Showing posts with label All Things Lifestyle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label All Things Lifestyle. Show all posts

2 June 2015

Sisterhood of the World, Blogger Award.


First of all I want to say a huge thank you to Ayah and Kimmy, the wonderful writers behind Embrace the Light and secondly, I do hope you'll stop by their blog and say hello!

They Asked Me...
#1 What is something you can't leave the house without?
I know this is really predictable but my mobile! I just love keeping in touch with my friends and family and sharing silly stories and photos with them throughout the day.

#1 Tell us one of your happiest moments?
Cuddling up under the stars with my boyfriend on our first night in Tenerife, which was also our first holiday abroad together.

#3 What's the best play/film you've ever seen?
Me and my boyfriend went to see Wicked at the theatre in London and it was truly spectacular. Everything about it was amazing from the story and songs to the costumes and acting. If you've not seen it, it's a must!

#4 As a kid what did you want to be when you was older?
A beautician/make-up artist. I've always loved being creative and dreamed of doing the makeup for catwalks and films, especially horrors!

#5 What is your favourite style tip?
Don't just wear it because it's in fashion! Make sure it suits you and you feel comfortable in it... confidence is beautiful.
Also stick to a colour scheme! I have such OCD when it comes to colour coordination!

#6 Do you have a favourite pair of shoes?
Yes my black barely there sandals from Next! They're so comfy and you just can't beat a pair of black heels.

#7 What's the best piece of advice anyone has ever given you?
Be yourself and don't worry about what anybody else thinks. As long as you're kind, that's all that matters.

#8 Your favourite food treat?
Ben and Jerry's Spectacular Speculoos Cookie Core, by the tub! Caramel and Cookies? Whats not to love!

#9 Who is your inspiration?
My friends, family and boyfriend who always make me want to be the best version of myself.

#10 What are your hopes for next year?
To win the lottery please?! Oh and to just keep pushing forward in all aspects of my life and see where they take me.


My Questions...
#1 What's your favourite part of blogging and why?
#2 What product is your skin saviour?
#3 Summer holiday vs. Winter holiday?
#4 If you were stranded on a desert island, what 3 things would you want with you?
#5 Where do you want to be in 5 years?
#6 How would you describe your style?
#7 What's your best/favourite joke?
#8 What's your favourite trend right now?
#9 What would be your perfect first date?
#10 Which celeb(s) do you look to for style inspiration?


My Nominees...


The Rules...
Thank the person who nominated you and share a link to their blog, answer their ten questions, write your own ten questions and nominate up to ten people.

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Whilst I'm here I just want to apologise for not blogging a lot lately, it's just I've been making lots of  exciting changes to things at work and that has had me super busy most nights, but hopefully I will be back to blogging as normal very soon!


Thanks for stopping by and keep an eye out for my latest posts.



19 May 2015

What's In My Bag?


A couple of years ago I used to have a different handbag for almost every outfit and was always misplacing my keys, purse and everything else, but as I've got older I've narrowed it down to two, a black bag and a brown bag. Sorted.

Since blogging I have become a lot more organised and I know where pretty much everything is and now that I have just two bags it's a lot easier to sort out what I need to take with me. Now of course some of these products do change depending on the weather, where I'm going and what I'm doing but here is a look in to the general bits and bobs that you would find in my handbag if you were to sneak a peak.
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The Essentials

So first of all I won't be going anywhere without my keys. Now these are just my house keys and for the purpose of a nice photo I removed my three photo keyrings, my cuddly unicorn and turtle key ring and my work keys. I have so many keyrings as they are all special to me and also because it makes finding my keys much easier.

Second is my purse, of course this is another must as without it I won't be going very far. When it comes to my purses I like them to be bright and have lots of different pockets so I was extremely happy when I was able to buy this Ralph Lauren one for just £30.

Right! I cannot state just how important it is to drink plenty of water throughout the day, especially when you're on the go. When I don't drink enough I get headaches and feel yucky which is why I always carry a bottle with me.

Eating regularly is also important and for me I like it to be something healthy and enjoyable which is why I love these nakd bars. I always make sure that I have one to eat in my bag as I get rather peckish when I'm out and if I don't eat I get very grumpy and begin to feel nauseous. 

I've always loved taking photos but since becoming a blogger I find it essential to have some form of camera in my hand at all times and well lets face it, iPhone cameras aren't the best and their storage is a joke which is why I like to take my Samsung digital camera with me wherever I go. It takes lovely photos whilst being small and light enough to go in most my bags. 

