Nerd About Town Photoshoot

Back in September at Curve Fashion Festival I bugged the beautiful Steph of Nerd About Town to let me take outfit photos for her. I had a photo project which you can check out at She Might Be, but I couldn't resist the chance to photograph Steph looking so fierce. Outdoor fashion shoots are something I don't get the chance to do much of in the autumn and winter (it's too cold to ask someone to pose outside!). It was still pretty warm when we took these, and the yellow blocks tied in perfectly with Steph's outfit.

How killer is this shirt dress from Navabi? It's soooo gorgeous, and I love Steph in yellow. Those thigh splits are so good, all thigh everything. The pom pom earrings are such a cute touch too.

Steph's style is so unlike mine, she puts together outfits and looks I wouldn't have ever thought of and always look immaculate. That her fashion taste is so different from mine makes her blog one of my faves, because I can always find some inspiration for something totally different! 

What I love most about Steph, isn't that she isn't afraid to fight for what is right, for more representation, and for diversity in the media, both as a plus size woman, and as a black woman. If you don't follow her already, you really should.

I love taking blogger outfit photos and do offer discounted rates for blog photos, so get in touch if you want to book me! It's something I want to do a lot more of in 2017.

Much love,

Kitty xxx

5 Songs That Make Me Happy : Colourpop Haul II

Stu is shaving his beard for charity! Read more and sponsor him here

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/stushavesthebeard

5 Songs That Make Me Happy

I've decided that I want to start doing more personal blogs as I haven't done many lately, and I thought it would be fun to share some of my favourite songs to make me happy! Here are 5 songs that always bring a smile to my face and help lift my mood.

1) Whitesnake - Here I Go Again

Stu and I both adore this song so much that we had the acoustic singer at our wedding finish his set on this so we could sneak back into the ceremony room once it was empty and we could dance about to it together. It makes me want to be all dramatic and perform it and I will always sing along to this, even though I loathe for anyone to hear me sing.

2) Bon Jovi - Wanted Dead or Alive

I can't resist a cheeky bit of Jovi, but this is my fave. Ashen our dog can get a bit anxious in the car so I sing this to him and he loves it. It's that kind of sleazy country inspired cheesy rock that just gets me. I know it's not cool to admit I like Bon Jovi, but hey, I've never pretended I was cool!

3) The Eagles - Life in the Fast Lane

The opening lines alone of this song just fill me with the urge to wiggle about. They have to be some of the best opening lines to a song ever; 'He was a hard-headed man, he was brutally handsome, and she was terminally pretty'. It tells a story and it is so damn catchy.

4) Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell

I am a huge Meat Loaf fan, my whole family are, so this song just takes me back to road trips with my parents and my little brother and us all singing our hearts out to this in the car. It is such an epic tune.

5) Destiny's Child - Say My Name

And the real curve ball of my list, is a bit of Destiny's Child. My tastes are very much rock, metal, punk, and a bit of country, but sometimes a song just grabs me and this is one of those. When I was a kid I had a tape with this on and I'd recorded it on the tape 5 times in a row so I didn't have to rewind it after each play. That's how much I loved it. I used to sit on my bed and pretend I was in the video, I absolutely loved it and still do. This is on my iPhone to this day and always makes me happy. I would love to do a photoshoot inspired by this video one day.

I could probably easily name another 5 songs that make me happy, there might just have to be a part two to this blog some time soon. What songs make you the happiest? I'm curious!

Much love,

Kitty xxx

Colourpop Haul II : A Very Oh Squirrel Christmas

Stu is shaving his beard for charity! Read more and sponsor him here

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/stushavesthebeard

Colourpop Haul II

Last month I posted about my first ever Colourpop haul, and when I showed the women of my family the products I got, they all immediately wanted to order some for themselves. I allowed myself to be easily led and also popped a few bits on their massive order for myself too. There's free international shipping on orders over $50 through till Christmas I think, so I might end up sneaking another order in before it ends.

I couldn't resist a few more lippie stix as I really fell in love with them, and also ordered one of the limited edition Hello Kitty lippe stix, and an ultra metallic lip too. I used to be a massive Hello Kitty fan, I had so much HK stuff my collection basically needed it's own room. I even had a blog about it all back in the day!

The lippe stix are so comfortable to wear. I love a matte liquid lip, but in the winter when my lips are dryer, these are much more comfortable.

I picked up Dukes, Nevermind and Lady. My Nanna also ordered herself Lady and it was just too tempting, I had to try it.

L-R

Dukes, Nevermind, Lady

I went for all autumn/winter colours, and they are so pretty. They go on really creamy and are very matte. Dukes is a lovely deep brown toned burgundy, Nevermind is a gorgeous deep purple and Lady is a brown toned terracotta. They all have really good coverage, this is one coat of each!

