Body positivity

There’s nobody else here, no one like me…

~ somethinginthewayshemoves ~ 5 Comments

I’m about to get a bit happy clappy, so if that gets your goat (I hear you), skip this one.

I know it’s been disaster movie of a year. There are truly despicable things happening all over the globe. So, I feel quite guilty about this, but 2016 has been my personal best for a very long time. Selfish or not I want to acknowledge my successes. Queue the happy bit. 

This year I have been comparatively sane. I’m not cured and of course there are bad times, but I have felt psychologically healthier & happier than I’ve been in several years. I’m pretty confident that I’m finally taking the right medication. Meds aren’t magic beans, but the right combination has given me much more solid ground to build on. I’ve been able to push myself, expanding  my social & professional lives in the process. 

Now, here comes the big one, I have not purposely hurt myself in well over a year. Again, I’m not recovered, I suspect the urge will always be with me. The difference for me has been releasing there are things I want more than blood. I’m not going to bullshit anyone, it’s a grind; it’s a battle I decide to fight every day. This is a war that’s been raging for 17 years, but I’m stating to believe I will emerge the conquerer. 

Next up; gettting all proud of myself & shamelessly blowing my own trumpet. 2016 has been a professional triumph. My writing has featured in publications I have long admired. My blog hits have soared & more importantly I produced more work of value than ever before. I am proud to be writing about issues that need to be talked about & creating work that readers really connect with. 

This year I also took a leap of faith & extended my wee empire to include oPeration BoPo. I wanted a thing that didn’t exist locally & so, I just went ahead & made it happen. My first event was an amazing success. I believe there is a need for accessible body positive projects & I am determined to meet it. I have some exciting things in the work for 2017. Get ready to join the self love revolution. 

This year I have gained a confidence that I feared was gone for good. I took charge. I had some big scale health issues & disappointing discoveries, but I kept rolling. I let go of yearning to be the girl I was before life got fucked & embraced the woman I am because & inspite of it all. 

This has been a year of seizing what control I can & trying to accept that it will never be the unbridled authority I desire. My body & mind will continue to usurp me. I’ll just have to wrestle them into the best submission I can manage. 

I’ll be honest my life can be brutal. You know what? I can be too. I’m heading into the new year with a 5 year plan, a growing business, my first nude photo shoot under my belt, ovaries that are really trying & the very best people supporting me. 2017, I’m ready for you. 


I hope there were some bright spots for all of you too & that next year brings you all you’re hoping for. 

All I want for Christmas is….

~ somethinginthewayshemoves ~ 8 Comments

I am feeling a teenie bit clever this evening. In the space of a few hours I have completed all of my Christmas shopping without stepping a foot outside my front door. I’ve even managed to find the perfect treats for the trickiest of my beloveds. Worry not, if you’re still searching for out of box gift ideas, I have sourced some of the coolest wee trinkets around. Even better they’re all from Scottish independent traders. 

My incredibly trendy little sister turned me on to Chouchou hoods. The creator of these beautiful hoods, Silvia Pellegrino, actually hails from Italy, but her line was born in Glasgow. With luxurious fabrics & limited runs on designs these hoods are worth paying a little extra for. My current favourite is the Hollywood Superstar. The bright orange faux fur is ideal for those who like to stand out in a crowd. 


Hollywood Superstar, Chouchou Couture £200.

If you were hoping to go down the handmade route with breaking the bank,Twa Burds is the way to go. This Glasgow based vegan friendly artisan soap company’s products smell devine. I am a tiny bit obsessed with their Turkish delight bath salts & cannot wait to get my hands on their parma violet creation. Cruelty free & oh so pretty; any indie connessiouer will love unwrapping these smellies.


Parma Voilets glycerine soap, Twa Burds £3.50

Joe McNichol paints vibrant images of Glasgow & Scotland that totally capture the spirit of his chosen landscape. Being a Glasgow girl I particularly love his scenes of my city. This print depicting The House for an Art Lover & it’s surrounding greenery ticks all my boxes.

House for an Art Lover Print, Joe McNichol Art £20

His Etsy shop has an array of beautiful prints of his original paintings with something to suit all tastes. With prices from twenty quid you can’t go wrong. 
Bonnie Bling has been one of my favourites forever. Their Scottish flavoured jewellery & accessories are both pretty and amusing. As regular readers will be aware I have a big squidgy spot for highland cattle, which puts their big cow necklace at the very top of my wish list. With interpretations of everything from scot’s slang to scot’s confections, Bonnie Bling is a must for the Caledonian cool kid in your life. 

Bonnie Bling, Big Cow Necklace £35

Christmas isn’t complete without chocolate & Glasgow brand Vegan Burd ensures your animal loving friends aren’t left out. Their range of vegan versions of popular choc bars are available in selected Glasgow shops & can also be bought on Etsy. The clever names & total yum factor will a bring a smile to the faces of your compassionate compadres. 


