Well… I did it! I set myself the challenge, and I only went and bloody did it!

What am I talking about?

Well, if you had seen an earlier post of mine, you would know I was taking part in StyleXL, a plus size fashion event held in Birmingham on the 18th and 19th of July, and oh what an event it was!

Wonderfully organised and run by the amazing Leah Shafik of LeahXL , hours, weeks and months of effort and hard work had been provided by her and her family and supporters to set up an event where brands, models, workshops, bloggers, and all kinds of other plus size fabulousness could be found under one roof.

Leah Shafik of LeahXL

And I had the absolute pleasure in being a part of it.

I had been chosen to walk for Topsy Curvy, Apples and Pears and Lady Voluptuous, after entering a competition back in October 2014 to be a model for the day.

As it was the first time I had ever done anything quite like it, my nerves were pretty bad, but it was a personal challenge that I really needed to overcome.

The clothes were fabulous, my hair and makeup was beautiful, so it was all down to me to pull it (and myself) together.

My first walk was for Topsy Curvy, wearing an animal print jersey swing dress. I have to admit this was a little out of my comfort zone, as I am not a massive fan of animal print, and it was quite short.

However, once I put it on, I was surprised to find quite how much I loved it! It had a real bounce and swing to it, and when I stepped out onto the catwalk, I felt AMAZING!

Knowing that my family were sat there waiting for me to appear was both a wonderful yet frightening prospect. Having their support meant so much, but made it daunting too, knowing they were out there.

Putting that first foot down on the runway was petrifying, and my legs felt like Jelly, however, the huge cheer I got from my family and my plus size/blogger friends really put a smile on my face, and spurred me on.

My second walk was for Apples and Pears clothing, and was a most beautiful paisley print dress in shades of blue. It was a dress I would never have thought to try on, but it was stunning. It felt so nice on, and I felt really confident wearing it. It had a great weight to it and the skirt really moved well when walking.

My last walk, or so I thought, was for Lady Voluptuous. I had been given the Phoebe Kingfisher print dress to wear, which coincidentally had been bought for my birthday, so I knew exactly how it felt to wear it. I was already wearing a raspberry pink petticoat, which I decided to keep on under the Phoebe, and I felt it really worked. I love the print, and find it a great dress suitable for many occasions.

Whilst having a look around between Apples and Pears, and Lady Voluptuous, I happened to go to the Scarlett and Jo stall, where I went to try on a black and gold lace and velvet gown which I had spotted on their rail.

It was then that I met Gifi, the owner/designer who liked the dress on me so much, he asked if I would walk on his catwalk later on that afternoon,

Well…. I could hardly say no, could I?

The rest of my day was spent watching the other catwalks, visiting the brands and having fun and gossip with my fellow plus size beauties. This was all topped off by the final of ModelXL in the evening and lots of drinking, dancing and having fun

That is what life is supposed to be all about, right?

I have to say, the whole event was a magical time for me. My confidence level is soaring, I met so many wonderful, positive, plus size people, and I got to hang out with my amazing blogger friends. I certainly couldn’t have asked for anything more!

Anyone up for it again this weekend???