I just had to try a metallic. I've tried a few metallic lip products that haven't really impressed but I had high hopes for this one. The Hello Kitty lippie stix has really adorable packaging, if you have someone in your life who loves HK and makeup these would be such a good Christmas gift.

L-R

Lippie stix in Konnichiwa and metallica liquid lip in 3-Way.

Konnichiwa is a creme finish rather than a matte finish, and it is a bit harder to work with. I used a couple of layers to get a really solid swatch, but I was taking the photos outdoors in 1 degree weather, so that won't have helped! it's a candy pink colour that I think will be great in spring and summer. 3-Way is so metallic and so lush. This photo does not do it justice at all, it has so many dimensions to it, it's truly gorgeous and I want more metallic liquid lips from Colourpop now! It's more purple than it appears in the tube, but that is right up my street. I've tried a few metallic lips and this is the first one that I've felt is truly metallic, rather than just gloopy gloss with glitter in it. It doesn't dry totally matte, but it isn't sticky at all and is very comfortable on the lips. I haven't got any photos of it on, as the one day I've worn it all day so far involved a slight incident with a sink and my forehead, leaving me with a right shiner!

Have you tried Colourpop yet, and if you have, what are your absolute must haves? They are so reasonably priced that I don't mind the customs fees, especially with them being cruelty free.

Much love,

Kitty xxx

A Very Oh Squirrel Christmas : Colourpop Haul

Stu is shaving his beard for charity! Read more and sponsor him here

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/stushavesthebeard

A Very Oh Squirrel! Christmas

In the run up to the wedding I was lucky enough to have an amazing hen do, and my Mum bought me a sash from a fab company called Oh Squirrel. It was absolutely beautiful, and custom! I'm tall, and plus sized, so I had a longer length made and the lovely lady Katie behind the company was so easy to deal with and really sorted me out. You can see my outfit and sash at this blog post here.

I recently got a message on twitter from Oh Squirrel thanking me for posting about them on social media and sharing their sash so much, and wanted to send me a little something from their new Christmas range to say thank you. Such a lovely gesture, and I decided I just had to share what they sent me because it was all so lovely!

I opened up the parcel and this awesome card greeted me (geddit? haha). I love the font on this, it's so cute.

Inside was a variation on the 'Bloody Brilliant' Gift Box, but with some extra goodies! This little star pouch has a pink zip top, and even the inside is printed fabric too.

It's so pretty! 

This print genuinely made me laugh, and is exactly the sort of card I'd send someone. It's glittery and magical, and I want to send them to everyone I love. Please make them into a card!

In the Bloody Brilliant box you get a gold foil pencil, but Katie very kindly sent me a whole pack of them! These are a pack of her 'jolly good' pencils, and I cannot wait to take them into work. I use pencils every day and now I have some really fun ones that are all mine.

This was such a lovely surprise, and I know I'll smile every time I pick up one of my new pencils. It's so important to support small indy brands, and then for a brand you've supported to do this, it makes me all fuzzy inside. I wasn't asked to post about this thank you present, but it was so thoughtful and unexpected that I just had to.

Thank you Oh Squirrel!

Much love,

Kitty xxxx

I Got My Photo Mojo Back! : Mermaid Leggings

Stu is shaving his beard for charity! Read more and sponsor him here

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/stushavesthebeard

I got my photo mojo back!

After over a 6 month hiatus, I am back in the photography game! The wedding took a lot of planning, and it seems like we've had a year of big birthdays and adventures, so I've had no time for photoshoots. But I'm finally back.

I photographed the gorgeous Twig to get my mojo back. We've worked together 3 times and I just adore her. She's wonderful and creative and inspiring.

The beautiful lingerie Twig wears here is by Karolina Laskowska who is an actual lingerie genius.

This effect is entirely in camera thanks to a rather awesome plastic (really!) Holga lens.

I must have looked rather... interesting taking this photo. I was outside the house, Twig was inside, and I was throwing glasses of water at the window to get the look I wanted. The choker is another Karolina creation.

You can never go wrong with a black dress and a mega thigh split!

And our favourite set of the day, the one we planned out and bought so many flowers for. We dyed the bathwater with food colouring, which thankfully did not stain the bath.

I am so glad I kicked off my photoshoots again with someone who is artistic and wanted to make beauty portraits. I have a very set idea of what I want to do now, and how I want to do it. And I can't wait for the shoots I have coming up!