Yer Bound Tae, Vegan Burd £2.

Last, but not least is a new discovery; Flying Cheese Toastie. This quirky named outfit make stunning glass scultpures & accessories. The intricate detail on their pieces has captured my heart. This clever abbey rd sculpture is a fresh take on Beatles art.


Glass Sculpture,Flying Cheese Toastie £50

Each of their designs are swoon worthy and they also take custom orders for something more personal. 

Even the fussiest of folk will be enchanted with these original Christmas gift ideas. Even better, you get to support local businesses. Two festive birds with one handcrafted stone. 

How lovely are your branches…

~ somethinginthewayshemoves ~ 5 Comments

I love Christmas. I love spending time with loved ones, eating all the food & drinking all the drinks. I love choosing gifts that I know people will love. I am sucker for the lot. However, this year I struggled to get in the festive mood. So, last weekend I decided I had to jump start my merry motor & I’m so glad I did. 

I had the pleasure of having my darling friends, Kay & Frankie visiting last week, which offered the perfect opportunity to take in some twinkly Xmas spirit. We hit the market in St Enoch square, took some selfies in the super sparkly Frasers &  wandered under a blanket of lights in Royal Exchange Sq before finishing up in the beautifully bedecked George Sq. My guests were in awe of the architecture, people & especially how friendly Vegan friendly Glasgow is. It’s amazing how easily we Glaswegians forget how lucky we are. Through their eyes I found new pride in both my city & it’s Xmas splendour. 

The obvious next step was to start the Christmas shopping & get my decorations up. I managed the tree in an evening & it  jollied me right up. I prefer a simple scheme when it comes to my tree; this year I stuck with gold & creams tones, but did invest a some new baubles to add to my old favourites. It is amazing the difference some glitter & lights make to my mood. The presents I fear will take a little longer as some of my people are very particular. It’ll be worth it when I find the perfect items. 


My festive visuals have been given a lift this year by the introduction of a gorgeous scent from Isle of Skye Candle co. I absolutely adore their Scot’s pine candle. As a child I had a huge pine tree in my garden and the aroma of pines needles has always conjoured happy memories. The candle is rich with that very smell, but also had undertones of mint, giving it the perfect fresh cold morning feel. I usually opt for heady cinnamon or frankincense type candles during this period. I’m loving the change the change this year.

My final get into Xmas project is more altruistic; it is after all ‘a time for giving’. I have been putting together a hamper for my local food bank & I encourage you to do the same. I’ve included items from the list of required items supplied by the food bank. I also wanted to add some treats as everyone deserves some Christmas cheer. You can find festive chocolate, biscuits etc really cheaply in supermarkets and a few pounds on such thing could give someone a little to smile about. In the same vein I picked up some small inexpensive toys because no child should be without a present on Christmas morning. Likewise no parent should have to explain why Santa hasn’t come. Lastly, I hit the pound shop for toiletries, tampons & cleaning products. So many of us are fortunate enough to be able to indulge at this time of year, I urge you to consider making Christmas a little easier for those not so lucky. 

My plan worked. I am now fully festively onboard. Ho, ho, ho, darlings. 


* Candle was gifted, but all opinions are my own. 

Fear of the cold…

~ somethinginthewayshemoves ~ 2 Comments

I’ve been having a sickie few weeks thanks to a new medication. So, when I woke up on Saturday morning with a calm stomach I put some bright pink lippie on & hit the town. 


I say town, I actually mean I had a bit of lunch & saw a film with my sister. Baby steps, right?

I opted for layers as it’s sooo cold outside. I adore this lace maxi & teamed with a velvet mini it could withstand November in Glasgow. 




Lace Maxi – Forever21

Velvet Mini – Asos Curve

I tried out Zizza’s vegan menu & was impressed. Unfortunately, my stomach wasn’t really ready for all the yum & I’m back on the soup. I’ll definitely return  when my body & I are on more friendly terms. 

I see your true colours….

~ somethinginthewayshemoves ~ 10 Comments

I am one tired, but very happy bunny. oPeration BoPo went off with a bang last week. Our event at Glad Rags was a big success. I am so thrilled with how fantastic the photographs turned out and how many came along to the event. I am even more excited about how positive the feedback was from those involved & those seeing the project for the first time. I really feel that I am succeeding in spreading the self love revolution.

So, without I further ado I present to you my modelling debut.

All of our models looked stunning in the final images. It gives me great pleasure that the project has helped its participants on their body positive journey by increasing both their confidence & belief that they are magnificent. It was wonderful to discuss the project with people who came to view the show. Their thoughts confirmed my theory that accessible events of this nature are wanted & needed.



