Lifestyle - Bedrooms and beds

I will soon have some DIY posts, going live on the blog for you, I am going to show you our bedroom from bare walls to completion.

Before then though, I wanted to show you some of the items I am obsessing over and want for our new bedroom.

Starting with beds!

Ok, so me and my husband have broken 4 beds in 10 years, and it isn't as exciting as it sounds! two of them were broken when we were not even plus sized.

My favourite breaking, was when my husband thought he was hilarious and body slammed me into the bed WWE style, full on flipped me upside down and threw me on it, and bent the centre pole.

Yes we have been known to be a bit bonkers!

But now that we are plus sized, we are more aware of the wear and tear our beds take and as we are currently sleeping on the worlds cheapest small double divan bed I am just waiting for it to become bed number five! Before this bed we had been on a mattress on the floor after bed number 4 broke.

So we have decided that we need to spend more on our beds as cheap ones are really not up to the challenge!

We also plan to spend much more on a mattress as ours has already begun to sag and is awful to sleep on!

So these are some of the beauties we have our eye on.

Next have an amazing array of beds, I love the rustic white and cream metal ones best.

Source - prshots.com

Places like Bensons beds have huge selections of beds

Source

They have some beautiful choices.

But all this searching got me thinking about what we need from a bed.

1. It needs to be a king size bed as a minimum, Marc is 6'2" and very broad shouldered, in a double his legs go off the end of the bed and we drive each other crazy with the lack of space.

2. It needs to be strong, 4 beds broken has shown us a bargain is not always the way to go.

3. the mattress needs to be firm and able to last a long time while supporting us.

4. It needs to be pretty!

With all these in mind I carried on my search but googled reinforced beds, I had expected to find dosgy hospital looking contraptions and that is mostly what I found, but I did come across one diamond in the rough, The reinforced bed company.

I love that they are a UK based company and make all the beds to order, the beds are extra strong for both plus size customers as well as people who just want a good strong bed, that will last.

The companies aim was to offer a bed that is not only strong but that is still beautiful to look at, and that is what drew me in for a full look around the website.

They offer a whole range of beds frames, from Wooded, Wrought Iron, Brass & Nickel to Divans so I had plenty to look at. 

These were my favourites

This is the Arizona it like that it is simple but still really pretty!

I love this one it is called the Montana, I love the mix of brass with the ivory.

How lovely and warm is the colour of the antique brass on the Georgia

Now I could just keep going on and on with pictures but I wont drive you all mad, head on over to the website HERE and take a look around they really are gorgeous.

They also offer reinforced mattresses too, which I think is pretty awesome, hopefully no more collapsing mattresses!

I will also be putting up a little link in my side bar as I do not think that UK businesses get enough recognition, I think to be honest, I will most likely be saving up for one of these gorgeous beds as I know they are designed to take us and that they will look gorgeous in our room.

Do you love or loath your bed? 

I want to love my next one!

Mhairi

xxx

The Fat Fabulous Four

Tonight is the launch of another fabulous challenge collaboration between myself and three other amazing plus bloggers.

Becky of The Ramblings of Mrs BeBe, Toni of The only way is Toni, Rosie of A rose like this and myself will be bringing you a new post every two weeks on a saturday with our own takes on some of the seasons top trends, starting this week with lace.

Lace is often associated with going out and dressing up, but I wanted my take to be more casual this time so when I spotted this lovely jumper in Tesco I snapped it up, it is only £12 and is so comfy and lovely, I am looking forward to getting some nice jersey trousers and having a gorgeous relaxed outfit for the spring.

Lace panel Jumper - Tesco £12

Jeans - Old pair from Dorothy Perkins

Boots - Next old Season

I love the lace panels on the sleeves and it is lovely and soft, I have just realised it is quite see through though so maybe a vest under would be a good plan.

Go and visit the other gorgeous girls, I know they will look gorgeous! 

Becky - The Ramblings of Mrs BeBe

Toni - The Only Way Is Toni

Rosie - A Rose Like This

Mhairi

xxx

Fatshion Faceoff - Trench coat

Well I have to apologise for my post being a little late, this week has been a little crazy!

MY only trench type coat is one I save for spring as it is very light weight, and is also a lovely minty green colour that is great for the springtime.

I couldn't find the belt for it which means it is likely stored in one of the many random boxes of stuff in our spare room and is likely lost until I can get some extra storage space and unpack the items that aren't in use.

But I do love my coat, I bought it from Next quite a few years ago and it has held up well.

Here are a few pictures of me wearing it how I normally do.

My boobs are still a bit big for it at the moment, so cant do it up yet but it is a gorgeous flared skirt style trench.

I am wearing it with my High waisted Simply Be leggings which are awesome and my favourite ax paris Jumper that I got form Simply Be too

I like a the little ruffle details on the back

and Front. 

Are you a trench coat kind of girl? or guy?

Head over to see the other fabulous ladies, they all look stunning!

