Showcasing Luxury Lingerie: Tallulah Love

Luxury lingerie is women's underwear at it's finest, and when it's homegrown right here in the UK it's all the better.  You normally expect a prestigious brand to emerge from the southern counties, with businesses heading to the big smoke chasing the city dream and it's investors.  So, for a label such as Tallulah Love to be northern born and bred proves how tenacious and fashion forward the fantastic north east is.  Being a Yorkshire lass with a Geordie fiance, I'm pretty biased, but when US Harper's Bazaar requests a shipment of the lingerie finery, you know there's something special about this brand.

Tallulah Love held a Summer Soiree this weekend and I was invited along to check out the show.  It was announced earlier this year that Tallulah Love are to expand their ranges to cater for the larger bust, so with this in mind I was immensely interested.  I popped along to the event held at Cafe No.33 in Hartlepool with my OH where we met the lady of luscious lingerie herself, owner Michelle Taylor.

The venue was cosy and already bustling when we arrived, as we were offered champagne and asked to take a raffle ticket for a chance to win a goodie bag.  Sadly for me I wasn't a winning number and I was gutted not to come away with one of the cute bags of goodies so well done to the lucky 15 who snaffled one!  The tables and chairs were taken but it gave me the opportunity to have a wander around before the catwalk show.

I managed to grab Michelle Taylor (who was wearing such a cute dress) for a chat and we had some photos over at the display area where racks of intoxicating lingerie hung from satin black hangers, and a gorgeous vintage suitcase teased with an array of frilly knickers to buy.  

My favourite pieces included the beautiful ivory silk vintage lace corset featuring an abundance of exquisite French Chantilly lace, and the insanely girly silk balcony bra from the Blue Birds collection.  I like how the bird print design depicts the Tallulah Love branding and yet still maintains a delicate feminine flair beneath all the frills.

As much as I love the chic pretties, the cute gift packaging is just as covetable.  How adorable is the aqua heart box?!

My good friend and amazing photographer Jade Turnbull was there taking shots of the models and I grabbed a pew next to her ready for the show.  The models were on top form and oozed glamour and sophistication.  Despite a little hiccup with the soundtrack the models continued on, showcasing each delicate outfit with an added cheeky wink or wiggle.

Leading burlesque performer, Frankii Wilde, stole the show, however all the girls were total dolls.  I probably looked like a drooling letch but the lingerie was so eye catching, with so much detail to absorb.  Mesh back knickers, frill capped straps and the crowns of faux flower blooms (created by Frankii Wilde's own fair hands) all nodded to an era of the female ideal, the pretty pin up and a sophistication of timeless appeal.

With the forthcoming launch of larger cupped lingerie, I hope to show you some collections that will cater for the D+ amongst us.

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What tempts you about Tallulah Love and what would you most like to see come from the brand in the future?

Becky x

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Pretty Vintage Home @ Dotcomgiftshop

Recently I said January is the month for fresh starts and new experiences and so a few weeks ago I placed my first order at vintage inspired Dotcomgiftshop.  I've been visiting the site and receiving the emails for quite a long time but I just never got to the point of placing an order.  I think I'm one of those people who are seduced by free delivery and have always been put off by the £3.95 postage charge.  I think if it were less I'd be more inclined to frequently order bits and pieces rather than fill my basket and forget about it!

I finally decided to purchase a few items that I've had my eye on, and with the early January sale on, the prices were all the more enticing.  My order arrived earlier this week.  It took a little longer to turn up than I was anticipating (especially as I'd paid for the delivery, and orders I'd placed elsewhere online - which were free p+p - had come before this did) which I'm guessing was down to a successful flurry of orders down at Dotcomgiftshop central.

Anyway, here's what I got >

Blue Retro Vintage Kitchen Wall Clock

There were three different colours of the clock: cream, red and blue, and I was undecided whether to go for the bold red or the powder blue for the kitchen.  After much deliberation I opted for the blue.  I'm happy I went with this colour because although it is not the same vibrant blue as on the website, it works well with my other kitchen decorations and is actually a much nicer shade.

I was unsure what the clock was constructed from when looking on the website but I can now confirm it is wholly plastic with the exception of the metal hands.  The blue fascia has a good depth which makes it hang prominently from the wall.  The face is cream which is complementary to the vintage look.  All three colour options are £6.95 each in the sale.

Pantry Design Set of 3 Cake Tins

I first mentioned these lovely looking tins in a post last year when I was deciding which cake tins to buy.  I bought some different ones but because I still loved these I knew I had to buy them in the sale.  I paid £6.95 for them which was a brilliant price, but I was gutted to see they dropped again in price to £4.95 on Monday, the day my order arrived.  Oh well!

