Self Portrait

{Picture sourced from Pinterest}

Hi guys, remember me? Okay, I am exaggerating because it hasn't been that long since I posted but it is currently my busiest time of year - yep, that is me in that picture (or at least that is how I feel right now). 

I just wanted to touch base and say 'hello' and that I hope you are all still out there and haven't given up on me due to a week of totally radio silence.

My big work event is tomorrow evening so after a weekend of sleep I will be back! (I should've inserted a picture of Arnie at this point huh?).

See you all soon xoxo

Loving, Needing, Meh! #72

Welcome to another Friday! It is a grey one here, I hope it is brighter where you are! 

It's been a busy one this end, I have an event I organise at work taking place next Friday, The Twilight Christmas Market, so it is all go here. I am struggling to get my brain in to the mode of having to put up two trees next week! Fingers crossed it all goes well - wish me luck! For now, let's focus on what has been happening this week shall we?

This week I have been LOVING:

• The carpet of leaves in our garden. Joe tells me he will be clearing them up over the weekend, which is probably for the best as they will soon turn to mush, but for now they really brighten up a grey old day.
• Hozier's single 'Take Me To Church'. Not my normal taste in music but I have been loving this song! 
• Getting a surprise card at work this week from a lovely friend. It made my day.
• Making Christmas related plans. This also involved how to stop Gizmo from scaling the tree - any thoughts and tips welcome lovely people!
• Trying on a 'little black dress' from years ago that still fits. That always feels good! (I'm actually hoping it will fit with room to spare by the Christmas party as I am on somewhat of a mission right now!).
• Looking back to the start of Joes Instagram at all our silly pictures! This is so much fun to sit and do together. Oh the memories!

This week I have been NEEDING:

• To start thinking about wedding make up. Yes, there is 4 months to go, but I need to think about what I want because time is flying by and, before we know it, April will be along.
• Talking of wedding...we really need to sort out the post wedding party. I haven't even started thinking about that yet and really, really need to. We are not doing a conventional wedding so, don't worry, it isn't the reception that I haven't planned! Maybe I'll do a post on our plans really soon.
• Tea. Not just any tea. I am trying to make an effort to drink some green tea at work rather than regular tea with milk and I heard that Twinnings have introduced some new wintery flavours that I need to try, including salted caramel and gingerbread. Apparently they are good but I currently can't find them in our local store. Boo!

This weeks 'MEH!':

• You will remember the accident I/the cat had with Joe's Playstation 3 controller (if you didn't read about it let's just say it involved water!). That has now been replaced and we are happy campers. Fast forward to the weekend just gone when we decided that a Guitar Hero Metallica would be a good way to kill a couple of hours... the ruddy batteries leaked in the little guitar and now that too has entered the graveyard of PS3 controllers. Now that I am upset about.

Skin Care Chat & Haul | New YouTube Video

This week I have posted a video to show you some of the most recent skin care products I have introduced into my routine. You know what it's like, things mostly run out at the same time and you are forced to part with way too much hard earned money to prevent a disaster erupting. In my case this happened anyway as my skin has recently reverted back to it's third year of secondary school state - how and why still remains a mystery!

The products I am using at the moment are mostly for sensitive skin, despite my skin not actually being sensitive, I figured I should do my best not to anger the beast within! To see a full list (with links) to the products I bought please click here and see the description box under the main video for all the details.

Let me know if you use any of these products or if you have any recommendations from these brands or others.

Loving, Needing, Meh! #71

{Image sourced from Pinterest | Original found here}

This week I have been LOVING:

• I seem to be very late to the party but a colleague showed me this YouTube video. It is such a beautiful animation and sweet message, if you haven't watched it all the way through then you certainly should.
• My new glasses. They are an early Christmas present from Joe and I love them a whole heap.
• Malteaser cupcakes, well, one, singular Malteaser cupcake. Don't you love it when someone brings in cakes to work?
• An afternoon snuggle and sleep whilst we half watched 'Bedknobs and Broomsticks'. Kids films rock! Bring on Mary Poppins :-)
• Catherine-Wheels and burgers in buns. We had a sort of bonfire-night meal with my mum and dad at the weekend and my dad, feeling brave, brought with him a Catherine-Wheel. I watched from the lounge whilst looking after a slightly freaked out cat, but was impressed that it didn't fling off the fence and over to next doors garden! 
• Mindfulness Meditation. YouTube really has all sorts of gems that, in the past, we would have had to pay money to take part in. I mentioned in another post that I have been doing some yoga, with the YouTube channel 'Yoga with Adriene', after a yoga session this week I layered up to keep warm and threw on a meditation session to help try and calm my mind. Meditation is not easy for someone who has a mind that goes a million miles an hour but I did feel more chilled out afterwards so that has to be a good thing right?

This week I have been NEEDING:

• To somehow encourage Gizmo to use her outside bed. In-fact, trying to encourage Gizmo to use anything actually intended for her is a struggle. This pin illustrates our struggle.
• A new hot water bottle. Ours has sprung a leak. Unfortunately it chose to do this when it had just been filled with hot water. Why do these things break when it gets cold?
• To organise some Christmas party outfits. I have three Christmas 'do's' in one week. This slightly ruins my usual 'I'll-just-wear-the-same-outfit-each-time' plan. Some of the same people will be at the same thing so they may notice!

This weeks 'MEH!':

• The shower bracket thingy suddenly giving up and falling on my head as I turned off the taps. Ouch. Until the landlord visits to fix it we are showering holding it over our heads which is fairly awkward!

Top Pins | Autumn

At the moment I am all about cosy autumn things. Snugly looking rooms, over-sized jumpers and scarves and piping hot drinks. The weather in the UK is official dull and Pinterest is just the place to find some cheer! Here are my 'Top Pins' for autumn.

Keeping Warm

Despite the dark mornings (and very early sunsets) this is my absolute favourite time of year. It is all about colours and layers and textures... heaven. One of Joe and I's top things to do is to wrap up warm and head outside for a walk, swiftly followed by a hot cup of tea and a happy film.

(Left to right)
:: Tartan. I have got big-time in to tartan since we went to Edinburgh last October. When did I turn in to a cliché?! I think I now associate it with such a lovely couple of days and seeing it everywhere we went lodged it in my mind. I am on the hunt for a big tartan scarf, much like the ones pictured!

:: Hot chocolates. Need I say more?

:: Blankets, rugs and all things cosy certainly are a must at this time of year.

:: Bobble hats. I am obsessed. Marks and Spencer have some cracking ones this year :-)

:: I love the colder evenings so that I can bring out the cosy socks. Slipping your feet into the gorgeous, fluffy insides is heaven.

:: Whether you enjoy a Sunday breakfast at home or at your favourite cafe, you cannot beat some hot waffles or pancakes with a little syrup to set you up for the day ahead.

Hair & Beauty
The thing I enjoy most about this time of year is that you can get away with a little bit of glam during the day; a touch of glitter liquid liner or big lashes and a red lip - gorgeous! I have a thing about hair tucked in to scarves and roll-necks too, it kind of makes you look like you have had a whole lot of hair chopped off but it keeps your neck warm so is a bonus for sure!



(Left to right)
:: Personally, I can't 'pull off' dark hair like this, but I think it is so pretty, especially with simple eye make-up and a pop of colour on the lips. A true classic look.
:: Hair tucked into roll neck jumpers or big scarves is a unique way to keep it from blowing around in the autumn wind.
:: I adore khol eye-liner in the winter months, more for an evening look than during the day, the matte red lip is gorgeous too.
:: Last year I tried this nail look out as I am not one for glitter on every nail. I like the contrast between blood-red/black nails with a touch of glitter on one nail for a bit more impact.
:: Do you apply fake tan in the winter? I am so pale that it is a must for me. If I have a bit of tan on and am having a rare 'good-skin' week I enjoy this kind of bronze, dewy-skin look, with a touch of shimmer to try and give the illusion of cheekbones.
:: Messy buns and geeky glasses are where it's been at during the weekends of late.

Christmas Cheer

You cannot beat a little glitter and fairy lights to brighten up a dreary day.

