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

The Christmas Post 2012

Hello lovelies, 

I haven't really taken the pictures I wanted, but I feel like I need to do a Christmas post today to get it out of the way by next year. I love Christmas but I feel a bit conflicted when you say goodbye to one year and hello to another with the decorations still up and Christmas hanging around, so likewise I didn't want to be blogging about Xmas when we're in 2013. 

L-R: Fingerless gloves, Revlon mirror, Next baubles, Lush Hello Gorgeous set, bamboo socks, balls again, what I'm reading, pressies. 

Here's a snapshot of what I got for Xmas. Like my birthday I mostly had money which I have many plans for already, but I also got the odd few bits above. 

Lauren x

Daxon Blogger Opportunity!

Just a post about this blogger opportunity that I read about earlier over on Sophie's blog (which I love btw!). Daxon are giving bloggers the chance to join their network and in return receive a £50 Amazon or Threadless voucher!

A bit about Daxon taken from their website: 

"We are part of Redcats, which is the 3rd largest home shopping organisation in the world. We specialise in top quality clothing, for all occasions, to give you effortless style. We aim to find the perfect fit for you. We don’t believe in compromise when it comes to fashion! "

Click on this link for more info.

If you're interested then you'll need to be quick as it finishes tomorrow.

Lauren x 

Merry Christmas To All And To All A Good Night...

Evening lovelies, 

Just a quickie to say Merry Christmas and all that, even though it's a bit late. Hope it's been a good day. It was a quiet one for me as our family didn't all get together this year and even when we do there still aren't that many of us to be honest. I've been dipping in and out of t'internet all day and love seeing people's Crimbo pics of silly but adorable jumpers and an abundance of pets wearing tinsel, etc :) I'm ending the day watching some TV taped from earlier (OMG at Dowton!) and then tomorrow I'm off to the sales which is either mad or genius, can't decide.

Merry Christmas! 

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

Xmas Party Outfit Blogger Comp with FashionVouchers.com

Hello lovelies, 

FashionVouchers.com are hosting another competition for the chance to win £100 of vouchers. All you have to do is choose one of their retailers and put together a Xmas party outfit for £100 or less. 

I chose New Look because they've got some excellent reductions on their party wear and there's a great range. This outfit comes to just under £97!

L-R: Black Top £12, Faux Fur Jacket £34.99, Black Courts £19.99, Sequin Skirt £10, Silver Beaded Clutch £19.99. 

I have a major obsession with sequins at the moment, particularly sequinned skirts. The colour makes this one perfect for the festive season. I think the black top looks quite sophisticated due to the lace insert and sheer sleeves. Don't even get me started on the fur jacket, I would love to own one, it's gorgeous. I finished the outfit off with a pair of classic black courts that you really can't go wrong with and a sparkly art deco style clutch. What do you think?

If you fancy doing this challenge too you can find the details via this link. You'll have to be fast though as tomorrow is the closing date!

Lauren x

Soap and Glory: The Best of All Gift Set @ Boots

Hello lovelies, 

This is just a quick post to show you what I got today. When I say I got this today what I really mean is that I got my mum to buy it for me for Xmas and I had a quick look at it before she took it away  from me again! There's been a lot of hype around this set and it's sold out online already., For those of you who don't know, it's Boots Star Gift this week which means it's £27 instead of £60. I've never tried any Soap and Glory before (I know, I'm years behind) but this was the perfect opportunity and I can't wait to get it back and try everything out.

So anyway, as I haven't tried any of it yet I can't tell you what it's like or anything, but I wanted to tell you about the vouchers inside. I was really surprised to find that you get nearly 10 different vouchers to use during the first 3 months of 2013. Some are money off and the majority are extra advantage card points when you spend on certain things such as 'facial skincare' or 'indulgent bathing'. These will be so tempting and will give me the excuse to try even more of the range. 

First impressions are that it's a really really good offer. You get a lot of product for your money. Even if you bought the products individually on the 3 for 2 offer at the moment you'd still be spending way more. It works out £3 per item not including the bag so would even be good for splitting up for birthdays or Christmas. 

Before you ask, I don't work for Boots. I just think it's a great offer and am happy that I'm getting it :)

Thank you by the way for the birthday messages I received yesterday, I had a lovely day and will be doing a post with presents etc tomorrow hopefully. 

Lauren x 

P.S. Sorry about the rubbish picture quality, they're a combination of poor lighting and an even poorer photographer.

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 

Review: 17 Photo Flawless Primer

Like many bloggers, I got the Porefessional sample free with Glamour mag earlier this year. I really really liked it and realised how much difference a primer can make to your overall make up. No matter how good it is I really couldn't afford to purchase the full size so I settled for this much cheaper alternative. 

The primer costs just £4.99 and as you know with Boots the make up is often on offer (I bought it as part of a buy one get one half price offer). At the moment if you spend £5.99 on 17 you get a free smokey eye palette. 

The primer itself looks like silicone but feels really silky and is so so soft. It blends onto your skin to make what feels like a protective layer and definitely makes a better base for make up. I'd also agree with the claim that it minimises pores, I presume it stops your make up clogging them up too. It does come in quite a small tube but I think considering the price it's still great value for money and a little of this goes a long way. This is something I'd definitely repurchase.

Do you use primer? Which brand do you prefer?

Lauren x 

Recent Primark Jumper Buys December 2012

Hello Lovelies, 

So you couldn't have missed the flooding that was going on in the UK last week, but did you feel the sudden cold snap that came after? Or was that just down south? Anyway, I've been thinking for a while that I need more jumpers so I made the trip to my local Primark hoping I would find something warm and cheap to buy. 

I think I must have been in the right place at the right time because they had a sale rail where I picked up these two:

This one was £16 down to £7! It's not the colours I would normally go for but I think it looks quite good on and it's a great fit. It even goes with the nail varnish I had on at the time. 

This one was £5 down from £12 and is really comfy to wear. My mum says it looks like a navajo type pattern?!

Last but not least I picked up this cropped sweater which was £6. I really like the elbow patches and the cropped sweaters like this are a good length to go well with my skater skirts. 

I also picked up this Boughs of Holly candle for £1, I have a few of these little candle jars now, they're good.

So that was my budget Primark shop. Have you picked up anything good in there recently?

Lauren x