Tartan Treasures

Whilst having a little wander through TK Maxx the other day I stumbled upon a stand packed with Burberry Make up, from mascara to foundation to eyeshadow to lip gloss, if you can name it it was there.

Seeing as it was all marked down, I thought it'd be due not to pick a couple bits up!  I chose the Velvet Foundation in Trench No.201 and the Fresh Glow luminous fluid base in Nude Radiance No.01.  I've worn them both a couple times and am loving them!  The consistency of both is really lovely to apply and they look so flawless on the skin.  

The Velvet Foundation lasts aaages and blends so well, a little bit definitely goes a hella long way!  The Fresh Glow is gorgeous too, like a giant bottle of liquid highlighter that soaks into the skin and leaves you looking all healthy and shimmery.  It's perfect for those summer days when you want something on your face but not a whole face of heavy make up.

I'm not sure I could have forked out £35 each for them, but seeing as they were £20 each in TK Maxx I figured it was practically buy on get one free (that's what I told myself anyway!)

Steph

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It's a Wrap

Wrapping gifts has got to be in my top 10 things I love to do, Christmas turns me into a kid in a sweetshop!  The different papers,  the cute tags, the ribbons, the raffia, even just brown paper packages tied up with string (see what I did there haha!)  Maybe it's a throwback to my days in the chippy wrapping endless portions of fish and chips...

...anyway! When one of my besets friends' birthday rolled around and I got to send her a parcel full of goodies I was super excited.  In terms of the actual shopping for the gifts, getting them delivered and figuring out what to get her...lets just say I sent the parcel 2 weeks after her birthday (oops!) but once I had everything there, I was whirlwind of wrapping, packaging and making it all look beautiful.

It all started with a box...

...I found this one at TK Maxx and loved the message on the top.  It's so nice to be able to make the packaging itself part of the gift and something you can keep.  This one had little section cards inside as well so you can organise those photos even if they're not in the albums yet.

To put in the box I ordered some Michael Todd skin care products.  I'v been using these for a little while now and, although they can be pricey (especially with customs charges, why don't I live  in the USA?) they are all organic, vegan and so kind to your skin.  I ordered the sensitive skin bridal package (my friend isn't getting married but she has super sensitive skin so I erred on the side of caution!)

I also picked up a copy of The Vintage Tea Party a book I was given for my birthday and absolutely love.  My friend loves to bake and the whole book just instantly made me think of her.

Once I'd finally gotten round to getting all the bits and bobs to go in the box I filled it with tissue paper (I told myself it was to protect the presents in the post, but it was totally just because it looks cute!) and wrapped the book in the same paper.  I put the book  on top of the other presents so it was more of a surprise when she opened it and all she saw was tissue paper.

And then just to keep it all together in the post I tied the box shut with some raffia and slid the birthday card under the bow.

I had so much fun putting this little box together and parcelling it up in brown paper to take to the post office, and I know it will have put a smile on my friend's face to open something that's had a little time and effort spent on it.

Steph

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I Want Candy!

Summer fragrances are something I really look forward to each year.  This one being no exception I eagerly started looking for a scent I could wear all summer and still love by the time October rolls around.

I took a little more time this year, maybe because it's the first summer in four years I've been single and, therefore, not had a bunch of fragrances immediately discarded.  This year I was looking to find something that I like, regardless of how others take to it.

I found a sample for Prada Candy - Florale in a magazine I was reading and instantly fell in love with it.  It's so light, feminine and sweet without being overpowering.  The floral notes really come through but the sweetness off sets them somehow.  

(I've just realised I'm awful at describing a smell so go smell, you'll love it I promise!)

I've been wearing it non stop, every time I catch a whiff of it I fell like a child again, watching my mum getting ready to go out and wearing a gorgeous perfume.  It has an air of glamour without being in your face.

Also, can we just talk about the bottle for a minute!  It so super cute!  I love the little mushroom top to it (it's probably got some fancy name but mushroom top will do for me!) it's just really well designed and looks amazing on my perfume shelf.

I'd love to try out a couple more summer fragrances this year, so any suggestions please pop them below and I'l be sure to check them out :)

Steph

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Vegan...Take Two

I gave Veganism a go for Lent this year, 40 days and nights of no animal products, and I loved it.  However, as it does every year, Lent came to an end and, slowly but surely, so did my commitment to veganism.

