#secretsanta13

 

I’ve been a little naughty this year and got involved in two separate bloggers secret Santa’s! I loved the whole process, stalking someone via social media (not in a creepy way, obvs!) and finding new fab blogs to read and follow. Trying to establish what you think they would like and making it personal to them. I had so much fun playing Santa and hope my giftee’s likes their goodies!

So the first Secret Santa I got involved in was set up by Hannah Bailey who blogs over at ‘hannah bee’. I love her blog, so go check it out if you haven’t already!

I was so excited when this box of goodies arrived and my Secret Santa was revealed as Georgia from ‘What I Adore More’, a very cute blog which I can’t believe I hadn’t come across prior to this Secret Santa!  

Georgia was so thoughtful and I received a beautiful Cath Kidston notebook and this gorgeous mug along with some yummy chocolates (which may have lasted all of five minutes, oops!). It was such a lovely present to receive, so I would like to say a massive thank you to Georgia!

What a Week!!

I’m afraid this is going to be a bit of a mish mash post but bear with me! I know there’s been a severe lack of posts lately but last week was a crazy one with little free time. Work has been crazy and I’m going on holiday next week so I’ve been trying to get ready and together for that. However I should know better now and know that whenever I try and be organised the fates intervene and it completely fails! Take yesterday for example, I had so much I needed to do, I even had a to do list! But instead of being like a normal productive person, my car broke down, I had a poorly dog to contend with, I ripped my favourite coat and everything went out the window! Anyways enough of my whingeing! The positive of not being able to blog is that I’ve had loads of ideas and have a long list of things I want to write about, so after a week’s break I have returned excited and raring to go!

And what a week to start on! This post is no 101! Can you believe that! I’ve written over 100 posts! I didn’t know what to expect when I started this journey and even though I started it last August it took me till February this year to get into it properly. I just wanted a place to write, to put into perspective all the things I love, all in one place. I never expected anyone to read or take notice of what I put in this tiny little space in the blogosphere. However to my surprise I have had some lovely comments on here and on twitter and can’t thank people enough. I have nearly 200 followers, which baffles me!

I can’t imagine not being able to blog now and feel lucky to be such a lovely community so just wanted to say a massive thank you!

Carers Week...

 

Me and my Mum

 

There are lots of definitions of a carer, some just didn’t do the term justice, some were a bit derogative and some just pissed me off, so here is the best one I came across:

‘A carer is someone of any age who provides unpaid support to family or friends who could not manage without this help. This could be caring for a relative, partner or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or substance misuse problems.’

I guess under this definition, I myself am a carer. I don’t tend to delve into my personal life too much on this blog, this is for many reasons which include not wanting to bore you all, wanting to keep this space positive and fun, but mainly sometimes not knowing the right words to say to explain my personal world. However this week is national carers’ week and it is a subject that is close to my heart. I feel I need to express my views on the subject and I just wanted to share with you my own experience of being a carer.

You see, my mum has Multiple Sclerosis (MS). This is something that effects people who suffer from it in many different ways and there is very limited medication to stop it. For my mum she has no feeling from the waist down and is slowly losing the use of her hands now too. This then has other knock on effects, such as having to use a catheter which then means she suffers from horrendous water infections. My mum also suffers from depression and has short term memory problems, then there’s the slurred speech thrown in for fun. It’s also one of those things where she has good days and bad days and the weather has a big effect on this, for example the heat seems to make all the symptoms worse. It’s a degenerative illness, so we have watched as little by little the MS takes more of a hold. I am not a doctor, this is just what I’ve seen my mum go through, and it affects everyone so differently.

