Childish and yet utterly pretentious stationary. HAD to have.

Thank you Pampered Sparrow for being such an excellent enabler

I purchased all my SMASH goodies here , it’s actually a US site but due to the exchange rate it was just as cheap to order from and at the time they had more stock than the UK. Shipping took approx 2 weeks.

This little video explains it all…

Must dash, cutting, sticking and doodling awaits

xo

1. How old are you in five years? 37, almost 38… oh christ :/
2. Who did you spend at least two hours with today? My two sons and my husband Matt. We made pizza and watched Star Wars ♥
3. How tall are you? 5 feet 6.5 inches
4. What is the last movie you saw? Star Wars obviously. Previous to that it was Overboard, a really old romantic comedy with a Randy Newman theme tune. Epic 80′s
5. Who called you last? Matt. I missed the call. I miss a lot of calls
6. Who did you call last? My Mum, asking her to babysit. She said yes #winning
7. What was the last text message you received? My Mum “You rang. Out doing lotto. What’s up?” She has only recently learned to text so this amazed me
8. Do you prefer calling or texting? I prefer to call, but short calls and to the point
9. Are your parents married or divorced? Divorced. About 16 years ago
10. When did you last see your mother? Last week. We walked the dogs together and drank lots of tea
11. What color eyes do you have? Hazel
12. When did you wake up today? 6.45am via alarm. I actually got up out of bed about 7.10…
13. What is your favorite Christmas song? Dominic the Italian Donkey. I wish it wasn’t but it is
14. What is your favorite place? Anywhere near the sea. Must be the Pisces in me
15. What place do you prefer the least? Cork. Ex-boyf. Bad experience
16. Where do you think you will find yourself in ten years? Traveling around Europe with my husband and possibly the teenagers (scary thought)
17. What scared you about the night as a child? The thought that I might not make it over to sleep before my parents started “doing it” next door. They may have divorced but they definitely fancied each other *cringe*
18. What made you really laugh last? Gosh too hard to pinpoint just one thing. I am BIG into laughing
19. How big is your bed? Double with a king size quilt. Matt and I are spooners so a bigger bed is unnecessary
20. Do you have desktop or laptop computer? Both but I use my MacBook Pro 15″ most of the time. It has a faulty hinge as I am VERY hard on my computers
21. Do you sleep with or without clothes on you? Mostly with. I don’t have a preference but I do live in the UK and it’s cold so clothing makes for a more comfortable Zzzzz
22. How many pillows do you have in bed? Four, two each
23. How many provinces have you lived in? Quite a few. I was fairly nomadic as a teen and in my twenties, hopefully settled now
24. Which cities have you lived in? Belfast, London & Reading
25. Do you prefer shoes, socks or bare feet? Socks or tights. Rarely barefoot as I cannot stand cold feet, actually feet turn me quite a bit so it helps if they are covered
26. Are you social? Less so since having children but in general yes
27. What is your favorite ice cream? Ben & Jerry’s Cookie Dough
28. What is your favorite dessert? Rhubarb Crumble
29. Do you like Chinese food? I do, favourite dish would be honey chilli chicken and noodles
30. Do you like coffee? Only in the past year, and now I’m addicted :S
31. What do you have for breakfast? Lots, full cooked/ egg and soldiers/ weetabix and soya/ yoghurt and fruit
32. Do you sleep on a particular side? Left hand side of the bed and on my back. I snore
33. Can you play poker? Yes and 21′s
34. Do you like to cuddle / snuggle? So much, I am extremely tactile with my husband and children. Which always surprises me as I’m not like that with my parents or friends
35. Are you a dependent person? I am. I like sharing my life with a significant other and although I can and have lived alone I think life is more fun as a pair
36. Do you know anyone with the same birthday as you? Jessica Biel. Apparently all the sexy ladies are born then
37. Do you have children? Yes 2 of my own and 2 step-children. I’m extremely blessed
38. Do you know any other languages than English? yes, I can converse in basic French
39. Have you ever driven an ambulance? No but I’ve been driven IN one
40. Do you prefer the ocean or a pool? Definitely the ocean. It’s hypnotic to me
41. What do you spend any money on? Boots, books and too much off eBay
42. Do you have precious jewellery? Lots and one of my new years resolutions is to wear it all more. One life people. NOT a dress rehearsal
43. What are your favorite shows on TV? I love Californication, Masterchef, Biggest Loser, Eastenders. I’m a big telly fan
44. Can you roll your tongue? I can. I can also curl it into a cauliflower shape #talented
45. Who is the funniest person you know? My brother. He has a very dry wicked sense of humour
46. Do you sleep with stuffed animals? Under no circumstances and I am suspicious of adults that do this
47. What is your ringtone? Standard ring ring. I’m always scundered for people with song ringtones
48. Do you still have clothes from when you were little? Personally no, but I think my Mum might have some stuff
49. What are you closest to you right now that is red? My MacBook Cover. It’s by Speck
50. Do you flirt much? Not that I’m aware of. In fact I’d hazard a guess I come across as quite cold & unfriendly until you know me
51. Can you change the oil on the car? No. I have no desire to either. That’s what mechanics are for
52. Have you received speeding ticket ever? Yes and 3 penalty points #badgirl
53. What was the last book you read? I got this – Jennifer Hudson. It made me dislike her. Dare I say that she doesn’t come across as the sharpest tool in the box when reading it…
54. Do you read a newspaper? The Daily Mail. It’s an atrocious rag but I love it
55. Subscribe to a magazine? No. In fact that’s one addiction I have well and truly kicked. I rarely buy magazines anymore
56. Are you dancing in the car? Not right this second but I am a car dancer and I do like to belt out a good show tune while picking up my penalty points…
57. Which radio station did you listen to you last? Radio 1. I remember because it was Fearne Cotton presenting and I like her accent
58. What was the last thing you scribbled down on paper? My signature. Cheque to the taxman. Bastard
59. When were you at church last? A looooong time ago. Actually is was a chapel for a friend’s wedding. They make me uncomfortable
60. Are you happy? In my heart, yes. In my head, not always xo

