Feeling good...

Hey lovely people!

So I had my weigh in last Saturday and I lost 6lbs!!! Delighted is an understatement.

However, last weekend was also my first challenge in terms of occasions and well I'm happy to report that I was on my best behaviour. It was my nieces 5th birthday and there was all sorts of goodies available to eat as well as beers etc for the adults... I had 1 very small slice of cake and that was it.

Proud!!!

Then on the Sunday it was the baptism of our best friends new baby and there was cake, a massive buffet and lots of alcohol. I drank water with ice all day and have 4 mini spring rolls. While everybody around about me were sitting with wine and plates full of delicious looking food, I kept my focus on my goals and how rubbish I would feel if I slipped... So I abstained!

I've never felt this in control of my life before. I know it sounds utterly ridiculous as it's only a diet to most people... But I have never felt more determined and more committed to this journey. I have continued to go out walking with my husband and my dogs every night... regardless of the weather or my excruciatingly sore blisters and I am pushing myself every night to walk further and faster... And believe it or not I am seriously enjoying myself. 

Anyway, I hope that you are all having a wonderful week.

Take care lovelies. 

xxx

It's A Weighty Issue! Part 2

Hey lovely people,

So this is my first update since I told you all I was starting my diet, and I wish it was more of a positive report.

I started the Juice plus diet which is basically 2 powdered shakes each day, 1 main meal and all the fruit & veg you want. Sounds simple? Well not so much. The list of foods you're not allowed just boarder on insane for me, especially the no wheat or gluten part. :(

I can give up chocolate and crisps quite easily, but asking me to cut out bread and pasta, well that's not so easy.

So basically, despite eating way more healthily, and cutting out junk food, chocolate, crisps etc, I am still the same weight I was when I started.

Freaking disheartened is an understatement. I'm now at the point where I'm wondering whether or not to continue on with this particular diet. I have had success with Weight Watchers in the past and so I'm wondering if this is the best idea for me. At least this way I can still eat normal food.

What do you think? I would love other peoples opinions on this subject. I am more than dedicated to losing weight, but realistically I need a plan that will work on a budget.

Take care lovelies. x

Bourjois Instant Dry - Full Review

Hey lovely people!

So time for another little review. This is a product that I have had on my radar for a few weeks. I went scouring the internet, after smudging my newly painted nails for the millionth time, and in my frustration I found this little beauty on ASOS. 

I don't know if any of you are like me, but I change my nail polish 2-3 times a week, and I have a job, dogs to look after, a house to maintain and a husband to keep so I don't really have the time nor the inclination to wait for my nails to dry before moving!

So anyway, I discovered this little beauty, promising wonderful things in the realm of instantly dry nails and I felt super excited to give it a try. It did not disappoint. 

It is a 9ml bottle of wonder and delight, making the process of painting your nails all the more fun and interesting. All it takes is a single drop from the fabulous little dropper provided in the lid of the bottle. Just one single drop on top of your polish will, I found, dry (not harden) in about 20 seconds. 

It really is quite ingenious... and makes simple tasks like getting dressed and doing the dishes a much easier feat to achieve! You can get this little beauty at ASOS for the bargain price of £5.99... and what a price to pay for finally being able to say goodbye to smudged nails???

Hope you enjoyed this post lovelies and seriously hope, if you're a nail polish addict like me, that you will purchase this fab little life saver. You will not be sorry!!!

Take care lovelies. x

Rimmel London Just Let It Go - Full Review

Hey lovely people!

So today I thought I would share my thoughts and opinions on this little product from Rimmel. I would like to re-iterate (as I have done in previous posts) that I am in no way, shape or form an expert in make-up, skincare or anything in that field for that matter. I am just a lover of all these products, sharing my absolute honest opinion with all you lovely people. 

So a month or so ago, I was out shopping and was specifically looking for an eye make-up remover. I don't know if you're anything like me, but I have super sensitive eyes. So much so that I have to endure watery eyes every single time I put eyeshadow, eyeliner... and worst of all mascara on. So, you can only imagine the tough and often excruciatingly sore time I have of it, when I'm trying to take it off at the end of night. 