Therefore due to my mum’s illness, I, my siblings and especially my dad have cared for my mum. She needs help with most things, she is a wheelchair and needs support going to the bathroom, having a bath, being put to bed as well a smaller things like writing and cutting up her food. I remember one summer holiday when I was younger, my dad had to work away so us children all dug in and cared for my mum. I don’t remember ever thinking of it like that, it was just something we got on with and did. Now as I’m older and especially as I recently moved back home for a bit, I have realized how much work this entails and how incredible my Dad is. I’m sure when he married my Mum 30 odd years ago he never envisioned wiping her bum one day or having to learn an encyclopedia of medication. But my Dad has and I know will continue to do this as he loves her. He works full time, however if my mum is stuck and needs him he dashes home, he does. How many people do you know who would do that without complaining?

I don’t want anyone’s sympathy, I don’t know life any other way. I have grown up with this and its part of who I am now. I think what I and my siblings have experienced growing up has made us stronger, open and more caring, worldly individuals. We all have a good sense of humour and we know how to handle uncomfortable situations in a light hearted way. You’d be surprised at how often that comes in handy! I’m also super lucky at how close my family is, and even though we are normal and drive each mad at times, I know my mum being poorly is made a lot easier to manage by us all being supportive of each other. It is funny we never really talk about this subject, id even go as far as saying it’s probably a bit of taboo, we all have the mentality of its life, let’s get on with it. On reflection it makes me wonder how many other carers think and act like this? And do they get the support they need?

The purpose of me writing this is to say that carers don’t get enough recognition, they are amazing people who put others above themselves and often go beyond the call of duty. They give however they are caring for that little bit self dignity and independence which is so important.  Also as someone whose experienced firsthand what it’s like to be a young carer, they don’t need you to feel sorry for them, they just need a bit of understanding and support. Life goes on and you have to do what you have to do. I just feel there are some amazing people out there such as carers, who often put their own lives on hold whilst looking after a loved one and we need to let them know how valued they are. If you know someone who cares for someone, take some time to offer them a cuppa and let them know they have someone who can be there for them too. A small gesture can make such a massive difference.

 

A 90's Child...

Lately I’ve been feeling hugely nostalgic, reminiscing about my childhood. I think this all stemmed from a few weeks ago, I went and watched the Big Reunion live with the likes of Five, Blue and B*Witched performing. It took me back to my ore-teens and as a result led to numerous ‘OMG, do you remember…’ conversations! So if you’re a 90’s kid too you may remember a few of these. I thought it would be fun to share what me and my pals came up with. Would love to hear if you can remember anymore, so please leave comments!

1.      Shag Bands – those really tacky plastic bracelets that you would wedge 100s of up your arm. If one snapped….. Oooh the implications!

2.      Blow up bags, chairs etc. Massive craze for this at one point!

3.      You either collected ‘Goosebumps’ or ‘True Romance’ books. I was a ‘True Romance’ girl, I couldn’t even watch the Goosebumps TV show as it used to scare me too much!

4.      Pogs and Tazos.

5.      Saturday afternoons/evenings sat in front of the TV consisted of Baywatch, Gladiators, Generation Game and Noels House Party. I used to love Noels House Party, Bring it back!!!

6.      Penny sweets were actually a penny!

7.      Hooch, Bacardi Breezers etc.

8.      The Spice Girls were running the world! Girl Power!

9.      Everyone knew the dance to the Macarena and Saturday night, even if they won’t admit it!

 

 

10.  Trolls! I used to have loads of these. I came across one of these the other day and are actually pretty freaky looking. How did we all think they were cute!

11.  Saved by the Bell on a Saturday morning. Screech was a legend!

12.  Blue Mascara and awful coffee named lipsticks – Just me?!

13.  Byker Grove used to be on just as you got home from school.

14.  Sing it with me… 0181 811 8181… you couldn’t help yourself could you? The live and kicking phone number! The only way to start your weekend!

15.  Jelly Shoes!

They just don’t make childhoods like this anymore!!

One Crazy Week: Craig David, The Wurzels, Fossil Hunting and 2 Hangovers

Sorry for the quietness on the blog the past few days, but I have been having one very crazy week! Work was pretty busy as normal (I juggle a full time job and a part time one) and on top of that I got to enjoy a few fun filled social activities, so to say I am shattered today is an understatement!

