2015 in review

»   I finally got around to buying a Macbook. I had been wanting one for so long and finally caved and bought one.
»   My dad came to visit me with his partner and my baby sister, who is so adorably cute!
»   We went to a paintball course for Craig's birthday which was amazingly fun.
»   I finally got to see the new Star Wars movie. I was so happy and I sat with a huge smile the entire time!
»   I watched all five seasons of Game of Thrones in like two weeks. I felt this was an accomplishment.
»   I left my job after deciding that I couldn't work there any more. It was a hard decision, but necessary.
»   I upheld my challenge of reading one book per month. Barely, I just scraped by.
»   I built many blanket forts while Craig was working. He's yet to find this out.
»   I spent a lot more time with Winry which has made her my furry little best friend.
»   I took an interest in learning how to code which made my blog design a lot easier to handle.
»   After months of moaning, I caved and finally went to the doctor about my back. I'm yet to see any results.
»   I don't need as many friends as I thought I did and just because they hang around me, doesn't make them friends.
»   Even though I own a Samsung Galaxy S6 and a Gold iPhone 6, I still bought the Rose Gold 6S. I have a problem.
»   I realised that sometimes my dad needs to make more effort with me. It's not that hard to send a quick text.
»   Craig has proven this year just how amazing he is. In more ways that one. I plan on doing the same for him!
»   I also caved and bought a Gillio planner, which is just beautiful. I have no regrets on that one.
»   I got a new tattoo for my birthday, courtesy of my lovely wee mammy.
»   She also got me my ears pierced again. She's obviously a bad influence.
»   I lapsed from blogging a great deal which is something I plan on rectifying in the new year.
»   I realised that I despise working in retail, however it's my only real job experience. I'm doomed.

2015 has been a great year for me. Plenty of good things happened and luckily nothing bad really happened that I can think of, which can only be a good sign. I'm looking forward to you, 2016, and whatever great things you'll bring. Also, if I could lose a teensy bit of weight too, that'd be great.

thank you for reading! ♥

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a quiet little christmas

Christmas this year was a quiet one. I used to love the hustle and bustle of Christmas, with my brother and all my cousins running around and playing with whatever new toys they had gotten that year. My mum in the kitchen preparing dinner, my dad playing guitar and having a beer or two with my uncles, my gran sitting on the couch trying to be interested in all the kids showing her every toy they had gotten for the millionth time. Having to squash round the tiny dining table to eat the huge Christmas dinner that mum would make (so many leftovers for the next day's dinner!).

This year was a bit different. My family over the years has sort of lost touch with each other, a divorce will do that. So it was just me, my mum and my brother for most of the day. I liked it though, it was very quiet and peaceful. It meant I could enjoy a long bath in the morning and not feel like I had to dress up fancy for the day and I could generally just have a laugh with my brother without feeling the need to entertain. It was lovely. We opened our presents on the living room rug around 10am and then watched a film on Netflix. I made us a cup of tea and then started to help mum with preparing dinner. Side note - Why is Christmas day the only day of the year where people have their dinner at 2/3pm? Crazy.

My gifts were lovely and incredibly well suited to me. I know that makes sense to have presents that I would like, but I'm quite hard to buy for, however this year everyone was spot on with things that I actually had been wanting for quite a while. Craig especially, he bought me the Pandora ring I was desperate for, I love it! It's a tiny bit too big for me though, so it might need to be swapped for a smaller size. The day was finished off with my big cousin coming over with his kids, who spent the next few hours wrestling with me and fighting over whose turn it was to get the next piggy back monster race. I don't see them that often so I didn't mind being a human play thing for a few hours.

Christmas definitely was lovely this year. Was your Christmas like mine and very chilled or was it hectic and busy? I'm curious to see what other Christmases are like!

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THINGS TO DO WHEN YOU CAN'T SLEEP

click for source

You know those days where no matter how hard you try to fall asleep and despite feeling exhausted you just can't drift off? Going to bed and just lying there, unable to switch your brain off is the worst. I think everyone has experienced a night or two like this and I've found myself getting this a bit more recently since having fallen out of a proper daily routine. I've found a few simple things to do help get to sleep and to fill the void between wanting to sleep and actually sleeping.

 ways to help you sleep 

1. Put your phone away.

I am the worst for this. I'll be winding down for the night, getting all comfy and then whip my phone out and scroll through Instagram or Twitter for too long, until I end up feeling sort of awake again. I've been trying to leave my phone on the table at the end of the bed, that way I can't be tempted to have a nosey once I'm comfy. It's mainly used for an alarm at night now.

2. Reading a chapter of a book.

I used to have a great night time routine of a small cup of tea, some hand creme and a chapter (or three) of the book I was currently reading. Having a small reading session was my way of letting my brain know that was me switching off for the night and it worked almost every time. I would feel my eyelids dropping and then I'd pop the book away and nod off instantly.

3. Have something on in the background.
This is a very common one. Sometimes it works to have the tv on in the background or some music, basically anything you would consider white noise. More recently I've been using apps on my phone to simulate the sounds of rain or thunder and lightning, which I find very relaxing when I'm trying to sleep.