Since I was stripped bare in my photograph I thought I would go glam for the event. This is only the second time I’ve worn this dress & I can’t think why; it’s beautiful.

Dress – ASOS Curve.

Cardi – Glad Rags.

Brogues – Primark.

Belt – ASOS Curve.
From Lush massages to rum punch, goodie bags to thrifty finds a good time was had by all. Stay tuned for more.

If you would like more information you can find all the details here.

 

 

 

Somewhere beyond the sea…

~ somethinginthewayshemoves ~ 1 Comment

I am a bad fashion blogger. I keep forgetting to take outfit pictures. What’s worse is I’ve missed some really good looks. Anyway, here’s a quickie & I’ll definitely get some more this weekend. 

I’ve wanted a pinafore dress like this for ages, but everything I tried on was wrong. I snapped this one up with my ASOS VIP points & crossed my fingers it would look cute on. Lucky me, it did. 

I wore it with my denim shirt for warmth whilst running around getting some messages done & it’s perfect. Very comfortable, very flexible &  very adorable. Even if I do say so myself. 


Pinafore – Asos Curve

Shirt – New Look

Leggings – ASOS Curve

Boots – Vegetarian Shoe Co

Badge – Gift 



The pics were taken at the cinema after seeing Deepwater Horizon. Hence, the weepy eyes. I cried buckets, but I highly recommend. Based on the true story of America’s worst oil rig disaster, it is worth seeing. The bravery of the people involved is stunning. Kurt Russell is amazing as the boss with integrity trying to look after his staff & contain the catastrophe. John Malkovich is equally great as the unscrupulous company man. It’s so easy to miss the individual stories in such a devastating event, Deepwater Horizon plugs that information gap perfectly. 

My month in pictures…

~ somethinginthewayshemoves ~ 2 Comments

September turned out to be a busy month. Between birthdays, photo shoots & kidney infections I have been kept on my toes. So, rather than bore you with all the millions of details I present a month in pictures. 

First up, let’s do the birthdays. Young & old it’s all going off in sept. My midwife bff assures me September is always the busiest month birth wise; must be down to all that seasonal goodwill. 


There were bath bombs & vegan chocolate cake. Dinners with friends & face paints with little friends. I’m doing something big for my birthday next month, so the actual day was low key, but lovely. Not featured is the birthday of my darling big bro, mostly because him & his family popped off on holiday. Not that I’m jealous. 

Now, I bet you’re all wondering what I’ve been munching this past month, well I’ll tell you. A lot of sushi, mint tea, avocados & vegan treats. There might have been few tipples in there too. Well, it was my birthday.


I’ll pause now for some lovely/amusing things I’ve snapped. 


Ok, back to definable categories. September saw my involvement in my first ever photo shoots. I was a jack of all trades whilst overseeing the shoots for my body positive project. I got through it with the help of many talented people & topped it off by posing in my pants. Who knew, right?


Style wise my nails & I were making the transition to A/W. Autumn is my favourite season, so I’m tickled to be breaking out boots & scarfs. The weather is as unpredictable as ever, so it’s impossible to determine when these cosier items may actually be needed.


One of my new weekend activities is wedding shopping with a certain someone. The pursuit of the prettiest things has had me trekking all over, but it’s all quite peachy.


Time for a selfie break.

& some random bits & pieces to finish on. 


I hope you all had a dreamy 9th month & fingers crossed you can rock October.

This week I have been mostly..

~ somethinginthewayshemoves ~ 1 Comment

Catching up with things including my fav Friday night shows. I was delighted to see Robbie Williams on Graham Norton. As I laughed along to his stories & did some sofa dancing to his new I song I realised how much I love Robbie. Queue a day of Robbie tunes old and new (thanks Apple Music) & I have decided he is seriously underrated. Don’t believe me? Read on. 

Let’s start with his latest offering, Party like a Russian. This is prime Robbie; a little social commentary, a little humour & lot of William’s cheeky charm. The lyrics are cleverly simple, but effectively taking a pop whilst not going overboard. The music has an incorrigible beat & some sinister Russian sounding strings (it’s actually from Sergei Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet) going on. All in all it’s a winner. 

And now, I want to take you way back. All the way to ’97 when I was 17 & the Robster was on his 1st album. Old before I die fitted my life at the time. I was heading into my last year at school & I already had an unconditional uni place. The pressure was off & the party was on. The care free, let’s get wasted attitude of the song was my exact mood. Throw in a wee go at the Pope & this teenage ex catholic’s heart was content. 

A few years down the line & we were still in tune when Strong hit the radio waves. I was dealing with what i’ll call a turbulent relationship & trying very hard to pretend all was well. Thus, the lyrics ‘you think that I’m strong, you’re wrong’ were poignant. With this song Robbie had captured the essence of being close to the edge with his signature humour. Images of him dancing like his dad & jokes about Oprah, take the barb from the topic. Robbie always knows how to take a fairly depressing premise & make an anthem you can’t stop singing.