Dani: DIY Fatshion http://www.diyfatshion.com

Hanna: The Wardrobe Challenge http://thewardrobechallenge.co.uk/

Mouna: Brussels Fatshion http://www.brusselsfatshion.com

Olivia: Wait Until The Sunset http://www.waituntilthesunset.com

Mhairi

xxx

Fatshion Faceoff - Printed Dress

Printed Dress

This weeks challenge was to wear a printed dress, but not floral as we have worn it quite a bit, so I pulled out one of my favourite maxis from the summer but winterised it with a jumper under as I was bloomin freezing today!

It was from Evans in the sale, I picked it up in leeds whilst I was at Plus north and I think it was about £20, and you cant see them but I am wearing my winter staple, knee high boots from Next!

As a big girl we are always taught not to wear prints and avoid light colours, but you know what sod that, I love this dress, it gives me a great waist and I feel really good in it!

The colours are pretty neutral so I wear it with a fair few different cardigans and jackets.

And it has excellent boob space, I can get away with not wearing a cami under ti in the summer which is always a bonus!

Do you like to wear a printed dress, and break the rules?

Go check out the other gorgeous ladies from around the globe taking part! 

Dani: DIY Fatshion http://www.diyfatshion.com

Hanna: The Wardrobe Challenge http://thewardrobechallenge.co.uk/

Mouna: Brussels Fatshion http://www.brusselsfatshion.com

Olivia: Wait Until The Sunset http://www.waituntilthesunset.com 

Mhairi

xxx

Fatshion Faceoff

Fatshion Faceoff is a fabulous weekly blogging extravaganza, where myself and 5 other fantabulous bloggers take an item of clothing that we all have in our wardrobes and style them in our way.


I have been having so much fun doing these posts, but I found this week particularly hard!


SO what is this week....


HiLo Hem Skirt/dress


I have a skirt it is a very basic black skirt from Primark, it only coast me about £8 and it is great for the summer with some sandals and and a fab oversize T-shirt tucked in, makes me feel about 15 again.


The hard part of the challenge was that it really isn't summer at all at the moment, and to top it off it was chucking it down and practically dark all day so sandals were not going to happen!


This is what I came up with, it needs work :)

The weather was so bad, it was really hard to get a good photo that showed the length of the skirt, it is about knee length at the front and mid calf at the back.

The back and please excuse my crazy frizzy hair, it is the rain!

This top was from Next last season, and OMG I love the print!

And a fabulous Funk and Finery Wrap Bracelet.

Skirt - Primark £8

Top - Next (similar)

Boots - Asos Past Season

Leggings - Old John Rocha @ Debenhams

Bracelet - Funk and Finery

Go take a look at the 5 other fabulous ladies, they all have the most amazing styles!

Hanna – http://thewardrobechallenge.wordpress.com/

Dani – http://diyfatshion.blogspot.com/

Olivia – www.waituntilthesunset.com

Molly – http://molly-pocket.com

Mouna – www.brusselsfatshion.com

See you again soon! 

Mhairi

xxx

Fatshion Faceoff - Plain Coloured Dress!

Plain Coloured Dress!


This week we were challenged to style a plain one colour dress, anything except Black.


My choices are limited as I tend to wear a lot of patterned dresses, but I have 2 options they are the same dress but in two colours, I have it in Pink and green, but today decided to try and style the Pink dress and do something a little different, I normally go for a thick black belt under the bust with this dress and simple black shoes.


Today I decided to experiment a bit, and went for some colour mixing, not sure it really worked but I had fun and felt all sunny on a gloomy windy day!

So annoyed at myself for slouching in this picture and my bra straps need tightening!

My vintage gems Pocket watch

Me!

Dress - Dorothy Perkins (past season)

Pocket Watch - Vintage gems

Belt - Asda

Shoes - Next (past season)

Even though I am not sure this worked I enjoyed wearing it :) 

Go see what the other girls are wearing in their interpretations of this weeks Fatshion Challenge. 

Hanna – http://thewardrobechallenge.wordpress.com/

Dani – http://diyfatshion.blogspot.com/

Olivia – www.waituntilthesunset.com

Molly – http://molly-pocket.com

Mouna – www.brusselsfatshion.com

Fatshion Faceoff

Fatshion Challenge - Stripped Top

I recently asked if the gorgeous girls behind Fatshion Faceoff, had space for a little one, my blog is my way of challenging myself to try new things and the challenges the girls are setting looked fun.

So first of all thank you so much to the gorgeous Dani of diyfatshion, Hanna of the wardrobe challenge, Olivia of Wait until the sunset, Molly of Molly Pocket and Mouna of Brussels fatshion.

I cant wait to get stuck in. x

This week it is olivia's turn to pick an item to style for the challenge, and her choice this week was a Stripped top, I almost panicked as I have nothing stripped, until I remembered I had bought a stripped pastel jumper a few weeks ago, that had become buried in the mess of my wardrobe.

It is pretty casual but as I have no jeans at the moment I decided to put something together to pop out with my mum on sunday for some lunch.

This is what I came up with!

I teamed the NEw Look striped top with a Black maxi skirt from New Look and and a Black jersey Blazer from Next.

