Friday Faves!

Hey lovely people! 

How's everybody's Friday been so far. The hubby and I have been busy doing a bit of DIY in the house... and getting rid of some furniture so not exactly a relaxing evening so far. However, we're calling it quits for the night and settling down to watch some "Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip", with a couple of bottles of beer and a bar of chocolate. Before I do that though, I will share this weeks favourite things with you all. 

1. You guessed it... My hubby!

I got to spend an extra day this week with my favourite guy, with it being a bank holiday Monday, and it made my week that little bit better. I love this picture of him... It was taken as part of my photography coursework and reluctant as he was to let me take it, it's ended up being one of my favourite images of him. 

2. Concert Tickets!

Excited is an understatement! My boys are playing Bellahouston Park in Glasgow on the 19th of August... And being a member of The Victims (The Killers Fan Club) I managed to get myself some pre-sale tickets!!! So me, the hubby, my big cousin and his wife will all be dancing our asses off in Bellahouston Park on the 19th of August... and yes I already have a countdown on my iPhone! 

3. New Purchases!

Who doesn't love new nail polish? I've already spoke at length about these glorious little pots in my previous post so I won't go into any further detail about them. I just love some new beauty goodies to play with.

4. Cuteness Personified!

I had a shoot with these 2 cutie pie twins last week and spent the best part of this week editing their photos. Seriously, is there any better job than this??? It is quite literally... like I've already said a million times, the best job in the world.

5. Blog Of The Week!

http://www.supergorgeous.co.uk/

I've really been loving this gorgeous ladies beauty filled blog. The writer behind the blog Super Gorgeous is the delightful Alice. She is a makeup artist and freelance photographer, sharing her views on the latest beauty and fashion trends, not only through her interesting and descriptive words, but her technically astute use of a camera. Her images are engaging and her reviews are an absolute pleasure to read. As well as this, her Instagram is equally enthralling, and you should definitely give her a follow. 

So that's my favourites for this week. I hope you have a great Friday night and I will be back tomorrow to annoy you with another Saturday post. 

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

A little Décor Inspiration - My Livingroom

Hey lovely people!

Happy Thursday to you all. The weekend is so close it's within touching distance, and there is no better feeling that Friday arriving. 

But since it's Thursday, I thought I would continue on with my Décor inspired posts and this week I'm focussing on ideas for my Livingroom.

So I'm a bit undecided when it comes to a colour scheme, changing my mind more often than not, but this week I found my colour inspiration in my flowers. Now I must warn you... as I said before I often change my mind, and it was only a few weeks ago that I posted a New York themed Livingroom Décor mood-board. I have since decided I would prefer this theme in my bedroom... hence this post today. This may all change again in a few weeks... but I decided to just go with it today! :)

My absolute favourite of all time - the unappreciated Carnation.

How beautiful are the colours in those carnations??? The deep almost pinkish red and that burnt peachy corally orange. Oooft I just love them! 

Now please don't panic - I don't intend on decorating my entire livingroom with these colours - there will be quite neutral, earthy undertones with my brown leather sofa, white walls and oak flooring. The colours of the flowers will be represented by sporadic pops of colour from my accessories, soft furnishings and perhaps a feature wall.

So anyway, here are my ideas in my favourite form... mood-boards! :D

Ok, so the above looks pretty boring and shockingly grown up for my taste. However, as explained previously this is just the base or the undertone for my inspiration. I already have the brown leather couch and I kind of loved these little coffee and end tables because they would be super easy to spruce up if I got fed up with the natural earthy tones. The TV unit and shelving is a bit of a must have in terms of storage space (we have a lot of DVDs), but I'm not entirely sure if I would have my TV on the actual unit or floating on the wall between the two. As discussed in previous posts, the flooring is not only an aesthetic decision, but also a practical one as we have 2 very mucky pooches and a less than impressive carpet covered in muddy stains.

Now for the fun and colourful part.

The idea of the throw is that it would hang loosely at a diagonal along the back of the couches. Just to add a bit of colour without being an absolute hassle to sit on top of. The cushions are just gorgeous and sumptuous looking. They will add the pop of colour I'm looking for, and despite not being able to find the perfect rug to show you, I would love one with these bright colours included. The lamp, all be it quite small and relatively cheap and tacky looking is just super fun. I'm very aware of the 1st board looking pretty sophisticated and grown up and that is just not my husband and I at all, so this is why I felt it was important to include something fun and silly, that goes with the colour scheme and just adds a little something to the overall look. Finally I found this curtain panel - now these wouldn't be suitable at all for our livingroom window, but this is the kind of idea I'm going for with the curtains. Something predominately white, crisp and clean with that funky pop of colour. 

