Film Friday #1: Holga 135 Camera.

Last week I discovered a whole bunch of negatives that I had forgotten about (I really need to get better at organising!) so I've started scanning them in and although it feels a little silly sharing pictures of snow when it's almost June, the weather in the UK is pretty terrible at the moment and there's a cracking picture of me wearing jeans that are too short here! Feel free to laugh ;)

I love working with film, it has a certain element of magic that digital can never quite capture. There's always that excitement when you process a film, looking forward to seeing what you've captured and reliving the day all over again. These are just a few fun snaps, nothing too serious (because who likes being serious all the time anyway!) that I thought I would share! ♥ 

Hello jeans that are too short! ;)

Please excuse the dust & scratches. These were all taken using a Holga 135 camera, my boyfriend and I both have one & I think they're really lovely little cameras. One of ours has a slight light leak that gives a beautiful rainbow effect on some pictures, which I absolutely love & I highly recommend them! They're small and light - the perfect camera to have a little bit of fun with!

Growing up on the south coast of England I never really saw much snow, these pictures were taken in the middle of winter in the Derbyshire Dales and the snow in some places was up to my knees! The drive back home was a little terrifying in places (total understatement) but thankfully we didn't get stuck. A quick stop off in a local cafe for a hot chocolate with extra cream was very much needed afterwards to warm up again! Seeing these photographs has brought back so many happy memories from this day
  

Do you like to use film cameras or do you prefer digital?
xoxo

5 Years Together!

They say that the best things in life come to you when you're least expecting them. I had just turned 19, I was applying to Universities and having a little panic about where my life was going and this guy comes into my life and teaches me how to be a little more laid back and to always follow what my heart is telling me to do. We met for the first time five years ago today and even though we've had our ups and downs, like any other couple, I wouldn't ever change a single thing.

Taken on May 29th 2008

A few silly things she likes about him

• He is one of the most patient people I have ever met and politely talks me out of a lot of the crazy d.i.y ideas I want to do to the house that I see on Pinterest. Our home would quite literally look like Pinterest had thrown up all over it if he didn't! (She's right, it would! - Mark.)
• He makes a very particular face when I leave crumbs all over the kitchen. (Well, you never tidy them up! - Mark.) (I would eventually! ;) - Jennie xo)
• He is always there for everyone, no questions asked, no matter what. 
• He always starts eating crisps or another noisy food at the most important/best/most emotional part of the film - every time! We can't watch Titanic together because of that, oh and he laughs whenever I cry during a film and makes me cry-laugh while telling him to stop it! I know he does it on purpose. (She's right, I do! - Mark.)

A few silly things he likes about her:

• She says meow a lot when talking to me, sometimes she even accidentally says it to other people before turning red when she realises what she's said. We don't even remember why we started doing it, or why it's so funny but it is!
• She can never eat a kit-kat properly and ends up making a mess. (I'm sure there's some kind of unwritten rule that you have to bite all the chocolate off from around the outside first before eating the middle, right?! - Jennie xo) (Only messy people think that ;) - Mark.)
• She is creative, articulate and a little shy in social situations. 
• She does silly dances that always make me laugh and sometimes the neighbours can see but she doesn't care!  

Thank you for the most amazing 5 years, I love you! 

♥ 

xoxo

The Search for the Perfect Small Bag!

Who would have thought the search for the perfect small bag would take so long? Turns out, if you tend to be a little picky, it's pretty much impossible to find. If I could afford the price tag of a wallet on chain from Chanel I'd be handing over my card in less than a second and I'd deal with the impracticalities that such a tiny bag can bring later. But since the price of one of those is pretty much equivalent to 5 months mortgage payments and I'd rather have a house than a nice bag, they're a little out of my reach at the moment.

All in all, I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking for, do I want something super small that can only fit my cards, my keys & a lipgloss or do I want something a little more substantial that I might be able to squeeze my little point & shoot camera in to aswell? Or do I say sod it & get one of each? Because, you know, a girl needs options, right?

1. Mexx Buckle Bag. 2. Mango Cutwork Clutch. 3. Topshop Colour Block Clean Clutch. 4. ASOS Bow Across Body Bag. 5. eBay Celebrity Style Motorcycle Clutch. 6. Oasis Across Body Bag. 7. Vivienne Westwood Across Body Bag.

