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So here's a silly little Sunday outfit for you! I'm a sucker for anything with a kitschy print so this dress covered in little jukeboxes, milkshakes, bowling pins and diner signs is perfection in my eyes! It's perfect for Summer and as today was nice and sunny I gave it one last outing before it gets packed away for Winter. It's just a plain printed cotton with a white lining but has a nice elasticated back panel so it fits really well in the bodice, which by the way, has the cutest sweetheart neckline ever and little adjustable spaghetti straps.


As it was pretty warm I only needed a thin little jacket so dug out this sweet little pink sparkly number from the wardrobe. It's made of a lovely soft lightweight fabric with a sequined overlay to the front panels and a little frill of the same sequined fabric along the bottom on the back. I got it in a sale for £7 I think and it's just fabulous when it's warm as it's fancy enough for a night out but not so spangly that you can't include it in your daywear wardrobe too.


It was obviously a pastel kind of day so I grabbed my orange suede bow shoes and a vintage enamel and faux crystal necklace to complete the look, along with some pale pink and gold hair flowers and a little barrel rolled fringe. I do like a cutesy fun outfit sometimes, it does cheer up a dull day!

 

Dress - Littlewoods (2012)
Cardigan - New Look (2012)
Shoes - Office (2012)
Necklace - Vintage

Hello gorgeouses! This week is a little crazy crazy for me so I do apologise for no outfit post - I'm hoping to get one done over the weekend! As I'm a little short on time I thought I'd share with you a few of my favourite YouTube hair tutorials for vintage styles. I get asked how I learnt to do vintage styling all the time and the answer is by buying lots of vintage hair dresser magazines and books and by practicing lots of styles that I saw online in video tutorials. It really goes take a good bit of practice, especially learning how to pin curl and wet set using rollers but you'll get there eventually!

So here are a few of my favourites starting with a quick cheat way to get a similar style to mine in the picture above using a curling iron rather than an over night roller set!



















I hope you find these useful ladies and do email me some photos if you try any out yourself! <3>

Hi lovely ones! This week's Shop Spotlight is on Stay Home Club, a fabulous little company based in Canada run by the wonderful illustrator Olivia Mew. They sell a great collection of apparel, accessories, homewares and greeting cards that are beautifully designed by Olivia and other contributing artists.

In all honesty I have pretty much always been one who prefers having a cosy night in with my guy and a good movie or having friends over for dinner over going on a big night out partying. It's great fun every now and again but conversation and cosyness is more my thing. Now that you know that about me you'll see exactly why I love Stay Home Club so much!


So here are my two favourite shirts from the site, the first featuring the classic SHC logo or a lady surrounded by cats! Perfect! The milk & honey shirt really hits a chord with me too as that's the drink my mum used to give me when I was little and couldn't sleep - I didn't actually know anyone else did that but it seems it's a pretty popular thing!


I really can't wait for this amazing design to come out. I'm pretty sure Daria would have sported this bad boy. As it's a crop style I'm not sure if I'd ever leave the house in it, but it would make a pretty sweet night shirt.


Now if you're a fan of the denim vest or jacket I'm sure you'll be a fan of these fab canvas patches. There is a really big range available on the SHC website but these two are my favourite. The Cute Butt Club design just makes me giggle and I love the Moi Je Joue patch with its cartoony Bardot girl!


I love pocket squares. My Pete always wears one with his suit and it instantly adds interest and an extra classy touch. I've always been kind of jealous that it wasn't something I could bring into rotation in my own wardrobe because it's a bit too formal for my usual style, but these adorable printed pocket squares would be easy to add to a jacket pocket for an extra blast of cute! Shown above are the kawaii print and gems print but there are more on the website.


Ah how I wish I could get with mis-matching bedding, but no matter how cute the pillowcases are that I find I just can't use non-matching duvet and pillowcases. Damn my crazy need for symmetry, for if it wasn't there I could be sleeping on this gooorgeous 'all day I dream about cats' pillowcase!