Now I never used to keep a hairbrush in my bag but as my hairs got longer it needs brushing that little bit more often especially on windy days so I now make sure I have a one in my bag at all times. This no tangles is my favourite as it gets the knots out quick and easy without damaging your hair.

Garlic, onion, salami.. possibly three of my favourite foods that seem to be in most of the meals I eat which is why I would be lost without my chewing gum. Garlic breath? No thanks!

Finally, after probably far to many years, I decided it was time to keep a pen with me at all times and now I don't know how I ever managed without one. Perhaps I should have listened to my Mum sooner.


My Makeup Bag

Being a girl the contents of my make up bag changes regularly but for me there are some things that are just a must. First is lipstick, an item which I am never without. My current favourite is Mac Cosmo as it goes with everything and keeps my lips looking hydrated all day. However, on some days my lips need that extra bit of moisture which is why I have Vaseline in almost every bag and coat pocket. Cocoa butter is my favourite! 

Next is my Rimmel bronzer and Elizabeth Arden blusher brush. I have used Rimmels bronzer since I have worn makeup and I love it just as much now as I did then. It's the perfect colour for me and I love that it's not to sparkly so it always looks natural making it suitable to be worn on bare skin and on top of foundation.

Since blogging I have started taking much better care of my skin and now I cannot be without a hand lotion and nail file. This particular hand lotion is by Molton Brown, it's a fantastic product and the bottle is just the size for my makeup bag.

Now I don't know about you, but I cannot think of anything worse than smelling which is why I take a miniature perfume with me wherever I go. At the minute I have been using this bottle of Marc Jacobs Daisy as it has such a lovely spring/summer scent.

Last but not least are bobbles and hair grips just because you never know when you're going to need them. I always make sure I have two bobbles and then just a few grips for any unruly pieces of hair.

This makeup bag is the perfect size for my things and was just £8 from next.


If We're Lucky

Living in England sunshine is not guaranteed, not even in summer, but on those days we're lucky enough to have even a minute of sun I will be there with my sunglasses! These ones are by Ralph Lauren and are probably my favourite as I don't think you can beat a tortoise shell frame.


What things do you keep in your bag?



6 May 2015

The Vamps 2015 World Tour.


First of all I want to say a HUGE thank you to my best friend Zoe for getting me this amazing Christmas present. I love love love music so going to see an incredible band like The Vamps is always going to make me happy, even if I was one of the eldest people in there that wasn't looking after children! 

Anyway, despite being a "boy band" with a teenage fanclub there not really boy band-y at all, infact they're super cool and extremely talented. Now when I say talented I don't just mean they put on a flashy light and dance show and sang good song, though they did that of course, I mean they write songs, produce songs, sing, play guitar, play drums and play piano too! As well as singing their own incredible songs last night they also did some fantastic covers from Taylor Swift to Sum 41.


Supporting The Vamps was Luke Friend from X-factor who has a truly amazing voice, The Tide, a Californian boy band who were really good as well and very entertaining and Union J who's music I don't really listen to but did a fantastic live performance.

 Though we were in seating for this concert, we did stand through pretty much the whole thing so I'm glad I chose the chunky heels that I did. I teamed them with my ripped Topshop jeans which I of course turned up to look that little bit more stylish and also to show off the slimness of my ankles in contrast with the chunky heels. I then went for a very simple baggy black tee which I dressed up with my gold collar necklace and River Island fedora hat with gold buckle detailing. The hat finished of this outfit perfectly and also hid where my hair had stuck to my head from getting too hot!


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Jeans - Same Here, £42
Shoes - Similar Here, £24.99
Top - Similar Here, £12.99
Hat - Same Here, £25
Necklace - Similar Here, £6
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If you've never thought about going to see The Vamps, but you like their music, you should definitely consider it as they are absolutely incredible and if you're interested to see what I'm raving on about I shall be posting some videos of them to my Twitter and Facebook which you can head on over to now via the links below. Don't forget to follow and I shall follow back!


I had such a fun time and really want to see them in concert again.

Who do you recommend I see next?



7 April 2015

A Beautiful Day In Matlock.


As a child I went to Matlock a lot, walking, visiting the caves and spending time in the sweet shops and arcades. Now that I'm older that's changed I love to go there and explore the antique stores and local shops, as supporting local businesses is such an important thing and you often find much nicer and unique items. Matlock is a beautiful place and it's perfect for a day out no matter what your age.

