I shine all day Sunday

Random Sunday thoughts.


♥ I dyed my hair! This is kind of old news if you follow me on twitter as I posted the picture there a couple of nights ago but I thought I would mention it for those of you who haven't seen it! It was supposed to come out black but it just matched my roots with the ends of my hair, which isn't all bad. I used the new "colour blend foam" by Nice n Easy. I expected that a foam would be much messier than normal hair dye but it was actually very simple. I'm considering going a shade or two darker but not quite yet!


♥ Today I had plans to go to the city today but my plans always seem to change at the last minute and here I am blogging instead! I have been feeling a little off lately and was hoping some shopping would lift my mood - but everything happens for a reason (see below!) The picture above is one of my favorite pictures that I have taken in Dublin. I'm not sure why exactly, and from a photographers point of view its definitely nothing special.. but there's something about that view that keeps me coming back to the very same spot.

♥ Its almost certain that i'll be moving house soon! It sounds rather silly to some people, especially if you don't believe in the paranormal, but i'm convinced the house I currently live in is haunted! I have heard from many people that all of the houses here are built on a very old graveyard which may explain it. Also, there is a newer graveyard that is visible from the front of my house which is quite eerie too. Not too long ago, I woke in the middle of the night and seen what looked like the shape of a lady standing bent over my bed, just watching me. We had a guest over once and he swears there was a thin lady with very long hair sitting on the bed when he walked past another room! That's not the only reason for moving although its part of it. The "new" house needs some work so it will be a couple of weeks before we can move. I'm looking forward to having a new bedroom to decorate, although I need to start saving! I can't decide if I want white or pink walls, or maybe three white and one pink wall.. that might look a bit ridiculous but I plan to have white furniture and don't want my room to resemble a psychiatric hospital either!


♥ I attempted to make pizza and garlic bread and failed miserably. The garlic bread was delicious but major fail on the pizza! I had no mozzarella cheese and came up with the rather genius idea to use cheddar instead (I forgot to take pictures of the pizza after cooking it!) I love cheese and cheddar is one of my favorites so how bad can it be, right? Disgusting (!) - it tasted like smelly feet had melted into the top of the pizza! The sauce was quite nice though, I don't even remember what I used to make it. Tomato, extra virgin olive oil and every spice we had in the kitchen, I got a bit carried away feeling like Jamie Oliver and added a bit of everything to the mixture. I think I will stick to making my grilled cheese sandwiches and stuffed roasted peppers for a little while longer.

♥ I used cheap foot cream (..because I spent all of my money in Primark, bad!) and I think I had some kind of ~allergic reaction~ to it. The tops of my feet are very dry and feel rough, i'm sitting here with Soap and Glory's "righteous butter" layered on, hoping it will fix them up soon! I can't wait until summer, then I can wear sandals and paint my toenails new colors every day. Its just not quite as fun to spend twenty minutes painting your nails then cover them up!



♥ I still can't take my eyes off Awears winter lookbook. I received it two months ago but I still love the pictures. I want to be the girl wearing all of those clothes! If only my budget would allow.

♥ The lovely Victoria of vipxo featured me on her "lookbook of the week" post today. Her blog is lovely and definitely worth a read. I have been following it for months and its an honor to be featured on there! So hello to all of my new followers who found my little blog via Victoria!
Some more pretty blogs to follow: A Twenty-Something, nicolettemason, Bonjour Gazel! and Cats and Rocking Chairs.

Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend!

xoxo

ASOS Curve review part three: Leopard 2 in 1 Dress

This review is long overdue! I took the pictures a couple of weeks ago but never got around to writing up a post about it, better late than never, right?
I have to say this dress was my favorite item from the three I picked out. I loved all of them in their own way but I fell in love with this dress as soon as I laid eyes on it. I struggle with looking my age sometimes, a lot of people tell me I still look about sixteen. This dress makes me feel like a grown up but its still very fun and flirty. The tailored pencil skirt gives the perfect mixture of class and maturity while the leopard print ruffled blouse keeps the dress sexy and playful!

The item: ASOS CURVE Leopard 2 in 1 Dress £40 (its on sale for £32 right now, or £22 in the main range! Get it quick!)



