Hi all,
Just wanted to let you know that this blog is no longer active. A new year has prompted a new blogging journey. I’m hoping a clearer idea of who I am and what I want to blog about will motivate me to blog more regularly.
If you’d like to join me in my new adventure pop on over to veryhungryfaterpillar.wordpress.com
Thank you for your support over the past few years!
Becky XX
Well, it’s been a while! I’ve really got to make an effort to be more disciplined with my blogging… I have so many things to tell you about but so often I get distracted by everything else and forget to write it down!
But this time I’ve REALLY tried to make time to write… Even if it’s taken me an entire week to get started!
Last Thursday both Michelle from My Fat and I and I were very lucky to be invited to Ipswich by the lovely Liz from Apples and Pears to attend Suffolk Fashion Week. (All 3 of us felt like we’d cheekily hopped the border from Essex to Suffolk!!)
I’m planning a separate post about the event and it’s fashion show (which was great, but had few retailers offering plus size fashion) and want to tell you about Liz, her company and her beautiful clothes!
I’d heard of Liz through the plus size bloggers community as she’s taken Apples and Pears to loads of plus size events but I hadn’t really had a good look. Then, when I found out she was going to be at a local event and offered to take me along as her guest I wanted to find out more about the brand. I followed her on Twitter and through our chats on social media I discovered we live in the same town!! 😁
Liz was really lovely – very passionate about her clothes and well-fitting plus size fashion. This photo was taken very late in the evening and she was still smiling after over 12 hours on her feet!
The lovely Liz from Apples and Pears
She had selected some of her Autumn/Winter pieces for the catwalk show – I particularly liked this Cadbury purple crossover dress:
…and this slinky teal number…
All of the off the peg items were very reasonably priced, with dresses for around £25. With a variety of styles and colours from evening to casual and modern to vintage inspired. As someone with a fairly vintage-y style, I was really impressed with the number of items I’d be keen to have in my wardrobe!
It was also fab to spend the evening with another plus size blogger! Michelle was great fun – we had a laugh and swooned over loads of fabulous clothes (more of that to follow!)
I don’t generally need much of an excuse so I decided I should probably buy myself a little Apples and Pears treat… But, from scanning those rails, can you guess what I chose…?!
Here’s one of Apples and Pears models – Claire Hynes showing off some of the new season’s collection. I picked up one of the gorgeous blue Paisley print midi dresses under Claire’s hand! 😄
I’ll post some photos of the dress on Instagram when I get a chance, but in the meantime you can have a peek of it on the Apples and Pears website!
Thank you Liz (and Michelle) for a fabulous evening (and for my beautiful dress)! Xxx
Last night, with the encouragement of Caroline from Curvy Wordy I ‘plopped’ for the first time…! Believe me, I was as surprised as you to discover that, although plopping *may* occur alone in thwe e bathroom, it has nothing to do with anything bottom related… It’s actually to do with your head! Specifically a way of drying your hair without removing all of the moisture (as happens with regular towel drying). I found out about it literally 48 hours ago so I’m no expert, but I was desperate to give it a try.
There’s instructions on how to do it at naturallycurly.com if you want to find out more about the process. But here’s my journey so far…
Had my hair cut and straightened (as usual) about 2 weeks ago… But any hint of humidity or moisture in the air and it looks like this:
Which is alright, but it feels frizzy and unkempt and annoys me!
I’ve never ever considered my hair as ‘curly’. In fact I reckon I’ve spent a considerable amount of time moaning about both my mam and dad’s beautiful curls and wondered why I had hair that resembled a mushroom! (my nickname was Toad for a while – as in the helmet headed toadstool character from Mario – thanks guys!). But earlier this year, whilst on a super humid holiday, my hair became slightly curly for the fortnight!:
And since then I think I’ve had a slight kink to my hair. But when Caroline (Curvy Wordy) suggested it might be possible to embrace and encourage the curl I thought it would be crazy not to give it a try…!
This was taken yesterday – before I ‘plopped’:
So I bought some natural conditioner (free of nasties!):
Washed it just with conditioner (no shampoo) and wrapped it in a t-shirt:
Then let it dry naturally. And, as if by magic…!!!
Tonight I’m going out so I’ve put a few pin curls in (but without setting lotion) while it’s still slightly damp, just to help encourage some of the curls. And here’s the final result:
I’ve updated my blog sale! Come take a look! 😄
Hello all! Sorry for the lack of blog posts over the last few months. I’ve been trying to generally sort stuff out in life which hasn’t really left any time for blogging… But part of the sorting out has involved sorting out my bulging wardrobe and has unveiled a few pieces I’m ready to part with in order to fund some new stuff! 🙂 So have a little look… If there’s anything that takes your fancy please let me know!
