Original Stitch x Pokémon Company Holiday Surprise Release

Wednesday 23 December 2020

 Original Stitch & The Pokémon Company have a new limited edition product, shirt mini pouches! Their fabrics are always so cute, and I am such a Pokémon fan, that I just had to share these with you.


Here is their press release - 


'The Pokémon Company & Original Stitch Unbox Holiday Surprise: Limited-Edition Pokémon Shirts Mini-Pouches featuring 251 Pokémon fabrics



SAN FRANCISCO & TOKYO, December 23, 2020—Original Stitch and The Pokémon Company today announced Pokémon Shirts Mini-Pouches, featuring designs from all 251 types of Pokémon print fabrics, showcasing Pokémon that appeared in the Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue video games, as well as Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver. The Mini-Pouches will be offered to anyone who purchases a Pokémon shirt, including dress, casual, relaxed, polo, or kids’ items, at no additional cost while supplies last (masks and bandanas do not count toward this promotion at this time).


Pokémon Shirts Mini-Pouches arrive on the heels of Pokémon Bandanas and Pokémon Masks, announced at the start of the holiday shopping season. The masks, bandanas and pouches come from the makers of Pokémon Shirts, a customized shirt service from Original Stitch in collaboration with The Pokémon Company, which has been available since February 2019.


“This is our holiday gift to fans,” said Marina Carroll, Marketing Manager at Original Stitch. “Giving back to the community that supported us with fun gifts is something we love to do. In addition, Pokémon Mini-Pouches support our passion for sustainability. They are made from fabric remnants left over from the tailoring of our shirts to reduce waste!”


Where to Purchase

Pokémon Shirts are available in the Pokémon shop at Original Stitch. Fans can get theirs today and choose from 251 fabrics or a plain base fabric to subtly customize the collar or cuff. Starting today, eligible purchases will include a Mini-Pouch while supplies last. In addition, the newly launched line of Pokémon Bandanas and Pokémon Masks make great stocking stuffers: 

https://pokemon.originalstitch.com/en/mask.html



Just how awesome are those prints?! Big fan of the Lickitung print, and I love that the Vileplume is a more subtle look, almost floral, so people might not even realise you are wearing something with Pokémon on.

That these are made of fabric leftover from their cutting process really appeals to me, anything that creates less waste in fashion is a great idea!

Much love,
Kitty xxxx

Original Stitch x Pokémon Company Holiday Surprise Release

Wednesday 23 December 2020

 Original Stitch & The Pokémon Company have a new limited edition product, shirt mini pouches! Their fabrics are always so cute, and I am such a Pokémon fan, that I just had to share these with you.


Here is their press release - 


'The Pokémon Company & Original Stitch Unbox Holiday Surprise: Limited-Edition Pokémon Shirts Mini-Pouches featuring 251 Pokémon fabrics



SAN FRANCISCO & TOKYO, December 23, 2020—Original Stitch and The Pokémon Company today announced Pokémon Shirts Mini-Pouches, featuring designs from all 251 types of Pokémon print fabrics, showcasing Pokémon that appeared in the Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue video games, as well as Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver. The Mini-Pouches will be offered to anyone who purchases a Pokémon shirt, including dress, casual, relaxed, polo, or kids’ items, at no additional cost while supplies last (masks and bandanas do not count toward this promotion at this time).


Pokémon Shirts Mini-Pouches arrive on the heels of Pokémon Bandanas and Pokémon Masks, announced at the start of the holiday shopping season. The masks, bandanas and pouches come from the makers of Pokémon Shirts, a customized shirt service from Original Stitch in collaboration with The Pokémon Company, which has been available since February 2019.


“This is our holiday gift to fans,” said Marina Carroll, Marketing Manager at Original Stitch. “Giving back to the community that supported us with fun gifts is something we love to do. In addition, Pokémon Mini-Pouches support our passion for sustainability. They are made from fabric remnants left over from the tailoring of our shirts to reduce waste!”


Where to Purchase

Pokémon Shirts are available in the Pokémon shop at Original Stitch. Fans can get theirs today and choose from 251 fabrics or a plain base fabric to subtly customize the collar or cuff. Starting today, eligible purchases will include a Mini-Pouch while supplies last. In addition, the newly launched line of Pokémon Bandanas and Pokémon Masks make great stocking stuffers: 

https://pokemon.originalstitch.com/en/mask.html



Just how awesome are those prints?! Big fan of the Lickitung print, and I love that the Vileplume is a more subtle look, almost floral, so people might not even realise you are wearing something with Pokémon on.

That these are made of fabric leftover from their cutting process really appeals to me, anything that creates less waste in fashion is a great idea!

Much love,
Kitty xxxx

AD (Gifted) Original Stitch x Pokémon Company Masks* & Bandanas

Saturday 12 December 2020

 The lovely folks at Original Stitch have collaborated with the Pokémon Company to produce beautiful shirts, masks*, and bandanas, and they were recently kind enough to send me a few to try out!


I got my trust Snorlax teddy to help me model the masks, so you can really appreciate the adorable patterns. There are a huge amount of different prints available, all 151 Kanto Pokémon have their own print, and then you can choose what mesh to have your mask backed with.



This Slowbro print with a bonus appearance from Alolan Exeggutor, is lined with a pink mesh. It's such a fun tropical print and Slowbro looks like he is living his best life!


Bulbasaur is my favourite Kanto starter, and this print is just damn adorable!


And finally, you can never go wrong with a classic Pikachu print. This one is quite subtle, so if you want to show off your love of Pikachu in a less dramatic way, this could be perfect!



The banadanas also come in the same choice of prints, and are tagged with the Original Stitch logo. This is so soft and such good quality. I know I'll be wearing this in my hair, but there are so many other ways to wear a bandana too!


There are abstract patterns that feature Pokémon, black and white options, and really bright fun ones if that is more your thing too. I love the Lickitung, Vaporeon and Ditto prints in particular. With 151 to choose from, there is bound to be one you love.


Much love,


Kitty xxxx


(*) The mask is intended to be used as a fashion item and is not a practical product. Please note that there is no function to completely prevent infectious diseases.

AD (Gifted) Original Stitch x Pokémon Company Masks* & Bandanas

Saturday 12 December 2020

 The lovely folks at Original Stitch have collaborated with the Pokémon Company to produce beautiful shirts, masks*, and bandanas, and they were recently kind enough to send me a few to try out!


I got my trust Snorlax teddy to help me model the masks, so you can really appreciate the adorable patterns. There are a huge amount of different prints available, all 151 Kanto Pokémon have their own print, and then you can choose what mesh to have your mask backed with.



This Slowbro print with a bonus appearance from Alolan Exeggutor, is lined with a pink mesh. It's such a fun tropical print and Slowbro looks like he is living his best life!


Bulbasaur is my favourite Kanto starter, and this print is just damn adorable!


And finally, you can never go wrong with a classic Pikachu print. This one is quite subtle, so if you want to show off your love of Pikachu in a less dramatic way, this could be perfect!



The banadanas also come in the same choice of prints, and are tagged with the Original Stitch logo. This is so soft and such good quality. I know I'll be wearing this in my hair, but there are so many other ways to wear a bandana too!


There are abstract patterns that feature Pokémon, black and white options, and really bright fun ones if that is more your thing too. I love the Lickitung, Vaporeon and Ditto prints in particular. With 151 to choose from, there is bound to be one you love.


Much love,


Kitty xxxx


(*) The mask is intended to be used as a fashion item and is not a practical product. Please note that there is no function to completely prevent infectious diseases.

My New Hobby : Acrylic Paint Pouring

Monday 30 November 2020

 With lockdown and the pandemic not ending any time soon, I decided I needed a new hobby. I'd always wanted to get into painting, but wasn't quite sure how I wanted to do it. I knew it would be abstract, realism wasn't something I was going to be able to do, so I started exploring online and discovered paint pouring.





First thing I needed was some paint. My bestie Fal is an artist and she recommend The Works for cheap but decent acrylic paint. I ordered myself some of these Crawford & Black tubes, £2 for 200ml, in a variety of basic colours.


Next up is the prep. You need something to paint on. Most people paint on canvas, but I've been using wood. My husband has gotten into wood work so I've been pinching his offcuts to recycle for my art projects. I make sure the wood is smooth, give it a wipe with a damp cloth to make sure it isn't dusty, and then paint a base layer onto the wood. I'd recommend painting a base layer on any canvas if you are using that too. I let this dry for a day before I then began the pour itself.



The most important part of paint pouring is your mix. For acrylic paint you can get proper liquid for pouring, but for a budget option you can also use water, which is what I used. It needs to be a 50/50 mix of paint and water that flows nicely, but isn't watery. It's easiest to use clear plastic cups for this so you can see the mixture, and something like a lolipop stick to mix it. I used wooden BBQ kebab sticks to mix as this was what I happened to find in my kitchen drawer that I could use without buying anything else. You want it to be able to drip off the stick, but not run. You can also add a couple of drops of silicone oil which when combined with heat creates 'cells' in paint, but again, I haven't purchased any yet to try that out.


I laid out a plastic sheet on my kitchen table, and had three pieces of wood prepped to use. On YouTube a lot of the people who do paint pour videos have a lot of waste that drips off their canvas onto their work area, and I wasn't keen on that, so I decided I would put a smaller piece of wood in front of me to let the excess paint drip off onto, rather than waste it.


