Girl in a Teeny Town

Tag: Book Lover

2012-02-21T10:30:00.000Z

I saw this tag on Morgan's blog, Little Alpaca, and being the bookworm that I am, I had to give it a go didn't I?

Imagine you sit in front of a fireplace. you read and beside you is a cup with something hot in it. What would that be in your case: tea, coffee, or hot chocolate?
Usually tea - with two sugars and milk, in my Royal Wedding mug or Artbox cookies mug. I ♥ tea!

If the author gave you the chance to rewrite or change the fate of a book character, who would you choose?
I would allow Henry DeTamble from The Time Traveler's Wife to live and doctors somehow find a cure/treatment for his genetic disorder which stops him 'jumping', so that he can grow old with his wife and their daughter. I love a happy ending, me.

Did your parents read stories to you when you were little? If yes are there any special ones you remember the most?
I can't recall them reading me stories, but I can remember being able to read fluently from a young age and reading books that were at a much higher reading level than a lot of the other kids at school, so I read a lot of books! I loved The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The BFG, Matilda... In fact most of Roald Dahl's books. I also read a lot of the Goosebumps series.

What do you like more, the smell of old antiquarian books or the smell of new fresh ones you just bought?
Hmm, I'm not a huge fan of old, musty smells, so I'll go with new, freshly bought ones.

You get the opportunity to choose between two secret talents: either to be able to make things come to life through reading them, or the gift to read yourself into a book. Which would you choose?
To read myself into a book - that way, I could go places that don't exist in reality or go into the past or future.

Do you have a favourite children's book or a favourite fairy tale?
The Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast :)

Someone would talk to your friends and ask them to compare you to a book character. With who do you think they would compare you?
Probably Hermione Granger... I was a bookworm at school and J.K. Rowling has said that Hermione has a 'fear of failure', which is definitely me. And I can remember LOADS of random things at the drop of a hat and my friends used to say I had a photographic memory because of how easily I remembered things.

Tell me the name of a writer you would like to have as a friend.
Sarra Manning

You can hide in a written down world for only one night, into which world do you escape?
Definitely Hogwarts ;)

Something terrible happens: you have to flee to an unknown place and all you can take with you are three books of all the ones you own. Which three do you put into your bag?
Diary of a Crush 1, 2 & 3

Are you a book lover? Do you read 'real' books or do you have a kindle? Link me if you decide to give this tag a go!

Inspired by... The Vampire Diaries: Elena's Necklace

2012-02-19T23:31:00.000Z

Etsy - ♥ - eBay
Hi everyone, welcome to my new featured post - Inspired by...

In these posts, I will find dupes or inspired items taken from TV shows and movies - like in this post, it's Vampire Diaries character Elena Gilbert's vervain necklace that I have featured.

Now, I would love to feature items you have seen a character wearing or maybe even a prop from a set that you have seen? So do please get in touch, either leave me a comment on this post, tweet me @teeny_town, email me or ask me on formspring.

Smart Spending: Day 6

2012-02-17T16:00:00.000Z

Use eBay and Amazon to sell - not buy!
I know we all know we can buy items for much less than high street prices if we shop around online (as per my previous post), but what about all that stuff lurking around your home that you no longer want or need? Do you have any items that are in good condition? Books, DVDs, clothes and technology all tend to sell via eBay or Amazon, so why not give them a go? Start by listing a few items to begin with and see what happens!

My top tips

Sign up for free listing notifications on eBay - that way, if your item doesn't sell, you've not lost a penny!
Amazon tends to be better for books/DVDs in my opinion - you aren't charged a listing fee until it sells.
When selling larger books/DVD boxsets on Amazon, take note that you will still only be paid the standard postage credit for that particular category - you may need to increase the base cost of your item to cover the extra postage.
Weigh your items and check the Royal Mail website before setting your postage cost on eBay - you don't want to set it too low so that you lose money, and also don't be tempted to list it way higher than the true cost. It is accepted that most sellers will add a little on to cover the packaging costs, but bear in mind most buyers will be put off by high postage costs.
Post your items in a timely manner!
I've found adding a small handwritten thank you note to the package makes buyers happy, and more importantly, more likely to leave good feedback.
Be honest in your descriptions and try to sort out problems for your buyer, but also don't be bullied by scammers!
If you are only willing to post to the UK, state this clearly in your listings!

Do you sell your unwanted items online? Do you have more tips? If you have any more questions about selling online, do leave me a comment or tweet me!

London ♥

2012-02-16T18:30:00.000Z

Have you ever visited London? Or do you live in or near London?

Birds and Blossoms: Inventory Update

2012-02-15T14:39:00.000Z

Hello everyone :)

Just a little update - I have added two new bookmarks to my store: Birds and Blossoms.

Please do have a peek, and have a lovely day!

Smart Spending: Day 5

2012-02-15T11:30:00.000Z

Shop online - compare prices, use cashback sites and discount codes.
By now, we all know that online prices generally tend to be lower than high street prices. I do say generally - check the high street first, especially as there may be delivery costs when shopping online! However, what I have found is that a lot of people don't know about cashback and discount codes, which can also sweeten the deal when buying online.

Note: I am not encouraging you all to buy things just for cashback or because there is a great deal/discount available... What I am saying is this: when you have a purchase that needs to be made, try and get the most for your money!

Cashback
Cashback is a great way to make savings on your purchases - it is totally free using Top Cashback, and you even get some free cash for signing up! (100% honesty: the link is my referral link. If you'd like to sign up, I'll love you forever if you use my link as I get a small bonus to my account - it doesn't cost you a penny now or when you earn cashback; the site pays me the bonus.)

So how does it work? Well once you have signed up, you have an account. Then next time you want to make a purchase online, log into your account and search for the retailer your wish to purchase from. It is highly likely that topcashback will offer a small percentage of cashback (usually between 3-10% of your order total). You then need to click the link to be taken to the site you are purchasing from, and you need to ensure you purchase your items from that link. If you close the window and restart etc, make sure you go back through to the topcashback site and use the referral link or you wont get your cashback! Once your cashback has 'tracked' (I've been told this can take a few weeks depending on the retailer you bought from), then you are able to get the funds as cash or Amazon vouchers. Sweet! Also, there are other offers that don't actually require a purchase, like this Netflix free trial offer which gives you £10+ cashback! You can unsubscribe at any time, so I would pop along, subscribe and have a good read of how it all works, and see for yourself.

Discount Codes and Deals
Voucher Codes is a website that lists tons of discount codes for online retailers - do a search and see what comes up for your chosen retailer. Do read the terms and conditions as some are pretty strict, e.g. only on full price items. This site also offers printable vouchers for use on the high street... lots of great eating out deals here.

Another site that seems on it's way to becoming very popular is Buyapowa. This is a site which offers designer/branded items (lots of make up, hair care etc) that have been discounted from the usual RRP. It works on the concept that the more people that buy, the lower the price. You can sign up to be alerted when a product goes 'live', and you can refer people to the product and possibly get yours free if your link is the one the has most purchases resulting from its use. One thing to note: the products are limited to a set number so if there is something you have your eye on, be quick!

Do you use cashback sites? Are you always searching for discount codes? Have you ever bought from sites like buyapowa?

Nails: Valentine's Day ft. Kleancolor Pink & Revlon Cotton Candy

2012-02-14T23:56:00.000Z

Just a quick snap of my Valentine's Day nails I have been sporting today... I painted all except my ring finger with Kleancolor's 'pink', and then my ring finger with Revlon's 'cotton candy' which is scented - yum! I also added a pink heart shaped gem to each ring finger. I then topped it with Seche Vite.

Did you do Valentine's Day nails? Also, do you like the pictures like this - nails on one side, polish on the other? Or do you prefer the large pictures, one after the other as before?

The Love List: 14.2.12

2012-02-14T22:02:00.000Z

My first guest post is now live over at Charlotte's Blog. I would love for you all to go check it out, and thank you to Charlotte for letting me invade your space :)
We are moving into a house! If everything goes well, we will be moving in next weekend... Happy times!
I got a date to have my pesky wisdom tooth removed. I'm not sure if I'm happy or scared, but 3 infections since August is not good so once it's out hopefully that will be the end of them.
Matt got me Beauty and the Beast on DVD for Valentine's Day, what a guy! No more watching crappy online versions!
Money saving is going well - I haven't found myself buying much in the way of unnecessary purchases, and I've been selling a few bits and bobs on Amazon to make a little more cash.

What's made you smile this week?

PS, I love you ♥

2012-02-14T08:30:00.000Z

Just a little message to all... No matter what your 'relationship status' is, why not take some time today to show yourself a little love and kindness? Make today about you!

Have a bubble bath, cook your favourite meal, give yourself a manicure/face pack/hair treatment, read a few chapters of your favourite book, watch your favourite movie, treat yourself to that lipstick or slice of cake... The list is endless!

Project Perfect

2012-02-13T23:17:00.000Z

Amy from Flaws and All wrote a really great post entitled Project Perfect and asked other bloggers to take part. I really liked the idea, and totally agree with Amy trying to promote having a good image of oneself - I think too often we are our own harshest critics and that's quite sad... We have enough with other people judging us harshly without doing it to ourselves!

