#100happydays- (part 3)

Hey guys!
Long time- no posts! So sorry for being so rubbish lately, unfortunately I have just been so busy recently and have been slacking on the ol' blog post front and haven't found the time to plan and create any new material, the same old excuses I know! However I've had some good ideas which I'll hopefully put to computer in the next week or two and now that summer  is  here expect lots of summer-inspired posts on the way!
Although the blog posts have dried up in the last couple of weeks, I've still been snapping away over on Instagram and getting more involved than ever with my #100happydays project! If you haven't already seen my 1-40 days of happiness then Ill pop a link here and here to catch up. And now here are another twenty pics of things that have made me smile! Enjoy!

Day 41- as the hot weather starts to make an appearance, so do the fruity ciders, if you're anything like me and choose a fruity bevvy over anything else then this new discovery will really take your fancy- its called Rekorderlig and its passion fruit flavour! I'm not much of a drinker and I haven't really seen this much in the shops but its so refreshing and tasty and also perfect for slurping in the sun!
Day 42- don't you just love it when your order arrives through the post?! I ordered a few spring-summer bits off Boohoo.com to get me in the mood for the hotter weather and waited by the front door pretty much everyday until it came! It felt as if Christmas had came early when they arrived!
Day43- ok ok, you can probably tell that these snaps were taken at the start of the month and pay day treats all round! A cheeky dive into the New Look sales saw me pick up lots of pretty patterns for summer. Click here to see what I bought! 
Day 44- just a casual one of Michael looking for the "good ones" in a bag of Harribo.

Day 45- this one was taken on the night of Eurovision and after a few glasses of wine- what?! I needed something to get me through that show!
Day 46- my squidgy cat!
Day 47- taking advantage of the lovely weather that we saw for all of 2 days, we decided to head down to the park by where we live and set up camp there for the afternoon, a handful of magazines, Game of Thrones book and fruit smoothies accompanied us until the weather turned colder!
Day 48- after watching Essie Button on youtube, I decided to create my own mint & cherry tea.

Day 49- as the hot weather continued, I thought this little bear would describe what I was up to best!
Day 50- these are the cutest little teacup-cupcakes ever! My very talented friend made this for me! This made my day and tasted as good as they looked!
Day 51- I was re-united with an old and very good friend, we caught up over a few drinks after not seeing each other for nearly two years!
Day 52- you guys know how much I enjoy my wrestling, this snap was taken at a wrestling match near where I live, it was really great to see up and coming talent surrounded by such a great atmosphere.

 Day 53- sometimes on my down-days I like to make handmade soaps, these are a few that I made whilst creating my step by step guide that I done for my Homemade May Series- which you can see here! 
Day 54- I bet you were waiting for a food pic as there are always so many, this is  my creamy salmon pasta dish! I've done a blogpost of the recipe.
Day 55- I regret not taking more photos of this night, but this was when Mike and I attended a 1920's birthday party, it was a really great night and I even braved a dark lip for the occasion!
Day 56- a 100 happy days post wouldn't be complete without a few Soap&Glory goodies! I picked up the new Orangeasm body wash and moisturiser as its just the perfect zesty summer scent along with the Daily Soothe bath float- I just couldn't resist!

Day 57- the result of the monthly shop... Its a big relief to get this out of the way! Unfortunately it doesn't last long in my house hold- and its only me and Mike!
Day 58- my Dad is actually away in Dubai for fathers day this year, so I thought I'd treat him early and take him out for a bite to eat and to watch the new Godzilla movie in 3D, this was really nice as its usually rare that me and him spend some time just us two.
Day 59- why wouldn't Yankee Candles make anyone happy?
Day 60- anyone one of me and Michael, sporting the Raybans in the sun!

Keep tuned for another twenty pics which will lead me nicely into day 80! I've really enjoyed finding little things in my day that has made me happy and document it, let me know if anything has made you happy recently, thanks for reading -xx

May Favourites

My Favourite picks of May 

Hi everyone, welcome back to my page, today is another favourites post where I share with you the bits and bobs I have been loving this month! May for me has been a bit of a tight one regarding money, we had to pay out our annual electric bill at the start of the month - which you can imagine wasn't pretty so I've been needing to be good and save my pennies! That means no splurging, which has been tricky, however I have been enjoying getting back into some old favourites and re-discovering the more basic products I have. So the majority of this months favourites are more inexpensive and that you can easily pick up for less than a tenner- nevertheless they are still really great products that I would strongly recommend!
Anyway enough of the chit-chat and lets get started! 

