Two weeks in...

So we are over two weeks in to 2015 and it's been a fairly quiet year so far, I've gotta say. 

Having enjoyed a Christmas of two halves - 1st half being manic and seeing family, the 2nd - very chilled - we seem to have continued into January with a very relaxed approach! 

Last weekend, after our first week back at work, Rich and I are were both pretty exhausted so we planned to do nothing all weekend. However, as Saturday was such a gorgeous (all be it, windy!) winters day we decided to go for a wander around Richmond Park. We are about 10 mins drive from Richmond Park, but I'd only been there once before so it was so lovely to spend a few hours wandering around, seeing all the deer that live there and then enjoying a hot chocolate :) 

We both enjoyed it so much that I think we may well head back there tomorrow, Rich wants to take his bike up there and I can get some fitness in and go for a very long walk. Win for us both I think! Fingers crossed it doesn't rain! 

I think weekends at home doing very little are probably my favourite weekends of all. Sometimes I get really fidgety and cannot sit still, however I do seem to have embraced the relaxed weekend vibe a lot more over the past few months... and I've got to say, it's not so bad! Especially when the weather is so rubbish, the last thing you want to do is venture out and I think spending quality time together with Rich and no pressure to go and do something or be somewhere, has really brought us even closer together.

Anyways, enough rambling from me - a short and sweet post about the joy of doing nothing! I have a feeling the next few months are going to be very hectic in the lead up to my friend's wedding. Lots to do, so maybe that's a post for another time. 

Lotsa love x

New year... new chapter

Happy New Year! 

2014 for me was an interesting one, and if I'm honest, probably not one my best. I know it's such a cliche but I love a new year. To me, it makes me feel inspired, energised and really positive.  

I've never really been one for making new years resolutions, and even when I do I can't say I've ever stuck to one and seen it through. 

But this year I decided to really go for it. I've made a list and written it on my phone, so I can keep going back to it and remind myself of what my goals were at the beginning of the year and keep me on track to hopefully sticking to them for once. 

With this in mind, I thought writing them on here might also be good therapy. A good way to solidify what my aims are for the coming year - and maybe help someone else that has similar goals too in the process. 

Lets start with the typical... 

Losing weight

I think it's fair to say that the majority of people start off a new year with this aim. I'm pretty sure every year I think to myself "this is the year" but it never is. 

I've always struggled with my weight and one thing I realised in 2014 is just how much this struggle is now impacting on who I am and what I do. 

My best friend is getting married in March and as a goal, I ordered a bridesmaid dress in a size smaller. By doing this I know I need to stick to my plan. I have 3 months to drop 1 dress size, and my goal for the year is to go down 2 dress sizes overall. An achievable goal I think. I've never focused too much on my actual weight - I only use it to track my progress but in terms of goals, it's not my main focus. As long as I'm feeling more confident in myself, I'll be happy. 

Keep a scrapbook 

I was inspired by the one and only Lily Pebbles with this one. Last year, I kept thinking to myself "I need to print off more photos" but I never did and much of this is because, in our flat, we simply don't have anywhere to put them. 
When I watched Lily's video about the scrapbook she made in 2014, it really made me want to do the same. I need to start documenting more of my life, helping me to appreciate all the great moments because if I'm completely honest, there are probably so many great moments from last year that I have forgotten about, and I don't want to forget about them! So thank you Lily for the inspiration! 

To learn more about Project Life - visit Becky's page here

Drink more water 

One thing about me - I hardly drink anything. I can go all day and only have one drink (in fact, I'm pretty sure that's what I've done today... oops). So my goal is to drink more water! I'm pretty good when it comes to what I drink. I don't drink fizzy drinks very often, I'm not a big tea or coffee drinker and I don't drink alcohol often either. The trouble is, I just don't drink enough full stop! 




To blog more 

Again, like the scrapbook - this is definitely one I'd like to stick to more. I want to document more of my life and I just want to appreciate more of the little moments, jot them down and have them to look back on in the years to come. 

Enjoy London

I've lived in London for nearly a year and a half and I really let the beauty and fun of this city pass me by. I don't make the most of having England's capital city on my doorstep and all the great things that there are to see, do, eat, drink... there's still so much more fun to be had, and we aren't going to live here forever so it's time to make the most of it. 

So there they are, my goals for 2015. Maybe this year I'll actually stick to them! 

Lotsa love x

I really need to get better at this & my Favourites OTM!