But hey, even if I can't handle mis-matching bed-ness at least I can deck my phone out in an awesome case! The classic logo is perfect for any of you that don't cover everything with foundation and blusher like I do, and if you do then you can go for the awesome 'Recluse' case on the right!


So, for ages now I've been trying to find something to decorate Pete's side of the bedroom with. On my side I have mounted Moomin plates and some pretties on my bedside table like my bunny lamp and a nice carafe, but Pete's side is plain walls and an ugly boy lamp. Boo. But not for much longer! I knew as soon as I showed these pennants to Pete that he'd love them straight away, especially the snacks one, and so we'll be popping these up above his table very soon! You can find all the other pennant designs here.



Last but not least I wanted to show you my favourite design from SHC's greetings card collection, and a sneak peek at a few of their upcoming wrapping paper designs that they shared on Instagram today! You can by this fabulously sarcastic greeting card online now along with lots of other designs and some prints too, but the gift wrap isn't available just yet!

You can find Olivia and Stay Home Club at the following links - 

Twitter
Facebook
Tumblr
Pinterest
Instagram


So here's something exciting to share with you - a little video by the amazing people at Scarlett & Jo which was made at Plus North a few weekends ago! I was looking at their gorgeous new range and started talking to their amazing designer about how impressed I was with their line and the super quality of everything, and she asked me if I would mind them filming me saying all the things I had said! So... they filmed me and I got a case of nerves and started waffling. I think they've managed to cut my ramblings down very well!
There are new items being added to the Evans website to purchase at the moment so I thought I'd share my favourite pieces with you - if you want to check out the full range just click here.


So firstly we have the gorgeous Powermesh dress with mesh panel that I reviewed a few weeks ago! The red colour that I have isn't available at the moment but you can get this stunning purple, a gorgeous deep bold pink and classic black.


Now shift dresses aren't usually my thing but this deep green one with a crochet neck and sheer sleeves is just gorgeous and the colour is bang on trend for this Autumn and Winter.

I also don't care about all the flack the style is getting at the moment and love a good peplum as it's an easy way to instantly add a little 1940's chic to your look, so this lovely little black number with sheer yoke is right up my street!


I love a bit of sexy black lace and the use of it on these skater dresses is just gorgeous. This shape is really flattering to almost every body shape and again these colours are band on for A/W 13 in deep rich purple and black.


Oh I am sad that this gorgeous printed prom dress is only left in a size 14! I just love pink and purple together and they really pop against the black background. The sheer mesh yoke is just dreamy too and I love a waist sash to pull you in and make your figure go pow!

Well, you just can't beat a bit of naughty leopard print and this little number teams it with a lovely form fitting style with flattering waist ruching and a not too low neckline so it's sexy without showing too flesh - it can be good to keep an air of mystery at times!

So those are my favourites but is there another design from Scarlett and Jo that you just love?

I'm really pleased to say that since I closed my little bakery business and am no longer chained to my oven every evening I have fallen back in love with baking again! I only tend to do it now for special occasions but I'd like to get back into the habit of making something on weekends to snack on and share with friends when they come over, so I've been spending my lunch times this week browsing the net for interesting recipes that I'd like to try. I've unsurprisingly found lots and lots of delicious looking treats so I thought I'd share a few of them with you!











I always love to add new recipes to my collection! If you have one to share please email it to me I love trying new ones out!


Unless you've been living in a box over the last few days you will surely have seen all the weather warnings for October fortelling of an 'early winter' with lots of snow and horrible conditions. Concidering how terribly cold it's got here in Loughborough just over the last week I am completley willing to believe the hype and am on the lookout for some new winter boots to keep my tootsies warm throughout the bad weather.

Being a plus size lady I unsurprisingly have plus size calves too which used to make boot shopping an absolute nightmare, but now there is a really good selection of stylish and practical boots available to suit all calf sizes and foot widths. Here is a selection of my favourites that I've found so far!


