Small Primark spree.

On Saturday I managed to have a real good rummage round Primark, as my friend and I headed there towards the end of the day when the crowds had died down a little. I saw so many nice things which is typical, as whenever I go just after payday when I've got the most money I never see anything nice, and on Saturday I could have easily bought a zillion things. Never mind. I was quite restrained and put a few things back on the way to the till..

Anyway, I was really pleased with the things I picked up and I've already worn the nude shirt and the necklace for a little dinner date with Jonathan which I'll blog about very soon.

The necklace is my favourite thing - the feathers and trinkets are fab and it was a bargain at £2!

Have you picked up any good things from Primark lately?

 Mustard yellow (my favourite colour!) pocket top - £8

Nude floaty blouse - £10

  Feather & charms long necklace - £2

Metallic silver bow pumps - £12

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Sarenza online store - Elite & Chocolate Schubar.

Being the thrifty shopper that I am I managed to get another 2 pairs of shoes with my first ambassador voucher from the generous Sarenza people. I would only ruin a shiny expensive pair walking the dogs or something. I tried to pick a pair for every occasion and I couldn't resist getting a pair of work pumps. I live in pumps and for work I live in grey and white colours, so a pair of grey and white Elite pumps called Antonia really caught my eye. 

Elite is synonymous with glamour and the promise of a hectic lifestyle for the nonchalant princesses that we are. Elite models' agency has been shaping our vision of beauty for decades. Elite launched the careers of modern fashion icons such as Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Gisele Bundchen and Linda Evangelista. The brand offers the best of Elite style at a high-street price.

You will see the next pair of shoes in my next outfit post - I wore them to dinner with Jonathan last night. I love these Sabato shoes (mine are black but they also come in blue as pictured) from Chocolate Shubar. Sometimes I want to wear heels, as opposed to pumps, to dress an outfit up but I don't want to teeter around in huge heels. The small cone heel on the Sabato shoes is enough to make me feel instantly dressier without hurting my feet or being uncomfortable to walk in.

schu is a young brand born in Singapore in 2005, which offers evening sandals, heels for everyday, ankle boots, Derbys and pumps. Contemporary and accessible, schu footwear is designed for fashionistas who want to look good on a budget.

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Mollie Makes: issue 1.

When Rebecca recently blogged about a new magazine called Mollie Makes I knew I had to get a copy. I've always fancied subbing to a crafts magazine but some of the others on the shelves seem to be either too full on (e.g. not for a relative beginner like me) or granny-tastic.

It took me a while to track down a copy - Mollie Makes is hard to find! But it was worth the hunt. Mollie Makes is packed full of knitting and sewing projects (some suitable for beginners, others a little more advanced), links to blogs and craft supply stores, photos of people's homes and vintage finds, and generally just lots of visual goodness.

I'm definitely going to buy issue 2 when it comes out. I like the idea of reading a magazine from the beginning and keeping each issue. Plus now I have a knitting mojo back it's ideal to give me ideas and inspiration for things I can make for myself and as gifts for others.

Have you managed to get your hands on a copy?

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I know it seems strange but things they change.

Another bank holiday weekend? Awesome! Today has been a complete lazy day recovering from a few too many glasses of wine last night. Jonathan and his friends had a bbq yesterday and watched the football, so one of his friends girlfriends, Katy, and I headed to Meadowhall for some retail therapy (I got a few nice things from Primark which I'll share with you very soon).

After shopping I made a huge, yummy salad topped with king prawns, with some garlic bread, and cracked open a bottle of wine. Cue some guilty viewing pleasure such as Made in Chelsea and plenty of cake and biscuits and you've got a pretty perfect evening right there!

Today I've mainly been under my "Slanket" (which I kindly let the Pugs share with me) whilst catching up on some blog reading. We also just watched a Liam Neeson film called Unknown which is worth a watch - pretty good storyline and plenty of action!

Tomorrow's plans aren't definite yet but they will involve getting out of bed as early as possible to make the most of the day. Jonathan is taking me to a lovely restaurant in Sheffield tomorrow evening which I'm looking forward to very much.

What have you all been getting up to this weekend?

(Blog post title from a Courteeners song - love them at the moment!)

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Dove beauty finish & Sure 48hr.

For the past few weeks I've been trialling a couple of deodorants - Dove's beauty finish and Sure's 48 hr cotton dry. A bad deodorant can be disasterous, especially for an important occasion or on a warm day. Both the Dove and the Sure roll ons I've been trying out have been pretty good in different ways - but one is a clear winner.

Dove has the most amazing smell ever, so this one wins hands down on fragrance. But for effectiveness the Sure 48 hr cotton dry has been better (although I'm very skeptical of anything that claims to last so long and I can't vouch for this lasting 48 hours).

Sure have relaunched their formula which now uses a unique technology called motionsenseTM system. This works by responding to the movement of the body and claims "the more you move, the more it works". 