Much love,

Kitty xxxx

Mermaid Leggings : It's OK to be Taller Thank Your Boyfriend

Stu is shaving his beard for charity! Read more and sponsor him here

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/stushavesthebeard

CowCow Mermaid Leggings*

As a fat girl, one of the things I've wanted for years, but have never been able to find, was a pair of mermaid leggings. I wanted to feel like a merbabe and have adorable scales. So when CowCow asked me to pick out the pieces they would send me as a Plus Cutie Ambassador for them, I had to get a pair of mermaid style leggings!

 I opted for the Sca1 Bk Gr Marble leggings* by Trendisstuff. I love green and it's the traditional mermaid colour so I had to go for them. The print is beautiful, the marbling of the green with the overlay of the scales is so fun. The artist has done a great job in making them much more detailed than the average glittery mermaid leggings. I want this print in a dress STAT. But... and there is a big but...

These leggings are completely unwearable. I was so gutted! The legs themselves fit just right (despite how baggy they look in this photo), but the section that covers your butt and finishes at the waist has so obviously been scaled up from a straight size design, that it sits about half way up my butt instead. I wore them for maybe 5 minutes to show the pattern on the leggings and spent the entire time holding them up with two hands to even try to take a photo that showed the print. It's why they look so baggy, they are falling down, even just stood still.

These are the first product I've tried from CowCow that have been disappointing, but they are just not wearable for a plus size person. If they redesigned these and made them high waisted they might work, but sadly, as they are right now, I do not recommend them for plus size bodies. The hunt for mermaid leggings continues!

Much love,

Kitty xxxxx

PS. Big thanks to Twig for helping me with these photos!

It's OK to be Taller Than Your Boyfriend : The First Christmas Decorations Haul

*denotes an item that was gifted for review purposes. In no way does this impact upon my opinions, which are entirely my own.

Stu is shaving his beard for charity! Read more and sponsor him here

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/stushavesthebeard

It's OK to be taller than your boyfriend

You guys might noticed that I am somewhat on the taller side of things. I'm 5ft 11. I always kinda wished I'd hit 6ft but I didn't quite get there! In heels, I'm 6ft 3 usually. My husband Stu is about 5ft 9. And he is by far the tallest guy I've ever dated. I get a lot of comments about how I'm taller than him, so it has inspired this blog post! I'm specifically addressing heterosexual relationships because they tend to be the ones with the most stigma when it comes to height.

Photo by ClickClickBang. Stu is wearing cowboy boots with a heel here...

We have this idea that being taller than a male partner isn't feminine. We should be dainty, petite, and definitely the little spoon. Petite and dainty are two things I could never be described as, and Stu is the little spoon (or Lemmy the cat!). My first serious relationship was with a guy I'm still friends with now, and he's well.... he'll tell you he's 5ft 8. I'd say that's overestimating by an inch or so. Sorry dude! I've always been tall, so I've never been the shorter one, or even in an equal height relationship.

There aren't many photos of us where you get a good idea of our height difference because it isn't too major. But when I wear heels, that's a different story. I never used to wear heels. I wasn't always comfortable with my height and I absolutely did not want to draw more attention to it. I had an ex that didn't let me wear heels, he hated it. He felt emasculated, and saw it as condescending for me to wear heels and tower over him even more. That said a lot more about his insecurities than it did me.

There is nothing wrong with being taller than your partner, whether it's by 2 inches or 2 feet, or more. There is nothing wrong with being shorter than your partner either! Literally the only time we have ever noticed a physical real problem with our height difference is that it's kind of awkward to hold hands because my hands are higher than Stu's hands. And that's it. And it's kind of awesome being the big spoon, I steal all Stu's body heat, can easily roll away if I want to, and I like feeling all powerful and protective. Screw the gender roles society has given us.

Being tall isn't intrinsically unfeminine. I think it's fair to say most people would describe me as girly and feminine at least some of the time. And my being taller than Stu doesn't make him any less masculine, or less of a man. Our heights say nothing about either of us, who we are, what kind of deeds we've done, if we are good people; all that our height does is tell you something about our genetics. Being taller doesn't mean I'm suddenly the 'boss' in our relationship, or that I'm domineering, it means nothing at all. It's just a thing that I am.

At 5ft 11, I'm taller than most British men and women. And I've never let it interfere with my love life. If I'd have wanted to date someone my height or taller, I'd have had less than half the male population to choose from! I wouldn't have the love of my life as my husband if I'd let our height difference bother me. I've bought more heels recently than I have in my entire life, because I've finally realised that my height is a part of me, it's who I am, and I can embrace that. And screw a society that tells me that it's not OK.

I'm tall, and I'm cool with that.

