It's Beginning To Feel A Lot Like Christmas

I can't quite believe that the Christmas countdown has started - I am so excited! As Lord Dicely and I are heading off out of London a little early this year, my evenings this week has mostly been set aside to catch up with some of my favourite people. And of course - I've used every second of it to dress as close to human Christmas tree as possible!

I came across this horrific Christmas tree decoration, and instantly wanted to make into a hair clip for the festive season. The stem was hacked off and shortened to the same length as a curl clip and glued together so it could clip straight into my hair. I wore it to the Southbank Winter Festival earlier this week, and got so many compliments on it! Seems that everyone loves a good, tacky Christmas decoration!

Here's the full outfit in all it's tacky Christmas glory:

How amazing are the penguin leggings? I must have had cartoon style heart eyes when I first spied them in Primark, and teamed them with a Christmas Robin cardigan from last year's collection, a black Collectif dress and a vintage head scarf to keep me warm. Apologies for the terrible quality photos, but they were snapped just before we headed out!

If you've not had a chance to visit the Southbank's Winter Festival yet, it's worth a peek. The beautiful view of London all lit up is guaranteed to melt even the most Grinchiest of hearts, and with festive stalls filled with mulled wine and Christmas treats, it's a lovely place to meet with friends for a little festive cheer.

There's been a lot of baking going on in #TeamHylda towers too, with cakes for parties and cookies for friends ensuring our flat constantly smells like a Winter Wonderland. Whilst I'm no cake decorator, they certainly tasted yummy! I think our flat has broke our Christmas dinner record this year, squeezing in three "practice" dinners with all the trimmings since the beginning of November. Yep.

This is probably going to be my last post this side of Christmas, so I wanted to take this chance to wish everyone out there a lovely time with lots of fun, food and frivolity. ❤ I'll be sure to keep posting on my Instagram, so if you don't already follow me, head on over to stay in touch. 

Until next time,

Diana xx

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(All photos (c) Diana Thompson / Fashion Loves Photos unless otherwise stated. Please do not reproduce without written permission.) 

Stocking Fillers - Plus Size Tights Which Actually Fit From The Big Tights Company

We all know the struggle is real when it comes to tights. Whether you're a size 12 or a size 22, it feels like finding tights which won't shuffle downwards is the stuff of legend. Your options become further limited once above a size 16 and I've spent most of my adult life buying tights which are supposedly a good two sizes bigger than my dress size yet still refuse to fit! More often than not, the crotch finds itself hovering around my thighs, I ladder them instantly from pulling too hard to get them on and if by some miracle they do actually fit, they inevitably dig in at the widest part of my body giving me a figure to rival Lumpy Space Princess.

I had read a few reviews for The Big Tights Company, and when they offered to send out some samples for the blog, I was really excited to give them a go. I tried to not get my hopes too high as with wide hips and a smaller waist, tights never seem to really suit my body. However their tights must be woven with some sort of magic as they are utterly amazing! They fit like a dream, and didn't result in having to do the oh so subtle just-pulling-up-my-tights dance every few steps.

Being a smaller firm, The Big Tights Company manufacture their own "All Woman" brand in Italy, and as such, aren't just tights which have had inserted panels or increased waists. Designed to fit up to a UK 32 (and in some instances, a UK 42), the shape is different with more room in the thigh and tummy area. Further more, they won't cut into your body at akward points as at 5'6" tall, the top of the tights finished just underneath my bust.

All Woman Cotton Woolly Feel Tights.

The first pair of tights I tried were perfect for Winter, with the All Woman Cotton Woolly Feel Tights having a soft, fluffy finish. They were thick and warm and felt soft against my skin thanks to being 60% cotton. These tights have been designed specifically for a larger body, with more room to accommodate larger thighs and tummies. That means to bunching, no falling down and no ladders whilst trying to pull them up!

Paris Lady 50 Denier Microfibre Tights.

