Can Someone Please Delete My Dashcam History?

Every single one of us has that one friend who loudly proclaims at some point during your get-togethers,

"IF I DIE, CAN SOMEONE PLEASE DELETE MY BROWSER HISTORY, PLEASE."

Well I'm sorry Susan but genuinely, the FBI are not interested in your ASOS orders, the Buzzfeed quizzes you take, or the half naked Henry Cavill pictures you have saved. 

But I need to ask someone a favour, please.

If I die, can someone please come and delete my dashcam files please?

Although I feel I should clarify some points first.

If I die in my car, please dont wipe the memory card completely, please save the footage of the accident, ok? Thanks.

And secondly, I dont want my footage deleted because I am a terrible driver. I am a good driver. Honestly.

Please delete my dashcam footage because when I get behind the wheel I turn into the east end equivalent of Celine Dion, Ariana Grande and Christina Aguilera, with a side of Fred Durst, Chester Bennington and Eminem and I treat the inside of my car like I am standing on stage at Wembley.  Basically my car is my stage and I'm the star.

Except for one thing. I cannot sing, AT ALL. Not even a bit, its painful. So the minute that car door shuts AWAY I GO. 

Now I know I cant sing, and I'm ok with that, what I dont want to do is inflict my voice upon my family as a long lasting memory after I'm gone. Some people dial their loved ones voicemail to be comforted by their voice after theyve passed. I cant quite imagine it having the same effect on my family if they miss me, having to listen to me singing along to Beautiful by Ms Aguilara? 

Havent they suffered enough? 

Also I have a very strong critical commentary of other drivers on the road and my muttering of "What a prick" "Who gave you a licence, a dog warden?" and my absolute favourite, "You absolute knob" are probably not how I want my family to remember me.

So while you are all begging your friends to delete your browser history, why not take a second to find that special friend who you trust enough to delete your dashcam history, and who wont put it up on YouTube for the lols. 

Big Fashionista

Squatting Like Tom Hardy Is Watching

I am currently in a really weird place right now that involves me going to the gym for FUN. I'm not going because someone is holding a gun to my husbands head, or because I've heard that Tom Hardy is going there, (pretty much the only man in the world I would do squats for) I'm going because I'm bloody enjoying getting stronger and pushing myself more each time. (See? Weird) I have a routine of sorts, mainly cardio with some throwing around of medicine balls when the mood takes me (ok, I slam that medicine ball every damn time) and some free weights when I feel that no-one is watching or judging me. (Not so often)

And that's the shitty thing about going to the gym as an overweight,  mid forties female because you genuinely think that EVERYONE is judging you for being there. A bit like in the old western films where a stranger would enter the bar, the music would stop and everyone would stop talking and swivel to stare at the stranger who had dared to enter. Even now after going to Pure Gym regularly for a few months I still feel that as I go through those air lock doors,  everyone is going to stop and stare and mutter under their breath something about not being from these parts (which I'm not, but hey, that's a whole different story)

Now being the absolute contrary bad ass that I am, I could play this one of two ways. Either cry and refuse to continue going, (I've thought about it) OR, I could look to buy the brightest, funkiest leggings in the world.....


So I have been looking for funky leggings.

I've had some great recommendations, loads for Lucy Locket Loves, some for Marks and Spencer's new active range as well as Fabletics and Sweaty Betty. Currently I'm using pretty basic Primark finest. You know how they like to shame you into going to the gym by putting their gym gear RIGHT at the front of the store? Yeah they got me good.

But I want to invest in the FUNKIEST pair of leggings I can find.

I'm loving THESE from Lucy Locket Loves

 My basic requirements are,

Not hideously expensive (Looking at you Sweaty Betty)

Not so thin that when I do squat in front of Tom Hardy he can see my underwear (Looking at you, Primark)

And loud enough so that if anyone does want to stare I can imagine they are looking at my funky leggings.

Give me your best recommendations for funky leggings please.




Big Fashionista

Trying to fall back in love with blogging

I know, it's been a while.

I'm like that awful friend you don't hear from in ages who then pops up with a bottle of wine in one hand while the other hand gesticulates wildly whilst telling you a thousand stories about where they have been while veering off onto lots of side rants about the state of the world whilst not telling anything about where they have been. (See what I did there?)

Basically, like all bloggers, things got in the way. That's all, I just didn't have enough time to balance my work, my home and blogging and something had to give.

But by god I have missed spewing rage and vitriol on to a page while calling Trump names (Clemantine-faced Devil Dude) and eyeing up cute guys whilst occasionally throwing in a fashion shoot.

Things have changed for me and my blog, I think we are past the time of Nom and Vom and objectifying men. But it doesn't mean I cannot appreciate a good man who is the whole package. (Avoids eye contact with Calvin Harris)
(I mean, HAVE YOU SEEN THAT PICTURE?....)
(I also appreciate that if you haven't, and you are considering Googling it, do NOT do it from a work computer. Thank me later)

I also don't have a laptop at the moment so until I can get that fixed, it's just me and my iPad, but I do want to get back into blogging without being obsessed with stats and comments, (although comments are nice, cough, cough)

So hopefully this may be the start of a brand new chapter.