I am so close to hitting the buy it now button on eBay for this Celebrity Style Motorcycle Clutch, in fact by the time I hit publish on this post I probably will have caved. I almost didn't click on it because I like bags to have straps, but the fact it comes with one has pretty much sold me. It's kind of like the Moschino owl shoulder bag I almost bought but with a longer strap and more room! And for under £20 even if the quality isn't amazing I don't think I can complain too much!

The question is though, do I now need something slightly bigger, just in case I need to carry a few more things with me? I love the Vivienne Westwood but it's a little out of my price range & the ASOS bow across body bag is cute, but perhaps a little too plain? The Topshop clean clutch is probably a little too fancy for me, it would be cute for date night drinks but perhaps not so much for a quick dash around Sainsburys and the Mango cutwork clutch is beautiful but I'm not really sure how I would style it. See, I told you I was picky!

The Mexx buckle bag is such a beautiful colour & although it's not as small as I was looking for, I think it would be really practical. I also love the Oasis across body bag, the cute chain straps get me every time and I really like that it looks slouchy and casual but still cute.

Have you found your perfect small summer bag yet? 

xoxo

Hello Mister Blue Sky!

I hope the sun is shining for you on this beautiful bank holiday Monday! 

xoxo

Tag: Colours of the Rainbow!

This is one of the cutest tags I've seen in a really long time, if you haven't seen it (but I'm sure you have!) then you take all the colours of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, blue, green, indigo & violet) plus pink and multi-coloured and talk about your favourite beauty or fashion item that fits with those colours. I'm going to preface this with the fact that I've used some of these colours very loosely, I wanted to stick with a beauty theme & finding indigo and multi-coloured products in my collection is pretty impossible as I've discovered! Anyway, lets get started!

Red. 

I had to pick a lip product for this one and my current favourite is the L'Oreal Glam Shine Stain Splash in Juliet. It's the perfect, wearable red colour because you can apply a light layer with your finger for a slight tint of colour or you can apply a few layers to get a really intense pop of colour. It's beautiful & it smells like cherry sweeties - yummy!

Orange.

If you're looking for a face mask that will really help to improve the overall look of your skin then the Ren Glycolactic Mask♦ is the one for you! There's no denying it's on the pricey side and I usually stick to more affordable masks but this one really works and believe me, I was skeptical! I use this about once a week usually in the evening, when I wash it off my skin feels instantly baby soft and for the next few days it looks more radiant and even. An investment product but completely worth it!

Yellow.

This is where my use of colours starts to get a little vague, this is the L'Occitane Vanille & Narcisse fragrance♦ from the new La Collection de Grasse range and it's sort of yellow in colour...sort of. This is very different to the fragrances I usually go for (floral, light & girly) and it's making a nice change. The base notes of vanilla really come through when the scent settles on the skin and it has the right amount of depth that makes it perfect to wear in the evenings.

Green.

Another L'Occitane favourite is the Angelica Instant Hydration Mask, this is my third tube and it's incredible. When my skin needs an instant hydration boost I reach for this, leave it on for 10 minutes and when I rinse it off my skin feels more comfortable and moisturised. This is a real staple in my skin care collection.

Blue.

I think I have finally found a BB cream that matches my skin! This was in the package of goodies that the guys over at Touch In Sol sent me and it's shown me that Western highstreet BB Creams just don't compare. This Pure Dew Water Drop BB Cream♦ gives really great coverage without feeling heavy at all, I need to try it out for a little longer but so far, so good!

Indigo.
So, this isn't really indigo, it's pretty much just purple but I couldn't find anything else. Stella by Stella McCartney is my all time favourite fragrance, it's a real classic and I really hope they never stop making this because I think I may cry! 

Violet.

This isn't technically really violet either, but just go with me on this one! I adore anything almond scented and this is the second bottle of the Organic Surge Sugared Almond Shower Gel I've gone through, I love it that much. It leaves my skin feeling soft and hydrated, which I love and Organic Surge is one of my favourite natural skin care brands. 