Let me talk you through it! On Tuesday night I went and saw Craig David perform in Southampton, I wouldn’t say he's normally my cup of tea but a friend really wanted to go and I’m pretty happy to tag along on any adventure! So to my surprise I actually really enjoyed it! I’d forgotten how many well known songs he’d made back in the day. He also did this incredible DJ set in the middle of his act, it was a mix of old school Mo town and R and B. Apparently his sets get played on Kiss Fm and I would fully recommend checking it out.

Friday evening I think was my highlight of the week, I headed to wimborne football grounds to watch the wurzels! This involved lots of cider and bopping around, I even managed to get a hug off one of them! See the photo of me and the old bloke below.

 

Me, hay bales and cider.....

As you can imagine, Saturday ended up being a bit of a write off! I haven’t really drunk much lately and I think I’m out of practice. I managed to drag myself out of my pit in time to go and watch the Hangover 3 in the evening with a couple of friends. I know, how appropriate! I love the first 2 hangover films, and this one was funny but it definitely didn’t live up to the others which was a shame. However 2 hours ogling Bradley Cooper, what more can a girl want!

 

 

To make up for wasting the day yesterday I was up and out early. I normally use Sundays as my chance for a lie in but I was out the house at 8:45am this morning which was a bit of a shock to the system. I went with a friend and her son fossil hunting for his birthday. We booked our selves onto a walk in charmouth and they show what you’re looking for and help you find them. I was useless and only found one! My friend and her son were pros and found quite a few. It was a really fun way to spend such a sunny morning and it has made me want to do more fun stuff on Sundays.

 

I then came home to a BBQ with my family, such a perfect finish to a mad week! I hope everyone is having a lovely bank holiday weekend, sadly I have to work tomorrow but I’m hoping the sun still stays around!

Apologies for the photos on today’s post, I am in desperate need of a new camera and have resorted to using my phone. Which seems to let me down a lot! If anyone wants to recommend an all purpose camera that would be fab??? I need one that works for blog photos but can also take on hol and is something small and easy to carry around. I’m off to Egypt in a few weeks and it’s supposed to be amazing snorkelling so tempted by waterproof cameras at the mo.....

Thankful Thursdays! #2

Ola people! Hope your all having a fine week? I can’t believe its Thursday again already, time is just flying by. Is anyone having a complete freak out that it’s nearly June already? It makes me determined to make time to stop and appreciate things in my life. So here is what I am thankful for this week:

~ The Beautiful flowers my mum surprised me with! Check out the picture above, it was such a pretty bouquet. My mum is a complete inspiration to me, she has MS and is quite poorly with it, but no matter how she is feeling she always puts everyone else first and has such a big heart.

~ Craig David! Tuesday night I went to a Craig David concert. I am more of an Indie girl so wasn’t really expecting it to be my cup of tea but I have to say I had such a fab night! His voice was amazing, and he did this wicked DJ set halfway through night which I wasn’t expecting. He was mashing up old school mo town and R n B, I have to admit it was awesome! It was also fun to do something different on a school night!

~ Rowing. I am part of the local rowing club and we row Cornish pilot gigs, I’ve been doing this for about 10 years. I went out in one last Saturday and there is nothing in the world like being out at sea first thing in the morning to wake you up, make you feel ready for the day. It is a truly magical experience.

What have you been Thankful for this week?

Sleep Issues...

For the past couple of months I’ve had real problems trying to get to sleep. I am so wide awake at bed time it’s unreal! I have to force myself to go to sleep and end up just laying there for hours. Then the next day I am so tired at work, so by the time evening I’ve got my second wind and it begins again. Vicious circle! I’ve told numerous friends and family of my predicament and everyone seems to have some ‘amazing’ tip that will make me drop off as soon as my head hits the pillow.