Who is along for the ride?



Big Fashionista

You Are Not Alone 2018

As always, let me start by reminding people that Christmas is not always a joyful time of year. For many people, Christmas can be lonely, traumatic, and dangerous.  Some people need help, they can't get through this period alone. I say, you are not alone. There are people out there that can, and will help you.

I have tried to include as many different helplines as possible, if you can think of any that I may have missed, please add them in the comments below for people who may need them.

It's Too Hot, Hot Damn

Ok, I have been dragged out of semi-retirement because I want to rant and there are not enough characters on Twitter.

Basically, It is too hot. I don't mind a bit of sunshine, hell, I will take two weeks in the Canaries with a smile on my face but right about now, I am at the point where my ideal job is a crab fisherman in the Bering Sea (back when it was covered in ice) I am OVER, sunshine, I am over tit sweat and chub rub. I miss my jeans and I want to wear a cute knitted hat with a pom pom on it.

Now yes, currently I am suffering from a chest infection, so I am kind of grouchy, the ability to breathe is something that I kind of took for granted, currently it feels as if I am breathing through a wet sock, a sweaty wet sock. like the ones I have on my feet. I feel for everyone with breathing difficulties that are made a lot worse in this weather. I feel for the redheads who haven't left the house in 6 weeks and I feel for anyone who has expected me to leave the house for anything other than work as quite frankly, I am exhausted.

Do you know what I want? I want autumn. Autumn never hurts me. Autumn brings me orange and red leaves, bobble hats and mittens. Am I romanticising Autumn? No, I am not. There is nothing horrific about Autumn. I dare you to find one thing that is horrific about autumn. (Apart from horny spiders invading your living room. This is the price we pay for autumn, ok?)

Look at those leaves, don't they make you feel happy? Do you know what else I want?

Boots, a scarf, knits and candles. All the candles, currently the thought of lighting a candle is enough to tip me over the edge, one more heat source and I am going to melt into a puddle.

Right about now I am struggling to find any positives with this weather, sure, it was nice at first, sunshine makes everyone happy, but surely no one expected it to last this long and we are not set up here in the UK for prolonged heat are we?


Quite frankly, this weather can knob off.


What do you think? Are you ready for Autumn? What are you looking forward to?

OR, are you loving summer and long may it continue?


Let me know.

How It Feels To Be An Ex Blogger

Question, If I am blogging about being an ex-blogger, Am I actually an ex-blogger?


So HOW did I get to this point? When did I start to describe myself as an ex-blogger, and why the hell is it that the minute I logged back in here, (It took me twelve attempts, I think you can safely call yourself an ex blogger if you forget the log-in for the one thing that kept you sane for over 7 years, right?) I thought of a million pieces of content that I could write if only. I had the time.

I have had my blog for nearly 8 years now and for so many years I lived and breathed blogging, being a blogger was my identity, it was who I was. Blogging helped me through the toughest time of my adult life, it gave me a purpose. Blogging was something tangible that I could hold on to when everything else around me was crumbling to the ground. Blogging also brought me some of the best people in my life, I found friends for life, friends who helped me move from London, friends who welcomed me to Leeds and friends who I have never met and am still eternally grateful for.

I NEVER thought I would lose my passion for blogging, and if I'm honest, I never have.

Do you know what I have lost? The time to spend on it and the hunger for it. The love for blogging will never go away, I swear, it is like an addiction. (Plus every time I buy a new dress, I can't kid myself that it is "FOR THE CONTENT") The addiction to stats, well I never had that. I swore a long time ago, the day I got obsessed with my stats was the day I stopped blogging anyway. I was stat-free for a long time and I am so glad I never had that feeling of being all about the numbers. It was always about creating content, if people read it, FANTASTIC. If not, well I had still wrote it. It is always there.


So where did my time go? 


I got a full-time job. I got a full-time job that I absolutely love. I am a teaching assistant in a reception class that fills my time completely. Now I know a hell a lot of people blog with full-time jobs, but I am also going to college, doing a diploma in Supporting Teaching & Learning. I also have a family that I love and want to spend time with so slowly, blogging went further and further down my list of priorities until one day, I realised I hadn't blogged in 4 months.


How does it feel to be an ex-blogger?

You know what, it is HARD.  I wish I had time to blog, I wish I had that connection to social media nowadays but I don't. From a selfish point of view. I miss parcels coming through my door from brands that I never knew were coming. I miss the approaches from brands asking if I would like to work with them, and I miss the events. (Leeds girls, HIT ME UP AS YOUR PLUS ONE)


Basically, it is hard to be an ex blogger, I don't know a single ex-blogger who doesn't miss it. Usually it is time constraints that cause people to be ex bloggers, life simply gets in the way.


