Earth to Zoella?

Howdy Ho (ho ho ho). My, it has been a while. Probabaly a month or so has it not? *slaps wrist*
So where have I been and what on earth has been going on in my not-so-exciting life these last few weeks?

Well, let's break it down into bulletpoint form so it's easier on the eye ;)

• I got ill. Twice. I had the horrible Fluey/cold/virus thing for a while, it managed to subside...and then it came back worse & fighting. I have literally only just started tasting my food again and being able to breathe through both my nostrils.
  
• I have been working a lot more. Retail + Christmas = more shifts & any time i wasn't working, i was buying christmas presents, shivering under my duvet or seeing my boyfriend.
  
• I have been buying presents, thus not having as much money to spend on myself and nice things to blog about. Ho hum.
• I restored my laptop to it's new born setting & then I no longer had any editing software...
• After restoring my laptop, it decided to play havoc...it would freeze every 20 minutes, and the only solution was to reboot...every. 20. minutes. It drove me insane, and made trying to write a blogpost absolutely impossible.
• I then got a virus. Yes...the dreaded "Antivirus" virus. I could do NOTHING on my laptop. I tried literally everything & because it was a mutant virus, it wouldnt let me open anything. I eventually managed to sort it out, so feel free to email me if you get the same problem and i will try to help you haha.

So there we have it, my list of what could be described as excuses for not blogging. But fear not, now that i have my laptop back in working order after weeks of it playing up & i am no longer a shivering mess, i can finally get on the interwebz and edit photos and be around a lot more, and also, i have been snowed in today so I am writing this from the comfort of my room whilst the snow pelts down outside. I don't want to say too much about the snow, it's a very controversial subject (especially on BBC Radio 2 if any of you have been listening to that today? Not my usual choice of radio station but I had no say in the matter - It involved Lorry drivers shouting at screaming car-driving mums...) although, i will say, that it's the perfect setting for Christmas, as much of a pain it is to drive in (I have been slipping about all the place), I do love snow. Makes everything look so clean and pretty and Christmassy.

More blog posts to come my pretties.
Pinky Promise.
♥

Crown and Glory

Crown & Glory is a gorgeous website full of crafty, handmade hair accessories. If, like me, you feel a bit naked without something pretty in your hair, I would seriously urge you to take a look at all the amazing pieces that the lovely Sophie has designed and created.

She very kindly sent me a headband covered in flowers, leaves and a sprinkling of glitter. Basically everything i love to pop in my hair. It's called "The Josephene headband". All flowers are handpainted & made of silk & it's only £10! A bargain if you ask me, especially when so much effort has been put into it.
A lot of you always ask me about my daisy headband, and the truth is i made that, so i can't tell you where to get one. But if you want to add a floral, feminine touch to your barnet, take a look at all the things Sophie has to offer. It's not just flowers either.

Sorry for the crappy webcam quality. I was ill, and so these are about as detailed as you are allowed.

If you want to buy anything from Crown and Glory, you can get a discount of 15% off until November 30th by entering "ZOELLA" at checkout.

Click here for Crown and Glory Website

Click here for Crown and Glory Twitter

FYF Cosmetics

I was recently sent a few items from FYF Cosmetics to try out and review for you all. I had heard good things about this makeup brand, and had seen a few reviews myself and thought the quality looked really good, so obviously when i was given the oppertunity to try them, i definitely took up the offer.

Before the reviews, I hadn't ever heard of FYF Cosmetics. FYF stands for "Flawless You Forever", which i think is a cute little name for a makeup company.

The first thing i was given to try out was the nail polish in "Tokyo". I'm not normally a fan of very light, thin colours. I used to wear them all the time through school, and over a french manicure they look very pretty but this polish may have reignited my love. It retails for £6/$9 which i think is a good price. Quick drying, easy application. Thumbs up!

Second thing I tried out, which i was the most excited about, was the mineral lipstick. The colour i recieved was "Natalie", being quite pale, i'd say it's probabaly a little darker than a lipstick i'd normally wear. More like a "my lips but better" shade. Which is nice for a really natural look. I have been wearing this lipstick a lot, especially with a pale lipgloss on top. The formulation is very creamy, I'd say it's comparable to a Mac Creamsheen finish. It's also very pigmented, and it glides on effortlessly & stays very well. I'd love to look into a few more shades. I think the darker colours would be amazing! The lipstick retails for £12/$18, which i do think is a teeny bit steep, but there is no doubt that the quality is there.