So anyway, while I was browsing the beauty product filled shelves, my eye caught a glimpse of this product by Rimmel. On first impressions, I felt like it would be the perfect thing to try, not only because I find that Rimmel products in general are of the highest standard for being a "cheaper" brand product, but also because it stated clearly on the bottle that it was "gentle", "dermatologically tested" and "suitable for sensitive eyes". So for me it was a win, win, win!!! :)

However, I regret to say that it does not live up to it's promise on the bottle. I tried this as soon as I got home from picking it up, and it quite literally made me cry... tears of pain! Now, after bathing my poor eyes in cool water, trying to numb the burning sensation, I decided that perhaps it was something else that had caused such a bad reaction. Maybe it was in fact just my eye makeup, which as I said before often brings on pain such as this. So on that basis, I left it on my makeup shelf and decided to give it another try at another time. 

I tried using it again 2 days ago... and I can now say, without doubt that this is not a product for someone like me. Quite literally, as soon as I put the cotton pad near my eye, I could feel the water building, and as soon as I began to try wiping, it just became entirely insufferable. 

This makes me sooo sad, because I am otherwise an avid advocate of the Rimmel range, but I have to say that if you have sensitive eyes, I would seriously consider whether or not you want to risk using this product. It is perfectly fine to use on most other parts of my face and hands, and I have used it several times to remove make up swatches from the back of my hand, with no problems at all. But I must stress again... IF YOU HAVE SENSITIVE EYES, PLEASE BE WARY OF THIS PRODUCT. 

Hopefully, this will have been helpful to some of you lovely people, and by all means, if you have had any different experiences with it, then by all means let me know. As I said earlier in the post, I'm not an expert at all, I can only give you my open and honest opinions, which is what I've done. 

Take care lovelies. x

Snap Happy Tuesday - Family Candids

Hey lovely people!

I wanted to share some of my more candid shots with you all today. Ordinarily, in my job, most of the scenarios in my photo-shoots are posed and carefully thought out. However, now and again, when I take my camera out and randomly shoot my friends and family, an amazing thing happens. Memories are caught on camera. Moments are recorded forever, without the situation being staged and pre-meditated. 

These are just some of those moments:

My cousin Carrie and her nephew Deri at his recent christening.

My cousin Yvette (left) and sister Joanne (right) on our last Ladies Night in Newcastle.

My niece Lily-Rose on my nephew Olly's 1st Birthday last year.

My nephew Olly on his first birthday.

My sister Aimee, having a "selfie" moment during a photo-shoot.

My husband looking all serious during a recent game of pool with friends.

All very different images, all taken under different circumstances, but all equally as fun and interesting as you would like a photo to be. Remember, it doesn't always have to be all smiles and poses to make a photo a good one. I love these images more than the majority of my posed ones. 

Take care lovelies. x

OMG... I haven't posted in 4 days!!!

Hey lovely people!

I have missed you... you may not have missed me so much, but I have seriously missed you.

The reason for my hiatus is because it was the Easter bank holiday weekend and I was enjoying some much needed time with friends and family. I hope you all had as good a weekend as I did.

But it's Tuesday, and everything is all back to normal and back to the grind. I have loads of work to catch up on, so this will just be a short little post to say HEY LOVELY PEOPLE and I will be back to my regularly scheduled programming tomorrow... with a little "Pinspiration" post.

Can't wait to catch up on all my fave bloggers and YouTubers posts from over the weekend.

Take care lovelies. x

Another Friday Faves!

Hey lovely people!

It's FRIDAY!!! And its the beginning of the Easter Bank Holiday Weekend! I am so excited!!! Can you tell from the overuse of the exclamation marks??? Eeeeek!!! 

