A Girl Writes...

Do You Ever Feel Like You're Swimming Against The Tide?

2012-01-30T00:27:00.000Z

Lately I have felt like this more and more often, since I got back from the states mid-January I have been struggling to get on top of everything I need to. There was Christmas, then I went to Florida, some bad news in our family meant we had to come home via LA for a funeral which was nice and terrible all at the same time, then I came straight back to work, my jetlag was a killer and my flat has suffered because of it. I have bags of christmas presents, underneath holiday shopping, with piles of washing to put away, things to sell at a car boot, things to sort out, and no space for all of it. I just get so overwhelmed with it all!

Tonight I have made myself a little sanctuary, I changed my bed covers to my new ones I got off my parents for Chritsmas, watched a couple of FleurDeForce's youtube videos and am now snuggled up in said bed, reading The Scorch Trials. Just making my bed uplifted my mood, it looks so pretty and inviting!

I have a lot to get through this week, but my five minutes of reflection just now has chilled me out a bit. I am swamped but I know if I so a little bit each day, I can accomplish a lot! This will be my mantra for the next couple of weeks so I can get everything done! Expect a 'happy place' update when I finish.

I just felt like I needed to ramble a bit tonight and his is the best place to do it!

Whilst I've Been Away...

2011-12-12T23:25:00.003Z

First of all, thank you to Joanna for giving me the kick up the backside to finally get my blogpost plans and diagrams into reality. I've been meaning to sit down and write posts for months and just not actually doing it, so here comes the most epically jam-packed update post of epicness! Yes, I am giving myself a lot to live up to, but I have 6 months worth of ideas and photos to cover. This post is a mish-mash of about 10 posts I had in mind but never got round to! Naughty Charlotte!

So in some sort of chronological order, here goes! I've been out for some really nice meals and this one was particularly lovely. It was Loch Fyne's 21st Birthday, there was live music, decorations, wine and yummy seafood! Its one of my family's favourite restaurants and the food never fails to disappoint!

For Christmas last year my Mom got me and my Dad tickets to go and see the Ghost the Musical in London. I kid you not it was one of the most amazing musicals i've ever seen. I'd never seen the film and I had no idea what the story was, but I couldn't have loved it any more than I did. Absolutely fantastic!

Whilst we were going to London, we decided to make a day of it by going to see Kate's wedding dress at Buckingham Palace (oh mah gahhhhhhh! Breathtakingly beautiful!!!!!!!) and we had afternoon tea at The Ritz. One did enjoy oneself greatly!

(My Mom and Dad outside Buckingham Palace after our tour!)

Continuing with my fangirling over Kate and Pippa, I got the best surprise at work one day in September when my Modalu Pippa arrived two months early!! Hell yeah!! I have been sporting this baby ever since. I've had so many compliments on it, girls you really should put your names down one if you can!

In September my best friend Emma got married, I was the Maid of Honour and so pleased everything went well for her. I don't have digital copies of the professional photos yet, but these are my 4 favourite ones off my facebook that I was tagged in. The middle ones are groovy booth photos, if you are having a wedding or big party, I strongly recommend them!

Yeah, the wedding was a big highlight of my year!

So recently I have got myself addicted to 3 new tv shows, Hart of Dixie, The Secret Circle and The Good Wife (I only found this recently and it's currently on its 3rd series, the other two are brand new this year!). I have not missed a single episode they are that good! Go check them out!

Last Thursay my friend Philippa and I went to see a band called Kane at The Asylum in Birmingham. They were really really good, I filmed this video of them whilst I was there, thought I might aswell share it with you guys!

I'm sure you all got sick of me banging on about Texas, especially if you follow me on twitter, but we went on 24th October, we came, we saw, we conquered! Had a blast, really want to go back! I am going to do a separate post about our holiday because I just can't fit enough in this one to do it justice. This picture is just a sneak preview!

Finally I just wanted to get excited with y'all (see what I did there, threw in a Texas drawl!) about Christmas. My favourite time of the year, my inner child breaks out from inside of me and is uncontrollable until January 6th! I am organised right now, I have all my shopping done, my tree & decorations are up, i've written my Christmas cards. I've not wrapped all my presents yet, thats the best bit that i'm saving until this weekend! Just need the big day now!

(My cosy little flat all decked out!)

(My Secret Santa gift, wrapped ready to give to my friend Rachel)

So thanks to everyone who has stuck with me, readers new and old, I really do love blogging, I just seem to have so much going on all the time that it's hard for me to spare a couple hours writing it, sorting out pictures and stuff. I think I just have to accept that sporadic posts are better than none at all!

Love Charlotte, xoxo

Glamping!

2011-08-15T15:50:00.005+01:00

This weekend I went camping with a few friends, it was a really awesome weekend. We had the most picturesque drive through Wales to our campsite, Cae Du just outside of Tywyn. It was right on the coast, the most perfect setting to watch the sun set around a campfire. If you ever need a weekend getaway, this is the perfect location to escape your worries for a cheap weekend, provided you already have some camping equipment. We paid £60 for 2 nights, this was between 5 of us. So £12 each. The best part was watching the sun set round the campfire, my friend Dave bought his guitar and we sang songs, made S'Mores, had a few drinks and just generally chilled and relaxed. Lovely!

XOXO

Just Because

2011-08-10T13:12:00.002+01:00

Busy, My Head Is Spinning...

2011-08-08T14:23:00.000+01:00

Well hello there, nice to write to you again. I am coming at you with a mammoth update post. These last couple of months have flown by and blogging just hasn't been a priority. I did promise more effort on the blogging front on twitter, so here I am.

Recently I have found a new hobby, been away to Prague, had a family bereavement, been more Harry Potter obsessed than ever and just generally living the good life!

I have started to knit, my now friend Vickie started a Stitch & Bitch group, which gave me every incentive to learn something i've always wanted to. I started with a scarf and am now knitting a tank top! We are Stitch Solihull on Facebook and Ravelry, if you are in the area we meet every Thursday 6-8pm at Starbucks in Touchwood. You'll find us at the big table upstairs!

Lately I have been constantly listening to the Harry Potter audiobooks, watching the films and frantically trying to become MAGICAL! I got in on Day 2 and now anxiously await my Pottermore welcome email. For all you magical people like me, I am ScarletRiver## (I read people are trying to hack usernames, so don't reveal your number!)

Weeks like this have been the norm for me the last couple of months, on top of a full time job, i've just had no time to stop and think. Which leads to me making lists like this...

My flat has been so neglected that I spent 5 hours last monday after work completing this list one by one. I literally have never worked so hard, thankfully I had Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone audiobook to get me through it! :-)

Last weekend I went for afternoon tea with Edd Kimber, The Boy Who Bakes. He is at Hampton Manor for the month of August and I have to say it was fabulous! Five friends chatting over these 3 tiers of yummy goodness and pots of tea = perfect afternoon! I have now pre-ordered his cookbook with amazon, hoping to recreate his amazing pistachio and rasperry cakes!

My friend Emily's family have just got a new kitten, called Percy. I went to visit him at 6 weeks old, he's actually the most adorable thing i've ever seen. So tiny and cute, I now want a Percy of my own. Not sure Elvis would agree!

For my Dad's birthday we went to Tom Kerridge's The Hand & Flowers restaurant in Marlow. Obviously we had to try his Great British Menu winning dish. The pigs head nugget things were to die for and I had the best dessert i've ever had in my life. If you ever go, you must have the 'Strawberries and Cream' dessert. It was all amazing and definitely worth a visit.

In Other News:

♥ My Nan died on 21st June and despite everthing, it showed me how amazing my friends really are. I am very thankful for each and every one of them.

♥ Organising a hen weeked abroad for 8 people is a lot of hard work and stress but worth it all in the end. We had such an awesome time in Prague, pictures to come!

♥ I had my final fitting for my Bridesmaid dress, its lurrvveeelllyyyyy!! So excited for the big day now. Judging by the last few months, the 3rd September will be here before we know it.

♥ My Mom and I are planning a trip to Orlando in January. You know what this means!!! The Wizarding World of Harry Potter!! I'm not excited AT ALL about this, YEAH RIGHT!!! I'm sooooo freaking excited I can't shut up about it!!

Finally, i've always known how incredible my Mom is, but this has become an insufficient word to describe her. She's the single most important person in my life and I love her more than anything. @Jilldy26 You're simply the best!

XOXO

I Turned A Quarter of a Century

2011-06-03T20:24:00.001+01:00

Yes I hit the big 2-5 a couple of weeks ago and I find myself very happy with that. I'm now very much a grown woman, I've bought my own place, I have a lovely job, great friends and a truly wonderful family. I'm very much looking forward to see what my future holds for the next 5 years. I may join Sofia's 30 before 30 movement, as there are few things I would like ticked off before I reach the grand old age of 30!

I had the best weekend over my birthday and I have to give my friends and family full credit for that. I went to Henry's restaurant with 18 of my friends, then headed for a few drinks in St Paul's Square. It was such an amazing night, the food was delicious and company even better. This just set the scene for the weekend and was a brilliant prequel for my actual birthday on the Sunday. I went over to my parents to open my presents, went for a nice meal out with my Mom, Dad and Uncle, then came home to birthday cake and a game of cards. My family are big card players, we only play for 20p's but it makes for a fun game and atmosphere. I was pretty lucky and came away winning about a fiver!

Unfortunately I never took any pictures on the Saturday night, but hopefully these on my birthday Sunday are good enough. Present wise I got things for my flat, like pegs and a peg bag (having only just found out I have a washing line area -I've only lived here almost 4 years!!), I did get new ones of my Origins face wash and toner I'd run out of and my favourite thing of all, I got an iPad. I had to wait until the 1st of June for it to be delivered buy it was definitely worth the wait! It's been glued to my hands ever since! In fact, I'm typing this post on the BlogPress iPad app!

All in all I had the most amazing weekend, bring on next years festivities!

Quick Update & Give-Away Winner!

2011-06-02T22:04:00.000+01:00

Hola chickas!

I'm currently sitting here with a face mask on (my skin has thrown the mother of all tantrums this week!), coffee in hand, 90's mix on my itunes and a million things to blog about. Since my last post i've had my birthday celebrations, a night out for my friend Sean's birthday and gay pride, another friends barbecue birthday and lots of things in between, leaving no time for me to sit down and talk to you all. Tonight i've decided to make time and get blogging for you. They will be coming thick and fast for a while now!

So onto the give-away winner, thanks you to everyone who commented and tweeted!

Ahem.... drumroll please.... And the winner is....

Steph, you are the winner!! Lucky number 10!!!

The runners up are: Bexiest Bex, Nics Notebook, Rhiiwn and Chloe Likes To Talk.

Congratulations to all 5 of you, please could you email me your postal addresses to charlotteelizabethcoles@yahoo.com and I will get them sent to you asap.

Thanks again for entering and of course following my blog!

Ghosts of Birthdays Past

2011-05-19T18:49:00.001+01:00

As I mentioned in my giveaway post, its my birthday on Sunday so I thought I would share a few photos from our family album of my birthdays through the years. My mom has always been one for taking photos and we have an entire bookshelf full of photo albums.

Me on my 9th birthday.

Huge breath needed to blow out the candles!

Having just woken up on my 13th birthday, the joys of being a teenager!

Me and my cousin Gemma were born a day apart, this is us on our joint 13th birthday party!

Me on my Sweet Sixteenth.

Me and my Mom at my 18th birthday party. It was the first time i'd had a big party with all my family and friends. There was about 120 of us on the night.

My 18th birthday cake.

Me with said cake at my Nan & Grandads house.

21st balloons put up in my office.

My 21st birthday cake, a replica of the Marc Jacobs Stam bag I was dying for at the time. My Dad carried it in saying, "Sorry, we couldn't afford the real one, so we got you this insead" It was my favourite present of all, I loved it.

Haha! So cringe at some of my hairstyles and fashion choices. But it's nice to take a trip down memory lane. I'm going out for a meal and drinks with 20 friends on saturday night and out with my family on Sunday, so lots to look forward to this weekend. I would also like to wish all my other May birthday girls a very happy birthday!

...

If you haven't entered my give-away yet, why not?!?!

Enter Here!!

XOXO

Give-Away Time! ~ Ended!

2011-05-14T17:57:00.002+01:00

I promised a looooong time ago I would do a give-away and I have been buying things for it since I went to LA in January. So yes, i'm incredibly late with it all. Forgive me, I just get really busy periods every so often and have no time to sit and blog. Anyways, on to the good stuff, I decided I wanted to give you guys a pick'n'mix of my favourite things to say thank you for supporting my blog and for all of you that leave me lovely comments. I really really appreciate it. I hope you like my choice of goodies and the rules of entry are posted below.

E.L.F Eyeshadow Quad in DRAMA, Bath & Body Works Eau De Toilette in Midnight Pomegranate, Cath Kidson Hand Cream Set, Paperchase Notebook & Pen, Forever 21 Ring & Cover Girl Lash Blast Mascara in Very Black.

I also have 4 of the E.L.F eyeshadow quads in Drama to give as runner up prizes.

Entry Rules:

♥ Simply leave a comment on this blogpost to enter yourself for the give-away.

♥ To enter you must be a follower of this blog via Blogger (Google Friend Connect). So please click the 'Follow' button in the left sidebar if you don't follow me already.

♥ International entries are more than welcome. I will ship anywhere.

♥ Bonus entry for tweeting 'Check out @agirlwrites give-away! http://bit.ly/iXqEUF #agirlwritesgiveaway'

♥ Bonus entry for posting about the give-away on your own blog, be sure to include the above picture and leave an additional comment on this blogpost with the link to your blog entry so i'll be sure to see it.

♥ May is my birthday month, so i'm leaving the give-away open until 11:59pm on Tuesday 31st May.

Finally, good luck to everyone who enters and thanks again for supporting www.AGIRLWRITES.com.

When i'm alone, I ...

2011-04-20T16:58:00.000+01:00

Taking my cues from Kelly, I having a bash at her 25 Things I Do When I'm Alone. I thought her post was awesome and I love to think of these things about myself.

Image Found at We Heart It

1. Read

2. Talk to Elvis (My cat, not the singer!)

3. Write lists!

4. Watch one of my TV Boxsets for the gazillionth time

5. Bake

6. Write letters to myself in 5, 10 , 15 years time, etc..

7. Practice elaborate eyeshadow looks

8. Google designer items i'll never be able to afford.

9. Blog!

10. Call my mom

11. Sing along with my REALLY loud music.

12. Imagine my life in 10 years time.

13. Reorganise my kitchen cupboards/makeup/books

14. Sulk/Wish I was somewhere else/Feel Sorry for myself

15. Plan my next months spending & saving (which I never stick to!)

16. Have a long pamper in the bath

17. Plan ways to live in America

18. Start to write a novel (I never get past the first couple of chapters!)

19. Tweet/Stalk people on Facebook/Youtube.

20. Cut out inspirational pictures from magazines.

21. Pretend i'm famous!

22. Read the 'Today's Featured Article' on Wikipedia, in the hope I get to be a contestant on 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?' one day

23. Spend an hour or 2 painting my nails, only to decide I don't like it and then take it all off.

24. Shop online for stuff I really don't need but buy anyway!

25. Think about what I would like to change about myself/my life!

While The Cat's Away...