Will I go back to blogging?  God I hope so. For 8 years, blogging was who I was. I can't just shed that part of me without a second thought, and neither do I want to. The thought that this could be the last post I ever write on here fills me with such sadness that my plan is to never say never.


I will continue to do the You Are Not Alone helpline numbers every Christmas as well. Even if I post once a year, I still get to call myself a blogger, occasionally, right?


Blogging has given me so much over the last 8 years, I am not the same person I was 8 years ago, thankfully and without blogging, I don't know if I would have even got to this point. Perhaps in the same way they say that friends come into your life for a reason or a season, blogging came into my life to get me through the hard parts and help me realise who and what I wanted to be. When I first started blogging, Big Fashionista was a character, a person who took no shit, who had an opinion and stood up for what she believed in. She was the person who I wanted to be. And now, finally I am.


Quite frankly, if that is all I ever get from my blogging life. I think I can safely say that I am completely and utterly fulfilled. 


This is not goodbye from Big Fashionista, more like the end of a chapter. There are definitely new chapters that are yet to be written.

Love,


Kellie x x x

You Are Not Alone This Christmas, 2017

To all those people out there who are enjoying Christmas, Merry Christmas.

For some people, Christmas is a hard time, a lonely time or a time when you realise that you need help.


I hope you find here, what you need.

Last Minute Christmas Gifts With B&M

Ok, it is Christmas Eve, NOW you can panic.

Have you done all your shopping? No? THEN GET YOURSELF TO B&M.

That's what I did.

B&M set me the task of doing my last minute shopping with £20 of gift vouchers and told me not to panic, just get things done.

The truth is, I am not an organised person. See my last post. But I do give great presents.


For my money, I bought the HUGEST box of biscuits for the family.

A great last minute gift to get through all that wrapping, Some alcoholic presents, the COOLEST colour in mug you have ever seen, A CHOCOLATE ORANGE, because, CHRISTMAS. Some pencils and a huge tub of fat balls for the birds, which I forgot to photograph because I am a terrible blogger who forgot to take the pictures.


Want to see the Chocolate orange instead?

You still have a few hours to grab your last minute gifts, (They also have wrapping paper, and batteries, don't forget the batteries) if you have a B&M near you, RUN, don't walk.

B&M will save your christmas, ok?
Take my word for it.

Why You Call It Last-Minute Christmas Shopping, And I Call It...... Christmas Shopping

Ok, so here is the deal, it is 7.50 on a Friday night, the date is December the 22nd and whilst my social media feed is FULL of people talking about last-minute shopping. I am still doing SHOPPING.

Seriously, guys, you are starting to stress me out here. I don't know about you, but my idea of
"last minute" shopping is going to be those golden ten minutes on SUNDAY when I've realised I have forgotten to get something major and have to make a special trip into town.

Anything before then, is JUST CHRISTMAS SHOPPING, in my opinion.

Do I have everything I need to buy? 

Fuck no.


Will I have everything I need to buy before Sunday? 

Lol, NO.


Are at least one of my relatives going to read this post and start to panic that they aren't going to get a present? 

Ha, None of my relatives read my blog anyway.

Will I stress out about it?

Not in the slightest. I have TWO days left, Whilst everyone else has been panic buying shit like they are stockpiling for a Snowpocalypse, I have been gently wafting through my time off of work, having naps, eating food and generally recharging my batteries.

I also purchased from Homesense the most AMAZING cutlery set that you have ever seen. Seriously, it is beautiful. Stainless steel, no plastic handles. If cutlery could be deemed as sexy, this cutlery set would be so sexy that Poundland would objectify it for the BANTS.

Because if the time for giving means I can't even give myself a present, then I don't even want to play anymore.


I LOVE buying presents for other people, so you know what, I am going to take my time and enjoy every second.


That is not last-minute shopping, that is just pacing myself. I refuse to get stressed out and worn out by buying presents. It is meant to be fun, enjoyable, A time to buy presents that have some thought behind them. If I am rushing around like a silly sod then where is the fun in that?


But if you want me on Christmas eve, my apologies, I'mm be the one wrapping gifts until 3am.


Sorry about that.




What do you prefer? Getting present buying out of the way early and being done by the beginning of December or are you more of a "I have until Xmas Eve to buy things" kind of shopper?


Let me know.

Remember When I Could Breathe Through My Nose?

Can we just take a second to remember when I could breathe through my nose? Granted, it was yesterday but damn, I miss it. Now, the only thing I can smell is Olbas Oil, sadness and desperation and I’m pretty sure they are all me. (The old lady wee smell isn’t me, I don’t think) 

WHY oh why are colds so shit? Genuinely, you know when we say, “Oh, I’m ok, it’s just a cold”? Why do we do that? Colds are awful. Colds are just our bodies way of wringing out bodily fluids that seem to appear from nowhere. Where the hell does all that snot come from anyway? Is there a vat of it, continuously just bubbling away next to my stomach, waiting patiently until it is needed? Does it just spontaneously appear? Like an evil leprechaun dripping ooze and suspiciously green? 

