Vajazzled Converse

With my new found love of glueing crystals to everything, I decieded to push the boat out and vajazzle my Converse.
I've seen quite a few different sites doing this, but with them starting at around £50 I thought it was worth having a go on the Converse I already had.

I bought crystals from Ebay and raided my Dad's cupboard for extra strong glue..... then set about adding crystals to the toe part.

Once that part was finished, I also put my initials down the side and am more than happy with the result! Although I now have to replicate it on the other foot. Eeek!

Finally, I will replace the laces with ribbons.

The crystals fit together snugly so it is easy to make patterns/letters.

I would advise opening plenty of windows when using the strong glue, though! I had the wierdest vajazzle style dreams...!!

**please note.... these crystals are purchased from Ebay and are not the Swarovski crystals most sites use - therefore, can be done on a much smaller budget :) **

The Nail Varnish Resolution....

Resolution No. 2 seems easy enough. Paint my nails.

But then, not many people have seen the way I paint my nails. I have absolutley no patience and think waiting for them to dry is like..... watching paint dry.

However, the more nail art posts I see, the more I want nice nails - therefore, my Nail Varnish Resolution came about.

The rules are simple. Every time I chip a nail, the varnish comes off and is replaced with a whole new design.

I stocked up on varnishs and ordered gems off Ebay..... here's what I've come up with so far. As you can see, I'm not the neatest yet, but I'm surprised how much my nails have grown already.

I've stopped biting them and if I want a naughty chocolate bar on a night, it takes my mind off that too. Wehey!

The Diet Resolution..... Day 2

Despite what I said yesterday, the diet resolution didn't carry on quite how I imagined today.
At the suggestion of yoga, my Barbie friend answered 'if you want lie down, you may as well do it at home'. Point made, we sacked the class of and went home (Barbie stopped off en route to pick up a pizza.... I had an omelet and 54 small chocolates)

With this in mind, I was pleased to see a little statistic on the Mail Online kindly informing me 92% of dieters have fallen off the wagon since Tuesday, gorging on comfort food and, erm, lying down.
Smugly, I carried on popping chocolates feeling incredibly sorry for the ones who have yet to realise the gym only ends in tears.



Then I saw this.
Oh Jennifer Ellison. You have ruined my night and saved my diet in one swoop.
I don't care if this picture is airbrushed, it has still become my new wallpaper.
I want to be able to lug a cardboard cut out of myself around whilst sporting Louboutins and body con more than anything in the World.
I'm booked into spinning two nights in a row and I'm even going to a 6:30 am class for people who like to torture themselves before the sun rises.
Have I ordered Ellison's workout DVD?
OF COURSE I EFFING HAVE.
Until it arrives, I'm just off to jog in the sea in my best Nike cap and my worst sports bra. Wehey!

Dare to wear.... whatever you want!

I am in mourning. Actual, physical mourning. Ever since I watched Christmas get packed back into its masking taped up box, I have wanted to wear black.
I hate January. January reminds me I have a WHOLE YEAR before I can eat pate, turkey and mince pies again. Or more to the point EAT in general.
My snowman onesie isn’t hilarious anymore, there appears to be a turkey carcass hanging out of the wheelie bin and, most depressingly of all, work want me to do work again.
There is no solace in TV. The soaps are as bleak as ever (RIP Pat. End of an earring and all that) and are just punctuated by endless furniture adverts. Hello? It’s just been CHRISTMAS. WHO can afford a new dining table?! Then there’s the diet adverts. Weightwatcher have their own song. Seriously. Maniacs who used to be overweight are now free to sing in public on their local high street after Weightwatchers taught them the meaning of life all over again. At least they are real people who once did have ‘do Weightwatchers’ at number one on their New Year’s Resolution list.
Not like the smuggest woman in the World.
The Special K woman. For years, Special K adverts have told us that eating their magical breakfast flakes (and sod all else) will give us the body we all want to flaunt in a (quite frankly disgusting), high legged, low necked red swimming costume.
I’m not going to say I haven’t done the diet before, I totally have. I’ve always fancied turning myself into a human K whilst taking a pool side shower, but this year’s campaign has really got my back up. Smug SKW slinks out of nowhere toying with her soggy flakes like she isn’t STARVING and says in her velvety voice ‘Dare to wear red’
Sorry, what? Dare to wear red? I’ll have you know, my entire wardrobe consists of nothing but black because I’m in mourning for Christmas. It has nothing to do with the fact I could do with shifting a few pounds of pate which has attached itself to my thighs. NOTHING AT ALL.
Now, I don’t want to take SKW’s sneaky taunt as actual advice, however, it did make me consider how daring to wear colour in January may just help. Perhaps a little splash of something other than black would help me to have fond memories of Christmas and it’s wonderful twinkling lights. Really remember the good times we shared, instead of snivelling over my loss.
Pastels seemed a gentle way to start. The jumpers my NBF’s Little Mix wore for the X Factor final are available in Topshop in a choice of pink or mint green
So pretty, so snuggly and so ….. pastely. Unfortunately, if you actually want your name on them a la Jessy and co, you will need to get crafty with sequins yourself….Totally do-able whilst watching Dancing on Ice.

