Chi Chi London Beatrice Curve Dress Review

 

For the longest time I've been wanting to get my hand on a Chi Chi London dress. To be honest I've had no occasion to wear one until now. Me and the bearded wonder have a wedding to attend in a few weeks and I've not really thought about what I'm going to wear as I have so many dresses, and if I'm really honest I ordered this on a whim just to see how it looked but thought I'd have to return it as I have no where to wear it to... that is of course, until I tried it on.

The Beatrice dress from the Curve range comes in sizes 18-26 (mines a 20) but you can get the exact same dress in smaller sizes too. It comes in at £57.99 which I thought was really reasonable for an occasion dress. When it arrived I was instantly pleased with how heavy it seemed without actually being heavy, does that make any sense? It felt like a quality product. 

What I really love is that it's a Bardot neckline which I'm really into at the moment, a bit of off the shoulder action is perfect for summer. I have worn it with a little cardi here but you really don't need to. It's a really pretty floral fabric, not my usual style at all actually, where's the black?? But I love how girly it is, I really felt like I was ready to attend a summer wedding and it hit me that it would be perfect for the one we're going to that's coming up. Once I had that in my mind, the selfie stick came out. 

While it seems like a heavy fabric it's actually just fairly stiff so it has a lot of structure and keeps you in whilst really showing off your waist without making you want to die. You can still breathe too which is a huge plus. Because the fabric is stiffer the pleated skirt part of the dress really sticks out and has as much volume as my hair after leaving my victory rolls in overnight saturated in hair spray.

Look how much it sticks out! I'm not even wearing a petticoat! I do feel like my back fat is eating at the waist band a little but a little shapewear should smooth that out nicely. I have to say, I am a little bit in love with this dress, I really don't think I can face sending it back and I think I will just have to find a place for it in my ever shrinking wardrobe. Shame. NOT! Welcome my friend.

This is not a sponsored post, I just bloody love this dress! I think if you sign up to their newsletter you'll get 10% off too!

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Pretty Pastels And Florals From Primark

This weekend we took a day trip down to Southampton, my mum stock up at Fabric Land there for her sewing business and they have great shopping there. We also have family there which is why we go so much, otherwise it'd be a long trip for lycra. It was really hot all weekend but especially Saturday, and while I'm trying to snap out of dressing for winter 24/7 I still find myself wearing black jeans and cardigans almost constantly. As I did that day, black jeans, black strap top and black and pink mini kimono - which was light, but still.

So after we got four huge bags of lycra we dumped the bags at my brother's place and headed to Primark. I spent four years of my life working there, some at this store actually so going in midday on a Saturday does not worry me. I know how to shop in Primark, I know how it lives and how it works...I know where the good clothes hide and how the sizing works. Something, I probably shouldn't be too proud of but I am, it's like a marathon and if you don't take it seriously - you won't survive. 

It's nearing the end of the month but I still couldn't resist spending £57 on a few items of clothing but mainly accessories. The first item I found was a blue skirt which fell just below the knee, and I mean 'just'. The thighs don't really come out often so this skirt covers them just enough that I won't wear tights. I love the vintage cute and fullness of this skirt (£10), it also has a pretty and subtle floral pattern which gives it a nice bit of texture without looking like curtains...although I'd still wear a skirt made from old curtains. 

I've seen some prom dresses by Scarlett & Jo in Evans which I love the look of, but want something a bit lighter for the day so tried to re-create the vibe of the look. I found some of their basic round neck tops for £3.50 each which sits really nicely under the skirt. It also covers a good amount of my chest without any spillage - always a bonus, but still looks flattering.

I've always stayed away from belt, why? No idea! But I'm definitely a lover of waist belts. I picked up these beauties from £1 to £2.50 each. I'm not going to lie, I bought a couple of these because they're Figaro colours...the others because they'd look pretty with some of my rockabilly dresses. I teamed the outfit with the back and gold bow belt, it fits really well and is really cute. Must find other things to wear the others with! 

A few of the other things I bought were two chunky floral and pastel necklaces. They make quite a statement and not normally something I would go for but I think they're really summery and WILL make an effort to wear more jewellery. I love the wire headband I picked up, I have a couple proper ones at home but this was a nice light one to wear, I have a weird shaped head and the bigger ones can often shift around but I'm hoping this one holds a bit better.

 

One of my favourite purchases was this mint satchel bag, again, most of what I bought was to match my car. I have zero shame and I don't care. I will not be happy until I find a mint coloured dress with the perfect cut...but I may just make one. 

I bought a few other little essentials that weren't noteworthy but I find that place so good for all the little thing, there are gems there but you do have to hunt if you're not a size ten and 5"8 to get things to fit as you want when you have a particular idea like I did. Luckily, I found exactly what I was looking for. We also stopped for a quick bite to eat at a new American style diner Buzz in Southampton, do the biggest portion of non-sharing wings I've seen, alco milkshakes and epic burgers. My favourite was the chef's gourmet special - anything with a slab of goat's cheese is a winner in my books. 

There were also these amazing wedding cars on Above Bar Street...totally want something
like this in my life.

Hopefully there'll be more posts of me looking like an actual girl...probably still in black.

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Summer's Coming!

I'm not usually one to embrace summer, sunshine? Yes. Excessive heat? Naaaaaah. But I am definitely looking forward to some sun, so I did a little shopping to get me in the mood.

I got a little haul from Primark, I used to work there so I know how to dig out the gems and find the good stuff. My favourite buys were these sunglasses, perfect for driving in my Nissan Figaro no? Costing only £3 I couldn't resist, I have a bit of a sunglasses obsession every season. The next is this kimono costing £13, I'm not normally one for the pink floral Hawaiian theme but I'm kinda loving it this year. I actually bought it two sizes small as it's so big it wasn't an issue. 

