Statement rings

I have recently been admiring lots of statement rings. They can bring a bit of life to a simple outfit and can often be teamed up together to create a "thrown together" look!

A friend of mine really loves snake/serpent jewellery and I love the way a snake ring/bracelet wraps around to create quite a pretty look, which is unusual coming from an animal that has dark connotations! I like the contrast!

I like splashes of colour and large stones and leafy designs.

http://www.katandbee.co.uk
http://www.myamberjewelry.com
http://www.etsy.com
http://www.garadanielle.com/
http://www.topshop.com
http://www.accessorize.co.uk
http://www.chelseadoll.co.uk

Make up bag essentials

I dont know about you, but my make up bag is full of stuff ive had for ages, stuff thats running out and lots that should really just be thrown away. I can't be the only person who lives like this!

I've decided to have a sort out and only keep the essentials that I use daily or make up i'd wear on a night out like colourful eyeshadows and that bright red lipstick I rarely wear when im feeling daring!

Here are my day to night make up essentials!

Rimmel lasting finish 25hr foundation
Barry M dazzle dust number 39 (perfect for those of you with blue or green eyes)
Maybelline (old skool) great lash brownish black mascara
Rimmel bronzer
Natural collection pink blush
Vaseline rosy lips
No7 eyeshadow in mink and bronze
No17 pencil eyeliner
Benefit boi-ing concealer

Feel free to comment and share yours, sharing is caring!

Hovding

Guilty... I am a cyclist who doesnt wear a helmet, I know its really bad, I have no excuses apart from the fact I cant find one I like ... Until this little invention!

INTRODUCING ... HOVDING!

A bike helmet like no other! Its INFLATABLE!
You wear it as a collar and it will only inflate if you have an accident. There is a triggar mechanism which will mean that the helmet will inflate if there are any abnormal movements. It is shaped so that it fits around your head, like a hood, to protect you from injury, it takes 0.1 seconds to inflate and theres a detachable cover so you can match the collar with your outfit!

Here is the web address for more info! What a super idea

http://www.hovding.com/en/how

New discoveries

I discovered a website today after reading a copy of company magazine. I really love stumbling across websites ive not heard of, especially ones that sell lots of things I want to buy!
Go and have a browse, i'm sure you'll love it too! With autumn fast approaching maybe its time for a treat! www.darlingclothes.com

Whilst shopping on saturday I popped into Whistles, I was looking for inspiration rather than going in to buy anything. I loved some of the friendship bracelets, and now I want one! They were about £18 and available in the shop or online. The one pictured is called "multi loop Rana grey cube"

Love shoe

I finally found a pair of shoes i love, they arent black, they are navy (i love navy) and they are suede, thats right blue suede shoes. I wanted to share them with you because I got them in Marks and Spencer and they were a bit of a bargain, £25!

Marks and Spencer has always been a bit "old" for me, but now im in my late 20's I find that I do like more things in there, im not quite per una but the limited collection has some gems!  Im more a classic dresser than a fashion follower and I like to look smart, most of the time. I rarely buy shoes that are "High fashion" I much prefer being comfortable and looking presentable. Anyone who says "pain is beauty" is wrong! Im not putting my feet through agony and walking like ive just had an accident so that I can wear silly heals that dont do me any favours, plus im tall and would need oxygen up there!
You can still feel feminine in pretty pumps!

Heres some pics of my new shoes and some other pretty pumps for you to feast your beadies on x

Who is Larry and why is he so happy?

Im quite intrigued by the english language and I love to find out where words, sayings and slang originate from and what they actually mean. Maybe thats why I put on accents so much?

"Can of worms"

To open a metaphorical can of worms is to investigate or examine something which is likely to cause trouble, which, in many cases, would prefer to be left alone!

This saying originally came from REAL cans with ACTUAL worms in them which were collected as bait for fishing. As far as it being something that would cause trouble, this couldnt be further from the truth, how annoying would it be to have worms wriggling everywhere? Better kept shut I say!

"Big Cheese"

An expression used to describe someone of importance, it could also be used in a derogatory way to describe someone full of self importance!

This saying has been used since the mid 19th century. It started out as "the real chiz" coined by Anglo-indians as a bilingual joke, when it was bought to england "chiz" was changed to "cheese" as it was more recognisable. The "big" part of it came from american influence in the early 20th century.

"Bringing home the bacon"

We use this phrase to describe providing for the family, usually referring to our monthly wages.

It refers to and old fairground game which involved catching a greased pig. The pig being the prize so the winner bought home the (greasy) bacon.

