Lust List!

I am on a spending ban, not through choice but because there are some big changes afoot in the Lilybobomb household and we need to be extra careful with our money this month. This means that I am obsessively scouring the online shops for all the things I want but can't buy! I like to punish myself.

Yours clothing has quite a few bits I am lusting after this week

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I know kimonos are everywhere and they do seem to be having a marmite moment amongst fashion bloggers but I love them, I like how light they are and they do look great with so many things. The colours of this one from yours are beautiful!

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I can't believe how much my feelings towards trousers are changing, and I love the simplicity of these cuffed harem trousers, I think these would be amazing throughout summer and great for transitioning into the autumn months.

Dorothy Perkins is on my radar too again, it has been a while since I really loved anything, but there are always a few pieces I love.

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I need more skirts in my life, I have become quite safe over the last few years and stuck with dresses, which while gorgeous become a bit boring after a while I am craving some separates! This gingham skirt is great,  I would love a gingham circle skirt but this is more practical for every day wear.

Junarose is a little obsession of mine at the moment, and I will one ay soon be adding some of their gorgeous items to my wardrobe!

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I love the simplicity of this jumpsuit it looks easy to wear and it looks like it would sit in the right position on my waist! LOVE!

Evans and Scarlett and Jo are killing my will power this week!

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First the made me obsess over the stunning prom dresses and now they are making me even more obsessed with the prom skirts! I love that they would look just as gorgeous in the day as in the evening for a night out. Perfection!

Simply be are always a go to brand for me and I have been loving their spring summer offerings.

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I have been on the look out for a simple jersey maxi for a while one I can fling on with canvas shoes and head out shopping without a huge amount of gaffing around. This one fits the bill perfectly!

Have you got your eye on anything at the moment, share you finds in the comments if you fancy it, I love to window shop. 

Mhairi 

xxx

Surviving Hot Weather

I was stuck in our house all day yesterday, our boiler was having a part repaired which has meant our heating was on and off all day, it was sweltering in here even with the fan on full speed! This has got me thinking about the more serious hot weather we are likely to have this summer and how I am going to cope indoors and out. this isn't meant to be an instruction manual and there are many more ways to cope than the ones I know, this is just my own personal experiences.

Indoors

Indoors for me, is a delicate balance between dressing appropriately and being comfortable. I am step-mum to a 14 year old so hanging about in my knickers and bra isn't really an option, so finding light comfortable clothing that isn't restrictive or to warm is important! on my lazy days when I know I won't be disturbed by visitors pyjamas are my favourite, but lets be honest we don't always want to be caught by a rogue visitor in our scruffs so what is an option.

I am not the biggest fan of skirts of any kind for relaxing in, I find that my skin is hot and sticky and my legs sticking to each other is just not nice so I prefer trousers indoors for lounging in.
I am yet to find a pair of casual tapered trousers I am willing to wear out the fit isn't great on me to be honest and with the surge in popularity of chic cuffed trousers the last two summers it is frustrating.
I am not a fan of jogging bottoms in any form unless worn to the gym, but tailored versions are hitting the shops and sports luxe is fighting for its place in fashion and the shops are filling with silky joggers and harem pants galore.

The above outfit picture is from Yours Clothing, it is perfect for me to wear indoors and while entertaining friends and family and I would even be tempted to wear them out if by some miracle they fit me well, but I won't hold my breath as the odds seem to be stacked against me! This combination works for me, a simple light weight vest and a comfortable pair of trousers is spot on, I would miss out on the heels even though I am slightly obsessed with them! and instead slip on some comfy flats or flip flops!

Home essentials!

On a more practical note, get a fan, either a desk or pedestal fan, you can pick them up cheap in most supermarkets of go crazy and buy a posh one the choices are endless. Having the windows open is great but i find it is either too still and no air moves or it is too breezy and my curtains are flapping and stuff is getting knocked off all the time. I love my fan in the summer!!

Get out and about

But do it in a safe way. Even in the UK where our weather is not as hot as some places, we have such rubbish weather most of the time that the heat often catches us unawares. Sometimes getting up and moving can make things more bearable,  i know that sounds odd as when it is hot we most often want to stop and flop out somewhere and be still but as someone who suffers from depression, being stuck in one room not moving for hours is terrible and to be honest so boring. Getting out of the house is important to me, but I try to avoid being stuck out walking during the hottest hours as heat stroke is a big problem for me.     

