Style XL - 18th & 19th July 2015

This weekend I was lucky enough to win weekend tickets to this event which was being held at The Paragon Hotel in Birmingham.

I've never been to an event like this before so I had no idea what to expect but I ended up really enjoying myself.

The function room was set up with a catwalk down the middle, this was lined with chairs, with round tables further back.

Vendors stalls lined the walls - Apples & Pears Clothing, Topsy Curvy, Scarlett & Jo, Simply Be, Yours Clothing, Bon Prix (who I won my tickets with) and Curvy Kate - to name just a few.

There were pop-up changing rooms for trying things on and a pop-up Pin-Up Parlour offering haircuts, up-do's and make up.  I had my hair styled in Victory Rolls and I loved it!  I just need to learn how to do it myself now.

I loved watching the fashion shows and seeing the clothes being modelled.  I did miss one show as I was having my hair done at the time but saw all the others.

Alll the models seemed to enjoy themselves, despite being nervous - they were all friends, family and volunteers, no professional models here - and I think that made it all the more enjoyable to those of us watching.

There was a raffle to raise funds for MIND which I was happy to support being as Mental Health is an issue which affects me, and I was lucky again!  This time I won a Crabtree & Evelyn set.

I spotted several bloggers whose blogs I follow, but was too nervous to go and introduce myself, I wish I had done now.  I also wish I had taken more photos than I did.

I wasn't able to attend last night's session nor today's so missed a lot.  But I thoroughly enjoyed myself for the session I attended and will definitely be going again.

So come on Leah, when is the next one?

Yes, I'm fat. Yes, I wear a bikini.

Please don't think that this is a 'I'm fat and I'm proud to be fat' type post, I am fat but I am not proud to be fat, I just am, thanks to my love of home cooking and Cava.  In fact, this is written in response to all the #WeAreTheThey posts.

But, yes, when I go on holiday, I wear a bikini on the beach.  I have even been known to go topless on the odd occasion.

And why?  Because I work bloody hard all year, that's why.  I work full time and I study part time so when I go to Spain for my one week holiday abroad each year I make the most of it.

I don't flaunt my fat, I arrange my area (towel down, water, Kindle, iPod and sun cream out of the bag, umbrella up), sit down and then remove my tshirt and shorts.  If I get up to go to the loo or the bar, I put my tshirt and shorts back on.

If I am going to sit around the swimming pool because I fancy a swim (I don't swim in the sea, a fish once touched my leg and I leapt about 6 feet out of the water), I wear a swimsuit as I am quite a vigorous swimmer and only have to worry about one piece, not two.

I am currently trying to lose a few pounds, but that is because I have put weight on and can't get into my holiday clothes and for 1 week a year, I refuse to buy new stuff.

Don't be ashamed by the size you are, but there are ways to act without shoving it in people's faces.