4. Open or close your window.
Depending if you like sleeping with the window closed or open, try doing the opposite. The change in temperature might be what you need to drift off. You're body might be too cold or too hot and not realise it. I like to sleep with the window closed most nights, but sometimes if I'm finding it hard to drift off I'll open the window slightly to let some cool air in, which usually does the trick.

5. Get something scented for your pillow.
You can purchase pillow sprays for helping you sleep, the most common one being a lavender scented. I turn my pillow over to the cool side and pop a quick spritz of lavender on to it. I only use these on rare occasions, but when I do I tend to drift off into a very deep sleep.

  things to do when you can't sleep 

1. Write a list of things you want to do the next day.

This is one I do quite a lot. I prioritise what I want to get done the next day, be it house work, errands or just little things like paint my nails. If I write things down, I tend to stick to it.

2. Organise something.

A few nights ago I rearranged my book case into colour order (so pinterest) and now it looks super pretty. I'll probably move it back in a few days time, I like to keep my books together in their collections or by favourite to least favourite.

3. Watch a film or an episode of a tv show.

Pretty self explanatory, I tend to put on something that I've seen a million times, just to I can zone out and hopefully feel a little more tired.

4. Do the dishes.

I always leave the dishes until the end of the night or the next morning. They are the one thing in any household task that I hate doing! However, I'm finding myself doing the dishes at night when I can't sleep which also saves me doing them in the morning. If unlike me you actually wash your dishes when you use them, then find something else to clean that you would usually leave until the next day. Unless that's hoovering or something, as you might annoy your neighbours!

5. Do some light exercise.

I do mean light. I've been watching some youtube videos recently that teach you some relaxing yoga positions and talk you through some small periods of meditation. I have to say, the meditation helps wonders when I'm distracted from sleep, it totally helps me get into the mood to drift off, I would highly recommend giving it a try. Plus, it's totally good for you!

Just a few simple things I've found that have helped me over the last couple of weeks!

love,

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favourite handwritten fonts

anemone ($10) / baby fox / isabella script ($15) / laser metal / lillybelle / sweet pea

For the past few months or so I've been gathering quite the little archive of fonts to use. Not that I really do anything with them, I just like to look at them and occasionally make a new blog header. I thought I'd link you to a few of my current favourites. I think I love handwritten fonts the most, so here are six of cutest ones I've collected. You can never have too many pretty fonts, in my opinion. Most of them are free, however there are two there that you would have to purchase if you like to use them. I managed to snag them when I had some credit for Creative Market, however I've spent all my money there, so these will have to do for now.

I have a few more that I will be posting over the next little while, but I thought I'd post my favourites first!

love,

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A SIMPLE DIY - DREAM CATCHER

Last night's sleep was not good, however it did give me a cute little idea. I couldn't get to sleep until around 4:30am and in all the time awake I managed to think up this little diy. I tmade this in around an hour and given that I haven't made anything in a few months or so it was quite therapeutic to actually do something with my hands and not just type something out for a while.

What you'll need - 

an empty pringles tube (I'm giving you permission to finish a whole tube!)

a bread knife / something sharp

colourful washi tape

string / twine / ribbon

a lot of patience

step 1

Buy some pringles and finish off the tube, you'll need the top bit of it. I would recommend the bbq flavour, they're definitely my favourite.

step 2

I used a bread knife for this part. You need to cut off the little metal-ish part at the top of the tube, the bit that the lid pops on to. I used a bread knife just because it cut through very easily and scissors would have been quite difficult to manoeuvre around it. This will give you the circle you need to work from.

step 3

Tie some string in a knot at a random bit of the circle, wrap it around the circle a few times and then take the string to the opposite side of the circle and tie another knot. Repeat this until the whole circle has been wrapped in string and you have something that resembles something similar to a bike wheel.

step 4

Take a separate piece of string and wrap it around the inside bits of string (the bits that look like bike tire spokes), to form an inside circle of string. You can do this as many times as you like until you reach the desired effect you're looking for.

step 5

Grab your favourite washi tape and place two bits of washi on either side of a separate piece of string, making sure you leave enough room at the top and bottom to add more feathers and to tie to the dream catcher. Cut the washi into feather shapes and make a few precise cuts at the side of feathers along the edges.

step 6

Attach the string with the washi feathers to the bottom of your dream catcher. I put mine at different lengths so it didn't look symmetrical.

step 7

Add some smaller lengths of washi to parts of the body of the dream catcher and wrap it around. This is mainly for colour and aesthetic value.

step 8

Make a loop of string at the top of the dream catcher in order to hang it up.

Viola, a very cheap and easy way to make a dream catcher. It looks super cute too! I might make a few more, that way I can hang one in every room, much to my eye-rolling boyfriend's benefit. If you do decide to follow this diy please let me know. I'd love to see if any of you make this!

love,

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a recent addition to my t-shirt collection

I love a good t-shirt. I also love swearing. I have quite a penchant for the occasional 'bad word' and I wouldn't have it any other way. As the wonderful Billy Connolly said, "A lot of people say that it's a lack of vocabulary that makes you swear. Rubbish. I know thousands of words but I still prefer 'fuck'". Couldn't have said it any better myself.

I was out shopping at the weekend buying Christmas presents and wandered into Pulp in Edinburgh. I love a nosey through there, for clothing that's just a teeny bit different. I went in to have a look through the sales and found this raglan top, with the words 'You're Fucked' written in the inside of a Magic 8-ball. I seen it and instantly took it right to the counter.