At the same time, the mucus is only a part of it. Have we talked about the pure misery? Because I feel like SHITTTTTTT. I know it’s “just a cold” I know that soon I will be able to breathe through my nose again. (God, I miss that) but URGHHHHHHHHHH. Currently I am leaving a trail of snotty tissues around my house like some sort of twisted Hansel & Gretel, But can I find a clean tissue when my nose is dripping like a leaky tap? Of course I can’t. That would be too easy. 

Also, a quick side note and I am not saying I have done this, because this would be A STUPID THING TO DO, when you have a snotty tissue dipped in Olbas oil in one hand and you sit on the loo to go to the toilet. DROP THE BLOODY OLBAS SOAKED TISSUE so that you don’t get confused in your cold addled state and wipe your vajayjay with the wrong tissue. Trust me on this, you can thank me later. 

One of the worst bits about a cold is that you feel at your absolute worst, first thing in the morning and last thing at night, you know, when you actually have to get shit done or, I don’t know, try to sleep because you are poorly and want to collapse into bed. The last thing you need at these points when you are feeling ill is to feel like shit on a stick. If I am going to struggle through this cold can I have the worst bit either in the middle of the night when I am asleep, or in the middle of the day when I am feeling like a bad-ass bitch for making it this far. When I crawl out of bed, ready to face the day with 60 5yr olds I don’t wanna feel at my worst, Thanks. 

So yes, I guess this post is basically me saying I am poorly, it’s last thing at night right now. Of course I feel ill, I would FULLY appreciate some tips for getting through the next few days please as I don’t think I make a very good poorly person, 

What do you think? 

Let me know. 

Big Fashionista x x x 

Christmas Party Ready With Simply Be

So Christmas party season is now creeping up on us fast and I don't know about you but I am at that point in the year where I am so cold, my idea of party wear is a onesie, slippers and a hat.

So, if I am going to dress up, I am going to need to feel a BILLION dollars in my outfit or I am not even playing.

Luckily, Simply Be have got a fantastic party wear section and I am now completely ready for my Christmas party in a Little Mistress dress that is not only Christmas party perfect but can stay in my wardrobe ready for that summer garden party or spring wedding.

Don't forget, when you are browsing for that perfect dress, take a look at the Simply Be beauty section,  I was pleasantly surprised to find brands there such as Clarins, Pixi, MAC and Nars.  If I am creating my whole look from one website, then finding high quality brands such as those fills me with confidence.

I love the wrap over style of this, the pattern is bold and beautiful and the dress is surprisingly heavy for a floaty dress.  Everything you would expect from a Little Mistress dress from Simply Be.

The cut-out arm detail is a great touch too. It looks good and really fits in well. I hate it when a dress has unnecessary detailing, this works.

If you love the dress, IT IS STILL AVAILABLE, (I hate it when you see dresses that you love and then when you check, it is out of stock) I would say it is very true to size. No need to size up or down.
You can buy it HERE -> Simply Be, Little Mistress Floral Wrap Prom Dress

What do you think of my choice of a Christmas party dress? What are you going to be wearing this Christmas party season?


Let me know.

*This post contains PR Samples

Rules To Ride The Bus By

Now since starting my new job in September, I have become a bus wanker a fully paid-up member of the club of users of public transport.

Now, don't get me wrong. Buses are nice, I get to sit in a seat and someone else drives me to my destination, kindly picking up other bus wankers passengers along the way. It works.

BUT, I've noticed that since my daily commute began, I have become a creature of habit and this can be a bit of a problem. I have realised that I now have MY SEAT. This seat is perfect for me, I sit on the back row, on the lower deck, on the left hand side of the bus and it is the way I like it, until one day, SOMEONE SAT IN MY SEAT.

If you ever want to know what betrayal feels like, it is knowing that the bus driver didn't stop the bus immediately, get out of his cab and go up to the seat stealer and say, "Awfully sorry, but you must be new to this route, this seat is actually reserved for Kellie" The seat thief would have immediately apologised and MOVED OUT OF MY SEAT. Everyone would have laughed and we would all have lived happily ever after.

Instead, the driver DID NOTHING. NOTHING, he just carried on driving the bus, knowing FULL WELL that I would be boarding his chariot at exactly 6.53 and be left with a complex decision to make that NO-ONE should have to make pre-7am.