What ASOS say: Two-in-one pencil dress from ASOS CURVE. Featuring a ruffle front blouse in an animal print finish, with ruffled cap sleeves and a contrast pencil skirt with single vent to the back. (Blouse: 100% Polyester *** Skirt: 97% Cotton, 3% Elastane)

This dress was not one of the original items I had picked out. The dress I chose was out of stock so I had to pick another but this confirms the old saying "everything happens for a reason" for me! I love leopard print so that was the first thing that appealed to me, then I noticed the pretty ruffles on the bust and of course I couldn't say no!



ASOS Curve caters for ladies up to size UK 26. I ordered this dress in a size UK 20, which is the smallest size in the Curve collection. (Its also available in their main range too for any of you slimmer ladies who would like to own it!) I thought the dress was very true to size in the waist. There was some extra space, which I expected as i'm a size 16-18. But overall the dress was very fitted. One thing that wasn't-so-great about the sizing was the fact that it was gaping on the bust. I have a 38D chest so my boobs aren't exceptionally large for my size, considering the dress is a size 20 I was a little disappointed that there was gaping. The waist and belly area had more than enough room and it was definitely a true size UK 20 in those places. I have a lot of belly so I was worried that it would not zip up the side or that it would hug my body too tightly but that wasn't a problem at all!



The dress length is 41.75in (taken from the ASOS site) and came to just below my knee. This is not a fault of ASOS but rather my short height! At 5'3, I have this problem with dresses very often. If you're short like me and want to wear this dress how the model does, its very simple and quick to fix the length with a sewing machine! Personally, I quite like the longer length of the dress on me. Usually I assume anything below the knee is "old lady clothes" but I feel it adds to the sophisticated feel of this dress. I love that the skirt is made from cotton, one of my favorite fabrics to wear. Its very soft and feels much more expensive than the low £32 price tag! The blouse is made from polyester which I usually try to avoid but ASOS Curve have changed my mind.

Overall, I love this dress. If any of you girls are looking for a classy, inexpensive dress that will make you feel a million dollars and flatter your curves I would definitely recommend this one. It hugs all of the right places!

If you have been following my outfit posts you are probably thinking this dress isn't very "me" - but that's what I love most about it. One of the most exciting things about fashion is trying new things and taking risks!

xoxo

"Beautiful girls, all over the world.."

(PJ's, not an actual outfit - don't worry! But just incase you're wondering: ♥ Barbie shorts: Topshop *** Sweater: Victorias Secret PINK *** Tank Top: American Eagle *** Socks: Primark ♥ )

I have really big love handles that probably make my butt look much larger than it is. My thighs are flabby and meet at the top. Overall, my legs are shaped like an upside-down triangle. I have bingo wings that resemble jelly when I shake 'em. Everything I eat goes straight to my belly. My body is not proportioned very well at all. But you know what? I wouldn't change a single thing.
I have been 50lbs lighter and found just as many "faults" with my body then too. Truth is, no matter what size you are, you will always want what you don't have. Nobody is perfect. It took me a long time but I love and accept my body. Sure, it gets frustrating when I go shopping and my belly gets in the way of me wearing certain clothes or shopping at certain stores, but I think life is far too short to get hung up on hating yourself. You are so much more than the size tag on your favorite dress. Each and every one of you are beautiful. You don't need to be "lookbook thin" to appreciate and enjoy fashion.

xoxo

OOTD: Love and sequins

♥ Skirt: Dunnes *** Top: New Look *** Shrug: Dunnes *** Shoes: ASOS *** Bracelets: Forever 21 ♥