(Left to right)

:: I may make this very cute little orange-peel garland. I adore the simplicity or the string too.

:: We don't really do wreathes in our house but I think this twig and berry one is gorgeous. 

:: These yummy looking ginger bread cakes might just satisfy a sweet-tooth or two on a cold afternoon!

:: I must confess that we keep some white fairy lights up all year but will be getting some like these for the festive season too.

:: Can you tell I am hungry whilst I pick my top pins? These snowflake cookies do look good though!

:: Call me crazy but I enjoy the process of wrapping. Pinterest has some fab wrapping ideas!

November's You beauty Discovery Box | New YouTube Video

The good thing about a beauty box subscription is that it gives you something to look forward too. I count down to the first day of the month so I can go online and order my two products from You Beauty...I just love the concept! This month, I admit, wasn't the greatest of months, but still, for the money, I am happy with what came through my door this month.

The two products I ordered were:

Skin & Tonic London's 'Steam Clean'

This organic cleansing balm smells fabulous, let's start with that! Its main ingredients, which make it smell so yummy, are eucalyptus oil and spearmint oil. I have a thing about minty products which is what drew me in about this cleanser. I thought it would be a nice refreshing one and I wasn't disappointed. The instructions with this product are a little different to most cleansing balms as it comes with one additional step; once you have massaged it in to the skin you have to lay a warm muslin cloth over your face for 30-60 seconds to allow the pores to open and to allow you time to breathe in the aroma created by the oils. Once wiped away my skin felt soft and clean. Job done! The sample I received was about 15mls, for the full size (50ml) it retails at £27.00 from the company's website, so it is not the cheapest but if you are in to your more natural, organic products certainly one to look at.

Magnifibres 'Brush-On False Lashes'
This is a strange old thing, not bad strange, just strange and unlike anything I have ever tried. Maybe I need to get out more! What did I expect? Well, I have used lash-primers in the past that you put on like mascara and it is white in colour, you know the ones. But this stuff, well, let me just say that it was perfectly timed around Halloween! The consistency of what you see on the wand, when you pull it out of the tube, is what can only be described as in line with those fake cobwebs you buy to put in your doorway, sort of wispy fur... Consistency to one side for a moment. Let's talk about product performance. It was shockingly great actually! You have to put on one coat of your regular mascara, then quickly add one coat of Magnifibres. This process allows the fibres to bond to your wet mascara. You finish by adding one more coat of ordinary mascara. I certainly have longer, thicker looking lashes, I wouldn't say they look like false ones but I guess I may not have applied enough - I was being a tad cautious on first attempt! The full size, which is what came in the box (hooray!) retails at £16.99. That is quite a hefty amount for what it is but it is a fun product to play around with.

As usual, let me know what you got in your beauty box this month or if you don't get one let me know what your favourite product of the moment is!

Loving, Needing, Meh! #70

Welcome to your (almost) weekend people! How has your week been? Anything exciting to report? My week has been pretty full-on, with some Gizmo induced 'fun' (see this weeks 'Meh'!) which led to a night of barely any sleep whatsoever and Joe and I aging 10 years in a very short space of time. But, before I start waffling on, let's get into this weeks round up!

^^This little monkey has added new grey hairs to my head this week^^

This week I have been LOVING:

• The new John Lewis Christmas advert. Gorgeous. I may have cried...a little (a lot!).
• Audio-books. I have really taken to listening to a book on my way to and from work. I am finding that it helps to quieten down my mind. I am currently listening to 'There's Something I've Been Dying to Tell You' by the late Lynda Bellingham. Although this book, in essence, is about her diagnosis and struggle with colon cancer it is peppered with humour and lovely stories which make you laugh and cringe at times too. 
• My newly updated office. Last week I mentioned our trip to Ikea to get a desk and subsequent office mini-makeover to follow. It is pretty much all done now I am pleased to say and it feels so much better to work in without all the clutter everywhere. It is only a small room so is still pretty full of things but it is certainly a much nicer experience!
• Choosing Christmas food for a work do. Knowing that I will be getting a Christmas dinner followed by hot waffles with toffee apple slices and ice-cream on 18th December is heaven! 
• Switching on our white fairy lights that go across the kitchen window when I get home from work. The dark evenings call for twinkly lights!