If you would like to purchase anything, please comment below or tweet me @bixxboxx.
PAYPAL ONLY please. POSTAGE will be £4 unless stated otherwise. POSTAGE CAN BE COMBINED. Thanks for looking! ?
I’ll consider offers on multiple items too. 
Black patent leather ballet pumps from Simply Be – size 6EEE worn once but a bit too big. £5.
Grey/silver spangly sandals from Evans. Size 6EEE – Worn a couple…
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As part of my resolve to blog a bit more regularly, I’ve been trying to get involved with some more blogger challenges and this time I’m having a bash at my first ever #HeresWhatIWouldHaveSpent post – a challenge created by Debz from Wannabe Princess (here’s her Topshop post from April).
This time around we’re picking through the racks at River Island! This was a great one for me as I’ve NEVER bought anything for me in River Island. It was always a bit of an aspiration to shop there, but I never did as none of their lines seemed to go above an 18. So I just stopped looking.
I’ve recently been in to look at their kid’s range (expensive but some of the styles are perfect for my quirky 4 yr old!) and mournfully spotted a couple of pieces I’d love to be able to buy but alas, the sizes still stop at about a 16 or 18. 😭
So, here are a few of the things I’d buy if River Island decided to stock larger sizes…
These cream flowery palazzo pants are just beautiful! If only they stocked them in my size…
The fabric pattern and shape/cut of this white 70s print skirt are right up my street. If only they stocked it in size fat…
This little number caught my eye… I’m looking for new work clothes and I often go for a pinafore style dress with a shirt underneath. This is a much more chic version. It would be a welcome addition to my work wardrobe – except they don’t stock it in my size…!
This high waisted bikini caught my eye as it offers good coverage, which is important to me. I don’t like feeling like I might escape! It would need some decent straps on the bra top but otherwise this would be in my basket… Except, alas, no HH cups or dress sizes above a 16.
What a shame my money won’t be making it into their tills and these lovely clothes won’t be making it into my wardrobe. River Island – please take note and review your demographic and your sizing. Then bigger girls like us can do more than window shop!
There are lots of other blogger babes taking part so go search for #hereswhatiwouldhavespent on Twitter or find them here:
Mookie – http://www.mookieslife.com/ Steph – Seeingspots.co.uk Toni – http://Www.theleftofperfect.blogspot.co.uk Kitty – http://www.Adventuresofariotgrrrl.com Vicky – http://thecurvedopinion.com Sarah – http://www.plussizeproud.co.uk Daisy – https://iwillnotwrapmyselfinsmocksandapologies.wordpress.com/ Katt – http://www.acurvycupcake.com Abi – aisforabi.blogspot.co.uk Lisa Marie – http://www.diaryofasize22.wordpress.com Kathryn – http://murderofgoths.co.uk
Inspired by A Curvy Cupcake and Wannabe Princess, I’m taking part in a brilliant blogger challenge to make 5 promises to myself over the summer and beyond. There are loads of amazing #psbloggers taking part and you can find their details at the bottom of the post… But for now, here is what I’m promising to myself:
1. Take part
I’ve never exactly been a wall flower, but for years I have worried about what people will think of me or if I will embarrass myself. And I’ve missed opportunities as a result. I’ve always agreed the idea that ‘it’s better to regret the things you have done than to regret the things you haven’t’ so now is the time to throw caution to the wind and try it. Especially when it comes to blogging and the blogging community. I feel like a fraud because I don’t blog much or go to any events. I want to change that! I want to try new things with my family, do a 5k run, try a Dancehall class. I want to use my new-found confidence to live life now!
2. Be kind to myself
I think I am probably my own worst critic. I need to practice what I preach and give myself a bloody break! Both psychologically and physically! Sometimes I find it hard to believe I’m a good person and that I deserve to feel good about myself. But deep down I know I am becoming the best me I can be. I can accept my mind and body as they are. Be proud of myself. Pamper myself. Reward myself. Maybe even love myself!
3. Find the ultimate comfy heel
I’m a sucker for some vintage styling but I can’t find a pair of heels that I can wear all day to complement my ever increasing dress collection! In order to truly feel like I’m doing it properly I need to find that illusive heel. I used to wear heels quite a lot but a negative comment from a gobby work colleague embarrassed me so much that I’ve stuck to flats for work ever since. I don’t want the comments of others to bear that much significance on my attire. So I promise I’ll wear heels to work (but they’ve GOT to be comfy!).
