Midsummer maternity wear.

I follow a few different blogs and my reading tastes could be considered a tad eccentric as I enjoy food blogs, art blogs and lifestyle blogs.  Recently I've enjoyed a few posts about summer clothes, this one from Domestic Sluttery is lovely.

However, considering my current ever expanding planet likeness all the featured dresses would be a bit impractical.  Thankfully I've been lucky enough to find and in a couple of cases been given maternity dresses to stop me from melting in jeans or looking absolutely blimp like in my pre-pregancy wardrobe. (Although I am still wearing a select few items from this...)  My first maternity dress came from a company called Dotty Miss which is run by a friend of mine.

It's a lovely vintage style dress in a size 14 with a pretty pattern on and pockets on the sides.  Technically it hasn't been designed as a maternity dress but it has the room for me to carry on growing into it for the rest of the summer.

Sadly, for public decency/ hygiene reasons I couldn't just wear this dress all summer so I relented and bought myself a maternity dress from H&M for my recent jaunt around London and for dancing in.  I tried on a red dress as I normally love red but the block of colour didn't really do anything for me, then I tried this nice blue and white patterned dress that reminded me of china tea cups.

MAMA Dress - from H&M

http://www.hm.com/gb/s/05B4JD

This is me in the dress at How Does it Feel to be Loved.

The picture is courtesy of my friend Heather and obviously I made a few different hairstyle, make up, pose and accessory decisions to the model above.  It's a nice dress though and perfect for a summers day or an evening dancing.  

I've also been lucky enough to get a nice new maternity dress from Paul's sister Gemma for my birthday, which I wore on the day when I went for afternoon tea with my Mum. We then went shopping and my Mum bought me another lovely dress from the Red Herring maternity range in Debenhams Last time I looked in Debenhams there were hardly any maternity dresses and most were navy blue which wasn't what I wanted; however, this time there was a selection.  I tried on 3 dresses in the end although about 5 caught my eye and I took home the one that suited me best.  The moral of this story? Don't over look somewhere if it doesn't have something you fancy the first time you go in it might surprise you in the future! (I'll be popping pictures of these dresses up as soon as I get Paul to take a picture of me in them as they don't appear to be on the website...)

I hope this helps some other people in my boat looking for something nice to wear whilst no longer having a waist this summer.  There are still clothes out there for us! Sadly there aren't many but we won't be wearing maternity clothes forever so we just need a few things to wear in the sun/ imaginary heat that we feel when everyone else is freezing and the skies are overcast.

The year that was... and the one to come!

Well 2012 has now been and gone a lot faster than I'd expected it to. It's been quite a good year for me considering that I started it jobless and then quickly found a new role at my current workplace.

 I also tried to start a photoblog with the aim of taking a photograph everyday but fell behind quite quickly.  It was a good idea and I think I'll re-try it again this year.

This was a year of baking and exercise which saw me take part in two work bake offs, I sporadically went to the work gym and did a few dance shows and improved my bollywood and belly dancing.  In July my 52 recipe challenge ended, which I also sadly didn't manage this is something I am also considering attempting to do again.  Do you think it's a good idea and what recipes would you suggest I do?

Since then I've been thinking of different things to write about and tried to keep a commentary of this years NaNoWrimo attempt going whilst I wrote.  This year I actually managed 50,000 words in a month for the first time ever which is a real achievement! Now I just need to tie up my lose ends and finish the first draft... 
Since November I've mainly been stressing about Christmas, suffering from sniffles, binge reading, snapping guitar strings, attempting to play guitar and doodling.

Now it's 2013 I'm starting to try to work out how to put my plans for this year into action. They don't involve getting published, slimming down to a size 8 or becoming Jimi Hendrix like at guitar. (Although I do keep toying with the idea of getting to the level where I could form a band with that or the Uke...) This year I'm thinking of setting myself a few challenges like blogging more at least weekly, writing everyday, trying roller skating, actually going climbing/ice skating/ playing badminton this year, dancing more, learning a song on both instruments and not beating myself up if this doesn't happen.  Those as well as planning more things like the baking club and trips to the South, Wales and Scotland if my friends will have me! Maybe if I'll play my cards right I might even start some good habits like writing 1,000 words a day. (Because 365,000 words in a year is a doable target... if I focus!)

