Beautiful, clever and interesting...
Makes playing the cello look effortless and cool, le sigh...
Friday, 30 December 2011
Sunday, 25 December 2011
Friday, 23 December 2011
Merry Christmas
We are currently manically baking mince pies, wrapping presents and writing cards.
I'm feeling pretty stressed rather than Christmasey so to help me, and any out there also still wrapping, here is a video collage of my all time favourite Christmas movie- it literally still has me laughing until I cry.
I'm feeling pretty stressed rather than Christmasey so to help me, and any out there also still wrapping, here is a video collage of my all time favourite Christmas movie- it literally still has me laughing until I cry.
Merry Christmas!!
Wednesday, 14 December 2011
Generosity at Christmas
So I have done a couple of posts about what to buy people this season but I want to also put forward a nice alternative - charity.
This year we decided that instead of sending cards to all our family and friends who are based abroad, we would send a charity e-card and make a donation. For our charity we chose Shelter who help people in need of housing.
I chose this charity because last winter we had a homeless guy sleeping on our steps at work. The cleaner was really horrible about it, saying he had promised to be gone by 6am each day but had overslept (obviously his alarm clock mustn't have gone off). He had frost bite and was in terrible shape and when I rang around trying to find him support and guidance I was surprised to find so little. It was a case of 'we can give him breakfast but we close by 12' or 'we can only take him for a night or two'. It was all stop gap measures and little actual support. Everyday I see a particular hostel with people drinking outside and I think there are people who really need those beds. It may be harsh but I think if you want a bed in a shelter then they need to put their foot down and say you can't sit getting drunk on our steps.
Anyway, backing away from the rant, there are lots of charitable pressies at Christmas.
Oxfam have the unwrapped range which is a way of giving someone a token of a charitable gift. For example a fridge magnet which states that you donated £5 towards school books for an African child - my sister got us this a couple of years ago.
The Eve Brook Scholarship does amazing work providing financial support to young people who have been in the care system and wish to persue careers through education. It is small charities like this that often get overlooked as they aren't there on every high street or putting flyers through your door and it is these charities who are helping people on your doorstep.
So please, this Christmas instead of rushing to your local highstreet consider making one of your gifts a charitable donation, afterall think what your money gets you. £6 to Oxfam will buy a health check in a poor community, you'd be hard pushed to even find a paperback book for £6 and even then it's one read and done.
This year we decided that instead of sending cards to all our family and friends who are based abroad, we would send a charity e-card and make a donation. For our charity we chose Shelter who help people in need of housing.
I chose this charity because last winter we had a homeless guy sleeping on our steps at work. The cleaner was really horrible about it, saying he had promised to be gone by 6am each day but had overslept (obviously his alarm clock mustn't have gone off). He had frost bite and was in terrible shape and when I rang around trying to find him support and guidance I was surprised to find so little. It was a case of 'we can give him breakfast but we close by 12' or 'we can only take him for a night or two'. It was all stop gap measures and little actual support. Everyday I see a particular hostel with people drinking outside and I think there are people who really need those beds. It may be harsh but I think if you want a bed in a shelter then they need to put their foot down and say you can't sit getting drunk on our steps.
Anyway, backing away from the rant, there are lots of charitable pressies at Christmas.
Oxfam have the unwrapped range which is a way of giving someone a token of a charitable gift. For example a fridge magnet which states that you donated £5 towards school books for an African child - my sister got us this a couple of years ago.
The Eve Brook Scholarship does amazing work providing financial support to young people who have been in the care system and wish to persue careers through education. It is small charities like this that often get overlooked as they aren't there on every high street or putting flyers through your door and it is these charities who are helping people on your doorstep.
So please, this Christmas instead of rushing to your local highstreet consider making one of your gifts a charitable donation, afterall think what your money gets you. £6 to Oxfam will buy a health check in a poor community, you'd be hard pushed to even find a paperback book for £6 and even then it's one read and done.
Christmas Shopping - What to Buy the Boy in Your Life
So continuing with my pre-Christmas panic of 'oh my God I haven't even bought a Christmas card' I thought I would get thinking about what to buy the Boy. NOTE TO BOY- DO NOT READ THIS POST!
He's normally not too tricky to buy for but this year I am struggling. Here are some items that are on the possible list
Bargainous mini table football from RED5 - £10 of your English pounds!
A Magic 8 ball pen to help him work out the Suduko. Can be bought at Amazon for £7
He likes cooking. I don't like hangovers; a gift to share. Also available at Amazon and for only £4!!!
If I had the money I'd get him a Kindle, he really wants one after I got mine and for £89 they are a good price, sadly too many pennies for me to buy it.
