Hanging around...

I absolutely love photos and I love having them all around the house. I've wanted to find a company that provides Instagram prints that look look like Polaroids for a long time so that I could create a washing line made up of my instagram prints and I found one! Woohoo!

I can't recommend firebox.com enough. The website was so fun and easy to browse and they delivered pretty quickly. I ordered 24 prints which cost me £14.99. I do think it is pretty pricey but I wanted them so much I couldn't resist! When they arrived they came with a mini red sharpie pen so I could write on them...perfect!

So we bought some white shelves from Ikea to go in with the theme in my bedroom, I ordered a bag of white mini pegs from amazon which only cost me a couple of pounds and I just clipped the photos onto some string and tied them around the shelves...voila!

I'm really happy with how they look and they've really added some more colour to my blue and white themed bedroom.

xxx

On the move...

Hello everyone...

I must apologise for my absence recently! I have just moved from a different side of the country, back to my home town of Southampton! Exciting times...

So I'll be a little quiet until I've finally sorted everything.

I'm loving putting my own touch on the place so I can't wait to share some photos of what I've been up to.

It was also my birthday at the end of July and I had a lovely time and got thoroughly spoilt! I went to afternoon tea with some friends at a place in the new forest called Rhinefield House Hotel. I really do recommend this place it's an absolutely gorgeous venue and the tea and cakes were absolutely delicious. I thoroughly over indulged! Now time to join a new gym I guess....groan...

My boyfriend treated me to a meal in the poshest restaurant in Royal Tunbridge Wells called Thackerays and it was just amazing. I felt very posh!

Be in touch soon!

xxx

OOTD MOTD: Summer BBQ...

On Saturday Paul and I had a BBQ to go at our friends house and the weather couldn't have been more perfect! In fact it was actually a little too hot and really would have been great for being at the beach for the day in a bikini! Plus the hayfever was in full swing which was not ideal!

It was a really fun day and the spread was absolutely incredible!

I thought I'd share with you what I wore and my make up for the day.



I apologise it's not a great photo! This is the worst mirror ever and I can't wait until we move so I can put up my pretty new one!

I got this skirt back in January from ASOS. It's by Mango. I absolutely love the colour of this skirt as I wear a lot of tan and golds so it's pretty much right there in my comfort zone! It has a really comfy elastic waist band and two slits up each side which was great for yesterday adding some extra breeze! The bottom is see through so there's a little jersey mini skirt attached on the inside. I actually love this skirt so much I bought it in navy too! My top is from Topshop. I really love their loose camis as they are so easy to wear with so many different things and very comfortable. My necklace is also from Topshop, which I only bought the other day in the sale for £4.50. Amazing bargain considering most of their jewellery is over £10.00. I wore my hair in a top knot which I just gathered all up in a rough ponytail and then twisted and gripped around. I'm quite surprised my hair actually stayed like this all day as I washed it that morning and it would normally just fall right out! What I'm holding in my hand are my favourite ever summer item right now....my GUCCI sunglasses...ahhhhh I love them. I bought them at duty free on the way to Mexico which was back in January so I was so happy when the summer arrived and I could put them on again. They were pretty pricey but since owning a pair of DIOR sunglasses a few years ago I made a decision that I would forever have a pair of designer sunglasses in my life!

I'm not really too experimental with my make up and I tend to go for a more natural look...mainly because I have no idea how to use eyeshadow! Sad I know! So here's a list of the products I used...

• Simple day cream - I really love this moisturiser. I have quite sensitive skin so I don't like paying too much money for fancy skin products if it's going to cause an issue with my skin! I had a reaction to the MAC primer and I was devastated! I stick to the simple brand because my skin is ... simple. That sounds ridiculous but you know what I mean!

• Garnier 5 Second Perfect Blur - I've only been using this product for a few days. I bought it in boots as it was offer for £9.99 rather than £12.99 and I've heard great reviews and it was the last one left so I grabbed it! I wouldn't say it's a good as the picture shows on the advertisement....ie all the blemishes have magically vanished after using it but it certainly helps hide them. It's also really velvety which I love and gives my skin a really nice finish.

• Chanel Vital Lumiere Aqua 20 - I've been using this foundation for many years now. I used to wear Pro Lumiere but as I got a bit older my skin changed and it was just too oily for me. Lucky for me I have a very close friend who works for Chanel so is always on hand to help! I love this foundation as, hence the name, it's water based so doesn't make my skin oily! The shade is probably a tad too warm for my skin tone but I do like a very slight warmth to my foundation. I find it lasts all day and blends really, really well. I've seen reviews of people saying it can seem to settle in dry patches, to be honest I do find this sometimes but I only ever get a dry patch between my eyebrows and it's only every now and again so it's not really an issue for me.

• Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealor - I actually have no idea what shade this is because I throw it in my bag everyday so a lot of the label has worn off! I'm not really a huge fan of this...don't get me wrong, it doesn't cake or anything like that and the shade is perfectly fine, I just don't find it particularly gets rid of my dark circles hence throwing it in my bag everyday for re application! Not ideal.

• Soleil Tan De Chanel - Another favourite! I bought this in October and it's pretty much all gone now but it has a firm spot in my daily make up routine.

• Benefit High Beam - An absolute favourite of mine and forever a re purchase. Best highlighter I've tried in my opinion. It gives such a lovely pearly glow on my cheek bones, nose and brow bone.

• Chanel Pudre Universelle Compacte 30 Naturel Translucent 2 - I've had this powder forever and it just doesn't seem to run out it's great! I just apply this with a powder brush after I've applied all my creamy products just to set everything and it's just right for me.

• MAC Gel Liner Blacktrack - I've had this for a really long time and I really love it. Once it's on...it does not budge which is amazing for a hayfever sufferer! I apply this with one of MACs angled brushes on top and bottom. I didn't do a flick, I just wanted to add a bit more definition to my lash line.

• Benefit They're Real Mascara - What can I say about this mascara!? It is just absolutely incredible! I recently did a post about this product so check it out!

• MAC Well Dressed - The first blusher I ever purchased from a MAC and now forever a re purchase. I've said before how much I love pink blush and this product seems to last a really long time. It's the perfect pink and has a slight shimmer to it too.

• Bobbi Brown Rose - To add even more of a highlight I apply this over the top of my blusher. Again, I previously did a post about this product. I love it!

• Soap And Glory Arch De Triumph - I've only recently started filling in my eyebrows and I don't know why I didn't do it sooner! I think I was worried I'd end up with a scouse brow! This pencil is really great. Though I do find myself sharpening very regularly. It has a highlighter pencil at the other end but I don't tend to use it as I've already applied High Beam and the Arch De Triumph is less subtle and a bit more difficult to blend!

• Chanel Rouge Co Co Shine 68 Candeur - Probably my favourite lipstick ever! A nudey light pink which lasts. It couldn't get better than that in my eyes! I was told this is a limited edition shade...OF COURSE! Sad times.

What did you get up to this weekend?

xxx

The last few days of 30 Day Snap Challenge

Well it's the end of the 30 Day Snap Challenge and I found it so hard!! I have been really busy over the last few days so found it hard to think about getting my phone out for photo opportunities! So here's a little collection of some photos I've taken over the last few days.

We had a murder mystery evening with work and it was really fun! A lot I the company came and it was a school theme...hence the name badge! And we were served proper school dinners!

I went back home to visit the family this weekend. My brother is getting married next summer and his lovely fiancé asked me to be bridesmaid in the cutest way! She made her own scented candles and put them in vintage tea cups with a lovely message written on the tag to all the bridesmaids! Obviously I accepted and cannot wait for the wedding! Check out bells, bows and bella for her blog!

This is our family dog Boris. He's a French bulldog and still a puppy and he's soooo cute! He's my looking too attractive in this photo though!

It has been super hot this weekend in the UK and it has been glorious! Paul and I went for a little walk to the park before we had to do the dreaded food shop and he treated me to an ice cream and oh my word!! It was amazing! It was triple chocolate by carte dor...I suggest you all try this!!

xxx

30 Day Snap Challenge Day 22

I have to apologise! I have totally let my snaps go! I have been so busy over the last few days I just haven't found the opportunity to take any photos.

On Saturday evening however, I did get a lovely quiet evening to myself as Paul went out.

I decided to go a little crazy with the chocolate! Apart from cadburys...these two are my favourites!

Milka is just incredible! And after treating myself to a giant toblerone after our holiday to Mexico...I've been hooked!

I will try to be more organised now!

xxx

30 Day Snap Challenge Days 18 & 19

It's been soooo humid here recently so my friend Amie and I couldn't resist popping to the pub after work for a quick drink. It really felt like we were on holiday it was so warm...but then came the hayfever and I was bought back to reality with a sneeze!

And I'm going to cheat a little bit with my next snap as I really didn't have any photo opportunities but I saw this on the blog for 'a beautiful mess' and I am so trying this!

I have just realise this a very alcohol related post! Oops!

xxx

30 Day Snap Challenge Days 15, 16 & 17

On Saturday I had fun being crafty! See my latest post for a tutorial on this.