 

 

 ‘Counting sheep’, seriously?!! Does anyone actually do this? A) it’s boring! I know that’s kind of the idea, but... b) I have a crazy imagination, my sheep end up with names and cool outfits. Then I imagine a sexy herdsman looking after them...this one doesn’t work for me!

Then a few people have said go to bed early and read a book, ‘a few chapters in and you’ll be fast asleep’. So clearly these people don’t know me very well at all, I find a good book and I’m hooked, I’ll be up till 4am to finish it. I love books!

However, I have been given a few suggestions that seemed to have worked, so I thought I would share with my top 6 suggestions.

1.       A relaxing bath, I know this is a pretty obvious one but it works a treat! Lots of bubbles light some candles and add some chilled music.

 

2.       I know lavender is a bit of an old wives tale, and it could be psychological but I find it helps. I was given a lavender room spray which I use for my pillows. I am also having a total love affair with ‘A French Kiss’ Lush bath bomb which is lavender scented. Add it to my previous tip and it equals perfection.

 

3.       A tidy bedroom equals a clear mind. I am a complete believer in this. I am really OCD about things being clean but I am little miss messy! My excuse is I juggle two jobs along with various other commitments so am in the really bad habit of running in, dumping stuff and running out again. As I am temporarily back with the parents at the mo, I also don’t have much storage space. However excuses aside I’ve been making a conscious effort to be tidier and have a tranquil sleep space.

 

4.       Hot milk, this stems back to my childhood and my mum giving me a warm mug of milk before bed. Now at 27, I still believe this works!

5.       Are you ready for the next day? Sounds daft, but if you’re like me and a bit of a last minute Larry and lay awake at night thinking of all the things you must remember to do in the morning. Make your life easier and do as much as you can the night before, make your lunch for work, get your outfit out ready. These things do help to make you feel a bit more organised and less stressed.

6.       Yoga, I’ve only recently got into this and I bloody love it! Bit gutted I didn’t try it out sooner. I’ve found it really helps to stretch out my muscles and relax me. I’ve been doing it half an hour before I go to bed. There are tons of fab lessons to follow on You Tube, I’d recommend trying out a few to find out what style suits you and just give it a go!

So I’m by no means cured, there are still nights where I’m staring at the ceiling at 3am. Although these points have all helped massively and also encouraged me to relax and take more me time in general.

Anyone else having sleep issues? How do you cope with it?

Friday Doodles...

Top 3 Fragrances

Fragrances are such an individual thing, what smells gorgeous on one of my friends can smell horrendous on me. The scents I love have also changed over the years as my tastes have altered, I used to love really musky smells but I couldn’t stand sweet smelling perfumes however my day to day one now is really sweet! Perfumes fascinate me due to the whole personal element, they can be so romantic, remind you of special occasions or of a certain special person.

I thought it would make for a nice post to tell you about my top 3 perfumes of the moment and would love you to tell me what your favorite is too!

 

1.            Diamonds Eau De Parfum from Next

This perfume is what I wear every day, it’s a bargain at £10 for 70ml so I don’t feel like I have to use it sparingly like my more expensive ones. When I am wearing it I often get compliments and asked what it is. It is a very sweet smell which I really like and smells very similar to Paco Rabanne Lady Million but is a fraction of the price! I think this perfume is great perfume for everyday use and it comes in a very attractive bottle and is a beautiful fragrance.

2.            Yves Saint Laurent – Elle

I received this perfume as a present at Christmas from my mum. It smells woody and spicy but sufficiently floral to sweeten it up a little and make it more feminine and I love it so much. It's very modern and not too girly and has a very "expensive" smell to it. Perfect for a sexy night out. It is fairly strong, so I tend to use it more for an evening out. The staying power is great, it lasts for hours.

3.            Giorgio Armani Code for Women

This is definitely my most favourite perfume, I absolutely love this for its floriental uniqueness right down to the sultry looking bottle. I've got several compliments when wearing it. It’s definitely a lot stronger than the other two fragrances and it is something I’d wear on a date or a night out, is say it’s way too heavy for day time wear. As it’s very strong and lasts the whole day/night so I wouldn't go over kill when applying it! Overall I love it, as it makes me feel daring and sexy in addition to feeling sweet and feminine.

