On my insomniac mind....

I have insomnia. Again. Currently thinking about:

1) My "Christmas Present Ideas" list which then migrates into:

2) "Christmas Presents - DONE" list (yes, it exists - get me!)

3) "Christmas Presents - TO BUY" list

4) "Christmas Card List" ... which is currently a blank page...

5) I hope to God that Marks & Spencer's online shopping service has improved since last year when half of the presents arrived after Christmas, despite me ordering in the first week of December. I was so disgusted that I swore that I'd never buy from them again. Clearly I never learn.

6) I must, must, MUST stop buying from the E.L.F website! I think I've spent around £40 this month :/ I feel so selfish treating myself at this time of year (see above)

7) I really want to eat the tin of Quality Street that I bought as a family present for my mum (family present - that also includes me haha!).

8) What are the people over the road DOING?? It's 1:00am and they keep slamming their wheely bin lid.

9) I think that I could actually abandon Facebook in favour of Twitter... the addiction is wearing off and I'm getting sick of my News Feed constantly being spammed with everyone's Mob Wars and Farmville achievements... (anyone else with me on this?)

10) I enjoyed "Twilight" (the book) but for some reason cannot get into "New Moon"...

11) ... which I started reading for two reasons. Firstly, because the movie came out, obv, and secondly because the Gordon Smith book I was reading scared me to death (I read to get to sleep)

12) I'm cold but refuse to switch the heating on outside of the timer programme. I have asked Santa for a pink Slanket :)

14) (no #13, I'm superstitious) I REALLY hope my cousin Michael gets his double lung transplant in 2010. Cystic Fibrosis is a cruel, cruel illness :( Mike's had a terrible year and I want him to be well again. He's GOT to get the transplant. I cannot bear to think of it not happening. I want him to be well.

15) Actually, all I want for all of my Christmasses is for Mike to get his transplant. I love him so much. He's always been incredibly brave and it breaks my heart because he's been feeling so ill.

Right, I'm off to make some Horlicks I think! Goodnight xx

Hmmm, I seem to have fallen into a regular-ish pattern of Sunday night blogging, usually at a time when I should be thinking about getting ready to go to bed - yes I really do try to eke my weekends out!

I do love to catch up with blogs on a Sunday evening though, it's a perfect way to wind down and relax, and I kind of make it my "treat" to conquer the Sunday Night Blues (that sounds so sad haha!)

Lately...

I went to see 2012 at the cinema on Tuesday night. I've been really keen to see this after seeing a trailer months ago, I think the first time was when I saw Harry Potter HBP. I absolutely love "weather" related movies like Twister and The Day After Tomorrow and I had really, really high expectations for 2012, especially after it did so well on the opening weekend.

Then my friend Ben went to see it on Monday (he loves weather movies too :)) and didn't think it was all that. However, I went along with an open mind. To be honest I was expecting a thought provoking movie along the lines of The Day After Tomorrow, which if I remember rightly even made the news when it was first released, as it carried a very clear eco message that posed the question: could this possibly happen? Eeek.

I very quickly realised that 2012 was not going to be one of those kinds of movies. I was getting really, really annoyed at the beginning too because to be honest it was one big giant Sony advertisement (did anybody else notice this too?? You will when you next see it ;)). I know that Columbia Pictures - the studio behind 2012 - is an arm of Sony Entertainment, but honestly the product overload was ridiculous!!

But once the action starts and you start to take the movie for what it is, then you'll probably really enjoy it. If you're after an action packed, tense, end of the world movie that is completely silly but totally immersing, then 2012 is the baby to go and see... and it is definitely one of those movies to watch on the big screen as the SFX are amazing. Just leave your logical brain at the door ;)

Once I had realised that I had to suspend all belief (!!), I absolutely loved it, even the uber cheesy ending. Would I watch it again? Yes!

I started my Christmas shopping. I love, love, love everything about Christmas. I still have an advent calendar every year and am as excited as when I was little when the Christmas tree goes up... eeeeeeeeeeee I can't wait!!!!

Sadly, I'm one of those people who has ZERO initiative when it comes to buying quirky and interesting presents. If someone tells me that they would like this, this or this, I'll quite happily toddle off and buy it, feeling really happy because I know that the recipient will love their gift and it won't be eBayed on Boxing Day or car-booted come the spring!

27/11/09:**EDIT** This continued into a bit of a Bah Humbug moan about lack of Christmas inspiration etc, so I've deleted the offending paragraphs! Note to self: Do not blog whilst in the throes of PMT....

Finally, I have made a momentous decision... to ditch my blonde hair!!

I have been highlighting my hair since I was 18 but over the past year or so it's progressively been getting lighter and lighter and it's now almost white blonde. I don't mind that in the summer, but at this time of year I think it looks a bit silly.

My hair is naturally quite fair anyway, so I don't have a massive visible roots problem, but it gets to the stage where I can't escape the fact that it really does need a touch-up and salon prices do not come cheap.

I've been pondering over what to do with it and for a while I really wanted to go brunette as I love brown hair, but that's a no-no. My skin is so fair that if dark hair doesn't make me look completely washed out, then my light eyebrows and lashes will definitely make me look like an idiot!! Haha!

Sooo, I've decided that I'm going to go au natrel (gulp!). When I was little I was blonde, but after I had my first proper haircut it turned really, really red, and then went auburn when I was a teenager. With my roots now visible, the general consensus is that my hair is "strawberry blonde" with more blonde than red (maybe the years of blonde has bleached my hair follicles?!?!) I'm just hoping that it really is blonde and not grey :s It's all a bit daunting after being blonde for so long... and what excuse will I have for my "blonde moments"?! :)

How are you guys getting on with your Christmas preparations? It doesn't seem possible that it's just over a month away. Where HAS this year gone?!?!
xx

Nostalgic for NYC...

