Blog Awards!

The gorgeous Melanie over at Beauty and Bows has very kindly given me The Stylish Blog Award & The One Lovely Blog Award - so sweet!

The rules are the usual - 7 facts and 7 blogs. So here we go!

[1] I am so addicted to nut butters that I have banned myself from buying them. Give me a jar of nut butter and a spoon - you may as well give crack to a junkie!

[2] I secretly feel smug when I run for longer than the person next to me on the treadmill.

[3] I would quite happily eat sushi every day for the rest of my life.

[4] I very rarely wear jeans - they make me feel unfeminine! Give me a skirt/shorts/dress any day!

[5] When I was 20 I got a spur of the moment tattoo. It doesn't mean anything to me, but it's pretty and I love it!

[6] I buy More magazine every week mostly for their beauty pages.

[7] If I am going to a restaurant, I will pre-choose my meal from the online menu to save time, then change my mind about 459844 times in the restaurant and choose something completely different.

I'm going to pass this on to:

Andrée from Straight Up Glam

Miss A from Beauty Boudoir

Hannah from Bang Bang Smack Ouch

Joy from Dear Joy

Lily from Lily Lipstick

Mademoiselle Lala

Ray from Who Is She??

Make sure you have a read of these lovely blogs!

Wednesday's Wishlist

On Saturday me and my mum (and dad, and nan, and grandad) are taking a trip to Merry Hill shopping centre. I've got some birthday money to spend and my parents are going on a cruise holiday in a couple of months so my mum wants to do some holiday shopping, fun!

This might seem like a funny thing to say but I feel like I've lost my shopping mojo of late and I'm a bit anxious and nervous about shopping! Usually I have the boy with me and he is great at choosing clothes - I know I'm going to feel a bit lost without him there to help! 

With this in mind I thought I would do some Internet window shopping to try and put together some outfit ideas! Ideally I want clothes that I can wear both every day and to work, with a couple of bits I can take on holiday with me in September.

These are my choices, please let me know what you think!

1.River Island Blouse & River Island Skinny Jeans; 2.Miss Selfridge Photo Tee & Dorothy Perkins Palazzo Trousers; 3.Topshop Scallop Vest & River Island Floral Skirt

4.River Island Boob Tube & Miss Selfridge Floral Shorts; 5.H&M Dress; 6.River Island Espadrilles; 7.River Island Bow Sandals; 8.Accessorize Butterfly Necklace; 9.Topshop Straw Trilby; 10.Accessorize Garden Necklace

Which outfit is your favourite?

Do you prefer to buy full outfits or random pieces?

Birthday Weekend In Pictures

This post is a little late - I was going to put it up last night but the boy came over and we booked a holiday to Turkey! We're going for a week at the start of September and I'm excited already! I'm going to be living in the gym for the next two months!

My weekend kicked off on Friday night with a 7 mile run. Probably not how many people would choose to spend a Friday night, but I beat my 6 mile record and this makes me happy! Apologies for the phone camera photo, I don't take my Canon on the treadmill with me!

On Saturday morning I treated myself to banana oatie pancakes with peanut flour sauce. They sort of fell apart a little bit when I was flipping them, but don't be fooled by how they look - that shiz tasted goooood.

The boy gave me an early birthday present *squeal* so I could wear them out for dinner and drinks on Saturday night. Best shoes boyfriend ever!

I'm squashing my Sunday nails into this post - Barry M Peach Melba. I can't believe I put off buying this shade for so long as it's just beautiful!
I shunned a birthday cake in favour of raspberry and strawberry Eton mess, made with 0% fat Greek yogurt sweetened with a little bit of icing sugar and vanilla essence. Much much nicer to eat in the weather we had over the weekend!
So pleased to get some of the items I have been lusting over!
Presents presents presents make me happy!

Right, I'm off to lay in bed and watch season six of The Hills, a very happily received gift!

