Tea Time & Books...

Books I've Brought Recently.

I’ve been really good, promise, before this little haul I hadn’t even set sights on a book for months. Well I might have set my sights on some books but I didn’t buy anything, promise! But then, the last week I just couldn’t help myself and I felt the need to have new books in my hand again, so I went off to my local trusty Oxfam and got my pennies out.

Turtles All The Way Down – John Green

Now, this one I didn’t find in the charity shop, but it was on offer in the shop I work at so I just couldn’t resist it. I’ve been a fan of John Green for ages, but I did have the slight worry that maybe I’d moved on from his sort of writing. But I decided to grab it anyway because if nothing else, it’ll look nice on my bookshelf. From what I can gather, it’s about a girl, called Aza, whose obsessed with bacteria and the transmission of disease. Her friend Daisy has a plan that involves a missing billionaire and the reward money for his return. It sounds fairly interesting and I did listen to John Green read out his first chapter, you can too here, and I have to say I was quite hooked. This will probably be something I pick up over Christmas, as it only ever seems to take me a few days to get through his books.

Now the rest of these I did get from the charity shop, all in great condition and coming to just under £6, which was a huge bargain.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower – Stephen Chbosky

This is a book and a film I have never seen, but am forever hearing good things about. I know I’m a little bit late to the bandwagon but I’m glad I’ve finally got my hands on it and with the cover I wanted too. For anyone who has been living under the same rock I have, this is about a boy who is finally experiencing life with things such as his fist kiss and so on. I’m excited to read this, if only just because the film has been such a big hit.

A Handful of Dust – Evelyn Waugh

I’ve been trying to buy more classics so that I have to read them because they’re there and I really liked the cover of this one. In fact I like the covers of most of the Penguin Classics and I’d have them all happily if I could. From what I gather, this takes place after the first world war but before the second, and follows Brenda Last as she embarks in an affair with a shallow socialite when she becomes bored with her marriage. This seems like it’s going to follow very similar themes to other books I’ve read set around the same time, but I’ve always enjoyed them so I look forward to picking this up!

The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a Fuck – Sarah Knight

I’m pretty sure that everyone knows of this book, it’s one that’s been floating around the blogosphere for months and I’m happy I’ve finally got my hands on it. It’s actually the first of this little pile that I’ve picked up, and with that, the first book I’ve picked up in a while. I’ve only read the first few chapters, but I’ve loved what I’ve read so far. Sarah has a way of writing that makes you feel like she’s just talking to you and you just find yourself nodding along and agreeing with everything she says. This probably wont be one that I read all in one sitting but I look forward to finishing it.

Elmet – Fiona Mozley

I’m not going to lie, I got this purely because of the cover. I’m a sucker for a crisp white cover, what can I say, it’s a problem. I know nothing about this book except that it was a finalist in the 2017 Man Booker Prize and I quite like the idea of going into it blind.

Black Water – Louise Doughty

This is another one that I brought purely for the cover, honestly, I have a problem. And again I have no idea what this is about, I glanced very briefly at the synopsis on Amazon because I didn’t want to know too much. But from what I can gather, there’s a man and a woman, an affair, the chance at redemption and maybe something about the cold war and civil rights. It’s enough to get it on the list of books I definitely need to read in 2018 anyway,

A Murder is Announced – Agatha Christie

Okay, so truth time, I’ve never read a book by Agatha Christie. I know, tragic. The closest I’ve ever come to her work is when there was a Doctor Who episode that featured her, does that even count? I didn’t think so. So when I saw this cute little pocket-sized edition, I needed to have it. I’ve no idea what it’s about of if there’s like an order or anything, but I think the best way for me to get started is to just jump in, which is what I’m planning to do with this one. If you have any Christie recommendations, I’d love to hear them, so please do leave a comment!

Top Products I loved In 2017.