2011-04-17T18:48:00.007+01:00

... The mice will play, and play we certainly did!

My parents went to Tenerife last weekend and I took advantage of their 'free house' and had a dinner party for my friends. I thought cooking for 8 was going to be a nightmare, but I was prepared and everything went very smoothly. I even made home made sorbet and chocolate truffles. Get me! Lol!

We went through 8 bottles of wine, vodka, magners and baileys, danced to the backstreet boys after dinner and played Articulate till 3am. All the signs of a successful night!

Sorry if there are too many photos, I just couldn't narrow it down any more. As I was cooking, I forgot to take a lot of pictures, so these are a mash up of mine and my friend Michelle's pictures. Enjoy!

The Table Set-Up

Place Setting - I made menus on my computer, I rolled them up and tied with a ribbon bow to make them look pretty.

My 'homemade' Menu

Stuffed Pepper Starters - Ready to go in the oven.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken - Main Course

Me at the cooker.

Everyone ready for dinner!

Grasshopper Pie - This is actually the leftovers. I served everyone a slice with an After Eight stuck in it at an angle. It looked much prettier than this bit.

My Homemade Truffles

I have no idea what's going on here, I was cooking, but I couldn't not include it. Obviously the girls are throwing their best poses about!

Rachel & Emily's Backstreets Back Dance - They remembered it from school!

Sean playing with the light. I love this picture!

Elvis enjoying the sunshine!

My 'Thank You' flowers and cards from my friends. Michelle bought me some natural lavender bathsalts which I can't wait to try.

100 Things - Part Two

2011-04-16T20:11:00.000+01:00

Hi Girls, I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend. I have been cleaning all day, literally all day! I have just sat down for dinner and a quick blogpost. If you missed it the first time round, here's Part One.

♥♥♥

11. Planning

12. Weddings

13. Baking

14. Country Music

15. Candles

15. Las Vegas

17. TV Boxset Dvd's

18. Nail Polish

19. Starbucks

20. Westlife

(LOVED them since the very first song!)

All images found at We Heart It

I So Want This...

2011-04-13T11:38:00.001+01:00

This being, this bag, I first cast my eyes on the gorgeousness of it on Sofias new post this morning. Headed straight over to Zara to check it out. It's part of their new April Lookbook, which looks amazing! It doesn't say if it's leather or not, but for almost £70 you'd hope so. Emerald is my birthstone, so inevitably Green is my favourite colour. I luuurrrrvvveeee it so much, I may have to take a little trip to Zara come payday! I think it's pefect for my Easter Break in Benidorm coming up....... okay, I'm looking for any excuse to buy it!

Why Do You Blog?!?

2011-04-06T15:47:00.001+01:00

This is something i've been wondering a lot about lately, I see an increasing amount of bloggers on twitter who never seem happy with their blogs. Either they don't have enough followers, or they want more comments or they dislike all the negativity and so on and so on. And I just don't get it, I know that blogging does take up a lot of time and effort, but at the end of the day its just a blog. Its a very tiny piece of the internet that I don't think is worth getting upset over. I just wanted to share why I blog and what I get out of it.

I have either been blogging or posting youtube videos for probably about 3 years now and while I haven't ever reached 'Blog-Stardom' or whatever, I still get the same enjoyment from it all. I don't mind if I don't get comments on a post or I don't have a bajillion followers, of course it's always nice to have them but that's not why I do it. I blog because I want to, I blog because it makes me happy, it's something I like to do, I love to plan posts and get excited about the lightbulb flashing in my head when I think of something I want to post. I take great pleasure sitting down at my computer for a couple of hours and writing about something frivolous or girly or something no one in my family is interested in, like makeup or fashion or cooking! I think it was Kelly that said a while ago, that you should blog like nobody is reading, which is what i've always tried to do.

I know that for me blogging is a hobby, it's never going to pay the bills, it's never going to be put first, in the grand scheme of things it's a very small part of my life and is a long way down the list of things I have to think about after my home, my job, my friends and my family. I don't have enough time to keep up a regular routine of blogposts, but c'est la vie. I do as much as I can and I don't stress myself out about it. Sometimes I wish that I had time to sit around all day blogging until my hearts content, but thats not how the real world works.

I just read this back and I think I may have gone off the topic a bit at some point, Lol! I want to leave you with this, if you are a blogger or want to start a blog, then do it because YOU want to, not to fit in, not for followers, not for praise, just for yourself. That way you'll always be happy with what you end up with.

♥♥♥

My Top 10 cough 20 cough Books

2011-03-21T22:10:00.001Z

From a very young age i've always been a bookworm, I will read anything and everything. I like to think of myself as a bit of a Matilda! Over the years i've built up a pretty big collection of books. Every so often I will give some away to my mom or the charity shop but I have a about 100 books that I can never part with, that I read over and over again and will still do when i'm a 100 years old.

I also have really varied tastes from easy chick-lit reads to classic Jane Austen to the latest sci-fi novel and everything in between. So it was pretty hard for me to narrow it down to just 10 and in the end I finished with 11 (20 if we're being a little pedantic). These are my very favourite which are so well thumbed now, it's easy see they're well loved.

In no particular order (because then Harry Potter would be at the very top!):

1. Chasing Daisy - Paige Toon

2. Pride & Prejudice - Jane Austen

3. Jemima J. - Jane Green

4. Harry Potter (All 7 of them!)

5. The Holiday - Erica James

6. The Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer

7. Circle of Friends - Maeve Binchy

8. Angels & Demons - Dan Brown

9. The Paradise Room - Belinda Jones

10. The Audacity of Hope - Barack Obama

11. The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

What do you think? Have you read any of these? I'd love to know if you have any recommendations for me to read!

♥♥♥

I have updated my books section at the top of my blog, check back often, it will be updated frequently from now on!

Where for art thou March?

2011-03-20T22:13:00.000Z

Hello my lovelies,

I can't believe how fast March has gone, for me it has literally flown by i've been so busy. I haven't had time to think about it, let alone blog about it, so here is my attempt to make up for the lack of posts from me. I have lots to write about, so get yourself a cuppa because it's probably going to be a long one. I normally dedicate my weekend to blogging, trying to schedule a few posts for during the week when I really don't have time to sit at my computer for hours after work. But i've been doing something every day of the weekend the last few weeks and i've missed sitting down to update my blog, who knew I could be so sappy! Lol!

♥♥♥

A couple weeks ago my friends and I decided to do a car boot sale to get rid of some of our unwanted stuff. I roped my mom in to help me and she donated a lot of stuff for me to sell too. We turned up at 7.30am on a freezing cold Sunday morning and were jumped on my hoards of 'car booters' trying to snap up a bargain before we had even unloaded the car. The first half hour was a mad selling frenzy and we barely had a chance to catch our breath. In the end I forgot to take a photo because we were so rushed with everything, so I don't have a picture of us to show you. But it was a resounding success and we ended up selling £266. Not bad for 5 hours work, eh?!

♥♥♥

Last Sunday my friend Michelle organised for us to go to a 'paint your own pottery' shop in Birmingham. I'm not particularly arty but I thought i'd give it a go anyway. Honestly, I have to say I loved it. It was a place called All Fired Arts in Kings Heath, Birmingham. Price wise it was really reasonable, I chose to paint a cup and saucer which was £12 and then you have to pay £3.50 studio fee for use of the paints, etc and the firing of your pottery. I chose to paint a strawberry pattern inspired by the Cath Kidson book she had for us to get ideas from. I drew the strawberries myself and everything. I picked up my finished masterpiece yesterday and I couldn't be happier with the end result!

♥♥♥

Every so often my friends and I have a 'Bake-Off' where we each bake something delicious and we meet up for a good gossip, cup of tea and an assortment of baked goodies to try. Today was one of those days and I spent my entire Saturday putting it all together. I've had a picture of a cake like this I found on We Heart It ages ago and decided this weekend my finally the time to attempt it. I had to bake each of the 6 layers separately but it was well worth the effort and my friends loved it. What do you think??

♥♥♥

Technically not March but at the very end of February I went to Wembley with my Mom, Dad and Brother to watch my football team Birmingham City in the Carling Cup Final. Thankfully we ended up winning and the day turned out to be one of the best ever! I don't think i've ever been so happy and even though I lost my voice for a few days and got the worst cold ever from the freezing wet weather, I wouldn't change a single second of that day!

(My Mom & Dad celebrating our win!)

♥♥♥

I've been getting a little crafty this month, as well as the pottery I did, I have taken up cross-stitch. I bought a starter kit for adults and I love it. I find it really stress relieving and methodical. I sit down for 10 minutes doing it and before I know it 2 hours have gone by. This is how far i've gotten with it, I just have the lighter coloured flowers & white background to do! I have my eye on this one next, a big leap from the beginners one I'm doing.

♥♥♥

The rest of the month in summary goes a little something like this:

♥ I went on a date with Online Boy (you'll know who i'm talking about if you follow me on twitter) I had high hopes for him but there were no fireworks on the date for me, I found him to be quite dull and in the end we didn't really have that much in common. So onwards and upwards, plenty of more fish in the sea and all that!

♥ I am absolutely in LOVE with my Origins skincare, my skin has never been so good. I will get a review up soon!

♥ I have become obsessed with Groupon, so far I have got a 3 course meal for 2 in an awesome restaurant by me for £22 (super massive bargain), a shampoo, cut and blowdry for £7 and todays deal I took advantage of was a full car valet for £11 (normally £28). Can't go wrong with prices like that!

♥ I haven't managed to read any of the bookclub book yet (I know, I know! It's my book and everything), I started it last night and have read the first chapter. Hopefully, I will be able to finish it in time to discuss it with all you other bookclubbers.

♥ I have finally caught up with American Idol and Masterchef. Love both of these programs, thank god for sky+. I would like Scotty, Pia or James to win Idol and Alice or Tom to win Masterchef.

♥ I just wanted to mention this at the end, the other day I was reading about the tragedy in Japan at work and couldn't stop the tears streaming down my face. It was an article about a British man who was a teacher in Japan, he'd got his whole class to safety after only an 8 minute warning of what was coming. Everyone else in the school is still missing. I don't know what it was about this story (out of all the other articles in the papers) that affected me so much but there and then I donated to the Red Cross. I just wanted to say that these people really need help and if you can donate, please do, anything at all will help.

I could get used to this winning lark...

2011-03-17T10:50:00.000Z

Happy St. Patricks Day everyone, particularly our Irish friends!

I have no idea where March has gone, it has gone by so quick, i've been so busy and had no time to blog about it. I am planning a mammoth blogging session this weekend! Expect a catch up post, a review of the Origins products I blogged about and maybe another baking post like this!

♥♥♥

Over the last couple of years I have entered so many contests and giveaways and I was so happy last week to have finally won one. This came courtesy of Sofia and 9 Bar. The prize was a sampler pack of their healthy snack bars!

When I opened the packaging, I thought they looked like bird seed! But contrary to this, they do taste good, I tried the nutty and pumpkin ones and I liked them both. I shared the rest out at work and heard no complaints. Everyone was surprised to find they liked them. Great to chuck in your bag or if, like me you aren't a morining person, running late and no time for breakfast, one of these to eat on the go is perfect. I would say don't be fooled by what they look like, they are actually quite tasty!

♥♥♥

I have now bought everything I wanted to get for my 100 follower giveaway! This post should be up on my blog sometime next week.

A Little Bit of A Mid-Week Pamper

2011-03-03T13:07:00.000Z

After hearing all the great reviews on Twitter and Youtube about the Origins VitaZing moisturiser, I finally decided to give it a go. I popped off to John Lewis in my lunch break yesterday, delighted to find a 10% discount across the whole beauty department. So I sat down in the chair and had my face cleansed, scrubbed, serum-med, moisturised, the works! Literally my face has never felt so soft. So like the beauty-crack addict that I am, I had to buy it and with 10% off its practically cheap (in a 'not really at all' kind of way!) On the way out of the department I bumped into the new Jimmy Choo perfume display. Oh em gee! This stuff smells amazing. So I decided to treat myself. I'm smelling pretty delicious right now! So onto the good stuff, here's what I ended up getting:

1. Zero Oil Deep Pore Cleanser

2. Zero Oil Pore Purifying Toner

3. Modern Friction

4. A Perfect World White Tea Guardian

5. VitaZing Energy-boosting Moisturiser

6. High Potency Night-A-Mins

The woman was really nice, she threw in some samples too. You can pretty much guarantee i'll wax-lyrical about a saleswoman who gives me samples. But in all fairness she wasn't at all pushy and I will definitely be going back to see her at the Origins counter.

1. Clear Improvement Charcoal Mask - 30ml sample was pretty good I thought.

2. GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream

3. An Origins headband

Of course, I couldn't post without a picture of the perfume, honsetly its so gorgeous, I looked all over Tenerife and the duty-free for this. So glad to get my hands on it now.

What I'm Loving Right Now: Nude Shoes

2011-03-02T11:50:00.000Z

I'm generally not on trend with fashion at all, frankly I find things like wearing socks that finish above your knee high boots just plain ridiculous. Please show me one person it looks good on?!?! However, the current trend of nude shoes is right up my street. I think they flatter all skin tones and look good with pretty much anything.

Image Source

Since January i've been on a mission to find the perfect pair for me, I wanted a pair of court shoes that were not to high or too narrow. I also didn't want to pay a lot for them as I won't wear them that often. Although I wouldn't turn down a pair of Louboutins if they were given to me! I finally found THE pair on Friday. These are perfect for me, especially with the wide fit option and at £26 were a complete bargain. Obviously they aren't real leather, but are really comfy with the hidden platform sole. I plan on wearing them with my new chiffon blouse and leggings.

What do you reckon? Are the nudes up your street?

Cocktails, Wildboyz, Muy Guapas, Feet Eating Fish & Clapping Sea Lions

2011-02-23T11:45:00.000Z

I'm baaaaaack and cosiderably more tanned that when I left. Score! I had the most fab time in Tenerife. I haven't been for years, so I was very happy to find out they have cleaned up the place and got rid off alot of the blackpool-esqe tack for a more reserved serene place to go. Apologies if this is a little pic heavy, I just couldn't choose between them all.