These tins are really well made and I love the matt finish of them.  They are really very small cake tins, not the same sizes as my Tala tin set, and you wouldn't be able to fit a family cake in the two smaller tins (I guess that's why they're labelled as biscuits and sweets!) but their adorability lets them off.  Very pretty and uber retro.

Pantry Design Set of 2 Tea Towels

This tea towel duo came so daintily presented with its turquoise ribbon and tag, it would make the perfect housewarming gift.  It was a shame to spoil the party and untie it!  The cotton tea towels are a good size and thickness and both display the song birds print which match the cake tins above.  I'm really pleased with these and think they look really good.  They're £3.95 in the sale on the website.

I've already been back on the site checking out what other goodies are in the sale.  There are some matching Pantry Design items including a set of 6 spice tins down to £3.95 and a set of 3 coffee, tea and sugar canisters now at £4.95.  Also some pretty and practical storage bags, such as the kitsch Suki Jumbo Storage Bag for £2.95.

Are retro themes your thing?  Do you love a vintage kitchen or do you prefer a more modern, simplistic look?  

Becky x

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Homewares - Budget Vintage Florals

The country floral patterns that at one time were reserved for the older generations have recently made us go all granny chic, thanks to the likes of designers such as Cath Kidston.  Vintage loving fashionistas have long been rocking the trend with the regeneration of bygone era floral fashion, with the shabby chic style extending from clothing to homewares.  One reason why retro florals are now so popular is because it taps into the romantic ideals of the 40s and 50s, incorporating the wartime fascination of the make do and mend rule, when everything was simple, attractive and less commercial.

I was never one for floral anything, whether socks or cushions, so it's surprised even myself how appealed, or rather obsessed, about the trend I've become.  I just love the pretty colours and delicate detailing and it's got to be realistic looking, which is how we'll see the trend developing this year; it's all about botanicals: fine art depictions of plants and flowers.  You heard it here first.  (Well, after Vogue.)

Something I always have been and always will be is cost conscious, or 'thrifty' as is the age old term.  Cath Kidston prints as beautiful as they are can be pretty pricey but to embrace these gorgeous florals doesn't have to cost the earth.  I've been buying some bargain bits and pieces here and there and I'm going to share them with you.  You see, everyone can afford the vintage inspired look!


This is my Rosali Duvet Set from Ikea.  This was an exciting find for me as it's been hugely popular and sells out quickly.  The print was allegedly designed by Cath Kidston for Ikea some time ago but as her name isn't on the packaging you're not paying the Cath Kidston price tag.  The set comes in white or blue and I adore the blue colourway so much.  This is a bargain at £24.99 king size!

This is my Minky ironing board which I bought about three years ago.  I thought it was pretty cute with it's pink feet and detailing, and the cover was cool too but I recently found a much nicer one which suits the board really well.  The floral ironing board cover is from B & M Stores which is a haven for good quality bargains.  The pattern reminds me of Cath Kidston's 'Provence Rose' and the colour is so fresh and vibrant.  It cost only £2.99.

This was another great purchase from B & M Stores.  I wanted a sturdy box to store my surplus make up products in, and because it was to be kept in the bedroom I wanted it to look pretty.  This box is perfect and does the job well.   The sky blue is a lovely contrast against the pink flowers.  A fantastic buy at £1.99.

Now, this is a really attractive oven mitt; the colours are vibrant and it's so pretty.  It's not great for your hands, though!  I think it's not that well made in respect of the padding and fabric used, I feel heat coming through the glove pretty quickly when I'm removing a hot tray out of the oven.  I dread to think how it passed safety tests.  :-/  It cost £1 from Pound World.  You could say you get what you pay for but because I love looking at it (and it's partner as I bought two), these will be staying in the kitchen.

This is the Ditsy Paper Tray from Matalan which I thought would be great for storage.  I decided to use it as my sock box and keep all my socks and tights in it.  It's so big and spacious you could use it as so many different things such as store magazines, toiletries or some logs by the fire.  For only £5, this doesn't set you back much.

This is still one of my favourites; a white and lilac button padded floral seat cushion which has tie backs so I can secure it to my bedroom chair.  It looks so shabby chic and a perfect match.  The fabric is cotton and washes well in the washing machine, which is great news if you spill foundation on your cushion like I did!  I only paid £1.99 for it from B & M Stores (you should by now have guessed they're a good shop to try out!).