For the past two months I've guiltily eaten meat, dairy and all manner of junk food and to be brutally honest, I've felt like crap! Transitioning to the vegan lifestyle felt so easy and so natural to me and then I went and fell of the bandwagon with a serious bump.

But (and yes it's gotten bigger!) despite the lure of the rubbish food, the added pounds and the lack of energy I haven't lost sight of my vegan ideals.  This week I have decided to get back on track, cut out the junk and the animal products and get myself moving again.

I started today with a smoothie, a vegan bagel topped with banana and a HUGE glass of water and I'm determined to keep it up!  I went for a run (even in the heat, major sweaty betty!) and even tried something new.  I sat in my garden, under the canopy of the trees in the pouring rain in my little mac and let myself just be.  Nothing but be.

So often I feel as if I spend all my time worrying, panicking, filled with anxiety, chasing to-do lists and working towards the lifestyle I want and feel will make me happy.  I reckon it's time to sit for a few minutes each day in the greta outdoors and take time to take stock of where I am, who I am and just be.

We can spend our lives working towards our happy, healthy place but all we really have is now, this moment and I need more than the odd reminder to stop and remember that.

So...step one, vegan and get my health on track,

step two...stick a smile on :)

step three...breath and enjoy, it'll all be okay

Steph

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Nostalgia

Looking through old photographs is literally one of my favourite things to do.  Family photos are alway my favourite, but even photographs from 100 years ago capture my imagination and set me wondering bout the muses and their lives.

I recently rediscovered these two gems which really made me smile.  A photograph of me dancing with my Dad at a family friend's wedding (and we're both smiling which is a rarity in it's won right!).  I love the fact I can see this image and remember the day as if it were yesterday, without the photo I probably wouldn't think to access that memory and the happiness it brings.

Recalling happy memories can increase current happiness and having photos around definitely does that for me.

This second picture also put a huge smile on my face.  My Mum, looking ever so pleased with herself as she yells her head off, and my Uncle proudly holding tightly onto her hand.  The sweetness coupes with the hilarity of my Mum's expression warms my heart and makes me giggle every time I see it.

Photos are so precious, they'll always be something I hold onto for that little jog to remember the good times :)

Steph

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All By Myself...

This week I was lucky enough to spend a night in a lovely hotel for the night.  I spent the days leading up to it day dreaming about laying in a giant bed, clean sheets, room service and having an evening to myself that I could spend however I pleased.

As lovely as it was to have a gorgeous bed, clean sheets, amaaaazing room service (eyes bigger than my tummy clearly!) I didn't enjoy the solitude as much as I thought I would.

I've always been the sort of person who enjoys their own space, I love spending time with my friends and family but I've always needed that hour or so to myself to just be.

Apparently an entire evening is a lot longer than I had anticipated!  After flopping on the bed, teasing out the fancy soaps, ordering food and watching telly I started to wonder what to do next.  My answer was to stick on a face mask and continue watching trash TV, and it was lovely, but it was also nice to know I'd be headed back into the real world again in the morning.

Steph

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Smile Like You Mean It #2

Audrey Hepburn clearly was a very wise lady! And on the note the things that have made me smile this week include...

1) Bright Orange Hair, having orange hair has made me feel as if summer is truly on it's way, bring on the sun, the BBQs in the rain and parks full of people attempting to catch even the smallest ray of sunshine.







2) Bingo!  This week I played bingo for the first time ever and it was hilarious! We won nothing, had no clue what we were doing until a kind lady helped us out an hour in and then got so into marking off the numbers we were covered in pen by the end! If you've never been it's a real laugh on a rainy day with a couple of mates, you might even win!









3) The British countryside, I've travelled across the country, more than usual, this week and the British countryside never fails to put a smile on my face. I am truly blessed to live in such a beautiful country full of fields, trees and pink summer night skies. Living in London often means I don't get to see too much of the countryside but the views out the window when I'm travelling always manage to keep me from falling asleep and put a smile on my face :)







Hope you have a lovely weekend!




Steph

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Buy Less, Value More

Last night was the start of a brand new series I'd been looking forward to since I heard about it a couple weeks ago.  Dawn O'Porter's This Old Thing is a guide to vintage shopping for those who never stray too far from the high street.