Beauty: 
Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Starry-Eyed, I picked up this lipstick a few days ago as I had a 1920's party to go to at the weekend and I needed a vampy dark red colour for the occasion. Usually I would steer well away from any dark/bright shades as I'm not very experimental when it comes to lip colours, but this shade really stood out for me. It is absolutely beautiful, its like a very deep dark plum colour with purple undertones, and fitted the brief perfectly for the whole 1920's look as that is exactly what shade I was looking for. I was also really impressed with the texture and lasting power, I know the range states that its long lasing but when you are parting and eating and drinking you never really know how its going to hold up, but I was very impressed as I didn't need to top up at all throughout the whole night. The texture was really creamy and wasn't drying , so yeah, very impressed! And I am now looking forward to trying out a couple more from this range! 

Topshop Highlight Glow in Polished, the next beauty favourite is from Topshop and its their cream highlight from their Glow range. Now its spring/summer I like to use more sheer, creamy texture to help me achieve a natural and dewy finish. I purchased this as I have heard SO much about it and its a really lovely highlight. I just dab this onto the highs of my cheeks its nice and blend-able and isn't super glittery at all in fact its very sheer and gives a natural finish. 

Bourjois Cream Blush in 03 Rose Tender, sticking with the whole creamy feel, I've been reaching for my Bourjois Cream Blush a lot lately, first of all sorry for the poor packaging, you can tell this product is well loved! I managed to find the shade of this one which is Rose Tender and its like a dusky pink shade and its just a lovely summertime blush. This is a  really easy to use blusher, I tend to dab this onto my cheeks then use my MAC 187 brush to blend it in. Its nice and creamy and transfers nicely onto the skin. 

Nivea Lip Butters, these are the products I have been enjoying most of all this month. These butters are fantastic, very rich, very creamy and works well to nourish and moisturise my lips. I picked up the Raspberry Rose one first, which smells and tastes amazing, I kept that at work to apply throughout the day, then realised I really missed it come the evenings, so I also purchased the Vanilla and Macadamia one for at home.   

Hair: 
Alberto Balsam Shampoo& Conditioner, next is a shampoo & conditioner duo, these are from Alberto Balsam and I have to say  these products are my guilty pleasures! First of all, these are really strongly scented and fill my shower room with their fragrance, which may I add sticks around in my hair for days! I picked up the blueberry pair which contains anti- oxidants and the coconut ones which pamper and nourish hair. Whenever I use these they just make my hair feel and smell great and best thing about these is that you can pick these up from the 99p store! BARGAIN! I usually tend to stock up on these whenever I'm running low and have a basket full of different ones in my bathroom- really worth doing as they are so cheap and such a great product! 

Avon- Tahitan Holiday Hair Mist, this product was actually given to me by my mum and I'm really glad I discovered it because its one of those products that I wouldn't necessarily go out and purchase if I saw it in the shops, however having tried this I can say I would defiantly re-purchase.This is basically a fine mist that you can spritz through your hair and its scented and a heat protector as well. The fragrance is lovely, very uplifting but at the same time quite subtle which I think is nice especially if you like to wear perfume and don't want to be overloaded with smells! Its got a slight coconut/tropical aroma running through it but the best way I can describe it is that its just smells like holiday?! Does that make sense to any of you?! 

Bath & Body: 
Imperial Leather Foam Burst Luxurious Body Washes, I'm sure lots of you know about these body washes, they have always been a favourite of mine and a lot of fun as well. Bath times will never be the same until you've tried these. If you haven't then basically they are a super foamy body wash that comes out at first as a clear gel and froths up A LOT! You can get around 40 washes out of one of these and I grabbed them recently from Boots where they were on offer ( 2 for £4) and stocked up my supplies. I love that they come in original scents I got the sweet vanilla and cherry blossom and spicy ginger and orange. 

Skincare:

The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil, as you know I can't seem to go through a favourites post without mentioning a Body Shop product! I am in love with that shop lately and I'm never disappointed by anything I buy from there including this cleansing oil. Last month my bloglovin' feed was inundated with posts about this so I had to go out and see what all the fuss was about. I personally love using oils and balms I find them very luxurious and my skin really feels the benefits from them, I know some people are quite scarred of them in case they break out but this particular one is very gentle and uses natural ingredients hence the camomile. In terms of how it performs, its not at all greasy and breaks up make up and leaves my skin feeling smooth and clean.  