For my first attempt, I didn't want to use too many colours in case it went wrong. I picked out white, blue and green, atlas sort of colours, and figured I'd create some sort of surreal earth looking painting.


I started out pouring white paint onto the centre of the wood, creating a sort of pool. Then I poured blue directly onto the white, and then green directly on top of that too. Then it's time to pick up the wood and start tilting it to get the paint moving. I realised quite quickly that you need a lot more paint that you first anticipate in order for it to cover your base, so I added smaller pools of the three colours further towards the edges of the wood to make sure it would totally cover. As the paint ran off this wood I made sure to drip it onto the smaller piece of wood so I didn't waste the excess.


I also had a second piece of wood prepped as I thought I might have enough paint mixed to do that one too and I was right, and some! For these three I mixed approximately 50ml of paint with 50ml of water, and had some leftover of all three paints.


Once I was happy with how the painted had tilted and spread out across my first piece, I had a small bit of wood ready to pop it into so that it stayed raised off the plastic sheeting and didn't stick to it.




This is piece number one! I was so thrilled with how it came out. The wood I used wasn't totally flat and had some holes and marks in it, but this was just my first attempt so I don't mind.




This is the smaller piece of wood that I dripped the excess onto so I didn't waste it.




This is the other larger piece I did at the same time. If you find there are gaps that won't fill it's very easy to just pour a tiny amount more paint onto the base that you think will work. I usually try to add a couple of drops of more than one colour so it mixes in better rather than being an obvious blob of paint.


These don't have any sealant on them, so they will need varnishing or covering to protect the acrylic. Because of the thickness of the paint, these do take a lot of time to dry, it was a good three days before I could move these and then use my workspace again, so be sure you aren't occupying a space you need to  use anytime soon.


On the third day I decided to prep another 2 pieces of wood for another attempt. This time I utilised part of an old bit of wooden furniture. As all the edges were solid, I made sure to paint all four edges of the wood as then if I wanted to put it up on a wall without a frame I could. As the paint drips off the edges, they can easily become part of the art itself.


This time I wanted to go for some really contrasting colours. I had plenty of white mixed up from my first attempt that was still fine for me to use, the blue and green were also fine to use but I wanted to use different colours. Inspired by an old favourite pair of Converses with flames on, I mixed up some black, red and yellow to go with the white.




This time I made a lot of different smaller pools of paint in random mixtures across the whole piece of wood to get more movement. This was a much bigger piece of wood so I wanted to make sure I had plenty of paint ready.


I also had the piece of wood ready to catch the drips so as not to waste them, which is the piece below. The many small drips mean a lot more detail and smaller mixes of paint, so you can decide which look you prefer.




The other thing I will mention is that your hands will get covered in paint as you pour, so make sure you aren't wearing anything you don't want to get paint on, and that you have decent soap and an open door to where your sink is so you don't risk transferring paint onto doors when you are ready to wash up! I've not worn gloves to pour as acrylic paint is very easy to wash off, and disposable plastic gloves every time is just creating more plastic waste.

There are a lot of other ways to do paint pouring, including pouring all your different paints in one cup and pouring directly from that, using a hairdryer, and all sorts! I can't wait to experiment with more, and will probably invest in some canvasses in the new year to try out some larger scale pours.

Have you taken up a new hobby, or rediscovered an old one in 2020?

Much love,
Kitty xxxx


My New Hobby : Acrylic Paint Pouring

Monday 30 November 2020

 With lockdown and the pandemic not ending any time soon, I decided I needed a new hobby. I'd always wanted to get into painting, but wasn't quite sure how I wanted to do it. I knew it would be abstract, realism wasn't something I was going to be able to do, so I started exploring online and discovered paint pouring.





First thing I needed was some paint. My bestie Fal is an artist and she recommend The Works for cheap but decent acrylic paint. I ordered myself some of these Crawford & Black tubes, £2 for 200ml, in a variety of basic colours.


Next up is the prep. You need something to paint on. Most people paint on canvas, but I've been using wood. My husband has gotten into wood work so I've been pinching his offcuts to recycle for my art projects. I make sure the wood is smooth, give it a wipe with a damp cloth to make sure it isn't dusty, and then paint a base layer onto the wood. I'd recommend painting a base layer on any canvas if you are using that too. I let this dry for a day before I then began the pour itself.



The most important part of paint pouring is your mix. For acrylic paint you can get proper liquid for pouring, but for a budget option you can also use water, which is what I used. It needs to be a 50/50 mix of paint and water that flows nicely, but isn't watery. It's easiest to use clear plastic cups for this so you can see the mixture, and something like a lolipop stick to mix it. I used wooden BBQ kebab sticks to mix as this was what I happened to find in my kitchen drawer that I could use without buying anything else. You want it to be able to drip off the stick, but not run. You can also add a couple of drops of silicone oil which when combined with heat creates 'cells' in paint, but again, I haven't purchased any yet to try that out.


I laid out a plastic sheet on my kitchen table, and had three pieces of wood prepped to use. On YouTube a lot of the people who do paint pour videos have a lot of waste that drips off their canvas onto their work area, and I wasn't keen on that, so I decided I would put a smaller piece of wood in front of me to let the excess paint drip off onto, rather than waste it.


For my first attempt, I didn't want to use too many colours in case it went wrong. I picked out white, blue and green, atlas sort of colours, and figured I'd create some sort of surreal earth looking painting.


I started out pouring white paint onto the centre of the wood, creating a sort of pool. Then I poured blue directly onto the white, and then green directly on top of that too. Then it's time to pick up the wood and start tilting it to get the paint moving. I realised quite quickly that you need a lot more paint that you first anticipate in order for it to cover your base, so I added smaller pools of the three colours further towards the edges of the wood to make sure it would totally cover. As the paint ran off this wood I made sure to drip it onto the smaller piece of wood so I didn't waste the excess.


I also had a second piece of wood prepped as I thought I might have enough paint mixed to do that one too and I was right, and some! For these three I mixed approximately 50ml of paint with 50ml of water, and had some leftover of all three paints.


Once I was happy with how the painted had tilted and spread out across my first piece, I had a small bit of wood ready to pop it into so that it stayed raised off the plastic sheeting and didn't stick to it.




This is piece number one! I was so thrilled with how it came out. The wood I used wasn't totally flat and had some holes and marks in it, but this was just my first attempt so I don't mind.




This is the smaller piece of wood that I dripped the excess onto so I didn't waste it.




This is the other larger piece I did at the same time. If you find there are gaps that won't fill it's very easy to just pour a tiny amount more paint onto the base that you think will work. I usually try to add a couple of drops of more than one colour so it mixes in better rather than being an obvious blob of paint.


These don't have any sealant on them, so they will need varnishing or covering to protect the acrylic. Because of the thickness of the paint, these do take a lot of time to dry, it was a good three days before I could move these and then use my workspace again, so be sure you aren't occupying a space you need to  use anytime soon.


On the third day I decided to prep another 2 pieces of wood for another attempt. This time I utilised part of an old bit of wooden furniture. As all the edges were solid, I made sure to paint all four edges of the wood as then if I wanted to put it up on a wall without a frame I could. As the paint drips off the edges, they can easily become part of the art itself.


This time I wanted to go for some really contrasting colours. I had plenty of white mixed up from my first attempt that was still fine for me to use, the blue and green were also fine to use but I wanted to use different colours. Inspired by an old favourite pair of Converses with flames on, I mixed up some black, red and yellow to go with the white.




This time I made a lot of different smaller pools of paint in random mixtures across the whole piece of wood to get more movement. This was a much bigger piece of wood so I wanted to make sure I had plenty of paint ready.


I also had the piece of wood ready to catch the drips so as not to waste them, which is the piece below. The many small drips mean a lot more detail and smaller mixes of paint, so you can decide which look you prefer.




The other thing I will mention is that your hands will get covered in paint as you pour, so make sure you aren't wearing anything you don't want to get paint on, and that you have decent soap and an open door to where your sink is so you don't risk transferring paint onto doors when you are ready to wash up! I've not worn gloves to pour as acrylic paint is very easy to wash off, and disposable plastic gloves every time is just creating more plastic waste.

There are a lot of other ways to do paint pouring, including pouring all your different paints in one cup and pouring directly from that, using a hairdryer, and all sorts! I can't wait to experiment with more, and will probably invest in some canvasses in the new year to try out some larger scale pours.

Have you taken up a new hobby, or rediscovered an old one in 2020?

Much love,
Kitty xxxx


Original Stitch x POKÉMON CO LTD Mask Release

Friday 27 November 2020

 This year has brought with it changes none of us could ever have anticipated, and one of those major changes is wearing face masks in public. Whether you've been trying to match your mask to your outfit, or wearing the most fun and outrageous you can, masks are going to be with us for a good while yet.


I was really excited to find out that Original Stitch had collaborated with Pokémon to make masks that feature all the OG Kanto region Pokémon! Because if you hadn't figured it out yet, I'm a huge Pokémon fan.


Check out their press release below!


Pokémon and Original Stitch Go Big with Black Friday Exclusive:


Masks from all 151 Pokémon Patterns that appear in "Pokémon Red and Blue"


SAN FRANCISCO & TOKYO, November XX, 2020—Pokémon Co., Ltd. and Original Stitch today announced the launch of Pokémon Masks, which allows fashion-forward followers of Pikachu and company to choose a design from all 151 types of Pokémon patterns that appear in the classic 1996 videogame "Pokémon Red and Blue.”