They aren't on a Kindle but I think he'd enjoy them none the less and for £23 they aren't a bad price for weeks of peace and quiet.
Let the shopping begin
Sunday, 11 December 2011
Christmas Gifts- The Nightmare of What to Buy Your Mother in Law
So because I am always so busy and becoming increasingly less organised I have only just considered my Christmas shopping list, in fact I am so unorganised there isn't even a list yet.
We have very few pennies this year so are doing token gifts that will be a combination of handmade and small shop bought items. Sadly as the people who we are getting gifts for read this blog, I will have to keep the actual gifts under wraps until after Christmas (excuse the pun).
Part of the dilema this year is that we want to get the Boy's mom an extra special gift as we didn't really get her anything special to say thanks for her amazing work at the wedding - we even forgot to present her with the flowers, what can I say we were disorganised and tired.
So we thought a nice pair of earrings, something lasting and special. We asked advice from other family members of what she might like and got some very helpful guidelines, sadly everything was well out of our price range, and the ones we could afford got a few thumbs down. So now we have no idea what to get her and are worried that whatever we buy will be no good.
So here is list of what I would love to buy many of the ladies in my life...
We have very few pennies this year so are doing token gifts that will be a combination of handmade and small shop bought items. Sadly as the people who we are getting gifts for read this blog, I will have to keep the actual gifts under wraps until after Christmas (excuse the pun).
Part of the dilema this year is that we want to get the Boy's mom an extra special gift as we didn't really get her anything special to say thanks for her amazing work at the wedding - we even forgot to present her with the flowers, what can I say we were disorganised and tired.
So we thought a nice pair of earrings, something lasting and special. We asked advice from other family members of what she might like and got some very helpful guidelines, sadly everything was well out of our price range, and the ones we could afford got a few thumbs down. So now we have no idea what to get her and are worried that whatever we buy will be no good.
So here is list of what I would love to buy many of the ladies in my life...
These are so simple and so elegant from Bluehourde Designs on Etsy
And this necklace is so beautiful
It's from Minerals and Metals again on Etsy
This lovely Kimono dressing gown from Not on the High Street
Or this velvet gown from The White Company
I love these note books from Not on the High Street
And I am a sucker for Moleskines
This recipe journal is a fab gift idea!
If you want to give something more personal you could always do a 'pamper hamper' where you buy her all her favourite bath/cosmetic products, candles, chocolates and maybe a book she likes. Every girl likes a relaxing soak with a good book right?
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Makeup Ideas for a Christmas Do
Yes. yes, I know I'm obsessed with Lisa Eldridge but for a very good reason, she's fab!
Sunday, 13 November 2011
In the Company of Oneself
So I am currently away in Greece, again, looking at old pots like the sherd nerd I am, and I am sitting in beautiful Nauplio thinking how lucky am I but maybe it'd be better with company.
I love my own company.
When the Boy goes away, yes it's sad but then I get to live in a tidy flat (boys are so untidy, it messes with my OCD)
I can sleep diagonally in the bed, I can have whatever food I want for dinner; it's awkward to make two different meals so generally as the Boy cooks we have what he likes most - he would happily cook separately for me.
I can do my own thing. It's not that I can't do my own thing when the Boy is there but I just find I have less head space, I have to remember to remember my stuff and then his stuff and then our stuff.
But now I am somewhere with all my own space and wanting some company, typical. It's sad sitting at a table alone in a busy restaurant. It would be nice to just ring up a friend and say 'hey lets get drinks' but then I kick myself and remind myself that I am in Greece. In a beautiful part of Greece. With access to A LOT of AMAZING ice cream. I am getting to spend everyday on my PhD. And I am sleeping diagonally. HAPPY DAYS.
I love my own company.
When the Boy goes away, yes it's sad but then I get to live in a tidy flat (boys are so untidy, it messes with my OCD)
Extreme tidiness.
I can sleep diagonally in the bed, I can have whatever food I want for dinner; it's awkward to make two different meals so generally as the Boy cooks we have what he likes most - he would happily cook separately for me.
I can do my own thing. It's not that I can't do my own thing when the Boy is there but I just find I have less head space, I have to remember to remember my stuff and then his stuff and then our stuff.
So I make the most of it and enjoy having uninterrupted long hot baths (in my head they are in a bathroom alot like this)
Get into a fresh bed and read for hours
Eat a nice box of choccies and watch a girly film
I LOVE this film, the music is so well suited to it!
I must state this picture has been taken from Travelpod.com but is a picture of true Nauplio gelato, yom nom nom...
