Autumn Trend Favorites

Hey everyone, we have some amazing fashion trends this Autumn and I wanted to share some of my top picks.

Asos pencil skirt with ruffle front in tartan

£40.00. This is a fantastic work skirt, I would pair it with a white pussy-bow blouse and black suede court shoes.

 

Fashion union,black kimono with all over large floral print £18.00. I love to have a few items that I can layer. I would have a pastel coloured cami under this, with boot cut smart trousers and peep-toe heels.

Michael  kors, salon z dress

£86.42. This is a perfect transition dress, pair with simple  black heels for the day. For night time wow add a fitted blazer silver necklace, bracelet and blue heels. 

Black and white two tone molly jeggings river islannd

£15.00. My perfect Saturday casual, add a pair of uggs and a jumper dress with scarf and hooped earrings.

New look cobalt blue scoop neck mesh 3/4 sleeve top

Now £10.00.Again a great transition piece day time with smart trousers or skirt. Night smart jeans, dangly earrings and strappy heels. 

Spylovebuy jolie block heel concealed platform ankle boots - black suede style

£29.95. These are fashion classics  can be paired with almost anything for a dressed up or dressed down look.

Next Next animal knitted dress £40. I love animal print any time of year but this knitted dress is just right for Autumn. Pair this with brown leather knee high boots and you have a great look for cinema with friends or casual date.

Take care 

Grace x

Chocoholic ..

Hey everyone, So everyone knows I am a chocoholic- that is a person that loves chocolate and MUST have some on a regular basis! Having tried many different types (for research purposes of course …..) and personally think each ones tastes unique. In this post I am going to discuss some of the major brands in the UK.

First Cadburys, the smooth chocolate that has lots of variations by the brand from fruit and nut, whole nut and plain milk chocolate to cola pretzel and popcorn. My favourite however is the marvellous creations popping candy. This bar is great the mix of textures is so imaginative. You have the traditional milk chocolate but mixed in are jelly pieces, popping candy and tiny ‘smarties’.

Second Mars Galaxy, this is a much thicker tasting chocolate. I feel it is a lot sweeter but just as indulgent. The do some variation caramel, cookie crunch and the regular plain chocolate. The Galaxy chocolate takes longer to melt in the mouth so if you want your chocolate moment to last longer go for this!

Next we have Lint Lindor chocolate, this is heavenly! The smooth truffle centre just melts through as you crack the surface chocolate. They have a huge variety, white, milk and dark chocolate with flavours from coffee to peanut butter. This is a must try!

 Lastly we have Ferrero Rocher, Christmas is the perfect time to try these  nutty beauties. The shops are full of the assortment sets offering the complete collection. Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate and coconut. If you don’t have a nut allergy put these on your Christmas list!

What’s your favourite chocolate?

Take care x

PS4

Hey everyone! Something you may not know about me is that I love console games. I should make that more specific I love PlayStation Games. I am anxiously waiting for the arrival of the PS4 on the 29^th November 2013. The only problem is that I have moved house and you cannot change the store delivery address so I do not know when I can go and collect my console as I am working!

I will probably end up having it wrapped up for Christmas which seems ages away but it is only 42 days away!

The game I have pre-ordered with the console is Watch Dogs. This is a little like GTA (Grand Theft Auto) but it is set in the future and is basically about hacking into everything electronic, it has a great story but I will not spoil it for you.

My favorite series of games for the older Playstations is the Lara Croft Tomb Raider Games. Those games had story, action an array of weaponry and extraordinary cut scenes.

Other titles I am looking forward to are Assassins Creed BlackFlag, Order 1886, Infamous Second Son and Final Fantasy a RealmReborn.

Which games are you looking forward to and which console do you prefer and why?

Take care x

Toby Carvery

Hey everyone, I have always enjoyed food, baking it for others and enjoying it myself. I am going to start adding this interest into my blog.  I would like to stat by doing a review on Toby Carvery in Swindon. The one I have visited on many occasions is the one on Elstree Way by Asda Walmart. The car parking facilities are great, lots of room for ‘normal’ parking as well as, family, disabled and pick up/drop off allocated areas.

