I heart my body!

I have not always had an easy relationship with my body. I have not always felt comfortable in my own skin. There have been times that I have raged at my appearance in the mirror. I have loathed photos of myself and am absent from many.I have mostly felt pretty let down and betrayed by it. It always has seemed to work against me. My weight has always fluctuated, my body seems to punish me when I indulge by instantly slamming on the weight. It has then been slow in taking that weight, which went on so quickly, off again.

As the years have ticked by these moments have lessened.

I asked myself if there was a moment that I loved my body. There was one moment that I thought of instantly

The day that I gave birth to my daughter..

The loathing I have felt for my body was replaced by awe and pride after I had my daughter.

As soon as I went into labour my body took over. I had a very smooth labour, with my daughter being born within 5 hours and I only ended up using gas. No, I don't mean to gloat (my friend often mutters 'bitch', in a very loving way, when I talk about my smooth labour) I am just in awe of this. I thought I would not cope with the pain, I feared that I would be in labour for a long time, and agonised over the thought that something could go wrong.

 I started to appreciate my woman's body for the amazing thing it just accomplished. My body, the same one that I have felt had let me down, had carried my healthy daughter for 9 months. It helped grow her, accommodate her and nurture her during that time. It went on to birth her.
.

When I look at my body I still see the stretch marks. I still see the large thighs, the love handles, the fat on my back. I still at times dislike what I see. However I appreciate and love my body for what it helped give me. I am a little kinder to myself.

A few months after I gave birth I briefly lamented to my Husband that I had more stretchmarks than ever before my tummy was still soft and squishy and I was larger than ever. He looked at me and told me that he loved it just as it was. Most of all because what all those things meant. They meant that I had had a child, his child, and he loved me and my body for that more than anything.

He was right. That is something worthy of loving yourself for.

I look at my daughter everyday and remind myself that she came from me. I know I can proudly say ...

I HEART MY BODY

I love that it carried and delivered my beautiful Daughter
I love that my Husband thinks it's beautiful, and admires it for giving him his Daughter
I love that I am feeling more secure in my own skin as I am getting older

Aussie Curves - Break the rules 2!

Earlier in the week I shared my Aussie Curves Breaking the rules. Nerida is now ready to share hers!

Shrug - City Chic

Tunic - City Chic

Shoes - Spendless Shoes

Like me, Nerida tends to follow 'fashion rules' that are more about her own confidence. One thing that I always tell her is that she has killer legs. With my shape being a pear my legs tend to be thinker and more chunky. However Nerida's legs are thinner and much more shapely. I am always telling her to show them off a bit more, I know I would if they were mine.

So this week Nerida accepted my challenge and put on this outfit.

Really, if you had legs like those wouldn't you wear something short more often?

Aussie Curves - Break the rules!

When I thought of this week's theme I was at first thinking of playing it safe. I was going to break fashion rules such as mixing dots and stripes, or florals  with florals etc. However I started to realise that I have many fashion rules of my own. Restrictions that I place on myself because I am a 'fat girl'.

Generally I follow 'rules' for my shape. After all  that is why my Sister and I chose to refer to ourselves as sister Apple and Sister Pear. There are 'rules' you can follow to flatter your shape. Play up the positives and disguise the negatives. I know within the plus size fashion world there is a movement to 'throw away' these rules. Wear what makes your heart sing. I love this idea. I think it is great to see plus size women who are embracing themselves and having some self love and confidence. However, I am still happy to also wear what makes me feel good, and much of what makes me feel good does tend to follow the fashion do's and don'ts for my pear shape.

This is the 12th week of Aussie Curves. It has been wonderful to be part of a community of plus sized women who are celebrating their curves and sharing their own fashion. So, this week I decided to be bold and break some of these rules I follow. I even challenged myself to go out while wearing my outfit.

