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.