Inspired by Emma’s post. See her answers here

Now that we have moved and unpacked (most) boxes my mind can turn to making this house a home. Although detached our house is quite modest and therefore storage is limited. I’m constantly on the look out for nice boxes, shelving and space-savers.

This metal wall hanging is from NEXT and although this particular design is past season they currently do a shabby chic version for £12 here

I have a massive jewellery box for all my good pieces but I was really desperate to find something to house those “every-day” pieces. The ones that aren’t worth putting away but inevitably end up strewn across your dressing or beside table.

This fits the bill. It’s also useful for holding hairbands. The only negative is that it’s not designed to hold ALL of your jewellery. Definitely best suited to necklaces, but that suits me fine, as they are the ones that get tangled on me. I think it makes a really nice addition to the wall in our bedroom too, almost like art…

I also just HAD to show you this great TK Maxx find. I’m the type of person that finds one piece they like and builds the style of their room around it. THIS is my veranda inspiration. At the moment the veranda is dull and dusty, but come spring I hope to find even more weird and wonderful shaped Moroccan lanterns, large jeweled throws for the outside sofa and a huge brightly coloured rug and cushions ♥

Finally I would like to give a huge virtual hug to the lovely Georgia of On My Mind (formerly WelshBeautyBlog). Thanks to her general loveliness I have had a visit from the Fairy Hobmother of AppliancesOnline and will shortly be the proud owner of a crepe maker Woo Hoo!!

I know that the Fairy Hobmother has been granting quite a few wishes around the blogosphere lately, so watch out! Next time, it could be you! xo

Howdy folks!

Hope you’re all having a lovely Christmas build up. So far my week has been tops! Lot’s of yummy treats, family time and last night Love Actually & Pork Scratchings! (a must watch film at Christmas time). My heart is literally full to bursting with love and happiness and I am super dooper thankful for everyone and everything I have been blessed with in my life!

Of course, I realise that not everyone will be feeling this way coming up to the festive period and that it can in fact be a very bleak time of year for some. With that in mind I would urge you (if you have the means) to give a little to a charity.

CRISIS is one close to my heart and you can donate to their appeal here. Your simple donation will mean a lovely warm Christmas meal and chance for a shower/ shave/ haircut etc. Things that most of us take for granted.

