Etsy!

You may have seen the Etsy tab in the top left corner of my blog, well it is finally going to be put to use...SOON! I am just testing the water as I had an idea that I have been testing for a while and I wanted to see what people thought about it.

So, onto what I have been busy making... Its plant hangers! 
I am obsessed with little (and big, I don't discriminate) plants and cacti but I was running out of room to put them. I searched the internet and found some macramé hangers but they where like £18! I decided that it was waaaay to much for some knotted string (although still beautiful!) and I wanted something more simplistic anyway. So this is what I came up with!

Make sure you check out my Hexagon Shelves post here.

I based the colour scheme on peony season. I just created a little mood board, bought the supplies I needed and hey presto! Overall, I am super happy with them. I didn't want to make the hangers all look the same so every hanger has a different marbled effect, thickness and texture which makes them super unique! 

I have only made a few so far, like I said, I just want to see what people think about them. I'll write another post when I put them up on my Etsy page, but for now let me know what you think!

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2 Uses For Old Magazines.

I have so many old Elle and Vogue magazines hanging around my room but I just cant seem to throw them away. Its like I have some sort of attachment to them. So I use them for other things instead mwhaha (I am basically just a hoarder really). Here's what I use 'em for.

Stack stack stack em!

Stacking magazines and using them as a mini table is the easiest way to keep them! I currently have 2 stacks in my room, one in which I use as a bedside table and the other holds a few planty bits. I also used to keep my record player on a pile of them but that was getting a bit risky.

Pin them up!

I am going back to the days when peoples bedrooms used to be filled with Top Of The Pops (and Tracey Beaker in my case haha) magazine rip outs. Nowadays people are doing the 'magazine pages on the wall' thing a lot nicer... with a bit of washi tape here and there and some little trinkets to hang with them, like old train tickets or post cards. I've even seen someone make a boarder around their bedroom wall with magazine pages, it actually looked pretty good!

To be honest, I think I like to keep my old mags to look back at. I am obsessed with old & new fashion trends at the mo. I just like to flick through and see what was on trend compared to now.

Do you hoard your old mags? 

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3...Songs.

Sorry about the lack of posts recently :( I went to my mums last week, had to work over the weekend then on Monday I fell ill and didn't have the energy to do anything. But I am feeling better today so I wanted to get back into the swing of things with a music kinda post. I am not the biggest music nerd but I do love to listen to the radio, old vinyl's and hunt for new music.  

The 1975 - The Sound

I've loved The 1975 for a good few years now. All of their songs, old and new, massively remind me of college days! I don't think I've ever disliked any of their music, its just easy to listen to when I want to crack on with some jobs and have a sing along.

Terror Jr - 3 Strikes

I hate to admit this but I first heard this song on Kylie Jenner's glosses video... since then I have had it on repeat. You know when you hear a song and it just reminds you of summer, well this is that kind of song. Trust me, when you live with the British weather you need a little summer sound pick me up (although the weather hasn't been too bad recently!).

Delilah - Shades Of Grey (SpectraSoul Remix)

This is an oldddd song now but I still love it. Again, it reminds me of when I was at college. I am into the whole nostalgic things at the moment I think aha. This and any of The xx songs remind me of sitting in my old art class room most likely making a mess haha.

Do any songs bring back old memories to you?

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A Trip To St.Albans.

A month or so ago we spent the afternoon in sunny, but extremely cold, St Albans. I have been before but this time we went to the cathedral. It was so lovely and peaceful around there that I wanted to share it... So enjoy!

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Quick Everyday Make-up (Updated).

My Make Up Routine post from like a year ago (!!) has been one of my most popular posts yet, so I thought it was about time I did a little updated version. Some of the things are the same but a few bits have changed as I have slightly (very slightly) gotten better at make up.

I have been testing out the Nivea Post Shave Balm lately. Loadssss of people have been going on about how good it is to keep make up put. To be honest I haven't seen much of a difference... apart from the fact that I smell like a man by the time I have finished my make up haha.

I then do my usual base, Revlon Colour Stay Foundation & Collection Concealer. I have been using the MUA Concealer (only £1.50!) as a brightening product under my eyes, down my nose and on my chin. Its amazing but the consistency of it is slightly watery which isn't great for coverage.

