Something I never thought I'd wear...

Has there ever been something you fancied wearing but thought 'nope, not for me' or 'wouldn't suit me' or even 'how comfortable would that be really....'.

Well, for me, it was dungarees. I think they look great, I used to live in them as a kid! But as an adult, definitely not. I'm bigger on the bottom half than the top, so finding something that fits top and bottom is about as easy as finding hen's teeth.

So when I was in the TU clothing section of Sainsburys earlier this year and saw a pair of spotted dungarees, I wasn't optimistic about the chances of them fitting.

Well, I was right, they didn't fit - because I needed to size down! Unheard of in TU clothing to be honest. I normally find their sizing very much on the small side. Sizing down is not something I've ever had to do before. So that was a good start.

And you know what? I didn't hate them. They weren't too long in the leg, they fitted my thighs and didn't gap at the waist and they were adjustable enough on the top to fit. 

So they came home with me - and I love them. I try to ignore the other half making Andy Pandy comments and doing a speedy trip to the toilet is yet to be mastered. But I think dungarees are back in my life now - and that makes me happy!

Thanks for reading

Cathy
xx

Curve Fashion Festival - Liverpool

Hello there,

I can't believe it's nearly 3 weeks since The Curve Fashion Festival was held in Liverpool. I missed last years, but after going to the 2015 one which was held in Manchester. I was determined not to miss another!

After an epic drive up from Southampton (transportation Star Trek style would be a marvelous thing...) we arrived in Warrington. I say we, my other half was with me, but had his own plans for the day.

The plan was for a leisurely morning and a short trip from Warrington to Liverpool. I hadn't quite planned on such awful weather and a scenic detour through the back roads of Liverpool though. Eventually, flustered and slightly soggy, we arrived.

The obligatory nervous hotel room selfie before the event, and the soggy view from the window.

There seemed to be so much more to look at than I expected, so the I think the best thing I can do is give a visual summary of all the things that caught my eye and the lovely people I met.

The first stand I stopped at was Lindy Bop - so many new prints coming soon (unicorn shoes anybody?).

The very lovely Hayley from Curves and Curls was on the Studio 8 stand

The main sponsors New Look had a huge stand at the end of the hall, I could have spent a small fortune here

River Island (as usual) had some beautiful items

Some other bits and pieces that I loved on the day

And as I always say, the best thing about events like this is catching up with friends and making new ones.

There's always that person who goes to the wrong place for the group photo and then has to run and squeeze in on the end...oh wait...that's me! Oops.

And finally, I need this wall for all future blog photos. It's much nicer than my side wall.

My outfit details were: dress from TU at Sainsburys, size 22 (old), cardigan from Primark, size 20 and trainers from Converse.

The whole day flew by, I met so many people, missed so many people (next time!) and can't wait to do it all again next year (without the rain maybe please).

Thanks for reading

Cathy
xx

Outfit August - 6th August

It's August again and the lovely Leah from Love Leah is running Outfit August. This is the perfect opportunity to shop our wardrobes and find things we'd either forgotten about or fallen out of love with (and a great way to save money by not buying new clothes!).

Today we took a trip to Portsdown Hill. This is right on our doorstep and has beautiful views over Portsmouth Harbour, look closely and you can even spot the Spinnaker Tower too.

For out amble round the fields I was wearing jeans from M&S, my old faithful Primark trainers with a TU t-shirt and kimono top from Dorothy Perkins. All perfect for a bit of ad-hoc blackberry picking.

Check out the other lovely ladies taking part in Outfit August:

Leah
Kate
Mookie
Nikki
Christy
Becky
Christie
Katy

Thanks for reading and I'll try to do as many Outfit August posts as possible!

Cathy
xx

What I wore in August

Hello there,

I might have mentioned this before, but I am really forgetful when it comes to taking OOTD piccies. I wear something that makes me feel fab, then get to the end of the day and think 'photo!'. By which time I'm looking pretty knackered and my in-house photographer (ie the other half) has gone on strike.

So I'm trying something a bit different this time - a round up of outfits from the last month all in one post. To be honest, as I work from home, a lot of what I wear is pretty much the same (gotta love jeans and a t-shirt) so this is hopefully the best way to get some outfit pics on the blog! I'll add details such as sizes because for me personally, I love seeing that on other blogs. It really helps me get an idea of what's available and what could work for me.

Sleeveless cardigan - George at Asda (18)

Striped top - Primark (20)

Denim skirt - M&S,old (22)

Shoes - Primark, old

Bag & sunglasses - charity shop

Mickey t-shirt - Primark, old (20)

Sleeveless cardigan - George at Asda (18)

Jeans - M&S (22)

Shoes - Primark, old

Vest top - M&S (20)

Jeans - M&S (22)

Kimono - charity shop

Shoes - M&S, old

Necklace - Evans

Top - Evans (22)

Jeans - M&S (22)

Shoes - M&S

Unicorn phone case - Ebay

Top - M&S outlet (20)

Denim skirt - M&S, old (22)

Shoes - Primark, old

Necklace - birthday gift (possibly M&S?)

T-shirt - Primark (20)

Kimono - Dorothy Perkins (XL)

Jeans - M&S (22)

Shoes - Primark, old

Bag - charity shop

Sunglasses - Claire's Accessories

Bucket - Brightlingsea's best!