Take a drink!

I always keep a bottle of water in my bag, I don't care if it gets warm, sometimes I just need hydration, Super cold water can just end up making me feel sloshy inside and a bit sick when I am over heating, keep yourselves hydrated, I prefer water or juice fizzy never seems to really hit the spot at times like this.

Wear a hat

Heat stroke is not nice, I have suffered from it a few times before and once so badly I passed out in the airport on my way home. I also have family and friends who have had to deal with skin cancer which has made me more aware of protecting myself. I have a freckly face and a mole in my hairline so I am as careful as possible!

I have had a little look around and there are some very cute ones around, I love this one from New Look.

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You could go full on floppy sun hat!

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There are so many styles of hat, you could even go for a head scarf that extra protection from the sun is important, especially for me!

Clothing choices

Every year there seems to be big debates on what is the best fabric to wear what styles work and how best to wear them, cotton vs synthetic is a hard fought battle especially amongst sporty types, but I am so not sporty so I can only go by what works for me. I am not a huge fan of cotton clothing, I always seem to rip it get it dirty or because there is zero stretch I end up feeling restricted and become anxious, add to that the creasing and its just a disaster our outfit day for me. Linen while it is lightweight and very cool also isn't my favourite because I always seem to crease it and it goes from looking gorgeous and crisp to terrible very quickly.
I tend to go for light layers a vest or lightweight dress with a very light cardigan over the top, I get far too hot and quickly become sunburnt when I have too much flesh out so I tend to protect myself a bit, but if you tan well then go without the card, I sometimes wish I could but even with factor 50 I burn these days.

There are a few items of clothing I want to give a go this year. First off their is the Skort, I feel a bit like I am slipping back to my teen years and the 90's but they are cute!

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This pair from New look are fab I could see them dressed up or down quite easily and the look comfortable and relaxed.

The other is the Kimono, I know everyone is wearing them, and it feels a little like a festival bandwagon but I think it will be a fantastic alternative to my usual cardigans as it will be lightweight, and flawy allowing more air flow. which is just win win for me.

I adore this one from ASOS I love the dark base colour and think it would be great for matching with almost any of my dresses.

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Other than that this summer will be dominated by circle skirts and the odd maxi thrown in for when I am out and about.

The evil of the dreaded chafe!

Only one or two things left to discuss, first for me is he dreaded chafe, it is the bane of many women and mens life and it is not limited to fat, thighs slim people suffer too, unless you have the legs of a flamingo most will experience their thighs rubbing together at some point and it is an evil pain!

So I throw it out to my readers what do you find best, I have had comfort shorts from Evans for years but I am not keen on the tights material and the feeling of the scalping together sets my teeth on edge!

I have heard good things about the Big Bloomers anti chafing shorts but have not personally tried them so can't vouch for them myself. I have also seen people talk about anti chafe sticks that you rub on and it stops it happening but I can't imagine that it last a long time and will need reapplying which also seems to have its own frustrations, so who has tried either of them and what do you recommend?

Suncream

Ladies and gents please wear suncream regardless of skin colour or tanning ability sun damage is a scary thing, from the wrinkles to the risk of skin cancer it isn't good!  I am the person who gets burnt hanging the washing outside, have to love my Scottish skin.

SO that is my list, to remind myself what I need to stock up on to survive this summer, what other recommendations do you have ladies and gents. Any other secrets and survival tips? They are greatly appreciated! 

OOTD - Simply Be BESPOKEfit

For a while now I have been buying items from the Simply be Glamourosa range and they have recently rebranded it again as BESPOKEfit and they have branched out into other areas of the body not just our ample bosoms.

They now offer different fit options in the range for hips, bums, calf, waist, bust and thighs which is fabulous!

My problem are is my bust, I often have to size up one or too sizes to fit them in normal items of clothing and it can be very frustrating to have all the excess material just so my boobs aren't squashed or trying to fall out all over the place.