We checked out the beach on our first day, got our feet wet paddling along the shore for a bit, it was lovely and picturesque, although the water was freezing!! Our hotel was really nice and I loved the pool area. As a sunbathing-aholic I didn't want to move from the sunbeds.

We had a day trip to Loro Parque, which was amazing, I LOVED the dolphins and sea lions. I've decided I'm going to trade in my cat for a dolphin :-) We went of a medieval night but it was so naff. Cheesy fake fighting and the worst dinner ever was definitely not something I would recommend.

We got through our fair share of cocktails given that we were all inclusive. The hotel waiters/bar tenders had a cheesy chat up line of asking for our phone numbers. Us being the only two "Muy Guapas" (very pretty ladies according the waiters. Lol!) we got asked at least once a day, the novelty wore of after the first couple of days though. Rach won this hat at Bingo in our hotel :-)

We ventured out of our hotel for a couple of nights, we found a bar with a couple of singers called The Wildboyz. Despite the name they were actually really good, i'm now fully in love with the Orlando Bloom lookalike of the duo!

The last couple of days we spent going to Siam Park, which was really good, 2m high man made waves and massive water slides anyone? Yes please! We also had our feet eaten by fish! If you've never had this done, you must next time you see them. They are Garra Rufa fish that hone in on any dry skin areas on your body which is particularly good for giving your feet a pedicure. Afterwards you feel like you're walking on air, your feet are gloriously soft. They do have Fish Spas over here now, i'm going to try and find one in my area.

XOXO

100 Things - Part One

2011-02-15T19:31:00.002Z

Hey Girls,

The credit has to go to Sofia for this post. I love love love her blog, she inspires me everyday and today its to express the 100 things that make me happy! I have no set schedule planned, i'll just update it randomly.

1. My Close Family

2. Shopping

3. Unexpected Post

4. Cats

5. New York

6. Bookstores

7. Stationary

8. Apple

9. Cooking

10. Daydreaming

Sunday Summary

2011-02-13T11:03:00.046Z

Good Morning!

How are you all this week? I am looking forward to this weeks summary as i've had a much better week than last week. What have you all been up to? Anything you're looking forward to?

♥ Giveaway Time ♥

I reached over 100 followers this week, thank you to each and every one of you! Its very exciting for me to know people enjoy what i'm writing about. So I think that deserves a little celebration. I'm on holiday this week but i'm going to go shopping as soon as I get back for some prizes. What would you guys like to win? I'm not sure if you'd like makeup/beauty products or I have a Forever21 near me, so I could get some jewellry from there. I'm really not sure, so if you could leave me a comment on what you'd like to win, I want to make sure I get something you'll all enjoy!

♥ Upgrading My Phone ♥

I have been thinking about selling my iPhone 3GS for a while now to get the new one but I can't be bothered with the hassel of going through ebay or whatever. However, I have found a buyer I know, so I can now put the extra money to it when I get paid at the end of the month to get the iPhone 4! Wooooo! Anything Apple makes me excited!

♥ The Future ♥

At some point after christmas I started to worry about the future, will our company always be okay, will I always live in a one-bedroom flat, will I always be able to afford a nice life, will I always have friends around me, will my parents and brother always be healthy and happy, will I be where I want to be in 10 years time.... The list goes on and on but recently i've turned a corner, i've settled back into my normal optimistic self. I know I can't predict the future and I shouldn't worry about things no one can control. For now i'm looking forward to finding out what the future has in store for me, and that's the way it should be.

In Other News:

♥ I'm going on holiday today, some scheduled posts should be up, but if all else fails, i'll be back posting on the 22nd!

♥ I have found a great tea, my trouble sleeping has been greatly improved by this herbal infusion. It relaxes me a lot, so my mind is not racing and I end lying awake until the small hours.

♥ Another 2lb off this week. Yipee!

♥ I got picked out of the hat to choose the next bookclub book, I have told Gem what it is so stay tuned to find out what I chose on the 26th Feb!

Have a great week everyone!

Get Your Woks On : Prawn Teriyaki Recipe

2011-02-09T20:43:00.000Z

So I mentioned in my Sunday Summary post this week that i've been cooking new recipes from the Weight Watchers Seriously Satisfying cookbook and as I got such a positive response from my previous Pizza Making and Weightloss posts, I thought I would combine the two for this recipe post. This is the second time i've made this Prawn Teriyaki recipe and I love it.

Its so simple and easy to make but really tasty and filling at the same time. If you are doing Weight Watchers like me or generally just want to lose some of those extra pounds, this is a really great recipe to have up your sleeve. Fill it with as many vegetables as you want to keep from snacking later on. So this is what your going to need:

40g Rice (I find the Tilda range the best, especially the Basmati)/ Low Fat Cooking Spray (Not Pictured - I use the 1 calorie per spray sunflower oil) / 110g Raw Tiger Prawns ( I got this packet from M&S its 140g but I just throw the extra 30g in) / 2 tablespoons Teriyaki Marinade / 150g Mixed Stir-Fry Vegetables

This recipe serves 1, but I used a lot of vegetables so I saved a little of the stir-fry (not the rice) for my lunch the next day. If you only use the amount above, then eat it all. Even with extra vegetables, this recipe is only 8 ProPoints total.

So now, the first thing that I do is to mix the prawns with the marinade, so its soaking whilst I do everything else. Next chop up the vegetables however you like it and boil the kettle so you can put the rice on to cook. The rice takes about 10-12 minutes to cook and the stir-fry takes 10 minutes maximum.

So whilst the rice is boiling away its time to get your wok ready. Now I have a small detour from the recipe book here, I like my vegetables to have a little crunch but not to much, so once I've got the rice on, I blanche the vegetables (all except the beansprouts) by dunking them into a pan of salted boiling water for 5 minutes, this also ensures they keep their nice vibrant green colour. If you prefer to not do this, go straight to the next part and stir-fry the vegetables for 5 minutes longer.

Whilst the vegetable are blanching, spray your wok (or non-stick frying pan) with the low fat spray and heat until hot. Drain the vegetables well, I always chuck them on a plate lined with kitchen roll, then throw them in the wok. Keep tossing the vegetables in the pan for a minute or two then add the prawns. Cook for 2-3 minutes until they have all turned pink in colour. Finally add the marinade liquid left from the prawns and heat through.

To serve, drain the rice and pour a kettle of boiling water over the rice in the sieve to make sure its nice and fluffy and not stuck together. Put the rice in the bowl or on the plate then place the vegetables over the top. I drizzle the left over juices from the wok over the rice. Then eat up whilst it hot!

ENJOY!

Sunday Summary... Albeit A Bit Late...

2011-02-07T11:39:00.000Z

Hey Everyone!

So I had every intention of getting this up yesterday but I was on a roll spring cleaning my flat that I just never got round to it. I hope you all had a good week, I never really did anything spectacular but somehow my week seem really busy.

♥ Today I... ♥

Feel like this, we had a really stressful week at work last week but I had a particularly chilled weekend where I was able to get organised and recharge my batteries. Even though it's a Monday morning, I feel happy! Can't beat that feeling!

♥ Checking off my list ♥

I have had a to-do list as long as an A4 piece of paper since I got back off holiday. However, this weekend I got stuck in and have only 2 things left to do. One requires a trip to B&Q and the other is to write up a few blog posts so I have them scheduled to post if I lose track of time. Both of which I like to do and so should be crossed off pretty soon.

♥ Staying On Track ♥
I have been sticking with my weightloss goal, i've been very impressed with the new Weight Watchers ProPoints system. I lost 4lb this week and my next weigh in is tomorrow. I feel positive about it, i've been good and stuck to the plan. I love their recipes, this week I've made the Saffron Seafood Bisque, Chinese 5-Spice Beef and the Prawn Teriyaki (all from the Seriously Satisfying cookbook) and have been impressd with each one. If you want the recipes to be posted on here let me know and I can post them for you. When I was scouring We Heart It for an inspiring picture to go here, I saw this and thought it was brilliant!

♥ Prague ♥
We have finally booked our hen weekend to Prague. 8 of us are going on 1st July for two nights. So if any of you have any ideas or games we can do with the bride please let me know. I'm a planning kind of girl, I want to have a few things ready for when we go and I can organise them with the other hens so they are surprises for the bride.

Happy 1st February

2011-02-01T11:46:00.000Z

Hello lovelies!

Happy new... errr... February! So I know January is the time for our resolutions but given that I was going on holiday and a lot of mine were about starting a healthy regime and lifestyle change, I thought I would delay them a month. I have to be honest, i'm probably going to cheat, I will fail on a few, I'll wish i'd never started in the first place, but I think the most important thing is that i'm going to try my damned hardest to succeed!

♥ Be the best Maid of Honour there ever was

♥ Go and see my Aunt Carole in New York

♥ Take care of myself more

♥ Make a lifestyle change to be healthier both in mind & body

♥ Make a conscious effort to save money

♥ Stop buying lunch at work

♥ Visit 5 new places in England

My 15 Answers

2011-01-30T23:04:00.000Z

Today is 'Sunday Summary' day, but I don't particularly know what I want to say yet, so I will do that one day this week and have a bash at the 15 questions tag that is going round.

1) What is your dream job?
My dream job is White House Chief of Staff. I absolutely adore The West Wing tv show and from the very first episode I have been interested in American politics and elections. In my mind I would be more of a Josh Lyman than a Leo McGarry. So if President Obama is looking for a new Chief, here I am!

2) What is your favourite fragrance for Winter?
My all time favourite perfume is Alien by Thierry Muglier. I don't change my perfume for the seasons, I just have the ones I have and love. Alien is closely followed by Flowerbomb and Coco Mamoiselle.

3) How do you take your tea/coffee?
I love coffee way more than tea, taken with no sugar but loads of milk. Tea has to be Yorkshire Tea, 2 sugars and again, lots of milk. Preferably with a biscuit or two!

4) What is your most important beauty secret?
Never go to sleep with your makeup on, its so important for your skin to be able to 'breathe' whilst you're alsleep. Even a quick once over with a babywipe is better than leaving it on.

5) If you had an all expenses paid vacation, where would you go?
Bora Bora, i'm dying to stay in one of the over-water bungalows so I can feed the fish through the coffee table. Although I kind of want to save it for my honeymoon (when I actually do get married).

6) If a genie popped up in your lap right now and offered you three wishes, what would you ask?
I would ask before anything else for good health for my family. I have 2 aunts right now battling cancer, one on my dad's side and one on my mom's side. I've already lost 3 aunts and uncles over the last three years so I think it's about time we got a break! My second wish would be for my brother to quit smoking, all of the family we've lost to cancer have been heavy smokers, I'm very lucky that my mom and dad have never smoked, so if my brother quit I would be much happier. My 3rd wish would be to have a never ending bank account. Who ever said money can't buy happiness is lying. I am so so so lucky to have my parents and incredibly grateful to have experienced the things I have and to be able to live so comfortably. There is a whole big wide world out there and I want to see as much of it as possible. Unfortunately that doesn't come cheap.

7) If you could only have breakfast, lunch, dinner or desert foods for the rest of your life, what would you pick?
Dinner food definitely, breakfast and lunch are just never as nice as a lovely dinner. Spaghetti bolognese, shepherds pie, roast dinners, everything on a chinese menu, my list could go on forever...

8) If you were Hello Kitty what colour hair bow would you wear?
I'm going to be boring and say black. I love hair accessories, but all my favourite ones are black.

9) What is your biggest makeup pet peeve?
Too much blusher. I firmly believe blusher is meant to mimic the natural flush of your cheeks. Aunt Sally is never a good look! If i'm allowed another one I have to mention mismatched foundation, an orange-type ring around your face is really unattractive.

10) If you could wear only one piece of jewellery for the rest of your life, what would it be?
My Tiffany Key, its my most treasured piece of jewelry and always will be.

11) What one talent do you wish you had?
I wish I had a sporting talent, my preference would be the best 100m sprinter in the world. I can just imagine how amazing it would be to win the Gold at the Olympics.

12) Which product will you continue to purchase?
V05 Mega Hold hair gel, its the only things that controls my hair perfectly. If this was ever discontinued, I have no idea what I would do. Its incredible when you have really thick, very curly hair like mine.

13) If you could look into the future, would you? And what would you like to know?
If I could I would go 10 years into the future, I would be almost 35 and I'd like to see myself married with a 2 year old and a baby on the way. Living in a countryside mansion with 2 pigs called Rasher & Bacon and a stable full of horses. At christmas we would have the whole family round, all 25+ of them and we'd play cards all night and not sleep.

14) Who is your biggest celebrity crush? Include a picture!
I have to say my celebrity crushes change like the weather, but it's been Graeme McDowell for a long time now.

15) What made you start a blog?
I used to have a youtube makeup channel, a long long time ago, so I stated a blog to run parallel to that. Eventually after a few changes it has come to resemble A Girl Writes, I don't think i'll change from this now. I've found my happy place with it.

Jumping back on the train...

2011-01-25T10:37:00.003Z

As a teenager my favourite TV show was Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and my favourite line ever is "Jump on the train or get off the tracks" Well this week I'm firmly getting off the track and on the train. Over the last year or so I lost roughly 5 stone in weight, which left me feeling fabulous, I got to buy new clothes in MUCH smaller sizes and loved other people noticing my hard work. However, lately I have fallen well and truly off the wagon. In the last 3 months or so i've put a lot back on and its making me really unhappy. So this week, the honeymoon period is over, christmas has been and gone and my holiday is no more.

I'd decided to back to Rosemary Conley this week but after watching (and following on twitter) Gemma and her HealthyHappyLife channel, I've decided to give Weight Watchers another go. I find it really hard to lose weight without the restriction of going to meetings. If you cheat, it is so much more mortifying hearing you've put on weight at a class than just shrugging it off from the scales at home and that is what stops me being naughty, if you see what I mean. The class is tonight and I'm actually quite excited about it. I know a few other blogging girls (and non-blogging readers!) are trying to lose weight, get fit and generally enjoy a healthier lifestyle, so I'm going to be around encouraging you all. We can do it!

Smythson Love

2011-01-24T16:00:00.006Z

Even as a young girl growing up I've always loved stationary, notebooks, pens, anything to do with writing and books. At the airport I stumbled across Smythson, I've never seen or heard of them before, but they have the most beautiful collection of leather notebooks and diaries, amongst other things. They are very very expensive but I would just love to have one of their notebooks. I have my eye on this one. See the gorgeousness below.

Droooooooooool!

Sunday Summary

2011-01-23T11:00:00.032Z

Sunday has come around again, I like doing these posts because there are things I want to mention but don't need a whole post to themselves. So this week, all images found at We Heart It.

