Plus London Blogger Meet

Just a quick post to say how much I enjoyed the Plus London Blogger meet on Saturday night.   It was a brilliant night and it was great to meet everyone whose outfits and blogs you feel you know so well.

Everyone looked amazing, different, stylish!!  It was in one word FASHION.

Lauren & Messy Carla

 That is what has been amazing about what Lauren has done with this, its all been about the fashion that just happens to be plus size.

The venue was great.  There was champagne and cupcakes to keep everyone going.

There were also great clothes.  Rails of the spring/summer collections were there from the nights sponsors.

The H&M Inclusive pieces gave a hint of what looks like a great collection.  I loved the soft beaded cream cardigan and lovely peach chiffon (I know, peach chiffon! but trust me) pleated bandeau dress looked great.

Carmakoma were there with their summer collection, which I loved every piece.  I love the simplicity of their clothes but with an edge.  I have always been a bit reluctant to order but I will now.  Im also assured they are looking at extending their size range which is good news.

Yours clothing were also there and were a great sponsor for the night.  I liked what they had brought and Lauren says there is even better to come.

A lovely collection as always from Anna Scholz, with some great prints for summer.  I love the wrap dresses.  They are just effortless.  My only regret was I saw a sample of an amazing dress in blues and white with a tiger print at Anna's studio but its not made the collection as buyers didnt pick it up.  Just look at how amazing the lovely Wendy looks in her Anna.  I also love this green and red dress.

Torrid another great sponsor of the night also had some clothes.  My favourite was this amazing stripy blazer, once again modelled by the lovely Wendy.

ASOS curve had also sent their current collection.  I have to admit to them being my current love.  I had my black curve shift dress on for the evening.  Love, love, love them.

Here are a few other photos of the evening, so many great outfits and fantastic women.

love this dress

great dress, great hair

Not only all this but there was great photography on the walls, including two of my best boys watching over us, especially Mr Grant

Before they start calling for booze and in celebration of the champagne reception, what else could tonights cocktail be but the eternal classic Champagne cocktail.  This was another first at the sadly missed Atlantic Bar and Grill.  We had so many that night that the man who was chatting us up said " I have never seen such small ladies sink their own height in champagne flutes".  Again dead easy and you dont need many ingredients, though it can be on the sweet side as you get down the glass.  Beware, this is stealth rocket fuel, but is one of the best celebration drinks ever.
1 sugar cube
3 dashes of Angostura bitters
1oz or 30ml of brandy
champagne
orange twist

On a saucer dash the bitters on to your sugar cube and let it soak in.
Drop the sugar cube in the bottom of a chilled champagne flute
Add the brandy
Top up with very chilled champagne and garnish with orange twist

Watch your sugar cube dissolve and enjoy.  If you like an orange flavour, you can swap for organge bitters and cointreau.

Thanks to all the organisers and sponsors of Saturday and everyone I met there.  Lovely night.

London blogger meet & yes a second post!!

Next Saturday is the London Blogger meet, which is really exciting.  Its the brain child of The Pocket Rocket - Lauren and she has done an amazing job.  Devon the author of the blog The Fat Nurse also did an event last summer, where it was really great to meet everyone.  


The really exciting thing about what Lauren has done is that she has totally put the focus on fashion.  There are some great sponsors and I'm really excited to see Asos curve's spring collection.  It feels less like its a plus size event and more like its a fashion event which kind of happens to have a plus focus.  This to me is so what is needed.
http://PLUSLONDON.tumblr.com/


I am still really frustrated with the breadth and choice of what is there and with the fact that I increasingly seem forced to do most of my shopping on line.  So at times I admit I'm really critical, but from a Mary Portas if you don't object and voice it, you wont get it point of view.


Tonight I was browsing through Simply Be's new season stuff.  The odd nice thing but still too much stuff that seems to be exactly the same as what was there last year and is very stylised like the Joe Brown's stuff.  Where is the nudes, bright block colours, fabulous flowing chiffon dresses ( not just the floral 70's style maxis tssk!), long slightly full skirts that can be worn with a crisp t (could be very flattering, simple, luxe, stylish, trust me).


 It really occurred to me, with the much more visible push for plus fashion and the emergence of things like Vogue Curvy, why is this still happening?  Plus the growing sources of clothes, eg Asos curve, Yours, Style 369.  Nobody with the exception of Asos Curve escapes some criticism here.


The only answer I could think of is because it sells.  Why are we still buying it?  I think this is why the blogs are so important, because it gives people a chance to look at different styles on women their size.  Hopefully, thinking "that looks quite good.  How can we convince more plus women to demand fashion and feel good taking risks and finding their own style.


So, only too many months that, it is too embarrassing to put in numbers, a second post.  Why the gap?  I'm a bit rubbish.  I have moved back to London and have had 2 new jobs in 12 months.  The second one being one I love and is very busy.  Also I think its taken me a bit to know what type of blog I want.  I am just not comfortable with putting photos of me in outfits up here.  Mostly because my husband is the most awful and unflattering photographer going.  Mainly close ups with your eyes shut.  Also it limits me, my fashion dreams go far beyond my own wardrobe.  So its going to be links and pics to vogue or things I like and general musing....and cocktails.


Speaking of which,  today's recipe is a retro classic.  Made properly its a gem.  I first had them in the 90's on endless nights out with friends and in the lovely Atlantic Bar and Grill on Glasshouse street.  A hidden Art Deco ballroom.  Sadly closed but fingers crossed it will reopen as part of the new hotel development there.  Its easy, you don't need many ingredients and its the perfect Friday night soother.


The Cosmopolitan



1 shot Ketel One vodka
1 shot Cointreau triple sec
1½ shots Ocean Spray cranberry juice
½ shot Freshly squeezed lime juice
1 dash Angostura orange bitters (optional)

Shake all ingredients together with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass.  Simplicity itself.  

So I will post again soon as i still have to tell you the story about the opera, the animal print maxi and near fight.

Let me know if you like this.

Making a Start

Well I guess I need to bite the bullet and start this thing.

I promised you fashion and Martini recipe's so lets start with the king of them all - The Vesper Martini

The first time I tasted this was about 3 in the morning in New York. It was love at first taste. Two investment bankers we met in Fanellis bar in Soho, one very unsavory, obviously married and desperate to get at my friend had been trying to get us drunk for hours. He kept ordering us large gin and tonics one after another, to the point the barman pointed it out to us, and asked us to tell him If we felt pressured ( where are these barmen in London). Little did he know we were Olympic standard G&T drinkers and that for both of us its the drink we can drink all night, get mischievously drunk on but no more. Hours and many $'s later as a last ditch attempt they invited us to have a drink in their hotel bar. They were staying in the Dreams hotel where the bar is amazing. There on the menu was a Vesper Martini, waiting for me. So that was the start of a beautiful friendship which unfortunately for them was not with two exasperated bankers. We left two Vespers later in a yellow taxi!!

3 Measures of Gin ( I like Tanqueray 10 for this)

1 Measure of Vodka

1/2 Measure of Kina Lillet (not really a vermouth, much nicer)

Lemon twist

Put all of the alcohol in a cocktail shaker with ice cubes, shake until the liquid is very cold. (The ice cools the liquid but also adds enough water as it melts to make the alcohol smoother)

Strain into a cold cocktail glass and add the lemon twist to the glass.

Its much nicer and smoother than you probably think, but it is strong so be careful and don't have too many.

Tomorrow I'm going to do some fashion, promise. I will also blog about the the night at the opera, the animal print maxi and the verbal fisticuffs with some drunken stag do haters.

Its short but at least its started!