So there you have it, another set of mood-boards to oooh and ahhh over. I don't know about all of you, but I never tire of dreaming up ways of redecorating and generally improving my living space. I don't always follow through on them but I am always thinking up new ways to add a bit of pizazz to my home. I will no doubt change my mind entirely about all of this, and come up with a whole new concept in a few weeks, but for now I am going to enjoy the idea of living in amongst all of this bright and vibrant colour and will be back with another post for you all tomorrow. 

Take care lovelies. x

It's that time of the week again!

Hey lovely people!

I just loved this when I saw it... and on that note I'd like to say HAPPY HUMP DAY lovelies! Lol

With today being the half-way point of the week for most of us, it's only right that instead of posting another of my favourite recipes, I thought I would post a couple of my favourite COCKTAIL recipes instead. If, like me, you're having one of those weeks where nothing is going right and you're stressed to the hilt, then a little cocktail is a welcomed idea. 

Cranberry Ginger Fizz Cocktail

Ingredients

1 cup of fresh cranberries

1 lemon - cut into wedges

4 sprigs of mint

1/2 an orange - cut into wedges

1 cup ginger ale

1 1/2 cups of gin

3/4 cup of sparkling water

3/4 cup of sugar

Preparation

1. Bring sugar and water to a boil in a medium saucepan, stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; pour off all but one cup of syrup, reserving any extra for another use.
2. Heat the syrup to a boil and then reduce heat to a medium. Add the cranberries and simmer for 2-3 minutes until they just begin to burst. Remove from heat and let cool in syrup.
3. Place 2 tablespoons of drained cranberries and 6 tablespoons of cranberry syrup in a large pitcher; add the lemon and orange wedges.
4. Using a wooden spoon, vigorously mash the fruit.
5. Stir in gin and let steep for at least 5 minutes.
6. Strain into a medium pitcher.
7. Fill 4 glasses with crushed ice and 1/4 ginger ale.
8. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and then pour half of the cranberry mixture into the shaker and shake vigorously for 10 seconds, strain liquid into two glasses. Repeat.
9. Mound additional ice on top of each glass and garnish with 3 candied cranberries and a mint sprig.

Strawberry Vodka Lemon Sparklers

Ingredients

4oz strawberry infused vodka

4oz sugar syrup

4oz pink lemonade

4oz sparkling wine

Cubed ice

Fresh strawberries

Fresh mint

Preparation

1. Pour syrup and strawberry vodka into shaker with ice and shake vigorously.
2. Strain and pour into 2 cocktail glasses.
3. Add pink lemonade to the glasses 3/4 full.
4. Top off with sparkling wine.
5. Garnish with strawberries and mint.

Now repeat after me...

IT'S 5 O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE!!!

So there you go lovely people, 2 fantastic cocktail recipes that once you've tasted, you will instantly fall in love with and I predict you will continue to make for years to come! 

If you would like to find more fantastic cocktail recipes like this then look no further than Pinterest! There are literally thousands upon thousands of fantastically delicious recipes there for you to try. 

Take care lovelies. x

Snap Happy Tuesday - Kids

Hey there lovely people!

Today is another post about some of my previous photo-shoots. It's a big deal to me for there to be a dedicated spot on my blog to showcase my love of photography and therefore my job. I don't think many people can say honestly, that they love their job... but I am certainly one of them. I believe that photographs are the the proof of our lives and the connection to our past. I know that in this day and age of technology, there are so many ways to connect and communicate, but I genuinely believe that nothing does that better than a photograph. 

Anyway, enough of the rambling and more of the sharing. 

ISO 400 - 50mm (50mm lens) - f/1.8 - 1/125 sec

This is little Mikael. He is 2 years old, so is technically still a baby and therefore should have been included in last weeks post. I for one, think that it's quite difficult to tell exactly what age little Mikael is in this picture, which is therefore why I included it. Shooting him was a very different experience from any other 2 year old I've had in front of the camera. He was very stubborn in terms of giving me a smile... but ended up being one of the shoots I'm most proud of. I think a lot of mum's and dad's, get really stressed out about getting their children to smile for the camera in order to get that smiley, happy photo. However, I firmly believe that these types of photographs can often end up the most beautiful and vulnerable. There's so much more of a story in these images than that of a run-of-the-mill smiley one.

