USA Travel ~ Changing Up Your Look For A Confidence Boost

May 22, 2018 By sammy 4 Comments

USA. The land where anything goes and you can be anyone you want to be.

I’ve been lucky to visit the states quite a few times over my career. Last year was a little different though. Whilst in NYC for Full Figure Fashion Week, my hair started to fall out and break leaving me with 2inch bits. This was an unexpected side effect from some medical treatment I’d had in Aus before I travelled.

It was a HUGE knock to my confidence. Especially because I was there to film and shoot content for CurvySam and wanted to look my best.

On the upside, of all places in the world to be, no one cares what you look like. No judgement at all from anyone. You could walk down the street wearing a garbage bag and no one would bat an eyelid. There is so much diversity everywhere in the way people look and behave.

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So whilst initially there were tears. I embraced the situation, headed over to a wig shop and purchased a couple of wigs to wear to events and to shoot in. My blogger buddy Crystal launched her own range called Astra Signature at NYC fashion week so I purchased a top that was totally different to my normal style. (wearing this in the pic)

Travelling to the other side of the world is invigorating. From the surroundings, the food, the people. It’s all different, a new environment can make you feel invincible. Like you can be anyone without judgment or criticism. (also there’s less chance of bumping into Susan from accounts or your gossipy uncle Nev)

Fake hair is the norm in America. It’s normal to see women wearing full ‘weaves’ ‘wigs’. The first time I went to the USA for fashion week (2013) I was constantly admiring other bloggers daily hair styles having no idea that they travelled with a suitcase of wigs with them. Was genuinely baffled until Marie from TheCurvyFashionista explained it to me.

Kinda feel that in Aus if you wear a wig or anything too excessive its not socially acceptable. Not to mention they are expensive and not readily available whereas in the USA it feels like there’s a wig store on every street corner.

I decided that I would have a day of looking completely different. It might not seem too out there for some – but for this Aussie babe it was daring. I felt like a total BAD ASS walking around LA. Wig on, heavier makeup, stomach showing and wearing something totally different to my normal style.

Outfit details Astra Signature Top https://astrasignature.com – Lane Bryant Pants – Boots (vintage) Necklace (vintage) None of these items are for sale anymore

Reinventing yourself doesn’t have to be a huge undertaking. Nor do you have to be on the other side of the world. Simple tweaks, many of which you can do at home can really change up your look which changes how you feel. I felt like a new person with a wig on.

And you know what. All of those bad ass empowered feelings were already inside me, I’d just lost my way a little bit.

Now back in Aus and in every day life I remember that day I strutted around LA. I often think of this experience when I’m getting ready for an event or public outing. I didn’t care what people thought of me on the other side of the world then why should I care now?

Focus on telling yourself you’re a total bad ass beautiful babe all the time, and you’ll be brimming with confidence and energy. And if you loose your way then change things up a bit. Try a new style, pop on some lippy. Just do you!

Here’s a few things you can do to changes things up without spending thousands on new clothes

Part your hair a different way or try a new style
– this can totally change the shape of your face
Borrow clothes from a friend
– nothing better than trying new styles and having to go shopping
Give yourself a pep talk
– It may seem silly, but repeating positive affirmations to yourself in the mirror or saying things that you like about yourself will help you validate those traits and value them in yourself.

Who knows, taking small steps to change the way you feel about yourself may give you the boost you need to feel a bit better about yourself.

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How to Take Photos of Yourself When Traveling Solo

September 26, 2017 By sammy 3 Comments

There’s one little struggle that comes when travelling solo, and that’s how do you take those awesome travel photos of yourself. Because we all know that if it’s not on social media it didn’t happen, right?

I’ve travelled by myself for a couple of years now, here are a few important lessons I’ve learned from years of trying to capture the perfect photos as a solo traveler – tricks that go way beyond a selfie stick.

Personally, I mostly travel with two iPhones and use these for photos because I don’t want to lug a SLR camera around.

