25 Things About Me

I love reading tag posts so when I saw Sprinkle of Glitter and Overdressed and Unprepared 25 things about me tag I thought I'd give it a go too! I know some of you wont be fans of tag posts but I thought it would be nice to get to know each other a bit! I totally encourage everyone to do it too and leave your link in the comments below, or even give a few things about yourself in the comments. So lets begin:

In the Bad Ass Cafe with an umbrella in my hair, as you do!

1. My favourite food is either peaches or toast.

2. I live with my boyfriend Stephen.

3. I'm allergic to fish and hate the smell of it.

4. I can go for about a week before I break down and clean everything in sight.

5. When I was little I had a hard time pronouncing words that began with 'v'. So video was wideo and vampires was grampires.

6. I can not go a day without human interaction, I hate being on my own. 

7. I have 2 cats at my mom's house and love them like children.

8. I went to see Warm Bodies recently and really liked it but was terrified too. 

9. I love going around charity shops and finding real gems.

10. One of my best friends nick name is Poodle (don't ask).

11. Big groups of people scare me.

12. I was named after my gran.

13. When I was 2 I got a pebble stuck up my nose and sneezed it out while at the doctors later that day. My mother was at her wits end.

14. I'm the baby of the family.

15. I hate sport, all of it and can't do any.

16. I've had about 20 piercings done, but currently only have 7.  

17. My natural hair colour is blonde.

18. I sleep walk and talk if I'm stressed.

19. I need glasses to see things far away but rarely use them.

20. My favourite thing in the world is to volunteer with old people.

21. My guilty pleasure has to be squeezing spots.

22. I have green eyes with a yellow ring around it.

23. - is my favourite number.

24. I have 3 tattoos and counting.

25. I used to sing opera.

Friday Favourites #8

This is the perfect way to describe me right now!

Hello everyone! Now I'm sure you might think something is a little off and your very right. I'm posting this on a Sunday, oh dear. I got really sick on Friday night and have been in bed trying to sleep it off since with doctors orders. I have been totally out of touch with the world for far too long, I wasn't even aware that it was snowing all Saturday until Stephen opened the blinds and made me have a look. (I felt like hissing and demanding he closed them like a vampire from the bed.) So please forgive the lateness of this! However, in my absence from blogger and the internet in general there has been an increase in the number of followers here! I am super excited about this and want to wave madly and talk 90 miles an hour to you all. So hello, welcome and thank you for following me! 

Product: Rimmel Match Prefect Foundation

This is my second bottle that I've picked up in the past few months and I really am loving it. It has great coverage, a lovely finish and the colour matches my skin tone perfectly (I use the palest shade, Ivory). What more could one ask for? I will be doing a everyday make up routine in the near future so I will be giving a much more detailed review of this product, but for now you can go buy it in Boots, I really recommend it!

Film: A Dangerous Method

I was pottering about Netflix and came across this. Not having heard of it before I wasn't pushed about it but then I noticed it had Keira Knightly in it. An hour and a halfish later I was a little better for having watched it. Released in 2011 this is a historical fiction about the beginnings of psychoanalysis. The impossible case Sabina Spielrein is handed to Dr Carl Jung to be his deeply disturbed, yet highly intelligent patient. Dr Jungs method is taken from his master and father figure, the renowned Sigmund Freud. This woman takes both under her spell and is eventually let back into society, but not before leaving her mark. I was shocked at Keira's role in this and how well she played it. Its really not your everyday run of the mill drama. Now the underlining theme here is sex, so don't watch it with your easily shocked granny, but do give it a watch as it is an amazing film.

Blog: Thunder&Threads

The reason I got the confidence to start blogging? Right here! I have followed Leanne from the start, she is the most amazing Irish blogger you will ever come across. She is also a YouTuber and just a fantastic reviewer of all things fashion and beauty related. She has the most amazing style and is full of class. Go check her out here, I don't know anyone who doesn't love her. 

Book: Lazy Ways To Make A Living

This is one of the books I nabbed on my crazy charity shop book haul of about 7 books. I know I'm a total nutter but I can't turn a good book or bargain down! I might have also done some awful spur of the moment buying on Amazon Kindle and got a tonne of new lovely reads. Expect a bombardment of new book reviews! This is slowly but surely becoming a book blog, not a fashion/make up one!

Its not often I take embarrassing pics, so this has to be big!!

Product: Lush Mask Of  Magnaminty

When I was in Lush just before Valentines day to pick up a massage bar for Stephen, I got a sample from the lovely Karla. - Side note here, not only was she lovely, friendly AND gave me a free sample, but she had the most amazing eye make up I have ever seen. I have since used the cleanser a few times and wow, it makes my skin feel yummy! It smells like tooth paste and is green, but it works a treat. As you can see, I like to make an eejit out of myself by posting this sort of thing on Instagram. 

Drink: 7up

The way to do it in Ireland, if your sick you drink 7up! and that is what I have been doing since Friday night. Lovely stuff but kind of very very bubbly all the same. I think I'll stick to a nice cup of tea. Oh I tried vanilla tea for the first time the other day, it was nice but nothing could replace a cup of Barrys!

