Ebay Wish List...Pastel Home Decor

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I have a real thing for pastel colours at the moment especially when it comes to home décor. I think it started when I recently changed my bedroom theme to grey and pastel pink. When I finally get my very own place I already know I want a pastel coloured kitchen which will include some of these items! Its going to look so cute!

Ebay Wish List... Cactus Finds

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I’m so in love with anything Cactus at the moment! I’ve seen some stunning home décor based around cactus themes and there one of the very few plants I can actually keep alive! I would love to have a whole shelf full of cactuses one day, I think they have a cool chilled vibe about them.

February Goals...

Hello and Happy Monday! As I mentioned in yesterdays post I’ve been in a bit of a rut and this year I’m trying to promote lots of positive change in my life and be a bit more productive. I know a lot of bloggers do monthly goals posts and I love to read them and I think by doing my own version ill be stating to the universe what I’m aiming for and it will hopefully spur me on! I’m also shocking at doing series posts over here, I get bored pretty quickly so we shall see how many of these I do but I’m excited to get started!

So here are my goals for February...

1.      Buy a new car and sort out the old one – I’m half way through this one already – I’ve put down a deposit on such a cite little KA. Its just got to go through an Mot and a service then it shall be mine! I’m so in love with it already!

2.      Get a new phone – my phone is driving me up the wall! I have an iPhone 5s and the storage is horrendous and I really don’t like the camera. I’m also having to buy extra data each month as my allowance is pretty lame so I’m spending a small fortune! ANNOYING!! Luckily for me I’m due an upgrade however I’m clueless when it comes to technology so I’m unsure what to go for. I’m falling out of love with Apple at the mo and would like a change so I’m thinking about a Samsung Galaxy 7. Any advice or suggestions on this one would be hugely welcome?!

3.      Blog regularly – I love blogging and want to spend a bit more time on this little spot on the big world wide web. I’ve been a bit sporadic lately but want to get back to regular posts and do more reviews and lifestyle posts. With this space!

4.      Colour my hair grey – I love the grey hair trend that’s doing the rounds and I really really want a grey ombre look. There’s two catches to this – my hairs a mess at the Mo, its a weird orange colour and needs a bit of bleach work done before I can go for the grey. So I’m not 100% confident I can do a home job on it but I am going to give it a try!! Eeeek!!

5.      Edinburgh – okay so this is a give, I’m heading there next week and I’m so blinking excited!! The furthest north I’ve been is Liverpool so I’m so happy to be finally venturing to Scotland. Its a bit one on my bucket list and I want to enjoy every minute of if.

6.      Take time to look after myself – I’m still not well with this Thyroiditis and its so tiring. Its a long term thing so I’m trying to crack on and not let it get in my way but I’m also trying to make sure I listen to my body more and look after myself when I need to. So this month I want to focus on a bit of me time, this could involve things like a glass of wine and a good book, a bit of crafting or anything that’s just relaxing.

7.      Read a book – I have a massive to read list and have been slacking with it so I really want to get back into reading and want to read at least one whole book this month.

Wish me luck!!

Life Lately...

This was the view from my morning run a few days ago, how beautiful is where I live? I can’t imagine not living near the sea, its keeps me calm and has a kind of magic about it.

So there been some radio silence over on this little space on the internet lately as there has been so much going on in my real life world I’ve had to have an impromptu mini blogging break. So where have I been, I hear you ask! Well I’ve turned 31... yikes... I am officially properly in my 30’s now and its terrifying! Its made me reflect ALOT on where I am and where I want to be. I’ve spent the past year in some weird anxious place where life has kind of been flying by me. I’ve felt lost and unconfident and I’ve just been treading water. Its not been awful but its not been fun either. I kind of thought that by the time I was in my 30s I would be all grown up and settled down by now. You know the whole married with babies and a white picket fence shebang by now. Nope, I’m learning that I’m pretty crap at adulting.

Anyways the tides are turning, I’ve finally moved out of the parentals loft, what was meant to be 6 months turned in to 2 years... so now I’ve moved in to a friends spare room and I have actual windows, can stand up without bashing my head and I have actual walls where I can hang things – luxury! Its feels good and has been nice to have a bit of change. Moving house made me realise how fiercely independent I am and how terrible I am at accepting help! So many lovely people offered to give me a hand and I turned them down, I have in my head that I don’t want to bother folks and that I can look after myself. How could I forget how stressful moving is?! So I did it single handed and told myself off a lot for it! My new aim this year is to let people in and accept help, team work makes the dream work and all that!

