Friday 31 March 2017

Life Lately #126


Hi lovelies,

So, I've had a very exciting few weeks!

Firstly, Naomi came back from uni to celebrate her birthday with us. We drove to Brighton to play Globalls, which I'd never heard of before. It's a new indoor ultraviolet golf course in the marina. They've also added a few dinosaurs for good measure! It was so much fun (& I won yay!) then we headed back to Naomi's for lunch & a few games & our first Deliveroo! They've only just come to our home town, so it was most exciting!

Last Wednesday, I met up with Shez, Elisa & Lily & we went to Guildford for a shopping day. I managed to pick up a few bits & pieces, including some shoes, a rug & a cleaning cloth. When did I become such an boring adult.. haha! We finished up the day by popping into a nursery, filled with animals which I think we all loved more than Lily..

On Thursday, Lorna & I met up for tea & cake at Pretty Things. We love it in there so much, there's always new decorations, it's just the prettiest, pinkest shop you can imagine. We also discussed Beauty & The Beast, which I went to see on the opening day. How amazing was that film? Seriously.. I want to go & see it again!

Last Saturday was Maria's hen do. Maria is James' 'soon to be' step mum, which in reality, she has been for many years, but Allan popped the question early last year & they are officially tying the knot in less than 10 weeks! We had such a lovely evening on Saturday, (full post here if you want a read) & the boys were sweet enough to pick us up at 1am, after dancing away to Michael Buble in the local pub!

Sunday was Mother's Day as I'm sure you all know & I spent the day with Mum. We visited Nan & Grandad & had a lovely walk in the woods with Dad & the doggies. I also took mum to see The Time Of Their Lives on Monday as part of her present which we both really enjoyed.

Finally, on Monday I got to meet the newest addition to our group, baby Alice. Isn't she just the cutest thing? Gemma gave birthday to her last Tuesday (21st March) so I met her at 6 days old. I was bridesmaid for Gem nearly 2 years ago now & we've known each other since the induction day of secondary school, when I asked her for a pencil (haha!) so meeting Alice was truly over-whelming. Congrats again Gem & Ollie, I'm so proud of you both.

How has your week been lovelies? Any plans for the weekend?

Monday 27 March 2017

Maria's Hen Do








Sorry for the lack of posts this week lovelies, everything has just caught up with me! Working 6 days a week + attending multiple flat viewings with James, I've had no time to blog!

I wanted to share with you a few pictures from Saturday. James' dad is getting married to his fiancĂ© Maria in June & it was her hen do last Saturday. We went out for dinner & danced the night away to a Michael Buble tribute. It was so much fun! I also got to meet some lovely ladies at the do & Auntie Jules also came down for the occasion. Throw in a few cocktails & bottles of wine, it was the perfect night!

I also wanted to show you my outfit, which was a culotte jumpsuit from BooHoo. It was in the sale for £8 & I can't explain how much I adore it! It's the comfiest, sexiest piece in my wardrobe right now & allows breathing space for food babies. Always a win in my book.

Oh & how cute is my choker? £1.50 from Primark.. yes. Amazing.

Normal posting will resume this week, I promise! Can't wait to share with you my exciting news..

Monday 20 March 2017

What I've Been Wearing On My Nails #39

I can't stress to you enough how weird this feels on the nails! This is one of Barry M's 'concrete' polishes from a few years ago. The best way to describe it, is grainy & rough to the touch, almost like sand paper. Ok, I've made it sound horrible, but it really isn't. The colour of this polish is what drew me to it immediately, but I knew I had to purchase it just to see what it felt like!

This shade is bae beautiful. There is no other way of describing it. I love the quick dry polishes Barry M do. Like the name suggests, there's no waiting around for these shades to dry, 5 mins after applying them, you're good to go.

Now I can't really decide if I like these nails or not.. To be honest I'd completely forgotten I even owned this Barry M confetti polish (sorry for the Barry M overload, I had no idea until I started writing up this post how obsessed I'd been with this brand this month!) but I thought it would go perfectly with a pink base coat. What do you think?

