Merry Christmas!

| blueskygirlie

I just wanted to say a big thank you to you all for your support this year, following my little blog/Instagram/Facebook page and joining me on this journey.  I started this blog at the end of 2014 as an outlet for my creativity at a time when I had very little opportunity to be creative and with an aim to help me grow my confidence about myself and share that with other women while showing that age did not define style.


Just over a year later and 2016 has been a real year of change for me…a new job, changes in my personal life meaning I have had to focus much more on my son and his needs and then, out of the blue, some amazing opportunities linked to my Instagram and blog.

I have also learnt this year not everyone is on your side, in fact some people can be downright nasty, but getting toxic people out of your life is never a bad thing. It can hurt of course, but experiences like that just make you love your supporters (whether they are family, friends or strangers you only talk to via the internet) even more and I am very lucky to have a wonderfully supportive partner and some loyal and loving family and friends.


I am really proud of what I have achieved this year. I have found my place at work and created a role that really suits me, grown my blog and Instagram followers, worked hard at keeping my blended family happy and full of love, continued my fitness journey by keeping up my running every week (over 450 miles run this year!) and topped the year off by filming an advert for Garnier! 

I wish you all a wonderful holiday period and a healthy and happy 2017!  I’m off to eat some more Quality Street…

The boon. Christmas Shopping Challenge 

| blueskygirlie

When boon. got in contact with me and asked me if I wanted to take part in their Christmas challenge I just couldn’t say no. Their challenge if I chose to accept it? To find some fabulous Christmas fashion available on the high street now, paying via my phone using the boon. pre-pay Mastercard and then share it with you guys.

I had to find the following –

  • A Christmas party outfit that could be worn 2/3 different ways
  • A secret santa gift for a friend that says they’re not a hipster, but are, bought from a charity shop.
  • A Christmas party accessory
  • A Christmas jumper

So far, so exciting. But first of all I bet some of you are thinking, what is a boon. card? Well, good question. I am new to using boon. (and Apple Pay in general) and was a little nervous at first. But my worries were unfounded – its super easy to use, very secure and a great way to stick to a budget (something I always need help with!)

So boon. (the full stop is part of its name) is basically a digital, prepaid MasterCard. You download the app and sign up to use it with Apple Pay and store it in your Apple wallet. You can top-up your account via your bank account, debit or credit card and it works via your phone at any contactless payment terminal.

It is very secure (my primary concern) as when you add a credit or debit card to Apple Pay, the actual card numbers are not stored on the device, nor on Apples servers. Instead, a unique device account number is assigned, encrypted and securely stored on your device, then each transaction is authorised with a one-time security code. You have an app on your phone that tracks your payments, sending you a message when money leaves or enters the account as well as providing you with a statement of your spending.

So, phone in hand, I was ready to shop… but what did I choose?

The Christmas Party Outfit – 


Sequin sweatshirt / £10.00
Metallic pleated skirt / £15.00
Leopard boots / £12.00
Earrings / £2 all Primark

This will be my boxing day/night outfit but then I will wear the top with black jeans and the leopard boots for a more casual party look later in the week for a night in the pub and the metallic pleated skirt with a lace top and heels for a sexier, party look which would be perfect for New Years Eve. Mix and match party dressing – perfect!


The Secret Santa Gift – 

I saw these 1980’s Ladybird books in one of my local charity shops and I just had to get them! Retro and cool Ladybird books would remind any hipster of their childhoods and we all love a bit of nostalgia dont we? They could even frame the illustrations and front covers to create some really cool art for their walls.


Disney is always a hit whatever your age but then I saw this ‘Frog Chorus’ one and I had to buy that too…how perfect for Christmas is that!?!  I have no idea why this is a Christmas song but it is on about every Xmas compilation I own! All together now “Bom, bom-bom, baw-ah-wah, Bom, bom-bom, We all stand together…”


Ladybird books / £1 each all Scope Charity shop

Did you know some charity shops take boon. too? If they have a contactless payment terminal you can use your phone to pay just like anywhere else and if you want to get in on the secret santa action, boon. are currently running a competition on Facebook where you can win some credit for yourself too. Check out their Facebook page for more details!