Thats all from me for now, hope everyones weekend has been nice and relaxing and were all ready for getting up early in the morning for work and school! (eh, not.) I'll be back to posting normally from tomorrow, promise! Have a comfy night :)

My Night Time Skin Care Routine

Most nights when I'm not being super lazy using my Soap and Glory Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser that I did a review of  over here, I have my night time routine of taking off all my make up and giving myself a little pamper before I go to bed. I keep all my things in a Lush valentines box that Stephen got me last year, it was too pretty and useful to throw out! 

 First off I cleanse with Nivea's Refreshing Cleansing Lotion for normal and combination skin. Its enriched with lotus extracts and vitamins that makes you feel good about putting on your face and smells nice too. Its thick and takes off make up no problem. It can sting my eye area a little which is off putting but overall it does the job fine. I also just finished Nivea's Pure and Natural Cleansing Lotion from their Pure and Natural range which was a little softer on the skin and around my eyes. I think I'll be picking that up again after I've finished my bottle of refreshing cleansing lotion.

Next I use Boots Vitamin E Toner for all skin types. I picked this up months ago as it was quite cheap and I needed a toner. I'm not a fan of toners in general so I guess I'm biasit when I say I wasn't a fan of it. It has a alcohol sting feeling to it and I don't think I will be getting it again, I'll go looking for a softer to the skin one.

After all my make up is off I use either Germolene Cream or more recently Soap and Glorys Dr Spot. Germolene is an antiseptic cream with local aesthetic that you would normally keep in your first aid kit! But its also great for putting on spots and helps reduce big break outs after one nights use while calming the red areas and making them feel less sore and throbbing. The Dr Spot is a new addition that I picked up a little over a week ago. I'll do a proper review once I have used it more and seen the results.  

Latly I use my little sample of No7 Protect and Perfect Intense Beauty Serum. I've only just started to use this so I have't any major thoughts on it yet. I'll post an updated review once I use it more. For my lips I throw on some of Boots own brand Lipsalve in strawberry and Johnsons Body Care 24Hour Moisture Radiance Hand Cream with shea and cocoa butter. These are both so lovely to use and smell great. My lips feel more moisturised in the morning and my hands feel softer - sometimes I put some hand cream on my elbows too to try soften them a bit, they are really rough and dry most of the time. 

If I'm having a no make up day I'll use Derma V10 Tea Tree Cleaning Wipes that you can pick up in Tesco for €1, bargain of the year! And ICare Eye Make Up Remover Pads from Pennys are also good if I just have a little eyeliner or eye shadow on. (Anyone notice how bad and lazy I can be about taking off my make up? Shocking!)

So that is everything I use right before bed and it all seems to do the trick! I will put up those reviews once I have used the products more to get a proper idea of what they do or don't do. Hope everyone enjoyed this and are as always, having a fab day! I will catch up with you guys tomorrow for my Friday Favourites post :)

Book Review: Take A Chance On Me

I got this book in the in charity shop along with two others for €2, big spender right? So because I was in a bit of a girly mood I picked up the cheesiest romance novel I could find that had the most girl meets boy story on the back, and I came away with Jill Marsell's If you haven't found the one Take A Chance On Me. 

This story follows Cleo Quinn in the English countryside of Channing's Hill where she has lived all her life and now works happily as a chauffeur for a limo service. She has found the man of her dreams, gorgeous attentive and smart Will. Next pops up the old childhood enemy Johnny who bullied and made a fool of her in school. And she still remembers it. Hes now a big shot sculptor, rich, not to mention very good looking. Everyone in the little town loves him and women are just short of openly drooling, but Cleo is immune to his ways, thankfully. 

After all those 'charming' men we get introduced to the best friend, Ash. He lives next door to Cleo and is a real pet who is a very popular DJ for the local radio, his only problem being he is nothing like his on air personality when he meets an attractive woman, que the awkwardness! And then of course there is the sister, lovely solid Abbie and her equally lovely and solid husband. Or so it seems but then things kind of go pear shaped with the perfect couple just as we wave goodbye to the now awful Will.  

I'm sure you can now guess there is a new love interest involved and there are lots of thing happening in the village of Channing's Hill to keep all the residents on their toes. Will Cleo be able to overcome her dislike of poor Johnny? And whats going to happen with Abbie now that she has to move out of her home and away from her husband. Can Ash get over being tongue tied around beautiful women or will he head to Australia just as its too late?

In the end I liked this book and even got a bit must-not-move-until-I've-finished, but I wouldn't be quick to re-read it like some books. This was a nice, easy read and the story line was simple enough that you could pick it up on any page. Not a crazy fan of this one though, being predictable and a little slow to develop. It is relatable and has somewhat of a Bridget Jones feel in parts but not in a laugh-out-loud way. Picking it apart? If there was one or two side love interests before Cleo goes head first then I think it would have worked better. Oh and the side line story with Ash dragged an extra 80 pages out. Oh well, it was something I hadn't read before! I have another Jill Marsell book to read so perhaps that one will do better justice to her writing abilities.  

What are you reading at the moment?

Soap&Glory The Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser

Soap and Glory have several deep pore cleansening products and this has got to be my favourite one from this brand and my overall favourite hot cloth cleanser. I even featured it in my very first Friday Favourites post, now thats saying something! This 3in1 product claims to clean, smooth and melt away make up - it does exactly what it says on the tin! so to speak. Its my go to make up remover/face cleaner when I'm lazy or tired and I am not willing to admit how many times a week I use it! To top it all off, it comes with a free muslin face cloth, fancy. 