4. Not to be a slave to leggings
Last year I took part in #flashtheflesh to get out of my comfort zone and unleash my most feared body part – my legs and knees! I have my grannie’s cabbage patch knees – but I got mine in my teens rather than old age. I was embarrassed by them for years. But I got them out. People didn’t recoil in horror! The world didn’t stop turning! More importantly, my legs didn’t get so sweaty and my knees caught the sun! I liked it! So this year I’m getting my knees out more often! 😄
5. Give and receive compliments graciously
My husband has told me many times that I can’t take a compliment. I used to either make a joke, play it down or point out that my hair was bad or my tights were laddered or something. I’ve been trying hard to just believe the nice comments people make rather than assuming they’re joking. I also want to have more confidence to tell someone in the street if I like their outfit or bag. Sharing the positivity and love shouldn’t be this hard! I’m going to throw caution to the wind and say nice things to people! I’m also going to get back in the habit of complimenting myself by writing down 3 positives a day. To make me focus on the good stuff.
Now go check out some of the other fab ladies making their own Plus Size Promise (and maybe think about making your own? :))
Katt – www.acurvycupcake.com
Debz – www.wannabeprincess.co.uk Hayley – Curvesncurlsuk.blogspot.co.uk Toni – Www.theleftofperfect.blogspot.co.uk Vicky – http://therandomnessoftwee.blogspot.co.uk/ Kitty – http://kittyramblesalot.blogspot.co.uk
Kitty Kaos – www.Adventuresofariotgrrrl.com
Vicky – http://www.thecurvedopinion.com
Kathryn – www.misskathrynsmisstakes.co.uk Sarah – www.plussizeproud.co.uk
Kerry-Ann – http://voluptuouschatterbox.blogspot.co.uk/
Daisy – https://iwillnotwrapmyselfinsmocksandapologies.wordpress.com/
Leah – www.justmeleah.co.uk
Charli – http://curvygirlthin.blogspot.co.uk
Tanya – http://secretplussizegoddess.blogspot.com Filipa – http://uniquelyfilipa.blogspot.pt Kathryn – www.murderofgoths.co.uk
Well well well… I guess you’re wondering where I’ve been and what I’ve been up to?! To cut a long story short I’ve been job hunting for quite some time… And now I’ve finally found a new and exciting job I can turn at least some of my attention back to blogging and getting involved with some challenges and stuff.
So today, in recognition of the General Election (if you haven’t voted yet, please make sure you do!) and in celebration of the Suffragette movement and all that those incredible and courageous women did for us Kathryn from Murder of Goths is encouraging us to don #greenwhitepurple and share our outfits on social media!
So here’s my outfit…
The dress is one I bought from my blogger buddy Sarah of Plus Size and Proud (I love buying her hand me downs!)- it’s a Lindy Bop (Lana) and I’ve teamed it with an old Dorothy Perkins purple butterfly belt (similar one here… but not purple!) and an old white cardigan.
Forgive my un-styled hair and lack of make up… I’m not at my best at this hour…! 😄
If you want to see some of the other ladies who are taking part check out their blogs:
http://murderofgoths.co.uk
www.adventuresofariotgrrrl.com
Or search for #greenwhitepurple on Instagram and Twitter! 😄
Thanks for reading. Xxx
Hello all! Sorry for the lack of blog posts over the last few months. I’ve been trying to generally sort stuff out in life which hasn’t really left any time for blogging… But part of the sorting out has involved sorting out my bulging wardrobe and has unveiled a few pieces I’m ready to part with in order to fund some new stuff! 🙂 So have a little look… If there’s anything that takes your fancy please let me know!
If you would like to purchase anything, please comment below or tweet me @bixxboxx.
PAYPAL ONLY please. POSTAGE will be £4 unless stated otherwise. POSTAGE CAN BE COMBINED. Thanks for looking! 😄
I’ll consider offers on multiple items too.
Black patent leather ballet pumps from Simply Be – size 6EEE worn once but a bit too big. £5.
Grey/silver spangly sandals from Evans. Size 6EEE – Worn a couple of times but not really very ‘me’. ₤6.
Denim ‘Art Company’ clogs – size 7 and fairly wide. These are pretty old (practically vintage!) but are in pretty good condition (the suede footbed is a bit stained but can’t be seen when worn). £12 (I’ll need to check postage costs too).
Maxi dress with beading and sequins. Size XXL (about a 24) Bought from Mookie for my holiday, worn a couple of times but unlikely to wear it much at home. Very pretty vibrant flower design. £10.
Wonderbra – 38F worn once. £6.