As soon as you go through the door you are greeted by friendly staff, who no matter how busy it is, always have time to be nice and have a laugh. If all the tables are taken you get given a remote that will flash and vibrate when your table is ready, you can wait in the bar or in the waiting area. The waiting area is comfortable with fires and sofas arranged in such a way as it has lots of little ‘living rooms’.

Once your table is ready the remote will flash and vibrate, you take the remote back and you will be shown to your seats. They will take a drinks order if you have one and show you to where the carvery will be served. When you are ready, make your way to the carvery! You have a choice of meats (this is the only part that is not all you can eat) Beef, Gammon, Turkey and Pies or a vegetarian option. Once you have your meat you self-serve you vegetables. These include carrots, roast potatoes, new potatoes, boiled potatoes, cauliflower, sprouts, beans, peas, onions, Yorkshire puddings, broccoli and sweet corn. You then move to the condiments section where they have various gravy and sauces to choose from.  Take your plate back to your table and your drinks will be waiting. You can now enjoy a roast dinner cooked to perfection!

If you can possibly eat any more, there is a dessert menu on the tables. When the waiter or waitress clears the table they will ask you if you would like a dessert, choose your option and it will be promptly brought to your table. There is a wide variety to choose select from cheese cake, ice cream and sorbet to sticky toffee pudding, fudge cake and pavalova.

To top it all the prices are incredibly reasonable, at £5.59 an adult you can’t go wrong!

http://www.tobycarvery.co.uk/

Take care x

This weeks Boots Star Offer

Hey everyone, this week’s Boots Star Offer is Champneys Complete Home Spa. Champneys is one of the premium brands at Boots. The product packaging has a luxurious hotel feel to it.  Champneys own a chain of high-end spas and these are the exact same products you would find in their spas. Therefore you really are getting the spa treatment at home.  Usually this gift is priced at £50 but the star offer price is £24!

This set is presented in a beautiful white leather case. The case can be used as a handbag, make up or toiletry storage case or even as an overnight bag.

The body scrub contains passion fruit and mango extracts as well as citrus oils. This scrub is creamy yet when applied to the skin seems to rub away any dry skin leaving soft smooth skin.

The body butter also contains mango and passion fruit extracts and citrus oils. Using this after the scrub is great if you want to continue the scent long after you have left the bathroom.  The body butter traps in moisture; this is great for anyone like me who lives near the coast as the sea air really dries out the skin.

The next item is spa treatment hand and nail cream; this is a light lotion that does not leave your hands feeling greasy. The lotion sinks into the hands and nails, to help your hands stay beautiful all year long.

The skin comforting bath milk contains sweet almond oil and chamomile  perfect to distress and relax after a long day.  Simply pour into a running bath and sink into peaceful bliss.

The citrus blush shower gel with energizing lemon, orange and cardamom is the perfect product to wake you up in the morning and get you ready for your day.  It will also leave your skin soft smooth.

The body polisher creates a rich lather to really invigorate your skin, it will polish away any dry skin and help repair dry skin too.

The final product is the citrus blush body lotion this contains lemon, mandarin and sweet almond oil. This will leave  your skin feeling soft , supple and smooth.

There is no doubt that after using these products you will feel truly pampered and ready to take on the world.

Take Care x

Internet Down

Hey everyone, sorry I have been away for a week but my internet provider  made a mistake and barred my services!! Anyway all sorted now and I am back online. I have been writing posts which I will upload shortly.

I have also filmed a few Vlogs, please bear with me I am very new at Vlogging. 

Take care x

Weight loss this week : 7 lbs!!

Hey everyone, just a quick post on weight loss. Last week I got back on the weight loss band wagon and I lost 7lbs. I really cant believe it. 

When we are told breakfast is the most important meal of the day it is true. Eating breakfast was my first change. Somewhere I read that if you want to loose weight you have to kick start your metabolism, to do this you have to eat breakfast within 45 mins of waking up. 

