Cheeky Beaky.

I'm drowning in a river of University work at the moment, but I'm coming up for air to ask a cheeky little favour.

Busy Little Fee has been running for about a year now, but as 2015 drew to a close I began to explore the world of plus size fashion. I've worked really hard to make BLF a happy space full of good fashion, body positivity and a good dollop of general lifestyle. And now the time has come where I ask for something of you in return.

HELLO, THIS IS TACKY. But I would be honoured and touched if I were to be nominated for a British Plus Size Award for Best New Plus Size Blog.

I think I deserve this award because I wear good clothes, I work hard at inducing body positivity in others and I have a voice that matters on the plus size scene.

If you would like to nominate Busy Little Fee as Best New Plus Size Blog, please click here and throw a little nomination to some other awesome plus size people in the other categories too!

Lolly and Interrobang Art.

When we find a brand who are as inclusive as Interrobang Art, bloggers tend to shout pretty loudly about it. Christina offers a gorgeous range of skirts, dresses and other bits and bobs (as well as the fabric to make your own!) in adorable, quirky prints that - get this - range from sizes 6 - 34. Yes, that's right, brands. It is absolutely possible. 

I have been admiring so many dresses and skirts from IA in the last six months, and have even spotted some things I know Paige would like (Adventure Time skirts are going to be a staple this summer!), that as soon as I saw her recent announcement my bank account groaned further. I am never going to be able to afford all of the options I want! Not only are there unicorns, fast food, holograms and rainbows already included in this range, but now the gorgeous Lolly Likes range has graced her etsy page and it is right up my alley.

The range is only available for pre-order at the moment, debuting at £70.00 for a dress, £45.00 for a midi skirt and £35.00 for a knee-length skirt. Interrobang Art clothes are not cheap and nasty fast fashion and yet for the time that goes into the clothing and the quality of the fabric, I think many would be prepared to pay more. Lolly came up with some gorgeous fabrics for her range: aqua, yellow and black as backdrops to floral prints are absolutely beautiful in my mind, and when I get a dress in this fabric (when, not if!) it will have pride of place in my wardrobe. My favourite right now is the yellow because I am ridiculously excited about summer and have been spending my days dreaming of my sunshine clothes. Watch this space: there will be a Lolly Likes fashion post on this blog some time in 2016.

There were two purposes for this post, really. Of course I wanted to praise the adorable, fun range from Lolly - girl done good! But when one of the community succeeds, it benefits all of us. The plus size blogging community has only one goal: for brands to listen to us. When we're telling you that you could sell clothing in bigger sizes, listen. When we tell you that big figures deserve to be dressed in fun and fitting prints, listen. So for a brand to not only listen to us but to actually work with a blogger - that is a huge deal. Bloggers tend to celebrate brands who have inclusive sizing and who listen to us. So today, Interrobang Art deserves a huge celebration in my eyes. I hope more brands take note.

You've heard what I have to say about it - here is what some of my friends had to say about it, too. I'd love to hear what you think!

"I love Interrobang!!! She is lovely too, really listens to her customers"
- Sarah

"I think it's bloody marvelous that they're collaborating on plus size things with a plus size babe who isn't that "acceptable" flat tummy size 16 fat."

- KJ

"Being a 'made to measure' company, it's far easier for them to expand their size range as there isn't the risk of left over stock that most companies experience. Having said that, having a spokesperson like Lolly is a huge step forward, and I will certainly be supporting them as and when I can. 

They're showing the likes of River Island that there is demand, and that the 'fat pound' is worth cashing in on."

- KK

"Lots of people still assume that a majority of plus size women are size 22, hour glass shapes with toned bodies which is why plus size fashion seems to aim itself at that. The truth is that we're all varied shapes and sizes and deserve just as much as anyone else. I love this brand because they literally do something for everyone. They recognise that so many people love fashion and therefore want to be a part of it. After all fashion is supposed to be fun. The fact that interrobang successfully sell clothes in all sizes shows it is possible and that other brands who cry off from doing so really have no excuse"
- Debz

And, most importantly to this range, Lolly had a few words to say herself:

"The range is the interrobang art designs already used but with my choice of fabric. The reason I asked to work with her was because she is so inclusive. I have a couple of skirts by Christina already and love them. If anything her sizes are large as the elastic waist of the skirts. I am a 26/28 and ordered the XL but could easily have got the L. My style of prints are quite different to the ones already in the store. The prices may be a little more than some people are used to but no more than say Simply Be. Plus the items are hand made in the UK by Christina and of limited quantities and you are supporting a Small Business that Supports the Plus Size Community! The fact that all items are made to fit size 6-34+ is fantastic and what every brand should be doing! There is no real reason all brands can't do it! They just choose not to which is why I choose not to support Brands that do not support the plus community."