♥ Having A Workspace ♥

If you follow me on twitter you'll know that I reorganised my makeup station into a sort of desk. I will post pictures and stuff soon, but it has just been great having a place to write in my journal and plan my upcoming posts. I just love making my coffee, putting on my Gilmore Girls dvds and catching up on the internet world of blogs, facebook, youtube, etc... Sitting at a desk is much more healthy that slouching on the sofa. Not only that but I can use a mouse with my laptop, which is a luxury when putting together a blog post.

♥ Forever 21♥

On holiday I took my first steps into Forever 21. I loved it so much, it was so cheap I managed to buy clothes, pj's and a load of jewelry for $200. I will have a separate post coming this week as soon as I get my camera back. I'm a little disappointed in the UK prices, girls we are being ripped off over here!

♥ Bookclub ♥

My cousin Gemma has started a bookclub on her blog here. The first book is Room by Emma Donoghue. It sounds really good, my copy came in the post on Friday and I can't wait to start reading it. I've already started to think of what book I should choose when my turn comes around.

♥ The Burlesque Soundtrack ♥
Don't get me wrong, I thought the film was pretty rubbish. It was so predictable and so cheesy. However, the songs were really good and I love Christina Aguilera's voice. Show Me How You Burlesque is my favourite, I love getting ready to it in the morning.

That's it for this week folks! Until next time...

I Found A Routine Finally

2011-01-22T18:41:00.001Z

Hello my lovelies,

Over the past few months I've been through a massive change within my daily routine, gone are the endless hours of deciding my makeup the night before, gone is the constant switching of skincare, gone is the daily change of makeup in my makeup bag. I now have a fine tuned routine and set of products that fit into a tiny makeup bag and has me washed and ready in less than 10 minutes, and you know what, this works great for me. Apologies for the iPhone photo, my mom has borrowed my camera to print off some photos of our trip.

In order of usage:

1. Talika Lash Conditioning Cleanser

2. Simple Kind To Skin Moisturisng Facial Wash

3. Dermalogica Clean Start All Over Clear

4. Simple Kind To Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser

5. Urban Decay Primer Potion

6. MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium

7. YSL Touche Eclat in No.1

8. Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil in 001 Dark Brown

9. Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Underground

10. YSL Faux Cils Mascara in Black

11. Too Faced Blush in Papa Don't Peach

12. Chapstick, the Medicated kind

13. D&G Eau De Toilette in 3 L'Imperatrice

These 13 steps are the easiest things to do in the morning and give me extra time in bed. I've used these products for months now and they work for me. My skin feels good, I have less breakouts and they don't cost a bomb. There are some expensive things here but I don't have to replace them very often. I only use liquid foundation and eyeshadow if i'm going out anywhere. I only use the Talika eye lash cleanser at night to take off my makeup, but its part of my daily routine so I included it in the picture. The only thing i'm really missing is a good eye cream, I've tried a few so far and haven't found 'the one'. I bought the Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream from Sephora to try. As i've only just finshed unpacking I haven't tried it out yet, I have high hopes for it.

One To Watch This Week

2011-01-20T16:21:00.001Z

I've thought it might be nice to post one of these each week, it could be a film, tv programme, youtube video, anything really. This weeks 'One To Watch' goes to The Town, based on the book Prince of Thieves by Chuck Hogan.

"The Charlestown neighborhood of Boston is renowned for churning out a high number of armed robbers, generation after generation. These robbers never leave their Charlestown life on their own volition, the neighborhood where there is an unwritten code to protect that lifestyle. Such robbers include friends Doug MacRay, James Coughlin, Albert 'Gloansy' Magloan and Desmond Elden. Doug and James in particular treat each other like family, as the Coughlins have realistically been as such to Doug since Doug's mother ran off and Doug's father, Stephen MacRay, was sent to prison. James' single mother sister, the drugged out Krista Coughlin, and Doug have a casual sexual relationship. The foursome carry out a mostly successful bank robbery, but due to circumstances take the bank manager, Claire Keesey, hostage for a short period before releasing her physically unharmed. What happens when they find out that Claire lives in Charlestown..."

I watched this on the plane coming home and have since downloaded it and watched it again. Honestly this film is so good. Ben Affleck, Blake Lively and particularly Jeremy Renner are brilliant in it. There are a lot of action scenes but also enough for us girls to enjoy. I loved the ending, I thought it was perfect. Not only that, I adore the Boston accent! If you watch it or have already seen it, please let me know what you thought of it. I thought it was awesome!

Ooooh I've, Had The Time Of My Liiiiiife...

2011-01-19T21:52:00.001Z

Just uploaded my photos, so I can finally fill you in on my trip last week, I really did have the time of my life (a la Black Eyed Peas). I just love Vegas, the whole city makes me happy. The restaurants, the people, the hotels/casinos, seeing a show, shopping, just everything. If you haven't ever been, you really should go.

In California, my family made me so welcome, we went up to Beverly Hills so I could try Pinkberry and Sprinkles cupcakes, walked down Rodeo Drive, did a little shopping at The Grove and had lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. I got to spend time with my new baby cousin Landon, who is just too cute. I love him to pieces. We had a Golden Globes party of sorts along with my cousins Jenni, Todd and their friend Juan, where by we had wine, cheese & nibbles and had a little competition on who guessed the most award winners. I came 2nd with 8. Todd took home the (imaginary) trophy with 10. I could go on and on but I think the photos say it best.

The Forever 21 store in Las Vegas's Fashion Show Mall is the biggest in the company, I was literally in heaven. I got loads of jewelry and some clothes. I don't think any of the necklaces I got were over $8, the rings were all less than $5. Which is amazing considering the prices in the UK for exactly the same stuff. I refuse to buy them from the UK store/website. The difference is crazy!

I was really looking forward to eating here at Serendipity 3 and trying the famous 'Frozen Hot Chocolate', let just say it was disappointing. Don't get me wrong, the food was delicious but the dessert not so much. It was watery and just a really weird thing to eat/drink. I won't be returning for more anytime soon.

I had a little gamble on the slot machines, I only played for pennies but I did hit a bonus and won $41.20. I felt great watching the machine count it into your balance. Of course, I ended giving it all back by the end of the holiday. Lol!

On our last but one night we went to Le Cirque, a restaurant in the Bellagio for a slap up meal, it was gorgeous. I got to try a Wagyu beef steak, it was mouthwatering. I understand why they are so sought after, not to mention expensive. We had a lovely night and the restaurant was pretty spectacular.

As a special treat we went to see the Cirque du Soleil show 'Viva Elvis' on our last night, I had called up before and got us front row, centre seats. Boy it was worth it, one of the most amazing shows i've ever seen. I didn't think anything could top the Lion King but I think this might have. Incredible!

On Friday we drove to LA to see my family and spend some time in California. En route we stopped at this cute diner. The drive is about 5 hours and about halfway we were starving and desperate for the loo. Peggy Sue's Diner was a pretty cool place to stop!

Obviously I got to meet Landon, I haven't shut up about it for weeks. Lol! He's 2 and a half months now. I've just chosen a few of my favourite pics. We took a lot of him.

In LA we got to do a lot in a short time, here are a few of my favourites from the 3 days. Clockwise from top left: The Cheesecake Factory @ The Grove, view of LA from the top of the car park, Chanel store on Rodeo Drive, the famous RD sign, driving through Beverly Hills, Me outside Gladstones restaurant, Santa Monica beach as the sun sets.

Looking back at these pictures really makes me smile. I hope it does the same for you.

Well Hello There!

2011-01-18T01:10:00.001Z

Hi Everyone,

First and foremost I want to say a huge hello and thank you to all my new followers. I have been a bit overwhelmed by you all this week. I haven't logged on in over a week and was a bit shocked to see my follower count in the 80's. Yowsers! I wasn't expecting that! So welcome one and all, it's really great to see you.

Second, where do I begin?! At the moment i'm sitting in the Air New Zealand lounge at LAX, because they are partnered with Virgin Atlantic. We're all checked in after having the most wonderful week. We have shopped, gambled, eaten, walked, and baby talked, just generally enjoyed everything Vegas and LA had to offer. I will put up a post later in the week with pictures and more details but I just wanted to check in with everything. I haven't forgotten you in the least. I have bought a couple of things I want to share on the blog with you and I have a lot I want to write about, so all of that good stuff is coming!

(This is where we ate lunch today, Gladstones Cafe in Santa Monica. It's a gorgeous view, right on the beach.)

I am so pleased my two posts went through the 'Scheduled Posts' process so smoothly. I would have felt bad neglecting you all for a week, especially when i'd just got back into the habit. My cousins Jenni & Todd had an iMac and I had a little go on it to check my facebook, ooooooh I want one even more now!

Well, my flight boards in 25 minutes and I want to take advantage of all the free food and booze on offer, so i'm signing off. I expect my next post to be up either late Tuesday night or sometime on Wednesday. I don't get into Heathrow until 1:05pm Tuesday, so it will probably be Wednesday.

XOXO

P.S. Angela Griffin is sitting opposite me right now, the only celebrity sighting of my trip!

Love & Other Drugs with Pizza Express

2011-01-13T19:00:00.063Z

Hey guys and dolls,

I'm still in Vegas, going to see Viva Elvis tonight! A huh huh! I scheduled this to post whilst i'm away, fingers crossed!

So I mentioned in my Sunday Summary this week that I went to see Love & Other Drugs with my friends Michelle and Sean. We hit up Pizza Express first, I had the Da Morire Romana and it was soooo yummy. I toyed with being healthy but the pizza won me over in the end. The cheesecake dessert is to die for, worth the 10 million calories!

So on to the film, I have to say I was expecting it to be way more cheesy and chick-flicky than it was. I don't want to give away any of the plot but they tackled the sensitive subject of Parkinsons Disease really well and kept the film serious in parts. Yet at the same time, you were left laughing all the way through. Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal play their roles so well, Hathaway in particular. Inevitably I was holding back the tears at the end. I would recommend everyone to go see it, the content is definitely not for young viewers, but well worth watching for everyone else. Another good point is that there is a good balance of content for both men and women, your other halves will enjoy it too. If you go see it, please let me know what you thought of it. I don't know how anyone could not like it.

Anyhoo, normal blogging service will resume next week, I wish you all a good weekend.

I Wish I Was A Gilmore

2011-01-11T19:00:00.002Z

Over christmas I happened to catch half an episode of the Gilmore Girls on E4. I've never watched it before and now i'm totally addicted. I have watched Series 1 and half of Series 2 and ordered 3 & 4 off amazon. Yes, thats how obsessed I am, I have no life outside of Stars Hollow.

Roughly the show is based around a single mother and her daughter's lives in a small town in Connecticut. So why do I want to be a Gilmore? Well, I've always dreamed of living in a town like Stars Hollow, where everybody knows everybody and you have street parties on the 4th of July. If your feeling ill, your neighbours would come and bring you their famous chicken soup. There's the coffee shop you visit everyday and your job brings you nothing but joy. There's one little shop, a post office and a used bookstore. You marry the guy next door who's always gorgeous and so wholesome and yadda yadda yadda...

Yes I live for small town america! Sometimes I get so sick of living in a big city, where my neighbours find it a chore to smile at me as I walk to my car. People would think you were barking if you said hello to everyone you passed in the street. However, this year I am going to find one thing that gives me the satisfaction of thinking I have some resemblance to Stars Hollow right here in Solihull. I'm thinking I might volunteer for something or join a club of some sort. Stay tuned for the next installment of 'I Wish I Was A Gilmore'

Sunday Summary

2011-01-09T11:00:00.066Z

Hey Cutes,

I have been reading Victoria's Monday Summaries for a long time, so inspired by her I thought I would use the same idea on my blog. I'm hoping to put one up every Sunday to round up my week.

♥ Love & Other Drugs ♥

I went to see this on Friday night, I was blown away by how good it is. I will have a full review coming up later this week, but just have to say to you all, go watch it! It is a perfect balance of a serious subject and humour. Not to mention how frikkin HOT Jake Gyllenhaal is in this. Wow! Cold showers all round!

♥ Blogging ♥

I have really missed keeping up with the blogging world. I have been in a real online rut, but I feel like i've broken our of the box this week. I have rebooted my blog into something I am much happier with and more comfortable posting whatever I feel like. I am going to try to comment on at least 30 different blogs each month. Sort of like one a day, but not literally. If you get me.

♥ Take Me Out ♥

Oh Paddy McGuinnes how I love thee! I'm so happy this program is back. I love it, this series has me cracking up all the time. However I do feel these girls are a tad too fussy. Whilst we all want to find a Prince William, David Beckham, Brad Pitt, you get the gist, reality is very different and we have to compromise a little. So what if you like to relax to Barry Manilo or whoever, not really a deal breaker is it!

♥ Reading ♥

I don't know when I stopped reading but I am now fully back in the swing. I have loaded up my kindle with some classics ready for my holiday and am looking forward to working my way thorough my 'to read' shelf. I recently started The Lovely Bones, oh my word can you say tears, one chapter in and I was in floods. Its so graphic, but in a really heartfelt way. I'm loving it.

♥ Packing ♥

I have been gradually working my way through the piles of washing and ironing I need for my holiday and whilst I would not usually express such happiness at domestic goddessing like this, it does put a huge smile on my face as I know my holiday is rapidly approaching. One can't grumble at that can one!

So i'm jetting off to LA & Vegas on Monday for a week, I have scheduled some posts so hopefully they will be posted without glitches (...pause while I touch wood...) and I will see you all on the other side.

♥♥♥ All images sources at We Heart It ♥♥♥

Easy Homemade Pizza Recipe

2011-01-08T13:24:00.000Z

Cooking is one of my favourite hobbies of late, my love of Nigella in full bloom, I have been attempting beer casseroles, truffle oil pasta, homemade breads and cakes, with my most recent offering being such a success I thought I would share this easy-make pizza recipe with you all. I got given a heart shaped pizza kit for christmas but the instructions were all in Itallian, not very helpful but I have a wealth of cookbooks to help me out. After a quick flick through them all, I found this pizza dough to be, not only, the easiest to make but also it doesn't need any complicated ingredients. I made this on a whim and had everything I needed in my cupboards.

The recipe I used is Nigella's Pizza Casareccia from her Domestic Goddess book, although I completely changed the toppings to suit me, so i'm not sure how much 'Casareccia' is involved after all!