The second thing I did was walking the dog for an hour twice a day, this little bit of walking is all calorie burning.

My next challenge is to drink 2ltrs of water a day, this should flush out toxins and replenish my body constantly. This will also  keep me fuller for longer and therefore eating less. My skin should see a change too, I will let you know how it goes.

Take Care x

This weeks Boots Star Gift: 1st November

Hey everyone, this week’s Boots star offer is Ted Baker: The Great and the Gorgeous Cosmetic Gift Set. This is a fabulous gift set with everything you need to create a gorgeous look, be it soft daytime beauty or full-on night-time glamour.

The kit contains two lip crayons in pink and plumb. These crayons have small enough tips to line the lip perfectly but are long and thick enough to cover lips in seconds. I would use the pink for daytime, as it’s light and simple but also adds a splash of colour to the face. I would use the plumb for a night out the deep colour gives your lips a look of plump sumptuousness. The kit contains four makeup brushes 1 a fine brush for eye shadow contouring, 2 an eye shadow applicator this will be great for applying the eye glitter 3 a slanted brush great for shading in the crease of  the eye and 4 the blending brush to blend out the eye shadow to avoid stark lines between colours. The eyeliner pen is fab, you simply draw on your line, if you’re not too confident do it lightly and go over again and again bit by bit until you get the perfect line.

The next item is the false eye lashes, Ted Baker have got these just right. They are soft enough to be worn for work but long and thick enough to be noticed at night for an evening out. They are very lightweight so you forget you’re wearing them! The eye cream is in a cream colour! It is very pigmented and sticks to the eye even without a primer. Alone it is shimmery and neutral but combine it with the light pink eye shadow glitter and you’re ready to shine on the dance floor. Then we have the bronzing  compact, these gold brown tones give great colour to contour the fact or a warm glow to the cheeks.

We have two nail varnishes pale pink or sparkling gold. You can wear either off these separately for day or night but why not combine them for a fantastic nail art fusion. Last but not least we have the illuminating liquid in pearly pink and warm gold. These can be used to highlight the eyes or face.

  This fabulous gift set: The Great and the Gorgeous  by Ted Baker is usually £40 but from today until Thursday 7^th November you can pick this up for only £19 !!! THAT’S A SAVING OF £21!! If this is perfect for you or a great gift for a friend or relative get yourself down to a large Boots store or order at boots.com.

Take care x

FLORIDA

Hey everyone! As promised I am going to tell you all about my holiday to Florida!!!! I have wanted to visit America since I first found out it existed  (when I was 5). Some friends of ours go every year and invited us along, there was no twisting my arm I was going! 

First things first we flew with Thompson airways, I really enjoyed the flight to Orlando. We had enough space in front of us, and the seats themselves were comfortable. The food was quite good especially for plain food. I would have liked more drink though, we were only given a tiny cup of water (that didn't taste very nice) maybe a bottle of flavored water would be better. The in-flight entertainment was good a variety of films to watch, music to listen to and games to play. The flight home was not so great, as a family had a very young child with them, as soon as the child got to sleep passed him to someone else. We found out this is because they were all smokers and were getting restless.

We had 2x 14 day passes, 1 for Disney and 1 for Universal. Disney has 4 parks and Universal has two I will write a review on each park.  

Disney Magical Kingdom- This is every girls dream! You have two ways to get to the theme park from the car park via mono-rail or by boat. We used both although the mono-rail is faster as it is not so exciting, so much fewer people go on it. Once in the park you can see the magnificent Cinderellas Castle, every child who has ever seen a Disney film will know this castle as it is at the start of every one. I cant tell you about every ride but ones not to miss are Space Mountain, The Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Pirates of the Caribbean. Disney also put on fantastic parades including the nighttime electrical parade. After the electrical parade stay and watch the fireworks and projection onto the castle.