Ciate - My Off Duty Nude & Barry M - Pomegranate
This combo though. I love it! Bit late I know but wouldn't these nails have been perfect for Valentines day? Ah well, there is always next year..

Thursday 16 March 2017

Life Lately #125



Hello lovelies,

I went to my first ever bra fitting just over a week ago. I know right, I've just never been brave enough to do it before, but I wrote a blog post on my experience & why I think it's such an important thing to do. I won't go into too much detail as like I say, I've written a whole post about it, but you can read it here if you like : )

I had a lot of leave left at work from this year, so I decided to take a few days off last week. It was so lovely to just be at home & doing lots of bits & pieces I never find the time to do. One of which was finally editing the footage from our holiday to Corfu last June. I couldn't be more proud of how it turned out! You can watch it on my YouTube channel if you like. I also noticed it became Spring, almost over night! The sun was shinning & it was actually so warm walking the dogs.

Last Thursday my parents went to Crufts. James & I went last year & after we came home & raved about how much we loved it, they decided to book tickets & go this year. Crufts is a big thing in my family & we all watch it together every year, but they'd never actually been. Did you watch it this year?

Last Friday, mum & I went to Guildford for the day. We did some shopping & I took her for tea at The Tea Terrace at the top of House Of Fraser. We had such a lovely day & managed to pick out a few options for an outfit I'm hoping to wear to a wedding in June.

For my birthday, Cathy bought me a voucher for afternoon tea, so on Sunday, we booked a table in the local tea room & got this feast! It was so nice, all the sandwiches & scones were freshly made & we even got a slice of cake to takeaway as well!

Oh & finally, Honey on my bed yesterday morning. She hasn't been feeling too well recently, just a bit of an upset stomach, so has been snuggling down with me watching Netflix before work. I'm finally up to date with Riverdale! Is anyone else watching it? I'm really enjoying it but find it a bit weird how sometimes a massive storyline in one episode won't even feature in the next.. I won't give away any spoilers, but those of you who are watching, do you feel the same? : )

Sunday 12 March 2017

A Very Pink BooHoo Wishlist


Amelia Ribbed Choker V-Neck Jumper
I'm obsessed with jumpers! I have so so so many of them but I just can't stop buying them! This one has to be one of my favourites on BooHoo at the moment. I picked up the Sasha Oversized Jumper a few weeks ago & I've been wearing it most days, their jumpers are just the best. 

Ilia Soft Suedette A-Line Mini Skirt
I'm currently on the hunt for a suede skirt & this one looks just perfect. I love wearing this type of skirt with my knee high boots & a cute shirt tucked in.

Ava Velvet Floral Embroidered Cross Body Bag
Little bags & embroidery have been so popular this year & I'm loving how cute this one is. I'm guilty for taking way to much stuff with me where ever I go, so I'm thinking this would actually make me consider what I actually need on a day to day basis!

Brooke Boutique Faux Fur Hood Parka
Oh my days, now snug does this coat look? That fur hood sold it to me.

Penny Plunge Bodysuit
I absolutely love body suits. I'm a massive fan of tucking things into my jeans / skirts, so these just work so well for me. I don't actually own a pink one, so this would be a nice addition to my wardrobe.

Boutique Caia Lazer Cut Suedette Culottes
& I have to confess, I actually own these already. How beautiful are they though?! You can't really see from the image I've included on this wish list, but if you click on the link & see the detail at the bottom of the legs, I think you'll fall in love even more! These are my first pair of culottes & I've wanted some for the longest time. They are the softest, comfiest pair of bottoms I own & I can't wait for summer to wear them!

What Spring trends have you been loving this year? : )

Wednesday 8 March 2017

Why It Is So Important To Go To Regular Bra Fittings

Hello lovelies,

Today's blog is a little different. I wanted to talk about my recent experience of going to my first bra fitting & why it is so important.

Now I know what you're thinking. "Cat, you're 26 & you've never been to a have your bra fitted?" The answer is no, no I haven't. You might ask me why. Well, there are a number of reasons.