This lovely thick creamy stuff has panthenol. sweet almond, orange and my favourite, lavender essential oils which is the main sent. I have always loved lavender, so when I smell this last thing before bed it makes me sleepy and all ready to hit the hay. Also I love all Soap&Glory's eye catching packaging and this is no different with its fab box. Even the tube is something pretty to look at and I love the different colour font. 

Wonderful smells and looks aside, it works a treat with my skin and 'melts' all make up from my face in about 60 seconds after massaging it onto my face. I am also happy to report that I use it on my eyes with no irritation or stinging, something thats great considering how much eye make up I use. It even takes off tough waterproof mascara - a real pain to try and scrub off with a cotton pad and some cleanser. 

I have noticed a difference in my skin and less awful pesky spots too since starting to use this in late December. Its not hard on my skin at all and doesn't leave a residue like some cleansers I've used do. My tube has lasted me ages and still has a third of the product left, which is great considering I use it almost daily. Its well worth the money being just under €12 for a super-hero-type-product that you can get online here and in Boots. I just can't get enough of it and will be going back to buy this again and again. I even have a second tube on standby for when I finish my first one!

Collection (2000) Fix Me Up

A few weeks ago I got the Collection (2000) Fix Me Up long lasting make-up fixer and featured it in my Friday Favourites #5 post. I had it on my wish list for ages after reading the mixed reviews it got online, I wanted to try it for myself. However at nearly €10 I was not prepared to fork out, but after seeing it on offer in Boots I thought it would be worth picking up.

To start with I loved it, but then again don't you always have a slight love affair with any new product while its got fresh packaging and looks all shiny? I know I do. But like every whirl wind romance, things can only last so long and the cracks began to show pretty quick. It claims to be a 'weightless mist that adds radiance and keeps make-up in place for longer.' Eh, no. No it doesn't.

 I am so glad that I didn't pay full price for this product because I would be so annoyed with myself for wasting money on such a disappointing item.The first thing I noticed was that the bottle itself is quite small and is not full at only 18ml's. (I'm one of these people who will pick a product at the back of the shelf and shake a few to compare how much is in each. Have to get the moneys worth you know!) After you apply your make up, let everything dry. You then hold the bottle away from your face and using the pump/spray top function, spray onto your face 3 or 4 times to get full coverage. Personally I think the coverage you get from one squirt of this isn't wide enough at all. My face is properly wet if I apply this so there is full coverage. Well thats not good, no one likes a wet face after spending 15 minutes carefully applying make up. 

The 'mist' has a very strong sweet sent and always drys poorly onto my face giving a dewy/shine look to my skin. I always end up using finishing powder to try and cover it. Apart from soaking your face, making you look ubber shiny and having to fix yourself up a second time, the product itself doesn't do what it claims to in the first place; keep your make up in place. I don't normally touch up my make up for about 7 to 8 hours after I've applied it but with the Fix Me Up spray I was touching up sooner. I think the extra layer of moisture and almost grease (ugh, right?) made my make up wear quicker and I was reaching for my make up bag after only 5 hours. Also, a word of warning, make sure you let your liquid eyeliner dry for at least 10 minutes before applying this or you will have panda eyes like I managed to achieve one day. 

A big thumbs down to Collection (2000) make up fixer spray. I wont be repurchasing this again and its one of my most disappointing products of 2013 to date.

An idea of how small it is.

The Power Of Salt

No, now don't give me that look. I'm fully aware salt is bad for you and you should avoid it on your dinner but what about in the bath? I have been a fan of sprinkling some salt into my bath water every time I go for a soak for many years now. What sparked this mad habit off in the first place? A lady in a health shop in the deep South of Kerry, thats where. I was on the hunt for some dried banana chips (heaven in a bag) when I saw a lady carrying several bags of salt to the counter. She dropped one and as I helped pick it up I asked (because I'm nosy like that) why she needed so many bags. She told me about the power of salt and taking salt baths. Ever since then, I was hooked.

Salt, when used in the bath is cleansing, it stimulates circulation, detoxifies and hydrates the skin, helps cellular regeneration, helps to sooth dry skin and if thats not enough it reduces muscle inflammation and relaxes them to relieve pain. The stuff is packed with minerals,sodium and potassium which your blood needs after exercise. It can relieve water tension (getting skinnier in the bath you say?!) and can strengthen bones, teeth and nails. Some research has even claimed that salt water helps to clear up acne.

'The Father of Medicine' Hippocrates (BC) encouraged his patients to bath in sea water after he studied fishermen who put their hands in the water when they had cuts and sores. And if you want to get fancy about it, which I always do, the treatment is called thalassotherapy - sea therapy in Greek. 

So next time you come across some sea salt or even a bag of table salt in the shops, why not pick it up and add a little to your bath? Might just be the trick.