 

I also found this cute pink and pineapple sleeveless top for only £6, you can't say no really. It kind of falls into the tiki rockabilly theme too so I couldn't put it down. 

I wore the pineapple top and sunglasses while going to a car boot in search of vintage finds...where I found this picnic hamper! Costing me only £6 I didn't think it was too bad, it's not lined or filled but I think I'll match it to my back seat cover I did in pale green and white polka dot and hopefully find some cute picnic crockery to fill it with.

I was in Southampton this weekend to visit some family and I love the shopping there, the center is great. My little brother is obsessed with Lush and their bathbombs, whenever I'm down I always get him some as a treat and he usually gets a bag full at Christmas time. I did however pick up some Gorilla solid perfume in the 'Lust' fragrance for myself £5. It basically smells like the shop itself, like fizzing bathbombs dipped in sherbert. Can't recommend it enough for a little dab of gorgeous smell. 

Cambridge really needs to get an Urban Outfitters, I only ever look at the home stuff and I do dream about owning one of their Crosley Record Players, but this time I settled for a new drinks container for work, I think it sums it up pretty well. £12 for something that makes me smile every day, totally worth it. 

The last of my purchases came from Bobb-In & Sew and Dunelm Mill, I bought some new fabric, the flower fabric came from Bobb-In & Sew which I'm going to make a top/dress with. The blue fabric was in the sale in Dunelm Mill, it's the same fabric as my back seat cover for my car so I might make another and sell it as I've had some interest in them and there's a really cute blue Figaro it would be perfect for.

 

Watch this space! Who else is looking forward to summer?

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Cath Kidston Inspired Cake Pops

It feels like months since I've made cake pops, and probably because, it actually has been months! Which is a shame as I love making them, I've just been too busy so it was nice to have time to do some properly when asked to make a batch.

This particular batch were to be very pretty, pastel, floral and Cath Kidston inspired. Who doesn't life a bit of Cath Kidston? The colours, flowers, polka dots... it's all too cute and I love it.

I made three designs, two floral ones which were similar but with different base colours and one with polka dots standing up in floral cases. The two floral ones were made from being dipped in coloured white chocolate. Half in pink and half in pale blue.



For the floral part I cut out circles of fondant and set them on the cake pops with royal icing, for the flowers I cut out red fondant with flower plungers, added a gold pearl for the bud and again placed them on with royal icing. For the stalk and leaves I piped on green royal icing and to finish piped white pearls around the design.



The polka dot ones were sooo easy to make and look super cute. I saw these mini cupcake cases in the garden center and the floral design fitted in so well I couldn't pass them by. So when I had dipped the cake pops in white chocolate, just before they were set I put them head down in the cases so they stood up. To make them even sweeter I piped pink polka dots around them and boom, they were finished.

To make them look more professional I wrapped them up in their own little individual cellophane bag and silver tie. When they were finished they looked great and like something out of Laura Ashley and I hear they went down a storm.

I even got to use my Wilton cake pop decorating stand that I got for Christmas for the first time. This shows you just how long it's been since I made them.



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My Birthday Wishlist

It's exactly one month and two days until my birthday, not that I'm counting! And to be honest I think I'm pretty easy to buy for, so this isn't a wishlist as such, in the way that I want people to buy me these things! It's more of like, in an ideal world of money and storage, I would love them :D So it's more for fun, but one day when I'm disgustingly rich and have a huge house, I can buy them all! A lot of what is featured will already have been on My Baking Wishlist, as I still haven't bought them!

One has to be the rolling pin, I think it's quite extravagant for nearly £45, from  Not On The Highstreet but it's sooooo pretty. I want to roll nothing but pastry with it, they effect would look brilliant on a pie. I just really want a porcelain rolling pin too, I only have wooden ones.

I have a bit of a mixing bowl obsession, I love them when I realised they came in more colours than just the plain brown and white, which I think it awful. I have a set of Joseph Joseph bowl which I love, and a beautiful bright red mixing bowl from Tesco which reminds me of a fireman's helmet. But the one I REALLY want is this lilac Mason Cash one from John Lewis.  It's £22 and so pretty I almost can't stand it, it just makes me want to bake a Victoria Sponge! I've seen it a few times but can never justify getting it as I already have a colourful one. But it is cute isn't it.

OK my next one is one my lust list,  I've been looking at it for ages. I'm quite traditional and even though I don't have my own place I really want my own dinner service, I think they'd be great for my baking photography too. I love this set, again from John Lewis called Pipp. It's not actually stupidly expensive, prices start from £3.49, but if you wanted the whole set...it will set you back. I just love how it's quite traditional but with a modern twist, I love the floral patterns but it's not old fashioned at all. It comes in two main colours, blue and pink and the idea is you can buy bits from each colours and mix them so it'll look quite eclectic. Love it!

I'm really into purple it's easily my favourite colour. So it's no surprise these caught my eye in Tesco . I also love Mock Croc so it's a double win. They don't look to bright in this picture but they're a gorgeous purple colour, and patent too just like a handbag. The only problem with this placemat as coaster is that it only comes in a set of four, so you'd have to buy two which is crafty as they're £10.50 a set...still love them though :)

So the last thing on my dream list, and I'm sure you're expecting it to be a mixer - but even I can't ever expect one of those in my wildest dreams! - is an ice cream maker. I know summer is over, but ice cream is brilliant all year round and it would be great to make some great flavoured ones for Christmas. This one is a Kenwood one from Amazon for £19.97 which actually isn't too bad, again I can never seem to justify it if I don't actually NEED it, and I guess I don't. I have tried making it in the freezer before but I just can't get the hang of it.


Images from:
Not On The Highstreet, Tesco, Amazon and John Lewis Pin It Now!