There are definitely some other things i'd love to try from the FYF range, the quality is clearly of a very high standard. The packaging is pretty simple, but you do get that nice heavy feeling from the lipstick. One thing i'm not a huge fan of, is the website. Obviously when buying from the company, the first place you're going to go is the website to browse through the items. It's easy to manoeuvre around, but some of the pictures and banners are pixelated and for some reason this really bugged me. For such great quality products, you would hope this would reflect on the website too.
If you are looking into finding new products from a new brand, i would definitely reccommend having a look at FYF products, the lipsticks in particular are really lovely. You can buy it here:

www.flawlessyouforever.com

♥
These products were sent to me for review purposes. I was not compensated, nor do i have any affilation with the brand itself. These thoughts are my own & I will always be honest.

Agony Aunt?

If you're anything like me, sometimes you just want to get stuff off your chest, to someone who won't judge you and will just listen & help in any way they can.
I have always loved helping other people with their problems, be it big or small. I was the one people would come to for a chat, for help or for a shoulder to cry on. My mums best friend is a doctor of psychology and she says that i should be in that field of work, as much as i'd love to, i'm definitely not clever enough. Writing essays was never my forte. However, I have the gift of listening & truely caring about how other people feel and doing the best i can to help in anyway i can. I've always been this way. My mum says i'm too empathetic for my own good.

So i guess the purpose of this post, is just to say that if any of you ever wanted to have a rant, have a moan, get some advice, anything..please feel free to email me. I have had people emailing me with problems before, and i've always wanted to help in some way. I'm no expert, i know that, but even if i just manage a smile out of you, or just listen, then that's something. Making other people happy, makes me happy. Obviously I'm not here to judge anyone, and i definitely won't. Anything you ever email me will be completely confidential & even if i don't know much about the subject in which you want to talk about, i will always try. I cant say i'm extremely wise when it comes to things like relationships, friendships, money, lifestyle etc etc but hey, im here if you wanna chat!

My email is in the sidebar to the left should you ever want to use it :)

Images courtesy of weheartit.com

EDIT: I receive an enourmous amount of emails, and since this post, have had an overwhelming response. I will try my hardest to get back to you when I can, if I can. Thanks Lovelies.

Scrabble anyone?

I love playing Scrabble, it's what i call a good "brain game". Although, gone are the days when you'd sit around with friends/family on a regular basis playing old school board games...it's more "drinking games". This doesn't mean you can't wear scrabble though ;)
I've seen scrabble jewellery popping up recently, rings, bracelets, necklaces etc..and i definitely knew i had to have something of the scrabble variety, as i actually don't own any personalised jewellery.
When reading Victoria's blog VIPXO, i noticed that she had decided to start making and selling her very own personalised scrabble jewellery. BRILLIANT! I love it. It looks good worn alone and amongst other bracelets.

If you fancy your very own personalised scrabble jewellery, email her at vipxoblog@gmail.com
Bracelets range from £4.50-£8.50 depending on the length of your name/what you'd like on it.
Rings are £4 (she's still waiting on the bits to make the rings, so you will have to wait a wee while before you can grab one of those..I am definitely going to get one)
P&P is free :)

♥

Someday Summary - Sunday

That title is quite the mouthful. I dare you to try and say it 10 times over without slipping up...let me know if you did it ;)

The photoframe above is a picture of me and my dad when i was about 3. On a beach in Cornwall. I love it. I look so crazed.

I'm sorry these posts are quite frequent. I actually really enjoy writing them because they fullfill my desire to blog without me sitting here slaving away over a long, photo galore blog post. Although some days, i do love to do that for you, so I won't neglect them don't fret.