If you’re already sick of the winter woollies, you can still stick with the pastel theme. With the good old British seaside being the inspiration for 2012’s most delicious trend, you can kit yourself out in spearmint, lemon and strawberries and cream a plenty. Pastel jeans give a new season nod to last year’s colour blocking and are much more of a delicate colour to wear.
These little lovelies from http://www.boohoo.com/ make me want to go paddling in the sea already….

If you really can’t stomach ice cream shades in January, add a slick of colour the Chezza C way. As far as I’m concerned, the lass can do no wrong and her new lipstick for L’Oreal is no exception. With £1 going to the Princes Trust and (I quote) ‘the shade of red that everyone wants in their makeup bag’ you’ll feel better in no time. And the next time the Special K Lady dares you to wear red this year……. You can continue scoffing left over celebrations to your heart’s content safe in the knowledge you already have. Just make sure that tiny little Mars bar doesn’t smudge it.

The Diet Resolution.....

2012 is my year. My resolutions are made and this year I will stick to them. This is the year I will paint my nails, learn to drive, tone up and lose weight AND blog about it whilst I'm doing it. If you're lucky, I might even pen a novel....but that's another blog.

With wheels in motion for the driving lessons (hilare.) and my nails successfully painted, it was about time I kick started my 2012 exercise regime. I honestly hate saying 'I really will do it this year' but I WILL. Not only have I got the trip of a lifetime to NYC at the end of March, I've got two hen do's (both requiring bikinis) and two weddings.


To be honest, just writing this reminds me 2012 is all a little bit too much for me - I really must add 'stop getting emosh' to the list...

Today, with the persuasion of a free five day pass I went along to spinning with my lovely Barbie friend.
Luckily for me, the spinning class was located through the free weights section of the gym so I really got to parade my new gym kit and slicked back hair look to every professional gym goer in there. (F.M.L.)
Just in case you have forgotten what spinning is like..... just in case you were due to kick start your regime tomorrow.... let me remind you. SPINNING IS HELL ON EARTH. Repeat until you no longer feel the need to go anymore.
After half an hour of knee buckling, sweat dripping, TEARS STREAMING HELL the instructor thought we were finished. Until one kind body builder type informed him the class was, in fact, forty five minutes. Which meant we could all bike up the flaming hill we had just free wheeled down. Marvellous. Feel the burn and all that.
Finally, the class finished. For some reason, not only did I have sweat everywhere, I also had snot streaming down my face. Back to the changing rooms, via the free weights - walking like John Wayne with a tomato for a head was the highlight of my night.
A bath informed me I have nice new bruises, which will look excellent in the bikini I will be sporting on the hen do - but as long as I look excellent in the bikini on the Hen do, I don't care.
Every single time the instructor shouted 'TURN IT UP' (or whatever he was saying, I couldn't hear him over my wails of agony) I pictured my goals.

Now, at home, it all doesn't seem so bad. In fact, I'm glad I have yoga, abs and another two spinning classes this week.

2012 is going to be painful.

Kick start your Colon.....