Friday Favourites #7

Its the day after Valentines day, did everyone love it or hate it? Either way its over for another year so we can all breathe a bit easier. And whats better is that theres half price chocolate and candles in shops today! I'll be getting myself a nice candle holder or two that I've had my eye on! This week I have been really loving these things:

YouTube: Grav3yardgirl

Bunny is one of a few youtubers that I have followed from the very beginning. She vlogs about fashion, beauty, ghostly happenings and her daily life. I like to save a few of her vidoes up and then sit in bed at night with some tea and watch them all! She is funny, slightly mad and a lovely down to earth girl. Go fall in love with her here.

Magazine: Cosmopolitan

I'm not one to fork out anything up to a fiver for a few glossy pages of ads but March's Cosmopolitan (British edition) was one that would make me consider taking a second look at the magazine racks. Its packed with S/S fashion styles, a mind blowing 3 page article on International Women's Day thats extremely interesting and some beauty must-haves that I never knew about. I love the overall spread and its not something you'll finish in 20 minutes on your way home from work. Its still in shops for €3 if you want to grab your copy.

Site: PostSecret

I have been a lover and devote follower of PostSecret for a very long time. Every Sunday the site gets updated with new postcards that people from all over the world make and send to Frank, the creator of the site. Then they are posted for the week, displaying the deep hidden thoughts and secrets of everyone who chooses to share them. Its a wonderful community to be a part of, take a look over here.

Perfume: Eau De Soap And Glory 

I have tried this out lots in Boots every time I pass by and yesterday Stephen gave it to me for Valentines Day. Mmm I love it, it smells strong and girly with notes of magnolia, freesia and vanilla to name a few. Its in a cute bottle that is something I'm going to love having on display. I'm a fan of Soap and Glory so this is a perfect edition to my growing collection and my perfumes. Give it a go, it really grows on you. You can find it over here. 

Drink: Papaya Milk

It looks like I have a favourite drink every week of the year, but honestly I don't! If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know I went to the Asia Food Market on Drury Street in Dublin to pick up some of Stephens favourite chocolate biscuits (things we do for Valentines day!) I had to pick up a lovely can of papaya milk. Its creamy and fruity and just nom nom nom. Its 99 cent and worth every penny. I wish Tesco did it so I could have it more often!

Shorter then my normal Friday Favourites, but these are what I have been loving and occupying my week. I will have a lot of product reviews next week for you all, seems I have been stocking up on new products that I haven't tried before over the past month or so to tell everyone about. So until tomorrow, hope you all have a fab Friday and enjoy the weekend!

Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Nose Strips

I have always wanted to try out pore strips to see if they worked and last week curiosity got the better of me and I'm so glad it did! I picked up Boots own brand 6 pack of tea tree and witch hazel nose pore strips for just under €7. Theres still a 3 for 2 offer on a lot of Boots brands at the moment if anyone fancies picking these up. In the box you get 6 individually wrapped nose strips that contain antibacterial tea tree oil and witch hazel that calms your skin . I sometimes buy a bottle of witch hazel water to use as a cleanser so these caught my eye immediately as I can have quite sensitive skin that breaks out easy if I'm using a new product. The whole idea of put something on your face and it visibly takes away the bad stuff is both an amazing and slightly sickening concept. But I had to give it a go anyway.

You simply wet your nose, remove the clear backing of the strip and apply it firmly over your nose. After making sure to smooth it down all over your nose you leave it for about 15 minutes until it hardens. Then my favourite bit, peel it off. Ending up with oil, clogged pores and black heads all been taken away in the little strip.

If I'm honest I wasn't expecting much from the strips and maybe my lack of expectations is what made them more amazing. They worked really well and cleaned the pores on my nose like no ones business. So much so that after I raved on to Stephen (who has the lovely image of me walking round in my jammies and a pore strip ingrained in his mind forever) he wanted to try them too.. Don't tell him I let you know though.

I want to know if you can get a full face strip and just go mad or if someone will go about making this product happen? Thank you, please! They work every time, and you can use them up to 3 times a week. Clearer skin, less blocked pores and reduced black heads? Don't mind if I do! Once I use my box I will be back to Boots to get more. Think they could become a favourite and something nice to treat my skin once or twice a week.

Review: Rimmel Apocalips

'Big Bang' and a little swatch of it.

The blogger and vlogger world have been crazy for Rimmel's new Apocalips ever since they were released late last month. Since then every girl has been running to the nearest shop to try out these lip glosses and I can see why they are causing a stir. I gave in and swatched a few the other evening in Boots only to come away with 'Big Bang' a fab red colour.

Oh wow, these lip glosses are highly pigmented, creamy, opaque and in a range of 8 amazing colours that have a lasting power thats unreal. Also the applicator wand has a slight indent? hole? in it to catch product, which means you will only need one dip into the tube for full coverage. I love the packaging and how it didn't dry my lips out - this is a each to their own thing, as many reviewers have mixed feelings. I put on some lip balm before applying this gloss, could have something to do with it.

I put this on in the early evening, had dinner, drinks and even a sneaky kiss. Then a bath with the room full of steam. Some of it did naturally come off during the night but overall the red colour stayed. It didn't bleed like I thought it would in the heat of the bathroom and the colour was still as clear to see as when I first put it on. I am very impressed to say the least and know I will be back to Boots to get another one or two shades. Rimmel seem to be able to do no wrong lately, keep it up please guys!