I tried to be a little more adventurous with the things I used this year, but alas I found myself coming back to the same ol’ bits and bobs. I’ve used all of these things throughout the year, and I’ve no doubt I will continue to use them this year too.
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I’m going to get a bit of a weird one out of the way first. Cuticure Antibacterial Gel. I’ve always been the type of girl who if I have anti-bac, I’d throw it in my bag and maybe remember to use, but now, I always have a bottle on me and I’m forever using it. I’ve a big bottle of the original one on my desk, a small travel Floral & Fruity one in my bag, as well as a small bottle of the original one in the pocket of my work jacket. It dries super quick, doesn’t leave your hands feeling tacky and smells really nice for an anti-bac. I tried out a fair few different moisturiser last year, I can tell you this because of all the half-finished tubs I have sitting around my room. My favourite all over moisturiser was E-45 Cream. I started using this when I got an abscess on my face and the doctor recommended it to stop my face drying out and I really like it. It does exactly what it says on the tin, it’s thick, sinks in super fast, has no fragrance and can be used pretty much anywhere you find dry skin. They have recently brought it out in a spray bottle, which I thought would be fab because I can be quite lazy, but I didn’t find it was as thick as the cream, so I gave up with it after a while. One the subject of moisturisers, I tried the Clinique Pep-Start HydroBlur Moisturizer as well as the Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream and I have to say they are by far my favourite duo, I’m itching to get a full size of the eye cream because it’s as close to a miracle as I’ve found so far. If you want to know more about my thoughts, I did a post about them which you can find here.
Sticking with skin care for a little bit longer, I continually found myself reaching for my Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser and Gentle Face Exfoliator. I have used the cleanser for a few years and really like it, it’s great at taking off make up as well as just giving your skin a good old clean. I got the exfoliator this year, when I decided I needed to do something about how dry my skin was, and this was recommended to me a lot, and now I think it’s the best skincare duo I’ve ever tried. My hair has been a bit of an issue over the last year, falling out, thinning, it was a nightmare, I tried so many shampoos but they all weighed my hair down or just didn’t leave me with that freshly washed feeling. However, not all was lost because I tried the Garnier Delicate Oats Shampoo and Conditioner and loved it! It’s light, nourishing, has no parabens, and smells pretty good too. This has been the hair care duo I’ve come back to time and time again and I expect it will not be leaving my shower any time soon.
Make-up wise, there wasn’t an awful lot I tried, purely because it wasn’t really until the end of the year that I was wearing more, but there were two lip products that I kept picking up all year round, both of which I have spoken about before. The Nars Lip Pencil in Tortola and Charlotte Tilbury’s Matte Lipstick in Opium Noir were the stars of last year. They were both long-lasting, yet creamy on my lips, didn’t dry them out, and were beautiful shades. My aim this year is to invest in some other shades from both these brands and hopefully branch out a bit more with my colour palette. Lastly, a perfume. I got this Si by Giorgio Armani perfume the Christmas before last and I am in love with it. I love the smell and got so many compliments when I wore it. I don’t often repurchase perfume, just because I usually get given so much at Christmas and on my Birthday, but this is one I’m hoping I will add to my collection again this year because I don’t think I can be without it for very long.
So those are all the product I loved using last year and will no doubt continue to use throughout this year too. Let me know in the comment what your star products of the year were because I’d love to know.

The Road So Far: A Supernatural Convention?

