This month in continued attempts to stop buying clothes I don’t need, I have been attempting to mine gems from the darkest reaches of my wardrobe.
I have about a million dresses and some just don’t get a look in. Example A would be this dress. It the softest, cosiest easy wear and I do not know why I neglect it. It is brutally cold here, so additional layering is essential. This wee shrug/jumper thing is ideal. Also super soft and cosy. It was a Xmas gift and I love it. I can throw it on with anything for extra warm.
Dress – Monsoon Jumper – Gift Boots – Air Cloudies
The next dress really did come from the deepest depths. I’ve had this one for close to 20yrs. It’s is a magical wrap dress that somehow fits me whatever size I am. I love the vintagey print. The only annoying thing is the tie loosens and it gets a bit heavy on the cleavage. Easily solved by popping a vest on next time.
Dress – Very old H&M. Jumper – Gift
Finally we have yesterday’s outfit. We took Dad out for an early birthday lunch. I wanted to step it up a little, but still look day time. I dug around in my drawers and found this amazing sheer t shirt. The colour is so vibrant, it was just what this jumpsuit needed to causal it down a little bit. I also broke out my jazziest glasses. I adore these specs. They are actually really heavy, so not great for wearing everyday. I do love giving them an outing.
Would you like to see some things I have been wearing lately? Excellent because that’s exactly what this blog is about. It’s all everyday fashion. I spend a lot of time with little people and in Dr’s waiting rooms; so comfort is paramount.
That doesn’t mean I don’t want to look cool. The keys to my winter 23/24 looks are layering & my Air Cloudies. I didn’t really want these boots, but they might be the best thing I have ever bought. Waterproof, fleece lined and cushioned soles. They are actually like walking on clouds. Also, you can fling them in the washing machine. Spoonie friends, you need these.
On the layering front, I like wearing my summer dresses with extras. Stick some tights on, tie up a t shirt & top with a cardi. You’re ready to face the Scottish winter.
This t shirt was a Xmas gift from my sister. I felt a bit teary when I opened it because it highlights how well she knows me. If you don’t want Joni Mitchell lyrics on your chest, fear not they are custom.
T- Shirt – Delicious Monster Tea
I love little floppy mini skirts, but since I cannot gracefully sit or bend, they would definitely result in a lot of flashing. Hence, this skort is one of my fav pieces. All the cuteness of a wee a skirt, with shorts built in to save my blushes. Tights & fluffy cardi make this winter proof. When it comes to tights, it’s always snags. They fit, they don’t fall down & I don’t ladder them on the first wear.
Skort – Simply Be T-Shirt – Curated By Girls Cardigan – ASOS Curve Tights – Snag
I’m 100% an outfit repeater. I don’t really understand the point of not being. I buy clothes that I love and feel good in. Why wouldn’t I want to repeat that experience? Most weeks involve repeats. This one was no different. I swapped my cardigan for a jumper and was good to go again.
Finally, I have today’s look. I fell in love with this jumpsuit the minute I saw it. I adore the zip and contrast stitching. I bought two sizes and even the bigger feels a tiny bit short in the body. Definitely one to size up on. If you have a longer torso, it might not be a winner.
Jumpsuit – Simply Be Tote Bag – Banksy Exhibit
I slipped on another Xmas gift today. This one is from my bestie & sums me pretty well!
I haven’t made New Year’s resolutions since I was a child. At first glance I thought the In & Out trend was just a rebranding. However, on further investigation I have decided that I like this less momentous approach. Instead of massive declarations, we’re just reassessing what everyday things serve us well. Less changing who you are & more smoothing life’s aggravating edges. I’m willing to give it a go.
In
Swimming
More of it. I love swimming. I feel less pain in the water. I can whizz up and down in a manner I haven’t done on land in years. I enjoy it. I don’t know why I so frequently let life get in the way, no more. I’m carving out time every week to indulge in a dip.
Do it for fun.