Google Images

Dressing For The Grammys

Ok so lets start with the boobs, as they are not shy and I had the exact reaction Ellen Degeneres seemed to have when I saw Kay Perry. The colour of the full length dress is an amazing blue/green and the detail around the neck line is really to die for, but the Elie Saab gown is missing a whole lot of fabric in the chest department. Katy made quite the statement and raised a few eyebrows too. Its a big leap in the mature direction to what she normally wears, but of course Katy had to make heads turn. I have a feeling her spilt from ex husband Russell Brand might have something to do with it. None the less, if you got it, flaunt it girl! However I love that the focus is totally on her dress with a middle hair parting left loose around her shoulders, no over the top make up or jewellery. Fab, even if a bit boobie.

Another green dress caught my eye and for all the wrong reasons. Florence Welch had this dress custom designed by French label Giveenchy but seemed to look like something out of Jurassic Park. Dark, shiny, figure hugging, floor length green and covered in odd lumps/scales? No, I don't think so. Florence is no stranger to wearing stand out pieces that get criticism from time to time but come on, leave the fancy dress at home, you were at the Grammys! Apart from the obvious fashion police that carted her off after the photo was taken, I did like her natural and minimalistic make up look. And of course her lovely red hair was up to give everyone a better look at the eh, dresses extra 'features' on her shoulders. 

Yes, this is Cher. People either love her or hate her but I tend to be on the fence. Leaving bad music and poor acting on XFactor aside, wow. Would you look at her? Doing everything right in this elegant black sequins dress with very hollywood style curls, not the usual crazy hair do in sight!  And she left the heavy make up at home it seems, opting for a lovely natural porcelain finish with only her eyes and lips getting a quick look in. Cute studs in and ready to go. The girl has definitely shown she can turn into a woman in no time. 

How I love Kat Dennings. If I could be anyone I would be her, well maybe her character from Two Broke Girls but I'm not fussy. So what is an amazingly beautiful woman like Ms Dennings doing in that dress I swore I saw in a bargain bin from Pennys? Pennys is great by the way, but the dress does not scream Grammy material. It does nothing for her figure and it has to be caught somehow on her chest, don't dare tell me thats part of the design. This cosmo print fake snake skin effect is something that should have never been made let alone worn. It offends my eyes to an extreme. 

I am a huge fan of Adele, but I just can't love her dress. Or can I? I don't know if I should be commenting on the fact that I thought she was wearing carpet of sorts or that she looks beautiful anyway. Scary granny carpet dress aside, her make up and hair was stunning as always  Maybe I will just leave it at that. Oh and rock on her for having a go at that idiot Chris Brown.

Mr Timberlake, a fine fellow by all counts but what was going on with his feet? No, back home to full black shoes and black socks please and thank you! Not even a wealthy, attractive singer/actor like him could make it up to me if he turned out with white socks. No sir. 

Actress Alicia Arden, Niki Minaj and US musician D'manti 

And finally, I can't even talk about this lot. Arden needs to give back the child's guitar bag she obviously robbed, Niki is running for the new Pope it seems and D'manti... Someone tell the poor woman she went out without clothes on again!

Sorry for such a picture heavy post, but some things had to be seen and dealt with! Overall a very interesting and fun 2013 Grammys! There were some amazing fashion pieces and then some.. Well you know. I'm so glad its all done now and I will just about be over the shock in time for the next one! 

P.S. Rianna was rocking that red dress too wasn't she? 

Book Review: The Woman Who Went To Bed For A Year

Read it in the bath with a nice candle!

After spending one of my many 'lets see what I can't have' evenings roaming through kindle books, I came across this lovely one. Its £4.99, not the sort of price I find reasonable at all. (Then again, when your used to picking up 3 books for €2 in the charity shop like I am, not a lot looks like a bargain.) But Stephens lovely mammy lent it to me after us chatting about books we wanted or had read. So heres a little review for you all.

Sue Townsend is no stranger to most of us thanks to her best selling book The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole 13 3/4. Since then she has written many a wonderful story, including The Woman Who Went to Bed For a Year in 2012. In the funny and weird romance novel we follow the life of Eva, a wife and mother who has had enough of the world. In the middle of the day she gets into bed and doesn't budge again for well, a year. Her husband Brain is a man of science and hasn't the patiences or time to indulge his wife in her odd behaviour when he is hungry and can't find a clean shirt. Brian calls his mother and Eva's, convinced shes having a break down. But nothing will help to get the woman from her bed. 

Meanwhile the twins are off to college for the first time and not only are they lacking social abilities but they are the stereotypical maths geniuses. Things naturally get crazy in college and its just as bad back home with Alexander the handyman dismantling Eva's bedroom for her. Everyone has a few skeletons in the closet that are all about to be found at once. My god this book is a bit of a whirl wind but I just couldn't put it down. Throughout the book we are introduced to a range of characters that we get to know as part of this very dysfunctional but none the less loveable family. Its really family life to the max, bursting from cover to cover. Neighbours talk, strangers seek Eva's advice and the burning question remains; why has Eva gone to bed?

