Sunday Spotlight - 29th March 2015

In my life this week…

Outfit photos

You might have noticed I’ve been a bit MIA this week and I do feel bad for not getting this week’s posts up, but it’s just been one of those weeks where I needed to focus on my health and try and just put one foot in front of the other. Saying that, I managed to spend the whole of Tuesday out in the garden (mainly, until it rained!) taking outfit photos to use in blog posts. I’m really happy with what I managed to achieve, as I hadn’t banked on how tiring I would find it constantly changing my clothes and then posing for photos! Plus it was bloomin’ freezing out there, and I was trying to take Spring/Summer photos, so that didn’t help! When I first looked through my photos I felt really disappointed because I felt like I just looked awful, but now that I’ve got them up on my big computer screen and adjusted the lighting I’m a lot happier. I’m looking forward to sharing them with you over the next few months, but here’s just a little taster of what’s to come!

Sausage dog pyjamas

I found these pyjamas quite a while ago now, on a trip to Primark, and I’ve since seen them on a variety of bloggers including Fleur de Force and Becky from Milkbubbletea. I had tried to wear some more summery pyjamas this week to begin with, but it soon became apparent that it was still rather chilly, so I quickly changed into these lovely brushed cotton pink ones, dotted with cute little sausage dogs. I can understand now why so many people have fallen in love with them – I would happily wear them all day!

Another birthday

This week saw another birthday in the Cole household. This time it was my youngest (baby) brother, David who was turning 22. He stayed at his fiancés house the night before his birthday, but they popped round mid-morning to say hello before heading out for a pub lunch. After they came back again, David opened his presents, which included an adult scooter, which he’s going to use to get around London for work. We all then sat down and watched one of his new DVDs, ‘Love, Rosie,’ which was a really lovely film based on a book called ‘Where Rainbows End’ by Cecelia Ahern. After the film we headed to our favourite local pub for a cheeky drink, before making our way home via the pizza place, and tucked into a feast of extra cheesy pizzas and birthday cake. Today, we headed back to the same pub for our Sunday lunch, which was a lovely way to end David’s birthday weekend.

What has grabbed your attention this week? I love hearing about people’s new discoveries and you may end up sharing something that makes it onto my list next week!

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Sunday Spotlight - 22nd March 2015

In my life this week…

New wheelchair

This week was rather exciting (well, for me anyway!) because my new wheelchair finally arrived! For the past 11 years I’ve been using a wheelchair that was meant for my Gran, with 4 little wheels, meaning I had no independence at all when I was in it because I relied on being pushed by someone else. A few months ago, an Occupational Therapist came to see me to assess whether there was anything they could do to help me, and one of the things they said they could do was get me a self-propelled ‘lightweight’ wheelchair. Now, I’m not sure that this wheelchair is lightweight, as I certainly couldn’t lift it and to me it seems just as heavy as my old wheelchair. But it does have big back wheels, which means I’m able to propel myself a bit. Unfortunately, because part of my illness means I get very fatigued and am pretty weak, I’m not really able to propel myself much, but it is going to be nice if I go shopping, for example, and I can move myself between clothes rails. Ideally I could really do with an electric wheelchair, and the OT did talk about the possibility of having one, but we wanted to try out this one first and see how I get on with it.

Depop dress

I don’t know if any of you have heard of an app called Depop, but if you haven’t it’s basically a bit like eBay in that it’s a place you can buy and sell mainly clothes with a proportion of the money being taken by them. I really enjoy having a scroll through it, and follow quite a few bloggers, but generally all their clothes are way too small for me, so I’m often disappointed that I’m not able to find anything that will fit me. However, one lovely blogger that I do follow who is a similar size to me is Megan, from Briar Rose Blog. Recently she’s been putting up some of her clothes for sale, and when I saw this white dress with sparkly detailing I knew I needed to buy it! It arrived really quickly and I can’t wait to wear it – now I just need an occasion!

Cinderella preview

I think I’ve mentioned on my blog before that I quite enjoy entering competitions, and I seem to go through phases of winning a few things and then not winning anything. Just recently I’ve started trying to enter more again, after having a bit of a break, and I’ve actually managed to win a couple of bits already. The first thing I won was a cute little biscuit from Buscuiteers, which I had decorated for my Mum. And this week I managed to win tickets to go and see a preview of the new Cinderella film at my local cinema. So this morning, after picking up my brother’s fiancé and my friend, we headed to our local cinema, which was full of lots of little girls in princess dresses! The film was really good – so magical and lovely. I would definitely recommend going to see it if you get the chance, and I’m already looking forward to the DVD coming out!