Yes, a Supernatural convention! I know, who would have thought that little old me would end up at a convention. I thought they only happened in America and occasionally Europe and I never thought I was cool enough to go. So November 24th rolls around, I was at work, probably scrolling through twitter because who doesn’t? And I saw someone mentioning it, so I thought I’d just give it a little google then lo and behold, the Creation website made all my dreams come true. May 4-6th 2018, Birmingham, Supernatural Convention. I’m pretty sure those were the exact words I texted my mum while trying to control my squeal of excitement because I was at work and didn’t need them to think I was loopy.
Lets rewind about 5 years, it’s the summer before I start university and I’ve decided to watch the pilot of this show called Supernatural that I know absolutely nothing about other than its got that dude that dies is Greys Anatomy in. 40 minutes later, the Winchester brothers had work to do and I was hooked. I marathoned as much as I could before Uni started and then continued to watch it throughout my first year. My love affair with Supernatural doesn’t start like a typical love story though, I stopped keeping up to date and didn’t watch an episode for years, honestly I kind of forgot about it because I had new things to work on, like Uni and friends and participating in societies. Supernatural was at the back of my mind for years. When I did pick it up again, I think it was more out of obligation because I like to see things through and I realised how behind I was, so again I stormed my way through a good few series. But as time went on and I caught up to the newer series’, I started really taking in what this show was giving out, family. A complicated love story about two brothers, who just love each other and their family so fiercely and so unforgivingly, I fell back in love and I haven’t missed an episode since.
This year has been really difficult for me, for a number of reasons that I won’t bore you with. But one day when I was laying in bed, not able to bring myself to get up and face the day, I re-watched the pilot. And it was like coming back home. Somehow, it meant so much more than before. More than I can describe in words. I was about halfway through my rewatch, season 6 to be exact, when I found out about the convention. And I needed it. This was the first thing in a really long time that made sense to me, that I just knew I needed to do. Everything else had kind of just been a blur, going through the motions because that’s just what you have to do to keep going. So I did it, three days after I found out about it, I was paid and I spent pretty much all of my wages on a Silver Weekend ticket. I spent the next few days trying to justify it to people, but in the end I realised I shouldn’t have to, knowing that this was something that made me more happy than I had been in months should be enough. And it was. People understood, albeit not fully, but they recognised how happy I was and that was all they needed. When I told my mum, at first she found it ridiculous how much money it cost, and then she realised how much it meant to me and I explained to her that the thought of making a journey to a city I’d never been to before, to meet and stay with people I’ve never met, both of which would normally make me cripple with anxiety, didn’t faze me. Not one bit. It didn’t bother me because the excitement outweighed the anxiety. That’s not to say there won’t be any, I in no way think this is going to be an anxiety free weekend, but I don’t care because it’s worth it. This family is worth it. It hasn’t even happened yet and I already know it’s going to easily be one of the best things to happen to me this year.

Dressing appropriately in a check shirt the day I brought my ticket…

And what was even more exciting than that, was that I found a place in the SPNFamily when I didn’t think there was one. It’s amazing what coming together because of this shared interest and passion can do. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever felt so accepted and able to be myself around people before and I honestly can’t wait until I’m able to meet these people I consider family in real life. I’ve never felt so a part of a community in such a small amount of time, but I guess that’s kinda what the SPNFamily is all about, isn’t it? Being accepted and welcomed with open arms? Loving because at the end of the day loving people is the only thing we can really do during the hard times?
So enough of the chick-flick bits, let’s get down to business. I’ve paid for a silver ticket, which gets me into all the panels bar one, autographs and the concert on Saturday night. I’ve paid for my hotel room, which I’m sharing with a few other girls. And I’ve paid for a photo-op with Jensen Ackles because, hello, have you seen that man? So what’s left to do? I’m going to get my train tickets next month and I’m also planning on getting a J2, Jared, Rich and Rob photo-op. (My bank account already hates me!) Why am I blogging about this you might ask? For the experience? To help better document it? To try and use it as a way to let some of the extreme excitement out? Well all of the above really. Whenever I’ve written something on this blog, it’s been because I want other people to read and enjoy it, and as much as I’d love people to read this little series I’m doing, that isn’t why I’m doing it. I’m doing it for me. So that I can have a place to go and remember how great the last few months were as well as how fantastic the months to come will be, and there is nothing wrong with that.
The next four months are going to be the most giddy, anxious but exciting of my life I’m sure. And I honestly can’t wait. So to help pass the time, and document my trip (because I know it’ll be one I won’t want to forget too quickly) I’ll be doing a few posts here and there, letting you know how I’m getting ready, what I’m packing, how I’m going to control myself around the Ackles and not cry in front of the Padalecki (I think the answer is that I probably won’t on both counts). I honestly cannot think of a more exciting way to work through the next few months, because they’re gonna feel like the longest four months of my life, I can assure you of that. Oh the things we do for family!
 

What I Got For Christmas 2017.