Wow, 3 posts in one day!!

Two years ago today, my friend Lisa and I flew to New York for a week. I've been longing to go again from the minute we arrived back in the UK. In fact I actually cried on the way to JFK Airport on the way back, how tragic is that?!

I can still remember it like yesterday. When we arrived at our hotel we dumped our cases because we  needed food, fast. Did we do the sensible thing and mooch around the neighbourhood for somewhere nice to eat? No. We thought like overexcited tourists. Hungry? WE'RE IN NEW YORK!!!! Lets go to Times Square!!

Looking back it was crazyness, honestly. But we had been awake for almost 48 hours by this point, and you know, logical thinking left the building. Times Square seemed like the place to go, to validate where we actually were, after all of the YEARS of wishing and all the months of waiting.

This photo was taken on 08/11/07 when we saw Times Square for the first time. We literally stopped at the top of the Subway steps and stood staring open mouthed while everybody bustled past us. We were rooted to the spot for at least two minutes, no joke. (OMG the Subway!! Our first time was rush hour and we were totally freaked out. We came to LOVE the Subway)

And this is the video that Lisa shot next to me while we stood: It won't mean anything to you guys, but to me, it was one of those spine tingling moments that I'll never forget - you'll need to pause my music player to hear the authentic sounds of NYC :)

And some photos!

Here are a few of the photos that I risked life and limb taking last night ;) It was my first time photographing fireworks and I have to say, I am quite impressed with the results! (I haven't edited them in any way except for the mini collage and watermark... still need to get the hang of that too!)

If you are wondering why some of the fireworks appear in only half of the photo, it's because the roof of my house got in the way - they literally were exploding right overhead. It's a shame, cos I would have some amazing photos if only I could have seen them properly.

I hope you all had a fun weekend!

xx

A post of Thanks...

They shall not grow old as we who are left grow old.

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them...

For our tomorrow, they gave their today.

Heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you. You are not forgotten xxx

(I know it's not the 11th, but it is Remembrance Sunday)

Gunpowder, Treason and Plot

Help!!!

I am currently being bombarded by fireworks!! Well, not me personally, but my house is sitting directly beneath a gigantic display courtesy of some people in the next street. I've been hanging (quite procariously!!) out of my bedroom window trying to get some photos...

I don't like the fact that I can hear spent firework carcasses landing on my roof or hurtling headlong into my garden. That also makes it a bit of a danger mission actually, trying to take photos peering up into the sky while burning particles shower down all around - eeek!

I also don't like the fact that Gizmo cat is terrified, poor baby. I've had one of those "Feliway" cat calming diffusers plugged in all week, but because it rained on Guy Fawkes Night and last night, there weren't many fireworks and Giz was ok. Now, he is refusing to move from his spot behind the settee (he has made sure that he is sitting over the hot radiator pipe though, he's not daft) and his HUGE eyes are darting over the ceiling, trying to decipher where the horrible noises are coming from.

Gizmo cat was 10 on Guy Fawkes Day... I can't believe it's been almost 10 years since that tiny, terrified bundle came into my life. At least I have something to thank The Ex for. And obviously I got custody of the furry little fella too :)

I hope that you are all enjoying the fireworks this weekend - be safe guys! (You, my lovely readers I mean - Guys are most certainly NOT safe hehe!)

xx

Belated Birthday weekend Part 2: Stir-Up Sunday...

Today was Stir Up Sunday!!! For those who don't know, Stir Up Sunday is the traditional day for making Christmas Puddings and/or cakes. It's something to do with being the eighth Sunday after Trinity or something, idk.

Stir Up Sunday is a BIG tradition in our family and is something that Mum has instilled in Olivia and I to pass down to our families in the future. We stick on the Christmas Carols cd which we all sing along to and make the pudding together, taking it in turns to make a wish during the final Stir of the pudding... Christmas starts here!

Do you have Stir-Up Sunday too?

They were laughing at Daddy's wet shirt... (??)

And we're off! Christmas Pudding 2009 in the making...

Nearly there... can't you just smell Christmas looking at this...

Mum making her wish!

Olivia's turn...

Oh dear... say cheeeese!

Last but not least!

After lunch, a lovely surprise - BIRTHDAY CAKE!!!!! (It was a Me To You bear cake)

So Birthday celebrations are now officially over until next year. I have been thoroughly spoilt this week by friends and family and between my Chocolate Fudge cake from Dad and today's cake from Mum & Co, I have leftover cake coming out of my ears! Would anyone like some?!

I hope you have all had great weekends too!

xx

Belated Birthday Weekend Part 1: Meal, 24th October 2009

I have had an AMAZING weekend! I cannot remember the last time I felt so happy... and it was due to one thing - my family.

Because my Mum, Step-Dad and sister live about 40 minutes away, I don't get to see them as often as I'd like. That's not because we don't have transport to see each other, but because our work schedules make things difficult. My step-dad and I both work full time during the week, and my mum has her own business which often means that their weekends are fully booked away from home.

(I'll do a separate post on this, because my mum is AMAZING at what she does and it doesn't warrant a passing mention).

Oh, I don't like referring to my Step-Dad as "Step-Dad" because I always think the term sounds quite harsh. I think of him as my other Dad, so I'm calling him Daddy in my blog, which is what he is to my sister Olivia and what he gets called most of the time by all of us.