For the Dough, you will need:

250g Plain Flour

1 Heaped Tsp Easy-Blend Yeast

1/2 Tsp Salt

150ml Warm Water

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

On to the actual 'making' - Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir in the water and oil to form something on its way to being a dough, then tip the contents of the bowl on to a lightly floured surface. Knead this for about 5 minutes, you should have a light, springy dough but still a bit sticky to touch. (If you have an electric mixer with a dough hook, you can do all the above with it.) Put into an oiled bowl and turn it to lightly cover the dough with the oil. Finally cover the bowl with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Whilst your dough is rising get your topping ingredients ready, the official ones are:

200g Tinned Tomatoes

2-3 Pinches Dried Oregano

4 Slices Fine-Cut Ham

2-3 Gherkins (chopped)

Anchovies (optional)

Fresh Parmesan, Mozzarella or any other cheese of your choice

However, I didn't have most of these ingredients so I used what I had in my fridge. So on top of the tomato mixture (tomatoes, oregano and salt - stirred in a bowl ready to spread on your dough), I mixed fresh parmesan and goats cheese, some packet ham, mushrooms and red onions.

Turn on your oven to preheat at 240/Gas Mark 9. Once your dough has had its hour, knock the air out of the dough with oiled hands, knead a little and push into a baking tray. I doesn't matter if it's round, rectangular or even heart shaped.

Spread the tomato mixture over the top of your dough and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Take out the pizza, top with the ingredients of your choice and bake for another 5-10 minutes, your pizza is ready when the edges are crisp. This feeds 3-4 people generously, I would serve it with a side salad. Your finished pizza should look a little like this.

My Month of Music - January

2011-01-07T09:40:00.003Z

Being a music lover, I decided to make this kind of monthly series of my current favourite songs. A top 10, if you will. I've been out of the blogger loop for months and months now so I don't if anyone has done this before or is doing it now, but I thought i'd give it a whirl anyway.

So my top 10 in January is a really ecelctic mix I think, something for everyone. These aren't in any particular order, except the last one!

1. Happiness - Alexis Jordan

2. Your Song - Ellie Goulding

3. The Silence - Alexandra Burke

4. Miami 2 Ibiza - Swedish House Mafia

5.The Flood - Cheryl Cole

6. Just Drive - Alistair Griffin

7. Whip My Hair - Willow Smith

8. Why Wait - Rascal Flatts

9. Stuttering - Fefe Dobson

And my number 10 is Thinking Of Me by Olly Murs, I love it so much, it just makes me want to dance. Check it out, he's definitely one of my favourite acts to come out of the X-Factor.

New Beginnings - When Life Gives You Lemons...

2011-01-07T01:39:00.006Z

...Make Lemonade!

Lately I have had the urge to put myself back into the blogosphere. I took a break for a long time because I just wasn’t enjoying it. I think this mainly stems from my lack of enthusiasm with makeup and beauty as of late. But i’ve realised that I really don’t have to blog about makeup at all, I have a lot more to say & a lot more in my life than makeup and worrying about which collections are coming out this month and so on... So ‘A Girl Writes...’ is more of a welcome to my world, an online diary if you will, that i’ve decided to put out into the virtual kingdom.

Tonight I went on a ‘date’ with one of my bestie’s Emily, she asked me out to dinner to say thank you for buying our Grand Ole Opry tickets in September. We went to McKees Brasserie in Balsall Common. They have really lovely food and give you an amuse bouche to start and little petit fours with your coffee which make all the difference. These little extras make you feel special, or that you’re getting more than you paid for. They have a different menu every month and there is a set price of £19.95 for 3 courses (plus coffee - as a coffee addict I must get that in!) I took my camera with intention of taking loads of pictures of the food, yet Emily remimded me when our dessert came that I hadn’t taken any pictures. Lol! I did get some good ones after that though!

I thought the food was lovely, except the lemon tart petit fours at the end. They weren’t that tasty at all. But I did have a lovely time with Emily, It was very nice to catch up over dinner.

Tomorrow i’m going to see 'Love and Other Drugs', i've been dying to watch this since I first saw the trailer. I'm hoping it lives up to my expectations. The last film I saw at the cinema was 'Burlesque', which definitely didn't live up to expectations! I think it's best put as UTTER RUBBISH!

I've got a few more blog posts up my sleeve and will get them up this weekend!

Thank you all for sticking with me during my mid-blog-crisis!

Eyeko Haul & Review

2010-10-18T20:46:00.003+01:00

Hey Bloggers!

If you follow me on twitter you would have seen I promised a haul and review of my Eyeko goodies, apologies its a little late, I just didn't have time to write it this weekend. On Saturday I went wedding/bridesmaid dress shopping my best friend and on Sunday I had the plumber here all day finally fitting my new shower. Yay for that, having to constantly have baths all the time was really getting on my wick!

Anyhooo, on to the good stuff. I ordered this stuff a while ago and it came when I was away in Tennessee but over the last couple of weeks i've been using everything I ordered and i'm pretty much in love with all of it. Here's a picture of everything I got. I didn't go mad, just a few key things to try.

The first thing I chose was the 'Must Haves' nail polish set. I was most excited about trying the polishes after seeing them on Victoria's Blog. I can honestly say that I LOVE them, the colours are amazing after one coat and apply really easily. The only one where the formula is a bit dodgy and needs 2-3 coats is Vintage, but even so the colour is gorgeous. A definite mixture of China Glaze's For Audrey and Mac's Peppermint Patti. I've swatched them all below, the colours are little more bright in real life.

L-R Coral, Petite, Vintage, Tea Rose, Vampira

My favourite of the bunch by a clear mile is Posh. Its so gorgeous, very easy to apply and its one of the murky/muddy colours i've been lusting after of late. Its definitly up there with my Chanel Particuliere and Sephora for OPI's Metro Chic. Also, at £3.50 it's a total bargain!

Probably my favourite product of all is the 3in1 Eyeko Cream. It is so beautiful on the skin. My favourite ways to wear it are just on it's own with some eyeliner and mascara for a really natural, healthy glowing, fresh faced look OR used over foundation to highlight my cheek bones and down the middle of my nose OR I like to use it as a light reflecting eye cream, it really does help to conceal the dark circles.

You can see in the picture below the difference it makes just swatched on the back of my hands. Its goes on so smooth and sinks right in. Not greasy feeling at all. I think this would work for all skin types and all skin tones. It really is a hero product!

I decided to try the Big Eyes mascara and to be honest i'm really not that impressed with it. I've shown it below compared to my beloved CoverGirl LashBlast. Its not that it's a bad mascara, its just that I have better. Its very lengthening but it clumps my lashes together too much. I will use it up, but I definitely wouldn't repurchase it.

One product I definitely would repurchase is the Graffiti Eyeliner Pen (swatched below), if you struggle with liquid liner then this really will be your best friend. Its a million times better than Mac's Penultimate eyeliner and is so easy to use. My wings are certainly much improved using this! Lol! Its so easy to get varying eyeliner thicknesses by using less or more pressure and its really pigmented. One swipe and your good to go. A definite must try. I also love to smoke it out using a matte black eyeshadow and a pencil brush, it looks amazing!

So there you have it, my first purchase from Eyeko was definitely a successful one. I'm really happy with everything I chose. The mascara is a bit hit and miss, but I don't mind that. You can't always win with everything. If you haven't tried anything Eyeko yet, check out their website http://www.eyeko.com/. The prices are really reasonable and they always have a free gift code listed on the website so be sure to check that out before you checkout.

XOXO

Disclaimer: Everything shown and reviewed in this blog was bought and paid for by me! All opinions are my own and not sponsored at all!

NOTD: Chanel Paradoxal

2010-10-10T12:48:00.001+01:00

My nails have been in very poor condition recently, I have been carefully nurturing them back to health and today is the first time I've painted them in months. I got this polish in Nashville and have been waiting patiently to wear it.

My first experience with Chanel nail polish was the No.505 Particuliere and I loved it. The formula is great, no chipping and really good coverage with just one coat. I always choose 2 coats no matter what the first coat looks like. I was just so impressed I couldn't wait to get another and No.509 Paradoxal is certainly not a disappointment. The formula is just as great and was very easy to paint. I only painted my nails today so I can't comment on the longevity or chipping.

The only negative with Paradoxal is the colour, it doesn't show up half as beautiful on the nails as it does in the bottle. I still really like the colour, but its more flat than the pretty purple shimmers promised from the bottle. In the direct sunlight and with the flash you can see below that there is a slight shimmer to it but its really not visible to the naked eye. I still love it, its a beautiful muddy purple, perfect for the winter season and I'm sure i'll be sporting this a lot in the coming months.

Jealousy & Haters in the Online Beauty Community

2010-10-05T19:36:00.003+01:00

I really don't know what inspired me to write this post but I think I can trace it back to Michele1218 on youtube. I recently found Michelle through her swap with Lollipop26 and for me it was love at first viewing. Her videos are full of honest reviews, awesome makeup tutorials and my personal favourite, AMAZING HAULS! She's a real, genuine makeup lover with a passion for sharing her beauty knowledge and I loved that about her. But I was really shocked to see this video pop up in my subscription box. I follow Michelle on twitter so I sort of knew it was coming but that made it no less pleasant to watch. The fact that one of the gems of the online beauty community feel so strongly that they have to leave, give me such a bad taste in my mouth and I felt I had to come out with my opinions on the whole topic and openly give support for Michelle and anyone else feeling a little beaten up by the negativity.

I don't know how these haters, these people think that posting horrible, negative, insulting comments and emails is the right thing to do and for me it all comes down to their jealousy. Its so easy to post things anonymously behind a computer screen, where there are no consequences for your actions. But in reality the consequences are losing great beauty vloggers like Michelle.

I can understand when you see some 'gurus' posting review after review of products they have been 'compensated' for, that it gets a little much. I for one whole heartedly disagree with people being paid for reviews of products, I don't think anyone can be totally honest when they are being paid to have an opinion on anything. However, I have no problem with beauty youtubers and bloggers getting sent free products to review as long as they are honest and I genuinely think that 90% of the beauty community are honest and would still post the same videos whether they had 5 subscribers or 50,000. It's just a small group ruining it for everyone else. I see the changes in people, I see how some people now are completely fake and not at all the same person that started posting videos in the first place. I just don't think hating on people is the right way to deal with this. If you don't like it, follow what I do and don't watch anymore. It really is a simple solution.

To wrap this up as I don't want to keep going on, I just wanted you all to know my 2 cents, I have my blog because it is something I love to do, I love thinking of new things to talk about or show you and I would post exactly the same if I had no one reading my blog. I don't care how many 'followers' I have, I just post what I want because it's something I think is worth sharing. The blogger statistics tell me I had almost 1000 blog views last month and that is massive and something I really appreciate and no hater can ever take that feeling of excitement away from me. I also love to read blogs and watch videos and I hope that its something I will be able to do forever. I am so grateful of the effort people go to upload videos and post blogs and respond to comments and tweets and everything involved, so that people like me can read and watch. Long may it continue!

If you got this far thanks for sticking with me! I'd love to hear what you think about it all!

Loads of love and appreciation,

Charlotte xxxx

Charlotte's September Favourites

2010-10-03T16:19:00.001+01:00

So I have been reaching for the same products over and over this month, so I feel it's only fair for me to share them with you. I also have a few non-beauty highlights that i'm going to share at the end! Feel free to let me know what you have been loving this month too.

(N.B. I am trying to get my holiday blog uploaded but the Blogger Photo Uploader is taking forever and a day to upload one photo. I have something else in mind to try, so hopefully it will be up soon.)

1. Urban Decay

This month, I've been loving Urban Decay. Particularly my Naked Palette and 24/7 eyeliners. I have used my Naked Palette literally every day since I got it. Its the only eyeshadows I took on holiday with me and there isn't a single colour I wouldn't use in the whole palette. I'm not sure what the situation is with getting hold of this in the UK but if you can get your hands on it, you won't regret it. Its bloody amazing! Also, I'm a massive fan of pencil eyeliners, I like gel and liquid eyeliners but for ease and quickness I reach for my pencils pretty much everyday and the UD 24/7 liners are the best. My current fave is Bourbon but I just bought Underground and Binge whilst I was away and they are both gorgeous. I feel this particular love affair with Urban Decay is going to last a while yet!

2. CoverGirl Lash Blast

I talk about this all the time, its my ultimate holy grail mascara! I was in the process of using up all different mascaras when my parents bought me some of this back from Hawaii, I had seriously forgot how good this mascara is. Its well and truly back in my everyday routine. if you haven't tried it yet, why not?!

3. CVS Cocoa Butter Lotion

My friend Emma recommended this to me after she bought it in Washington DC this summer. Apologies to my UKers this is CVS own brand and not avaliable over here. I bought one (and then had to get another one before I left) to try whilst I was away and was amazed how gorgeously soft it leaves your skin. Its not as thick as Palmers Cocoa Butter but sooooo much better. I have used it every night since I got back and my skin is in such good condition. The best part.....Its only $2.99! Bargain!

4. Mario Badescu Skin Care

I don't know if it was the greasy food or change in weather or what, but my skin had a major breakout whilst I was in Tennessee :( Not good! But when we stopped at Ulta in Jackson on our way from Nashville to Memphis I saw this range and remembered Xsparkage on youtube had good reviews about it. So I picked up a trial size of the acne face wash and full sizes of the drying lotion and drying cream. I can honestly say nothing has cleared my skin up quicker. The face wash is not drying at all and the Drying Lotion works brilliantly over night at shrinking your spots. I'm definitly going to look into getting more of the Mario Badescu range.

5. MAC Studio Fix Fluid

I used to use this religiously but started to find it a bit heavy compared to my MUFE HD foundation, but when I got back from Tennessee my skin had a tan and so I went for the Studio Fix Fluid as its a shade darker than my other foundations. I now can't imagine why I haven't used this in so long. Its definitely perfect for winter, good coverage and long lasting. I'll be repurchasing this soon as I only have a little bit left in the bottle. Glad I went shopping in my stash and rediscovered this.

So I mentioned a few non-beauty highlights, the main one being my Amazon Kindle. I always thought I would miss real books and so put off getting one, but with the new 3G one being released I bit the bullet. I had it pre-ordered for months and was so glad it came before I went away. If you travel a lot its perfect for you. I just fell in love with it from day one.

Secondly, I have to mention the Ryder Cup. I never watch golf, I know the basic rules but don't follow it as one of my sports. Yet, with the Ryder Cup approaching I told myself this year I was going to watch it. Sure enough, I am hooked. This weekend I have pretty much been stuck to my laptop trying to get all the changes i've had planned for months to my blog finished. But whilst sitting in front of my laptop i've been glued, literally glued to the tv. Its actually a lot more exciting than it seems once you actually understand what's going on. I may be a golf fan afterall!

Change Is A Good Thing

2010-10-01T18:35:00.001+01:00

Hey Guys,

You may have noticed my blog is having a little make over, I'm making a few changes and have a few things in the pipeline. Please bear with me, it should be all ready by the end of this weekend.

