Monthly Archives: February 2012

The Questions & Answers Meme

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I’ve been tagged by a few bloggers to answer this fab Questions & Answers Meme. Luckily for me I have the two blogs so can post one on each.

I was tagged by the Lovely Lou over at Bloggomy. Lou is one of the first bloggers I really connected with. I really enjoy meeting her at any blogging events that occur and hope to catch up at Britmums Live.

Here’s Lou’s 11 questions that I’m to answer….

1) What did you want to be as a child when you grew up? I wanted to be a pilot, probably because I’d never been on a plan and spent a lot of time wishing I could. Well, that was in till I finally did! Age 17 off to work in Greece and the worst flight ever! I never thought it was possible for a plan to bounce up and down 32,000 feet in the air… needless to say, my dream job was no more! However, I then wanted to be a police women, something I still think about today (running over a load of yobs, though kinda put me off).

2) Can you bend forward and touch your toes with your legs straight (I can!!) Of course I can Lou, so sadly you’re not the only one (said with huge grin upon face)! 

3) What is your most annoying habit? I’m flawless me, how can I be annoying… seriously! If you was to ask the man in my life, he would say it was my ability to forget things, such as, the running bath or the bread in the toaster. I blame my last pregnancy… pre-baby brain has never returned!

4) What habit would you change of your partners? (come on no-one is perfect!) He loves to read and often thinks because he finds his book interesting the rest of the world will too (mainly me)! With this he takes it upon himself to read aloud, sadly none of it has processed, so I just sit nodding (the life of the underworld, and no that’s not under the sea I’m referring to, is so… not my thing)! 

5) Horrors or Chick Flicks? Horrors every time, though I have the tendency to end up so scared that I spend the night unable to use the loo, and I hear these isn’t a good thing for a lady!

6) What is the most outrageous thing you have done in the back row of the movies? Fallen asleep… Seriously, I’m a good girl!

7) If you had the house childfree what is the first thing you and your partner would do (we would lock the doors – only joking)! Probably go to bed, but this isn’t for the reason’s most would think (Lou you have a dirty mind). Sleep is precious in this house and comes in short supply!

Blnguyen sleep

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8) Have you ever lied to get a job? No, I just wish I was in the position to get a job let alone lie to get one! Still volunteering and blogging keeps my brain healthy.

9) What one thing is on your list to do before you hit 30, 40, 50 or whatever significant birthday is next? I’m actually going to be 30 the beginning of April (Goodness, where does the time go)? It would actually be great to do something as simple as having a night out with the girls, I feel like most of my 20’s have consisted of early nights that still don’t result in me getting much, if any sleep! 

10) Classic or modern films and why? It’s both for me, I love films like Breakfast at tiffany’s then those later films like Greece and dirty dancing (not forgetting Bob, sue and Rita too… “I’m having a gang-bang, I’m having a ball” (those who haven’t seen the film are now thinking I’m a bit of a dirty one)! I love all the Saw films and I am a huge fan of “Transporter” (though Jason Strathamhas a hell of a lot to do with it)!

Jason Statham at the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con ...

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11) If you were a vampire who would be the first person you would bite? Wow, what a question! Can I ask, have you been watching my favourite show… “Being Human”? I’m a massive fan of vampires and think it would be rather cool to be one if they existed! I would probably bite Jason Stratham himself, only because he would probably taste good & make an incredibly sexy vampire to have at my side. 

Part 2 – My 11 questions

1) If you had the power to make one thing better, what would it be?

2) What makes a great blog?

3) What was the inspiration that brought your blog to the blogosphere?

4) SHAM or Working mum?

5) Favourite blog post that you have read over the last week?

6) What easily ticks you off (puts you in a bad mood quickly)?

7) How many children do you have?

8) Is there anything you have ever regretted writing on your blog?

9) What’s your favourite blog post you have written this year so far.

10) Do you ever enter other bloggers competitions, and have you ever been lucky?