This is not a book to read on the bus if you don't fancy getting looked at for laughing hysterically like I did. There are some real gems inside these pages and its a book that make you sit back and think. And of course who hasn't had a day, week or month in their lives where they would rather stay in bed then face the difficulties of the world. In the middle of this modern world that Eva looks at, there are some pointed questions we take away. If I was to pick apart this book I would say my issues with it are the very unbelievable parts at the ending with the twins and the lack of closure with Eva. But overall its worth a read, even better if you can find it in the charity shop!

What are you reading at the moment?

Friday Favourites #6

Wish this happened every time I took out a tissue!

Anyone else think that the past week or so has had mad weather? Its been snowing, the sun was out and now its back to wet and windy. No wonder I have myself a cold, all this rain jacket, t-shirt, snow boots business. Oh well, maybe the sun will win and we will have a 25 degree week... Or at least I'm wishing.  I've a cold so this week has been spent mostly moping round the house!

TV Series: Lie To Me

I've been spending far too much time surrounded by tissues and panadol in bed, so what better way to pass the time then get addicted to an old favourite tv show? Netflix will be the undoing of me as it has all the seasons of Lie To Me. Its creepy at times but I love the American crime drama that ran from 2009 until 2011.

Book: Cook Books

Last Saturday I had a bit of a dinner party in memory of my dad. I made mostly vegetarian dishes as one of my friends is a veggie only girl. I had a mini break down in the kitchen but produced, with the help of my cook books a veggie lasagna, roasted tomatoes and mozzarella in peppers, cheese cauliflower and a chicken pie for the meat lovers all together with a desert of my 'signature' cheese cakes. Stephen made a to-die-for devils chocolate cake and there was much eating and laughing involved. A really special night, even if the preparations were mental! I love all my books.

Blog: Overdressed and Unprepared

This blog is a great read for beauty junkies like me, and even the name overdressed and unprepared is funny and reliable. Debra, who is the author is from Northern Ireland and writes a variety of great topics. I especially love her tags and product reviews. My only 'problem' with her blog is that she posts monthly reviews of different magazines which I read and then have to go buy! Go check her blog out over here for a fab read.

Drink: Coffee, Coffee And!... Coffee

So eh, I drink coffee as you can see (!) and like lots of types, but nescafe has to be my favourite brand. I have recently fallen in love with their jars of espresso which is lovely and strong. But on my weekly food shop I noticed nescafes new gold crema and had to try it out because it was on offer for €5.50 and I needed a new jar. Oh my, this is rich and kind of creamier then the regular kind. If boasts to be 'smooth and silky' and well, I'll have to agree with them there. 

  

Things: When your sick

Some of my essentials that I reach for when I'm feeling poorly have to be vicks vaporub to help me breath, natural honey and lemon to ease the pain in my throat and vaseline for chapped lips and for around my sore red nose. Not the prettiest sight but they all get the job done!

Site: PicMonkey

So I'm last to the party here, but I'm sure you have all noticed my improved layout of pictures in my recent posts. I am in love with this site, its easy enough to use and theres loads to play around with. Hold the phone, I'm getting all fancy! Go have a look over here, its free to use.

Thats all for this week, I will have no 'I'm sick' related Friday Favourites next week, promise! Have a great weekend everyone and relax lots :)  

Buy Irish: Birthday PixiPots

This post was meant to be up last night, but I have an awful cold at the moment and fell asleep at half 8 instead! Colds really take it out of you, so apologies for that.

Last weekend I sat down with the lovely Vanessa over a cup of tea for a chat about her business and to pick up my birthday PixiPot. I had emailed Vanessa after I came across her Facebook page asking if I could order a purple medium pot with birthday decorations on it. I could not have been more delighted when I saw it and to hear all about this young Irish entrepreneur's journey. I have since filled the pot with little presents for my friend and red polka dot tissue paper. The pot was presented in the lovely purple tissue paper but I couldn't wait long enough to take pictures of it!

Tell me a bit about yourself: Well, I'm a teenager, I'm 18 and still in school in 6th year. I do the pots and painting in my spare time. I'm a big fan of playing sports and love them all!

How did you come up with the idea? Its kind of funny. My nanny had a ceramic ornament in her house that would sway form side to side when the light would hit it and it brought a smile to my face, so I thought yeah! thats what I'm going to do. I went out and bought a pot and painted it then I went to the Art&Hobbie shop to buy stickers. It turned out good!

What made you decide to sell them? I set up my business with Foroige which is a youth organisation. They have a programme called NFTE (Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship) that teachers young people business skills and how to set up a business. I'm heavily involved in  Foroige so I took part in this programme. They are really supportive of my business, which is in its third years now.

Thats brilliant, well done for that! Do the pots take hours to make and is it annoying, or do you really still enjoy what your do? I do still enjoy doing them because when I look at them they make me happy and when people buy them they say ''ah there really cute.'' I get pleasure out of making other people happy. But when I have a big craft fair, the pots and stickers would be everywhere over the house thats when it gets a bit stressful!

You say you do craft fairs, whats that all about? I have to book a stall. I had one in the RDS at Christmas time, and Foroige organised that. You go out and trade for a few hours. Before Christmas I had some that I organised myself in Kildare and Tallaght library. I try to grow my business as much as possible and try to sell where ever I can.