For me the deodorant performs well and has a light, fresh fragrance that has good staying power. However, I'm a fan of spray deodorants as opposed to roll ons, as I find them much more effective. I'll definitely look out for the Sure 48hr spray next time I pop into Boots. Prices start from £1.77.

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Sarenza online store - Eden and Rocket Dog.

As I mentioned here I'm one of Sarenza's ambassadors and when faced with the generous task of selecting some shoes to try out and share on my blog, the pair that instantly caught my eye were some sandals by Eden called Jumanjia (not to be confused with the classic 90s film of a similar name). The feathers and tassels really caught my eye and the £50 price meant I could get another pair(s) with my first ambassador voucher! When it comes to shoes I'm all about price and wearability - I like to have nice shoes and be able to wear them, as opposed to shoes waiting for a special occasion that collect dust.

When the sun makes an appearance I'll pair these sandals with a lovely Summery outfit to share with you.

(By the way, the great thing about Sarenza is the half sizes. I always tend to find a size 7 is too big and a size 6 is too small, so the shoes I selected were all 6.5s. And they fit a treat!)

Eden Shoes was founded in France in 1993. After opening its first boutique in Paris's 15th arrondissement, success ensued and new sales outlets flourished. Urban, trendy and abounding with style, Eden Shoes guarantee good looks without breaking the bank! 

The next brand that caught my eye was Rocket Dog where I picked up a super cute pair of their Clover seaside stripe espadrilles which I know I'll wear a million times over the Summer with skinny jeans or linen trousers, and perhaps on a little holiday if I'm lucky towards the end of the Summer.

 

Behind the Rocket Dog brand are two shoe manufacturers who have been responsible for the design and marketing of labels such as Candies, Esprit and Sam & Libby for forty years. Their dream was to create a young, dynamic shoe and clothing range that would appeal to anyone and everyone who refuses to grow old. 

I'll be back with some outfit snaps featuring these shoes as soon as it stops blimmin' raining!

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WEATHER RADIO

I'm looking to buy a weather radio and wondered if this would be a good buy.  Any suggestions?

 

First Alert WX-150 NOAA Public Alert Weather Radio with SAME 

 

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Bathtime.

Lily hates it when it's time for a bath. But unfortunately for Lily and Lola they tend to get smelly far too quickly and as I'm expecting a friend round later on today they must be cuddleable!

Lola dries quite quickly but Lily is like a little sponge - so I wrap her up in a towel and give her a cuddle.

Cute.

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Interview: Girl London.

When I was recently asked if I'd like to be interviewed for the Girl London blog I said "yes please!" and I was, of course, very flattered. The Girl London store is affordable and very girly, so if you like to look stylish whilst grabbing a bargain I suggest you go have a browse (but make sure you have a read of my interview on the way!)

The questions are beauty and fashion related, with a mention of a couple of Pugs you may know and my weight loss journey.

To read my interview click here. The last picture is just brilliant!

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RED MOTORHOME

Now that's what I'm talking about!

I wonder how much that modification would cost??

But wouldn't it be great?

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Catch up.

This weekend has flown by. More so than they usually do. It seems like only two minutes ago I was packing my weekend bag and the Pugs into my car and heading to Rotherham to spend the weekend at Jonathan's house. Anyway, I thought a little catch up post was in order as the weekend draws to a close.

Recently my Uncle turned 50 and last night he threw a party to celebrate with family and friends. It was such a good do - lots of yummy food and plenty of drink flowing. It was nice to catch up with some family that I haven't seen in a while, and see my Sister and her fiance who have moved back from Gibraltar. My parents are throwing a big bbq at some point in the next few weeks so I'll look forward to that too!

I'm on the hunt for a camera at the moment. In fact I'm desperate for a camera, as I've had to rely on just my iPhone for the past 8 months which takes reasonable photos outside but doesn't do so well inside. I'm looking for something fairly cheap (obv!) but easy to use that can produce good quality pics. I really like the Fujifilm S1600 and have heard good things about Fujifilm cameras.

However, my camera-buying will have to wait as I got my eyes tested yesterday (I'm a glasses wearer but rarely wear them in photos). Turns out my prescription has changed so much the optician told me off a little bit. It worked out cheaper to get a brand new pair than to put new lenses in my current pair, so I'm picking up my new specs tomorrow. I must admit, it will be nice to see properly again!

Some pictures I'm currently loving:

Source

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Jergens naturals - body moisturiser.

I recently received a tube of Jergens Naturals body moisturiser for reviewing purposes. It's not a brand I've come across much before but I'd heard of it, and was intrigued to find out what the moisturiser would be like.