11) What was your last blog post about?

Part 3… who I’m taking to answer the above

1) @coombmill, 2) @baggiesbabe69 3) @More_than_a 4) TiredmummyofTwo 5) @HelpfulMum 6) @mummydaddyme 7) @emmys_mummy 8) @MummyBarrow 9) @kykaree 10) @nurturestore 11) @yummymumto2

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The fabulous contents of my makeup bag

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Admittedly I haven’t been on here for a week or more and as you may have already worked out, the daily #366 photo is no more, I failed! However, I’m not to bothered and figured that I can post pictures I love anytime I like, which is the beauty behind blogging! Staying on the subject of beauty, I actually had a massive sort out of my overflowing make up bag today. Seriously, I have so much makeup that I’m storing it in both oversized makeup bags as well as storage containers. So, it was definitely the time to clear some of it out and I was surprised how much makeup actually remained sealed.

So, tonight on Valentines day as I’m not being wined and dined, I thought instead, I’ll share some of my favourite, can’t live without, pieces of makeup, for both day and night when I very occasionally hit the town to swing my pants.

Lemon aid £15 from benefit, designed to help reduce redness and can be worn alone or under make up. I’ve been using it for around a month now and wouldn’t go back. High brow from benefit £14, highlights the brow bone defining eyes giving them an instant lift. Mac Mineralize Loose Powder £23, I love this silky mineral rich powder that has SPF 15 for protection against the sun’s rays, I use this powder almost everyday. Bourjois Paris illuminating Touch £7.49, a great addition to the makeup bag, it’s a soft blendable powder that can be applied to cheekbones and temples to sculpt the face, plus it’s sells for a very reasonable price.

Dior 5-Couleurs lift palette £41, I love the Christian Dior makeup range and despite it being that bit more expensive, it looks good and last the test of time. SHU UEMURA Eye light pencil £16, a lovely soft white dual-ended crayon pencil eye liner with a matte white and pearl white finish. I got this for christmas and have fallen in love with it, this magic stick gives my eyes an instant lift even when little sleep has been had (which is often)! Elizabeth Arden Lash – Primer and Conditioner, £14, a regular addition to my makeup bag, it’s used daily and admittedly I do go through it but simply can’t live without it, my lashes look fuller after an application of this primer which I apply before my mascara. When it does come to mascara, I use Maybelline New York Colossal Volum’ Express Mascara £7.15, on a daily basis and just love the extra volume it gives just after the on coat, plus the great price I pay for it.

Kick ASS ConcealerTM from Soap and GloryTM, £10, is a new addition to my makeup bag and I use this often to conceal blemishes easily. I’ve been using YVES SAINT LAURENT Touche Eclat £25, for years now, having first brought it duty-free at the airport when I was 17 years old. I love it and although it isn’t cheap, it does what it claims to and I often find myself relying on it. AVON Ideal Flawless Pressed Powder currently reduced from £9 to £5, a great price for a product that actually works pretty well. I have it in shade light medium, which matches my skin tone really well. I love powder as it isn’t heavy on the skin and therefore gives you a flawless complexion. One of my favourite items in my makeup bag is ESTEE LAUDER Signature Silky Powder Blush, £24, it last for ages and sits really well, not creating the look of a clown or rosy rag doll. I find that I have to be so careful when choosing a blush as my complexion is quite pale.

DIOR Rouge Creme de Gloss lipgloss £19.50, isn’t sticky but soft and gives a really lovely satin rich finish while lasting a good proportion of the day so one gloss seems to last for ages, meaning it’s not as expensive as it may first seem. MAC Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder £18.50, I love this silky finishing powder that is especially great over liquid foundation and sets your completed makeup really well. Yves Saint Laurent Duo Eyeshadow £30, another new addition to the make up bag, I love the natural colours and wearing them together, they blend well, giving a soft natural finish. Nails Inc Boltons Polish £11, a present from my mum who given she doesn’t wear makeup always seems to get it right when buying for others. This satin red is really beautiful.