Also, i've had trouble uploading my holiday blog, the pictures are taking forever to upload. I'm working on it and will get it up asap!

Thanks for sticking with me!

Charlotte xx

Home Sweet Home

2010-09-27T11:04:00.001+01:00

Well well well hello my beautiful bloggers!

I'm finally back on home soil and in my flat with a fast Internet connection which means I can catch up on everything I've missed and can fill you in on everything I've been up to whilst I was away.

Right now though I'm typing this on my iPhone because I'm having new windows fitted and can't get on my computer with the workmen all around. So this will just be a short 'What's up?!' post.

So you know I went to Tennessee with my friend Emily and we really had an amazing time. We spent 5 nights in Nashville and 5 nights in Memphis. We got to do some really cool things, we went to the Jack Daniels Distillery, went to a Grand Ole Opry show, ate some nice meals, did a lot of shopping (especially on my part! Lol!) and my favourite thing of all was going to Graceland. I liked Elvis before but now I LOVE him!

Would you believe I didn't even go to Sephora????!!!! I did however haul pretty big in Ulta which I'll go into more detail about in another post.

I haven't uploaded my pictures yet but I will do a holiday blog post with full pictures as soon as my flat is not windowless (its current state) and ready for me to get all my stuff out again!

So that's all for now, I will hopefully have a proper post up tonight with pictures galore! I did take 357! :)

XOXO

Baking 101: Oatmeal and Raisin Cookies

2010-09-09T14:55:00.001+01:00

Recently I have gotten into baking in a HUGE way, which is probably why my weight loss has plateaued right now. But anyways, I wanted to post some of my recipes and so I'll start with the simplest one. Any one can bake these with minimal effort. They turn out wonderfully soft and chewy with a little crunch on the outside and they are really yummy!

I adapted this recipe from one I found online, the recipe is in cups but i'll try to give the metric measurement where possible. Also I took away chocolate chips and nuts and added raisins and cinnamon. So if you would prefer you can swap the raisins for chocolate or nuts or whatever you like. The recipe is easily adapted.

Ingredients

1/2 Cup or 115g Unsalted Butter

1/2 Cup or 110g Brown/Demerara Sugar

1/2 Cup or 100g White Sugar

1 Medium Egg

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Cup or 125g Plain Flour

1/4 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

1 Cup Oats (The old fashioned original kind, not readybrek or oats so simple)

1/2 Cup Coconut (I buy the already shredded kind from the supermarket)

1/2 Cup Raisins or Sultanas

1 tsp Ground Cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees C.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together, then add the egg and vanilla and mix well.

2. Add the Flour, Soda and Salt a little at a time until all is well combined.

3. Add the coconut, oats and whatever else you are adding. In my case the raisins and cinnamon.

4. Make sure everything is well mixed and spoon out into 2 baking trays lined with greaseproof paper. There is enough mixture here to make 12 large cookies. I put 6 on each tray, making sure there is 2 inches all round each dollop as the cookies will spread during baking.

5. Bake in the centre of the oven for approximately 12-14 minutes.

6. Take out of the oven and leave to cool in the trays for 5 minutes or so, this allows the cookies to firm up so you can then use an egg slice to remove the cookies onto a cooling rack.

7. Put your feet up and enjoy with a nice cuppa!

If you try it with different fillings be sure to let me know how it turns out!

XOXO

Urban Decay Book of Shadows III - Swatches & Review

2010-09-08T21:55:00.003+01:00

Hey Blogettes,

I'm in such a good mood this week, hmmmm I wonder why? Maybe because it's only 5 SLEEPS until me and one of my best friends Emily go to Tennessee! Wooooooo! I just baked some yummy cookies and eating them whilst writing this. Bliss!

So I posted previously that I received my Urban Decay NYC Book of Shadows and as promised here is my full review. The swatches are from L-R and are pretty true to colour, although not as bright in the pictures as they are in real life. But first a few pictures to show off how prettyful this pallette really is.

Perversion, Uzi, Loaded, Kush

Midnight Cowboy Rides Again, Last Call, Rockstar, Money

Haight, Maui Wowie, Smog, Bordello

Radium, Snatch, Suspect, Psychedelic Sister

Zero, Ransom, Primer Potion

So what do I think of it.... I LOVE it. The colours are really beautiful and so wearable, even the brightest ones. I'm generally not a huge fan of Urban Decay pallettes, I gave away the Ammo pallet cause it was just a hot mess of glitter and the only other one I owned before the Naked pallette is the Wallpaper palette which I do like. But the Naked pallette and this one have totally convinced me otherwise, if you were a beginner to makeup, you literally could have just these 2 palettes and have pretty much every colour you'll every need. Not to mention the really cool extras. The Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliners are awesome, really easy to apply and very long lasting, and I don't need to go into detail about the Urban Decay Primer Potion except to say it is the one thing I cannot live without. I never ever apply any makeup without using this first.

As far as dupes and duplicates go, these colours are not totally original and can be duped by many other brands if you don't manage to get your hands on this exact palette. A few of the colours cross over too and are in previous Book of Shadows or in the permanent collection. Also if you have any other Urban Decay Palettes you are most certain to have Smog as it's in almost every single Urban Decay Palette, but the thing I love about Smog with this palette is that you can team it with ANY other colour in the palette and it will work. From a really elaborate look pairing it with Radium and Haight or a toned down neutral eye with Suspect and Rockstar. I really think you are onto a winner with this pallet.

I feel like I have to mention that there are a few glitterbombs in this pallet too, most notably Uzi and Midnight Cowboy Rides Again. If you don't like fallout or glitter on your face then definitely steer clear of these shades. Snatch and Kush are following closely behind these two though and all four shades are not for the feint hearted. Lol! I personally don't mind a bit of glitter every now and then so it works out well for me. If you a lover of the matte and satin formulas then I would propose this palette isn't for you.

The packaging is just gorgeous and a lot more robust than I thought it would be. I was expecting a flimsy cardboard and awkward drawer mechanism. There is nothing like this and I love that the eyeshadow drawer comes completely out of the box, which is a lot easier to work with for everyday makeup application.

My overall rating is a solid 8/10.

(I would have given it 10/10 if only there were a couple of matte shades in the box and more new shades that were exclusive to this palette.)

If you have this already or it's on it way to you, be sure to let me know what you think of it. Urban Decay is fast becoming one of my my favourite makeup brands!

Until next time - XOXO

Thursday Thoughts! - Wheeling and Dealing!

2010-09-02T23:36:00.005+01:00

Today's thoughts are about selling your stuff, today I decided to start getting rid of a lot of the un-necessary stuff *cough* makeup *cough*, that I have piling up in my flat.

I just now listed 44 (OMG! My heart aches!) MAC eyeshadows for sale on Specktra and I have cleared out a bunch of other makeup to put up for sale at some point. Happily, I sold 9 within the first 10 minutes of them being listed, yay for me! I think i'm developing a healthier attitude towards makeup. I still LOVE it and will never stop buying it, but now I stop and think, do I really need it?. Also, I am pretty much a neutrals girl at heart so why I ever bought a yellow, red, orange, or fluorescent green eyeshadow in the first place beats me. Silly girl!

I'm trying to take up a less cluttered lifestyle, so doing things like this make me feel good about myself. I am planning to make a trip to the charity shop this weekend. Get rid of some books, clothes, old cd's etc...

In Other News:
This week I have been listening to this song over and over and over, I loved Danny Gokey on American Idol and his debut song is a keeper for me!

One other thing of note, my Urban Decay Book of Shadows III came in the post today, its so beautiful. It's love at first sight for me. I will post a full review with pictures and swatches soon. I'll just insert a little phone picture for the moment to wet your appetite!

XOXO

A Haul Of The Best Kind...

2010-09-01T23:26:00.001+01:00

The best kind of haul for me is one that doesn't cost me anything! Lol! I mentioned previously how stressed and overworked I was with my parents away, but after seeing what they got me, it was definitely worth the extra effort. My parents went to Las Vegas and Hawaii for 3 weeks and also stopped off in LA for 2 nights to see my family that live in the States. My cousin Jeni is pregnant and was having a baby shower whilst my parents were over there and i'm very jealous I never got to go! They got back yesterday and I drove to Heathrow to collect them, I was ecstatic to see them.

So, the only thing that I asked for was a Black hoodie from the Victoria's Secret PINK line, the rest they chose for me and I can honestly say that I love all of it. I am one lucky girl right now! :)

This Jacket is from Abercrombie & Fitch, its my favourite thing of everything they bought for me!

2 A&F Tees

This is a short sleeved sweatshirt, its really gorgeous, I don't think the picture does it justice.

This dress is from Old Navy, I was disappointed with how the picture turned out. It doesn't show off the dress to its full potential. Its really fitted at the top but then the 'skirt' part is really floaty. When I wear it, i'll post a blog of me in it, so you can see how nice it is on.

This is just a t-shirt from Old Navy but I love the words!

Old Navy Tee

My mom said this was $3.99 in the sale at Old Navy so she just couldn't not get it. Now you know where I get my shopping addiction from! Lol! The beading at the top is really lovely.

The Hoodie I was practically dying for, it has a zip at the front.

These are just VS PINK vests to go underneath.

This is such a cute tracksuit, perfect for lounging around in. I tried it on and its so comfy and soft. The LOVE PINK words are on the back of the top, its plain on the front.

These are just some little 'nic nacks'. My mom and dad get me a Hard Rock bear from every country they visit, I have quite a collection building up now. This one is from Honolulu, I have Las Vegas from them already. The washing up gloves are from Williams & Sonoma, they are the worlds best, the machine of washing up gloves. And of course my mom got me a couple of tubes of my favourite mascara Cover Girl Lash Blast, its not available in the UK so I like to keep a few backups.

These earrings are 18k Gold and Hawaiian Coral. They are gorgeous. Green is my favourite colour.

And just look how awesome the carrier bags are, its worth buying something in Abercrombie and Fitch just to get a bag with a really hot boy on it! Lol!

Filofax Love

2010-08-28T13:28:00.004+01:00

So I recently came across Sofia and her amazing blog. I've been reading practically every post she's ever written and I urge you to go check her out. Anyway, she mentioned that she'd bought a filofax and I have been googling filofaxes ever since. What I found is an online community dedicated to their love of filofaxes. As someone who carries around a diary and 2 notebooks in her handbag everyday, I don't know why I've not thought of getting a filofax before. After much research, I had decided that the Personal Red Finsbury was the one for me, although I confess I based this solely on the fact that it is the exact one Katherine Heigl uses in one of my favourite ever films 27 Dresses.

So yesterday, I saw Sofia had posted this Filofax Obsession blogpost and I knew it was time to bite the bullet. I went straight to Selfridges after work and to my delight found that all Filofaxes were 20% off, it was meant to be. They had the Finsbury I wanted in Red, Aqua, Raspberry and Brown. I came for the Red but left with the Raspberry. Its just such a gorgeous colour and in my opinion much nicer than the Red. It's safe to say that I absolutely LOVE it and have been delightfully filling it ever since!

If you too are lusting after a Filofax, check out these blogs, they will not help cure your obsession:

- Philofaxy

- Glamorous Grad Student

- Oni's Paper Corner

- Hey Jewel

- Gala Darling

Happy Filofaxing!

XOXO

Raindrops on Roses & Whiskers on Kittens

2010-08-23T20:16:00.003+01:00

A different kind of blog post from me today, I realise that a lot of what I post is about materials things. So today I wanted to share my favourite things that don't necessarily cost anything but make me happy anyway!

Click any of the image to enlarge!

No.1 - Elvis

Elvis is my baby! I love him to bits, I always wanted a cat and when I moved into my own flat, I rescued him from a family that couldn't look after him properly. He was really timid and afraid at first but after a couple of weeks he came out of his shell and is now really outgoing and loves cuddles! I live on my own and I love it that way but its always nice to walk in the door and see him sitting on the table in the hall waiting for me. I couldn't live without him now!

No.2 - Halloween

I love anything and everything to do with Halloween, these 'old style' primitive decorations are my favourite and stay on my shelves all year round. I always try to have either a dinner party or fancy dress party or something for Halloween. It is my life-long dream to spend a Halloween in America so I can see all the trick or treaters and stuff. It would be amazing!

No.3 - My Fridge Door

My fridge door is a constant reminder of all of the wonderful experiences i've been lucky enough to have. I buy magnets of each new place I visit and when I look at my fridge I can't help but smile.

No.4 - Friends

I just could not do a list like this and not include my friends. We are a lovely bunch and have a brilliant time together, whether its at our monthly bake off or games night or going out for drinks or whatever! I <3 them all very much!

No.5 - Angels Sign

I got this sign for myself as a housewarming present when I bought my flat, I love all the crafty/primitive signs and angels like this, I have them all over my flat. But this one is my most favourite of all of them, its a close tie between this and an angel my Aunt Carol gave me (You can actually just about see the angel on the far right of my Halloween picture, I loved it for years, I would keep looking at it each time we visited her in New York and when I bought my flat she gave it to me to start my collection off). Most of them I got in America, they have the best ones over there. I actually have too many, I buy ones that I love whenever I see them but have no room left to hang them. I just keep them safe for when I eventually move into a bigger house.

No.6 - Baking

I love to bake, no matter if its cupcakes, bread, muffins, biscuits, etc... I love the methodical way of measuring out the ingredients and seeing what it all becomes at the end. My friends and I have regular 'bake-offs' where we each bake something for a different friend but we all get together and try what we all baked with cups of tea. Its so much fun and I love the feeling of anticipation of what I'm going to bake next.

No.7 - Christmas

I have an irrational love for all things Christmas. I love the decorations, food, presents, smells, spending quality time with my family and friends. Come December I am permanently burning a pine scented candle, brewing mulled wine, wrapping gifts (a huge passion of mine), decorating and enjoying all the festive food. I get it from my mother, she adores Christmas and cannot wait for me and my brother to give her some grandchildren she can spoil. This photo is one of my moms favourites of me and my brother seeing Father Christmas at Rackhams (A store in Birmingham). This one she had copied and framed and gave to me last christmas. It now has pride of place on the shelves in my living room.

Here's a challenge for you, sit down for 10 minutes and think about the things that you love! It makes you realise just how lucky you are! I know I am very grateful for everything and everyone that I have in my life and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Let me know what makes you happy!

Oops! I fell into Next on the way home!

2010-08-20T18:48:00.002+01:00

So technically I didn't fall into the shop but more made a strategic decision to go in and get something new to wear for going out tomorrow night with my friends, but hey, my bank account doesn't need to know that! *Insert evil muah ha ha laugh*

So, first of all can I just say how much I love Next clothes. I never ever went into Next until a couple of months ago and now i'm addicted. The clothes change all the time, so there is always something new I haven't seen before and they are really reasonably priced. Bonus!

