These are a few of my favourite things #2

Books:

Altered Clothing by Kathleen Maggio

I’ve been looking for ways to be more sustainable with my 

clothes. I loaned this book from the library to get some simple 

customizing ideas. Great for beginners such as myself.

Seeking Slow by Melanie Barnes

This book celebrates the importance of slowing down, 

and taking time for yourself. I found it surprisingly insightful

 with a lovely cosy, warm feeling to it.

Six Weeks to Zero Waste by Kate Arnell

I’ve been taking some positive steps towards a greener lifestyle 

and learning about looking after our planet. This was one of the best, and 

most extensive reads I’ve found regarding the growing waste issue. Arnell’s 

writing is down-to-earth, and encourages us to make changes big or small.

Spotify Music: 

Closer to the Truth by Cher

Although released in 2013, I found this album on Spotify just 

before Christmas. It has a feel-good, disco vibe with empowering lyrics.

Revolution in Me by Siobhan Donaghy

Siobhan was an original member of the Sugababes, and their debut 

album, ‘One Touch’ is one of my all-time favourites. I would recommend 

‘Revolution’ as it has the same kind of vibe and was my favourite album of 2020.

Films on TV: 

The Mask with Jim Carrey

I’ve watched The Mask a handful of times as a kid and re-watched it at the start of the new year. For those who don’t know, we follow a bank clerk who finds a mysterious mask in a river. When worn, the accessory transforms his character. It’s a classic, and Jim Carrey plays the lead character very well.

Internet:

Blog: www.handmadecharlotte.com

Charlotte has a beautiful blog, filled with colourful and unique 

crafts for all ages. I can’t help being inspired every time I visit.

Lifestyle:

Unicorn Decorated Tissue Box

My Mum gave me this decorated tissue box. 

Available at Asda for those of you who are curious.

I love the unicorn/rainbow design. 

What were your favourite things this month?

Have I given you any new ideas for things to watch, listen or read? :-) Xx

Clothing Items Inspired by The Selection Series

The Selection series by Kiera Cass was quite popular in the online book community when it came out and I’m in the middle of rereading it.

Because the book covers are absolutely gorgeous, I thought it would be fun to try and do a Pinterest lookbook of things you could wear with inspiration from those fabulous ball gowns. The first book cover in the series is probably my favourite. I love the ruffles on the dress, as well as the colours.

For those not familiar with The Selection, here is the blurb:

‘Reality TV meets dystopian fairy tale'

'Thirty-five beautiful girls. Thirty-five beautiful rivals…

It’s the chance of a lifetime and 17-year-old America Singer should feel lucky. She has been chosen for The Selection, a reality TV lottery in which the special few compete for gorgeous Prince Maxon’s love.

Swept up in a world of elaborate gowns, glittering jewels and decadent feasts, America is living a new and glamorous life. And the prince takes a special interest in her, much to the outrage of the others.

Rivalry within The Selection is fierce and not all of the girls are prepared to play by the rules. But what they don’t know is that America has a secret – one which could throw the whole competition… and change her life forever’

When looking on Pinterest, I mostly searched for things like ruffles, princess, ball gown, The Selection inspired, etc. I chose a mixture of formal and more casual looks while keeping to the colour palette from the first book cover.

I found this blog post really fun to create, I hope you liked it!

Have you heard of The Selection books by Kiera Cass?

Which of these clothing items was your favourite? :-) Xx

Stationery Inspo #2 | New Year Diary & Calendar

 

These were a present to myself for Christmas, and I’ve been enjoying using each of the items since. For the past couple of years, I’ve been buying my calendar and diary from The Works as they do some really good designs/options.

The diary has a unusual marble effect in pink and gold which makes it look more expensive than it is. The matching A4 lined notebook, I feel is going to come in great use to me. The elephant design calendar is a bit different to my usual style but the colours and patterns are so pretty. I paid £3.00 for the diary, £1.50 for the calendar and £3.00 for the notebook.

Where do you like to shop for stationery?

What does your diary and calendar look like for 2021? :-) Xx

Jerome Russell Bstyled Hair Serum

 

Happy New Year! Hope everyone is doing okay. I bought myself this hair product before Christmas, and have been using it often since. So far, I’m pretty chuffed so I thought I would do a review. 

I mentioned to my hairdresser ages ago now that I had some flyaway hairs, and she suggested using a hair serum. I did a bit of searching and found this brand on Superdrug. I was impressed to see its cruelty-free, vegan as well as many other things.

I learnt quickly that only a pea size amount is necessary, so a little really does go a long way. Work the product into the hands and then through the hair. The smell of this product is beautiful, I feel like I’ve just stepped outside of the salon after use; I’m left with smooth, sleek hair.