Pokémon Masks arrive on the heels of Pokémon Bandana, announced last week. The masks and bandanas are both exclusives from "Pokémon Shirt," a customized shirt service from Pokémon Co., Ltd. and Original Stitch, which has been available since February 2019.

“In April 2020, we had a promotion to give customers who purchased shirts a mask as a way to thank them for their support,” said Marina Carroll, Marketing Manager at Original Stitch. “We had such positive feedback from the community, we decided to make masks an official product. To us, in light of world events, this is our most important—and timely—offering since launch, and one that will become a stylish essential for your 2021 wardrobe.” 



Choose 151 kinds of Pokémon fabrics!

Pokémon Masks blend creativity with sustainability. Made from the fabric left over from tailoring shirts in Japan, Pokémon Masks are available in all 151 types of Pokémon patterns that appear in "Pokémon Red and Blue." In addition, on the back side, fans can choose from all four colors of breathable mesh fabric.


“As with all our products, we are offering these masks to the Pokémon community as a way for fans to express themselves and spread a message of fun and safety,” added Carroll. :Whether you’re going to the grocery store or doing a socially distanced hang with friends, we know that Pokémon Masks will be a stylish must-have for fans of all ages. Personally, I can hardly wait to see where they will turn up and how our wonderfully stylish community will accessorize them.”  


Where to buy (*)


Pokémon Masks are available exclusively in the Pokémon shop at Original Stitch. Get yours today—and while you are at it, check out our awesome Pokémon Shirts, available in 251 fabrics, and our newly launched line of Pokémon Bandanas: www.originalstitch.com.


(*) The mask is intended to be used as a fashion item and is not a practical product. Please note that there is no function to completely prevent infectious diseases.



Original Stitch x POKÉMON CO LTD Mask Release

Friday 27 November 2020

 This year has brought with it changes none of us could ever have anticipated, and one of those major changes is wearing face masks in public. Whether you've been trying to match your mask to your outfit, or wearing the most fun and outrageous you can, masks are going to be with us for a good while yet.


I was really excited to find out that Original Stitch had collaborated with Pokémon to make masks that feature all the OG Kanto region Pokémon! Because if you hadn't figured it out yet, I'm a huge Pokémon fan.


Check out their press release below!


Pokémon and Original Stitch Go Big with Black Friday Exclusive:


Masks from all 151 Pokémon Patterns that appear in "Pokémon Red and Blue"


SAN FRANCISCO & TOKYO, November XX, 2020—Pokémon Co., Ltd. and Original Stitch today announced the launch of Pokémon Masks, which allows fashion-forward followers of Pikachu and company to choose a design from all 151 types of Pokémon patterns that appear in the classic 1996 videogame "Pokémon Red and Blue.”



Pokémon Masks arrive on the heels of Pokémon Bandana, announced last week. The masks and bandanas are both exclusives from "Pokémon Shirt," a customized shirt service from Pokémon Co., Ltd. and Original Stitch, which has been available since February 2019.

“In April 2020, we had a promotion to give customers who purchased shirts a mask as a way to thank them for their support,” said Marina Carroll, Marketing Manager at Original Stitch. “We had such positive feedback from the community, we decided to make masks an official product. To us, in light of world events, this is our most important—and timely—offering since launch, and one that will become a stylish essential for your 2021 wardrobe.” 



Choose 151 kinds of Pokémon fabrics!

Pokémon Masks blend creativity with sustainability. Made from the fabric left over from tailoring shirts in Japan, Pokémon Masks are available in all 151 types of Pokémon patterns that appear in "Pokémon Red and Blue." In addition, on the back side, fans can choose from all four colors of breathable mesh fabric.


“As with all our products, we are offering these masks to the Pokémon community as a way for fans to express themselves and spread a message of fun and safety,” added Carroll. :Whether you’re going to the grocery store or doing a socially distanced hang with friends, we know that Pokémon Masks will be a stylish must-have for fans of all ages. Personally, I can hardly wait to see where they will turn up and how our wonderfully stylish community will accessorize them.”  


Where to buy (*)


Pokémon Masks are available exclusively in the Pokémon shop at Original Stitch. Get yours today—and while you are at it, check out our awesome Pokémon Shirts, available in 251 fabrics, and our newly launched line of Pokémon Bandanas: www.originalstitch.com.


(*) The mask is intended to be used as a fashion item and is not a practical product. Please note that there is no function to completely prevent infectious diseases.



Original Stitch x Pokémon Co Ltd Bandana Release

Friday 20 November 2020

 As a rule, I usually see a press release in my inbox, have a quick read, discover it is in no way relevant to me, and bin it. But not today! You know I absolutely adore Pokémon, and a plus size gal, I find myself left out of the cool Pokémon far too often, but bandanas?! Anyone and everyone can enjoy bandanas! I love wearing bandanas in my hair, and when our sweet doggo Ashen was still with us he had a bandana for every occasion!


Pokémon Co., Ltd. and Original Stitch Go Big with Pre-Black Friday Exclusive: Bandanas from all 151 Pokémon Patterns that appear in "Pokémon Red and Blue"



'Pokémon Co., Ltd. and Original Stitch today announced the launch of Pokémon Bandanas, which allows fashion-forward followers of Pikachu and company to choose a design from all 151 types of Pokémon patterns that appear in the classic videogame "Pokémon Red and Blue.” Pokémon Bandana is the latest offering from "Pokémon Shirts," a customized shirt service from Original Stitch in collaboration with Pokémon Co., Ltd., which has been available since February 2019.'

“We are so excited to give fans a new way to show their love for all things Pokémon,” said Marina Carroll, Marketing Manager at Original Stitch. “Whether you want to accent your outfit or tuck them into your pocket as a handkerchief, these bandanas are the latest fashion item to complete your Pokemon collection. They also offer a cool way to connect at a time when many people are feeling separated on account of social distancing and other pandemic protocols.” 


Choose a bandana from 151 Pokémon patterns 


Pokémon Bandanas bring the style of classic Pokémon right to your fingertips. Inspired by the original 151 Pokémon found in the classic video games from 1996, the bandanas’ patterns showcase the closest attention to each Pokémon’s design and give fans wearable art to fit any mood.  








“As someone who grew up with Pokémon, I look forward to seeing how fans make these bandanas their own,” added Carroll. “The creativity and joy of the community never ceases to amaze me. When the first designs of these bandanas arrived, I knew they were going to be a big hit, and inspire some fun, new looks.”  

  Where to buy 

Pokémon Bandanas are available exclusively at Original Stitch. Get yours today—and while you are at it, check out our awesome Pokémon Shirts, available in 251 fabrics: www.originalstitch.com.  

Original Stitch x Pokémon Co Ltd Bandana Release

Friday 20 November 2020

 As a rule, I usually see a press release in my inbox, have a quick read, discover it is in no way relevant to me, and bin it. But not today! You know I absolutely adore Pokémon, and a plus size gal, I find myself left out of the cool Pokémon far too often, but bandanas?! Anyone and everyone can enjoy bandanas! I love wearing bandanas in my hair, and when our sweet doggo Ashen was still with us he had a bandana for every occasion!


Pokémon Co., Ltd. and Original Stitch Go Big with Pre-Black Friday Exclusive: Bandanas from all 151 Pokémon Patterns that appear in "Pokémon Red and Blue"



'Pokémon Co., Ltd. and Original Stitch today announced the launch of Pokémon Bandanas, which allows fashion-forward followers of Pikachu and company to choose a design from all 151 types of Pokémon patterns that appear in the classic videogame "Pokémon Red and Blue.” Pokémon Bandana is the latest offering from "Pokémon Shirts," a customized shirt service from Original Stitch in collaboration with Pokémon Co., Ltd., which has been available since February 2019.'

“We are so excited to give fans a new way to show their love for all things Pokémon,” said Marina Carroll, Marketing Manager at Original Stitch. “Whether you want to accent your outfit or tuck them into your pocket as a handkerchief, these bandanas are the latest fashion item to complete your Pokemon collection. They also offer a cool way to connect at a time when many people are feeling separated on account of social distancing and other pandemic protocols.” 


Choose a bandana from 151 Pokémon patterns 


Pokémon Bandanas bring the style of classic Pokémon right to your fingertips. Inspired by the original 151 Pokémon found in the classic video games from 1996, the bandanas’ patterns showcase the closest attention to each Pokémon’s design and give fans wearable art to fit any mood.  








“As someone who grew up with Pokémon, I look forward to seeing how fans make these bandanas their own,” added Carroll. “The creativity and joy of the community never ceases to amaze me. When the first designs of these bandanas arrived, I knew they were going to be a big hit, and inspire some fun, new looks.”  

  Where to buy 

Pokémon Bandanas are available exclusively at Original Stitch. Get yours today—and while you are at it, check out our awesome Pokémon Shirts, available in 251 fabrics: www.originalstitch.com.  

