January & February Favourites

Hello lovelies,

Can you believe we are almost in March..!? Like, seriously, where has this year gone?!

March always makes me think Spring & Summer are on their way, however, I'm currently sitting here writing this post with snow flurries whirling around outside my window! It's actually bizarre. I'm staying at my parent's house as they've gone away for the night & it's in the middle of nowhere - no idea how I'm going to get to work tomorrow if it carries on like this!

Anyway, onto my favourites for January & February. I've actually not been changing much up this year so far with my beauty products. I struggled to find some I hadn't previously mentioned, hence the 1 lipstick featured in this post & apart from obsessing over my bullet journal & finding a new love of fiction, there isn't much else to add!

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No7 Matte Lip Crayon
Cathy kindly bought me this shade for Christmas & it's honestly one of the prettiest shades I own from No7. I'm usually a gloss girl, but I've noticed I've recently been wearing matte shades alot more. This one is called Dusky Rose & retails for £9.

Bullet Journalling

Since I got given a bullet journal for my birthday in January, I've been obsessed with designing my pages & creating content. I've got a full post coming up on my journal, so keep an eye out for that! But in the meantime, you check out my Pinterest Board that I use for inspiration!

Strawberries
I mean, I think this obsession started again when I had my first pancake of the year. Nothing beats a  pancake with bananas & strawberries on top! They have become my go-to snack at work as I'm trying to take at least 1 item of fruit with me each day!

Books
I made an order with The Works back in January to encourage myself to read more. I've been absolutely loving losing myself in a book in the evening, I just find it so relaxing. You might have noticed I've started reviewing my reads of 2018, starting with The Fifth Letter. Keep an eye out for my post coming soon reviewing Three Amazing Things About You! This book has deifnitely made my top 10 favourites!

Marc Jacobs - Daisy Dream Eau De Toilette
I was kindly given this eu de toilette for Christmas by my Auntie & I'm in love with it. The scent is absolutely perfect for me & I'm loving wearing it for special occasions.

A Little Something Hand Cream - Apricot
I can't for the life of me remember who gave me this hand cream! (I apologise if it was you, but please know how much I love it!) The apricot scent is so delicious, I have to resist eating it when applying it! It makes my hands so soft & has helped me out so much in these cold winter months. I'm quite lucky in the sense that my hands aren't particularly dry, but this helps keep them extremely hydrated.

Labyrinth
This board game has to be one of my favourites ever. James was given it for Christmas & we haven't gone more than a few days without playing it! It's so much fun & easy to understand (good for me) & a game usually lasts about 20 minutes, so it's perfect for us to do in the evenings just before bed. 

Events

I turned 27! As always, I filled the 5 days around my birthday with celebrations, including a trip to Brighton, West Wittering & Sumners Pond. It was amazing as always & I was thoroughly spoilt.

I met baby Rupert!

James & I visited Shere for the day (blog post coming soon!)

Valentine's Day was extra special this year. I worked with Cathy during the day who completely spoilt me with flowers, balloons & lots of beautiful gifts. James also cooked me a surprise dinner when I got home.

I got made full time at work! I'm currently on a 25 hour contract, but work between 37-40 hours a week doing overtime, but I finally have the 37 hours confirmed! It will make such a difference knowing what I'm doing months in advance & have the security of more hours.

TV

Friends
I genuinely thought I'd seen every episode of Friends, but since we've started watching it on Netflix, there's a few that have cropped up that I haven't seen! I absoutely love this show, it's one of those programs that can instantly make me smile, whatever mood I'm in.

Music

Craig David Feat. Bastille - I Know You

Clean Bandit - I Miss You

Lauv - I Like Me Better

How has February been for you lovelies?

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Life Lately #143

Hello lovelies,

At the end of January, I had to say goodbye to this wonderful lady. I've been working with her for nearly 10 years & she's like my second mum. She's starting her new adventure in Devon & I couldn't be more excited for her, but I'm also going to miss her like mad. Work really doesn't feel the same without her.

I met up with my tea ladies at the beginning of February, which was lovely as we don't all get to see each other very often. I also got to meet & cuddle the gorgeous baby Rupert, who was so adorable. Just look at his little face! He's almost 2 months old.

James & I had a rare day off together on Sunday & we booked a meal at the White Horse. It's a beautiful pub in the middle of a small village called Shere, in Surrey. I'd planned for us to do a 2 mile walk before our roasts to build up an appetite & despite it being freezing cold, it was an absolutely perfect day. The food was seriously incredible, I'm not exagarating when I say, it was one of the best roasts I've ever had. We explored the local area as well & picked out a few nice places to shop. We'll definitely be heading back to Shere soon to try out The Dabbling Duck.

Last Monday night, the girls & I celebrated Galentine's Day at ASK Italian. We had such a lovely evening. The food was delicious & we had a few cheeky glasses of wine!

For Valentine's Day, I spent the day with one of my best girlies. Cathy totally spoiled me at work & I came home to James, who had surprised me by cooking dinner. He also brought balloons & confetti to decorate the lounge. So cute!

On Thursday I met up with Lorna & Sarah in town before heading to afternoon tea with Cathy, I'd bought her 'Valentines tea for 2' at Wyevale Garden Centre.. except, we got stuck on the M23 for 3 whole hours because of a diesel spillage! We later discovered they'd shut the motorway & had to re-surface the road over night! We luckily managed to re-arrange the tea for this afternoon. Don't worry.. we'll be taking a different route this time! (Follow my Twitter for updates & see if we actually make it..)

Friday I went to Guildford with my girls & we had the most delicious Nandos while browsing the shops. I picked up the most beatiful playsuit for Summer, which I'm sure will feature on my Instagram soon. Look at Lily trying on all the shoes! Here she is modelling her favourite pair!

