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?

Silent Sunday - 19/07/15

Silent Sunday - 28/06/15

You know you have arrived back in the UK when....

....the operator for the extending walkway has to be found before you can get off the plane.

....it takes an hour to get through Passport Control even as a UK citizen with an e-passport.

....you spend that hour listening to a youth football team f'ing and c'ing with absolutely no concern from their guardians.

....you spend a further 10 minutes after Passport Control waiting for your luggage to appear on the carousel only to find that it has been dumped in a pile in a corner with several others.

....you pay £9 to travel 3.5 miles from the rail station to home by taxi.

Silent Sunday - 14/06/15

I went to Birmingham, it didn't rain.

This weekend I was studying in Birmingham again, as I tend to do when I have a Saturday/Sunday study session I stayed over in the city, this time at The Ramada at The Mailbox (check me out, staying at The Mailbox!), a review of the hotel can be found here.

I was quite disappointed with The Mailbox, it seems to be 100s of overpriced eateries, acres of car park, Harvey Nichols and an Armani store.  Admittedly, there are a lot of renovations going on at the moment, so maybe another visit is called for once they are complete.

I did pop into Harvey Nicks, I say pop, it was through one of the eatery areas, down four flights of stairs, across the car park, up in a tiny lift and through a fire door, but I got there.  I had intended to go to Benefit to have my eyebrows shaped, but the one person who could do it was on a day off, so I ended up with a fairly standard threading which cost £17!

I had a nice wander around the canals.

And it didn't rain!

Things I don't understand, Part 1

This is going to be a random, but possibly lengthy, series on things that confuse me somewhat.

It will contain questions about anything and everything.

Such as...

During the winter, when there is snow and ice on the ground and it doesn't get above zero, you see (some, not all) girls out in tiny skirts and the highest of heels.  As soon as the sun comes out, so do the long maxi dresses and flat sandals.  Why not the other way around?

Why does everyone in my street get their taxi to stop outside my house between 2am and 6am and not outside their own house?

Why do I have to learn about Islamic Finance?  I live in the UK, which as far as I am aware is not under Sharia Law.  If I was going to practise in an Islamic country I would study the rules then.

Why does the supermarket checkout line I join always move the slowest?

Part 2 will follow soon.