Anyway, the four of us went out for a meal on Saturday evening at my favourite EVER pub, The Hare Arms. It's not your regular run-of-the mill pub, but a gorgeous little place crammed full with all sorts of knick-nacks and curio. Peacocks roam freely outside and the pub cat enjoys plenty of fuss (and nibbles) from the patrons... aaaaah I could go on. And no, they are not paying me to sing praises!

Because the pub is nestled at the top of a little lane in the middle of nowhere, you pretty much have to drive there - thus it's frequented by a really nice clientele and you have to arrive before 7pm to get a table. It is definitely not the kind of place for fighting lager louts, which is great because I HATE it when you go somewhere and there is that undercurrent of tension, and you can't relax because you're aware that trouble could erupt at any moment. (That's why I prefer not to go out haha!)

Me... Birthday Girl!

This "lampstand" was massive! Great idea though!!

Peacock feathers from resident birds :)

A ceiling full of golf clubs...

My sister Olivia and I... guess who beckoned over the resident cat!!

Excuse the quality of some of the pics (there is no flash on my phone's camera).

It's probably just me, but if anybody else likes knowing what people had to eat (no? Just me then!) this is what we had:

Me: Baked Camembert & bread as a shared starter, which was divine. Main: Gammon & pineapple, salad and chips - again perfect, the gammon steak was as big as the plate! Dessert: Mile High Toffee Pie... oh so good!

Mum: The same as me apart from Tiramisu for dessert :)

Daddy: Starter: The same as Mum and I. Main: 14oz Rump Steak with salad and chips (very good apparently) Dessert: Creme Caramel.

Olivia: Preferred bread to start. Main: Lasagne, chips and salad (I think she enjoyed the chips and salad most, but we tried the lasagne and it was yummy!) Dessert: Four Tier Chocolate Fudge Cake... and Olivia couldn't quite believe it when she was unable to finish it... being defeated by chocolate is unheard of!

All in all it was the perfect birthday treat... xx

Oh, I wanted to mention the great giveaway by Shopaholic at Shopping in Suffolk (be sure to check out her blog!!) - what a genius idea for a competition, just the thing to keep your inner child happy! I don't think I'll be lucky enough to win, but thought it was a cute prize. I haven't seen a Caramac for years, I had no idea that you could still buy them! x

Birthday countdown has begun!!

Hello my dears! I hope everyone is well?

I cannot believe that Birthday Time is almost upon me again - it's frightening how quickly this last year has passed. The fact that I'm going to be 32 is beyond scary :|

Now that I'm getting older I find myself re-assessing my life and everything in it and to be honest it scares me a little as I never feel as if I have achieved anything from one year to the next.

My mood wasn't lifted by my Dad's partner, who thought it helpful to state "oh, you won't be having children will you, now that you're going to be 32" I replied that I had plenty of time yet but she just laughed and told me that she doubted it as I am still single. It's no secret that she hates me so I took it with a pinch of salt, but still, thanks a bunch.

Anyway, for some reason I haven't given much thought to my birthday this year - maybe because I usually go away. Well I say "usually" but to be honest it's only been the last couple of birthdays that I've jetted off somewhere. Last year I was staying with my best friend Lisa, who emigrated to Malta earlier in 2008, and for my 30th in 2007 Lisa and I were in my beloved New York (oh, how I miss that city).

I know that I'm going out for a belated meal next weekend with my Mum, Step-Dad and sister but I haven't even made any concrete plans with friends this year... how sad is that?! I'm sure that we will end up celebrating somehow though...!

Today my lovely Dad and his partner came over to see me and bring some presents. My Dad lives about an hour away and sadly I won't see him on Tuesday.

On their way to my house, Dad and his partner stopped off to browse at a car boot sale, and Dad found this and thought of me - and it only cost 20p!! I LOVE Ant and Dec, so am very pleased! It isn't a birthday present, but co-incidentally I did ask Dad for their new autobiography, Ooh What A Lovely Pair!

The three presents at the back are from Dad and his partner (I'm being polite. To be honest, I know that they are just from Dad really), and the little one at the front is from two of Dad's friends. And I have a few cards already! My Grandma always sends mine early so it's sure to get to me on time - she's adorable. I miss her awfully and wish that she didn't live so far away.

I was only expecting one present from Dad, so I was really touched when he gave me the bag containing the others too. I am under strict orders not to open them until Tuesday :)

And if that wasn't enough, he also gave me this:

What an absolute darling my Dad is! He even thought to include a pink candle... I nearly melted! I adore anything with toffee / fudge so this is beyond perfect! Excuse the pun but it really was the icing on the cake :)

Oh, before I forget, I was heating up a lazy ready-made curry last night, and this REALLY made me laugh:

                                     

"Please cut open to serve"???? Oh please. This is insanity. What on earth do they think people are going to do, just sit and LOOK at it???

Have a good week everyone xx

These have made me very poor... but very happy!!

Just a quick post, as I felt like blogging... as promised here are some photos of my recent purchases :)

I don't mean this to come across as a show-off "oh look what I have" post - the point is that I hardly ever buy anything frivolous so I'm still really happy about these!

My new phone - iPhone 3GS, LOVE it!

This was a cover that I got from eBay for something like £2

Not impressed with this cover. It was supposed to be baby pink, and plus it cracked the first time I fitted it (there is sellotape in the top left corner!)

                                               

Possibly the cutest packaging ever!

Self explanatory :) My ghd's!!

