"Plus North" Bloggers' Meet

On Saturday 7th July 2012 more than 130 attendees gathered at Aspire Leeds for the greatest event in 2012 - Plus North! It was the brainchild of gorgeous girlies Becky and Toni, with assistance from the ever wonderful Mhairi.

Photo courtesy of Simply Be

It had been hotly anticipated by bloggers far and wide, plus their families and friends in some cases!

I love to shrug!

I have long been a fan of the humble shrug (sometimes called a bolero).  It can completely transform an new outfit or give an old favourite a completely new look.  Over the years I have worn all sorts of different styles, from ones that tie under the bust, to ones with buttons, wrap-arounds and zips.


However, a while ago I found myself in a position with no shrugs at all in my wardrobe.  I am not entirely sure how this happened - I know I sent a lot of things to charity last year but I hadn't realised I had got rid of them all.

Coming Soon - "Plus North" Bloggers' Meet!

Back in February I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a fab bloggers' event called Plus London Two.  It was a great chance for bloggers - especially plus sized - to get together, try on some amazing clothes and lingerie, hob nob and generally have fun.  It was a great event and even though the weather was bad we all had a fantastic time.

In the days to follow, talk turned to plans for a similar event in the north of the country, so that those who had been unable to get to London might be able to attend.  And so Plus North was born!

I have been dyeing for Wallis and Dorothy Perkins dresses...

For many years, I have been a fan of dyeing clothes.  I think my dyeing days started years ago when I wanted a pair of solid black jeans.  With my statistically extreme 'out-in-out' figure, I have always struggled to find jeans that (a) have a high enough rise, (b) fit me in the waist and don't gape at the back, (c) fit me in the leg, and (d) are a shape/style that I want.  But jeans are a whole other post, so I'll stop there with that topic.  


Suffice to say that I found it difficult to get a pair of jeans that met all my requirements AND came in a colour other than 'stonewash'.  So, not to be defeated, I would buy several pairs of these jeans and use dye to make them different colours.  Of course with dyeing you can't get the distressed effect that was sooooo trendy several years ago but at least this gave me options as to the colours I wore on my bottom half.

Gorgeous clothing from George @ Asda

I've been a bit quiet on here lately.  Work is pretty crazy and I have been spending a fair amount of time travelling around the country.  I had hoped to visit Bravissimo in Nottingham last week but sadly I wasn't able to get there in time.  I'd really like to go to a store at some point though as I would like the opportunity to try on different sizes in lots of different styles; something that's impossible to do via mail order.

However, I did get the time to visit a large Asda store near Birmingham on Thursday night.  It had a huge George section (for those of you who don't know, George is the clothing line within the grocery store, Asda) and I spent some time wandering up and down the aisles looking for bargains.

Roman Originals Maxi Dresses

Until just over a year ago, I hadn't worn a skirt or dress for well over 10 years.  I lived in smart tailored trousers which, for the most part, I was pretty happy with.  However, I always found it a problem when buying new trousers as I needed something that either fastened at the side or didn't have that awful front tab fastening system which poked out through my tops, and this was sometimes hard to find.

I had often lusted after maxi skirts and dresses but thought they would not suit my short and curvy frame.  But last summer I was invited to attend a posh do through work and I knew that my usual smart trousers would not be suitable at all.  So I went on a hunt for something suitable and ended up discovering a whole new world of outfits in maxi skirts and dresses.  I haven't worn trousers since :-)  I decided to blog about some of my recent purchases in the hope that others will find it useful to see clothing modelled on someone larger than the catalogue models.

Introduction to me

So...I have finally got round to starting a blog.  It's something I've been meaning to do for a while now as there are many things I'd like to write about.  I hope you find it an interesting read - feel free to comment any time.


I guess I should start with some information about me.  I am a woman in my mid 30s, single (and looking!), with no children or pets.  I live in the south east of England and work close to London.


I am about 5'5" tall (or short, depending on your point of view) and have had a very curvy figure since my teenage years.  This has sometimes been a blessing and sometimes a curse but I am hoping that this blog will help me to see the plus points more often.