Amy came up with three little tasks for us to complete:
Post a photo that you like of yourself and say in a couple of sentences why you like it.
State some things that you DON'T like yourself but say why others may love to be like that.
State 3 things that you DO like about yourself.

So here is my Project Perfect post:

Post a photo that you like of yourself and say in a couple of sentences why you like it.

I like my hair in this photo - I like the colour, style and length as I think it suits my face. I also like that I don't look as deathly white/pale as normal either.

State some things that you DON'T like yourself but say why others may love to be like that.

I feel like my boobies are too big for my frame, and they make me look bigger than I really am - others may love to have bigger boobies (my younger sister being one of them!).
I think my nose looks big and round - others may have a long and pointy nose and prefer to have a 'cute button nose' as Matt calls it.
I hate my muffin top and would like to be more toned - again, others may like to have curves and boobies!

State 3 things that you DO like about yourself.

I like my ears as they are small and don't stick out too far.
I like my hair as it's in really good condition since not being bleached and doesn't take much maintenance apart from my roots being touched up, and it's on its way to the length I want.
I like my wrists as they are pretty dainty - when I am carrying extra pounds it makes me feel better that my wrists are still slim!

Wow, that was harder than I thought which really proves Amy's point I think! Thanks again go to Amy for the inspiration to write this post ♥

Smart Spending Tips: Day 4

2012-02-12T00:15:00.000Z

Make at home alternative to takeways.
Hey everyone, day 4 of my tips will show you how me and Matt create versions of our favourite takeaways at home for a fraction of the cost. Everything in the 'homemade' column are easily available to get hold of in most supermarkets.

Takeaway	Homemade Alternative
Nando's Chicken breast in pitta (with salad) Corn on the cob Peri Peri chips	Chicken breast marinaded in peri peri sauce (fried in pan) Toasted pitta bread with mixed salad leaves Corn on the cob (boil then fry in chicken pan for a few seconds) McCain oven chips with peri peri chip sprinkle (buy at Nando's or Tesco)
Pizza Hut Stuffed crust pepperoni pizza BBQ chicken wings Coleslaw Garlic Bread	Chicago Town Takeaway pepperoni pizza with stuffed crust Ready marinaded chicken wings (cook in microwave) Tub of coleslaw Pre-made/frozen garlic bread
Indian Chicken Jalfrezi Boiled Rice Naan bread	Supermarket ready made Indian takeaway chicken jalfrezi Uncle Ben's boil in the bag long grain rice (cooks in 10 minutes) Pre-made naan bread (bake in oven)

Top tip!

My favourite peri peri marinade costs just 87p, and it's by a brand called Tropical Sun. I normally get mine from Asda, but I think Sainsbury's also sell it - it's usually in the 'world foods' section, and in my opinion, it's much nice than the Nando's versions you can buy, and tastes more like the Nando's flavour too.

So there you have it... Our favourite takeaways and how we make them at home. What are your favourite takeaways?

Smart Spending Tips: Day 3

2012-02-07T23:16:00.001Z

Plan meals in advance.
I have been researching recipes online and me and Matt are going to do four weeks worth of meal plans and make up a shopping list for the items we will need. We can then get what we can from budget supermarkets, and anything else from a major supermarket. Also, rather than buying all of the fresh veg/bread/milk we'll need at the big monthly shop, we will only buy enough for the first week's meals and then buy the other fresh produce at the beginning of each week so it remains fresh and doesn't rot.

I have devised a meal plan template for one week's worth of breakfast, lunch and dinner, and with a handy shopping list section at the bottom. If you would like a copy of it, just click here to download the PDF file.

Hopefully this will mean we have the correct amount of food in the house for mealtimes, and won't be caught with nothing in and having to resort to pricey takeaways.

Do you plan meals? What are your favourite easy meals to cook?

Smart Spending Tips: Day 2

2012-02-06T10:38:00.000Z

Save money on grocery shopping.
Shopping in 'budget' supermarkets like Aldi, Lidl and Farmfoods - they sell products that are comparable to known brands but for a lot less. For example, research shows that Aldi's mayonnaise (79p, 500g) was preferred to Hellman's (£2.79, 600g) - A fantastic saving of £2! People often think their products aren't good quality, but in actual fact, their cheeses and meats are usually sourced from abroad and are much higher quality than their 'normal' supermarket alternatives, and again, cost a lot less. Lidl and Farmfoods also sell branded products, and I'm sure all of us in the UK have seen the leaflets that come thought the door advertising which products are on offer? The Farmfoods ones have coupons for £2.50 off £25 spend, £5 off a £50 spend etc - 10% off for cutting a bit of paper! Plus, knowing what's on offer will help with my next item on the list... all will be revealed tomorrow.

Do you shop in 'budget' supermarkets?

Smart Spending Tips: Day 1

2012-02-05T23:44:00.001Z

Hello everyone, hope you are all well?

If you read my last post or follow me on twitter, you'll know that we've been having some issues with our apartment and landlord, and it has come to the point where we may lose money, and also we're going to have to spend quite a bit of money this month, as we are hopefully moving out into a house.

It has been quite a stressful time as you can imagine, and it has made me realise just how much I need to take account of my finances and get them in order, and also try and save as much money as I can for a 'rainy day' as my dad likes to call it. The obvious way to save money is to stop unnecessary spending, but also be more smart about the money that has to be spent.

I have decided to 7 days worth of posts explaining what I action I'm going to take (with Matt's help) to try and keep my bank balance healthy and be a smart spender. So, as today is day 1, here is the first thing I am planning to do:

Reduce my mobile phone bill by £5 per month.
I have ordered a giffgaff sim card which is £10 per month for 250 minutes, unlimited texts and unlimited internet. This compares to my current tariff at £15 which includes 250 minutes, 5000 texts and 500mb of internet. So as you can see, I will be getting more texts for £5 a month less and my current tariff can be cancelled without penalty. So I still have an iPhone, albeit a 3GS, but an iPhone for £10 per month is pretty fab in my book.

What are your tips for smart spending?

The Love List: 3.2.12

2012-02-03T21:23:00.001Z

Seeing Snow Patrol live in Belfast on my birthday... They were amazing! The perfect way to start off my 25th year :)
I purchased my very first MAC make up product from Duty Free... Creme Cup lipstick! It was only £12 (RRP in store/online is £13.50). I adore it; the colour, the finish, the smell... I hope it doesn't become an addiction, as it will be a very expensive addiction!
My little teddy bear make up bag came - so cute!
I launched my little store: Birds and Blossoms in which I sell lovely handmade bookmarks at a very competitive price... Check out ribbon bookmarks on Etsy if you don't believe me!
Although we are having major problems with the flat and landlord, we have found a house... Looking at the positive side of things!

What's made you smile this week?

Waiting for birthday packages ♥

2012-01-30T15:24:00.001Z

Hey everyone

So today I thought I would do a little list of the things I have ordered online with my birthday pounds. I am going to be keeping an eye on our little mail cubby for the Royal Mail's red notification cards, as most of these items will most likely to be taken back to the sorting office by our poor postie. Luckily for us, he's a nice enough guy and understands that we can't always be around to take packages. So, on to the goods!

Cherry Pink Alexa inspired satchel, approx £20 inc. shipping {eBay}

I mentioned this in a previous post, and purchased it with some money from Matt's family. Can't wait for it to get here, as most of my bags are neutral so this will be a nice pop of colour to brighten up my day :)

Seche Vite is my favourite ever top coat, but unfortunately the ingredients do tend to evaporate and so it will become gloopy over time. Mine has sadly succumbed to this fate, so I have ordered the Seche Vite restore solution, which basically replaces those ingredients that have evaporated. The great thing about this is that it can also restore old gloopy nail polishes too, and according to online reviews, works much better than regular nail polish thinner. I picked up a back up bottle of the Seche Vite top coat too so I could combine the shipping cost.

I wanted the TIGI lusterizer after seeing Zoe and Gemma's hair FAQ videos, and the shampoo and conditioner duo is a repurchase as it literally does give really good volume and leaves my hair feeling clean and soft. I've been using a Schwartzkopf salon shampoo and conditioner and I have to say I much prefer the TIGI, and will be sticking with the TIGI brand from now on as it really does seem to suit my hair the best. I've also used the dumb blonde version when I used to get highlights, and I really liked that too - great for damaged hair and keeps the bleach looking fresh and bright. Another plus point of these is the smell - they smell like strawberry sweets! Yum!

Teddy bear purse, £5.00 {ukhandbagstore.co.uk}

Finally, I couldn't believe my luck when I found this, and for only £5? Sold! I actually wanted the River Island version that was around Christmas 2010, but I didn't get it and have been wanting one ever since. I did contemplate getting the tartan version from this year's range but I really wanted the fur one. I've been checking eBay on the off chance and after a little more in depth googling, I found this one. And seeing as it was half price and free delivery, I couldn't resist! The hardest decision was which colour to get...

Are you expecting any packages in the mail?