 
 
 
If you are local you might also consider donating to Assisi Animal Sanctuary who do fantastic, tireless work rescuing our furry friends without any funding other than what you and I give. They operate a no-kill policy (last year rescuing 2,300 animals) and as you can imagine until each animal is rehomed the costs are significant. You can donate here or just head to Pets At Home in Bangor and buy something for the animals. The lovely staff there will sticker your purchase and everything gets delivered direct to Assisi in time for Christmas!

There are literally hundreds of worthy charities I could list but I’m sure you’re all well aware of who and what you can donate to. Stop thinking of doing it and actually DO IT!! xo

Just a few little bargains I picked up in Bangor this weekend.

First up, jewellery. I LOVE when Topshop have a jewellery sale as the reductions are nearly always 50% – 75%
That said, just because its a bargain doesn’t mean I should buy all the shit of the day. So initially I do tend to go a bit crazy grabbing everything in sight.

Then I take my haul to a mirror and try everything on (necklaces/ bangles/ rings) and hold earrings up to get an idea. Just by doing this I normally manage to whittle it down from about 12 pieces to 4 or 5…… ish

First up are two pair of heart earrings. Hearts are very “me”. I am very in touch with my feelings and a massive romantic. I’ve had my heart broken many times but I’d rather that than never having known what it’s like to fall in love…. So hearts make me smile

The stud silver pair were £5 down to £2, and the woven gold danglies were £7 down to £2

Then I got a bunch of silver bangles. I’ve been wearing a lot of gold over the summer, but my preference from young has always been silver. I thought these would come in useful over the festive season. £12 down to £2. Bargaintastic!!

And finally a sweet little owl, star and moon necklace. This wasn’t reduced but inexpensive anyway at £6. I bought this to wear with my Winter Coat from New Look as the owl has lovely emerald coloured eyes. Too cute!

Clothes wise the ultimate bargain was unearthed in my local British Heart Foundation Charity Shop. It may not be to everyone’s taste, but I practically squealed when I found this dress nestling in the rails. It is a velvet & lace vintage “Kays Catalogue” Bodycon dress. I’m too embarrassed to say what they were asking for it, but needless to say I rounded it up to a more acceptable amount to donate to charity.

To be fair, lying flat/ on the hanger it doesn’t “really” look anything special but…

when it’s on, I feel super sexy. I adore any kind of open or low back. This dips down in a very deep lace covered V. LOVE IT!!!

Last but not least I caved in and bought a pair of super tight sequin leggings.

I’ve hmmed and haaed over these a couple of times. Do I really need them? Am I not a bit old to be wearing sequins on my legs at 30? But at the end of the day, I just thought fuck it. Life’s too short.

Now… when I’ll actually get to wear them is another matter. When I do though I’m thinking I’ll pair them under a nice long jumper dress/ tee. Keep it all quite simple and let the sequins do the talking? Any suggestions would be great!

So thats it from me for now, I’m off to stick a white wash on….. oh the glamourous life I lead

xox

Part of my college course this year includes a little bit of creative writing.

This week I’ve been asked to choose one of the people from Edward Hoppers Nighthawks Painting and write about them. Anyone and anything I like, just a little fictional story about their life and how they happened to be in Phillie’s that night.

I like this kind of work, writing without constraint is just plain ole good fun

I think I know who I’m going to go with, but my question is who would you pick, and what would be the rough outline of your story?

xox

OK ok, so technically it’s not actually mine *thinks about vows* it’s “ours”

I clung onto my little Suzuki Swift and made Matt trade in his stinky Peugeot (the whole “Noir” no “R” advert was the final nail in the coffin… no but really).

I We opted for a Silver Vauxhall Zafira (my first Vauxhall ever….. and I’m not car shy believe me), one previous aul owner and just 23,000 miles on the clock. Air con, cruise control and alloys. Yeoooooo!

More importantly though it fills our seating (there are seven) requirements, at the weekends we can be parenting up to 4 little terrors and for the last wee while we’ve had to take two cars everywhere when we want to go out as a family. Hardly ideal, not great cost wise and I’m sure we could throw an environmental slant in there too.