I don't claim to be super knowledgable about the vintage clothing industry but I do have an interest in it, and would love to own a few more pieces.  As Dawn says 'buy less, value more', and it really is true.  Of the few vintage pieces I own they are some of my favourite things to wear.  I love knowing that I'm wearing something with a back story, something that no one else is going to be wearing and something that I've chosen for me, not because it's been marketed in a way to appeal to me right now.

The first episode of the show saw Dawn assist two women with reservations about vintage shopping, both to be converted to the pre-loved way of shopping.  I also loved that she featured a section of customising vintage pieces.  I think a lot of people can be put off by the worry that they will look as if they've been left behind and will look unfashionable.  By customising, tailoring, altering and showing that you can transform something you like into a garment you love is such a great idea.

I can't wait for next weeks episode and will definitely be checking out Dawn's scrapbook at channel4.com/dawn (I may have also just ordered the book!)

I'd love to know anyone else's opinion on the show and tips for vintage shopping :)

Steph

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Monday Musings (on a Wednesday!) #4 ~ New Hair, Why Do You Care?‏

The other week I dyed my hair. I'm no stranger to dying my hair and the people who know me well are used to seeing strange things happening on my head at any given time. It's not conventional but I like it, it's an extension of my personality and the mood and emotions I happen to be experiencing at that time. 

 The only downside to having interestingly coloured hair is the comments from those who don't know me quite so well, from the positive 'that looks awesome, wish I had the balls to go that colour' to those who have literally laughed in my face. 

People change and evolve all the time, if we stayed the same we would be extinct by now, change is a fact of life and I quite like a change now and then. 

There are those who will say 'If you don't want the attention why do something that marks you out so much?' And it's a fair question to ask. I choose to change my hair and experiment with my appearance because I enjoy it, it makes me happy to try something new and to express myself. 

I feel lucky to have been encouraged to express my opinions and emotions by my family and, although I often find it hard to verbalise my every thought, visually I usually feel comfortable doing so. It would be so sad to see those who feel less confident expressing themselves not doing so because they fear what others will say.  

So for those who have laughed in my face, decided 'yea I'd probably still would even with that hair' (delightful as that one is!), sighed 'oh you changed it again' or told me point blank you don't like it...
it's my hair, why do you care? 

Steph  

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A New Arrival

If you've seen any of my Instagram pictures recently (or even glanced at the bar to the right) you may have noticed a certain someone has been cropping up an awful lot!

 The latest arrival into my life is my gorgeous new kitten Pickle!  At 11 months old I'm not sure if she still classes as a kitten, but she's full of energy and always bouncing around so she certainly still has the mentality of one!

Clearly playing so much is very tiring!

Since before Christmas last year I've been asking my parents if they would let me have a cat (as I'm currently living under their roof I didn't think I could just spontaneously bring one home!)  I asked for one as a Christmas present and Christmas came and went, with no sign of any four legged friends, so I upped my campaign!

'Kitten' was added to shopping lists, chalkboards, to-do lists, I mentioned cats at least once a day (it's a wonder I'm still allowed to live here!) but it payed off!  On my birthday my Dad dutifully took me up to Battersea Cats and Dogs home to be interviewed with a view to adopting a kitten.  The next weekend we were back and I met the gorgeous Pickle (previously named Kiara) and was able to bring her home!

Pickle loves a bit of 'Made In Chelsea'!

Pickle hasn't had the easiest of starts, she was brought to Battersea after her first owner decided having a kitten and a new born baby was a little too much to handle. She was then adopted and returned a few weeks later with the lady claiming 'she's ruining my life!'(How I'll never know!)  No one is quite sure what happened there but I'm told she came back a much more frightened cat and lost a lot of confidence in those few short weeks :(

However, she's been home with me for almost 5 weeks now and I can safely say she's done nothing but improve my life!  Even shoving her face in mine at 6am each morning to let me know she expects breakfast, leaping on windowsills to try and climb through windows, making nests in my bed (I now have to be extra careful to check the bed so I don't sit on her!) and racing up and down the stairs in the middle of the night because playtime just can't wait till morning!

