Recently I was contacted by a lovely lady called Paula Marsden. She is the owner of a vintage jewellery company called ‘Pieces Of The Past’ and she wanted to know if I fancied reviewing some of her gorgeous jewellery.
“I used to dabble in making things for myself and the occasional gift for people, but as I was working as a business development manager for a major retailer since I left university, it was nothing more than a hobby. Then I got made redundant in February and I was heartbroken, and unsure of my next move. Cue a bit of travel and messing about before deciding to invest in lots of supplies, a website, some graphic designers and a PR firm to help launch things! That was only this April and already I’m taking custom orders, have grown a nice Internet following and I am thoroughly enjoying being so creative. There are a couple of big ideas in the pipeline that should be ready for release in June and I can’t wait to start working at vintage fairs, craft fairs and tattoo conventions in May.”
Paula’s business looked and sounded fabulous, and I couldn’t await for my surprise parcel of pieces to arrive…
The lucite earrings were stunning. I loved the stars, the shape, and of course – the colour!
The necklace was simple and elegant. I’m not a fan of chunky or long necklaces, as I don’t think they don’t look too good on a larger bust, and so this lovely rectangle rose number suited me rather well.
Brooches are not something I wear that often, but I do find they are VERY useful for pinning boleros closed, and the vintage brooch made my outfit look very pulled together. The peach brooch looked fab on my bolero, and would look especially good with some matching hair flowers or other pieces of jewellery.
I’m really pleased with my jewellery from Pieces Of The Past, especially my earrings! Paula regularly updates her Facebook page with her new and upcoming pieces, and the array of gorgeous designs and colours brightens up my newsfeed!
If you do fancy purchasing some jewellery from Pieces Of The Past then use the code ‘FULLER’ and get 10% off – you won’t regret it!
I have been aware of Betty Le Bonbon for a while now. Several Facebook friends are huge fans of the brand, and I often see their beautiful photos posted on the Facebook page. As you can imagine, I was over the moon when Jasmine of Betty Le Bonbon contacted me offering me a beautiful plus size apron to review.
“We’re trying to cater mostly to women in the plus size range, and to that end the aprons are made with straps that, combined with the (on average) 30 inch front fabric panel, can accommodate up to a 70 inch waist (alternately just wrap the straps around the waist twice, or wear with a huge bow at the back).”
“In terms of what we’re about; our big focus is on providing unique, well made, beautiful options for plus size ladies. We find a lot of our first time customers become repeat customers, and we believe it’s because we provide a great range of interesting, colourful fabrics, great construction, and fair prices for what we’re providing (ie. custom sizes). We also have a range of ready-made skirts in block colours at a much lower price point, and the sizes for these are determined by demand (our latest batch of skirts are 32-40 inches, but in the past we’ve gone up to 48 inches). We presently have a couple of dresses in production for release later in the year, and we’ve been involved with a focus group of ladies pretty much every step of the way to determine what they do and don’t like (thicker shoulder straps, shorter waists, room for larger busts, longer zips so the dresses can go over larger hips/busts etc). We want to work with our customers to give them what they want!”
Betty Le Bonbon sounded like a fabulous company with great ethics, and I of course excitedly accepted Jasmine’s kind offer. I naturally selected the most colourful apron I could see, and it arrived only a few days later.
I paired the apron with my Lady V London swing dress and my boyfriend looked on approvingly as my inner housewife got unleashed!
I wore the apron around my waist with the bow at the back, as seen. It hit just above my knee length wise, and covered the front of my skirt.
The gorgeous fun pattern was something really different and unusual. Brightly coloured cartoons of food make for a quirky cute apron, especially when contrasted with the polka dot pockets and tie. And of course, pockets are always useful.
I am really pleased with my Betty Le Bonbon apron. I do a lot of cooking and cleaning, and I love the fact that I now have a colourful pretty stylish plus sized apron to keep my looking stylish whilst I go about these duties.
Check out Betty Le Bonbon’s online store for more gorgeous kitsch items in stunning prints.
I often get comments that express admiration at my confidence. It flatters me, as I do believe that body confidence is one of the most attractive things anyone can have. The ability to present yourself not as egotistical, but as cool, calm and happy with yourself. It’s not something that we are born with, or something that comes easily to us all. It’s not about looks, it’s more about feeling at peace with yourself and feeling comfortable. Here are my tips on how to feel a little more confident and self assured.