So I’m very excited about the new addition to our driveway. These are the things you get excited about as parents, other things would be prozac and wine… j/k

The kids are totally in love with it. Our youngest especially. The two rear seats are basically in the boot. This never gets old. As far as he’s concerned he is a rebel roadster riding in the boot. There is nothing cooler than that when you are four…. in fact the word “awesome” has been used a number of times already.

I can totally see where he’s coming from. I can distinctly remember my brother and I knocking seven bells out of each other as we grappled to be the one that got to sit in the boot, and in those days it really was the boot. Mum in the front, whatever we’d bought that day that was filling most of the back seats and one of us squeezed into the boot waving at motorists. Way before seat belt laws were enforced… god showing my age now…

Anyway… I’m rambling…. I’m looking forward to breaking her in this weekend, I’m thinking a little run to Newcastle will be just the ticket!

xoxo

If you log onto my blog for the forseeable.

I’ve enjoyed the past 9 months of cosmetic chit chat and while I was completing my course in Makeup it was useful as well as cathartic.

However now I’ve qualified the whole “beauty blogging” thing doesn’t hold quite the same personal appeal anymore. In fact its become a bit of a chore, and my attitutude has always been “if it isn’t fun, don’t do it”.

So I’m not

Now don’t get me wrong… if I come across a product and feel the <3 you’ll know all about it, but I won’t be going out of my way. Instead I’ll be relying on all you fabulous beauty bloggers out there to keep me informed of what’s hot & whats not by continuing to read and comment on your brilliant blogs.

So…. if you have the time give me a little visit now and again, you never know what you’ll find, but its more than likely that the content will be much more varied and diverse than it has been and posts will be less regular.

Thank you to everyone who has read and enjoyed up to now

xox

My anniversary gifts from Matthew were two books (1st Wedding Anniversary gifts are traditionally paper), I can’t wait to get The Time Travelers wife read before I see the film. It looks like a complete romance/ tear fest!!

I also got this stunning Eternity ring and I absolutely adore it!!

As a result I want to give my rings centre stage on my hand today, and so I’ve picked NYC Quick Dry Polish in Soho (222B) to wear. It’s a very muted frost pink. I’m not actually sure if I like the shade all that much but Matthew says he thinks its sweet and feminine, so its staying…. for now

Soho With Flash

Soho Minus Flash

Oh, and if you were wondering what I got Matthew….

For the paper element I got him a novelty present, a little local newspaper mock up, edited with our personal details. Just a bit of tongue in cheek fun

I actually can’t recommend the company I got this from highly enough “In The Paper”

The process was quick and easy, and most of all fun to do, too many of these personalisation websites are long-winded. This is definitely not. They also shipped very quickly (2 days from mainland UK to N.Ireland) and packaged the picture securely, as well as including a free A4 copy of the mock up which I plan to give to my mum. Best of all they were relatively inexpensive, so ticked my bargainista box too. Check them out.

I also got Matthew The Sailing Bible & some Cebe Polarized Sunglasses as he is learning to sail

I’m off to get ready for my night out now, hope you all have fun whatever you get up to this weekend xox

The other half is away in Cork on business and the kids were having some Granny time…. which meant I found myself well and truly fancy free today.

It seemed positively criminal not to head into Belfast, after all shopping sans kids is a rare occurence, and one to make the most of!!

This is what I picked up…..

Minus Flash

Under Flash

The new Sleek Safari Eyeshadow Palette. I’m not a fan of their Original or Jewel Palettes. However I’m always willing to be proved wrong, and so I’ve succumbed to the Safari mania and I’ll let you know what I think soon.

An inexpensive blush (think it was about £2.50) from Collection 2000 called “Bashful”. I purchased this as the warm tone appealed and perhaps unbelievably (considering my make-up obsession) its not like anything I already own.

Revlon Crystal Nail File £4.99. I received a lot of comments on both my Nail Tidy posts that suggest glass nail files are the business. I honestly couldn’t find a glass one anywhere, but I’m assuming this will do the job…. probably

Large Silver & Turquoise Ring from Miss Selfridge. Sale price £2.00 I thought it was super summery and I love statement rings. It’s very comfy on too.

Bee Necklace from Accessorize. I just adore this, I had been looking at a very expensive bee one on Accessories online, but this is a more than acceptable substitute. It was marked as £4.00, however when the girl scanned it into the till it turned out to be £1.20!!!!

