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Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Friday, 16 December 2016

Wheelchair Fashion: Only 8 more Sleeps till Christmas...


The festive season is very low key in my family. The house really isn't big enough for a Christmas Tree - we used to have one when we were kids that went up Christmas Eve & came down Boxing Day - & we don't really do any other decorating. That's not that we don't celebrate in our own way but it's more 'Happy Holidays' than 'MERRY CHRISTMAS' you know? Plus I'm always extra sick over Christmas so we are even quieter than we were before I got sick.
The one, over the top, glitzy, 'MERRY CHRISTMAS' thing I go nuts for is the festive clothes. The festive season is the one time of the year where you can wear the most fun, sparkly, glamorous clothes. Or at least buy them, put them in your wardrobe & never wear them. I have totally done that, like more than once.


Christmas fashion being the best part of the whole thing (in my opinion) I was really happy to treat myself to this outfit. I had thought it was a massive splurge & that none of the pieces would be re-wearable but I actually really love them, despite their quirks.
The top is from Collectif Clothing (£53.50, UK sizes 6-22. I chose an 18). I seriously love this top, it's comfortable, easy to get on & it feels like I'm wearing shapewear even if I'm not. Plus that neck line is incredible, I wouldn't have thought it would work for me but it is super cute & is making me re-think what looks good on me.
It has a few quirks though. Firstly, it hates boobs. Seriously. I had 4 safety pins on this & it still kept moving around. It was literally impossible to keep the shawl bit at the back down without the safety pins, I was thinking of adding masking tape at one point. Now this may be because I got it smaller than my usual size based off of the size guide on Top Vintage.net. but I'm not sure that it would have looked as good if I'd gotten it any bigger though.
Also the zip is a bit tricky, after the first few times it stopped going up over the area where the ruching starts. That's pretty standard. waistbands & ruching are really hard to set a zip into but it's a little annoying. It's a pay off though, I'm happy the zip is in the side, even if it means that it doesn't totally unzip...
Don't let that put you off though, it is totally possible to hide the safety pins. Plus, I got my younger brother to try it on to see how it would work on someone with no curves. I was convinced it wouldn't work but it was AMAZING. This top creates curves, it's legitimately magic. I recommend it to anyone wanting something sparkly to wear during the festive season.


The skirt. Legitimately the best skirt I've bought all year, if not the best item of clothing I got all year.
The skirt is also from Collectif Clothing (£69 UK sizes 6-22, I wear a 22). The fullness is amazing, the fabric is stunning & there is a light layer of netting inside it that acts as a very thin petticoat. It's thin enough that you could wear a petticoat if you wanted but enough that it gives the skirt shape.
My only problem is the length of the skirt. In my chair it's not too bad, & as most electric chairs are even taller than mine it probably wouldn't be a problem for them either, but it might be one to avoid if you use a manual chair simply because it's so long & full.

The belt is from Modcloth (£29.99, sizes S/M & M/L, available in 4 colours) it's actually slightly too small for me but I extend my belts with ribbon when they are too small, yet another quirk of this outfit. The tights & shoes are old, M&S & accessorize respectively I think.


Oh & the necklace is from a small independent sell that doesn't sell online unfortunately because this is really cool, it's both a necklace & a broach making it multipurpose. It's a piece of coniferous tree (I think a kind of fir?) that has been coated in silver. Very festive no?

What's your idea of festive fashion? How do you celebrate Christmas?

Happy Holidays everyone. 


Sunday, 20 December 2015

Wheelchair Fashion: Holiday Pastels


Wow, I seriously need a hair cut! And I totally need to get dressed up in my pretty clothes more often...I think this is probably the first time since I stopped doing outfit posts & it feels like it's been years.

My brain is seriously mush so I am struggling to come up with anything to say in this post so I'm going to focus on facts.


When I gained all my weight recently I had to get rid of my tulle skirts. More than any of the clothes I had to get rid of (some of which I'd had since I was still in high school) getting rid of my tulle skirts hurt the most. I'm not exactly sure why but my tulle skirts meant a lot to me & I hated the idea of getting rid of them.
Luckily Modcloth came out with nearly identical tulle skirts in my size only days later :) They are not the same as my old ones, obviously; the tulle is slightly less soft, the lining is slightly less stiff & the waist band doesn't sit quite right. All that aside, putting this on felt like greeting an old friend, it made me feel happy all day...even after I'd gotten back into my pjs :)


The top is another purchase from after I gained weight, it is the Lily top from Heart of Haute & I seriously can't recommend it enough! I have it in both the white & the blue & I love it so much :)

The shoes are from B.A.I.T. footwear & the bag & belt are both old.

