Lookbook / Chictopia

I bought this checkered dress from Primark a month after i moved to uni, So 3 years ago. It was so much longer than this so i took it up, probably a little too much but i had bought it for a night out sooo!

My college bursary finally came in this morning (I've been waiting about 7 weeks for it!) There was a total lack of communication between the finance peeps so i ended up having to wait longer than everyone else, but at least it's in now! I went to the post office this afternoon to send the latest Scrabble orders and Blogshop items. I was going to go straight home, but i thought I'd take a trip to Primark. It's sometimes dangerous for me to go in there, as i have been known to spend a small fortune. But today was good, a couple of items i liked and didn't spend that much. I managed to find a dress i wanted MONTHS ago actually in my size. I'm so happy i got it cos it's totally my style and it was such a good price. You'll probably see it this week in an outfit post!

Had a slight breakdown over my dissertation last week, but after calming down some what I've realised it's not actually that bad. My writing style is fine, which is good as that's the way I'm going to write 5000 words. I also finalised my collection and sorted out the fabrics. I'm so happy I've managed to come to a conclusion with it and I'm looking forward to starting my patterns this week. I also got last terms marks today, they were for the project these illustrations were part of. I had some great feedback which I'm totally pleased with and a good mark. So things are deffo looking up.

I don't usually like to address the 'haters' on my blog anymore, I've found it's pointless and usually brings more. But the other day i had someone say that myself and two other bloggers had formed a 'clique' and didn't speak to 'less known bloggers'. I couldn't actually believe someone thought that, and to be honest it really hurt my feelings. You have to remember I'm human, and i too once had 0 followers (just like everyone else). It's easy to miss tweets, and I'd never to it on purpose and i certainly am not in a 'clique'. If you have questions i do try my best to answer them, maybe emailing me would be a better option. Sometimes i really wish blogging didn't feel like i was back in school. I shouldn't have to keep bringing crap like this up.

STEAL THEIR STYLE

I'm so excited to show you Dee from Pearls, Lace and Ruffles! I adore her blog, it's really beautiful and so interesting to read. Dee has an amazing style, and she totally knows how to dress for her size and look completely amazing doing so. I wanted to use a girlie who isn't afraid to show her skin, and is confident in doing so. As a curvy blogger myself, i often get ask a lot of questions about my size but i think Dee proves my point better than i could by saying 'size has nothing to do with looking good.'

Her wardrobe is that amazing i found it really difficult to find replicas, but I've tried to find some items which will be key in spring and summer and again can be worn dressed up/dressed down and for any size. Belts are brilliant for tucking you in and emphasizing on your waist, something that Dee does really well. I'm all about colour matching and bringing the colours all together, each outfit shows that she takes great care in matching colours too! I would absolutely love to raid Dees wardrobe, i get the feeling you'd find everything you could possibly imagine in there!

I hope you bigger ladies out there are inspired by Dee and also feel more confident about yourself! Is anyone else totally jealous of her killer pins?



Ebay- Red Bead Necklace
Dorothy Perkins- Navy Rib Cardigan £26
Ark- Floral Print Dress £19.99
New Look-Brown Leather Belt£6.99
Dorothy Perkins- Suede Belt£12
FF Tesco- Grey Boyfriend Cardigan £14
ArkFloral Print Skirt £19.99
New Look- Knee High Socks £4.99

Total comfy day today, I'm in some harem pants and a cream jumper, which are both from Primark. I absolutely love this top, it's so soft and so easy to wear with anything! I picked it up in this colour and this one too!

I go through phases of wearing jewellery, and for the last few months I've been in a major 'keep outfit simple' mood so my bracelets, rings and necklaces have taken a back seat in outfit planning. But today I'd thought I'd show you my favourites. Granted you can't see them THAT well (blame the poor lighting) but you get the idea. I'm wearing a Vivienne Westwood orb necklace which i got for my 20th, my initial Scrabble necklace, a pearl bracelet which says 'love' from my best friend, an engraved charm bracelet i got for my 21st and then a really nice plain stone ring which i got years ago (probably Primark).