This weekend I also purchased a new car, like I said lots of new changes going on very here! My poor bashed up Honda civic has had its day and is unlikely to pass its MOT which is die next week so the times come to part ways with it. So I’ve gone for a ridiculously cute black KA Sport which should be with me by the end of the week. I’m so excited!!

So that’s a brief low down on my life lately! I’m excited to have a bit more time coming up and to get back to blogging more regularly!

Getting into the Christmas Spirit!

The one week countdown to Christmas begins!! Wahoo!! Love this time of year and I’m especially looking forward to the next week as I have lots of Christmas catch ups coming up! So this past week just gone I’ve been really trying to get in the Christmas spirit, so I thought id share with you what I’ve been doing to get in the Christmas mood...

First up, one of my awesome friends is an amazing artist and crafter and put on a wreath making class. It was two hours full of moth, holly and mulled wine. A ridiculously fun evening! I’ve never made a home made wreath before and am so happy with what I ended up with.

Every year I get Xmas themed nails and I love them! I usually go for bright and tacky but this year I wanted something a big more classy so went for black nails with white nail art and its perfect. Its understated and has a vintage feel.

I have a bit of a tradition lf making home made Gin which I then hand out as a present to various people This year I went for strawberry flavoured Gin and I’m really pleased with the results, it  is yummy! After a few months of brewing and agitating it, this week I was time to decent not bottles ready to hand out for Christmas.

We also finally put up our Christmas tree!! I went for a gold theme and It looks great, even if I do say so myself. I just had to share this photo, how cute do my puppies look framing the tree!!

Pretty in Pink // Bedside table upcycle

I love checking out upcycling projects on Pinterest and various blogs and I love a good crafting session, however I’ve never been brave enough to take on a piece of furniture and upcycle it myself. This is, until now!

My poor bedside table was purchased from B&Q about 8 years ago and has followed me round many numerous accommodations’ and as you can imagine was looking a little battered! The white paint on the top surface was peeling off and compared to my other pieces of furniture (its a giant mish mash of various pieces) it didn’t really fit anymore. So I decided to challenge myself and see what I could create, I figured it couldn’t look any worse than it already!

I’ve got a thing about the colour pink at the moment, after many years of being a tom boy I am finally embarrassing the colour and I love it! I’ve unconsciously been gaining more and more pink things for my bedroom and it now got a pink and grey theme happening. So I decided to fully embrace that and incorporate it into my cabinet. I therefore chose to go for a baby pink base with a marbled top.

To get the look, I decided spray paint would be a lot easier than actual paint, which I think is true but you may get a nicer Finnish with paint? Unsure on that one! I was patient, very unlike me I know and used a spray paint primer as a base. I did a couple of coats of this to make sure it was even. Once the primer was dry I then used the pink spray paint, and did three coats over all. I think finished it with a clear gloss top coat.

For the top I found some marble print laminate sticky paper in B&Q. I absolutely love this stuff and think it looks fab! It was quite easy to apply, you just need to make sure you squish all the air bubbles out!

I love the final look so much! On pay day my plan is to treat myself to a industrial style pink table lamp to Finnish off the look! What do you all think? Are you an upcycler?

January Comforts & a House of Fraser Giveaway!

So for me January is the month where you hibernate, I am ridiculously poor at this time of year so can’t afford to do much and the weather is either freezing cold or pouring with rain! January is all about indulging in home comforts so for me I have been going to circuits 3 times a week first thing in the morning so on my nights off I can come home from work and just relax.

My favourite place on earth is my bed, this love has increased since my friend bought me an electric blanket for my birthday. I know this makes me sound super old but it is the best invention ever! So for the past couple of weeks I have been arriving home and just snuggling on my bed. I have recently signed up to Netflix again and am hooked on watching ‘Pretty Little Liars’. I know I’m late to the party but I am currently on season 3 and its soo good! I’m thinking ‘Sons of Anarchy’ next but if anyone has any other Netflix suggestions let me know?!

I’ve also been reading ‘The Power of Habit’ by Charles Duhigg – I’m about half way through and it’s fascinating. It looks at how we form habits and how we can change those habits into new ones. I can really relate to it at the moment as a lot of my new years resolutions this year were about changing my habits into healthier ones.

The other thing that keeps me entertained during an evening at home is ‘The Tattoo Colouring Book’, it’s an adult colouring book!! I’ve had it for a while and find it so therapeutic to pick up every so often and just colour in the pictures. Did you know you can get tons of different colouring books for adults?! I didn’t till recently and am already deliberating over which one ill get next when I’ve completed this one!

I tend to complement my cosy nights in with a ton of herbal tea! I gave up coffee around 10 months ago now and try not to have much monkey tea. I feel so much better for it! I’m also a huge fan of candles and am still burning my Yankee Candle Christmas candles, so there are usually a few of them on the go too!