The top itself is a very relaxed fit, being a unisex top it's not exactly fitted, but then again, I'm not trying to impress anyone by wearing it so I wasn't too fussed. It's one of those tops that you just throw on with a pair of jeans and a hoody, which is literally my staple outfit. I wore it out to the Christmas Market with my lovely wee mammy which was fine, but she wasn't too happy with me wearing it out to the pub as well. I thought it was pretty funny having people look a bit off when they read it.

I'll probably save it for the next time she's over for a visit again, just to annoy her. It is a nice top though. Would you wear a top like this out or save it for inside?

love,

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currently lusting

I haven't posted a wishlist in a good few months so with Christmas just around the corner, what better time to put together a list of everything I've currently been staring at either online or in a store, and haven't had the nudge to buy... yet.

As someone who already owns around twenty planners or so, of course I need three more. I have been wanting a Kate Spade planner for around a year now and when they released their 2015 editions for 2016 my heart melted when I seen the Rose Gold version. Rose Gold with light pink interior and gold rings. Honestly, I think about trying to buy one almost every day. There is also a black version with a dark pink interior, but I prefer the rose gold. There is also a mint planner from Kikki-K there, which is a beautiful, too. I never need an excuse to purchase from them anyway, even more so now with them opening a store in London!

I've also been lusting after a cute little Pandora ring for a while, especially one with a blue or mint stone. They're so simple and plain, which is exactly what I love about them, I'm not one for overly flashy jewellery. Along with things like cat phone cases, simple desk chairs and beautiful copper bowls, I've been looking at a lot of patterned and textured blankets, bed sheets and pillows. I especially love the intricate design on the bed sheets above from Urban Outfitters. I've also been looking into buying the white foundation from Illamasqua to mix in with my normal foundations, which are still too dark for my skin. I wish high street foundations came in paler colours!

Seeing as a Scottish winter is mainly just rain and sleet I've been looking at buying a sturdy pair of boots and since I've been wanting a pair of Doc Martens for years, I thought I'd add them to my list. I'm not really a fan of all the multicoloured boots, so I've popped these plain black ones in.  They're also meant to be great quality and long lasting so really what I'd be buying is an investment in warm feet for a few years, at least that's what I'm telling the boyfriend anyway. Speaking of long lasting, I put a few cactus plants in there, they are super cute and they seem to be the only plants that I can keep alive. I suck at remembering to water them.

Maybe Craig will see this wishlist and it'll give him a few ideas for presents. He always complains that girls are hard to buy for, so ta-da. I think I might have to purchase a few of these items for myself, Merry Christmas from me to me!

love,

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instagram update

1. Out for some fresh air by the sea // 2. I dyed my hair red again. I can't help myself.
3. I woke up at stupid o'clock on my day off // 4. A tidy desk is a tidy mind.

The last week or two has went past in a complete blur. If you asked me what I did yesterday I would genuinely have a hard time telling you. I think it's because I know I'm coming to the end of my notice period at work and I'm starting to get a little nervous. This whole jobless-ness doesn't really agree with me, but I'll find something soon. I just know I want to get as far away from sales as possible. Definitely not for me.

I've spent the last day and night tweaking my blog and changing the look completely. Now it has a brand spanking new blog design and feel, something a teeny bit more professional. Ain't it lovely? I plan on spending a lot more time here, given that in between applying for jobs and such I'll have a lot more time on my hands. Might as well put it to good use!

CURRENTLY //

Feeling - Very sick, I must have eating something dodgy over the past few days, I was up all last night being sick and had horrible cramp in my stomach and legs. Not good, only got around two or three hours sleep if I'm lucky.

Eating - Nothing, due to feeling sick. Although I have been craving cheese beanos a lot recently. (that's beans on toast with grated cheese over it!)

Watching - American Horror Story · Hotel, as I suspect everybody else is too. I think I'm love with Lady Gaga. And Even Peters, but that's not new information.

Listening - At this very minute Paramore - Still Into You, however I've rekindled my love for Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks recently ♥

Thinking - Money. I'm about to be jobless shortly and my spend willy-nilly nature is trying to take over. I'm currently lusting after a pair of Doc Martin boots, but I know that once I get paid, that will be me until I get a new job and with my bills having to take priority, I'll be spending a lot less until then. #sadface

love,

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top picks on etsy

I am an online shopaholic. There I said it, that's the first step to take when solving a problem, admitting it. (I'm not changing though). Ever since I discovered online shopping there has always been one site that is constantly open on my phone and favourited in my browser, and that site is Etsy. I've put together a little wishlist of everything I'm currently lusting after and have sitting my cart waiting to press submit order. I figure that by talking about them here it'll take away the temptation to actually buy them, as I'm trying really hard to save money. I'll press submit eventually though, I always do.

1. Lord Voldemort t-shirt.  /  2. Big Bear t-shirt.  /  3. Rainy Day phone case.

4. Origami Animals phone case.  /  5. Get Shit Done sticky notes.  /  6. Cloud Mobile.

7. Arrow ring.  /  8. Cat mug.  /  9. Legend of Zelda cookie cutter.

Everything here has been sitting in my cart for the last three or four days now. With Christmas coming up, I shouldn't be buying anything for myself, but given how cute everything is, I might need to give in. Also, how cute is that Cloud Mobile? I don't have a baby, but I'd still hang it up! 

thank you for reading! ♥
bloglovin | twitter | instagram

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trying to think positive.