I set up a blogshop yesterday. As we're downsizing in July, there just won't be enough room for all my stuff, and that means i need to have a good sort out of clothes, shoes and bags. I HATE throwing stuff away, and you know i always recycle my wardrobe, so I'll be sad to see some bits go. But it makes sense, I'd rather see my stuff going to someone who's going to get a good use out of it. I'll be updating weekly so please keep checking back. I've also done a deal that if you buy something, you can get a scrabble ring for cheaper too!

Thanks for all your lovey comments on the post i like to call Little Red Riding Hood. It's right up there with the most of comments I've had on one post (apart from my giveaway and this one). I've also had a lot of votes on Chictopia too! That's really exciting as I've never had that many votes, so again, thank you!

I'm going in to uni tomorrow (on my day off) to have a good chat with my tutor before she goes away, for a month. I'm starting to get really stressed about it now as realistically i need to get started on my patterns for my collection in the next 2 weeks. I haven't even finalised my ideas, nor thought about fabric. I need to get some samples done too. The one thing i do have sorted is the fact it'll all be tie dye. amazingly my tutor was fine with it. Well i am doing a collection based on this so she couldn't really say no! I just want to get sorted and know exactly what I'm doing.

I've been really good with the diet this week, and I've lost another few lbs which is brilliant. Taking me to near enough the weight i was 3 years ago. I'm still sticking at it, but i can't even explain how much I'm looking forward to cheat day on Saturday. Roll on a nice breakfast/lunch and dinner! Which will be a home made curry cooked by Matt. So excited! Roll on the weekend!

'I'm a size 14-16 and 5'10. My problem area is my tummy. I tend to live in floaty tops + skinny jeans and tea dresses but want to mix my style up a bit for spring! Any suggestions?x'

I wanted to make sure whatever I found I would feel comfortable wearing, being a bigger girl myself, I can totally relate to what you’re saying. It sounds like you have a great sense of style already, and you can never go wrong with tea dresses. I personally love shorts, I think they’re so versatile and can be dressed up and dressed down. I wear mine all year round, perfect for summer, perfect with tights in winter. I think they can be really flattering too. You can easily tuck a top in, or have it out and loose fitting over your tummy. Shorts really pull you in too which makes you feel comfortable and ultra stylish. Loads of high street shops have a great spring/summer collection now, and shorts are playing a big part. I wanted to bring some typical spring prints in, but also keep in some block colours which will also be big this season.

Rust Plain Cape Tee - £18
Cherry Tailored Shorts - £17.99
Floral Pintuck Blouse - £19.99
Twill Pleated Shorts - £17.99
Daisy Flora Shorts - £17.99
Bellow Sleeve Top - £8.99

Got a style related question? Feel free to ask!

Lookbook / Chictopia
Finally i have some pictures to show you of my lovely new cape. I've had these photos planned for ages, but we've had things going on and the weathers been pretty rubbish. Massive kudos to Matt for taking these photos today, he takes a lot of my outfit pics and i really wouldn't get some nice ones if it wasn't for him! He can't talk all the credit though, Mr tripod helps a lot of the time too! These pics were taken at Kirkstall Abbey which is literally just down the road from us. I've had some photos taken there once before. It's a beautiful place, and it's lovely to walk around.

I've been a bit MIA from the Internet this weekend. I really needed some time away from it all and just really work out if the blog is something i really want to stick with. I guess i just let the hate get to me, and for some reason i thought i was annoying people on here and on Twitter. Maybe i was being stupid, maybe i wasn't. I do love this blog, but when things go a bit quiet it makes me question and ask myself am i doing something wrong? I guess I'm just letting pressure get to me (trying to please everyone) Which is totally stupid, because after all, it's just the Internet and it's my blog. I'm still not feeling 100% but I'm here, and I'll continue to blog.