If you missed my Christmas present post last month, here's a reminder in case you can still buy this.  It's actually an iPhone case for your mobile but I bought it with the intention to fit my iPod Touch in it, which it does perfectly.  I found it in Poundland of all places for, well, a £1!  There was a choice of pink or blue and naturally I went for the blue one because I think I have a thing for blue florals.  This is a really good buy as it looks and feels much more than just £1's worth. 

Do you like the vintage floral theme?  Seen any similar items for bargain prices?  Please share if you've spotted anything!

Becky x

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Bra Review - Freya Patsy

Thanks to Lingerie Heaven, this week I received Freya's new AW12 Patsy balcony bra in the black and gold colourway.  Last season saw the first Patsy when it was released in the lime green and as much as I was really attracted to the design I didn't get around to trying the bra out.  So I'm extremely thankful and excited to have this opportunity to see Patsy for real!

Front of Patsy

Back of Patsy

I tried Patsy on literally the moment after it arrived.  Before even putting the bra on I could tell it was a beauty; a polka dot pretty fit for a 50s pin up.  Although wholly mesh fabricated, it's not totally sheer, and really rather a demure, classy yet modern design.  If you're soft for vintage inspired looks Patsy will  be right up your street.  The gold spots and detailing works well against the black base.  I love the centre bows!

I know I've been lacking in the video production department, to be honest I'm not the most verbally eloquent of people and find it much easier speaking by the written word, but I was so keen to share my thoughts on this one and felt the best way of conveying such would be by recording it.  Hopefully you'll get what I'm trying to address and see that I'm just a mad bra obsessive with some helpful bits of info.  Let me know what you think of the vid!

Anyway, I was sent the 28GG which is pretty much my 'usual' bra size if ever I had just one.  I was pleased to find that the band fitted perfectly, it felt firm but not too tight.  The cups felt comfortable.  If Patsy made an H cup I may have tried it to see if it gave me slightly more room as especially on one side there was a slight bulging.  It didn't come to anything during the day's wear though so I'm not hugely concerned about it.   Often I find under wires dig in under my arms but I didn't particularly experience any discomfort during the day wearing the bra.  I would rather the centre gore fitted either a bit higher but preferably lower like a plunge as my boobs don't allow much space for the middle of a bra.  A major downer which limits what styles I can wear.

Now, the straps on this one are possibly their downfall.  I do prefer, on the whole, straps that are fully adjustable and stretchy all around but these are the first straps I've seen with so much stretch.  They are super stretchy and I can pull them away from my shoulders a mile off, and that's with the adjustment already made.  I didn't want to adjust the straps too much for fear of subjecting my shoulders to angry red marks, or worse, snapping the straps!  So with the adjusters almost to the tops of my shoulders, I felt the support was fairly okay but still allowed an immense amount of bounce.  Not very good for the ample bosom.

The second issue, admittedly not as crucial to the bra's support design but still possibly bothersome, is that the shape isn't exactly rounded but gives a fairly pointed silhouette.  I much prefer a round curvature of my bust line as opposed to triangles, but I guess considering the retro look of Patsy, it shouldn't be surprising that the pointy effect is also very 50s!

I'm not planning on running a half marathon (unless you include whipping round the shopping centre before the parking meter runs out, in which case I should probably opt for the Freya Active), and I can most likely live with a less than round boob shape.  If it's all about aesthetics - and this bra most certainly is a cute little minx - and good band support, then Patsy with her golden glints is sure to pick you up this Autumn.

Freya Patsy is available to buy right now in the plunge and half cup at Lingerie Heaven for only £26.50.

I would love to know what you think of Patsy and her fit.  Have you tried it yourself or been tempted by other gorgeous Autumn bras?

Becky x

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Hello Autumn! Cute Cake Tins for Winter Baking

Autumn has officially landed this weekend and I've been thinking nothing less of getting the house all snug and attractive for the forthcoming months of Winter.  Christmas is never far from my mind either, I'm afraid to say, even though we're still only in September.  But if you're really into Christmas like me and a religious festive baker, you'll know that it's around now that you should be baking your Christmas cake for optimum yumminess!  This year I'll be making four Christmas cakes so I'm just preparing all the ingredients and equipment I'll need so I can take on this mammoth cake challenge.  

I wanted to get some nice, new cake storage tins so this week I've been browsing around baking departments online and in town.  The vintage look is still a huge theme so I found myself bookmarking several websites and with the dilemma of which pretty tins to go for.  

Dotcomgiftshop has this absolutely adorable Pantry design trio cake tin set for £12.95.  I just love the powdery colour scheme and retro wording.  This set would look amazing with my other cream kitchen storage accessories.