1  -  2  -  3  -  4

I think Evans has really stepped up their shoe game over the last two years bringing in much more fashionable styles. The suede wedge boots would be perfect for a night out and as I'm a real sucker for mixing patent and matte finishes the quilted backed ankle boots are a dream!


5  -  6  -  7  -  8

Simply Be have some gorgeous boots in at the moment so it was hard to pick just a few from the range. The metal heel detail on the riding boots is stunning and I think the foldover top ankle boots would look fab with jeans and a biker jacket. I've actually just bought the red leopard boots after seeing them at the SB stall at Plus North but I'm trying to decide if I like them or not on me - I have size 7/8 feet so some styles can make my feet look huge and I can't decide if these do or not.


9  -  10  -  11  -  12

Good old Clarks has come through too with some fab styles that offer wide calf fittings. Again you can see my love of the matte / shiny contract coming through with the last two pairs and the first two would be great for day wear or if you were out adventuring.


13  -  14  -  15  -  16

If you're wanting to go a little more lux and have the spare cash you could head to Duo Boots and take a look at their gorgeous collections. The styles above range from £185 to £230 so they aren't very budget friendly, but they do offer really unusual styles and some gorgeous jewel toned colours which are always great for winter. The first pair are just my perfect boot with they suede and leather combo and buttons all the way up making them slightly Victorian looking - they'd be perfect with my new long black winter coat with fur collar!

If you know of any other footwear brands that offer wide calf fittings do let me know so I can take a peek!

OK guys, hands down this is one of the most gorgeous dresses in my collection, if not the most gorgeous. It is seriously incredible. I've always loved Collectif London's clothes but have only ever owned a few of their cardigans never a dress, top or skirt. I'll admit that a lot of that was down to the price tag being a little higher than I usually like to spend but after receiving this stunner I completely understand why - the quality of the fabric and craftmanship is simply outstanding and even little details like the fabric brand tag inside and how sturdy and smoothly running the zip is make it easy to see that you have got your hands on a really special item.


This dress is the Regina Velvet Floral Doll Dress and is currently available in sizes 6-22 (though sadly size 14 is sold out). It is made of a wonderfully thick and soft velvet printed with posies of pink and blue roses. So many vintage repro companies make their dresses too short so they sit above the knee which is not accurate to the time period they are trying to reproduce and just says to me that they are trying to scrimp on fabric use - not Collectif! The length is absolute perfection sitting just under the knee and the skirt is fabulously full so it hangs and moves beutifully with your body.


The bodice of the dress is designed and shaped wonderfully so it hangs in a way to aid the classic hourglass shape emphasing your hips and boobs which are also helped along by the sweet crossover bust that makes them appear a little fuller and more voluptuous. To top it off there are some darling little bolero like cap sleeves which are rounded over the shoulders and on to the chest in the classic style.

Apologies for the boob shot!

My only slight criticism is that the bust area was a little too tight on me so I would suggest checking the measurements before placing an order. It wasn't at all uncomfotable but felt just a little restrictive so my more generously busted ladies should take note and possibly go for a size up to allow more room.


The Regina Floral Velvet Doll Dress is priced at £75.50 and is available now from www.collectif.co.uk.

This dress was kindly gifted to me by Collectif for purpose of review.


Oh I'm so excited to be holding my first giveaway! I made it my goal this year to really get Sugar, Darling? to the standard I want it to be at and have spent a lot of time and a good bit of money creating the blog you see before you. Over the last few months it has brought me so many lovely opportunities and I've been lucky enough to be given lots of pretty things to review for you guys - the hard work is paying off! Because of this I decided I wanted to thank my readers by holding a little giveaway of some of my absolute favourite things.

So let's give you a more detailed look at all the prizes and explain how you can enter to win them all!