ISO 400 - 37mm (18-55mm lens) - f/4.5 - 1/30 sec

Let me introduce you to my cousins children, Leon (top) and Brendan (bottom). I had to include this photo simply because it makes me smile. Brendan, the older of the 2 is such a laid back and quiet little soul, whereas Leon is just absolutely wild. So when I suggested this pose to Brendan he was quite embarrassed and hesitant about the idea and I think that shows in his little face. Whereas as soon as he lay down, Leon just jumped on top, no prompts, just jumped onto of his brother and started making horsey noises. It was just soooo funny that every time I look at this photo I relive the entire moment. This is a perfect example of my believe that photography is a way of "capturing precious, funny & irreplaceable moments". This certainly fits the bill. 

ISO 200 - 32mm (18-55mm lens) - f/4.5 - 1/30 sec

This is little Emma. She and her mum came along for a shoot, together with Emma's friend and her mum. She was quite the little character - a typical girly girl giving me all her poses. It was an absolute joy to photograph her. Not to mention how adorable she is... especially in that denim dungarees! It's so fun for me, when I get a client who just loves to be in front of the camera, because the joy in their face is just so evident. They are always super enthusiastic to pose and get into any position you suggest that any level of stress I might feel, just slips away and it becomes just an absolute pleasurable job to do.

ISO 200 - 28mm (18-55mm lens) - f/4 - 1/60 sec

Meet Zain and Isaah. They are the adorable boys of Diya, one of my lovely clients who came to me wanting some good family photographs after having been let down with photographers in the past. They were a lovely family and were very smiley and enthusiastic clients throughout, even Diya's husband (which is very unusual for the men I normally shoot). So the reason I chose to show you this image is because I just wanted to show that even though both of the boys aren't facing the lens, it's still a lovely image. Like I said before, parents tend to get very stressed out behind the scenes trying to get their children to look as good as possible on camera and this includes trying to get them to look the right way. Often this is just out of the question. Kids are so easily distracted, so it can be quite a chore to get their little eyes looking the right way. However, I think you'll agree, this is still a very cute picture and the boys look utterly adorable, despite little Isaah's eyes trailing off to the right of the lens.

Ok so there were a few reasons for selecting these images to show you today. Obviously they are super cute kids and they deserve to be showcased, but I just wanted to get the message across that sometimes the imperfect pictures turn out to be the ones you love the most. Kids aren't robots. They don't march to anybody else's drum but their own and often expecting them to do exactly as they are asked in such a pressured environment is too much. Photographers will always do their best to snap the best possible image of your children and deliver the best quality they possibly can, but it doesn't always mean it will be a standard smiley shot - these images are my best examples of how great, a less than perfect scenario, can turn out in a photograph. 

Hope you enjoyed looking at these ones as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Take care lovelies. x

Monday Wish List - True Blue Inspiration - Part 2

Hey lovely people!

Well I just couldn't resist adding another few items to my Wish List and I thought that because there were still blue pieces included, that I would just share them with you and include them as part of today's post.

So this is another Yours Clothing selection, again for Spring... but with a little edginess. 

Black Biker Boot With Double Buckle And Zip - £38

Black Biker Jacket With Zip Details - £50

Black Ponte PU Panel Stretch Full Length Legging - £18

Blue Dobby Military Style Blouse With Dipped Hem - £23

Black Leather Look Studded Shopper Bag - £16

Black Sunglasses With Silver Rhinestone Detail - £4

I absolutely love this edgy look this season - with that bright pop of colour from the blue shirt.It's just such a fashionable look, especially with all the buckles and studs - it just adds a little extra something to the look. I also think that £50 for a Biker Jacket is super reasonable considering some other stores are often asking for double that amount, despite not offering even half of the sizes available at Yours Clothing. 

The following selection can be found at SimplyBe.

Elizabeth Arden Rectangular Sunglasses - £94

Black Jet Set Earrings - £12

Juno Duffle Bag - £65

Biker Jacket - £60

Daniel Sofy Boot - £104

Denim Babydoll Dress - £30

Ok, so I know that a lot of these items are super expensive (i.e. the sunglasses and the boots) but I just couldn't keep them to myself! I love them. The sunglasses reminded me of the original Ray ban Wayfarers, but are slightly more rectangular and have that funky detail on the side. And those boots... I mean really!!! Distressed leather is something I'm super into and I just adored the strap and buckle detail! Again though, I've found a biker jacket that's a great price and looks fab and adding this to the adorable denim dress is just a match made in heaven! 