I Dream of Travel...

Delilah Dust Jewellery

I love finding quirky little jewellery boutiques on the internet and I was really pleased when I came across Delilah Dust. They make a range of beautiful, original and hand crafted jewellery and its sooo cheap!!! I had to restrain myself to only purchasing a few of the items.

 Rainbow Druzy Necklace, £7

Dinosaur Necklace, £3.50

Dipped Raw Amethyst Necklace, £12

 

I have to be honest and say I had an issue as my parcel didn’t arrive so I had to contact Delilah Dust. They were brilliant and sent me a replacement which arrived 2 days later! Excellent customer service! When my items arrived, I was really surprised at how lovely all 3 of the necklaces are! I think I was expecting something a bit cheap, for the price I paid, however they are gorgeous pieces. They are each really different and are well made! As I’ve mentioned in previous posts I love anything with dinosaurs and I wasn’t disappointed with this little cute silver dinosaur necklace. I will definitely be purchasing more goodies in the future!

Big Boobs and Beautiful Bras

I have big boobs and fit in the DD+ category, I also love beautiful underwear, but the two don’t seem to go together! I don’t know how other ladies with larger assets feel but when it comes to bras I want something modern, fun and sexy. However all I get is thick boulder holder straps, Granny styles or no support at all. It’s a nightmare!

As I mentioned in previous posts, I spent Easter weekend up north in Manchester and we spent a day at the Trafford Centre shopping. My friend dragged me in an underwear shop and as usual I entered with a bit of a heavy heart, not expecting them to do anything in my size. However I was pleasantly surprised / shocked that they had bras in my size, and get this... they were hot!

Said shop is Boux Avenue, sadly they don’t seem to have any shops down south but they do have a website which you can check out here. I was ridiculously excited as not only were they selling bras in my size but they were modern, fun, lightly padded and perfect straps. Due to this I went a little bit mad a purchased a few pretty sets!

Here are a few of my favourite purchases, I think I might even treat myself on payday to a few more sets as a girl can never have too much pretty underwear!

Chloe Lace Balconette Bra in Neon Orange - £20

Chloe Lace Thong in Neon Orange - £8

Georgia Spot Mesh Balconette Bra in Turquoise - £26

Georgia Spot Mesh Thong in Turquoise - £10

 

I would love to hear from other lovelies about where you purchase your bras? Have you tried Boux Avenue?

Every Girl Awaits Her Prince Charming....

Happy Easter!

Hi folks, just wanted to make sure I did a quick post today to say Happy Easter! At the grand old age of 27 I still recieve Easter eggs from both my mum and my nan. I think if I didnt there would be sulking! This weekend i took the epic journey from down south to up north to Bolton, where my friend Amy lives. Its her Birthday so we are off out in Liverpool tonight, Ive never been there before so am really looking forward to it! Hope your all doing something fun this Bank Holiday!

Liebster Award...

 

 



To my complete surprise Claire from Claire Does Beauty contacted me today to say she has nominated me for a Liebster Award. I’m really honoured that she would think of my blog, so massive thank you Claire! (If you haven’t already, go check out her blog!)
 

I have to admit as a relatively newbie to the blogging world I was a bit dubious about this so I had a little Google. By the look of things this award has been doing the rounds for a few years, and is kind of like a chain letter. This initially put me off but then I look up the meaning of Leibster. It’s a German word that means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.

The idea is once you accept your award you have to nominate 11 of your favourite bloggers who have less than a certain amount of readers. The number seems to vary between 200 – 3000 followers, so I have decided to just ignore this part and nominate a few of my favourite bloggers that I would love others to check out. Blogger awards are also such a great way to learn more about your fellow bloggers so I knew I had to participate.