Non- Beauty:
Peppermint Tea- over the last couple of months I've been getting back into Peppermint Tea. I started drinking it to begin with to help settle my tummy but now a days I have a cuppa just before bed, its really calming and helps me settle down and relax before bed! 

Coconut Oil, and last but not least Coconut Oil! Now I know there has been crazy hype around this product in the last couple of month, everyone has seemed to be getting very excited about the wonder oil (including myself!) but I will save you all another blogpost listing all of the benefits as I'm sure like me, you have read them time and time again. So it put it briefly, this is literally the most multi-purpose product I have in my house! I use this for EVERYTHING- from moisturising, to cooking to cleansing to even oil-pulling ( yep I've been brave enough to give this a whirl) and without a shadow of a doubt I would be completely lost without this stuff in my life now! 

Let me know what your favourites have been this month!
Thanks for reading-xx

Homemade May Series: Homemade Pasta Dish

Welcome back to my forth and final part of my Homemade May Series!
If you want to catch up on the last three previous posts you can view them here...
Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things
Homemade Remedies
Homemade Soaps
To conclude this series I've decided to share with you all one of my favourite home-made recipes which is a creamy lemon-salmon pasta dish! I really like this dish because its packed with flavour and has a very subtle hint of lemon which complements the salmon well. Its perfect for any occasion as its quick it whip up, easy to follow and you can tailor it to your taste buds!
My partner is actually a celiac which can sometimes be tricky when planning meals and making sure they don't contain gluten, so for this dish I have decided to switch to gluten free pasta, however regular pasta will still work fine and make no difference what so ever. Talking of allergies, this recipe also contains cream so if you are lactose intolerant then it may be best to steer away from this one! Other than that this dish is very indulgent and yummy! So let's get started!
What you will need...

Serves two- 

• 4-6 slices of Lemon 
• 1tbsp chopped fresh Rosemary
• 1tbsp  fresh Thyme
• 1tbsp Butter
• 3tbsp Olive Oil  
• 4 Garlic Cloves
• 1diced Onion 
• 300ml Double Cream
• 1tbsp chopped Mint Leaves 
• 2 fresh Salmon Steaks 
• 1 bag of Pasta 

Method 

1. Place a large deep saucepan on medium heat, add the butter and let it melt. 
2. Once melted, add in 4 crushed garlic cloves and the diced onion, stir frequently to avoid it to burn, keep stirring for around 2-3 minutes.
3. Add in the salmon steaks skin side down and leave to cook through for 3-5 minutes until the salmon turns to a light pink. 
4. Once salmon is cooked enough to become tender then you need to shred the salmon- to do this you will need a cutting knife and a fork. Use the fork to gently hold the salmon in place whilst brushing over the salmon with a sharp knife to begin to shred it, once the steaks are completely shredded mix in with the onion and garlic. 
   
5. Add in the sliced lemon.
6. Pour in the cream and put onto a low heat and let simmer.
7. Now is the perfect time to boil your pasta, leave to boil for around 9-12 minutes. 
8. keep stirring the pasta frequently whilst adding in your seasoning ( this can be altered- more or less, depending on preferred taste) Mix in the rosemary, thyme and mint leaves along with a little back pepper if you like. 
   
9. Continue to stir until pasta is cooked.
10. Once pasta is ready to eat drain it off and splash some Olive Oil over top then place on a plate. 
11. Take your sauce off the heat and pour generously over your pasta- ( you can add some grated parmesan if preferred however I feel the sauce is very rich without it) and pop 2 mint leaves on top to serve. 

Eat and Enjoy! 

Thanks for reading-xx 

Homemade May Series: Homemade Soaps!

Come make soaps with me! 

Hello Everyone so today I am going to continue with my "Homemade May Series" and show you all how I like to make my home-made soaps!
I really enjoy making soaps and like making them for myself or for friends and family and the way I make them is really quick, easy to follow and very simple. I am not in any way a professional soap maker! This is just something I enjoy doing in my spare time and my method is just the way that I've learnt so, I thought I would show you guys today so you can give it a go yourselves!
What you will need...