I'm currently at a difficult stage in my life right now. Which all falls around my current work place. I've been there for two years and now is the time for me to end my professional relationship with the company. I've always been very careful to never directly mention who I work for, due to the social media side of my contract, but for those of you who know me, or have met me, then you'll know which company I'm referring to. I've never been more stressed out in a job in my entire life, and given that I'm simply an advisor, I cannot imagine what my manager goes through on a daily basis. To think I was pushing for a promotion, never in a million years now! I do not have a problem with who I work with, in fact I will be very sad to not see them on a daily basis. They have been the best bunch of people I have ever worked with and I will miss them very much. I am very nervous at the thought of not having a job over Christmas and despite applying and having interviews for three jobs now, I've yet to attend any because of my commitments to my current work place.

I'm trying to stay positive about the whole situation, I've never been in a predicament where I've been out of work, but given the current way my job is going, I'm not going to have a choice very soon. I'm going to try and use this time to figure out what I actually want to do as so far I've just been coasting through, flitting from job to job. I want a career now. Luckily, Craig has been very supportive through this whole thing, despite having his own work troubles. He knows he will be the sole provider for the house for the next few months, but given that he's incredibly caring, he seems okay with it. I have money saved that I will need to rely on for the time being, so it won't be too difficult. Hopefully I can find something else soon to help with the bills and take the pressure off him.

This is why it's been so quiet around here lately, I've been too stressed to actually do anything online recently. I'm hoping this time off will help me get back into blogging again! Silver lining and all that! Thanks for sticking around!

thank you for reading! ♥ // bloglovin | twitter | instagram

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an evening with molton brown

On Wednesday evening, I popped along to Molton Brown on George Street for an evening of bubbly, pampering and chatting with other bloggers and the lovely ladies that were showing us all the beautiful smelling products. I hadn't been to a blogger event for months, so I was a teeny bit nervous again, but luckily as always, everyone was super nice! I was a bit worried about being a little underdressed, given I was sporting my usual get up of skinny jeans and converse, but, I was put firmly at ease by the lovely ladies that were invited along too!

The evening started at 7pm, I got there around fifteen minutes after it started due to traffic (#busproblems) and was greeted with a lovely glass of bubbly and a quick tour of the new products, including the new line for Christmas. They have scented baubles filled with shower gel and adorable Christmas crackers, filled with cute little products! We were also given a small sample of a delicious smelling white truffle hand cream that smells absolutely divine and also comes with a hand exfoliator too! I resisted buying though, but I can't promise that I won't go back and buy the set on payday.

After a nosy around the rest of the products, we were given a complimentary hand and arm massage with our choice of fragrances for the cream used. I asked for something that smelled fresh and sweet so the lovely lady used a beautifully scented cream of Rhubarb and Rose, which after the massage was finished, I purchased a tube of hand cream with the same scent, it honestly smelled that nice!

The evening was finished off by chatting to the rest of the ladies there before saying our goodbyes and heading home with our thoughtful little goody bag containing two mini shower gels, Pink Pepperpod and Black Peppercorn as well as a card to go back for another hand and arm massage! It was very well put together evening and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I'm not the girliest of girls, but a girly evening such as this every once in a while was well received.

Thank you to the lovely people at Edinburgh Bloggers for organising the evening and to the lovely ladies at Molton Brown for hosting us! I can't wait to come back for another hand and arm massage!

thank you for reading! ♥ // bloglovin | twitter | instagram

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five things | life lately

1. I've been blogging a lot more recently. I started thinking about why I got into blogging in the first place and that's what I am going back to. I wasn't really interested in collaborating with brands and things, I blogged because I wanted somewhere to write about my interests, my hobbies and my day. That's what I'm going back to, this blog needs to be a little more me.

2. Winry has been so much more affectionate with me recently. She is super cuddly and will not leave my side, it's so cute. She's also perfected leaping directly into my arms. I can tell when she wants to do it, she'll stand on the edge of something and sit up like a meercat and meow. I walk over, open my arms up and pat my chest, which is her queue to jump. She lands like a pro and then sits there quite comfortably. Other than the odd claw in your boob, it's a pretty fun way to get your cat onto you.

3. Autumn is officially in full swing and I'm loving it. It's time bring out the jumpers and scarves and buy a new pair of winter boots. I love buying winter boots.

4. I switched to a new kind of washing powder for my clothes which is leaving them smelling divine now. I have washed pretty much everything I own over the last week or so and now all my clothes smell amazing. So fruity and fresh. It's the little things that make a difference, isn't it?

5. This sounds like such a soppy sentence to write, but Craig called me beautiful recently and it caught me completely off guard. There's something about being complimented by your other half that is so wonderful and I honestly couldn't stop smiling for ages after it. He's such a sweetheart!

thank you for reading! ♥ // bloglovin | twitter | instagram

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things to do when you're under the weather

I've been feeling very under the weather recently. Since having the cold and an incredibly sore throat for the last three weeks or so, I've managed to find a few simple ways to help make myself feel better and slightly more myself.

