Thursday 31 October 2013

Halloween Havoc!

Pumpkin fairy lights from 'Poundland'
Happy Halloween!
Or should it be scary Halloween or haunted Halloween? I've never really got that...
Anyway, if you haven't already guessed today is Halloween!
Living in England Halloween it isn't really big a deal, especially compared to America, but it is definitely growing in popularity. When I was younger, my family never really celebrated it as I wasn't allowed to go 'trick-or-treating' but now I'm older, me and my sister have taken celebrating Halloween into our own hands.
So, here are our essentials for celebrating Halloween!
One of our favourite things to do is carve a pumpkin. However, me being the rather creative person I am, its never just your average squares and triangles placed strategically to make a face, oh no, it has to be something 'arty-farty'. I decided to carve one of my favourite scenes from my favourite show NCIS, silhouettes of Tony and Ziva dancing in the season 10 episode entitled 'Berlin'. In order to carve this I drew out the shape I wanted on a piece of paper, cut it out and stuck it to the pumpkin and used this as a guard. As the design was quite intricate and fiddly, I resulted to using multiple cocktail sticks to carve out the design which lengthened the process greatly but I am pretty pleased with the result!
Left: My pumpkin. Right: The picture it is based on
Usually me and my sister do some Halloween baking but didn't get a chance to this year as my sister went to see Jessie J last night *the lucky devil* and didn't get back until 2:30am so she was rather tired. We usually make cupcakes and put white icing on them followed by 3 black circles of piped icing (maybe more depending on the size of the cake) and make lines through them using a cocktail going from the centre outwards to make spider webs.
Me and my sister also like to play games on Halloween, and force my parents into playing them too. One of the classics is apple bobbing, where you put apples in a big bowl/bucket of water and have to get them out using only your mouth. To make it extra fun (and disgusting) we also put a few lemons in there as well which are horrible to bite into! Another game we often play is the mummy game. This is where you each have a toilet roll and have to wrap it round the other person making them into a mummy. The person who makes the best mummy or uses up there toilet roll the fastest wins.
Of course you can't have Halloween without sweets! The door to my house is down a little ally that gets quite dark in the evening so we don't tend to get many 'trick-or-treaters', in fact last year I don't think we got any, but that doesn't stop us from buying chocolate. This year we have 'Maltesers' and 'Milky Way' to hand out *or to eat myself...*. At Halloween you also get all these spooky editions of regular treats. This year we got these Cadburys 'Spoooky cake bars' in which there is a green slime that tastes of strawberry. That fascinates me way too much.
I hope you all have a great Halloween!

Sunday 27 October 2013

Randomness

So today, like the majority of times I update you on random things, is a Sunday, but for some odd reason today I don't know what to write about. I know what I'm writing next Sunday, and there may even be a post during the week as well, but today I appear to be idea-less so you get to put up with some random talking *which is technically typing*.
Pre warning - this will either end up being really long or really short, so get comfy. Or don't if it's going to be short. But comfy is fun, so I'd suggest doing it anyway. See this is what happens when a post doesn't have a designated purpose, it get all weird. So I hope you enjoy weird.
Poop. I just accidently clicked 'Publish' instead of 'Save' and had to delete it before anyone saw it. Oh well.
I'm now racking my brain for something remotely interesting to write about... OH got it!
Yesterday was the first time I made it through the whole of a football game. By football I mean the one you play with your feet, not the American kind. I was, and still am, quite proud of that achievement. Me and my family went to watch our local team play in the FA cup, because they are doing surprisingly well. That sounds harsh, I know, but we won 1-0 and this is the first time we've been in the 'First Round Proper' in 140 years. As far as my first ever match goes, I think it was pretty good. I spent the first half just standing at the back not really playing attention, but got a lot more involved in the second. I learnt the chants and made a right fool of myself cheering in the rain when we scored, but it was worth it. My family and I enjoyed it so much we're considering going to watch the next game in the cup even though it will be a two hour drive, but we have a good chance of winning as the team we are playing is in our league and is only a few points above us.
I think that has made me sound like I know what I'm on about when it comes to football, when truth-be-told, I know nothing. I literally learn all that yesterday, but I'm quite proud that I remembered it all. Lately I've noticed how bad my memory has gotten. I seem to forget the really important things people say to me, and just walk away from a conversation remembering the odd sentence vividly but hardly anything else. The other day, I had a full on, sit down conversation with my form teacher and I can't remember most of it, which is rather frustrating. I just remember her saying "Oh, Kelly you do make me laugh" but I can't even remember what she found funny. I'm going to blame my recent bad memory on the fact that my brain is taken up with all the pointless things I need to know in order pass my exams.
I just realised that this post is going to look quite boring if it doesn't have a picture, so I need to go and take one, and think of what to take one of. When I say 'take one' I really mean take close to 100 and go through them all until I find one that I am remotely pleased with. I always end up taking way to many pictures for the amount that I need, which means that I have to go through all of them and pick out the ones I want to use. But hey-ho, better safe than sorry I guess.
And on that note, I think we'll call this post done. Congratulations if you have made it all the way through this rather odd and rambling post, but next week there might actually be something worth reading. But I said 'might' so don't get your hopes up.
Have a good week!