♥ Today has been pretty poop. I feel tired, frustrated & very unappreciated by people closest to me. I'm one of those people that tries to sprinkle everything rubbish with a bit of positivity, but today I am running low on the tinkerbell dust & quite frankly, I could do with a cuddle.
♥ I am loving that winter is creeping up. I am the biggest fan of hot chocolate, and finally, I can start cracking open the cadburys hot choccy, marshmallows and whipped cream. It also means cosy nights under blankets and in your comfiest jimjams & candles everywhere. It also means Christmas is not far away!
♥ Chocolate Teacakes - 89p from Lidl. Sunday life saver ;)
♥ Anybody watch Piers Morgans Life Stories with Cheryl Cole last night? I know a lot of people have a lot of love for Cheryl, me being one of them. After watching the programme i definitely just ended up loving her more. It's so easy for people to judge her and they seem to forget she's only human like the rest of us, dealing with normal shit but under a magnifying glass. I must admit, i shed a few tears. It was very touching & definitely had me wandering why the people you love can so easily hurt and betray you. It also left me wandering if Ashley Cole was sobbing into a box of Kleenex on his own feeling like the biggest idiot in the world.
♥ Currently reading Hot Tramp I Love You So & Strikers & Spikers

Show Orchid

Last night I went out with my girlies. In all honesty, I didn't leave much time to spruce myself up. I had no time to wash my hair so sat and thought what the heck i could do with it in it's current (not so fresh) state. I went for a somewhat Pixie Lott/Cheryl Cole do; Backcombing it and simply putting it up in a pony tail with a center parting. Very quick and very easy!

It was the Cheryl Cole hair inspiration which brought me onto the makeup. Cheryl is known for her bright pink lip, and as i own the Mac Lipstick Show Orchid (which I haven't shown some love for in a while) I decided to opt for that. Obviously having a bright lip means dulling down on the eye makeup, so i kept that fairly neutral.

Face:
♥ Mac Studio Fix Fluid & Mac Strobe Liquid mixed together (essential for a glow in the winter)
♥ Mac Moisture Cover concealer
♥ Benefit Erase Paste in no 1 under eyes/inner corners
♥ Bare Escentuals Foundation in Medium Beige lightly dusted to set
♥ Mac MSF in So Ceylon on cheeks/cheek bones
Eyes
♥ Mac E/S in Nano Gold all over lid
♥ Mac E/S in Espresso in crease
♥ L'oreal Superliner in Carbon Gloss
♥ Maybelline False Lash Effect Mascara
Lips
♥ Mac Show Orchid Lipstick (pro product)

And here are a few poopy webcam shots so you can see my hair a bit better! :)

♥

Someday Summary - Thursday

♥ I've started backcombing my hair again. I went through a stage recently where I haven't felt the urge to grab my little brush and backcomb the life out of my roots (plus, it's pretty bad for the hair so you shouldn't do it too often anyway, and if you do, use more hairspray than backcombing-ness) I think it could have been down to the fact someone stole my backcomb brush (or more likely that I lost it) so i have to use a small barrell brush which isn't as effective but it'll do :) Above are the three stages of me doing my hair. Freshly washed (although backcombing works best when hair is unwashed), backcombed and sprayed, then smoothed down, and finally curled with my straightener for added oomph.
♥ Spent the night in London seeing the boy, he slipped me a little envelope with some post it notes in it that he had written at work. I definitely looked a fool wiping happy tears from my face on the train home. They were adorable. I love little gestures like that, they're my favourite. Big smiles.
♥ I've done so much walking today. I pretty much ran 10 minutes to the shop near the boy's flat to buy food supplies, then ran back again (I was running late and was supposed to be meeting him on his lunch break) then i ran to the tube station...only to find the Jubilee line was shut right where i needed to go..so after 3 line changes I finally managed to get to Bond Street, where i then ran to meet Wilf. We had a rushed 20 minutes then i had to run off to Paddington to get my train home, which again, was a longer way round as the blummin' jubilee line was shut. Ran to my train only to realise once i was sat down...I still had Wilf's flat key. So, once i'd arrived at my home destination, i ran across town to the Post Office (Thinking it would shut soon as i needed to send Wilf the key) and then i realised it shut an hour later. Bought me some dinner in Iceland & my Grandad offered to drive me home from town, so i then walked 15 minutes, up hills...to my Grandads. I've literally only just sat down. I have figured though, that's it's all good for the junk in my trunk (yes, i may be small, but my bum still wobbles haha)
♥ Loving black nailpolish at the moment.
♥ Currently reading Fade To Black & The Gloss Goss

Paypal FRAUD

I never thought i'd have to write a blogpost like this, and this is where blogging turns sour.
Someone has set up a paypal account under the name zo-zo-@live.com. This is not me.
If you have been recieveing invoices from this email recently...please DO NOT respond, or pay. Simply report them.