PARTY EYES I have a makeup bag just for my sparkle. I love party makeup, just as much as I love a good party dress. This Biba Eye Palette £26 (but currently on sale for a fab £15.60) has 4 stunning metal and precious jewel shades that create stunning party eyes. A bargain party buy are these Barry M Supersoft Eye Crayons costing just £3.99 these bold matt colours let you create stunning smoky party eyes. My favourite party bag  are buy are fabulous Heavy metal metallic liquid eyeliner, £13. by Urban Decay, which I’ve been using for the last 10 or more years and still love them as much as the first time I tried them. Another great product is the collection 2000 Extreme Coloured Length Mascara at a tiny £2.99. This coloured mascara creates a big dramatic impression for a really small price and is therefore worth a buy. I got mine only a week ago, and can’t wait to wear it out.

When getting ready for a night out, I love Benefit Bad gal lash mascara £16.50, it’s a glam mascara for a night on the town and my lashes don’t leave home without it. NARS The multiple multi-purpose stick £29 is fabulous, it’s a must have makeup addition for young and old, use on the face and body for a beautiful glow. NARS Looks really great on cheekbones and I love it! Barry M instant nail Effects gold foil, looks stunning worn day and night but creates an extra special look for dressed up occasions, for just £4 its amazingly long-lasting.

Saving the best till last… Dior Diorskin Airflash spray foundation is amazing, costing £33 Dior revolutionises makeup with a spray foundation that goes on completely even and in my opinion creates the most natural flawless complexion, I’ve seen as a result of a makeup product. There is a downfall however, you cannot see how much you’re using and I tend to get a tad upset when I’ve run out! 😦

So, what’s in your makeup bag? Anyone with any of the above, or do you have a completely different mix altogether

Kissing boys for “Milkyways”

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Morning all… I was recently tagged in a “Meme” by the very lovely Lou (aka @Bobbity666) over at ‘Bloggomy’.  Lou has designed the “Meme” to highlight some of her “Firsts” and has tagged me to do the same! I have to say, I’ve quite enjoyed taking a trip down memory lane, so thanks Lou. 

 *   Who was your first boyfriend/girlfriend?

I had a silly little boyfriend, when I was age 11. He was a year older and would buy me chocolate with his pocket-money! Apart from the chocolate he grated on me a bit, (Oh no, that’s terrible is that lol)! The father of my children was my first “real” boyfriend (well, the one I got butterflies when thinking about)! I was just 14 years old and people laughed when I said I was in love! Well, who’s laughing now hey, 15 years later his still here lol. excuse the poor photo quality (this was a throw away camera lol, I was 22, so this was taken almost 8 years ago).

 *   First person you kissed?

The chocolate buying kid who grated on me! I only kissed him for his milky way *giggle* Please tell me you know I’m joking, I was never that mean, seriously!

 *   What was your first job?

I worked in a cafe, in Greenwich! I was a teenager on £140 a week, not bad hey! My best job was my summer job when I lived and worked in Greece age 17. I was dancing and loved it!

 *   First pay packet – can you remember what you bought?

Umm… knowing me, it was crap (hangs head in shame)! I swear it was half a pint of cider at “Hotshoots” on a Friday night with my teen friends, gosh we thought we were big women! (Underage and drinking, what was I like!)

 *   First record or CD you remember buying

Oh… Yer… I’ll never forget the answer to this one! It was the album belonging to “East17” with songs such as “Stay another day” and “Everybody in the house of love” I really couldn’t decided if it was Brain or Tony I fancied more, now I look back and ask myself… “Surly it wasn’t nether one of them!”

 *  First holiday abroad?

English: The village and castle (acropolis) of...

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It was one hell of a holiday, so good I never come home. It was the fabulous year of 1999, just 17 years old working and living in Greece on the island of Rhodes. Amazing and so glad I did it before becoming a mother.