The moisturiser I received is the Aloe Soothing variety which contains cucumber to soothe, calm and refresh. It does indeed do those things. It instantly cools the skin and has a light, refreshing scent. The only thing I dislike about the moisturiser is that loads comes out in one go. The consistency is on the runnier side. Saying that, however, the product completely sinks into my skin leaving no residue behind so I can apply on a morning and get dressed pretty much straight away. I hate applying body moisturiser and then feeling all sticky. This is not sticky in the slightest.

The smell reminds me of being on holiday, which is never a bad thing, and would make a really good alternative to after sun.

Jergens products can be purchased at Boots and Superdrug, plus some supermarkets too.

Jergens Naturals Feeling Fantastic Skincare Experience!

Jergens have given away 2000 products and the idea is to get all these women doing the skincare experience together. They will be monitoring their progress through their Facebook tab.

As they come back each week and share results they'll also be collecting data on how they feel, and looking at key areas of life including happiness, finance and career. As a part of this they'll also be offering mini incentives to users to help support their lives.

At the end they will create a huge survey about feeling fantastic and they'd love to share all the lovely findings. Take part here!

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John Frieda 3 Day Straight.

I was recently sent a bottle of John Frieda Frizz-Ease 3-day straight to test out and review on Lily loves Lola. I should clear up first and foremost that I don't have curly or unruly hair; in fact my hair is naturally very straight and often just needs a bit of help from my straighteners on the ends. Also normally I wash my hair every single day, as my roots tend to get greasy and my hair looks dull. So please bear that in mind when reading my review.

To use this product I wash my hair as normal and then spray it onto the mid lengths and ends of my towel dried hair about 6 or 7 times, and then just a couple of sprays nearer to the roots. I blow dry my hair as normal (which is not really blow drying it at all, just blasting it in two sections until dry).

Then I use my Cloud Nine straighteners and this is where the magic happens. My hair instantly looks sleeker and shinier, and works better than many styling sprays I've used before.

Not only does this make my hair lovely and shiny, but the best bit is that the morning after my hair is still straight and sleek with no greasy roots. Normally if I skip washing my hair for a day I have to tie it up or make it wavy to disguise the fact it looks a bit dodgy. But not with this. I can wear my hair down again and it feels freshly washed and straightened.

3-day straight is £6.99 in Boots, or 2 for £7.50 if you take advantage of the special offer.

I imagine the results on unruly hair would be even more impressive!

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FOLDING BIKE DECISION

After looking at many trikes and bikes, I think I have found the one for me.

I tend to like cruising bikes and I needed one that would fit in my basement door opening which is 42 inches wide by 22 inches high - so this one could be it as it folds down to less than those dimensions.  Weighs only 45 pounds.  Found it at Camping World for a cost of $194.00.

I would of course need a basket on the front for my Shih Tzu... but I don't think that will be a problem to install a hook on that can be easily removed for storage.

I live about 2 hours from Camping World and not sure if I want to go there to test drive it first or not.  I need to think about it some more and also check into our local bike shop here in town for similar bikes.

I need to sell the trike I currently have and hope to get at least the cost of the new bike for it.  I paid almost $600 for it 2 years ago.

I looked into electric folding bikes and they are awesome street legal bikes.  However, most states require you to have a motorcycle license, insurance, and wear a helmet which I don't want to do.

All of this trouble just because they don't make a decent trike rack for the back of the coach.  Oh well.....   

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Sarenza online store.

I was recently asked to become an ambassador for Sarenza - a huge online shoe store with brands such as Carvela, Rocket Dog, Ted Baker, French Connection, Ugg Australia and Miss Sixty, along with a host of other brands including more sporty brands such as Nike.

This is just a short post to introduce you to Sarenza and challenge you to go and pick out some shoes that you like - the choice really is incredible. I have spent hours searching through the shoes and love so many of them.

I've been given the chance to pick some shoes out to purchase and review, so expect some outfit and shoe posts very soon!

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WINDSHIELD COVERS

Today I ordered the Deluxe Class C Windshield Covers for my coach at a cost of around $50.  Now that I'm camping in the summer time here in South Louisiana, I noticed how much heat was coming in from the front windows.  My AC never kicked off during my whole stay at the beach.  I think this cover will be a good investment.  It will also save my dashboard and seat covers from fading.

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AMPERAGE IS THE ENEMY

Blogger was doing some maintenance today and they deleted my last post.  This is what I can remember of what I posted a couple of days ago.

 

Those vent cushions I purchased a few weeks ago have sure come in handy.  Didn't know how hot it would get inside the coach with all of those overhead vents that let in heat as well as light.  I don't need the light... I need cool.  I placed 5 cushions and still have plenty of light.  Would like to cover the shower skylight but it is shaped convex and no way to stuff anything into it.  A lot of heat comes in through there.

 

I purchased the cushions at a local camping supply store for just under $20 a piece.  It would have cost more than that to order from Camping World.  However, to my surprise, Walmart had a similar white cushion for under $10.00.  Damn!  I ought to know better.  Always check the RV aisle at Walmart before anywhere else. 

