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Wednesday 21 May 2014

#freebeingme

You may have seen my tweets recently (@kathroooon), where I have been covering the work I'm doing with my Brownies at the moment. 

This in itself is not unusual. 

What is unusual, is that what I'm doing with them, is relevant to you all. 

It's the GirlguidingUK latest badge - the Body Confidence badge.


Their "Free Being Me" scheme has been put together in association with Dove, and is a 50 page document full of ideas, conversation starters and the like.

I know some of my Brown Owl contemporaries won't feel comfortable dealing with the topics in this themselves, and it is meant to be delivered by older girls in the movement. But I'm ace and so I jumped right in!

The first activity was to explain to the girls what we were doing, and to their parents. So these little cards came in handy:


We then set about making our Compliment Jars. Which are exactly what they sound like: jars to put compliments in. From each other. How perfect do they sound! We're adding to them every couple of weeks, and they will get theirs to take home at the end of the badgework! 


HOW CUTE!!

This took the entire meeting, getting the jars coloured in, and the compliments to go in them!!

We then tackled the princess issue. 

The wonderful princess who ends up with the handsome prince at the end. So we came up with the words we would use to describe the princess ideal. 

(Can you spot the ones I came up with?)



I then held this up next to my face, and asked the Brownies the differences between the two of us. A rather scary moment, I'm not going to lie! 

They came up with words like "real", "independent" (okay, that one was coaxed a LOT by me), and "happy" - which are words not associated with the princess above!

Next up: Other Cultures. No, not the English GCSE Anthology! 


Beauty from other cultures - with feet binding, leg extensions, tanning, mono brows, whiteness, curves, and bootilicious women. Including this photoshopping from Elle:


Where they decided she looks so much more beautiful without photoshopping! (Which made my heart soar!)

I'll be honest, and I turned this into a game for them, where they were in two teams, and I read out what they were looking for. They then ran to the table they were laid out on, and picked up the photo (or photos), that I was talking about. It was a great way to get the message across without being too preachy. 

I was also very mean, and gave my girls homework. I know, I know, they get enough from school, but I really wanted them to think about who their Real Role Model (someone they know from real life - I know, I dislike the title too, like Gabourey Sidibe isn't REAL!) was! 

And this happened:


I was her "Real Role Model"!! Me. And I got rather emotional. 

This project was something I got super excited about when it was announced, and I am so glad I started it with my girls. But this just makes me so happy to be a part of this movement that allows me to be a role model to girls. We all need someone to show us we're amazing as we are, and how helpful they've been, or how much they make you laugh. 

I'm only half way through, but this has been amazing. 

After half term, I'm taking my makeup before the meeting to see if anyone notices. It's the week of the photoshop spot the difference too, so it seems appropriate. 

Much love my lovelies, 


K x





Friday 16 May 2014

Introducing The Curve

When Georgina, over at She Might Be blogged about The Curve, I was keen to head over to their website and stalk their wares!

And I was rather annoyed at what I saw:


And instead of approaching the brand, and talking to them, I just ranted about them on twitter instead. Oh, here comes another brand that doesn't understand us - yadda yadda. 

But then I was rather embarrassed to be contacted by them, and asked if I would email my concerns to them so they can address them.

I train my staff to be proactive on social media, but I never thought I would be the receiver of such good social media practice. 

I outlined my concern with the use of the phrase 'real girls' and how it created an 'us and them' situation - when body positivity is a battle everyone is fighting, not just plussize women - so don't put one body type down in order to raise another. How about all bodies are great bodies and be done with it!!

I'm going off point here. 

The fact was, The Curve had not thought of it being read in that way. They were referring to women who wanted fashion forward, on trend clothes for their size. It was that simple for them. I was assured that they would change their website and remove that slogan. 

It is no longer on their website. WIN!

I also pointed out how limiting their size range is - going up to a 22, which can be bought in ASDA, Tesco, Sainsbury's etc, meant a lot of my friends, and you lovely readers of mine, would be sized out of their amazing clothes. 

I have been assured that is because they are new and starting out, and that future collections would have an extended size. WOOOO HOOOO!!

Gobbing off on Social Media had a result! I had my concerns addressed, and promises made that they would be fixed for future collections. 

When they then offered me some of their spring collection to review, I was over the moon, and keen to pair these:



I went for their biggest, the size 22, and hoped for the best!

I'll be honest, the packaging made my night! 

A sturdy box, with the items carefully wrapped in tissue paper, it honestly felt like Christmas - THE BOX!!



Sadly, the skirt and the top did not fit - a very very snug 22 (or I am used to more generous sized 22's, one of the two) - the top was tight everywhere, on the arms and across the chest especially, whereas the skirt didn't cover my ample bottom, but was so so so pretty, I was thinking of wearing as belt, but even then realised it didn't really fit my waist enough either!

Look at the cut out detail!!


I was so hoping these would work, and I had planned on this being a rather swanky post - I mean check out my pictures:


But then a photobombing cat sort of ruined the effect really...