So about 8 of us all went to see Black Swan on Friday. It was truly breathtakingly beautiful, yet incredibly dark and claustrophobic. We couldn't even find the words to talk about it, 'wow' was the only one that seemed to do it justice. I recommend you go and see it at the cinema if you can. I some how think it would loose some effect watching it on a tiny screen. Oh, be prepared to jump a few times too! Afterwards we all went to the pub, and it was such a laugh! We didn't get home until 2am which is pretty much unheard for us now! The weekend we've spent pretty much 99% of it playing Little Big Planet 2 which came out on Friday, it's highly addictive and brilliant! The best thing about it is we can play 2 player and work together, which is even more fun and highly amusing.

Thanks again to everyone who has voted for me so far. I'm currently 6th out of about 115, i think? So I'm very happy and grateful. I'd love to get top 3 so if you don't mind, please continue to vote for me! It ends on Friday so you won't have to listen to me go on about it for much longer.

Before i go, scrabble orders were posted on Saturday. Here's a pic of the necklaces I'm now doing. I'll probably buy some longer chains when these all go. I'll next be posting again at the weekend, so if anyone else wants to place an order drop me an email at vipxoblog@gmail.com

This picture highlights perfectly my major body hang up - my boobs! I actually hate how big they are, and how i find it difficult to wear high waisted stuff. Hella annoying, cos i do actually have a small waist. Just a big chest and hips! But anyway, this skirt is amazing and so on trend right now. I haven't just bought it, it's actually an old school skirt with 11-12 years on the label! Proving again the fact I'm a massive hauder and you never know when you might need something!

Yesterday was my first day back at uni, and it was totally pointless. The only good thing that happened is i found out that I'm not actually that behind, and that i have longer to do my collection designs. Which is good because I've been major stressing, I'm so glad i can dedicate a few days to getting my mind sorted about what i want to make. My tutor is from Australia originally and she's going out there for a month because her dads not very well. Obviously i feel for her, and it's really sad to hear but for all of us it couldn't come at a worst time. I know you can't help these things, and i wouldn't wish it on anyone. But it's such a busy time with this being our final year. Kinda just adds to the stress of everything!

Today has been a very exciting day for myself and Matt (actually it's more me but that's cos boys don't care about stuff like this) because we've found somewhere to live when the contract ends for this place! We thought we'd first go with the people we're with now, because it means not having to pay another deposit and they've been pretty good to us so far. We didn't actually expect to find anywhere today, and at first we saw some pretty awful places. But we saw this massive house, which has been converted in to flats and we just fell in love straight away. It's cosy without being too cramped and it's at the lower end of our price range! We signed for it straight away, so come the 1st July we'll be moving! For the fourth time in 4 years. I wish i could show you, but there doesn't seem to be pics online! But it's very pretty, old but modern. It also means Matts really close to his uni, and it won't be so bad travelling when i finally get a job. Thanks for all your happy tweets.

Thank you to everyone who has voted for me for the Elle intern competition! I have no idea why it's saying 0 votes still. I really hope it doesn't effect anything! The voting is still open for a few more days so if you like what I've written please vote! You're all massive stars and I'm very thankful! I know about the stupid spelling mistakes, there is a reason but i won't bore you with it. I hope you can look past it, unlike some lovely person who 'refused' to vote because of it.

Tomorrow night we're off to the cinema with some friends. I've been a bit undecided about seeing Black Swan because i get freaked out really easily. But it's supposed to be beautifully made, so for that I'm pretty excited for it! We'll probably go for some drinks after which will be really nice. Not seen a certain friend for months so I'm looking forward to that.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

I always find this time of the year is nothing short of being depressing. The weather is grey, boring and the days are ridiculously short. The thought of uni deadlines and paying rent makes me want to hibernate until that tiny bit of sunshine shines through the clouds. I'm sure I'm not alone in feeling like this. So, it's time to smile a little bit! I can't think of a better way than showing you my favourite Spring/Summer 2011 trend which is block colours with a 70s vibe! Something I've been waiting so long to see. I've even written about about this for an ELLEUK internship competition. I don't want to ask you for your support, but if you agree with what I've written please vote for me! I'd love the chance to make my fashion related dreams come true so thank you so much if you've voted for me! <3 (for some reason it's not updated all day)

What are you looking forward to seeing in the shops next season?