1. Take some medicine.

Regardless of what you're suffering, be it a sore head, the flu or your lady bits are giving you a hard time, take something to ease the pain. Sometimes a few paracetamol is enough to help feel a bit more human and will motivate you to be a little more active.

2. Drink plenty of water.

I do this all the time when I'm not feeling well, I indulge in copious amounts of water. I drink water on a daily basis anyway, but when I'm ill I drink ten times more. I always make sure I have a bottle or glass of water next to me at all times. Keeping yourself hydrated is key.

3. Read a book.

If you're a reader anyway, you've probably already done this, but getting lost in a good book is a sure fire way to distract yourself from whatever it is you're currently under the weather with. I tend to always go back to my Harry Potter collection and get lost in one of the books in the series.

4. Watch a movie.

This is kind of a no brainer, but on those days where you just feel like shit, stick one of your favourite movies. I had a Disney day recently, pulling on all of my Disney dvd's out to watch back to back. Let me tell you, even if I never get ill from this point on, I will definitely be having another Disney marathon soon.

5. Play a game.

I always turn to my Nintendo DS when I'm not feeling well. I'll stick on a good old game of Mario or Animal Crossing, something easy to play that doesn't take too much concentration. If I'm feeling a bit more up to it, that's when I'll play Mortal Kombat online. Nothing challenges your dexterity more than when you're choked with the cold and trying to beat a random player online!

6. Browse on Pinterest / Twitter / Instagram.

If I'm feeling particularly lazy when I'm ill I'll resort to Pinterest on my ipad. It's an incredibly easy way to distract myself from the present and live vicariously through the people that own these perfect homes. Sweet lord, what I'd give to have my home decor board apply to my actual home. That's the dream, right there.

7. Relax and take it easy.

Sometimes we are our own worst enemy. Given that most of us probably work full time or even part time, the urge to power through and put on a brave face is pretty high. I'm encouraging you to take a day off, phone in sick and sit with a blanket and some tea and just relax. Hopefully if you've got an understanding boss and don't phone in sick very often, they'll understand.

thank you for reading! ♥ // bloglovin | twitter | instagram

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my must haves for manicures

I love painting my nails. What I don't love so much is the actual process of letting them dry and protecting them. In fact, it's enough to put me off painting my nails most of the time. What changed all this was these two little miracles from Bourjois. Instant Dry Nail Drops and 3D Gel Top Coat. I honestly don't know what I did before using these two products. I remember the old days of sitting with my hands at funny angles, blowing on my nails for ages, not being able to go to the bathroom for fear of smudging my manicure on my jeans, and the dreaded bed creases in the polish. No more.

Now I use any type of nail polish, paint a small coat on my fingers letting them dry for around thirty seconds and then drop a tiny bit of of the Dry Drops over the freshly painted nail using the little squeezy nib and let them air dry. I let that dry for around two minutes and then apply a thin layer of the 3D top coat, repeating the first step with the Dry Drops again. Viola, a perfect manicure in less than ten minutes. What a time to be alive, ladies.

If you haven't tried either of these products, especially the Instant Dry Nail Drops, then you definitely should, especially if you are a fan of painting your nails on a regular basis!

thank you for reading! ♥ // bloglovin | twitter | instagram

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favourite stationery items and where to find them

Pens - Sharpie pen (whsmith), Paperchase gel pen (paperchase), Pilot Frixion erasable (whsmith).

Highlighters - Zebra Mildliners (amazon), Pilot Frixion erasable (whsmith).

Washi tape - Etsy, Paperchase, Ebay.

Stickers - Martha Stewart dew drops (staples).

Sticky notes - Target to do stickies (target), WHSmith chevron notes (whsmith).

Notebooks - Rifle Paper Company notebooks (paperchase).

Page flags - Etsy, Ebay, Target.

It's absolutely no secret that I love stationery. In fact, it's the only sort of hobby I've kept since I was child. I was obsessed with stationery when I was young, which has only developed over time into a very colourful and satisfying hobby over the years. I tend to buy most of my stationery from the same few places; Those being - Paperchase, WHSmith, Etsy, Ebay, Amazon, Target and Staples. Most of things pictured are quite easily procured in the UK, however the Target items are only sold in the US so you'd either need to be friends with someone over there or buy them on Ebay/Etsy. The dew drop stickers from Staples are discontinued I think, which is a shame, but you can find stickers that are very similar online, again on Etsy.

I use everything in this picture almost on a daily basis, I like to write things down a lot and plan things and having the pages nicely decorated with washi tape or highlighted in a pastel shade highlighter just makes things that little bit nicer. I'll list some of my favourite online shops too, just incase I've tickled your fancy for buying some cute stationery!

StickelCo, The Washi Shop, Pink Planner Girl, Novelle Daily, LittleBillieBluebird, UnwrapColour, Hema, Paperchase, Amazon, WHSmith, Etsy, Ebay, Paper Tiger

Some of the Etsy shops above state that they only ship to the US, however I've found that if you send them a message asking if they'd kindly ship to the UK at a bit of an extra cost, most shop owners will oblige. Damn US and their cute stationery items!

thank you for reading! ♥ // bloglovin | twitter | instagram

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recently purchased

I've not been on a little shopping spree for something that wasn't specific in months. Usually when I go shopping it's to one particular shop, like Primark or Lush. I rarely go shopping and wandering, especially in Edinburgh because it's always so busy and I'm not overly fond of crowds. Although, recently I changed all that and went a little bit of shopping.