Do I ask them to move out of my seat? Obviously I have paid for it, it is not my fault that unlike trains, the bus service do not allow us to reserve our seats, (If you ever want to make that happen WY Metro, I will be the first to sign up) Do I sit somewhere else? But what if I inadvertently sit in someone else's reserved seat, what happens then? Anarchy, Anarchy is what will happen, I can tell you. Do I NEXT to the person who is sitting in my seat, making them feel uncomfortable enough so that they move at the first opportunity, fleeing the scene, leaving me free to slip into MY seat, or do I just accept the fact that they have overthrown my reign and it is their seat now. The Queen has been ousted, long live the Queen.

Decisions, decisions.

Who knew that riding the bus every day would be filled with such rules?

If you think the ride into work is bad, you should see my journey home, people are packed onto my bus like sardines, I am lucky enough to get onto the bus before the bus turns into a tin can filled with fishy treats but that just means that at some point, SOMEONE WILL SIT NEXT TO ME.

I cannot bear it. Especially if they don't follow the No 1 rule which goes,

If there are no spare 2 seats and you have to sit next to another passenger you don't know, the SECOND a 2-seat becomes free, YOU MOVE TO IT.

THIS IS A RULE AS OLD AS TIME, and yet I have lost count of the amount of people who sit next to me on the bus, sharing my seat as the bus empties out, leaving space for them to move and they still don't move. It makes me uncomfortable, MOVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.


Is using public transport every day destroying me, do we think?


Should I learn how to drive and save myself the stress of bus rules and non-reserved seating or do you fully understand where I am coming from?


Let me know.

Off The Eaten Path, Tasty Tips, Snacks And Recipes.

Since I have started my new job back in September, I have basically been eating on the run. Two months later and I am craving quick tasty meals and delicious snacks that I eat because they taste nice rather than to just fill a hole.


Luckily, Off The Eaten Path have teamed up with chef and food blogger Deborah Thompson to create three tasty lunch recipes and Deborah has been sharing her top ten tips to create fun, tasty meals. I am hoping that I will be able to use her tips to put the adventure back into my lunch.

Top Tips For Adventurous Eating.

1. Get your adventure on by updating classics like the egg salad sandwich. Deconstruct it and add some exotic spices like dukkah to liven it up. 

2. Swap out traditional ingredients like noodles and lettuce for courgette and kale to

keep things light and full of vitamins and minerals. 

3. Pack snacks that you will actually want to eat. Off the Eaten Path is perfect for this. They’re delicious and great for popping in a lunch bag or a handbag for that snack craving. 

4. Blend sauces and infuse flavours to create new salad dressings and marinades, like the Thai peanut dipping sauce – but keep them on the side until you’re ready to eat. 

5. Pair fruit with savoury foods to create a whole new flavour profile and make the most of seasonal fruit. 

6. Pick foods that can withstand a few hours without refrigeration, like kale for salads and veggie noodles rather than pasta that can go soggy, so that you can get out there adventuring and still enjoy a stellar lunch. 

7. Add micro greens to your dishes. Usually reserved for fancy restaurants, these micro greens, widely available in supermarkets now, pack a flavour and jazz up your meal. 

8. Incorporate baby vegetables and multi-coloured veggies into your lunches such as candy beetroot and rainbow carrots. These all have different flavours than the regular varieties that are widely available. 

9. Use things like carrot tops or beetroot tops to make sauces like pesto. Eliminate waste and create a totally different and adventurous dip/sauce. 

10. Add sliced cucumber and mint to water, rather than lemon for a change.  

These are the sort of tips that I can use. All straightforward, helpful and quick and easy. Perfect for days when I need to nourish myself but have to eat on the run. 

And for those days when you do have a bit of extra time, why not make one of Deborah's delicious recipes to enjoy.

Six Minute Dukkah Egg Salad Box

An exciting (deconstructed) take on the boring old egg salad sandwich. Made with mixed baby greens, a boiled egg, and pistachio dukkah dressing with slices of rye bread.

Recipe:

     Cook an egg in boiling water for 6 minutes and cool in a bowl of cold water for 2-3 minutes.

      Whilst its cooling, pull together a pistachio dukkah dressing by mixing together

       

1 tbsp. sesame seeds

2 tbsp. coriander seeds

1 tbsp. cumin seeds

50g chopped pistachios

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

The juice and zest of half a lemon

      

Set aside the dressing and toss some baby greens, cucumber, onion, baby radish and baby beetroot together.

Slice the boiled egg in half, drizzle with the dukkah dressing and serve with fresh rye bread.

Pairs perfectly with Off The Eaten Path Sea Salt Rice and Pea Chips

Spicy Mango and Cranberry Courgetti Noodle Bowl

This sweet, sour and spicy noodle bowl is fresh and flavoursome to get you through the rest of the day.

Recipe:

●      Spiralise 1 courgette and heat the courgetti noodles in a pan for 2 minutes.

●      Add 1 tsp of grated fresh ginger, ½ a red chilli pepper, 1 tsp of sesame oil and 1 tsp soy sauce to add flavour.

●      Remove from the heat, and place in a bowl. Toss with ½ a mango, peeled and cubed, with 1 tsp of dried cranberries and 2 tbsp. of chopped coriander.

