Marisota Swimwear Infographic

A blog post about swimwear might seem a little unusual at this time of year, but when the team at Marisota recently asked me to share their new infographic with my readers I wanted to do so straight away. Also, I know that I am not alone in considering taking a holiday over the Christmas break, so swimwear is something that we could potentially be purchasing at any time of year.

Marisota's latest infographic - found here - helps customers find swimwear that fits and flatters their figure.

Image courtesy of Marisota

George at Asda Scuba Floral Fit and Flare Dress: Styled Two Ways

As regular readers will know, I am a long-time fan of George at Asda. So when their team contacted me to ask if I'd like to take part in a dress challenge I jumped at the chance.

The challenge was to pick a dress from their current range, and add accessories etc to make it work for both night and day. I didn't have to stick to items available at George, but I decided to do so as it's a great opportunity for me to show you the wide range of items available on the website.

So, my first decision was which dress to choose. George always has such a huge range of dresses on their website so I was absolutely spoilt for choice and it took me quite some time to decide. In the end, I opted for the 'bargainous' Scuba Floral Fit and Flare Dress (£12.00, UK sizes 4-28):

Image courtesy of George at Asda

Rocket Dog 'Lift Off' Patent Lace Up Wedge Shoe Boots from Barratts

You might have noticed that I've posted several footwear reviews lately, but they have all been for flat or low heel shoes.  I tend to wear this sort of thing most of the time; partly because my job requires me to wear shoes like this, but also because I often find higher heeled shoes uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time and very difficult to walk in.

The exception to this rule are wedges.  I love wedges - they are the perfect way to get height without the discomfort.  Just before Christmas, I was given the opportunity to review some shoes for high street and online retailer Barratts so I gave them a few suggestions for shoes that I liked and they very kindly sent me these beauties:

Image courtesy of Barratts

Simply Be Flock Baroque Print Skater Dress

Have you ever seen a dress on one of your friends and wanted desperately to own one yourself?  Well, that's exactly what happened to me when I saw this post featuring the Simply Be Flock Baroque Print Skater Dress.  

Image courtesy of Simply Be

Simply Be Viva La Diva Pewter Shoes EEE Fit

Shoes.  I love them.  I hate them.  They give me pleasure.  They give me pain.  My troublesome feet make it very difficult for me to find shoes that are comfortable but stylish so I'm always trying different options in the hope that I'll find something that works for me.

I recently placed a reasonably large footwear order with Simply Be.  Amongst the items I ordered were the Viva La Diva Pewter Shoes EEE Fit:

Image courtesy of Simply Be

Simply Be Mary Jane Block Heel Court Shoes EEE Fit

Several weeks ago, I was feeling particularly fed up with having hardly any shoes that fitted me properly and were comfortable so I went on a footwear binge and ordered a TON of shoes from Simply Be.

I have long relied on Simply Be for wide-fitting shoes - did you know they stock footwear in a range of widths all the way up to EEEEE?  I usually find that the EEE works best for me, but this varies depending on the style of the shoe/sandal/boot and sometimes I size up or down in shoe size and/or width.  It's great to have the luxury of options like this, which is not something easily found on the UK high street, so I am eternally thankful for brands like Simply Be who really understand the varying sizing needs for footwear.

When my huge order arrived, I had great fun trying on all the shoes.  I ended up keeping several pairs, with one of them being the Simply Be Mary Jane Block Heel Court Shoes EEE Fit:

Image courtesy of Simply Be

Earth Spirit Mary Jane Shoes from Barratts

I always get very excited when I find new shoes.  That's because my feet make it very difficult to get a good fit, as I discussed in this post.

On a recent trip to Bluewater shopping centre in Kent, I popped into the Barratts store.  Once upon a time, Barratts stores could be found on every high street, but in recent years the company has had to adapt to meet the needs of online shoppers, whilst experiencing a reduced presence in some towns.  However, there are still a number of stores around, and you can find your nearest one by using the Barratts store locator on their website.

Whilst instore, I had a good look around the women's footwear section.  The sale was on so I had plenty of bargain options to choose from.  I was served by a very helpful young lady called Anika and ended up purchasing these lovely Mary Janes by Earth Spirit:

Image courtesy of Barratts

George At Asda Moda Floral Jersey Wrap Dress

I've made no secret of being a huge fan of George at Asda clothing and in particular their Moda range.  It suits my tastes so well - simple, stylish, feminine and flattering.

I was over the moon when I discovered that they had brought out a new fabric design in their classic Moda Jersey Wrap Dress - this time heading in a floral direction!

Image courtesy of George at Asda

Bravissimo Sun Seeker Bikini in Pink

Before my holiday last month, I tried out several bikinis as I was in dire need of a couple of new ones for 2012.  When I saw the Sun Seeker bikini on Bravissimo its colour jumped out at me and I knew I had to add it to my basket.

Image courtesy of Bravissimo

Curvy Kate Daily Boost Bra

I got ever so excited a few months ago when I heard that Curvy Kate would soon have a padded bra available all the way up to a K cup – this is the stuff that my dreams are made of!

Image courtesy of Curvy Kate

10 Years of Gorgeous Lingerie at Debenhams

You'd be forgiven for thinking I'm having a bit of a love-in with Debenhams at the moment.  I've featured their swimwear on here and written about how they are now stocking Elomi lingerie in selected stores, all in the past couple of weeks.

Well, if a retailer does good things, we should shout about it, right?  Certainly people are often all too quick to criticise so I think it's crucial to make a big fuss when something good happens.

And Debenhams have a lot to celebrate at the moment, especially with their own brand 'Gorgeous' lingerie celebrating its 10th birthday this year!

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.

Bravissimo Moulin Rose Bra

Whilst looking through the many bras available on Bravissimo recently, the Moulin Rose caught my eye instantly.

Image courtesy of Bravissimo