The Rules

1)    Each person must post 11 things about themselves.

2)    You must answer the 11 questions that the tagger as created for you.

3)    You must create 11 of your own questions.

4)    Choose 11 bloggers and link them in your post.

5)    Go to their page and tell them.

 

11 Things About Me...

1. I am trying to teach myself Ukulele using You Tube videos, not that successful so far!!

2. I have a desperate need to travel but am useless at saving = vicious circle!

3. I failed my driving test 13 times before I finally managed to pass.

4. My guilty pleasure TV show is Keeping up with the Kardashians

5. If I don’t write things down I WILL forget it

6. I hate Mash Potato.

7. Huge fan of 80s films such as the goonies, lost boys etc

8. I can touch my nose with my tongue

9. I worry way too much about EVERYTHING!

10. The sun instantly makes me happy and rain instantly gets me down

11. I collect things with Dinosaurs on them

 

The questions I received from Claire...

1.    What is your biggest achievement in life so far?

Ooooh this is a really hard one! I think my biggest achievement is that I’m happy and have no real complaints! I’m also a huge dreamer with lots of things I would like to achieve in the future, so watch this space!

2.     If you could be anywhere in the world right now where would it be?

Anywhere tropical with plenty of sunshine, cocktails and my friends! Anyone else UK based fed up of this never ending winter?

3.    What is the one thing you couldn't live without?

Tea and Toast!

4. Describe 5 words that best describes you?

Kind, caring, worrier, impulsive, dippy!

5. What is your signature scent? (If you have one)

Giorgio Armani Black Code

6. What would your dream job be?

A travel writer or a writer that travels... I would love to be a full time writer and travel round the world, my two favourite things.

7. What is your pet hate?

People who stand up your backside in queues, personal space do not invade!

8. Who is your favourite band or singer?

This varies completely on my mood and what’s happening, right now I am having a blast from the past with The Offspring album playing in my car. Reminds me of my teens and always gets me jumping around!

10. What inspired you to write your own blog?

It encompasses a few of my loves! I love writing, beauty products, being creative etc and it means I can focus on all these things in one place.

11. Who is you're role model?

My Mum. Cliché I know! She has MS and can be really poorly with it. Yet she still acts as a rock to us all, no matter how much pain she is in.

My questions for my lovely bloggers

1.    What’s your one can’t live without product?

2.    Favourite smell?

3.    Who is your favourite author?

4.    Something new that you learned recently?

5.    If there was a zombie apocalypse and you had to hit the road to escape, what 3 things would you take with you?

6.    If you were an animal what would you be?

7.    What's your biggest fear?

8.    Having a bad day, what’s the one thing guaranteed to put a smile on your face?

9.    What’s your favourite joke?

10.  List the three famous people you would snog, marry, and avoid.

11.  Shoes or handbags?

The Bloggers I would love to nominate

1. Rosie at A Rosie Outlook

2. Callie at Student in Scotland

3. Daniela at Oh Ella Bella

4. Elsie and Emma at A beautiful Mess

5. Natasha at A Design Rookie

6. Laurina at One Year of Fashion Fasting

7. Lauren at Laurens Place 743

8. Becky at Becky Bedbug

9. Georgie at Style Princess Diaries

10. Rosa at What Rosa Wants

11. Jennifer at Art Style Love 

Obviously you don't have to take part if I have tagged you, and if I haven't tagged you then please take part if you feel like it and post me the link to your post in the comment box below:

 

A Little Bit of Pretty....

.... on a wet miserable day! I love this time of year as the days are starting to get lighter and the signs of spring are slowly creeping in. I thought I would share with you all my naughty purchase today, a lovely bunch of daffs. Id just finnished work and as I wondered past a flower stall I saw all these fab bright flowers and with this horrible weather, I thought it was lovely way to brighten up the place!

Pinch and a Punch / Feeling Grateful....