Clean On Me clarifying shower gel by Soap & Glory which is a truly fabulous and I would never be without! You can read my review of it here.

'She Mist Him' body spray by Along Came Betty - it's sweet and floral and great fir keeping in your handbag in case you need a quick scent top-up throughout the day.

Rimmel London Colour Show Off lipstick in the shade 'Love Me'. It's a great metallic pink that will suit most skin tones with a satiny finish and light fruity scent.

Bourjois Docteur Glamour lipstick in the shade Orange Charnel which is advertised as an intensive moisturising treatment in a lipstick. The orange shade may seem a little odd to you but its one of my favourites, it's pretty sheer and has tiny specks of metallic glitter that makes your lips sparkle ever so slightly.


You'll need some exfoliating mitts to go with that shower gel so I'm including a lovely pretty pink pair along with a gorgeously kitschy cute pink flannel headband with a big bow on it! I love headbands like this for when I'm putting make-up on or keeping my hair out of my eyes while I'm painting my nails after a shower.


Reading is one of my favourite pastimes so I thought I'd give away brand new copies of two of my most beloved books 'Rules of Civility' by Amor Towles and 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald. They're both set in the same era and are full of wonerful descriptions of decadent parties and outfits and naturally have killer storylines.


What could make curling up with a good book better? Some yummy sweet treats! This choccy bar is amazing it's flavoured like a creme brulee and has glittery wafer shards throughout it so it's delicious and beautiful and Percy Pigs are for sure the best gummy sweets out there.


And just to make sure your reading sesh is absolutely perfect I'm also giving away a pretty gold edges vintage teacup and saucer and a selection of my favourite flavoured teas!


Now for our first donated item which I am very very jealous of! Just look at this stunning flamingo clutch by Curious Nothings! The flamingo print is just darling and it has a super soft black lining with magnetic closure, plus a mega sweet little black bow on the front. I'm definitely going to be ordering one for myself soon as I really don't want to give this away!

To have a look at other amazing products from Curious Nothings head to their Etsy shop or follow on Twitter to stay up to date with new items. I particularly love the cherry clutch and the houndstooth cape which is perfect for now the weather is turning chillier!



And last but very much not least I have been donated two pairs of tickets by the lovely Vintage Suitcase girls for their Vintage at The Dome Fair and either the Saturday or Sunday of their amazing Very Vintage Christmas Fair.

I will be at both events doing vintage inspired hair styling alongside lovely Sassy who is doing make-up so why not head along and get a makeover before you browse all the fab things on sale?

As well as the beauty parlour there will be over 50 stalls selling beautiful vintage and handmade goods as well as a retro DJ set at Buxton Dome and at Uttoxeter there will also be a Christmas tree market, a tea room and food stalls, workshops and demos throughout the day, live music and lots of entertainment for the kiddies so it will be a fabulous full day out!

So how do I enter?!?!

Leave a comment below telling me which is your favourite prize and why and what you like to do to relax and unwind at home. 
Easy huh? Make sure you leave an email address on your comment so I know how to contact you if you win! (Please also make sure that you following me on Google+ - it's only fair as this giveaway is a thank you to my followers!)
Additional Entries
These are optional and you can do as few or many as you like but make sure to leave a comment for each one that you do! 
  • Follow Sugar, Darling? on Bloglovin
  • Follow @Nancy_T on Twitter
  • Tweet about the giveaway tagging me and linking to this post
  • Like Sugar, Darling? on Facebook
  • Share on your blog/Tumblr/Facebook linking back to this post
  • Follow @misswhittington on Instagram and re-post the giveaway image
  • Follow @Nancy_T on Pinterest and re-pin the giveaway image
  
 T's & C's

The winner will be drawn on my birthday, October 2nd, using randompicker.com and contacted by email.