Naturally, it goes without saying that the first place you should look too to feel happier and more confident is…your underwear drawer. Ill fitting bras and uncomfortable knickers are enough to knock anyone’s confidence. If you are UK based I would urge you to get to a Bravissimo for a fitting. If you would prefer you can email or call them and they will be able to advise you that way. Alternatively, you can check out Butterfly Collection’s bra calculator which will be able to give you a size that is very close to what you should be wearing. For more information about the styles of bras out there and what they can do, check out my video:
Check out my bra fitting posts here.
In terms of knickers, this post by The Lingerie Addict is a great read for ladies looking for a little comfort in the undercracker department. My advice is to always buy knickers that do not dig in, do not irritate you and if they match your bra? Bonus!
Of course, it doesn’t end there with underwear. My favourite piece of underwear after my bra has to be my shapewear. I know that a lot of women turn their noses up at the idea of shapewear and see it as ‘cheating’ and an annoyance, but personally I adore it. It helps put my mind at ease that my tight dress isn’t showing too much of my bulgey stomach, and it makes me feel smooth, streamlined and carefree. This is my favourite piece:
This is how the shapewear looks when worn with a fairly loose corset.
It is by Maidenform and I adore it. The straps mean that it won’t roll down, and the shorts mean that it won’t roll up – even on my rather large thighs! The only problem with it is that going to the loo can be…ahem…tricky. It has a convenient ‘slit’, designed to make such actions easier, but it’s still something that baffles some, and can take a bit of getting used too!
Once your underwear is in order, you can feel like you are ready to take on the world! You feel younger, slimmer, walk taller and your outfits can look far better. I get countless emails from women who have been fitted for a better bra or found some that work well for them, and they are all positive. These women feel happier and more body positive without having to lose or gain weight or have surgery.
Personally, I always feel a lot happier after exercise. Don’t get me wrong, I loathe going to the gym as much as anyone! But when I leave, red faced, sweating and breathing heavily, I do feel body positive, even though I am a long way away from being happy with my size. Sometimes all I need to do in a few sit ups or go for a short jog. Sometimes it’s a full gym session. It’s not for everyone, but it works for me.
Taking care of my nails, skin and hair is also something that makes me feel good. Yes, they are appearance based and it is vain, but personally I feel a lot more put together when I feel confident with my looks.
Due to my job, I can’t paint my nails too often. But when I can, I do and it makes me feel ultra feminine. Sometimes I indulge myself with a salon treatment, and often turn here for interesting offers on professional manicures in London. I am also a huge fan of pedicures, and my trusty Ped-Egg is the best thing that I have found to use on them. Clean smooth feet with painted toes are something that you don’t even need to show anyone or spend much time and money on – it can just make you feel a whole lot better about yourself.
I dye and straighten and curl and generally abuse my hair way too much! And so treating it to the odd hair mask is a must!. I do love to go the the hairdress when I have the time and money, but it’s just so easy to do some cleaning or cooking whilst my hair rejuvenates in a hair mask, and in a few hours it’s back to looking gorgeous and healthy.
I am also a huge sucker for a face mask, as is my boyfriend!
Pardon my face!
It’s another quick cheap easy DIY treatment that really changes how you feel about yourself. I rarely wear foundation, and I attribute that to my face mask obsession and all the water I drink. I have tried a few homemade masks to varying degrees of success, but my favourite has to be this mud mask.
There are of course ways that will and won’t work for various people with regards to feeling happy and confident and exuding that. This post was just my way of sharing how I go about making myself feel like ‘me’. I hope that it has not come across as a vain post, but generally speaking appearance is something that we all rely heavily on to make us feel good about ourselves. I would love to hear from other people with regards to what you do to feel confident and happy within yourself
Some weeks ago I was contacted by a lovely lady called Jessie.
“I just wanted to say hi and introduce myself. My name is Jessie and I have just launched an independent jewellery store online called Curved Rose – specialising in contemporary jewellery in larger sizes.
After working in the retail jewellery industry for 12 years, I decided to go it alone and launch Curved Rose. It became apparent to me whilst working in a modern, high street jeweller, that many women were unable to buy the jewellery that they would like, as it was not available in their size. Curved Rose is all about offering a great choice of ready to wear, contemporary silver jewellery, but in sizes for plus size women.“
I was really excited to hear of a company like hers, as I know myself and others definitely struggle to find items that are beautiful and elegant in larger sizes. Curved Rose has a well laid out website with plenty to choose from, and I loved almost every other item! And so I cheekily asked if I might try this gorgeous ‘Into The Blue’ ring as I don’t have the slimmest of hands, and I am a sucker for anything blue/green/turquoise.
