Check - Check it Out

Hat: Topshop. Jacket: c/o Glamorous. Crop Top: Topshop. Boots: Daniel Footwear. Leggings: Topshop. Necklace: Vintage.

I have a slight problem when it comes to my wardrobe – almost a phobia of wearing the same thing twice, especially when it comes to my blog. To many of you this will sound like the most pathetic thing you’ve ever heard, but I’m sure there are a few of you that will be nodding your heads in agreement. However I am starting to realise how utterly stupid this is and am trying my hardest to make the most of my wardrobe.

On that note, you may recognise these leggings! They are my absolute favourite leggings in the world ever – not only are they black and white, we know how much I love monochrome, but they are flocked velvet leggings. Mmm hmm I’m constantly caught just stroking my legs...I bet you think I’m joking but I’m certainly not. They don't have them anymore but there's some similar ones here.

It’s only been since the back end of last year that I’ve embraced a bit of the ‘leather look’ in to my wardrobe and this jacket has been given the big thumbs up from Wonderful You HQ! A regular leather jacket is pretty damn yummy but adding tassels? Genius.

I’m taking nanny home this evening (sadness). I’m very much a family girl and I’ve really loved having her at the house with me, she makes me very happy indeed and I’m going to miss her heaps – but now we have our own place she can come and stay all the time :)

Also Daniel is home tonight :D yippee! I know it sounds a bit silly as he’s only been gone 4 days but we haven’t spent more than a day apart since we moved in and I have really missed him.

This week will involve me attempting to film a YouTube video..I know shock horror! I don’t know why but I’ve had a bit of a vloggers block and now have the fear to film another one. However, I’ve been tagged in a few Summer edits so I’m thinking that might be a good place to start :)

Hope you have a lovely week - ciao for now Amigos! 

Oh, I do Love Country Life.

Hat: Topshop. Floral Crop: Topshop. Belt: Vintage. Necklace: Vintage. Bracelet: Jacey Withers. Watch: Guess. Stretch trousers: c/o bonprix. Sandals: c/o bonprix. Bag: c/o: Scarlett Fashion.

Daniel is currently away on a long weekend with the 'lads' - although I'm super jealous of him getting a break (I've used up all my holiday on Australia), I am missing him quite a bit and whilst he's off sunning himself I've had my beautiful nanny staying with me. She lives a little way away from me and I don't get to see her as much as I would like, so it's been lovely to have her and spend time together. Yesterday my mum and little sister came over and we took nanny's dog for a walk. I thought it the perfect opportunity to take some outfit snaps out and about. I'd been saying to Katy (from Little Winter) that I was getting a bit fed up of my garden snaps and our new village we've moved to really is so pretty (and full of fields!) so it seemed rude not to take advantage. 

I'm feeling a bit fruity in this outfit, not gunna lie - you know how much I love my black and white so digging out this old top is a bit of a rarity and I'm quite enjoying it. I also haven't owned a pair of white trousers since I was about 17, I don't know why, I just outgrew them and never bothered to purchase another pair. But I'm rekindling my love and I have to say I'm head over heels. Comfiest trousers ever - and for £19.99 it's a bit of a steal isn't it? It's also becoming apparent that I like orange rather a lot and I think this is the best bag to ever grace earth. It's HUGE but doesn't look it and I can fit my entire life, and someone else's, in it - which is bloomin' marvellous.

Today, I want to take nanny to our local garden centre - it has a beautiful little restaurant so we'll have some luncheon and mooch about the plants! 

Have you all had a good weekend? Any news? Do let me know if you like the 'on location' shots too! I quite liked escaping my lawn for a bit :)

Why have an opinion? You're skinny!

image source

For many people I'm sure this wont be anything new..there are thousands of articles drifting around the internet about weight and people's opinions regarding it - this blog post isn't one I want adding to the list. However, my blog is my personal space to share my feelings and every now and then I indulge in a 'lifestyle' post, today is one of those days.

Yesterday I tweeted an article by the ever wonderful awful Samantha Brick talking about how she feels that in order to be self respected, successful and attractive you have to be thin. I was absolutely disgusted reading it and I'm quite sure that Samantha Brick isn't actually real at all, that this persona is made up and she's doing it all for the publicity (which doesn't make it right), but how can someone be that vile? Any way, that's another story entirely - what I actually want to write about is the fact that people think I can't have an opinion about this because 'I'm skinny', because obviously - my body makes my opinions redudant. Writing that makes my eyes water and my nose sting but more than anything I'm angry and want to talk about why that, isn't okay.

Firstly 'skinny' is the most horrible word. I am not skinny - but yes I am slim, I can consume a fair amount of food without gaining weight, but I am also human. My entire family are of a small build, so I suppose that makes me lucky right? No it doesn't. At primary school through to college I was bullied for being anorexic, bulimic (I wasn't) and 'disgustingly' thin. To say I wasn't 'in with the crowd' would be an understatement. I was what they called a late bloomer and I didn't start my period until I was 15, meaning that I didn't have anything to show in the chest department for my entire school life, my metabolism was also so high that I didn't have much joy in keeping any weight on me either, I was 6 stone until I was 17. Now to be ridiculed and alienated when you so desperately want to be different and cant is something incredibly hard to deal with. Please don't let your jaw drop to the floor and say 'how gross to be that tiny, eat some food.' I eat, I eat a lot and regularly.

Now I'm older I've 'shot' up to an A cup and managed to squeeze a tiny pair of hips out of my puberty (YAY) and many wouldn't believe how awfully self conscious I am of my body. I didn't take my bra off for my boyfriend for the first 6 months of our relationship (what a saint he is) and he's the only person in the world who has seen my boobs (that makes me feel so awkward to write down, eww). I struggle with my body image everyday and unless age slows my metabolism down that will continue. 

I don't want people to read this and think this is me attention seeking. I know that I am not the only girl out there that feels this way and I really do feel that it should be talked about more. Because I find it SO bizarre that this society believes it's okay to ask someone who is smaller why they are that way or tell them that because they are slim they can't have an opinion about weight. I mean I can't believe for a second that the majority of the public would go up to a bigger person and ask them why are they overweight, or query them if they had something to say about someone else who was overweight - it's just ridiculous!! 

All I want this post to say is that it shouldn't matter whether you are small, tall, big or slim - your opinions still matter and you are entitled to have feelings regardless of how much you weigh. Being 'skinny' doesn't mean that you are happy with the way you look or comfortable in your own skin. Remember some people, like me, struggle to put weight on - and others struggle to lose it, we're all in the same boat to a certain degree.

Don't ever think that because someone looks your idea of perfect that that is what they are or feel. I'm sure, that 9/10 they feel insecure just like you do. And what is perfect any way?