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Sunday 20 October 2013

Spectacular Scents


Hey!
Okay, the name of this post sounds rather cheesy, I know, but it's far better than my other idea of 'Perfect Perfumes' so it'll have to do.
I'm not really too sure what inspired the idea for this post, maybe it's because I have a current obsession of taking hundreds upon hundreds of 'arty farty' photos or because I'm never able to decide how I want to smell in the morning.
I've still not decided which is my favourite, but these are definitely my top 6.
My first pick is Britney Spears' Fantasy. I don't really wear this enough for the amount I love it. It's quite a sweet, floral scent, but the majority, if not all, of the ones on this list will be. This perfume was released about 7 years ago so the price has gone down since then, but is still more expensive than some of my favourites.
 
Number 2 on my list is the Vanilla Body Spray from the Natural Collection at Boots. This is possibly the cheapest on my list at only £2, but smells just as nice as the next. The vanilla scent is one I find quite warm and cosy so is great of the autumn and winter months. It's also great to just throw on when you're in a hurry or after P.E at school as it's quick and simple but has a great staying power.
 
I got this as part of a Christmas present from one of my friends last year and I absolutely love it. I think it's originally from Avon, but you can find it on EBay, which is where I shall be purchasing more from soon as I have nearly run out. This is Vanilla Berry, part of the Sassy Swirls collection. Its small size (only 15ml) makes it the perfect essential to carry about in your bag, just as I do.  
 
My fourth pick is part of the 'So' range and is So... Sinful. A few Christmases ago you could find these everywhere in multiple different scents, but now not so much. But of course, me being me, I regularly go hunting for it as I just can't get enough of it. As it seems to have become a rarity in shops, I generally result to buying it online, and hoping it shan't be broken by the time it gets to me. This again is a floral scent, but also slightly spicy which makes it great for the colder months of the year.
 
To those who know me, these next to picks will come as no surprise as I adore Taylor Swift. This is her second perfume Wonderstruck Enchanted. Before I even get onto the scent itself, I would like to take a moment to appreciate how beautifully this perfume is packaged and the bottle itself. You can really tell that so much time and effort has gone into the presentation of this product and I love that. Surprise, surprise this is another floral scent and it is currently my 'go-to' when I'm in a rush - which is pretty much every day. I really can't get enough of this; it's like my scent guilty pleasure.    
 
Last but not least, pick number six is Wonderstruck, the first perfume from Taylor Swift. The bigger bottle of this, and Wonderstruck Enchanted, has three charms around the top, which I find incredibly cute. I love this just as much as the other perfume by Taylor Swift, but I find this one to be more of summer scent, which is good as it means I don't have to be debating with myself every day on which one to wear. This is quite a fruity-floral scent, if that's possible, as the fruitiness makes it more summery in my opinion.   
 
 
I hope enjoyed reading my ramblings about my current favourite scents.

Sunday 13 October 2013

OOTD - Outfit Of The Day

Happy Sunday!
So today, like most Sundays really, was a lazy day, so dressing for comfort was a must. I found my outfit today surprisingly comfortable, and I had fun layering some items and experimenting with them a little as it was my first time wearing them *first OOTD - eeek!*

*excuse the mess - that's my sister's room*
As I normally do, I just wore a pair of blue jeans to avoid drawing attention to the weird things that are my legs. I should probably experiment more in what I wear on my legs, but for now I think a trusty pair of jeans will do me just fine.
I paired a light pink jumper with a collared shirt, so the collar was visible. I got this jumper for my birthday as a present from my sister, and it's the first time I've warm it as it's only just started getting cold enough to wear thicker clothes all day long. The knitted jumper is a pale pink with little bits of purple, yellow and a brighter pink wool mixed in. That sounds rather odd, but it's only visible if you look closely, but makes a nice addition to the overall style of the jumper.    
 
*Yes I know, that is possibly the worst, most pointless collage ever*
I got this top last year and is also from New Look (well technically my sister brought it but decided she didn't like it and gave it to me). It's a sort of burgundy/red wine colour. The thing I really love about this top, and what makes it stand out for me, is the Peter-Pan collar. The collar has a pretty lace pattern and has a slightly scalloped edge to it. I don't often wear this shirt on it's own, I tend to layer it with jumpers as I have today.
 
I always seem to have a piece/pieces of jewellery that I wear all the time, and right now it's these rings. The one on the left is from Pandora and the one on the right is from Argos.
 
