Thursday

101 in 1001 IV

I'm really glad to have picked up this project again. It encourages me to actually do things each month and gives each month a purpose. I've got 765 days to go, and I've crossed off (or at least partially crossed off) 21. Hmm... I'd better get a move on! 

#19: Attend London Fashion Week
Yes, I've already done this. However, I've done it again. Luckily for me, it was a lot less terrifying this time! 

#44: Attend a Stuff & Nonsense workshop
I've wanted to attend one of these for the longest time. It's basically an... erm... unusual craft workshop that I've alluded to before. It was a lot of fun and I'll definitely be attending the next one! 

#67: Read 14 books
This is one of those in-progress goals. As a child, I adored reading. I would read everything. I even memorised the back of shampoo bottles after reading them in the bath so many times. Unfortunately, since starting work, I'm so busy each day that, by the time I get home, I'm too exhausted to read anything more challenging than Company magazine! Last year I read a grand total of 2 books. It's heartbreaking! However, I've made it a target to read a book roughly once a month, choosing from the list of 1001 books you must read before you die. This month, I've finished Lolita. I'll write up a review on it shortly to avoid making this post too long now. Basically, I've loved it! 


Wednesday

A-Z of Becky: X

X is for Exhibitions
I can get away with cheating a little, right? Since xylophones, x-rays and people named Xavier have no part in my life, I've settled for the phoneme rather than the grapheme. This will also be more about art than actual exhibitions. 

Art is a massive part of my identity. As far back as I can remember, I've loved anything creative. In fact, one of my earliest memories is getting blue paint on my slippers at nursery. The problem is, I'm not actually very good at art. This is how I describe it: Put me in a room with a random cross section of people and I'd be one of the better ones. Put me in a room with art students and I'd be the worst one there. My worst grade at GCSE was a C. It was in art. My worst grade at A level was a D. It was in art.
Things looked up when I went to uni though. I originally planned to go to art college but, after studying two art subjects at A level, I never wanted to hold a paintbrush again. Instead, I returned to my childhood dream of being a teacher and specialised in English. After just a few weeks, however, it became apparent that I would never escape my creative longings. I switched to the art specialist course and eventually graduated with a first class degree. My highest grade was in art education, as well as my dissertation. 
It became apparent at university that my artistic knowledge and my understanding of art education was where I excelled. I thrive on studying art, visiting exhibitions, reading up on artists. My favourite artists are mostly postmodern sculptors, a passion that I discovered when taking my sculpture A level. Grayson Perry, Tracey Emin, Antony Gormley and Damien Hirst are just a few of my many favourites. For this reason, the Tate Modern is my absolute favourite gallery. I love that feeling of really connecting with an artwork. Of standing, staring at it and relating to it on so many levels. I once spent 50 minutes looking at Jenny Holzer's Blue Purple Tilt.  
 I'm also very, very, very passionate about art education. It's my thing. Planning and teaching art comes so naturally to me. I'm an close-to-outstanding art teacher. Watching children engaged in creative learning is so inspiring. I love how inclusive art is- It doesn't matter if you can read or write, if you speak English, if you have special educational needs. It doesn't matter if you feel you can draw or not. If you can make marks on a piece of paper, you can create art. Everyone can achieve. 

Monday

Sponsor Becky Bedbug in March

Easter month is approaching us! Free reign to eat as much chocolate as we like. Although, admittedly, I do that already!

This month, treat yourself to something just as sweet as Easter eggs- A sponsorship with Becky Bedbug. 

All sponsors get an advert in my sidebar for 30 days, reaching out to my 850 followers across GFC and Bloglovin'. You also get a shout out on Twitter and, with the Dinosaur Bear, Daddy Bear and Mummy Bear options, featured in a sponsor post on Becky Bedbug. 

Prices start from just $6/ £3.70 so there is an option to suit all budgets!

Full details can be found on my sponsorship page. I'm also happy to host giveaways and review products, so get in touch if this is something you're interested in. I look forward to having you on board! 


Review: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Lovesick


For Christmas, I received my first Clinique Chubby Stick. I love it. It's pretty much one of my favourite lip products ever. So when I saw a stack of these Revlon Just Bitten Balm Stains in Boots, I had to try out the entire range! Unfortunately, I could only afford one so I naturally went for the brightest pink- Lovestruck.

