my darlings I have moved house, please find me at www.teikotagoe.com bisous x Teiko

hugs and kisses

hi...been quiet for too long, working on my new site which should be up next week God willing so please be patient. missed you all so much, love always teiko xxxx

LPSFW

First of all I have to start by apologising to Remi Ray.I did this interview in January and I'm posting this far too late. I really hope that my readers will be able to attend this event. I've been trying to play wife mother and blogger. .. something had to give.i want to be asleep, im lying in bed with my headphones on,Ms thing "regular" on repeat and using my last drop of willpower to type...but to cut a long story short I'm all hyped about London plus size fashion weekend. This Friday and Saturday. ... founder Remi Ray speaks. .... enjoy x ....

1. LPSFW is an amazing concept and a refreshing start to the 2013. What prompted you to come up with this event? Well I have always struggled to find clothing on the high street that I loved and really wanted to wear so I started Trapped in a Skinny World which was an online plus-size vintage boutique the business failed due to funding but the blog side of it still does pretty well. On the reverse of experiencing a failed business I learnt that timing is everything and it also allowed me to see potential opportunities this side of the water such as BPSFW.

2.Your website states that LSPFW aims to enhance, educate and and empower, can you tell us how some of the events over the weekend will do this,which events are you looking forward to especially and why? We aim to enhance the awareness of the plus-size women. Educate them via our styling master class and clothing swap shop And empower the ladies via giving them a voice to be heard by the plus-size panel discussion and watch amazing women that are a very similar representation of who they are grace the catwalk

3.This promises to be an amazing event and i'm sure that it has taken a lot of hard work and dedication to get to this stage, what keeps your so driven and motivated? Just given plus-size women a platform to show off that they are more than just a size or a label but women with great personality.

4.Who are your inspirational figures within the industry? My Business partner Rianne has showed me great ropes and understanding an I am grateful for her. Others such as Monif C, Gabi Fresh, Curvy fashionista and just women in business essentially.

5.There are many plus size models and designers who desperately want to get into the industry. Can you share you words of wisdom with us on the best way to make their mark? Research, be a happy learner and listener and always be polite to the people you meet as you never know.

something for the weekend.....

....hi, happy new year....! its been a while, I decided to take the whole of January off to re charge my batteries, Christmas was lovely, Aaron really enjoyed the process of unwrapping presents and so on and I was so happy having little Zuri around.... I was a lovely time, a great close to 2012. God has giving me my hearts desire indeed...then my wedding anniversary last month, gosh ive actually been married for 3years, thanks to my husband for his commitment and love, being my husband is no easy assignement...ha Now im back!!! blogging, still at odd hours of the morning..between feeds and all etc. Im so over winter, I survived through the snow, and now its just cold and i cant wait for it to be over.... I honestly hate cold weather... Looking forward to spring..the end of hibernation for me... If you are available in London this weekend (or make yourself available)...award winning entrepreneur Crystal King presents "The Pamper Sessions" ..it promises to have over 30 exhibitors and a great way to doll yourself up pre v day if you are that way inclined...

im really excited about this event because im a beauty junkie and you always find undiscovered goodies, and get one to one attention with beauty brands(not to mention goody bags)...

...u will notice alot of interviews this month on my blog, i am fortunate to meet so many inspiring people from all walks of life and its a great way to stay focused, re instating the "i can do all things" mantra....i will be interviewing Crystal King at a later date, she is such an inspiration, especially to young women! u will love her as much as i do...

until then check out her event www.thepampersessions.blogspot.co.uk for more information missed u much...stay blessed x Teiko

plus size tights...

I'm a woman who likes to pay attention to detail..so when i came across this amazing brand i knew that one pair of Pamela Mann tights could and would transform a seemingly plain outfit of mine and give it the wow factor perfect for Christmas and New Year festive fun....

What i love about this brand is that they stock tights from sizes 8- 32 meaning that whatever your size, you can highlight your legs and celebrate in style....this post looks at my top 3 favourite tights from the range....how could i forget my babygirl Zuri...im getting her Christmas outfits ready, and am so excited and thankful for her life...Zuri's first Christmas....

Deco Net Tights (sizes 8-14)

i experimented with some foil nail wraps ..adding instant glitz to my fingertips...

These next pair are too segzi (sexy) i love them! ..Aztec Ethnic Tights

These also only come in sizes 8-14 *but* they are really stretchy so im quite sure if you are a size 16 you could get away with these...

Pefect with fulani earrings...

The final pair are the double line over the knee tights which gladly come in sizes 8-32...i rocked them with a pair of hot pants and some faux fur. Really simple and elegant.

I didnt realise how many cute girls clothes existed..from leopard skin booties to classy girlie dresses...

