Wonderful Things: Afternoon Tea, Busted Concert and more!

I was treated to an afternoon tea for two gift experience for Christmas which was super lovely and as I am a big foodie and a big tea and coffee drinker I was super excited to get it booked up. I went with a friend and we had the most amazing afternoon tea; with soup, hot crumpets, finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam and of-course lots of teeny tiny delicious sweet treats and hot beverages. Anyone that knows me well knows that anything ditsy and floral print is right up my street and the decor inside was just beautiful. It was such a lovely day, I would definitely recommend Jelly Pickle Jam if you are local to Evesham or are visiting.

I really like Yankee as a brand, but I just buy their sampler votive candles these days as it gives you a chance to see if you like the scent for just £2, rather than investing in a jar costing around £18. If I'm honest I've found that some Yankee scents aren't very strong and have been a bit of a let down, but not this one! Macaron Treats smells gorgeous and brightens my mood when its burning; it reminds me of times from when I was young - its just a lovely, sweet scent.

I love having false nails on my nails, it is probably one of favourite 'pamper me' type things to do. I've never been very good at growing my own nails, and after using false nails so much in the past, my nails are really weak and tend to break. I have given false nails a rest for a while so I can look after my own nails a little bit better. I was challenged recently to try the Renunail 3 Step Kit* out to see if my nails would strengthen in four Weeks. Included is their original Nail Strengthener, Nourishing Oil and their Nail Strengthener in pink. I've been using this kit for probably over five Weeks now, and I've noticed such a difference. You simply apply the Nail Strengthener every day for one Week, remove on the seventh day and then continue this pattern for the next three Weeks. Alhough my nails haven't grown all that much, they haven't broke and they do feel stronger and look in much better condition than before. I will be purchasing these products once they've run out as they have worked really well for me, so these have definitely been wonderful products for me this Month.

I am big Busted fan (13 year old Zoe was completely obsessed with them back in the day) and having seen them for the first time in over ten years last year on their comeback tour, of-course I had to buy tickets to the latest tour too. They were brilliant as always; we were standing this time and I always think its a much better atmosphere compared to seating. I think Busted will always have a big piece of my heart, regardless of what anyone else thinks, their music really makes me happy and reminds me of being young. I didn't take any photos while I was there, I try to enjoy the moment when I go to concerts (plus being a tiny 5'1 I can't really take any decent photos as I cant see the stage too much!) so here's a selfie of me wearing last Years tour t-shirt.

Soap and Glory #Mistletoepout

Anyone that knows me or has been reading my blog for a long time knows that my favourite body care brand is Soap and Glory. I love their products and they are that one brand that I will forever repurchase from.

The Glory Girls are Soap and Glorys top team that have been touring the country to bring all things Soap and Glory to beauty fans across the UK. When I heard The Glory Girls were heading to the Birmingham area, I knew I had to pop down and see what was going on.

The Glory Girls were offering mini make-overs, discount and free products, they were lovely too and a lot of fun. I loved my mini Soap and Glory makeover, I opted for a pink blush and nude lip with a natural eye. I loved the look that one of the girls had created, it was really simple and very me. It was great to try out some of the Soap and Glory make-up line; I have tried quite a few of their cosmetics before, and this makeover has made me want to buy more! There was also a chance to receive a free travel size body product if you shared a picture on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #Mistletoepout... how cool is that!?
The Glory Girls were also giving out 20% discount vouchers on the day, so I went and purchased the nude lip from the makeover; Sexy Mother Pucker Matte Powder Coat in Super nude. I love it!

The girls are next in Nottingham, so if you are local, I would recommend going over and having a makeover.

West Midlands Blogger Meet September 2015

Photo belongs to Adele 

Last Saturday I headed into Birmingham to attend the West Midlands Blogger Meet, arranged by the lovely hosts Adele and Kirsty. I was really looking forward to the meet as I knew how much hard work the girls had put into organising it all, but I was a little nervous going alone and not really knowing anyone there. Rest assured - everyone was lovely! The event was held at the Rainbow Pub in Digbeth, Birmingham. It was a great venue and I will definitely be heading there again; I loved the decor and the vibe of the place.
The meet was great! The girls thought of everything.

The brilliant Elizabeth from Rosalilium gave a speech about Pinterest which was really helpful and informative. Lovely blogger Chelsea also gave a talk about bloggers and brands working together and gave us some great tips too.
The girls had organised for some great brand reps to be at the meet up, who were sharing their products and it was really nice to talk to them and really get a feel of the brands and what they do. Brands that were at the event included Early Bird, Get You Seen PR and Skin Sincere.
As well as the brands, there was also a lady at the event representing the charity Coppafeel - a cause which is close to my heart. I would like to talk about it on my blog in the future in some way, so watch this space.
There was also a raffle to raise money for Mind (another amazing charity!) which was great and I was lucky enough to win a prize - a lovely gift set from Nourish. There was also a quiz questionnaire and the classic 'guess how many' in a jar - so lots of fun to get involved with.