I have to admit - i'm cheating! This is actually an outfit from a couple of nights ago but I didn't have time to post it then. I kept accessories to a minimum since the shrug is so sparkly and the skirt has little jewels on the pockets! The skirt was made from very low quality material (look at the creasing!), but it only cost €10 and the detail on the pockets outweighed the negatives for me. I should probably stop buying things just because they look pretty, its a bad habit! I picked up the sequin shrug in the "old lady" part of Dunnes. Its not specifically made for older women but they had it on the rail with clothes that are targeted at women who are 40+. I think I made it ~young and hip~. I really like how it doesn't stick into my upper arm fat like most shrugs and cropped cardigans, maybe I will lurk around that part of the store more often!
I was in their store yesterday and decided to have a quick look at the accessory section. I think the quality of their accessories is pretty bad most of the time and I never see anything that is "me". However - I felt accomplished when I discovered a necklace very similar to this Chanel pearl necklace peaking out. So I grabbed it off the rail and it literally fell apart in my hands! I didn't pull it or anything so I was just as shocked as the people standing nearby. The floor was covered in pearls and my cheeks were tomato-red! I get embarrassed easy, huh?!

I got a comment on here recently saying that I don't update my blog enough and I need to "step up". I just want to address that because its probably something that a few of you have thought about, I know that I sure have.
I love and appreciate every single one of my readers - BUT - I don't blog for other people - I do it for myself. I love blogging, taking pictures for my blog, thinking up ideas for new posts, picking out fonts to compliment the collages and wishlists I post,etc. - that part of blogging is incredibly fun to me (of course I also love interacting with my readers from all over the world and reading their blogs too!)
The not-so-fun is that while I would love to be able to update my blog 7 days a week, its just not possible. Blogging is unfortunately not my job, its just a hobby. I have my own life outside of the internet and I don't want to become anti-social just so I can update my blog more often! I blog when I want to, if I think my outfit looks good or I have something to share with everyone - I will update my blog. But some days I wear boring outfits or i'm too busy with other things going on in my life. I could try to blog every day but then I wouldn't be doing what I feel comfortable with and I think my blog would be a lot more boring if it were full of posts that I dislike and don't feel passionate about!
When I do take outfit pictures, I have to move a lot of furniture to stand against that pink wall. I can't take pictures anywhere else in my room because its cramped and I don't have anyone who wants to follow me around daily snapping pictures of my clothes (though it would be lovely and make OOTD posts much easier!) so sometimes I just don't have the time to do that.
I try to update my blog at least twice a week, they may not always be outfit posts but they are posts that I am happy with and feel they represent who I am and how I want my blog. I think its better to have a blog you love and feel proud of than one you resent because you're trying too hard to please everyone else!

The winner of my last giveaway is....comment #92 aka. "The Merry Traveller"! Congrats lady! Please email your address to pearlslaceandruffles [at] gmail [dot] com and I will mail your goodies asap!
If you didn't win then don't worry because I have a really great giveaway that i'm very excited about planned for the near future. I know, I know, another giveaway so soon..but I had been planning it for a while and wanted to post it when I reached 1000 followers but this was still active when that happened. It will be the last giveaway I have for a while though. I'll post more on that in the near future so watch this space!

Hope you all had a great Wednesday!

xoxo

A little mash-up of my thoughts!

Hey everyone. So its not a proper OOTD today, I just wanted to show you guys the pretty tights I picked up in Primark. Things like this is what makes me love Primark, they cost me a mere €3.50! I have always wanted bows tattooed on the backs of my thighs but its doubtful I would actually get them - now I can cheat a little by wearing these tights all of the time!

Lately I have been thinking about 2011 and what it means for my blog. I haven't gotten off to the greatest start so far - OOTD's aren't very often these days but I do plan on changing that once i'm better! If you follow me on twitter you will know that I have been unwell lately, a cold first and now some kind of bug. Unlucky, eh? Once I am better I will be back to updating regularly and with lots of pretty dresses since its almost spring!

Another thing that has been on my mind is the slogan of my blog - "a fatshion blog". When I first started blogging my intention was to make this strictly about plus size fashion but that has obviously changed a little. I am fat(and on the lower end of plus sized), but I get inspiration from all kinds of things and I shop at lots of different stores. Sometimes I will buy clothes from a plus size section and other times I will get the size large from the "normal size" part of Forever 21. Sometimes I will be inspired by larger models like Tara Lynn and others I will be inspired by thin women. I have readers of all shapes and sizes and I want every woman, regardless of her age or dress size, to be able to relate to my blog in some way.
I am considering dropping the slogan but then I think about the blogs that come to my mind when I hear the term "fashion blog" and they are not blogs written by plus sized gals and I don't feel like my blog is similar to those blogs at all. So i'm still very unsure what to do! Either way, I just want all of my plus size readers to know that we can take inspiration from thin girls and shop at regular stores too! Its all about finding what works for you and your body.

