A Blast at Plus London 2013

So I attended my first Plus London organised by some lovely plus size bloggers, before I went I had so many plans that I would take hundreds of pics and create a fabulous blog with tons of pics to match on these days.  However, in true Twee style that plan went a little bandy from the start.

I was supposed to meet a lovely lady called Sam from Bristol on the train and I duly trotted to Swansea train station in plenty of time sat on the train at at 07:28 a train pulled out just not mine, as you might have guessed (especially those who know me I was sat on the wrong train)  texts and the like were sent to Sam, and I did a desperate dash to Bristol Parkway Station (thanks Mum) but I arrived as Sam's train pulled out!  We did finally meet at Paddington, Sam kindly waited for me and I arrived half an hour late.

Sam and me having met

We then headed to Hoxton Arches where the event was being held.  I have to admit I felt a little intimidated by the fabulous, glamourous and downright sexy bloggers who I follow and styles I admire.  I looked at the stalls buying an amazing "Your the one for me Fatty" necklace from the very talented and lovely Charlotte at Blackheart Creatives, admired clothes on the stalls and discovered from my choices at the Simply Be stall that I still have not got over my fascination with Alexis Carrington Colby from Dynasty as my choices veered towards 80's stylee with sequins and a silver biker jacket on my lust list.

I had a fab fitting from Curvy Kate and the bra I tried on will be on my list of things to buy.  Listened to a talk and q and a from Blackheart creatives and Twisted Siren about their brands.  Had a photoshoot with amazing Blast that was much more self conscious than those taken after dark.  Then a my make up done by lovely Betty Pamper, there is a nice pic on her website.

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After chatting with several wonderful women and finally meeting up with the very sweet Mookie, we headed to our accommodation, ate, had a few drinks, visited a old school friend in the Hoxton area before heading back to After Dark.

At after dark Lauren greeted me with a chub rub shot which helped me get in the mood and with the cool and talented DOMO DJ ing I had a fab night of dancing and meeting lots of great people.  I loved my shoot with Blast after dark, and the night flew after a cheeky kebab  we headed back.

In the morning nursing a bit of a sorry head we headed over to a quiet venue, I chatted with the lovely Rachel from Red Bows and her partner ate cake, but due to a unforeseen footie derby between Swansea and Cardiff headed back earlier than I would have liked.

Thanks to the organisers for the event it left me feeling empowered as a plus size woman who at times struggles and thinks sod it, I should diet, I'm not health or sexy, as seeing all those gorgeous plus size women  doing their thing reminded me that actually we look pretty damn HAWT!

There were so few pics taken by me after my incessant nagging of my husband to find the camera that I have relied on my Blast pics who frankly did it 100 times better than I could have.

Catch Up!

Sorry all for the radio silence!  But I moved in July to Swansea to be with my Mum following my Dad dying last year.

What can I say it has been strange, alien, different and I am more of a southerner than I ever thought I was and I have been more homesick than I thought would ever be possible.  Especially as I was architect of this new venture.

So I have been feeling a bit Meh and poor me!  A bit like in Alice in Wonderland (Tim Burton film not the book) where the mad hatter says: "You used to be much more, muchier!"

Anyway now I am feeling a bit more like myself, I will start blogging again (I intend to find my blasted camera this evening, so you can have pics as well as words)  I have some fun things planned reviews of my favourite brands for bigger girls, a adventure to Plus London, Yorkfest with my good friends and some beauty reviews from my recent hauls.

Ta ta for now type again soon.

Viva Las Vegas or Vicky's adventures in Wonderland.

Me and The Hub at The Vegas sign in my Bettie
Page Dress from The Forum Shops.

I may have mentioned Vegas is my happy place.  I had always been slightly obsessed with the idea of a Vegas and the idea of Americana Kitsch, the rat pack and sin in the desert.  So 10 years ago the Hub and I sealed the deal, there in Las Vegas on our first visit, and what can I say the lady sunk her claws in us deeply and for the next 2 years we went back religiously until houses and life got in the way.

Then this year we finally got the chance to return, sure the lady had changed swapping the kitsch theming of the 90's with a glossy Kadashian Luxe style Vegas, full of swanky new hotels like the Cosmopolitan (pictures to follow) but I still love it!

So I thought I would post a sort of photo Blog of my hol in Vegas!

My beautiful Hotel Room - In the Flamingo Las Vegas (God I  loved that  shower)

The Hotel gardens Complete with Flamingoes

Of course despite the Flamingo being very nice, it was necessary to leave the hotel.  Although The Strip is magnificent and breathtaking and generally pretty awesome.  I really loved Fremont Street, on Friday nights they have bands down there playing on Fridays and Saturdays at The Fremont Street Experience which is a giant canopy over the street with an LED light show on it, (the band playing the night we were there were the Scissor Sisters meets the B52's and playing 80's covers) and further up is an area called Fremont Street East crammed full of cool bars like The Beauty Bar which is done out like a beauty parlor circa the 50's and Insert Coins which has hundreds of retro arcade games.