Horse Studs from Urban Outfitters, sale price £4.99. Just another addition to my animal fashion addiction. They also had lions & pumas if thats your bag

Adorable multi strand necklace, again from Urban Outfitters reduced from £34 to £9.99. I have to be honest and say its very unlikely I’d have paid the original price tag, however this is a stunning piece, I feel the need to build an outfit around it and an event to wear it to.

I just love the mix of gold and pearl, and the stunning art deco style clasps. It also hangs at that very flattering collar bone length, not quite a choker, but very very glamourous.

Thats pretty much it barr a Goats Cheese & Chilli Jam Sandwich from Deeee Lites (who took over 12 minutes to complete my order……bah!), it was a taste sensation though and only £2.00 so I’ll give them a by ball…. this time

xoxo

Exactly 4 weeks ago I embarked on a little tidy up nail campaign.

Nails on 9th June 2009

My main gripes were nail bed discolouration, manky cuticles and general length/strength. I have to be honest and say that I’m still abusing my nails with all manner of bright polishes.

However I have been applying my Sally Hansen Miracle Growth once a day and these are the results so far

Ok, so they still need work but there is a marked improvement, most notable in the fact that they are no longer peeling/ breaking and are maintaining length. I see beautiful long nails in my not too distant future

How’s everyone else getting on?

xoxo

I was more than a little sad to find these emails directed towards me today….

They refer to a post I made this week on what was a “fabulous” night out with the family in Groomsport, you can read the original here

Now I’m all for a bit of constructive commenting, but Mr Mc Cauley & “true Johnny Cash fan” Ms Roberts sent direct emails that I’d like to share with you all. I’d be interested to see how many of you think the punishment fits the crime.

Hi Arlene,

I was made aware of your comment on your website stating that I caused you ‘much mirth’, glad there was some amusement there, however every single song our band played WAS either penned or recorded by Mr Cash himself.
Please do a bit of research before making ignorant comments.

Kind Regards,
JP

Kind Regards
John Paul Mc Cauley
Designer

t: +353 (0)74 9386740
f: +353 (0)74 9386548
www.bangonthedoor.com

Bang on the Door Ltd – 15a Carrakeel Drive, Maydown Ind. Est.
Londonderry BT47 6UQ
t: +44 (0)28 71861289

Hi Arlene

It is quite obvious from your post that you are not a ‘true’ Johnny Cash fan or you would have noticed that once the band played their half hour of music and Johnny Mac came on stage it was all Cash songs either penned by himself or by other artist for him which were performed.

Correct me if im wrong but the opening song was Folsom Prison Blues one of Johnny Cash’s biggest hits, Walk the Line, Hurt, Cocaine Blues, Give my Love to Rose, Long Black Veil, Big River and several others all followed!!  I would suggest that you type Johnny Cash into google and get a list of all his music before you make the same ignorant mistake again.

I think the ‘mirth and amusement’ is on your own stupidity!!!!!

From A True Cash fan.

melissa@mon-arch.com
Mon-Arch Architectural Services
84 Summerhill Court
Strabane
Co, Tyrone
BT82 9FJ

Tel: (028) 71 880334
Fax: (028) 71 885120

I stand by my original comment

My husband, friend & myself were amused by the lack of original Cash songs performed, we weren’t interested in songs Cash covered….. I also think everyone knows me well enough to realise that my comments are never nasty or spiteful…..

Mr Mc Cauley & Ms Melissa Roberts, I think you’ve both over-reacted.

Hope everyone is having a nice day xox

The town next to ours held its annual 4th of July Celebrations last night and we went along for the sunshine, music, hotdogs, ice-cream and Elderflower Slush Puppies (well actually I went for the beer)…. yum

I took full opportunity to work cow girl chic using a new dress from Peacocks £16 and vintage boots from The Ragged Priest £24.99

I felt really girly as the dress has some netting underneath, so there were a number of gratuituous twirls for the husband

The boots kept it quite casual though and this particular pair are like wearing slippers! With a four hour wait for the Fireworks, I’m really really glad I opted for these over strappy sandals!!

Make-up wise I wore a thin layer of Dior Forever Foundation, this is my go to for evenings out at the moment.