Now on to the good stuff! I got this dress, it was £28.00 and although you wouldn't believe it looking at the weather, it is still summer so I should get some use out of it. The main reason I bought it though is for my holiday coming up, its should be hot and sunny in Nashville.

Then I saw this dress and I just knew I had to get it. It so boho/vintage chic and I love it. It cost £35.00 and is just beautiful. I'm channeling Aria from Pretty Little Liars here...

I teamed this dress up with some pretty cool accessories, these are 'Military Style' according to the label. Whatever that means!

Double Strand Necklace - £5

Close up of the charms!

These matching set of earrings were £7.50

Of which, these hearts are my favourite!

So there you have it, working in a town centre makes it so easy for these little sprees, I walk past all these shops daily! Sometimes you just have to give in to temptation! Lol!

As a side note - how awesome is my new camera. I love it!

XOXO

Thursday Thoughts!

2010-08-19T21:05:00.004+01:00

Hey Bloggees!
I'm starting a new series of post on my blog, so every week I'm going to have a Thursday Thoughts post, a way telling you guys whatever is on mind. As this is a little update too, it's going to be a long one this week.

Right at this current moment I am lying in the bath (a Lush bath of course!), typing this post on my iPhone. Oh the wonders of modern technology! Incidentally, in case you were curious i'm using the Comforter bubble bar! Tis very scrumptious!

Lush The Comforter - Image at Google.com

This last couple of weeks has been so stressful at work, my mom (who I work with) is on holiday in Hawaii so I'm pretty much doing 3 peoples work by myself. But not to worry, my mom is back in just over a week and my favourite partner in crime at work, who left last year to go to uni, is coming back to work part time from the 1st September, so *happy dance* for that news! Never the less I'm definitly treating myself to something special when I go on holiday to Tennessee with my friend Emily next month. I haven't decided between something from Tiffany to match my key or a Louis Vuitton handbag. I am leaning towards the Louis but can't decide between the Lockit or Neverfull. What do you guys think? Tiffany or Louis? Either way I can't lose right! Lol!

Louis Vuitton Neverfull - Image at Google.com

I had a huge clearout of stuff this week, got rid of all the products that are out of date now or don't work for my skin anymore. Especially now I've found my holy grail Eve Lom cleanser. Of which there will be a review on my YouTube very soon. I have filmed it already, just got to edit it. I feel much better now though, having space to enjoy the products I love without worrying about using the stuff I've bought on a whim and don't really like all that much. Clarity for the mind, that's what it is!

Hmmm, I think I've exhausted all my thoughts for this week! As an end note, please leave me a comment with what you'd like to see on my blog and YouTube. I have a few blog ideas that I will be putting into motion over the next few weeks, but any improvements you can think of or requests of anything just let me know! Constructive critism is welcome, i've got a tough skin! If i don't like it, I'll just STUPEFY you all! Harry Potter reference for you there, I have just re-read all seven books again for the gazillionth time!

Harry Potter ROCKS! - Image at Google.com

Peace out y'all!

XOXO

Bronze Smokey Eye Tutorial - Inspired by Kim Kardashian

2010-07-18T20:29:00.001+01:00

Products Used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
NYX Jumbo Pencil in Iced Mocha
MAC Eyeshadows: Espresso, Bronze
Swiss Chocolate, Mystery, Mylar
Sugarshot & Carbon
Elizabeth Arden Eye Pencil in Black
YSL Faux Cils Mascara - Black
Chanel Bronzer in 21 Toundra
Nars Cream Blush - Penny Lane
Gosh Lipstick in 134 Darling

NOTD: Zoya's Audrina

2010-06-26T16:06:00.002+01:00

Todays Nail of the Day choice is by Zoya and its in the shade Audrina. A lovely pinky/purple. What most impressed me with this nail polish is the fact it goes on perfectly with a completely opaque finish after one quick coat. Amazing! I have used the Zoya matte shades before and love them but this is something else. No streaks or bumps, dries quickly and has a nice shiny finish. This has me searching the website for more colours.

You can get hold of them from www.zoya.com if you are in the USA, International people will need to use something like www.bundlebox.com to get them shipped over. But definitely worth it!

If you have any favourite colours that you think I should get, please let me know in the comments!

In and Out - No.2

2010-06-25T23:01:00.000+01:00

So I thought the easiest way of letting you know what i've been up to and what I'm loving at the moment is to do one of these posts. So on to the good stuff!

1. Yoga

My friends and I have recently took up a weekly Bodybalance class. Its a mixture of Tai Chi, Yoga and Pilates and I must say I am really loving it. Be under no illusions, the class is killer and you really ache the next day. But it is getting a little easier with each class and I will get the slender, toned figure of our instructor in the end.

2. June Sport

As someone who has never been into playing sports, I love watching them. Wimbledon is my all time favourite sporting event to watch. I love it, I could sit and watch it all day without moving off the sofa. I'm rooting for Rafa Nadal and Andy Roddick as usual. But not only do we have Wimbledon this year, its the World Cup. Again, I try to watch as much of it as possible. There is nothing quite like sitting in the pub watching England play. Come on boys, we can stuff the Germans!

3. Skincare That Works

You may have seen on twitter that I recently tweeted about the cult fave cleanser from Eve Lom. I have a review coming up in the next couple of posts but i'll prequel the review by saying it's AMAZING! No joke, best skincare product i've ever used.

4. Being Excited

This may not be an actual 'thing' but its what i've been doing lately. I'm so looking forward to going to Tennessee with my friend Emily in September, i've ordered a guide book and have been reading it non-stop! My list of things to do, places to go and restaurants to eat at is just getting longer and longer each day. I'm also excited about going to the Secret Garden Party Festival in July. I've gone the last 2 years and have loved it. Lets hope the weather is good... Keep your fingers crossed for me!

5. Converse

I just bought a pair of navy ones and they are my new love, wearing them makes me happy. They go with everything. I wear them with jeans and a tee for shopping mainly but I dressed them up to go to the Pink concert last night. Its the start a love affair for life.

Out

1. Working

It just seems so wrong to be working when the sun is out and all you want to do is not be at work! However, I do not complain when my wages go into the bank at the end of the month. There is always a silver lining to work.

2. Blackberry Not On O2

I have an iPhone, which I adore and would not give up for the world. But I would quite like to try a Blackberry again. I had one about 2 years ago before I got my first iPhone but it was not up to the high standard that they are now. The only problem is that o2 don't supply them on Pay As You Go. I already have my contract and so just want to buy the phone, but I can't and its really annoying me. I hope they are going to change this rule in the near future.

Update! Update! Update!

2010-06-25T21:50:00.002+01:00

I don't know where to start, firstly I must apologise. (Insert cute Elvis picture to butter you all up!!!)

(Its taken on my iPhone so the resolution is not that great, isn't he the most bootiful pussycat)

I haven't had any internet in my flat for weeks and weeks! But i've finally sorted it out with Virgin Media's technical support and WAHOOOOOO I'm back online!! Let the blogging begin!

I have lots to blog about and will be getting right on it. Stay tuned!

Candles By Victoria - Haul & Review

2010-04-03T14:40:00.000+01:00

So, its early on Saturday morning and I hope all or your Easter weekends are going well. I'm sitting watching the Qualifiers for the Malaysian Grand Prix, Formula 1 being another of my obsessions, looking forward to Easter Sunday tomorrow. I'm going to watch the football, Birmingham City vs Liverpool, with my Mom, Dad and Brother. Anyways, onto the goodies. My cousin recently found a website that enables me to buy from US websites that don't ship internationally. Check it out www.bundlebox.com

I ordered during the March sale, 10% off all month long with the discount code texasrose. I chose to get a 9oz Sampler Pack, 3 Country Footed Jars and 1 Comfort Candle. Victoria also gives a free Scent Shot with every order. I have had these candles before and they burn so nicely, they burn evenly all the way down the candle and the scent throw is amazing. After just 15 minutes the entire room is full of fragrance and as long as you look after your wicks, trimming them frequently, they burn clean. None of those horrible black soot stains up your walls.

Victoria offers 3 different sampler packs, these are 6 candles that you can choose whatever scents you want, for a cheaper price than if you bought them individually. I chose the 9oz candles, which costs $45. You get a saving here of $4.50. The fragrances I chose are as follows:

Peppermint Bark:

This is a gorgeous chocolate and mint scent. Think After Eights and you've got it! Definitely one i'll be reordering.

Edward Cullen:

According to Stephanie Myer, Edward smells like honey, sunshine and lilac. Whether this is that, I don't know, I can definitely smell the notes of honey (the Lush HIWTK kind) and florals but I don't get much sunshine. Although, what sunshine smells like I have no idea.

Peaches and Cream:

This is straight up peaches and cream. Heavy on the peach with a subtle scent of vanillary cream coming through. The peach has a tiny hint of spice to it. Lovely!

Sugared Spruce:

This is the only one of the bunch i've had before. It is pure christmas tree pine. Its a real favourite of mine.

Pink Sugar:

I've read that this is a dupe of a perfume, but i've never smelt it. The description of this candle was enough for me to order this. Its a very sweet, candyish scent. I love it and i'm going to hunt down the perfume now.

Elvis:

I'll admit I only ordered this because my cat is called Elvis. Its a nutty banana scent. Smells good enough to eat. A yummy banana cake with nuts sprinkled on top. Really delicious!

The country footed candles are 18oz!! Thats a huge amount of wax! They have a wide opening to get the maximum scent throw and 2 wicks to ensure an even burn. I chose to get

Honey I Washed The Youngins:

This is a dupe of the Lush bestselling soap Honey I Washed The Kids. Although since I ordered Victoria has had to change the name to Bathtime With Pooh because of copyright issues. The Lush scent is my absolute favourite so I knew I was going to love it. Its an exact match, couldn't be any more perfect. Just gorgeous!

Twilight:

Being the obsessed Twilight fan that I am, nothing was going to get in the way of me and this candle. It has sweet notes and floral notes which combine to make a nice pleasant candle. Its a little too much on the floral for my liking but still very nice. Candles all smell different when burnt, so I can't wait to light it.

This one is Tiffany D:

Melon, melon, melon with a shot of vanilla and sugar. Pure heaven! This is my clear favourite of the order and the first one I had to burn as soon as I got home.

Caramel Gingered Apple Crisp:

This is a comfort candle, so it has the different scented layers with the little crisp wax chunks on top. This is a very spicy, warming apple scent, exactly like the dessert. You get a strong scent of ginger and cinnamon with the underlying apple notes. I don't smell any caramel but obviously I haven't burnt it yet, so I haven't got to the caramel layer. Its a lovely candle.

Pink Sugar and Coconut:

This was the free scent shot I got, another Pink Sugar perfume dupe but this time with added coconut. I think the coconut masks a lot of the Pink Sugar scent but as I love coconut this doesn't bother me. I like it a lot and can't wait to burn it.

These candles are all gorgeous and leave my place smelling absolutely gorgeous. I really recommend Candles by Victoria to everyone and is absolutely a must for candle lovers like myself. Be sure to sign up for her monthly newsletter to find out when the sales are.

My Makeup Collection/Organisation

2010-03-31T23:31:00.001+01:00

So, as this has been much requested, especially by Laura (<3) and Gemma (<3), I'm finally getting round to posting my makeup collection and how I store it. I think i've done quite well with what I have and although it may not work for everyone, It's perfect for me. Its took a while to finally get it how I want. So here goes!

This is the general set up of my makeup desk, the desk is from Ikea, I got it a few months ago and i'm not really sure what the name of it is. I like it because its long and thin, which fits perfectly in my bedroom and has 2 drawers.

The first drawer is full of things that are in transition, I either don't have room anywhere else for them or I need to depot them or they just don't belong anywhere else, like the eyelash curler!

The drawers have 3 cutlery trays in them which provides me with handy little sections to store things in. These were again from Ikea and I think only about 50p each. Three fit perfectly in the drawer without a millimeter to spare!

The second draw is a mish-mash of stuff. I keep my various different eyeshadow pallets in here that are too big for my Muji drawers and then there is spare pots, disposable mascara and lipgloss wands, sponges, etc... Whatever I find that doesn't go anywhere else.

Then I have these 3 cubes stacked. These are from Office Depot in America, I ordered them online and had them shipped to the UK via my Bundle Box.

The bottom cube is just 2 drawers. I like them because they are quite deep and the perfect size for pencils and things.

As you can see, the top drawers is full of eyeliners, both liquid and pencil. The bottom is full of mascaras, I always have lots of mascaras on the go at once.

The top cube is full of lipglosses, I have the miniatures that came in last years MAC Holiday Sets on the right and tubes on the left. The top section is random glosses from all different brands that aren't MAC.

The middle cube has all my MAC lipglosses on the right and dazzleglasses in the top section. The left section is all my MAC shadesticks and the bottom is NYX Jumbo Pencils and two YSL cream eyeshadows.

Next to my cubes are some of my brushes, I keep the brushes I use the least out on my desk. Face brushes in the vase I got from John Lewis for £12, I filled it with rice to keep the brushes upright. The eye brushes are in my Glitzy-Glam brush holder which came with the beads.

My favourite brushes I keep in my brush roll. The majority of these are MAC with a few others thrown in for good measure.

My mirror is a Babyliss one from John Lewis, which was my present from my Nan and Grandad for Christmas. It has just one light setting you switch on and off at the base.

I keep my MAC eyeshadow pallets just simply stacked on my desk. I have used nail varnish to paint a stripe on the side so I know which pallet is which. If you want to see what eyeshadows I have and how they are organised see my earlier blog post HERE.

These are my drawers from Muji, click here to be taken to the exact ones on the website. They are individual drawers that stack together. So whenever you outgrow your collection you can simply add another drawer on top. They come in a few different sizes, so its really good for addicts like me that have to keep buying more drawers.

So, working from the bottom up, the first drawer is all blush products. I depot all my MAC blushes into pallets except the Limited Edition ones that I like the packaging of.

The next drawer is primers, foundation and concealers. This drawer is too full and needs separating. I will get another drawer to split the primers from the rest. MUFE definitely have the best foundations and primers in my opinion.

The next drawer is my highlighters. I think i'm lacking in the MAC MSF department. I'm on the lookout for a couple more in different shades.

Lipsticks come next, I have MAC on one side and everything else on the other.

I store them this way so the labels are facing out. That way when I pull the drawer out I can read the labels through the plastic sides and its easy for me to find what i'm looking for.