Lastly a big thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway. I am glad you guys liked the goodies I picked out! I will be announcing the winner in my next post so keep an eye out for that. I'm off to spend my night reading Russel Brands autobiography, can you believe he once looked like this?! Madness!

xoxo

Style crush: Lauren Conrad

If you watch reality television or read womens magazines you already know who Lauren "LC" Conrad is. I first discovered her on "Laguna Beach" all the way back in 2005 and have been "Team Lauren" ever since. Sure, she hooked up with Kristens boyfriend and mocked her behind her back (Steeee-phen!) but she seemed to be the only girl with a sensible head on her shoulders.
Her style hasn't changed drastically since her Laguna Beach days, but that's what I like about her. In many of her looks you can see elements of that beachy SoCal style. I think many of the outfits she wears on the red carpet are a little like a modern day Jackie Kennedy. Very classy, feminine, and overall fabulous. I love that she wears the same things more than once! I hate when celebrities wear a completely new outfit every day. There have been at least five different sets of candid pictures of Lauren wearing her turquoise plaid shirt. Although they broke up many years ago she is often photographed carrying the Chanel purse her ex boyfriend gave to her. However my favorite thing about her style is that its very easy to recreate her looks even if you're shopping on a budget.


I know some bloggers describe her style as boring but I don't agree with that at all. I do think she dresses quite "normal" for a 24 year old in Hollywood, which is definitely a good thing. Nowadays if you're a young woman in Hollywood it seems like you have to dress crazy or scandalous for attention, I like that Lauren is staying true to herself. Plus she is dating my childhood crush Kyle Howard (UNF! Lucky girl) and I discovered how to clip my bangs back without looking a hot mess from her.

So girls, are you an LC fan? What do you love/hate about her style?


PS. Just to remind everyone - my little giveaway ends tomorrow evening at 8PM, so make sure to enter if you haven't already! Good luck to everyone who entered ♥

xoxo

OOTD: Ready for spring.

♥ Top: Dunnes *** Oversized cardigan: Topshop *** Skirt: Primark *** Bag: Primark *** Accessories: Primark, ASOS & Forever 21 *** Socks: Primark *** Flats: Dunnes ♥

Maybe I should have bought the top one size up, I can't complain too much though because I got it on sale for something silly like €3. My knee high socks were also €3 and have adorable little bows on the sides, I cheated and pushed the bows to the back - I think they look better that way. Our weather is still pretty awful so I have been wearing knee high socks a lot. Thankfully its almost spring! Its kind of silly but a huge part of why I love Spring is... Cherry Blossoms. My neighbor has a row of Cherry Blossom trees that lurk above the road outside her house, they make everything look so pretty!
After taking these pictures I realized that I needed a belt to "break up" the outfit. A photograph never lies so I added a cream belt before I left the house. I didn't include the picture of the bag I used but you can see it here, the least useful purse I own but at least it's pretty, eh?

Recently I have been feeling a little bit depressed about my hair again. I know "it could be worse" but its so frustrating to have such thin hair. I know a couple of girls who complain about their hair being too thick but I would love hair like that. Most days i'm afraid to brush my hair because I think a chunk may fall out! I have to go back for more tests related to my vitamin B12 deficiency soon. I can live with being tired a lot and having no energy (okay, its not ideal, but it doesn't ruin my confidence) but hopefully they figure out something to help my hair.

Non-fashion related but have you girls heard the new Britney Spears song "Hold It Against Me"? I just had to mention it because i'm a big Britney fan. I have had it on repeat on my iPod since it was released!

xoxo

ASOS spring 2011 wishlist.

Today I was suckered back in to the world of online shopping. It was more like online window shopping, but it satisfied my craving (for now) I am not too sure of the exact date ASOS released their latest trend collection but I am in love with it! Its called "All-American Girl" and they describe the collection as "Collegiate style meets flirty ‘50s shapes". Neckerchief scarves, full skirts, pretty floral print dresses - check, check and check!