Saturday Night Face

Me and the boy went out for Thai food on Saturday night for my birthday. The food was delicious and the restaurant was small but so lovely! I had stir fried duck with cashew nuts and the boy had sweet n sour crispy chicken - two very happy tummies at the end of the meal! 

We went for a couple of drinks after and it was so nice to be able to go out without a jacket and sit in the beer gardens! Unfortunately I didn't feel up to a big night out so we got home quite early but at least I haven't been battling a hangover today! This was the makeup I wore last night:

Face:

MAC Prep & Prime Skin Base Visage

Revlon Colourstay Foundation in Buff

mixed with

Vichy Dermablend Corrective Foundation in Opal

17 Hide & Chic Concealer in Light Rose

17 Shine Control Translucent Powder

Beauty UK Blush in Peaches and Cream

Benefit High Beam

Eyes:

Eye Majic Instant Eyeshadow in Shade 1

Black Eyeshadow from Sleek Original Palette

Clinique High Impact Mascara in Black

Eylure Party Perfect Eyelashes in Midnight

Benefit Bad Girl Eye Pencil

Benefit Brow-zings in Light

Lips:

Collection 2000 Volume Sensation Lipstick in Peachy Keen

Hair:

Umberto Giannini Backcomb In A Bottle

 

What's your favourite restaurant?

Favourite food to eat out?

Hey, It's OK! [Birthday Stylee]

Monday is my birthday so I thought I'd treat you all to an it's OK list birthday style!

Hey, it's OK...

...to make a very precise and detailed list of presents and still insist they are wrapped up, for that surprise element...

...to make your own birthday cake - if you want a healthy cake made out of courgette/sweet potato/butternut squash then do it!

...to exist on diet coke, courgettes and apples for a week so you look super thin before stuffing your face with said birthday cake and Thai food...

...to justify a weeks worth of spending money on more lipsticks/nail polishes/clothes as 'a birthday treat to yourself'... 

Add your own!

It's OK to___

What I Ate - Waldof Salad

My mum was trying to decide what to cook for dinner tonight and we thought we'd try something a bit different! 

I nipped out to Tesco in my lunch hour for a bag of walnuts and a pot of natural yogurt and threw this together in under 15 minutes.

A quick and filling (honestly) dinner using ingredients you probably already have in your fridge/fruit bowl! 

Waldorf Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients:

60g chopped walnuts

60g celery, thinly sliced

60g seedless red grapes (or 30g raisins)

1 apple, cored and chopped

3 tbsp natural yogurt

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Salt

Pepper

Lettuce

Method:

In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt and lemon juice; add half a teaspoon of salt and a quarter teaspoon of fresh ground pepper; mix in the apple, celery, grapes and walnuts; serve on a bed of fresh lettuce.

This recipe serves two hungry people and works out at around 360 calories per serving.

Enjoy!

What's your favourite salad? Favourite 'throw together' recipe?

What I Wore & Sunday Face

Yesterday it was Ladies Day at our local Racecourse!

I was working as our company's photographer and really enjoyed the chance to get dressed up for the day! The sun was (mostly) shining and it was just a really lovely day!

Dress - New Look

Fascinator - Accessorize

Check the size of my camera lens - that baby was heavy!

Face:

MAC Prep & Prime Skin Base Visage

Revlon Colourstay Foundation in Buff

mixed with

Vichy Dermablend Corrective Foundation in Opal

17 Hide & Chic Concealer in Light Rose

17 Shine Control Translucent Powder

Natural Collection Blushed Cheeks in Pink Cloud

Benefit High Beam

Eyes:

Bourjois Felt Tip Eyeliner in Noir

No7 Stay Perfect Trio Eyeshadow in Renaissance 

Clinique High Impact Mascara in Black

Benefit Bad Gal Eye Pencil

Benefit Brow-zings in Light

Lips:

17 Mirror Shine Lipstick in Belle

I hope you all had lovely weekends!

Bar-gain (noun)

You would think after this post I would realise that no, I don't need another concealer, nail polish, eye shadow just because the offer is there...but hey, a bargain is a bargain!