HOW did I ever live without them?! I didn't take a photo of the bits and pieces that came with them, as they're honestly not very interesting ;)

Coastal Scents 88 eyeshadow palette in Matte

Another eBay purchase, and a bit of an impulse buy to be honest. I'd seen these all over the YouTube makeup channels that I watch. It cost £20 with free P&P - a lot less than buying direct from the official US website. I thought that it was far more economical to buy 88 shadows this way than spend a FORTUNE buying separates.

This Palette was a lot smaller than I expected - the shadows are TINY. The American YouTubers kept comparing the shadows as being equivalent in size to a Dime coin... but being British and last visiting the US almost two years ago I had no idea how big this was...

On the upside, the colours are gorgeous. Some I don't think I will ever wear but hey, it's nice to have that choice! I don't think I will ever run out of these shadows either. They may be small, but they are also super pigmented and a little goes a very long way - which is all good :)

So that's basically it! I hope that you are all well and have a great weekend - I'm off to catch up with some blogs before bed! Goodnight!

Jo xx

Rant!

I'm writing this blog from my new phone (I hope it works!!)

I'm also writing this while sitting in my car. I'm at the cemetery, I've just tidied Nan and Grandad's grave and left fresh flowers and one of those childrens windmills - Grandad loved the outdoors and the weather and I like the idea of him being able to see if the wind's blowing...

That's not why I'm blogging though, to tell you that. I just wanted to explain where I am.

I'm a little speechless and upset, and angry. I've had a key to the cemetery gates for the last 4 years and have permission to drive my car inside the cemetery because it's so big and I can't walk all that far. Other people have keys and bring their cars round to their loved ones graves too, in fact I can see another parked car.

Today as I drove in, a woman who was walking down the looong entrance drive with her mum kept staring back at me driving toward them. As I got closer, I could see that she looked FURIOUS.

I couldn't work it out - I wasn't going over 5mph and it wasn't like I had music blaring or anything... anyway, she walked into the middle of the roadway and flagged me down.

I couldn't believe it when she accused me of having no respect, and how DARE I have the cheek to drive into the cemetery - couldn't I see how her 84 year old mother was struggling, and if she could put in the effort of walking all this way surely I could? I (too politely) pointed out that both sets of gates are always left open on a Saturday, and she could have driven in too. She laughed sarcastically and said that at my age I shouldn't be so god damn lazy and I should feel ashamed of myself.

They both looked VERY well-to-do and she spoke with that distinctive public school drawl. You'd have thought that she'd know better.

I honestly couldn't believe that this was happening, and in a graveyard too! I reached into my glovebox, showed her my disabled Blue Badge and told her that perhaps she should refrain from judging so quickly.

Imagine my surprise when she informed me that I cannot have a Blue Badge as I was under the age of 65!!! As quick as a flash I said, oh does that mean that you can't have disabilities and illnesses until you're 65? And where did she think I got the hologrammed Badge from? And then I told her that she was being ridiculous.

At this point an elderly lady in a mobility scooter who had stopped to see what was happening told the woman to leave me alone and let me pass or she would call the police.

Without another word, the woman and her mother turned and started walking off into the cemetery, while I sat incredulous. The lady who stopped to help remarked loudly for the women's benefit that she didn't even have the decency or manners to aplogise, then asked me if I was ok. I said that I was and thanked her. She gently told me not to let it trouble me and went on her way.

But I'm so upset. It's difficult enough coming here as it is without something like this happening. Why do some people think that they have the right to say such things to someone? Ok she may be grieving blah blah blah but so am I. It's no excuse for her behaviour. I'm just going to have to forget it or I'll go mad. I'm going to go home now.

xx


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Spending Fairy has attacked me...

Wow, I haven't updated for ages... I hope that you are all well?

I thought it was time for a new background in honour of October - what do you think? I think it's really cute :)

I haven't had as much time as I'd like to blog as I have been busy at work and the weekends have been manic lately too, no rest for the wicked as they say!

I have been a very naughty girl though - I have spent a horrendous amount of money just lately. Well, not a MASSIVE amount, but an awful lot for me as I am usually quite frugal when it comes to spending money and treating myself, especially at this time of the year with Christmas approaching. Anyways, as usual Jo is talking far too much ;)

My lovely friend Gemma came over last Sunday to give me a pampering sesh (basically to force me to sit in front of a mirror and glam myself up!), and she brought her holy grail ghd straightners with her. (I'll really have to do a post on my friends. They are the best ever, especially Gem as we have SO much in common but I love them all loads!)

I have never owned straighteners costing over £25 and I have to admit I was absolutely blown away by the ghd's. They made my hair so soft, shiny and sleek that I couldn't stop touching it... and yes, I couldn't stop looking at it in the mirror! They made my old straighteners seem completely shoddy because they kind of snag on my hair... I just didn't realise how bad they were until I tried the ghd's :S

I did something totally out of character for me. I made the decision there and then to BUY SOME GHD's!! And I didn't just buy the regular ghd's... oh no. I bought the 2009 Limited Edition "Pretty In Pink" baby pink mk IV set! (They're BABY PINK, need I explain further?!) And with some cunning online homework consisting of joining Quidco, scouring price comparison sites and using a voucher code, Gem and I managed to get them for less than the regular mk IV's. RESULT!!!! I got them on Wednesday and they are fabulous! Gem justifies hers as an investment, and it sounds good to me too ;)The box is the cutest thing too, I'll have to post a pic!

I am totally useless and cackhanded when it comes to doing my own hair but even I managed to curl my hair with them on the first try... needs a LOT more practice before I'd leave the house avec curls, but it wasn't half bad! So that was the first purchase.

