Hello Lovelies!

Apologies because I really am the worst at keeping the blogging up. Good intentions and all that. Anyway, I thought I'd do a post to share with you guys what I've been up to lately.

Uni trip to London! So basically, I'm the least travelled person that I know. It's taken me 25 years of life to actually venture to London. I went at the start of last month on a trip with my fellow Law students. Most of our time was scheduled with visiting courts and Parliament but we also spent a lovely afternoon doing proper touristy things such as swinging by Buck Palace and browsing in Harrods. We also saw a show called Kinky Boots which was amazing!!

L-R: Buckingham Palace, China Town, Big Ben and St.Paul's Cathedral

Then there have been the standard few nights out. Less than normal, to be honest I don't really enjoy nights out clubbing as much as I used to, I think it's just something you grow out of. I prefer going for a couple drinks and playing some pool, that way you can properly catch up with people. Nevertheless I had a brilliant night celebrating my friend Jake's 21st last month and going out on Easter Saturday knowing none of us had work the next day.

Cocktail obsessed, short person problems, homemade cocktail

I've also spent quite a bit of time trying to get outside as much as possible. It'll be easier now because of the longer hours of light and milder weather but the past few months have been so rainy and grim it's been challenging. I don't think winter helps my anxiety at all, I literally thrive on sunlight so getting outside is essential to me. Finally got round to visiting Brent Tor on the other side of Dartmoor to where I live, it's beautiful and the church is actually still in use. Luckily it was a dry day so we also visited the nearby Lydford Gorge on the same day. Apart from that I've been putting in some hours at the allotment to get it ready for sowing and the arrival of chickens in the next couple weeks.

St Michael's Church at Brent Tor and the waterfall at Lydford Gorge

Gonna have to put my head down a bit for the next couple months as exams are looming but hopefully get to do more in the evenings. Hope all's good with you whatever you're up to!

Lauren X

Going back to Uni!

Hello lovelies!

If you are familiar with my blog you will know I've just returned after a 2 year break in blogging! During this time lots happened. I got out of my anxiety rut, got a full time job in retail, quit said job and am now a full time student!

The job was exactly what I needed at the time and really set me on my way but at the end of the day it was a minimum wage retail job with no prospects. I have A Levels but really felt that I needed to have some sort of qualification or training in order to escape going from dead end job to dead end job for the rest of my life.

Long story short, I am now studying at a local college for a Foundation Degree in Law with Business. The degree is awarded by Plymouth Uni but taught at one of it's partner colleges in their University Centre.

I can honestly say I think this is one of the best decisions I have ever made. My class is small and varied in age, lifestyle and other factors but we get along like a big family. The lecturers are amazing and although I have no comparison I think we really get to take full advantage of them in comparison with a traditional university set up. Even better is the fact that my fellow students aren't there simply for 'the university experience' or in other words, to live life as one big party. They actually want this and are juggling it with other responsibilities such as jobs, families, all sorts.

I don't really know what I aim to achieve with this post but I suppose it keeps you up to speed with what's been going on. Don't forget it's never too late to go after what you want in life!

Lauren X

I'm still here!

Hello Lovelies,

So the last time I posted on here was over two years ago now, I think that's defo what you'd call an extended break! Truth is, I don't really know what happened, I guess life just took over and the blogging world (reading and writing posts) took the brunt. The past few weeks I've started catching up with those of you I used to follow and WOW! Babies, marriages, career changes, you name it, it's happened!
So I hear you say, 'what've I been up to?'.....

Well I got my first 'proper job', passed my driving test, flew the nest for the first time (and consequently realised life is hard in the real world and returned 8 months later), and started uni! I also had my first 'proper relationship' come together and unfortunately fall apart, but hey, life goes on.

So at the moment I am in the midst of my summer holidays, I don't go back to studying until the 28th of September...safe to say it's been a long summer!

Lauren X

Hello Stranger...