This is not a post in which I am bragging about what I got for Christmas but I like these sort of posts, mainly because I’m nosey, and if you don’t that’s absolutely fine, you can just click off.
My mum gets a list from me every year which has a selection of things that I would like to get, I never get everything on it, but it gives her a rough place to start. First, the one thing I knew about was the Clinique Christmas Essentials Box that I’ve already done a review of. Now the reason I knew I was getting this is because when I brought it, I accidentally ordered two, and after using it a few times and really liking the products, my mum suggested instead of returning it she would just give me the money and it could be a christmas present. And that’s what happened! I’ve already spoken about how much I love this product so I won’t go on about it, but if you can get your hands on this product I would definitely recommend it! I also got a box set from my new favourite Body Shop range; Almond Milk and Honey. This is so soft and doesn’t irritate my skin so I’m so happy that I’ve got more to add to my collection.  I also got a box full of Soap & Glory makeup which I’m excited to try out because I’ve never really branched into anything other than their bath bits. From my brother I got a game that I’d been wanting for my Nintendo Switch, Lego Marvel Heroes Volume 2, which we actually sat and played together Christmas morning.
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Book-wise I got some great little gems. What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver, Voluntary Madness by Norah Vincent, a Beauty and The Beast Colouring Book and by far my favourite addition to my book shelf, Family Don’t End With Blood. Over the last few months the Supernatural fandom, or rather the SPNFamily, has really played a big part in my life. I’ll be doing a post later all about how I found it and why it’s changed my life in such a small amount of time, but trust me when I say I squealed a little bit when I saw this. I also got this jumper from Next, which I adore, I normally stray from white items because I am a huge clutz and am forever spilling things down myself, but this is so soft, and I love the fact it has bell sleeves too! I’m a sucker for a big scarf, any colour or pattern, if it’s big enough to make me into a wrapped up burrito, I’m sold. I fell in love as soon as I opened this beautiful mustard coloured scarf from New Look, it’s huge and in my favourite colour, how could I not. The last little bit I got was this BB-8 pen. I didn’t even know that I needed this until I had it in my hands. I’m a bit of a stationary addict, I collect planners and pens and pads as if tomorrow they’re never going to sell them again. This is an adorable little addition to my collection and I can assure you it writes like an absolute dream!
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Now for a few bits I got from my Dad. The big one was that my dad and step-mum are going to pay for me to finally finish my driving lessons and take my test. It’s something I started but I never finished before I went to University and wasn’t something I picked up there, because as I was in the middle of the city, I could just walk everywhere I needed to. But now, having to travel to work and hospital appointments and wanting to visit my friends up North a little more regularly, it’s something I just gotta bite the bullet and do, so I’m very grateful for this present! The beautiful burgundy, another one of my favourite colours, thin knit dress is from Fat Face. I’ve never had anything from there before, but the quality seems super nice and it fits like a glove, this will definitely be one I bring out when I feel a food baby on the horizon because I feel it will disguise it quite well. I also got another scarf from Next, can you see a pattern here? This is a lovely black and white stripe one (I’m also a huge fan of anything with stripes) but it has these bright red tassels on the end, it isn’t something I’d normally pick up myself, but I do really like it. Now whats that I was saying about a lot of perfume? Well my dad and step-mum also got me the Daisy by Marc Jacobs gift set, they get me a new perfume to try every year and they always get it bang on, I can’t wait to  wear this as it smells divine! From my step-brother I got a bottle of DKNY Fresh Blossom. I haven’t had a DKNY fragrance in years, but this is so fresh and crisp that I can see this being my new everyday go-to. And finally my nan got me a Barbour perfume, I didn’t even know they did perfume, but this one smells really nice and I think the bottle is going to look super cute on my shelf.
So there you have it. Everything I got this year for Christmas. Let me know what you got in comments down below, or leave a link if you’ve written a post like this of your own, I’d love to be nosey and have a read!

Where Have I Been?

