I tried out the Hope&Harvest Empire Shirt Dress and absolutely adore it.
Here’s why,
Buy your own Hope&Harvest Empire Dress here
Photos taken by Elizabeth Estrada
Disclosure ~ This item was gifted
Plus size fashion | Travel | Beauty | Happiness
Photos taken by Elizabeth Estrada
Disclosure ~ This item was gifted
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.
You may have noticed by now I’m a huge fan of pastel colours. They are soft, feminine and look fabulous against every skin tone.
I had every intention of showing off an entire purple and pink pastel outfit {click here to see} but I couldn’t wait until the Aussie Curves pastel week.
So instead of showing you another full pastel outfit, here’s my take on pastel feature my favourite accessories.
I’ve been wearing this contrast midi panel dress at least once a week since I purchased it in September. It’s still available online and a complete bargain at $40!
The silhouette enhancing contrast panels are flattering on curves. I just adore the city print on the panels.
Dress ~ Rosemary Contrast Panel Midi Dress from Boohoo.com
Shoes ~ Spurr Basics from The Iconic
Bag ~ Colette
Sunglasses ~ Alex Perry
I’ve always been a purple girl. Perhaps I grew to like wearing a purple school uniform for 6 years but either way the colour has stuck with me.
This purple is more of a soft lilac purple which goes adorably with my pastel pink accessories including my favourite pointed stiletto pumps.
I purchased this dress from Boohoo.com in October for $32. Skater dresses are always a great fit on my body shape and I love square necklines.
The material is quite thick so whilst I haven’t been able to wear it too much in the warmth of Queensland Spring, I’m heading to the UK for Christmas so I will wear it with stockings for a Winter look.
{the wind picked up whilst taking these photos = flashing random people = this awkward laughing face}
Now because I’m a little top heavy {okay a lot top heavy} with not much of a waist I accessorised with a pink belt and long neckline to break up the bulk of the dress.
The belt gave me some shape to my bust and waist.
I looked everywhere {maybe three stores} for a pink belt. In the end I purchased a belt from Kmart for $7 and a pink nail polish for $3 and created my own pink belt. Not the right shade of pink but oh well….you can’t win them all.
It’s a simple matchy matchy kind of look that I love to recreate again and again. I felt feminine, elegant and beautiful.
Lilac Skater Dress ~ Boohoo.com
Shoes ~ Iconic Spurr Basics (on sale for $20)
Bag ~ Colette
Belt ~ Kmart
Necklace ~ Lovisa
Nail ~ Clearly Pink CND
Do you love my look? Check out Boohoo.com for other amazing plus size fashion options
As a born and bred Melbourner I really miss wearing my jeans so now that its ‘winter’ in Far North Queensland its finally chilly enough to wear jeans now and then. {yay}
This week I caught up with one of my best friends at the Gold Coast. It just worked out well that both of us could travel half way across Aus and have some fun at the theme parks. A well needed distraction for both of us.
Now I’m no ‘fashionista’, I just post what I wear on a day to day basis and sometimes it fits into the Aussie Curves theme.
Spending a day at a theme park is exhausting so I wore my fav Torrid Stiletto jeans, Crossroads lace tee + tank matched with my Autograph jacket. Enough layers for the morning chill and comfy Havaianas.
I didn’t manage to get a photo of the Crossroads lace top so here’s how it looks on the beautiful model. {And ladies, it’s on sale for $10! click here}
Lace Insert Top ~ Crossroads (on sale for $10!!!)
Jacket ~ Autograph Fashion
Jeans ~ Torrid
Shoes ~ Havaianas
Here’s a couple more recent denim outfits.
This weeks Aussie Curves theme is ‘Nature’ which is quite fitting as we have had some unusual weather this week in Far North Queensland. {as in a little chilly and rainy}. Each weekly fashion them is open to our own interpretation and nature to me is colour and life.
The first nature related outfit that came to mind was JLO ‘s controversial 2000 Grammy Awards Versace outfit. Good ole Jenny from the block nailed the nature look. What a babe.
I had planned to take some photos in the beautiful Cairns botanic gardens but it’s rained for days and days. Not to mention it’s peak tourist season and even through the weather isn’t great Cairns is packed to the brim with tourists exploring the tropics.
Winter in FNQ is my favourite time of year. In the evenings I can finally wear a cardigan or a hoodie (whoopee) and if I’m super lucky and the temp is below 20 degrees a pair of jeans.
Due to the warm climate sugar cane is a huge part of northern agriculture and typically grows between three and four metres high {seriously tall}. The flowers on the cane are only around for a month or two before harvesting and it’s such a spectacular view. Nature in its pure form.
So whilst I’d planned to wear my floral Igigi dress in front of a floral backdrop, I just couldn’t resist taking some photos of the nature that surrounds me on a daily basis and is a huge part of the Australian agriculture economy.