The second was a mobile phone upgrade as my BlackBerry has been temperemental for months - the phone book keeps freezing so I can't add or view numbers, and I have real problems sending/receiving text messages. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. All very frustrating! Added to that, my contract expired at the beginning of September and I completely forgot that this meant that I'd lose all of the contract allowances (durrrr). I was paying £25 per month for 600 minutes, 500 texts and unlimited web/email. Imagine my surprise at the end of September when the monthly bill was £84!!!! I nearly died. Apparently it's classed as a business phone and so is very expensive to use without any perks. So an upgrade has been very necessary!

I've had my eye on the new iPhone 3GS for ages, partly because I've been used to the email/web benefits on the BlackBerry, and partly because I think the iPhone looks pretty darn cool :D it has been out of stock with O2 for agesssss and in the end I decided to go with the Sony Ericsson W995. I went online to upgrade on Friday evening and made a last check on iPhone stock just in case - it must have been fate because they were back in stock!! So I ordered the 16gb in white :) it cost me £87.11... gulp :O which was the cheapest I could get it for without forking out a phenomenally stupid monthly amount but hopefully it'll be worth it!

So THIS IS IT with spending on myself now!! Anything else will have to wait because Christmas shopping beckons - can you believe it's almost that time of year again?!?!?! Where HAS this year gone??

I'm putting off going to bed (can you tell) as I'm not looking forward to tomorrow morning. I have to go to the dentist have an old filling replaced :( I haven't had to have anything done for a few years so I was pretty disappointed.

I hate going to the dentist. I get really anxious. I have to keep one foot on the floor when I'm in the chair as well as it stops me freaking out completely. I hate the thought of being submissive to the dentist and not being able to escape (not that I would, what with having a mouthful of tools etc, but it helps at the time! Lol!)

I can't tell that the filling needs doing as it's still intact and the tooth doesn't hurt or anything... the thing with dentists is that unless we are in agony with toothache and KNOW that something is wrong, we have to trust them when they say something needs doing!! Does anybody else think that or is it just me?!

xx

ELF parcel and review!!!

Hello my lovelies, I hope you've had a nice weekend and a good Monday? Today's post is going to be much more cheerful!! Hehe!

So, as promised, here are the goodies that I bought from the Elf website.

I've photographed them in the packaging so you can see how it looks - and ok it's not going to be the nicest looking stuff on the dressing table compared to high-end products but to be honest I don't mind this at all, it's about time that a company concentrated on giving women good quality and affordable products without just making us pay for the brand name and packaging!

I was quite dubious at first though, after all you get what you pay for, right? So far, wrong!! Everyone's skin is different and I can only speak from my own experince but so far I've been very pleasantly surprised :)

First up,

Nail Polish in (L) Royal Purple (R) Dark Navy. £1.50 each.

The colours are soooo nice!

The Dark Navy looks almost black in some lighting conditions, and in others it looks true to colour.

The Royal Purple is DIVINE, it's my new favourite :) The brush gives really good coverage too. I haven't worn it for long enough yet to see how long it lasts though!

Candy Shop Lip Gloss in (top) Frosting Fanatic and (bottom) Candy Fix. £1.50 each

These smell amazing!! Frosting Fanatic smells very sweet like cake/toffee and the Candy Fix smells like sweets.

I'm not sure if you can see from the photo, but they both have tiny flecks of glitter.

Some people don't like the smell of these, but I do. The gloss does last and it makes your lips feel really soft and moisturised - a thumbs up from me! The glitter isn't really obvious but just gives a nice shimmer. These glosses taste good too :p I also got one for my little sister and she loved it.

(L) Hypershine Gloss in Fairy (c) Lip Glosses as above (R) Therapeutic Conditioning Balm in Strawberry Creme     £1.50 each

The Conditioning Balm is great. I am prone to dry chapped lips and thought this would be perfect. It smells of strawberry although there is not much of a taste. It softened my lips and wasn't too heavy either - another thumbs up!

The Hypershine Gloss was also very good and I felt that it nourished my lips really well. It lasted for ages, which surprised me. It had a really nice smell/taste too. I'd get a stronger colour next time though, as this was more of a nude shade.

(L) Sheer Foundation SPF 15 in Tone 1 (C) Tone Correcting Concealer in Fair
(R) Shimmering Facial Whip in Pink Lemonade. £1.50 each

I got the Foundation in the lightest colour as I'm really fair skinned. I'm a bit confused as I actually ordered the Shielding Hydro Tint but it came as Sheer Foundation... also, the tube says that it is a tinted moisturiser (?!). I have only patch tested it so far and from what I could tell, it is more of a tinted moisturiser than a foundation, but I think I'm really going to like it.... oh and did I mention that it smells of chocolate orange?? Bonus! Yummm...

I was a bit down about the concealer before I tested it. Again I got the lightest colour but it looks quite dark with a yellow-ish tinge, so I wasn't expecting it to be any good. BUT when I applied it it blended very well with my skin tone and yes it even covered red patches... yay! And this smells of chocolate orange too.

The Shimmering Facial Whip has received really good reviews too, and I can see why. It is a highlighter/illuminator for your cheeks, eyes and lips. There are lots of different shades to choose from, and I am so pleased with it. You get a perfect blush effect and it gives me killer cheekbones ;)

(top) False Eyelashes in Dramatic (bottom) False Eyelashes in Natural. £1.50 each

I am so excited about these!! :D I have NEVER worn false eyelashes before but I'm curious how they will look, and I figured at this price it's the perfect opportunity to give them a try and it doesn't really matter if I make a mess of it! They come with lash glue but I've heard some reviewers say that it isn't that good, and to use a different glue with these lashes.