A lot of these items are available from shops that specialise in arts & crafts- I've purchased the majority of the products that I'm using today from Hobbycraft- so I will pop a link next to anything I've mentioned!
1. A Clear Soap Base- these soap bases come in huge blocks which you will need to cut up and melt. The method I like to use is the "Melt & Pour" method which is very much self-explanatory and involves heating up the soap base and pouring it into moulds. The soap bases can come in different colours and scents but I like to just use the clear standards bases so I can add my own touches!

2. Pipettes- you are going to need some form of measuring equipment to use to measure out your ingredients to add your base.
3. Fragrances- you can add any scent you like to your soaps, Hobbycraft offer a huge range of scents from floral to fruity so pick which ever takes your fancy to make your soap perfect for you.

4. Colour- adding colour to the mix can transform the appearance significantly- I've chosen a red and blue colour supplement to add to my mix.

5. Moulds- once the mix is ready you will need to pour the liquid into a mould- I prefer to you use the silicone moulds as they are easy to push the soap out once chilled, there are lots of cute shapes to choose from, I have lots, some festive, some like little cupcake cases and others that are the shape of roses.

6. X2 Saucepans and access to a Hob-  you will need two saucepans, one which fits inside the other to melt your compound in.
Hints & Tips- you can enhance your soaps appearance and purpose by adding in some natural

ingredients- this section is completely up to you but sometimes I quite like to add in some natural oils to satisfy dry skin or even some dried petals or clean fine sand and ground rice to make you soaps into body scrubs!

Method...  there are two ways to melt your soap base the first way is over the hob, and the second is in the microwave. I personally prefer to use the hob method as I feel I have more control when melting the soap compound and especially adding in the components - however the microwave method doesn't involve direct heat and is A LOT safer!
1. Melting the Soap Compound- get both saucepans out- one of which is slightly smaller and fits into the other. The smaller saucepan is going to be used to melt the soap base in- never melt the compound over direct heat! Fill the base saucepan with water (approx 2 pints) and heat over the hob- don't exceed over 75degrees or allow the water to boil over into the second pan.
- Fit the second saucepan inside of the other (which is filled with hot water) and cut off a chunk of the soap compound, place the cut pieces into the smaller pan.
- Stirring occasionally until the pieces are melted then remove directly off the heat. 

2. Adding Fragrance/Colour and Natural Ingredients - this is the fun part! Once the soap has melted this is the perfect time to start adding in any ingredients to enhance your soaps appearance and scent. (I'm going to make mine rose scented to match my rose-shaped moulds) add a few drops of fragrance and any colour supplement you have- you will only  need 2-3 drops of each, a little goes a long way. (I've opted for red colouring)

At this point you can mix in any other ingredients you may have such as dried petals or oils etc.
3. Using the Moulds- next you are going to need to pour the mix into the moulds.
- Gently pour the liquid into each mould just below the brim.
- Leave to cool for 30 minutes and place into the fridge ensuring to cover with cling film to avoid contamination with food.

4. Removing Soaps from the Moulds- using the work surface, place the mould upside down and give them a sharp tap to loosen the soaps.
5. Added Ideas - if your soaps turn out well- why not make your soaps into little gifts and place them into pretty decorative jars, baskets or bags?

Here's how mine turned out!

Thanks for reading-xx

Homemade May Series: Home Remedies

Welcome back to my "Homemade May Series" if you have't read post 1 click here....
My second post is going to be all about homemade remedies!
I love reading about home remedies which you can re-create at home that are safe, easy to make and cost effective. Recently I re-visited one of my favourite and well loved books, "1000 Home Remedies"- Don't panic I'm not going to talk about all 1000 of them but share with you a few of my favourites which I tend to revert back to every now and again!
Skin and Hair Problems  we all have suffered from these sorts of issues, from pesky blemishes to dry and brittle hair, I personally invest a lot into good skincare and love trying out new products that promise me amazing results, and although most of the time they do, they usually come with a price tag! So I've searched out a few remedies that could be used alongside or possibly instead of conventional products to hopefully fix your beauty issues...
Dry Skin-
Symptoms- 

• Flaky Patches
• Tightness across the cheeks & forehead
• Surface of the skin feels rough and sometimes itchy

Prevention- 

• Gentle cleansers that are alcohol free
• Regular use of moisturisers 
• Always use an SPF to protect skin