Strapless bra from Debenhams Gorgeous (I’ve lost the detachable straps). 38G. £4.
New Look polka dot skater dress – BNWT. Size 22. £7.
Born in the 80s t-shirt. Size 18. £3.
Simply Be smart black tunic – size 20. £6.
Black 3/4 length stretchy trousers from Yours – size 20 but generous. Bought for my holiday from fellow blogger ‘Plus Size and Proud’ so worn a couple of times but unlikely to wear again now. £5.
Papaya sequin top – size 18. Hardly worn. £7.
Debenhams 🍓 t-shirt – size XL (approx 18-20 I think). £5.
Brown Evans tie back top – size 22. £7.
Yellow cross over blouse from Simply Be (Blue Wahoo) – size 20 – £7.
‘Pineapple’ pink tunic – size 18 – £6.
Evans top - size 22 - hardly worn £4.
Evans top – 22 – £4
Sonic print skater dress - size XL - £10
Sonic print skater dress by Insert Coin – size XL (approx 18/20) – brand new -£10 SOLD
Longer length denim shorts – Dorothy Perkins – size 18 – hardly worn – £4. SOLD
Red Herring tunic/shift dress – new with tags – size 20 – £7
Genuine vintage A-line 60s/70s dress – vintage size 22 (modern 20ish) – £8. Good condition for age.
Black Monsoon dress – size 22 – £10 SOLD
Lady V London dress – size 20 – hardly worn £15
Flowery Dorothy Perkins (tall) dress – size 22 – elasticated waist – £5 SOLD
Close up of dress above
Lovedrobe black wet-look/sparkly looking dress – size 22 – hardly worn – £5. SOLD
Close up of dress above
Orange flowery Lady V dress – size 20 – needs a bit of attention to the back/zip seam (see below) but otherwise in good condition. £9
New Look Inspire tulip skirt dress – I added ribbon straps, these could be removed. Size 22. £8.
F&F knee length denim skirt with front pleat – size 20 – never worn – £7
Grey thick poly/wool skirt (lined) – size 24 – £4
This dress is not in a good way…! The skirt is plucked and a bit stained but the sequins the top are too gorgeous to throw it away! If anyone wants to save it from the bin you’re welcome to try! Size 20 – free!
Yes high waisted black denim shorts (New Look) – new with tags – size 18 – £6. SOLD
Floor length evening/ball gown – size approx 24/26 with stretchy panels in the body underskirt (altered to wear when I was pregnant) – £40 – very heavy so will need to check weight for postage costs!
Close up – it’s more purple than it looks here…
Navy satin pussybow dress by Papaya – size 20 – £8
Clutch bag to match (by Coast). £6
Grey smart high waisted pencil skirt – Red Herring – size 18 – £5
I’ve got a few more things to add in the next few days so please pop back. 🙂
I wish I could write like this. Perfect. 🙂
I can’t even remember how long ago it was that I stumbled across Silly Old Sea Dog, but I think it was through Georgina from Fuller Figure Fuller Bust. It was honestly love at first sight!
The dress I fell in love with was this comic book fabric 50’s dress (which seems to no longer on their website – I Googled for the image and found it on this European blog!) – but the £90 price tag and my limited clothes budget (I’ve got kids so I can’t justify spending that on one item!) meant I could only dream of owning one of these beautiful dresses.
Until I spotted they were having a sale – about 3 weeks ago – just before my holiday to Portugal. An amazing mermaid print halter neck dress in a size 26 was winking at me to buy it! 🙂
I thought I might need to take it in and alter the neckline but at a bargain price of £35 it was too good to miss! I snapped it up! And I’m so glad I did!
(Sorry about my stupid expression!) I had to take it in a bit and I altered the halter neck to make straps and a hair ribbon! I had some lovely comments from other guests on holiday asking where my dress was from. I’m the kind of girl who likes to draw a bit of attention!
Sorry – you can see my black tights in this one – not as warm now I’m home! 🙂
The material is just gorgeous! The mermaids are striking – perfect for a stroll along a sunny beach.
Now I’m not saying the dresses are not good value for money – they’re beautifully handmade with care from funky, good quality fabrics. They’re worth every penny – I’m well aware I got a bargain in the sale! (I’m a crafter too so I know handmade costs!) I want to wear funky dresses like this every day – not just for a special occasion. If I could afford it I’d have 10 of them! So I’m going to start saving for my next one…
But for now – I’ll have to stick with my mermaid one. Although, now it’s tights season again – I might have to wait for the sun to shine before I can wear it again! 🙂
Bixxboxx bits box 