So... I *may* have not kept my word from my previous post and it *may* have been over 5 months since I last posted *slaps hand*.

I remember writing my previous post and feeling really positive that I was going to keep this up - I'd just had some great news that my temporary job had become a permanent one and I was finally feeling settled for the first time in a long time, that I just began to relax and enjoy my London life - apologies!

I'm definitely still learning about this whole blogging melarky, how to use it to the best of it's capabilities, what I want my blog to be called, what subjects I want to talk about, how to take a half-decent picture (etc etc) so it may take a while for this little corner of the internet to form into something that i hope is at least somewhat worth reading!

So as a gentle little toe-dip as a re-enter the pool of blogging, let's keep it simple people - a Favourites OTM!

First step... beauty.

I've made a few discoveries recently that I must admit, I'm pretty darn chuffed about and just want to rave about to anyone and everyone who will listen.

The first being the little facial wonder that is the Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream. HOLY MOLY. This stuff is AH-MAY-ZING. Now I must admit, I've only tried one other CC cream before this one (it was a Loreal one, and after the initial 'oh wow new thing' novelty wore off, I wasn't actually much of a fan) but I have fallen head over heels in LOVE with this stuff.

Considering it is a CC cream, the coverage is brilliant but the texture is still so light - it amazes every time I use it. A little goes a long way, it blends like a dream and it leaves the most wonderful glow to your skin. I don't think the 'glowing' properties will be to everyones tastes but I have never tried anything that leaves me with such a healthy glow to my skin. I. Am. Addicted.

http://www.boots.com/en/Bourjois-123-Perfect-Colour-Correcting-cream_1450122/

Next up is something that I never really saw myself getting into but here I am, I've become a massive book fan!

Back in the day, I was never into reading. I'd try to get into books, maybe read the odd one every 2 years, or try desperately to read before bed, only to feel so sleepy 2 pages in that I had to put it down and go to sleep!
However, since living in London and relying on the train to get to work rather than driving, I find myself with 40 minutes, twice a day - with very little to do. This is where books came in - my friend Stacey recommended a few books to me and it seems we have very similar reading taste as every book she's given me has been a goodun!
My absolute favourite though (probably of all time) has got to be Gone Girl. The book that everyone talks about, most people have read and I've never heard a bad word about (other than the ending - that's a controversial one).
This book just sucked me in straight away - the characters that you like but hate at the same time, the constant twists and turns - it's such a brilliantly written novel. I was worried that once I'd read it the first time, any future reads would be ruined but I was so wrong. I probably left about 6 months between reads and whilst I remembered key aspects of the book, it was still such a gripping read second time around. The film has also recently been released, I had high hopes, and I have a lot of thoughts about it - but I'll save these for another time so not to spoil it for anyone!

Finally, one final mention has to go to my autumn coat. Yes - not a winter coat, but an autumn coat. I've always found it hard to find a jacket that I felt comfortable in - most spring/autumn jackets are shorter and I just don't feel as comfortable in these for some reason. However, whilst I was recently scouring the internet for a potential birthday dress, I stumbled across the George at Asda website and was instantly greeted with the most wonderful and perfect autumn coat - and it was only £20!!!
I ordered it straight away and it is definitely my purchase of the season - I'm in love!
Rich calls it my Paddington Bear coat (even though it's not really anything like Paddington's coat) - it's a gorgeous (and I hear very on-trend) autumnal burgundy colour duffle coat - it has 3 poppers, with 2 toggle fasteners and a hood. It's a perfect thickness for the autumn weather as it keeps the chill off and I am just obsessed, I really am. It fits like a dream and I just adore it! Check it out here - and they do other colours too!

So after an extremely rambly post - I'm going to leave it there.

Sorry it's such a long-un and again, apologies for the lack of pictures - that's my next challenge! Bring it on!

xxx

It's been a while!

So it's definitely been a while since I last uploaded a blog post.
It's weird as it's often in the back of my mind as something I want to keep up with, it just never seems to materialise! Until today that is..

This post is being written on a bit of a whim with no great topic in mind. I guess it's just to refresh, start again and give myself a big kick up the bottom to try and be more proactive!

Life has changed a lot for me since I last posted. I'm not longer job hunting as I'm now working in a full-time role as an office administrator. Nothing glamorous however I work with a lovely bunch of people and it feels so rewarding to finally have security and responsibility - as well as facing many new challenges and a few learning curves along the way!