Introducing... Birds and Blossoms ♥

2012-01-27T20:39:00.000Z

http://birdsandblossoms.bigcartel.com
Hello everyone!

Today I want to introduce you all to my new little online store, http://birdsandblossoms.bigcartel.com. Birds and Blossoms is my little space to sell a few bits that I have created, and the first three items I have uploaded for sale are ribbon bookmarks. I first saw ribbon bookmarks on Etsy and thought they were so pretty, but the price put me off. So, I looked into making some for myself and decided to make some for others to purchase and enjoy!

I only have 10 of each of the above designs available at the moment, until I know what demand is going to be like, I didn't want to spend too much on supplies etc. So if these sell well, I will be popping up more designs!

These bookmarks are great, you simply pop them between the pages of your book and the little charms dangle out of the end. How cute?!

I have tried to keep postage costs as low as possible - I will be using recycled packaging, but rest assured your bookmark will be packed very safely to avoid damage. UK delivery will be second class, everywhere else via airmail.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, you can tweet me, email me or use the contact form on the Birds and Blossoms site.

Thanks for reading, and I hope to be sending you a pretty bookmark soon :)

Zoe xoxo

A little birthday wishlist...

2012-01-19T19:30:00.000Z

Next week on 25th of January, I turn 25. Gosh, that makes me feel old! My family usually give me some pounds to spend, rather than get me gifts, especially being so soon after Christmas and already having lots of lovely things then. I've got my eye on a few little bits and pieces I'd quite like to purchase with any money I may receive and so I've made a little list :)

Angels on Bare Skin cleanser ♥ LUSH
Breath of Fresh Air Toner ♥ LUSH
Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter ♥ LUSH

China Glaze nail polish in 'Pelican Gray' ♥ eBay
China Glaze nail polish in 'Flip Flop Fantasy' ♥ eBay
China Glaze nail polish in 'Sea Spray' ♥ eBay

Berry skinny jeans ♥ Topshop
Bird print dress ♥ H&M
Emerald skinny jeans ♥ G21 at ASDA

So there we have it. A few things that I would like. Do you own any of these things? If anyone has tried the LUSH products, do let me know what you think!

Jewellery from China

2012-01-11T11:30:00.000Z

Happy Wednesday everyone :)

Today I want to show you a few pieces of jewellery I bought last month from eBay. I ordered from sellers based in China, which for me is fine, as I wasn't in a rush for them, and it meant teeny tiny prices. The peacock necklace, peacock earrings and hot air balloon necklace have all been on sale at Accessorize at some point, for at least 10 times more than what I paid for them - £12 each to be exact... which I think is just crazy! So if you see something on there that you like, definitely check eBay first!

NOTE: All links and prices correct at time of writing.

Peacock necklace - £1.19

Peacock earrings - £1.39

Hot Air Balloon necklace - £1.39

Owl earrings - £1.09

Bulldog earrings - £1.09 (You do actually get a pair of these, but I think the other one has been lost in the post-Christmas tidy up :( Going to order a new pair!)

What do you think of these pieces? Do you purchase things from eBay?

Nails: Topshop Indian Summer, Sally Hansen Disco Ball & JRB #170

2012-01-09T11:30:00.000Z

I popped this on at the weekend to go bowling with our friends for a joint birthday thing. I also left it on last night to go out for my Mom's birthday meal at a Chinese restaurant. It reminds me of Barbie, with extra sparkle as I used two glitter polishes on top of the pink.

What do you think of this look? What are your favourite colour and glitter combinations?

The Love List: 8.1.12

2012-01-08T14:45:00.000Z

Baking Christmas cupcakes with almond flavour buttercream... So yummy!
Spending time with family over Christmas.

My new video camera from Matt ♥
He also got me a hand blender and food processor so I can make macarons as my old one was dead when returned to me.
Seeing the oral surgery consultant at the hospital about my wisdom tooth... I am officially on the waiting list for them to get it out of there.
My penguin onesie from Primark - my mom got it me for Christmas and it's so cosy and warm. And it has little penguin feet!

Christmas gift DVDs... I have been watching The Vampire Diaries pretty much every day this week!
With some of my Christmas money, I put in a small order with Beauty Joint so keep your eyes peeled for a post/video when it arrives!

My MUA eyeshadow palettes that Matt got me - I've used the Heaven & Earth one, and all I have to say is Naked palette? No thanks!
I also received lots of other lovely gifts, some pounds and an outfit gift card which I am saving for when I feel the urge to shop!

What's made you smile this week?

Song of the Week: Cut

2012-01-06T22:47:00.001Z

Cut ~ Plumb
Yet another song featured on The Vampire Diaries... I'm getting predictable now aren't I? Having said that, I love this song. It's so pretty ♥ I've been watching my Vampire Diaries DVDs that I got for Christmas and I watched the episode that this song featured in and I was like *sigh*.

A beginner's guide to... Amigurumi

2012-01-05T21:02:00.000Z

♥ credit

One of my things to do on my 30 things before 30 list is to learn to make amigurumi. When I also listed this on my DIYs I want to try list, Fi from Cats, Cakes & Crafts asked what amigurumi was. I realised it may seem a bit of a strange word to most people, and so this post is all about amigurumi!

♥ credit

According to our pal Wikipedia, amigurumi is 'the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed animals and anthropomorphic creatures. The word is derived from a combination of the Japanese words ami, meaning crocheted or knitted, and nuigurumi, meaning stuffed doll.' So basically, using the crochet technique to create little stuffed animals and creatures.

To make amigurumi, you will need to learn how to crochet, and will also need a few other bits to get going:

Crochet hooks - 4mm, 4.5mm and 5mm sizes are most recommended,but you can use even smaller sizes if you prefer.
Yarn
Stuffing - usually polyester; plastic pellets can be added to weight your creature so it 'sits up'
Eyes and noses
Patterns

♥ credit

Tips

Try charity shops for yarn supplies. My local one often has tons of wool, all brand new. It's cheap, and perfect for practicing with if nothing else.
Don't pay for patterns when starting out. Search for free patterns online - the selection is HUGE.
Pull your stitches tight, as if they are loose, the stuffing will show through.

Tutorials

Supplies

NOTE: All links correct at time of writing.

Useful links

We Love Amigurumi is a great site for pictures, patterns and tips.
Crochetville is such a great forum to get help from other crochet fans/experts.
Free Amigurumi Patterns is a blog with tons of links to free patterns available online.
Lion Brand free amigurumi patterns is another great website with lots of free patterns (registration required to download patterns).
Cute Amigurumi is another great blog with amigurumi pics galore!
Crafty Deb has some great tips to help improve your crocheting skills. Also has a 'free patterns' page.
Crochet Pattern Central is a super long list of free patterns available online.
How to read crochet patterns

Have you ever heard of amigurumi?
Have you ever made any?
Are you interested in learning how to make them?

A few changes...

2011-12-31T21:45:00.003Z

Image from here ♥

Hello everyone,

So I have made a few changes around here. New year, new start and all that jazz!

I decided to update my layout as I've been getting kinda bored of the one I have, and decided to combine a couple of my favourite colours in this new layout: pink and chocolate brown shades. I also decided to change the header style and make it a bit bigger. And you will see that the sidebar now has pretty titles too. I think I'm happy with how it looks... What do you think? After all, it is you lovely folk who have to see it!

Also, you will notice that I have installed a new commenting system. Please don't let it put you off commenting, it is easy as peas to use. You can sign in with Twitter or just type your name and email address... You can even leave your blog link in the 'website' box so when I or others click your name, I can view your blog - cool or what? But the best part? I can easily reply to your comments and you can choose to be notified when I (or someone else) replies to you which is so much better than blogger's comment reply notification feature, which let's be honest, is a bit on the poo side isn't it?

Along with the new look and comments, I will also be making a real effort this year with my posts. I have been looking at sites for blog post inspiration, and have come across great lists and ideas to keep things fresh such as Alycia's and Darren's. I will definitely be using these lists as inspiration and motivation to write more. I also have a list of posts that I have jotted down in a notebook that I want to get working on.

I have added an 'About Me' page, which is linked in the sidebar, along with my other pages that used to be underneath my header. So do check that out, as hopefully it will tell you a little more about me and my life.

Also, I now have a new camcorder which my lovely boy got me for Christmas, so once I pluck up the courage to start filming youtube videos, I will post up the link and I hope you will all have a peek and let me know what you think... (please be nice!)

So I think that's everything... Please do let me know what you think (good, bad, things to change/improve)!

Lots of love for 2012 - I hope it's fabulous for you all!

Zoe xoxo

The Love List: 21.12.11

2011-12-21T13:57:00.000Z

Getting excited for Christmas... It's so close guys! Sunday!
Using up products before buying new ones is saving me quite a few pounds... Blog post to come on this soon!
I completed my first full weekend shift. No more now until April, hooray!
Cooking roast dinners... So yummy and warming in the chilly weather.
Looking forward to baking Christmas cupcakes for work pals and family... I have all sorts of festive decorations to use :)

What's made you smile this week?