Two rules I am quite stringent about are :

• Never wear a hemline above my knees 
• Never year a sleeveless top unless wearing a cardigan

Top: Cable & Gauge

Skirt: Autograph (last season)

Belt: ASOS Curve

Shoes: Rivers

Earrings & Bangles : Mix of Diva & Equip

I dug out a denim skirt that I do wear. I honestly don't remember it being as short when I bought it, however it seems to be shorter than what i usually wear. I wore it a lot through Winter with leggings. I often pull the 

skirt down so it sits just on my knees and keep it there with a belt tied firmly in place. This time I let it sit around my waist and let that hemline sit above my knees.

Finding a top was a greater challenge. I didn't want to wear a top with spaghetti straps, yet i really don;t seem to own tops that don;t at least have a capped sleeve or are spaghetti straps. I then saw my lovely floral top. When I put it on it felt right. It was still very flattering with all the gathering at the bust, the asymmetrical hem and the soft gathering. I actually decided the it had a bit of a peplum feel to it. I popped on a new pair of wedge heels ( I so love them, so watch out for a post this week just about my recent shoe obsession!!)

I actually felt really lovely in this outfit. My Husband agreed that I looked great, although he did warm me not to do too much bending over in the skirt! Ha! He is not used to me wearing anything above my knees either!

When I cast a critical eye over my photos I would say that I really don;t know why I cover my arms so much. Yes, they are wide, but they are also smooth and blemish free. You can't really see the silvery stretch marks on the underside. I suspect I may be more daring this summer and not always wear a cardigan over my tops! 

What are your fashion rules? Why don;t you try breaking them sometimes? You may be surprised and quite like it!

While your at it, check out these other rule breakers!

Movie Date.. with a gal pal.

I recently went out for dinner and a movie with a Mum from my Mummy group. It was a rare treat for both of us. Your life definitely becomes consumed by your little one when you become a Mum. Although both my Husband and I have made  a point of ensuring we get some time with each other, but also by ourselves. It is so important to not lose yourself when you have a child. I think many times, women especially, lose their identity a bit. They become 'Mum' , sometimes 'Wife', but forget themselves.  

My friend and I decided to go see a movie, in Gold Class, share a cheese platter and go out for cake and coffee after. We watched the Australian comedy 'Mental' Oh My Word - HILARIOUS! I would recommend it to anyone, especially if you have an affection for quirky Aussie humor  We both cackled and roared our way through the movie. 

Afterwards we gossiped while we enjoyed a coffee and a piece of red velvet cake. Sharing our trials and triumphs as Mothers, Wives and in other aspects of our life. It is a friendship that I certainly cherish. 

Dress - Big W

Jacket - Crossroads

Shoes - Kmart

Necklace - Lovisa

Belt - Came with another dress

I wanted to wear something a bit special, but still a little casual. My skater dress from Biw W was perfect for this. I really love this dress as it is a thick knit but still light enough to wear into the warmer months, with 3/4 sleeves so my arms are covered. The best part about it is hat it can be worn to work, dressed up for going out, and dressed down for the movies.

The denim jacket really helps make the dress more casual. I also really love wearing brown with black. It always seems to lighten it up a bit. I popped on a brown belt, and a pair of brown canvas wedges

The wedges are also a total steal at Kmart for $15. The are really comfortable and fit my wider foot. I bought them in black too, and plan on going back for a red pair first chance I get.

I felt comfortable but still a bit special in the outfit. I must also add, it felt like a real treat to be able to go out with just a small handbag containing a phone, wallet and lippie! Ah, such luxury!

Tell me, do you make sure you take time out for yourself and catch up with a friend? What is your favourite place to go with a gal pal?

Aussie Curves - Knit

This week all the Aussie Curves ladies will be wearing knits. I know for me when it comes to cardigans I own a heap. I have mentioned before that I am self conscious about my arms. I generally always have them covered up, even during summer.

I actually have so many knits that I keep them in two separate areas. In my bedroom, I keep all long sleeve cardigans in a drawer. Only this weekend I decided to pull out my really thick winter jumpers and put them in another storage box, as I had so many long sleeved ones that the (very large) drawer was having trouble closing!