Ahhhhh January. The start of the New Year. Resolutions are being made left, right and centre and I can practically guarantee a good 80% of them are to lose weight, tone up and get the body of Cheryl Cole, Kim Kardashian or Ruth Jones (the woman has lost four and a half stone!)
The January diet is torture for all of us. The week between Christmas and New Year was MADE to desperately cram a mixture of Celebrations, cheese, selection boxes and turkey korma down your neck in the vain hope come New Year's Day you won't want to look at food again.
Doesn't work like that, does it?! I'd say there was a 50/50 split - with half of the population carrying on in a 'we don't go on holiday for SIX MONTHS' fashion and the other half crying whilst chewing on Ryveta, only to give in and eat a whole packet of digestives whilst watching the Biggest Loser.
Either way, the phrases bloated, heavy and down right exhausted spring to mind.
If the feeling is mutual, I would like to suggest the answer. Sarah Brookes of Holistic Ascentuals is an absolute life saver.
A colon massage may sound terrifying. Honestly, tell your friends you are having one and their expression will say 'you are mental and no longer my friend' ..... but just get them to hang in long enough to explain what happens and they will be queuing up to have the same procedure.
First of all, do not panic. A colon massage IS NOT colonic irrigation. No underwear is removed and no embarrassing scenes occur.
Sarah's website says a colon massage can help your colon to work more effectively leaving you feeling less sluggish, improved skin condition, toned can also help with stretch marks and cellulite. - as far as I'm concerned, EVERYBODY wants this!
It can help with a kick start to a Detox (yes please), constipation, bloating, IBS, stomach pains and much more.
When you arrive for your appointment with Sarah, she will immediately put you at ease. Whilst you sit on her sofas and have a drink, she will chat to you about your lifestyle and eating habits and really determine why you are feeling the way you are to guarantee you have picked the correct procedure.
She talks you through exactly what will happen and makes sure you are comfortable with the massage you have chosen. You will then be asked to remove jeans/trousers etc. and lay on the bed with a towel covering your bottom half.
Take it from me, the bed is seriously comfortable! With calming music on in the background and Sarah continuing to chat and explain the massage, you couldn't feel more relaxed.
Sarah explains that Colon Massage aims to help you to relax and promote the body's natural ability to heal itself by cleansing the colon of toxin build up. - as she is massaging you, she will explain exactly what is going on inside you. Although, possibly not for the faint hearted, it's nice to know the massage is working!
The results are instant and highly noticeable. I went for one of my first treatments with my mum, who couldn't believe how my bloating had disappeared.
Sarah advises on how to keep your diet healthy after the massage - and encourages you to drink plenty of water to avoid any side effects such as headaches.
She explains how regular massages can help - however, the regularity of the massage will be different for everybody.

I cannot recommend Sarah enough. She genuinely cares about her clients and wants to make sure the procedure they have chosen is right for them. If she doesn't think it is, she will suggest the correct alternative.
I recently enquired about the much hyped up Virtual gastric band, to which i was told 'absolutely not' (Sarah can do this type of therapy, but told me it wouldn't suit me)- and an alternative was suggested.

If you have over indulged and don't quite know how to kick start January, give Sarah a call.
Check out her website here to see everything she can help you with
.http://www.holistic-ascentuals.co.uk/page12.htm

The other blog.....

Last year I won the chance to blog for Handbag.com at the Britain and Ireland Next Top Model Live Event.
As part of the prize, I was offered the chance to continue blogging for Handbag.com.
Find out why I hate the January sales, how I pick party dresses, and exactly what goes on backstage at BINTM Live here.....

http://www.handbag.com/archives/fashion/the-fashion-schmooze/by_author/11893/3;1

Keep checking for updates as there's more to come!

Chick Lit Winter Warmer - 'Wrapped up in You' - Carole Matthews

Winter Warmer?! This book is like central heating for your insides!

As soon as you are greeted with the lovely opening letter from Carole you will feel toasty..... and it only gets better.

Janie Johnson is a hairdresser. Her single status is the gossip of her friends and clients alike.

Determined to prove them wrong and show them she can get back into the dating game, Janie gives in to her best friend and goes on a blind date.

Janie sees the date as disastrous (it's hilarious!!) and when, not long after, her ex informs her he is having a baby with the new love of his life, Janie realises it's time she did something with hers.

Whilst being stalked by the man from the blind date, Janie wants to escape everything for a week. She leaves her evil cat with her lovely, lovely (divorced) neighbour Mike and heads to Africa.

