Claire’s Accessories Splatter Effect Top Coat #BEDM

In my Favourite Beauty Vloggers post, I mentioned MissHollyBerries. In one of her videos, she mentions a Hare Polish, an indie polish brand, in the shade Flight of the Flamingos. I fell in love with it but there doesn’t seem to be any on sale at the moment. So when I saw this top coat by Claire’s Accessories (in the shade Sequins) , I thought it might give a similar effect over a nude polish. But I actually think I like this more as I like the black pieces and how versatile it is.

It looks amazing over brights, it’s a really great shade for summer as it really pops. This is over my new favourite polish, Nails Inc Royal Botanical Gardens.

It looks good over pastels as well, still bright but a bit more muted than above. This is over Essence in Hello Marshmallow!

The whole reason I wanted to buy this, to put it over a nude colour. This is Ciate Cookies and Cream.

Lastly, I love the colour combo of grey and pink, so I decided to put this over Catrice Hey Dirty-Lilah!

I will say that some of the strand pieces can stand up, so a top coat over this is highly recommended. There are other colours available, which I’d love to get my hands on, so I’m keeping an eye out for an offer in Claire’s!

Out Of Your Comfort Zone #BEDM

So I knew I wanted to do this topic for Blog Every Day in May, but I just wasn’t sure about what I wanted it to be about. I had thought maybe posting a topic that wasn’t really my thing but I can’t think of anything really. I had also thought about doing a vlog but the lighting in my house isn’t that great and I still think I’m a bit off doing a vlog! So I decided in the spirit of Tuesday’s Being Adventurous post that I’d do something that has been on my mind for a while, setting up a Facebook page!

Even though I’ve had this blog for almost 4(!) years now, I haven’t told many people about it. I’m not entirely sure why, most likely as I was afraid to be criticized or laughed at. But over the years I’ve become more comfortable with sharing with people, wanting more feedback from my friends and family. I set up a Twitter just for this blog not so long ago, hoping to talk to people more and network and I’m really enjoying that so far. So the next logical step was a Facebook page.

Please say hi if you’re new here or if you have any feedback, I love getting comments.

If you’d like to follow me on my various social media sites, the links are down below.

Twitter Page

Facebook Page

Pinterest

BlogLovin

YouTube Favourites #BEDM

I realised I hadn’t done a regular YouTube favourites in a while, so I thought I’d take a chance to show you some of the videos I’ve enjoyed in the past few months.

 

Who can resist a dog that does parkour? Especially one on a skateboard?! Not me anyway.

 

I was a HUGE Crystal Maze fan as a child and this spoof made me laugh, it’s perfect, right down to the harmonica!

 

I spoke about how The Little Mermaid is one of my favourite films in my favourite decade post and when I saw these Threadbanger shoes the other day, I fell in love!

 

Thought Marmite’s Love It Or Hate It philosophy was just for humans? Think again! Big cats in a sanctuary were given small samples of Marmite and I just love their reactions. Especially the ones who make a face after as if to say ‘WTF?!’

 

SPOILERS! DO NOT WATCH UNLESS YOU ARE UP TO DATE WITH GAME OF THRONES! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Being Adventurous #BEDM

I’m glad this was a topic for Blog Every Day in May because it’s something that’s been on my mind for a while. I’m not an adventurous person by nature, I’m a home bird and I’m pretty cautious. I don’t like spicy foods, not a huge fan of surprises, I generally like having a plan when going somewhere, I nearly always order the exact same thing at a takeaway. I’m quite safe. But I wasn’t always! I think pack to childhood and how I’d have no hesitation to climb a tree, to explore new areas, to hop on a skateboard or cycle with no hands. I used to close my gates and walk across the top and pretend I was a gymnast! The other week I scared myself half to death trying to stand on a table to fix the curtains! Basically, as I got older any sense of adventure or bravery just seemed to melt away. This is probably because it’s a by-product of growing older, becoming more aware of dangers and how to survive them.

But the past few years have seen me lose my sense of fear and assertiveness. A few months ago, I had a list of things I’m afraid or hesitant to do. Most are very mundane and ridiculous really, but I made an effort for a month to be a bit braver. And I did get about half the stuff crossed off the list! But then I kinda forgot and I’ve slipped back to my normal sense. So I’m going to make a pledge here to be a bit more brave.

1. Try and stop being so scared to make phone calls.

There’s almost nothing I hate doing more but ringing strangers. I know, sounds ridiculous, but it really makes me anxious and I have to plan what I’m going to say so I don’t sound stupid on the phone trying to find the words to say something. So I put it off and it makes me feel even more anxious. I’m going to try and nip that in the bud!