Hello lovelies, 

I bet you thought I'd fallen off the face of the Earth hey? No such luck!

I know, I've been completely and utterly rubbish at updating my blog over the last few months but hope to be checking in a bit more often again from now on.

Since I last posted I've become an aunty for the first time!

She has been taking up a LOT of my time. I wouldn't change it for the world. 

Sadly it's not all good news. In June we had to say goodbye to Jasper after 11 years of love.

We miss him like crazy. When you've been used to having a dog sometimes all you want is a warm, furry hug to cheer you up. 

On a lighter note...

I've been enjoying summer and what a summer we've had in the UK. I don't remember so many days in a row where you could wake up and not have to wonder what the weather will turn out like. Normally if you want to wear sandals and a dress without drowning/having a gust of wind expose your knickers you have to be psychic. I've been told by several oldies of the infamous (to them) hot summer of '76. Hopefully we won't have to wait 37 years until the next! While I'm on the subject it wouldn't be very British of me not to moan about the weather too, because let's face it, whatever it does is never right for us...

and this year I wouldn't have minded a little more rain as I finally got an allotment after being on the waiting list for ages...

I was starting to think that you had to wait for one of the plot holders to be pushing up daisies before you got anywhere on the list. Turns out I wasn't far off but in this instance the council decided to rent half of another field to cope with demand for plots. Phew, no need to bump off an OAP!

Lauren X

I'm Back! Sunday Summary 7th April 2013

Hello Lovelies, 

I know, I know, long time no see but I'm back to blogging after a month-ish long break. I just felt like I'd hit a wall and then decided to leave it for a while and come back. I've still been reading all my favourite blogs though, so I think I'm up to date with what you ladies have been getting up to ;) 

While I was gone all this furore happened surrounding the end of Google Reader. Unless you've been under a rock I'm sure you'll have heard about it's demise on the 1st of July, so if you want to keep following me here are my links: 

Bloglovin

Twitter

Pinterest

It's such a pain that Google Reader's going because that's how I've always followed blogs until now. In the next couple days I'm going to make sure I follow everyone on Bloglovin so that I don't miss anything when the change happens!

Apart from that everything's pretty fine. Since I last posted: I've had four driving lessons and am absolutely loving it! Jasper's had us worried sick so we've had frequent trips to the vets but he seems to be picking up now thank goodness. My friend has had a beautiful little boy called Marcus and is moving to a village just down the road from me. 

Later in the month my niece is due to arrive, my mum turns sixty and I start an employment skills course. So it's fair to say that there's a lot going on. I like being busy :)

Well done if you've got to the end of this. I bought a few bits and pieces in Primark today so have a haul post of that coming up in the next couple of days, but for now I'll say goodnight because it's not actually sunday anymore but I'm still counting this as a Sunday Summary so shhhhh!

Lauren x

Sunday Summary - 17th Feb 2013 - Driving.

Hello lovelies, 

Just a quick one. It's been a while since my last SS but things are much the same, I hope that you're all well too! 

I've applied for my provisional license this week which means I now need to find a good instructor. I'm not really sure how to go about learning to drive. We've had a quote for how much it will cost to put me on my mum's insurance so I can practice with her, but obviously I'll need proper lessons too. I was thinking I would have a few until I get comfortable with the basics then just practice practice practice as much as poss with family and then pick the lessons back up to do a mix of both. I don't know really because I think it's one of those things you might have to just do to find out how it's going to go. I'd love to hear how you went about it? Comment me below! I'd love to be driving by the summer but maybe that's a bit ambitious?!

Lauren x

20 Random Facts About Me

Hello Lovelies, 

I realise this is a bit of an egotistical post but seeing as a lot of bloggers are doing them at the moment it seems I can get away with it. Besides, what's this blog about if not me? Here goes:

1. I've never been abroad.
2. I often eat cereal or toast in the evening. I'm a bit upside down like that.
3. Thinking too much is one of my biggest faults.