A quick hint for non elastic belts like this one. I extend my belts with ribbon looping it through the buckle & the holes where the buckle is supposed to fasten...and then I get someone else to tie it so I don't have to see how much ribbon gets used lol :)

Happy Holidays everyone


Friday, 26 December 2014

Christmas Day Fashion


Happy Christmas. I hope you enjoyed/or are enjoying Christmas & are enjoying the rest now it's over (I know I will be). As this is Christmas week it is only right that this week's ootd is what I intend to wear on Christmas day (if I can force myself out of my PJs that is ^^).
This top from ModCloth made a (barely noticeable) appearance in last weeks OOTD post. I've been trying to save it for Christmas because Christmas is one of those weird smart-casual family events where you are kind of expected to wear something new-ish but I have failed dismally.
I think the problem is the colour & the fact it is polka dot, I am powerless to resit ;)

Friday, 12 December 2014

Wheelchair Fashion: Festive Marsala


I don't know if you've heard but apparently Pantone Colour of the year 2015 is Marsala. Normally I think Panatone's colour of the year thing is over hyped & a total waste of time but this year the colour is so pretty I thought I should at least mention it. My favourite accent colour is this kind of burgundy, cranberry, neutrally, red purple colour & if Pantone manage to make it available all year round rather than just in Autumn-Winter I'm happy to pretend that the whole colour of the year thing isn't a joke. (Btw Dulux's colour of the year is copper blush just in case you were interested).

Tuesday, 18 November 2014

Review: No7 Christmas Palettes


I realised a few months ago that I have been buying makeup WAY faster than I've been using it & that - however much I love buying makeup - something had to change. There was no way I was going to be able to use my makeup any faster so I probably had to stop buying.
You would be really proud of me, I had managed more than a month, almost two!.....and then the Christmas collections came out & I lost all sense.

I think the problem is that Christmas is when all the best palettes & sets come out & they are my true weakness. I have probably 20 palettes or gift sets that I keep looking at as if my staring at them will suddenly make them appear in my makeup collection...and yes I know that is crazy ^^
But in reality I don't know what I would do with all that makeup so I limited myself to one palette...and somehow ended up with two.

Tuesday, 24 December 2013
I swear, this is my last christmas post for this year & it's a fun one. A glittery brown smokey eye, minimal face makeup & a bare lip....perfect for a family christmas day

I hope you all have the best possible Christmas & that I'll see you again soon.


Monday, 23 December 2013

Star Chain - Christmas Card Recycling

You have been inundated with Christmas cards, every surface is 6 cards deep & yes they are very nice but it seems a shame to just bin them as soon as Christmas is over. Sound familiar? This really easy & pretty alternative to paper chains could be the answer to your problems.
This is actually a really pretty Christmas decoration & kept my foster brother - who has been known to use every scrap of wrapping paper in the house making paper chains - busy for hours. Plus it taught him the basics of sewing, recycling & focus....this is a magic project.
So, what you need is:

Friday, 20 December 2013

Christmas Round up

Usually I would do a 'Weekly obsessions' post on a Friday but I thought I would sum up my favourite posts from this months Christmas craziness.
I think I got a good range of posts in this list, maybe even one or two you missed or haven't had time to check out yet.
  1. Turkey, Cranberry Sausage Rolls: Christmas flavours always inspire some amazing recipes & I am so proud of this, it is one of the best savoury things I have ever made!

Thursday, 19 December 2013

Fruity Mincemeat Frangipane Tart

I wasn't going to post any more recipes - & then we ran out of mincemeat whilst I was making a mincemeat, frangipane tart. Necessity is the mother of invention & this is one of the best inventions! Mincemeat has never been this good! Oh yeah...I substituted the missing mincemeat with blueberry jam!
You could probably use marmalade but we didn't have any. You could probably use cranberry sauce but we didn't have any. We had blueberry jam & it was incredible!!! You have to try this - it brightens up the taste of the mincemeat & makes it sparkle!
Trying to replicate this was tricky, it wasn't exactly an exact formula in the first place. I think I've got it down now so see what you think.


Wednesday, 18 December 2013

Christmas Party Smokey Eye

I've been doing a Christmas Get Ready With Me series over on my YouTube channel, the last one was a cool, classic vintage look & this one is a Cranberry & Gold/Champagne smokey eye. I even broke out my false lashes!

The concept for this look was a look for a work Christmas party....I have never been to a work Christmas party however so I may have completely missed the mark. You'll have to let me know :)

Tuesday, 17 December 2013

DIY Jam Jar Snowglobe

These things are so cute & really great use of old Christmas cake decorations & jars. They are also a GREAT way to keep little brothers entertained - or even for doing with older kids....they are lots of fun. Plus you can use anything, as you can see, for the figure in the middle. One of these is a lego mini figure for the snow globe that's going to be my brother's Christmas present from my foster brother.

This is the kind of craft that was being done in my primary school for as long as I can remember...these are way cuter though....

Monday, 16 December 2013

Last Minute DIY Gifts

My family is having a DIY Christmas, the concept being that everyone in the immediate family makes the gifts for everyone else...it's turning out to be a lot of fun. You guys should try it.
Even if you aren't having a DIY Christmas, I know you can agree, DIY gifts are the most special...even if you are making them for yourself!
These are my favourite, quick, inexpensive DIY gifts, yours too...as soon as you try them.
 