Beth Ditto S/S 2016

"Where are the fashionable clothes for fat girls that aren’t designer one-offs? Where are the subtle and chic wardrobe staples, where are the crazy statement pieces?"

And so the Beth Ditto collection began. Beth has been saying "fuck you, this is who I am" for a good ten years before I even thought of loving my body, so I was pretty excited to see what was coming from somebody who knew how to dress a fat body. I was not disappointed.

The Looks

I think the first thing I noticed was the diversity of styles, shapes, colours. There were figure hugging dresses, there were slouchy, loose tops, there was everything. I think what is really important about this range is that it is telling fat people they don't have to dress a certain way because of their size. They don't need to be wrapped in loose-fitting sheets (as Beth says she was on designer photoshoots!), but they similarly don't have to be loud-proud-figure-hugging to be body positive. You can be demure if that's your jam (I hate a certain brand owner for ruining that word for me. Anybody else cringing?) or you can be a beacon of light. Beth's range says it's okay to be the centre of attention when you're fat. And that is pretty important. 

Oversized shirt: $120.00, Leggings: $115.00

The Prices

Damn, this is a topic of contention. I have seen a lot of people talking about this - from tweets to Beth herself, to bloggers, to 'the woman on the street' who sees this collection as totally pie in the sky. Firstly, Beth has handled responses graciously: she has explained that this range is ethically sourced and made to last, so prices are a bit high, but she's looking at making some lower-cost contributions as soon as she can. Honestly, I think that's great. But can I just take a moment to appreciate the prices? I'm not saying I'll be buying the whole collection (in fact, even getting one piece is unrealistic for me right now) but what I'm saying is that I like that there is a designer product that fat people can buy. Designers of straight-sized clothes aren't asked to lower their costs, because it is appreciated that the clothes are designer pieces of high quality and style. Why should fat people be excluded from that? I feel like making a truly designer range is incredibly inclusive, and also it gives fat customers value. We don't just need cheap shit! We are worthy of designer luxury too! 

T-Shirt: $65.00, Leggings: $115.00

The Sizing

This is what got me most excited about the range when I found out about its collection. I had initially heard that it was a 14-28 range and I'll be honest, I rolled my eyes. "Great", I thought, "another cut-off points that makes superfats feel less worthy of good fashion". And then it hit me. These were American sizes. You guys, the range is 18 - 32!!! How amazing is that? This is a line dedicated to fitting big bodies. This isn't a straight-sized line with a few token XXLs thrown in for diversity, this is a designer telling us we are worthy of a line being dedicated solely to our bodies. This is amazing. Other designers, take note: there is no excuse not to dress big bodies. Beth Ditto has proved it.

Lola Dress: $245.00

The Models

In complete honesty, this was where I erred slightly on the side of disappointment. The models are diverse, yes. And we can't have all fat, all the time. But the only stomach that wasn't flat was Beth's herself. I have spoken to some friends about this and it definitely seems that I am in a minority of one so far in terms of my expectations of the models, but I think I was hoping for more "unapologetically body positive" models, rather than flat stomachs and wide hips. Maybe this is something that'll happen as the range progresses; I appreciate that many customers won't be body positive and may be put off by a body that isn't dressed in a classically flattering way. I think in my mind I just thought "Beth Ditto = Grunge as fuck and flashing all-sorts" and I pictured her models being the same way.

Jumpsuit: $395.00

The Ethos

Yes, yes, yes and yes. I am completely in favour of this range. Beth wanted to create something that was inclusive, made fat people feel equal and worthy of high-end fashion, and was ethically sourced and well made. She's ticked all the boxes. Sure, it's expensive, but that's what you get when your clothes aren't made in a sweatshop. I think Beth sums this up better than I could: 

“I wanted to make pieces to last years. Beyond trends, beyond chain stores. I wanted to create something all its own, something just for us, made with love and consideration. Made ethically in the USA as a small company with no corporate input. Uncompromising, unapologetic, humane, and timeless. Go-to pieces designed to last.”- Beth Ditto

Denim Jacket: $245.00

Love Swap 2016.

