A Normal Tuesday

So yesterday was Tuesday the 14th of February... Valentines Day. I know not everyone is particularly into celebrating this kind of thing. It's true what they say, that special person should show they love you and appreciate you every day of the year. But for me this year it was welcomed. Mainly as it was nice to plan something and look forward to it particularly as I've been so busy and I've found it hard to find the time. 

I received a nice bunch of red roses, which was a pleasant surprise and a few other small, thoughtful gifts which I was very grateful for. We also went for a nice chilled out meal along with my brother and his girlfriend so it was a nice evening. Whether you're one for Valentines or not, I hope a good day was had by all ♥

January Favourites | 12

A bit late but I thought I'd share some of my January favourites! 

1.  True Blood series 3. I received this as a Christmas present and have been watching an episode when I can here and there throughout January. I'm a huge fan of the series and have really loved watching this series. Only thing is I'm craving to see what happens next.

2. Lush products and just hot baths in general, probably a favourite almost every month. After the Christmas sale I stocked up on a few bits so I have a pile of products that I'm slowly working through! It's been extremely cold over these last few weeks so I literally jump into a hot bath when I get in.

3. Drakes latest album 'Take Care' and Florence + The Machine 'Ceremonials'. Both great albums in my opinion, they're a bit different genre wise so it depends what mood I'm in whilst listening. But Florence's album really chills me out I think she has such a beautiful, soulful voice.

4. My Yankee tart burner! I purchased this at the end of December along with a load of half price Christmas tarts to burn such as Christmas Cookie. I thought I'd give the wax tarts a try mainly because they're a lot cheaper then the jars of candles and it's a nice way to try a different scent. I'm so pleased I decided to try the wax tarts, if you're yet to try it I do recommend it! I think in some ways I find them to be stronger smelling then the regular candles and they seem to last ages. The burner itself is gorgeous so it's a nice addition to my bedroom. 

5. Coffee... My dissertation deadline is looming. Coffee is a LIFE SAVER. 

6. D&G 'The One' perfume. Another Christmas present which I absolutely love. I tried this on once before in Boots and fell in love with it so it was on my list and I'm chuffed with it. The scent is sweet and has hints of vanilla and floral notes to it. This perfume lasts well throughout the day but isn't overpowering or sickly which is great.

7. When I've had the time I've been reading 'One Day' by David Nicholls. My friend suggested this book to me quite a while back now and I just haven't got around to it. Since then they've made a movie adaption of this. I'm almost halfway through, I wish I had more time to read this as when I do read it I really enjoy it. I'm not going to comment too much on this till I've finished reading it. If anyone is wondering its major themes are of friendship, love and the two characters lives in general. It isn't your regular conventional love story.

Something Special

I had to share this gorgeous swan that I was given as a gift from my boyfriend a week or so ago. I think its beautiful and I really do love this kind of stuff. It has lights inside it.

This is it when the lights aren't on. 

And with the lights on. I think its gorgeous :)

The picture quality isn't great, courtesy of my phone! The swan's made of a clear plastic, it's quite sturdy. The inside has LED lights. The thing I like most is that whether the lights are on or off it looks lovely either way. I like that with the lights off you can't really see where the lights are... so when eventually the lights die on me it won't be a problem. I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff, I just have to find a nice spot in my bedroom for it now :) If anyone is wondering the swan is from Laura Ashley.

Busy Busy Busy

This month for me has been extremely hectic, I'm in my final year at Uni and so I've been spending pretty much everyday doing research, reading, making notes etc. I have a huge dissertation due in... with two or so months left to complete it in. It's all very boring, repetitive and sometimes stressful, but not long till it's all over I suppose.

I think what gets me through weeks and weeks of work is learning how to 'manage' what you can. These are some ways that I manage to get things done:

• I try to set achievable goals - so for example by the end of the day write 200 words of an assignment, or have a few targets to complete within a few days.
• Give myself a break, I used to overdo it and not give myself a break (mainly because in the past I have left things to the last minute - which left me no choice). But I find making time for a break makes you feel more in control, refreshed and I find I get a lot more done!
• The above point leads me on to time management - sometimes people don't give themselves enough time to do things in.
• Timetables, okay I'm a list person. Telling myself to do 3-4 hours of work a day (if I can!), writing this down and ticking it off when completed honestly helps me more than you'd think.
• Something to look forward to. I make myself stop at a certain point, if I've been working hard all day I make sure that when the clock hits a particular time I'll stop, put the books down and chill. Sometimes its nice to either get away from where the works taking place, or just have a lovely hot bath.