Take Your Time

This is probably my favorite thing about taking photos of myself: I can take as long as I want, trying out as many silly poses as I need to until I get the perfect shot without feeling like I’m keep my travel buddies waiting.

Use a Tripod (lightweight of course)

This is huge game changer and not as hard as it seems. I got my first tripod off ebay, it came with a little bag and is super lightweight. My phone clips in the top and the legs adjust. I spent $20.

There are fancier ones that have a level thingy so you can get super straight photos….but a wonky angle gives…character I say.

Just remember to take it with you because after taking this photo (AKA like 100 photos) I accidentally left it on the rooftop of my hostel in Nepal. It’s probably still up there. And in case you were wondering – yes my mother was not thrilled to see me on the edge of a building. haha.

Yes you can rest your camera on a ledge somewhere and use the self timer, but it’s going to be so much harder to properly frame your shot. Also, I’ve broken many phone screens by trying to rest it up against something and it’s fallen forward…

I’m yet to purchase one of these. But have seen other solo travellers wrap them around trees and poles for the perfect shot.

Bonus tip: If I start to feel embarrassed about taking so many photos of myself in public, I just pretend that I’m working on a super important photo project. It might sound silly, but just pretending that to myself gives me the confidence to do my thing without worrying about how ridiculous I might look. If anyone asks – I just say it’s for a university project.

Ask for Help

Sometimes you can’t set up a tripod (like somewhere busy where someone could steal it) to take a photo of yourself and then it’s totally find to ask someone for help! Almost everyone is going to be willing to help you out, and if you do happen to ask someone who doesn’t want to do it, just ask someone else, no harm done.

Photos taken by strangers can be a little hit or miss, but there are a few things you can do to ensure a better photo:

2005 – Thailand at a fruit carving class. Asked someone to take a photo. And have a basket in front of my face. And there amazing watermelon I carved isn’t even in the photo. YHUP.

Ask someone with a nice camera
They generally know how to take a decent photo if they’ve invested big $$ into a fancy camera.
Ask them to take several photos of you
It will only take a few extra seconds for someone to take 3 or 4 photos of you instead of just one, and those extra shots could make all the difference!
Be specific about what you want
Most people are going to want to help you get the photo you want, so don’t be afraid to give them instructions! In fact, being specific about how you want them to take the photo will make it easier on them.
For example, hey I’d love for this big tree to be in the background and I’ll stand to the right of it.
Be mindful of who you ask, approach people your own age.
Not everyone is tech savy. Aim for gen-y or someone a similar age to you. They generally know how to use gadets and don’t get flustered trying to use a touch screen.

June 2017 NYC Full Figure Fashion Week. One of 20 shots in with this background.

FOR THE LOVE OF BABY GEEBERZZZZ – ASK THEM NOT TO ZOOM. ZOOMING IS THE WORST. It effects picture quality in a big way. It’s always better to crop afterwards.

Befriend other solo travellers

The funny thing about solo travel is that oftentimes you’ll end up joining up with other travelers anyway. Take advantage of this and offer to take some photos of your new travel buds for them! If you spend some time getting the perfect photos for them, chances are they’ll do the same for you in return.

BONUS: Use these tips when you’re traveling with friends too!
Just because you’re not heading out on your own doesn’t mean you should leave the tripod and remote at home. It can be easy to forget to get photos with everyone in your group, but it’s worth at least sometimes putting in that extra effort to get some shots of all of you.

January 2017 I volunteered at a remote school in Nepal. Before I left I ran a confidence class with the girls of the school. During this photo (taken with a tripod) all the boys from the school were peeking through the windows trying to make us laugh. Nepalese don’t smile much in photos but I assure you as soon as the camera was away they were all laughing.

Use Video Screenshots

This is one of the cheekiest tips, one that I only learnt about this year.

Take a video or set up your camera and video, then you can screenshot the best moments, and use this as a picture.

@lizphoto with some of her travel pics – all screenshots from video. Girl has skills!

I met my friend Liz at a fashion show, we instantly became friends. She’s always travelling around solo and has the best insta photos. She shared her secret with me. MINDBLOWN

Hope you found these tips helpful. Let me know if you have any to add.