Disney Epcot- This is less of a theme park and more of a learning and entertainment park.  Test track by Chevrolet is good you design your own car and give it some stats and then these change how the car you go on the 'ride' in reacts to the track. The other main attraction is a huge lake which is surrounded by mini versions of different countries, have fish and chips in Great Britain they are great! Live bands perform around the lake, including a BeeGees tribute act (different every year).  At night they have a light display and fire works over the lake reflecting in the water again this is worth staying to see. 

Disney Hollywood Studios- This park is based on Disney produced films and rides that don't fall into the other park themes. Rides not to miss are Twilight zone Tower of Terror ( I went on this once and never again!), Rock n Rollor Coaster, The Great Movie Ride and The Legend of Jack Sparrow. This park also has a night time show but with seats and therefore limited numbers. Get there early as its worth the wait. Displays are projected onto walls of water from the lake, with a story on the island and boats with Disney princesses at the end. 

Disney Animal Kingdom- As the name would suggest this park has an animal theme. It is also important to note that there are only two places with air con here so your in for a long and hot day. My favorite attractions are Festival of the Lion King ( an award winning show), Expedition Everest, Kilimanjaro Safari and Kali River Rapids. Animal Enclosures around the park and a conservation station let you get up close to our animal friends.  

Universal Studios Islands of Adventure- This is my favorite park at Universal as it contains HARRY POTTER WORLD! Yes you read correctly! I am a huge Harry Potter Fan and to come to a place where this comes alive was fantastic. You can walk through the streets of Hogsmead/ Diagon Alley. Buys sweets in Honeydukes, Buy wands in Olivanders and have lunch in The Three Broomsticks or Hogs Head. There is much more to this park than Harry Potter (dare I say it). Rides not to miss The Forbidden Journey, The Hulk, Dr Dooms Fear-Fall and Spiderman 3D.

Universal Studios- Separated from Islands of adventure by shops this park is mostly film themed. Take a trip and watch the Betlejuice Graveyard Review it is a musical show full of songs we all love with a spooky twist. Rides to go on include Rip Ride Rocket, Revenge of the Mummy, Transformers 3D and The Simpsons 3D ride. 

I absolutely loved each and every moment I was in Orlando. The villa was brilliant  The hire car was a Chrysler 300, very comfortable. We ate mostly at home but did visit CICI's Pizza on a few occasions. We also had a couple of breakfasts at sizzler. 

Can't wait to go again!!!!

Fantastic Christmas Gifts at BARGAIN Prices

Hey everyone! As you all know I recently started a job at Boots. While working on 'cash and wrap' aka tills. I learnt about an offer Boots are doing. The offer is called Star gift. What it means is that each week Boots reduce one of the premium gifts to better than half price. The offer runs from Friday until Thursday. It is at larger stores but if you don't live close to a large store you can take advantage of the star offer online at boots.com. 

This is amazing, I have so many family to buy for at Christmas, I like to buy more than one gift for each person. Spending £50 on a single gift isn't justified but with Boots star offer I can afford to get the luxury gifts my family deserve but not spend over budget.

This weeks star gift is the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Winter Essentials Kit. It contains the eight hour skin protectant, this can be used anywhere on the skin including the lips. It is an intensive formula that can even  help sooth dry cracked heels. Intensive moisturising hand treatment, which can keep your hands in good condition in the harsh winter weather. Eight hour moisturising stick that contains SPF15 and vitamin E to help treat chapped lips and protect against the sun. The kit also contains a pair of moisturising socks and gloves. The kit is presented in a handy red case which could be used as a wash bag or even a storage place for smaller cosmetics or toiletries. 

Would you like me to do a post on each star offer of the week? Let me know by leaving a comment.

New Job

Hey everyone, I am excited to say that I have got a Christmas job in Boots!

It is a large store, with so many products. 

I had all my online training on Tuesday, on Wednesday I spent time learning the different sections and where everything goes.

My uniform and badge have been ordered and I can't wait!

Many product reviews to come!

Bye for now.

Urban Decay- NAKED Palette

I know I am a bit behind the times on the beauty range revolution, due to long working hours and tragically no shopping time but while on holiday I allocated shopping time and visited The Florida Mall. 