Pink.
For pink I had to mention my all time favourite pink blush, the Dior Rosy Glow. I mean, just look at it, it's stunning from the colour to the packaging. I try to use this sparingly even though I've never even hit pan on a blush before, but I don't have a lot of super high end make up so it only feels right this is saved for special occasions. I know, I'm a bit protective over my things - hello only child syndrome! ;)

Multi-Coloured.
Trying to stick to a beauty theme with this tag is super difficult when it comes to trying to find a multi-coloured product and this was the closest I could find. The Collection Shimmer Shades in Blushalicious has 4 shades, a light pink, a dark pink, a peach and an orange/coral that can be used individually or mixed together to create the perfect peachy pink. I absolutely love this blush and it's so affordable!

So that was the colours of the rainbow tag - I tag you! 

xoxo

Blogging: PR samples, advertising, constructive criticism etc.

This platform in many ways is almost unrecognisable even just from a few years ago and I have no doubt that it will continue to grow and evolve over the coming years. It's inevitable and also important because it's what keeps blogging so engaging and unique. I still remember signing up to blogger in late 2009 and being so excited to join the blogging community that had captured my attention for so long. It was undoubtedly one of the best things I've ever done, it came along at a time in my life when I really needed it, you know? And I feel so incredibly proud of what this little space has become. It wasn't about page views, seo or the number of comments each post got and I try not to let myself think about those things all that much now because that's not the most important part of this.

I never in a million years expected 100 people to subscribe to my ramblings, let alone the numbers that have now but I'm so so happy that you're coming along for the journey, it means the world! A few weeks back on my birthday my twitter notifications were going crazy and I had so many emails wishing me well and I could not remove the smile from my face for the whole day. I used to say that I could count the number of friends I had on one hand but I don't think that way any more, because I feel like you're all my friends now. Come on, group hug!

Constructive Criticism.
I want you to feel able to give me constructive criticism without automatically being handed a 'hater' name badge. Of course I don't want you to be mean, that's just not nice, but I'm not perfect, I'm not always right and I think constructive criticism is an important part of learning and growing. It's like when you have that one teacher at school who constantly pushes and challenges you, although it feels a little bit annoying for lack of a better word at the time, when you finally get that amazing grade it all makes sense; it's because they see something good in you, they understand your full potential and they want the best for you. Sure, it's nice to receive compliments but I don't need or want you to fall over yourself to say something nice just because you think you should, you know? I love the interaction with you, I love clicking through to your blogs and commenting. I like hearing your recommendations, learning more about you and sometimes it's nice to just to have a chat! I always keep the option of commenting anonymously open on every post, I do have my comments on moderation but that's just so I can catch all the spam which has got SO bad over recent months and the only time I'll ever delete a comment is if it's spam or if it's just plain offensive.

PR Samples.
PR samples seem to be at the centre of a constant debate and I can completely see why. There's someone I vaguely know who has recently started a blog with the sole purpose of receiving PR samples and the worst part is, it's working! I remember she quizzed me about 6 months ago via facebook (the source of evil ;)) about blogging and seemed very interested at the prospect of 'freebies' as she referred to them as. It's annoying but so completely obvious that others are beginning to cotton on to it I think. And that's an important point. Don't blog for samples, I can't imagine it would be fun for very long, you have to really love something to keep investing so much time into it.

With that being said I am lucky enough to receive PR samples occasionally, I will always be honest with you about that because a certain amount of responsibility comes with receiving products and I make a very conscious effort to mix them in with other content. I don't accept things that aren't 'me', if I start talking about bright green lipsticks or mini skirts you can definitely tell me to stop being so silly! I never hide anything, I always tell you the truth and I hope that in return you'll trust my thoughts and reviews even if I didn't pay for a particular product. I don't ever want you to waste your money on something that's completely pants, if I like something I'll tell you and if I don't I'll tell you why.

Adverts.
Another source of debate I often see discussed on Twitter are adverts. I'm a part of Glam and I thought for a really long time about whether to join, even making an extensive list of the pros and the cons. I specifically chose Glam because I think their ads fit with blogs really well, they're as streamlined as possible and I hope you don't mind them too much. Top tip - If you really hate adverts in general online, install ad-block.