Natural Remedies- 

• Simple Banana Face mask- Bananas help nourish skin encouraging it to lock in moisture...
  - 2 Ripe Bananas.
  - Mash up the bananas and leave on the skin for 20 minutes before washing off with warm water
• Zesty Winter Skin Mask- Using fruits packed with vitamin C helps rejuvenate dry and tired skin that suffer especially during the winter months.
  - Juice of 2 lemons
  - 1 Orange
  -1 cup of powered milk
  -Drop of water
  - Mix of all ingredients together and add in enough water to make a thick paste, apply to skin and leave for 15 minutes, wash off with warm water. 
• Aloe Vera Gel- Aloe Vera removes dead skin cells making skin smooth and soft and helps moisturise.

Oily Skin- 
Symptoms- 

• Enlarged and visible pores 
• Skin feels greasy and has an overall shine
• Prone to blemishes, blackheads and congested pores

Prevention- 

• Use products that are oil-free
• Regular use of facial scrubs and deep-cleansing face masks are beneficial

Natural Remedies-

• Make a gentle toner to help slow down oil production
  - Steep some peppermint and sage in hot water for 30 minutes before straining and cooling.
  - Apply to oily skin with a cotton pad. 
• Inhale the steam...
  -Add some eucalyptus, rosemary or thyme in a basin
  - Pour over some boiling water and then with a towel over your head, lean over the basin and inhale the steam.  

Dry Hair- 
Symptoms- 

• Rough, dry and brittle ends
• Ends that are split and frayed
• Texture that feels harsh and string - like

Prevention- 

• Visit the hairdresser for a trim every 6-8 weeks to keep the ends healthy 
• Keep the use of heated hair tools to a minimum
• Don't wash the hair every day this causes the natural oils to be stripped 

Natural Remedies- 

• Make a pre-shampoo oil...
  -Heat a tbsp of olive oil, almond and jojoba oil in a basin set over a pan of boiling water
  - Massage the warm oil into your hair and scalp and wrap in a towel
  -Sit in a steamy bath for 15 minutes before rinsing and shampooing
• Mayonnaise??
  - Massage natural commercial brand of mayonnaise into clean, dry hair
  - Or make your own by whisking 5ml almond oil and vinegar with a large egg. 

Greasy Hair- 
Symptoms- 

• Hair looks and feels oily 
• Needs frequent washing
• Limp and lacks body

Prevention- 

• Washing hair brushes and combs with warm soapy water to prevent grease build up & pushing grease back into the hair
• Avoid using too much conditioner or try cutting it out altogether as some conditioner contain oil

Natural Remedies

• Hair Masks
  - Add 2 beaten eggs and one 15ml bicarbonate of soda to 1 pint of warm water
  - Pour over the hair and massage gently but firmly into the scalp
  - Leave for 10-5 minutes before shampooing.

Thank for reading-xx

Homemade May Series: Extra Ordinary Uses for Ordinary Things!

Welcome to my first post of the Homemade May Series, if you're unaware of what this is then it's basically a string of posts that are inspired by all things homely! For this first post I've taken a lot of influence from a book I discovered a couple of days ago at my parents house called "Extra Ordinary Uses for Ordinary Things" its a Reader's Digest book that's packed with useful ideas to help save money and a lot of time. I had a quick gander through the pages and found it really interesting so I thought I'd share some of my favourite tips and hacks with you today... 

The book details hundreds of  regular household items and describes several other uses for them the first item is,
Baby oil- 

• Make your own bath oil- this little trick is something I've always done, especially during the winter months when my skin has been feeling dry and quite de-hydrated. I tend to add a few drops of baby oil into my bath and it leaves my skin feeling really soft and moisturised when I get out. A good tip is to add a few drops of your favourite perfume and mix it into the oil and add it to the bath to create your own beautifully smelling bath oil. 
• Slip off a stuck ring!- baby oil may need a space along with your jewellery! If you are like me and have experienced the pure panic of having a ring stuck on your finger- (they always go on so easily) then lubricating the area with baby oil should help slide it off. 
• Cleaning a bath/shower- baby oil is a great way to help break down the build up of dirt and soap scum around a bath or a shower, simply add a few drops to a cloth and wipe over the surface, once all removed wipe back over with a clean fresh cloth to remove any oil markings. 
• Polish leather bags/shoes- add a few drops of oil to a cloth and wipe over the leather making sure to wipe off the oil after and your shoes will be looking tip-top!