Firstly, it's embarrassing.
I'm not one of those people who feels extremely comfortable with a complete stranger seeing me in my underwear & as I have zero body confidence. The idea of someone watching me take off my clothes & measure me while I stand there changing into different bras filled me with dread.

Secondly, the judgement.
This one sounds silly even to me as I know that hundreds of women go to fittings & are told they are wearing the wrong size. But I was so paranoid that I was wearing something completely wrong & they would look at me like I'm an idiot.

& thirdly, I didn't know what to expect.
As I had never been to a fitting before, like most things, I had no idea what to expect. This scared me, like most things in life that I've never done before!


So anyway, despite all this, I decided after talking to my best friend, to go to my first fitting. I've noticed over the last year, I've had a few back problems (not sure what is causing them) but I also have really bad posture. I notice when I'm standing I'll hunch over a bit & I'm also guilty of not sitting straight in a chair. I know sometimes this can relate to wearing the wrong sized bra (I know it could be many other things) but thought I might as well go & see if getting fitted with the correct bra would help.

So, onto my actual experience.

I decided to book an appointment at my local M&S as my friend had been there before. It's a free consultation & the allocated slot is 20 minutes. I arrived about 5 minutes before my appointment & waited a few minutes for a lady to come round who took me into a fitting room. It was slightly different to a normal fitting room as it had 2 sections with a curtain hanging across the middle. As I was quite nervous, I did manage to tell her it was my first fitting so she proceeded to tell me what she was going to do. That helped a lot, so I had a clear plan in my head. She asked me to remove my jumper & top but keep my bra on, which actually wasn't too awkward & she used a tape measure to measure under my boobs. After she'd taken the measurement, she went to find some bras in my size in a few different styles for me to try.

While I was waiting I noticed that the fitting room like most fitting rooms had tons of mirrors in it, showing every different angle on my body & there I was standing in my bra & jeans. Until I caught sight of myself, I was feeling ok, but I quickly sat down & started looking through my phone as a distraction until the lady returned. She wasn't long & came back with about seven different bras for me to try.

Ok, so onto the most awkward bit. She handed me the first bra to try & just looked back at me so I took it this was my queue to change into it. I turned around & thought she was going to pull the curtain but she didn't. I know this is totally my fault as I should have asked her too, or done it myself, but I just carried on & got changed in front of her, but it was the most awkward thing ever. This is going to sound weird as well, but I put my bra on a completely different way to how people usually do it, so that was extremely embarrassing as I'm sure I could feel her watching me. I had to do this for all seven bras & each time she would ask how they fitted & had a look at how my boobs were in the bra. I didn't mind that as she was pointing out different parts that I'd never noticed before, but I was equally quite flustered as all I could think about was this woman judging me.

So after trying on what felt like hundreds on the damn things, we selected two sets of two that fitted me best & she left the fitting room, leaving me to change back into my clothes.

So there I was. Standing in the fitting room, feeling extremely hot & bothered with a few bras clutched in my hand. I did really like the ones she'd picked out & we went for a balcony style which I don't tend to even glance at in shops, but actually, I loved how my boobs looked in the them. I decided to purchase a set of two in a light pink & black lace & felt extremely excited when I left the store.

So, overall I'm extremely proud of myself for going. I can't say I enjoyed it but I'm going to make myself go regularly (they recommend every six months) but it's on my list to do at least once a year. I would encourage you to go if you've never been, just to give you a rough idea of the size you should be wearing & to learn about all the different bras that are available now, because there are just so many! How is a girl to choose?!


When I came home from the fitting & tried on my new bras in the comfort of my own home, I felt like a new woman. So even if you don't enjoy the experience of going, remember the end result is worth it. I literally felt up-lifted.. ;D

Oh & the most exciting part of the fitting that I forgot to mention, I was actually wearing the right size all along! Just not the right style of bra for my boobs, so overall, a success in itself.