What has grabbed your attention this week? I love hearing about people’s new discoveries and you may end up sharing something that makes it onto my list next week!

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My Little Super Box

If you’ve been following my series of unboxing posts about ‘My Little Box’ you’ll know how much people are raving about this subscription box service. They started off just sending boxes out to people in France and Japan, but now they’ve come over to the UK and I must say I’m incredibly glad! I was so excited waiting for my next box to arrive, so when the postman finally delivered it I was quick to tear open the packaging!

As with previous boxes, on the inside lid of the brown box was a cute little quote saying ‘Make Yourself Epic.’ I really love these little quote stickers – I just think they add something extra to the box and you can also peel them off and use them in your scrapbooking or on an inspiration board. I’ve already peeled this one off and have stuck it in my daily scrapbook! The March Box is labelled the Super Box, which I was quite excited about as I thought a superhero theme was such a fun idea. As always, it was displayed beautifully and tied together with a bow.

The first thing I found when I undid the ribbon was not the A5 print like normal, but a sheet of superhero stickers instead. I’m definitely grateful for a sheet of cute stickers as I do a lot of letter writing to penpals and always use stickers to decorate my paper, so these will come in very handy. However, I’m a bit disappointed that I didn’t get an A5 print this time, as I thought they were such a lovely idea. I’m not sure if they just forgot to put one in my box, or whether none of these boxes have one this month, but I really hope they’re not going to stop putting them in altogether! In this months box I also received the ‘My Little World’ A5 magazine, which I’m really looking forward to flicking through. From what I’ve seen so far, it seems to have a whole range of articles to read.

Underneath the stickers and magazine was rolled up piece of grey material, with a cardboard tube round it and the words ‘Every Girl Is A Superhero’ on the side. I wondered what on earth this could be when I first saw it, but after unravelling it I discovered it was a t-shirt with the phrase ‘I believe I can fly’ across the front. I’m a little concerned it’s not going to fit me as it’s quite small, but I’m hoping it will as it’s a really cute t-shirt and will be great for the summer.

The final thing I found in My Little Box this month were the cosmetics. They came, like last month, in a cute little cotton bag, which is always such great quality.  I just wish I knew what to do with all these bags I’m accumulating! The first thing I picked up was the Kerastase conditioner. It’s not a brand I’ve ever used before but I’m really looking forward to giving it a try, as I’ve heard good things about the brand as a whole and I always love trying out new hair products. Next up was this Caudalie hand and nail cream, which I’m so excited to try. I’ve heard a lot of bloggers raving about Caudalie and I’m a big fan of hand creams, so the combination should be perfect for me! Then came the ‘My Little Beauty’ offering, which, this month was a lip and cheek pencil in a sort of orange-y pink colour. I’ve given it a quick try and it seems to have a really nice creamy consistency, so hopefully it will look nice on my face in the up-coming warmer months.

So, that’s everything that came in My Little Super Box this month. I really loved the theme of this month’s box and I think the cosmetics are some of the best yet. I’m really hoping the t-shirt will fit me though and I am disappointed that there wasn’t an A5 print this time, but overall I really liked it. As always, I’m already looking forward to next month’s box arriving!

Are you a fan of My Little Box? Or is there another subscription box that you would recommend?

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Spring Wish List

It really feels like Spring is coming. The nights are getting longer, I’m starting to go out without my big winter coat on and I’ve definitely felt the warmth of the sun on my face. Spring is one of my favourite seasons for fashion. Everything is so pretty and girly and you can finally get away with wearing white and having flowers in your hair! I’ve been browsing online for my Spring wardrobe and thought I would share with you a few things that have taken my fancy – I hope you like them.

Topshop Trench Coat | Ted Baker Pink Heels | Topshop Moon Necklace | Topshop White Chunky Sandles | Topshop Bunny Socks | Topshop Lace Skirt

Topshop Lace Dress | Ted Baker Travel Bag | Topshop Mom Jeans | Topshop Shirt | Topshop Daisy Shoes 

As you can see, I’m loving Topshop this season, so I would definitely recommend having a little perusal of their website for some essential Spring pieces. There’s also some gorgeous items from Ted Baker, and I also found some lovely things in Kate Spade that I haven’t added here.