In my coat cupboard I use a shoe holder to hold all my short sleeve, cropped cardigans. There are 8 holes in the holder, and I have about 3 cardigans per hole. It's a sickness I tell you.

You would think then that I felt I had this week's theme 'covered', however my problem was that I felt a little uninspired. To me my knits are such a staple item that it was like being asked to feature a plain singlet top.

However, I suppose that is the point with Aussie Curves, share what works for you!

Cardigan - Temt

Dress - Old Navy 

Shoes - Spendless Shoes

Bracelet - Diva

Brooch - Ebay

Earrings - a gift from Italy

When I wear a cardigan with a dress or skirt I like it to stop just above my hips or below my bust. For my pear shape I find this is best, as it draws the eye to my narrowest part. If a cardigan is too long , and a dress is too flowy, it can make me look shapeless, which just makes me look larger. This cardigan has a lovely knitted pattern. It also has little pearl buttons and just a narrow hint of lace near the buttons. I like to add a brooch to my cardigans sometimes instead of wearing a necklace. 

Pear Tip: Have cardigans sit below the bust or above the hip. This si the narrowest part of your body. If you wear a longer cardigan, draw the eyes to your waist with a belt. It can even be tied over the top of your cardigan for a different look

The dress is a soft stretch material.  The gathering in the bust adds a bit of interest to the dress, while also making the bust area look a bit bigger. It then has an a line skirt, but is not to flowy either. I just love it, it is perfect for me.

I thought the whole look had a 'garden tea party' feel to it, so I dug out an adorable old bracelet I have. It has little ceramic teapots, cups and tea spoons on it. I also have the matching necklace. It is such a kitch litte charm bracelet, and perfect for the knit.

Nerida is sitting for some exams at Tafe this week, so she isn't doing any photos. Although, she did do my makeup. Over the weekend she needed to add another 'look' to her make up portfolio, so I went over and acted as 'model' so she could create a bridal look. Perfect! I LOVED it. I didn't so much love wearing a mocked up 'bridal' dress (a white dress found with a sheer white bolero) and having photos taken out in the street. She needed a nice background so I had to walk down her street to stand in front of a flowering tree and have some photos taken. Her neighbours were peering out of their windows trying to work out what on earth was going on. On the bright side, I look super lovely in my photos this week.

Make sure you go see what the other ladies are wearing this week. Maybe you have a blog and want to join in? Read the instruction below. The more the merrier!

A Revelation

Starting this blog has been a revelation for both of us. Being 'big girls' we have often had times when we felt unattractive. I know that all women feel this, but I think when you are plus size it is heightened. Trying on new clothing hasn't always been a positive experience. It has always been crushing when you try on clothing after clothing to find nothing that fits. Going into shops to discover they have nothing available in your size. Walking past more than half the shops in a shopping centre because there is no point in entering it.Clothing that is badly cut, with no consideration of a plus sized figure. Even when it is marked as 'your size'.

 I always have a real problem with arms. Seriously, it seems that sometimes they forget to up size the arms from a size 10 to 18. Many times I have attempted to try on a top that looks like it would fit perfectly. Except I couldn't get my arms through the holes. Or worse, I DO squeeze my arms through the holes, but they are so tight the circulation gets cut off. I then have an 'episode' in the change-room as I attempt to get my arms back out. Head covered by the top, I start to tug it off. Only to find my arms are firmly wedged in the holes. More tugging occurs, with the top still around my head. I start to get claustrophobic and hyperventilate. I have to pull the top back over my head to take in some fresh air before I re-start operation 'get the bloody thing off' again. Thankfully the top eventually comes off. The worst part though is I am left feeling humiliated and filled with self loathing. I especially feel angry that the retailer didn't consider the fact that a woman that is a size 16+ may be so all over, including the friggen arms.