I've really enjoyed watching unboxing videos recently, and I thought it'd be fun to arrange a little 'secret santa' style Valentine's swap with some of my favourite ladies on the internet. When it actually came round to opening it I was too poorly to film a video so instead I took some photos to share on my little old blog. I gathered a few gals, used a website called DrawNames so it was completely anonymous and off we went.

Before I get started on sharing the adorable gifts I got, here are the rules: It's a 'Love Swap', so presents can be anything to do with love. Heart shapes, make-up with names that have something to do with love, food that is love themed - you get the picture. £10 limit, post in time for Valentine's, that's about it! 

Here are the lovely ladies who got involved: 

Kelly

Daisy

Katt

Sarah

KK

Tanya

                            Sharon                                 

MoG

And, last but not least, my Love Swapper - Nikki!

And now on to what I got! I received my package nice and early, and first things first - kudos on the envelope! It was a very large, satisfyingly green jiffy bag. I don't know if it was a coincidence or if Nikki knew my favourite colour was green, but I was definitely excited when that got handed to me by Mr. Postman.

My gifts themselves were adorable. I got a gorgeous pink travel mug with green spots (again, not sure if its coincidence or not that I got green!), a light-up owl, some heart-shaped electric candles, a pencil with a lip topper, heart chocolates and some waffles. I've been munching on the waffles today, they are so nice - they're like Tunnocks caramel bars, but with cinnamon in them. And the chocolates are fab if only because the packet says there are 8 inside, and they give you two packs of five. Hello, bonus love hearts!

*love cushions my own!

The package was topped off with an adorable white card with black hearts (and one red), inside letting me know who my secret shopper was. I loved doing this, it was such a cute idea (if I do say so myself...) and it was lovely to do with my close group of friends because we all really knew what to buy for eachother. I bought gifts for Daisy and I was pretty happy with what I managed to find for her, so do check out what she's got to say about it! I'm definitely planning to do this again next year, and hopefully get some more people involved.

Valentine's Day 2016.

Valentine's Days are generally pretty low-key around these parts. We don't go anywhere, mostly because we don't like crowds and we don't have a babysitter, but actually I think it's better to stay home and make an effort instead anyway. The plan for tonight is steak, chips and plenty of garlic butter - what more can a girl ask for?! 

Tomorrow we're child-free from 9am - 6pm which is a rarity for us, so we've decided we'll run our errands together and then spend a bit of 'husband and wife' time together. We might wander around some charity shops, I'm not sure yet, but it's going to be nice to spend some time just focussing on eachother. We've been around eachother a lot recently while we've been ill, but somehow laying on a couch together just doesn't feel like quality time, y'know? Sometimes it takes getting out of the house to blow away those cobwebs and feel a bit more like making an effort.

I woke up this morning to some treats on my bedside, namely an amazing card (HOW cute is it?! I love it!!), a new cup and a cushion that says 'love is all you need' on it. I'm on a bit of a cushion kick at the moment, so I was really excited when I spotted that he'd taken note of my incredibly unsubtle hinting in Tesco last week.

Pardon the cluttered bedside table. Lord knows why there's a teaspoon on there?!?!

My present to James was this illustration of the smallest members of our family (except the cats, but he doesn't like the cats!) by Murder of Goths and I am completely in love with how it turned out. She chose a beautiful colour for the backdrop, and he loves it so much he wants to get it printed as big as possible and hung up on the wall opposite our front door so its the first thing you see when you get in. Luckily for us, his University gives him £50 free printer credit a year and he's got £90-something left on his account, so we're popping to the Milton Keynes campus tomorrow to make the most of the free credit and get this gorgeous picture printed.

Have a happy Valentine's Day, my loved up little bumblebees!

Sharing Assembly.

Well, since I blogged about Paige's sharing assembly last year, I figured I'd go for it again!

