Girls Night – Part Two

So, Part One of Girls Night saw me get my makeup done by the lovely Sasha at Clarins in Debenhams.

The girls absolutely loved my final look & I was glad to see they had already ordered a bottle of Pinot for my arrival!

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We decided to meet at The Crown at Iverley.  It’s a restaurant/bar located in a nearby village of Stourbridge, West Midlands.

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We always love to catchup over drinks & food & knowing both here are lovely, it was a winner.

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On a Thursday & Friday evening, The Crown do a special cocktail deal: 5 cocktails for £20.00.  Anybody who drinks cocktails on a night out will know what an amazing deal that is!  The list of cocktails they offer is ENDLESS!  I had to stop looking at the menu & just pick one at random!

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We arrived at 7pm & our table was at 9pm.  The bar area was absolutely heaving.  A fantastic atmosphere with really friendly bar staff.  No cocktail was too much trouble.

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We got to our table around 8:45pm and embarked on the tough choice of picking what to eat!

We noticed the specials board & instantly chose the Steak.  The Crown also have a Steak Night on a Tuesday evening & I honestly could not recommend it enough!  You really do get a great deal on such a lovely meal.

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It came with big, fat homemade chips, an oversized mushroom & peppercorn sauce.  I never normally order/eat chips but oh wow, I made an exception for these!

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No matter how full we are, we always have to see the dessert menu!  We instantly saw a ‘Popcorn Cheesecake’ & ordered three of them!  I was not disappointed!  Washed down with another bottle of Pinot, the night was concluded.

If you’re in or around the West Midlands/Stourbridge area, be sure to check it out!  There are some lovely countryside walks around so maybe pop in for a drink to warm your hands on the roaring log fire!

You can access their website here. 

Enjoy!

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Girls Night – Part One

So it’s Friday night, you’ve been to work all week, and you’re going out with your girls in the evening.

If you’re anything like me, you can do your makeup to a certain standard, & that’s about it.

My two friends are absolutely stunning & their makeup ALWAYS looks flawless.

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I decided to up my game & book myself in to Clarins for a makeover.  All of my skincare is by Clarins.  I will not use anything else!  I also use their foundation & have done since the young age of 15.

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I decided to book in at 5:30pm on a Friday evening.  I finish work at 5pm & work close to a Debenhams and a Clarins counter.   I was due to meet the girls at 7pm & so I thought this would give me enough time to get home & whack on a dress!

I arrived at 5:30pm and was greeted by the lovely Sasha who instantly made me feel at home.

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She began by taking off my makeup from the day & cleansing, all with Clarins products.

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She then went & applied my makeup starting with face cream, foundation and concealer.  I use their True Radiance foundation (£27.50).

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She then started to contour which is the most exciting thing ever.  I had never, nor had I ever even attempted to contour.  I am no Kylie Jenner let me tell you.  Sasha knew exactly what would suit me, what colours to use, the fact that I like to use bronzer (I believe in Summer all year round!).  She used little tricks like applying eyeshadows as blusher etc.  She’s a makeup genius.

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The fact that I have long eyelashes, she utilised those with their Wonder Perfect mascara, which is the best thing since sliced bread!  No more drugstore mascaras for me!  Good bye hard earned salary!

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She also used a liquid eyeliner on me because I said I never used it.  She created the perfect little flick.

Sasha chatted to me about what colours I preferred, what I normally wore & what I would like to try.  We also had some general chitchat, which is lovely when you’re sat thinking ‘did I forget to pluck my eyebrows?!’  She really made me feel at ease and it was a truly relaxing experience.

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She then went and applied eyeshadow – I went for a light eye and a louder lip.  I ALWAYS go for the dark eye, pale lip, but in the hands of an expert, I wanted something different.

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The whole look was finished off with some of their Fixing Spray.  I ended up buying some of this on the evening (along with the Wonder Perfect Mascara).  I am SO glad that I did!

My makeup literally lasted 7 hours straight.  Even my lipstick did not budge.  This, may I add, was after a 3 course meal, cocktails AND wine with my girlfriends!  I was so impressed!

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I have honestly never felt so ladylike & walked out of Debenhams feeling a million dollars!  As it’s my anniversary next weekend, I am looking to go back & let her work her magic on me again!  I need her to move in with me ASAP!

So, I was all set for my evening with my girls.  Be sure to check back in the next few days to see what we got up!

 

Tapas Fridays!

Hola!

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I know, I know.  It’s Monday & we’re all sad & depressed.

I don’t know about you, but I’m already planning & looking forward to the weekend!

One of my favourite things to do on a Friday is get home from work, kick off the shoes, open a bottle of wine/champagne & relax for the evening!

I love, love, LOVE to pick up some tapas bits and bobs during the week & enjoy them all on Friday evening!

Olives, meats, artichokes, humus, prawns.  You name it, I will buy it.

Tapas is perfect in the Summer (albeit, we haven’t seen much of a Summer here in England!).  There’s nothing better than putting everything in the middle so everyone can share.  The Spanish really know how to socialise by including food.

Now, if only we could have a little bit of their sunshine!  …PLEASE!?

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Sunshine and Hikes

Happy Friday everyone!

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I hope you have all had a wonderful week & you’re all ready for the weekend! (I’m sure you are!)

What have you got planned for the weekend?

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I’m hoping for some more sunshine so we can get out & about on a little hike.  There’s nothing more lovely than getting up at the crack of dawn, having breakfast & going for a long stroll in the sunshine!

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After a long week in an office, you can sometimes forget that there’s a whole beautiful world out there to explore!

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Having a little sing song in the car on the way to our local countryside is one of my favourite things to do! I never know the correct words, but that’s what makes it fun right?!

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Going for long walks we always find ourselves talking for hours about anything and everything.

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It’s so lovely to have these surroundings on your doorstep.  Just to take a second out of ‘real life’ & get lost in the scenery is a wonderful thing to be able to do!

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I hope you all have a well earned peaceful weekend full of relaxation and adventures! Happy Friday!

Weekend Roundup

Sunday evening…HOW is it here again?

It doesn’t seem too minutes since I kicked off my work shoes on Friday night with a huge smile on my face!

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Friday was a perfect relaxing evening. I had a bubble bath & then cheekily stole Daniel’s dressing gown for the remainder of the evening!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Saturday morning saw snow, hail & rain hit the Midlands, but we still braved the Great British weather & headed into Birmingham for a French breakfast.

My French toast & Hazelnut Latte went down a treat!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I decided to embrace the inner Parisian in me & opt for a French nautical look!

Blazer: Zara

Tee: H&M

Bag: DKNY

Jenas: Topshop

Flats: Primark

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I also picked up a Bubble Tea from Mee Cha which is an absolute must when in Birmingham! I am a tad obsessed, & that’s just with the cute Panda packaging!

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Saturday evening saw me celebrating my Dad’s birthday! We ventured into St Paul’s Square in Birmingham for food & drinks. It was a night filled with cocktails, wine, prosecco & yummy food. It’s always lovely to spend an evening with family!

 

 

 

 

 

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The morning after the night before saw me head out at the crack of dawn & complete the Action Heart 5 mile (8K) run. Action Heart is a cardiac rehabilitation programme & helps hundreds of people each year. It was an honour to take part with 500 other people in my local area! I have never been so cold, nor have I ever ran up so many hills, but I was very happy to finish with a big smile on my face!

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The rest of Sunday was a lovely relaxing day! I collected the Sunday papers for Daniel & I & we also watched my Dad open his Birthday presents, which was lovely! I finished the weekend off with a super Sunday Dinner with Daniel’s family!

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How was your weekend? I hope you all had a super fun time! x

Weekend Roundup

So, it’s Sunday evening & we find ourselves thinking about work tomorrow.

I’ve had another lovely weekend! Here’s what I got up to!

Friday

 

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So Friday saw me spend Valentines Eve with my two best girl friends. We went to see the much anticipated 50 Shades of Grey! There was A LOT of people! We had thankfully booked our tickets in advance & we were not disappointed! We were quite happy to spend our Friday evening with Mr Grey!

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Before the film, we went for pizza, wine & dessert & 2 hours of giggles & gossip later we made our way over to the movie!

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No movie night is complete without a Pick n’ Mix! The Great British weather was awful on Friday, so it called for a fur & jeans kind of evening! My fur gilet is from H&M & I’m wearing my trusty Topshop Jamie jeans & H&M black polo!

Saturday

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Saturday afternoon saw me attend a Football game with my Dad. It was the FA Cup here in England & I took my Dad for his Birthday!

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Thankfully, the team that we support (West Bromwich Albion) won 4-0 so we were happy! I had to grab a Costa on the way to fuel my Costa obsession!

Sunday

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Sunday, as you know, is my favourite day. Me & Daniel grabbed the Sunday papers & headed for breakfast at our favourite place, Fig & Favour. See my post on them, here!

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We then got home, got straight into our comfies & watched Films & had a nap! We always try & make our Sunday afternoon’s super relaxed ready for work the next day!

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I love lounging in my Victoria’s Secret tee & my Nike running tights!

Find similar Nike tights (on sale!), here.

I hope you’ve all had a wonderful weekend! I’m already on countdown to the next one!

x

Movie Review: The Theory Of Everything.

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Friday night date night saw us embark on the journey of the most talked about Movie of the year so far.

The Theory of Everything is something else. It was heartbreaking. Beautifully heartbreaking.

We have all heard of Steven Hawking. The famous Physicist, right? But what do we actually know about the man himself?

In 1963, Hawking was given two years to live. In 2015, at 73 years old, he remains one of the most fascinating men alive.

The film explores the relationship between Hawking and his wife of 30 years, Jane.

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English actors Eddie Redmayne (Stephen) & Felicity Jones (Jane) were absolutely flawless. The chemistry between them and the story in which they told in 123 minutes was a privilege to watch. They have cast a spell over me which has become almost impossible to remove. They took my breath away.

I found the love between Jane & Stephen overwhelming. From meeting at University, to the roller coaster ride they embarked on, the compassion and unselfishness of Jane in the early days of Stephen’s illness was unbelievable.

Bringing up a family & looking after Stephen just goes to show that after all of the equations, science and facts, love is the strongest emotion you will ever experience.

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The breakdown of their relationship, and ultimately their marriage, makes me quite teary just thinking about it. The real life struggle between the two is something I cannot fathom.

The film really hit home a few messages. As long as you’re breathing, you’re living. Make the most of your loved ones and the life in which you lead. Take every breath with appreciation. Run with your ideas, dance in the moonlight, kiss under the stars. Do not regret anything. And most importantly, stand by who/what you believe in.

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Overall, this film is remarkable. I demand everyone who has ever felt love for someone go watch this film, immediately. It will take your boundaries and multiply them by ten. It will make you think. It will make you cry. It will make you smile. It will make you appreciate.

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