 *   What age were you when you first moved out of your parents home?

I was very young, I was a rebel in-fact, I just wanted to grow up too fast (through I’ve always loved my independence is why)! I was 16 when I moved into a hostel followed by a shared house, which brings some great memories flooding back, I was there for around a year + though I was in Greece for a chunk of the time and on my return I feel pregnant with Little man, now 11 years old. I gave birth to the Little guy at the tender age of 18. I then moved into my own flat in Blackheath and enjoyed daily trips with my baby to Greenwich park. Ah, a trip down memory lane, I love it! 

As not to ruin the creation of this Meme, I’ll tag…

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IF HANDBAGS COULD TALK!

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I don’t know about you ladies but if my handbag could talk it would likely have a thing or two to say about its owner!

I have a multitude of handbags in a multitude of colours, in an array of shapes and sizes! Is it at all possible, that I do not have a handbag to compliment every single outfit in my wardrobe? Umm… I very much doubt it!

You see, bags and shoes are a love of mine, there my downfall when it comes to spending money, I just cannot resist! My motto of late seems to be, “The bigger the bag the better” though if I’m completely honest, thinking about it, I have to ask myself, “Is my love for the oversized bag, causing me to become more than a little disorganised?”

I swear… Merry Poppins has nothing on me! When I pop my hand in one of my handbags, I tend to lose a whole arm! The depth of the bag becomes endless, which makes routing around at speed, a little difficult.

Now, when purchasing my chosen bag, I want it to have that, “New Leather” smell, the one that screams out… “I’m new!” The right design and colour are of the up-most importance, yet, so is the interior! I like compartments, lots of them, a bag that boast efficient storage space. Though, why this is, I’m not sure, I simply don’t understand!

Why? Well, I may use the main inside zip pocket to store my iPhone, money or anything else of importance, but even this doesn’t happen all of the time! I’ve acquired the most annoying and horrid habit of quite literally lobbing ones belongings into what will undoubtedly become, the inner depths of the Bermuda Triangle!

As I’m stood with hand (oops, I mean arm) wedged into my bag, panic fills me as I say out loud but still to oneself, “Shit, I’ve lost my phone” Only I haven’t (well not really) it’s just buried somewhere between the lip gloss and address book in that oversized bag that seemed the perfect buy at one time, after all it was to be the perfect accessory to them beautiful Karen Millen shoes.

I envision the heads of women everywhere nodding rhythmically as they feel my pain, or maybe not, maybe it’s just me (gosh… I hang head in shame)!

Now although the phone scenario, is one moment that gets the heart racing almost to the point of a heart attack, I ask myself, “Can it possibly be any worse than the Oyster card hunt?”

Handbags on Southbank

Handbags on Southbank (Photo credit: The Style PA)

In my head I hear this voice, it tells me “Now place the Oyster card in the inner zip pocket of your bag… place the Oyster card in the inner zip pocket of your bag…” over and over again! So, how comes somehow, having been stood calmly at a freezing cold London bus stop for the past 40 minutes, when that bus does finally arrive, having slipped a hand in that inner zip pocket, I make the horrid discovery that I have once again ignored the inner voice and the Oyster card is anywhere but that inner zip pocket. I deluge in, gearing up for what now seems like a man hunt, I hear the tutting and sneers coming from those stood behind me, the tired peed of shoppers and worse, on a really unlucky day, I may even find that the backs of my legs are being rudely crippled by that inpatient mother stood behind, the one who’s just used her toddler and his oversized 3 wheeled pushchair as a weapon of mass distraction (No offence to mothers who use public transport as I’m proudly one myself).