Content.
I completely understand that not everyone will like everything I post about, but I hope you don't mind the more varied content. I needed to switch things up a little bit otherwise I think I would have fallen out of love with blogging completely. It's no fun to feel like you have to write a post that your heart just isn't in, that's when it starts to feel like a chore and not something I do because I love it. I also hope you don't mind these little rambles, thank you so much for continuing to read and leave comments - it makes me feel like I'm not talking to myself, although I totally do that too sometimes!

I'm going to leave you with one question - if you could tell me one thing, what would it be? It could be a general comment, letting me know what you want to see more of, what you don't like, a piece of advice or anything you want! You can answer in a comment below or you can click here or fill in the little embedded form and tell me anonymously/privately.

I hope you're having a lovely Thursday so far! 

Thank you for reading!

xoxo 

Review: Touch In Sol Perfect Complexion Lip Tint in Crystal Cherry.

Touch In Sol Perfect Complexion Lip Tint in Crystal Cherry♦ (£7.00)

Low maintenance lip products are my go-to at the moment, I'm loving sheer tints of colour in long lasting formulas. The Touch in Sol Perfect Complexion Lip Tint in Crystal Cherry is perfect for helping to achieve that barely there make up look and it very much reminds me of Benefit Benetint but with a nicer, easier to apply formulation - it's more affordable too! 

The liquid gel tint glides over the lips leaving the perfect amount of colour without settling into any dry areas. It doesn't dry instantly so you have a little bit of time to work with it to get an even colour over your lips and it has a slight cherry scent, which I think is nice. Most importantly, it lasts really well. It's not one of those products I can apply in the morning and the colour will still be somewhat visible in the evening, but it lasts a good few hours and through copious cups of tea before I have to reapply. I haven't tried it on my cheeks yet because I'm not really a fan of liquid blushes but it has definitely become a favourite lip product.

Touch In Sol is a brand that until very recently I hadn't heard of before. They sent me a little box of goodies, I've been trying them out and overall I'm very impressed. There are a couple I'm not crazy about which I will review very soon (because I think it's as helpful to explain why I don't like something as it is to explain why I do) and there are some, like this lip tint, that have become staples in my collection.

Have you ever tried anything from this brand before? 

xoxo

May 2013 Pooch Pack by Mister Bailey!

"Yesterday was the best day ever! The postman brought a big cardboard box from Pooch Pack♦ and it was addressed to me - I felt a little bit bad for barking at him so much after that but I think he forgives me because I'm so handsome.

The humans helped me open it because sellotape is hard to get through when you haven't got thumbs and when the lid was opened I knew it was going to be the best day ever. Inside were lots of toys and treats, two of my most favourite things in the entire world!

I have sampled all of the treats and they're all so good. I wasn't sure about the Dr Chew Sweet Potato Chews at first but once I tried them I loved them. I think Alpha & Ruby's Dog Bakery is the best company ever and I have instructed the humans to buy more of these chicken treats immediately.  I don't have dry dog food (I refuse to eat it) but the humans put some of the Barker's Brew into my water and it was all beefy and amazing!

Toys are my most favourite things ever, I have a lot but as I always say, a dog can never have too many so when I saw toys in the box I went straight for them. I love to play tug of war and I've figured that if I want to make the humans let go (I'm better at this game than they are) then I just need to nibble the ends of their fingers. That's hard to do with this Bumi toy but that's okay because it's so much fun. I haven't let this out of my sight since yesterday morning.

The last thing in the box was Homer the Hedgehog. Soft toys are my favourite, not because they're cuddly but because I like to try and rip them apart, SO much fun! I haven't managed to do that to Homer yet but he does have a really loud squeak which I think is amazing and I love to squeak it over and over again, usually when the humans are on the telephone or trying to watch the news!

To be honest I would have been happy with just an empty cardboard box, that's a toy in itself. You can make SO much mess shredding it all and carrying it around everywhere. It's fun to jump on the humans when they try and pick it all up! 

Thank you so much Pooch Pack for making yesterday the best ever. I love my new toys soooooo much! Jennie had told me to tell you that you can find all the information about the price of these boxes on the Pooch Pack website here. I really recommend them to every single dog in the whole world, they're the best ever!"

Right, I think that's all. I'm off to try and rip Homer the Hedgehog apart again and maybe see if there are any more of those chicken treats around!
See you soon!

Love, Mister Bailey!

xoxo