Lookbook / Chictopia

I really hate these photos today! They kept coming out so dark, so i tried to lighten them and this is as good as they got. I'm so picky about my photos, and i get really stressed when they don't go/turn out right. Does anyone else have the same issues? or am i just being totally ridiculous? Anyway, this dress is a Primark beauty from about 4 years ago? I'm not sure. It's actually a size 10!!! I don't wear it out the house, because it rides up and you get a right eye full of my bum! Plus it's a little too tight on my chest. But yayyyy for size 10! Don't get me wrong, the size on a label doesn't bother me. I will buy anything, no matter what size, as long as it looks good. A prime example is this cardi which is a size 22! But it's nice to get in to something on the smaller size rather than the bigger once in a while.

I had a really lovely time up in Sunderland with my ladies. I really didn't want to leave them and i actually cried when i got home. Which by the way was a right mission. I ended up getting to Newcastle station really early for my train (which is obz better than missing it) then it was 15 mins delayed because of line works, which also meant we had to divert. I had to change at York and I'm not even kidding when i say my train pulled in to the station 1 min before my connecting train to Leeds. I had to run, propa full on out-of-breathe-I'm-going-to-pass-out across the station! But amazingly i made it, with about 30 secs to spare. When i got home i had a quick change and a spray of my perfume and went out for a meal with Matt to celebrate our two year anniversary. Which was lovely, as ever! This weekend we've chilled out so much. Did the food shop, watched some films and cooked a roast dinner.

Today i need to crack on with uni work. We go back on Weds and I'm so not prepared for it! I'm going to have another cuppa, something for lunch then really put some time in. I'm thinking of spreading my work out on the living room floor and catch up on a few weeks worth of Desperate Housewives.

To anyone who's ordered some scrabble bits from me last week, I'll get them posted towards the end of the week. I'm now making necklaces (chains arrived on Saturday) so if anyone wants one of them drop me an email.

Oh before i go i just want to say a massive thank you to all your lovely comments on my recent posts. You're all very kind and you made me smile a lot! I'm very lucky to have such amazing readers on my blog <3

I've applied to become an intern at ELLE! If you agree with me, please vote Thank you!!

STEAL THEIR STYLE

-Asma

So it's been a long time since i last did an Lookbook Of The Week post. With Christmas, being poorly and generally not having the time to do one but finally I'm back! I've planned to show you Asmas style for ages now and i really had great difficulty choosing my favourite looks of hers. For someone who calls herself 'A 'thirtysomething' fashion & style addict' you get a great envy of her wardrobe and she certainly knows the meaning of the word 'key pieces'. I really like her style because it's so down-to-earth yet incredibly stylish. She takes great pride in her appearance and it's something that really does comes through in her outfit pictures. I got asked a few weeks ago if i could suggest anything other than t-shirts to wear with jeans. I think Asma shows a perfect answer to that question. I love that her outfits could be seen walking down the high street on a Saturday afternoon, or sitting in an office on your 9-5 job. Asmas shows amazingly well just how simple pieces really pull an outfit together.


//New Look- Bow Waterfall Top
//F&F- Black Skinny jeans
//New Look- Sheer Blue Pocket Chiffon Shirt
//Topshop- Skinny Jeans x 2
//New Look- Daisy Bow Blouset
//F&F- F&F Military Jacket
//New Look- Leather Stitch Satchel
//Office- Brouge Tan Leather Shoes

Lookbook / Chictopia

This isn't the outfit post i wanted to do today, originally i wanted to show you my new cape. But the background outside didn't do it any favours so we've decided to go down to Kirkstall Abbey on Sunday to take some nice ones. This blouse is one of my purchases yesterday, I'm sure you've all seen it before and it's from Primark. I wasn't sure when i saw it on the hanger a few months ago, but i thought it'd try it on to have a look. I fell in love with it straight away, it's so lovely on and it's nice to own something a little bit different. It's going to be so nice wearing it when the weather gets a bit warmer!

I've now got rid of my illness that bought me down last week. However I've now been plagued with the dreaded wisdom tooth pain. It's something i don't suffer with a lot, and it's not tooth ache as such, it more effects my gum as the tooth tries to come through. I'm hoping the antibiotics I've been taking for my throat will help with the tooth too. Really don't want to have to make a trip to the dentist.