Isn't is sad that somebody has gone to all the trouble of setting up a paypal account, attaching their bank details in order to try and get money from those of you who have genuinly bought something from me, to which the money is in fact owed to me.

If any of you have bought from me in the past, or recently and have had a paypal email from this account, please email me and let me know. Im currently trying to get hold of Paypal to get this person reported.

It honestly makes me sick.

Only ever pay ANY invoice from ZO-ZO-@HOTMAIL.CO.UK - This is my genuine paypal.

If you could spread this post by RT'ing in twitter, or just letting people know i would really appreciate it. Currently tearing my hair out. :)

Someday Summary - Friday

♥ Found these photo's of me being a total poser with some geek glasses a while back. when i was waiting for the boy to come round. I quite liked my long fringe, it's sort of making me want it back, and i almost trimmed my fringe today too. Thnk i'll leave it.
♥ Had a proper sing song to Ellie Goulding's album today. Probabaly one of my favourites of 2010. I don't think i will ever get bored of it. Although i would like her to release another one to fullfill my Ellie Goulding needs. Thanks Ellie...if you're reading.
♥ Aside from singing along to Ellie Goulding i have been in such a rubbish mood. Totally uninspired, drained, unmotivated and generally just down in the dumps. Hate days when i feel like this, they drag.
♥ Went and bought ingredients to make a banana & milk and white chocolate cake. I think i'm addicted to it..when it comes out of the oven and it's still warm and the chocolate is all melted (i'm quite literally drooling right now)
♥ I have been having REALLY vivid dreams recently and a very disturbed sleeping pattern. In fact some of my dreams have involved some other beauty bloggers (ooer) haha. I hate vivid dreams, they really freak me out and i wake up wandering if it really happened or not. Although i did find these sleeping facts very interesting...


♥ Currrently reading Victoria & Milkteef

♥

Eyeko Favourites

I was introduced to Eyeko a long time ago, when it was still stocked in Superdrug and since then i have been a fan of many of their products. It's affordable and the packaging is cute. I was invited to the Eyeko event a few weeks ago for a chance to see any new products they will be bringing out and to mingle with the other Eyeko fans. Unfortunately i didn't stay long as i was ill so i dont have much to report back but what i can tell you, is which eyeko products i love and would highly reccommend.

The first is the nail polish. Once stocked in teeny little jars with screw tops (these were cute) but now more conventionally packaged in small sleek bottles with white lids. I have a good sized collection of these, all of which i love and use. I like that they each have their individual, cute lables and there is quite literally a colour for everybody. These are available to buy online for £3.50 (total bargain)

Punk Polish, Tea Rose Polish, Nude Polish

Vampire Polish, Military Polish, Posh Polish

Coral Polish, Saucy Polish, Chi Chi Polish

Rain Polish, Pastel Polish, Lilac Polish

The next thing i absolutely love, is Eyeko's Graffiti Eyeliner. If you struggle to use liquid liner but still want the perfect glossy line, you need these in you life. You can draw lines in varied thickness and it's so simple. Even if you've never ventured into the world of liquid liner, i would definitely start out with these. If i'm in a rush this is one of the things i grab to draw a quick no fuss line..and also very easy to do the classic winged eyeliner. These are priced at £5 each and come in Black, Brown, Navy and Purple.

Last but by no means least, is this "Magic Mascara". I got this in my Eyeko goody bag and have used it everyday since. I absolutely love it. The first thing i love about it, is the packaging. The prettiest mascara i have ever had in my collection. I could just leave it out to look all pretty on my dressing table and still feel satisfied with it. It also feels expensive & has that nice weighty feeling (which i like). Aside from it's good looks, this mascara certainly doesn't fail in giving you "Magic" Lashes. It seperates beyond belief, really making my lashes look full and defined and naturally very fluttery. No clumping either! Even after 2 coats. The brush is what i like to call my perfect brush. Big, bushy and not made of plastic. I love love love it. Lashes look naturally gorgeous and have had many people asking me what mascara im wearing. This is £8 on the website.

