I'm right in the middle of a major dress dilemma. I want some dresses for my birthday weekend but I'm not sure if I want something summery because my birthday is in August or something more practical which will take me through to Autumn. I think I'm being swayed by all the lovely dresses in the sales at the moment and can't focus  on one or two. I'm going for a day out in Bath and meal in Cardiff Bay in the evening and Sunday lunch and a beer garden the next day so lots of conflicting requirements.

I've narrowed it down to the following dresses:

The feminine Ted Baker dress is gorgeous, very floaty and ladylike. It's on sale at Box Clothing which I normally associate with menswear but they also stock some ladies clothing and this dress is £135 instead of the original price of £299! It's got a lovely bow and flower embellishment which you can't really see in the photos and an underskirt so it's nice and full. Very tempted by a few other dresses on that site from the Pretty Dress Company too.

I was recently sent a few items from Yours Clothing to try out and share my thoughts on them. I wore Yours Clothing bodycon dress when I went to the Making of Harry Potter tour and I loved it, I wouldn't normally wear anything tight but I loved this dress and there was plenty of room in it which meant that I didn't feel uncomfortable.

I've also been trying out this rather lovely animal print tunic which is very me and I've been wearing it to work and on the weekends quite a lot. I love the print, the pleated detail on the front and the lovely bow on the back. It was a tad chilly to pose without a cardi on so you can see the detail on the back here.




If you fancy 10% off your first order with Yours Clothing and free delivery use the code HELLOTHERE at the checkout.

This outfit was supposed to look a little Edie Sedgwick but I'm not too sure. It has a 60s vibe but I feel like something is missing, maybe a beehive? This coat has been reduced even more in the sale now so if you're an XS you can snap it up for a bargain. I was worried that I wouldn't get much wear from a coat with a print but I've worn this pretty much every day since I bought it. It definitely makes me feel a bit rock and roll.

I'm wearing aaaall of my favourite things in one outfit today. In fact, I've been wearing this pretty much every day and just changing the t-shirt because I love it all so much. I've not stopped wearing my leopard print coat since I bought it in the sales and my boots have only left my feet when I swapped them for wellies in the snow. I do wish I had kept this for the gig I'm going to tonight but then white t-shirts and people spilling beer do not mix.

My bag is probably my all time favourite thing I've ever owned and I feel super grown up walking around with it although I'm worried it has sparked some designer bag desires and I'm eyeing up another one already... I bought it with a mixture of store credit, my own money and a 20% discount code through Spartoo who always have good sales on bags.

I've listened to the track in my title about 50 times this week, so 80s, so good! I thought I would share some of my instagram photos with you, wont be making a habit of this because if you follow me on there (fatfrocks) it will get boring but I've had so much fun using my new phone. I think I might try and take at least one photo a day and print them all off at the end of the year and put them in my scrapbook, a bit of a 365 project. I know you're all old hands at this instagram malarkey but I've only just joined the modern world with my new android phone.

Are we all having a bad case of the January blues? It was such a struggle to get up for work this week after staying up until 3am watching films all over Christmas. I miss my bed and I miss carbs. I feel very sorry for myself so I've been making an effort for work to feel a little better about myself and my Christmas bulge. I always feel a bit sassy when I wear leopard print to work, I suppose its a bit trashy for someone who works in a library but I wont let that stop me.




I love the little cross detail on my belt. I think £8 was steep for one belt when I can get two from DP for that price but I didn't really see much that I liked in the sales so I  treated myself. I also love my Blink boots that arrived before Christmas and I've worn them pretty much everyday since I got them.


I'm planning on having a quiet weekend, catching up on some sleep and booking some trips to look forward to in 2013. Hope your 2013 has got off to a good start.

I was lucky enough to attend the Clothes Show Live with a few other bloggers on Saturday and hang out at the Echo Falls wine bar and take in all the sights. Will do a full post on this later in the week but this is what I wore to the clothes show:


The dress was provided by Zalando which has a HUGE selection of dresses from brands like Oasis, Darling and French Connection. They also have free delivery and returns which I will be taking advantage of in the future. I've also worn this dress in a night out with my Vivienne Westwood Melissa shoes, clutch bag and red lipstick. It's a great length for the day but is sassy enough to wear on a night out.

It’s that time of the year where there are lots of parties, events and family gatherings where you want to look your best and wear something glamorous. I'm sure a lot of you are experiencing "What do I wear to the Christmas party?"dread, but fear not! There are some cracking dresses on the high street at the moment and I have selected my favourites for all your festive party needs.


Every girl should own a LBD, you can’t go wrong with classic black. For a bit of a spin on the classic bodycon  you could try the Silence + Noise Faux Leather Dress from Urban Outfitters. I think this would look great with some spike detail jewellery and a dark, vampish coloured lipstick.
The Dark Green chiffon and lace dress from New Look is less dressy and would be great for Christmas day with the family or you could wear this work work and pop some heels on with it for post work festive drinks.
The AX Paris Sequin crochet waist dress is another twist on the classic LDB with a bit of added Christmas sparkle.