The Maasai Mara couldn't be further from the life she has left behind. Janie finds herself falling in love with the Maasai Warrior Dominic and he tells her he feels the same.

Back on British soil, Janie can't imagine spending Christmas without her new Warrior and, oblivious to the warnings of her friends, she saves and borrows enough money to get her back to Kenya.

After spending a blissful Christmas with Dominic, Janie realises there is nobody else she would rather be with - not even Mike who is, quite clearly, in love with her.
Despite her friends concerns, Janie pays for Dominic to move to England.

Dominic is completely out of his comfort zone. Watching him settle into Village life is both hilarious and touching.

Janie's friends are sceptical about the new love of Janie's life they are convinced they have been proved right when Dominic disappears without a trace.

Mike is the much needed shoulder to cry on and is happy to help Janie in any way she needs.

The ending of this book is so delicious, I couldn't possibly give it away..... but be prepared to have your heart well and truly warmed in this magical story.

The way Carole Matthews shifts between the bright Mara background and the bleak British background is fantastic. Dominic's African clothing feels so bright against the British winter, yet it's almost as though some people find it too bright. Stereotypical points of view are highlighted in an excellent way as Dominic tries to fit in with Western culture.

This book does exactly what it says on the tin and completely wraps you up with a romantic, humorous and exotic blanket.

Chick Lit Winter Warmer - 'Something From Tiffany's'- Melissa Hill

I'm very sorry to say with the general excitement of Christmas taking over, I didn't do a very good job of keeping my Chick Lit Advent Calendar up to date! This is not to say I haven't been reading though....... I have. In true January style, my New Year's Resolution is to make sure I review every single book I have read. I am going to start with some of the books I initially bought as part of my Advent Calendar - simply because they can still be read even though the decorations have been packed away.
They are no longer my festive favourites, but my Chick Lit Winter Warmers - guaranteed to help you through January with a smile :)












First up is 'Something From Tiffany's' by Melissa Hill.





This is probably the book I was the most excited about reading. The front cover has the famous Little Blue Box spilling out some Tiffany's magic and I just couldn't wait to get stuck in!


The story starts in New York - and more importantly - Tiffany's. Here we meet the two men of the story and the little twists start almost straight away.
We have Ethan who is buying the most famous piece of Tiffany's jewellery of all for his Girlfriend Vanessa. Accompanied by Daisy, his daughter, he wants to make sure the engagement ring is perfect.
At the other end of the scale, we have Gary. Gary is on holiday in New York courtesy of his long-suffering Girlfriend, Rachel.
On realising he hasn't bought Rachel any sort of Christmas gift, he rushes to Tiffany's and buys her a charm bracelet.
The men leave Tiffany's - but unfortunately for Gary he walks straight into the path of a Taxi. Ethan and Daisy are first on the scene, tending to Gary and making sure his shopping doesn't get stolen.
The next morning, Ethan realises his good deed has ended up costing him £20,000. The engagement ring is missing, and in it's place is a charm bracelet.
In a hotel room elsewhere in New York, Rachel finds the very ring in Gary's carrier bags. Oblivious to what has happened, and out of hospital, Gary uses the ring to propose to his shell shocked girlfriend.
Ethan doesn't want to admit to the error and, along with Daisy, he sets to work on retrieving the ring in ways only a man would!
A story of romance, sadness, humour and what can only be described as a grown up fairytale follows.
Ethan wants to make Daisy happy and give her the family she deserves after her mother (and the love of Ethan's life) passed away. He genuinely thinks Vanessa is the woman for the job..... but as the search for the Tiffany's magic continues, he starts to realise he may have made a mistake.
Rachel is blissfully happy wearing her rock and to the dismay of her friends, continues pandering to lazy Gary's every need.
As part of his plan to retrieve the ring, Ethan forms a friendship with Rachel - watched by her best friend and business partner, Terri.
The friendship blossoms over dinner and both Ethan and Rachel question their own relationships.
It's not long before the ring goes missing from the restaurant Rachel owns and the story really takes off - with lots of little twists to keep it moving quickly.
(my personal favourite? The passengers of the taxi which knocked Gary over......)

Fate steps in and helps romance to give the book an unexpected, but very happy ending.
Fairytale Tiffany's magic is sprinkled throughout - I really wouldn't expect anything less from the book with the magic blue box on the front cover.