Guys, I was so impressed with how well she did. She had a couple of speaking parts and she was clearer than so many other children - and opted not to look at her notes for one of them. They performed a dance routine to Thriller, which I did capture on video but I won't share on here because it features other peoples' children. Honestly, I don't think I'm biased here - girl got skillz. She's got amazing rhythm and it was so awesome seeing her commit to a role. I bring up the notion of dance or drama classes/clubs every so often but she just isn't interested unfortunately. Perhaps as she gets older she'll be more interested in the idea.

It lasted probably an hour before we had to rush off, but we did manage to get a picture! We were pleasantly surprised to see her Mum's boyfriend there with her, and we took a picture of the three of them together, then they returned the favour. It's really nice to see him beginning to make an effort and I hope it continues because Paige really deserves the best of the best.

She read a sample of some homework they'd done, and we heard about all of the things they've learned; letter-writing, science [learning about whether or not something is soluble], and a whole host of other things. As always, the best part is never what she learned: it's seeing on her face how proud she is of herself.

Well done, Paigeypops! We love you!

Spring Fling.

You guys, I am so ready for Spring. Cold days be gone! Illnesses, I am over you! I am ready to lay back in some sunshine and Summer is far too far away for me to dream about right now - so I'm looking at Spring like the sun peeping through the clouds, and I've put together three rockin' outfits from brands who stock sizes that fit, and know how to dress a gal like me.

Lindy Bop are always, always the first place I look when I feel like a new dress. If I didn't get this floral number, I'd have been all over the Matilda Ice Cream Stripe dress - I've had my eye on that gorgeous little number for a long time now - but I had a vision in my head of frolicking in fields in soft floral and a floppy wicker hat. The British spring time might not be hot enough for this look, but I don't care. I'll whip on a cardi, damnit. I want to frolick.

Things are looking nautical all up in here! The theme wasn't even intentional, I just saw the navy stripe and knew I wanted a nice high-waisted, flowing skirt to tuck it in to. I've had a few tops from Yours and they're always super soft comfy, so they are almost always the first place I look when I'm in the market for a new tee. I don't tend to wear long skirts a lot. In the past this was due to VBO. But I am an enlightened being and it is 2016! So my stomach will get her chance to shine, and she'll be balanced precariously atop platformed shoes, wishing she had learned to walk in anything higher than a flat.

You'd be forgiven for looking at this outfit and not jumping straight to Spring, but it's okay because its fucking badass and I put yellow things in there to make it match the theme. But seriously though, I'm a 'rough with the smooth' kind of girl and I totally appreciate that when it comes to fashion. I like prom dresses and clunky boots, and I like biker leggings and floral headbands. That's just how I roll. I hate that I'm such a cheapskate when it comes to fashion because I am dying to see myself in these togs. 

Alas, the wind doth blow. Spring officially starts next month, but with whisperings of snow at the weekend I am clinging on to pictures of pretty, floral things to get me through. 

Are you desperate for some solar action, too? 

How do you get through the Winter?

Stuff and things.

I've been feeling totally lousy for near on a month now, catching one infection after another since having my tooth removed, and being totally run down - hence the blogio silence. All the spare energy I've been able to muster has gone on the children, work and university work; James and I have been passing these illnesses back and forth so we're just trying to prop eachother up enough to carry on, picking up eachothers slack when it's needed.

The super annoying thing is that I've been desperate to get out and get some pretty outfit pics taken, I've got a bunch of ideas for the blog and I haven't had the energy to do anything about it. I have the odd day of feeling good. I've been trying to go to uni as much as physically possible (four hours of travel time a day is literally painful when you feel like this, so some days I have put my health over my studies I must admit) and in one brief illness interlude I was even able to meet up with Daisy, Tanya, Sharon and Kerry for a pancake breakfast of a Sunday morning. I was too ill to play with Mikey in his first experience of snow, and it looks set to snow again this weekend when I am yet again too poorly to run around and play in it. But hey, I'm alive!

I've got a handful of assignments coming up and its been SO hard to focus on any reading when your head is throbbing and there's a toddler whining in your ear. The work/life balance is so hard when you're a student with children, especially as I am doing a placement, working from home and also taking part in the URB@N project this year, and its only going to get harder. I've been trying to say 'yes' to the kids more, instead of blowing them off because I've got much more boring things to concentrate on. Just this afternoon Michael asked me if we could do some yoga together, so I decided to just go for it and actually it was quite fun (and I was impressed with his skillz!). My chest didn't thank me, but Michael did. I need to keep reminding myself that that's what matters.