Happy First of March! Sorry for the confusing title to this post but all will become clear... Does anyone else feel this year is flying by way too quickly? I feel like I’ve blinked once and gone from Christmas to today without a clue what’s happened in between. I hate that feeling! I want to soak up what life has to offer but when weeks go by so fast and you get drowned in work and everyday life I worry I sometimes forget to stop and enjoy and appreciate things.

I worry, and yes I am a worrier, that I am going to miss out on things that life takes over and this has been bothering me for a little while. I have so many things I want to do and I worry that you can get so caught up in the general rat race you forget to aside the time to focus on yourself, and I have noticed lately that I am turning into a bit of a grump sometimes. Dear lord help me if I turn into my dad, the king of grumpy!

So I have decided that as of today, I am going to spend a few moments at the end of each day to stop, think and write down one thing I am grateful for that day. YES I know I sound like Pollyanna, but I’m starting to think she was onto something, plus that film always makes me cry when she falls out of the tree. Even if I’ve had the most horrendous day I will enter one thing I am grateful for. I am determined to be more positive and appreciate things more. This is going to be my way of doing that, because sometimes everyone needs a little reminder that life pretty alright.

This is the notebook I am going to use to list all the things I am grateful. Some friends went on holiday a while back and returned with this Che Guevara notebook for me and it makes me smile, so I figured this would be a lovely way to put it use.

I have been thinking most of the day what my first entry may be. It wasn’t till this evening when I was sat watching this amazing film on BBC 1 that I knew what I am most grateful for today. The film was by Richard Curtis for Red Nose Day and was called Mary and Martha, if you missed it please drop what you’re doing and go watch it on BBC I Player. Its purpose was to raise the issue of Malaria, and it sure did that, I was a blubbing mess by the end. I won’t tell you what happens, I would rather you watched it for yourselves.

Any way from watching this incredibly emotive, inspiring piece, the thing I am most grateful for today is that I love in a country with great medical care that’s easy to access and free.

 

I won’t bore you all with daily updates on what I am grateful for as I think this is going to a nice personal project, with the aim to make me more positive and appreciative of what life has to offer no matter how big or small.  I will do a monthly update with the highlights and how I am going sticking to this.

Friday Doodles x

All That Glitters......

At the age of 27, I’ve lately been wondering if I’m too old to be a fan of glitter? I have to admit that when it comes to anything that sparkles, chances are I probably love it! I am a total magpie! I am drawn to it and it instantly cheers my day up!

I think as a child my obsession began when watching The Wizard of Oz with Dorothy’s red glittery shoes. Luckily, when I was growing up, there were a huge range of options to add glitter to our existence. It was almost necessary to sparkle at all times and not because we were vampires. My friends and I stocked up on body glitter during weekly Saturday trips to Claire’s, where we also picked anything else that fitted with this trend. Anyway, I had glitter eye shadow and glitter eyeliner, so it was just never possible for me to be matte. I never wanted to be matte. What was the point of wearing makeup if you weren’t going to sparkle and shimmer?

 

And now a days? I love glittery Shoes, bags, nail polishes, eye shadows, tops......... You name it!

Yes on some occasions I will admit that glitter can be tacky and tasteless. I know many think glitter is only for little girls or Katy Perry. I have found that there are ways without going over the top with your glitz, still adding that boho glam you crave. Glitter or sequins (much like color) can brighten up any outfit.

My recent interest in all that sparkles, comes from a weekend away I had a couple of weeks ago to Cornwall. I stayed with an old friend who I grew up with, who is a complete free spirit. Her idea of getting ready for a night out is covering herself in glitter. I love this so much, and always join in when I stay. See pic below for the evidence! I was a little restrained but I used Barry M’s Glitter Dusts in Gold and Green to achieve this look.

 

 

Finally Glitter is the universal symbol for awesomeness and parties and fun. I love this video for Dog Days by Florence and The Machines, I love the glitter fight and I love the song in general. I think it sums up how visually the use of glitter and sparkles can really cheer you up. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday afternoon doodles x