2. Be more brave with make up looks.

I never wear bold colours on my lips, in fact sometimes I just don’t wear anything. Though I have tons of different shades in my makeup bag. I’m really conscious of how small my lips are but I’m going to try take my cousins advice on this. When talking to her about her bold lipstick and why I don’t wear it, she said life is too short to give a damn and worry. And she’s right. So I’m wearing a bright shade this evening when I go to knitting group!

3. Stop being afraid to make bread

Ya, sounds ridiculous again but I’m so hesitant to make yeast breads as I’ve failed before and the whole process is daunting. But I need to realise that I won’t get any better if I don’t practice! Same goes for candy making and using sugar thermometers.

4. Stop being a wimp when it comes to food

Yes, I need to try some food I’ve never tried before. I have been better these past few years, especially compared to how fussy a child I was, but I still should try new things, especially seafood. But will I ever be able to order anything but a korma from an Indian?! Who knows, I am in love with kormas.

5. Be more crafty

I like crafting but because I’m not great at it, I hesitate as I don’t want to ruin perfectly nice materials! Which is crazy. I also hesitate because mine doesn’t turn out perfectly (case and point these bird magnets). I have a long list of Pinterest projects I want to try and that I’m going to try.

6. Go with the flow more

Be more willing to be fast and loose, to not have a plan. It can lead to fun things and new adventures.

To round this out, I do want to point out that I’m not a complete wimp! I have gone on many rollercoasters and rides despite not liking heights (something that always surprises my boyfriend as he doesn’t think it’s really ‘me’), I talk to strangers when out and about and I’m not afraid of it, I tried surfing 2 summers ago, I jumped off a huge height into the sea when exploring an island last summer, I put a snake around my shoulders despite being afraid of them and I used to going on adventures with friends, where we’d drive around exploring and finding new places. I suppose I just need to exercise my adventurous side more often!

The Goodreads Tag #BEDM

I was tagged by Chloe over at Nurse Fancy Pants to do the Goodreads Tag. I was going to follow her example and do a post about why I use Goodreads (check out her post HERE), but I’ll do that for another day. For those that don’t know, Goodreads is a site that lets you keep track of what you’ve read, what you’re currently reading, explore genres and see what your friends are up to as well. I’m a big fan of it.

What was the last book you marked as read?

Off the top of my head, I thought it was The Diamond Thief by Sharon Gosling, but it was actually Cress by Marissa Meyer. I’m so forgetful these days!

What are you currently reading?

I keep a few books on rotation, I’m not one for reading only one book at a time. Currently I have The Second Book of General Ignorance by John Lloyd and John Mitchinson, This Is Improbable: Cheese String Theory, Magnetic Chickens and Other WTF Theories by Marc Abrahams, Electrified Sheep by Alex Boese and Britty Britty Bang Bang by Hugh Dennis. All non-fiction, all information heavy, which is probably why I’m getting through them so slow. Though I only pick up the first two books every now and again as they are that kind of book. I do have Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and The Gathering by Anne Enright on my iTunes to listen to but I haven’t started them yet. I also have Who Is Tom Ditto? by Danny Wallace on my phone but again I haven’t started it, mainly as I’m trying to plough my way through all the physical books I have.

What was the title of the last book you marked as ‘To Read’?

The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons: And Other True Stories of Trauma, Madness, Affliction, and Recovery That Reveal the Surprising History of the Human Brain by Sam Kean. What a title! In terms of fiction, it was The Hive by Gill Hornby, after reading Beth from Plastic Rosaries rate it on Goodreads.

What do you plan to read next?

Well, I’ll start that Danny Wallace book next I think. After that I’m not sure. I have slowed down on ordering from the library so I can concentrate on reading some book I own. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and The Men Who Stare at Goats by Jon Ronson are the ones looking most appealing to me on my bookshelf!

Do you use the star rating?

I do but honestly I wish sometimes there was half stars. Voting something 3 stars can mean a variation of things for me. If I read a book and liked it but wasn’t crazy about it, I’d probably want to give it 2.5 but since I can’t I’ll rate it 3 instead of 2. It can be frustrating at times but I do appreciate seeing star ratings of others, especially if I know we have similar tastes in books, as it’s helpful for me to decide if I want to read that book.

Are you doing a 2014 Reading Challenge?

I am! I did 100 last year and just about hit that goal. Towards the end, I felt like I was more reading for the sake of reaching the goal instead of enjoying it and it felt like such a chore. I set my challenge at 30 originally, which I’ve already hit, so I put it up to 50. If and when I reach 50, I’m unsure if I’ll move it again, I guess we’ll see!

Do you have a wishlist?

Does my To Read list of books count?! I do have an Amazon wishlist but I don’t put every book I want to read on there, just ones that I’d really like. Though not many people use my wishlist anyway (which is why it frustrates me when my boyfriend complains that he doesn’t know what to get me, yet he knows I have a wishlist!).