& finally last night, Gem cooked us dinner at hers. We had pasta bake & had a massive catch up, while watching lip sync battles! Have you seen Channing Tatum's Lip Sync's? Oh my god, we were crying with laughter!

How has your week been lovelies?

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What To Wear On Valentines's Day

Hi lovelies,

Can you believe it's Valentine's Day this week?! How has that come round so fast.. 

Love it or hate it, you can't escape the stigma that comes with this holiday. I actually love Valentine's Day. Any excuse to wear pink & I'm all for it. I actually love coming up with ideas & ways to spoil my friends & family. As a few of them read my blog (yes, I'm talking about you) I'm not going to write on here what I've been up to, but instead I'm going to show you a few outfits I've picked out no matter what your plans are this week.

Firstly, nothing beats a cosy night in, watching trashy tv. 

I know I for one will be cosied up with James, watching Vampire Diaries & eating Chinese. There's nothing worse than being uncomfortable when eating huge amounts of food.. so, let's welcome first of all; the tracksuits.

Red Tracksuit / Red '1990' Tracksuit / Slogan Tracksuit / Floral Embroided Trainers / Drawstring Rucksack / Studded Earrings

They are so comfy, yet there's something so sassy about them. These are my three favs I picked out from BooHoo & I've tried to either select red or pink items for this post, just to stick to the 'Valentines' theme, but also because I just adore wearing both these colours!

If you're running low on wine or can't resist another chocolate cheesecake, you'll need these cute trainers to run to the shops in! I love the embroidery on the side & for £18, they are a complete bargain. I also couldn't resist adding in this rucksack, perfect for shoving your phone & money in while you dash out.

Ok, something a bit more fancy now. Say if you were going out for a lunch or afternoon tea, these two dresses are absolutely perfect.

Tea Dress / Floral Shirt Dress / Peeptoe Sock Boots / Embroided Velvet Boots / Nude Tote Bag / Layered Necklace

I love the flared sleeves of the red dress, paired with these cute heeled peeptoe boots. There's something so feminine, yet edgy about this look. The second dress just called out to me & the fact it comes in pink & cream, just makes me so happy. I really can't decide which one I like better.. might just have to order them both..

Oh & how cute are these embroided boots.. I mean.. seriously.. they currently are less than half price, so I couldn't exactly say no. Teamed with this nude tote bag, it's the perfect way to look put together, without too much effort.

& finally, the glam, evening look.

Sequin Maxi Dress / Cold-Shoulder Midi Dress / Strappy Heels / Platform Heels / Suede Clutch Bag / Hoop Earrings

How beautiful is this maxi dress? I think it has to be my favourite item of this post. It's so incredibly beautiful & looks so elegant. I would love to have an occasion to wear this to.. (James.. hint hint) paired with this suede clutch bag & hoop earrings, definitely on to a winner. I'm also a massive fan of black heels with pastel colours. I don't know what it is about the look overall, but I just think it brings it all together. Add a bit of embroidery to the heel & your definitely onto a winner.

What are your plans for Valentine's Day? I hope you have an amazing day whatever you decide to do. Oh & let me know if you pick up any of these items! I'd love to see how you style them.

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Book Review - The Fifth Letter By Nicola Moriarty

Hello lovelies,

One of my New Year's Resolutions was to read more. I've set myself the task of reading at least 8 books this year. It's a massive goal as I only tend to read when I'm on holiday, never in my day-to-day life.

I started reading The Fifth Letter on 1st February & finished on it 5th February. Nobody was as surprised as me.. haha! I'm starting to think 8 books a year wasn't a high enough goal, but I know it will definitely be a test now that I've finished one book to move onto the next & keep it up through-out the year.

I wanted to start documenting my thoughts on the books I've read to remind myself of what I've accomplished this year & also to advise you guys if you're looking for a new read!

"Joni, Trina, Deb and Eden.

Best friends since the first day of school. Best friends, they liked to say, forever.

But now they are in their thirties and real life - husbands, children, work - has got in the way. So, resurrecting their annual trip away, Joni has an idea, something to help them reconnect.

Each woman will write an anonymous letter, sharing with their friends the things that are really going on in their lives.

But as the confessions come tumbling out, Joni starts to feel the certainty of their decades-long friendships slip from her fingers.

Anger. Accusations. Desires. Deceit.

And then she finds another letter. One that was never supposed to be read. A fifth letter. Containing a secret so big that its writer had tried to destroy it. And now Joni is starting to wonder, did she ever really know her friends at all?"

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When you begin the story, you are taken to the present day, where Joni is confessing to a priest about her recent admissions on the girl's holiday. You flit between the present day & the previous month where the four friends go on their annual holiday & decide to write anonymous letters revealing a secret from their lives. 

The narrator uses the 3rd person, but you emphasize with Joni's character the most. As she discovers secrets about her friends, you learn them too, but you have no idea who has written each letter except from the clues the author choses to give you. It does get you thinking & Joni goes through every possible senario you can think of!

I wasn't 100% sold on the characters to be honest. I didn't feel like their personalities shone through & I struggled to visualise them from the description the author was giving. I had to keep reminding myself which person was who & how their families came into the storyline.

You actually get to read the 'fifth' letter, quite early on & even though the whole book is about finding out who wrote it, I have to be honest & say I guessed first of all, but then was put off, but eventually it concluded I was correct.

The conclusion of the book was a little disappointing, but if I really think about it, I wasn't sure how I wanted it to end as it was quite a far fetched storyline! I was really intrigued when I was reading the book & found myself desperate to read more, however I wouldn't actively seek out any other books from this author as there's so many more I'm keen to read first!

Overall Rating - ★★

Let me know if you like these sort of posts & if you've read anything by Nicola Moriarty. I'd love to hear your thoughts : )

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