She is now around 5weeks old and is really lovely to have around.Aaron seems to have adjusted quite well, although we had an incident where he whacked her with his shoe..but lets hope it was a one off..I love this beautiful red dress...its a Marks and Spenser "autograph"collection piece and i hope to put this on her on Christmas day.

Her little pink "mam" bottle has saved me hours of stress and i highly recommend it..made the first few weeks a lot easier... That's it from us....many thanks to the wonderful people at Pamela Mann for these amazing tights...www.pamelamann.co.uk..they have also just started tights for girls, but unfortunately Zuri will have to wait a few years as they start from the age of 6...also a massive thanks to Kerrie for braving the cold with me x Teiko

The Lord Cares....he cares for you.....

My friend came back from Ghana today and brought an item back in this cute little bag. I immediately put it aside to show my husband. Cute and meaningful, slightly misplaced message I thought,but i loved the blatant reminder... lest we forget the Lord cares as we do our grocery shopping! 5mins later I heard the terrible news about the shooting in America. The Lord cares indeed. He cares for us. And it is my prayer that at this time his love and very nature comfort those in need.

Do not stand at my grave and weep I am not there, I do not sleep I am a 1,000 winds that blow I am the diamond glints on snow I am the sun on ripened grain I am the gentle autumn rain When you awaken in the morning's hush I am the swift uplifting rush Of quiet birds in circled light I am the soft star that shines at night Do not stand at my grave and cry I am not there; I did not die. Anon

It's been a while since I've really done any cooking. Pregnancy gave me a heightened sense of smell which put me completely off the kitchen, but I’m g r a d u a l l y getting back into the swing of things, and am looking forward to the festive treats that accompany Christmas dinner and all. Hence my excitement when I came across food brand Ciren Calui....if your a foodie like me you will appreciate the time and effort that goes into making these luxury accompaniments.....I also hope it encourages people out there who may feel they can't find the time to commit to their dreams and aspirations... Ciren Calui business owner Claudine is not only an award winning entrepreneur but also the mother of four beautiful children, that’s some serious time management going on there....very inspiring!

1.In a few words, tell me about your business and why you decided to create Ciren Calui. I make luxury chilli, savoury and sweet jams. I made chilli jam for Christmas presents a couple of years ago for friends and family and got a good response, so I started experimenting with ingredients and spices and creating unusual jams – gave them to friends to try and loved peoples response and with the encouragement from friends decided to start selling them. CIREN CALUI was born.

2.How have u managed to combine the challenges of motherhood with being the owner of a thriving business? Tell us about any difficulties you have overcome. It is very challenging juggling motherhood and running a business, but I do it because of my kids – I named the business after them and also working for myself enables me to be more flexible with my time. I can work around things. It does get difficult when I’ve got shows on, but I find the best solutions I can.

3.What advice would you give to those of us who want to start thier own businesses in 2013? If you got a business idea and you think it can work, go for it…you got to follow your dreams and work hard to achieve them.

4.In this current economic climate how do stay inspired, what motivates you and what are your long term goals for your business? As we know the current economic climate isn’t easy at the moment and money is tight, but I stay focused on what I’m doing and I believe people will always spend money on something that tastes really good. I have won 4 great taste awards for my jams so far, so knowing people are loving my flavours inspires me to keep creating more, people will always looking for that something different.

5.Tell us more about your range? There are 17 different kinds of jams, ranging from chilli, savoury and sweet jams. They are all great condiments for cheese and meats. Delicious In sandwiches & used in marinades and cooking.

6.Are there any products you would recommend for the Christmas season in particular? Yes My Cranberry & Chilli Jam is perfect with your festive meats, be it just used as a condiment for turkey or used as a glaze for your festive hams. The Red Onion spicy jam is great for your cheese boards and The Ginger, Chilli & Allspice jam is delicious with meats especially chipolatas – glaze them with this jam and roast to give them a nice spicy gingery kick & for something sweet try Cranberry Spiced, Sweet spicy Jam or Blueberry spiced jam, The perfect jams to have for breakfast on toast/ croissants Christmas morning. You won’t be disappointed.

7.Where do we purchase items from your line? All jams are available online at www.cirencalui.com. I am also at North Harrow market the first week of every month. Check online to see where I’m selling.

8.Please share any cooking tips with us! Experiment! Experiment! Experiment!

9.What are your personal favourites and why? I don’t know?? It changes I might want a real hot kick one minute so I’ll go for The Scotch Bonnet & Pomegranate, or if I want it smoky and hot, The Spicy Chipotle jam. My favourite savoury is the Spicy Red Onion jam and my favourite sweet one is Cranberry spiced jam, love it on croissants and toast.

10.Moto for 2013. Believe in yourself and never give up. For more information....www.cirencalui.com...bon appetit x Teiko