Anyway, it's just a quick little post today because the sun is shining and I am just home from a lovely walk with my dogs and I intend on heading back out with hubby... perhaps to a beer garden somewhere! So here goes:

1. My hubby!

I love this guy soooooo much and I get to spend the whole weekend and Monday with him. You have no idea how happy that makes me. He is quite simply the best person I have ever met in my whole life and he makes my life so much better. :)

2. This weather!

Blue skies and the smell of fresh cut grass, it is the ultimate spring weather and there is no better way to spend the day, than with my gorgeous doggies and my handsome hubby! :)

3. New makeup!

It's always a good week when I get to play with new makeup! :) And not only that, but the price I paid for the makeup was outrageously cheap that it made it all the more fun. As well as that, i've been trying out my new Models Own nail polish, and it is fab! 6 for £20... how can you go wrong! 

4. Instagram!

I have been taking part in a photo-a-day challenge throughout April and it has really made me appreciate how great Instagram is all over again. It's been super fun, and I think I will make it a regular thing every month. Not only do you get the chance to see everybody's fab pics, but it encourages me to get my camera out everyday... even if I'm not working! :)

5. Blog of the Week!

http://www.onestopsavvy.co.uk

This fab lady is a mummy and a brilliant little beauty guru, delivering posts ranging from makeup reviews to parenting advice. She is a super sweet lady, with an obvious passion for blogging, and after only having recently met her via twitter, it has become a part of my daily routine to check her tweets and admire her instagram images. You should definitely follow her and keep up to date with her fun and interesting blog posts. 

So that's my Friday Faves this week lovely people. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I will hopefully be back tomorrow with another post... but please forgive me if I don't... I may get carried away with this weather. 

Take care lovelies. x

Thank You For The Music

Hey there lovely people!

Well today is Thursday and we are officially one step closer to the long Easter weekend. I'm super excited for this weekend, as not only do I have the company of my hubby for an extra day, but I have a lovely Christening to photograph on Sunday, a night out with friends on Sunday night and obviously with it being Easter, I have permission to eat lots of chocolate, without the usual feeling of guilt attached to it.

Anyway, today's post has been inspired by my love affair with music. I honestly feel like my life would not be what it is... or at all interesting for that matter... without music. I'm sure you all feel that way too!!!

So I thought I would share my current fave tracks and albums, that I just can't get enough of... and let me just clarify that these are not ordered in terms of my fave to least fave... that's far too difficult a task. I have just numbered them for the purpose of neatness and organisation. Lol!

Fave Tracks

1. Aloe Blacc - The Man

I love this song so much, not only because Aloe Blacc's voice sounds just like velvet... but also because of the influence of Elton John's Your song in the chorus. It's just a beautiful little easy listening track. 

2. Imagine Dragons - Demons

This band are just unbelievable. They are one of those bands, whose songs get into your bones. You know what I mean??? Like, every time I listen to one of their tracks, it just feels so powerful and important that I feel like the music and the lyrics course through my veins!!! Beautiful words and exceptional music to go with it!

3. The Killers - Shot At The Night

Although not entirely new, this is the most recent single release from my absolute favourite band of all time... The Killers! It's another electro-pop, indie rock fusion of splendidness!!! If you're not already a fan of The Killers, then what are you doing with your life??? Get on board & enjoy the sweet vocal styling's of Brandon Flowers, the dulcet tones of Dave Keuning on Lead Guitar, Mark Stoermer on Bass Guitar and Ronnie Vannucci trashing it out on the drums. You will not be sorry!!!

4. David Guetta ft. Sia - Titanium

This is just a classic! This is one of those songs, that in my opinion will be played in 20 years time, and remembered fondly, like "Rhythm Is A Dancer" and "Children" are now. It is just a fantastic track, with inspirational lyrics sung by the amazing Sia! I just love it!!!!!!!!!!

5. Embrace - Gravity

Now this song, is one that I loved when it was released way back in 2004, but like many other songs, I forgot all about it... until I started watching "Gavin & Stacey" a few months ago (for the 1st time) and this song was used in the final episode of Season 2. It is such a beautiful song, written by Coldplay, and graciously and generously given to Embrace. They too, recorded a sensational version of the song. 

Now onto my fave albums at the minute. 