Let's start with the packaging. It looks exactly like a Chubby Stick, with the exception of a coloured lid instead of the silver coloured metallics. In fact, it looks so alike that I've taken to calling it my Stubby Stick. The metallic bottom twists to push the balm up, like a Push Pop, which is handy as it stops the balm squashing against the inside of the lid. The one thing I'm not crazy about is the typeface and name. It seems to be jumping on the Twilight bandwagon, with the pointed "t"s and the reference to biting. The current ad campaign has Emma Stone looking fresh-faced in an English rose garden, so it's quite a confusing, jarring message. 

Within the packaging, the balm is a bright magenta with an iridescent pink shimmer to it. Confusingly, it has a strong, synthetic minty smell to it. It's not pleasant but it quickly fades after application. On applying, the balm has a smooth, glossy consistency, if a tad too sticky for my liking. It applies evenly and is quickly, but easily, buildable to a really intense shade. The iridescence is also evident on the lips, so it gives a pretty sheen, making the lips look plumper. 

As for durability, let me tell you: This stuff sticks fast. It lasts for hours! The dewy appearance fades to a matte stain that really hangs around. This is great, since I love the colour so much, but be careful if you have to look demure the next day!

Just Bitten is a really great price, too. It's £7.99 (compared to Chubby Sticks at £14 a pop) and, for the long-lasting stain, is really worth it. I still prefer the subtlety and consistency of the Chubby Stick, but as a fun shade to experiment with, you can't go wrong with Just Bitten. I can't wait to get the rest of the shades in the range. That's not excessive, right?

Sunday

52 Shoes VIII

A London Fashion Week special this week. I spotted these glittery ballet pumps in a charity shop at the same time as I picked up my vintage jacket. They match perfectly so I couldn't resist them, especially as they were only £5!

They were originally from Next, and they have the squishiest soles ever. They are so comfortable! The best bit, though, is the way they catch the light and sparkle everywhere! 

Saturday

25 things fat people shouldn't do #10

"25 Things Fat People Shouldn't Do is an unabashed middle finger to the preposterous idea that any human who weighs more than the status quo does not deserve to live a full and well rounded (ahem) life. The list of 25 is composed word for word from direct lists of sheer assholery found on the internet. These range from the absurd to the profoundly shameful, and I will be disproving this offensive notion with style. May the Chub Club live long and prosper!"-The Militant Baker

Shimmy
Back in the early 90s, my mum thought it would be cute to enter me into casting for a local fashion show. The casting entailed walking around in time to music in an empty shop in the shopping centre, with what felt like the entire poppulation of our town watching on the other side of the entrance, whilst three casting people sat behind a desk and wrote notes.

Now, I was an extremely anxious child. I didn't answer the register for weeks after starting school since I was terrified of everyone looking at me. So, needless to say, this casting was not the ideal environment for me. I spent the whole song clinging to the back of my brother's grey sweatshirt (that is how vividly I remember this incident!) and trotting behind him, practically flattening myself against his back.

At the end of our part, my mum was called over by one of the casting judges. He had (obviously) noticed my nervousness and recommended that I start dance classes to boost my confidence. Aged 6, I started my first Latin American, ballroom and freestyle classes. I loved it! I wasn't very good (My greatest achievement was coming 3rd in the dance school presentation) but I lived for dancing. I carried on with the Latin American and freestyle until I was 15, when my dancing partner Sianie unceremoniously dumped me and I couldn't find another one. I still haven't forgiven her...

Anyway, I had to do a lot of shimmying in my dancing days and, these days, I have a lot more to shimmy. It's fun! Try it! 

Friday

FF XXIX


Look at these galaxy lollipops! I have no idea how this sorcery has been created! 
I love this photo of Colorado Springs Flea Market at Smile and Wave
I love anything ghosty and eerie so I found this CCTV footage really interesting. I doubt it's a ghost. Although I believe in ghosts, I'm cynical of most of the "proof" that is shown. That's part of the fun for me- Eliminating all possibilities. This footage seems to have been layered but it's still interesting for me. 
As a kid, I used to love Doom. My brother and I played it with our dad on the original Playstation circa 1996. So I think this remastered screenshot is genius. I prefer the low-res, since that's the original and it brings back that mid-90s nostalgia. This demon was our favourite. We used to call him the Piggy Demon and he was surpassed only by the Invisible Piggy Demon.
I started watching My Mad Fat Diary last week and I've absolutely loved it. I'm probably a little over the age demographic but it's basically my life at 16. It's so emotional and so funny at the same time. If you haven't watched it yet, rectify it now. 