"Eavesdropper"

We all know an eaveadropper or two, ive been known to eavesdrop on occasion!

This was originally "yfesdrype" an Anglo-Saxon word, derived and turned into eavesdrop.

Meaning, the area around a building that was likely to get wet from the water dropping off the eaves of the roof. It also referred to an old custom in English law where a landowner was not allowed to build within 2ft of his boundary, incase the water from the eaves caused problems for his neighbour. By the end of the 15th century the word eavesdropper had been made up to describe somebody who stood within the 2ft of ground in order to listen to conversations! Nosey beggers!

"Kick the bucket"

My friend told me that she likes this phrase so I looked up what it meant because ive never really heard it before. I thought it might be like "throw in the towel" meaning to give up. It actually means "to die"
It originates from the middle ages and it comes from a method of hanging or perhaps suicide where the noose is tied around the persons neck and the bucket is kicked away and the victim is hanged.

Cafe hopping

I love Cafes and York is the perfect place for choice and variety!

One of my favourite Cafes was La Place Vert, now its called Dyls and its just as good, if not better! Infact I found myself there this morning for breakfast. I just ordered toast and i got 2 doorstop slices of toast and some real buttery butter. The menu is great, there really is something for everyone and for every meal time or snack time.
The prices are also pretty reasonable.
The hot chocolates are the most delicious hot chocolates I have ever tasted (even better than the one i had in venice). They bring you a glass of hot milk and a bowl of belgian chocolate, you can choose white, milk or dark and you get a small bowl of cream to pop on the top. I love to eat some of the chocolate and pour the rest in and stir it until the chocolate melts! Its quite a fun little treat and im sure it'd go down well with children!

Bettys is probably the most popular with tourists, having 2 in York means if you cant get into the main one you can always try the smaller one on stonegate. Its the same menu and the same kind of atmosphere just a little pokey but its nestled in the historical streets so its quite interesting and in the winter its lovely and cosy. One of my favourite things on the menu, at Bettys, is their Swiss Alpine Macaroni. It comes with bacon and their tomato chutney is a great accompanyment. The swiss cheese is delicious!
If you went in for a snack an afternoon tea or a fat rascal is a definite MUST! My favourite cake is seasonal, from about may-sept the elderflower cake is available, try it!

http://www.bettys.co.uk/bettys_york.aspx

Another of my faves is Greys Court. I first came across it when I was just having a little walk around some backstreets and I fell in love with the place. In the summer there is a beautiful garden to sit in and in the winter its so cosy I could quite happily sit there all afternoon, there is the main room with lots of sofas and chairs and a range of newpapers to nosey through. If you want a meal there are a few rooms with tables in, for more of a restaurant vibe.
I really enjoy the lemon drizzle cake and a cup of tea and sitting on the sofas with friends, its also a boutique hotel and its a lovely wedding venue.

http://grayscourtyork.com/

Yesterday, after a mooch around homesense my friend and I went to Waitrose cafe. I like this cafe it doesnt feel like you are in a supermarket and they have a couple of lovely little sofas and chairs to sit on. My friend ordered a Lemon and Ginger cake which I tried a little bit of, It was incredibly flavoursome, the ginger was really spicy and the lemon icing had a real zing about it. It was quite tasty! They also do lovely cheese and chive savoury scones!

So if you are ever in york or if you live in york and havent visited any of these places yet, make sure you give them a try :)

Graham and Green summer sale

Graham and Green have a sale on ... 70% off, so many beautiful things, treat yourself, its friday :)

www.grahamandgreen.co.uk

Some of my faves

The good the bad and the fugly

Im a firm believer that good times dont last forever but neither do the bad times.

I dont really like change, I never have, I often have to be bullied into doing things I dont want to do and the majority of the time im thankful for the pressure because it turns out that its mainly good things that happen. A good example,When I was 13 my dad told me we were moving to the middle east, I can still remember how I felt when he said it, my heart started racing and my mind went into overdrive. I'd thought of about 5 alternatives within 10mins so that I felt like I had other options. I told my dad I wanted to live with my friend, then I told him I wanted to live with my grandma, I also gave him the option of sending me to boarding school - he wasnt having any of it so we packed up and left the Uk for 3years of luxury, sunshine, swimming pools, sheesha, shawarmas, housemaids, beach clubs and new friends! Why on earth did I not want that? I still talk about the time I spent there with real enthusiasm and I have really fond memories! Im sure everyone has stories like that!