The Christmas Party Accessory – 

Lately I have been wearing more things with a high neckline and consequently have been moving away from wearing necklaces, prefering statement earrings and bracelets. This stunning duo look glitzy without being tacky and would go with any colour party outfit.  I like that the earrings are hooped rather than chandelier style, keeping their style contemporary and the bracelet is adjustable like a necklace – perfect if you have tiny feeble wrists like me!

Diamante bracelet / £4
Diamante earrings / £3 both Limited Edition by Atmosphere
I also couldn’t resist these gift bow earrings…so cute for subtle Christmas dressing up.

Bow earrings / £1 Primark

The Christmas Jumper – 

Ok, so I’m gonna level with you – I’m not really a Christmas jumper person. I like being festive and I LOVE sparkle and embellishment but having a cheap, novelty jumper on isnt really my thing. I will if I have to, but at 43, I’d rather create something a bit more stylish. However I do like to embrace the festive period so I thought about how could create a Christmas jumper that wasnt actually a Christmas jumper and my stylish solution was this…


Pink roll neck jumper / £9.99 
Brooch / £5.99 Wreath brooch / £5.99 all New Look

I added a couple of my own vintage brooches, and….et voila!
Bow earrings / £1 Primark
Vintage brooches / my own 

I love this look – it has all the sparkle you want at Christmas but it is not silly, plus you can wear it all year round – if you want to make it a bit less Christmassy you can just remove a few (or all) of the brooches. I’m going to wear it with a metallic skirt and  silver brogues over Christmas for a pretty, girlie look.


Skirt/Socks/Shoes my own

So you’ve seen my Christmas Shopping Challenge buys – I stayed within my budget and came home with a set of items I just love and think will improve my existing wardrobe, plus I donated to charity too.  I hope you love my choices as much as I do and they inspire you this Christmas whether you are buying for yourself or for friends and family.

This post was written in conjunction with boon. but all views expressed are my own. Find out more about putting boon. in your Apple Wallet here.

Orange is the new black

| blueskygirlie

Last year I saw this coat in magazines and on bloggers and fell in love…I missed out on buying it but bought it this year via eBay…hoorah!

My boyfriend looked at this coat and as politely as he could said…”Please dont wear that when youre out with me.”

OK, so its not to everyones taste (my boyfriend included) but it definitely makes a statement!  Worn with a simple outfit of black polo neck and skinny jeans this coat looks so striking…and I love it! 


My shoes are from New Look and I have hardly taken them off since I bought them! They are so comfortable and perfect for Autumn dressing. They cost £19.99 and I think they are a great AW16 wardrobe addition.

I love the Autumn when it’s chilly but the sun still shines, and this coat makes me feel sunny whatever the weather.


So statement coats, love or hate?  And more importantly, how much clothing do you have in your wardrobe that your other half hates?!?

Coat – Per Una at Marks & Spencer (last season)
Jumper – Marks & Spencer
Jeans – New Look
Shoes – New Look

Just TU good…

| blueskygirlie

Have you been into the Sainsburys clothing section lately? Well I have and it is looking VERY good. Throughout the summer bought quite a few TU clothing pieces that I shared on Instagram and their AW16 collection definitely doesnt disappoint!