Thursday

My piggy collection

I can't remember the first time I realised I absolutely loved pigs. My first specific memory is from when I was 7 years old and I already loved them then. 

I have so many pigs dotted around the home, it's unreal. I just can't resist a little besnouted piggy! 

This is the pig glove puppet I picked up at Winchester Christmas Market and Mega Pig

I love my Laura Ashley doorstoppers. I had to go to about a billion different branches before I finally found some! 

This is where the majority of my pigs live. The little tiny ones in the bottom right corner are magnets that I also got from Winchester Christmas Market, but a few years ago. The rhinestoned Christmas decoration was a present from Rich, and the three triplets in the back are from Tiger. I couldn't decide which colour to get so I got all three! Right at the back is another glove puppet and a musical, jiggling Christmas pig that grunts Jingle Bells. 

The egg timer was a Christmas present (yep, Christmas again!) from my grandparents. The vintage money box at the front is from I Heart Vintage

The smiling little fella at the top here is Happy Pig. I don't even remember where I got him from. At Reading Festival 2010, I spotted this adorable pig hat. I didn't buy it and regretted it until Download Festival 2011, when I finally found one and snapped it up sharpish. He is being worn by one of the green pigs from Angry Birds. When he's squeezed, he grunts. The postman would have got quite the shock when he squeezed the parcel through the letterbox! 

Finally, I have to end with my Fluffy. I got him when I was 8 years old (Yep, for Christmas!) and he is such an important figure in my life. I know it's a little sad but I really do love this ball of fluff! 

A day in the life of Becky: February

Being half term, I went to visit my BFF in West Sussex. She's just moved into an adorable little flat, and I haven't seen her since October, so it was the perfect time to go and spend some long overdue time with her.

This is what I wore... sans the blanket, of course. Though I have to admit that if I could have, I would have worn that blanket home! 
Jumper: Emma Cook for Topshop
Dress: River Island
Blanket: Knitted by Laura and her grandmother 14 years ago

10am Some mandatory school holiday viewing!

11am Packing my bag. This is a new purchase: A 1960s Samsonite bag that, as far as I can see, is unused. 

12pm Waiting for my train on a gloriously sunny day. True sunglasses weather!

1pm Changing at Clapham Junction. 13 is my lucky number!

2pm Finally at my destination and time for some chickeny lunch! 

3pm One of the many cute accessories at Laura's new home. It's amazing that she'd only moved in 24 hours previously. The place is stunningly accessorised, as if she's been there for years curating the perfect home!

4pm The one downside is that, since it's got huge bay windows and high ceilings, it gets very cold. On the plus side, we get to snuggle up under cute blankets! 

5pm Some celebratory drinks to toast the new home.

6pm ...and a celebratory cocktail down the local.

7pm I got a hankering for cheesecake so we popped into Tesco and picked up some yummy bits. Then I forgot to eat the cheesecake. Oh well, free cake for Laura!

8pm Time to switch on the fairy lights and get some ambience going.

9pm More blanket time. She has the cutest selection of blankets. I'm very jealous!

10pm Into one of my (many) onesies and ready for an early bed.

I had a great time. It was great to see Laura again and, as she will be the minister at my wedding, we bounced some fantastic ideas off each other. Let's just say the wedding will be the thing of wonders! 

Wednesday

A-Z of Becky: W

W is for Whitstable
My grandparents moved to Whitstable in 2002. I'd never even heard of the place before but, on my first visit, I was in love. It's a gorgeous little seaside town in Kent. It's so quaint, with independent shops, beach huts and a fair few art galleries. My brother and I would visit for a week a few times a year until they moved back to my locality in 2007.
It was such a relaxing place to spend the week. So quiet and peaceful. We only watched the TV in the evening and never used the internet. It was pretty much a place for reading and studying. Absolute bliss! 
I missed it a lot after they moved back so, for my 21st birthday, Rich and I went back there. It was absolutely lovely! 

A guide to London Fashion Week

This week I visited London Fashion Week for the second time. As you can see from my post in September, it was terrifying the first time. Luckily, it was a lot less scary when I knew what to expect. So I figured, with my overwhelming fashion week experience of... erm... two seasons behind me, I'd write up a little guide of things I have learned.