First shop on my spree was Paperchase. I always go into Paperchase to browse, even just for a wander around. Although the store here is nowhere near as big as the store in Glasgow so I don't browse for long. I'm so jealous of the Glasgow store! I didn't get much, I picked up the little bronze/copper skull dish, which I thought was so pretty. I keep little dishes on my desk like that for rings or paperclips etc. In fact, most of the time it's used to keep kirbies (bobby pins) in. I was standing in the queue and spotted the beautiful Rifle Paper Co notebooks. I absolutely love the pattern on them, so figured that since I had a voucher and redeemable coupon on my member card that I'd get them too. They are so pretty. (I will probably never use them though, they'll just sit there like the other notebooks I've collected.)

I then popped next door into Waterstones to search for a book that I've seen everyone mulling over online, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying by Marie Kondo. I've heard really good things about this book and I'm so excited to give it a read. Anything that motivates me to keep my flat a bit more organised and tidy is fine by me. Craig seems baffled by it, however.

After a little browse around and wander along George Street, I headed down to Princes Street avoiding all my usual places along the way. I stumbled into Boots to pick up a few nail bits and bobs from Bourjois, some nail drying drops, a gel top coat and a lovely dusky pink polish called Fuchsia Hype. The last two stores were only a fleeting visit. I needed a new pair of sunglasses after my previous pair snapped in my bag, so I popped into the Vans store to get a new pair. I love Vans stuff, and when I seen these beautiful matte sunglasses with white legs, I paid for them and put them on instantly.

I visited next door into Urban Outfitters for a necklace or two. I'm never really keep on shopping in Urban Outfitters as I do think that a lot of their stuff is over priced, but I seen the circular necklace (similar here) on sale and thought it was cute so decided what the hell and bought it too.

All in all, I think it was a very successful shopping trip, even if my bank balance doesn't agree!

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how I know my cat loves me

1. She headbumps me. When she's feeling particularly loving, she'll bump her head off my head or body. This is like a 'hey, how's it going, I love you' gesture. (Science says that's she's just rubbing her scent on me, but she's actually just being cute. What does science know?)

2. She follows me around. I don't know about you, but if I like being with someone, then I'll want to be around them. It's the same with cats. Cooking food, she's meowing at me from the sink. Tidying up, she's hovering around my feet. Going for a pee, she's pawing at the bathroom door or is already inside and staring at me. Or trying to sit on my lap while I'm on the toilet. That happens.

3. She slow blinks at me. This is a very common sign of cat affection and I always do it back. I do look like a nutcase though, so I tend to do it when no one else is around.

4. She plays with me gently. She'll be five in January but still plays like a kitten. When she plays with me, she doesn't bite hard, she'll nibble on my hands or fingers but she'll never actually bite or scratch me. She does with other people, but she obviously doesn't want to hurt her mama.

5. She lies / sits / balances on me literally anywhere. You need to be able to cope with the odd claw poking you, but if you can, prepare for a world of balancing cat acts. First up, cat on shoulders, parrot style. Next up is the more elusive cat balance on bum act while you read. Finally, the leap of faith, jumping into your arms from a distance because it's super cute and who doesn't want a cat's complete trust that you'll catch them.

6. She talks to me. Apparently cats don't meow at other cats (a fact I find a little hard to believe) so they only meow to their humans. She is a regular little chatty one, I only need to say her name and she'll meow back. It's even worse if she wants something. Or she's around the laser pen.

7. She lets me kiss her and rub her belly. Over the years, she's gotten used to me kissing her on the head. She used to shy away, which gradually moved onto ducking down. She now knows that I do it on a regular basis and purrs when I do. She finally figured out that it's affection. Cats are also sensitive about their bellies, their most exposed and vulnerable part. If you can rub their belly without a firestorm of claws and teeth, then congrats, your cat loves you.

ain't she just so fricking adorable?!
her name is winry, btw.
(win-ray, in case you're saying it in your head wrong)


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five things | life lately

1. It was Craig's birthday last weekend, he's now an old man at twenty five years old. We celebrated with paintball and drinks later that night. Although, we were all pretty tired after running around being shot at for hours, so it was a fairly early night for us.

2. My little brother came over to stay with me for a few nights and we spent most of them sitting up until around 2pm/3pm listening to music and just talking. He's really good at playing the guitar (annoyingly good) it was nice to listen to him. We're very alike now, growing up we used to fight all the time, but now we think the same and it's really nice.

3. My dad is also up visiting me. He lives in England so he's travelled up with his partner and his baby girl, my little sister! She's is so adorable and squishy and cute and just so smiley! I need to get a proper picture of her, I'll be taking my camera with me next time I see them.

4. Summer has well and truly ended, I had to wear a jacket out today. It's official now. I'm really looking forward to autumn and all the scarves, cosy jumpers and endless amounts of tea. I think I prefer autumn, it's just so cosy and comfy. Plus, you can never have too many jumpers. I just need to dig all mine out again now.