4. Sometimes I wish I had a job that required me to dress nicely so that I could justify buying more clothes like this: 

(Pictures courtesy of Pinterest)

5. I have no idea what I'm doing with my life. This scares the crap out of me.
6. I live in a rural village in a beautiful part of the country and don't think I could ever be a city girl.
7. I'm a hopeless romantic thanks to Richard Curtis films.

(Pictures courtesy of Google)

8. I'm a thrifty shopper and love getting bargains at car boot sales and charity shops.
9. I'm a bit slow with technology. Even installing Google Analytics proved a challenge for me.
10. Watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S will never get old for me. It's the TV version of comfort food.

11. I spend too much time on Pinterest.
12. I have a very sweet tooth coupled with a fear of the dentists. Great combo.
13. I like to grow veg and flowers but I hardly ever eat it (the veg obviously!).

(Things I've grown)

14. I always have cold hands.
15. I wish I had a bigger family. My sister's 16 years older so I grew up like an only child.
16. I'm an extremely fussy eater.
17. My dog cheers me up when I'm down. He's a sweetie.

(Jasper)

18. I really like learning new things, it gives me a sense of accomplishment. Life is one huge lesson.
19. However hard I try, I'm not a morning person and will bite your head off if you make noise around me during those first 10 minutes of the day.
20. I have a thing for quotes and am stockpiling them on one of my Pinterest boards.

So there you have it! I've seen so many of these going around at the moment and I've enjoyed reading them. It gives you a better idea of who the blogger is and I hope you liked it . 

Lauren x

Goodbye 2012 Hello 2013

Hello lovelies, 

So this is the last time you'll be hearing from me in 2012 and although nothing really changes in that tiny second it takes to go from one year to the next, I can't ignore the feeling of getting a fresh start and a renewed hope that better things are on the horizon. 

2012: A Recap

2012 is the year that... 'To be confirmed' or 'Pink for flamingos' was born. Whatever you call it, both are crap names and ultimately come from the fact that I couldn't think of anything better and didn't know what the blog would become. 'To be confirmed' reflects the fact that I can't make a decision to save my life. Regardless of the name, I love my little corner of the internet. Writing and reading blogs is my escape from real life, so thank you if you're a part of that.

2012 is the year that...I started to get better. Ok, so it's a long process, but I've felt that this year I have definitely made steps towards beating my anxiety problems and when I look back on this time last year I can see a huge difference. 

2012 is the year that...My oldest friend got pregnant. Shortly followed by my sister. I am so over the moon for both of them. Since my sister's nearly 40 I was wondering if I would ever become an aunty. We have a really small family and there hasn't been a baby born for over a decade. Next year I can look forward to spoiling both a boy and girl. 

2012 is the year that...I started volunteering for charity. It doesn't sound like the most earth shattering breakthrough, but I really really love the two mornings a week when I go in and help in the shop. I'd like to think that even when I become a 'proper grown up' I will still make the time to do something that can make a difference not only to someone/something else but also to me. 

2013: A Plan Que Sera, Sera

There are a thousand and one things that I would like to do/achieve never mind just in 2013, but in life in general. So much so that thinking about it actually scares me. I've come to the realisation over the past few years, during which I've been bogged down by anxiety, that I'm not one of those people for which it's useful to plan ahead. The thought of a one, five or even ten year plan is daunting to me. Resolutions are something I've been thinking about a lot lately. The problem is that sometimes when you make spectacular plans you're often setting yourself up for failure or at least this is how I feel. 

I think more than anything what I want from 2013 is just to be OK. 

Lauren x

Birthday Bits and Pieces 2012

Hello lovelies, 

Things have been a bit hectic around here and I just haven't got round to blogging this week. I have loads of posts in mind but my energy levels are at an all time low. As soon as I sit down in the evenings I tend to fall asleep and then don't get much further than checking my emails and Facebook. I'm trying to keep up with the blogs I follow, I love the fact that there are loads of Christmas posts around at the moment and lots of haulin' going on. 