If any of you fancy ordering from Eyeko, I am an ambassador so you can enter my code E11310 at the checkout and you will recieve a free gift with your purchases. I would strongly urge you to go and check out some of the products, especially those i have mentioned and they ship internationally :)

Click here to go to the Eyeko website

♥

Someday Summary - Monday

I've seen a lot of people doing Monday Summary's (Or those of you who do a different day of the week summary) and i thought since I had a somewhat strange day and possibly have a bit more to say than normal, i would do one. I don't know if it will be a regular thing, but let me know if you think it should be. I will call it "Someday Summary" as it will never be one specific day :)

♥ I am wearing this Primark Bow, bought for £1 and i have had so many compliments on it. It cheered me up.
♥ My boyfriend made me smile a lot today
♥ I've been drinking too much Raspberry Ribena..it is by far the best drink ever.
♥ An Indian man randomly came into the shop today & started telling me about my life. He talked about my past relationship and my new one and what i had in store for the future. Then he just left. He was weirdly accurate. It freaked me out a bit, but even if this man was speaking gobbledygook, it put me in a somewhat positive mood.
♥ Currently reading LLYMLRS and Anchors Ahoy
♥ Burning candles now that it's getting more wintery & I'm loving it. I am a huge candle fan. My room is filled with them, so finally i can dust them off and BURN BABY BURN.

♥

Guide to Shopping In Primark

I know that a lot of people refuse to enter Primark. Maybe it's just that you don't ever like anything they have for sale, you don't believe in the ethics or you dont have one near you, but i've come to realise the main reason, is people just don't have the patience. Shopping is supposed to be an enjoyable experience, i certainly do it to unwind, de stress, a bit of retail therapy and a lot of shops offer this. Primark however, is mostly always CHAOS. Clothes on the floor in piles, shoes scattered everywhere, people packed in like sardines and sweating like fat men. It's mostly always a very unenjoyable experience, you go in, you grab, you scuttle, you fight, you queue for 20 minutes then you run outside for a breath of fresh air.

This was until me & mum were up early one weekend, and decided to go to Primark, only to discover how to make shopping in there enjoyable. So here is my run down of the things which equate to you having a somewhat more pleasant experience in the shop.

1. Find a Primark near you which is of a relatively good size.
There is a Primark closer to me than the one i visit, but in the nicest of terms...it's absolute crud. So me and mum actually drive 30 minutes down the motorway to a flagship store in Bristol (4 storeys high). You arent going to have as much fun if you aren't spoilt for choice. We only visit once a month, as it's obviously not the most convienient to get to. I find that if you go to Primark too much, it becomes boring. You want to be able to go and see completely different stock to the time before.

2. Get there early!
Oh, trust me, i know it's hard to get out of bed at 7am on a weekend, but it is totally worth it, and you are home by midday so can have a little snooze. The Primark in Bristol opens at 8.30 on a Saturday. So we were in the car by 7.55 and on our way. The Motorway was empty, the carpark was empty (we always get the perfect spot) and there was just nobody around. The thing i like most about going early, is that everything is perfectly in it's place, and new stock is normally out. The hangers all have the correct sized clothing on it (a primark faux pas) and its even in order of smallest to largest front to back. There is no mess. You also know what getting there early means, most importantly, there is hardly anyone there. Not everybody is crazy enough to be up so early on their weekend. In fact this morning, i think it was only me, my mum and about 2 other women. Perfect.

3. Don't use your "Primark Head".

Now, the "Primark Head" is what i call grabbing things and throwing them in your basket because "EVERYTHING IS JUST SO CHEAP". Since you pretty much have open reign of the shop, chill the hell out. Think about things a bit more, Will you wear it? What will it go with? Do you really need it?

4. Try things on.

I never used to try things on in Primark. The queues were always too long, there were too many people, it was too hot and i just could not be bothered. When in a pretty much empty shop, there is not so much pressure to leave and no queues. I really do like to try on most of the items i have aquired in my basket, and normally, to my surprise, sometimes they don't fit right (the size 8's have increased slightly) or they might look pants, so i can put them back knowing i made the right decision trying it on before buying it. It's also a good oppertunity for you to envisage what you might pair it with. Obviously if you live near a Primark, you can skip this and just return everything if that suits you more.