 

While washing the coach, I noticed a piece of molding on the bottom right front corner coming out a bit.  I had a friend look at it and he said that a screw was missing.  So he drilled a different hole and caulked it and placed a new screw.  That seemed to fix the problem and at no cost.  Thanks Pat.

 

My short stay here at the park has not been as pleasant as when I was here in March.  It's hotter, more crowded, and noisier.  The park just reopened after a recent clean up of an oil slick that came ashore.  However, there are still many workers going back and forth over the levee to the beach to work.  Every time they cross over or return they blow their horn several times to alert guests walking on the road.  Well, that means that I hear horns blowing all day long as I am parked by the entrance.  It feels like I'm in New York City!!   Thanks BP for screwing up another aspect of my life that used to bring me pleasure.

 

The last time I was here the park was half full of campers with out of state plates.  Today I noticed all but 2 plates are from Louisiana.  That explains the friendliness or lack thereof.

 

I had a problem again with a breaker flipping off while I was cooking.  It seems that when I'm using my electric stove it pulls too many amps.  Can't use the stove and AC at the same time.  I don't use propane so I guess I'll just have to cook on the electric stove outside in order to get a bit of a breeze.  Small sacrifice in order to stay away from propane.

 

 

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FIFTH SAFARI

I'm back at the Grand Isle State Park with my little furry co-pilot.  Just a short stay.  Will be packing and moving my things out of the camp on Thursday. 

Last time I was here it was still really cool and I had to use the heater.  Today was almost 90 degrees in the shade.  I stayed inside till late afternoon then we went to the beach.  There was a cool breeze and I enjoyed sitting on my chair while Xi Shi Quan did a little swimming in the surf.

Boiled some shrimp (gotten fresh off the boat) with some potatoes and corn.  Made it hot with liquid crab boil.  Love that stuff!  And of course I had to have an ice cold beer with my meal.  Ummm good.

Not a very friendly bunch of campers here today.  Maybe someone will stop by tomorrow.

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Monday summary.

It's the start of a full week at work for me and I just know by Friday early evening I'm going to be falling asleep. These 4 day weekends have been spoiling us! I think Jonathan and I are going to dip into our annual leave soon and have a long weekend - maybe go on a little trip somewhere. We'd love to visit Cornwall or somewhere along those lines, so if you can recommend any nice places please leave a comment below.

I recently appeared on the Style Clone website where they recreated one of my recent outfits. This is incredibly flattering and they said some really nice things about me and my blog, so please do go have a nosy here if you can. For more style tips check out Style Clone for yourselves!

My 5 good things of the moment:

1) Making Rocky Road again. This time we used snickers, marshmallows and digestive biscuits (as opposed to ginger biscuits, Maltesers and chocolate drops last time) and after a taste test I can confirm they're absolutely yummy. Totally calorific though.

2) Plans for another BBQ this weekend (weather permitting!)

3) I saw Derren Brown in Sheffield last week and it was amazing! If you get the chance to go and see one of his live shows I definitely recommend it. The things he can do are unexplainable and brilliant! (Couldn't take a photo while he was on stage for fear of being picked on).

4) Using a slow cooker for the first time and making an unbelievable stew. It was pretty easy to make, especially as we used one of the 'stew packs' of vegetables from Morrisons which are ideal and saves buying all the individual bits of veg. We had our stew cooking for a good 6 hours and it made the meat incredible. We will definitely be using the slow cooker again very soon.

 

5) The return of The Apprentice this week - one of the best programmes on the telly!

Have a great week!

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Hippy hair.

My long, poker straight hair refuses to keep any form of wave for more than 5 minutes. I long for wavy, carefree, hippy hair. I'm also coveting some feather extensions from Halo after seeing a few beauty bloggers talking about them. The natural feathers are my favourite and I think they'd look good with my dark hair.

Source

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Union Jack.

When it comes to home interiors I am obsessed with anything to do with the Union Jack. I picked up this green, grey and white cushion last year from TK Maxx which I utterly love, but I much prefer the traditional red, white and blue colours. I wanted to share a few of my favourite finds with you, and some inspiration from one of my favourite bloggers.

Cushion - as seen here

Print - as seen here

Restored chairs - as seen here

My absolute favourite room arrangement ever is Maegan's games room which incorporates a huge distressed Union Jack print which works perfectly in the room, jazzing up otherwise plain walls.

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Bank Holiday weekend #2.

Another long weekend has been and gone, and that's it now until the end of May. 4 day weekends really are the future. The last one was another brilliant one - shopping, bbq with friends, a wedding party, using the slow cooker for the first time to make an amazing curry, watching lots of films, catching up with The Event, eating too many biscuits and chocolates.. lovely!

 

 

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