I'm away tomorrow night, it was one of my best friends 21st birthday on Monday. So tomorrow I'm going up to Sunderland to spend some time with her and our other bestest. She's at uni there so i don't get to see her often, and we've all not been together in a good few months so I'm really looking forward to seeing them both. I'm not in to the whole clubbing thing anymore (unlike those two who will party until sunrise) so we've decided to just have a girlie night of eating, drinking, laughing and playing silly games. I can't think of anything better! It'll just be like old times and i couldn't be more excited! Not looking forward to setting my alarm for 7am though, uh.

I've still not done any uni work, and i feel really awful about it. However i go back on Wednesday and my plan is to work my bum off until then! Today I'm tidying/cleaning the apartment. It's awful at the moment, there's stuff everywhere. We're starting to have viewings now (sad times) and I'm getting really embarrassed at the state of the place. I also need to tidy my room and pack, something else I'm dreading. Roll on bedtime!

I'M LOVING... TOPSHOP HEELS

This is probably the most boring blog post, ever. But i just had to show you my new babies! I'm in love, and im so glad i managed to get myself a pair. I got them today from Topshop during my shopping trip to Leeds. I did film a haul video but i didn't like it so i'll either have a go again another time or you'll see my new buys in future outfit posts. I knew i was getting a pair before i bought them, because the very lovely Kelly found me some. But i found these even cheaper at £15! I'd be so annoyed if i paid the whole price of £65! Falling over is so going to be worth it in these little gems! Today i am one happy girl!

'I have just got engaged and am having a party in February to celebrate. What type of dress would you suggest I wear to ensure I am the belle of the ball? It's semi-formal. I have a v similar figure to you (pre weight loss!!) and I don't do trousers x'


First of all, congratulations! That's so exciting!
I've done some searching on some high street websites and I've found Miss Selfrige has the best range of dresses and at a reasonable price. They offer some really glam dresses and some really low key ones that could be easily styled up. You say you're the same size as me, so i wanted to keep that in mind and choose dresses i would wear myself. Each one could be worn with tights, a cardi or a jacket to maybe cover the bits you don't like it, they could all be worn with black shoes so you don't have to worry about having to find the same colour shoes to match the dress. I wanted to give you some splashes of colour so you stand out, but also pick a couple of LBDs if you're not feeling the colour! I've mostly picked dresses with waist details, for me that's my smallest part and can easily control your curves. I really hope I've given you some ideas and you manage to find the perfect dress for your special party!

Champagne 1 Shoulder Dress - £45
Red Tipped 1 Shoulder Dress - £36
Petite Embellished 1 Shoulder - £42
Rust Pintuck Dress - £32
Black Embellished Dress - £40
Petites Metallic Plisse Dress - £40
Camel Drape Bubble Dress - £40
Petites Blue Pintuck Dress - £32

Got a style related question? Feel free to ask!

BLOG BIRTHDAY #1

So today marks my blogs first birthday, a whole 365 days of blogging and a brand new layout. It doesn’t feel like a year, but I’m so pleased I stuck with it because this blog has become a big part of my daily life. I try to set a couple of hours each day to reading/commenting your blogs and i genuinely look forward to that part of the day. I find myself constantly thinking about what posts I’m going to do and what I'm going to write. I put a lot of time in to researching certain posts such as Lookbook of the week and answering your fashion related Formspring questions. Taking outfit pictures every few days has made me make a lot more of an effort with my appearance and I've now re vamped my wardrobe! It's also given me more confidence in myself and I've realised that you don’t need to look like a stick insect, have the latest designer gear and a crazy amount of ‘followers’ to be accepted in the blogging world. I started off with 0 followers, and a year on i have 1200+ people reading my blog. Something i could never have imagined, nor could i express just how thankful i am to have you all here.

What does VIPXO stand for?
VIP are my initials and XO means a hug and a kiss in the online world!

What made you start writing a blog?
I lived with 4 girls last year and it was horrible, it was the worst year of my life and it’s something I’ll never do again. Writing a blog was an escape, and it was a great place to talk to people with the same interests as me.