I first saw this jumper due to Alex Stedman (of the Frugality blog) sharing it on Instagram and I am so glad I did. It is just lovely. This is seriously one of the nicest jumpers I have ever had, and no I am not getting paid to say that – I bought this outfit with my hard earned money and at only £34 for top and bottom you really cant go wrong! The knit is described as ‘Popcorn’ knit and close up you can see why. It has graduated sections of different textures and is so soft.  It has quite a slouchy fit too – I went for the 12 but probably could of sized down but I like the looser fit with this type of jumper.I also bought a pair of their skinny jeans (first time denim shopping at TU for me) and I was impressed with their quality. They are stretchy, true to size (I went for a 12 and they are slightly loose on the waist) and best of all come in a short length! Their fitted shape balances out the slightly boxy shape of the jumper as being petite and curvy I usually try to keep my silhouette quite streamlined.

I absolutely love my bargain supermarket sweep!  So are you clothes shopping while you’re food shopping too? What gems have you found?

BARGAIN ALERT: *Sainsburys has 25% off all TU clothing 29th Nov to 5th Dec*

All available in store and online now.
Jumper £22
Jeans £16
both TU at Sainburys

The F Word

| blueskygirlie

*warning this post may have triggering effects linked to food or weight issues*

Hi, I’m Sarah and if you follow this blog you will know that I am a generally cheerful, confident, fun person. You will also probably know that I have lost a lot of weight (I was a size 20/22 at my largest) and have to work hard to stay a size 12 by trying to watch what I eat and running 5k three times a week.  It is not easy.It has taken me quite a while to like myself again but my body image is still a constant struggle and this blog, in part, is a tool to embrace my flawed, curvy, 40plus figure as seen by my super critical eyes.  I had a eating disorder as a teenager and still have a complicated relationship with food and my body – to try to help, I follow quite a few plus size bloggers, those who embrace their size, love their bodies and are part of the #effyourbeautystandards movement. I admire them and their confidence but I cannot feel like them sadly. Being morbidly obese was a prison sentence for me and although I seemed confident I suffered terribly from anxiety, was physically in a bad place with various aches and pains and I hated myself.

So why am I telling you all this?

Well last week during an arguement with a stranger (a man) I was called ‘fat’.  I was also called a bitch, stupid, a ho and various other insults but ‘fat’ was the one that really hurt. It got under my skin and wounded me more then any other insult and it made me think – why do people still use it as a low blow insult? A word that is used to hurt and belittle, particularly towards women.


Forgetting the fact the man saying it looked like the back end of a bus (and was hardly an Olympian himself) once that word was said I felt awful, insecure, and yes, fat. I felt ugly. I felt weak.  He had told me in his eyes I was…what? Unattractive to him? Not the perfect body shape? Imperfect?  Erm – who cares! But sadly I did care.

At my sons school they are taught the word fat is a hate word, as abusive as a swear word or racial slur and if he hears me using it he tells me off. This gives me hope that using the word to attack and hurt and undermine will end with our generation.

Body confidence is hard – every time I go on a run I put myself out there. Dressed in skin tight lycra it is scary to exercise in front of the world. It not just the actual running that’s hard, its fear of being watched, insulted, maybe even hurt…I’d say pretty much every month I get catcalled by men in cars/lorries bleeping their horns etc – they seem to think thats a compliment. Doing it every other day, regardless of those fears takes guts. 



So am I going to stop eating cake? Hell no!  Not run in public?  I’m fitter than I’ve ever been so, sorry, no. Starve myself for an ideal I can never reach, one that is perpetuated by photoshopped images anyway?  My body has done amazing things – it carried a baby, it can run for miles, ticked amazing places and experiences off my bucket list, kept me fit and healthy and my boyfriend seems pretty keen on it too!

What I do need to do is make sure that my confidence in both my inner self and the body people can see (and judge) is greater than any throwaway line or joke.  I need to hear the words when the people who care about me tell me I am beautiful and loved and perfect in their eyes.  NO-ONE male or female has the right to make you feel bad about the way you look…and the key is knowing they are not just wrong, but that they are the weak ones, the insecure ones, the ones that truly hate themselves.  I need to remind myself of this statement – 


So another pathetic human being goes on their way thinking they’ve won because they have said some throw away insult which is not based on anything apart from wanting to hurt. But you know what? People like that will never break me – I am more than words, more than their twisted ideals, more than their insecurites – I AM ME…AND AM PRETTY DARN FABULOUS!!!Find my blogs on my fitness and running here, here and here.