I move on to contouring and highlighting with my Smash Box Shape Matters palette, which isn't pictured because it actually looks disgusting now! RIP Smash Box palette prettiness. Then that is the base done.

Onto eyes & brows. I add a swipe of the W7 brown shadow to my crease and the white to my brow bone. I am in love with this little bargain! It was only like £1.75!

My brows are pretty much the same - Benefit Browzing and my Real Techniques Brow brush. In fact the L'oreal eyeliner and mascara is more or less the same too!

As you can see, when I find a routine I like I tend to stick with it until I pick up the confidence to try something new.

Do you like to switch it up or keep the same make up routine?

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Spring Wedding Style Guide For Him & Her - Inspired By T.M. Lewin.

We are officially in Spring now and I can hear faint church bells in the distance... yep, its time for Spring weddings! The perfect season to have a wedding in my opinion. As a bit of inspo I thought I would put together a Spring wedding lookbook kind of post, for women & men (we cant forget about the guys!).

Its hard to find the perfect dress to wear to a wedding when you're a professional black wearer like me, but I have found some alternatives!

Navy is great because it is still a darkish colour but you can brighten it up with a pop of colour in the shoes, bag or lips. I found this lovely jumpsuit from Topshop for only £45. Great if you're not wanting to bare the legs, haha! As for a dress, you can never go wrong with a simple floral number. I went for a embroidered slip dress from Asos. The slip dress is going to be a big trend this Spring/Summer so you're bound to be best dressed, except for the bride of course! I'd probably pair this look with some nude heels. As for accessories I'd keep it pretty simple, a dainty necklace and some small hoop earrings would do the trick.

Guys can never go wrong with a perfectly fitted suit. I tend to drift towards navy suits for men, again a better alternative to black. T.M. Lewin have a great selection of suits, especially their 3 piece suits which are bound to last a lifetime! I picked this navy slim fit suit paired with a crisp white shirt and a baby pink floral tie (guys can work a bit of floral too ya know!) and tan shoes. If the pink tie wasn't working it could always be replaced with a pocket square instead. I think pocket squares always make a males outfit look more expensive! 

Not feeling the full suit? A grey trouser and jacket set would look lovely with a statement bow tie and some quirky cufflinks (only £19.50!).

So, those are my Spring wedding picks for both women & men! Are you going to any weddings this year?

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3...Basics.

I basically live in basics (basic count - 4 so far hahaha!) so I thought I would write a post about my 3 staples! 

First off is a striped tee, obvs. I have around 10 now in different colours, shapes & lengths. They are super easy to throw on with anything. Its a good way to do the whole print clash trend a bit more subtlety too! Rather than I don't know, a neon pink floral and a green paisley.. too much? haha! I deffo think this is a more important basic than a plain white t-shirt.

I normally pair my stripy top with a pair of black jeans or leggings. 90% of the time its leggings because lets be honest - I am all about the comfort. 
Keeping with the comfort theme I am a massive fan of trainers at the minute! I never used to wear them, except converse, because I never thought I could pull them off. Now I don't care, if I like them I'll wear them! If I am going for ultimate comfort I will finish my leggings and stripe top combo off with my Nike Roshe Runs (honestly its like walking on two fluffy clouds).

Those are my 3 basic staples, what are yours?

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The Perfect Skin Care Combo.

I have seen a massive improvement with my skin recently and I am guessing it is down to these two beauts - the Tea Tree Skin Clearing Foaming Cleanser & the Biore Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser. I've only just noticed that these two products are both cleansers but this is just is working for me at the mo I guess! Remember I am not a skin care pro, I just use what makes my skin feel good and gives me positive results.

I usually use the Charcoal Cleanser first, pumping a generous amount onto my finger tips and gently rubbing it into my skin. It really feels like it is giving my skin a deep clean and opening up my pores. This is when I go onto using the foaming cleanser.

I've yapped on about the Tea Tree collection from The Body Shop before (here & here), I have just always had great results with their stuff. I actually received the cleanser for my birthday. I'd never tried the foaming cleanser so I had high hopes for it, and I wasn't disappointed! I have barely had any spots since using the range (which is always a plus!).

The only 'bad' difference I have seen with my skin is that it has become a tad dry. I used to have a really oily T-zone but I think the tea tree has dried that up a little bit too much. So I am on the look out for a good moisturiser now, let me know if you have any recommendations for a newbie to dry skin!

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