Recently much of this is starting to change. Many retailers are seeing the market for plus size women in Australia. Finally my sister and I, and many other plus sized women, are able to find well cut beautiful clothing THAT FITS. It's still not perfect, there is still a long way to go. However it is a start. Starting this blog has linked us up to many other plus sized blogs. Through them we are becoming exposed to other brands, styles and outfits that we otherwise wouldn't have known. We are becoming inspired by the other beautiful curvy ladies, seeing that plus size does not have to mean unfashionable. In fact, in some cases it can mean fashion forward. Most of all, we have started to feel good about ourselves. We often say to each other 'Did you read that comment about how nice we looked?' and 'That person said she liked my outfit'. We are starting to see ourselves in a new light. We are starting to feel attractive. We are taking care in our appearance. Most of all we are liking what we see. We still may want to be thinner. We still may hunger to be a few sizes smaller. However, we are also starting to love ourselves more. Maybe one day we will be thinner, but right now we are learning to love the bodies that we are in.

 It has been a revelation, and we are loving it.

Aussie Curves - Blue (with a hooded eye make up tutorial)

Neither of us wear much of the colour blue. It isn't that we have anything against it, it's just not a colour that we gravitate towards very much. We do have a little bit of is royal blue, mainly due to the current colour blocking trend. For this weeks challenge we are not only showing off our outfits, but are also showing a great blue eyeshadow look that is especially great for the 'hooded eyelid' such as ours.

Janna  says:

 I have one to die for dress in a royal blue. It is from one of my most lust after plus size designer brands, Igigi. I bought this dress for two weddings that I attended a few months after I had my daughter. I wanted something that was colourful, but still flattering. I wanted something that didn't cling too much, but didn't look like a sack either. I tried on many dresses but kept looking at this one dress on styleandsubstance (An Australian stockist of Igigi and Kiyonna, although currently on a hiatus).

It was called 'So Pretty!' and it so was! I was unsure about buying off the Internet without trying on but I took the plunge and went for it.

Dress- Igigi

Shoes - Spendless Shoes

Earrings - Diva

Bracelets - Mix of Diva, Lovisa & Equip

I am so glad I did. The dress is all kinds of lovely. The fabric is a thick, silky stretch. It is lined with a thick stretch material too so it really does smooth you out. The one shoulder gives me a bit of gathering at the bust, which I really need. Being a pear shape I am much smaller on top than on bottom. I need to balance out my shape a bit, so I find ruching or gathering at the bust (plus a very good padded bra) helps balance out my wider hips.

For this look I kept it simple. Glitter heels, sparkly earrings and bangles. I had read that when you do one shoulder it is best to have your hair up rather than down. It allows your shoulders to feature.

I am not a huge fan of my arms, and if I were going out I would most likely have a wrap to just drape over my arms. However in this dress I feel like it is so pretty, no one would be looking at my arms anyway!

Nerida says:

I went for a more casual look. You have seen this cardigan before in other photos. I do wear it a lot because it is a really light weight stretch fabric. It is great to wear in the warmer weather. I really don't like to show my arms very much so I prefer to wear cardigans such as these. Besides, they add a nice pop of colour.

 Cardigan - SES

Dress - Best & Less 'Lily & Lou'

Shoes - Big W

Necklace - Market stall

The dress is a new purchase from Best & Less 'Lily & Lou' range. I just love it. The top part is just flowy enough to skim over my curves but not too loose either. The angled cut actually creates a bit of shape. They have a striped top version, and apparently an orange one but I couldn't find the orange at my local Best & Less.

What I really wanted to share with you was my makeup look. I am currently at Tafe studying Beauty Therapy. I completed a make up course at Tafe at the start of the year. This is a step towards a new career for me, where hopefully I can provide for my Son, while enjoying what I do.

Both Janna and I have what is called 'hooded eyelids'. This is common in Caucasian women, and it is basically where the eyelid is mostly covered when the eyes are open. This can make your eyes look smaller in your face, and also create shadowing under your eyes. This means that not all make up looks work on our eyes. I am starting to learn some really great tips at Tafe that have helped us get the most out of our makeup.