1. The Killers - Battle Born 
This is their 4th, and most recent released studio album. It is a brilliant compilation of what they do best - write tremendous lyrics and pair them with the most beautiful music. I will never get tired of listening to them.

2. Beyoncé - Self Titled Another fantastic album from this amazing lady. It is her 5th studio album, and man oh man is it gooooood!!! She is the absolute epitome of a singer, songwriter, businesswoman, actress, model and mum. She can quite literally do no wrong in my eyes... everything she touches turns to gold... and this album is no exception.

3. Snow Patrol - Eyes OpenSnow Patrol are one of my favourite bands. I've watched them live on loads of occasions and I could honestly listen to Gary Lightbody sing all day. He has such a distinctive and soulful voice, that every word he sings feels like oxygen being pumped through your veins. This album is my Snow Patrol album of choice (at the minute) and I can listen to it, from start to finish, over and over again until I'm blue in the face. 

4. James - The Best Of
Now James are a band that I was properly introduced to by my husband and his family (who are majorly big fans of them). I had always known of them and liked a few of their songs but never really anything more than that. Now however, that is a different story. They are a great band who formed in 1982 and still to this day, are touring every year. They have written some amazingly good songs, all of which can be found on this album... and if you haven't seen Tim Booth's dance moves then you really need to check that out ASAP!!! 

5. Frozen - The Official Soundtrack

Finally, after watching (and crying all the way through) this wonderful Disney movie, I have fallen over the heels in love with the soundtrack, and find myself randomly singing out loud at the most inappropriate of times "...do you wanna build a snowman..."! Does anybody else suffer from this? I think its an epidemic that's afflicted a generation of people. Lol! Anyway, if you haven't already seen the movie then get that sorted... and soon you will understand my dilemma. 

So yeah... these are my current fave tracks and albums. And yes, like everything else in my life, my choices will of course change as often as the weather does. Hope you enjoyed reading all of my ramblings and I'll be back tomorrow with my Friday Faves!

Take care lovelies. x

Monday Wish List - All Things Ebay

Hey lovely people!

So it's Monday and it's time to share with you, a small selection of some of the many... many things I currently want in my life.

This weeks post is brought to you via the fantastic little world that is Ebay. Now I know a lot of people maybe don't like shopping on Ebay or don't trust using the site, but there are so many safeguards with PayPal, that it just hasn't ever been an issue for me. 

So this wish list is a mix of all of the little accessories etc, under £20 each, that are currently sitting in my shopping basket. 

1.Rectangle Clutch Bag - £15

2.Flower Iphone 4s Case - £0.99

3.Pair Of Bookends - £19.99

4.Beautiful Statement Collar Necklace - £8.59

5.French Glass Bottles with Cork Stopper - £7.50

6.Green Patent Flat Pumps - £11.99

7.Acrylic Makeup Organiser - £19.99

These are just some of my fabulous little finds on Ebay. I could honestly shop on there for hours... it literally has everything you could possibly want... most of the time at a cheaper price and in my case, always received without a hitch. So do yourself a favour, give Ebay a visit and grab yourself a bargain!

Take care lovelies. x

Sunday... Lazy Sunday!

Hey there lovely people!

So it's Sunday, and I am typing this while wearing my "Surfboard" jumper, leggings, leg warmers and a super red and puffy face! I have been crying non stop for the last 12 hours or so while my hubby and I had a "How I Met Your Mother" marathon. It was totes emosh!!! 

Anyway, today I don't plan on leaving the house... It's grey and chilly looking outside, and it's just not a day for going out, so after picking up a few new books from the library, and buying the new Lauren Weisberger book ("Revenge Wears Prada", the follow up to "The Devil Wears Prada"), I've decided to have a little reading marathon. 

I feel like lately, I've been engrossed in TV and the internet so much that my mind is needing a bit of an intellectual restoration. Does that make sense to anybody??? 

So anyway... I made a decision that I am going to try to keep on top of my reading, and delve into at least 2 books every month. This should be relatively easy, since my life literally stops when I get into a book, and it doesn't normally take more than a couple of days to get through one. 