There is a 24 hour deadline to reply and claim the prize before I draw another name.
I will verify the entry and redraw if the reader submits false or excessive entries.
If you accidentally submit too many comments or forget to leave your email address just delete and re-submit it!
This giveaway is open worldwide but please note if you are outside of the UK you will not receive the Clean On Me shower gel as it exceeds the legal limit for liquids to be posted outside of the UK by Royal Mail.
All items were purchased by me with my own money except for the clutch bag and vintage fair tickets which were kindly donated by Curious Nothings and The Vintage Suitcase.

The giveaway is now closed!

 Congratulations Kathryn!!!!!

This week's Top Tattooist feature is on a cheeky little fella I know named James Graham who luckily is one of my boyfriend Pete's very best friends. I'm yet to get a piece by James although he did quite a lot of work on Pete's sleeve a good few years ago, but we are both clamouring to get him to do more work on us - it's just a shame he has now moved up to Edinburgh! You can find him at a lovely little shop called Twit Twoo Tattoo and if you are looking for an amazing portrait or realism artist I would highly recommend you pay him a visit.


As you can see from all these images James has a fantastic eye for detail and has an incredible talent for reproducing texture and depth which is oh so important in creating a beautiful portrait piece - the Yoda above is so wonderfully replicated it looks almost three dimensional! 


If you enlarge the image above you'll see the breathtaking detail in the cut gem adorning the key and all the dot work in the swallow showing that James can turn his talents to something more abstract as well. Naturally I love the Elvira (she is mega fabulous after all) and can you believe the Hulk Hogan was his first colour portrait? There are a lot of self proclaimed portrait artists out there that aren't that good after decades in the trade.


This one blew my mind when I saw it on James' Instagram, you feel like you could just reach out and pick up one of those diamonds they're so precise. Again his talent for texture comes through - if you compare the surface of the skull with the roses you can immediately see that the flowers look soft and fluid whereas the skull is worn and uneven.


Naturally it wasn't long before James' work was featured in a magazine. Total Tattoo is one of my favourites from the giant array that are available at the minute so I was really happy when he let us know he was to be featured in there.


Disclaimer - James doesn't wear a dress to work every day, he was unfortunate enough to lose a bet and this happened. Boy I hope he still let's us stay with him and his gorgeous fiance Anne when we go up in October!

Pete and I just can't wait to visit in October, hopefully we'll be able to find time to get some new work from James. Pete wants to go for a Johnny Cash portrait and I'm trying to decide between Vincent Price or Lucille Ball! Decisions decisions!

You can find James at the following links - 





Sorry for the grainy photos guys, now that it's getting darker in the mornings and evening with the season change I'm finding it a bit hard to take good photos as I'm at work when the light is best! Hopefully you'll still get the idea from these about how gorgeous this dress is. I've had it for a while hanging in its bag in my wardrobe as it was one of those naughty 'they've only got a size too small hopefully it will fit one day' purchases! Thankfully I had a panicked moment last Friday morning when I was getting dresses for a wear what you want day at work and couldn't think of anything I hadn't worn before so decided to try it on just in case. Shockingly it fit perfectly so I wore it in and got so many compliments on it it was unbelievable!

The dress itself is made from a white nylony/satiny underlay with a semi-sheer printed overlay and has an elasticated panel to the back making it very comfortable to wear despite the lack of stretch to the fabric. The exposed zip and collar were details I was a little unsure of as they are really modern looking elements compared with the more old fashioned or vintage look that I usually go for. Despite this it didn't take long for me to feel comfortable in the look teaming it with some deep red lipstick and a pearly necklace with golden bird claw charm to add to its edgy style. Some black suede wedges completed the look along with my usual black tights and when it got chillier I threw on a black cropped cardigan and biker jacket for outside.

I think it's good to try a new style every now and again and go a little out of your comfort zone and this was one of those occasions when doing so really payed off. I'll definitely try and think a bit more out of the box when dress shopping in the future!


Dress - South at Very
Necklace - Romwe
Shoes - New Look - Sold out but these and these are very similar
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