I love summer and can’t wait for the lighter evenings to arrive however I’m going to enjoy the guilt free cosy nights in while I can! Do you like to hibernate too? What do you like to do to treat yourself during this long cold month?

Fancy winning a gorgeous candle set of your own? The lovely folk over at House of Fraser would like to offer one lucky ‘Lipsticks and Lashes’ reader the opportunity to win a Linea Elderflower & Lime Luxury Gift Set worth £40. The scent is an energising lime fragrance with sweet elderflower and linden blossom, complimented by woods and musk. The set contains a reed diffuser, a jar candle, a mini pillar candle and a mini room spray. How awesome does that sound?!

This giveaway is only open to UK residents and you can enter by using the raffle copter below. The winner will be picked next Sunday 25^th January at midnight! I will be checking the winner is genuine and not some made up account!

Good Luck lovelies!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Little Cosy Box

‘My Little Box’ is definitely my favourite subscription box by far at the moment! I am in love with the illustrations they use and all the goodies that arrive inside it! This month’s theme is ‘My Little Cosy Box’, the same as Novembers disappointing Birchbox, but I think ‘My Little Box’ has covered this theme pretty well!

Each comes with an A5 illustrated quote, and I have framed a few of my favourites, and I think this month’s is pretty cute and spot on! Inside my box was an espresso mug with a cute illustration and the quote ‘how is your day gonna be?’ which I adore! I haven’t drunk coffee for 7 months now so will another use for this gorgeous mug!

My favourite item has to be the red and white polka dot little cushion that you can heat up in the microwave! I can’t wait to start using this! In the little beauty bag I received a mini Essie polish called ‘cute as a button’, My Little Beauty Volume & Care Mascara and an Aracancil Starliner Black Waterproof Eyeliner, all items I will definitely use!

This box never fails to surprise me and for £11 plus p&p a month, I think it’s a fab price for the quality of goods you receive!

What subscription boxes do you recommend? 

My Christmas Decorations Haul!

My family are one of those who refuse to decorate for Christmas until Christmas Eve or at a push the weekend before! If I has my way the tree and all the Christmas sparkle would be straight up on the 1^st December, so you can appreciate why I don’t appreciate my loved ones bah humbug ways!

So this year I am making a stance, I have started discretely putting Christmas decorations around the house! I feel like I have my own little secret operation going on, I will get my family into the Christmas spirit!

Here is what I have sneaked in so far...

Christmas Curtain Star Lights*

Baubles and Gold Bead Chain

MERRY CHRISTMAS RED WOOD STRING GARLAND

Natural Woven Vine Christmas Wreath With Seasonal Star Detail

Santa Hat Chair Covers

What do you all think? Do you have all your decorations up already? My next mission is to somehow get a tree in!!

Yankee Candle Indian Summer Collection

I am obsessed with candles, my house is filled with them and is we come into the colder months there is nothing nicer then getting home after a long day and snuggling on the sofa with lots of candles lit. They just create such a nice atmosphere.

Yankee Candle has to be one of my favourite candle brands and when I spotted that they had just released a new range in time for Autumn I just had to try them so treated to a box of their sample sized candles. I am terrible for doing this, if I really fall in love with a particular scent I end up caving and buying the full sized version!

So the Indian Summer Collection consists of the following 5 candles...

Honey Glow

This is such a gorgeous scent! I wouldn’t say it has a strong honey smell thought, but that's probably a good thing as I think I would be too sickly then. This instead is more sweet and floral scented, it really is gorgeous. I wish you could do scratch and sniff on blogs as I'm not sure how to describe just how good it is! This is definitely one I would be considering getting a larger version of!

Amber moon

This is a lovely sweet musky scent with a hint of citrus. Its not my favourite in this collection but it still is absolutely lovely.

Ginger Dusk

I'm not a huge fan of ginger, so it came as no surprise to me that this is my least favourite. It has a really strong spicy citrus scent and reminded me of cloves. Also something I'm not a fan of. Its just a bit too strong of a scent for me.

Lake Sunset

I adore this candle! It is gorgeous! The scent reminds me of the smell that hits you when you walk into a Yankee Candle Store. Its a soft scent and slightly floral. This may be heading my way at some point in a large jar!

Wild Fig

This has to be my favourite scent of the collection. Its very fruity, fresh and strong and feels like a really fitting scent for this time of year. I know I am going to be treating myself to a large jar of Wild Fig. Its a really gorgeous scent that lingers and smells amazing!

These candles are gorgeous and make me feel all cosy! There is a real mix of floral and fruity scents with this range so there is something for everyone. What’s your go to scent for candles?