If you’re feeling a bit more daring and want to splash on some some colour or pattern you could go for the Leopard print wrap dress from Miss Selfridge or the Sequin dress from boohoo.com. The leopard print dress is my personal favourite from all of my picks, I'm obsessed with leopard print and would wear this all year round. Finally, the Black lace sleeve dress from Dorothy Perkins was too pretty to leave off my list. I love the delicate lace on the sleeves and the sparkly detail on the waist.

Have you spotted the perfect party dress yet or is it still way too early for you to be thinking about Christmas and the party season?

Summer is finally over for me. There are no more festivals and the weather has taken a turn for the worse, feeling pretty down really. I need to replace most of last years winter wardrobe because my old favourites don't fit anymore but winter coats and sturdy shoes cost a small fortune so I'm not looking forward to this. I'm trying to buy better, less often so some of my picks are a little on the expensive side but I'm hoping they will last for many winters to come.

I've just come back from Paris and had the most amazing but tiring weekend. I'm going to warn you, this is a rather photo heavy post. I went to Paris for my friend Emma's birthday and also to meet up with some of our French friends who are studying there. Two and a bit days just wasn't enough but we managed to cram a lot in.

I wore my new Topshop t-shirt and pleated leather skirt to travel in, not the best choice for dragging a huge case in as the skirt was a little short but then I've never very practical...



I needed some comfortable shoes for Paris so I chose these flat shoes from Clarks. They are real leather and rubbed me so badly, do not walk eight hours a day in new shoes. I learnt the hard way :(
We stayed in a great little hostel called Le Montclair in Montmartre. Montmartre is a beautiful area where lots of artists lived like Dali, Modigliani, Monet and van Gogh lived and it is where Amélie was filmed.



















A great little book shop near Notre Dame called Shakespeare and Company. Sadly it was full of hipsters but it had a reading room upstairs where someone was playing the piano, very charming. They had some great second hand books here but also lots of new books in English with limited edition covers. This was a great little place to spend an hour.

I loved Paris so much that I'm already planning my next trip in the new year.

I have had another busy week spent with my lovely friends and family. This is what I've been up to...


I made lots of heart decorations for our Valentines 'Love Your Libraries' day at Cardiff University. We got the students to tell us what they love about the library on heart post it notes and on twitter. I got carried away with it all and made so heart shaped bunting too.
I went to see The Woman in Black with my friends for Valentines day and scoffed loads of sweets and swapped cards. Have you seen it? I was so scared, I had to watch it through my fingers.


Been up in the attic digging out old clothes. I'm pretty skint at the moment and I want to try and wear more of my old clothes rather than wasting money on new ones. Don't think this is really my style but it was comfy and smart enough for work. I picked up the blouse in Peacocks in the sale a few years ago and forgot all about it. I delved into my jewellery box and found my Vivienne Westwood necklace that I forgot all about. I have so much stuff, I really don't need to spend for a while.


I got these little earrings on eBay along with 4 other pairs and paid about £6 for the lot, bargain! I got the ring in my Cosmo Awards bag but I have no idea who made it, anyone got any ideas? Would love to buy another one.


The brow kit was another eBay and only cost about £2.50. I have trouble finding powders dark enough but this is a lovely shade. The No7 lipstick is from the Vital Brights range and is a great everyday shade. It is really sheer, lightweight and doesn't dry your lips out. I bought it with one of those £5 off vouchers that you always seem to get in Boots and I've worn it everyday. Will be buying another one of these as I think they are limited edition. I stayed at a friends last night and made us this lentil, peppers and feta salad, it really was the nicest thing I've had in ages so I will put the recipe up on Where Are My Knees in the week.


I wore this to my friends house last night. The skirt was only £8 in Primark and I love it, I'm pretty obsessed with leopard print at the moment but I do feel a little over dressed and Kat Slater in it.

What have you been up to this week? I suspect most of you had lovely Valentines plans or up to something fabulous at LFW!

Urgh first week back at work, awful isn't it? I've been turning up to work with hair all over my face and soaked right through because of the awful weather but I started a new role this week which is rather exciting. I now get to deal with some health inter-library loans, give more IT support to the students and much more. Really enjoying trying new things and more responsibility but I'm not going to miss working on Saturdays!



I wore this outfit while shopping on Monday, it is a little different to what I normally wear, bit more casual. Can you guess what the t shirt is all about?


It's the title of one of my favourite Manics songs and I got it off eBay ages ago for a tenner. The skirt was also a bargain from Primark, it only cost £8. The skirt is so long though, I had to pull it up really high and it still comes below my knees.


I have seen a lot of good reviews on both of these products, they were both so cheap I thought they were well worth a try. The lipstick cost £1 in Superdrug and is a lovely peachy/pink colour, it doesn't have the best staying power but I can't complain for the price. The concealer was about £4, it is thick, quite dry and provides just enough coverage. I will be buying this product again, it is so much cheaper than my usual MAC concealer! This is what the products look like on-


On the way out of the screening Emma and I nabbed Benedict for a photo and he was very charming and polite. We probably scared him, I nearly fainted when he touched my arm and I had to have a glass of wine after to calm down. I want to apologise to anyone who follows me on twitter because I wouldn't shut up about it last night and today.