5. I recently started watching through The Office: An American Workplace again. For like the fourth time. I honestly love that show and I wish they'd make another season, like a where are they now season. It's so good and I can't get enough of Dwight. Might go watch a few more episodes actually.

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September Goals.

1 - Go through my wardrobe and sort out my clothes. I have mountains of clothes that I no longer wear or are too old but hang on to because I liked them years ago. I'll never wear them again, chuck them out!

2 - Blog more. I have seriously fallen away from blogging and I used to love it so much. I think working full time has really pulled me away from it, I don't have the time any more to sit and take hundreds of photos and spend all day reading and commenting on other people blogs. I ain't got time for dat. But, I will make time from now on.

3 - Drink more water. The past weekend there was Craig's birthday and it was a very active one. Paintballing, ice skating, lots and lots of walking around. Drinking too, but that's besides the point. I need to drink more water. I'm lucky if I have maybe two glasses a day, way less than I should be drinking. I might force myself into a little health kick.

4 - Make something for the flat. I've been browsing Pinterest non stop lately looking at all these amazing home diy's and how crafty some people are. I want to make something for the flat, I haven't decided what yet, but I'm sure when I do I'll make a mess doing it.

5 - Fill in my provisional drivers form and actually attempt a lesson. I've been putting off driving for years and now I think I finally want to learn. I love the idea of being able to go into my car and drive off somewhere. Living in the city is perfect for public transport, the buses are amazing and so cheap, but they are also quite limited on where you can go. A car would totally fix that. It would also cut around thirty minutes off the time it takes to travel to work.

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whats in my bag

I haven't done a 'what's in my bag' post in months and months. The last one I did, I was carrying around pretty much the same items, but this time I'm carrying a lot less. I no longer feel the need to bring a bag full of makeup everywhere with me or any business cards, which tbh, I've never actually given to anyone that wasn't already a blogger! I also don't carry around my ipad either any more, it's too large and I don't use it as much as I used to.

Anyway.

I always have a planner with me, which right now is my beautiful Gillio Compagna in pink! I honestly am in love with it. I haven't been babying it, as you can probably tell from the little marks and dents in it, but I like it that way, it shows that I actually use it. The purse pictured isn't anything fancy, just a light pink purse by Big Buddha that I got from tkmaxx while in for a wander on my lunch break.

No girl's bag is complete without a customary hand cream, this one is from Soap and Glory, the mother of all delicious smelling products. I think this is their newer one, it has a different design on it from the ones I used to carry around with me. I'm pretty sure the bottle is skinner too. The perfume I'm currently carrying is Britney Spears Fantasy in the teeny little 30ml bottle. It's so cute and perfect for teeny tiny handbags. I've always been a fan of Britney's perfumes as well, they're cheap and cheerful and they smell really sweet and sugary, which I love.

After I got paid a few days ago, I went for my customary shop in Primark. Whilst at the tills I picked up this little emergency power pack for £8. I wasn't expecting much from it, considering they were at every till (damn you Primark and your cleverly placed items!) but the little thing is actually pretty good. It'll give my phone a full charge within around an hour and it'll have some left over for a little boost later on, too. It's really come in handy over the last few days.

The last three things are pretty self explanatory; a compact mirror, a pair of earphones and some Carmex lip balm, which is the be all and end all of lip saviours, by the way.

There was actually a lot more in my bag than this, but I felt the need to leave out all the bus tickets, sweet wrappers and loose change lying around at the bottom of it. It wasn't really fitting with the aesthetic of the photo, to be honest. #bloggerproblems

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five anime you should definitely watch.

Before Craig I never watched much anime. I mean, I was obsessed with Pokemon and regularly watched Yu-Gi-Oh and Card Captors, but was never really into what other people would class as being proper Anime. Enter Craig. Given that he's a mega-nerd for stuff like that he sat me down and got me hooked a particular few. If you're not an anime fan, don't worry, the ones I'm about to list have brilliant stories and plots, so if you can look past the animation and occasional violence, then you'll love it.

Fullmetal Alchemist -

This was the first Anime I'd ever watched. I was a little skeptical at first, given that we were just watching it on his laptop on youtube and that each episode is only around twenty minutes long, but I was obsessed. We finished the whole thing in less than two days. The basic story is centred around two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric who, due to an unfortunate accident, lose parts of their body to Alchemy and are striving to get them back by finding the elusive Philosophers Stone. There are actually two versions of this Anime, Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, the latter of which sticks more to the story of the original manga and is the one that I prefer. However, both are incredible.

Deathnote -

This anime is incredibly clever. The plot is so insanely well planned and thought out that it takes quite a while for all the little twists and turns to finally unfold themselves. This is a seriously twisted but amazing story. The story consists of a young man named Light, who manages to find a Deathnote, a notebook in which if you write someones name, they will die. This gives him the feeling of ultimate power and he takes on the roll of Kira, a mass murderer. However, he needs to follow the rules of the Deathnote as enforced by his new companion, and Death God, Ryuk, the former owner of the notebook.