Support Small Business This Christmas

Wednesday 4 November 2020

 With lockdown looming, and Christmas on the horizon, it is more important than ever to support small businesses for your shopping this year. Small businesses are essential to our economy, and provide so many jobs to so many people, but have sadly been badly affected by this pandemic. Buying from a small business isn't putting more money into the pocket of some billionaire from a corporation, but is helping a family buy food, keep their lights on, and keep their dream alive. I wanted to share some of my favourite small businesses, and encourage you to check out their products. You can find a lot of inspiration on Etsy and Notonthehighstreet too (but wherever possible, I buy direct from the small business themselves, because they will charge fees).


First up, Sugar & Vice. Over the years I have bought SO much from Sugar & Vice, my jewellery collection is probably in the majority from their collections, and despite owning some of it for 6 years plus, it is still in just as good nick as ever. Run by pals Sarah & Matt, these guys have made incredible stuff over the years, and have always been so helpful with any of the custom requests or ideas I've had for them. Even making me a sign for my house! I'm a huge fan of their new homewares section, and if you love your horror movies, they are definitely the company for you.



They custom made our wedding cake topper to fit our 'True Romance' obsession.


I personally own this tiger paws necklace and it gets compliments every single time I wear it, a true statement piece I always find myself reaching for.

Next up is a company I just can't seem to stop myself from buying from lately, Crafty Glass London. Crafty Glass make stained glass for a new generation, everything from hearts and moons, through to Pikachu and David from Schitt's Creek! They even did a spooky Halloween range, and have been teasing not only some festive Christmas pieces, but also a personal Pokemon favourite of mine, Venomoth! I can't wait to see it. Their store isn't open all of the time, and instead they tend to offer limited pre-orders, and open their shop for a limited space of time every 2 weeks or so, to ensure that their shipping and customer service is up to their standard, so keep an eye out on their social media for their next update!


This is their mountain range piece, and below is their cheese plant leaf. Just 2 of the maybe... 8 pieces I've bought and gifted since I discovered them? I really need to buy something for myself already!


Another jewellery company that I can't help but adore, is Bloody Mary Metal. Between me and Stu, I'd say we easily own well into 40 pieces from them! We even visited them during our Cornwall holiday to celebrate our first wedding anniversary to buy pieces from them in person for the first time. While they do make some of their jewellery in gold, they are known for their unusual silver designs, with an alternative twist. If you see me wearing silver jewellery, I can basically almost guarantee you that is it from BMM. Their customer service is also absolutely wonderful. They've repaired pieces we have broken because we are both clumsy AF, and when we visited in person they offered to reshape jewellery we were wearing that had been bashed about it over many years of daily wear!


Just some of the many pieces I own from BMM, they offer a lot of one offs and it is so cool to know you own something unique no one else will ever own!



And final, inclusive clothing designer and general bad ass Plus Equals! Plus Equals manage to not only be one of the most fun clothing companies out there, but also one of the most inclusive, offering a standard size range of a UK 14-42, but also offering made to measure at no extra cost, and if your size isn't listed, just drop them a message and they will get you sorted, love!


My ridiculously incredible purple and faux fur sequin jacket is from Plus Equals, and I wear it for all my fancy occasions. I am sure I will be swanning about in this on Christmas Day no matter what ends up happening! If you love bright colours, faux fur and sequins, Plus Equals are the place to go.


My absolute fave faux leather vintage jacket is also from Plus Equals, part of their upcycled range. It just makes me feel cool (which I am so very far from!).

What are your favourite small businesses that you'll be shopping from this Christmas? Please do comment and help me find some new faves!

Much love,
Kitty xxxx






Support Small Business This Christmas

Wednesday 4 November 2020

 With lockdown looming, and Christmas on the horizon, it is more important than ever to support small businesses for your shopping this year. Small businesses are essential to our economy, and provide so many jobs to so many people, but have sadly been badly affected by this pandemic. Buying from a small business isn't putting more money into the pocket of some billionaire from a corporation, but is helping a family buy food, keep their lights on, and keep their dream alive. I wanted to share some of my favourite small businesses, and encourage you to check out their products. You can find a lot of inspiration on Etsy and Notonthehighstreet too (but wherever possible, I buy direct from the small business themselves, because they will charge fees).


First up, Sugar & Vice. Over the years I have bought SO much from Sugar & Vice, my jewellery collection is probably in the majority from their collections, and despite owning some of it for 6 years plus, it is still in just as good nick as ever. Run by pals Sarah & Matt, these guys have made incredible stuff over the years, and have always been so helpful with any of the custom requests or ideas I've had for them. Even making me a sign for my house! I'm a huge fan of their new homewares section, and if you love your horror movies, they are definitely the company for you.



They custom made our wedding cake topper to fit our 'True Romance' obsession.


I personally own this tiger paws necklace and it gets compliments every single time I wear it, a true statement piece I always find myself reaching for.

Next up is a company I just can't seem to stop myself from buying from lately, Crafty Glass London. Crafty Glass make stained glass for a new generation, everything from hearts and moons, through to Pikachu and David from Schitt's Creek! They even did a spooky Halloween range, and have been teasing not only some festive Christmas pieces, but also a personal Pokemon favourite of mine, Venomoth! I can't wait to see it. Their store isn't open all of the time, and instead they tend to offer limited pre-orders, and open their shop for a limited space of time every 2 weeks or so, to ensure that their shipping and customer service is up to their standard, so keep an eye out on their social media for their next update!


This is their mountain range piece, and below is their cheese plant leaf. Just 2 of the maybe... 8 pieces I've bought and gifted since I discovered them? I really need to buy something for myself already!


Another jewellery company that I can't help but adore, is Bloody Mary Metal. Between me and Stu, I'd say we easily own well into 40 pieces from them! We even visited them during our Cornwall holiday to celebrate our first wedding anniversary to buy pieces from them in person for the first time. While they do make some of their jewellery in gold, they are known for their unusual silver designs, with an alternative twist. If you see me wearing silver jewellery, I can basically almost guarantee you that is it from BMM. Their customer service is also absolutely wonderful. They've repaired pieces we have broken because we are both clumsy AF, and when we visited in person they offered to reshape jewellery we were wearing that had been bashed about it over many years of daily wear!


Just some of the many pieces I own from BMM, they offer a lot of one offs and it is so cool to know you own something unique no one else will ever own!



And final, inclusive clothing designer and general bad ass Plus Equals! Plus Equals manage to not only be one of the most fun clothing companies out there, but also one of the most inclusive, offering a standard size range of a UK 14-42, but also offering made to measure at no extra cost, and if your size isn't listed, just drop them a message and they will get you sorted, love!


My ridiculously incredible purple and faux fur sequin jacket is from Plus Equals, and I wear it for all my fancy occasions. I am sure I will be swanning about in this on Christmas Day no matter what ends up happening! If you love bright colours, faux fur and sequins, Plus Equals are the place to go.


My absolute fave faux leather vintage jacket is also from Plus Equals, part of their upcycled range. It just makes me feel cool (which I am so very far from!).

What are your favourite small businesses that you'll be shopping from this Christmas? Please do comment and help me find some new faves!

Much love,
Kitty xxxx






Snag Tights Halloween Review

Monday 19 October 2020

 As a 5ft 11 plus size gal, tights have always been one of my ultimate items that it is just impossible to buy that fit. I remember years ago when I worked in a shop having to wear them every day and I had to do the whole knickers over the tights trick to attempt to keep them up, they never fit properly, they seemed to ladder when I looked at that, and they managed to simultaneously droop whilst also being too small. That is, until I discovered Snag Tights. I saw people talk about them on social media a lot before I tried them, all saying they were the best most comfortable tights ever, that they fit even though they were short/tall/fat etc, and that they didn't budge once you had them on. And I didn't believe them. Surely tights like that can't actually exist? Well, it turned out they really did, and you can find my first pair review here. Funnily enough the first pair I bought were from their Halloween range, so I was really excited to see what they came up with this year!



First up, these are the 80 denier tights in 'Witch'. When I was a teenager I was a little greebo, and all I ever wanted was a good pair of stripy tights, but because I was tall it never happened. I'd buy footless tights and they'd always be too short and uncomfortable, and they always seemed to be made of scratchy horrible material. When I saw these black and white beauties I had to order them, teenage me would have been obsessed!


They are so soft, you can just about see my darker shin tattoo through them but not in a way that is really obvious, they fit beautifully and once on, they do not budge! I'm still not sure what sort of sorcery Snag Tights do to make their tights, or what sort of demon they made a deal with, but I will take it! They way Snag works their sizing is that they take into consideration both your dress size and your height, I need a G because I'm 5ft 11, and a G should fit people up to a dress size 36, up to a height of 6ft 5. They have really amazing amounts of stretch, whilst also not stretching too far and ever ending up saggy. I've never had to adjust a pair of Snags whilst wearing them, magic I tell you! (also yes, that really is my wallpaper in my front room!)



I also couldn't resist grabbing myself these very Halloweeny 80 denier tights in style 'Jack'. These are a become quite sheer on my thighs, unlike the other designs I've had from Snag, but it's cold, so I'll probably mostly wear knee length skirts or dresses rather than have my thighs out. I'm not quite sure these would fit right up to the size 36/6ft 5 top end of the size range to be honest, because as sheer as they are on my thighs, I can't see them stretching much further. They are totally solid on my calves, but the design does get more warped and thin with my chunky thighs. These are also a little less soft than the 'Witch' style which are velvety soft, but still comfortable and stay in place when you are moving around in them.