I am pretty useless at crafty things. I do however enjoy the process. I like pottery and painting and making my own flowery bits. I’m often put off by the fact that the finished product is not grade A. Bugger that, why relinquish pleasure because I’m not good at it? No one is good at everything. Just for the fun it is good enough reason.
Currently reading
I like seeing what others are reading & enjoying. I’m often asked which books are on my shelves. Unfortunately I forget to share as I’m reading. Then when I remember, I have dozens of books I haven’t talked about. This year I will endeavour to share my books as I devour them.
Have a little faith
In my own talent. I know I can write. People pay for my words, lots of folk read this blog, my work has been praised and published for years. I know I can write. Yet, the imposter syndrome is real. Doubt is always creeping in, I drag my feet on some opportunities because I’m not convinced I’m good enough. It has to stop. I’m 43yrs old, I can do this.
Out
Matching Socks
I have various singleton socks. Perfectly nice, soft & cosy socks. Bugger it, I’m pairing up the odd ones and wearing them. No one with any sense cares a jot.
Guilt
I have a long established guilt issue. I can & will feel guilty about almost anything. Given that I have plenty of real things to feel horribly guilty about, I am going to try my hardest to let the insignificant things slide. There are only so many hours in the day, it does no one any good for me to spend most of them worrying about what is my fault.
Explaining
It’s exhausting and most the time it’s no one’s business. I’m no longer explaining why I need to know if there are seats or stairs. Folk can just answer the question. I ask politely, it’s straightforward information, just say yes or no. Randoms don’t need to know what pill I’m taking, why I’m vegan, why I fainted or any number of other things. Curiosity killed the cat and constant explaining knackered his Mother.
Making exceptions
This is the big one. There are one or two people in my life from whom I accept less. I love them, I know them inside out & I want them in my life. As a result I tolerate certain things from them that I wouldn’t from anyone else. Mostly this is absolutely fine. I’m not talking about horrid or cruel behaviour. Just the odd less than ideal lapse. Here’s the rub, sometimes those lapses hurt. I’ve decided it’s time I shift things away from swallowing that hurt. Everyone deserves to their have effort & care reciprocated. I must stop making exceptions. When annoying becomes hurtful, it is time to speak up.
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I love Christmas. The focus on giving and spending time with loved ones is special. I like the way it makes strangers wish each other merry. It warms my heart to see little ones really believing in the magic of Santa Claus. Tis the season, right?
Well, yes and also a little bit no. The last few weeks have been a whirl of wrapping gifts, singing carols with excited little people, twinkly lights & festive fun. I have adored every minute of it. However, now that all the presents are delivered and prep is completed I feel a tad blue. This always happens. I needed a rest day before the main event, but as soon as I slow down it hits.
My siblings and friends are having cosy days at home with their families. My Christmas nest is empty. I can’t help but think of what could have been. All traditions I wanted to pass on; opening just one present on Xmas eve, fuzzy red stockings with their names in gold, snuggling with Santa hyped darlings as we read a new festive bed time story. Then the frantic readying of gifts whilst my babies sleep. Santa presents wouldn’t be wrapped in my house; just lain out beautifully in the living room. Ready to be enjoyed the second they wake. There wouldn’t be any Christmas morning rules. Rising before dawn, chocolate for breakfast, all out Christmas chaos would be just fine. There’s an unsung seasonal opera in my head.
I know I’m very lucky. Tomorrow I will be with family. Exchanging gifts and clinking glasses. I’ll watch my nephew tear open his gifts and be loaded with big loving squeezes. I’m safe, warm & loved. That is a lot to be grateful for. There’s still hint of sorrow for the dreams that didn’t come to pass.
I know I’m not alone in being touched by sadness at this time of year. If you’re struggling this year, I’m sending love. If joy is out reach I hope you can find some peace.
Every now again I use the blog to vent my anger. Well, it’s that time again. The world is brimming over with things to be mad & sad about. These are just a few that I need to get off my chest.