I nipped into Boots on my lunch hour to spend one of my No7 vouchers (they expire on Sunday!) and this is what I came out with.

1. 17 Hide and Chic Concealer (worth £4.99) free with 17 Mirror Shine Lipstick in Belle £4.59.

2. 17 Nail Bar Bag - two nail polishes, sheet of nail stickers and nail file - free gift with above items.

3. Nails Inc polish (worth £11) free with two Dove deodorants. I have never used Dove deodorant in my life and I highly doubt I will ever use the ones I bought today - but you can rest assured I'll be buying two more over the weekend for the second colour!

4. 17 Vintage Love Perfect Pastels - £2 in clearance usually £5.49. Sneaky sale basket right by the till, I couldn't help but have a little rifle through it!

5. Eye shadow brush worth £6.64. Finally, my actual reason for going to Boots in the first place. £1.64 with a £5 No7 voucher.

Total cost £32.71 £13.60


What are you newest/best bargains?

Hey, It's Ok!

So instead of adding to the squillions of posts about the Glamour freebies (of which I picked up Bene Posie and Bene Tint) I thought I'd borrow one of their cute regular features and make my own version featuring my own practises and tendencies!

Hey, it's OK...

...to eat a family sized bar of Galaxy when you have a cold and are feeling sorry for yourself...

...to paint false nails and pass them off as your own...

...to listen to your most embarrassing music in the gym - no one will know!

...to take advantage of discount codes or offers even though you don't really need/want anything...

...to put the most expensive wish list items onto a birthday list...

Add your own - "it's OK to____"

The Cost Of My Face

I love seeing these types of posts so I thought I'd do my own!

This is what I've been reaching for this week for my everyday work makeup.

Face

MAC Prep & Prime Skin Base Visage £18.00

Revlon Colourstay Foundation in Buff £12.49 

mixed with

Vichy Dermablend Corrective Foundation in Opal £14.30

No7 Quick Cover Blemish Stick in Medium £8.00

17 Shine Control Loose Powder £5.49

Cheeks

No7 Blush Tint Cream Blush in Blossom £10.00

Bourjois Illuminating Touch Highlighter £6.84

Eyes & Brows

Bourjois Liner Feutre £5.99

17 Wild Curls in Wildest Black £6.29

Benefit Bad Girl Pencil £14.00

Benefit Browzings in Light £22.50

Lips

Clinique Chubbystick in Super Strawberry £14.00

Total: 137.90

Actually not as bad as I thought! I didn't think I wore so much makeup every day though - I'm sure it's not very much to some people but I like to keep it natural for daytime - clearly the natural look takes a lot of work!

How much does your face cost?

Sunday Nails - Starry Silver Glitter

NYC French White Tip & NYC Starry Silver Glitter

I've owned both of these polishes for absolutely ages but never really got round to wearing them. I layered three coats of the glitter over three thin coats of the white. It took me an age as I had to wait for each layer of glitter to dry so it didn't get wiped off with the next coat.

I really like the chunky bits of glitter mixed in with the smaller silver glittery bits, they really stand out under the light.

Healthy Eton Mess

 I've been reading a lot of food/exercise/healthy living blogs recently, mainly due to my new diet and exercise routine - got to stay motivated! 

My top three favourites at the moment are:

FitFoodieFinds

Peanut Butter and Jenny

Keeping Healthy Getting Stylish

So in the spirit of healthy eating, and to celebrate losing almost an inch off my stomach, may I present my healthified, 130 calorie, super tasty Eton Mess.

Ingredients:

1 small meringue nest (I used Tesco's own at 55 calories each)

1 pot of low cal yogurt (I used Weight Watcher's Raspberry at 51 calories per pot)

As many raspberries or strawberries (or any berry!) as you like.


Method:

 Break up the meringue nest in to large and small chunks at the bottom of your glass/bowl.

Alternate layers of berries and yogurt - you can squish the berries up if you choose but I like to keep mine whole.

Eat!

 Guilt free enjoyment!

What's your favourite healthified dessert?