So tell me, do you think you'll stick with this?  I'd like to think that id stick with it because it is something thats very useful and can be used for anything, but next year when I go to college and have loads of work to do maybe I might not be able to do them as much as I'd like to.

Does art interest you in general? Are you going to be an artist in college? Eh, no! this is the only artistic thing you can do! I'm not good at art but I'm kind of creative, thats where PixiPots come in.

where did you come up with the name PixiPots? I actually didn't come up with the name, my sister did. We were sitting around the table having dinner thinking of names because I had a product that had no name! I called them magical because you never know what you can put in them.* My sister said pixies are magical, why don't you call them that?

So your sister gets a percentage of the profits for thinking up the name then? No!

I'd like to thank Vanessa for making my lovely pot and for her time answering all my questions! You can find her on her Facebook page PixiPots  to see samples of her designs. She has told me that she ships worldwide and is more then happy to make a pot for any occasion. I know I will be a returning customer, her effort and care for each individual pot clearly shows, making home made and buy Irish a must for me. 

*Personally, I would love to get one for my pens and pencils. I would also love a smaller one for all my make up brushes and hair pins too. It would add some lovely extra eye-catching pieces to my bedroom and bathroom! Its all going on my wish list. 

The Valentines Look

If your going to be out and about this Valentines day or have a lovely date night all planned with your favourite person, you'll want something to wow them. So here are three outfits I think would go down a treat for such a day. I had so much fun making these and drooling over them too!

Now despite this Asos label being called Little Mistress (ahem) I think this is such a beautiful shift dress to have in your wardrobe. Its a fab colour and cut, not to mention the design and bead detailing around the neck line which means you don't need loads of jewellery to set this dress off. The cuffs also add the less is more feel with three buttons down each side, so theres no need to worry about a bracelet and only a thought for a ring. Its something you can throw on and walk out the door in 10 minutes flat. Sounds good to me. With it being such a bold colour, I thought I would pair it with a cute kissing birds bag in black thats also from Asos, along with black heels and spike chandelier earrings that are both  from Forever21.

Next is another dress that I want to run out and buy the second I post this - but will try to resist. Its a very 'valentines dress' being red and  pretty. Topshops Lace Sweetheart Dress is part of their concession collection, so just bare that in mind if your thinking of ordering it. It has a sweetheart neckline with lace mid-length sleeves and lace to the waist, giving way to a chiffon skirt. It also comes with a thin brown belt to draw eyes to your waist. But if I was to have my way I would ditch the brown belt and go for a silver instead to add an edge to the oh-so-sweet look. A killer pair of these amazing Platform Pumps from Forever21, a black metallic clutch  from New Look and bam, off you go sexy!

Lastly, a more casual laid back feel if your not going for the whole dress up look. River Islands lip print tank top is just enough bling to set the tone. Its really fab covered in diamante embellishment with a longline shape, perfect loose or tucked into jeans or pants. Speaking of which, Topshops navy blue disco treggings are to die for. No really, take a moment to enjoy how gorgeous they are! Paired with some well loved converse and that amazing black heart shaped bag from A|wear thats covered in studs and you are ready to face the world.  

Have you decided what your going to wear February 14th?

 Keep an eye out, I'll have another post up later for all you lovely folks!

NOTD: Barry M Blueberry

Would you look at that, two posts up in one day? My oh my, I'm making up for my lack of posting now! If you read my Facebook post earlier, you'll know I was hoping my nail varnish would pop up. It heard my pleas and wondered out from its hiding place. And people give me weird looks when I talk to objects. 

Today I have the lovely Barry M's Blueberry in number 306. I am dying to get back into wearing bright, warm, summer colours again after a long winter and dark, colder tones. And this is just the colour to make you happy when you look at it! Its a stand out light blue and its one of my all time favourite colours that I wore to death last summer along with Barry M's Fuchsia as you can see in the picture above. And before you get your hopes up seeing sun and flowers, no it wasn't taken recently it was last summer I'm sorry to say. I love using two colours on my nails to make it more interesting and to my make nails match more outfits - which never work out let me just mention! 

This colourful treat is just under €6 and I really like Barry M's nail polishes. They have some really different shades and as you know from my last NOTD, I am in love with the glitter nail paint in Amethyst Glitter. You can nearly always pick up a deal of buy one get one half price and I have my fingers crossed that will happen soon for Blueberry, because I have just found out my bottle is almost empty! I have never finished an entire nail varnish before, so I have a feeling last summer was the cause. The bottles themselves are gorgeous and something I like to display instead of hiding it in a drawer with the other ugly looking bottles of varnish. 

This only needs one coat and maybe a top coat but I tend to leave it off because I find that it stays the same length either way. The brush is fine, but I don't think I will ever love another nail varnish brush as much as I do the L'oreal Colour Riche ones. It takes about 2 to 3 minutes to dry which can be a bother if your in a hurry (or need to put your hand in your pocket to take out your bus fair - yes I do my nails waiting on the bus. Time saving and all that!) but stays about 3 days before chipping. Removing it is no problem, it only needs a tiny scrub for the stubborn corners. 

What have you got on your nails today?

  

Valentines Day Gifts For Him

Marilyn Monroe, such a beautiful woman.

