Recently...

-New room decoration
-A box of Thornton's chocolates... Mmm
-Charlie
-LUSH goodies
-Belle. I was cooking and had the feeling someone was watching me, turned around to see this :)
-The tiny bit of snow that fell a few weeks ago

-The gorgeous flowers I received for my Birthday
-The little poser
-Cute glitter Birthday present bag
-My giant jasmine candle
-Love these Zebra slippers.. they are so warm and cosy
-My Christmas nails Bewitching (review here) and No7's Gold Glitter)

It's Christmas Eve!! I really can't wait to have a nice chilled out day tomorrow with some of my loved ones. 

Wishing you lovely lot a Merry Christmas!

The Little Things

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It's been a while, this may be a long one


-Spending time with family and friends. I had a long weekend back at home a couple of weekends back now and I really enjoyed having a catch up with everyone


-Dads cooking - hearty pasta dishes yummy


-Exchanging Christmas gifts and wrapping presents - some family and friends live a little way away, so gifts are exchanged earlier during visits


-Snow! There was a little bit of snow a couple of weeks ago. I loved waking up, pulling back the curtains and seeing that it had snowed. Okay it wasn't much but the floor was covered and so was my car. It was a nice surprise :)


-My lovely surprise Birthday/Christmas present from my Dad and his partner. A handy little Samsung Tab... I absolutely love it!


-Catching up with an old friend who I hadn't seen or properly spoken to in over 7 years!


-Being looked after - I had a cyst removed from my head a few weeks ago and my Mum and boyfriend, among others, were so lovely and sweet. Hot drinks, chocolates and sympathy were all appreciated



-Sending and receiving Christmas cards

-Seeing all of the Christmas decorations and sparkling lights everywhere. I love this time of year - it's all festive and pretty!


-Enjoying my birthday celebrations on Monday. I loved all of my cards, messages and gifts!


-The surprise hot stone back massage that my boyfriend booked me in for on Monday. It was so relaxing and just what I needed


-Finally getting around to having a declutter and organising out my little closet. It looks so much tidier and I feel so much better for it



-The look on Charlie's face as he peeks his head through the banister rails on the stairs. He waits patiently for people to walk past before taking a cheeky swipe at those walking by. He's so naughty but he makes me smile


-Picking up a few Christmas Lush bits and having a lovely hot bath with them


-Wrapping up in chunky jumpers and warm coats. Its been so cold recently!

Nars - Easy Lover

A few weeks ago my lovely boyfriend treated me to a lip gloss which has quickly become a firm favourite of mine. I don't own many products from NARS, in fact currently this gloss and a blush is all I own from the brand. When I initially spotted Easy Lover I wouldn't have picked it out as a shade that I would have particularly lusted after. However, after swatching it I fell in love.

The packaging for this lip gloss is a soft plastic, it's simple and lightweight. The shade resembles a hot pink but has a very subtle hint of purple, although once applied Easy Lover is sheer which I love! This lip gloss is quite long lasting compared to many of my other lip glosses, it feels very smooth when on the lips and isn't sticky or gloppy. There is a slight scent to this gloss which I would struggle to describe (an almost plastic type scent - it isn't the best smell). This scent personally doesn't bother me as I can barely notice it, it isn't strong at all and doesn't sway my opinion on this gorgeous lip gloss! But it may bother some people.

I think this lip gloss looks very flattering when on the lips, whether it's on its own or on top of a lipstick. NARS lip glosses retail at around £17.50. These definitely aren't the cheapest of glosses but they are a great quality so if you're after a decent lip gloss it's worth the money. What are your favourite lip glosses?

Words To Live By

  

-"If you're going through hell, keep going" - Winston Churchill

-"If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door" - Milton Bearle

-"When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have a thousand reasons to smile" - Author Unknown

-"Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its troubles. It empties today of its strength" - Author Unknown

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Nails Inc - Jermyn Street

A few days ago I was having a little browse through all my nail polishes deciding what colour I wanted on my nails. I picked out Nails Inc's - Jermyn Street which is a shade that I seem to constantly neglect. I adore brown and taupe shades all year round, but I particularly like wearing them at this time of year. Jermyn Street is a soft brown/taupe shade which reminds me of melted chocolate. I think this polish was a freebie in a magazine some time ago now. 

