Shopping for Treats - Hauls and Wishlists - Black Friday Sales Haul

Hi!!!

So how long ago did I last do a haul? And did you know I've never posted a clothing haul, only beauty? Guess it's just not normally my thing. But today I have one and it's all about the bargains I scooped up on Black Friday. I am really excited to give this kind of post a go, so let me know what you think.

Jumper, H&M

I called into H&M on Black Friday with Elf Girl because she wanted to get something and then I saw this jumper and ended up buying something too. I love H&M jumpers because they are always soft and comfortable and I really like the colour and cut of this one. I lovr the speckle through this as well, because it just adds something a little different. They do a bunch of colours including a lovely shade of green which Elf Girl bought. I can't seem to find them online but do look in store if you like it or maybe a look at the rest of their lovely jumpers here.

Aloe Calming Foaming Wash, The Body Shop.

The day before Black Friday, I went into The Body Shop because I needed face wash, completely forgetting about it being Black Friday week, and nearly exploded with excitement when the girl behind the till said £4. So I went and bought another on actual Black Friday because a bottle is normally £7 and the discount was fantastic.  Anyway, I love this product so much and highly reccomend it. You can shop it here.

White Trainers, New Look

The rest of this haul is New Look based because their sale was full of great stuff at great prices. My package arrived today - I opted for 5-7 working days free delivery so I was super excited about that and wanted to mention it to you guys. Basically, shoes are my weakness and I've wanted some white trainers for a while now- I think they look awesome with so many things and so I'm excited to style them. You can check these out here.

Checked Shirt, New Look

I love shirts. I wear them loads. I didn't have one like this and when I saw this I fell in love - I think this will look really nice worn open over other tops and also worn buttoned up normallum The dark blue really makes the green check stand out, and I love the way that looks. The material is also really nice and quite thick, which impressed me.  If you also want a shirt like this, you can find them here.

Black Ankle Boots, New Look

 I have a pair of black ankle boots that I wear all the time and so when I saw these I put them straight in the basket. They are leather, which is great, and they have really lovely metal detailing which I love. They also have a good sized heel which is something I really like about them. They are really lovely boots and I'm very happy about this purchase. Shop them here.

Stripe Wrap Dress, New Look

I don't think that I have ever owned a wrap dress before now... I mean I'm not 100% sure but I really don't remember any. It seems so odd now because I do really like the style. I think the shape of this is really flattering and I love the combination of the red, white and black colours. There are so many ways to style wrap dresses, so I think I'll get a lot of wear out of this piece. It also has a tie belt thing but I untied it for the photo so you could get a better view of the skirt. This exact one is out of stock, but if you like the style, here's some with different colours in.

Stripe Midi Dress, New Look

Apparently, I have this thing with stripe-y dresses... This one is Midi length - it looks longer in the photo but clothes are so tricky to photograph - which means I'll be able to dress this up or down with ease, and I love the crisp white stripes on the very dark blue. It's also got a tie belt thing around the waist, which makes it really flattering. I'm basically in love, haha. You can snap one up here.

So, I hope you enjoyed that - I know it was a little different, hopefully in a good way.
Did you buy anything in the sales? Have you got any other comments or maybe a suggestion for future posts you'd like to see? Let me know in the comments.
Thanks for reading.

Have a wonderful day!

GingerSnaps xxx

Oh My Life! - Tales of My Life and Times - Christmas at Chatsworth

Hi!!!

You guys, Christmas is well and truly on its way and I am so excited, not least because it brings so many fun opportunities to spend time with family and friends. This year, one of those things has been visiting Chatsworth at Christmas, and I wanted to share some snaps from the day and tell you what we got up to.

I'd been to Chatsworth once before, which was also a Christmas visit - it was in 2014, and the theme for the decorations was The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (one of my favourite stories). That was an amazing visit and so, upon finding out the theme was The Nutcracker, I suggested booking tickets for this year.

I adore the story of The Nutcracker and have been to see the ballet (one of the most wonderful things I've done) and so I was massively excited.

We set off early and made the drive from Birmingham to Derbyshire - Chatsworth is in a town called Bakewell, which I think is such a cute name. Anyway, we got there at about quater to ten and our slot for the house was 10:15am so we took a little early morning dander round the market beforehand.