This bank holiday weekend the weather has been a bit temperamental we've had wind, rain and sun so I wanted an outfit that would be suitable no matter what. This gorgeous grey and nude knitted wrap was just £20 in the Next sale and I love how it can be dressed up or down and worn come rain or sun. On this occasion I tried to dress it up a bit wearing my new River Island hat with gold buckle detailing and having my hair in a chic yet simple updo. 


Black is always effortlessly glam and with the colours and pattern in the shawl I could get away with wearing it head to toe. This ASOS turtle neck dress top with side splits is gorgeous and I cant wait to share it with you a little bit more at a later date but for now all you need to know is that it actually has short sleeves and I have simple worn a long sleeved black top underneath in order to keep me warmer and also create the impression that it is a long sleeved turtle neck top. I completed my outfit with black skinny jeans, my thigh high boots and a small gold skull necklace. These boots may not have been cheap but they were definitely worth the money, I wear them loads!

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Wrap - Similar here, £12
Top - Same here, £16
Jeans - Similar here, £22.99
Boots - Same here, £159
Bag - Similar here, £7.99
Necklace - Similar here, £12
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I had great day exploring all the shops and found lots of amazing things like old binoculars, cameras, toys, typewriters and prams, we also had fun at the aquarium and enjoyed a delicious slice of tiffin at a little cafe. Whilst all the stores in Matlock are lovely I would like to give a special mention to Magpie Antiques & Collectables a gorgeous shop with friendly staff who were happy to help with taking a few photos for my blog, if you're ever in Matlock make sure you pay them a visit.

I of course couldn't leave without buying a few things and treated myself to some bathbombs from Talisman, some Joint Pain Relief from Dad's Bees and some gorgeous Helena Rudkin Earrings, all of which you can expect to see on my blog soon.


Thanks for the picture Magpie Antiques!



2 April 2015

Project: Organised.


Working, blogging, doing an NVQ, learning to drive, going to the gym, partaking in Zumba, seeing my family, friends and partner and getting some 'me time' is a lot to get done and though I do manage to juggle it all reasonably well, I decided it was time for me to get a bit more organised and stop flapping around in my 'organised chaos'.

This simple yet cute A4 notebook was just £5 from Tesco and they also have an A5 one for £4, I opted for A4 as I HATE having to fold nice crisp pieces of white paper. Grrr, one of my many niggles. This notebook caught my eye with it's bold title. I love the simplicity of the black and white with just that little pop of colour provided by the dividers, it's very me. I also love the fact that its a binder as it makes mistakes easy to remove, one pull and the page is gone. That's another thing I dislike, mistakes in my work! 


This notebook has a plastic front and back keeping it clean, tidy and free from tears and bends, it also has an elasticated fastening to keep everything together. It is divided in to 5 sections and each divider has a pouch so that you can keep any loose sheets in it as well. There is a good amount of lined paper in each section and at the back of the notebook is a plastic wallet with a zip where you could keep smaller pieces of paper, paper clips, post-it notes and perhaps your pen.

This is a fantastic notebook and I only have one complaint, and that is that the little cards that they provide you with keep moving around and look as though I may end up loosing them.

 If you want to stay organised and you like things neat and tidy this Project Notebook is definitely for you, I love it and am already finding it so handy. You can order yours online here.

How do you stay organised?



12 March 2015

Some Much Needed Me Time.


Work, play and not a lot of sleep, it's safe to say the past week has caught up on me big time. At the weekend I went to a wedding reception and drank a little too much and this week I have been working none stop with very little sleep. 

All this combined has resulted in me becoming run down, so finding these little goodies on my trip to Tesco was just what I needed to make me realise some "me time" was desperately needed.

This gorgeous glass bistro mug was what I spotted first. It's perfect for my delicious cup of hot lemon and ginger water in the morning, the best drink to kick start your day as it's refreshing and great for boosting the immune system, just what you need when you're feeling under the weather. Oh and it aids weight loss, just in case you needed another reason to try it!


This lovely dusky pink mug was just too cute to resist once it had caught my eye, I've been using it for a cheeky hot chocolate at night time whilst sat in bed with this delicately scented candle beside me. I know it's very simple but the colour matches my room and for a £1 I wasn't going to say no. Anyway it isn't simple anymore as a bit of lace and some double sided sticky tape fixed that.

Last but not least are these super adorable sleepy lamb slippers which I saw on my way to the till. They are so comfy and snug and I just couldn't resist them, I mean lambs are just the cutest right?! These slippers have been a life saver these cold early mornings on my tiled kitchen floor!

It's Thursday now and I'm feeling much better from taking this week off to just relax in bed watching netflix under my fairy lights.



How do you like to unwind?