Onto my birthday (thurs last week)..... I said I'd blog about what I got. I mostly just received money and vouchers which is great because I'd much rather be able to spend the money on something I want/need rather than have the elderly/male relations who gave them to me trying to choose something and getting it completely wrong. It keeps me happy and it keeps them happy! 

I also got a selection of little bits and bobs, some of which are below.

L-R: Pretty flowery cup, Hello Daughter card, my name in lights!, wax tin, snood, Paris box, hanging frame, tea lights.

 Cute little magnetic box with verbena soap. 

 Beautifully detialed cushion

The duvet cover half the blogosphere has!

I'm in the middle of redoing my bedroom at the moment; off white walls, white furniture, with french country/shabby chic style decor but without looking too fussy if you know what I mean. So far I've done the walls and made a start on painting the furniture but when I'm done these little things will add the finishing touches and go with the look of the room. I'll probably post on this when it happens!

There you go, nothing fancy, but all things I love and appreciate! 

Lauren x

What's Occuring? A Catch Up.

Hello lovelies, 

So as I haven't blogged for a week I thought I'd do a post with some random bits and bobs in it about my week and what I've been doing recently. Time seems to be flying, I can't believe it's already the 8th of December and I haven't got my decorations up or done my shoppoing yet - I wish I could say I'm an early bird but I'm not. I'd like to get it done by the 13th which is my birthday :) Hopefully I'll get that sorted in the next couple days. 

Here are a few pics from my week, I've just discovered pixlr.com, it's fab!

1. Giant fake tree at a local shop, so tall I couldn't get the top in the pic. 

2. I can't get enough of these M&S biscuits, they're so moreish!

3. Every year our village has a wreath making morning at the hall and this is the one we made this morning.

4. What I'm reading at the moment.

The best bit of my week was on Thursday when I went with my sister to her 20 week baby scan. I haven't stepped foot in a hospital for nearly 10 years because they really set off my anxiety and I get very panicky, I normally avoid them at all costs but this was something  I was adament I was going to do. I'm so so glad that I went with her because it was amazing. This is the one where they check to see if everything's formed properly and the sonographer spent a long time looking at different organs from all sorts of angles and explaining to us what she was looking for and what we were looking at. We got to see the heart (which they check for holes), kidneys, brain, etc. We even saw the lips because they check for signs of clefting. 

Towards the end of the session my sister was asked if she wanted to find out the sex. She's been back and forth on whether she wanted to know but finally decided that she would find out...

It's a girl!

I'm so excited for her arrival in April because it will be the first time I'm an aunty and we don't have any kids in our family yet :) 

On a completely unrelated note, I also wanted to share this that I came across on Pinterest because it's popped up in my head a lot since I saw it and it's really good advice to bear in mind if you're a bit of a worrier like me.

Hope you enjoy the weekend whatever you're up to and speak to you soon :)

Lauren x 

Sunday Summary 30/09/2012

Hello lovelies,

*Another week has flown by and we're creeping closer to Christmas. I like this time of year because although the days are getting shorter, there always seems to be a little something or other to look forward to what with Halloween, Bonfire night, and a couple family birthdays in between. This week I caught up with a friend who's having a baby and she's finding out the sex in two weeks, so that's also something exciting to look forward to :) 

Of course I also found some time for much needed shopping and got myself some bits and pieces from Primark once again. I'll do a haul post really soon of what I got. I think that'll be the last time I go shopping for a while now as I got a pretty hefty vets bill (I don't think there's such a thing as getting off lightly at the vets?). On the plus side Jasper is now set up for 3 months worth of arthritis tablets, so hopefully when it gets damper he won't feel it as much. He normally has a lumpy elbow and the anti-inflammatories have already bought it down, so that's money well spent.