On that note, I am going to dedicate a post every month to that past months reads. I will review the books I read and give you my open and honest opinion on each of them, and would happily accept any recommendations you can give me with regards to any books you think I just NEED to give a go. 

So before I go, here are the first 5 books I have chosen to read. You might notice there is a common theme amongst the bottom 4... they are all by the author Wendy Holden. :)

Take care lovelies. x

A Little Bit More About Me Tag

Hey lovely people! :)

How are you all doing today??? I'm having a great day so far and have big plans to do absolutely nothing tonight... except finally catch up on How I Met Your Mother. I know I know, it finished weeks ago... but we fell away from it in the final season and we are finally sorting that out!!!

So anyway, here is today's post.

Where and when were you born?

I was born on the 23rd of June 1985 at Bellshill Maternity Hospital, in Lanarkshire, Scotland.

Me & my gran Rose.

Who chose your names and the reason behind them?

My mum chose my name based on a character in a TV show she was watching. If I had been a boy, she and my dad would have named me Christopher. 
Your earliest childhood memory? The first thing I remember as a child is being on holiday in London with my mum and dad. We had just eaten lunch in a little Italian restaurant and had made our way to Trafalgar Square where I was trying to catch one of the hundreds of pigeons flying about. My dad lifted me up onto his shoulders and I was sick all down the back of his jacket... Spaghetti Bolognese and all! Lol! I believe I was 2.
What were your hobbies as a child? I loved reading and was a bit of a geeky child. My sister and I both collected ornamental cats (sounds utterly ridiculous I know, but they were super cute and were all dressed up in funny costumes) and I loved them. I also loved swimming and it's remains the one and only "sport" that I can do well. 
Do you have any siblings? I am the oldest of 6. I have 2 brothers, Stephen is 21 and Matthew is 18, and I have 3 sisters, Joanne who is 23 (and has 2 adorable kids of her own), Claire who is 15 and Aimee who is 13. So you can imagine how manic life was growing up in my house as a child. 

Funny story as a child? My sister Joanne is a bit hot headed and would often get up to no good when we were little. One day she had misbehaved and was sent to her bedroom to "think about what she had done". My mum and I were sat in the kitchen (which is directly below her bedroom) and noticed a rope dangling in front of the window. After inspecting it and realising it was coming from my sisters room, we both ran upstairs to find her half way out her bedroom window, with scarves and belts tied together and knotted around her bunk bed post. She was attempting the great escape and had already sent our brother Matthew downstairs with supplies and clothing for her, which he had left at the front step. She was 8... and it is still quite literally the funniest moment in my life. 
Did you do well at school? Yes, as I said before I was a bit of a geek as a child. I had little to no social life and really enjoyed school. I loved to study and my favourite pastime was making up colourful notes and laminating them. I left school with 8 good standard grades and 5 highers. I would go back and do it all over again in a heartbeat!!! :)
Your teenage celebrity crush? Oh I had lots! I loved Devon Sawa (Casper, The Final Destination etc). I also lovvvved AJ from the Backstreet Boys. But these crushes often changed from week to week. 
Your favourite song of all time? Oooft... that's too hard a question!!! I will give you the ones I can think of right now: With or Without You by U2, Hold On by Wilson Phillips, Best Friend by Queen, The Scientish by Coldplay, Open Your Eyes by Snow Patrol and I Was Here by Beyonce. This list is not exhaustive!!!  Have you fulfilled your dreams and ambitions? Not yet. I want to be a super successful photographer with my own boutique style studio. I would also love to have a really successful blog with tonnes more lovely readers like you lovely people. 

There you have it lovely people! Why not give this one a go yourselves. I'd love to get to know you all a bit better. 
Remember, I'd love to get my teeth into some more of your fab blogs and I will start featuring my favourite weekly blog as part of my Friday Favourites! So get sending your links - either in the comments box below or via twitter here.
Take care lovelies. 

April Photo Challenge - Day 2 - "Arm Candy"

Hey lovely people!