Happy travels!

What I Wore ~ Tempting Twilight Maxi

July 16, 2017 By sammy 2 Comments

Don’t you just love a good maxi dress?

What I love about California is that it’s hot. But not the kinda hot I’m used to. It’s the dry heat hot that sizzles your skin not the tropical kind where you are a sweaty sticky mess.

Anytime it’s hot and I’m heading out somewhere my go to outfit is always a maxi.

It’s an added bonus when the maxi has a bit of dramatic flare to it when the wind blows. Which is why I LOVE this maxi! It’s from Perfectly Priscilla Boutique

It’s often a struggle to find dresses that don’t show off massive amounts of cleavage or that actually fit my G cups. I generally wear a modesty singlet top underneath so it’s great that with this particular style I don’t need to.

As I hold most of my weight in my boob and belly area when picking out an outfit I’m conscious not to wear anything that adds bulk to those areas. Ladies, don’t be afraid to wear something with stripes or lines because as you can see the embroidery detail elongates my body.

I’ve matched the dress with a long line necklace and Torrid wedges. Keeping it simple because the dress is the main feature.

Maggie, Lis’z dog who I adore always wanted to be in my outfit photos. So if you’ve been following me on my Insta stories she’s always sneaking up in the background for pats. (and no I don’t have food in my hand haha, wishful thinking on her behalf)

Speaking of Liz (who also took my photos for me), doesn’t she look amazing in this Island Breeze Dress?

Island Breeze Dress (click for link) @lizphoto on Instagram

Disclaimer ~ this post is sponsored by Perfectly Priscilla however the opinions that are expressed are my own. I am under no obligation to write anything in particular.

What I Wore ~ Full Figure Fashion Week 2017

July 15, 2017 By sammy Leave a Comment

Full Figure Fashion Week is a plus size fashion event held in NYC every year. Here’s a quick post showing what I wore to various events.

This is the third time that I’ve attended FFFweek. Compared to other years the schedule of events wasn’t as busy and as the program didn’t come out until I’d arrived in the USA, I had packed many many extra outfits that I didn’t get the chance to wear in NYC. Lucky I get to attend so many events in my line of work they certainly won’t go to waste.

Rooftop FFFweek Launch Party ~ Wearing Hope & Harvest SS16

Best Practices For Brand Protection Seminar ~ Wearing 17Sundays

Fruit of the Loom – Bloggers & Influencers Event ~ Wearing Society+

Curves at Sea All White Cruise ~ Wearing a dress from Macys

Curvy Expo ~ Wearing Little Party Dress

Mens Plus Size Fashion Show ~ Wearing Little Party Dress

Dance-a-thon ~ Wearing Little Party Dress & Lane Bryant

Runway Showcase & Awards Ceremony ~ Wearing Igigi

Cute USA 4th of July Outfits from Plus Size Babes in 2017

July 11, 2017 By sammy 1 Comment

As far as I’m concerned, the Fourth of July is for not just hot dogs, illegal fireworks and socialising. It’s the perfect time to dress in a super cute patriotic outfit. I was meant to fly home from the USA on the 1st July but extended to stay another week just so I could experience 4th of July in America.

The day started off with a BBQ, bocce ball and all things G rated. And it ended in lighting illegal fireworks and drinking huge tequilas shots in a bar with locals listening to country music. I also introduced them to my style of drinking, vodka shot followed by an apple juice chaser shot. A great day! Although I must say the next day was a little rough (ha. because. hungoverness)

Here are my fave no-fuss outfits from USA curvy babes, incorporating red, white and blue in the chillest way possible.