I kept the eyes bright but simple, using just one eyeshadow namely MAC Steamy and then lined my upper lid with Barry M Turquoise Liquid Liner. I adore this liner, however I hate the applicator which is like a spear, and its also near impossible to remove in entirety. I’ll have a little blue hue around my lashes for the next 2-3 days. Not ideal….

Eye brows are courtesy of the Urban Decay Brow Box, blusher is MAC Tippy from the Hello Kitty range, still in my top five and lips are my own

We had a brilliant night, the weather was just perfect and it was nice to see people from all walks of life congregate for something fun! Roll on next year!

Matthew & Izaak skimming stones

Johnny Cash Tribute Band

This band caused much mirth and amusement with us, every song up until about 10 minutes before the end was NOT a Johnny Cash song. Not unless Johnny Cash was the 6th member of Boyzone……

Hard to capture the impressive Firework display on camera phone but it was amazing and such a beautiful setting over Groomsport Harbour.

xoxo

P.S Check out how much my hair has grown?!! We’re entering short bob zone here folks

Breathe in…………..

I woke up this morning, logged onto Blogger and YouTube and felt completely uninspired, frustrated and frankly a bit bored.

Can I possibly be the only person who is sick and tired of reading and listening to the same old regurgitated reviews on the same old products? Or am I alone in thinking that a little originality wouldn’t go amiss?

When I first started blogging, it was for fun, and essentially for myself. When people started to read and comment that was simply a bonus. I’ve continued to feel like that about it and enjoy it up until about 2 months ago. I can pinpoint when the tide turned for me, and I would have to say it was when the PR companies got in contact.

Suddenly rather than review things I had picked and paid my hard earned money on myself, I was being sent cosmetics and hair products for free. GREAT I’m sure you’re thinking….. well I would have to disagree.

I’ve reviewed a few of things I was sent such as the OSiS Gloss and the Barry M lippies, these got reviews as I actually personally tried & loved them….. however I’m basically left with an ever growing drawer of shite as I get sent more and more things that a) I’d never have bought for myself and b) are just pure and utter crap. I don’t want to be a PR Product Prostitute.

Its no surprise then that when I log into Blogger or YouTube all these items are being reviewed by fellow bloggers, and I’m sorry but some of them are blatantly bigging up ANYTHING they are sent, regardless if its a good product or not. I have issues with this on many levels but basically for me its all about the integrity.

If I recommend a product to you and give it a positive review, you can be 100% sure that I genuinely feel this way about the product. I’m not a nodding dog. I won’t sell out, and I honestly couldn’t live with myself if I thought I was encouraging people to waste their money on a product I didn’t actually like, or even worse (and what I suspect with sadly quite a few) had never even tried it.

So agree or disagree with me, but this morning I have taken positive steps to undoing the “damage” as I see it. I’m not suggesting in any shape or form this is what you should be doing, but this is what I have done to up my enjoyment levels of them again.

This morning I culled the channels I subscribe to on YouTube by around 3/4. I literally couldn’t see the wood for the trees, and by that I mean all these insignificant reviews were covering up the true diamonds I had subscribed too. It was only when I deleted these that I realised all the fabulous tutorials I had been missing out of, they were simply being pushed out of sight.

I’ve retained only 1 major Product Reviewer, namely Lisasz09 as I trust her reviews are totally genuine, I know she buys the bulk of her own products and as she is US based I get a sneak peak at whats coming to the UK. 

The rest of the subscriptions I held onto are truly talented people in the application of make-up. Not all of them are Make-up Artists but I believe more than ever you don’t need a qualification to be an artist or expert, in any creative field. If you’re good at something, you’re good at it. End of. I’ve also kept some weight loss & fashion gurus that inspire me in there too.

In regards to Blogger I have my favourites who I will still be reading and enjoying, but there has been a major pruning there too, and you know what?…. I wish I’d recognised the problem 2 months ago and done it then. Already this morning I’ve enjoyed 2 refreshing tutorials on YouTube and all because they weren’t hidden under frankly a pile of twaddle.

I’m going to get lynched for this post aren’t I? Ah well, I have to be true to myself!