So today's submission theme is "Arm Candy" and initially I thought about taking a photograph of my super handsome husband (any excuse to show him off), but then I thought I would be more literal and actually take a photo of his arm - his tattooed arm to be exact!

So this might seem like a rather strange thing to want to show off - but I have a thing with arms. You know how some women like muscles, or eyes or a tight little toosh??? Well I am into arms!!! Lol... And believe me, I understand how that sounds. But I'm really not being bias (maybe a little) when I say that my husband has the most amazing arms I've ever seen. 

Ok, so I'm going to leave it there, because I have a feeling I have shared far too much already! Look out for tomorrows submission which is "Brushes"...  So you can rest assured it shouldn't be too creepy like this one! 

Take care lovelies. x

Hump Day Deliciousness... And getting older!

Hey lovely people!

So it's Wednesday again, and the 2nd of April, can you believe it??? This has quite literally been the quickest start to the year ever! My mum always used to say to me that when I got older, the time would start to fly by quicker than I could imagine, and I always thought she was talking nonsense... but it really does feel that way. I'm 29 in June and 30 next year... I still feel 18!!!

Anyway, less of the nostalgia. Today's choice of recipes include some of Martha Stewart's greatest dessert creations... all in the honour of feeling young... and I'll perhaps throw in another little cocktail at the end, just to make the "getting older" part feel a bit better.

Martha Stewart's Coconut Balls

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup icing sugar & extra for dusting
2 cups plain flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups dessicated coconut

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
2. Cream the butter with icing sugar until fluffy
3. Mix in flour & salt until combined
4. Stir in coconut
5. Roll dough into 1 inch balls
6. Place balls 2 inches apart on tray
7. Bake until just starting to brown (15-20 mins)
8. Roll warm cookies onto icing sugar until coated
9. Leave to cool completely

Martha Stewart's Moist Devil's Food Cake

Ingredients
Cake

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
3/4 cup good quality cocoa powder
1/2 cup boiling water
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

Mrs. Milman's Chocolate Frosting

24 oz semi-sweet chocolate
4 cups whipping cream
1 teaspoon light corn syrup

Directions

Cake - 1st process

Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
Butter 3x 8"x2" cake pans
Sift cocoa into a bowl, add boiling water and whisk
Leave until cool
Cream butter until fluffy
Beat in the vanilla
Drizzle in eggs a little at a time and beat between each additional egg
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl
Whisk milk into the cocoa mixture
Alternatively add dry & wet ingredients (start & end with dry)
Divide batter evenly between the 3 cake pans

Mrs. Milman's Chocolate Frosting
Place chocolate & cream into a heavy pan
Cook over low heat stirring constantly until combined & thick
Remove pan from heat
Stir in the corn syrup
Transfer to a large metal bowl
Leave until cool enough to spread

Cake 2nd Process

Bake cakes until tester comes out clear (35-45 mins)
Transfer layers to cooling rack
Reserve the prettiest layer for the top
Place one cake layer on serving platter
Spread 1 1/2 cups of chocolate frosting on top of this layer
Add the 2nd cake layer
Spread another 1 1/2 cups of chocolate frosting on top of this layer
Top with the 3rd & final cake layer
Cover outside of the cake with the remaining chocolate frosting
Serve

Kinky Pink Cocktail

Ingredients

1/4 Raspberry vodka
1/3 Cranberry Juice
2 measurements of Peach Schnapps
Raspberry infused sugar to rim glass

Directions
Add cranberry juice & peach schnapps to cocktail shaker with ice
Shake vigorously and drain into sugar rimmed glass
Add vodka

ENJOY!!!

So there you go lovely people. Give those desserts a try and top them off with a few glasses of a Kinky Pink. Don't even think about the calories in these treats, as they are off the scale. They are intended to be enjoyed as a rare treat every now and again... so go on... treat yourself!

Take care lovelies. x

Snap Happy Tuesday - Keeping It In The Family

Hi there lovely people,

Today is obviously Tuesday and that means it's the day when I share some of my photographs with all of you lovely people.