The Outfit
This is probably going to be the first thing you think of. And panic about. Though it doesn't need the panic that you might expect. Start with one question: Do you want to be street style snapped or not? Take a look at my two outfits below. The first time, I played it safe because I was nervous. The second time, I had more fun with it. You can see it's still me. I haven't become a completely different person. I've just amped it up a bit. 
Needless to say, I don't think anyone noticed me the first time. All I got was two people asking me to take a photo of themselves with their own camera. Second time, there were moments where I could barely move for people wanting to take photos. Moral of the story: If you want to be noticed, have fun! Unless you're tall, skinny and modelesque, in which case you can pretty much wear whatever you want and still get noticed!

Shoes and Bags
Somerset House is cobbled. There are a fair few steep slopes and steps. If you don't want to break an ankle, wear flats. Pretty much everybody wears flats. It doesn't matter what kind: Doc Marten's, oxfords, ballet pumps, trainers... If it doesn't have a heel, you're good to go.

As for bags, you'll probably wind up with a billion newspapers, magazines and business cards. Take a roomy bag. Preferably one with clearly defined compartments so you can quickly access your phone, business cards and so on. 

Food and Drink
There are places to eat in Somerset House but there's not a massive amount of choice and the queues are normally pretty long. I find it much easier (and cheaper) to pop into Smith's on the way to pick up some crisps and a drink. If you'd rather eat on site, there are loads of coffee shops along Strand. You have more choice leaving Somerset House and popping 3 minutes down the road.

Spotting Street Style
If you're anything like me, you're going to want to snap some street style. The hot spot for spotting style is just beyond the Strand entrance to Somerset House, where the screen is. You'll spot this place immediately because it will be swarming with people. Find a vantage point (I like to perch up on the edge of the steps) and keep your eyes open wide!

Networking
London Fashion Week is the perfect opportunity to network. I have to admit, I'm not very good at this- I'm far too socially awkward! I can assure you, though, that everybody there is really nice. They all share your interests after all, so they'll be happy to chat. Everyone you talk to, give them a business card. If you take someone's photo, give them a business card. If someone takes a photo of you, give them a business card. Just don't hand them out willy-nilly. It's a waste giving them out to people who probably won't give it a second look. 

So there we go. My little guide to fashion week. I hope it's helpful and, if you have any questions about LFW, let me know in the comments. 

Tuesday

How to be a fat B #3

One of my favourite bloggers, Rachele over at The Nearsighted Owl, has developed an incredible 52-week e-course titled How to be a Fat B (I've slightly censored the title. It's not particularly rude but, you know, I need to keep my blog completely swear-free). 

Assignment 3: Being Fashionable and Fat
As I mentioned yesterday, I popped over to London Fashion Week. If there was ever a time to be fashionable and fat, this was it! I ended up wearing my Topshop skirt, Meadham Kirchhoff sweatshirt and vintage jacket. That's got to be a recipe for fashion, right?

London Fashion Week AW13

It's that time of the year again- London Fashion Week. After attending last season, and finding it absolutely terrifying, I was very pleased to discover that it's a lot less intimidating the second time round. 





Somerset House is so beautiful, especially in such bright sunlight. 

I spotted this girl walking over Waterloo Bridge. I loved her pastel creepers and two-tone tights.
I bumped into her later and the rest of her outfit was just as cute. I love the ombre jumper. 

Aren't these tights adorable? I love the tie dye socks too. 

What an incredible sequinned top! I love flamingo-print clothing!  

Everything about this girl is perfection- Her stunning hair, those gold cigarette pants, the tartan jacket, that hat... 

What a beauty! Incredible trousers, cute sunglasses, adorable hair and a lovely face too. Jealous, me? 

You know I love a bit (or a lot) of backcombing! This gorgeous tartan cape was a charity shop discovery. Great find! 

Polkadots! Polkadots own my heart. Especially monochrome polkadots. And particularly monochrome polkadots teamed with Converse. 

Beautiful clashing of floral prints. I love the tapestry bag and the hat is gorgeous too. 

Cobalt blue is such a key colour this season. I can't wait to embrace it myself. 

How pretty is this plait! I'll definitely be trying a classic braid when my hair's a bit longer. 

Too. Much. Fashion. Inspiration. 

I didn't stay long before my fingers succumbed to the cold and I headed home, snapping some photos of the beautiful setting sun as I crossed the bridge. 


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