Although, it's okay to:

• Have the odd day were you just feel really unmotivated, sometimes it's good to recognise this and just have a break. As long as you have enough time it's okay. There's been a few days were I've woken up and thought I really can't do this today, so I don't!
• To feel a stressed or a little worried. This is really normal, I do have days when I will be thinking that I don't have enough time to complete everything in.

I've had a few years experience, and these 'tips' have helped me. But of course everybody is different. Good luck to anyone out there who is in the same boat.

"There are no goodbyes"

{Source: Pinterest. Original Source: Unknown}

As depressing as this post may seem I find myself wanting to share a few quotes I've found around on the net that help me when I'm 'grieving'. The reason to this post being that in the last year or two, and more recently this week, I've had to deal with the loss of a loved one and as hard and sad as it is I do sometimes find comfort in some of these quotes, like the ones below. They somehow become relevant to how I'm feeling. None of these are my own but I thought I would share them nonetheless. 

"There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart." 

--- Gandhi

"To Live In The Hearts We Leave Behind Is Not To Die"

--- Thomas Campbell

"Always on my mind, forever in my heart"

--- Author Unknown

"When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure"

--- Author Unknown

"Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality"

--- Emily Dickenson

Many of these quotes are from this website: QuoteGarden.com. I think my personal favourite is the first one by Gandhi. As hard as it is for people to accept the loss of someone in their life I suppose it's nice to think that despite them not physically being with and around you a part of them will always be with you, within your mind and your heart. 

This is for those that I have lost, you will never be forgotten. Thanks for the memories ❤

The Big Cover Up - Bobbi Brown Corrector & Concealer

I had to write this post to share my love of two recently purchased beauty items! Both of which are Bobbi Brown products. One of which is a creamy concealer, the other is a corrector. After hearing nothing but good things about Bobbi Brown's creamy concealer I thought I would try it out... well that I had to try it out. I really am a concealer person as I do feel that I need a bit of cover up under my eyes and many of my previous concealers don't really do the job to be honest and I have tried a fair few. To begin with I did put it off but in the end I gave in. I must say I am glad that I did give in as I truly do love it, to me it is well worth the money!

Bobbi Brown Corrector: This costs around £17 and it aims to neutralise and brighten the skin tone before applying concealer. It's pinky peach and colour and is a lovely creamy but thick consistency it stays on well and I genuinely notice an improvement with my under eyes when applying this. I haven't found this to crease either!

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer: This is also priced at around £17 also. It's similiar sort of consistency to the corrector and very easy to blend. This gives a nice strong coverage. 

I'm also a fan of their packaging, it's sleek, simple and compact. I also like that there is a mirror attached so it can be used on the go! I will definitely be repurchasing these when I'm finished with them.

Bobbi Brown UK website: Click Here

A New Year Is Here!

So 2012 is here! I can't believe how quickly 2011 went by. I hope a happy new year was had by all. I for one feel so relaxed and chilled which is a nice way to start the new year. December was a great month for me as it was nice to have a bit of a break from University and to celebrate my birthday and Christmas with all my loved ones! Back to reality now that the new year has arrived. I'm in my final year of University now and after a few months or so I'll be finished...hallelujah! So I especially enjoyed having a week or two off to chill out before I'm back to having my head buried in the books again! 

I haven't really got around to setting any new years resolutions so far, I suppose like everyone else I set them and then either forget or just don't end up sticking to them. But if I was to set any they would be as follows;

1. Stay focused - Uni wise. I haven't got long left now and it's going to be a busy couple of months ahead.

2. Worry less - I confess I can be a bit of a worrier at times. 

3. Take more photos

4. Be healthy

5. Make some more time to blog - I've only really just started doing this and there is something lovely about taking some time out to blog. 

It'd be nice if I could stick to at least one of these :) I think it's nice sometimes to take advantage of the whole 'new year - new start' concept and just motivate yourself to do or to achieve something.