So I'm done for the day with my Wish List clothing pieces... I think! I hope you liked them and will give these 2 great sites a visit. They really do offer fantastic clothing at really affordable prices and you can really bag yourself a fantastic outfit for a bargain price... that is if you stay away from the designer boots and sunglasses! :-)

Anyway, have a lovely day whatever it is that you might be doing.

Take care lovelies. x

The Self-Love Tag

Hey there lovely people!

Today I thought I would do another post sharing a little bit about myself. I will regularly do posts like this just because I think it's important that I share who I am with all of you wonderful people who take the time out of your day to read my posts. 

So without further rambling, here goes:

The Self-Love Tag

1. What does self-love mean to you?

I think it means loving and accepting yourself as you are. We all get caught up with the way we look and are often trying to change ourselves to mimic looks we see in celebrities or on catwalks and I think that we will never truly be happy in our hearts until we accept who we are and what we have.

2. What is your favourite way to pamper yourself?

This is generally something that I don't often do. I'm not a bath person so I can't do the whole bath bomb and candle thing. Generally if I'm feeling a little rubbish and wanting a little pick me up, I'll have a long relaxing shower... give myself a little facial... get some comfy lounge clothes on... and paint my nails. Obviously this will be accompanied by a generous sized glass of White Zinfandel and a bar of good chocolate.

3. What are your three favourite hobbies/pastimes that make your soul feel on fire?

Taking photographs. I am in love with photography. It's the most relaxing and rewarding hobby there is. Other than that I enjoy Swimming (which I don't often get the opportunity to do) and I really love cooking. There is nothing like watching somebody enjoy food that you have put your heart and soul into.

4. What movie always puts you in a good mood when you’re not in the greatest mood?

The Little Mermaid. Yes I'm aware I'm 28 years old and yes I'm aware that this is a Disney movie... But it is my most favourite and cherished movie of all time. What girl can say she doesn't like a little fairytale in her life???

5. Who do you trust the most in your life?

My husband. He is the one person in my whole entire world, who I can truly be myself with. I would trust him with my life.

6. What quote totally motivates you?

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again". It's one of life's most important lessons!

7. What make-up or beauty product makes you feel like a million bucks?

Red Lipstick... It always makes me feel a great no matter how light or heavy the rest of my makeup is. 

8. Do you feel comfortable with and without make-up on? Why?

Make-up is a relatively new concept to me (relatively being 3 years or so). I have always worn lip gloss and a bit of blusher over the years but I only seriously got into it when I was getting married and wanted some inspiration. For that reason I am completely comfortable with just my bare face... it's not only important to let your skin breathe but to feel comfortable with the way your face looks without all the frills.

9. What piece of advice would you give a child growing up with the pressures of today’s media and its crushing expectations?

I recently came across a little quote that says "Be who you are, not who the world wants you to be"! This is the advice I give my little sisters. I've said it before - there is nothing more important than learning to love yourself as you are, only then can you be truly happy in your heart.

10. What song puts you in a good mood every time?

Right now it is "Happy" by Pharrell Williams... it's impossible to not feel good when you hear this song... it's in the title!!!

11. Who makes you giggle like a giggle monster?

What a strangely worded question... Lol! :) In terms of real life, I have a niece and nephew who make me laugh every time I'm with them. But I have to say, Phil and Cameron on Modern Family really make me laugh out loud!!!

12. What is something about society that bugs you?

Besides from the ridiculous pressure put on young girls to be stick thin, I really hate the way the media builds people up and puts them on pedestals, and as quickly as they're up there, they drag them back down to earth with a giant thud! I know that as celebrities, their lives are susceptible to public scrutiny... but they are people, just the same as us, and I think it's unfair to treat their lives like a TV show.

13. What is one of your favourite things to do on the weekends?

Spend time with my family & take photographs.

14. What is something you’re really proud of that you've done?

Completed my Diploma in Photography. It's something that I wanted to do for the longest time and I am super proud that I actually got off my backside to do it. 

My most prized possession.

15. What advice would you give someone who needs a boost in confidence?

1. Smile as much as is humanly possible - It will automatically make you feel better. 
2. Try and make a difference in the world - If you make someone else feel good then you yourself will feel good.
3. Look at yourself in the mirror everyday and tell yourself you are beautiful - You will eventually believe your words.
4. Look after yourself - Whether its a weekly pamper session or a exercise, make sure you are healthy on the inside, so that you can always appreciate what is on the outside. 