What book do you plan on buying next?

As much as I’d love to buy loads of books, I can’t really afford it. Though after the huge debacle to get my hands on The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith from the library last year, I think I’ll buy The Silkworm, the next book that is out soon.

Do you have any favourite quotes? Would you like to share a few?

“But luxury has never appealed to me, I like simple things, books, being alone, or with somebody who understands.” Daphne du Maurier

“The closed mind is a disease. You need to have an open mind; otherwise life will just pass you by.” Danny Wallace

“It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.” J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

“A library in the middle of a community is a cross between an emergency exit, a life-raft and a festival. They are cathedrals of the mind; hospitals of the soul; theme parks of the imagination. On a cold rainy island, they are the only sheltered public spaces where you are not a consumer, but a citizen instead” Caitlin Moran

Who are your favourite authors?

You can find my most read authors here, though a lot of them are children’s authors. Though if I were to pick my favourites I’d say Mary Roach, Danny Wallace, Dave Gorman, Ben Aaronovitch, Jon Ronson, Marian Keyes, J.K. Rowling, Rainbow Rowell and Jenny Colgan.

Have you joined any groups?

Yes, I have! I’m part of the Booksplosion Read-Along, The Rory Gilmore Book Club (though I don’t really participate in this one, it’s more so I can remember the Rory Gilmore book list) and another group for a forum I’m on.

And that’s it! If you’d like to do this tag, please do, it’s great fun if you like books and reading. You can check out my Goodreads page here, add me if you’d like.

My Favourite Museums for Museum Day #BEDM

I love museums. There is always something for everyone, so there is no excuse to call them boring. The first time I remember going to a museum was when my aunt brought me to the Natural History Museum when I was 8. I just remember being in sheer awe at the dinosaurs on display. And the real life sized replica of a blue whale. Though my favourite section was the gemstones display, all the pretty, shiny stones. I was especially impressed with my birthstone, the opal!

I’m going to write about a few of the museums I’ve been to over the years, some with pictures. I’m also going to put my want-to-visit list at the end too.

1. Museum Row, South Kensington, London

Museum Row has something for everyone. You have the Natural History Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Science Museum. It’s the perfect location if there’s a big group of you with different interests. The fashion section in the V&A is my favourite, I love looking at all the garments. And I once saw an exhibition there featuring Penguin Books and their covers which was amazing. Best thing about all three of these are they are free!

2. British Museum, London

Last year was the first time I went to the British Museum. I was actually supposed to go there with my aunt but it was closed or something the day we got there so she took me to Natural History Museum. This museum has loads of different artefacts that most people will recognize by names. The Rosetta Stone, an Egyptian mummy and an Easter Island head are some of the things to see there. This one is also free.

3. London Transport Museum, Covent Garden, London

This museum is one for people who, like me, are fascinated with the Underground! I’ve been here three times. You have to pay for a ticket but that ticket is then valid for a year, which is great if you live in London or visit often as the exhibitions sometimes change. I saw an exhibition last year about poster designs for the Tube, which was amazing. You can also step back in time and step into old fashioned Omnibuses, old Tube carriages or sit in the driver seat of a bus.

              

4. British Film Museum, Covent Garden, London

Just around the corner from the London Transport Museum is the British Film Museum. It’s a small one but I loved it. Free entry, you can see loads of different props from famous British films. The Spice Girls Union Flag Mini was my favourite! There was also this film reel showing clips of different films set in London, that highlighted the diversity of the city.

5. The Beatles Experience, Liverpool

This is a must see for any Beatles fan, but even if you’re not a huge fanatic, you might still enjoy this. There’s so much to see there, but my favourite (besides being in a Yellow Submarine) was some of the memorabilia. Beatles tights anyone?!

6. Museum of Brands and Packing, Notting Hill, London

This museum is amazing! I really loved it and raved to people after. It takes you through the history of packaging and advertising from the Victorian era to present times. Then there’s sections where they take certain brands and lay out their packaging from the beginning to current times, like Coca-Cola and Johnson’s Baby Powder, it was great to see the subtle changes in packaging. There’s also a section on different products in other countries (like the crazy flavours of drinks you can get in Japan) as well as a section on the idea of copyright and how own label things often try and mimic the packaging and names of the branded item (like instead of Penguin bars, having something like Puffin bars). This is a trip down memory lane, packed full of things to look at. Well worth it!