The good - Hareem Print Trousers - £11, Black slinky jumpsuit - £15 (I absolutely love this), Jumper - £9

The Bad - Both dresses were too big for me. Purple - £15, Navy Blue - £13

5. Check the quality and the Sizing.

The quality in Primark really differs, there could be a lovely batch of dresses, but some could have wonky buttons and loose threads, and others might be okay. Make sure you have the best one available. The sizing is also a funny one, some fit bigger than they should, and others tighter. Again, another good reason for trying things on.

6. Leave Relaxed & Go For Breakfast

After you have found what you want, paid (in the non queues), and left. You will find that it is just starting to get busy. (We left around 10.30/11am) and you can either jump back in your car and go home. Or, go have yourself a delicious breakfast like we did.

Then go home for a snooze and put away all your new bits and pieces... :)

♥

One of the best things about blogging..

I have been a "blogger" now for over a year. Oh my how time flies! And i often get people asking me what the best things about blogging are...

• A place to write whatever it is you feel like writing
• Somewhere to unwind
• A source for others & a way of helping those who may wish it
• Events
• Freebies
• Oppertunities

There are plenty of reasons why people may love blogging, but for me, one of the biggest and best things to come from blogging, is meeting some seriously amazing people. I wanted to do this blogpost to let some of you know how much i value you, as an online blogger, and as a real life friend. There are so many of you who i talk to on a regular basis, and i love every single one of you that takes the time to comment and tweet me, and who are just generally amazing. But i just wanted to mention a handful of girls who I would now consider true friends (Have you vommited yet?) ;)

No particular order (I love you all equal amounts)

From top left: Kelly, Gemma, Nicola, Laura & Jamie, Louise, Lydia & Jennifer

Kelly
I'm sure you all know Kelly! Ive been speaking to her for probabaly around a year now, and she never fails to make me laugh or cheer me up. Recently, at an event, I had a horrible panic attack, and Kelly sat out on a wet pavement, in the rain with me, wiping my tears and distracting me as best she could. You know someone is a friend when they are prepared to do that! She's genuine, has extremely good morals and doesn't have a bad bone in her body, as well as being absolutely hilarious and extremely Northern ;) I just wish she lived closer so we could see eachother more.

Gemma
Ohh, Gemsmaquillage! Another one who i've been Skyping and chatting on the phone with for over a year. Also absolutely hilarious and extremely caring. When having my panic attack, Gemma danced like Sontard and called my boyfriend, leaving him secretarial voicemails telling him to come a get me. ;) We share many funny memories and stories and Gemma also never fails to cheer me up or give me words of wisdom. She will always put others before herself and is just genuinly brilliant.

Nicola
I like to refer to Nicola as "Tits" or "Bewbs" for very obvious reasons. Again, Nicola sat with me on a tiny little wet pavement for hours, her dress was soaked, her shoes were ruined but she stayed with me and held my hand when i was all panicked. Nicola is one of those people who you know will always be there for you. If you text her in the middle of the night, she'll text you back, regardless of whatever she may be up to ;) (i joke, she's never text me during naughties...i dont think) She's like my big sister & i go to her for advice, or just for general banter. Hilarious, Caring beyond belief and her boobs are ever so comfy if you ever need to rest your weary head!

Laura
Laura has been a little absent from the interwebz recently as she has just given birth (so i think we'll let her off), but i miss her an awful lot and could not be more pleased for her new little fam! Laura is also one of the nicest people you will ever have the pleasure of meeting. She too has been there for me through tough times and good times for well over a year now. She will make an amazing mummy as she is just so damn caring and selfless and has such a positive attitude to everything which rubs off on me, so thankyou Laura :)

Louise
Louise is a new addition to my friendlings, i say new but i feel like i've known her for years. She's listened to me rambling, moaning and worrying and really knows how to cheer me up. She is one of those people that makes you smile, regardless of whether you have had the shittest day in history. She also makes me laugh, a lorra lot. I feel like she should have her own tv programme, of which it would certainly brighten everyones day. She is one of the most genuinly lovely people i've ever met! I feel like she's my brother from another mother. (although not male)

Lydia
I met Lydia last year at the Barry M event, and since then she has had a seriously tough time, but this does not mean for once second she would ever put herself or her problems before your own. She is SO caring and considerate & she too sat with me outside in the rain, getting wet when i was being all panicky and ill. She refused to leave me by myself and was the mother theresa of the evening. She doesnt have a bad bone in her whole body!