Honestly, I’ve been a little bit all over the place. Mentally, emotionally and physically. So I took a step back, at first, because I had to and then I just needed time to focus on me. Which is okay. It’s amazing how many people, myself including, feel like saying no to things or taking the time to heal and focus on yourself is a bad thing. I know that I thrive better under pressure, which is super weird because the thought of being in a situation with a lot of pressure gives me heart palpitation, but if I’m suddenly thrown into a high pressure situation I usually thrive.
It’s the immediacy of it, I think, that I like. My brain doesn’t have time to worry or stress or really process what happening because its immediate, it’s happening right now and you just gotta buck up and sort whatever needs sorting. It’s also one of the reasons that I like to keep busy, because it doesn’t give my brain a chance to process what’s really going on or how I’m really feeling. I just like to be constantly doing something, and while I’m doing it, I’ll be thinking about the next thing that needs to be done, always working one step ahead in my head.
But sometimes we, namely I, need to learn when to stop, when to slow down and listen to what your body, and sometimes even the people around you, are saying. I didn’t and my body decided it’d had enough, physically took to attacking itself just to get me to admit something was wrong. I was still stubborn about it, like I always am, waiting 6 days to go to the doctors and they were amazed I was still standing. I spent the next 11 days after that in hospital, the first 3 of which, I don’t even really remember but if my mums reactions were anything to go by, it was pretty scary for a bit. And while 11 days doesn’t seem like an amazingly long time, I swear to you time passes so much slower in hospital.
At the end of it, I was back on a course of steroids with the prospect of a lot of new medication in the future, more scans and tests, new consultants and nurses. It was a lot. And it made me realise that I needed to allow myself time to heal, to let my body try and fix itself as much as it could before I really got back up and carried on swinging. A week and a half after I got out of hospital I had a butt tonne of University work I had to finish so that I could finally graduate. Which I lived for because there was that good ol’ pressured feeling back and I worked and worked and kicked its butt considering.
Then nothing. I had no uni work, no job, basically no social life, I hardly left the house. I very quickly slipped from being the busiest I’d ever been to not having the physical or mental energy to move from my bed. I’d been down before, but this was bad. There’s a lot I blame on the meds, the insomnia, the heightened anxiety, the mood swing, the weight gain, the hair loss, all of this and more helped bury me into the deep hole that I couldn’t even contemplate climbing out of. So I didn’t. For a really long time.
Skip all the dramatic stuff and what am I really trying to say? Well, in a nutshell I realised it gets better. Not straight away and it isn’t easy, but it does get better. Eventually. I got a little job, nothing fancy, just at the weekend in the local supermarket but it was good. Then I got another job, nothing permanent just during the week for a couple of months, doing the thing I love and sure it meant working seven days a week but that was okay, I could do that for a while if it meant my passion was being pursued. I started therapy, started learning the tools that would making living with anxiety that little bit easier. I went to visit my favourite people in my favourite city a few weekends ago and it did amazing things for my soul. I brought tickets to my first Supernatural con next May which has led me to meet a whole new family that honestly get me through most tough days. I found the desire to sit at my laptop and write something I was proud to call my own.
Taking time out doesn’t make you weak. It allows you the time to heal and reevaluate the things that really deserve to take up space in your life. Every one has bad times but that should never be reason enough to stop fighting. Take the time to stop and really take in what’s happening in your life, remove the negatives and embrace what makes you truly happy and make that the brightest light in your life. It might not be easy, but then again, nothing worth fighting for ever is, and life, I think, is worth fighting for.

Why I Love Doing Yoga.*

I don’t exercise. In fact I dislike it greatly, it just isn’t for me I’m afraid. But something I’ve been loving recently is yoga. It doesn’t feel like a chore and I like the fact that some mornings I can do 10 minutes and others I can do 30. It isn’t something I thought I’d ever be into but there are so many benefits and if I can do it, anyone can! If you’re thinking about starting yoga or you’re just looking for some new routines I can’t recommend Yoga with Adriene more. She literally has a routine for everyone, so have a little look and I’ve no doubt you’ll find something that works for you, I’m currently working through her 31-day challenge.

It helps my aching body.

I joke about the fact that I think I secretly have the body of a 60-year-old woman but sometimes its the truth. I have aches and pains that you wouldn’t believe, sometimes all I can do it soak in the bath and hope for the best. But something that has really helped is yoga. It helps with some of the aches and pains, especially the ones in my legs and lower back, this routine is my favourite.

It clears my mind.

I suffer terribly from brain fog some days, so I tend to do yoga because it helps to clear my mind and relax. While I’m doing yoga all I have to focus on is my breathing and nothing else. I feel so much better mentally after, my mind is clearer and I feel almost lighter in a way. If you’re someone who finds it hard to switch off or like me, gets brain fog often, I highly recommend yoga to help slow things down and switch off.

The clothes.

I practically live in yoga leggings. I can’t help it, they are just too comfortable. I was very kindly gifted these ones from Lapasa and I love them. They are unbelievable comfortable and really breathable, both of which are important to me. Something else that’s great about these leggings are the fact they’re shrink resistant because of the lycra, which lets it stretch without changing the shape. I hate when leggings lose their shape or elasticity, especially after a few washes, but no worries of that happening here. I’m planning on buying more of these to replace some of my leggings that have seen better days. My favourite part is how high the waistband is at the back, I hate that when I sit on the floor I have to pull the back of the waistband up because it usually slips down. These leggings are designed with this in mind and having a higher back means there’s no worry of them slipping down, which I love.