All photos via my Instagram – blueskygirlie

Halloween Dressing Up

| blueskygirlie

Do you love Halloween? I most certainly do!!!

With three young boys, my Halloween consists now of more trick and treating than wild parties but any chance to dress up is always a “yes” from me!

This year my office had a dress up day as Halloween was on the Monday, so I thought I’d show you my costume. I’m a bit of a geek so like things that are quite accurate and/or clever so…

Wednesday Addams dress up Halloween costume via Always a Blue Sky Girl Fashion blog blogger

Wednesday Addams dress up Halloween costume via Always a Blue Sky Girl Fashion blog blogger

Wednesday Addams dress up Halloween costume via Always a Blue Sky Girl Fashion blog blogger

Yes,  I was Wednesday Addams!!!  I loved the TV show growing up and the modern film versions are cool too.



Fashion-wise, I bought a high necked black dress a size too big in a charity shop, wore a fitted white shirt undernearth and accessorised with a vintage belt, leather ankle boots and striped tights. Oh and added a spider as we all know Wednesday’s pet is a spider called Homer! (thanks Google!!!)

Then the rest was just hair and make-up – I centre-parted my hair and plaited it and made my face ghostly pale with dark eye make-up and black lipstick. Its spooky, kinda cool but still pretty stylish I think!


Did you dress up this Halloween? I would love to know what you went as…

Dress – charity shop
Shirt – Matalan
Belt – vintage
Tights – Poundland
Boots -Next
White face powder/black lipstick – Claires Accessories

Upgrade your handbag

| blueskygirlie

New fashion hack alert! In todays blog I will take you through a little bit of customising I recently did to a cute Disney handbag I bought from Primark. Its a nice bag but costing only £9 meant that it was never going to have those little extras that makes a more premium bag feel special. 

Now I cant afford Coach (well I can but would rather spend it on my house… priorities right?), but I can be creative and by spending a tenner you can take a nice bag and make it a REALLY nice bag!


First pick your weapons – I wanted to create an ornate bag charm similar to the ones seen on the recent Disney Coach bags so I found a couple of cute charms that matched the colours of the bag and fitted in with a cute Disney vibe.


I then removed the existing zipper pull and replaced it with a simple tassel from the eBay bag charm. I kept the original pull safe as I knew I’d be using it and deconstructed the 2 charms ready to use them.



I then added the deconstructed pieces to a large Mickey Mouse keyring I had trawled eBay for. This was the key item of the bag upgrade and it took me a while to find as I wanted him to match the colours of the bag print exactly. The key to customisation is making sure your finish is good and all your components look like they were meant to be there i.e. dont use anything in a silver metal if the rest of the bag is finished in gold for example.

I then attached the new charm to one end of the bag adding the original zipper pull. By using an original part of the bag in this new charm makes the whole thing feel like it was designed as part of the bag.


And finally the finished product! I love my customised, improved and upgraded bag and its been getting lots of admiring glances and positive comments. Remember, being stylish is about creating looks YOU love and are personal to YOU; so mix and match, take things apart and put them back together again and tweak clothing to make it fit how you like it. After all who wants exactly the same things as everyone else?


Disney bag – Primark £9
Heart bag charm – H&M £2.99
Mickey Mouse keyring – eBay £5
Tassel bag charm – eBay £2.49

£20 Primark shop

| blueskygirlie

So, I’ve been trying to ‘buy less and buy better’ as my wardrobe was bulging at the seams with lots of ‘bargains’ that really weren’t that great. This has meant an end to big Primark hauls and the beginning of more careful shopping…

…well kind of!  The other day I allowed myself a visit with the rule I could spend just £20 and anything I bought needed to fit into my AW16 wardrobe.