To do my makeup I started with my primer and foundation. However after I apply my foundation I now use a darker concealer or bronzer to contour my face. I put the bronzer under my cheekbone and under my chin along the jaw, and then blend it in well . This actually creates a bit of shadowing, which make you face appear thinner. Set the makeup with a bit of powder.

I then used a white shadow all over my eyelid, right up to my brow. I  added a bit of blue just in the corner of my eyes, and blended it into and just above the crease. The white eyeshadow makes the eyelid appear larger and reduces shadowing. I only apply blue to the corner and crease so it doesn't make my eyes look too dark, and therefore small.

- 

Eyeshadow & Lipstick - Inglot

Mascara - Falsies Maybelline

Finally I add a thin line of eyeliner and mascara. Pop on a bit of pink lippy, some blush on my cheekbones and I am done.

There you go, A simple blue eyeshadow look for the hooded eye!

Are you feeling 'blue'? Check out the other ladies

Op Shopping Adventures

I love the thrill of op shopping. I love looking through all the different clothing, knick knacks and home wares that are on offer. I adore the anticipation. Will I find something lovely and exciting? I especially enjoy looking a the wedding gowns, thinking about how they were cherished and made some woman feel beautiful on her special day.

I think plus size women often assume that they will not find anything in their size at an op shop. Sure, i often see things and think 'If I was a size 12 I would be i heaven'. There is definitely a surplus of great things on offer for the smaller lady However, here's the thing, women size 16+ donate clothing too! Which means there ARE plus sized clothing out there!

I have recently had a lot of success on my op shop adventures, so I am going to share with you my 'loot' as well as some tips for how to do a successful op shop.

 My Loot

I purchased all of these items on two separate trips to some local Op shops, a St Vinnies and a Salvos. I went to 4 shops in total. All up the above cost me $62. I know for a fact that one of the above items cost almost double that originally! (more on that later).

So lets have a look at what i bought

My first shopping expedition I went to two op shops in a suburb near me. I was not expecting to find much, and really was just looking in order to kill some time.

The first shop I came out with a plastic bag of necklaces. They were a mix of plastic beads and coloured wooden ones. I also found approx 2 metres of stretch striped fabric.

I was REALLY lucky with the bag of necklaces as I noticed the bag just as I was paying for the striped fabric. My daughter had spied some necklaces on the counter and was heading up a cry for 'Pretties, Pretties PPPRREEETTTYYYY'. I grabbed the bag as it looked like it was full of chunky beads and tossed them in with my order. The bag was marked $5. However the girl put it in as 50c and said that would be fine. SCORE! When I later looked in the bag I realised that I like a lot of them! My daughter snapped up a beaded pink crystal one, and I happily kept the rest. I have worn the wooden red one and the green one lots of times already.

I plan on making a striped pencil skirt out of the fabric. Or more accurately, I plan on getting my Mother to make me one. I will most definitely share the finished product when I do.

The next stop I picked up two cardigans (only one is photographed).

The un-photographed one is currently in the wash, so that should give an indication of how much I like it! It is a short sleeve red knit with large silver buttons, almost brand new from Katies.

The one above is from Millers, and is in excellent condition. I knew it would be perfect for work, with 3/4 sleeves but in a cotton knit, which is really light weight. It also is striped, making it very fashionable at the moment. I have already worn this quite a bit, I have a red skirt that I paired it with for work.

I also found an ASOS maxi dress.

 This one I was unsure about but I tried it on as it looked very large and I was unsure how it would look on. It also had the size tag taken off so I didn't know how big it was. When I tried it on it fitted quite well. It was still a big big around the waist but my Mum said she could take it in easily. I also decided I would cut the arms so they were for of a cap sleeve, meaning I would get better use out of it.

Spurred on by this success I planned a day of p shop hunting with my Mother and sister. Last week we looked up another two op shops and off we went.