Fab news – the lovely people at Lapasa have given me an exclusive 10% code off for you guys, just use the code ‘teabooks’ until the 27th of this month. 

Let me know if you do grab a pair and if you love yoga as much as I do!
*This post contains something that was giifted, but all thoughts, opinions and pictures are my own.

Getting Ready To Go Out When You Don't Really Feel Like It.

So me and some other lovely bloggers have decided to do a little bit of a collab. Since friday there has been a blog post every day going up on someone’s blog all to do with beauty, from what to take when you travel to beauty set-ups, it’s all happening. These girls are lovely so be sure to check them all out and give them all a follow:
https://ferniex.wordpress.com/
https://missamymaria.wordpress.com/
http://www.wonderlandwarblings.com/
Now, don’t get me wrong, I do like to get all jazzed up if I know I’m going somewhere special or out for the day but there are times when I simply can not be bothered. A few weeks ago (after an 11-day stint in hospital I might add), my dad phoned me up to tell me we were going out for dinner. You don’t understand the excitement I felt at the prospect of going out somewhere, I guess being cooped up in the same room for nearly two weeks straight will do that to you. But I was tired and my body was having a particularly achey day so I really wasn’t in the mood to spend ages getting ready and making myself look all prim and proper. So I decided to show you how I get ready when I really don’t have the energy!
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Skincare is something that I know I should be better at, but let’s be real, who has time to do a double cleanse when their bed is calling? Not me! But I must say that I have got better the last few months, the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish is an absolute god-send. Anywho, because I knew I wasn’t going to be spending loads of time on my skin I decided to just used a Simple Cleansing Facial Wipe to get rid of any grime or dirt that had built up over the course of the day. I don’t claim to know a lot, but I know that make up goes on best on a clean, fresh face. Then I used the Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic Spritzer (try saying that ten times fast!), and I just love this. I was first introduced to this tonic in a bottle and you had to pour some onto a cotton pad to use, but I must prefer this spritzer. Yes, I’m lazy, but I also find that it makes me feel so much more refreshed after a few sprays. Also can we just appreciate how good all of the Liz Earle products smell?! I tend to use this before my moisturizer and because its loaded up with aloe vera and cucumber it really helps calm any redness of my skin, of which there’s a lot. (Especially my cheeks, anyone else have this problem?)
Next I go in with a moisturiser. My skin is super-duper dry and I have been searching high and low for a moisturiser that stops the dryness but isn’t super duper thick. And this is as close to a winner I’ve got. The Clinique Pep-Start Hydrorush Moisturizer isn’t too thick and sinks into the skin wonderfully. I wouldn’t call this a heavy-duty moisturizer because at the end of a long day I find that I start to see dry patches on my forehead and around my nose, but the only thing I’ve found so far that doesn’t is E45 Cream (seriously, this is my go to moisturizer always!), but because we were just going out for the evening I knew it would do the trick. It also contains SPF 20 and we all know how important that is and considering I only have to look at the sun to become a tomato, every little helps!

Left-On and On Bronze, Right-Tortola

Fortunately, for some strange unknown reason that I won’t question, my skin has been breakout free for the last few months so I decided to skip putting a base on. However, normally I’d reach for the Bourjois 123 Perfect Colour Correcting Cream. It has a light coverage and I find it so quick and easy to blend out. Because of the addition of the green, apricot and white pigments in the formula, it evens out the skin tone perfectly, dark circles and redness be gone! Like I say, my skin was doing okay and honestly if there’s a step I can skip, I’m going to skip it! On days like this when I was feeling tired but wanted to at least look like I had made an effort, I typically just focus on the eyes and lips. I find they’re the quickest and easiest things to do, and I can be out the door in minutes. For my eyes, if I’m in a rush or don’t have the energy to sit and blend a thousand colours to get the perfect shade, I always reach for the Maybelline Color Tatoo in the shade On and On Bronze. I find these eyeshadows are so easy to just pat on and blend out for a nice subtle colour, plus they are super long-lasting without an eye primer (yay for another step we can skip) and they don’t crease. This particular shade is my favourite because it gives a really nice bronze sheen, however a word of caution, because of the staying power of these once its on there, it’s on there so you have to move in quick with the blending.
I always curl my lashes because mine are very straight and I’ve yet to find a mascara that gives me a curl that lasts. Recently I’ve been reaching for this little Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Mascara, I’m not particularly fussy with mascaras, but I like this one because it’s not clumpy and it’s travel size, which is a win win for me. Lastly, lips. This product is probably the holy grail for me, I find myself reaching for it again and again, that at this point it may as well just be a permanent fixture on my face. The Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Tortola, I love everything about it. The formula, the colour, the packaging, even the smell. If there was one product I had to choose to stay with me for the rest of my life, this would be it. Despite being matte, it isn’t drying on the lips and the staying power is amazing, which is great because it means I don’t have to worry about getting up to reapply. (Honestly, it lasted 2 courses and a fair few vodka lemonades before I needed a touch up!) It literally glides on like butter and with one swipe you’re done.