Have you started adding to your Spring wardrobe yet? I’d love to hear about what’s on your wish list

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Sunday Spotlight - 15th March 2015

In my life this week…

New hair

After feeling pretty awful last week, some much needed pampering was in order this week. I’ve wanted my hair to be more red for a while now, so on Monday I took the plunge and made my way to the local hair salon. The lady I see is brilliant and really listens to what I want, and I’m really happy with how it turned out. This photo doesn’t seem to portray how bright it is, but I can assure you it is a lot brighter than it used to be and I’ve had several compliments about it, so I’m happy!

Sweet 16

This Saturday my baby sister, Bekkah, turned 16 and I’ve been left wondering where on earth has the last 16 years gone? I still remember my parents telling me they were expecting another baby all those years ago, and how excited I was when she was born and I found out I had another little sister! Bekkah and I are really close, and I see myself as a bit of a second Mum to her as I’ve put a lot of myself into helping my Mum bring her up. I’m also her Godmother, so there’s definitely a special connection there, and it made me quite teary wishing her a Happy 16^th Birthday! I can’t believe how much she’s grown over the last 16 years, and she’s really becoming a young woman now. I’m really proud of her and the way she’s dealt with my illnesses over the years. It makes me sad in a way, because she doesn’t remember me as a well person, so the ill me is all she’s ever known. But, if anything, that’s just made our relationship stronger and she’s supported me every step of the way, for which I’m forever grateful.

Mother’s Day

I’m afraid this week’s post is a bit of a soppy one, what with my sister turning 16 and it being Mother’s Day! But yes, today is Mother’s Day and I wanted to spoil my Mum as she really deserves it. I organised for a big bunch of beautiful pink and purple flowers to be delivered earlier this morning, which my Mum absolutely loved, and I also gave her the cutest Pandora bead, a Mummy penguin with a baby penguin, which I thought just summed up today perfectly. My Mum means the absolute world to me and I wanted to make sure she knew that, not just today, but every day. She put her life on hold to look after my siblings and myself, and would do anything to make sure we are happy and have everything we need. She’s supported me through my illness so far and I can honestly say I really don’t know where I would be without her.

What has grabbed your attention this week? I love hearing about people’s new discoveries and you may end up sharing something that makes it onto my list next week!

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Win a Pawsomebox or Purrfectbox!

Hiya guys, Just a little post for you, but it's rather exciting! The lovely people at Pawsome and Purrfect are giving my readers the opportunity to win either a Pawsomebox or Purrfectbox for their furry friend. And that's not all, there's not just one chance to win, but FIVE chances, so that's five lucky readers! To enter, simply complete the box below!

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The Glitterati - March 2015

If you’ve never heard of Crown and Glory before, then I would definitely recommend checking out their website. They sell a massive selection of gorgeous hair accessories covered in glitter, flowers, feathers and more! If you like sparkle and glitter, then I can guarantee you will be a Crown and Glory fan. After doing some browsing on their website, I found out that they did their very own monthly subscription box – The Glitterati, and I knew I had to sign up there and then. Every month I like to share with you what arrived in my box, so I hope you will enjoy this month!

At the beginning of the month my box arrived, wrapped up in silver glittery tape – I always get so excited when I see the postman carrying this box! I couldn’t wait to open it, and the first thing I found when I opened up the box and undid the tissue paper was a little card telling me everything that was in my box and the values of it all – you definitely get great value for money with these boxes! First up were this gorgeous shell clip and the gold hair slides. If you haven’t already guessed, the theme for March was Mermaids – awesome!

Rummaging around in this box of goodies, I then pulled out the following goodies

I must admit when I first opened this box I wasn’t too sure I would get much use out of the accessories this month as they didn’t seem to be my thing. But after trying things on I’m actually very pleasantly surprised – I love them and they look great with my new bright red hair! The theme carries through the box really well and it’s been a great opportunity to try something a bit different with what I wear. I’m super excited about next month’s box already!

Are you a Glitterati subscriber? Or have I managed to tempt you into joining up?!

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Pawsome Box

I was recently contacted by the lovely people at Pawsome Box who asked if Alfie and Freddie would be interested in trying out one of their subscription boxes. I had a little chat with them, and of course they jumped at the idea of receiving some presents in the post! The box arrived really quickly and I had two very excited dogs manically trying to open up the box before the postman even got it over the doorstep! I took lots of pictures, so thought I would show you how much the boys loved opening up the box and seeing what was inside.

I was really impressed with this box. It had a lovely selection of products suitable for both of our dogs (Alfie is quite large, whereas Freddie is tiny, so it’s always difficult to find things that suit both of them!) The boys definitely loved opening it up and exploring the toys and food items inside. They also got a toothbrush and toothpaste, which will be really useful as they could do with having their teeth cleaned! Overall I think this is such a fun idea, and if you’ve got a bit of money to spare and would like your dog to receive a subscription box just like you, this is definitely a great option to go for.

*We were kindly sent this box to try for free, but all opinions are our own!

Have you tried out the Pawsome Box? Or can you recommend any other boxes that my dogs would love?

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Blogger of the Month - Stephanie Dreams

I really hope you’re enjoying this series of posts and that perhaps you’ve discovered a new blog or two to follow. It’s so hard to just pick one blogger a month because there are so many great bloggers out there – I’ve got a list longer than my arm of candidates for my blogger of the month award! If you have a particular blogger you’ve been loving recently, I’d love to hear about them.

So, let me introduce you to my March Blogger of the Month; Stephanie over at Stephanie Dreams Blog.

I discovered Steph’s blog a while ago and she’s been on my list of Blogger of the Month contenders for ages, so I’m really glad I’ve managed to get her blog up this month. I thought I would share with you just a few things that I love about Steph’s blog and I hope you will too.

Steph

Steph has been blogging since late 2009, and started off her blog as an online diary, which she says has now grown into her own special corner of the Internet. She comes across as a really lovely, down to earth lady with a passion for dogs that rivals my own!

Days Out

Steph, her husband and her gorgeous doggies like to go on pretty days out, walks and visits to various attractions, and she always takes such beautiful photos when she does. For someone who struggles to get out much because of her health, I feel I can live vicariously through Steph’s beautiful photographs!

Doggies

As I mentioned, Steph has the most gorgeous little menagerie of dogs, including her absolutely adorable chocolate spaniel called Severus. I adore seeing all her photos of her furry friends, both on her blog and on her Instagram. She always makes me want to take photos of our furries and I’m often feeling puppy broody for another little one!

Outfit posts

Steph loves a good outfit photo shoot and I find her style so inspiring, as it’s affordable yet fashionable. She always manages to find a nice backdrop for her outfits and you will often find me popping down to Primark to pick up something she has photographed!

Home bits

I love reading blogs of ladies who have their own homes, and Steph’s blog is no exception. I really enjoy seeing the little finishing touches she puts to her home, including beautifully scented candles, vases and canvas prints. So much inspiration for when I do eventually move out myself!

Gift ideas

Steph is great at finding cute and unique gift ideas, so I’m always popping onto her blog when an event or occasion is coming up to get some inspiration. From chocolate gift sets to home accessories, there is always an idea or two on her blog.

5 years of blogging

One particular post on Steph’s blog that I really enjoyed was her latest blog birthday post – she’s been blogging for 5 years now, which is just awesome! I thought her photo shoot was so cute with her balloons in the middle of beautiful woodland. Just shows what you can achieve if you work hard at something you love.

Disney times

One of my favourite things about Steph’s blog is her amazing love of everything Disney. When she got married there she had some awesome photo shoots done around the park, and if I’m ever feeling sad I always pop over to her blog to look at all the happy photos. They make me want to go to Disney even more every time I look at them, so if you’re a Disney fan I’d definitely recommend checking them out.

Amazing wedding

I’m a sucker for a good wedding, and Steph has the most beautiful photos from both her wedding at Disney and her wedding party back home. She looked absolutely beautiful in her dress and head garland and she has so many Pinterest worthy photos that I’ve been saving for inspiration (OK, I need to find a man first, but a girl can dream right?!)

So, that just about sums up my Blogger of the Month for March. Steph is also on YouTube, which is fantastic, so I’d definitely recommend searching for her if you enjoy her blog. If you’ve not checked out Stephanie Dreams before I really hope I’ve helped convince you to and that you’ve found a great new blogger to follow.

*All photos are taken by Steph over at Stephanie Dreams

I love to find new blogs to follow, so if you have any recommendations I’d love to hear them.

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