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

Weekly Roundup...

Hey lovely people,

So tomorrow is my weigh in day and I am feeling optimistic. I have seriously tried sooooo hard this week and I  have thought about and planned everything I've eaten. As well as this I have made a real effort to go out a walk every day... Something that I must admit I'm guilty of doing far too little of. My job as a photographer is 30% standing and moving and 70% sitting and editing so I find that most of my day is spent in front of the computer. But I have pushed myself to move around a lot more on an hourly basis as well as having my little evening walks.

So let me just share with you some of the meals I have eaten this week:

Don't they look delish... Here are their pro-points values (remember my points allowance may be bigger than yours so you can have more or less dependent on your allowance):

Porridge (45g) with semi-skimmed milk (213ml) & raspberries (handful) = 8 Pro Points

Spicy Vegetable Cous Cous (150g) with spinach & sliced cucumber = 5 Pro Points

Spinach (plateful - I really love spinach... lol) with salt & pepper = 0 Pro Points

Fresh Tortiglioni (250g) with a spicy tomato sauce (75g) with spinach = 14 Pro Points

Banana (1 med) & Raspberry (handful) Smoothie (Juice 150ml) & ice = 3 Pro Points (330ml glass)

Chicken (165g) & rice noodle (200g) & sweetcorn (100g) stir-fry (soy sauce added) = 14 Pro Points

These are just some of the meals I ate this week and they were all super filling and tasty, which just proves you don't have to eat food that tastes like cardboard when you're on a diet.

I hope that any of you who are on this same journey have had a really good week and you are feeling positive and healthy and I will report back with the outcome of my weigh in tomorrow morning,

Wish me luck...

Take care lovelies. 

xxx

What A Difference A Day Makes...

Hey lovely people!

So after such a positive start to the week yesterday I have woken up today feeling pretty ill. I've been battling with a chest infection for the last few weeks and I've had some good days (like yesterday) and some not so good days... like today! 

Not only that but the effects of yesterdays mammoth swim have taken their toll on my unfit body and I am currently walking a bit like a robot... Lol!

However... the good thing about feeling rubbish (certainly in my case) is that I am repulsed by greasy, unhealthy foods and more inclined to fill my body with "good-for-me" foods and drinks like soups, vegetables and water. I also started my day with a lovely steaming bowl of porridge with a handful of raspberries which actually managed to make me feel better by just looking at it.

Anyway, I'm going to keep this brief and just say that despite feeling really rubbish I'm still 100% dedicated to keeping on my plan. This is the biggest difference in the way I feel this time around. There was never really an end goal... But I know now that I have something I want to work towards and that fact just makes this entire journey that little bit easier!

I hope everybody on this same journey are feeling positive and have their end goal in sight!

Take care lovelies. 

xxx

It's been a while hasn't it?

Hey lovely people!

So it's been a long time since I last posted on my blog... Since the 25th of June to be exact... And well I wish I had a really good excuse but I really don't. 

I have just been living life with my husband and my dogs and well... time just got away and before I knew it October arrived and it really hit home that I have been severely AWOL on my blog. 

So onto a fresh, new start and a new subject. 

My cousin Lorraine is getting married next year in Cyprus and she has asked me to help her with all of the planning. She is a very busy lady, with a very stressful job and weddings are kinda my thing so I jumped at the chance. As well as this I will be travelling over there (hubby-less) with the rest of my family to watch her get married and to take the photographs (being a photographer and all) so I have decided that I seriously want to get in shape for it. 

Now I know I have said it a million times before and even put a few posts on about starting a diet... But this time I actually have something to work toward. I don't want to be working an entire day in the Cyprus heat, sweating all over the place and feeling rubbish. I want to be able to do my work and enjoy the day and celebrate with my family. So I joined my local weight watchers yesterday (which is the 1st time I have ever joined a class on my own in my whole 29 years) and I am super determined to make it work this time. 

On that note, I thought it would spur me on and make it easier for me if I brought you all along on my journey. So I will be updating my blog regularly with progress reports... Meal ideas... and I'll do a weekly round up of "What I ate" over the course of the week... Pictures and all. 

I hope you all enjoy coming along with me on this weight loss journey and I would appreciate all and any words of encouragement from you all. 

Until next time...

Take care lovelies.

xxx

It's Wedding Season!!!

Hey there lovely people, 

So today I thought I would share some of my favourite wedding shots with you all. I am first and foremost a photographer, before I am a blogger and this was after all the reason I started my blog in the 1st place so I think it's only right that from time to time, I bore you all with some random mumbo jumbo about my photography style. 

On that note, here we go:

  

  

 

 

So I know it's definitely not everybody's style but I am much more of a natural, candid shooter. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy admiring a posed romantic shot just as much as anybody else, but as far as feeling comfortable myself with taking those shots... well that's another matter. 