The Paris Lady 50 Denier Microfibre Tights were up next, and were the perfect every day tights. They offered warmth with a touch of gloss, and proved to be incredibly ladder resistant too. Whilst the sizes offered are 30/32 and 34/36, this is the size they will stretch to. As such, they fit smaller (and taller) sizes really well, and I found that mine stayed where they needed to with no bother at all.

All Women 60 Denier Opaques.

The All Women 60 Denier Opaques are designed with Lycra for the ultimate in stretch and comfort. Offering a great fit and finish for everyday wear, these opaque lovelies are completely ladder resistant with no panels added to the body. A tiny bit sheer and a touch of gloss makes these a great option for work or play. They also come in a second colour option called "make-up" which is lovely caramel colour.

All Women 180 Denier Opaques.

These tights are quite simply incredible. Just looking at them unworn, you can see the additional fabric on the thighs and tummy and as such, they have options fitting up to a UK 42.There is an insane amount of stretch to the All Women 180 Denier Opaques, yet somehow they stay exactly when you want them to. Mine fitted just underneath my bust which is great for Winter as it was like wearing a vest underneath my dress! They are probably the comfiest tights I have ever worn too, and would buy these in an array of colours if only they sold them!

Now that I've found The Big Tights Company, I finally feel I can step away from my leggings! Now we just need some more colours (mustard yellow and burgundy first please!) and my legs will never feel unloved in Winter ever again!

Until next time,

Diana xx

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(All photos (c) Diana Thompson / Fashion Loves Photos unless otherwise stated. Please do not reproduce without written permission.) 

All Wrapped Up For Christmas - Photo Wrapping Paper from wrap.me

Just when I thought I couldn't get any more excited about Christmas, the lovely people at wrap.me got in contact about their amazing photo wrapping paper. It's a genius idea - upload as many of your favourite photos to create your very own personalised photo wrapping. It's the perfect way to personalise your presents, and I was so excited to start sifting through images to add to it.

You can upload photos from almost anywhere - your phone, Instagram, even Facebook. You can also choose as many images as you like to avoid repetition, or have just a chosen few tiled across. As I created some photo wrapping paper for Lord Dicely, I decided to look through images of our last year together and included everything from silly doodles to photobooth snaps.

The process was really simple from start to finish, and I was so excited to see the final product when it arrived. It's perfect if you want something to make that special gift stand out, or if you simply want something you made sat underneath the Christmas tree!

Prices start from £4.99 for a single sheet, with a small roll at £9.99 and a large roll for £14.99. Delivery is free within the UK, and wrap,me also deliver to over 80 countries worldwide. You just need to choose your photos, decide how much wrapping you need to do and simply check out!

When Howard first saw it, his face was priceless. He spent ages looking through all the individual images, and was totally distracted from what was inside! Whilst definitely frivolous. it's going to be lovely unwrapping gifts on Christmas morning with his family, with the photo wrapping paper firing off lots of "Oh, do you remember when...?" I really cannot wait!

If you want to get your own set of photo wrapping paper made up, simply visit the guys at wrap.me to get started.

Until next time,

Diana xx

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www.fashionlovesphotos.com

(All photos (c) Diana Thompson / Fashion Loves Photos unless otherwise stated. Please do not reproduce without written permission.) 

Vinyl In Mono - Black And White Monochrome Block Stripe Skater Dress from Yours Clothing

I love cute skater dresses, so naturally fell in love with this Chanel-esque number the second I saw it on the Yours Clothing website.  There's something about monochrome fashion which just feels completely timeless, and this dress is one of those items which can be whipped out from the wardrobe and dressed up or down for most occasions.

Dress: Black And White Monochrome Block Stripe Skater Dress from Yours Clothing

Flowers: Pearls & Swine

Tights: M&S

Shoes: Gifted from a friend

Necklace: Customised Name Necklace from Punky Pins

I wore the dress to a joint birthday party shared with Lord Dicely, and teamed it with a black bolero for warmth. I loved the neckline of the dress as it was different to anything else I'd seen, and it's made from a stiff, almost scuba-like material ensuring it falls really nicely. It comes available in both white, blue and pink variants, but I loved the simple, classic feel of the white and black together.