Jennifer
Jen has also had a pretty poop time recently but she has definetly been there for me regardless. Long texts and super long emails have been shared ;) Another with good morals and a kind heart & is always there when you need a chat!

Of course there are others of you whom i also consider to be my chums, but i felt like these guys deserved a thankyou as the majority of them sat with me in the rain, and missed most of the event because of me and my silly panic attack, and it really made me appreciate them a million times over. I also think they've taken the brunt of many of my down days and sadness, and i know that every one of them, would listen and care. So thankyou girlies, i am ever so grateful to have met you all!

Well, now that that sop-fest is over with, tell me about the people you have met through blogging?

♥

Those Damn Nuns, Food For Thought?

This post is somewhat out of the ordinary. But as my blog subtitle suggests, i may sometimes just want to express my thoughts or opinions, and i hope that some of you get involved and join in with me :)

Images courtesy of weheartit.com

Whilst having a lovely chat with my newest friend Louise, we got onto the subject of food & what we like to eat. I would like to state here, that this post is NOT about eating disorders or other such controversial matters. It's just infact about food. The one thing we all do is eat. Some are healthy, some not so & some a lot more adventurous than others. Which brings me on to say...

I wish i was more experimental when it came to eating food.

I'm definitely one of those people that sticks to what they know when it comes to eating. I wouldn't even say i have a very healthy diet...I eat take aways, pizza's, burgers, chocolate, crisps. My boyfriend says i eat like a 10 year old at a party. Don't start kicking up a fuss though, i do eat fruit and vegtables too, and i also like to drink lots of water, but i really do wish i liked more food.
I think the problem started when i was around 7-10, the age where i started going to my friends houses for dinner, and having to sit round the table with a family i wasnt overly familiar with, eating food i cant say i'd ever had before, and occasionally being forced to eat whatever it was they had given me.
Two examples i can give you, is one where i went to a primary school friends house for the first time, i was a relatively shy child, and this particular girl was half Indian. Her family were lovely, and so was her home, but the food which was placed in front of me was not something i was used to or had ever eaten, and i didnt like it. I was too shy to say so, and they wanted me to finish everything on my plate. Very uncomfortable situation for a young child i think you'd agree. The second scenario was when i was literally FORCE FED the white of a boiled egg by a friend's granny. I was simply full and didn't want it, why force it on me? I remember thinking this old lady was the devil and i cried and never wanted to go back.
I was always brought up to eat whatever i could manage and leave the rest, but it was only when i started eating elsewhere i noticed others had not been brought up the same way. That aside, i don't agree with force feeding someone else's child...mean old lady.

After these events it did take me a while to get back the confidence in going to a friends house for dinner. It really had terrified me, I'd always refuse to go, or say i was going home for dinner.
When i was around 10 years old, i attended Brownie Camp (a girl's club if you like, for those that don't know) It was in a Nunery, a long way from home. It was supposed to be an adventure, and a good experience, mingling with all the other Brownies from around the County. But actually, it completey destroyed my confidence. There i was, a shy 10 year old, lining up in the dinner que, with only 2 options to choose from. I didnt like either, i was 10, i liked chips and pizza. like all the other 10 year olds. This was a nunery, of course they werent going to serve that. I didn't even understand what the options were they were so far from what i knew. I picked one, thinking i could try it, and as there was nothing else, i didnt want to go hungry. Sat down, tucked in, only to realise what i was eating was not to my taste at all. I put my knife and fork together and waited for others to finish. One of the nuns then informed me i was not to leave the table until i'd finished. Excuse me? Everyone else started leaving the dinner hall as they were done..and i was stil sat there, nervously biting my nails wandering what on earth to do. In the end i just sat and cried, asking to leave. Obviously the Nun then let me go, but why let a child get like that. Forcing someone to eat, does not make them want to eat it.