Something a little more vibrant for the kitchen yet still retaining the retro look, the Argos Living cake tins (£9.99) are another really cute set.  The bold cherry red and white polka dot design is really stylish.

I love those vintage metal advertising signs and old adverts from yesteryear.  It makes me think of a sweeter era, romanticising the thought of rosy cheeked housewives baking tasty treats all day.  I know the reality wasn't quite like that in the 50s but it doesn't stop us admiring the looks of that bygone time.  

This set by Martin Wiscombe that I found on Mollie and Fred (£18.99) would really brighten up my cupboards.  How cute can that cupcake tin be?!

I bought a fantastic set of 3 cake tins by top baking brand Tala that I found on Wilkinsons website for only £10.  I got the set today and they look just as pretty in real life!

The biggest tin which would fit tons of cupcakes or a big celebration cake is baby blue with white stars.  The medium tin, the perfect size for a tea time victoria sponge cake, is candy pink and white striped whilst the smallest tin, for finger cakes and goodies, is apple green with white spots.  All the tins are topped with cream lids decorated with fancy words of tasty treats such as 'crumbly cookies' and 'scrummy chocolate cake', all of which will of course be making an appearance inside my tins!

What kind of cake and biscuit tins do you use?  Have you seen any other super cute retro kitchen accessories which would match perfectly with these tins?  

Are you planning on making a christmas cake?

Becky x

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Swimwear Special!

We're in the middle of summer and if you've not yet noticed, it's holiday time!  Whether you're going away overseas for your annual break or enjoying a stay-cation, chances are you'll be hitting a beach or pool for the ultimate in relaxation.  If your trusty bathing suit is looking a little worse for wear it's high time to invest in new swimwear that not only looks fashionable but flattering for your curves.

Shopping for bigger boobs is never a simple task, and buying adequately fitting bikini tops and costumes that cater for a fuller bust is no exception.  However, there's much more choice on the fuller cup market these days and I wanted to take a look at the beach offerings from some of our favourite brands.

Freya has long been a favourite for fashion forward lingerie but did you know they do fabulously sexy swimwear too?  Knowing that their bras are consistently well fitting, I just had to try one of their bikinis!

This month Freya released the hotly anticipated cute Kansas collection.  With it's retro bluebell blue and white gingham and delightful frills, Kansas exudes vintage glamour, channeling the sophisticated 50s style whilst looking fresh and modern.  Freya sent me a Halter Bikini Top in a 28GG,  Rio Bikini Brief and Classic Brief, both in Small.

Freya Kansas Halter Top and Rio Brief

Freya Kansas Classic Brief

Me wearing Freya Kansas

How cute are the frills?!

Plunging necklines suit a closer bust like mine very well, but they're great for anyone wanting sexy uplift and cleavage.  I notice that my bikini top looks more like a half plunge, possibly with it being a larger cup.  My 28GG at first felt a good fit, the back for sure was spot on and comfortable.  I was actually surprised the 28 did fit, as I expected it to be tight like some 28 back Freya bras can be for me.   As I wore the top I felt I could possibly have done with an H cup.  The top wanted to open up and push apart (I realised at one point one nipple was trying to escape!), as if it couldn't contain my boobs so I wasn't greatly supported.  An H cup could rectify the fact the cups weren't cut as high as I'd prefer.

A good plunge but the fabric's pulling down with my boobs

The briefs were on the small size as I'd usually go for a medium, but they did still fit and look good.  The frilly Rio brief is adorable; perfect for a flirty, sexy look on the beach.  They're a really flattering cut too, which sits low on the hip.  For slightly more coverage the Classic brief comes up a little higher on the tummy, but both bottoms are comfortable on the bum!

Seaspray is a brand I've only recently been acquainted with and I've been taken by their feminine swim range.  Sizes are broadly accessible with cup choices in some suits up to an F.

My favourite piece is definitely the turquoise Polka Dots Skirted Suit, another 50s retro classic with a sleek modern look.  It's a brilliantly versatile cross over swimsuit with an adjustable ruching skirt.

My size 12 suit is a really comfy fit and the fabric is so silky and easy to wear.  The cups are generic sizing so wasn't a proper fit in the boob department.  Unfortunately I had to move the bust line up a little to make sure I was covered.  So, it's not the best suit if you've got bigger boobs but I do think it's fab for a beautifully cut suit that accentuates and loves curves!

The Skirted Suit... as a swim suit...

The Skirted Suit... as a beach dress!

Do you have a favourite style of bikini or swimsuit that you find particularly flattering for a curvy figure?  What are your thoughts on this year's trends and the revival of retro cuts?

I'll be reviewing some more bikinis and swimsuits, so watch this space!

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