I wish my iPhone could photograph the beauty of the sugar cane in flower. I love how Summer from Summer Rain Photography has captured just how stunning the flowers are. {and the model Michelle Andrews looks beautiful too}
This Igigi dress was gifted to me from MissMel late last year. It’s another one of those impact dresses that doesn’t need any accessories as the detail in the pattern completes the outfit. Dresses like these are perfect for work, cocktail functions or even a high tea with your girlfriends.
Igigi make such high quality dresses made for curvy bodies and especially for those of us who need a little stretch in the bust area.
Dress ~ Igigi (gifted from MissMel)
Shoes ~ Big W
Makeup ~ Iridis Cosmetics
I surprisingly have quite a few items of clothing that feature spots. But this City Chic dress has to be my favourite. The fit is fabulous, the material is soft and the print speaks for itself so no need to accessorise.
A friend took these photos just before we went out to dinner. I just love winter in far north Queensland. Even managed to pick the last frangipani flower from the tree in our garden.
This is an Aussie Curves theme that I was a little unsure of. When I think of sparkle, I immediately think of shiny sequins and bling. Now that I live in the Queensland tropics sparkle and bling don’t feature in my wardrobe at all. {or so I thought}
So I picked up this super cute sequin skirt from Bardot {a straight size store} for $10 and even though its a size 12 and I’m a size 18 I made it work with the help of a local seamstress. Everything else in the photo are items that I wear on a regular basis.
So some of you may recognise a couple of these pieces. I wore them to the opening event of NYC Full Figure Fashion week last year as pictured below with fellow Aussie Curves babes Ashley from ‘This is Ashley Rose’ and Olivia from ‘Wait Until The Sunset’
OUTFIT DETAILS
White top ~ ASOS
Shoes ~ Tony Bianco
Bag ~ Colette Hayman
Ring & Headband ~ Diva
Skirt ~ Bardot (sizing adjusted)
This weeks Aussie Curves theme is HIPSTER
I must admit I’m not much of a hipster at heart so here is how I would wear hipster. Complete with fresh flowers in my hair thanks to the bouquet I had handy in my living room.
WHAT I’M WEARING
Shoes – Target
Necklace – ICONIC
Shorts – Just Jeans (they are way too small for me)
Kimono Shrug – Show Po
This weeks Aussie Curves theme is swimwear. Out of all the themes this is the theme that I feel most prepared for. There are well over 100 photos of me published on the www in the last 18 months both from photoshoots and from my own personal adventures.
I LOVE being near water. Water is associated with relaxation for me, whether its camping, romantic trips away or even walking the dog on the beach.
Years ago I lived in the burbs, near an industrial area a good hours drive from the beach. I hated it. Extensive travel with work, regular trips to Torquay and to the peninsula kept me sane but as a part of my new life transformation one of the major requirements was that I HAD to live either on the beach or very close by. The result being ~ I moved to the Great Barrier Reef in northern Queensland.
Winter or summer, swimming or walking on it, I love the beach!
You know what…it has taken alot of hard work to get to this point. To get to the point where I don’t care what others think and to love who I am in my own body. I’ve been bigger and I’ve been smaller.
Yeah there are days where I feel blurgh {I am human after all} but I’ve made the choice to be happy in my skin. I’ve made the choice not to hide myself under baggy t shirts and to enjoy the water.
We are at the time of year where magazines and health centres cash in on the ‘beach body’ term. Putting the message out there that you can’t be seen on the beach until you have the so perfect beach body. Well you know what, put your bathers on and go to the damn beach and you enjoy that beach body.
Here’s some images from the Danimezza Swim+ magazine featuring true plus size women, you know the ones that have lumps and bumps? Yup well that me, and just like clothing there are certain styles that work for our bodies and are more flattering. So check it out and see if there are any that appeal to you. (these are screen grabs from the mag)
This is the second year I’ve had the honour in being Dani’s model for the lookbook. I can tell you that even though I had 110% trust that the images would look great, it is still SO nerve wrecking knowing that a WHOLE magazine featuring me in swimwear was going out to the world to see, comment and judge. And folks I only get to see it when you get to see it so once it’s out there, there’s no looking back.
After the first magazine came out in 2012, all 64 pages, guess what. The world didn’t end. The feedback was positively overwhelming. Women from all over the world commented how it inspired them and all of a sudden all of my initial reservations dissipated.
Click here to see the newly released 2013 Plus Size Swim+ Resort Lookbook & the 2012 Plus Size Swim+ Resort Lookbook
One of my favourite swimsuits was this Sara swimsuit which can be purchased from Ezibuy (it’s on sale at the moment too)
I have a big bust and this is such a good fit that it doesn’t need an underwire. I’m a G cup and felt super comfortable and supported.
Over the weekend I visited our local beach with my bestie Kirsty who was visiting me and she snapped a couple shots for me.
So….I may have made her rock climb to take these shots…and I honestly haven’t laughed so hard in such a long time.
Half way through she tells me that she is terrified of heights and I snapped her holding onto a rock for dear life. At first I thought she was stretching. Ha nope…look closely