On Sunday Paul and I went over to his parents for Sunday lunch. They recently bought a mini table tennis set. Once the rain had cleared we took to the garden patio table and things soon got pretty serious! The mini bats were ditched and we dug out some full size ones and a the tournament began! This is Paul and his brother taking things a little too seriously!

With it being Father's day yesterday I was having a dig around in my little box of memories to have a little smile to myself to remember him. Any photo I look at of my Dad I can't help but smile...just take a look at this waistcoat!

xxx

DIY Paper hanging hearts

Today I decided to be a little crafty. Truth is I'm a little short on funds so today's activity needed to be purse friendly so I decided to give these paper hanging hearts a go. I took a trip in to town to pick up some supplies. I went to one of the Charity shops and was served by the sweetest man! Anyway that's a little off the point but he really did put a smile on my face! I needed an old book and I chose 'The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz' which was 49p. I then needed to pick up some string so I went to this shop called Jeremy's Home store, it's absolutely amazing. Sells all these cute home ware bits and bobs, Emma Bridgewater products, cooking utensils...all sorts! If you're local to Tunbridge Wells or just visiting I suggest you check it out! I normally spend a good half an hour in there just having a look. I do love those shops where you look around and could find about a million things that you could actually do with but never knew you needed....if that makes sense! I picked up some brown string for 99p.

So here's what you need:

• Hole punch
• Scissors
• Stapler
• An old book
• String

And here's what you need to do:

• Cleanly rip a page out of the book and cut into 5 equal(ish) strips
• Cut two of those strips about three quarters of the way down, keep the longer half and throw away the smaller half
• Put the strips together with the smaller two on the top and bottom and the longer strips in between and staple together
• Curl the two smaller strips round to the bottom where you stapled and hold in place
• Curl two longer strips round also and staple all in place at the bottom
• Cut the remaining long strip to desired length and hole punch in the middle
• Thread the hearts onto the string
• Repeat

VOILA!

I think this looks really cute and it was so cheap and easy to make!

Let me know what you think!

xxx

Benefit - They're real mascara review

I can certainly say that all the reviews I've read about this mascara were spot on! WOW! I think I have finally found the perfect mascara! This may sound like a dramatic statement to make but I really don't have a favourite and I always try different brands every time I need a new one so I'm certainly happy I have got my hands on this little beauty. The only thing that put me off buying this product was the price tag. At £19.50 it is a little steep and like I said I have tried many mascaras, at the high end and low end of the scale so after not finding a decent one I kinda gave up with the high end mascaras, it was just costing me too much. After trying this mascara I am definitely happy to pay this in future.

Fortunately for me, I was buying June's ELLE magazine and I was delighted to find that for £4.00 they included a small version of the mascara. Considering they are selling this in Boots for £9.50, it took me about 2 seconds to grab it off the shelf!

Before:

After:

It adds so much length it's amazing! It's not at all clumpy. I think the wand really helps. I can't recall any other brands using this type of wand, it's sort of spikey which I think really helps get in between the lashes. There is no sign of it drying out and it doesn't flake which really is a pet hate of mine! I can really see why this is the UK's number 1 best selling mascara! All in all an AMAZING mascara and I will certainly be buying this again!

You can pick this up from Boots here and from Benefit here both at £19.50.

Have you tried this mascara? What are your thoughts?

xxx

30 Day Snap Challenge Days 12, 13 & 14

When Paul got home from work on Wednesday he had a few little treats for me! It's so silly but I was actually so happy with what he surprised me with, he's so thoughtful sometimes!

I was treated to a lovely bunch of flowers, ideal home magazine and a bar of cadbury's summer limited edition of strawberries and cream which is incredible by the way! I really do recommend it. This issue of Ideal Home has some really lovely inspiration in there too.

By Thursday the Lillies in the flowers had really blossomed and I couldn't resist taking a photo. The colours in these flowers are just gorgeous and today the other two Lillies still haven't blossomed so excited to see how amazing the whole bunch will look. I told you I don't lead a very exciting life!

This evening I was just chilling out with a lovely breeze coming through the window and painting my nails. I try all sorts of combinations every time I do them. For these nails I used Essie in Nice is Nice and Models Own in Juicy Jules.

Tomorrow is the weekend so hopefully I will have the opportunity to take some more exciting photos!

xxx

30 Day Snap Challeneg Day 11

Today was horrible, grey and gloomy. I was walking home in the weird 'blowing in your face rain' that decided to drench Kent today when I spotted these amazing and vibrant flowers!

xxx

30 Day Snap Challenge Days 9 & 10

Thank you again to Sprinkle Of Glitter for this challenge, I am loving it! Check out Bells, Bows and Bella and take a look at her blog and pictures too!