@eclectickurves

Cassia DeMayo @casdemayo

@loralyee

Lisa Rachel @lisarachelplusmodel

Paola @chubbybabe_

@marinetd

Nakitende Esther @nakitende_esther

Allie @allisonkimmey

Jazzmyne @jazzmynejay

Troy Solomon @abearnamedtroy

Joy @enjoycurves
@mollyclutts

It’s been on my bucket list to be in the USA for the 4th of July. I had the best time, BBQ with friends, lit some fireworks, tried a firecracker icy pole (which was delish) and played bocce.
Hope you all had an amazing Independence Day too and loved my top plus size fashion pics from the day.
Love CurvySam (Australian Skorch Editor)

Plus Size Travel ~ Overcoming self doubt and trying new things ~ CityBikes

June 22, 2017 By sammy 1 Comment

Today I overcame my self doubt and hired a CityBike.

I’m going to start sharing more of my travel experiences on my website. Quite often in the moment I think ‘ oh I should write about that, rather that just doing live snapchat feeds’ (As they expire after 24hours.) I hardly have any photos to go along with this post.

Every time I travel somewhere I eye off the city bikes which are strategically placed all over the tourist hot spots. These are available in most cities. Especially in the western world.

Deep down I’ve always wanted to hire one. I tried to think of reasons why I talked myself out of it in all my years of travelling.

I had an entire free day to myself in NYC. I’d planned to pop in some headphones, crank up Fall Out Boy and walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. My friend who I’m staying with suggested I hire a bike and cruise around. He even handed me his bike pass which gives you 45minutes free ride time.

GULP. I took it and said thanks as I waved him off to work. And in came all of the excuses as to why I’m better off walking.

You’re too big. Size 18 girls don’t hire bikes. You can’t ride standing up. You’re clumsy. What if you get hurt. What if you can’t keep up. The seat will be too small and uncomfortable. You’ll get sweaty and have to re wash and straighten your hair (I HATE doing my hair) You’ll get sunburnt and weird tan lines. Your face will be red for ages. Eczema will flare up on your face. If you don’t wear a helmet you will die. Brain injury.

SERIOUSLY. THIS GARBAGE WAS GOING THROUGH MY HEAD. (maybe the helmet thoughts are valid though)

But this time instead of talking myself out of it. I ran through the positives.

You know no one. Who cares. If it’s too hard you can stop. You used to like bike riding. You only live once. Everyone speaks english if you need help. You have a map on your phone and international data. Take it slow, it’s not a race. It’s not going to cost you anything. People of all sizes ride bikes. It’s a cloudy day. You have dry shampoo. You can wear your new shoes & outfit.

I consider myself a seasoned traveller. I’m pretty confident with putting myself out there and trying new things. But the idea of riding a bike threw me off a bit. And it’s okay to admit that. I don’t have to be a strong independent woman all the time.

So long story short. I hired the bike. It took a few times to get the hang of it, even though the seat was large and comfy, I ended up stopping and walking on the pavement with my bike because I wasn’t comfortable riding on the road with NYC traffic.

Once I got to the bike track I rode comfortably and pushed my way up the slight incline over the bridge. I took it slow and used my bell to alert walkers (who were on the bike track) that I was behind them. When I got too hot and tired I stopped and had some water. No big deal.

It was a little tougher than I thought it was going to be getting up that slight incline. I ended up walking up some of the way. My face was beetroot red. My eczema was itching because I was sweating, luckily there were lots of clouds around so the heat wasn’t too intense.

Wore my FitForMe shirt that was gifted at Full Figure Fashion Week.

If you are travelling alone, don’t be afraid to ask someone to take a couple of photos for you at different angles. Some people will say no but 98% of people will say yes. It’s all about picking your moments to make sure they are free. More importantly always offer to help someone take a photo first and they will most likely be happy to take one for you. If the photo they took was blurry or at a weird angle, just ask someone else once the other person has moved on.

Ended up walking and chatting to a lovely bunch of women who had come out for the day and left their grumpy husbands at home. Honestly they were hilarious. They even invited me to join them for lunch which was so kind of them.

I made it halfway across the bridge and rode back downhill because my 45minutes was almost up. With the wind in my hair and yelling at people to get out of the pathway I felt great. I rode a bike in NYC. The world didn’t end. I spent the next few hours walking and exploring taking in as much of the NYC Summer as I could.

Please be a traveller, not a tourist. Try new things, meet new people, and look beyond whats in front of you.