This week I have been NEEDING:

• Vitamin C and Echinacea. I have been feeling shivery on and off since Sunday. Boo. I feel like I am fighting it off gradually but certainly can't afford to have a cold right now, so jog on germs!

This weeks 'MEH!':

• Our lovely little fur-ball, Gizmo, decided not to come home on Tuesday night. Some of you will think this is normal, but for her it is not. She is a creature of habit and never misses dinner, let alone goes out for long. She is always in her bed by 10pm, washing away for ages, before settling down for the night. But Tuesday came and went and no Gizmo. Joe walked around calling for her, nothing. Being the slightly over-emotional, over-sensitive wreck that I usually am, I was going out of my mind with worry. Wednesday morning comes around and still nothing. Not until about 8.30am when she turns up, looking slightly tired but otherwise fine. The verdict? She could have been stuck in someones garage (she has a habit of climbing into nooks and crannies in ours). I bet some poor, unsuspecting person went to take their car out for work on Wednesday and she shot out like a bat out a cave, I am still recovering. She is fine.

The best things in life are free...

(Image sourced from Pinterest)

I like to think we are friends over here now so I have no problem telling you that the last few weeks have been full on. Even though things have been rough I wanted to take the time to acknowledge a few things that have really made me smile recently, because, well, why not...

:: The lovely email I received from H, one of the people who actually read my ramblings (people read this - I still can't quite believe it sometimes!). She decided to email me after reading this post and her email was perfectly timed. I won't go into the in's and out's of it but I just wanted to say thank you, again, for your kind words and taking time out of your day to get in touch (xx).

:: Reading old emails that Joe and I sent each other whilst he was on holiday in America when we first got together. It is so nice to recall the feelings that were then so new.

:: Having an out of the blue text arrive from a work colleague to see how things were and just say hello. Very much appreciated.

:: Reading some lovely comments from you guys on my posts - you always cheer me up with your thoughts and responses, get in touch at any time!

:: Trying on a multitude of fluffy and bobbly hats in a late night trip to Marks and Spencer with mum (this also resulted in me looking like I had been electrocuted - static overload!)

:: The early morning, pre-school-opening giggle my colleague and I often share as we get ready for the day ahead. This mad five minutes is worth its weight in gold.

:: Watching our cat, Gizmo, going bonkers to Bon Jovi. There are no words for what she gets up to at times.

:: Getting a text from Joe to say he is going to cook sausages and baked potatoes for dinner (and gravy of course). Comfort food always helps :-)

:: Smelling every Christmas candle possible. I want all of them!

Thank you guys for being patient with me. Normal service will be resumed shortly, I promise. xx

Taking Stock 'Man Style' | October 2014

What better way to start the month of November than rounding up October with my lovely man. Did you read my 'Taking Stock' post too?

{Image sourced from Pinterest | Orginal found here}

Making | progress on our wedding plans!
Cooking | steaks.
Drinking | rather a lot of coffee.
Reading | terms and conditions.
Wanting | to live by the beach.
Looking | at wedding rings.
Playing | our new EP on iTunes!
Deciding | on presents.
Wishing | to never hear that song 'Happy' ever again.
Enjoying | our trip to IKEA.
Waiting | for Christmas!
Liking | having a few days off work.
Wondering | what it must be like to take 240 million years for earth to orbit the centre of the Milky Way.
Loving | Lucy's homemade pizzas.
Hoping | to get a lamp for upstairs.
Marveling | at Lucy trying on new glasses.
Needing | a Guitar Hero & whiskey night.
Smelling | some bonfires in the air.
Wearing | my coat.
Following | what the sat nav was telling me.
Noticing | my sleeping pattern has changed.
Knowing | there are plenty of terrible films still to be seen.
Thinking | about how brilliant our early morning film watching was.
Feeling | better for doing INSANITY.
Opening | flat pack furniture (and building it together).
Giggling | at Megashark Vs. Crocosaurus.