I have a handful of Nail's Inc polishes and I tend to find some of them can be a bit of a hit and miss, which probably explains why I tend to neglect this polish. However, Jermyn Street is definitely not a miss in my opinion. I adore this shade, it's very versatile and flattering. After painting my nails with this shade I've received quite a few comments on the shade - even a sales assistant in a high street store commented on how nice the colour is!

The polish itself applies nicely, two coats gave a glossy and opaque finish which was very true to the shade in the bottle. I definitely won't be neglecting this little beauty again in a hurry.

The Little Things

-My little birdcage candle holder which sits in the middle of my windowsill (pictured above). I love lighting this in the evening, I think it looks so pretty!


-Shopping and lunch with my Mum. It's always nice to have a nice girly day and a catch up with my Mum


-My Thornton's advent calendar which is sitting patiently on the side... not long now (you're never too old for an advent calendar in my opinion!)


-Finally getting around to upgrading and receiving my new phone, playing around with a broken button was no fun anymore. It's refreshing using a phone that has fully functioning buttons and is all shiny and new :)


-Getting better. I've had the worst cold so I've been a bit of a mess. It feels so good to have a decent nights sleep and feel a lot better in myself


-Decorating the Christmas tree. This may seem very early for some people, but my Mum and Stepdad get very excited and start Christmas preparations early... there is already a cupboard just for yummy Christmas goodies


-Chunky, fluffy socks. So cosy and so warm when lounging around the house


-Planning a trip to visit some of my family and friends next weekend. I really can't wait


-Buying and eating some Halloumi cheese. Me and my boyfriend love it so much, we got very excited after picking it up in Tesco's. It's sooooo good. This is a new favourite of ours after ordering some in Nandos and constantly craving it


-Seeing the gorgeous Christmas lights at my local shopping centre. The decorations there are so lovely this year. When I see them it makes me feel happy and very Christmassy. I'll definitely put a picture up at some point - they also have an outdoor ice rink and a lit up castle which reminds me of Disney - love it

Book Ramble/Review - 'The Girl You Left Behind'

{I really love the front cover - the way that the words Girl You are in red leaving the words
The Left Behind in black. It's as there are two titles - The Girl You Left Behind  and a symbolic title
of The Left Behind. A tribute for all of those that were left behind during the War}

I spotted The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes in a column of a magazine - as a book recommendation. I'm a massive bookworm so I'm always adding books to my to-read list. After finishing Life of Pi I decided to grab this book and I'm so glad I did. 


The Girl You Left Behind is a narrative story that is split between two times, 1916 and 2006. The main focus of the story of a painting and the characters and circumstances surrounding the painting. Although this is a story about a painting it also is a story of love, war, grief and bravery.

In 1916 the story begins with a young woman named Sophie, and her family, living in a small French town which has become occupied by the Germans in WW1. Sophie has been left behind by her husband, Edouard who has gone to fight at the Front. Edouard is an artist who painted Sophie's portrait some time before the war began. The painting hangs proudly in her home but manages to draw the attention of the Kommandant in the village in which she lives. 

In 2006 the same portrait now belongs to a lady named Liv who treasures it. Due to circumstances the history of the painting and the girl within it, is revealed. The story weaves between both 1916 and 2006 and eventually merges both Sophie and Liv's lives together through the portrait.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Girl You Left Behind. I found it was a gripping, interesting story which I fell in love with. Jojo Moyes is a great story teller, the story is at the perfect pace - it isn't too slow or lacking in detail. The book began in 1916 and I was quickly immersed in to Sophie's story so when I got to the chapter saying 2006 I found myself thinking that I wanted to get back to reading Sophie's story, and was worried I wouldn't be as interested in Liv's story. I was wrong. I think that's a skill right there, being able to weave between two timelines and make a reader be interested in both stories. I think The Girl You Left Behind is well written and captivating. I also found this read to be quite touching and at times heart-breaking but at the same time a really beautiful, heartfelt story. I really recommend this book. I will definitely be on the lookout for other books by this author, as I seriously enjoyed The Girl You Left Behind and Moye's writing style.