I've had a bit of luck this week with my comping and received an awesome prize which I will share with you in the next few days. Aside from that I've got a few other posts in mind and obviously the haul I mentioned. I'm missing doing nail posts at the moment but I'm trying to leave them alone because I got a couple caught on a door and they're all split and horrible.  If you have any ideas of a specific post you would like to see then do let me know!

And as I never do a post without at least one pic, here's something I saw on Pinterest.

I normally hate pictures of babies I don't know (sorry,I just don't find them cute!), but this is a a rare exception. 

Lauren x


*Excuse my random ramblings

Sunday Summary 23/09/2012

Hola Amigos!

This week has gone really quickly for me and been rather good. I'm now having a lazy, PJ day. I spent most of yesterday standing in a field,  doing a car boot sale and I think that all the fresh air tired me out. Luckily the weather stayed good and we didn't leave it til today, because it's all cold and rainy here now.

What else? In addition to the Primark haul I showed you earlier in the week, I also finally bought myself some decent make up brushes. All I've seen is good praise for these, so hopefully they'll live up to expectations...I'll let you know. I didn't know brushes could be so exciting, but I was so pleased when they arrived!

In the spirit of my SS's being random (and because there's not  much else to say), here's a picture of one of the sunflowers I've grown this year....I'll be sad to see them go once winter properly arrives.

Lauren x

Sunday Summary 16/09/2012

Hello lovelies, 

So as I said last Sunday, I'm going to do a weekly type summary with any bits and bobs I have to say about my week...

Again, it's been fairly average (when you're not a student and you don't work life can be very boring!) but I did start volunteering at a charity shop this week. You won't know this, but it's kind of a big deal for me as I used to be pretty much agoraphobic and still get very anxious when doing new things. The people there are very nice and it's quite interesting to see what will come out of the bags of donations!

Fast forward to the weekend and I popped into town and bought a quilted jacket, I've been lusting after one for ages so will be sharing that with you this week. I've also got another blogger challenge coming up, I've found I quite like doing them :) I'm going to try and post more often because I do love blogging, I just don't always feel like I have anything interesting to say, we'll see anyway.

So it's a short but sweet Sunday Summary this week and because I hate posts without pictures here's something pretty from Pinterest. I'd love to have something like this in my garden one day.

Lauren x

Sunday Summary 09/09/2012

Hello lovely readers, 

So far I haven't really done any personal posts, as in all honesty my life isn't really very exciting, but I've decided to start doing a 'Sunday Summary' every week. It's where I'll post all the random bits and pieces that don't deserve a whole post of their own, but which I wanted to mention.

First up is a big thank you to every single one of you who read my blog regularly and have chosen to follow my ramblings. This week I have hit the fifty follower mark and I'm chuffed to bits that so many of you are listening :)

Secondly, I went on a very unsuccessful shopping trip on saturday, which is just as well as I have quite a few expenses coming up soon *yawn*. I did however pick up a few essentials. 

The brushes were another Ebay bargain which I'll do a post about in the week. I'm hoping to get a lot of use out of these. I picked up the nail varnish as I've been after a Union Jack blue for a while. This one's called 'Boom' and it goes really well with the owl top I blogged about here. 

Apart from this, I had a pretty uneventful week doing the usual stuff I do like walking Jasper and taking my nan food shopping. See, I told you my life was exciting! 

If that's not enough about me (which I'm sure it is!) you can follow me on Twitter @pink4flamingos. 

Lauren x

Dartmoor And A Camera Please?

Hello lovelies, 

A bit of a random post today and a question about cameras!

I've been out and about quite a lot this week but am rubbish at remembering to take pics. Poor Jasper has an ear infection at the moment so we've been avoiding his usual park where he's guaranteed to jump in the river. Instead we seized the opportunity to go to Dartmoor yesterday while the sun was out. 

This is a small part of the view from one of the tors we walked around. The fields look like patchwork and on a clear day you can see for miles. It was lovely and sunny and after the walk we went to a cafe in Widecombe ( a small Dartmoor village) and then looked around the touristy shops. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I could never get bored of the moors. 