Ok, I could go on and on about museums I’ve been to. I mentioned here that I was recently at the Museum of Science and Industry here in Manchester but I barely had time to look around as we got there pretty late. I’ve been to many a museum in Ireland, including Bunratty Castle, Craggaunowen, King John’s Castle, A Day in the Bog, West Clare Railway, Titanic Experience, Dysert O Dea Castle to name but a few I remember! I haven’t actually been to any in Dublin, at least not off the top of my head (and if you don’t count Guinness Storehouse, which I actually think does count).

And here’s my museum wish-list, things I want to go to in Ireland and UK. I thought the list would be too long if I included other countries as well!

1. Dino-Snores for Grown Ups

This is an event at the Natural History Museum which is a sleepover for adults in the museum. You get to sleep under the dinosaurs! It’s packed full of events and fun things to do and I just think it sounds fantastic!

2. Baked Bean Museum of Excellence

I mean, how can you not want to go to this?! I read about it in a book that I reviewed here, where the author goes around the UK to quirky interesting museums. As a bean lover, this has interested me!

3. The Old Operating Theatre Museum

This one is fascinating. Built in the garret of St. Thomas’s Church, Southwark, there used to be a hospital attached next door, where the garret connected to. When the hospital moved in 1862, the garret laid unused until discovered in 1957. It’s the oldest surviving operating theatre in London (1822), has a big herb garden as well as various old instruments inside.

4. V&A Museum of Childhood

This V&A museum is situated in Bethnal Green. There’s currently an exhibition on there that ends June, so unfortunately I won’t see it, but it’s a cabinet of all toys confiscated by teachers in school. There’s also an exhibition on Jacqueline Wilson, which my inner child would love to see!

5. Crime Museum (Black Museum)

Museum of crime at Scotland Yard, featuring all sorts of grizzly items and artefacts. Famous murderers, Jack the Ripper, Notorious Poisoners. Unfortunately, though while this sounds fascinating (to me anyway), it’s not open to the public. Boo. There is however a police museum in Manchester that I will be checking out at some stage!

6. Wellcome Collection

The website says it’s a ‘free destination for the incurably curious’. Sounds like my kind of place! I became interested in going here when I saw an exhibit by them in the British Museum. Also along this vein is the Hunterian Museum, set in the Royal College of Surgeons, which I think would be interesting too.

7. British Lawnmower Museum

Another museum that was mentioned in the book I read about odd museums, though I had heard of it before. In 2007, I was at a wedding around that area and my aunt said she was interested in going. Unfortunately we never went but it’s been stuck in my head since!

Look, I could blab on and on about museums, the ones I’ve been to and the ones I want to go to. But I’ll leave it here for now. Have you been to any of the ones above? Have I skipped anything interesting? Let me know below!

My Favourite Decade #BEDM

I actually didn’t see this topic the first time I looked through them all and had planned to write something else today but I read over all the topics the other day and thought ‘How on earth did I miss this? It’s right up my alley!’.

I had debated doing the 90’s, as that’s the decade I mainly grew up in and it would be full of nostalgia. But I knew that if I asked anyone what my favourite decade was, they’d look at me crazy and say ‘Why are you even asking, the 80s of course!’.

Ah, the 80s. I must admit I have a soft spot for it. I do love a lot of 80s things. And of course my childhood through the 90s was influenced from time to time by the 80s. Like these toys.

      

And this awesome keyboard with an even more awesome demo! I think Wake Me Up by Wham! is one of my all time favourites and this keyboard is probably why! Other 80s music I like include Duran Duran, Madonna, Bananarama, Blondie, Elton John, Jimmy Sommerville to name but a few!

The 80s produced two of my favourite films. One that I was obsessed with during the 80s (The Little Mermaid, apparently I used to watch it on video at least once a day) and one that I discovered much later (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off). Special shout out to the Annie movie too, I still love that!

     

The 80s crept into my reading when I was child, as I particularly love the Sweet Valley series by Francine Pascal. If you haven’t read Red Lemonade’s Sweet Valley Revisited, I highly suggest you do. The first few books have been reviewed and they are very funny.

Of course, you can’t mention the 80s without talking about the fashion! Yes, some of it was truly awful but a lot of it is very popular right now. Especially jelly shoes, they are a big trend for this summer.

 

Primark jelly heel; Forever 21 nailing jelly shoes with another 80s classic, neon

Primark also has a lot of kitchy t-shirts featuring 80s favourites like My Little Pony and Carebears. Though it’s not just high street fashion that’s currently loving the 80s. Crimped hair was spotted on the runway of Giorgio Armani for AW 2014.

     

Primark outfit; Giorgio Armani AW 2014

I could wax lyrical for hours about all things 80s. Rubik's cubes, androgyny, men wearing make up, shoulder pads, the crazy make up, Girl Just Wanna Have Fun, jelly bracelets, legwarmers, Super Mario Brothers. I’ll leave you with this picture of me dancing with a friend at an 80s party I once helped organize.