The Love List: 15.12.11

2011-12-15T20:00:00.000Z

Our Christmas tree is up and our living room looks suitably festive now...
Fun and laughs at our Winter in Vegas work night out on Friday night... Guilt free gambling fun had by all :)
Ordering some (hopefully!) pretty jewellery from eBay for crazy prices - look out for a post on them!
Having my roots done ready for Christmas, and not having the ends cut... Let the growing commence!
Ordered some clothes for Christmas from my parents, can't wait to be able to wear them :)
Finding out I'd won Gill's Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish giveaway after a crappy day... Really put a smile on my face! Thank you, Gill!

What's made you smile this week?

Song of the Week: Skinny Love

2011-12-15T12:59:00.000Z

Skinny Love ~ Birdy
One of my favourite songs to be featured on The Vampire Diaries, such a beautiful voice. It's not often I prefer a cover version to the original, so this is a special one ♥

LOVE: Autumn & Winter

2011-12-09T11:33:00.000Z

My favourite time of year is upon us... winter! I wonder if being born in January, has anything to do with it? I feel much more happy and content in the winter months than I do in the summertime. I know a lot of people will think I'm crazy, but I prefer it when the weather is cold and I can wrap up warm rather than be too hot and sweaty! Aside from winter fashion, there are tons more things I love about these months...

.♥. Snuggling up with a blanket...
.♥. Enjoying a nice hot chocolate...
.♥. Staying indoors and watching movies...
.♥. Yummy, hearty food such as stews, casseroles, roasts...
.♥. When the air is crisp with a slight chill...
.♥. Wearing scarves, mittens and thick socks...
.♥. Layering outfits...
.♥. Watching the rain and snow from the window...
.♥. Christmas time!

There are reports that it is going to snow here in my teeny town in the next day or so, and even though I don't enjoy driving in it, I love to wrap up warm and it looks pretty!

A couple of Sunday's ago I went to my local Christmas market for hot dogs ;) I love Christmas time, with its sparkly lights, gifts to give and receive and festive songs! It also means time off from work to spend with loved ones which I don't do as often as I should. Every year I wrap my gifts in the same way for everyone - I think I used to do this because I didn't have a home of my own to decorate. However, I now have a home so we have bought a tree to decorate with pretty things! Hopefully it will all be up and looking suitably festive by this weekend! I also want to bake Christmas treats, such as gingerbread men, Christmas cupcakes and a cake with a Christmas scene (I've already spied some decorations on eBay!). Christmas evening mine and Matt's family are getting together for turkey sandwiches and other yummy food and a little drink or two.

This evening I'm off out to my work's Christmas night out. It's a 'Winter in Vegas' themed night, so I shall be having a little guilt free gambling after stuffing myself with roast turkey and truffle dessert!

What are your plans for the festive season?

Winner! Christmas Teeny Treats

2011-12-04T22:44:00.000Z

Hey everyone,

This evening I picked out my Christmas teeny treats winner...

I wrote down the name of everyone who entered...

...folded each piece of paper and popped them into a bowl...

...and picked a winner!

Congratulations to Charlotte!

Charlotte's Christmas wish and favourite song:
'A gift I would like to receive for Christmas is the Urban Decay Naked Palette as I think I am the only person in the world who still doesn't own it!

My favourite Christmas song is All I want for Christmas by Mariah Carey.'
And here is what Charlotte has won...

I hope you like the treats, Charlotte!

Thank you to everyone who entered... I will be emailing shortly for your addresses, because I have a treat to send you all - A Christmas Mix CD! Don't forget to enter next time to see if you can win!

The Love List: 4.12.11

2011-12-04T22:40:00.000Z

Buying Christmas gifties and wrapping paper for them, all ready to wrap on my day off from work :)
Nailene false nails - they stay on for ages, look better than my short, ragged nails and my nail polish doesn't chip. Very impressed!
Having an evening to myself to do some blog stuff :)
Buying music credits and downloading albums... Christina Perri, Breaking Dawn soundtrack, Lady Antebellum and more!
Listening to my Christmas mix whilst doing household chores... Makes them seem easier somehow.
Asda are now selling Hershey's Kisses and chocolate! Sadly no cookies 'n' cream but I can live in hope!
Visited the German Christmas market for hot dogs with my sisters and Matt's brothers.
Planning Christmas evening party time... Mine and Matt's family are coming to ours for turkey and various other buffet items. My sister is providing chocolate fountain goodness, and my lovely nan is going to cook the turkey for me, but I need a Christmas punch recipe... Any ideas?

What's made you smile this week?

Some treats...

2011-12-03T12:23:00.000Z

Some of these things I bought a few weeks ago, as I have really tried to cut down on my spending lately.

Republic turquoise stone ring
I got this ring for £2 on sale; it's so pretty, I love the butterfly detail on the side of the ring. I found myself seeing rings like this everywhere, and wasn't sure if they were very 'me', so when I saw this for £2, I thought 'why not?'. I do quite like it, it is pretty large when on so I think this will be best saved for nights out.

Accessorize bronzer in 'golden sand'
There is a story behind this beauty. I swatched this on weekend in one of my local Superdrug stores and ummed and ahhed over whether to get it as it looked like the perfect highlighter as it's very pale. After thinking about it all week and even thinking of ordering it from the Accessorize website (with extra p&p added on top!), the next weekend I decided to just go for it. However, when I got there, I realised that the staff hadn't changed the swatch pans and that this was the older bronzer and they only had the bronzer duos in stock, which were a bit too dark. So I decided to bite the bullet and pay the extra online... I had a pleasant surprise when I noticed that Accessorize had a '£1 p&p' offer running, and the bronzer was only £6, making it the same as the in-store price. You can find the bronzer here). It arrived in perfect condition and pretty quickly too. It really is a gorgeous gold toned highlight shade, and you get a huge amount. I am so pleased I got this as I've used it everyday since!

Beauty UK baked blusher in 'peaches and cream'
I got this from Superdrug and it is a lovely sheer peachy blusher. I use this when I just want a hint of colour on my cheeks, and the folks at Beauty UK have also advised that they are designed to be sheer, but can also be built up if a deeper colour is required. You can buy it from Beauty UK direct or in store at Superdrug (out of stock online currently).

MUA Pro eyeshadow trio in 'pink sorbet'
This is my second MUA eyeshadow trio, and my current favourite eyeshadow. I love this for daily use for work, and it also looks great for nights out when the colour is built up a little more. Really soft, shimmery and easy to blend, these trios are fantastic value for money. Superdrug are offering free p&p at the moment. I got mine in store, but you can also get it online here.

Rimmel solo eyeshadows in 'tempted', 'siren' and 'envy'
These aren't my usual colours, but I spotted these in my local pound shop and all three were in a sealed packet for just £1. I thought they would come in handy for fancy dress/costume make up looks!

Bourjois 3D effet lipgloss in 'brun poetic'
I am always on the lookout for the perfect nude gloss, and when Zoe and Louise did their Make Up Favourites video on YouTube, Zoe mentioned that this was one of her faves and I thought, hmm that looks interesting. I was a bit reluctant to pay £6.99 for one lipgloss, but seeing as it was included in Superdrug's 3 for 2 offer, I picked it up. It is a really lovely pale creamy nude with a hint of shimmer. I don't find it too sticky, and it doesn't give the foundation lips look, although if you were too heavy handed it feel it could go more that way.

Sleek Pout Polish in 'Frosting'
I kept seeing pout polishes on a number of blogs, and thought, hmm is that just an expensive lip balm? I decided to pick one up during Superdrug's 3 for 2 offer as I do suffer with dry and chapped lips in the winter, and thought this would be a nice way to keep them soft whilst adding a bit of colour. It is a really pretty baby pink when on the lips - really like it. And it smells nice too! You can get it in store at Superdrug (currently not online).

Sleek True Colour lipstick in 'Barely There'
Another Sleek purchase - I'm not sure if I like this colour or not. I was expecting a soft, peachy nude but I think it may be a tad darker than I wanted. I will give it another chance though, see if it grows on me! Again, available in store from Superdrug (currently not online).

MUA lipstick in 'shade 4'
I am pretty pleased with this lipstick which only cost one English pound. It's not very pigmented; it goes on pretty sheer but is buildable. You won't get bright pink lips as the colour in the tube may imply - more of a sheer, cool toned baby pink, but I quite like that, and I have my NYX narcissus lipstick anyway ;) Again, you can buy this in store or here.

Rimmel nail polish in 'Midnight Blue' Maybelline nail polish in 'Rose Frisson' and Rimmel nail polish in 'Hard Edged'
Three more pound shop bargains. I love all of these shades, Rimmel and Maybelline for £1 each? Yes please! And we all know how much I love nail polish... Great additions to my collection.

Revlon nail polishes in 'Peach Smoothie' and 'Cotton Candy'
I purchased these from a blog sale for a great price. They are scented, and have a really nice microshimmer to them. The formula was a little troublesome, but I think thinner coats and allowing more time to dry in between may be the way forward with these. Still very pretty!