Surviving The Festive Season When You’re Single And Fat

December 22, 2016 By sammy Leave a Comment

Christmas is one of those times that can turn up the volume of our emotions. That’s great if we’re feeling happy, excited and loved up, but not so great if we are single and feeling a bit blurgh about life changes or ourselves in general.

I’m not saying every single fat person dreads Christmas – far from it (I adore Christmas but certainly have my moments where its tough to be single, I’m not so worried about being overweight and have the tools to deal with any shaming).

Maintaining a body positive life takes work. Being happy takes work. You are in charge of how you feel and react. It’s your life and none of anyones business how you choose to live it.

Whether it’s meeting up with old friends who are now in relationships, or negotiating nosy family members who ask, ‘Haven’t found anyone yet then?’or offer lectures on what products has the least amount of sugar that I can consume (eyeroll), being single and overweight during the festive season can feel more like a fight for survival and judgement day than a joyful time.

But, rather than crawling in a hole and missing out on all the fun, here are a few tips for tackling December with confidence.

Us single fat babes really need to do is laugh at it all and try to keep a fresh perspective.

Look on the bright side
There are actually lots of bonuses to being single at Christmas – no agonising over presents for your partner, no stress over whose house to eat Christmas dinner at, being able to go to any party you want…the list goes on.
Also remember that there is life after Christmas – after all, it is just a week and it’ll soon be January.

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Rude comments made towards you have more to do with the person’s internalized fat-phobia than any hurtful intent.
We’ve all been taught to varying degrees and at different stages in our lives to talk and think negatively about our bodies and view fatness and being single as something that is undesirable.

When family members say things like, “Your Auntie Jean lost 30kgs with weight watchers you should give it a go,” or, “That top isn’t the most flattering thing on you,” oftentimes they’re not trying to cause your pain.

When someone says anything that has a body shaming flavor to it, I try to stop and remember where it’s coming from. I know that a lot of what they say comes from their own deeply rooted body negativity. My sympathy for my their own struggle with self love often outweighs some of the things she says to me, since I am in a point of my life where I’m relatively at peace with my body.

Pick your battles
Some comments (and members of your family) are simply not worth your time. If you have a senile grandparent or uncle who you never have to see any other day of the year but Christmas Eve and who loves asking you, “Do you really think you should be eating a second serve?” or, “It’s such a shame you haven’t met anyone yet, you’d be a great Mum,” it’s easier to just disengage and try to ignore the statements entirely.

I know from experience that trying to correct certain people in my family is more traumatizing than the fat shaming itself. Not everybody is open to understanding body positivity or making the effort to respect your own journey and beliefs. They don’t know me well enough to know that I’m considering paying $7,000 to have my eggs harvested and frozen due to reproductive issues. Or that I’ve dated someone this year who ended up secretly having children already and didn’t think to tell me!

It’s massively frustrating, but sometimes there’s simply nothing to be said.

Take the chance to educate people or let them know what they’ve said is hurtful
However, if you feel safe enough, you should explain what the body positivity movement is all about or why you are happy being single, as well as what it means to you on a personal level.
There’s a good chance that whoever you discuss this with — especially after a comment is made — can greatly benefit from a little body positivity in their lives. Even if they seem opposed to the ideas you’re putting forth, whatever does resonate with them might incite a shift in how they feel about themselves and talk to others.

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Lean on your support network
One year I had a family member pull a plate of biscuits away from me in front of everyone and told me that I’d had enough. Everyone saw. It was awkward. I left the room discretly and cried. Called one of my body positive friends who made me feel a million times better.

Bowing out of the room when you feel particularly overwhelmed is healthy, and throwing yourself into body pos activities can make a substantial difference in how you’re feeling. Reaching out to your support system, reading through your favorite size acceptance blogs, or giving yourself some compliments in the mirror can help support and strengthen your body pos foundation, preparing you for the rest of your visit or interaction.

Come up with a few good comebacks
If there’s one thing to guarantee you regressing to being a sulky child, it’s a nosy relative inquiring about your love life or weight.