Our first stop was at a small St Vinnies. We had been there before as they have really lovely crotchet blankets that are made by some local ladies. One large blanket only costs $15. I plan on going there to get some baby blankets for some friends who are having babies ( I have 4 friends due within 2 weeks of each other, Yikes!).

This Vinnies actually had a whole rack full of size 12 &14 blazer and skirt suit sets. They were immaculate and were great quality. It was while digging through these that I found 'The Blazer'.

A black and white striped blazer, Emerge brand (sold through EziBuy), and STILL WITH THE TAGS ATTACHED! The tag which read $119.95! You better believe I tried that jacket on right away and I was delighted to discover it fit perfectly. This jacket was snapped up for $30.

Our next stop was a really large Salvos. This was full of stuff, but not many plus sized items. They did have a HUGE amount of shoes. So many that they were piled up on top of each other.

I was about to give up but then spied the dress rack and went digging. Once again luck was on my side. I pulled out a beautiful floral dress that was from another EziBuy brand, Capture. I was unsure about it as the neck looked a bit high, but I tried it on again anyway.

 It fit really well, although I was still unsure about the height of the neck and the 3 layers of ruffles. However for $15 I decided to buy it and get my Mum to cut a lower neckline. The picture below shows the dress with the alterations. My Mum made the neck wider and lower and replaced one layer of ruffles.



The colours are beautiful and the skirt falls soft and flowy, so it was well worth making the alterations. I can't wait to wear this dress. It will be perfect for work with a cardigan, or dressed up with heels.

Sadly the next two shops didn't turn up anything for me. However one of them had recently completed a bridal and evening wear expo showing all the amazing evening wear you can get. They had a lot of plus sized evening wear, and much of it still had the tags on! It was amazing to look at all the lovely things you could get from an op shop and almost made me wish I was getting married again!

Here is what I have learnt from my recent shopping trips

1. Go through every item on the rack. Really look at the items don't just flick through them. That way you make sure you don;t miss anything. More than once I pulled out something lovely from a rack just after my sister Nerida had had a look. She was rushing through them and not looking properly
2. Ignore the size tag. Look at the cut of the item rather than what the size tells you. You may be surprised what fits once you try it on.
3. Try it on! If there is something that looks like the right size, try it on. If there is something about the item you are not 100% sure about, try it on anyway. You just don't know what it will be like until you try it on. 
4. Consider if it can be altered. It does help if you are handy with a sewing machine, or have someone that is. If an item is a good price but just a little big, or too long, etc have a think about whether it can be altered. A dress that does not fit right on top can become a lovely skirt. In saying that, if you are going to get it professionally altered then you will need to consider the cost involved in doing so before you buy.
5. Consider the price of the original item and the quality. For me I usually wouldn't spend $30 on something secondhand. However the striped blazer fit perfectly, still had the tags attached, and was great quality. Therefore I was happy to spend that amount. 
6. Really consider if you will wear it. Sometimes you may find something that fits, but if you don't think you will wear it it will be a waste of money, no matter how cheap it is. 
7. Lastly, I believe in 'Op Shop Karma'. This is where you pass up something that might be great quality, great price or great brand because it doesn't really fit well enough, or you know you won't wear it. It can be tempting to buy it anyway, but I believe you should leave it there for the 'right' person to come across it.

The first time I went op shopping with my sister I found a Kiyonna brand  Betsy ruched polka dot dress. I was in love, but it was a size 2X and was too big for me. I urged Nerida to try it. She did but she wasn't keen. I so wanted that dress because it was KIYONNA, and it was $15. I was tempted to buy it and resell it on Ebay for way more. I did not. I reminded myself that this would be an awesome dress for some other plus sized lady. Karma. It works.

So there you have it. My top tips for op-shopping

Tell me, have you had an awesome second hand item ? Through an op shop, a hand me down or Ebay?

Aussie Curves - Picnic!