So… ladies, my question to myself and you too, “Is the oversized bag designed to make one’s life easier doing the job it claims to do, or is it time to downsize that bag? After all, I’m pretty sure the bigger bag just results in me overloading it with my own or even the families crap. They see a big bag you end up carrying everything and anything. Though yes this is all simply unacceptable, the prospect of my oversized beauties transforming into tiny smart clutches’, is quite honestly very unlikely at all!

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A Glittering White South London (26/366 plus more snowy images)

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As most will know already, much of the UK is covered in white glittering snow and I’m guessing many bloggers have been going crazy on the photography front. Yes, what a fantastic setting for today’s 366 and of course I was one of them many bloggers with my camera to hand! I’ve chosen a picture for my 366 project that was actually taken around 1 am this morning, I’ve also added some snowy pictures I took yesterday night. Hope you all enjoy.

Photo 26/366 is the white tree! (sorry it has my other blog signature attached, it’s not stolen, I swear)!

Here’s some others taken last night.

Daughters hand print above.

Above: Mother & daughters shadows in the snow.

Above: Daughter looks a tad wet given she’s donated her hat to her new best friend!

Visit the ‘Boy and me‘ for a weekly round up of some stunning 366 images form some talented bloggers

Cooking With A Celeb Chef

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Today, I was lucky enough to be invited along by the brand ‘One Difference’ to test their organic food range by cooking beside celeb chef ‘Simon Rimmer’

I’ll be writing about this fabulous afternoon’s cooking fest and yummy lunch, on my blog “A boy with Aspergers” within the next day or so! Please feel free to pop along and read all about it!

Photo 25/366: Cooking with a Celeb chef! I’m on the right (excuse my tired eyes, up all night with a coughing toddler) Middle, Simon Rimmer and left, one of my fellow bloggers iheartmuthahood 

NEXT TAKES TRIBAL TO ANOTHER LEVEL

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I love a good trend especially one that isn’t confined to the wardrobe! That’s why I’m loving  Tribal prints and how Next in particular have taken it and made it their own.

 This massive catwalk trend is being used by Next (one of the UKs well known, loved retailers) within it’s clothing & home range and I for one am loving it! 

 All the big names are doing tribal this spring and the print will be one that is sure to grace the windows of the high street stores as well as those more “Up market” stores… Yet, Next are not flagging behind, they have taken tribal by the horns and made it accessible and affordable for all. 

 I love many of the pieces Next are bringing to the high street this spring and the ladies tribal designs offer some real key pieces for the wardrobe of all “ladies that lunch” 

 Anybody that knows me, will know that I’m a lady who loves a shoe and the Tribal print ankle tie platform is certainly ticking all of my boxes and at £40 it’s definitely something of a steal!

 If this doesn’t do it for you, I really can’t see how any one can deny that these zebra print metal heel court shoes are anything less than divine! At £48 I’m already lusting after them and dropping hints to the man who claims to love me! 

 If its a sexy little spring number your after, how about the Tribal print woven dress at £38? It looks like it could well be a gift from the gods doing miracles for the waist.

 As well as the shoe, I have to admit to being something of a bag lover and this pretty little clutch bag definitely screams “Fashion diva” and is anything other than understated! 

 Will you be taking the tribal print into your homes, with beautiful pieces such as the stunning “Bronze Ceramic Vase” with an attached price tag of just £18 I’m considering doing so! 

 Other great tribal homewares from Next include these different yet stunning wired horses and my favourite, the “Lady Head” at a remarking £14… Now that’s a statement piece, for not a lot of money, wouldn’t you agree?

 I’m loving this years tribal prints and I’m loving how Next are bringing it into the living room! So, what about you guys, what do you think of the Tribal prints of the spring? Do you instantly love it or is it a trend that will grow on you over time? Maybe you just prefer it confined to the space in your wardrobe, or maybe, like me you wouldn’t mind one or two pieces dotted around the home! 

 Check out the awesome blog “Fishing for beauty” to discover how to take tribal print to your makeup bags in the wonderful “Tribal Print Tutorial Using Zoya Kristen”

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