As you can see the picture quality is not that great, and I'm convinced that it's not just my bad photography! My camera is an ancient Fuji Film Fine Pix A303, I've had it at least 3 years and it was someone else's before that. My good friend Google tells me that it came out a decade ago in 2002! 

So my point is, I need recommendations for a good, under £100 camera, preferably something I can buy with my Argos gift card. I know hardly anything about cameras (except for the fact that you should look for a high ISO and that megapixels don't necessarily mean quality), so any suggestions will be appreciated. 

Lauren x

The Liebster Award

What is the Liebster Award?
The Liebster Award recognises new and upcoming blogs that have less than 200 followers.

The Rules
1) Each person must list 11 things about themselves. 2) Answer the 11 questions that the tagger has set for you PLUS you MUST create 11 questions of your own for the 11 people you will nominate with this award. 3) Choose up to 11 bloggers linking them to your post. 4) Go to their page and inform them of the nomination. 5) Absolutely NO tags back. Remember to ONLY tag bloggers with less than 200 followers.

In the space of two days I've been nominated 3 times for the Liebster Award! This is such a compliment so thank you Emily, Alana and Laura! Unfortunately this post would get extremely long and boring if I answered all your questions so I'm just going to answer Laura's as she was first to nominate :)

11 Things About Me

1) I love Christmas

2) I have a sister who's 16 years older than me (beat that Laura!)

3) I spend way too much time online

4) I wish I could speak another language

5) I have no idea what I want to do in life 

6) Gardening is my guilty pleasure, I like the feeling of accomplishment when I've grown something

7) I live in Devon, the best county in England!

8) I'm quite thrifty but some would say I'm tight!

9) My family is really small, there aren't many of us :(
10) I spend ages entering competitions online

11) I am 21 again this year ;)

Laura's 11 Questions

1) Why did you start blogging?
I love reading blogs and have spare time so thought I'd just go for it!

2) Who's your celebrity crush?
I actually don't have one.. sorry to be boring.

3) If someone was going to make a film of your life, what actress would play you?
Emma Roberts or Leighton Meester.

4) Favourite make up brand?
How can you choose one?! Seems like I use a different one for everything. 


5) Favourite food?
Do sweets and chocolate count? I have such a sweet tooth and could live on dark choc digestives.

6) What's your signature style?
I don't think it has a name. I wear whatever takes my fancy, normally shorts in summer and tights, boots and dresses in winter. I'll only ever wear something if it's comfy.

7) Favourite memory?
The summer I finished sixth form. It was spent going to the beach, moors, swimming and BBQing and it never seemed to rain that year. After that everyone has gone their own ways and I've lost touch with quite a few people.

8) What's your dream holiday destination?

I've always wanted to go to America and maybe do route 66.

9) If you got stranded on a desert island, what 3 things would you take with you?
My dog, an axe, Bear Grylls. 

10) If you could be any animal what would it be?

A bird. They can travel quickly, see everything, and as an added bonus I could shit on people I didn't like!

11) Who's your favourite fictional character?
There're too many. Spike from Notting Hill and Smithy from Gavin and Stacey are two of my faves, and of course Bridget Jones. Funnily enough I seem to prefer TV and film characters rather than those in books.


That's me done. I'm nominating the following lovely people to recieve the award:
Katie from Beauty and the Bitch
Emily from Emily Likes Make Up
Zoe from zoeliannex

Questions for them:

1) What's your dream job?
2) Do you have any guilty pleasures?
3) If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
4) What's the best present you've ever been given?
5) How old is your blog?
6) What's your favourite shop?
7) Do you have any pets?
8) What was the last thing you bought?
9) Favourite time of year and why?
10) Where would you like to go on your next holiday?
11) Name three things you couldn't live without.

Phew, that was a long post!

Lauren x