They also sent over this Power Blazer:


Which I wore very much as a cardigan more than a blazer:



But I'm looking forward to playing with it in a less pouffy skirt to see if I can get the jacket to look more business formal than dress down chic. I am working on it, promise!!

So, to recap - The Curve, a great new venture which is learning and grows and somewhere to look for great quality, finishing details and something completely different. Sadly not for me at the moment due to the size range, but once it expands, I'll be back!


Much love my lovelies,

K x

Thursday 15 May 2014

Why Events like #bloggersteaspoon Matter

Something I didn't really touch on in my last post was the reason behind it. I mean, teaspoon for a tea party kinda makes sense doesn't it. It doesn't make you question why it's called that. Heh, a little clever play on words there. 

Unless you're a #spoonie, or know someone who is, then the idea of there being a Spoon event makes even  more sense. (More information on Spoon theory can be found here)

Spoons: I don't have enough spoons for this. 
Spoons: I ran out of spoons an hour ago. 
Spoons = a unit of energy, if you like. And being a spoonie, you have much less than other people around you seem to have. 

You can't tell if someone is a fellow spoonie. Although over time it may become clear, but hey, that's the joy of the invisible disabilities. 

I have one. If you've followed me for a while you might remember this. Fact is, I've been flare up free for about a year and half now, but I feel like I'm slipping down that slow incline where my pain condition is getting worse by the day, just not by enough to warrant a trip to the doctors. Not yet anyway. 

So, #bloggersteaspoon was an event to raise money for LupusUK, and I for one knew a little about the condition from fellow spoonies, but it was refreshing to see a room full of people intrigued by this charity, and wanting to know more. And to me, that was more valuable than the £193 we raised. You can't put a value on that knowledge, that realisation that although you may seem like an able person, underneath is a different story. 

Much love my lovelies,

K x 

Sunday 11 May 2014

Blogger Teaspoon Weekend!

The weekend as a whole has been pretty darn eventful!

Getting through to the next stage in my Chase audition, having Beth over to stay, heading off to my first local blogging event, before heading off to a date straight after! Phew! No wonder my idea of excitement today was ironing!!

Beth was visiting to not only meet the lovely Maggie:


But also to come to the Blogger Teaspoon event, organised by the lush Rachel and Becca:

Picture taken from Rachel's IG

While Beth was downstairs getting hooked on the Gilmore Girls, I was working on my quiiff (massively overdue a hair cut, so quiffs AHOY!):


And, with my Pink Clove Ballerina dress, I was ready to go!


Beth and I hopped onto the metro, and headed into town, meeting the ladies who would all later occupy the 'loudest (read: bestest) table in the room!': Emily, Lou, Charlotte, and of course, Beth and myself. We also met up with the lovely Hannah, Jay and Simone, and I Brown Owl marched them all up to the venue: the delightful Salsa Cafe

The teaspoon team had done an amazing job, as upstairs had been turned into a rustic tearoom!




Which looked like this after about an hour!


The tea from TeaPigs was an unexpected treat (I was hoping for Yorkshire tea in on tap, but...) - the popcorn tea was perfect. I got about 4 cups out of the one bag as well which was unexpected!!


Although, I'm sure what I will remember the most about the event, was the company, the welcoming feel and the laughs. Oh the LAUGHS!

But more than anything, it was how heartfelt Rachel's speech was, it was the fact that the charity which means so much to her is now £193 better off, all down to her and Becca's hard work. 

It was the fact that while most of us were enjoying TeaPigs in our tea cups, some of us (Rachel) were having wine in theirs:


So much so, I can't wait for the next one, for getting to chat to Doris some, and winning a perfect plaque in the raffle:

Doris and Rachel

Prize on my mantle piece!

And after this wonderful afternoon, I headed off to my date with 'Owl Boy' or Steve. 

All in all, a great Saturday, meeting new people I'd love to add into my life, and so so many laughs

Much love my lovelies, 

K x

Sunday 4 May 2014

Monochrome Floral Prints with New Look Inspire

Dress 1: Floral Stripe Flare Dress
Dress 2: Daisy Print Swing Dress
Dress 3: Daisy Print Shirt Dress


New Look have upped their game when it comes to on trend plussize items, stepping away from slogan tees and baggy jeans!

The trend of daisies seems to be taking us from the spring fashions into our summer trends. When New Look asked me to pick an item to review, I was keen to see how daisies are brought into the summer months, so opted for the shirt dress to try!

Now, I got the 22 in the shirt dress and I really should have thought it through and sized up, but the images on the site weren't clear as to whether it was an actual buttoned shirt dress, or a mock one. 


It was a shirt dress. With buttons. I gaped. A LOT. But, it looked too good to ignore or return, so I opted to keep!

It was also a little short, due to my bum and boobs eating material, meaning it barely covered my bum at 5'10!


I paired it with leggings and a daisy necklace, but I would happily wear it with jeans and a thick cardigan until the summer comes in earnest!

By the end of the day, I had lost 3 of the buttons, so I'm thinking of getting the dress sewn shut, with the bust open and to be worn with a vest underneath.

Much love my lovelies, 

K x