The 4 Queens Casino

The Fremont Street Experience

The Canopy plays the Queen show

Because even the tequilas are bigger

One of the colourful characters I met on my travels

As well as hanging out on Fremont Street, The Hub and I got tattoos at Club Tattoo (co-owned by a bloke from Linkin Park) My Hub's was done by the lovely and talented Ben Stanton and mine was done by the equally lovely and talented Joe Hart.  The Hub had a Hello Kitty and me a cocktail glass (well it is Vegas)  If you go to Vegas and want a tattoo I think this is quite a good place, it is in The Miracle Mile Shops.

So I have probably bored you enough for one post, but I will follow with some pictures of inside the hotels, The Strip, Food and cocktails, people dressed up and me posing shamelessly with them and the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead.

But here is a pic of The Strip to leave you with:

Bright lights city

Kiss Nail Dress - A review

I love pretty nails, but I must confess I am pretty bloody hopeless at doing them.  So for special occasions I usually end up at the local beauty salon or begging a friend to do my nails or for hols getting Shellac if there is any chance of the pretty nails lasting the week.

Whilst on holiday in Vegas every Mall I went in had little stalls selling nail art stencils or what I am trying today nail wraps.  I didn't buy these in the mall but in Walgreen's (that place may be my spiritual nirvana more beauty bits than you can imagine and alcohol and snacks - I LOVE it!) Whilst in there I bought these by a brand called Kiss (not sure if you can get these here or not) and a Sally Hansen tatoo design set.

As seen in the box (Sorry Luddite me couldn't rotate the picture)

My super work station

So this afternoon in my highly jet lagged state I decided I would set to work.  It sounded simple right I stick them to my nail, fold them under and file the excess off - No probs even for a novice like me.  With one nail done and 2 wraps already destroyed I called for help from my beloved as the suckers curl up before I had chance to get them on my nail and once stuck to each other are tricky to get apart again, so between us we managed to stick the rest to my nails and they turned out ok, I think!

Finished result (sorry not the best picture)

So Here's the good.
Once they are on they are simple and it is easy to file the excess off.
It allows pretty fancy nails in a fraction of the time nail art would and I can imagine if you can do nail art it would be a mere stroll in the park,

The bad -
They don't fit and seem to be made for people with giant nails - to get them to fit we had to cut them down.
They curl up quickly and then seem impossible to try apart, which meant a few got wrecked before I had a hand from my beautiful helper.

Ultimately would I use them again, yes probably if I had someone to help.  However, I was a little disappointed with their staying power and found the ends did wear off a bit after a couple of days and that any bits that were slightly on the skin did start to come up, so I think it would have to be for a special occassion.

OOTD - A Vegas outfit

I am just back from Vegas, not very stylish at the moment in my Dangermouse sweatshirt and jeans that are a bit tighter than when I left.
One good thing about being on holiday is I can indulge my love of dresses as working with kids I don't get to wear my pretty print dresses as much as I would like.
I haven't got a full length picture but this is of me in my favourite Limb dress

I gave teamed it with a H by Henry Holland Denim Jacket (although it was generally roasting there were a couple of colder days) and a pair of black patent ballet flats from Next which you can't see.
My jewelry is a necklace from the Hairy Growler an amazing jeweler who makes jewelry out of old coins and a pair of earrings bought for a quid in the Dotty P sale.
I will post some more info and pics on my Vegas trip soon.

Fishing Girls Dress - Vanity Project by Limb

Denim Jacket - H by Henry Holland at Debenhams

Ballet Flats - Next

Sunglasses - A stall in Vegas

Earrings - Dotty P

Necklace - The Hairy Growler

Me, Me, Marvelous Me!

As well as trying to Blog, myself I read a lot of other people's blogs and I have noticed a lot of these posts, so I thought I would indulge you with these fascinating facts about me.