NYX nail polish in 'Superfunk' and Barry M nail polish in 'Blue Moon'
Again, another couple of blog sale purchases. Superfunk is a nice purple glitter which is perfect over other colours, and Blue Moon is really pretty with the very fine shimmer it has. I found the formula of Blue Moon similar to the Revlon polishes, so again I would build this up with thin coats.

Song of the Week: A Thousand Years

2011-12-03T12:02:00.000Z

A Thousand Years ~ Christina Perri
My new absolute favourite song at the moment ♥

List 30: Today's to-do list

2011-11-30T08:00:00.000Z

(Sorry this was posted up late - I didn't have chance to get it uploaded in time!)

List 29: Favourite foods

2011-11-29T08:00:00.000Z

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List 28: Vacations to take

2011-11-28T08:00:00.000Z

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List 27: Lessons learned

2011-11-27T08:00:00.000Z

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List 26: Books I'd like to read this year

2011-11-26T08:00:00.000Z

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List 25: Things I'd rather be doing right now

2011-11-25T14:30:00.000Z

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List 24: I make lists for...

2011-11-24T08:00:00.000Z

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List 23: Guilty Pleasures

2011-11-23T08:00:00.000Z

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List 22: Today I Saw

2011-11-22T19:47:00.000Z

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The Love List: 22.11.11

2011-11-21T16:18:00.001Z

Two words: Breaking. Dawn. Oh my gosh, I loved it! I am having slight withdrawal symptoms already and feel like I need to see it again. Me and my sister have been trying for a while to convince our other sister that she needs to read the books and watch the movies, and she finally saw Twilight and didn't hate it, which is definitely progress! So we may be able to convince her to watch all of the movies on DVD and then go see Breaking Dawn with us. And if you don't like Twilight, please accept that a lot of people do and everyone is different ok? No need to be mean guys...
My pretty nail polishes that came from eBay after seeing Adrienne's post. So cheap and pretty!
I went to the dentist and he finally agreed to refer me to hospital to sort my wisdom tooth out. I don't particularly like the dentist, but I am happy that I will hopefully be rid of the pain!
Selling a few bits on eBay... Every little helps!
Matt ordered my Christmas present... Hello youtube videos!

What's made you smile this week?

List 21: Things to do this Spring

2011-11-21T08:00:00.000Z

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List 20: Celebrity crushes

2011-11-20T08:00:00.000Z

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List 19: Recipes I want to try

2011-11-19T08:00:00.000Z

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List 18: Road trip must-haves

2011-11-18T08:00:00.000Z

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List 17: Words that are hard to spell

2011-11-17T08:00:00.000Z

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{CLOSED} Teeny Treats #2 - Christmas

2011-11-16T14:34:00.000Z

This challenge is now closed!
Keep your eyes peeled for the next one...

Hey guys!

Here is your second challenge to win a surprise teeny treat from me... As it is a Christmas themed challenge, everyone who enters will get a small surprise which will be revealed once the challenge is over!

The Rules

Be a follower of my blog via Google Friend Connect (if you aren't, go click the follow button now!).
Leave a comment including your answer(s), and a way to contact you if you win, e.g. email address, twitter.
Please don't link to websites such as moneysavingexpert - this is for the people who genuinely read my blog.
All of my international readers can also enter, yay! (Please bear in mind you may not receive the package in time for Christmas but I have tried to end the challenge as close to the postal deadline for overseas as possible).
Any comments which don't include both answers will not count as an entry - sorry!
I will choose the winner via the names in a hat method - entry closes midnight (UK time) Sunday 4th December 2011

Good luck!

List 16: Places to see (in) near your town

2011-11-16T08:00:00.000Z

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List 15: On my shopping list

2011-11-15T08:00:00.000Z

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List 14: Things I love about _______

2011-11-14T08:00:00.000Z

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List 13: DIYs I want to try

2011-11-13T13:11:00.000Z

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List 12: Weekly rituals

2011-11-12T08:00:00.000Z

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A little question for you all...

2011-11-11T22:17:00.001Z

Evening folks,

So out of curiosity, I decided to do a bit of research into nail polish and cosmetics to sell online. I wonder if you think this is a good idea?

The brands I have been looking at are:

W7 which does some great items, but I know can be tricky for people to get hold of.
La Femme nail polish which does some great colours aswell as glitters.
Saffron nail polish, which again does some very pretty glitters.

I would try to make the prices as reasonable as possible, as well as keep postage costs down as much as possible, because let's face it, everyone hates paying postage don't they?! Or, free postage could be offered, but this would have to be factored into the price of the items which will obviously bump the price up a little.

I would love if you could offer your thoughts on this? Any comments, ideas, suggestions, brands you'd like to see would be HUGELY appreciated!

List 11: Date night ideas

2011-11-11T08:00:00.000Z

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Nails: Rimmel Hard Edged & Kleancolour Take A Hint

2011-11-10T08:00:00.001Z

Inspired by the fireworks at the weekend, I painted my nails with Rimmel's hard edged polish, and added a coat of Kleancolor's take a hint on top... It looks like the night sky, all lit up with the red glow from bonfires and the glitter looks like the flashes from the fireworks!

I got the Rimmel polish from my local poundshop (bargain!), and have found it on eBay for £2 and the Kleancolor I got from my Beauty Joint order which I posted about here.

What do you think of this combination?

List 10: On my wishlist

2011-11-10T08:00:00.000Z

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US make up swap take two!

2011-11-09T21:27:00.001Z

Hello everyone

Today I have another US make up swap post for you. Once again, this swap was with Mary of Rosy Ramblings, who was very generous with the goodies she sent me - she must have spent a fortune on shipping, as the make up came in a separate package to the candy... Ooh check me out using the American term! To all UK readers - chocolate and sweets :) So without further ado, here are the fabulous things I received!

♥ Milani baked bronzer in 'glow'

♥ NYX eyeshadow base in 'skin tone'

♥ NYX round lipstick in 'tea rose'

♥ Wet n Wild mega slicks lipgloss in 'cherish'

♥ P.I.X.E.L. nail polishes in (l-r) 'oh wow!!', 'naughty bit nice', oh sooo good!!', 'virtual violet' and 'oh boy!!'

♥ Wet n Wild fast dry nail polish in 'party of five glitters'

♥ Hershey's cookies'n'cream ♥ ♥ ♥ I LOVE this chocolate... It is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.!

♥ Jolly Ranchers! I used to buy these all the time when they were available in the UK!
I think you will all agree, that once again, Mary has sent some fantastic items, and I am really enjoying using them. The P.I.X.E.L. polishes are fab, I used the sparkly purple one the day they arrived and it lasted a good few days with no chips which is pretty impressive for me, as most chip within a day or two what with housework and so on. I'd like to say a BIG thank you to Mary, as not only did she send these wonderful bits and pieces, the make up arrived when I was feeling ill and off sick from work. She cheered me up a lot that day.

Have you tried any of these products? Would you like to see swatches of the polishes? If so, please drop me a comment or tweet and I will do my best to pop it in a post :)

List 9: Favourite websites & blogs

2011-11-09T08:00:00.000Z

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List 8: In my bag

2011-11-08T08:00:00.000Z

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List 7: Blog Goals

2011-11-07T08:00:00.000Z

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The Love List: 6.11.11

2011-11-06T22:42:00.000Z

My filofax. I caved and got one... I got it for a great price from WH Smith and I was a bit concerned that it might take a while to arrive having heard some people waited a while, but it came really quickly, even with their free standard delivery. Impressed! Keep your eyes peeled for a post showing the insides, as I've already begun to customise it to my liking...
We invited my sisters, Matt's brothers and his brother's girlfriend to ours for a curry night on Wednesday. I managed to cook three curries (chicken jalfrezi, quorn jalfrezi and chicken tikka masala) and various snacks including onion bhajis, spring rolls, samosas, naan breads, garlic bread without anything going wrong, and everyone seemed to enjoy it! Waaaay too much cleaning up afterwards though! I think the next time I'll be having a lot of people round will be Christmas. Hostessing is stressful enough, nevermind when you have a horrible cold and feel cruddy!
Fireworks! Saturday night I went to Matt's sister's place for a little bonfire and fireworks... It was pretty chilly out, but it didn't rain which was a nice change! Winter is definitely here.
Superdrug has a 3 for 2 on makeup, and so I treated myself to a couple of Sleek bits and Bourjois lipgloss I've been lusting after for an age. I also picked up a sneaky MUA lipstick.
My second US make up package came from Mary; it was full of nail polish from new US brand Pixel, along with the things I had requested and an extra lipgloss. Mary is so sweet, she picks great things to send. I'm currently wearing two of the polishes she sent! Again, there will be a post on this soon! You can also see Mary's post on our first swap here.

What's made you smile this week?

List 6: Least favourite words

2011-11-06T08:00:00.000Z

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List 5: Weekend Goals

2011-11-05T08:00:00.000Z

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List 4: Today's playlist

2011-11-04T08:00:00.000Z

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List 3: I am looking forward to...