Next are my paint pots and fluidlines, these are probably my favourite things to collect. I adore paintpots and never put eyeshadow on without one. I also have my MUFE Flash Pallet in here.

This drawer is my MAC Pigments, including samples. I get mine from Makeup Geek's online store, and she ships to the UK. I have a few MAC Paints in here too.

These are mineral pigments from Calypso Minerals, I have had them a while and they are good products but I wouldn't recommend the company. I had to complain over and over to get these once I had paid for them, I finally got them about 6 months later. The company has had some problems recently and I wouldn't go near them now.

The last drawer is a mixture of eyeshadow quads and pallets.

This is how it looks all together!

Finally, on top of these drawers are my brush cleanser and product sanitiser from Beauty So Clean, I got these at IMATS. I have mixing mediums and all of my Naked pigments that I need to buy another drawer for and then my kabuki brushes, MAC 181 and 182.

Wowzers! So there you have it. Hopefully you will have picked up some tips and trick to organise your collections. If you have any questions please leave them in the comments!

Ice Hotel 2010 - Jukkasjarvi

2010-03-30T22:53:00.002+01:00

So, I'm back and kicking off my blogging again by sharing my amazing trip with you all. Hopefully this post will inspire to to visit Jukkasjarvi too! Last weekend my Mom and I went to the Ice Hotel in Sweden, It was absolutely the most amazing place i've ever been to and I have so many wonderful memories to keep forever. I really recommend everyone to visit, you really will not regret it.

We stayed for 3 nights and packed as much as possible into our holiday. On our first night we had a trip through the forest on snowmobiles in search of the Northern Lights. We didn't get to see the lights but it still was an incredible trip, we got to eat dinner in a log cabin heated by an open fire, before returning to the hotel. The best part of the excursion was that I got to drive our snowmobile, which was so fantastic. I loved every minute of it.

The next day we had signed up for a Reindeer excursion, which again was another unforgettable experience. We got to ride reindeer sledges, eat a reindeer sandwich in a traditional Sami tent and we also had a go a lassoing the reindeers. It was great fun and we definitly had a great time.

Our second night was also our turn in the Ice Hotel. We were in the Ice Suite 303, the Spooning Suite, which was based around a cutlery drawer. I have to be honest, sleeping in the ice room was not for me, I didn't like it very much but I am definitly glad I tried it. The Ice Hotel itself is incredible and you can't walk more than 10 feet before you say WOW! We also had cocktails in the Ice Bar, served in glasses made of ice (Of Course!)

On our final full day in Sweden, we got to do something me and my Mom were most excited about in the run up to our trip. A ride on a husky sledge, and let me tell you, it definitely didn't disappoint. The dogs were the most adorable animals. They loved being fussed and were just brilliant. We stopped halfway through our journey through the forest for coffee and cake by a campfire. Absolutely incredible!

I can't stress enough how brilliant our 4 days were, everything far exceeded our expectations and I know that both my Mom and I will struggle to find anything to top this. The Swedish people were amazing, they couldn't do enough for you, everything was so well organised and more importantly there was absolutely nothing we didn't like. If you ever get the chance to go, please do! I promise you will have a fantastic time!

If I haven't bored you with my pictures here, you can see the rest of them HERE in my public facebook album!

TAG: 40 Questions

2010-03-10T19:12:00.003Z

I have noticed this tag going round a few blogs, so I thought i'd give it a go!

SKINCARE

-How many times do you wash your face daily?
Twice per day, once in the morning and once at night. If i'm really tired I will use a cleansing wipe to take my make up off as soon as i'm home and in for the night.

-What skin type do you have? (dry,oily,combo)
I have combination skin. My t-zone is extremely oily but my cheeks are getting more and more dry. I think I need to drink more water.

-What is your current facial wash?
I'm on a 'using it up' kick, so i'm using up all the half empty bottles up. At the moment i'm using Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing facial wash.

-Do you exfoliate?
Yes, I don't have a regular routine that I stick to. But every so often I will.

-What brand do you use?
I have loads that need using up. At the moment i'm using MAC's Volcanic Ash and a Clean & Clear one simultaneously.

-What moisturizer do you use?
At the moment i'm alternating between Lush Enzymion and a Neutrogena one I got on holiday in Atlanta. I don't think it's available in the UK.

-Do you have freckles?
No.

-Do you use eye cream?
Yes, but not regularly. I have a Garnier eye roll-on and a Prescriptives Vitamin C one on the go at the moment.

-Do you or did you have acne prone skin?
I've never had severe acne but I have frequent breakouts, especially on my chin area. Grrrrrrr!

-Did you ever have to use Pro-activ?
Yes I have tried it and liked it. I go back to this sometimes when i'm feeling particularly spotty!

MAKE-UP

-What foundation do you use?
I always have a few on the go but my favourite is MUFE HD foundation in No.115

-How about concealer?
My favourite concealer is a Prescriptives one that I can't get hold of anymore :( I have others on the go too. I like the MUFE Full Coverage concealer and the MAC Studio Finish.

-Do you know your undertone color?
Yes I have Pink undertones.

-What do you think of fake eyelashes?
I love them, they completely change a look. But i hardly ever wear them, one because I have very long thick natural lashes and two because they are such a faff to use. I always get glue all over the place.

-Did you know that you are supposed to change your mascara every 3 months?
Yes, but I just ignore that. I toss them when they start to dry up. I have had some mascaras for a year and (touch wood) i've never had a problem.

-What brand of mascara do you use?
I use loads of different mascaras, but my holy grail is Cover Girl Lash Blast. I adore it.

-Sephora or MAC?
I think this is a silly question. They are 2 completely different things. MAC is a brand and Sephora is a shop that sells lots of different kinds of brands. But if they were next door to each other, I would choose to go into Sephora everytime over MAC. Its like Toys R Us for makeup addicts.

-Do you have a MAC Pro-card?
Yes, I got it at imats.

-What makeup tools do you use in make up application?
Brushes, sponges and my fingers!

-Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes?
Absolutly, I couldn't live without Urban Decay Primer Potion! I also always use a MAC Paint Pot over my UDPP.

-For the face?
Yes, my favourite being Benefit's That Gal. I love how it makes my skin feel and also it smells amazing!

-What is your favorite eyeshadow (color or shade)?
I have too many to pick one, it would have to be a neutral brown.

-Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner?
Pencil. I only use liquid eyeshadow when i'm going for a dramatic look.

-How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil?
Never.

-What do you think of pigment eyeshadows?
I love them, unfortunately i'm always rushing to put my makeup on and pigments are just really unpractical when you're in a rush.

-Do you use mineral makeup?
Yes, occasionally.

-What is your favorite lipstick?
MAC's Lightly Ripe that came out with Cult of Cherry. I also love Benefit's Silky Finish in Swoonderful and Good To Go.

-How about lipgloss?
My favourite is probably MAC's Dazzleglass in Miss Fizz or Babysparks.

-What is your favorite blush to use?
Recently it has been my Nars Orgasm or Stila Convertible Colour in Lillium.

-Do you buy your makeup on ebay?
Never, there are way too many fakes out there.

-Do you like drugstore makeup?
Somethings, but mostly I prefer high end brands.

-Do you go to CCO's? (cosmetic company outlets)
I have to go to one when i'm on holiday in the States (I love the ones in Vegas and Primm) but i've never been to the UK ones.

-Did you ever consider taking make-up classes?
Yes, I have my eyes on a freelance course in London. But i've not taken the plunge to do it as yet.

-Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?
No, i've many years of practice.

-Name a makeup crime that you hate?
I have people who wear their lipstick outside of their natural lip line. It just looks awful, don't do it!

-Do you like colorful shades of makeup (lipstick,eyeshadow) or neutral ones?
I like both, I wear more neutral looks but I still love to wear bright colours too.

-Which celebrity always has great make up?
I love Hayden Panettiere's makeup, she always looks great.

-If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item,what would you use?
Mascara (and Eyeliner!)

-Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on?
Yes, I do it all the time.

-Do you think you look good even without any makeup on?
I don't think I look bad, but I always feel better when I have makeup on.

-In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line?
For overall quality I would have to say Make Up Forever, but MAC is a very close second.

-What do you think of Makeup?
I love makeup, its an obsessive hobby of mine. But it is not the be all and end all, its not to be taken so seriously. Its something fun that I like to play with. For me it is a form of art and a way to show my creativity.

Just as a little FYI moment, I have changed my username on Twitter. Incase you're wondering who is popping up in your feed, I am now CharlotteColes.

XOXO

Film Review: The Lovely Bones

2010-02-23T11:56:00.001Z

On Sunday night my friends and I went to see The Lovely Bones at our local cinema. I have bought the book but purposefully haven't read it because I wanted to see the film first. However, everyone I know who has read the book, says its one of the best books they have ever read. Needless to say I had high expectations for the film adaptation, especially since I found out that Peter Jackson (of Lord of The Rings fame) was directing it.

Without giving too much away about the plot, I can honestly say this is the worst film I've seen in a long time. Not quite as bad as the remake of Fame, but not too far off either. The story progressed so slowly, it just felt like the same scene was playing over and over again. The film was incredibly boring to watch and just too wishy-washy all the way through. It seemed like they wanted to drag out the ending so much, when in reality the film could have been an hour shorter. I definitly wasn't the only one to think this, the whole cinema had started chatting at least 20 minutes before the film ended. In summary, not one to watch again and I definitly wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

Charlotte's Review Rating: 2/5

A Change Has Come This Way....

2010-02-23T10:16:00.002Z

As you may have noticed there have been some changes on my blog, including the name! I felt that having such a specific title was misleading you. I don't want to only write about makeup and I felt that writing about books, films, etc.... had absolutly nothing to do with makeup. Ergo, I've put a new face on for the world. I have changed the URL which may cause problems but will hopefully sort itself out in the end. Thanks for sticking with me this far!

My Top 5 Drugstore Products - Beauty

2010-02-14T16:22:00.009Z

Hey guys, so I have to admit I am a little bit of a product snob. I go for the high end brands over the drugstore alternatives 90% of the time. But, having said that I do have some products from the drugstore that I buy over and over.

No.1 - Palmers Cocoa Butter

This is a must have for me, I'm never without this. Its my staple body lotion, I love how this makes my skin feel, very moisturised and soft. Its not too thick, it doesn't leave me greasy and I love the smell! Above all, its a bargain at only £3.49 compared to my Lush Vanilla Dee-Lite at £10.75.

No.2 - Neutrogena Triple Action Cleansing Lotion

This lotion is not for the feint hearted, if you have sensitive skin, I definitely don't recommend using this. But if like me, you can use pretty much anything on your skin, then you may like it. I don't use this everyday, but whenever I'm feeling particulary spotty and greasy, this product comes to my rescue. You just put a little of the lotion on a cotton wool pad and sweep all over the face. One quick sweep of this and I instantly feel refreshed and clean! Priced at around £3.99.

No.3 - Tresemme Deep Conditioning Treatment

This hair treatment is honestly the best i've ever used. I have really thick, very curly and very frizzy hair. It gets extremely dry and needs a lot of moisture being put into it. This product is the best thing i've found to do this. I use after shampooing instead of a normal conditioner, leaving it on for about 10 minutes before rinsing it out. It leaves my hair feeling extremely soft and conditioned. I try to use it at least twice a week to keep my curls in the best condition possible. The best part for me is the price, £5.39 for a massive tub. One lasts me a very long time. If you haven't tried this yet, you really are missing out.

No.4 - Imperial Leather Foamburst Shower Gel

I got one of these for christmas in my stocking off my mom and dad and as an avid fan of Lush and Philosophy shower gels, I didn't have many expectations for this product. However, once I tried it, I loved it. I put just a little squirt on a shower puff which gives you an incredible lather and is enough to wash your whole body. It doesn't leave your skin dry like I thought it would and they had a ton of scents to choose from. They even do a little mini one for traveling. These go for around £2.50 for a 200ml size.

No.5 - Blistex Intensive Moisturiser

I have a review of this product coming up soon and having only bought this recently, its a relatively new product in my favourites. In this cold weather my lips have been so sore and chapped, and this has the been the only thing to soothe them. I got mine for £1.49 from my local Bodycare, the best thing I have ever bought for my lips.

What are your drugstore favourites?? Is there anything i'm missing out on?? Let me know in the comments

FOTD: 06.02.10

2010-02-12T10:18:00.002Z

This Saturday I went to my friend Michelle's Cocktails and Cupcakes party, I had such a good time. I was indeed very drunk, which led to my lack of blogging on Sunday. A day I had planned as a blogging day. But this weekend I will persevere, I have a ton of ideas, so keep tuned!

Anyways, here is my makeup for the party, I decided a smokey look was in order as I was wearing a black dress.

Products Used:

Face

MUFE HD Foundation - No.115

MAC MSF Natural - Medium

MAC Studio Finish Concealer - NW15

Prescriptives Pressed Leaves Blush

Eyes

Urban Decay Primer Potion

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil - Pots & Pans

Mac Eyeshadow - Phloof!, Silverthorn, Smoke & Diomonds, Apres-Ski & Mont Black

MUFE Aqua Eyes Eyeliner - Black

Covergirl Lash Blast Length Mascara

Elizabeth Arden Brow Powder - Brown

Lips

MAC Cremestick Liner - Gingeroot

MAC Lipstick - Creme d'Nude

NOTD: China Glaze

2010-02-05T13:01:00.002Z

Today I am wearing my new blue top, which put me in the mood for blue nails. So out comes my China Glaze Sky High-Top. Its a gorgeous medium toned blue, perfect for summer nails. Even though it is still winter, the sun is shining and i'm in a good mood! Enough of the dull and dreary, its time to pull out your brights!

XOXO

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A Little Bit of A Mid-Week Pamper

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Sunday Summary

Get Your Woks On : Prawn Teriyaki Recipe

Sunday Summary... Albeit A Bit Late...

Happy 1st February

My 15 Answers

Jumping back on the train...

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Sunday Summary

I Found A Routine Finally

One To Watch This Week

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I Wish I Was A Gilmore

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Easy Homemade Pizza Recipe

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Jealousy & Haters in the Online Beauty Community

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Change Is A Good Thing

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Raindrops on Roses & Whiskers on Kittens

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Bronze Smokey Eye Tutorial - Inspired by Kim Kardashian

NOTD: Zoya's Audrina

In and Out - No.2

Update! Update! Update!

Candles By Victoria - Haul & Review

My Makeup Collection/Organisation

Ice Hotel 2010 - Jukkasjarvi

TAG: 40 Questions

Film Review: The Lovely Bones

A Change Has Come This Way....

My Top 5 Drugstore Products - Beauty

FOTD: 06.02.10

NOTD: China Glaze

My Top 10 cough 20 cough Books