PICNIC! One of our favourite things to do is go on a picnic. We (The sisters)  love everything about them. The fresh air, the relaxation, the yummy food.

It is funny how things change though. In the past if I thought about what I would wear to a picnic it would almost always involve a pretty dress or skirt. Picnics were for going out with Hubby, eating antipasto, and cuddles. However, now I am a Mum my first thought for picnic is 'will I be able to run after my daughter in it?'. Invariably this often meas picnics involve cropped pants or jeans.

I think most of my pictures lately have featured me in a pair of pants, so this week I thought I would go back to my 'former life' and pick out something feminine. As usual my Sister and I must be on the same wavelength as she turned up in a lovely new dress.

Sister Pear (Janna)

Jacket - Crossroads

Top - Kmart

Skirt - Old Navy (Last season)

Shoes - Diana Ferrari

Necklace and Ring - Lovisa

I really wanted to wear something soft and feminine. However it must be comfortable and easy to chase after my daughter in. That's when I remembered this skirt. It was brought back from Hawaii by Nerida last year as a gift . It is perfect as it is midi skirt (Mid calf length) so it is long enough to be able to bend over and pick up my Daughter and move around it without having to worry about any flashing! It is a really lightweight fabric making it perfect for the hot weather. I also love that it is the type of fabric that doesn;t crush too much but if it does it looks like it is meant to be. This skirt is perfect for my shape as the elastic band can sit at the smallest part of my waist, making my look smaller in the middle. The floral pattern is a large print, so whilst it is colourful and busy on my bottom half (usually a no no for a pear!) it works because the print is large. 

My lacket is the crossroads one that I create a mood board for in this post. I love love love the way the jacket adds a bit of a casual twist to the outfit, and also covers ly arms a bit. I can see this jacket having a very heavy rotation in my closet this spring/summer. 

The necklace and ring I am also a little in love with. I purchased these with a gift card I was given for my birthday. I have been wanting a nice rose gold coloured necklace for a while. I actually love rose gold so much that the engagement ring and wedding band are rose gold. I used to tell my Husband (Then boyfriend) that I was not overly fussy about quality or size of the diamond when he proposed but that it MUST be rose gold. No pressure or anything. You better believe I held the engagement ring up to the light when he proposed just so I could be sure. Ha Ha!

Sister Apple (Nerida)

Dress - Avella Big W

Shoes - Big W

Sunnies - Salvos

Necklace and Ring - Borrowed  from Sister Pear! Ring Equip, Necklace unknown.

This dress looks great in the photos, but it actually looked even better in person. Nerida was very excited about this dress, she has even lay-byd the same dress in green and blue from Big W. She chose this dress as it is a really comfortable jersey strech fabric. It is really lightweight, but still think enough to not be too clingy in the heat. 

The cut of this dress is perfect for Nerida's shape. She had a similar one from Old Navy (also purchased n Hawaii!). This works because it is fairly straight in the body, but then has the tie waist to give it a bit of shape. The dress has short sleeves so it covers the arms a bit without needing a cardi or jacket over the top. The orange band adds a pop of colour to the outfit while also drawing your eyes downwards to the legs. 

The sunnies were a great $2 find at the local Salvos. We went on a bit of a thrift store hunt, which we will share our spoils with you soon. 

The necklace and ring add a bit more colour to the dress. The necklace had some dark orange beads so they actually seemed to match the dress, while the turquoise added a pop of another colour. The ring just tied in with the necklace. These were borrowed from me. Possibly one of the perks to having a sister is that you get to raid their accessories! 

You may notice that our picnic took place in my backyard. We actually took advantage of the nice weather and gathered together the family and had an mpromptu lunch. Who says you have to go out for  picnic? Grab a rug, some goodies and your picnic basket and enjoy a picnic in the backyard! 

Plus, if you have wifi you can grab your laptop/ipad and check out what the other ladies are wearing in the picnic challenge. Go ahead you know you wanna!