(L-R) Complexion Brush, Small Angled Brush, Small Smudge Brush, Eye Shadow Brush

These brushes have all received fantastic reviews (but that's not the only reason I got them!!) and they feel really, really soft. Elf do not test on animals so these are synthetic. The first three are from the new Studio collection and are £3.50 each. The Eye Shadow brush is from the regular range and costs £1.50.

So these are my purchases :) At the moment I'm in a good head space and have enjoyed trying most of it out even if it has been just testing!

If all goes well with my make-up progress I'll DEFINITELY be paying Elf another visit! They have a huge range so next time I'll be a bit more adventurous and will try some items from the Studio line.

And last but not least, I couldn't resist showing you my new little purse:

Next, £6.00

Isn't it fantastic?! I'm really into Union Jack stuff at the moment and I thought this was really cute! I have my eye on a gorgeous River Island studded Union Jack handbag too atm, and may just have to buy it when I get paid! :D

xx

You're going to think I'm weird but...

I'm not sure how or where this post is going to go, but I feel that I need to write this.

When I wrote my very first blogger post here last year, I made a few references to my general inability concerning anything remotely girly, such as make up and hair. I also mentioned my hatred of mirrors.

Regular readers may or may not remember that I have just started counselling to help me exorcise some inner demons and bad times.

I've just had my third session and I think some things are definitely starting to make sense. I don't want to go into detail on here but I've experienced a LOT of disability prejudice and unpleasant episodes in my life because I happen to walk a bit differently to other people. (Don't worry, this isn't going to be a Disability Rights blog lol)

To cut a VERY long story short, at my secondary school we were allowed to wear a small amount of make up (discreet lipstick, a small amount of mascara, minimal foundation) when we started Year 9 (age 13-14). My friends and I were really excited about this and I can still remember us all piling into our local Boots store in the 6 week summer holidays with our saved up pocket money ready to raid the make up counters.

So anyway, first day of term arrived and we all went to school wearing our "discreet" make up, feeling very dignified and grown up. So far so good.

At morning break, we were queueing in the dinner hall for a snack from the tuck shop, and a group of boys from the year below emerged from the "shop" (really an ante room off the main hall). They knew one of my friends so stopped to chat. When we neared the top of the queue they left to go to their next class, and as they left one of them said "God, I don't know why Jo's bothered to wear make up cos nobody will ever fancy her anyway". One of the others replied, "Yeah it's not like people bother to look at her face anyway cos everyone always notices her legs" and the first boy said "Yeah, there's no point making her face look good really is there!!"

I honestly don't think they meant me to hear, and neither do I think that they knew that I did, but I was absolutely CRUSHED. One of my friends had heard them too and wanted to run after them to have a go at them, but I stopped her. What was the point? Everyone else must have thought the same.

And following that was the first time that I remember falling into some sort of depression. I started questioning everything about myself, my friends - were they friends with me because they felt sorry for me? Did they let me go make up shopping with them to humour me? No, of course not. Deep down I knew that they were my friends because they LIKED me, because I made them laugh, because we shared everything with each other. And make up shopping was no different. I was just Jo to them. They had mostly known me since Infant School and accepted me just how I was.

But in my mind, everything became distorted. Not that I ever told them. Actually, I didn't tell ANYBODY about the dinner hall incident until last Thursday when something during the counselling session triggered the memory. Neither does anybody apart from two close friends (and you if you're reading this) know about my mirror thing. No, to my friends, I carried on being Jo, acting the fool as usual and outwardly appearing happy. Inside I was crumbling.

I also stopped wearing make up. Of course, being 13 I used the excuse of Dad/Step-Dad "going mad about it" when I met my friends with a scrubbed face the next morning. I also stopped trying out hairstyles in front of the mirror... in fact I stopped looking in the mirror at all. Well, I perfected the glances to make sure my teeth were clean or that my brushed hair looked presentable, but that was it.

I think people thought that I wasn't interested in make up etc, but I was. I would spend hours looking at make up in shops, working out which colours would suit me etc. I pored over the beauty pages in Just Seventeen and Mizz magazines. I used my pocket money buying make up that deep down I knew I wouldn't use. And I tried, I really did. I would sit at my dressing table with all of my lovely products with the best intention of painting my face, but I just couldn't do it. I'd see my reflection and my stomach would churn. What was the point of me even trying anyway? UGLY, UGLY, UGLY. Yes, I know that sounds VERY weird about the mirror thing, because it IS very weird! I've never been able to explain it to myself let alone to anyone else.

You also have to remember that this was the 1990's. Girls weren't anywhere near as interested in make up etc then as they are now. Today, there is huge pressure to grow up so quickly. 9 year olds go out wearing full make up and nobody bats an eyelid. I don't know of a 13 year old who doesn't wear full make up, more often than not to school. When I was 13 we didn't have hair extensions. "Grown up" underwear for girl children and teenagers didn't exist. We didn't feel that we had to grow up before our time. It's an entirely different world now!

But back then, it wasn't weird if you didn't wear make up. Even with the popular group of girls, some did and some didn't, and it didn't really matter.

The strangest thing is that I had completely forgotten that the dinner hall thing had even happened. Obviously I know now that I hadn't forgtten it at all, just buried it deep in my brain somewhere.