Friday, 11 November 2011
Hair
So I got a hair cut and dyed my hair dark, think I like it.
I really like Nicole Ritchie's hair here, she has the most amazing eyes here too
My hair is totally almost, nearly, kinda similar to this right? OK so no. Well frizz is totally fashionable, in some circles...
Raw Love
Recently Sainsbury's introduced me to the and I mean THE most delicious salad I've had in a long time, Edamame bean salad. So refreshing, so light, heavenly. So here share the love
Drroooool
The other thing that I was introduced to this year was raw food, in particular raw chocolate
and raw 'cheesecake'
Oh boy am I now hungry!
Fireworks
I love bonfire night, it is literally my favourite day of the year. This year we went to Buxton and for the princely sum of wait for it...£3! (Which went to charity!) we saw a 15 minute firework spectacular which I wanted to share some wobbly snaps of taken on my phone whilst dancing...well if you set fireworks to music what is a girl to do but dance!
Terrible pics but great display. There was mulled wine, hot dogs and burgers, all very cheap and again all for charity. It was one of the best fireworks displays I have been to in a long time, I highly recommend it, but not too highly I still want to be able to get in next year!
My only disappointment was that the health and safety brigade had obviously been in and the fire was so far away you couldn't actually feel the heat, and that for me is one of the best bits! That and being able to roast chestnut and have marshmallows, yom, nom, nom.
I found this video of the display, it's a great video but obviously nothing can match actually being there!
Ooooo
Ahhhh
Terrible pics but great display. There was mulled wine, hot dogs and burgers, all very cheap and again all for charity. It was one of the best fireworks displays I have been to in a long time, I highly recommend it, but not too highly I still want to be able to get in next year!
My only disappointment was that the health and safety brigade had obviously been in and the fire was so far away you couldn't actually feel the heat, and that for me is one of the best bits! That and being able to roast chestnut and have marshmallows, yom, nom, nom.
I found this video of the display, it's a great video but obviously nothing can match actually being there!
Sunday, 30 October 2011
The Simple Life
I have to confess, I am in love. With this house
It's just lovely, simple, clean design. Our flat is cluttered, messy, and a little damp design.
The house is designed and lived in by Kathryn Tyler and appeared on Grand Designs. Her work ethic was phenomenal! When we are growed up and have some money to have our own house, I'd like it to be this kind of house.
Thinking about it, our flat reflects very much the state of our lives at the moment, rushed, half organised and a little crumpled.
I am finding myself increasingly drained and I am starting to wonder why I am doing this to myself...but then I look at this house and think one day I will have a full time job, and we can save money, and live here and this will all be worth it.
For now I shall just lust after it.
(I of course do not think of low wages, high unemployment and lots of competition for jobs, so sssshh don't shatter the illusion).
It's just lovely, simple, clean design. Our flat is cluttered, messy, and a little damp design.
The house is designed and lived in by Kathryn Tyler and appeared on Grand Designs. Her work ethic was phenomenal! When we are growed up and have some money to have our own house, I'd like it to be this kind of house.
Thinking about it, our flat reflects very much the state of our lives at the moment, rushed, half organised and a little crumpled.
I am finding myself increasingly drained and I am starting to wonder why I am doing this to myself...but then I look at this house and think one day I will have a full time job, and we can save money, and live here and this will all be worth it.
For now I shall just lust after it.
(I of course do not think of low wages, high unemployment and lots of competition for jobs, so sssshh don't shatter the illusion).
Wednesday, 26 October 2011
Happy Halloween!
Whilst I would not like to live opposite this house because I would be blinded, I think this is amazing, and definitely deserves it's million views. It must have taken ages to arrange, pure genius!
Happy halloween mwahahahahahaha
- Yes. yes, I know it's not halloween yet, but the Christmas post should have hinted at how excitable I am about festivities. Just wait for Guy Fawkes night I will be unstoppable (November 5th for all the non UK readers).
- Yes. yes, I know it's not halloween yet, but the Christmas post should have hinted at how excitable I am about festivities. Just wait for Guy Fawkes night I will be unstoppable (November 5th for all the non UK readers).
Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Hollywood Glamour the Makeup
So if I had loads of money and lots of swanky places to go I would go for Hollywood glamour everytime particularly the makeup which would involve matt red lips, perfect shiny nails and a sweet kitten eye.
A great how to for matt lips can be found here:
She also has a great video for those who like the Audrey Hepburn look. For me it's the perfect eye makeup for a glamour look
A great how to for matt lips can be found here:
She also has a great video for those who like the Audrey Hepburn look. For me it's the perfect eye makeup for a glamour look
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