I feel so lucky to be able to give her another chance at a good home and a family who appreciates her and hope even more of her confidence will come back and she continues to settle in.  I already miss having her curled up on my feet as I sleep when I'm working away from home and can't wait to watch her explore the garden when she's allowed outside for the first time.

If you are thinking of getting a new pet too, please do consider adopting an animal from your local shelter.  They might take a little extra work to gain their trust and get their confidence back but they are so rewarding and grateful to have a new home and loving family, it makes it all the sweeter!

Steph

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(P.S. If you'd like to see more pictures of her click the Instagram link on the right, she's all over it haha!)

Smile Like You Mean It #1

As if keeping up with one weekly post was going so well for me (I honestly don't understand where the time goes each week! (man that makes me sound ooold!)) I've decided to do a weekly round up of the things that have made me smile each week.

I feel like too often we hear the negatives and the disasters happening in the world and it's always nice to look back on the week and the things that made you smile or giggle, even if it was only one tiny thing :)

So here goes, this week I smiled because...

1) I found out I work with a guy named Kevin G...I'm gunna let that sink in for a moment!  If you haven't seen Mean Girls (where have you been for the past 10 years!) here's a picture of Kevin G, Math Enthusiast/Bad-Ass M.C. (as his business card states!)

Sadly Kevin G at my work isn't a Math Enthusiast or a Bad-Ass M.C. but it still puts a smile on my face whenever I pass him!

2) I discovered Photo Booth on my Mac.  Being pretty new to the whole Mac thing I had no idea what it was until I clicked it and saw my face morphed into an alien!  Best 5 minutes (read hour!) I spent all week!

Is it wrong to be actually kinda impressed with my cheek bones here?!

3) I was lucky enough to get to watch the England XV v Barbarians Rugby match at Twickenham.  Cue hot men in little shorts hurling themselves around a pitch (swoon) but also a super exciting match that I really got into.  There was such a lovely atmosphere, the place was packed with families and rugby fans alike and the sun was shining, definitely a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Twickenham!

4) I got to spend a weekend with one of my best friends who I've not seen in far too long!  We partied, ate faaar too much McDonalds in a cab on the way home (vegan dieting apparently goes out the window when alcohol is involved, bad Steph!), stayed up all night laughing and then drove to London for the rugby singing Frozen songs all the way!

Let me take a selfie!

These are just a few things that made me smile this week.  It's actually made me appreciate them more by looking out for them and keeping a track of them, rather than focusing on the negatives.  I hope you've had a lovely week and don't forget to smile, even if it is just for a second, it can make the world of difference, I promise :)

Steph

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Tanya Burr ~ Lips and Nails

I feel like I'm massively late to the party on this one, but the other week I finally got around to picking up a couple of Tanya Burr's new products.

Tanya is a Make Up Artist turned beauty blogger with her own, super successful, YouTube channel and has now ventured into producing beauty products, starting with lip glosses and nail polishes.

I picked up two of her lip glosses and one of the polishes the other week and have to say I've been pretty impressed!  

Not usually one for lip gloss (I'm much more of a bold matte lip sorta girl) I wasn't sure how much I was going to like the glosses but I've been really pleasantly surprised.  Glosses I've used in the past haven't had the staying power or the depth of pigmentation I like but these have stayed put for hours on end and required minimal top up.

I chose 'First Date' and 'Just Peachy'.  They're both pretty subtle shades but are super cute for day to day wear and go with pretty much any make up look.  The only down side I've found is application, a lot of product seems to come out at once and I've ended up having to blot my lips or spread the product out with my fingers to prevent it looking super thick or just having too much on my lips at once.  This is by no means a huge issue though and is easily got around by dabbing small amounts onto the lips and spreading with a separate brush or your finger.

Wearing 'First Date' (for an actual first date!)

As for the nail polish I picked up 'Bright and Early' a gorgeous hot pink that manages to match my phone perfectly (no I didn't choose it for that reason haha!)

I put on two coats of the polish but it would also have wired with just one, as it's a really nice consistency and really opaque.  The thing I've been most impressed with is the staying power of this polish.  I work in a job where I am using my hands for 8 hours a day and no matter what I do my nails are always chipped within a half hour of being at work :(  I was so surprised to find that after my first shift of the week my nails hadn't chipped at all and the colour still looked perfect!