Every room in the house was decorated beautifully with a different scene from the Nutcracker. The decorations followed the story from Clara's early encounters with her Nutcracker Doll to their journey into the Land of Sweets (aka where I would like to live, please and thanks).

There were also rooms decorated like the stage of the ballet and the dressing rooms of the dancers playing each character.  One of my favourite rooms was the Sugar Plum Fairy's dressing room - it features a Christmas tree made of tutus and a very magical bubble bath.

The staff are all dressed in themed costumes which was another really special touch, and the music from the ballet plays throughout the house.

We spent some time in the afternoon in the gardens exploring, looking round the Christmas market and getting carried away with the cheeses and game meat stalls and drinking hot chocolate, and we even took a short horse and carriage ride (which cost £2 each) which was lovely.

It was such an amazing day and it was a really lovely thing to experience with family, too. 

I'd highly recommend going this year if you can - I think the Christmas market might still be on but I know the decorations and gardens are definitely still there all the way till the big day.

Find out more here.

Thanks so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed seeing what I got up to on this very festive day out.

Have you been to Chatsworth House? Do you like The Nutcracker? Do you have any comments or suggestions for future posts, be sure to leave a comment.
Peace out, sugar plums.

I hope your day is delightful and magical!

GingerSnaps xxx

Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do - Music - Five Of My Favourite Music Videos

Hi!!!

I'm one of those people that watches MTV a whole lot. I also listen to a lot of music on YouTube. All of this music video watching means I have of course ended up with favourites (and least favourites, but that's a post for another time). So, without any more rambling from me, here's a selection of the ones I like best.

Lonely Boy by The Black Keys

The sheer joy that this video brings me is probably immeasurable. I just love how simple it is. One guy dancing in a corridor somewhere. I know everyone jokes about keeping costs down, or having a forgotten deadline to meet, being the cause of this video, but I think its actually really smart, and it really does stay with you. So whatever the reason for its creation, you must watch it. Oh and the song is cracking too.

Fire by Kasabian

This is an amazing video. The concept is so smart and cool and it is brilliantly filmed. There is a clear story and it is a memorable one. If you're a fan of cowboy films, I think you'll appreciate it as this video definitely has Butch and Sundance vibes. I also really like the song, particularly in terms of the actual music.

The Greatest by Sia

I could have chosen any one of Sia's videos from recent years because they are all great. But The Greatest is one of my absolute favourites and it pays a beautiful tribute to those who lost their lives in the shooting in Orlando earlier this year. The choreography is amazing and so are all the dancers. Oh and the song rules all.

Ballad Of The Mighty I by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

This video. Honestly. As some of you may know, Noel Gallagher has said a few times before that he isn't a big fan of making music videos and this one takes that sentiment very seriously. The video itself is very good, it has an engaging narrative, it works well with the song and the direction is great. But my highlight is of course the humour at the beginning and end - it makes me laugh every time.

R U Mine by The Arctic Monkeys

Alex Turner and Co lip syncing and drumming while one the road is one of those things that you didn't know you needed until you you see it. It's so simple but so entertaining. I really liked all the songs on AM but I wasn't at all keen on a lot of the music videos produced to go alongside it however this one is gold.

I think that's everything then. I hope you enjoyed this post, and that you like the music videos as much as I do.
What are your favourite music videos? Do you have any comments or suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments.
Thanks for reading.

Have a fabulous day!

GingerSnaps xxx

We Will Remember Them - Thoughts On Remembrance Sunday



Hi!!!

Good morning. So today is Remembrance Sunday, as you probably know, and while I did a post on remembrance on Friday, I wanted to say a few words today, too, so here we go. They may be similar to my words on Armistice Day, but I'd still appreciate if you read it.

Today, there will be a two minute silence to honour those who have died in conflicts worldwide since WW1. Here's a reminder to stop at 11am and take the time to think about those who have fought and those who are impacted by conflict. Those who have served and are serving deserve to be thought of by us for all that they did and do for us all, whether we agree with war or not. Remembrance is so important.

Thank you so much for reading.
Do you have any comments or maybe suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments.
Speak soon.

Have a good Sunday!

GingerSnaps xxx

Lest We Forget - A Few Words On Armistice Day

Hi!!!