Now a leap to a happier place. Go gentle was written for his daughter. It’s loaded with familiar protective father material, but with some truly lovely insights thrown in. When I listen to this song I understand what he’s feeling. Go gentle through your life is good advice for any little one. It’s simple, but at the heart of what we want for our kids. Namely, to be happy & take as few bumps as possible. The lyrics are sweet & loving, but also articulate something that I have been feeling. My niece is 6yrs old, she is confident in her abilities & appearance. I never want her to lose that assurance. For me the words,

‘Baby, be a giant,

Let the world be small’.

sum up what I want to say to her. When the time is write I definitely will & then I can share some ‘old’ music with her too.

Sexed up is a song I have quite possibly misinterpreted. When I originally heard it it brought to mind the feeling of knowing your relationship is over, but not being able to fully detach. In particular, when you’re pretty much sick of the sight of each other, but keep fucking anyway. I am assured by friend that it doesn’t mean anything like that, but there you go. The point is I love this song. It’s one of the tunes I sing in a loud voice when I need to vent my frustrations. I think he has perfectly captured that feeling of needing a break up intervention. The soaring melody combined with the caustic lyrics make it a perfect turn it up & pour the wine song.

I can’t talk about Robbie without declaring my love for Rock DJ. This song does to me what he is singing about. The minute I hear the intro I want to dance. This is ultimate cocky Robbie & that’s I like him best. Never before or since I have been attracted to a skinless man ripping his flesh off. I think that says it all. 

Operation BoPo is Go…..

~ somethinginthewayshemoves ~ 7 Comments

I have been distracted lately. I have my taken my attention off the blogging ball, but for good reason. Much of my time has been devoted to launching what I hope will be an amazing organisation. oPeration BoPo is a body positive project designed to empower people to love the skin they’re in. 

The body positive community has changed my life. Discovering plus size bloggers & proponents of self love has allowed to enjoy my body instead of hating it. I really wanted to share that with other people. I looked for a body positive group/project locally and couldn’t found anything that fitted. So, I took a leap of faith and set up my own. oPeration BoPo’s first outing is an art event. The aim is to photograph bodies of all types & use the images for an art exhibit. The hope being that both participants & viewers will find beauty in all the photographs. 

I am a complete novice at all of this, but I have been surprised by own skills & the generosity of so many people. Our photo shoots took place last week with the help of amazing hair, make up & photographers. I have also been stunned & inspired by the models who have volunteered to take part in the project. 



It was incredible to see our models step in front of the camera & really feel themselves. You could actually see how powerful the experience was for some; confidence pouring into their stance. I have had amazing feedback from participants. It is truly beautiful to see my dream of spreading body positivity actually happening. 


Our first exhibit will be at Glad Rags, an amazing non profit thrift store. Our ethos happily met. The lovely managers, Bee & Ashley have not only styled some models with their fabulous stock, but have also modelled. The body positive art event opens on Oct 20th at 7.30pm. There will be gift bags, cakes & even some punch. All are welcome. 


My hope is to continue with oPeration BoPo. I want to create more projects that allow people to see their bodies in a positive light. I’d also really like to reach diverse groups especially those who would particularly benefit from the self love message. If you are local (I’m based in Glasgow) and would like to get involved please get in touch! 

Now for the money bit. Although professionals have very kindly donated their time there are still many costs. oPeration BoPo is not for profit and there is no cost to anyone who participates. If you would like to help me grow the body positive revolution, you can donate here:

GoFundMe – oPeration BoPo
Stay tuned because oPeration BoPo is go!

You & I…

~ somethinginthewayshemoves ~ 7 Comments

Dear Son,

I’ve been trying to keep low key busy today; house work, catching up on emails & so on. I have hoped to keep myself from sinking too deep into sadness. 
I’ve actually done quite well. I had a cry in the shower, but the water washed those tears away. There was no evidence left for anyone else to see, which is like you. Gone. Without a trace.

So, I’ve taken a lot of deep breaths & whispered to myself that I’m ok.

I’m ok

I’m ok

I’m ok.

And I am. More so than I’ve ever been since I lost you. I think maybe I can try again. Perhaps, I can do this life thing. I wish I could believe that would heal me, but you’re not a wound. The pain is bittersweet. 

I’ve been wondering what my life would be like with a 16yr old. Louder, grumpier, more complicated? I’ll never know how our life would been. I do know I’d have given you my best. I’m also sure that you’re worth it. The short time I held you within me will always be worth all the rest. 

Now, you’ve got me crying again. My tears are inevitable, as is my love. Inevitable & invincible. No matter what happens there will forever be you & I. 

Love always,

Mum