I paid £6.99 but you can buy two BStyled products for £10.00 on Superdrug. The description of this product explains, ‘Replenish moisture and add shine back to your hair with this hair serum. Designed to make hair more manageable and smoother whilst adding hydration.’

Does this product interest you?

Have you heard of this hair styling brand before? :-) Xx

These are a few of my favourite things #1

 

Lifestyle:

A seasonal flower arrangement

My kind Aunt sent our family some beautiful festive flowers. 

They stand lovely in the conservatory.

Eco-gift wrap & special design

I like to be eco-friendly but stylish with my wrapping. I had some spare 

recyclable craft paper, and made each gift unique using ribbon, toppers, etc.

A winter walk on the beach

The weathers been so rainy this Christmas but there’s been one or two days when 

the sun came out. There was a bit of frost, but lovely light on this trip to the beach.

Entertainment:

Spotify Music: Story of Me by Megan McKenna

I knew of Megan from celebrity X-Factor, but stumbled across her album on Spotify quite recently. Don’t judge her until you listen. Her music is a lovely a mix of country, and pop with meaningful lyrics. 

Films on TV: Christmas Date

‘After Brooke's boyfriend breaks up with her right before the holidays, she agrees to go 

home with an actor who poses as her boyfriend.’ I tend to watch a couple of channel five 

Christmas films each year; this was my favourite as I couldn’t stop laughing along. 

Festive Reads:

Calm Christmas by Beth Kempton

A beautiful little coffee table book, with atmospheric writing, 

and heartfelt thoughts on Christmas.

One Christmas Wish by Katherine Rundell

We follow a young boy with a special wish on Christmas Eve. 

Loved the magical realism and stunning illustrations.

Cardboard Creatures by Claude Jeantet

A non-fiction read I lent from the library. Really innovative

 ways to recycle cardboard, for Christmas and beyond.

Internet:

Blog Post: https://www.nourishmeblog.co.uk/2020/12/10-ways-to-have-more-sustainable.html

I appreciated reading this post on having a sustainable Christmas. There were some great ideas!

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/AmberBurns

Amber has a lovely YT channel. I’ve been enjoying her down to earth, 

conversational videos. She does vlogs, bookish content and more.

What were your favourite things over Christmas?

Have I given you any new ideas for things to watch, listen or read? :-) Xx

The Seaview Café Review & Tour

Merry Christmas to my blog readers! I hope you are all well. Today I have a café review to share. We visited it New Year’s Eve last year, and didn’t get a chance to post it in time so I saved it up. We’ve been to Seaview a few times now, and really enjoyed it. We sat by the window, and the view overlooking the beach was a treat. 

We were early we when arrived at the café, and luckily it stayed quiet until a bit later. The staff were particularly welcoming and friendly which I liked. I absolutely loved the décor, with the blue sofas, and they decorated for Christmas beautifully. We all had a coffee and a croissant/scone. We hope to visit again at some point.

Did you have a quiet Christmas too?

Are you looking forward to the New Year? :-) Xx 

Fruits Pineapple & Papaya Sugar Scrub Bar

It’s lovely to be back with a beauty product review as it’s been a while. I received this item for my birthday, and I've just started using it. Fruits is a brand by the shop Wilko in the UK. They offer an affordable selection of bath and shower products.

Today my review is of the pineapple and papaya sugar scrub bar. Initially I thought the bar would be awkward to use in the shower, but actually it’s pretty nifty, scrubbing away, leaving soft, smooth skin. 

The fruity scent is a pick me up in the winter months. I put it in a plastic container to keep it safe after use. Amazingly this item retails at £1.00. As far as I am aware, it’s not cruelty-free sadly but I’ve been enjoying using this product overall.

Have you tried the Wilko Fruits range before?

Do you have any scrub recommendations for me? :-) Xx

Two New Notebooks

Recently I added two new notebooks to my collection. I use them regularly and find them very helpful for list making as well as writing goals. I mostly buy my notebooks from The Works as I love the designs and affordable prices. I paid two pounds for each of these. The brown one is made from one hundred percent recycled material and I was drawn towards the love the earth one for the lovely message. 

Where do you buy your notebooks from?

What do you like to use notebooks for? :-) Xx

Café Creations Tea Room Review & Tour

My family and I visited this tearoom last Christmas and I didn’t leave enough time to share it on my blog over the festive period. I thought I would share my review and tour now as we had a lovely time. 

As you can see from the photos, the décor is really homely and friendly. They had decorated for Christmas too. They have a little craft room in the back for craft classes which is pretty interesting. We went for a coffee and scone. The scone was fresh from the oven while the coffee was warming. The prices were reasonable and the staff were so lovely too.

I’ve been a couple of times now, the first time I visited they had a little shop set up and I bought some card making materials plus a few other bits. My parents like going for bacon sandwiches. I hope we can revisit at some point in the future.

Does this tea room interest you?

What do you like to order at cafes? :-) Xx