I really hope we see more of the stripes in the future in their range, I'd love to see black and red, purple and red, basically all the things teenage goth Kitty would have loved to have worn! I also picked up another Halloween design that has cobwebs on it, but they are completely sold out at the time of writing and have been removed from their website. I haven't worn those yet, but I suspect they will fit like the 'Jack' tights rather than the 'Witch' tights with them having a pattern and being a black based 80 denier again. Snag have also introduced a more 'sexy times' range recently, with mock garter belts and fishnets in more colours, and I really want to try those mock garter belts! Being tall, stockings and hold ups have always been far too short on me, so when I have some spare pennies, I might just have to give them a go.

One of the things I really liked about Snag it that their tights come in paper packaging, in a paper envelope, so it's all completely recyclable. They also have a permanent offer on that when you buy 3 items you have get 10% off, 5 items 15% off, and 10 items 25% off, so it's well worth buying a few pairs at a time, or seeing if you know anyone else you can combine orders with. All in all, I'm happy with this order and know I will wear the 'Witch' tights long after Halloween has gone because of how soft they are!

Much love,
Kitty xxx



Snag Tights Halloween Review

Monday 19 October 2020

 As a 5ft 11 plus size gal, tights have always been one of my ultimate items that it is just impossible to buy that fit. I remember years ago when I worked in a shop having to wear them every day and I had to do the whole knickers over the tights trick to attempt to keep them up, they never fit properly, they seemed to ladder when I looked at that, and they managed to simultaneously droop whilst also being too small. That is, until I discovered Snag Tights. I saw people talk about them on social media a lot before I tried them, all saying they were the best most comfortable tights ever, that they fit even though they were short/tall/fat etc, and that they didn't budge once you had them on. And I didn't believe them. Surely tights like that can't actually exist? Well, it turned out they really did, and you can find my first pair review here. Funnily enough the first pair I bought were from their Halloween range, so I was really excited to see what they came up with this year!



First up, these are the 80 denier tights in 'Witch'. When I was a teenager I was a little greebo, and all I ever wanted was a good pair of stripy tights, but because I was tall it never happened. I'd buy footless tights and they'd always be too short and uncomfortable, and they always seemed to be made of scratchy horrible material. When I saw these black and white beauties I had to order them, teenage me would have been obsessed!


They are so soft, you can just about see my darker shin tattoo through them but not in a way that is really obvious, they fit beautifully and once on, they do not budge! I'm still not sure what sort of sorcery Snag Tights do to make their tights, or what sort of demon they made a deal with, but I will take it! They way Snag works their sizing is that they take into consideration both your dress size and your height, I need a G because I'm 5ft 11, and a G should fit people up to a dress size 36, up to a height of 6ft 5. They have really amazing amounts of stretch, whilst also not stretching too far and ever ending up saggy. I've never had to adjust a pair of Snags whilst wearing them, magic I tell you! (also yes, that really is my wallpaper in my front room!)



I also couldn't resist grabbing myself these very Halloweeny 80 denier tights in style 'Jack'. These are a become quite sheer on my thighs, unlike the other designs I've had from Snag, but it's cold, so I'll probably mostly wear knee length skirts or dresses rather than have my thighs out. I'm not quite sure these would fit right up to the size 36/6ft 5 top end of the size range to be honest, because as sheer as they are on my thighs, I can't see them stretching much further. They are totally solid on my calves, but the design does get more warped and thin with my chunky thighs. These are also a little less soft than the 'Witch' style which are velvety soft, but still comfortable and stay in place when you are moving around in them.

I really hope we see more of the stripes in the future in their range, I'd love to see black and red, purple and red, basically all the things teenage goth Kitty would have loved to have worn! I also picked up another Halloween design that has cobwebs on it, but they are completely sold out at the time of writing and have been removed from their website. I haven't worn those yet, but I suspect they will fit like the 'Jack' tights rather than the 'Witch' tights with them having a pattern and being a black based 80 denier again. Snag have also introduced a more 'sexy times' range recently, with mock garter belts and fishnets in more colours, and I really want to try those mock garter belts! Being tall, stockings and hold ups have always been far too short on me, so when I have some spare pennies, I might just have to give them a go.

One of the things I really liked about Snag it that their tights come in paper packaging, in a paper envelope, so it's all completely recyclable. They also have a permanent offer on that when you buy 3 items you have get 10% off, 5 items 15% off, and 10 items 25% off, so it's well worth buying a few pairs at a time, or seeing if you know anyone else you can combine orders with. All in all, I'm happy with this order and know I will wear the 'Witch' tights long after Halloween has gone because of how soft they are!

Much love,
Kitty xxx



Saying Goodbye to Patches

Monday 7 September 2020

 On Saturday, we very suddenly and unexpectedly lost our little old lady cat Patches. She lived to the amazing age of 22, and it was an honour to be on of her humans. I really thought when the apocalypse came, all that would be left once the smoke cleared would be cockroaches, Nokia 3310s, and Patches.



Patches had been sat on my knee, then went charging off to attack my handbag, and went into the kitchen. She meowed in a way I had never heard her before, so I went to look for her assuming she was playing with something else. As I went into the kitchen she turned to look at me, but by spinning on her hip, which she had never done before. I asked her to come to me, and she tried to get up to come to me but it was clear her back legs weren't working. I called for Stu to get her cat carrier whilst ringing the emergency vets immediately. She didn't mind me touching her legs or hips, but we knew something was very wrong.


I was at the vets with her within 15 minutes, and sadly quite quickly the vet knew what was wrong and that there was nothing we could do. A blood clot had travelled to her lower half, destroying all circulation to her back legs and tail, and the lack of circulation was slowly spreading up her body. Her paws were freezing cold to touch, and the only option to stop her from having a very painful death, was to put her to sleep immediately. I cried as I held her in my arms as she fell asleep for the last time. I couldn't believe it was happening.


Patch was like my shadow. Always under my feet, always trying to have a cuddle, always with me. In the mornings we played the 'Getting Dressed Game', in which she sat on all the clothes I wanted to put on, and inbetween each item of clothing I had to barter with her for forehead kisses before I could have the next thing. She had 3 teeth and despite that, when Ashen was alive, she would try to steal his dog biscuits just to prove she was the boss in our house.

I had trained her to give boops, so if you leant towards her and made a kissy noise, she would rub her face on yours. I asked her for one last boop before she passed, and she happily obliged.


Once we ordered pizza and I was sat on the floor in our old front room, and I had saved the best slice for last. You know the good one, with the extra cheese on it, and as I moved it towards my mouth to take a bite, Patch leapt through the air and snatched the entire slice from my hand, running off outside with it so I couldn't take it off her. After that we had an agreement that I could give her a bit of cheese off every other slice so she wouldn't steal anymore pizza from me. Though if you left a pizza for even a second or didn't keep an eye on her, a little paw would suddenly appear over the edge of your pizza box to try nick slice before you knew what was happening.


Three years ago when Patch was 19, her nephew Stitch was bitten by a fox on the head, badly. They came home to us him with his bite wounds, and her missing fur and covered in scratches. The vet was baffled, foxes don't typically scratch, only bite, which meant that when Stitch was bitten, Patches had jumped in to attack the fox and save her nephew. All he has is a scar above his eyebrow to commemorate the time a 19 year old cat kicked a foxes arse to save him.

Going from 4 pets to 1 in the space of 9 months has been brutal. We lost Ashen in late 2019, and Lemmy earlier in lockdown to cancer. Can you even call yourself a cat lady if you only have 1 cat? I'm just glad I was able to be with Patch till the end, so she could be by my side, like she always was.

She was a bad ass old lady, fearsome and kitten like right to the end. Everyone who saw her assumed she was a kitten because she was so small and playful, but she was so mighty and loving. She had cuddles for everyone who asked, and I feel so lucky that she lived such a long life. I just wish it could have been longer.

My Lady Patchingdon of Adorables. My tiny lady. My Patch. God I'm going to miss you.

Love,
Kitty xxxx


Saying Goodbye to Patches

Monday 7 September 2020

 On Saturday, we very suddenly and unexpectedly lost our little old lady cat Patches. She lived to the amazing age of 22, and it was an honour to be on of her humans. I really thought when the apocalypse came, all that would be left once the smoke cleared would be cockroaches, Nokia 3310s, and Patches.



Patches had been sat on my knee, then went charging off to attack my handbag, and went into the kitchen. She meowed in a way I had never heard her before, so I went to look for her assuming she was playing with something else. As I went into the kitchen she turned to look at me, but by spinning on her hip, which she had never done before. I asked her to come to me, and she tried to get up to come to me but it was clear her back legs weren't working. I called for Stu to get her cat carrier whilst ringing the emergency vets immediately. She didn't mind me touching her legs or hips, but we knew something was very wrong.


I was at the vets with her within 15 minutes, and sadly quite quickly the vet knew what was wrong and that there was nothing we could do. A blood clot had travelled to her lower half, destroying all circulation to her back legs and tail, and the lack of circulation was slowly spreading up her body. Her paws were freezing cold to touch, and the only option to stop her from having a very painful death, was to put her to sleep immediately. I cried as I held her in my arms as she fell asleep for the last time. I couldn't believe it was happening.


Patch was like my shadow. Always under my feet, always trying to have a cuddle, always with me. In the mornings we played the 'Getting Dressed Game', in which she sat on all the clothes I wanted to put on, and inbetween each item of clothing I had to barter with her for forehead kisses before I could have the next thing. She had 3 teeth and despite that, when Ashen was alive, she would try to steal his dog biscuits just to prove she was the boss in our house.