2011-11-03T08:00:00.000Z

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List 2: Things you are good at

2011-11-02T08:00:00.000Z

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List 1: A few things about yourself

2011-11-01T08:00:00.000Z

I saw the 30 days of lists project on someone's blog a while back, and thought it would be nice to do. It's basically as it says on the tin - a list a day for 30 days, of which the list topic is given for each day. I didn't have time to do it then, so I thought I would do it this month seeing as November has 30 days :) So here is my first list...

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The Love List: 31.10.11

2011-10-31T22:49:00.000Z

Seeing all things Halloween in the shops, I love halloween!
My Accessorize bronzer in 'golden sand' arrived, such a pretty highlighting shade, just lovely. I also only paid £1 shipping which is currently running although for a limited time only so be quick if you want to take advantage!
I bought four nail polishes from blog sales for a fraction of their RRP - Barry M blue moon, NYX super funk, Revlon cotton candy and peach smoothie.
I've been enjoying three of my favourite US TV shows - Vampire Diaries, 90210 and Gossip Girl.
I also announced my very first teeny treats winner... Congratulations again to Steph, and thank you to everyone else who entered. The next treats will be up in time for Christmas!
Finally replacing our broken microwave... Jacket potatoes in 10 minutes are back!
Did a huge grocery shop last week so now we have healthy food in the flat which means no calorific takeaways that cost way too much anyway!
Researching video cameras for my Christmas present so I can do youtube videos. Still kind of scared but if I have a good camera I'll have no excuse!
Watching movies and eating pizza with Matt and my sisters.
Trying not to spend unecessary money on things! I'm doing well so far, have only really bought food which I need to live, so yeah, pretty good I think?! (Although I have allowed myself a small 'dirt cheap eBay items from China' bid allowance to keep me going...)
Quaker Oats golden syrup porridge... tasty and filling, and much healthier than a caramel kit kat chunky for breakfast...

A longer love list due to me being rubbish last week and not posting. So, tell me...

What's made you smile this week?

P.S. Happy Halloween!
(Please don't take this photo seriously... I was messing about with makeup looks and decided to mess about on picnik!)

Winner! October Teeny Treats

2011-10-18T23:51:00.002+01:00

Hey everyone,

This evening I picked out my October teeny treats winner...

My halloween themed 'hat'...

...I wrote down the name of everyone who entered...

...folded each piece of paper and popped them into my pumpkin...

...and picked a winner!

Congratulations to Steph!

Steph's favourite costume:
'I think my fave costume has to be my Little Dead Riding Hood costume i wore to a party, i had a basket with my alcohol instead of cookies lol! '
And here is what Steph has won...

I hope you like your treats, Steph!

Thank you to everyone who entered, don't forget to enter next time to see if you can win!

The Love List: 16.10.11

2011-10-16T23:53:00.000+01:00

Receiving my nail art pens and nail wheels from eBay and practicing halloween nail art.
87p peri peri sauce from Asda... tastes exactly like Nando's when used as a marinade. And lots cheaper too!
Creating a youtube playlist of all the music played on Vampire Diaries.
Being given the opportunity to start training at work... soon I should be starting Microsoft Expert training and completing an NVQ in Business & Admin.
Matt has paid for flights to Belfast for my 25th birthday in January... And also paid for tickets to see Snow Patrol (hence the trip to Belfast). Excited doesn't even begin to describe it. EEEEEEP! (I can cross another thing off my 30 things before 30 list too!).

What's made you smile this week?

Rediscovering old favourites...

2011-10-12T08:00:00.000+01:00

Last week, I decided to move my make up into the spare room, as I have a little table in there which I normally sit at to get ready each day. It made sense to move my make up in here, as it was previously stored in the bottom of my wardrobe, and I wasn't using 99% of it. After sorting through it all, this last week I have been using a few of my once favourite products.

Bourjois blush in 'brun cuivré'
I love this blush. It smells gorgeous, and is very buildable. I have scored it with a knife to help release the pigments, as this can sometimes be an issue with these blushes. On my skin, it creates a pretty peachy glow.

Bourjois eyeshadow in 'brun irréel'
This is a subtle, shimmery (not glittery) taupe brown colour, which I use as my everyday shadow at the moment, as it's very subtle for work (I don't like to wear a lot of make up for work). It also applies like a dream so it's perfect for when I'm rushing to get ready in the mornings.

Primark's My Heart's Desire shimmer blush hearts
I have featured these before when I first bought them, and Mary asked me to pick her some up and it made me dig these out... They are fantastic. I have run out of my Lily Lolo flawless silk finishing powder, and so my mineral foundation didn't have its usual radiant glow, and I have to say, I'm not sure I would bother spending the £12.50 on another flawless silk when these do the same job and cost just £1. Yes, ONE ENGLISH POUND! They are actually reduced from £2.50 so I fear they are going to be discontinued, so I may pick up another one... or two!

Rimmel moisture renew lipstick in 'nude delight'
I actually bought this after seeing swatches online, and I loved it. It was one of the first nude lipsticks I owned, but since then I have picked up a ton more so this one sadly got forgot. I found it out the other day though and have been wearing it since. As it's one of the moisture renew shades, I find it's really creamy and moisturising, and not drying at all. And it looks so good with the bourjois blush, as they are both peachy toned.

ELF blush brush
I bought this online months ago when ELF were running a discount code and totally forgot about it. I have found that it's the perfect size to use with the bourjois blush and it's so soft. The shape also lends itself to the blush application very well I find.

Marks & Spencer Perfection lash extend and separate mascara in 'black'
This isn't an old favourite, but a new favourite. I picked this up as I had a voucher to spend... I wouldn't normally look to M&S for make up. But this mascara really surprised me! It's perfect for day time as it defines my lashes but still looks natural. I don't like having big, dramatic lashes for daytime. It also hasn't irritated my eyes once which is another plus. This mascara actually reminds me of the Clinique high impact mascara sample I got free with Glamour magazine, which I also loved. However, as this one is £10 cheaper, I'll stick to M&S!

Do you ever go back to old favourites? Do you have trusted items that you always use? Or do you prefer to swap and change regularly>

A few new treats ♥

2011-10-11T08:00:00.000+01:00

♥ Miss Sporty lasting finish nail polish in 'taxi'
♥ Miss Sporty clubbing colours nail polish in 'khaki force'
♥ Collection 2000 hot looks nail polish in 'mint mojo'
♥ M&S perfection nail polish in 'tangerine'
♥ M&S perfection nail polish in 'slate'

♥ Collection 2000 cream puff lip cream in 'powder puff'

♥ MUA pro eye primer

♥ M&S perfection lash extend and separate mascara in 'black'

♥ M&S perfection full volume smudgeproof mascara in 'black'
As I'm saving for my wedding fund, I can't afford to spend a lot on make up now, and in effect, am on a spending ~~ban~~ restriction. However, I had a £25 M&S voucher and so I purchased a few beauty items with it. The collection 2000 and miss sporty was on 3 for 2 and as I was picking up a couple things for Mary for our next swap I thought I might aswell get a few things I'd had my eye on. The polish colour choices may seem a bit random, but I'm hopefully going to do some halloween nail art and I didn't have any orange, bright yellow or murky green in my collection.

What have you being buying lately?

US Make Up Swap

2011-10-10T08:00:00.000+01:00

Hello everyone :)

Today I want to show you what I received in my US make up swap with Mary from Rosy Ramblings. Mary was kind enough to offer to send me some items after I contacted her to offer to send her the 17 amaretto nail polish I featured in one of my posts. Receiving things in the mail is one of my favourite things and so I jumped at the chance to do a swap!

So here are the things Mary got for me...

♥ Eco Tools 6-piece eye brush set

♥ Eco Tools blush brush

♥ Yes to Cucumbers face wipes
♥ EOS cucumber scented hand lotion

♥ ELF contouring blush and bronzer

♥ Hourglass film noir mascara

♥ NYX round lipstick in 'narcissus'

♥ Stila smudge pot in 'kitten'
♥ Stila smudge pot in 'starry night'
♥ Stila smudge pot in 'violet'

♥ Wet n Wild 6 shade eyeshadow palette in 'lust desir'

♥ Sally Hansen xtreme wear nail polish in 'strobe light'
♥ Sally Hansen xtreme wear nail polish in 'rockstar pink'

♥ Moleskine volant notebooks (set of two)
I am so pleased at how smoothly the swap went - Mary is the perfect swapper :) Everything arrived intact and I LOVED the things she picked for me!

We are sending each other another package - mine will hopefully be posted this weekend all being well so keep your peepers peeled for another post!

Have you ever taken part in a make up swap?

The Love List: 9.10.11

2011-10-09T21:21:00.000+01:00

My new mittens ready for winter.
Ordering 60 nail art pens from eBay... can't wait til they get here so I can get designing.
I set up a tumblr - you can visit it here!
I got some nordic style print pj bottoms with reindeer on from primark, so cute and cosy.
Spending Friday night in with my sisters, a chinese takeout and Pretty Woman.

What's made you smile this week?

Witley Court ♥

2011-10-04T09:00:00.000+01:00

Have you ever been to Witley Court? Where are your favourite picnic spots?

Nail Art: Roses

2011-10-03T09:00:00.000+01:00

Just a quick post to show you all the nail art I created as an entry for Cole's nail art competition. I keep seeing these shabby chic type roses and I thought I'd have a go at creating them. For my first attempt, I am pretty pleased!