Jessie was very lovely and offered to send the ring over the very next day. Using the sizing guide I identified the best size for my selected finger as being ‘S’, and I eagerly awaited it’s arrival.
Within a day the parcel containing the gorgeously wrapped box arrived! And it even had a little something extra inside…
It also came with a care sheet that had a personal feel and nice clear instructions on how to keep my jewellery in tiptop condition.
I tried the ring on straight away, but to my dismay it was slightly big due to me being an amateur at measuring my finger.
However, Jessie was an absolute angel and sent me out a new one that arrived the next day, even before I had returned the larger one. The new ring was a perfect fit and I adore it!
As you can see, the extra little something turned out to be the gorgeous matching ‘Into The Blue’ necklace! It fit me perfectly and sat at a flattering height on my decolletage. I was genuinely touched by Jessie’s generosity, and I absolutely adored it!
I am definitely one for larger colourful pieces of jewellery over small dainty pieces, and these pieces from Curved Rose were a perfect fit for me. Classy and elegant enough to make me look like a lady when needed, but bold enough to make something of a statement.
I am a huge fan of silver over gold, and these pieces looked and felt high quality. The prices really do reflect the pieces, and Jessie has a real talent and eye for what looks good on a larger woman. As seen in this interview on Plus Size Millard, Jessie has been working on her current collection for 8 months, and I am excited to see how she progresses now that she has launched.
The dress worn in this post is a custom made dress from Vietnam. I thought it suited the pieces perfectly, and would also make a great outfit for a wedding.
Sadly the dress is not quite what I had hoped for from a custom dress. The design I chose had a lot of material in the bust area, and for that reason they seemed unable to fit it to my waist. I’m glad I bought it and had the experience of the process, but my curiosity has been sated and I will stick to my pin up style dresses!
Thank you to my boyfriend for taking these photos in our carpark, and helping to tuck my bra straps in in the other photos! The neighbours were somewhat amused…
Are you happy to hear of Curved Rose? Do you struggle to find beautiful elegant jewellery in larger sizes?
Follow Curved Rose on Twitter here, and like them on Facebook here.
A few weeks ago I received this message on my Facebook page:
“Hi Georgina, My name is Shannon Feeney. I am 17 years old from Birmingham, West Midlands. I have set up a business called Dainty-Doll.com. Basically what I do is create hand-made jewellery and I sell fashion jewellery. I work on this as a hobby and the money I raise via doing this goes towards a charity ‘In Memory Of’. It’s set up on behalf of my grandmother who I lost to cancer. 60% of the money raised goes to charity and the rest goes on materials to make the product. I would like to send you a few items and maybe you can review my product for me. I am currently in the process of making my website, I will leave you my details and I hope to hear back from you.
Of course I couldn’t help but take a look and be touched at impressed at Shannon’s site and dedication, and a few days later a parcel arrived containing some items for me to sample.
The first thing that I unwrapped was a gorgeous little trinket.I have kept it in my purse for now, but I may add it to a necklace or charm bracelet. I LOVE this retro packaged cherry lip balm. It smells great and has a slight tinted sheen too it.
These cutesie adjustable rings would make the perfect gift for someone, and I especially love the scrabble letter one, simple yet effective.
I adore all of the earring, particularly the rose ones as I have quite a collection in a few colours, and these were the perfect addition. The M&M ones with the matching ring are quite fun and something a little different.
I really love Shannon’s shop and determination. She regularly attends local fairs to sell her items, and her reasons for starting the line make her a little star. I hope that you are as touched and impressed as I am, and if you ever fancy some cute accessories then make your way to Dainty Doll and support a great cause and an amazing young lady.
Thank you for sharing your story and products with me Shannon x
Being a larger girl I really struggle to find tights, hold ups, fishnets and stockings that fit me. I’m not overly tall or long legged, however my average height and over average sized legs do prove a problem, and I often rip holes in my tights in a bid to get the crotch up higher than knee length. And even when I am successful I often find they work their way downward throughout the day and it is almost better to go bare legged than spend my time hoiking them up.
Recently I came across a site called Tights Please. They stock a huge variety of tights and leggings and stockings in many sizes. Browsing the website brought me a lot of joy – I couldn’t believe how many awesome plus size options there were – I just had to try a pair! And so after careful I decided on these Pamela Mann hold ups.
The hold ups arrived very quickly and in a parcel that could be posted through the letterbox, an added bonus for those of us who despise those post office slips. The length of the tights worked well on me and I didn’t have to struggle to pull them up high enough. The lacy tops were nice and thick and although it took a while to get them into a position that didn’t make them roll down, once I did they felt secure and comfortable. They did dig in a little more than I would be comfortable with in a tight skirt, but they would work perfectly under something less fitted.