I was very adamant that for our own wedding photographs, my husband and I were represented in the same light as we are on a daily basis. I didn't want any aspect of it to be fake or pre-meditated. This is of course just my style... and I am certainly not knocking anybody else's opinion on the matter... but due to the fact that I feel that way in front of the camera, it appears that those thoughts and feelings have transferred over to my role behind the camera. This is not to say that if my clients request those specific shots then I will be happy to oblige as best I can, but it just doesn't feel that natural to me.

Anyway, enough of my ramblings. If you feel the same as me then let me know. I love photographs. I love how you can tell a story through them. They are proof of our existence, and contain the evidence of our love and happiness. I can't think of any other job I would rather have in the whole world!!! 

Take care lovelies. x

May Instagram Photo Challenge

Hey lovely people,

So it is now June!!! Does that mean it's summer??? I don't know... I always associate the month of June with being the start of the summer... and it's my favourite month of the year because it's my birthday month! :) Yayyyyy!

So anyway, this past month of May I took part once again in an Instagram photo challenge brought to us once again by the fab Alice at www.supergorgeous.co.uk. She has a fabulous little beauty blog so get yourself over there and check her out... and follow her twitter and instagram too. :)

But anyway, I took part in my 2nd monthly photo challenge and I've got to say, not only has it been fun taking my pics, but it has been super great to discover all of these fab new instagrammers to follow. I'm a big fan of pretty images and my newsfeed is literally now absolutely jampacked with amazing photographs ranging from fashion to flowers, makeup to food, landscapes to animals. :D It is just my absolute favourite place to be now, and I have fallen away from most of my other social sites because of how much I am enjoying Instagram. If you think I would enjoy your page then by all means let me know! :D

So anyway, here are my submissions in their entirety for May:

So if you want to partake in this months challenge then please get yourself over to Instagram and follow the founder of this specific challenge, the lovely +Alice M (Alice from Supergorgeous)... and while you're over there give me a little follow on Instagram - my username is @onceuponapic_danni. :)

Take care lovelies. x

Snap Happy Tuesday - L.O.V.E

Hey there lovely people!

So it's Tuesday again and I thought I would share some more of my favourite images with you, this time incorporating the theme of L.O.V.E!

This can be interpreted in many ways, some more obvious than others, but regardless of how it is shown, I find that these are always the most touching images. Tell me if you agree with me.

Two sets of families sharing in a special day with a special little girl...

A big brother looking out for his new little brother...

A mum adoring her gorgeous little boy on his special day...

A man being passionate about his favourite football team...

An affectionate hug between cousins who don't see each other often enough...

A family coming together to create a memory that can be saved forever...

So there you are... L.O.V.E shown in several different ways through photographs. Whether it's for a special event or just to watch your favourite sports team, love can be demonstrated and shared in photographs in all different ways, shapes and forms... that's what makes my job all the more interesting. 

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

Look back at my April Photo Challenge

Hey lovely people!

So as you know I took part in an instagram photo challenge for the 1st time this month, and as much as I intended to share each post with you everyday, it just did not happen. So on that basis, here are my submissions in their entirety for the April Instagram Challenge.

Look out for my May submissions, and feel free to take part yourself. Here is the May challenge:

Hopefully you will all get involved this month and you will enjoy it as much as I have. Remember to use the hashtag #supergorgeousmay on every one of your photos so we can all enjoy them.

Take care lovelies. x

April Favourites

Hey lovely people!

So it's the end of the month, and what a month it has been. I have come very close to bankrupting my poor husband this month with all my purchases, and on that basis I thought I would share my favourite picks of the month with you all, giving a little more detail and a review on each of my favourite items. 

So here we go, with my top 10 favourite items this month:

1. My fave Lipstick!

So I couldn't give just one fave lippy for this month. I had to go with 2, both from Makeup Revolution and both amazeballs!!! :) The first choice is the shade Beloved, which is a pinky peachy sheer tone, which gives the lips a luscious, healthy glow, without being too pigmented. It really just enhances the natural look of your lips and I love it. My 2nd choice is Rebel With Cause, which is the most delicious berry coloured lippy. It's so gorgeous and looks fab with a minimal eye makeup look, as well as gorgeously vamp with a smokey eye. Get yourself a few of these lippy's here. 

2. My fave Nail Polish!

I don't have one particular favourite nail polish this month, but I do have lots of good things to say about the W7 range. Not only are they super cheap, starting at just 69p each, but the formula is amazing and the choice of colours are endless. You quite literally can't go wrong with these little beauties. They are fab!