Soul Eater -

The story behind this one is simple, it is centred around a school in which you train to become either a Weapon Meister or a Weapon. The school is run by Death himself, known as a Shinigami, and the objective of the training is for Meisters and their Weapons to consume 100 evil souls and therefore turning the weapon into a Death Scythe, for the Shinigami to wield. This anime is fantastic and quite frankly one of my absolute favourites, the plot and general story to this is very emotional and incredibly heartwarming, with only a little bit of violence thrown in for good measure.

Sword Art Online -

Slightly more technology based than any of the others, this one is about virtual reality gaming. Using the Nerve Gear, you can enter Sword Art Online and play as you or assume a character, but all controlled through your mind. The story focuses on one particular player, Kirito, an advanced controller and who beta tested the game prior to it's launch. The game is hijacked and the rules are changed. Once you enter the game, you cannot escape unless you win, and while playing, if you die in the game the Nerve Gear will kill you in real life.

Attack On Titan -

Probably the most violent of them all, Attack on Titan is a phenomenal anime. The story focuses on Eren Jaeger, a cadet in the Scouts Regiment, in charge of killing and protecting people from Titans. The human race have sealed themselves behind walls of huge stone, keeping out the titans, giant human looking creatures with an appetite for people. However, walls can't hold forever and Eren will soon learn that there is more to the titans and humans than he originally thought. This anime is incredible and there is actually a film coming out for too, which I'm so excited for!

So now you have five amazing anime to choose from! Please let know if you decide to watch any of them and tell me what you thought. Or, if you've already watched them, let me know if we share the same opinion of how awesome they are!

If you have any recommendations of anime I can watch in the future, please let me know!

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my beauty fails

I decided that this would be a sort of fun post, to sit and list the things I either need to improve on, beauty wise, or to give you a chance for you to laugh at how much I fail at female-ing.

1. I constantly forget to clean my make up brushes. I know, ew! I try to clean them once every few weeks, honestly. I know you're supposed to clean them every week but, ain't nobody got time for dat.

2. I don't tweeze my eyebrows. Or wax them. Or even really shape them myself. For two reasons, 1) I'm scared that I'll mess up the shape and 2) I don't like the pain I cause myself. I am a massive wuss when it comes to tweezers and my brows, so I just don't bother. Give me a tattoo or piercing any day, but keep those tweezers out of my hands. That's what professionals are for. (professionals are for tattoos, too..)

3. I can't apply false eyelashes. I just can't. I've only every tried maybe twice or something. Both times I either glued my own eyelashes to my eyelid and then rubbed them furiously creating one lovely, large, lashy clump or I glue them directly to my eyelid. Nope, mascara will do me fine, thanks.

4. I don't wear bronzer. I like my skin pale, and because I don't tan AT ALL, I just don't own a single bronzer, I've never had the need. And I know some girls use it to give their face a bit of.. shape? But, doesn't your face already have shape? Like your face shape? I don't know, it's all so confusing.

5. I only wear foundation on my face. - gasp - I know a LOT of girls who wear their foundation down their neck close to their collarbone. Yep. I don't, though. I don't know if I'm the weird one or they are, but maybe because I wear foundation that matches my skin tone, I don't need to plaster it everywhere to change the actual colour of my face? I didn't think that's what foundation is for. I could be wrong. - I don't think so...

6. I don't think I'm wearing nude lipstick correctly. Either that, or I don't own the right nude lipsticks. I think when I wear it that it looks more like those girls you seen in high school with concealer lips. It's so very attractive.

There we have, a little list of some of my beauty fails. But trust me, that list could go on for a while. I thought I'd stop it there. Make up gurus, help me!

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2

holidays are bad for my bank account

I very rarely post about clothes on here any more, but seeing as I'm holiday at the moment and have a lot more free time to go shopping (much to my banks disappointment) I'm finding myself buying little bits and bobs that have become regulars in my wardrobe. Given that it's summer, albeit a Scottish one, I am trying to dress appropriately. Can't stay too clear from neutral black though..

It's no secret that most of my clothing comes from Primark. I don't tend to spend a lot of money on clothing. I know someone people prefer to buy statement pieces that are more expensive but will go with a lot more outfits, but I'm the opposite. I'd rather have more clothes and have the ability to mix and match. I spent a grand total of £32 the other day but managed to walk away with three tops and a pair of jeans. The jeans are probably my favourite, they're an odd shade of grey/blue with rips at the knees. I've been wearing them quite a lot recently.

I also already own around five or six white and black striped tops, but each are slightly different, as I've had to explain to my boyfriend on many occasions. Some have bigger stripes, some the stripes are closer together, it's all very complicated. I bought this one because it's slightly longer than any of my other ones, and because it's stripy. Did I mention I love stripes? Yes, okay then.

I picked up the little vest on a whim. I'm not sure if I'll be able to wear it as 1) I don't have the boobs for it, it could possibly hang down to low and let my bra see the light of day 2) It sits a little too high up my torso, not having the confidence for a crop top quite yet and 3) It's Scotland, and our summer is terrible right now. I'll figure something out, the lacing at the bottom is too cute not to try and wear it.

Lastly, another staple tee. This one has a chiffon bottom, which is pretty sweet. I wore it out to dinner the other day, it was sort of casual yet done up at the same time. Looking like my outfit effortless is a skill by the way, but this tee helps.

I'll probably make another appearance in Primark on my two weeks holiday. Maybe two. Depending on payday. We'll see.

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