●      Add some sesame seeds to finish the dish.

Pairs perfectly with Off The Eaten Path Sour Cream and Black Pepper

Rainbow Veggie Wraps with Thai Peanut Dipping Sauce

Vibrant, colourful and perfectly packable, this handheld lunch to take to work or for when you’re on the go.

●      Prepare all your vegetables by slicing carrots, cucumber and red cabbage

●      Blend together a sauce ingredients in the blender or in a bowl with a whisk with a combination of Thai peanut dipping sauce, 3 tbsp. smooth peanut butter ½ tbsp. red Thai curry paste, 1 tbsp. lime juice and a dash of fish sauce

●      Set aside and lay some chard leaves flat ready to fill

●      Layer 100g of pre-cooked brown rice, then the veggies and roll the leaves up. Into wraps

●      Slice in half and dip into the peanut sauce

Pairs perfectly with Off The Eaten Path Sea Salt Pea and Pinto Beans

I'm definitely going to be making the Noodle Bowl. 

Do you have any tasty tips for a quick and easy lunch? Which one of the tips above was your favourite? 

Let me know. 

Bristol Piano Man. This is NOT romantic.

You know those newspaper reports that a week or so later, still make you mad?


The man in Bristol who was refusing to stop playing the piano until his ex-girlfriend returned to him is still boiling my piss, over a week later.

I'm seething at his sense of entitlement. I'm seething that people think that what he did was romantic, and I am seething that in 2017, women are not allowed to make a decision to end a relationship without a self-entitled dick deciding that it isn't over and what she wants, doesn't matter.

Can we start with the people who were defending him.


"It is romantic"

No it fucking isn't. It is creepy as hell.

"Can't fault a man for trying to win back his woman"

Er, I can. I will. She is not his woman. She decided that the relationship was over. She is entitled to make this decision.

"I wish someone would make grand gestures like this for me"

No one needs this. Making a grand gesture is lovely. Refusing to accept that a relationship is over and then acting like a child and declaring you will not stop playing the piano until she comes back is not a grand gesture, it is a scary, stalker manoeuvre that he has no right to do.


Apparently he has now stopped playing the piano as someone punched him in the head.

I HOPE it was one of his friends. punching some sense into him. I don't believe in violence but what he was doing was wrong, what the media did, glorifying and romanticising his dickish move was wrong. There is no winner in this sorry tale.


I hope that it stops other men from thinking that what they do is "romantic" and realise that it is wrong. But I don't think that it will. And perhaps that is what is annoying me.



What do you think?


Was the Bristol Piano player romantic, misguided, or exhibiting behaviour that was both frightening and manipulative?


Let me know.

Films That Make You Cry

Yesterday, I sat down and watched The Fault In Our Stars for the VERY FIRST TIME.

(I know, I'm late to the party, just wait till I get round to watching Harry Potter.)

I cried. I mean I ugly cried. I cried so much that it actually HURT, bloody hell. Now I know that I am a complete wimp when it comes to films, (I cried at Moana) but this film? DAMNNNNNNNNNNN.

I can't even LOOK AT THEM without sobbing.

So I asked some friends on Facebook what films made them ugly cry and the answers were varied.


Ranging from

Marley & Me - Penny, Steph, Tracey

Okja - Georgina, Lex

Green Mile - Kirsty, Hayley, Pip

A Monster Calls - Penny, Jade

to

Toy Story 3 (SECONDED)

Bambi

and LOTS MORE.


No-one said The Champ, which I remember breaking my heart to when I was younger, and Hachi A Dogs Tale, WHICH BROKE ME INTO A MILLION TINY PIECES.


But what film makes you absolutely sob? What film do you remember making you ugly cry?


Let me know in the comments, So I know to avoid them, because honestly, I don't think I have any tears LEFT.

Not #AllGirls Boohoo, Not even close

Inclusivity is such an important thing in 2017. We all deserve to be included, it shouldn't even be an issue but here we are, in 2017, still picking up brands for their lack of inclusivity.

And then along come Boohoo, saying "Hold my Diet Pepsi, While we try to make the most god-awful commercial of the 21st century whilst claiming to be all about inclusivity and girl power"


Boohoo, are you fucking kidding me? Using the word inclusivity as if it is an accessory you wear around your neck is one thing, claiming inclusivity whilst being anything but? Well that's just spitting in the face of people who are not included.


What is inclusivity to Boohoo? Because it doesn't include, Plus size women. It doesn't include disabled people, Trans women, all people who have every right to see themselves represented in an advert that claims to be inclusive.

Oh Boohoo, you included a pregnant woman, a woman with tattoos, how EDGY are you?

Let me tell you, if you want to claim inclusivity,  INCLUDE PEOPLE.

All types of people, not just the people that YOU think deserve to be included,

You want to be inclusive, BE INCLUSIVE, don't just say you are.