T-shirt - Primark (20)

Skirt - TU @ Sainsburys, old (22)
Shoes - Primark, old
Sunglasses - a magazine freebie

So there you have it, some of the outfits I wore in August. The plan is to try to keep this going as a monthly round-up - it seems to be less stressful than that 'arghh' moment at the end of the day when you remember you've not taken a single photo....

Thanks for reading

Cathy

xx

Shoe haul - TU and Primark

Hello there,

I've been quite ruthless lately and had a major clear out of old shoes, shoes that I'm never going to wear again, shoes that don't fit and those shoes that me wonder 'what the hell was I thinking when I bought them' shoes.

So of course, that left gaps in my wardrobe. But instead of being good, I went shoe hunting. Now in my defence, Sainsburys had a double up promotion on their Nectar Points, so technically I didn't really spend anything...

Anyway, here's what I found from TU at Sainsburys. I really like the shoe range here. I find their sizing true to size and they often seem to have 25% off or a Nectar point promotion.

Now if only I had a beach holiday to wear these on! I don't think they're going to be any good for hiking through the Belgian countryside. But even so, they were so sparkly.

These next shoes are whole lot more suitable for everyday wear. I think they're going to look great with jeans in the spring summer months. But...my goodness they leave glitter everywhere!

And finally - I popped into Primark and spotted these. They're supposed to be beach shoes, but I plan to use them around the house and in the garden. For £4 they're cheap and cheerful for just ambling around.

So that's it - no more shoe purchases this summer - or is that famous last words?

Thanks for reading

Cathy
xx

Outfit August Day Three

Well, it's day Three of Outfit August - and here's my first outfit! As you can probably guess, it's going to be a whenever I have time month. Although I'm keeping fingers and toes crossed that it's going to get less hectic as the days go on.

Outfit August is the brainchild of Leah from Just Me Leah. It's a great way to dig through our wardrobes and see what we have hidden away and just to document what we actually wear every day.

Now I work from home, and although that should in theory give me plenty of time to do lots of photos, I doubt you'll want to see me everyday in my thinking gear as I call it (aka PJs). Or maybe you do...?

Anyway, this is todays outfit. I have a love/hate relationship with this dress. It's a TU dress from Sainsburys and it's featured on the blog before. I don't think it's the most flattering, but boy is it comfy! So for that reason alone, it earns its place in my wardrobe.

Shoes are my old faithful Crocs. They are like slippers, and I'm seriously considering buying them in black. I just can't wear heels now so anything flat is perfect and black will go with anything. Finally the cardie is from Primark. It was much brighter than I realised once I got it home, but I love it anyway.

I added some earrings from Avon. These are an old pair, but Avon is a really good place to look for jewellery. They quite often do quirky pieces that are affordable and they last forever (I'm not an Avon rep - honest!).

These are the other ladies taking part in Outfit August so check them out

Leah
Harriet
Emma
Veronika
Nikki
Woosang
Christy
Charli
Mookie
Lucy
Steph
Natalie
Meshel

Thanks for reading

Cathy
xx

Black summer dress and sweetie handbag - OOTD

Hello there,

Following on from my last OOTD - here's another black outfit. And this one also has a coral theme (I see a pattern developing here).

I mentioned in my last post that I was looking for ideas for places to take blog posts. Now I didn't travel all the way to Gatwick just for these photos, but as I was up there anyway waiting to collect family, it seemed an ideal opportunity.

(this was so out of focus - but hopefully you get the idea - arghh)

The dress is from TU at Sainsburys and is a 22. Now, I often find the sizing at TU a bit odd. Sometimes dresses which are perfect on the bottom half will be too big on top. This one thankfully is ok. It has a button front and is lined. It came with a black belt, but I replaced that with a coral one to match my handbag.

Talking of my handbag, I've seen this in so many magazines and blog posts, I knew I just had to have it. It's from George at Asda and at the moment, our local branch still has plenty in stock. It's a bargain at £8 and surprisingly roomy. I fitted my purse, phone, camera and keys in with no problem. I kept the handle quite short, but it's long enough to have as a cross body bag.

I love this dress, it's casual enough to wear everyday, but easy enough to dress up with smarter shoes and a different belt. I think it's one that will be on the blog again soon.

Thanks for reading

Cathy

xx

Snowflakes and tanks

Hi everyone,

So, it's nearly here and I'm trying hard to wear something a little bit festive everyday.

Earlier in the week I visited Bovington Tank Museum in Dorset. Now I know this isn't everyone's idea of a good day out - but for me it's perfect. I especially like visiting right before Christmas when it can be really quiet and you feel like you're only people in the whole museum. It's become a bit of a Christmas tradition now.

They have different exhibitions through the year and the new ones I saw this time were 'Warhorse to horsepower' - the story of how horses were used during World War I and 'Fury - the exhibition' which tells how the makers of the Brad Pitt Hollywood film Fury used some of the tanks from the collection.

Jumper - Marks and Spencer 20
Jeans - Marks and Spencer 22
Trainers - TU @ Sainsburys
Coat - TU @ Sainsburys 22

Part of the 'Warhorse to Horsepower' exhibition

Even tank museums have Christmas trees!

 

 

 

If you're ever in the area, I would really recommend this as a place to visit. There's plenty to see and you can get up close and personal to the exhibits.

 

Thanks for reading

 

Cathy

xx