I will definitely be using TightsPlease again. I’ve got my eye on these funky coloured tights – perfect for fancy dress parties or jazzing up an outfit. Hopefully my hosiery woes will now be a things of the past!
Lizzie Haines is a beautiful women of many talents. She is a swimmer, a photographer, a model and she is one crafty diva!
Recently I asked her if she could make me a very special unique bag, a bag that would do the talking…
A ‘Fuller Figure Fuller Bust’ bag.
Loaded with ideas Lizzie got to work on my bag. I wanted a plus size underwear clad woman on one side and my name on the other. She sourced the best materials and produced the most amazing bag ever!
I was so excited to receive it! It would be perfect for press events, everyone would know who I was and I could fit a few bras in there too! The image of the women was stunning, not too in your face, just glam enough to help me rock the back out and about anywhere.
Thank you Lizzie for taking my crazy idea and making something gorgeous. I will continue to spread the word about my blog and the topics I cover and this bag will be a fabulous side kick.
Read Lizzie’s blog post here and check out the rest of her her gorgeous designs here – you may find that dream present or be inspired to ask her to commission a unique piece.
I don’t know about the rest of you but I am a shoe whore. Not just a shoe whore, a full on accessory obsessive. As seen in my post here I love my bags, my hair flowers, my jewellery, I am obsessed with buying items in every colour to go with every possible outfit combination that I might decide on. When it comes to my nights out and dressing up I usually settle for the same old turquoise extras, but I need to have options!
One wardrobe extra I have been craving for a long time is a nice simple wedge.
I must admit that I have never been a fan of wedges. I had a pair when I was young and slim and could pull off most things, but ever since then I have shied away from them, finding heels to be a much prettier look, despite the rumour that wedges actually offer more support and stability – something I can lack after a few drinks…
A few weeks ago I was given the opportunity to pick an item from New Look to review. As soon as I saw ‘Wedges’ on that list I just knew I had to fight my reservations and try a pair. After a lot of oohing over these:
Naturally I was torn over which colour to go for, but in the end settled on both. And then my boyfriend casually reminded me that I do have rather a lot of shoes and so I went for the simple elegant black pair.
The heel looked huge, but I was relying on the super power of the wedges to make me feel like it was nothing and I do love a good strap to keep me in check as well.
It felt like forever but finally the wedges arrived! I was on my way out the door to the gym when I almost collided with the delivery man. I snatched them from his hands and rushed back into my flat to try them on straight away. Fyi – wedges and a gym kit is a snazzy little look! I was in love! My legs looked about 8 foot long, the ankle strap didn’t cut my legs in half as much as I feared it would and although I was wobbling like Bambi I didn’t feel like I would land on my face, more that I would just have to take careful baby steps and do as little walking as possible when out in them!
I do have rather wide feet and I often have to turn shoes away due to this. However New Look do me proud and these babies were no exception. I went for my usual size 7 and then felt like a perfect fit, no pinching or rubbing or painful cramping of the toes.
I had some fun experimenting with a few outfits to see how versatile the shoes were and I am pleased to report that they look damn sexy with almost every style and outfit I own.
I have been wedgied and it feels good! I feel like I will need to take a pair of ‘safety flats ‘out with me when I wear them on a night out, but all in all I feel secure and stable in my gorgeous new shoes.
And whilst we are on the subject of New Look, why not try your hand at modelling for them?
You can find out more information by clicking here.
So today I received a rather exciting email:
I am over the moon as you can imagine! The emphasis for the competition seems to be on finding, although I hate the term, ‘real women’ and yet again I am discovering that my size is a help rather than a hindrance and the reason that I was picked was due to my plus size body, confidence and personality. I hope to rock out at the audition next week, fingers crossed!!!
I reckon I know which dress to wear but I really wanted some sexy shoes and so off I went in search of the perfect pair. It wasn’t long before I found these babies staring down at me from a shelf in New Look. Turquoise, buckled, fairly high but manageable heel…I had to have them! I tried them on with my jeggings and fell in love – not just with the shoes but the whole look. I am very much a dress girl when I go out but I was loving the denim and heel combo. The shoes came in a burnt orange colour as well which I though would go perfectly with this size 14 dress which was a perfect top length on me and would replace the manky old tops that are dying in my wardrobe. I also loved this size 14 tunic and so off I skipped home with my good news and perfect purchases.
Here is the final photoshoot, I think you will agree that the shoes are just perfect with jeans and will hopefully make me a winner next week:
