Essie: Sweater Girl

I was so pleased with this gorgeous Essie gel nail vanish that G bought me for my birthday.  It's called 'sweater girl' and came from an online amazon store.

I'm loving the brown/purple colour and it works perfectly for a smart work look.

The Essie gels are affordable and come in fantastic colours, are easy to apply, and mean I get my Essie fix with the longevity of gel!

Spring Blooms

I was so pleased with this gorgeous Essie Gel colour that I bought from Amazon.  It's similar to my favourite colour Fiji but this is a gel.  I bought the lamp and equipment for doing gel nails at home and it works so well with these gorgeous flower nail transfers as well (also shown here)

What Made Me Smile This Week

This week was a bit of a funny one for me.  How was yours?

Monday felt like a long, long way away from the weekend and on Tuesday I travelled up to Manchester for work.  I really enjoy travelling and seeing new places but it does always mean an early start and a late night.  On Wednesday and Thursday I came down with a bit of a tummy bug and had Thursday off sick from work.

Its horrid being poorly but I had a day on the sofa wrapped up in my quilt and a day at home meant that I was there to see a little visitor in my garden.  We've seen urban foxes around and about our house before by never in broad day light before.  This little fox was happily sunning himself on the decking and was in no hurry to leave.  I wonder if maybe he comes to visit quite often and we just aren't here to see him.

I decided to try something a bit different with my hair this week and go for a sweeping side fringe and a side plait.  It's always nice to try something new - especially when so many people commented on how nice it looked.  I think I'll try this again!

I've been wanting a pair of diamond stud earrings for a while and these ones from Accessorize are really classic and were only £10 for 2 pairs.

I am also really pleased that I've finally got round to clearing our dining table and setting it up with our Emma Bridgewater Wedding crockery.  It's funny how setting the table with cups and crockery really helps finish off a room.  I was also really pleased with these gingham place mats which I got super cheap from Butlers in the close down sale of their Brighton Store.

Going Red for Spring

I was feeling like I needed a bit of colour to bring myself into the new season. 

Spring is my most favourite season- the daffodils are flowering, the trees are budding, the lambkins are all wobbly on their little legs.

I feel red is maybe more of a summer colour but what the heck! Embrace what makes you smile right?

I saw this Essie 'hip-anema' on Emily's nails and couldn't resist ordering my own bottle from amazon!

I also realised how wonderfully it goes with the new black and red sofa in the living room and my gorgeous Fox cushion.

Outfit Inspiration: Autumn is coming

Second Hand Barbour Jacket, Dorothy Perkins - Super Skinny Jeans,
Next - Western Boots,  Essie 'Fiji' 

I want to be able to use my blog to share where I find my clothes and inspiration for outfits as I find that a lot of the blogs out there are great, if you're tiny!  I'm not.  In all of my adult life I've been bigger, having gone from a size 20 down to a size 16, where I am now.  People often say that I have good style, but I often don't believe it because I'm busy thinking how much better the outfit would look if I was slim.

I find it so hard a lot of the time to put outfits together because I see things on skinny people and think that I can pull them off!! I must remember to tell myself 'No'.  Not in a negative way, as I think it's positive to embrace how you look, but I think it is important to say No and be REALISTIC about your size.

It has taken me a long time to find what suits, and often I don't get it right.  But I hope that by sharing what can work on here, those of you out there who are bigger ladies and struggle will feel inspired.

I am loving the chilly weather meaning I can embrace coats, boots and layers.  Having just picked up the newest Simple Things, a mug of green tea and rain outside is most certainly making me embrace the autumnal layers.

Super purchase is my early Xmas prezzie from G - my good as new second hand Barbour from Dirty Harry's in Brighton for £100.00!!

Favourite things...

If you had to write a list of your favourite things, would you know what to put on there?  I don't think I would.  It takes me a while to remember as it's often the smallest, quite insignificant things that make me happy and think 'Ahhh this is the best'.  This week I have had 3 of those moments and I remember how good it feels and how these are some of my favourite things.

Less of the 'Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens', although that is one of my favourite films, this week is was more of 'Soft crispy bed covers and high count Egyptian cotton, brand new nail vanish and hot soup with cheese on.'

Sooooo pleased with my new bed linen from HomeSense (TK Maxx home department store) this week.  Reduced from £69.99 to £29.99! I've never bought expensive bed linen before so I love the idea that at HomeSense you can get designer, expensive bedlinen for the same price as Ikea ones.  New bed linen - Definitely a favourite thing!

Tinned tomato soup - already a favourite thing.  But add grated cheese, worcestershire sauce, croutons and pepper and a chunk of fresh bed.....EVEN BETTER!!!

Brand new nail vanish - FAVOURITE THING!  There is nothing gloopy or tacky about it.  It goes on so smoothly and straight. Amazing!!!!  Loving this Essie colour 'wikid', however I think it's still a bit too summery for such a dark colour.  I might have to shelve this colour for a month or so.

The Floral Effect

{30th July}

I think I have found a new love in life - nail transfers! Oh my word I love them.  They were so easy to apply, so simple to use and look brilliant.

I have tried foil nail wraps and gel overlays, neither of which were really that successful or easy to use. These nail transfers from Amazon were exactly what I was looking for.  They are just like the old transfer tattoos you used as a child.  They came as a sheet of 20 flowers that you can then arrange as you want.  I decided to use just one flower per nail but, in the image on Amazon, by the looks of it they have used a couple.

Here's how I created this look:

• Paint nails with 2 layers of Essie's Figi.
• Cut out the transfer from the piece of paper
• Drop the transfer into water for about 20 seconds
• Take out of the water with tweezers
• Slide off the plastic layer and place transfer down on to the nail
• Hold in place for a minute or two and you will find the other plastic sheet gradually peels off and leaves the transfer in place
• Once the transfers are in place and look like they have stuck paint a layer of clear vanish over the top.
• Ta Da! beautiful nails