Just because you finally included some women of colour, do you think you can wear inclusivity like a badge of honour? THAT ISN'T HOW INCLUSIVITY WORKS.


Boohoo actually have a plus size collection, you wouldn't think they did by the advert that they have just released. There is not one plus size woman in the advert.


I cannot find the advert on Youtube to link it here, but here is a link to the Boohoo Twitter page where they are throwing this bullshit advert around like a child doing it's first piss in a potty. Ever so proud of the mess they have created. Here is the link if you want to have a look. https://twitter.com/boohoo/status/894477980151537664



What are your thoughts on the Boohoo advert? Are you thinking like me? To truly claim inclusivity you have to actually be inclusive? Or do you feel it is a step in the right direction?


Let me know.

Dr Who?

It's been a while since I've had a rant on here but you know what? A day like today kind of deserves one. This afternoon, a new Dr was announced and from the furore on social media, you would think that Jeremy Hunt got the job. Although to be fair, it would be the nearest he ever fucking got to a doctor, that's for sure.

The new Dr is a woman, and people are SHOOK.

You have people out there celebrating, you have people out there who are reserving judgement until they have watched an episode and then you have people who swear blind they are never going to watch it again, purely because the new Dr has a vagina and not a penis.

You know, the character in a TV programme that can regenerate and fights aliens and is ACTUALLY an alien, but isn't actually real, people are throwing their TV remotes out of the window and requesting a refund of their licence fee.

What is the betting that these people currently outraged, read the Daily Mail and complain about immigrants online on a daily basis, but HEAVEN FORBID you mess with their own beloved alien.

"It is pandering to the PC brigade"

"Dr Who is a man, always has been and always will be

"Feminists ruin everything"

are just some of the comments online today, and I CANNOT STOP LAUGHING.

I for one, welcome our new female Dr and I will be tuning in at Xmas to see how it all goes, how about you?

What are your thoughts on the new Dr, let me know your thoughts.

Big Fashionista x x x

Why Festivals Might Not Be For Me

Firstly, how I got to 41 without going to a music festival is beyond me, I probably should have spent some of my teens and twenties going to music festivals, but I didn't. Which is why now, after going to my first music festival, it is time to realise that perhaps music festivals may not be for me.


Don't get me wrong, I had a fantastic time. I went to Let's Rock Leeds and I saw some of the people I missed the first time around, like, Dr & The Medics, Tony Hadley, Kid Creole and The Coconuts and Human League and they were fab.

But I need my creature comforts, CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE TOILETS??? Every time I needed the loo, (Quite often, I have the bladder of a toddler) I wanted to cry. The words CESS PIT were muttered under my breath more times than when I walk into my teenagers bedroom, the smell. OH MY GOD, the smell! Is that normal? Why is it normal?

Is this why people drink? So they don't have to smell the portaloos?

The weather was fantastic, I have never experienced weather like it, so so so hot, the kind of day you want to either hide away and eat ice cream or be out with friends and eat ice cream, UNLESS, like me, you are concerned about the sun safety of others. I managed to burn one arm, (I'm a twat, but I'm a safe twat) but some people were topless or wearing bikini tops and I was flinching as they walked past, it looked like a Lobster convention where the beer was cold and in plentiful supply, (If you didn't mind queuing for an hour)

I kept flinching at people and thinking, "They are going to feel that in the morning"

Mum Mode Level 10.

I also don't like crowds, so we sat on the grass, well out of the way, high on the hill to get a great view of the stage and listen to the music.

Which is great at first, until another 10,000 people descend on Temple Newsam and pretty much all of them decide to sit in front of you/beside you/on you. 

It was at this point I wondered who I should have sold my soul to, to upgrade to the VIP section. 

They had posh loos, at this point, I would have sold everything I own, just to get access to the posh loos. 

Face paint helped. Face paint always helps, right?


Slush puppies helped, but then, Slush puppies always help too.



I have come to the conclusion that festivals are perhaps not for me, unless I get either A, A VIP pass, or B, a posh loo pass.

There is no shame in admitting that perhaps festivals are not my thing, I had a great day out with my husband, but would I do it again?


I'm not sure.



How about you? Are you a festival fan? Do the toilets always smell that way? And where does one get one of those inflatable things you lay in? They looked fab.


Let me know.

Be At One Leeds, Cocktails

You all know that I bloody LOVE a good cocktail so when I was invited to the opening of the new Be At One on Boar Lane in Leeds, I accepted my invite quicker than I would accept an invite to get naked with Tom Hardy.


If you've never been to a Be At One before, think cocktails, with some more cocktails, and thrown in for good measure, MORE COCKTAILS.

From Oxford St, Kings Cross, Nottingham to Bristol, Be At Ones are springing up everywhere and bringing you beautiful bars with cocktails you may never have tried before.