Here are my "Top 5" picks:







♥ ASOS Embroidered Flower Chiffon Dress ♥ ASOS Dolly Spot Pencil Dress ♥ ASOS Broderie Anglaise Shirt Dress ♥ ASOS Floral Cameo Ring With Pearl Surround ♥ ASOS Patent Trim Lady Bag ♥

They don't give off too much of a 50s vibe as individual pieces, but some ankle socks and a knotted headscarf should fix that! I love when clothing from other decades becomes popular again, although I prefer to give it a modern twist than look like i'm living in 1950. You can view the whole collection by clicking here. It was hard for me to pick just 5 items as I would wear almost every single thing.

So ladies, the All-American Girl trend - is it a yay or nay for you?

xoxo

Giveaway. -CLOSED-

UPDATE: This giveaway is closed - thank you to everyone who entered! I will be announcing the winner in the coming days. xoxo

This is just a little giveaway to give something back to my wonderful readers! I really appreciate every comment, follower, email that I get. Thank you all for being so supportive! This isn't too extravagant as i'm on a budget right now and I plan to have another giveaway when I reach 1000 followers. That said, i'm super happy with the items I picked out and I think they represent my blog and my own style very well.
There will only be one winner, however there is a couple of chances for you to win! I will choose the winner using random.org when the giveaway ends and contact you via email (and mention it in a post on here too!)


Here are the goodies one lucky reader will win:





♥ Pearl & chain earrings ♥


♥ Floral corsage headband with pearl and lace detailing ♥


♥ Pretty pearl hair clips ♥





♥ Charming clock necklace (the clock works!) with cute bow and pearl detail ♥


♥ GIVEAWAY "RULES"
* Everyone who follows my blog gets one entry
* You must follow my blog to enter (click "follow" in the sidebar)
* The giveaway is open to everyone - worldwide!
* Giveaway ends on January 18th at 8pm GMT

♥ HOW TO ENTER
* Leave a comment with your name and email address
* If you enter more than once please make a new comment for each entry

♥ OPTIONAL ADDITIONAL ENTRIES
* Post about this giveaway on your blog (sidebar or entry)
* Tweet "@pearlaceruffles is having a giveaway here: http://bit.ly/aFabEJ" on Twitter

Good luck everyone!

xoxo

Pantomime.

Yesterday my family and I went to see a pantomime production in the city. It was held in the Olympia Theatre which is my favorite venue for concerts and theatre performances. Its quite an old building and the decor inside is so beautiful. I have photographed quite a few bands there so it has a special place in my heart! Our seats were in the centre of row 10 so we had a perfect view of everything. I was a little sneaky and took my DSLR camera to snap a few photographs to show you guys. They say no cameras allowed but plenty of camera flashes were going off throughout the day!
The show was a modern take on a classic story and stars Jedward who many people in the UK will know from The X Factor last year. Overall I think it was a great show, although it made my heart sad when the lady who played the fairy godmother was rough and dragged her little helper (a Chihuahua dog) across the stage when he refused to move.








We were lucky enough to have 6 wristbands to meet Jedward after the show. We only needed 3 of them so we gave the others to a special needs girl and her parents who were very grateful. It was so lovely to see her eyes light up when she met them!
My first impressions of Jedward were a] they're incredibly pale, b] they're very thin and c] they aren't as annoying as they appear on stage and tv. Infact I will admit that I have a little crush on John now. We chatted about blink182 for a minute and when I was on my way out the door he called me back to talk about Canon cameras. Canon and blink 182 - my two favorites, of course he woo'ed me! I didn't talk to Edward very much but he seemed nice too. They spent quite a long time talking to me, security kept reminding us that they were under a strict schedule, whoops. He said something as I was leaving but I didn't catch it, oh well.



John and I, I think my face looks a little odd in this picture (whats going on with my nose!) I didn't have enough time to snap pictures for an OOTD post before we left yesterday morning but my top and skirt are from River Island, Topshop cardigan and my purse is Betsey Johnson.


I hope you all are having a great 2011 so far!

xoxo