I would love to hear your experiences with bra fittings & how often you go to get measured. Have you had an experience similar to mine?

Saturday 4 March 2017

January & February Favourites


Soap & Glory Face Wash
I got this face wash in a Soap & Glory gift set for Christmas (how amazing was that deal in Boots for a whole suitcase of products btw!?) & I've been using it since the beginning of the year. My skin absolutely loves it & it makes my face feel so clean after I've used it. I think because it smells so minty, it just makes you feel so awake & fresh.

Hygge Book
I picked this book up at the beginning of the year & I'm obsessed. I've got a full post coming on it so I won't write too much about it now, but if you haven't heard of Hygge, I'd highly recommend you pick up one of the many books out there about this style of living. What I've found most exciting is I can literally pick up this book when ever I feel like I need a warm hug & it's right there to offer comfort & relaxation.

Video Editing Software - Power Director 
So, after struggling with a basic video editing software for the longest time, I put the Power Director on my wish list for Christmas & I kindly received it from my grandparents. I'm absolutely loving using it & editing videos from last year! Vlogging is so much fun & this allows me to play around with all my clips & make videos.

Soap & Glory Speed Plump Moisturiser
 This smells incredible. Seriously. If you haven't tried this, you need too. I use this as a primer before applying my makeup in the morning as my skin is very dry on my T-zone, so this just preps my skin before I apply my foundation. I just can't get enough of it!

Garnet Ring
I got this ring for my birthday in January & haven't really had a day where I haven't worn it. It's just so pretty! It was from my parents & they ordered it off Etsy. The rings are all handmade & after looking at a few more of the seller's pieces, I really want to order some more!

Garnet Necklace
This was a gift from my best friend for my birthday & how perfect was it that it matched my ring! The two of them together make the perfect combo!

Barry M Quick Dry Nail Polish
I love painting my nails as I'm sure you all know, however, I do get extremely impatient waiting for them to dry when I've got things to do! These Barry M nail polishes are life savers, they dry within a couple of minutes & the shades in the range are just so beautiful. This lilac shade is my absolute favourite & perfect for spring time.  

TV

Ibiza Weekender
This show is my absolute guilty pleasure. I love all the characters & now they're back with a bang for 2017, I'm loving everything about the show, especially David being head rep. He's just so fabulous.

This has totally taken over our lives, both James & I are obsessed. But equally, it makes us so angry watching it! If you've seen it you'll know what I mean, but we're about half way through & can't wait to finish it.

The OA
Ahhh, who's watched this?! We finished it a few weeks ago & I've actually written a full review post on it here if you'd like a read. In a nutshell, it was one of the most confusing shows we've watched, but it was so gripping at the same time. Season 2 has been announced so we're keen to watch that when it's out.

Events

In the middle of January, James & I moved our furniture into storage, with the help of his dad Allan. It took us all day, in the snow, but we eventually got everything packed safely away. It's so exciting, because as soon as James starts his new job (on Monday!) we can get a few months pay checks under our belts & start looking for a place to move into!

It wouldn't be a January / February favourites without mentioning my birthday & as always, I had 3-4 days worth of celebrations & I loved every minute of it. I have to say though, my favourite part was staying in 'a cabin in the woods' with James on my actual birthday evening. I reviewed the place we stayed & it was absolutely beautiful & perfect for us. You can check out the post here if you like.

At the end of January, we organised Gem's baby shower. Can you believe she's due to give birth this month!? Where does the time go..

Ah Valentine's Day this year was just perfect. James & I went to Brighton for the day & I finally gave him the tickets I bought for Craig David back in December, so he now knows we are going next month! I'm so excited!

Nan & Dad's both had their birthdays at the end of February, so we had a buffet lunch to celebrate. I've written a bit about it in my last update post if you wanted to see Nan's cake!

& finally, this is kind of a sad event but also a happy one. My manager at work had his retirement do last Sunday & although it was the most wonderful day & he was so grateful to us all, we are going to miss him so much. Work already feels so different without him.

Music


What have you been loving this year so far? : )