Simply be recently sent me the spot Print Tunic dress from the range and it is gorgeous, I have been after a cute collared item for ages but couldn't find anything that fitted just right!

The length is just fight on me so I can wear it with or without tights/leggings, but if you are taller it might only be good for wearing with leggings if you do not like your dresses too short.

The material is lovely and light and doesn't crease easily which is always a bonus for me!

The collar is very cute.

I want to try a couple of the tops from the range as I have only really tried tunics before but I am always looking for something to wear with my jeans.

Head on over and take a look, I wear the H-K fit and it is spot on!

Simply Be BESPOKEfit

Mhairi

xxx

Disclaimer: this item was gifted to me, but all opinions are my own.

Simply Be - Rocking my Summer!

Simply be have been one of my favourite retailers of plus size fashion for a couple of years now, and there summer collections have been no exception.

I wanted to show off some of the amazing dresses that were sent to me a while ago, unfortunately, life happened and my blog had to take a bit of a back seat for a little while to allow me time to get it all sorted

Black and white Stripe

The stripe dress is in the sale now and available in a few sizes.

I adore both of these dresses they are basically the same dress but different patterns, they look very similar to the floral dress from last winter but I found the material not as forgiving as the floral one from last year, my boobs a squashed tightly into these dresses.

But I love them too much to care!

How amazing is this pattern!!!!

I also have a few AW13 bits to show you so keep an eye on the blog. 

Mhairi

xxx

Disclaimer: These dresses were given to me for review. All opinions are my own.

Lifestyle - Garden Dreams

We moved into our house nearly 2 years ago, and decoration and garden have ground to a halt recently, I am finding it really hard to make this house a home, and still do not feel settled.

I want to do some work on the garden as to be honest it a a right mess, and I hate going out there at the moment, because budget is so tight I have been looking at Pinterest a lot recently for some inspiration, I love DIY projects especially if I get to have some fun and be creative so Pinterest as become a bit of an obsession for me :)

One of our biggest problems has been the Grass area as with 3 dogs and my parents two visiting to be honest it has been trashed! we did build a fence to keep them off during the winter and when its wet to try and save it, but with a pup who is half collie and can jump seriously high, the fence didn't bother him in the least, so I have been figuring out a way to make it more practical up there without it being a concrete car park look.

Paving is the easiest option as obviously it can be hosed off and not dug up, but it is just so bland as we already have a large paved patio area.

This image I found  is brilliant and I am so tempted to give it a go as it is so pretty!

This means I still get a bit of grass but in smaller areas which will make patching and repairing easier if the dogs do go nuts. 

I suppose I could also use the fake grass you can get on the roll but there is nothing like real grass!

This next image I found is of concrete stained with acid, which is out of my price range, but omg it is so so pretty!!!

It really is just beautiful!

I have also been looking at lighting to make the garden more personal and cosy, we want to build a covered trellis area over the patio to give us a sheltered sitting area, that can be covered over with lovely climbing plants.

I like this next idea, they are bathroom globe light fittings with fairy light strands stuffed inside, it looks so good, I am scouring charity shops and ebay for cheap ones!

I think these would work great under the trellis in amongst post and in planters.

For the trellis I want Wisteria, I am hoping to find a good quality plant and want it to look amazing, but think I will mix in some chocolate vine for good measure as it covers beautifully! so long as it wouldn't strangle the wisteria, I also love clematis. 

Something like this! 

I do tend to buy plants from places like B&Q and local garden centres but for those who don't have one near or live by the internet, Crocus are amazing for plants online, I have a huge mental shopping list of plants from them!

This is Chocolate Vine, it has beautiful vibrant green foliage and stunning dark red flowers in spring.

One thing I really want in my garden is a greenhouse, but I want to make my own just like this :) 

This can be seen on the fabulous blog Junk Market Style 

Pinterest is amazing for DIY projects so go take a look my boards are filling up with them all, I have a lighting project to try out but I will save it for another time and show you how I get on. 

What are your garden dreams are there any things that catch your eye and make you long for summer days in the sunshine?

All the images can be seen on my boards and will take you to any linked posts from there. 