What tips do you have for making your blog better known?
Be original. As a reader I don’t like seeing repetitive blogs/ posts from different people but with the same content. It’s really not nice to see copycat blogs.

How often do you think it's okay to post and how'd you get ideas for posts if you don't have a new outfit to show?
I think it’s a personal thing. I know blogs that post everyday, some who only post once a week. I try to post at least 5 days out of 7. It all depends what I have on and what I want to blog about. If you’ve followed my blog for a while you’ll know that it’s not just about the outfit posts. I do blog other things too!

Do you ever feel pressure to blog about certain things in a certain way because of other blogs and bloggers, and how do you keep your blog current but also original and unique?
No not at all! Like I said before, if you’re going to blog make it different and stand out. I know there are a lot of blogs like mine, but at the end of the say it’s all about the writing style that makes them different.

Your often referred to as a ‘bigger blogger’ does that bother you?
I don’t get why it would bother me? I’m quite flattered people talk about my blog anyway, if they want to call me a big blogger then that’s fine because I'm quite content with the way I look. I just want to prove the point that you don't have to be a 'model' to write a blog. If i can give someone the confidence and inspire them to start a blog then i guess I'm doing something right.

What has been a highlight for you since starting your blog?
Making some pretty amazing friends! I honestly would’t be able to cope with some things people say to me if I didn't have a handful of these girls by my side. It's made me learn a lot about myself too and to not let things get to me. If i enjoy something i should stick at it, even if people don't always agree with what i say.

So once again, a massive thanks to you all for your continued support for me and my blog. I love doing this and wouldn't want to give it up for the world <3 br="br">

Lookbook / Chictopia

So it may look that over night I've fought this illness and my heath has improved greatly. Unfortunately not, I'm still sat in PJs, with messy hair and not a hint of make up in sight. These pics were taken the day before i found myself unable to move, breathe or talk. But after asking on Twitter whether you'd like to see these pics, i had a well rounded yes. I'm wearing a primark (obviously) boys jumper that Matt got me for Christmas. As soon as a i saw it i knew it had to be mine and it was only £3! I can't say I'm a massive fan of the whole 'Animal' craze, i don't own a single item of clothing with some kind of print on it. But this jumper is so lovely, and really comfy which makes it an even better bargin!

I'm really sorry to say that I've not sorted out any scrabble orders, nor gone through my emails about them. I will however get on to it as soon as i feel better. I haven't forgotten about you. I've also not managed to do any uni work, and I've missed one deadline. I'm really hoping my tutor will account for the fact I've not been very well but you never know. She seems to hand extensions out to the same people for like no reason. But whatever, it's my own fault for leaving things till the last minute i guess.

I've been hunting high and low for these shoes and they were nearly mine yesterday when i started bidding on a pair on Ebay however, they went for a stupid price that just wasn't worth it. There's another pair on there, and I'm really tempted to buy them but i just can't seem to get over the fact they were only £20 in the sale. If anyone has a size 5 in their local Topshop please please let me know! I need them in my life! I have however treated myself to this little beauty with the help of Simones NUS card number. I've wanted a cape for so long, and I'm so happy i will now own one! Granted it's a little more than what I'd usually pay, but like I've mentioned before I've not treated myself in so long.

Myself and Matt have watched a lot of films these past few weeks, with it being the holidays and both being vegetables on the sofa. To name a few... Salt, Kick Ass, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Deja Vu and The Way Back at the cinema on Monday. We'll probably end up watching a Studio Ghibli film at some point this weekend too.

As for now, im going to be a geek and watch Star Wars drink more tea and eat another hand full of Jaffa cakes !

I really wanted to a nice picture for Fridays Face today, but the thought of putting make up on my swollen face didn't sound appealing. So you have me at my finest. No make up, messy hair and PJs. But it's ok, i have a good excuse right? Thanks for your well wishes, they've made me smile and it's nice to know people care! I'm finally on antibiotics so hopefully I'll be back to my normal self by the start of next week!

Enjoy your weekend you lovely lot! <3