I used China Glaze light as air as the base followed by a coat of seche vite to smooth and harden. I then created the flowers using a dotting tool and Barry M's shocking pink and Collection 2000's candy floss. The leaves were done using China Glaze for audrey with a little touch of L.A. Colors color craze in atomic.

What do you think of this look? What is your favourite nail art design?

The Love List: 2.10.11

2011-10-02T11:22:00.000+01:00

Visiting Witley Court for a picnic in the sunshine.
Sending books to good homes and making a few pounds for our wedding fund.
Strawberry milkshake, yum!
Crossing off films on my 'to watch list'...
Takeaway Nando's on a Saturday night... delicious!

What's made you smile this week?

{CLOSED} Teeny Treats #1 - October

2011-10-02T10:52:00.000+01:00

This challenge is now closed!
Keep your eyes peeled for the next one...

Hey guys!

I'm sorry it's a day late, but yesterday ended up being much busier than I anticipated! So here is your first challenge to win a surprise teeny treat from me...

The Rules

Be a follower of my blog via Google Friend Connect (if you aren't, go click the follow button now!).
Leave a comment including your answer, and a way to contact you if you win, e.g. email address, twitter.
Please don't link to websites such as moneysavingexpert - this is for the people who genuinely read my blog.
All of my international readers can also enter, yay!
Any comments which don't include an answer will not count as an entry - sorry!
I will choose the winner via the names in a hat method in two weeks time - entry closes midnight (UK time) Sunday 16th October 2011

Good luck!

The Love List: 25.9.11

2011-09-25T20:09:00.000+01:00

Me and Matt celebrated 2 years together this week ♥ ♥ ♥
This week I had a whole week off from work, much needed time to relax and have a break.
My parcel from my US - UK make up swap from Mary arrived, and I LOVED the contents! Thank you, Mary!
Digging out my Lily Lolo foundation samples, and loving how they make my skin look and feel... I think I'm going to use up the samples and decide whether to make an order, but I am tempted as my skin tends to be better when using mineral foundation rather than liquid.
Updating my insurance with my new address = money refunded to me! Good times :)

What's made you smile this week?

Books for Sale

2011-09-23T13:37:00.001+01:00

Hi everyone

Just a quick post to let you all know I've put a page up with lots of books I need to sell!

Here is the link: Books for sale!

Please take a look, and feel free to link/tweet about my sale, I need the ££s and space!

Much love,

Zoe xoxo

Teeny Treats ♥

2011-09-21T22:23:00.001+01:00

Well hello lovely readers

Today I have a bit of a different post for you all to read. As you can see from the title, it involves treats. Now who doesn't like to receive cute little treats in the mail? I for one love to receive things in the mail, whether it be something I've ordered, won or just someone being lovely and sending me something to say thank you.

Anyway, with that in mind, I decided that I wanted to do something nice for my readers. So, every so often (funds permitting!), I will be giving one of you the opportunity to have a treat sent to you in the mail. So how can you get a treat? It will go along the lines of: I will put up a post with a little challenge for you all and all you will need to do is follow the instructions, and you will then be in with a chance of receiving a treat. I would love to be able to include my international readers in this, so the treats will be small and lightweight so that they can be sent out with the least expense possible. This also means I'll be able to run challenges more often which means you have more chances to receive a treat!

Each challenge's treats will also be a total surprise which I think makes it a little more exciting!

I hope you will all take part with me? Keep your eyes peeled as the first challenge will be up on Saturday October 1st, and will run for 2 weeks.

Until then...

Zoe xoxo

The Love List: 18.9.11

2011-09-18T20:30:00.000+01:00

Celebrating Matt's 27th birthday... getting closer and closer to the big 3-0.
DIY'ing a pair of my old heels with sparkly pink and gold glitter - so pretty!
Putting mini marshmallows in my cereal, which is as close as I'm going to get to eating Lucky Charms on a regular basis.
My cute new boots from Primark which are very similar to a pair I saw in River Island, but for less than half the cost.
Filling up my blog notebook with lots of post ideas for when I'm off work next week!

What's made you smile this week?

Topshop blush -- Flush

2011-09-13T09:00:00.008+01:00

Here is my first cream blush purchase. I have seen this on a lot of other blogs, and always thought the colour was so pretty. So when I had a topshop gift voucher, I got this and a nail polish. I really like this blush, the colour suits my pale skintone, and the texture is nice and creamy and blends really well. And £6 is quite a nice price I feel.

Do you have any of the Topshop cream blushes? What do you think of them?

Song of the Week: Hometown Glory

2011-09-12T11:23:00.001+01:00

Hometown Glory ~ Adele
This came on the other day when I was cleaning up, and I had to just stop what I was doing, and listen. It's quite rare to find a song that takes your attention and holds it for the 3 minutes it plays, but this one does. I love Adele's music.

The Love List: 11.9.11

2011-09-11T20:08:00.000+01:00

♥ Arranging a swap between myself and US blogger, Mary of Rosy Ramblings, who is such a sweet lady... She doesn't have many followers on her blog, so go and say hi :)

♥ Being pain killer free for 3 whole days... Wisdom teeth are the devil!

♥ Getting birthday surprises for Matt in the mail - he is 27 on Tuesday!

♥ Adding Sky Movies to our subscription for like £2 something per month... We should never need to buy a DVD again, as there are 100s of films available to download too!

♥ Pulling out the winter clothes... It's definitely getting colder which means my favourite seasons are almost upon us.

What's made you smile this week?

The Best Blog Award ♥

2011-09-10T09:00:00.005+01:00

The Rules
Link back to the person who gave this to you.
The lovely Claire at Clairabelle gave me this award, so kind of her.

Share 7 random things about yourself.

I am 5' 4" tall.
My blonde hair is from a bottle.
I have a 2.1 degree in English.
I love birds on jewellery, decoration, clothing.
My favourite city is Paris.
I have two younger sisters.
I want to start youtube videos but I'm scared!

Answer the following questions:

Favourite colour? Pink
Favourite song? Too many to pick one... Right now I really like One Direction's new one!
Favourite dessert? Cheesecake
What is p*ssing you off? Living in an apartment building with noisy neighbours! And my skin.
Favourite pet? I don't have one, boo! But I would love a dog.
Black or white? Black.
Biggest fear? Worms.
Best feature? My ears.
Everyday attitude? I try to be positive as much as possible!
What is perfection? I don't think there is such a thing - our flaws make us who we are.
Guilty pleasure? Twilight :)

Award 15 blogs:
♥ - Tamsin @ Little Glitter
♥ - Mary @ Cosy Rosy Ramblings
♥ - Louise @ Sprinkle of Glitter
♥ - Zoe @ Zoella
♥ - Dee @ Pearls, Lace and Ruffles
♥ - Vivianna @ Vivianna Does Makeup
♥ - Hannah @ Away with the Fairies
♥ - Gem @ From Gem with Love
♥ - Victoria @ Lily Loves Lola
♥ - Liz @ Lizabellys
♥ - Becky @ Milk Bubble Tea
♥ - Dayner @ Mozzypop
♥ - Jennie @ sailboat.
♥ - Sofia @ Sofia's Journal
♥ - Bee @ Vivatramp

I really enjoyed doing this, and I am sorry if I missed you off the list... I love lots of blogs! Thank you again to Claire!

Models Own Grace Green

2011-09-10T09:00:00.000+01:00

My favourite so far. A dull green with a creamy finish, this is such a lovely colour for autumn as it's colour toned down. Perfect application too, just one coat needed. Gorgeous.

And they called it puppy love...

2011-09-09T10:51:00.000+01:00

I would love a little pet, but sadly we aren't allowed pets in our apartment so I have to make do with looking at cute puppy pictures until we get a house where we are allowed to keep a pet.

Do you have any pets?

Models Own Raspberry Crush

2011-09-09T09:00:00.001+01:00

This is just one coat, and I expect one more would have made it just that little bit more opaque and glossy. Imagine the colour in the picture with a hint more of pink as my camera has made this one look a little more orange toned. Application was great with this one, no streaks, gloopiness or dragging.

Models Own Lemon Meringue

2011-09-08T09:00:00.000+01:00

I've been after the perfect pastel yellow polish for a while, so I thought I would try out Lemon Meringue. Sadly, the application wasn't the best, although that may be due to my impatience... But the colour is great, the perfect cool pastel yellow.

Treats from Tamsin ♥

2011-09-07T21:00:00.001+01:00

A number of weeks back, the lovely Tamsin of Little Glitter asked me if I could design a blog header for her. Now, I was very flattered by this, and jumped at the chance. I designed a few different styles, and Tamsin eventually chose to go with the one you can see on her blog now.

As she is very sweet, she asked for my address so she could send me a little gift to say thank you... I didn't feel it necessary but she insisted, and my treats came in the mail today!

Lookit, ooh coconutty!
She included a little note:

Dear Zoe,

Thank you sooo much for sprucing up my blog with my lovely new header!