I’m now looking forward to blogging again, if I want to review a mascara that came out a year ago, I’ll do it, an eyeshadow that came out 6 collections ago, I’m gonna do it, a lipstick that has just been released… I’m gonna do it But I’ll be doing it in the order I want to, and not just because 20 other bloggers have decided thats the flavour of the day. I’m nobody’s sheep.

Breathe out……… wooooooooooooooooooo

Talk soon beautiful people xox

You’d be forgiven for thinking I’ve been kidnapped……..no such luck!!

I’m afraid I’m simply up to my eyes with “real” life and therefore I’ve had to prioritise this week. Unfortunately for the blog this means home, family and college come first.

My course at college comes to an end on Thursday and as part of that I have the tail end of a written assignment to finish off and a portfolio to check, double check and check again. It has to be perfect.

At home, the glorious weather has meant that all those little tasks I’d been putting off can be put off no longer. So far I’ve completed the patio power-hosing, complete grass cut, strim and general tidy, and today I started the tedious task of painting what seems like 3 miles of fencing! The joys of being a home owner…..

In the process I’ve managed to burn my back and feet to a crisp and as I type this I am sitting in bed slathered in the complete tester tub of Body Shop Body Butter from Marie Claire.

It hurts like hell, I NEED Aftersun, sods law that its the only bloody skincare product I don’t own! I’m intending to pick some up tomorrow and I guess it’ll give me a chance to review a few sun care products for you

Every cloud eh?!

Family wise my husband leaves on an extended business trip this week, and while that is exciting due to the fact that I get to request a few Sephora goodies, its also quite stressful. I need to get him packed (left to his own devices he’d be happy with a few pairs of undies and his iPhone!) and his absence also means I have to make sure I have cover organised to allow me to go to work which involves co-ordinating with my mum and friends in Belfast, who are all very good.

We also have dinner planned with friends before Matt goes away, and on Thursday the kids are off school due to polling for the local elections. Excellent timing…..

So, I’m not saying that I won’t be posting this week, I have so much I want to tell you all about, however if I don’t get the chance I hope you all understand and don’t hate me too much

xoxox

I’m going on a little trip to London for the next few days, meeting friends, dining out, hopefully cocktails & perhaps a sit on Santa’s knee……. all will be revealed

If you’d like to keep up to date with my antics you can always follow me on twitter @dressjunkie

xoxoxo

Its 11.30pm and I’m getting ready to go to bed. This is unusually early for me (bit of a night owl), but its an early start tomorrow as I’m headed to Dublin in the morning to meet the Benefit Twins. Soooo exciting!!!

I’ve primped and preened in preparation (my husband doesn’t get this much effort), and in my hasty excitement commited the mortal eyebrow plucking sin….. I used the magnified side of my mirror. Such a bad idea! I just get so carried away when everything looks so big and black and goddamm hairy, and I overplucked!! Nightmare.
So one thing I will be picking up at the Benefit counter tomorrow is some eyebrows

Anyway, I’m rambling…. basically I wanted to share a few purchases I made today. I went out specifically to grab myself a set of the Eylure Girls Aloud Lashes, namely the Nicola which looked right up my street. While there I also lifted Nadine’s lashes as Superdrug had a Buy One Get One Half Price on them.

I’m not a huge fan of very heavy dense falsies for everyday wear which I consider these to be suitable for, and so these were the two that really appealed to me.

Below is a close up of each. Click to enlarge

Nicola

Nadine

I’m hoping to wear my Nicola’s tomorrow and will post pics up for you over the weekend

While in Superdrug I also picked up another GOSH Extreme Art Eyeliner in 17, which is a gorgeous lilac tone. Last week I was obsessed with golds and blues! This week its pinks and purples
I really like these eyeliners, I’m getting used to working with the gloopy consistency and think they are a gorgeous and simple way of adding a cheeky flash of colour to an otherwise neutral eye.

I also don’t find them as difficult to remove as I had anticipated, a wet wipe or cotton pad soaked in cleanser makes short work of them.

Also from GOSH I got this pretty Multicolour Blush in 50 Pink Pie. I just adore the name! I have yet to try this, it reminds me of the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick and the Me Me Me Shimmy Shimmers though. Its a mix of baby pink, rose, copper & tan infused with mostly gold glitter. So it differs in that its not all from the same colour family, so I am intrigued and excited to see how this applies. I’ll keep you posted

Without flash

With Flash

And finally, I bought a dress. I’m really getting back into my frock love now that the weight is coming off. I’m especially loving the whole All Saints parachute dress/ skirt jazz. I am not however loving their price tags!