I came across the Urban Decay Naked Palette, I had heard about how good the quality of the brand was so I bought one. Oh my goodness! The texture and quality of these eyeshadows is phenomenal! Usually I have to reapply eye shadow several times a day as it never seems to stick. However with the Naked Palette it looked as fresh when I came to take it off, as when I first applied it. 

I bought the palette with the small bottle of Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion.This little cream is a big miracle in a tiny bottle.The primer evens out the skin and gives the perfect base for the eyeshadow to stick to.

The outside of the palette is a luxurious dark brown velvet with gold lettering.Inside the palette is mirror on the bottom of the lid and then a gold housing for the eyeshadows and brush.

Each shadow has a very imaginative name name as follows:-

Virgin- This is a very light base colour that once on the skin looks  like a very light silver.

Sin- This is still very light but a warm shimmery gold tint, again a good base colour.

Naked- This is a matte light brown I have used this as a base or for contouring when using a light colour range.

Sidecar- This is a medium brown shimmer eyeshadow, I like to use this on the lid for day wear as its a strong enough colour for impact but not to overpowering for work.

Buck- This  is a chocolate coloured matte shadow, I have used this as a contour with a shimmer on the lid for a lunch date with friends or for work. This is a lot more subtle on the eye than it looks on the palette.

Half Baked- This is one of my favorite shadows in this palette. It is a shimmery gold with caramel brown undertones. I love this as my main lid colour for day or night.

Smog- This is a very sexy colour and gives a smoldering smokey eye perfect for a night out or date.

DarkHorse- This is a dark chocolate shimmer shadow, I have not used it yet but it has lots of depth in the colour and would be high impact on the lid.

Toasted-  Another of my favorites this is a coffee brown shimmer shadow with bronze undertones. I use this as a contouring colour in the day and a lid colour at night. 

Hustle- This is a dark brown shimmer shadow with a purple undertone. I have used this as a lid colour for day mixed with buck to soften it a little.

Creep- This is a black shadow with silver flecks in it. I have  used this for a dramatic smokey eye. The colour is so pigmented it can be blended out to grey.

Gunmetal- I have used this Silver shadow for contouring, main lid colour and with Creep for a smokey eye. 

If you have not brought this product you are missing out! These can be found in most town centers in the Debenhams department stores.  

I'm back!!!!

Hey everyone! I know it has been a long time since my last post 7 months actually. Loads has happened since then.

1. We went to Florida for 3 weeks- it was amazing. I will write separate posts on different aspects of the holiday. 

2. We have moved 187 miles away from Wiltshire to the coast. We are in the process of doing it up I will post before and after pics when we have finished. 

3. We have just started our own business- again separate post on that later.

4. I have started a degree in Business and Management. 

We have the internet now, so let the blogging commence. 

What to ask your wedding photographer

We are excited to day that we have booked our wedding photographers! We first meet Glen and Colin at the Lackham House wedding fair and liked them from the beginning. Glen  is our lead photographer and so is our main contact.  Glen is funny, friendly and most of all creative.  One of the main reasons we choose them is because they take advantage of their surroundings, opportunities and make everyone feel relaxed and happy which all leads to amazing unique wedding album.  I would like to recommend some good questions to ask your photographer Please visit  http://www.yourdigitalmemories.co.uk/main-page.html the most talented photographers in Wiltshire, but just as important they know how to treat people, (a skill that is very important but some photographers lack):-

1.Whats your wedding style?

There is  more to photography than point and click, there are many styles of photography and its very important that you discover what style you like. Do you like traditional, fashion, reportage or modern /edgy.  Ask your prospective photographer what their style is and see if it matches your needs.

2. I have a few ideas, can you use some of them?

If there is something you particularly want it is worth asking as if they cannot or will not you may want to choose someone else. Alternatively they may have an equal idea they is tried and tested remember they are professionals.

3. Can I see a few complete wedding albums, ask for different styles of photography?

You should ask to see a complete wedding to see if they are good at shooting all aspects of the wedding. Also it will give you an idea on  how they shoot each section, if they capture all the little details or more of a highlight.