Sunday I did the dreaded food shop. I really do not enjoy doing the food shop! Always buying the same things and trying to get the best deals and finding the offers....boooooooring! However, I think I must have been stood here dribbling for a good five minutes!

How delicious does everything look here!

Today I received my monthly GloosyBox! I have to say...at first glance I not wowed by this months products. After the April box I had high hopes for the products I would receive as in that box, it seemed GlossyBox really hit the nail on the head with including brands that people have actually heard of! Last months box didn't have me jumping for joy...I'm looking at you jelly pong pong! Admittedly I have only had a quick look at the products so when I get more time I will have a good inspection and try out!

xxx

OOTD | Summer Wedding

On Saturday Paul and I went to a wedding in Sheffield for an old friend. The day was absolutely lovely and the mission journey was well worth it to see a dear old friend tie the knot.

I had planned this outfit for a while, on my May Wish List I mentioned I wanted a mint coloured skirt from Mango which I ended up purchasing for the big day.

I wore a pale pink cami that I bought from topshop, you can find it here. I love the colour of this top and I think I will be wearing it all summer long! Along with my maxi skirt which you can find here. This skirt is lovely because although it's a maxi skirt it feels a lot more dressy so definitely a real wedding outfit item for me. I also wore a gold pashmina which was from River Island that I borrowed from a friend. I had my hair in a fistail plait..

with a little white flower in my hair that I've had for ages! (Excuse the picture this was taken before I had done my make up!) Probably my favourite item of my outfit was my bag. A pale pink and nude clutch from Ted Baker that I bought from an outlet centre. It's a great size and fits lots in...including my boyfriends sunglasses! For my nails I used Barry M in mint green and their confetti effect in marshmallow. I wore some gold sandals from Miss Selfridge that I've had for a good few years but still so much wear in them...perhaps it's the lack of sun here I don't get to wear them that much!

For jewellery I wore my Tiffany's necklace that Paul bought me a few years ago for my birthday, my pandora bracelet, a pearl bracelet along with some pearl earrings.

Apologies for it being sideways, I can't seem to rotate it!

I haven't been to many weddings where I haven't been part of the bridal party so I really didn't know what to wear! I wanted to feel comfortable but also dressy enough. I did want to wear a fascinator but I still don't feel grown up enough to pull one off! Perhaps I will in the future but for now, the flower suits me just fine!

Have you been to any weddings recently? What did you wear?

xxx

30 Day Snap Challenge Days 7 & 8

On Friday at work it was somebody's last day...that somebody happened to be someone who enjoys spoiling the staff with extremely posh and delicious cakes!

See what did I say in a previous post about being unable to resist chocolate cakes! This particular cake was chocolate sponge with a chocolate genache centre with chocolate butter cream topped with a dusting cocoa powder...ohhhh just explaining it is making me want another one!

The cakes that were bought were from a patisserie in Tunbridge Wells called La Roche and they really are incredible. A little on the expensive side but totally worth it! They make all sorts of cakes and fresh bread as well. Lovely!

On Saturday Paul and I went to a wedding up in Sheffield. It was for an old college friend who I haven't actually been able to see for a long time due to our locations but don't you just love those friends that you don't see for a very long time but when you see them again it's like you last saw them yesterday! The wedding was absolutely beautiful and it was a lovely day and night! So this is Paul and I enjoying some vino in the sunshine!

Have you been taking part in the 30 Day Snap Challenge? Leave me a comment so I can see what you've been up to!

xxx

30 Day Snap Challenge days 5 & 6

Continuing my 30 day snap challenge which is proving to be really difficult by the way! In the mornings I'm walking to work like a zombie, spending all day at work where, lets just say the opportunities to take a lovely photo are non existent, and walking home from work in the evenings like a zombie also. (I really don't lead an exciting life!)

Last night I went to see the hangover part 3. It's amazingly funny, I was a little worried because sometimes these sequels can be a little disappointing...the saw films/scary movies...I mean really, when will they end?! The hangover 2 didn't disappoint and part 3 met all my high hopes!

This photo is a little bit of a cheat as I wanted to actually take a picture of the cinema tickets but Paul is away and I don't know what he's done with them, grr!

I forgot to add the bonus all 3 films have and that is the GOD that is Bradley Cooper! So yeah, little bit of a cheat and thanks google but you all get the point!!

And today I was walking home from work  and I spotted these beautiful flowers. I walk past these flowers every single day...twice...how did I miss these?!

Aren't they just beautiful! I am totally in love with this colour of blue at the moment as well so maybe that's why it caught my eye.

Have you been taking part in the 30 day snap challenge? Leave me a comment so I can check yours out!

xxx