Fast forward to 2009. I am now 31 years old and still haven't gotten over the make up/hair/mirror thing. I won't lie, I do wear make up to go out (not that I go often!), I sometimes wear mascara cos I have really stupid blonde eyelashes, but it depends on my mood. On exceptionally good days when I don't feel like the Elephant Woman I've worn full make up to work... probably about 5 times?? The worst thing was when I did wear make up to work, everyone commented and I hated it. I felt that they were mocking me, although of course they weren't. Just my stupid brain regressing back to 1992. I can look at my reflection for more than two seconds now but I am still hideous. (God knows how I have managed to have boyfriends and hold down relationships!)

Mum's family snapshots aside, I hate having my photo taken unless I am drunk, in which case I LOVE the camera!! I will never knowingly let anyone take a full-length photo of me unless it's at a family wedding or something.

But I don't blame those dinner hall boys at all. I am realising that I must have already had subconscious appearance issues long before that happened; it just brought it all to a head.

Also, I feel really stupid because I missed out on the whole teenage experimentation thing and because I kind of lived with my Nan and Grandad throughout my teens I didn't have anyone to learn from so I don't even really know how to apply it properly!! Or do hair properly!! (yeah I know, duurrrrrr!)

I've started feeling a bit better about myself over the last couple of months so started looking at tutorials on youtube (don't laugh!!), and one girl's channel in particular (Charity aka LadyCookieLuck) has made me feel a lot more positive about the whole thing. I found her channel by chance after looking for a hair curling video and then had a look at some of her videos - we seem to have the same sense of humour and I liked what she did so I subscribed (I'm not a crazy stalker-type person btw haha!) I have actually learnt how to apply liquid eyeliner and I have to admit I LOVE it along with mascara, although I get the guilts afterwards, also very bizarre!

On Thursday my counsellor suggested that I buy some make up, and that night I did something momentous (for me). I ordered some make up bits and bobs from ELF Cosmetics UK. The make up "guru's" that I subscribe to on youtube are raving about ELF stuff.

In case you haven't heard of ELF, it is a fantastic site and you must, must, must pay a visit. Not only is there a great range, but EVERYTHING COSTS £1.50!!!!! Yes, honestly. That includes brushes that have received better reviews than expensive high end products such as MAC brushes...

There is also a new Studio range offering better professional quality items, but even that range is £3.50!!! You can't go wrong really, can you?!

The best thing for me was that ELF products are also HYPOALLERGENIC!!! I have to be especially careful with lip products and have usually bought Boots No 7 glosses as they are always hypoallergenic, so to find cheaper alternatives is fantastic, especially because I don't wear it every day.

I didn't want to spend a fortune on everything in case I freak out and don't use it, so this site was a great find!

Apparently by avoiding fancy pots and packaging they reduce their overheads to be able to provide quality products at very affordable prices. The US site has much more than the UK site, but they are extending our range now, yippee!

Anyway, I ordered some make up bits and bobs from the normal £1.50 range as well as a couple of brushes from the Studio range. You get free delivery if you spend £30 or more (a respectable £2.95 otherwise), and yes I admit I spent £30 :/.

I ordered around midnight on Thursday and received my package this morning (Saturday), now that is GREAT service!! :D

I'm quite excited about it all now! Will post pics of my goodies tomorrow.... and I just realised something btw: I've been singing ELF's praises and I haven't even tried anything yet, how silly is that?! Oh well ;)

If you've read this entire post I congratulate you. Does it even make sense? I don't know. I haven't dared to read it back!

Thanks for bearing with me.

xx

I'm sorry. This is going to be yet another totally pointless post, but I just had to.

Am watching the Big Brother final. Never mind who won blah blah blah... my enjoyment of the show has been marred by a rather unwelcome distraction. I think I even gaped open mouthed at the TV at one point.

What the **** does Davina look like?!?!

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the woman (except maybe her shouting and strange expressions at the end of links, which I never noticed until someone said how much it annoyed them). I'm sure she is a nice woman etc etc so it would be unfair to pass judgement.

But tonight... Oh. My. Gosh.

The hair!!! The sequin overdose!!! (and I am not adverse to a bit of sparkle but double sequin is a no-no in my book, much like double denim - it makes me shudder)

Davina, what were you THINKING???

Is this fashion?? Am I suddenly so aged that I dont know these things?

No, I don't think so.... oh God I hope not.

I am completely lost for words.

That is all.

James McAvoy... so near yet so far...

I've just been watching Atonement on Sky Movies (one of my favourite movies EVER!!!).

So I thought I'd share a secret with you seeing as I'm reminded of it (not a v exciting secret really but hey!)... ok, you know the scenes where Robbie walks through the French countryside towards Dunkirk with his army pals Tommy and Frank? When Robbie finds the murdered schoolgirls in the orchard?

Weeeellll... 95% of those "French" countryside scenes were filmed within a 9 mile radius of my house!!!! I get a bit of a kick whenever that part comes on :D although if I'm honest it looks much better on film than it does in real life!

James McAvoy - 6 miles from my house!!!!! *SIGH*

This is a typical Fenland landscape... oh, if only Mr McAvoy was a regular feature...

It's picturesque sure, but can be very bleak in winter

In "real life" this is the Denver Sluice - it controls water levels on the tidal river to stop the Fens from being flooded

The massive skies are so AMAZING in my neck of the woods, I'm so lucky to live here even if it is pretty boring - we really do get sunsets like this! (digitally added smoke is an optional extra!). On a clear day you can easily see upwards of 15 miles into the distance.

The filming was reported in my local newspapers at the time but of course it was all top secret... if I'd have known that James McAvoy was so close I'd have been there like a shot and watched it ;) I swear, that man IS going to be my husband one day. Well to be honest I'm undecided between James, Josh Hartnett and Declan Donnelly but you know, a girl's gotta have choices!