Yes it’s petty, but the fact is that when your smug distant cousin and his new wife are bearing down on you at a family gathering you’ll do well to have some stock answers to their potentially prying questions. This can range from the genuine (I just haven’t found the right person yet) to the flippant (I’m actually seeing quite a few people, one for each day of the week and I have a very busy and active sex life. Oh and hows yours?) – whatever you’re comfortable with, just be prepared.

I also like to tell people that I’m practising making babies. Which I find rather hilarious. You can use that line if you want. You’re welcome!

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Don’t wallow
This is the cardinal rule for surviving Christmas single – and in fact, the whole year round. If you wallow in your feelings of misery, you’ll enter into a downward spiral. Misery breeds misery, and it pushes people away. How often have you walked into a party and thought, ‘ooh, I’ll talk to that miserable person over there’? We’re guessing never.

You’re single. Your fat. NO BIG DEAL. It’s seriously NO ONES BUSINESS and you do NOT NEED TO JUSTIFY YOURSELF

We know that it’s often easier said than done to banish those feelings of sadness – especially if you find yourself remembering last Christmas when things were better for you – but do try. As soon as you feel your mind wandering, distract yourself. Volunteer to do some cooking, call up a friend: just get your mind off that subject.

The fact is that people are paying far less attention to you than you think they are. Simply try to enjoy the company of friends and family you don’t often see; after all, what’s funnier than Aunt Margaret after a few too many ports?

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Maintaining a body positive life takes work. Being happy takes work. You are in charge of how you feel and react. It’s your life and none of anyones business how you choose to live it.

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Behind The Scenes: Melbourne Fashion Week Plus

October 20, 2016 By sammy Leave a Comment

Jessica West, Caitlyn Byrne, Karyn Cloonan. Well done team! I love this photo of the event organisers. Captures exactly what the event was about, fashion and laughter

Going backstage at any fashion show can be more exciting than watching the runway shows and presentations. In September I hung out behind the scenes at Melbourne Fashion Week Plus and witnessed first-hand how many people, hours, and stores of energy it takes to pull together a fashion event.

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I was lucky enough to be apart of the media team representing Skorch Magazine and also a model over the four days

As you can imagine, A ton of primping goes into the looks that grace the runway shows, which can last as little as ten minutes.

From the models, the designers, the venue planning the makeup to the music and event, putting together the Melbourne Fashion Week Plus requires incredible coordination. Well done to the organisers for putting together such a fabulous event.

Media night was a huge success. So empowering to be in a room filled with models, designers, bloggers and media all supporting the plus industry.

The models were a mixture of professional models and “street” models – bloggers and everyday people that wanted to take part in the show, which was great as it gave the show much diversity and excitement as some of the girls were walking for the first time ever.

The opening night runway, featuring designers: State of Liberty, Voluptua, Courtney ZOH, Nyata & Estelle Clothing.

The second runway was full of elegance and flowing fabrics. Featuring designers: Chocolat, Alison Dominy Designs, Diane Covino, Lyn-Al, Coral and Co Australia

LYN – AL was a stand out designer in the show. Her designs are based on Fasheaming, meaning fashion dreaming. Dreaming for Aboriginal people is a very spiritual thing. Lyn-Al’s pieces connect with the spirit behind the designs. Each piece was handpainted onto silk making each piece a unique artistic original.

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The Hope&Harvest models and designers straight off the runway

Runway Three brought us the cutting edge of plus size fashion. Featuring designers: 17 Sundays, Remi Ray, Black Mob The Label, th.label, Hope&Harvest & Embody Denim

It takes an army of HUMA behind the scenes to bring the vision to life. This is only a small portion of the Iridis Cosmetics team! (who did a phenomenal job and were sponsors of the event)

Had to giggle at this fabulous Joolz Fashion shirt

The final runway was full of tailoring, colour and fun. Featured designers: Sprinkle Emporium, Juicy Lucy Plus, Joolz Fashion, Miss Scarlett did it, SONSEE Woman, Active Truth, Beyond the Sea Swimwear

Beyond the Sea Swimwear models about to go on stage

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There’s a fair bit of down time between getting ready for the show. Nothing like heading out for lunch all glammed up

Active Truth designers

How to make homemade dumplings {Gyoza}

May 18, 2016 By sammy Leave a Comment

It’s been a while since I’ve done a food post. Just one of those things that are on the to-do list that I think of frequently.