So I was a happy bargainista when I saw this nifty little tartan number in cheapy clothes shop Exhibit for £18. I’m thinking it’ll be gorgeous over my denim treggings, or even bare legged if my prayers are answered and the sun stays out for longer than half an hour.

Night Night Peeps xoxoxxo

As I said earlier in the week I am now starting to incorporate “light” exercise into my daily life in an effort to tone as I continue to shed the pounds.

I’m not a gym person in the slightest, I had a years membership a few years back and it was pretty much the biggest waste of money. The odd times I did grace LA Fitness with the presence of my fat ass I tended to favour the arm cycle & the exercise bike.

Ideally I wanted an exercise bike for the house, somewhere I’m a lot more comfortable sweating, panting and generally looking crap. However space is an issue for us, our house is compact, bijou and an exercise bike taking up yet more room we don’t have would frankly be mad.

However as with most things I want, I generally find a way to make it happen.

Delight then when I saw a foldable bike in Argos yesterday. Tbh I always thought these would be a bit feeble and light, however the reviews were some of the most positive out of all the exercise bikes on sale there. So I took the plunge and bought it.

Now it does say on the catalogue listing that “A different brand named item may be received of similar specification, but cosmetically different.” and thats exactly what happened. My bike is branded as a “Roger Black” rather than a Pro-fitness but I’m not complaining as this one is all black and looks a bit better sitting out.

Now when they say foldable, it doesn’t fold flat, but it folds enough to make a huge difference in the actual floorspace it eats up. I have it sitting neatly at the end of one of our sofas and its great.

I’ve been using it on tensions 4/5 (it goes up to eight) until I build myself up a bit and the resistance is fine for someone of my fitness. Put it this way, I’m sweating like a pig within 10 mins, attractive…

It is very steady, and most importantly for me, its incredibly quiet when in use. You can literally (i know because I did) watch GMTV without having to increase the telly volume in any way. Seat height is adjustable just like the gym style bikes, however word of warning, I am almost 5’7 and I can only comfortably use it at its lowest setting, so for anyone 5″5 or under I’d give it a miss, you’ll only end up over-stretching.

So if you’ve been hankering after an exercise bike but worried about the size or paying through the nose this just might be what you’re after

Link to the Argos listing here

xoxox

Happy Mother’s Day to all my fellow mums and mothers to be. I hope you are all being thoroughly spoilt by your loved ones and enjoying the day of pampering

Mine is off to a great start, I have beautiful cards, a duo of boiled eggs & soldiers breakfast, the Sunday paper and a new lipstick link for my Links of London Charm bracelet
This link makes me smile for two reasons, one because my children helped to pick it out and two because my husband and I have giggled childishly over it in many Links stores because of its likeness to another kind of lipstick…….

xoxoxo

I’ve also taken some time this morning to think about poor Jade Goody who lost her fight with cancer this Mothering Sunday. I’ve read some very callous and blithe tweets on the subject this morning which I find totally unnecessary. I think about everyone I hear who loses their brave battle with this disease, and while I recognise that it is true that not everyone has a voice, Jade is the one I heard about today and I’m offering out my sincere condolences to her boys & mother in particular, and the wider family circle. God bless xx

Ok, so its a bit belated but it took me until now to recover (just kidding).

For those that aren’t aware, I live in Northern Ireland & always have done, so St Patrick’s Day to us is quite an affair.

I headed up to the big smoke a.k.a Belfast and met up with my friends, watched the parade (which is PC gone mad), tried to remember that I was in fact AT a St Paddy’s Day parade and not some weird circus, ate some lunch, had some beer, had some more beer, had some shots, had some cider, had some more……. you get the idea

Picture highlights below, starting with my FOTD

Karen & I

Looks like Oxford St on a Saturday!

Finn McCool

Uh Oh Guinness Time

Random friends we made, as you do in Ireland

Yay!!! Happy St Paddy's xx

Hope you enjoyed, we certainly did!! xoxox