So today I thought I would share images of my youngest little sister Aimee. Now, before this goes any further, I would like to clarify for the record that I am in no way favouring her over my other sisters, nor do I think she is the prettiest (they are all equally beautiful), but she is quite literally, the only one of my sisters to willingly sit for me. Hence the choice to share her images.

"Staring into nothingness"
ISO 400 - 25mm (18-55mm lens) - f/4.0 - 1/60 sec

"Dappled Thoughts"
ISO 200 - 55mm (18-55mm lens) - f/5.6 - 1/60 sec

"Into The Soul"
ISO 400 - 32mm (18-55mm lens) - f/4.5 - 1/60 sec

"Lean On Me"
ISO 200 - 30mm (18-55mm lens) - f/5.0 - 1/125 sec

"That Gaze"
ISO 400 - 42mm (18-55mm lens) - f/5.0 - 1/60 sec

Ok so believe it or not, when these images were taken, Aimee was just 11. She is quite simply a stunning little girl and a photographers dream client. She's super willing to take direction and loves having her photo taken. 

The photos with the white background were taken in my home studio, in front of a plain white backdrop. I had envisioned a kind of raw shoot, filled with attitude, and this was the result of that vision. Even though she was in fact only 11 at the time, she is very much a diva and has been for years, thanks to watching and then emulating the behaviour of my other sisters. So when it came to doing this shoot, the attitude was just oozing out of her, and I think it's really very visible. 

The outdoor shoot was a little different in terms of my vision. I wanted Aimee to look young and vulnerable and lost in amongst her surroundings, but still standing out if that makes sense. It was a super hot summers morning that we set out to a wooded area near my home and we played about a bit with the lighting, which turned out to be really quite bright and harsh with it being so early in the day. So after failing to find good enough light that wasn't creating harsh shadows on her face and body, we resorted to shaded areas inside of the woods, and this is where the trees became our props. I got a few quite catalogue looking shots of her standing and leaning against a tree branch, which I was really happy with and this was actually supposed to be the last shot of the day, when I noticed some beautiful dappled light coming through the trees on our way out of the woods. This is where the "Dappled Thoughts" shot came from. Green is always a pretty difficult colour to work with in photos as it often creates a murky hue, that can often look quite sickly on the skin, but this shot just felt like utter perfection to me and is still actually my favourite shot of all time. 

Oh and it's also worth noting that this shoot was actually part of one of the assignments for my photography course (Using Natural Light), before I had even qualified, and it ended up being the highest marked image in my portfolio. 

As always lovely people, I have included the camera settings used to capture these images, and although they're not exactly complicated shots, I think it's important to share these settings with you in case you fancy trying to create a similar shot. 

Anyway, as ever I hope you enjoyed looking at these images, and I really truly hope that you get out there with your cameras and start shooting. It really is the best feeling in the world to capture beautiful moments and be able to keep them forever. Far too much of life is missed and forgotten about, and photographs are a way of being able to love and treasure our most wonderful memories until the end of time.

Take care lovelies. X

The Blogger Tag

Hey there lovely people,

Happy weekend to you all. Hope you are having a fabilicious Saturday.

It's that time of the week for another little Tag. They are one of my favourite things to read on other peoples blogs because it's nice to get to know the lovely person behind the posts. 

So here is this weeks choice... The Blogger Tag! 

The Blogger Tag

1. Is your hair naturally curly or straight?

It's naturally straight with a bit of a kink in it.

2. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?

Both. If I'm feeling in a particularly "pamper myself" type of mood, I will get a hair cut & colour at the Hairdressers, but most of the time, because my hair is so short I am happy just to dye it myself at home. 

3. Do you wear the same style everyday, or do you change it?

So as I was saying, I have super short hair, so coming up with different styles is often difficult - but I try my best to change it up as much as I can.

4. Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon?