I am totally in love with it and really feel it adds to my blog, so thank you so much.

Hope you like your little thank you gifts!

Much love,
Tamsin xxx

I just want to say thank you again, and you have no idea how much receiving these today has cheered me up when I'm feeling like poo (my wisdom tooth is infected, ouch!). I can't wait to try them out; the shower cream smells delicious!

One Tree Hill ♥

2011-09-07T13:51:00.001+01:00

Here are some of my favourite episodes of One Tree Hill...

Please be warned!
The end of this post contains spoilers for those of you who haven't seen all of season 8 which is currently airing in the UK! (Sorry Abi!)

The Wind That Blew My Heart Away (Season 3, ep 13)

"Because you kink your eyebrow when you're trying to be cute. And you quote Camus, even though I've never actually seen you read. And because you miss your parents, but you'll never ever admit that. And because I've given exactly two of these embarrassing speeches in my entire life, and they've both been with you. I mean, that's gotta mean something right? And because we're both gonna get pneumonia, but if you need to hear why I love you, I can go on all night."

"I was hurt, Haley, but I was still proud of you, everyday."

When It Isn't Like It Should Be (Season 3, ep 18)

"Look, baby, if I'm going to be in the middle of the woods, I need all of my stuff. CD, DVD, MP3, my pillow."

"Why are you wearing those mittens? It's like a million degrees in here."

"Over the past year, I've learned so much about life and love and even if i could I wouldn't take back all the bad stuff that happened between us, 'cause it brought us here, this moment, this river. Marry me Haley, marry me again in front of all our friends and our family."

The Show Must Go On (Season 3, ep 22)

"Last year, we stood on a beach and I told you how much I loved you. And how I would always, always protect you. That day nobody believed that this would work. But I don't think anybody understood the love I had for you. Because if they did, they would have never doubted us. So I wanted to marry you all over again in front of most of our world. Because today, when I look into your eyes, my love for you only grows. It's even stronger now. My love will never waver. And this I vow to you, today, and always and forever."

"Nathan, it's been said there's one word that will free us from the weight and pain of life. And that word is love. And I believe that. That doesn't mean that it hasn't been hard or that it won't be. It just means that I found a stillness and a bravery in myself with you. You make me brave. And I will love you until the end of time. This I vow today."

"I am not pushing you away Lucas, I am holding on for dear life! But I need you to need me back! Why wouldn't you tell me about the kiss and why wouldn't you call me while you were away and why won't you ever just let me all the way in?"

"I'm not the most eloquent speaker, so I thought I would borrow a few words from Shakespeare. 'Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds.' When life gets hard, when things change, true love remains the same. I look at Nathan and Haley and some how I feel safer. I don't know if I can explain that, but they give me hope. And I'm afraid to say it out loud because maybe if life finds out, it'll try to beat it out of them and that will be a shame. Because, we all can use a little hope sometimes, you know? That feeling that everything's going to be okay and that there's going to be someone there to help make sure of that. So, here's to Nathan and Haley, and here's to hope, and here's to a love that will not alter."

Pictures of You (Season 4, ep 13)

"I know people think I'm stupid. But I'm not dumb. I just let you and the other girls have your way because that's how you need it to be. But I think Karl's right. Pretty soon, we're all gonna graduate, and I can start over. But it'll be hard for the people who need this place to make themselves feel special. People who use high school to build themselves up and then find out that the real world doesn't care so much about who you were in high school. People like you."

It Gets the Worst at Night (Season 4, ep 18)

"Dude! Totally not mine!"

"I'd avoid the punch... It's more vodka than punch."

"Wait, you're Chris Keller, right? How old are you?"

Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly (Season 6, ep 3)

"They didn't know how. Look the thing is you made your dream happen, all right? And even though I didn't quite get there, when it was taken away from me I dealt with it alone. And it was stupid, and selfish, and wrong. So if your mom tries to take your dream away from you and you feel that same pain like I did, I've sort of been there, okay? And I'm gonna be kinda pissed off if you don't come talk to me about it. Anyway, thank you for coming today. It means a lot. I know you didn't know Quentin, but it doesn't surprise me that you're thinking about other people when all this stuff is going on with you. That's not bad for a girl who never had a chance."

"Quentin Fields was a basketball player. He was also a son, a brother... Somebody's team mate, somebody's friend. I didn't know Quentin Fields, and I guess now I never will. Did you ever wonder what it would be like if you weren't you anymore? If you were suddenly gone, how would your world react? Whatever you imagined is wrong. There's nothing romantic about death. Grief is like the ocean... it's deep and dark and bigger than all of us. And pain is like a thief in the night. Quiet, persistent, unfair... Diminished by time and fate and love. I didn't know Quentin Fields, but I'm jealous of him. Because I see how his absence has affected the people that did know him, so I know that he mattered to them, and I know he was loved."

"People say Quentin Fields was a great basketball player. Graceful, fluid, inspiring. They say on a good night it almost seemed that he could fly... and now he can."

The Other Half of Me (Season 8, ep 13)

"This dance is what made an amazing man fall in love with me!"

"Brooke, before I met you I thought my world had everything I needed to be happy. I had nothing else to compare to. Then you walked into my life and everything changed. I realised how empty my world was without you in it, and my old life was no longer capable of making me happy, not without you. I love everything about you Brooke, I love the way you challenge me like no one ever has, I love the way you look at me like no one ever has, and I love the way you love me like no one ever has. I can't imagine spending my life without you, and if you say yes to me in a few minutes I wont have to. You look beautiful by the way."

"Julian, before I met you my world revolved around one thing - me. And I liked it that way on my own, but then I met you and you saw through the facade. You saw me. You've taught me to trust, how to let someone in, and what it truly means to fall in love. I can't possibly describe how much I love you, so I'll tell you why I love you. You see the world in a way that no one else does and you appreciate everything, including me. There's no one in the world like you, and if you say 'yes' in a few minutes, I'll get to spend the rest of my life trying to see the world through your eyes, appreciating everything, including you... the most unique, wonderful, and terribly handsome man I have ever met."

This is My House, This is My Home (Season 8, ep 22)

"This is our miracle Brooke Davis, and now it's two miracles. And no girl deserves it more."

"Hi guys. It's daddy. I like the sound of that. I just want you to understand that you're gonna be OK, OK? So don't be afraid or intimidated by all this stuff, you know, because the thing is, your mom is Brooke Davis, and she has enough strength for all of us. I promise."

"These days my life is definitely more bros over clothes."

~ All images taken from here ~

Instagr.am

2011-09-07T09:00:00.000+01:00

Models Own Slate Green

2011-09-06T09:00:00.000+01:00

I liked this polish, the colour is very pretty and the application was good. It took two coats to make it opaque.

Kleancolor

2011-09-05T18:00:00.000+01:00

Here are my new kleancolor polishes that I got from BeautyJoint. It's a US based wesbite which carries the full range of these polishes - they are great value, working out at just under £2 each with shipping.

♥ - Beach Blue
♥ - Chunky Holo Fuchsia
♥ - Silver Star
♥ - Diamond Fuchsia
♥ - Disco Ball
♥ - Take A Hint
♥ - Mocha

As with my Models Own polishes, I will swatch these post by post, to come soon...

Song of the Week: Called Out in the Dark

2011-09-05T16:08:00.000+01:00

Called Out in the Dark ~ Snow Patrol
New song from my favourite band... Excited for their album to be released as they seem to be taking a slightly different direction to their old material... I'm sure I will love it if this new song is anything to go by :)

The Love List: 4.9.11

2011-09-04T19:26:00.002+01:00

The iPhone instagram app is so great. I see quite a few bloggers are already using it... It turns ordinary pictures into something special. And it's free!
My hair... since using my TIGI shampoo and conditioner, along with professional salon quality mousse, it is so soft and full of volume. And it smells divine.
Researching supplies to start making items to sell. I won't say what yet, but here's a hint... It's not jewellery, but there will be charms and beads involved.
My kleancolor polishes arrived, and they are fabulous! I was actually more excited about receiving these than my Models Own ones.
Buying some lovely bargain dresses from the Tesco clothing sale.

What's made you smile this week?

Moleskine ♥

2011-09-02T09:00:00.001+01:00

When I went to Paris, I got myself a little moleskine city guide with some of my birthday money. I loved the cute size, the elastic, the durable cover and the quality paper. Alas, I couldn't seem to justify spending £5+ on another tiny notebook seeing as I already have many, many more stored away. Until now...

Isn't it lovely? ♥
I got the moleskine from amazon as I had a voucher from my lovefilm trial to use up. I then remembered when Paula from Pink Bow featured her moleskines in a blog post, and she had the cutest little bunny charm attached to hers. I swore to myself that if I had a moleskine of my own, I would track down a similar charm... And so I did! Isn't it a cutie? If you would like some, here is the seller on etsy, she has some lovely charms and beads (I also got two of the panda charm beads), and mine came extremely quickly from the US!

So yet another stationery themed post from me. Are you as addicted as I am?! What are your favourite notebooks?

Paris ♥

2011-09-01T09:00:00.000+01:00

I adore Paris ♥ Have you ever been?