These boots are from last winter so are getting quite tatty now, but I continue wearing them anyway. They have a row of rounded studs at the toe, and the same studs on the back of the heel. I've worn them so much some of the studs have fallen off and there's a hole forming in the back from where I walk weirdly. They're nice and cosy as they have a fluffy lining and are especially lovely when paired with thick socks in the winter.  
 I've just realised that the only part of my outfit I brought myself are my turtle socks. Or are they tortoises? Either way they're cute. My jeans and top are both hand-me-downs, I got my jumper and Pandora ring for my birthday, my other ring and boots for Christmas.
 
What from where and all that stuff:
1. 'Love' Jumper - New Look
2. Jeans - Krisp  (old)
3. Peter-Pan Collar Top - New Look  (old)
4. 'Purple Twist Ring' - Pandora
5. 'Wishbone' ring - Argos
6. Studded Biker Boots - New Look  (old)

Sunday 6 October 2013

The Liebster Award

I've just realised that I never really say *well type* any form of a greeting at the start of a post so...
Hey!
I was tagged by the lovely Sarah to participate in this 'thing' known as The Liebster Award. From what I've read, The Liebster Award is like an electronic award that bloggers give to other bloggers. It is designed to help traffic new readers to small blogs (small being defined as those under a certain amount of followers - the number of which has appeared to have change over time). Being the inquisitive person that I am, I've found that the Liebster Award is thought to have German origins as 'liebster' is German for 'dearest'. Anyway, let's get started.
The Rules:
1.  The tagged/nominated blogs have to have under 200 followers.
2.  Tag the blog that nominated you.
3.  Tell the people you tagged so that they can respond.
4.  To answer the questions asked
5.  Make up 10 more of your own questions
 
As Sarah tagged me, I shall be answering the questions that she asked.
 
1. If you could meet any celebrity, who would it be?
Just one? That's hard. It's a toss-up between Taylor Swift, Cote de Pablo, Michael Weatherly or anyone from NCIS, Bones, Rizzoli and Isles, Glee, The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Friends or Criminal Minds. Or Ellen DeGeneres. Basically, anyone from one of my favourite TV shows. But if I had the opportunity to go to either a Taylor Swift concert or the NCIS set, I would probably pick NCIS because there's a higher chance on me meeting more than one person I love, and it would mean going to America. Although saying that, I am ecstatic that I'm going to a Taylor Swift concert (4 months, 4 days and counting eekkk).
 
2. What is your all time favourite beauty product?
Hmm, 'all time favourite' is a bit of a strong way to put it because choosing one wouldn't be fair as I haven't tried every product possible, but then again, I never will. There's a good change that what is my favourite now won't be in 12 months time, or possibly even next week. So I'm going to be rather general and say any Bath and Bodyworks moisturiser. I don't live in America, but I love the few I have, and if they are all this good, wow, I need them.   
 
3.  Who is your blogging idol?
Probably Zoe Sugg AKA Zoella. Her blog was one of the first, or possibly the first, that I read and continued to do so as I enjoyed it so much.
 
4.  What is one thing you cannot live without?
Ermm, air? I don't know, probably my family or something but I'm not too sure. Of course, not having family about, or those I love, would be hard, but I couldn't just give up because of that, they would want me to be strong. Inevitably, there shall come a time when my parents are no longer with us, but by that time I hope I would have new family, maybe one of my own.
 
5. What is your favourite TV Show?
Easy. Hands down, NCIS. No doubt about that one, I love it to pieces.
 
6. Who is your idol?
Taylor Swift, Cote de Pablo, Michael Weatherly, Pauley Perrette, or Ellen DeGeneres. They're all so wonderful and I look up to them all for many different reasons, that it's impossible to pick just one.
 
7. Why did you start blogging?
I started my blog back in May I wrote one post and then didn't use it for the following months and pretty much forgot about it. Blogs started coming up in conversation more and more frequently in the months leading up to May, as my friend Emily had recently created her own blog, as had some other people I know. I then started to read more blogs, including my friends, and became more interested in the whole aspect of 'blogging' and 'vlogging', which lead me to create my own blog. In August I took part in 'The August Challenge' which involved me blogging daily, and since then I have continued to blog on a weekly basis.
 
8. Out of the bloggers you talk to, who has the best blog?
You can't make me pick just one! I love all the blogs I read, and the people behind them equally.
 
9. What is your most used make up product?
I don't really wear that much of make up, but I definitely use Rimmel Lash Accelerator Endless Fibre in Black a lot as it is my favourite mascara. I've not really tried a wide enough range to say it's the best mascara ever made, but for me it's definitely up there.  
 
10. Where would you most like to visit/live?
Although where I live now is small and boring, I do love it and part of me doesn't want to leave. But I do think living in America would be amazing, as would living in Paris. They're both places I want to visit one day.
 
I tag Georgina and your questions are:
1. How are you today?
2. Why did you start your blog?
3. What is the nearest object to your right?
4. Who is your favourite artist/band?
5. What is the last thing you brought?
6. What is your dream job?
7. What celebrity would you like to meet?
8. Do you have any pets?
9. Where do you want to visit?
10. How long did it take you to answer these questions?