Good morning everyone. Happy Friday! Today, as you probably know, is Armistice Day and so I've put together a short post to honour that.

Today, Armistice Day, as on Remembrance Sunday, there will be a two minute silence to honour those who have died in conflicts worldwide since WW1. I wanted to encourage you to stop at 11am and take the time to think about those who have fought and are fighting and those who are impacted and have been impacted by war. To think about the things that others have done for us. Whatever we may think about war, those who have served and are serving deserve to be remembered and respected.

Thank you so much for reading.
Do you have any comments or maybe suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments.
Speak soon.

Enjoy your Friday!

GingerSnaps xxx

So, To Sum It All Up - October in Photographs.

Hi!!!

In October, I got a new phone. Finally. It's only taken me a year of dealing with one that wasn't working properly to actually get myself to the Carphone Warehouse to upgrade it. I now have a very pretty rose-gold Samsung Galaxy S7. One of the reasons I chose it was its snazzy camera - it is so good! - and I've been playing around with taking photos on it all month. I thought I'd put some into a little autumnal photo essay to share with you all. Its also a bit of an October summary, which is nice.

One perk of getting the bus everyday (yes there are some...) is that I get to walk through some very pretty places to get to the bus stop.

 I love walking and I love being outside so the parks and tree lined roads are always a highlight of my day.

I've been spending quite a lot of time in the house as the nights draw in.

 My room has seen more blankets and books joining the crew, the fan in my bedroom being packed away (yay!) and the living room has been home to board games and even more cups of tea than normal.
 

I've made a little routine of reading on weekday mornings rather than getting dressed straight away which has been nice. I'm currently reading Atonement by Ian McEwan, and I'm about half way through - it is a great read - so points to me!

Oh also, I got glasses this month - I'm short sighted (recently diagnosed). I don't wear them while reading, but they make a nice addition to photos of books, so never mind, haha. Mine are from Vision Express, just in case you were wondering.

I went on a little trip out to Leamington Spa with the familia and  this month on one of my days off (massive YES to days off) and I took some pictures of the autumnal sights in my beloved Jephson Gardens (and made friends with a squirrel).

It is beautiful at all times of the year, but would definitely encourage you to take a trip out this autumn, especially if you're Midlands based like me, because its even more lovely.

I spent some time with my family a few weekends back. It was lovely to see everyone - I hadn't seen some of my cousins in a year which seriously needed to be fixed. I watched Spirited Away for the first time with the littlest ones, played Uno and Snap, ate lots of cake and did a bit of a makeup master class with one of my older younger cousins (did that make sense?). Anyway, it was loads of fun and thanks to my Auntie for having us and everyone else for carving out time to spend with us.

We popped into Hemel Hempstead and St Albans while we were visiting, as we always do, and I did some serious shopping in Hemel Hempstead at TKMaxx, as well as other places. And then in St Albans, we went to the cathedral, which we have done once or twice before - it is such a lovely place to walk around and take in, as are the grounds.

A trip to the Watford Palace theatre was also something we managed to fit into our weekend - we went to see Arms and the Man on Friday night. It was an excellent production (as many are at the Palace), the actors were great and I laughed a whole lot which is always good.

Then, we travelled back home because I had tickets to go and see Jake Bugg at the O2 Academy in Birmingham, which had been bought for me for my birthday (thanks Uncle B!). It was such an amazing gig, and I had such a great time. The set list was fantastic and all my favourites were played and Jake's performance was outstanding (vocals, guitar and personality wise). A major highlight of this year.

 

And then, as it does every October, Halloween happened. Look at the coffee table display for the living room - isn't it super cute?

 

 

 

We had a little family get together with some very nice food, a fire going in the fire pit and some fireworks. When we do fireworks in our family, the policy is 'go big or go home' so the grass is looking a little worse for wear but the neighbours got to see a great display (as did we!). Oh and the next day we all met up again for a huge Sunday lunch.

It was loads of fun - thanks everyone!

So, I hope you liked this post! It was quite different from anything I've done before but I really liked putting it together and looking back on what was a great month.

What did you get up to this October? Did you enjoy this post? Do you like photo based posts as much as me? Got any comments or suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks ever so much for reading. Oh and I hope you had a gloriously lovely and sparkly Bonfire Night last night!

I hope your day is spectacular!

GingerSnaps xxx