All in all, I was out of permanent work for almost 18 months. During that time, I volunteered, I had time off and I had many a temporary job to keep the pennies coming in - all great experience but I'm definitely glad to be putting that chapter behind me.

So from now on, expect a lot more from me - now I am financially more secure I plan to do what I'd aimed to do when moving to London and that is make the most of living in this incredible city!

Chat soon :) xxx

An introduction to me!

Why hello there!

Now the chances are that as this is only my second post, it is unlikely that anyone is even reading this. However, as a way of practicing and a little intro to me I thought it might be nice to do a 15 facts about me post!

1. I was born and grew up in Kent which I absolutely loved and always love to go back there to visit my Mum, who still lives in the house I grew up in.

2. Following my A Levels I decided to go to University in Portsmouth where I studied Sociology, as I still wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my life so I figured this bought me a little more time!

3. As well as a degree in Sociology and my A Levels, I have also gained a Diploma in Childcare. After finishing university I began working in a children's nursery which I loved, and studied for my qualifications whilst I was there.

4. I have a boyfriend, his name is Rich and we have been together just shy of 4 years - although I have known him since my first year of A Levels and we actually went to University together too before we got together!

5. Since moving to London I have been job hunting and really would love to work within the media or charity. I worked at a big radio company in London for 5 months which was an amazing opportunity. I got to meet some amazing celebrities and work at some very exciting events and all in all, I miss it hugely.

6. My best friend recently got engaged (a secret I had to keep from her for 6 weeks... it nearly killed me) and she has asked me to be her Maid of Honour which is amazing :)

7. I probably talk to myself a lot more than is socially acceptable... but it just seems like a good way to organise thoughts, and hey - if it's ok to write things down then why not say them out loud!?

8. I have a list of many places that I am dying to visit and go back to - high up there would be Florida, New York and a road trip around California, as well as the Bahamas, Mykonos in Greece as I hear it is so beautiful, as well as Rome.

9. My favourite place to ever have visited has been Rome - I spent a week there in 2010 and it was one of the best trips of my life, and I cannot wait to be able to go back.

10. Up until the age of around 15 I used to go horse riding. I became horse-obsessed and spent my entire weekends helping out at my riding stables. I even had my own pony, however she had to be put down and after that it just never quite felt the same again and I stopped. I do really miss it though and it is a goal of mine to begin horse riding again as I feel it is the only thing I have ever been really good at.

11. I used to be a complete bah-humbug about Christmas and never got excited about it as our christmas's were not always full of the best memories. However, as I am getting older I seem to be discovering my festive spirit and this year especially I simply cannot wait!

12. I have no Aunties or Uncles or Cousins, as both my parents are only children.

13. I have 1 brother and he is nearly 4 years older than me. We never used to be very close growing up (I think I was always his annoying little sister) however now that I am older we are getting closer which makes me happy.

14. As I get older I seem to developing more fears. I have always been terrified of spiders and this is only getting worse as I get older. However I have also developed a fear of the sea over the past 8 years or so and will only go in the sea if it is clear, nowhere dangerous and I can stand up. And even then, I still get nervous. I always think that there will be a shark or a jellyfish nearby!

15. I am a lover of the telly and a HUGE Friends fan. I have fond memories of watching it growing up with my brother and being devestated when they ended it. I honestly think that if I ever went on Mastermind, Friends would be my specialist subject. Is that sad?!

Anyhoo - thank you for reading! I promise the next post will not be so self-involved. I just thought it might be a nice little introduction to me :)

Lotsa love
xxx

A little bit of structure...

So... this is the first time I have ever attempted to write a blog, but after finding so many other blogs so useful and even entertaining, I thought I would give it a go so if you're reading... welcome!

I guess I could say the main motivation for starting this is to give me something useful to do. As I am currently job hunting, it can be too easy to become lazy and fall into bad routines (sleeping til late, staying  up all night!) and it can be difficult to find the motivation. So fingers crossed this helps me! Not only as a bit of an escape but also keeping my mind fresh and focused!

Don't worry, I don't plan on banging on about my job hunting woes - believe me, I bore myself enough! My general idea is to just discuss and comment any recent discoveries I have made - obviously not of the significant of scientific kind (I was always rubbish at Science) but anything beauty-related, fashion, entertainment... pretty much anything that I am loving or loathing at the moment!

Thank you for checking out my blog, I'll try not to be too boring!

Caz x