My hair is going through a pretty funky stage at the moment. Because of some medication I was taking, as well as an iron deficiency, my hair likes to go through phases of falling out. So my hair is nowhere as thick or long as it was last year, it kills me to look at holiday photos from last year because I yearn for that hair back. Anywho, it’s getting to the stage where it is starting to thicken up but it just needs a bit of help. I really like this Batiste Texturing Spray because it helps give my hair a bit of texture, obviously, and helps it not look as flat and lifeless as it normally is. The other thing I love is it doesn’t leave behind that tacky feel in your hair, so it literally doesn’t feel like you’ve used any product. I would issue a word of warning though, the spray comes out with a bit of a vengeance, so definitely be careful with that, you get a lot of product in just one spray. Finally I add a touch of perfume, my favourite right now is Si by Giorgio Armani which I got from my dad and step-mum for christmas and I adore it so much, the bottles nearly empty.

So there you have it, my quick and easy routine for getting ready when you really don’t want to. Getting ready to go out still makes me feel good and I enjoy doing it but sometimes the energy and effort it takes puts me off, but I find keeping the steps to a minimum helps and all in all it took me only 10 minutes which is a god send when you can’t stand in front of the mirror for ages. If you’ve got any tips for getting ready when you can’t be bothered let me know down below!
Don’t forget this is part of a collab with some fantastic ladies so be sure to go and check out all their other post’s and give them a follow to keep up to date with the rest of their fantastic content, I’ve linked their Twitter and post’s below.
Fern – Make Up, Set Up
Amy – The Make Up Travel Pack
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Favourite 90's TV shows

You must have heard the fantastic news that Will & Grace is coming back for a one off season by now! I squealed a little when I heard, Will & Grace is one of my favourite shows of all times! Saying that though, I love most shows that were made around that time. I think there’s a spark to them, that lots of series’ these days maybe don’t have for me. Whether its the script writing, the stories, the characters, I couldn’t tell you what I love so much about them, but there is honestly nothing better than sticking one of these shows on in the background while I do some work with a brew.

Will & Grace

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This is such an easy viewing kinda show. I’ll happily have it playing in the background all day while doing work. I love absolutely everything about it, the characters, the topics it tackles, Will’s apartment, the comedy. At its core it’s just a show about two friends who’ve been friends for years and how they cope in their day to day lives, including promotions, love, and breakups. And they tackle every subject with just the right amount of humour while making its points abundantly clear.

Friends

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Obviously, everyone loves friends, don’t they?! I can sit and watch this for hours, I’ve seen every episode far too many times and I can quote most of it, yet it never fails to make me laugh every single time. I’m quite happy there hasn’t been a revival because I’m not sure if it would be able to do the show justice. It was comical yet heart wrenching sometimes, we grew with these characters and that was amazing. In my opinion, it ended exactly when it needed to and I’d much rather relive the old episodes than have new ones.

Frasier

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This is an odd one I think, one of those ones that you don’t know about unless you know it. If you’re up early enough you might catch an episode of it on Channel 4, and thats where I normally get my fix. Not a series I’ve watched religiously, or in fact all of, but will happily stick on when it’s on because I know it’ll give me a chuckle. While very subtle in the topics it deals with, if you squint a bit, you’ll see there are lessons to be learned from Dr Crane.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

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Another one that I’m convinced everyone loves. I actually remember watching this with my dad when I was younger. I love Will Smith and this was just filled with hilarity from start to end. I really don’t think they make TV like this anymore. If you’re ever in need of a laugh, stick on any episode of this and I guarantee within minutes you’ll be in fits of laughter.
 