I thought that there was no way they'd last the next few shifts but amazingly they've lasted 3 crazy busy days and aside from breaking a nail (which still didn't chip the polish!) they are still going strong!

Nails after 3 shifts and a couple of lazier days, still going strong!

I've been really impressed by Tanya's collection and look forward to see what she'll bring out next.  As for this collection, I think I'm going to have to head back to Superdrug and get a couple more of her pieces before they disappear off the shelves!

Steph

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Monday Musings #3 ~ It's Not Me, It's You

Looks like I've finally gotten a round to a Monday Musing again, not like it's been months or anything!

Today at work a guy asked me for my number, I politely declined and was instantly insulted and then studiously ignored for the rest of the day with the occasional glare from across the shop.

In the past I've apparently not been clear enough with expressing my disinterest and have been accused of 'leading a guy on' purely because I was trying to spare his feelings and not be rude.

So which approach is right? And why do men (I'm generalising here from my own experiences) always seem to require an excuse as to why a woman says no?

I don't feel right lying to someone and feeling them I have a boyfriend, and why should I have to justify my decisions or choices to someone purely because they have asked me out?

I've watched the film 'He's Just Not That Into You' a couple of times, it follows the typical premise that women always want the man and it is his choice who he picks.  Why, in today's society, is there such a divide?

From my experience a woman is far more likely to pick herself up and move on with good grace after a knock back, while men (again I can only go from my experience) will sulk, guilt trip the girl, get angry or demand an explanation as to the meaning of every action or move made.

So to the oh-so-charming men I have met of late, as harsh as it may sound and I'm sure you'll call me heartless (amongst other things), it's not me, it's you, I'm just not that into you.

Nailed It!

In an effort to look (and feel) a little more girly on my birthday week off from work I decided to try out some new nails, and my god have I been loving them!

After looking at the more tones down nails in boots I stumbled across the House of Holland and Elegant Touch line and fell in love!  The had nails with tiny animals on,nails with playing cards on, spotty, stripy and, my absolute favourite, 'zig zag stardust'!

I've not been able to stop looking at my hands since I put them on, and the cherry on the top...they glow in UV!  Yes, that's right, Saturday night I had the coolest, glowyest, brightest nails Swansea had ever seen!

I'm going to be gutted to have to take these off to go back to work next week, but until then I'm glowing all the way!

Steph

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Vegan Living ~ Happy Earth Day

Happy Earth Day!



This year for lent, instead of giving up chocolate or crisps like I usually do I decided I'd try something new and make a lifestyle change. This year for lent I gave up all animal products and produce and went vegan.




In hindsight I maybe should have tried being vegetarian first and eased myself in but, typical me, I jumped in with both feet and expected to be able to swim right away! The first few days were okay, it was exciting finding vegan options of foods I love and feeling like I was making really good choices. And then Sunday rolled around and I found myself eating a nut cutlet with a mountain of veg and roast potatoes that weren't quite crispy as they'd been done without the fat from the meat while I watched everyone we tuck into extra crispy roast potatoes and roast lamb. Needless to say I was not the most chatty at the table that day!




After my first non-roast roast (and in a seriously sulky mood) I did what anyone would do...I consulted the internet. I researched all the reasons I'd wanted to try out veganism in the first place, like animal treatment in dairy, egg and meat farms, the health benefits of eating fewer animal products and the impact on the environment. I was a little overwhelmed by what I found, I never knew salmon from farms are fed dyes to colour their flesh pink so it looks like wild salmon, or that there is no definition of free range when it comes to eggs, or the way they sort chicks ready to become egg layers (unless you have a strong stomach I wouldn't recommend watching those videos). 




I found a lot of my information on YouTube from the amazing Freelee The Banana Girl. She's recently been all over the press for her diet and come up against all sorts of criticism as well as praise. Reading those articles it could be easy to judge the vegan and raw vegan lifestyle but watching her videos (and her boyfriend DurianRider) really helped me gain a perspective on veganism and the benefits of a cruelty free diet.




As well as Freelee I also found Loni Jane (who kept a vegan lifestyle throughout her pregnancy and now has the most gorgeous little boy!) and Mary Mattern who created Nom Yourself and has inspired Ellie Goulding to take up a vegan lifestyle. Turns out once I took a little time to find people out there they're everywhere and looking to help people move over to the lifestyle.