I loved this little tag. I think it's important to get the message across that you should always have love and respect for yourself. I hope that if you read this post you realise how wonderful and important you are, and I invite you all to take part in this tag. 

Take care lovelies. x

My 3rd Friday Faves!

Hey there lovely people!

Happy Friday to you all.

Is it just me or are the weeks just flying by at a ridiculously fast rate. I mean it's almost April for crying out loud. Where did that come from???

Anyway, it's time for another round-up of my favourite weekly things. Enjoy!!!

1. This guy again!!!

My husband and I, taken myself in November 2013.

As always, my hubby has made the top spot. As much as he annoys me (and let me tell you he has done his fair share of that this week) he will always be the favourite part of my week.

2. Some time with the In-Laws!

This is a rare occurrence as Michael doesn't have a big family like I do, but this weekend is the 50th birthday of his uncle and we are all having a night out to celebrate. Should be a fun filled night! :D

3. Significant numbers this week!

The number of followers I reached on Twitter!!! Yay!!!

The number of page views my blog reached this week!!! Double Yay!!!

I am soooooooooooo thrilled to have reached these super important milestones! And I have YOU to thank. Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!!!!!!!!

4. Fun Decorating!

This weekend my husband and I plan on swapping my little home studio with our bedroom. There's a couple of reasons for this - the main one being I just fancy a change. Lol! The other reason is that our current bedroom is south facing and therefore gets way more light than my little studio and is therefore much better for my shoots. It will be a big job but I am really looking forward to it... especially the shopping for cute little accessories. 

5. Chatting with all of you lovely people!

My weekend ritual now includes reading & watching everything all you lovely people have to say. It is a joy and truly an inspiration to see how wonderfully creative and talented you all are. I just wanted to share with you, some of the new people I have discovered this week, some you may already be following yourself:

1. Letters To Antoinette - A beautifully written blog, by a beautiful girl named Antoinette.
2. Milk Bubble Tea - The most adorable blog, with the most stunning photographs.
3. Lily Melrose - A fabulously trendy little blog & equally entertaining Youtube channel to go with it.
4. I Heart Organizing - A fantastic blog full of helpful tips about how to better organise your life.
5. Lily Pebbles - If you're not already, get following this lady - she is the definition of FAB!!!

Anyway, I will leave it there and I hope that you enjoy whatever it is that you've got planned for this weekend!

Take care lovelies. x

A little Décor Inspiration - My Bedroom

Hey lovely people!

You probably don't know this about me... but have quite an addictive personality. If I'm into something, i.e. a TV show for example, then I'm obsessed with it and will watch every episode there is available.

So when it comes to things like blogging (which is still a very new part of my life), I have become utterly devoted to delivering as many read-worthy posts as is humanly possible for all you lovely people to delve into.

On this note, I thought I would share another of my addictions... and that my lovelies is PINTEREST!

I can't get enough of this fabulous site, and quite literally haven't stopped using it since I discovered its brilliance 2 years ago.

I can quite literally scroll for hours and hours, liking and pinning away and my absolute fave pins are those related to Home Décor. So this post is going to showcase my current bedroom decoration inspiration.

I'm a bit of a NYC fanatic so this décor is inspired by the city itself. The crisp sharp edges of the mirror, the interior brick walls, and the dishevelled hardwood flooring all remind me of the real, edgy feeling of New York City. 

This look was more of a classic one. Something along the lines of an "English Rose" theme. The strong and sturdy wooden bed-frame, the fluffy sheepskin rug, the dreamy vintage dressing table and the ornamental lamp all give a cosy, homely feel. Obviously this room would be dressed with lots of vases full of fresh flowers.

Finally we have a classic contemporary look. This is always my go to style when it comes to creating an inspiration mood-board. I really don't think you can go wrong with it. It's simple and sleek, with a modern punch. A bit safe maybe, but I honestly believe that sometimes sticking to the most simple of styles, delivers the best overall look.

So there you have it. My current bedroom inspiration mood-boards brought to you through the absolute genius and fabulous little gem that is Pinterest.

If you haven't already given the site a little visit then get to it... I guarantee you will find something of interest there, be it the 1000's of recipes available at the click of a button, the numerous DIY/ Craft ideas for you to try at home or the countless posts showcasing the current trends and celebrity styles at the moment. It is an enormous world of pins to get lost amongst and you can't help but love it!!!

Take care lovelies. x