Bananas- 

• Make a homemade face mask- bananas are great for the skin, they contain lots of vitamins including vitamin A which helps restore moisture and repair any dull and damaged skin cells. A face mask using bananas is a great way to take advantage of all the goodness that leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth. All you need to do is mash up a medium sized banana add 50g of plain yoghurt and 2 tablespoons of honey and there you have it, a tasty effective cheap face mask! 

• Make frozen banana lollies- I personally haven't tried this one yet, but I can imagine them tasting great- simply un-peel as many bananas as you would want, place a wooden ice lolly stick through the bottom and cover with grease proof paper and place them in the freezer. After a few hours serve them to eat! I quite like the idea of dipping them in warm melted chocolate or coating them in melted butterscotch! Sounds like a yummy indulgent treat for summer! Plus kind of healthy?? 
• Brighten up house plants- Why not go ahead a use up ALL of the banana, using the skin wipe down the leaves of dusty and dingy house plants to help re-store their shine. 

Cornflour- 

• Remove stains from carpets- Mix a small amount of cornflour with some milk and create a paste, apply the paste over ink stains to remove from carpets! I love hearing tips like this- always worth knowing just in case of emergencies- especially if you are as clumsy as me! 
• Remove grease splashes from walls- If you get a little too enthusiastic with cooking and tend to make a teeny bit of a mess, fear not, dab dry cornflour onto a cloth and rub until the grease spots disappear from your walls. 

 Lemons- 

• Freshen the fridge & clean the microwave- I like to use lemons a lot when cleaning, not only because of the lovely scent they give off but because they work well as a natural detergent and work into the build up of grease and help remove it with its natural citric acids. I tend to add a few drops of lemon juice onto a cloth or cotton wool and dab it on to the surface of my microwave or inside of my fridge- it leave it smelling fresh and looking clean. 
• Prevent potatoes going brown- when boiling potatoes add a few drops of lemon juice, this prevents them turning slightly brown. 
• Whiten clothes- you can add straight or diluted lemon juice to your washing water to effectively whiten clothes that comes out the wash smelling lemon-fresh. 

• Create blonde highlights- (this little trick I love, especially during summer time) Lemon juice is a natural bleach and if you have blonde hair that's in need of brightening up but cant afford the time or money to go to a salon then simply take 50ml lemon juice to 150ml water and rinse your hair with the mixture- letting your hair dry naturally in the sunshine helps boost the effects of brighter blonder hair. 
• Cleanse your face- I read lots of beauty blogs and have come across countless posts about the benefits of cleansing your face with natural lemons. Lemons contain vitamin C and because of the citric acids they work nicely as a gentle exfoliator. Dab a cut lemon carefully across the face ( avoiding the eyes) this helps lighten any dark spots, draws out any black heads and improve the surface of the skin, leaving it soft and smooth. 

Car air-freshener (Magic Trees)  
I've started using Magic Tree air-freshers not only to keep my car smelling pleasant but to use around the house as well. The other day I gave my wardrobe a well needed clear out and hung a Magic Tree on the rail to keep the clothes smelling nice. Another place to cheekily slide one of these is in the Vacuum Cleaner where the bag is kept. This gives off a lovely scent as I hoover throughout the house! 

So those were a few of my favourite household items with extra ordinary uses!
I hope you found this as handy as I did and hopefully remember a few of these next time your in need for a cheaper alternative.
If you have any home hacks like this then let me know as I'm always on the look out for some new ideas!
Thanks for reading-xx
 

Homemade May Series...

So its been a little while since my last post, I've been having one of those weeks where I feel really busy doing nothing! Do you ever get those days where you just haven't stopped but have achieved very little? And cant quite figure out why you feel so drained and exhausted?! Well that's how I'm feeling! And unfortunately I haven't had the time/energy to whack out any posts but I do however think that having a few days rest is key, and has welcomed me to think of some new inspiration and interesting material to talk to about...