1. As a child I was obsessed with Hollywood and wanted to be a 50's movie star.  There was a really old book in my house which was a movie star annual from the late 50's and I used to pour over it obsessively.
2. I had skin cancer in my left eye (I know, I didn't know you could get in there either)
3. Not satisfied with having Skin Cancer in my eye I had 2 separate tumors which apparently is unusual.  The eye Geeks at Bart's were very excited about this.
4. I have a brown Staffrador (A Lab cross Staff) called Beyonce.
5. I lived with over 200 people before I was 18.
6. I once bought a wonderful Britvic Pineapple at a jumble sale for 5p when I was about 10 and used it as a teenager to make paper mache in ruining it forever!!!!
7. I have 4 tattoos getting the first one at 30.
8. My best friends tend to be Leo or Gemini although I do have a soft spot for Pisces.
9. When I was 17 I spent a year in America doing the final year of High School.
10. I used to believe that the Devil came up from the toilet when you flushed it (I was about 5)
11. I am slightly obsessed with Jarvis Cocker from Pulp, I once saw him in the crowd at Latitude and tried to talk to him.  He looked at me like I was mad.
12. I have not had my natural colour hair since I was about 11.
13. I am obsessed with kitsch print dresses and own: a wizard of oz, star trek, Gnomes, Care Bears, fishing girls and cowgirl print dresses.
14. I dream of owning a book shop and cafe.
15. I get very angry if my sleep is disturbed by my Husband, who calls me the sleep dragon.
16. My favourite kids show was Charlton and the Wheelies.
17. I got married in Las Vegas, but not by Elvis.
18. Serial Killer films scare me.
19. I lose something at least once a day.
20. I love books and try to read one a week.
21. If I could write like anyone else it would be Maggie O'Farrell.
22. I love to travel and would love to go to Peru and Tokyo,
23. I used to be scared to sleep in case I was a figment of someones imagination and was scared if I went to sleep they would stop imagining me.
24. My favourite colour is Green.
25. I am slightly obsessed with old Vegas, when I went for the first time I was devastated the Desert Inn was gone because I didn't know, as the guide books were still saying it was there.
26. I once was a bar hostess in Greece.
27. I fear I am a very bad driver as I probably have had over a hundred lessons and am still no where near test standard.
28. I love teen movies especially 80's ones and spent most of my teenage years wanting to be Molly Ringwald.
29. I am a massive hoarder and dream of being able to put things in the bin in a ruthless manner.
30. The name for this blog came from my friend Jill from uni, who nicknamed me Twee and used to say when I came out with random things and jumped from subject to subject (as I do) "Ah, the randomness of Twee!" 

Plus size Princess

I will let you into a little (well not so little secret)  I am a plus size princess.  What do I mean by this?  Well I am plus size, Overweight, Voluptuous, Curvy or just plain fat, whatever you want to call it and do you know what I don't have a problem with it.  The only part I hate is a double chin but that's life!

I decided a year or so ago that I would not wait to be thin to participate in life so since then I have tried Zumba, Burlesque and basically do anything that makes my heart sing a happy tune, cos life is way too short not to do what you want or to eat delicious food and I am not going to apologise for that, just to appease people with opinions or problems with my fleshiness!

So now my attitude is if I want to try coloured skinny jeans I will and I will probably rock them cos I am pretty awesome, and that life is too short to wait for something till I reach a desired number on the scale.  That is not to say that I intend to get bigger and bigger and indulge myself in an epic Romanesque orgy of eating, I am just going to enjoy life and exercising.

As for fashion I will not dress in a tunic so as not to offend people's eyes, I will enjoy fashion and clothes and if you don't like it, it is other people's problem not mine.

Me in my burly girl outfit 

Long Time No See

Hello, I apologize I have been so very quiet on here.  If I am honest firstly I got busy as I got a new jobbins and following that I got a bit emo following the death of my precious Dad, and since then I have a bit (well a lot) lost.  My mojo has left the building and I have to admit I have not written a jot recently.
So I thought the least I could do is post a picture of the pretty dress I wore for Emma's wedding.  It is from the rather wonderful Limb clothing,  who also provided the dress I wore for my Dad's funeral.

The dress for the wedding not the funeral.

Thanks to the lovely Fran for her help in getting both dresses and I can't wait to get another.

And here is the pic of me wearing it with my lovely Hub.  We may have drank a few glasses of vino and a couple of shots by this point.

And in case you were interested, this is the one I wore for the funeral of my lovely Papa Dave.

I think he would have approved as he was a bit of a natty dresser, never happier than in a pair of red cords or a hat.
So enough of this pity party as even in darkness I believe there is good stuff, so here is my list of good stuff that has happened since I last blogged:

1. My friend Emma got married and is expecting Baba Baldwin (number 3)
2. I may be going to Las Vegas (well I am wheeeeeeeeee)
3. I cut off my hair.
4. I discovered chocolate peanut butter brownies at The Greedy Cow in Margate.
5. I had a very nice Owl tattoo on my foot (Thanks Martin at Tribal Nation)
6. I discovered Vampire Bunnies dresses and the Hub bought me a rather spanky Care Bears one for Christmas.
7. I now appreciate my friends and family more than ever.

So what can you expect from me now, well I will try to blog at least weekly with reviews on restaurants, my adventures, perhaps a little fatshion (as a plus size princess I try to be stylish) and other random Mc Guffins that float through my head.