I am not sure this is exactly how I want to wear this top, but I felt comfortable and confident out and about in it, but I do need to take the skirt up a little as I have to hike it up under my boobs to keep it off the floor. 

WEll that was my interpretation, a bit boring, but i will get more adventurous as I get more confident in the challenges I am sure :) x

Go see what the other girls are wearing in their interpretations of this weeks Fatshion Challenge. 

Hanna – http://thewardrobechallenge.wordpress.com/

Dani – http://diyfatshion.blogspot.com/

Olivia – www.waituntilthesunset.com

Molly – http://molly-pocket.com

Mouna – www.brusselsfatshion.com

OOTD

Just a quick hello,

Will be blogging about the amazing IGIGI dress I am reviewing later this evening, but wanted to show you my crazy face.

THis dress is from next, I loved the colour of it, but hate how shapeless the top half is, so it is now relegated to the, I feel rough days when I just want to throw something on.

Dress - Next

Boots - Schuh ( so comfy!)

Bag - Accessorize

Tights - Tescos

Scary Lady - All Me :)

see you soon! 

Mhairi

xxx

Simply Be Review 2

Zandra Rhodes Vintage Print Dress.

This is the second item sent to me by Simply Be for review, I chose this dress, as I fell instantly in love with the colour! Anything green or purple and I am hooked!

On the model the sleeves hit her half way between wrist and elbow, but on me the hit me on my wrist which I wasn't keen on, but as I always have a cardigan on even in summer, this isn't a problem for me, just be aware of it, if you are short like me.

Dress - Zandra Rhodes Vintage Print Dress for Simply Be

Cardigan - Marks and Spencer (very old)

Tights - 100Denier Tesco

Boots - Wide Fit Next

I chose to wear it for a day out christmas shopping and having some lunch with my other half, so I wore my old Marks and Spencer wrap cardigan, my Evans belt, thick tights and my biker boots. 

The dress comes with a separate green slip as the material is very sheer and it has adjustable straps, my husband laughed at how excited this made me, but I have very short shoulders and straps on dresses always need to be tied or shortened.

The pattern looks very red in the pictures but it is very dark almost purple/red, I originally wore it with dark plum coloured tights from Evans but as they fell apart in less than 2 hours I went back to my trusty  Tesco 100 Denier Tights!

I felt really pretty and relaxed all day in the dress I also tried it with my black polo neck jumper under and it looked good with it too, so has lots of options for both winter and summer wear.

I also love that It can easily be dressed up with some heels for a night out.

As my only negative with this dress was the length and looseness of the sleeves at the wrist, which I can easily fix with a bit of creativity I would recommend this dress as the colour is so so pretty!

You will get to see me all dressed up next week with make up and nice hair for my wedding anniversary, and my final review piece for Simply Be.

Disclaimer : This item was given to me free of charge from Simply be for review, but all comments are my own and I have not been asked or paid to give any items a favourable review.

OOTD

WOW 2 days in a row with new outfit posts!

Today I was down to the dregs of my wardrobe as I ran out of washing powder a couple of days ago but was too unwell to go get more.

So today I am wearing a dress as a skirt, it is a Tesco summer dress, it has 2 layers so is quite warm, a plain black Dorothy Perkins basic Tee and my Next jacket which came as a set from the current catalog, all this with my super comfy Next wide fit boots!

Weirdly the skirt looks pink in the picture but it is more orange, I think my husbands camera phone got a bit excited!

Jacket - Next £32 (part of set)

Dress (as skirt) Tesco £7 in sale No longer available

Tee - Dorothy Perkins £4 last year

Boots - Next Wide Fit £85

Mhairi. xxxx

Next Wide Fit Boots Review

Knee High Boots!


Every year I live in a pair of knee high boots for the winter, finding a pair that fit can be a bloody nightmare, but I fight every year and I think I have found a winner ready for the winter ahead.


I ordered these boots from the next directory yesterday and they arrived today, that is pretty fab really.

Next Wide Fit Black Long Buckle Boots £85

They are very comfortable and fit my legs nicely I have them on with tights and knee high socks, and tried them on over leggings this morning, I don't think I would be able to get them over jeans unless they are a very thin material.

I ordered these in a wide fitting next also have a few styles in extra wide fit, but for me they are too wide in the foot and ankle, I have big calves but fairly thin feet.

The leather feels supple and soft and the details are gorgeous I love the studded straps round the ankle.

The boots are designed to be pulled on but have a small half zip on the inner ankle to help with getting them on over your foot, I could wear these with so much and cant wait to get out and about in them, you may get bored of seeing them as I honestly will live in them.

If you take a look at the next website, the only thing to be careful of is the wide fit section has some standard fit boots on the same page, make sure when you are ordering that the size is shown with a W next to it in the drop down menu.

all in all I am very pleased with these boots and will buy more in the future, well done next,  please bring us some more styles or bring out more of your standard fits in a wide fit, I needed wide fit even when I was a size 12, I have always had wide calves.

Hope you are all having a fabulous weekend

Love Mhairi. xxx

I purchased these boots myself, and have not been asked to write this review, all opinions are my own. xx