Much love,

Kitty xxxx

Stu is shaving his beard for charity! Read more and sponsor him here

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/stushavesthebeard

Stu is shaving his beard for charity!

You might have noticed that my husband Stu has a pretty epic beard. He's been growing it since we first got together and is rather proud of it. It's his pride and joy actually! So when he decided recently that he was going to shave his beard for charity I was blown away.

In 2015 a dear friend of Stu's passed away from pancreatic cancer at the age of 47. Shaun Wright had worked with Stu for many years, and in his memory his incredible family have set up the Shaun Wright Foundation to raise money for Pancreatic Cancer Action. So far they have raised over £26,000, which is just amazing!

Stu had decided that if he raises £1000, his precious beard is gone! Our friends at The Mug & Brush in Keelby will be shaving him with a cut throat razor. I'm so proud of him and hope to help him absolutely smash his target.

If you want to donate, you can visit Stu's Just Giving Page at the link below

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/stushavesthebeard

It's going to be good to see my husband's face again!

Much love,

Kitty xxxx

The First Christmas Decoration Haul

Right. That's it, I'm saying it, Christmas. Prepare for this blog to be a Christmas-centric zone from now on (or at least, occasionally!). I recently popped into Asda with my step sons and couldn't resist a sneaky peek at their Christmas decorations and oops... I maybe ended up picking us up a few pieces.

Now I am pretty sure that I bought this bauble last year, but my youngest stepson absolutely loved it so we had to have it. It's a traditional glass bauble, in the coolest of rainbow styles! All the baubles we got were between £1 and £3, none were a major dent in the wallet department so into the trolley this one went.

This one was all me! How am I supposed to resist an adorable balloon dog bauble? This one came in a few different colours, and I'm tempted to get a couple more, but as purple is my favourite, purple it had to be.

More purple had to come home with us in the form of this glass balloon bauble. I ummed and aahed a bit with this one, I couldn't decide if it was obviously 'balloony' or not, but in the end we decided it was so got it.

This whale was too cute to resist, look how smug and smiley he is! He's a traditional 'baked'  style bauble, so something you could almost pretend was homemade if you were so inclined. A couple of these were broken on the shelf, with the fin missing, so just be careful as he is on the delicate side of things. He'll be swimming high up in our tree away from kitty paws!

This plastic bulb full of sequin and sparkles was instant love, I had to have it! You can never go wrong with a bit of sparkle, and this is a sturdy plastic, so I don't have to worry about it getting broken. This one came in a pack of 4 rather than as a single bauble, which the rest are.

And finally, the dream piece we just had to have, was the string of actual light up bulbs full of sparkles! These were £8 and I couldn't not get them.

They are full of quite a chunky glitter which reflects the light beautifully, and all the bulbs are a different colour, perfect for injecting a bit more rainbow into your Christmas.

The thing with fairy lights like this is they aren't just for Christmas, you could have these up all year round, and I just might! These use two AA batteries so you can have them anywhere you like which is awesome.

I'm sure this will be the first of many Christmas decoration hauls, I can never resist. I'm well into my Christmas shopping at this point, armed with my trusty spreadsheet, how organised are you?

Much love,

Kitty xxxx

Radioactive Unicorn : An Autumn OOTD

Radioactive Unicorn Nail Polish Autumn Colours

At this point, if you've been reading my blog for a little while, you'll know I'm a big fan of Radioactive Unicorn nail polish. I'm a big believer in supporting indie brands, and when an indie brand is also cruelty free, vegan, and consistently amazing, I have to share them whenever I can. I snapped up a couple of new shades recently so here they are.

First up is 'Pumpkin Spice', the ultimate autumn colour! It's a gorgeous duo chrome colour, with orange, brown, red and gold tones that change when the lights hit it. It is super shiny and so pretty! I've got 3 coats on here for full coverage, and I'm using Barry M Plumpy top coat, as I've lost my Radioactive Unicorn top coat. This photo is after 3 days of wear, and I basically spend all day every day typing on a computer, so it is sturdy stuff.

Next up is 'The afterlife's leading bio-exorcist', which was part of their Beetlejuice Halloween range. Many of their colours are limited edition, so you gotta snap them up while you can, and I had to have this! 

It's a green/gold glitter combo and looks spectacular in direct light. Photos really don't do it justice. This is a chunky textured formula, and again I have 3 coats and the same top coat on. This one does chip a bit easier, but with such a thick formula I'd expect it to. It's so fun and totally Christmas appropriate too!

Also, do you have any idea how hard it is to take photos of your own hands with a DSLR? Big thanks to my step sons for helping a gal out!

Much love,

Kitty xxxx

An Autumn OOTD : Random Facts About Me