We were able to munch on lots of tasty treats and drinks while we were at the event too and we were very well looked after. We were all lucky enough to receive a very generous goody bag too when we left - thank you to all of the brands involved; I am super appreciative and cant wait to start trying all of the lovely items! I am hoping to get some posts up on the blog of the lovely bits we were gifted soon.

A huge thank you to Kirsty and Adele for the fantastic afternoon you organised! It was a lot of fun and I can't wait for the next one!

My New Best Trend Autumn/Winter Fashion Event at Intu Merry Hill

Last Weekend saw the My New Best Trend Autumn/Winter Fashion Event at Intu Merry Hill, located in the West Midlands. 

There was a lot going on over the weekend, including fashion shows which showcased the key fashion trends this Season. There was a lot of bold and statement pieces. The key styles this Season are; Bauhaus Expression, Dark Street, Folkloric, Historical Adornment and London Haze - these are definite themes to include in your Autumn/Winter wardrobe! I absolutely loved the fashion shows - the models danced across the runway, it was very creative and like nothing I had seen before. I went along to watch some of the fashion shows on the Saturday, where I watched the shows which were taking place in three different places in the shopping centre. I thought this was a great idea, as you could stop and watch as you were shopping around the centre. I was so into watching the shows I only snapped a few pictures of one of the shows, but I really wish I had of filmed them because they were a really fun way to showcase some of the Autumn/Winter collections from the big brand stores.
As well as the fashion shows, there was also a pod where you could design your very own fashion tote bag and get your creative juices flowing. I had a lot of fun and whats better still than exclusive discount over the weekend in lots of stores across the centre! It was definitely the right time to start purchasing some fashion pieces for the upcoming Season, and maybe even buy a few Christmas presents too! Some of the stores which offered great discounts were Blue Inc, Ann Summers, Oasis, Jacamo, Quiz, Simply Be, Toni & Guy, as well as many more!

A Visit to The Hair Surgery, Wollaston, West Midlands

Place: The Hair Surgery, Wollaston/Stourbridge, West Midlands
Photography: C/O Tim-Scott Wright's website
Words: Myself

Last weekend I headed to The Hair Surgery; Tim Scott - Wright's hair salon, which is located in Wollaston, Stourbridge, in the West Midlands, for a cut and blow-dry.

On arrival, I met Andreas; the Salon Manager, who greeted me with a huge smile. Andreas, Tim and the team were all friendly and lovely to talk to, as well as being very attentive and thoughtful. The staff really are a credit to The Hair Surgery, because they give excellent customer service. 

The hair surgery has beautiful interior decor; being very modern and monochrome, it really is stunning. What stands out for me is the beautiful 'waiting lounge' as I would describe it, which is an area in the Hair Surgery with a comfy seating area, a table covered in magazines, a beauty corner where you can paint your nails while you wait, and also a self serve unit where you can help yourself to drink and nibbles - how thoughtful is that?!
It really is stunning - I would definitely recommend visiting if you live in the Midlands, as, as well as the fantastic customer service, the attention to detail throughout the entire salon's decor and layout is so on - key, it looks luxurious and is definitely perfect for a pamper.

The stylist who styled and cut my hair, Abbie, was really lovely. I explained to her the kind of cut I wanted and how I felt my hair was quite limp and lifeless at the length it was at the time. She gave me plenty of tips and tricks on how to get more volume in my hair with blow-drying, and also explained to me as she styled my hair how the products she was using helped to give the hair a lift and create a lot more volume. Since visiting The Hair Surgery for my cut and blow-dry, I have been putting into practice the tips I was given at the Salon and I am really impressed - I can finally create a look at home which gives my hair much more volume - something I have struggled to achieve in the past.

I loved the cut that I had at The Hair Surgery. I love the volume and curls that the stylist created on my hair. I must also point out that the day I had my hair cut was a day that the weather took a turn for the worst with torrential rain - and my new hair do survived it!




Thank you to Andreas and Tim for the opportunity to visit the Salon for an experience day!

Catch a Drive in Movie at Intu Merry Hill!

Hi everyone! 

This is just a heads up for any locals to Birmingham/West Midlands area that Merry Hill will be hosting another one of their popular drive in movies! This time it is Pretty Woman - a classic I think we can all agree. It will be taking place on Friday 6th June and all proceeds will be going to charity 'Help Harry Help Others'. 

Movie goers will be gifted free popcorn and the chance to win some great prizes!

Ticket programmes are available from the Concierge at Merry Hill.

The screening will take place in the car park opposite Debenhams. Gates will open at 7pm. The screening will start at 9:45pm and will run until 11:30pm. Free popcorn will be available upon arrival.