Other times ive been bullied into things include, being made to go to the cinema and watch scary films, being made to sing infront if people and being made to buy a house at the age of 23 but thats a whole different story!

Then there are other things that happen unexpectedly that are out of my control and that I just dont like! 

For example, this weeks been a comedy of errors, well I say comedy, none of it is overly amusing but I know its just a bad week, we all have them and aint no smashed windows, rainy days or forgotten keys gonna put a permanent frown on this mug of mine! I'm clumsy at the best of times, someone once told me I should be wrapped in bubble wrap! (how fun would that be?) So heres a list if my series if unfortunate events.

Monday: whilst going to get my bike out of the shed it became tangled with another bike and once I had got it out of the way the other bike fell straight through the window and glass went everywhere, including in my shoe, wahh

Tuesday: As I was leaving for work it started to rain so I popped on my mac and set off on my way. The rain seemed to be getting heavier, so, I decided I would park my bike up at the library and get the bus the rest of the way. At 5pm I left work and it was BOILING I had my mac on and i was too hot so I stood in line for the bus and thought itll be fine because when I get on the bus I can take it off and chill out until I got to town, half an hour later, STILL NO BUS, Rumours started that they had diverted them so I got in a strop, stamped my feet and decided to walk to town, by this time im too hot my hair is frizzy im hungry and I just want to be at home, I HATE PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Wednesday: Lovely morning so went to work with no coat, at 4pm the heavens opened and my heart sank. I was working until 6 and was optimistic that it would stop so i could get home and be dry, of course I was wrong and got absolutely drenched, trousers looked like they were painted on hair looked horrendous, face was not impressed.

Today: Got half way to work, realised I forgot my ID badge, keying in device and my desk drawer keys! Ohhh joy

Not to be overly dramatic but whats next? DEATH? Despite this im optimistic that tomorrow will go well, no problems and my eventful week will be a thing of the past and I will shake my head and laugh about it all! My friend told me its Karma, but I dont think ive done anything bad! In the words of Ross "WHY DO BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE?"

It could always be worse but I hope it isnt!

So my current state of mind tells me to "roll with the punches" "go with the flow" "turn that frown upside down" and realise that life is full of cliches and sayings that are cheesey but truthful.

I hope you've had a lovely week so far :) the sun is out so shake it all about!

Heres some fugly for you!

Jardin

It's my dream to own a house with a beautiful garden full of wilderness and colourful flowers. I guess thats possibly the girliest thing i've said in a while.

I've just moved, and for the first time since i lived at home, i have a small garden that is filled with all sorts of treasures. Theres even a pink rose bush and a belfast sink with plants in! It's a step up from the tiny purple flowers that used to grow over the wall in my last house!

I think i've inherited my love for gardens from my parents who are both quite keen gardners. Ive grown up in houses with beautiful gardens which had alot of Acers and cherry blossom and lovely trees.

Im quite interested in learning more about seasonal flowers/plants and how to look after them. I guess ive been waiting for my very own garden to be able to experiment and make a little haven for people to enjoy.

For now though I settle for visiting public gardens such as Harlow Carr, Valley Gardens, Rowntree Park and the Museum gardens to name a few local spots.

I grew up being taken to Hampton Court flower show every year. I used to wonder why on earth parents would make me go and look at a load of gardens when all I wanted to do was "play out" and pretend to be a secretary or hotel receptionist with my friends! (geek)
Now it's become a fond memory and im tempted to suggest my mum and I go next year! Im sure I could convince her with the promise of pimms, afterall it's where I had my first ever pimms! Yum

For more information on the Hampton Court flower show and others like it visit www.rhs.org.uk

When I have my own family I will definitely join the RHS and make my children go to flower shows and Gardens just like I did.

I love getting flowers, its a rarity but I love it when someone buys me gerberas or gladioli or a combination of different flowers, it really brightens up my day. Last weekend 2 of my housemates picked some flowers from our little garden to put in the kitchen and the lounge and it made us all smile! Im not sure the names of all the flowers in the garden but im going to learn what they are and how much care they need so we can keep it looking beautiful.

Heres a few useful links for local courses and information if you would like to learn about horticulture

http://www.my-garden-school.com/gardening-courses-yorkshire/

http://york.floodlight.co.uk/york/courses-classes-lessons/best-gardening-courses/qualification/study/region/16180339/220706/100/domain.html

http://www.askham-bryan.ac.uk/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/

I will update you with all the facts i learn and share with you some handy tips for spring next year!