Anyway guys I made a video! Fancy hey? {I did film it A WHOLE YEAR ago, thats how long its been on the list} Worst blogger ever, I know.

This demonstrates just how much I love gyoza. Or dumplings. Same same.

I’m constantly making them for friends and teaching them how to make them. So from now on, if anyone asks me how I make them I’ll be texting them a link to this post. They are fresh, light and SUPER easy to make.

Here’s the video {warning to turn sound down a little bit}

Ingredients
– 400grams pork or chicken mince
– 2 garlic cloves peeled and cut finely
– 3cm piece of fresh ginger, grated
– 2 spring onions, white part cut finely
– Small bunch of coriander
– Gow gee wrappers
– 1 red chilli (optional and I forgot to add this in the video)
– 1 teaspoon sesame oil
– 1 tablespoon of soy sauce

Method
Step 1: After everything is chopped as described in the ingredients list, combine all the ingredients together in a bowl.
Step 2: Lay out gow gee wrappers onto baking paper. This helps them not stick to your bench.
Step 3: Place a teaspoon sized amount into the middle of each wrapper and seal by adding a little bit of water to the edge. Follow the video to see how to fold them. They don’t have to be perfect but they do need to be sealed tightly so the mixute doesn’t fall out when they cook.
Step 4: Heat a pan on medium to high, place another teaspoon of sesame oil into the pan and have a lid handy. Cook on one side until browned then add 1/4 cup of water. Be ready for the pan to steam and sizzle quickly so pop the lid on and cook for another 3 minutes. This makes them nice and soft. Stand for 1 to 2 minutes

You can dip them in whatever sauce you like. I love sweet chilli sauce but many people prefer soy or teriyaki sauce.

The good thing about this recipe is you can add or remove the ingredients to suit your tastes. Quite often I will add fresh chilli, lemongrass or even shredded cabbage.

Also, they freeze well. So anytime you want a quick lunch its easy to grab out a steam basket and leave them for 10mins.

What else should I make a video of?

Dressing For Ramadan In The Middle East

July 10, 2015 By curvysam 3 Comments

The Middle East can be conservative at the best of times. The Islamic calendar runs on 12 lunar months and every ninth month Ramadan comes around.

Rama-what? I hear you ask. Don’t worry this tradition was new to me this year too.

Ramadan is enshrined in law; it is not simply a religious option. Travellers are not obliged to fast, but are required to respect the traditions. It’s something that all travelers to the region need to be aware of.

To give you a brief overview

No eating or drinking in daylight hours – not even water
No smoking or sexual activity
In the evenings and pre sunset families gather together to eat
Emphasis is always on reflection, prayer and charity
Modest clothing to be worn, knees and shoulders covered

Now whilst I don’t understand nor agree with many aspects of how things are done with religious beliefs I respect that it’s their culture. Experiencing this tradition briefly was a positive experience & I learnt a lot.

Travel is all about experiencing and learning new things!

My parents have been living and working in Doha, Qatar for the last 10 months and I’ve been lucky enough to visit them there.

I can certainly pick my timing to visit, not only was it Summer (which can sit at around 50degrees) I landed straight into the Ramadan Season. I’m not good when it’s hot. And the idea of having to cover up and not being able to drink water in public so much was super daunting. Especially because I’m on of those people who carries a bottle of water everywhere.

During Ramadan fashion sensitivities are heightened but in the midst of all the tradition, there’s fabulous fashion. Yes theres the plainer outfits but theres also lots of lavish cover-ups, embellished abayas and pops of colour across maxi skirts.