One of my biggest pet peeves is when brands jump on the fat positivity train for their own benefit without actually incorporating real size diversity. The most recent culprit being Marc Jacobs. The advert for the perfume, Perfect is an ode to diversity. It features a wide variety of models including a couple of plus size women. Great right? Well it would be if the Marc Jacobs ready to wear line didn’t stop at a UK16. I doubt either of the models featured in the ad would be able to shop the line.
Also on my mind at the moment is when celebs reveal themselves to be shits & ruin one’s favourites. Brought to mind when I couldn’t sleep & was searching for something soothing to watch. Lewis popped up in one of my streaming apps. I loved Inspector Morse & was delighted when his sergeant returned. However, a once comforting programme is now spoiled by Laurence Fox’s gammon exploits. No matter how lovely Lewis & Hathaway are, I can’t enjoy them without thinking about Fox’s racism, misogyny & all out far right vileness. Other notable examples include anything with Tom Cruise, Mel Gibson’s presence in the Lethal Weapons & of course Gary Barlow destroying my love of Take That.
Finally & most rage inducing is Keir Starmer. From his refusal to support Trade Unions to his abandonment of Palestine, Starmer is a spineless wannabe Tory. Under his leadership Labour is no longer the party of working people. Who thought we would see an ex human rights lawyer turned Labour leader cowardly defend war crimes on national television? Not me. The man is disgusting.
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This month I am flinging my financial support behind a group that have long had all my other support. Cabaret Against Hate are an LGBTQ+ & ally group who organise counter protests to stand against hate speech in Scotland.
They combat hate with live music, song & dance. Their presence at anti abortion & anti trans protests has had incredibly positive effect. It is essential to provide an opposition to intolerance. It’s equally vital to show support to those impacted by these hideous protests. I would love to be on the front lines with Cabaret, but my disabilities prevent me. Thus I have been sharing & supporting in whatever ways I can.
The group are currently fundraising for a new PA System. Please donate here if you can.
We’ve had a look at things the little ones would like to find under the tree. So, of course now it’s time to check out some grown up gifts.
I wanted this one last year & I’m still hoping it might arrive for crimbo ‘23. It’s the Topple and Burn’s festive jumper. This year they have two designs & it is hard to choose between them. If you know any excellent people with correct political opinions, look no further.
Topple and Burn
My next suggestion is inspired by my little sister. She accidentally overpoured & dealt with a hangover the next day. Which led me to believe that a cocktail set with a measuring device would serve her well. I have fallen for this set from Not on the High Street. It has a slightly art deco ish feel and would look lovely on display.
Not on the High Street
Various people have mentioned that fancied doing one of those customised Paint by Numbers and then I saw an ad. The advert confirmed what a cool idea it was and so I may have made some purchases. You can upload any picture and your paint by numbers will be created. Great gift for folks who love to get crafty, but aren’t necessarily blessed with a tonne of artistic talent.
House Art
Pure Barkin describe their wares as weird clothes for weird babes. It’s slow fashion made in Scotland and could not be more up my street. I basically love every single in their shop. They do have brick & mortar shop in the Barras if you prefer to shop in person. If you’re a fan of this blog I feel confident that someone in your life would like to join the Pure Barkin Clique.
Pure Barkin
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A little later than usual, but tonight we embarked on our Halloween tradition. My sister & I have been taking the boy to GlasGlow every year since he was born. This years theme was Ghostbusters & we loved it.
Kelvingrove Park & the Botanics are pretty all year round, but with added light show they’re spectacular.
The boy flipped when he saw the stay soft mallow man & ghostbusters car, but he declared the scary pumpkins his favourite part. I was rather taken with the giant mirror ball and of course I enjoyed how flattering the wall of lights is.
This year was much easier for me as they had added way more places to sit as you walk around. They also have ‘glow passes’ that allowed disabled folk to skip queues/take shortcuts as needed. Plus they even had blue badge parking. Tip top job of making the event accessible.
My nephew likes us all to wear skeletons, so my new jumper was perfect. Worn over the comfiest playsuit with tights & cosy tartan coat.