So what did I get with my £20? Well a pretty wonderful mix of things if I do say so myself!  Take a look…

Pattern shirt – £7.00

A shirt covered in pineapples, ladybirds, stars, butterlies, hearts, cacti, eyes and much more you say? How could I say no! This is an amazing price and they also do a cute dark blue stars version. I sized up for a looser fit and it looks great with a pair of skinnies.


Brogues – £5 (was £12)

A classic brogue will never go out of style and this shoe is perfect for Autumn. I loved the no laces (I hate messy styling) and the studs add a cool edge. Plus they are super comfortable.


Leopard print blouse – £3 (was £8)

I love a bit of leopard print and this top is effortlessly stylish. Easy to throw on, with a slightly dipped hem back and the exposed zip at the back adds that bit of luxe detailing.


Gold flats – £3 (were £8)

Party season is nearly upon us and I am not a heels lover. I looked at these when they were full price and passed but for the price of a glossy magazine? I just had to!


Sunglasses – £1/pair (were £3/pair)

Ok I know summer is over but you can never have too many sunglasses. As well as a couple of designer pairs (which I keep for years) I like to have a few cheap and cheerful pairs that I can leave in the car or my handbag and dont have to worry if they get broken/lost.

So thats my mini haul! I think I stayed within my rules and have already worn the shirt and brogues loads, so for me its £20 well spent.

All available now in store at Primark

The Olia Effect

| blueskygirlie

Wanting to update my hair colour for winter and looking for a new home hair dye, I decided to take the Olia challenge and home-dye my hair using the Garnier brand. Fearne Cotton has been promoting the challenge and you can upload a before and after pic to their website for the change to be entered into a competition to win a £5000 shopping spree!  Also if you buy the product at Superdrug you can claim your money back too – so basically try it for free.  I only found this out after I’d bought mine somewhere else but you can find out more here.


Its always a bit nerve wracking trying a new hair dye brand and after the 48hr allergy test I unpacked my hair dye and dived in hoping for the best!  I needed 2 packs for my long, quite thick hair and went for shade 4.6 Deep Red.

The instructions were pretty simple and the dye mixed up easily and the packing doubled as a stand which I though was quite clever. The application was easy using the teardrop shape bottle and the product itself wasnt too runny which was good.


I wasn’t as impressed with the large, loose gloves and much prefer the tighter latex gloves I’ved used with other brands so I think next time I will use a spare set of latex gloves rather than the ones provided. 


I waited the 30 minutes and then washed it off. Going for a deeper colour meant it too ages for the water to run clear but then I did use two packs.


Some tips for a home dye

  • Preparation! Make sure you have old towels, baby wipes and clips if you have long hair to make the process as easy as possible. Clear at least 45mins for the task – you dont want to be moving around too much once the dye is on.
  • Do an allegy test 48hrs before – better to be safe than sorry!
  • Use Vaseline to create a barrier between your hairline and skin. This really stops drips and having to wash tons of dye from yourself.
  • Use a timer – its important to follow the manufacturers instructions, leaving your dye on for the wrong amount if time can mean it wont look like you expect it too.
  • Make sure you use the provided conditioner to finish your hair, this is specially formulated to repair any damage the dye may of done while colouring your hair.

And this is the finished effect? What do you think?


I’m really pleased with the final shade and my hair was left feeling very smooth and silky as Olia is made with 60% oils and I could definitely feel that (I wasn’t sponsored to say this LOL, I didnt even get my money back remember!)

Would I use it again? 

I would! Its a great price and it left my hair feeling great but I think next time I will go a shade lighter/brighter as the Deep Red was a little too dark for my liking at first look. Thats pretty typical for me as it usually takes a few washes before I’m happy with a new colour, but now its colour protect shampoo every time.

Garnier Olia hair dye – £6.99 available in all good supermarkets and chemists.