I hardly took any photos whilst on my trip. It was seriously hot. My go to super cool and comfy outfit was this Alice & You utility shirt maxi dress from ASOS. I buttoned it all the way down and ended up wearing an singlet top and leggings underneath as the buttons came undone every now and again. Size wise I got the 20 so my bust would fit but the sizing was generous so the 18 would have been fine. And ladies this dress goes up to a size 28.

For most of the trip I was busy hanging out with my Mum in the aircon and also had the opportunity to visit an animal shelter a couple of times in a privately owned complex so I could get away with wearing this. (It was pretty overwhelming and I’m still taking it all in. Planning to post some info about it pretty soon)

Bali jeanie pants, Next UK shirt and thongs of course. Photo taken in the complex where my parents live

Every region is different and some areas like Qatar may be stricter moreso than Dubai.

If you have the time pop past some of the more popular shopping centres, you’ll see that the store are all adorned with Ramadan specific clothing. High end brands such as DKNY, Louis Vitton and Oscar Delarenta stock amazing clothing but you’ll also see that more affordable brands like H&M, Next & Tommy Hilfiger are giving shoppers more Ramadan style options.

Local supermarket clothing options perfect for Ramadan

Random fact for you – one of the shopping centres in Qatar is 5km long!

Here’s a gallery of fashionistas I’ve come across on Instagram with amazing Middle Eastern style.

: https://instagram.com/ascia_akf

: https://instagram.com/beautykhanfidant

: https://instagram.com/soumayadouiri

: https://instagram.com/ygolsharifi

: https://instagram.com/zahralyla

: https://instagram.com/zahralyla

: @withloveleena http://www.withloveleena.com

If you’d like more info about visiting during Ramadan I found this post really helpful.
The Holy Month of Ramadan – an introduction for non-Muslims

USA. The land where anything goes and you can be anyone you want to be.

Here’s a few things you can do to changes things up without spending thousands on new clothes

Who knows, taking small steps to change the way you feel about yourself may give you the boost you need to feel a bit better about yourself.

There’s one little struggle that comes when travelling solo, and that’s how do you take those awesome travel photos of yourself. Because we all know that if it’s not on social media it didn’t happen, right?

I’ve travelled by myself for a couple of years now, here are a few important lessons I’ve learned from years of trying to capture the perfect photos as a solo traveler – tricks that go way beyond a selfie stick.

Take Your Time

Use a Tripod (lightweight of course)

Ask for Help

Befriend other solo travellers

Use Video Screenshots

Hope you found these tips helpful. Let me know if you have any to add.

Happy travels!

Don’t you just love a good maxi dress?

Full Figure Fashion Week is a plus size fashion event held in NYC every year. Here’s a quick post showing what I wore to various events.

Rooftop FFFweek Launch Party ~ Wearing Hope & Harvest SS16 Best Practices For Brand Protection Seminar ~ Wearing 17Sundays

Fruit of the Loom – Bloggers & Influencers Event ~ Wearing Society+

Curves at Sea All White Cruise ~ Wearing a dress from Macys

Curvy Expo ~ Wearing Little Party Dress

Mens Plus Size Fashion Show ~ Wearing Little Party Dress

Dance-a-thon ~ Wearing Little Party Dress & Lane Bryant

Runway Showcase & Awards Ceremony ~ Wearing Igigi

Today I overcame my self doubt and hired a CityBike.

I’m going to start sharing more of my travel experiences on my website. Quite often in the moment I think ‘ oh I should write about that, rather that just doing live snapchat feeds’ (As they expire after 24hours.) I hardly have any photos to go along with this post.

Maintaining a body positive life takes work. Being happy takes work. You are in charge of how you feel and react. It’s your life and none of anyones business how you choose to live it.

Maintaining a body positive life takes work. Being happy takes work. You are in charge of how you feel and react. It’s your life and none of anyones business how you choose to live it.

What else should I make a video of?

Don’t miss a thing!

Rooftop FFFweek Launch Party ~ Wearing Hope & Harvest SS16

Best Practices For Brand Protection Seminar ~ Wearing 17Sundays