Coat – ASOS Curve Jumper – Curve Soul Playsuit – Simply Be Tights – Snag
I suppose spooky season is now really over. Best kick my Xmas organising up a gear.
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About a month ago I made a Tik Tok about wegovy & similar ‘weight loss’ jabs. I had seen a lot of people promoting them, giving advice on how to get them prescribed etc. These positive posts all had notable omissions. I wanted to address the missing information.
I am fully behind bodily autonomy & wouldn’t tell people what to do with their bodies. However, I think it is essential that we have all the information before making medical decisions. It’s impossible to consent to treatment if you aren’t informed of all the risks, side effects and so on.
The current information on medications of this type is that weight loss will be most significant in the first 6months. Loss will peak at 1year and regardless of how long you remain on the drug, you will start to regain after that point. Regaining any weight lost is not only a certainty, it will happen fast. In fact the data shows that the pattern of weight loss & gain is similar to other methods of intentional weight loss. You are likely to regain not only the weight lost, but a little extra on top too.
People who have these injections report many gastric symptoms. Extreme nausea, vomiting & diarrhoea sometimes for weeks or months at a time. For others those side effects never settle. Long term use increases the risk of gallbladder problems & pancreatitis. Both are very painful, the latter can be deadly if not promptly treated. It’s also important to note that these injections have not been licensed for more than 2yrs for use in non diabetics. They have also never been prescribed in such high doses. The truth is there are still many unknowns. What we do know for sure it that these medications have serious risks & promise only short term results.
So, why am I going over all this again? Today I got a notification of a comment on that video. Reading it broke my heart.
I understand that sentiment. I used to feel that way. I’d make jokes about smoking instead of eating; saying as long as I was a thin corpse I didn’t care. I know how painful it is to feel that way. What’s worse is I know that many of the professionals who swore an oath to ‘do no harm’ feel the same way. Fat phobia is so ingrained in the medical profession that Drs recommend harmful meds, diets & surgeries to fat patients. Rushed to market, poorly tested and even known to be ineffective interventions. It matters not, because they’d rather we be sick or even dead than fat.
We deserve better. We should be able to consult our Drs when needed without the dreaded weight loss chat. We are entitled to treatments & procedures without having to first agree to dangerous diets. We are as worthy of respect and compassion as any other patient. And, we can demand it.
There are so many amazing resources to help fat patients deal with medical weight stigma. Two of my favourite fat positive medical folks are Dr Asher Larmie & Dr Joshua Wolrich both have written extensively on the topic. I cannot recommend their work enough.
I too am happy to help if I can. I’m not a medical health professional, but have learned many strategies for dealing with anti fat Drs. I’m always delighted to pass these on.
If Bronan’s belly is cute, so is yours.
If you enjoy my writing you can support me here or on Patreon .
This week I took a little trip. My sister treated me for my birthday to an unexpected activity. Yes, folks, I went camping.
Well, I say camping. We had a Kingsize bed, log burner & private bathroom. It’s as close to camping as I will ever get. My sis, her boy & I headed up north to Loch Tay for a couple of nights in a fancy little dome.
Loch Tay Highland Lodges
The setting was beautiful. We had a lot of fun around the camp fire, visited the local beauty spots & even conquered a castle.
Doune Castle
October in Scotland is pretty cold, layers were important. I still wanted to bring my own thing to the outdoors, I decided to give the trip a leopard theme.
Glasses – Where Light
Set off in my leopard print dungees with some added spooky details. Comfy, cosy & very cute.
Dungarees – ASOS Skeleton Top – BoohooBrooch – Poesy & Grenadine
Kept to the theme with this long sleeved, tiered dress. My trusty snag tights (also in leopard) & my fluffiest cardigan upped the warmth factor.
Dress – ASOS Cardigan – ASOS
I always love to have uninterrupted Auntie time. Bedtimes stories & sparklers are hard to beat, but inside jokes with my wee sis comes close.
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Something in the way she moves... 
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