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A Year With IBD.

On this day a year ago, I was officially diagnosed with IBD. IBD isn’t something I’m ashamed about and I talk openly about it, not only on my blog but in general too. If you’re not sure what IBD is, I’ve done a few posts about it before such as What is IBD? and How Being Diagnosed With a Chronic Illness Changed Who I Am.
Time has a funny way of running away from you and when you spend each day just trying to make it to bed time, well it can run away even faster. This past year has been full of highs as well as lows. I made it to New York just 2 days after being diagnosed, I moved back to Leicester to finish my degree and I’ve learnt more about myself than I thought possible. One thing I’ve been so thankful of over the last year is the support I’ve received and being able to find a community that understands. My friends and family have been beyond supportive in every respect. There have been times, during flares and such, where I’ve been quite ready to just say “what’s the point in it all?” But actually, in those moments I’ve been lucky enough to have people who make me laugh, and remind me that losing the battle today does not mean that I’m going to lose the war.
I’ve come to realise that my body really is something I took for granted before. Not a day goes by where my body isn’t constantly fighting against itself, yet it doesn’t give in. Day after day it gets me out of bed and gets me through the day. Granted some days are slower and longer than others, but thats okay. I’ve come to terms with the brain fog and the tiredness that so often make me slow, and so have the people around me. I’ve learnt to just laugh at the stupid things I come out with now instead of getting frustrated. I rest when my body tells me to now because life becomes that much harder when I don’t.
I still think that some people don’t really understand IBD or chronic illness and that’s okay because there’s still things I don’t even understand. If you don’t want to know or take the time to understand, then fair, I completely get that because why should you? But theres something to be said for the people who do sit and try to understand, it means more than the world to me when somebody genuinely wants to know if theres anything they can do to help or just want to understand. I’m still trying to find a way to express how living with this makes me feel but knowing there are people who care, and having a huge support system out there who understand, really does help.
So I thought I’d leave you with some of the things I’ve learnt over the last year that I wish I’d been told to begin with.
You will get used to using public restrooms. I had the biggest thing about public toilets before, I hated them and would rather wait to the point of bursting than go in them. However, now I don’t even bat an eyelid now. And I chuckle when I hear people make comments about how they hate them, because that was me. But when you don’t have a choice, you don’t have a choice. I think something that comes with this is the ability to scout out every toilet, no matter where you go. As soon as I go anywhere, the first thing I make sure I know is where all the toilets are as well as where the places to sit and rest are. Soon this becomes second nature and you won’t even have to think about it.
Only going to the toilet twice a day will feel like the biggest victory you could ask for. And thats because it is sometimes. So celebrate it, because that means somethings working, and after weeks, maybe months of dealing with a different outcome (for me it was 10-12 times a day), this is huge. I promise you, you will never feel relief like it, so don’t feel silly about this victory seeming small, I couldn’t quite believe it when it happened to me.
You are not as predictable as you were before. I like to have a plan, to know exactly what I’m doing and when. This is something that I really struggled with after being diagnosed, because I had no idea how my body was going to feel or behave day to day. Unpredictable wasn’t a word I really liked using but I rambled my way through and now I’m in a position where I’m able to plan and make room for the unpredictable. Just because something inside you has changed, in no way means you have to. There are ways around everything and with some patience and lots of trying, you’ll find yourself back to your old self in no time.
Your body has become a home constantly under attack so listen to its battlecry. The quicker you accept this the better. It’s not admitting defeat, it’s admitting change. The hardest thing I’ve had to learn is to actually listen to my body. Rest when you’re tired, don’t skip that meal because you need to do something else, make sure you’re drinking enough to stay dehydrated. Your body is doing an amazing job at keeping you able to function but sometimes it needs help, so help it. Listen to what you need and do it. Don’t do what I did and just push through assuming you’ll be fine, because you won’t be and when your body can’t cope anymore, it will crash and burn and that is the hardest thing to come back from.
So, weirdly, happily anniversary to me I guess. Here’s to another year of learning, living life, and not letting this thing win.
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