Going vegan for lent definitely did get better after that first roast and I've really found myself loving veg even more than I did before. I've alps found a new love for fruit over the past couple of weeks and have been making smoothies nonstop! I had a few slip ups too (drunk kebabs were not on the plan!) but I've stuck to it on the whole and I'm really proud of myself for trying something new and so different to what I'm used to. 




Only question now is whether to make this a permanent change (think I might eat my Easter eggs first!)




Steph

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Monday Musings #2

This week, as my single girl life continues, I've been thinking about kissing and big of a deal something so simple is.

From angst filled teenage kisses to slightly past tipsy on the dance floor of a club kisses, its mad how something goes from being such a huge deal to something almost trivial as you grow up and your experiences broaden.

A kiss is usually the first taste (no pun intended!) of someone you might kinda like, and how they work.  We all do it differently and some or by far better than others, and I got to thinking about those who have fallen a little short in the snogging stakes.

Age 18 on one of my first nights out in a club it's fair to say I drank a little too much (massive understatement!) and ended up kissing a guy I'd met earlier.  It wasn't great, hammered kisses usually aren't, especially when one (or both of you *cringe*) has to leave to throw up in the toilets part way through.  Not my finest moment!

The there's the rugby player, who seemed to be ticking all the boxes.  That was until he tried to break my neck by apparently confusing a kiss with a scrum.  I still get twinges down the back of my neck from time to time, shoulda asked him for the number of his physio.

And then, more recently, there was the case of a guy who talked the talk and walked the walk (charming birds from the trees type of guy).  Who for all his hype was apparently taught to kiss by a washing machine.

It's not always the boys though, and some can be real sweethearts when you mess up too.  Like the guy who, after establishing I wasn't laughing at him, was super cool about my attack of the giggles mid snog (again a case of a little too much wine), or the guy who checked in after we'd said goodnight 'just to make sure I'd enjoyed the kiss' and 'did he do okay' (bless him!)

So there you have it, from womanizing washing machines to men who should come with a physical health warning.  Men-kind you do lighten up my life, and as long as you'll put up with my attacks of the giggles and standing on the yellow pages when I'm wearing my heels I'm sure I can put up with a few bad snogs here and there (gives me something to write about anyway!)

Steph

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The Monuments Men - Review

 This week I headed to the cinema on a rare outing with the family.  It's nice to be able to hang out with them all and have everyone together once in a while (despite the fact we all live in the same house there never seems to be more than 2 of us in at a time!).

Anyway, we headed off on our little excursion to see The Monuments Men, a film I knew nothing about and wasn't overly enthused to be going to see.  More fool me, because the film was amazing!  There are few films out there that really strike a chord with me, but boy this one really hit me.

The Monuments Men were a team of Professors, Art Collectors and Art Specialists who were tasked to find the art stolen from Museums and Collectors across Europe by Hitler during the Second World War.  Hitler planned to build and fill the Fuhrermuseum with all the great works, and burn or destroy anything that he disliked.

The Monuments Men were determined to preserve the artworks and ensure that they remained for future generations to admire, enjoy and study.  Amongst the serious undertone of the film it's also a hilarious watch, taking you on a roller coaster of emotions.

Something about the combination of the horrors of war, the beauty of art and the passion of those willing to risk their lives so that future generations might know something of their past makes this film a must see.

Monday Musings #1

The last time I tried to start a series on here I made one post, got half way through a second one and gave up (always full of good intentions!) but it's a new year and I'm going to give it a go again!  So here it is, the first Monday Musings, and hopefully the start of many...

One of my New Years Resolutions was to focus on my anxiety and try my best to gain a handle on it.  One of my main problems is worrying constantly how others perceive me, from how I look to whether I'm letting people down or not doing them proud.

I've been thinking a lot about self confidence and self respect the past few weeks and really identified with the quote 'It aint what they call you, It's what you answer to'.

It got me thinking how easy it is to accept others opinions as fact or assume that one person's view is shared by everyone.  You don't have to accept someone else's limitations for yourself and you certainly don't have to agree with their opinions, that's why it's an opinion. 