And this is my 25th post!! Happy silver post to my Blog! :D It's been a long time coming, but what better way to honour it than James McAvoy and a tribute to my homeland?!

xx

Last day of Summer 2009???

Feelin' hot baby! Today has been scorchio!! It was THIS hot when I left work today:

Half of the car had been in the sun though!! After I had driven the couple of miles home, the real temperature was:

One downside is that I have been stuck inside the office all day (hurrah for air con!), but I did manage to actually feel some of that lovely summer air when I took the post, wow that was the highlight of my day ;)

And the nice weather's going to end tomorrow, boooo. I'm sure it knows when a weekend is looming.

The other downside is the fact that it STINKS here atm. It almost takes your breath away haha! I think all of the local farmers have decided to take advantage of the balmy weather to do a spot of muck spreading. As if they don't annoy all of us enough by causing massive traffic jams because they insist on taking their tractors onto the roads when we are all going to and from work!

The whole town is suffocating under the heady aroma of Eau De S****e. Nice.

Sunday blog again!

I hope you've all had a good week my lovelies!

I've really slacked this week with blogging!! It wasn't my intention, just been one of those busy weeks. I've been reading blogs now and again but not getting round to writing one myself...

Well, following my last post I am pleased to report that Harry Potter was AMAZING!!! I absolutely loved it! I think that it's the best HP film yet by far and Steph loved it too. I actually wanted to cry in two places (how sad is that!!) but I didn't because I thought "OMG you can't cry at a Harry Potter film!!"... some people around me were though.

If you're not into HP you'll think I'm completely mad... but I loved this scene :D

Steph & I about to meet Mr Potter :)

Also, I haven't forgotten about my remaining Germany posts, I will get round to it eventually... it's just that I have a terrible habit of writing too much once I get started, and I find that hours have suddenly vanished!

On Thursday I went to see my Counsellor for the first time. I had a bad time in January/February and my GP referred me so that I could talk things through and exorcise some ghosts that have haunted me for years. Six months later and I finally got an appointment. BTW, this is not an NHS bashing comment. In light of recent STUPID comments by a certain politician, it is probably a good time to make it clear that I LOVE the NHS!! I have certainly had cause to use it many times throughout the course of my life and the service has been brilliant... it's just a sad fact that there are lots of depressed people around at the moment so I had to wait my turn! I am much, much better than I was but know that I need to get everything out of my system once and for all.

It was only an assessment session this week where she told me what it involved and then asked me for some background info before we start proper in a fortnight. As soon as I opened my mouth I cried and kept crying for almost the duration of the session... I couldn't believe it! I TOLD myself that I wouldn't cry, whatever happened. I really HATE crying in front of other people. What a wally!!

Thinking it all over later that evening I started to feel really angry with people and situations long since in the past, generally stuff that I've buried somewhere deep in my brain. It kind of surprised me, not least because I'm not an angry person. I do get mildly annoyed (quite frequently haha!) but this was real burning anger, an alien feeling for me and not pleasant. Instead of punching the life out of a pillow or something, I chatted to my lovely Aunty Sue. She probably understands me the best out of my entire family. It helped. I love you Aunty Sue! xx

Oh, I didnt get to see any meteors either because it was cloudy. Gutted!

Odelle & I at the start of the night!

Last night I went on a girls night out in the next town to celebrate my friend Odelle's birthday (her birthday is on Tuesday) and had a brilliant time even though I didn't drink as I had to drive home (I live around 20 mins drive from where Odelle lives). There were 7 of us and we started off at a pub and then went to a local Chinese restaurant where we were booked in for one of those "All You Can Eat" meals. The food was LUSH, and always a good opportunity to try lots of new dishes :)

We had a bit of a supernatural moment though - still in shock about it!! We were all sitting chatting between courses ... and our friend Donna's wine glass suddenly shattered in her hand!! It literally seemed to pop and wine flew up her arm. We all sat open mouthed silence for a few seconds trying to comprehend what had just happened. Luckily Donna was fine as the glass had fallen onto the table, although she was a wee bit wine soaked (luckily white not red!). We tried to explain to the waitress what happened but she clearly thought that Donna had been messing around with it.... though to be fair exploding glasses are not an everyday occurence!

We went back to the pub afterwards and sat in the beer garden. It was such a hot night (still 21 degrees C at 1am when Jayne's hubby gave us a lift back to Odelle's) and it wasn't too busy either so we all just sat, completely chilling out... bliss! It was a bit strange being the only sober person though - for a change!

It was about 1:40am by the time I left Odelle's and although I was tired it was one of the nicest drives I've ever had, even though I've used that stretch of road hundreds of times before. I'm 45 mins from Cambridge and 90 minutes from London but live in a rural area. The drive between Odelle's town and my town takes you through the deepest darkest Fens with no light pollution, and the stars were absolutely breathtaking. I have honestly never seen such a vivid blanket of stars before. The moon hung bright and low in the East. When I got home I went into my back garden and stared upwards for ages. It was so quiet and still, a perfect summer's night :)

I got to bed at about 4am I think, and got up at 11:30am, though to be honest I probably would have slept a lot longer if the phone hadn't woken me. Haven't managed to wake up all day really! I've even had to resort to coffee, and I never drink coffee :)

I'm going to toodle off to bed now - oh gosh as usual I've rambled on far too much - have probably sent you to sleep too! This is what happens when I write a post without a clear objective... Note to self: MUST CONCENTRATE!!

xx