I had trained her to give boops, so if you leant towards her and made a kissy noise, she would rub her face on yours. I asked her for one last boop before she passed, and she happily obliged.


Once we ordered pizza and I was sat on the floor in our old front room, and I had saved the best slice for last. You know the good one, with the extra cheese on it, and as I moved it towards my mouth to take a bite, Patch leapt through the air and snatched the entire slice from my hand, running off outside with it so I couldn't take it off her. After that we had an agreement that I could give her a bit of cheese off every other slice so she wouldn't steal anymore pizza from me. Though if you left a pizza for even a second or didn't keep an eye on her, a little paw would suddenly appear over the edge of your pizza box to try nick slice before you knew what was happening.


Three years ago when Patch was 19, her nephew Stitch was bitten by a fox on the head, badly. They came home to us him with his bite wounds, and her missing fur and covered in scratches. The vet was baffled, foxes don't typically scratch, only bite, which meant that when Stitch was bitten, Patches had jumped in to attack the fox and save her nephew. All he has is a scar above his eyebrow to commemorate the time a 19 year old cat kicked a foxes arse to save him.

Going from 4 pets to 1 in the space of 9 months has been brutal. We lost Ashen in late 2019, and Lemmy earlier in lockdown to cancer. Can you even call yourself a cat lady if you only have 1 cat? I'm just glad I was able to be with Patch till the end, so she could be by my side, like she always was.

She was a bad ass old lady, fearsome and kitten like right to the end. Everyone who saw her assumed she was a kitten because she was so small and playful, but she was so mighty and loving. She had cuddles for everyone who asked, and I feel so lucky that she lived such a long life. I just wish it could have been longer.

My Lady Patchingdon of Adorables. My tiny lady. My Patch. God I'm going to miss you.

Love,
Kitty xxxx


Betty's Beasties Colouring Book

Tuesday 25 August 2020

 When my lovely friend Betty Brown announced their new colouring book I was super hyped! Her last colouring book was an absolute delight, super diverse and full of a bunch of bad ass babes, so I had no doubt this one would be equally as cool. This book is NSFW, so warning ahead for previews!



This time around, we have Betty's Beasties, all drawn in Betty's signature pin up style, but focusing on mermaids, aliens, and other spooky creatures! As with all of Betty's work, the body types are diverse and gorgeous, so expect plus size beauties, stretch marked lovelies, tattooed cuties, scarred babes and disabled dolls, all ready to be coloured in.


Colouring is just the perfect lockdown activity, it provides great stress relief, as well as a total distraction from reality, so could there be a better time to get your hands on this? Betty is also running a giveaway on her instagram where she is getting so close to 10k followers, so go give her a follow and enter! She often does what she calls 'Butt Portrait' giveaways which are so cool, because who wouldn't want their arse immortalised forever in amazing art?! (Side note, Betty's insta is very NSFW but so so awesome so just be careful!)



With these uncertain times, support the arts is so important, and especially supporting those who are out there doing work with Betty's, with a focus on black women and inclusivity. Got a spooky babe in your life? This would make a super cute Halloween present for them! I can just see myself curled up in the autumn in a blanket working on this.

You can find Betty on Patreon too if you want to support their work on a more regular basis!


This book is currently available for pre-order, and will be with you late September time, just in time for spooky season!


Much love,
Kitty
xxx

ps. This isn't a sponsored post, I just really love what Betty does!


Betty's Beasties Colouring Book

Tuesday 25 August 2020

 When my lovely friend Betty Brown announced their new colouring book I was super hyped! Her last colouring book was an absolute delight, super diverse and full of a bunch of bad ass babes, so I had no doubt this one would be equally as cool. This book is NSFW, so warning ahead for previews!



This time around, we have Betty's Beasties, all drawn in Betty's signature pin up style, but focusing on mermaids, aliens, and other spooky creatures! As with all of Betty's work, the body types are diverse and gorgeous, so expect plus size beauties, stretch marked lovelies, tattooed cuties, scarred babes and disabled dolls, all ready to be coloured in.


Colouring is just the perfect lockdown activity, it provides great stress relief, as well as a total distraction from reality, so could there be a better time to get your hands on this? Betty is also running a giveaway on her instagram where she is getting so close to 10k followers, so go give her a follow and enter! She often does what she calls 'Butt Portrait' giveaways which are so cool, because who wouldn't want their arse immortalised forever in amazing art?! (Side note, Betty's insta is very NSFW but so so awesome so just be careful!)



With these uncertain times, support the arts is so important, and especially supporting those who are out there doing work with Betty's, with a focus on black women and inclusivity. Got a spooky babe in your life? This would make a super cute Halloween present for them! I can just see myself curled up in the autumn in a blanket working on this.

You can find Betty on Patreon too if you want to support their work on a more regular basis!


This book is currently available for pre-order, and will be with you late September time, just in time for spooky season!


Much love,
Kitty
xxx

ps. This isn't a sponsored post, I just really love what Betty does!


AD Gifted : FoodHub

Saturday 8 August 2020

AD - full disclosure, FoodHub kindly sent me a voucher for their app to write a blog post about them, I was more than happy to write about them because I already use their app!


 It's a Saturday night, so who can really be bothered to cook dinner? It's the weekend and it's time for a treat, so FoodHub is the answer! I've been using the FoodHub app for a few months now after my favourite local Indian (Paprika Tandoori for anyone in Grimsby!) asked if I wouldn't mind ordering via FoodHub rather than JustEat. I agreed, but I was really curious why he preferred one app over another. He then revealed that JustEat charge a massive % commission, often over 15% of each order, and that it really hit them hard to have orders placed through JE over FoodHub. They in fact offered a 10% discount on FoodHub, because they don't take commission. I was instantly sold! Most takeaways are small, family businesses in many cases, and I didn't like that a huge company was charging them so heavily.



What I also discovered when I downloaded FoodHub, was that there were also a TON more places that would deliver to my address! With other apps I had maybe 5 or 6 options, with FoodHub, I had well over 20. I found a delicious Chinese that makes everything with a tofu option (Sizzling Wok for you GY veggies), an amazing pizza place (Tuscany in Laceby, that's where I ordered from tonight), and I got to support my fave Indian. So much better!

You get a notification when your order is accepted and a rough idea on how long it'll take to get to you, and the estimates are always pretty accurate. Unlike other apps, I've not had a single order cancelled or late. New restaurants and takeaways are being added all the time, so whenever we fancy a takeaway I am always sure to scroll through and see what new options we have.


We've had a few takeaways during lockdown and were impressed by FoodHub's new contact free delivery option. They pop the food on your doorstep, knock, step back and wait for you to come to the door before they go anywhere. The drivers tend to be in masks and gloves which is always a welcome sight.


  

And now a treat for you guys, you can use the code FOOD65300 to get a discount of your own to enjoy!

Details for this code are: £3 off with minimum order spend of £10 and its only for new users on their first order. Expires 31 August. Full terms at Foodhub.co.uk 


This isn't an affiliate code, so there's nothing in it for me, just money off for you! You can find out more following @FoodHubUK on twitter and downloading the app from your app store.


If you are also based in Grimsby, let me know your fave takeaways so I can give them a try too.


Much love,

Kitty

xxxxx

AD Gifted : FoodHub

Saturday 8 August 2020

AD - full disclosure, FoodHub kindly sent me a voucher for their app to write a blog post about them, I was more than happy to write about them because I already use their app!


 It's a Saturday night, so who can really be bothered to cook dinner? It's the weekend and it's time for a treat, so FoodHub is the answer! I've been using the FoodHub app for a few months now after my favourite local Indian (Paprika Tandoori for anyone in Grimsby!) asked if I wouldn't mind ordering via FoodHub rather than JustEat. I agreed, but I was really curious why he preferred one app over another. He then revealed that JustEat charge a massive % commission, often over 15% of each order, and that it really hit them hard to have orders placed through JE over FoodHub. They in fact offered a 10% discount on FoodHub, because they don't take commission. I was instantly sold! Most takeaways are small, family businesses in many cases, and I didn't like that a huge company was charging them so heavily.



What I also discovered when I downloaded FoodHub, was that there were also a TON more places that would deliver to my address! With other apps I had maybe 5 or 6 options, with FoodHub, I had well over 20. I found a delicious Chinese that makes everything with a tofu option (Sizzling Wok for you GY veggies), an amazing pizza place (Tuscany in Laceby, that's where I ordered from tonight), and I got to support my fave Indian. So much better!

You get a notification when your order is accepted and a rough idea on how long it'll take to get to you, and the estimates are always pretty accurate. Unlike other apps, I've not had a single order cancelled or late. New restaurants and takeaways are being added all the time, so whenever we fancy a takeaway I am always sure to scroll through and see what new options we have.


We've had a few takeaways during lockdown and were impressed by FoodHub's new contact free delivery option. They pop the food on your doorstep, knock, step back and wait for you to come to the door before they go anywhere. The drivers tend to be in masks and gloves which is always a welcome sight.


  

And now a treat for you guys, you can use the code FOOD65300 to get a discount of your own to enjoy!

