Hello gorgeous!
I’ve moved over to Effervescent Kelly, so catch me there!
My name is Kelly and I’m an autistic single mother and writer living in Cardiff, South Wales. I am madly in love with my two adorable and energetic home educated children, George (12) and Molly (11), as well as our crazy labradoodle, Ziggy and cockapoo, Peaches!
In 2007 I studied my MA in Creative Writing at Aberystwyth University. After this I moved to Cardiff and George arrived soon after in 2009, followed by his little sister Molly in 2010. Before Molly was born we found out my father had lung cancer, so we packed up and moved to Birmingham. Whilst there I began studying as a midwife, but when my Dad died in 2013, I woke up to a world of realisation. I decided to follow my dreams; spending more time with my children, writing and finding joy in life.
In 2013 we moved to Llantrisant, got a dog (as you do!) and started following my dreams. Life was up and down and in 2016 we removed the children from school (for various reasons) and my writing went on hold for a while. As the children grew and I discovered the world of blogging, and I started to realise how (if I could balance my time in a healthy and manageable way) I could write alongside our home ed life.
In 2017 we moved to Cardiff and we’ve been here ever since!
Over the years I’ve developed a passion for writing, reading books, movies, theatre, adventures, long dog walks, rainy days and being as creative as possible.
I’ve always had a passion for clothing, fashion, and expressing myself, but I’ve always been too scared/busy/tired (Mom life) to explore it to its fullest potential…
But during the year before my 40th Birthday I managed to reignite my love for fashion, just in a way I never expected it to happen. I discovered the world of preloved, vintage, and sustainable fashion, and I haven’t looked back…
I love nothing more than searching charity shops for that one hidden gem, or joining amazing lives on Instagram in hope of something I know I cannot live without. I love supporting sustainable businesses, and no longer contributing to the fast fashion world pushed onto us by the media and society.
Do I wear my clothes over and over again?! Hell yes, and so should everyone!
This journey has been a joyous one, and I feel so proud of myself for finally being who I truly am, wearing what I want to wear, and no longer caving to ‘societal norms’. I want to wear clashing patterns, a mix of colours and textures, and I want to just be ME!
You see, when it comes to vintage and preloved clothing, there are so many unique things to discover, and I’m here for it all! I use this little place to share my thoughts, knowledge, and experiences, to help you join the the thrifting world and discover all its beautiful treasures.
So here’s to being an openly autistic, queer, book and vintage clothes nerd, if you like what you see, stick around!
You can follow me on Instagram and TikTok for more autism chat, style inspiration and other bits and bobs, I’d love to connect with you over there too!
Where next?
If you’re new here, why not check out my vintage and preloved resource page? It’s full of great advice, tips and help to get you started.
If you’re keen to work with me then check out my Work With Me page, or you’d like to chat or get in touch straight away then pop me an email!