Respecting other's opinions is essential in life but so is respecting yourself enough to know that your feelings and opinions are just as valid as theirs.  You can't control what people will say or how they perceive you but you can change your outlook and attitude and be the best version of you for you.
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Lighten Up

As Spring rounds the corner and I'm starting to pull myself out of my post break-up funk (I've spent far too long in the wallowy/stalk him on facebook/worry I'll be alone forever phase, not the best look!) I decided it was time to lighten up a bit!

I started from the top and ombréd my hair!  I've ombréd my hair before but it got a little lost in amongst the pinks/blues/reds/oranges and every other colour you can think of, but as my hair is growing back into its natural colour I thought I'd add a little sun to the tips.

Previously I've used bleach and just mixed a small amount but I thought I'd try something new this time and went for the L'Oreal Paris Intense Ombré Préférence.  I used the light to dark brown intense effect box and I think it's turned out pretty well!

I love that it comes with a little brish so you can just put the mixture onto that and bush it through your hair.  It made it so much easier to get it level all around the head rather than using my hands or a tinting brush to put it onto the hair.

before & after

 I only left the mixture on for 25 mins (you can leave it on for up to 45) as I wasn't too sure how my damaged hair would react it it.  But I think I'll be doing another process in the next few weeks to lighten up even more!

x

Be My Valentine?

As my first single Valentines Day in a while got ever closer I started to get the concerned messages from loved up friends.  How was I planning to spend the day? Would I be doing anything fun? Had anyone offered to take me out?

Rather than feeling sad that I had no Valentine this year I got to thinking how blessed I am to have so many people in my life who care enough to worry about me and how today might make me feel.  And rather than looking at happy couples with a wistful look in my eye, I've found myself feeling really happy that those I love have found someone to love and care for them.

So this Valentines Day I'm going to celebrate love in all forms, from my friends, my family and be thankful that I have such amazing people around me.  

And then I'm going to sit and watch all my favorite films without worrying that someone else might not be enjoying them as much as I am, paint my nails without complaints of the smell of fumes, do a face mask without having to worry about who will see me with a green face and snuggle up in my onesie, feeling thankful that uncomfortably small and restrictive underwear is not something I have to contend with this year!

x

Primarni Love

This week I've had a little more spare time than usual and I decided to use it wisely and hit the shops!  I've been lusting after American Apparel's Disco Pants for what feels like forever now but just can't bring myself to part with £70-£80 for what is essentially a pair of shiny leggings :(

Luckily there are tonnes of dupes on the high street and I found a pair I loved in H&M for a fraction of the price.  I've been wearing them non-stop since, they've even kicked my jeans back into the wardrobe!

After picking up the trousers I headed to Primark to see if they had any cropped tees to pair with them, and I wasn't disappointed.  They've got some seriousl lovely pieces in Primark at the moment, I may have to make another trip!  But here's the first few bits I picked out to pair with my 'disco pants'.

Top Left ~ I love this little polka dot shirt its so cute and drapes really nicely

Top Right ~ This t-shirt has become one of my faves already.  it's super comfy and the perfect length with the trousers

Bottom Left ~ I can't wait for summer and I think I'll have to save this one till the sun makes a reappearance!

Bottom Right ~ I couldn't help myself when I saw these socks, so cute!

x

Challenge Yourself

In a bid to up my fitness and become a healthier human being I've been working out a lot more than I ever have before.  I figured that seeing as every year I set myself the same goal, to feel comfortable in my bikini on holiday, maybe this year I should actually do something about it!

I'm not the greatest at repetitive programs as I loose interest waaay too quickly but across January I managed to (mostly) stick to Jessica Smith TV's January Challenge and do something each day.

As February rolled around and the challenge ended I started to get a little lazy again.  So today I have decided to take up a new challenge and to try and complete as many challenges as possible this year.

Today I found the 30 Day Fitness Challenges page and I think I may have a new fitness go-to.  They have loads of challenges that last (unsurprisingly) for 30 days so you can do one a moth or, if you're feeling really brave, give a couple a go at the same time.

I've decided to start off with the 30 Day Ab & Squat Challenge as my bum and stomach are both areas that I'm really self conscious about.  I'm hoping to ad another challenge at the start of March to keep pushing myself and hopefully see more of a change.

Now I've written this all down I've no excuse for not doing it!  Wish me luck!

x