it's fab :) 

toodle pip!

Beka x

100!!!!!

Well hello!

This post is a little extra one for today as this is my 100th post on my blog! I can't believe I have got to 100. This was something that I really wanted to do, and I have loved every minute of it. I have found lots of lovely people that I can talk to about life, fashion and beauty, the blogger community, especially the plus size ladies are amazing. I can't wait to meet more of you :) 

This is also a thank you to every one of my followers. You don't know how mush it means to me that you are there, that you read my posts, and hopefully that you may enjoy even one! 

Blogging is now such a big part of my life, and I love it! Blogging every day in May has been a challenge, but it had been such a wonderful experience. I would recommend it to every blogger :)

I have been given some great opportunities through blogging, and I feel so blessed to be able to involved with other bloggers that inspire me, great companies and just wonderful people in general.

Sorry for being all gushy, I just am so happy to be at 100 posts and can't wait to reach 200 :)

Hope you are all having a good day.

toodle pip!

Beka x

What's in my handbag?

Well hello

Whilst searching through my handbag last week, I remembered that I meant to do this post a while ago! I have tried having nice small handbags in the past, but it just doesn't work! I always end up with it overflowing! So I recently bought a new bag from George @ Asda (review here) and I love it's size. Anyway, here is my handbag :)

And here are the contents on most days....

 1. Purse - I bought this on Bromley market just before Christmas

2. Diary - I can't go anywhere without this! Meetings, appointments, kids stuff....I'd be lost without it! I had a 'week to view' diary before, but I never had enough room to write in it, so I went for this one which is a day a page. I believe I got this in Poundland last year.

3. Notebook - Again, I take this everywhere. Blog stuff, party planning and general note taking. This was from Asda in January.

4. Shopping list pad - I got this from Ikea, it came as a 3 pack, and they are just so handy for my to do my shopping lists on.

5. My makeup bag - seems to get fuller each week!

6. Camera - Always handy, blog pictures and just catching random things, especially the kids

7. Hair stuff - Some days I think 'I want to wear my hair down' and I go out, and after 10 minutes, I get sooo hot! So now I have learnt to carry hair bands in my bag, and there is also a bow hair clip too.

8. Mints - These are nice ones from M&S, but normally it's Polos. Just in case I need to freshen up!

9. Nail stuff - Normally I have a nail kit in my bag, but I had left it at home this day. But essentials are a nail file and clippers.

10. Werther Originals - Oh My Days.... I am loving these! I forgot how yummy they are!

11. Stationary - I seem to collect more everyday, worrying that I don't have a pen or pencil on me, so now I have about 5 pens and 4 pencils, and not forgetting an eraser! Mainly as I write stuff in my diary in pencil, and occasionally it gets cancelled. So instead of scribbling it all out, I get rid of it :)

12. Tweezers - I often notice little hairs under my chin and I don't like just leaving it, so these come in handy :)

13. Batteries - Mainly for my camera, but you never know when you might need one!

14. Hand sanitiser - Sometimes, I just like to use it! And also when I walk the dog, and have to pick up poo! Obviously I use a bag, but my hand still feels a little dirty.

15. Perfume - I got a set of Ted Baker mini perfumes from my sister for Xmas and they are so handy to pop in my bag, rather than my main fragrance - it's massive and a glass bottle!

16.  Umbrella - You can never tell with British weather!

Now I know I haven't mentioned my phone or keys, but I have some logic to that....

Phone - I wear this bag with the long shoulder strap, so the phone would be near my bum. I have enough trouble hearing it when it is in my pocket, so my usually storage place for my phone is in my bra......just tucked into the side :)

Keys - I thought is 'If I put my keys in my bag, then lose or get my bag stolen, I'm stuffed' so I keep my keys in my pocket so they are always on me.

So that is usually day to day stuff I will have in my bag, but there are days when it gets filled with:
Mike's diabetic stuff
Dog poo bags
Dog treats
Kids snacks
Kids toys
Bottle of water
Sun cream
and anything else Mike or the kids want to take but then can't be bothered to carry! So I am always the bad guy when I say I'm not taking my bag for one reason or another when we go out :)

toodle pip!

Beka x 

Boobs!

Well hello

Last week I got the opportunity to go and visit Josh Lingerie in West Malling (post about them here)

I had spoken to the owner Joyce after meeting her at Brands Hatch, and arranged to go down, have a look at their range and get measured properly. I don't think that I have ever been to a lingerie shop and been measured, I just got to M&S and get the bra I always get.

So in I went. The shop was lovely and welcoming with a great decor. I was welcomed by Joyce and Jo, they were so friendly! There was a lot of colour, and some lovely looking bras. There were also some lovely swimwear is a variety of colours and styles, from bikini to swimsuits with skirts included. When I was looking around at the displays, I was pleasantly surprised to see some jewellery dotted around the shop.

There were some beautiful pieces, including these apple necklaces. I had to have a little test....

Then we popped into the lovely changing areas, and tried on a few bras. I kind of knew the style and colour that I wanted, and the bras I tried on were lovely :)

It turned out, like most women, that I was wearing the wrong size. I thought I was, and was wearing, 42E. After trying a bra on, it was decided I was a 46E. So I opted for an Elomi bra, and it is on order! Can't wait for it to come in and to start wearing it!

I was intrigued to go through to the shop adjoining... Number 39. I had noticed the shop window as I passed, and it was so nice and bright! They sell some gorgeous handbags, scarves and shoes in all different colours. I have definitely got a mental list of things I plan on buying!!

So many lovely things! After having a nice chat with Joyce, I gave her a hand in setting up a couple of competitions on her Facebook pages. 

On the Josh Lingerie page here you have the chance to win one of the apple necklaces I mentioned above.

On the Number 39 page here you have the chance to win one a beautiful Raffia clutch bag - the ones pictured above with the shoes.

All you have to do to enter these competitions is to Like the page, comment on the picture saying which colour (bag or apple) that you would like to win and that's it! You've got until the 31st May, and the winner will be picked on the 1st June. 

So please check out and Like the pages!

Don't forget to check out the other lovely ladies taking part in #31daysofmay
Toni @ The Only Way is Toni
Kaye @ Polished Curves
Nikki @ Natty Nikki

toodle pip!

Beka x