3. My fave Eye-shadow!

So I have a lot of eyeshadows... and I generally stick with the same neutral tones every time. However, with all of the gorgeous palettes available at the minute, it's hard not to get caught up in amongst all the mattes and shimmers available. This palettte (Iconic 1) from Makeup Revolution is my current fave. It is a dupe of the original Naked palette from Urban Decay, and every one of the 12 shades are gorgeous - particularly the middle 3 shimmers. I have been wearing these a lot over the last couple of weeks. The pigment is just as rich and perfect as it shows above and the staying power is brilliant - with mines generally lasting a good 6 hours without any signs of fading. The palettes can be bought direct from Makeup Revolution or Superdrug and are only £4!!!

4. My fave blusher!

Another Makeup Revolution gem... this beautiful Baked Blush in the shade "Make Love Instead". It's a pot of coral, shimmery goodness, that leaves your cheeks looking naturally flushed and glowing. It's 1 of 6 available shades that cost just £3. 

5. My fave Skincare product!

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water is the ultimate necessity in any ladies skincare collection. I didn't think that there was such an effective way to remove makeup until I tried this bad boy. It not only removes every ounce of makeup on my skin (waterproof mascara included), but it leaves it feeling squeaky clean and as fresh as a daisy. It is sheer brilliance in a bottle!

6. My fave scent!

This shouldn't be of any surprise to all of you, but I really can't say enough about this scent. I have it in all of the available sizes and it is my one true favourite scent of all time. Its fruity, and fresh and floral, and lasts a good 3-4 hours before a re-spritz is required. It costs just £12 for the 75ml bottle and can be bought in any Next store or online here. 

7. My fave brush!

This brush has always been a favourite of mine. Its from Sheer Cover and it's a great  brush, that I use primarily for my blusher. The bristles are so soft and velvety on my skin, and it is super easy to clean. As well as that it is just a super pretty brush with its transparent acrylic handle. I just love it so I do!

8. My fave food!

This month I have been obsessed with pizza, to the point where I have been lying in my bed at night and craving it! No I am not pregnant. Lol! But not only has it been pizza I've been craving, but it's been spicy pizza... chorizo, chillies the works!!! I just can't get enough of it... and yes, I had it for dinner again last night!

9. My fave drink!

Now ordinarily, I am a Rosé wine girl. I could drink it until I'm blue in the face... especially on a beautiful warm and sunny day. However, this month, for a change I've been drinking lager shandys (half lager or beer and half lemonade)... And I have found my new love in this drink. It is a dinky little bottle, available in packs of 10 at Asda for the ridiculously low price of £3.50 (ish). Now I would like to point out that I am in fact a sensible drinker and that this is absolutely not intended to encourage irresponsible drinking of any kind. I just love that this is not only a delicious little drink, but is also really affordable.

10. My fave random pick!

Finally, this is my random pick of the month. It is in fact the box set of "Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip". Now, I have mentioned this in a previous post somewhere I'm sure, but I'll say a few more words about it now. This show was made by the same people behind the award winning show, The West Wing. It is just as fantastic (if not slightly better in my opinion) than The West Wing. It stars Matthew Perry, Bradley Whitford and Amanda Peet among others, and is basically takes place behind the scenes of a live sketch comedy show (similar to that of SNL). Matthew Perry plays Matt Albie, the head writer of the show, while Bradley Whitford plays Danny Tripp, the producer of the show. It is sheer brilliance that I cannot properly convey to you in words. Do yourself a favour and buy the box set here. You won't be sorry that you did!!!

So that's that lovely people. One whole month has passed and I have had the best time ever trying out all of these fab products. I'm looking forward to any potential new finds for next month, and will be happy to share these with you all too. Stay tuned to my blog for my collage of images from this months Instagram photo challenge!

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

Snap Happy Tuesday - Some Recent Purchases

Hey there lovely people!

So it's Tuesday... and even though Wednesday gets a bad rep for being the worst day of the week (or hump day as they call it) I really really hate Tuesdays. They are rubbish, pointless days that make getting to the weekend even harder. However... this Tuesday is a great one... because I'm getting some new Models Own Nail Polishes delivered!!!

So in the spirit of new purchases, I thought I would share some photos of some of my new makeup, and the area in my bedroom where I keep it all. Not that images themselves are particularly technical, but the contents of them are truly beautiful (at least to me). Haha!

So anyway... here goes:

That was some of my new makeup purchases from Make-up Revolution, a new site I discovered through a fellow blogger. I am yet to give any of them a proper try yet, but will definitely report back with my findings. 

The rest of the images are just a few random shots of my make-up station. It's certainly nothing special but it is my own little piece of heaven, where I sit everyday to do my skincare routine, apply my makeup and style my hair. Sometimes, I sit there and don't do any of those things... I just admire all of its loveliness. :)

It really is quite a beautiful thing... A sad, and often expensive thing... but beautiful none the less. Hope you all enjoyed this version of Snap Happy Tuesday! :)

Take care lovelies. x