Details for this code are: £3 off with minimum order spend of £10 and its only for new users on their first order. Expires 31 August. Full terms at Foodhub.co.uk 


This isn't an affiliate code, so there's nothing in it for me, just money off for you! You can find out more following @FoodHubUK on twitter and downloading the app from your app store.


If you are also based in Grimsby, let me know your fave takeaways so I can give them a try too.


Much love,

Kitty

xxxxx

A Curly Girl Method Update : 3 Years+ On

Tuesday 21 July 2020

Consistently one of the things I get asked about most, and have searched for on my blog, is the Curly Girl Method, so I figured as I last did an update in September 2017 after 6 months, I should probably do another update!

So to say my hair has changed drastically is an understatement. I used to think I had curly hair. As these before photo will show you, what I thought was a good hair day, was mostly a bit of a wave, a lot of frizz and wishful thinking. Back then I shampooed and conditioned my hair with any old shampoo and conditioner, maybe chucked some mousse in my hair, diffused my hair upside down, and maybe put a bit of argan oil in the ends. As you can see, it was not in good condition due to the bleaching.


After that photo, I started the Curly Girl Method (popularised by Lorraine Massey, but most of the principles and ideas in this method are taken from things black women have been doing for hair care forever!). The basic principles are to avoid sulfates, silicones, drying alcohols, parabens, waxes, and shampoo entirely. You use conditioner to both wash and condition your hair, hence the term 'cowash', conditioner only washing. You don't use brushes or detangle your hair unless it's full of conditioner, and all your products should be 'CG safe'.

I cut a lot of dead ends off my hair taking it up to my shoulders 3 years ago, and then kept it around collar bone length for a long time while I bleached and coloured it, until the last year or so when I stopped colouring it and started growing it.

In the below photo is my shorter hair, you can see how drastically it changed, more defined ringlets, it looks thicker, much less frizz and damage, actual curls!


So how is my hair now and what is my routine? Well, I always thought my hair's terminal length was above bra strap length. Despite my best efforts my hair has never really grown any longer so I figured that was all it could do, oh well. Except... that's really not true. Despite regular trims (even through lockdown, I cut my own hair, I qualified as a hairdresser when I was younger but never worked in salons), my hair is now the longest it has ever been. I even cut 6 inches off it in April and my hair is now at my waist when wet. I always joked that I wanted to be like a mermaid and be able to use my hair to cover my boobs and well, I can now! Having not seen a lot of my family for months because of lockdown, when people have finally seen me they've been blown away by how much my hair has grown. My own Mum didn't recognise me when I was stood in my front garden the other week before I had my back to her and she hadn't realised my hair was so long now, win!


Here's some very filtered selfies of my hair now with no product or anything in, just left to do it's own thing. This leaves me with relaxed curls or strong waves, I like being able to have the option of this when I just CBA!


And here it is with products, but still left to dry naturally, the day after I've washed it and slept on it. Despite the length, it still forms spirally curls right through the length, there's very little frizz and it's so smooth and shiny looking. It helps that my hair now is almost entirely my natural colour bar the the odd end that is bleached from a very old ombre I had.

So my routine! Some people's routines are super complicated and involve a whole ton of products. I like to keep it as simple as I can because I'm washing my hair, why would I want to dedicate a ton of time to it?!

1) Smother my hair with Superdrug Fruity Cherry & Almond Conditioner, use my fingers to comb my hair from the ends working my way to up to detangle it first. Once detangled, give my scalp a good scrub with my fingers to cowash my hair making sure all my hair feels like it's covered in conditioner and my roots feel like they've been washed. Rinse out thoroughly. When my carpal tunnel was bad I used a scalp brush to do the scrubbing so if you have problems with your hands, give one a go!

2) Condition my hair like I normally would using the same conditioner, and rinse it all out. Make sure my parting is where I want it while I've got conditioner in my hair as if I don't make my parting, my hair really will part whenever the heck it feels like.

3) Squeeze out some of the excess water from the ends of my hair with my hands and wrap up in a microfibre towel while I get dried.

4) Put a tiny, and I do mean tiny, like, a blob that is 3mm at best, amount of Cantu Curl Activator Cream onto my hands, and rub them together to cover my hands. The tiny amount goes really far and you'll soon find your hairs covered. Fill my hair over to one side sort of upside down and scrunch in, repeat for the other side and the back, make sure I've gotten all my hair. That tiny amount of product really makes a lot of different.

5) Next is leave in conditioner. I use either the same Superdrug conditioner, or the XHC Conditioners, usually easy to find in Poundstretcher and Savers for a quid a bottle, perfect for anyone on a budget. My favourite scents are the tea tree which is lush, and the banana because it smells like those foam banana sweets you used to get in pick and mix as a kid. The strawberry one smells like calpol to me, and I don't like ginger so I haven't tried that one. The XHC conditioners contain protein, hair that is over moisturised as mine can be as I don't use heat or colour etc on it can start to drop, so adding some protein into your routine can perk it back up again. I put a good blob of conditioner onto my hands and rub them together, and again scrunch it up into my hair, working my hair round my whole head. Lots of scrunching!

6) Last step is the product. I like the Eco Gel range and usually opt for the Black Castor & Flax Seed Eco Gel. Again, another blob, rub hands together, more scrunching into my hair. Lots of scrunching. Scrunch scrunch scrunch. I find the more I encourage my hair the better it is.

I then usually leave it to dry naturally, and once it is dry, I scrunch out the crunch (SOTC) with my bare, dry hands to get rid of the crunchy look the gel leaves. Sometimes I don't bother with any product and just scrunch in a bit of conditioner for a more relaxed curl.

About once a month I do what we call an 'AVC Rinse' to clarify my hair and get rid of any potential product build up. I take a plastic cup in the shower with me, and put a small amount of apple cider vinegar in it, fill the rest of the cup with water, and carefully pour over my hair making sure I've covered all my scalp and hair. Yes, it does smell strongly of conditioner when I do this, but once I've rinsed it out it really doesn't! The vinegar smell doesn't linger I promise.

At night I sleep in a 'pineapple', I flip my head upside down and form a very loose ponytail on top of my head and use an invisibobble to keep it in place. I also have a satin pillowcase as it doesn't create frizz. In the morning I will usually use some of the XHC Conditioner and scrunch it into my hair to refresh it a little, if I've thrashed about in my sleep or it's looking particularly flat, I'll also use some of the Eco Gel and scrunch that in too, both on totally dry hair, and when that has 'dried' or is crunchy looking, scrunch out again with my bare dry hands. Scrunching is key to my routine!

If my hair has any frizz or fly aways I want to tame, I use lube, yes, that lube! It needs to be a water based lube for the ingredients to be suitable, but a small amount of lube can really help smooth out curls. You can also use it on your hands when you SOTC. I've used the Tesco own brand gentle and unflavoured lube and tend to find it helps when I'm pushing day 3 or 4 hair when I tend to have a bit more frizz.


So, my words of warning. Technically, I break a lot of the super strict Curly Girl Method rules with my routine. They don't like lots of scrunching (you shouldn't touch your hair! you'll make frizz!), and very recently they decided that the Superdry conditioner I use isn't CG friendly. All because it has a teeny amount of one ingredient that Lorraine Massey has added to her banned list that a lot of other people are arguing is water soluble and not damaging. So I've opted to keep using it because clearly it's working for my hair, as well as being vegan and cruelty free. I try wherever possible to use cruelty free products, but getting information about some brands and companies is nearly impossible.

Some of the Facebook groups can be REALLY intimidating to a newbie, everything looks really really complicated and the rules seem to constantly change. Me and my Mum both do our own versions of the method but don't follow it 100% because what works for one person's hair, might not work for someone else's. My Mum's hair loves a lo-poo (a gentle type of shampoo), whereas mine loves to be totally shampoo free. Even all my scalp eczema has totally cleared up! I know a lot of people seem blunt in their answers to questions and I'm so sorry, and I am happy to do my best to help you here!

The method is also very focused on Caucasian hair in these groups, despite all the concepts coming from black women. You'll see people with wavy hair tell people with Afro hair that they shouldn't use oil for example, or shout about no combs ever, and I don't like that. What works for 4C Afro hair is going to be totally different to what works for my 3A Caucasian hair, and the focus on Caucasian hair makes me really uncomfortable. It feels like a lot of the Curly Girl language and ideas has been co-opted from the Natural Hair movement with none of the credit and a sudden focus on Caucasian hair. So while yes it works, this method is problematic and I wish more people were more thoughtful in their words and use of hair terms. I am forever seeing white women say their hair 'dreads up' when they are describing matting, and are using dreadlocks as a negative descriptor, or saying their hair is an unruly Afro when it's not gone to their tastes and it's really frustrating. In the UK in particular, hairdressers are often trained with no thought at all for Afro hair, and I can say this because the hairdressing school I attended had NO courses for Afro hair, and when I asked about getting one, none of their tutors were qualified in any Afro hair cutting or care either!

So ultimately, what works for one person's hair, doesn't work for all hair. I 100% think that this method has helped me recover my hair and allowed it to grow, but I don't think being perfectly CG 24/7 is necessary, or productive to insist on. If you want to straighten your hair for a night out a couple of times a year, it is going to cause some damage, but it's not going to destroy all your hard work in one fell swoop now that your products and conditioners aren't damaging your hair.