Until next time,

Diana xx

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www.fashionlovesphotos.com

(All photos (c) Diana Thompson / Fashion Loves Photos unless otherwise stated. Please do not reproduce without written permission.) 

#RealMoments with Simply Be - The Peril of Buttons, Decks and DJing

Image (c) Alison Hansen for #RealMoments at Simply Be.

The lovely people at Simply Be recently reached out to me about a campaign they were running which captured the #RealMoments experienced by women in everyday life. It was based around the idea that fashion doesn't always go to plan, and with that in mind, asked me to think of some of my most embarrassing fashion disasters. Sadly coming up with horror tales from the wardrobe was almost too easy, with many embarrassing stories in my disaster arsenal. However I decided to go with one of my more recent ones, which included a fight between some buttons, gravity and my k-cup cleavage.

As regular readers of my blog might know, I co-run a rock and roll club night called Whiskey Kittens with one of my friends, Tom. My wardrobe (and blog!) is filled with vintage and vintage repro dresses, and I had come across the most incredible swing dress which buttoned up at the front. Obviously having huge breasts is a bit of an issue with buttons, so I decided I'd beat the natural order of physics by securing the buttons with a needle and thread. Sadly my sewing skills are nowhere near as good as my DJ ones, and two hours of bending up and down to change discs was too much stress for the poor buttons to take! Two of them simultaneously decided to ping off into the crowd of people dancing leaving more on show than my good taste in music! Thankfully I had a cardigan with me so was able to style it out, but I love the illustration based on the story created by Alison Hansen.

If you want to join in the fun with Simply Be, or even just laugh at other people's misfortune follow the  #RealMoments tag on Twitter and have a giggle.

Until next time,

Diana xx

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www.fashionlovesphotos.com

(All photos (c) Diana Thompson / Fashion Loves Photos unless otherwise stated. Please do not reproduce without written permission.) 

Her Name Is Rio - Primark Tropical Prints And More Spring Time Dreams from the Spring 15 Preview

Baby, it's cold outside. Freezing, big hat, giant scarf and still shivering at the bus stop kind of cold. Whilst the twinkling Christmas lights and promise of festive fun times on the horizon make it palatable, I'd be lying if my brain wasn't already fast-forwarding to a little Spring time sunshine. Cool breezes, blooming flowers and a burst of colour which the sartorial season always promises.

And certainly that's what we were treated to at the #PrimarkSpring15 press day. Following lit up arrows through what felt like a giant warehouse, we were suddenly met with an explosion of tropical prints, mirrored finishes and more colour than a giant bag of skittles!

There were many themes running through the Spring collection, with Wanderlust being key. There were nods to both "Asia Nautica" and "Nordic Glamour" with a mixture or blossoms, embroidery and fringing on show. There was an underlying boho vibe on show too, where thrift-shop meets free-spirit for some globe-trotting adventures.

More colour can be found amongst "Miami Memphis", an eye-popping array of technical airtex, perforated panels and structured neoprene. Flowing white fabrics are also a big hitter, with pretty fabrics with darling lace-work set for sunshine filled picnics and festival fun times.

The accessories are hugely fun, with holographic and mirrored finishes competing with neons and glitter for your attention. The tower of shoes showed off stunning floral prints and reflective options, whist the bags ranged from fun, fruity perspex clutches to the more demure but bold citrus handbags.

It was hard to pick a favourite as there were so many amazing options, but the Watermelon Clutch and Citrus Yellow handbag had to be up there.

If I had to sum up the collection in one word, it'd be vibrant. For the most part, colour is king, and the range of clothing and accessories is fun and perfect for the Spring season. Much of what was on show will easily feed into the Summer, with the citrus and boho vibes being a SS15 winner for sure.

Until next time,

Diana xx

Follow me on Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Bloglovin and Facebook.
www.fashionlovesphotos.com

(All photos (c) Diana Thompson / Fashion Loves Photos unless otherwise stated. Please do not reproduce without written permission.)