I do my own. I have always had long nails and so have never wanted acrylics or anything. As well as that on the one and only occasion where I did have a manicure, the lady doing it absolutely destroyed my cuticles with her buffer and they were all bleeding and sore - BAD EXPERIENCE!!! Plus I like to change my nail colour a lot, so it would end up costing me a small fortune if I went to a manicurist every time. 

5. How often do you change your nail polish?

Like I said above, I change my colour a lot. Maybe 2 or 3 times a week. :) I love a fresh set of nails.

6. Do you polish your toes in the winter or just the summer?

Both - I stick to darker shades like 1.Chick Flick Cherry from O.P.I. or 2.Desire from Rimmel which is what I'm wearing just now. In the summer I like bright & pastel colours like 3.Hip Hop from Rimmel and 4.Brompton Place from Nails Inc.

7. How long does it take for you to put on makeup?

So if I'm just having a normal day - food shopping, out a walk etc then 10 minutes. If I have a night out or somewhere fancy to go then it's a kind of whole day process where my makeup can take 2-3 hours. I like to take my time. :)

8. What do you do first? Face or eyes?

Face. I always put my primer and foundation on first.

9. Do you collect makeup or just buy what you need when you need it?

I have a relatively big collection of products that I often forget I have, particularly eye-shadows. So definitely a collector.

10. How often do you wear false eyelashes?

Once in my whole life. I have really sensitive eyes so putting fake lashes and glue on them is a little daunting. However, my sister once put them on me and I loved them... pity I couldn't really see properly the whole night. 

11. Do you do a full face of makeup every day?

Nope. There are maybe 3 days out of the week where I let my skin breathe... and on days like today, where I'm feeling under the weather, makeup is the furthest thing from my mind.

12. Do you wear makeup when you're home alone or with family?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. 

13. Will you leave the house without makeup?

Yes and often too.

14. How many high-end products do you have?

Not a lot... and I'm not entirely sure they are too high end. I have some Smashbox lip products, Bareminerals powders and concealers, as well as Clinique and Liz Earle skincare products.

15. Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you're getting dressed?

I always tend to plan what I'm wearing and leave it sitting out and ready.

16. How often do you change your handbag?

Often. I have a handbag addiction, and like to showcase all of my different ones as much as possible. I do, however, have some favourites that I use more often than others.

17. What time do you wake up and go to sleep?

So I go to bed through the week at around 10.30pm, but don't generally fall asleep till about 2am. I wake up anywhere between 8 and 10am in the morning. My nights are slightly longer at the weekend.

18. How often or when do you workout?

Not as often as I should... at all!!!

19. Left handed or right handed?

Right - my hubby is left handed.

20. How tall are you?

5ft 7inches.

21. Do you speak any foreign languages?

I speak a bit of French & Spanish.

22. How many pets do you have?

2 dogs - Oscar & Bonnie.

23. How often are you on Blogger?

Too often - haha! All day, everyday!!! Addicted is an understatement.

  

24. Do you read comments posted on blogs?

Yes - It's nice to read peoples nice words. Reminds me that there are still lovely people out there.

25. Do you keep a list of products to try as you see other posts?

Yes - this has become a bit of a problem for my poor hubby. My spending has increased exponentially since I got more and more into blogging and watching YouTube.

26. How did you come up with your blog name?

It was initially an idea I had for my Photography, that I was telling stories through my pictures - hence "Once Upon A Picture" and when I decided to blog I wanted there to be a consistency with my pictures and my words.

27. What kind of camera do you use for your photographs?

I have a Canon 600D DSLR, but I also have a few point and shoot cameras too.

28. How often do you clean your house?

I try to clean a bit everyday, but have a good clean of the entire house once a week.

29. What's your favorite color?

RED!

30. What is your favorite drugstore/high end makeup brand?

I love Rimmel for their nail polishes, Bodyshop for their foundation and M.U.A lipsticks (they are super cheap and super pigmented). For skincare my absolute faves are Clinique, Liz Earle and I really like Simple.


So there is my Blogger Tag answers. Hope you all enjoyed reading them, and feel free to leave your tags in the comments for me to read.

Take care lovelies. x