Hair should be fun, and the method shouldn't be a super serious almost cult like rule book with one woman being heralded as the rule creator. So while I do describe myself as doing the CG method, it's a loose thing, and it's just not that serious!

Much love,
Kitty
xxxxxxx


A Curly Girl Method Update : 3 Years+ On

Tuesday 21 July 2020

Consistently one of the things I get asked about most, and have searched for on my blog, is the Curly Girl Method, so I figured as I last did an update in September 2017 after 6 months, I should probably do another update!

So to say my hair has changed drastically is an understatement. I used to think I had curly hair. As these before photo will show you, what I thought was a good hair day, was mostly a bit of a wave, a lot of frizz and wishful thinking. Back then I shampooed and conditioned my hair with any old shampoo and conditioner, maybe chucked some mousse in my hair, diffused my hair upside down, and maybe put a bit of argan oil in the ends. As you can see, it was not in good condition due to the bleaching.


After that photo, I started the Curly Girl Method (popularised by Lorraine Massey, but most of the principles and ideas in this method are taken from things black women have been doing for hair care forever!). The basic principles are to avoid sulfates, silicones, drying alcohols, parabens, waxes, and shampoo entirely. You use conditioner to both wash and condition your hair, hence the term 'cowash', conditioner only washing. You don't use brushes or detangle your hair unless it's full of conditioner, and all your products should be 'CG safe'.

I cut a lot of dead ends off my hair taking it up to my shoulders 3 years ago, and then kept it around collar bone length for a long time while I bleached and coloured it, until the last year or so when I stopped colouring it and started growing it.

In the below photo is my shorter hair, you can see how drastically it changed, more defined ringlets, it looks thicker, much less frizz and damage, actual curls!


So how is my hair now and what is my routine? Well, I always thought my hair's terminal length was above bra strap length. Despite my best efforts my hair has never really grown any longer so I figured that was all it could do, oh well. Except... that's really not true. Despite regular trims (even through lockdown, I cut my own hair, I qualified as a hairdresser when I was younger but never worked in salons), my hair is now the longest it has ever been. I even cut 6 inches off it in April and my hair is now at my waist when wet. I always joked that I wanted to be like a mermaid and be able to use my hair to cover my boobs and well, I can now! Having not seen a lot of my family for months because of lockdown, when people have finally seen me they've been blown away by how much my hair has grown. My own Mum didn't recognise me when I was stood in my front garden the other week before I had my back to her and she hadn't realised my hair was so long now, win!


Here's some very filtered selfies of my hair now with no product or anything in, just left to do it's own thing. This leaves me with relaxed curls or strong waves, I like being able to have the option of this when I just CBA!


And here it is with products, but still left to dry naturally, the day after I've washed it and slept on it. Despite the length, it still forms spirally curls right through the length, there's very little frizz and it's so smooth and shiny looking. It helps that my hair now is almost entirely my natural colour bar the the odd end that is bleached from a very old ombre I had.

So my routine! Some people's routines are super complicated and involve a whole ton of products. I like to keep it as simple as I can because I'm washing my hair, why would I want to dedicate a ton of time to it?!

1) Smother my hair with Superdrug Fruity Cherry & Almond Conditioner, use my fingers to comb my hair from the ends working my way to up to detangle it first. Once detangled, give my scalp a good scrub with my fingers to cowash my hair making sure all my hair feels like it's covered in conditioner and my roots feel like they've been washed. Rinse out thoroughly. When my carpal tunnel was bad I used a scalp brush to do the scrubbing so if you have problems with your hands, give one a go!

2) Condition my hair like I normally would using the same conditioner, and rinse it all out. Make sure my parting is where I want it while I've got conditioner in my hair as if I don't make my parting, my hair really will part whenever the heck it feels like.

3) Squeeze out some of the excess water from the ends of my hair with my hands and wrap up in a microfibre towel while I get dried.

4) Put a tiny, and I do mean tiny, like, a blob that is 3mm at best, amount of Cantu Curl Activator Cream onto my hands, and rub them together to cover my hands. The tiny amount goes really far and you'll soon find your hairs covered. Fill my hair over to one side sort of upside down and scrunch in, repeat for the other side and the back, make sure I've gotten all my hair. That tiny amount of product really makes a lot of different.

5) Next is leave in conditioner. I use either the same Superdrug conditioner, or the XHC Conditioners, usually easy to find in Poundstretcher and Savers for a quid a bottle, perfect for anyone on a budget. My favourite scents are the tea tree which is lush, and the banana because it smells like those foam banana sweets you used to get in pick and mix as a kid. The strawberry one smells like calpol to me, and I don't like ginger so I haven't tried that one. The XHC conditioners contain protein, hair that is over moisturised as mine can be as I don't use heat or colour etc on it can start to drop, so adding some protein into your routine can perk it back up again. I put a good blob of conditioner onto my hands and rub them together, and again scrunch it up into my hair, working my hair round my whole head. Lots of scrunching!

6) Last step is the product. I like the Eco Gel range and usually opt for the Black Castor & Flax Seed Eco Gel. Again, another blob, rub hands together, more scrunching into my hair. Lots of scrunching. Scrunch scrunch scrunch. I find the more I encourage my hair the better it is.

I then usually leave it to dry naturally, and once it is dry, I scrunch out the crunch (SOTC) with my bare, dry hands to get rid of the crunchy look the gel leaves. Sometimes I don't bother with any product and just scrunch in a bit of conditioner for a more relaxed curl.

About once a month I do what we call an 'AVC Rinse' to clarify my hair and get rid of any potential product build up. I take a plastic cup in the shower with me, and put a small amount of apple cider vinegar in it, fill the rest of the cup with water, and carefully pour over my hair making sure I've covered all my scalp and hair. Yes, it does smell strongly of conditioner when I do this, but once I've rinsed it out it really doesn't! The vinegar smell doesn't linger I promise.

At night I sleep in a 'pineapple', I flip my head upside down and form a very loose ponytail on top of my head and use an invisibobble to keep it in place. I also have a satin pillowcase as it doesn't create frizz. In the morning I will usually use some of the XHC Conditioner and scrunch it into my hair to refresh it a little, if I've thrashed about in my sleep or it's looking particularly flat, I'll also use some of the Eco Gel and scrunch that in too, both on totally dry hair, and when that has 'dried' or is crunchy looking, scrunch out again with my bare dry hands. Scrunching is key to my routine!

If my hair has any frizz or fly aways I want to tame, I use lube, yes, that lube! It needs to be a water based lube for the ingredients to be suitable, but a small amount of lube can really help smooth out curls. You can also use it on your hands when you SOTC. I've used the Tesco own brand gentle and unflavoured lube and tend to find it helps when I'm pushing day 3 or 4 hair when I tend to have a bit more frizz.


So, my words of warning. Technically, I break a lot of the super strict Curly Girl Method rules with my routine. They don't like lots of scrunching (you shouldn't touch your hair! you'll make frizz!), and very recently they decided that the Superdry conditioner I use isn't CG friendly. All because it has a teeny amount of one ingredient that Lorraine Massey has added to her banned list that a lot of other people are arguing is water soluble and not damaging. So I've opted to keep using it because clearly it's working for my hair, as well as being vegan and cruelty free. I try wherever possible to use cruelty free products, but getting information about some brands and companies is nearly impossible.

Some of the Facebook groups can be REALLY intimidating to a newbie, everything looks really really complicated and the rules seem to constantly change. Me and my Mum both do our own versions of the method but don't follow it 100% because what works for one person's hair, might not work for someone else's. My Mum's hair loves a lo-poo (a gentle type of shampoo), whereas mine loves to be totally shampoo free. Even all my scalp eczema has totally cleared up! I know a lot of people seem blunt in their answers to questions and I'm so sorry, and I am happy to do my best to help you here!

The method is also very focused on Caucasian hair in these groups, despite all the concepts coming from black women. You'll see people with wavy hair tell people with Afro hair that they shouldn't use oil for example, or shout about no combs ever, and I don't like that. What works for 4C Afro hair is going to be totally different to what works for my 3A Caucasian hair, and the focus on Caucasian hair makes me really uncomfortable. It feels like a lot of the Curly Girl language and ideas has been co-opted from the Natural Hair movement with none of the credit and a sudden focus on Caucasian hair. So while yes it works, this method is problematic and I wish more people were more thoughtful in their words and use of hair terms. I am forever seeing white women say their hair 'dreads up' when they are describing matting, and are using dreadlocks as a negative descriptor, or saying their hair is an unruly Afro when it's not gone to their tastes and it's really frustrating. In the UK in particular, hairdressers are often trained with no thought at all for Afro hair, and I can say this because the hairdressing school I attended had NO courses for Afro hair, and when I asked about getting one, none of their tutors were qualified in any Afro hair cutting or care either!

So ultimately, what works for one person's hair, doesn't work for all hair. I 100% think that this method has helped me recover my hair and allowed it to grow, but I don't think being perfectly CG 24/7 is necessary, or productive to insist on. If you want to straighten your hair for a night out a couple of times a year, it is going to cause some damage, but it's not going to destroy all your hard work in one fell swoop now that your products and conditioners aren't damaging your hair.

Hair should be fun, and the method shouldn't be a super serious almost cult like rule book with one woman being heralded as the rule creator. So while I do describe myself as doing the CG method, it's a loose thing, and it's just not that serious!

Much love,
Kitty
xxxxxxx