So, the options are: DIY tinted lip gloss, Marbled Hot Chocolate Melts & Pink Grapefruit Bath Salts.
The lip gloss is crazy simple:

Thursday, 12 December 2013

Christmas Recipies: Mini Stollen

I am 3/8ths German (don't ask, it gets complicated) & so German Christmas biscuits & Stollen are part of the Christmases I grew up with. Stollen, when made right, is moist, buttery, crumbly & crazy flavourful. They are, however a bind to bake because the enriched dough burns before the bread is fully baked (hence the traditional dusting of icing sugar). I was talking to my mum about this & we both agreed that making mini Stollen would eliminate this problem - plus what isn't improved by an extreme of size? (Cake sized cup cakes, mini layer cakes...you see my point?)
Now you have no excuse NOT to make stollen!
There are two schools of thought about Stollen, those pro-marzipan & those against. The Stollen my dad remembers his Grandma making (& that my mum has been trying to replicate for as long as I can remember) is firmly in the anti-marzipan camp. I love marzipan though so I grated a little into the mixture.
This is mostly my mum's recipe so all praise goes out to her & there is always a lot of praise cause it is the best Stollen ever.

Tuesday, 10 December 2013

DIY Shabby Chic Clay Christmas Ornament

So these are my favourite DIY ornaments. They are classy, minimal & a great use of cookie cutters that have been hanging around the back of your cupboards. They are also very, very fashionable this year, I mean look at these ones.
You could create the texture with anything - hand print, buttons, doilies or - like I did - some spare lace. Then use cookie cutters to create the shape you want, a skewer to create a hole & once they're dry some string or wool to string them.

Monday, 9 December 2013

Christmas Gift Guide: Fashion

So, fashion is a difficult thing to gift. You can't really buy people clothes or shoes & this time of year a lot of accessories are nauseating/crap. But there are still those people in your life where fashion is always the right thing to gift. So here are a few fool proof items...or at least that's what I think....

Lily Snowflake Charm Necklace. My brother got me a necklace from this brand & I love it (I wear it everyday).

Saturday, 7 December 2013

Christmas Tag

You would not believe that Christmas isn't my favourite time of year when you've seen my all the blog posts I've been doing. But it really isn't. I don't like Christmas that much, well other than the prep stuff & the gifts....
As you'll see I guess, with this Christmas Tag that I borrowed off of h)ttp://aroundandaroundandupsidedown.blogspot.co.uk/.

Thursday, 5 December 2013

Christmas Recipies: Orange Spiced Marshmallows

OMG! I love making marshmallows but usually they aren't especially appealing to me....I just don't like them. These however are THE BOMB!!!!!
I made some candied orange peel a while ago with all these warm spices & it was the best flavour combination. So when my foster brother asked me to make him some marshmallows for school I thought of making some that were similarly flavoured. They are SO GOOD!!!!

Tuesday, 3 December 2013

DIY Christmas Decorations: Button Wreath

My foster brother get's mental about Christmas as soon as Halloween is over & as soon as the advent calendar goes up he needs to be kept busy otherwise Christmas ends up being cancelled. So this year I thought I'd test kid friendly Christmas decorations on him so I can confirm that all of these are kid friendly (he may be technically 15 but an 8 year old would run circles round him).
Anyway, this one was his favourite so I thought I'd start with it....
There are tutorials for these all over the internet so I won't go into too much detail. All the tutorials I saw did however use wire & wire cutters which aren't exactly kid friendly....or easy for anyone to use.

Monday, 2 December 2013

Christmas Gift Guide: Beauty

This series of Christmas post would not be complete without a post of me lusting over beauty things I can't afford but that I really want. I'm going to claim it's a gift guide but really it is just me feeling sorry for myself...just in case you guys were confused.
So, this is kind of designed for that person in your life who always wants beauty stuff but has everything.

So, I should probably explain each thing...

Thursday, 28 November 2013

Turkey and Cranberry Sausage Rolls - Low Fat, Healthy Christmas

I know I'm British & we don't have Thanksgiving....officially but you guys know how much I love American style food so I did a thanksgiving feast on Sunday & went a little mental with the food. This is something I came up with that I thought you guys would appreciate. It is very simple to make & it is great for Thanksgiving, Christmas Parties & even New Year. Honestly you could make it anytime of year & it'd be fabulous.
I also made these as meatballs (so no pastry at all) which makes them a great, low fat snack or holiday food. It'd be great for people who are wanting to do a healthy Christmas.
They are also really, really easy to make. It's basically an assembly job; soak some dried cranberries in bourbon, add some flavourings to the turkey mince & then put the mixture inside shop bought pastry & bake. Yeah, bourbon. I'm loving this recipe.