We had a cocktail tasting and got to sample a lot of the cocktails, (although I did take umbrage in having to share each cocktail with 5 other people, don't ask, I wasn't impressed)  and I found a lot of cocktails that I probably never would have chosen for myself but would now ask for by name.  ANYONE that names a cocktail a Jager Mega Drive is ok by me.



This Sherbet cocktail was one of my absolute faves.

We got a lot of background into the bars as well as the thought that goes into each cocktail, I do love on the menu it gives you a helping hand in what to choose by giving you a wheel of choices and tastes to help you narrow it down a bit. If you want something creamy, it lists them all in one place rather than you getting confused and ending up drinking the same one each time. It encourages you to try something new.

The taste masterclass was great but for me, the real test was when they turned up the music and let the evening run as if it was a normal evening with all of being able to order a drink. The atmosphere was great, as you can see, there was dancing on the bar and everything, FAB. 

I'll definitely be going back to Be At One to try some more cocktails, there is a Be At One somewhere with an Irish Disco Biscuit just waiting to be drank.


Have you been to a Be At One, before? Let me know what your favourite cocktail from there is.

Hard skin remover for feet? How A-peeling!

Firstly, let me apologies for the pictures of feet, let me apologise for the pictures of dead skin and let me just apologise, full stop. I was never going to blog about this so I don't really have any artfully posed pictures of feel covered in rose petals or Rose Gold nail polish on my toe nails. I'm shit, what can I say, I'm a busy working woman who cannot even find a cat to put my feet on to get an Instagram worthy shot at the moment. (I will turn in my blogger card at the door, Im a fucking disgrace) 

HOWEVER, what I can tell you, is that I am wearing sandals, at least I think I am, when I look down I just see boobs, Its a great view, trust me. I am wearing sandals and my feet are in my opinion, OK. which is a HUGE step for me from thinking that my feet are absolutely vile and I hate them, Urgh feet. 

So here follows the story of me using one of the feet peeling foot masks to try to remove dead skin from my feet which pretty much nothing was ever going to remove. 

Firstly, it puts the feet in the bag (Please read that in a Silence Of The Lambs tone or it just doesn't work) 

Oh hang on, see i told you i was a terrible blogger lately, HERE is the foot peel that I purchased, I got it from Amazon, I am sure there are other stockists available but I am lazy, and I have the app. Soz.

Buy it, its fab. (Do I actually need to continue with this now? Are you all just here for the pictures of peeling feet? YOU ARE, AREN'T YOU? YOU MONSTERS) 

So I put my feet in the bags, planning to sit on the sofa and not move for the 90 minutes it told me to wear them, 2 minutes in and i needed a wee, the phone rang, my youngest wanted help putting on a hat or something equally ridiculous and I had left my phone on the other side of the room. SIGH. 

So I can assure you, you can walk around while wearing the bags on your feet, you look like an absolute KNOB whilst doing so, and you are constantly in fear that you will fall over, but you can walk around. 

after the time has elapsed, you take the plastic bags off, they call them socks but  assure you, it is like tying Asda bags around your feet, and then you wait, you wait and you wait and you wait some more just like at a red traffic light that you start to assume MUST be broken and then just as you forget you did it, you take off your socks at the end of a long day and your sock resembles some sort of freakish snow globe that has malfunctioned. Skin everywhere, 

And thats when it starts to get FUN. My name is Kellie Dawson and I have an addiction to peeling skin off my feet. 

Dear God, the satisfaction I got from peeling my feet was almost sexual. I am not even sorry, t was all I could think about. I was sticking my feet in the bath as many times as I could get away with just to loosen more skin so that I could peel it off in sheets. Some people wonder when they can slip off for a crafty wank, all I could think about was when I could next peel skin off my feet. it was intoxicating, addicting, I kept waving my feet in front of my husband going look at my gross feet, aren't they gross? 

I never realised how grey my feet were until the pink started showing through, and then I just wanted to see more, if I could have peeled down to the bone, i genuinely think that I would have done so. I just couldn't stop. It was amazing. 

All of the hard skin came off the balls of my feet and across. I peeled in places that I didn't even realise I had hard skin, I PRACTICALLY DEGLOVED A TOE AND I LIKED IT. 

but then, as always, good things must come to an end, I ran out of skin to peel, my feet were baby soft and pink. (I must add that my poor feet were sore for a couple of days, not unbearably but it does make you wonder if we do need a bit of hard skin to protect our poor feetsies) 

It has been a good couple of weeks since I last used the foot peel and I can't lie, I want to do it again, but I want to let the hard skin build up a bit again so that it is not a disappointment in comparison to last time. I'm gross aren't I? This is why I don't often do reviews, I am too honest. 

Do I recommend using a foot peel? FUCK YES, it is disgustingly brilliant and I loved every moment. 

Do I recommend YOU use one? 

Only if I can come and help you peel your feet. 

What do you think? Have you ever used a foot peel? Have I put you off for life or are you now furiously scouring the internet to find one. Let me know in the comments