There isn't a girl (or guy) I know that finds any day that requires present buying an easy task! I always pull my hair out panicing over what I can get Stephen. He likes play station games and crisps. The first I know nothing about unless its Skyrim) and the second is not really an amazing gift to receive! So here are a few ideas for you all. Fingers crossed your guy has loads of interests and hobbies!

Find his favourite scent: Guys like to smell just as good as the next person, so why not have a snoop through his bathroom or ask family what he likes to wear. There is a huge selection in in the perfume shop and also in Boots. Calvin Klein CK One is currently £22.60 (about €26) for a 100ml bottle in the Boots sale- a real steal considering its the same price for only a 50ml bottle from the Perfume Shop. Or if thats not easy to decide on, there is always the Lacoste's Eau de Lacoste collection thats about €50 each. My favourite at the moment is Diesel - Only The Brave thats about €60 in Boots and you get a free gift with it too. I got Stephen the gift set for Christmas and he loves it.

Do it his way: You know he is expecting you to suggest some really bad rom-com that you are dying to see and rented/bought it especially for the night. Why not surprise him by watching something he'll love instead. An action or maybe just a good Star Wars marathon? (just not football, oh god anything but that!) I have recently signed up to NextFlix and its something I would recommend as you get a one month free trial and then its only €6.99 per month after.

Don't be fooled: They act all 'manly' and are just short of climbing a building to beat on their chests at times, but guys like to have surprises and treats just as much as girls do. Maybe buy him a nice box of chocolates and get him a rose this year.

He has hobbies: Now I know not every guy is going to love the same things, but if you take a wonder through Eason's or online you will find a book that he could enjoy. And who doesn't love getting books with a nice little message written on the inside? The Top Gear Years is all about Top Gear and cars, a great read if you ask me. Then theres the classic football book, but what if you can't remember his favourite team? Why not be a bit cheeky and get him a football colouring book ? (If I wasn't currently cutting up my credit card into pieces like in 'Confessions of a Shopaholic' I would have bought this for Stephen.)  Maybe games are his thing? Thinkgeek.com have loads of really cool stuff to choose from, even safe bets like interactive t-shirts(!)

Always remember: Like I said in my last Valentines gifts post, This is only one day, don't have hang ups about not getting him the perfect film or burning the dinner. Be grateful if you get to spend the day together. Send him a nice text, or buy him a fancy card to write something sweet inside. Its always the thought that counts the most.

Friday Favourites #5

How is everyone today? Hope you had a quiet and peaceful week? I know I didn't! Ever get one of those crazy non-stop weeks? Umhumm, that was me! I am going to make some serious plans of action over the weekend and get all my Valentines Day posts up for you next week. Until then, here is some of the things I have been loving the past few days.

 Thing: Night Time Relaxing

I have had a stressful and go-go-go! week, so bed time is my wind down and relax time. A nice cup of tea, a hot water bottle and a book or magazine is just what the doctor ordered. I got my copy of the March Cosmo (British edition) which I have yet to even open. However I practically absorbed Kill Marsell's 'Take a chance on me'. I will (fingers crossed) have a review for you guys soon.

Site: Instagram

Now let me be totally honest, I was not a fan of the whole 'expand your blog' business with twitter (-which I am still afraid of) and the likes. But oh how could I have left it so long to make an Instagram account? I use it everyday and tend to put up a photo or two, just to show everyone whats popped into my life without having to blog or Facebook about it. Apart from that its amazing to share and see some true works of art (and a lot of glitter!) I would recommend making an account and becoming part of the community - its amazing. And of course you can follow me at http://instagram.com/bigblondegirl/ or just have a nose at my pictures.

Product: Collection (2000) Fix Me Up

I had been eyeing this 'long lasting make-up fixer' since the start of January wondering if it was worth almost €10 for a small bottle that had some very mixed reviews. But Boots are having a sale 3 for 2 at the moment and I had to have it as it was just over €6. I am glad I did because I am now in love with it. I will do a proper review once I have used it a little more and see if its just the honey moon phase I'm in with this product.

Music: Sandi Thom Wish I Was A Punk Rocker
All the way back in 2006 this song was released and this week for some unknown reason it popped into my head and has been there since! A nice bit of nostalgia for you all if you want to listen to it here . I clap along completely off beat to this day still, but wow its such a good song!

Product: Boots Camomile And Lemon Balm

For under €3 each I could not say no to the lovely summery smelling shampoo and conditioner as I badly needed one. - I had washed my hair with body wash that morning. Not sure if I should be ashamed or not? Its cheap and cheerful, not to mention smelling really lovely in the bottle and lasting all day in your hair. It also makes my hair soft and the condition is fine but not as good as something like my herbal essence hair mask. I will pick up the shampoo again, just to catch the smell of my summery hair!

Thing: A Notebook And Pen

I would have been a headless chicken this week if I didn't keep handy my trusty notebook and a pen. Meetings, shopping list, errands, recipes, blog posts... The list goes on. All I had to do was scribble things down as they came to me or if I needed to remember something, a quick root through my bag and chaos subsides. Yes, a permanent addition to any handbag. 

So my lovely guys and girls thats what has been occupying my week, keeping me happy. I also can not believe it is now the 1st of February! Finally some hints of Spring and perhaps if were lucky even Summer? Who knows! As always have a fab weekend and I will see you soon!