4. Do they belong to any professional photography organisations or societies?

If you’re paying for a photographer or two make sure they are qualified, you don’t want to pay all that money and then find out that your uncle could have done a better job.

6. Do they have a back up photographer?

Make sure that there is a plan B these photographs are one of the lasting parts of your day and without them you have to rely on your memory alone.

7. Do they carry spare equipment?

Do they carry spare cameras and components? Make sure they bring them along and not have to miss vital parts of the day to go and get a spare.

8. Do we have a rain contingency plan?

In the UK we have a high chance of rain so ask how they would plan to deal with it. Would they still take photos in the rain and then go indoors? What would you like?

9. Do you mind guests taking photo's?

Make sure your photographer does not have any issue with your friends and family taking pictures or the opposite if you don’t want your friends and family taking shots as your photographer to assist with this. I know a couple of friends didn't like that there were pictures on Facebook before the ceremony had finished.

10. How long will all the family or formal shots take?

If there are any “must-have” pictures on the day, just let them know. If there are a lot of “formal” group images to be taken, then please allow me a little more time within your planning schedule. After recently going to a wedding I might suggest doing two 'sessions' one at the ceremony venue and one at the reception venue, this will stop guests getting board and restless. Also a good idea to have the welcome drinks, seating and nibbles.

11. How long does it take for me to see my pictures, and receive my Album?

It’s a good idea to get a time line of how and when you will get your photos. Can you be involved in creating your album or will they create it alone. Are you having a formal album or dvd or both? Will the album ready for you after the honeymoon.If there is a specific type or even brand of album you have set your heart on ask your photographer if they can provide that or something similar. 

12. Ask if your photographer does a test shoot?

Your photographer will be a big part of your day so it is essential that you like them. Ask if they can offer a pre-wedding shoot you can get used to the camera and have an insight to what the day will be like. Many couples use this as an engagement shoot.

13. When do I need to book my photographer?

That is entirely down to you, but it’s such an important question, but general advice is to avoid disappointment the best ones get booked quickly so you should try to reserve your date as soon as possible.  Photographers were one of the really important aspects to us and we wanted to get the best. Ours already has 4 bookings for 2015 2.5 years in advance.

I have reworded the questions as these are similar to a photographers website and it effected their Google ranking. The answers have remained the same as they are 100% my own words.

Apologies

Hello everyone,

I a sorry I have not been able to blog everyday, I am having internet problems and could not use the blogger site. I have a few updates to give you all.

1. Paul and I have had to make a tough decision about our wedding. We have thought long and hard and we want a wedding to remember and so we need money to pay for it. We have put the wedding back to 2015 so we can afford it!!
2. On the 19th March I start my degree in Business and Management!!
3. We only have three months untill we go to Florida.

I cannot promise to blog everyday but I will certainly blog a few times a week. Sorry guys

Make up Monday- Big beautiful eyes

Step 1

Groom your eyebrows. Remember your eyebrows from your eyes and so they affect the way your eyes look. Even just tidying up the edges by removing stray hairs can make your eyes more noticeable.

Step 2

Get rid of bags and reduce any puffiness in your eyes  as any swelling around the eye will make them look smaller. Try these  handy tips  to reduce puffiness:

·         Get plenty of sleep.

·         Wash your face with cool water.

·         Place cold, used teabags over your eyes. The tannins in the tea act as an astringent, tightening the skin.

·         Reduce your salt intake. Too much salt leads to water retention, which leads to eye puffiness.

·         Exercise to increase circulation, which in turn reduces water retention.

Step 3

Long eyelashes make your eyes appear wider and add a bit of highlighter. To make your eyelashes look longer try the following:-

·         The white eyeliner tip also helps make eyes look bigger, also don't line all the way along your bottom lashes if you do use a dark liner, only go half way from outer to below the center of the pupil.

·         Curl your upper eyelashes with an eyelash curler.

·         Apply mascara.

·         Apply false eyelashes.