Mhairi 

Fatshion Faceoff - Floral Skirt

Floral Skirt

So this weeks Fatshion Faceoff was chosen by me and thinking about what I have in my wardrobe but avoid wearing because I find it hard to pair and my my floral skirt came to mind.


I love dresses as they are easy to style without to much effort, but I find separates difficult to wear, but I am always up for a challenge and love seeing what the other fabulous ladies come up with.


So this skirt is quite a few years old but is worn so little that it is still in good condition, and really needs to be worn, it is my favourite colour, and it seems I have a thing for floral stripes.


As the skirt has vertical stripes running down it, I decided to try it with my new Striped top from Tesco's which is also striped, but it is blue and white so though hell i will give it a go.


so this is how it all looked, this beautiful sunshine gave me the chance to pop on my wedges and get some sunshine to my tootsies.

hahaha, I managed to close my eyes in both photos, but my teeth are still so sore, I didn't have the energy to go try again, so sorry. xx


Go check out the other fabulous ladies in the group they always look amazing! 

Hanna – http://thewardrobechallenge.co.uk/

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

Olivia – www.waituntilthesunset.com

Molly – http://molly-pocket.com

Mouna – www.brusselsfatshion.com

So do you like florals or do you steer clear?

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.

Simply Be SS12 Launch event

Yesterday I had the pleasure and privilage to be invited to the Simply Be SS12 Launch, it was such an amazing day and I saw some gorgeous clothing and underwear that I cant wait to get my hands on.

I will start my account of the day with my journey, which turned out to be so embarrassing and hilarious that it kept me going all day.
When I got off my train at kings cross and headed for the victoria line to get myself to oxford circus, I noticed my skirt was very swishy in the wind walking to the underground, but I didn't think anything of it.
I should have.... as I entered the platform for the victoria line, a train was just leaving the station add a big gust of wind flew down the tunnel, this resulted in my skirt flying up and over my head revealing my tights and knickers to the people on the platform, the guy nearest me was trying so hard not let me see his smile but to be honest I was laughing so hard I did not care.

My only thought was, well if I can survive that I don't need to worry about the rest of the day, and I really didn't.

I took a few photos from the event and more can be seen on the Simply be and Simply yours blog pages so make sure you check them out.

This is going to be a lot of pictures.

This gorgeous White and Red set jumped out at me the instant I walked int he room, I love a good polka dot, and this is a GOOD polka dot!

The shape wear all looked divine, with beautiful lace panels and sexy shapes so much nicer than the often boring black or frumpy looking sucky in bits of the past!

I need a holiday just so I can both of the retro inspired polka dot swimwear and also the other red/white/blue print tankini to the right, they looked absolutely fab!

All the other colours looked gorgeous too.

Chanos bra with the most gorgeous little details, so pretty.

The lovely Ceri from Curvyguru! 

These WILL be mine!

Finally a company is realising we don't all want to wear shapeless black tents!!

Pretty Bags and sandals for the summer.

My picture doesnt do them justice but these were such a gorgeous coral colour and the heel looked perfect, anyone inviting me to a summer wedding?

Lace and pink, felt gorgeous!!

Think I have found my summer maxi dress.

Loved how vibrant the colours are.

Loved this dress fat girls CAN wear white!

The girly pink flowers on this little shrug jacket were just gorgeous.

And the jumpsuit teamed with it, may have tempted me to give one a try, it felt soft but the material was heavy enough that it didn't feel like it was going to cling in all the wrong places and hang like a sack.

Not usually one for yell but I loved this blouse with its tiny black stars all over, think this will be added to my wardrobe as well.

And all of us bloggers together.
Back left to right Em from oh the places you'll go, Ceri from curvyguru, Naomi from Diamonds 'n' Pearls, Me, Georgina from fullerfigurefullerbust.
Front left to right Lauren from pocketrocket and Rosie from A rose like this.

All the wonderful people i met yesterday were so friendly and made me feel welcome, especially as I was a nervous wreck, I really hope I get to spend more time with them in the future as I had a fabulous day.

I would like to say a special thank you to Charlotte Simply be who has been so fantastic inviting me along and allowing me to select some gorgeous items from the current collection online at Simply Be for review.

So watch this space my reviews will be coming up in the near future.

Mhairi. xxxx