Monthly Archives

October 2017

Dorling Kindersley Fashion book review

The book you must buy if you’re interested in Fashion – the ultimate book of costume and style Published by DK Dorling Kindersley – Book review

October 30, 2017

Everything about the cover of this book is misleading, and unfortunately you will find it in bookshops with a cellophane wrapper so you may not be able to look inside. With only the word ‘Fashion’ in bold pink letters on the spine, and a modern slim-fitting dress flocked on the front, you would be forgiven for thinking this is a book about modern fashion. You’d be wrong…

mail order dog food review

Yes, this is a blog post about dog food! Natural grain-free food and treats from an online pet shop.

October 26, 2017

Loki has become the star of the show in several of my YouTube videos. He also commands attention whenever we take him anywhere; we love him to bits, but he can also be a bit embarrassing! He slobbers on everyone; bumps into them; accidentally knocks small children over and even when we meet people who are perfectly fine with all that, he will never take a treat from them. When family buy him expensive treats at Christmas, they’re lucky if they get a sniff. Even at the Pylle Happy Landings dog show, he wouldn’t take the free samples of handmade dog treats offered to him. He just isn’t interested. As a puppy we had to train him with cheap sausages and pieces of cheese – not the easiest of foodstuffs to take about with you. So when PetShop sent me a box of dog goodies to review, I didn’t hold out much hope….

style blogger over thirty

Styling cream and khaki and enjoying a warm day!

October 16, 2017

Khaki green is another regular colour that crops up in most autumn fashion style editorials in magazines at this time of year – some years more than most. I’ll admit, it doesn’t seem to be one of the major must-be-seen-in colours of fall 2017, but none-the-less I love it! It’s almost a neutral, and seems to go with every other colour in my wardrobe, except perhaps red and grey. And pale blue. Ok, so maybe not every colour, but quite a lot! It goes perfectly with dusky pink (of which I own a fair few items), black, and every shade of brown from dark chocolate to pale cream. On this occasion, I chose cream….

Beauty blogger

Looking for the perfect base – Review of Boots No 7 day cream; Rimmel mattifying primer & Bare Minerals matt powder foundation

October 12, 2017

I’m sure I could be psycho-analysed about this; but I cannot run out of something unless I’ve already bought the thing I’m going to use next – even if I know that’s not for some time! During our recent trip to America, I planned on buying a few products that I regularly use so that I have them all set to go when I ‘hit pan’ on my current ones! The first of these is the No7 Protect and Perfect Day Cream. I stood in my local Boots a couple of months ago and couldn’t bring myself to spend £25 on the next one, so I thought I’d wait until I could get it slightly cheaper across the pond. The second item was Maybelline mineral powder foundation, but as they didn’t have that any more, I was tempted into buying the Bare Minerals matte powder foundation instead. The primer was an impulse purchase as I was drawn in by the ‘mattifying’ bit on the label. Yes, there is a theme here. And yes, if a matte moisturising day cream existed, I would buy that too!….

Making a floral display with vintage bottles

How to make an easy but impressive floral display for the whole year

October 9, 2017

I have a thing for old bottles. Whenever I see one in a flea market or boot sale, I always pick it up; wonder what it once held and who in its history has owned it; but end up putting it down again because I’ve never had a reason to buy it (aren’t I good?!). However, I’ve finally thought of a reason to buy a whole load of them! And because I was impatient, I bought a job lot of vintage clear glass bottles, but actually it would’ve been fun to build up the collection over time, picking one up here and there. I thought this would be a nice quick and easy blog post just sharing my flower arrangement idea, but I ended up being pulled into the time-draining vortex of the internet discovering all sorts of things about old bottles! Did you know there are collectors’ clubs and events all over the country? If I had time for another hobby, I can see that vintage bottle collecting could become one of them!…..

blogtober blogging advice

5 excuses not to do Blogtober this year – Blogging advice

October 2, 2017

Are you a blogger and feeling the pressure to take part in Blogtober? (ie publishing a blog post every day for the month of October.) Well worry no more; I have five good reasons why you shouldn’t do it! You don’t have the time. No seriously, you probably don’t. Unless you’re my friend Kathryn, who, in the space of twenty minutes at our village writers’ group, can write a well written, fully plotted short story of about two thousand words; or you’re that girl who put her hand up for seven extra sheets of paper during her GCSE English exam, really think about how long it takes you to write a blog post. Particularly if this isn’t your full-time gig and you’re also doing a ‘proper’ job and/or looking after a family. Unless you’ve been planning Blogtober for a while and have a stash of posts ready to go in advance; when exactly are you going to do all this extra work?…..