I have since seen similar situations on Supernanny (haha) where parents start shouting at their children that they cannot leave until they have eaten all their food. I can see that this may be disiplinary & you just want your child to eat, but it can form a fear of food or eating.
Thankfully, i am not scared to eat food...that would be a whole other issue (of which im sure some of you may have experienced/are experiencing) but i do think those factors have equated in me being a lot less adventurous with food. I just stick to what i know and love. I've definitely got better over the years but feel bad when my friends ask me to go out to fancy restaurants when i might not even like what's on the menu (wagamumas for example...i dont like noodles) or when my boyfriend asks if we can go for a curry (not the biggest fan) and dont even get me started on fish (Sorry Harry Ramsdens ;)) I would also like to point out, the reason i'm petite is not because i refuse to finish all my meals, i eat well thankyou, and i do finish every, if not almost all of my meals (and normal sized portions), however i have an extremely high metabolism. (Wanted to clear that up for any of you that now think i may have an eating disorder. I do not.)

So i guess this topic brings me on to ask, Are you adventurous with food, or are you like me and only stick to what you know and love and feel comfortable eating? Or, have you had to train your tastebuds in order to eat a much a larger variety of foods, and if you have, how?
Thoughts?

♥

If you like it then you should have put a ring on it

Old Gold Woodland Creature Rings set of 4 - £5.99 from H&M
Bee - £1.50 from Primark
Silver Bird - £1.50 from Primark
Double Finger Love Ring - £1.50 from Primark

D.I.Y Ombre Hair.

Unless you've been living under a rock throughout summer (which seems to have swiftly departed) then you will know that "Ombre" hair has been a very "in" style. In very basic terms, it's a look of which it appears your hair has been sunkissed (depending on the strength of the colour) at the ends of your hair. Or that you're hair has grown out, leaving you with darker roots and lighter tips. It appears that the popular choice of colouring is brown to blonde/caramel, although i have seen people doing ombre with many different colours.

All images taken from Google. How hot does Drew Barrymore look right now?

A few months ago, i became very bored of my current hairstyle. I know a lot of you are always bigging up my long, brunette locks, but when you've had the same style for years, it does become a little mundane. I wanted something different, but i didnt know what. For a while i though of chopping it all off Frankie Sandford style, then i decided i would almost definitely miss my long hair. Then i thought of going all over caramel but i wasnt sure if i would suit it. It was then that i discovered "Ombre". I had saved various different images of celebrities sporting the ombre hairdo, in the hope that maybe, if i was feeling brave enough, i could take along a few photos to the hairdresser (who i was assuming would charge a stupid amount of moolah to essentially put some bleach and tin foil at the ends of my hair) After stumbling upon Lily's Blog LLYMLRS (which is amazing so go follow her) and finding her post on "How to DIY Ombre", i thought "This actually doesn't look all that difficult".

I pondered on the idea for a few weeks, went out and bought the dye & kept it until i felt brave enough. Saturday night, i thought "eck, why not", so i mixed the dye and tried out a strand test to see what the colour would be like after 25 minutes. If it was too blonde, it wouldnt have mattered as it was only one piece of hair. After 25 minutes, the colour wasnt really all that different. So, i knew it had to be on for longer.

L'oreal Perfect Blonde Highlighting Kit - £5.99 & HELLO BOOBIES.

I applied the dye all over the ends of my hair, making sure i really covered it all. I also put some on the ends of the hair that was closer to my face, as i wanted it to blend and feather a little more. I left that, for approximately 30 minutes. As there was a lot more dye, i think it worked a little quicker than the strand test. After this time, I washed and dried my hair, only to decide it wasn't quite as blonde as i'd hoped. It was more a dull gingery strawberry blonde, and i wanted a little more depth. So i then applied a bit more bleach but this time only to the very ends of my hair, i then put tin foil around it. I did this as i was getting ready to go out, and i didnt want bleach flicking everywhere, although i really think it helped the bleaching process along. I left this for another 20 minutes.



And this is the result. I do like it, considering i did it myself, it could have been a lot worse. I'm not planning on keeping it forever, it definitely fullfilled my longing to change my hair & i think it actually looks really nice. I have noticed it has dried out the ends of my hair pretty badly, which were already very dry anyway, unless it's just making it stand out more haha. Over all though, thumbs up for a bit of Ombre hair.

Pretty sure my friend won't be too impressed i used this picture, sorry darling! :)♥