Its funny to think that this time last year I was even busier, preparing to move out of my parents house and move into somewhere new with my boyfriend. I remember feeling so enthusiastic and exciting but at the same time completely clueless! ( nothings changed there then!) I really enjoyed the moving out process- I like to think I'm quite an organised person so I loved all the list making and packing things in boxes and putting things all in their little places. I just remember the endless stacks of cardboard boxes (which seemed like gold at the time) , the circled scribbled on pages of the Argos catalogue, the nights of calculating and budgeting and pressing refresh over and over again of the Right-Move website.
They say that moving house is one of the most stressful things to do, I don't know whether because it was the first time I've moved but I enjoyed every minute, the area where my personality let me down however was the timing, I just wanted things to get sorted and to get decorating and having everything done in a day- now however, I've learnt to embrace the waiting game and learning that not everything get done all at once, taking my time saving up and looking forward to buying a new piece of furniture or creating my own little space piece by piece.
A year on and its still a working progress, however the house has most defiantly become a home and although there's rooms that are not quite finished ( the spare room) its something to work toward to and its such a warming feeling when you have everything looking just how you imagined it...(or near enough)
So why does this reflection have anything to do with blog posts or lack of? Well whilst paying my eye - watering annual electric bill I thought why not celebrate the fact that I've successfully proved I can live on my own (and with Michael of course, which is a challenge in itself) and survive for one whole year! Still doesn't stop me from phoning my mum AT LEAST twice a day but maybe I wasn't as clueless as I once thought!
So I've decided to collect together a string of posts which are influenced by all things homely and inspired by all the things I've learnt and enjoyed whilst attempting to be a responsible adult! I've called this my "Homemade May Series" and although I haven't quite planned out exactly what these posts will include, I can say the I'm really exciting about sharing them with you!
So keep your eyes peeled!
Thanks for reading-xx

Spring Fashion Haul- Boohoo & New Look Finds!

Today I took a dive head first into the sea of sales in New Look and fished out some great finds for Spring/Summer. My wardrobe currently need some urgent updating from the dark, dreary display to a much needed pop of colour and pretty prints, something which I've always tried to stay clear of and after reading many fashion blogs I'm glad I'm not the only one who likes to settle for dark colours and monotones.
My personal style is the typical black skinny jeans paired with boots of some description, my wardrobe features a lovely array of oversized comfy's and my drawers are stacked with slouchy "sloppies" as we tend to call it in our house hold. This fashion is great for six months of the year but come Springtime I suppose its best to experiment with colour, so here are a few items I've picked up recently...
Outfit #1

Floral Playsuit- Boohoo (Link)
Oversized Blazer Jacket- New Look (Link)
Suede Brown Ankle Boots- New Look

I really like this playsuit from Boohoo, in fact I just generally love Boohoo, its one of my favourite online fashion sites, the stock is always very original and reasonably priced. I think this outfit will be great for daytime and evening wear. - I've linked up where  you can purchase the items from -most of the stock is in the sales as well- bargain! 

Outfit #2 

Oversized Smock Dress- Boohoo (Link)
Chunky Black Zip Up Boots- New Look

This 70's inspired smock dress ticks all the boxes for me, I think its the perfect festival dress, I like that its oversized (all the better for dancing in) and I really like the pattern detail and the cut, it looks lovely when paired with some chunky boots and maybe a trilby hat? 

Outfit #3

Vest Top (old) 
Black 3/4 Length Sleeve Top- New Look (Link)
Detailed Floral Stripe Mini Skirt- New Look (Link)
Chunky Black Zip Boots- New Look 

Edging slightly out of my comfort zone here as I have chosen an A- line mini skirt! If I'm honest I just couldn't resist the patten, I love anything that looks slightly vintage inspired and I haven't come across a skirt that has caught my eye like this is a long time! I thought this piece would be a good staple in my wardrobe as its very versatile, you could wear this with heals and a vest top in the evenings or for more casual wear I chose to wear it with a plain top and ankle boots.  

Outfit #4 

Topshop 'Leigh' Jeans- Topshop (Link) 

Pink & Black Floral Print Top- New Look
Tan Brogue Lace Up Boots- (Link) 

I picked up this top because I really liked the colour combination of the pink and black, it makes it very easy to style with, the fabric of this is nice and thick and would be a good piece for a more formal setting or casual if worn with shorts and boots. 

So that's my little Boohoo and New Look picks for Spring, some nice coloured staple additions to wear throughout the warmer months. I've tried to link what I could next to the items and apologies for the poor lighting and dodgy mirror shots! (first fashion haul) I would love to know what's been your favourite item of clothing this season...
Thanks for reading- xx