So what are your challenges for 2013? Do you challenge me to do anything else that I've missed off this list?

Recent adventures.

I've discovered that it's been a month since I last posted on this blog and it seems life managed to get in the way a bit there...  I guess I'm just an occasional blogger!

Recently I have been to see Allo Darlin play Queens Social Club on 6th September.

(Sadly my camera skills are nothing compared to the joy that is their songs!)

I caught a train down to Nottingham to watch the Hellfire Harlots battle the London Roller Girls Brawl Saints.

As well as to catch up with my sister and her boyfriend and their new house.

Later that week, on 12th September I grabbed some food in The Great Gatsby then popped into my car and headed up the Motorway to Leeds to see the rather lovely Beirut play the 02 Academy with my handsome boyfriend.

Then there was a lull as we both just worked hard and I tried to fit dance rehearsals in for The Beat around chilling out.

Near the end of September a strange construction graced Barkers Pool.

This turned out to be a Spiegeltent and part of the Festival of the Mind.  I went to an event put on by the Na Zdrove promoters on inside the Spiegeltent.  I wasn't sure what to expect but liked the look of bygone glamour and hope that extended to the inside.  Thankfully it did!  The night included an awful drag artist, three burlesque performers from Secrets of the Boudoir Burlesque, a comedian called Frank Sinazi and a band from Newcastle called The Baghdaddies.  As well as the Na Zdrove djs!

 A great night of cringing, cheering, laughing and dancing was had by all!

I also sampled the lovely food on offer at Maggie May's on 5th October whilst celebrating one of my work mates birthdays. I would've taken a picture but I ate it...

I also performed in The Beat 2012 on 6th October and danced a bollywood track and a bellydancing track.
For the weeks leading up to it I was wracked with nerves... but it all went alright on the night!  Obviously I took no pictures as I was too busy dancing. Maybe if I ever do it again I should give someone my phone to take pictures with!

Now I'm trying to get back in the swing of writing on a more regular basis, started my bellydance class again and have been debating also going to the bollywood class and maybe doing another show. Not entirely sure this is a good idea as the next one is just before Christmas though!

I've also been watching the Great British Bake off and making too many banana based foodstuffs (muffins and bread).  Now I'm just wondering what adventures lie in wait next?

Recent rocking things!

Recently things have rocked!  There has been more dancing, which is always a great thing in my eyes!  I even danced on a stage in public on Sat 4th August...

Photo courtesy of a friend of one of the other dancers... thank you!

This was a Bollywood work out choreographed by Nisha Lall as part of

the activities of Sheftival, which promoted exercise, sport and music.

I could have stayed at Sheftival and caught a few more bands; instead I headed to Wales for a good catch up with one of my friends and watched history being made in the Olympics.

Last week also saw a return of lunch club for my team with a new venue being invaded... tried!  This month we said good bye to The Hop and hello to The Frog and Parrot! We also saw Olympic fever hitting the office culminating in the office sports day or mini Olympics as I like to think of it! It involved mishaps such as the health and safety worrying three legged race, the controversial egg & spoon relay; as well as my event the hula hoop... a good time was had by all!

Action shot!

On the podium, I came second!

The next day brought more catching up with friends and family, a bout of roller derby.

That blur is the Sheffield Steel Roller Girls All Stars vs Nottingham's Hellfire Harlots.  Good bout but we got thrashed!

Saturday also saw my first roller merby bout...

Like roller derby but with them male creatures instead of female ones... This bout featured Sheffield's Inhuman League vs Manchester's New Wheeled Order.  It was a close bout but eventually we won.

This was followed by a drive up to Leeds for my friend Deborah's flat warming at her lovely new abode! Yet more catching up with lovely friends. (I could get used to this!)  Then all too soon it was time to head back...

This week has mainly been sponsored by overtime at work, a bit more dancing, experimenting with this recipe and looking forward to Jessica Ennis's homecoming on Friday! Should be a hell of a party!