So, To Sum It All Up - Summer-y Summary.

Hi!!!

Well, September is upon us, as I'm sure you'll have noticed and I've been planning lots of posts for this Autumn season which made me think of doing a summary of the Summer for you all. Partly because I haven't done a summary in about a million years and also so that I can reflect on all the cool things I have done and feel ready for the new season.

Anyway, time to stop babbling - I hope you enjoy!!!

So, what happened this summer?

 



Birthday's!

 

I had a fantastic birthday this year and got to spend lots of time with my family and friends and enjoy lots of very nice birthday cake!

I was very lucky to get lots of lovely cards and wonderful gifts, too, and I am so grateful to everyone for making my birthday this year such a special one filled with the most wonderful things.

As well as my birthday, there was Elf Girl's birthday which was spent playing really old video games, eating Chinese food and watching some favourite films.
There was also my friend Lauren's birthday and  some family birthdays throughout July and August, too - you know who you are.
I hope everyone else had amazing birthdays, too.

 

To see a post I wrote about my birthday, click (ME).

For my post about Elf Girl's birthday, click (THIS) and to view her blog, click (THIS).

Special Occasions!

My blog turned two in June which I commemorated with reflections on how much things have changed and also with cupcakes, obviously.

I would just like to take another opportunity to say the biggest thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting me and this blog. I truly hope that you'll be sticking around to see what is in store for the future.

If you're interested, my post about my blog's first birthday is (HERE).

Travelling...

I did some staycation travelling throughout the summer to some places I hadn't been to before and I had a lovely time.

As a little post birthday birthday celebration, we went to stay with my cousin P in Cambridge. I'd never been to Cambridge before and I got to do a bit of exploring while I was there as well as go and see two open air productions of Shakespeare plays - on our first night we went to see The Merry Wives of Windsor and on the second night we went to see Romeo and Juliet.
I had a great time - thanks for having us P.

I also had a holiday in Brighton with my lovely Auntie S and my Mom. I'd also never been to Brighton before. It was an awesome holiday, it was really sunny and we did such a variety of things like exploring castles, paddling and reading on the beach, walking along the seafront and going shopping and I have fallen in love with Brighton.

Posts to come soon on both of these things.

Getting Cultural...

I did lots of "Arts and Culture" type things as well over the summer.

I went to the Tiffany and Co "Fifth and 57th" installation at the Old Selfridges Hotel in London in July which was so, completely amazing and spent other parts of that day exploring the Summer Streets Event on Regent Street. That was a great day and we did so many cool things.

Later on in July, I went to see the RSC production of Othello, which was an incredible show that I was so impressed by. The cast were amazing and so was the set design, staging and everything else in between. It was extremely powerful.

Still theatrical but in a different genre was The Importance of Being Earnest which I went to see in June. It was hilarious and the cast was fantastic. It was a great evening and I cry-laughed lots. Oscar Wilde is one of my faves and I was very impressed.

Earlier this month, I went to the National Portrait Gallery's "Audrey Hepburn: Portraits of an Icon" exhibition was really interesting. I have always admired Audrey Hepburn and it was lovely to spend some time looking at her life in pictures.

To see my post about the "Fifth and 57th" installation, click (ME)

To check out my review of The Importance of Being Earnest, click (THIS)

Historical Things...

Many historical commemorative events and anniversaries took place over the summer, such as the 70th Anniversary of V.J Day.

As always, I hope you spent time reflecting and remembering all of the brave people involved in these things and/or the things they did.

Little Moments.

 

There were lots of lovely little moments over the summer that are so good to look back on.

 

Dancing with friends, barbecues with some of my favourite people, eating ice creams, walking in the park, going for picnics, paddling in the sea, exploring markets, discovering new songs and artists, watching movies in pyjamas, trying to steer rowing boats (unsuccessfully) with friends, waving to people on river boats, reading, going out for lovely meals and spending time with my family have all added up - amongst other things - to make a fantastic summer to look back on.

I always say that the little things add up and, looking back, I can honestly say that they do - thanks to everyone who was a part of it all. 

Songs of the Summer!

I enjoyed lots of songs over the summer, some of which I mentioned (HERE).

I can do a dedicated post for some of my other favourite songs of the summer, if you guys are interested. Be sure to let me know.

I think that's everything - apologies if I missed something out. I had such an amazing couple of months that I am very thankful for and I am excited to now see what Autumn will bring.

What did you get up to this summer? What do you think of what I did? Would you like a post on some of my other favourite songs from the past couple of months? Do you have any comments or suggestions for future posts? Be sure to let me know in the comments.
That's your lot for today then, folks! Thanks for reading and I hope to see you again soon.

 

Have an exceptional day!

GingerSnaps xxx

 

So, To Sum It All Up - March Summary.

Hi!!!

How are we all? It is somehow April already and this is all very exciting as April means Easter, going on a family holiday, eating Crème Eggs, sunshine and flowers. April also means a March Summary, which is what this is. I hope you enjoy...

What happened in March...

Comic Relief Fun Times...

Red Nose Day happened in March and it was awesome.
There were lots of very funny sketches and while I did get a bit teary or sad at one or two of the clips they showed us of families struggling, it was a great night all in all.
Highlights included: Monkey's Monumental Mission, Steven Hawking as a Transformer (robot in disguise...), getting very over excited about the fact that we got to see parts of Peter Kay's Live version of Phoenix Nights, No Direction, the Four Fundraisers and Liam Gallagher being a National Treasure...

Find the Red Nose Day website (HERE)

Find my post about it (HERE)

Find the Red Nose Day YouTube channel (HERE) to watch the clips that I mentioned above - i.e Monkey's Monumental Mission is (HERE).

Celebrating Mother's Day!

I went out for Mother's Day with my fabulous mother for a spot of shopping and some tea and cakes and we also called round to see my Auntie S.

I had a really nice day and I hope my Mom did too and that she liked her card and her gift. I know I am very fortunate to have such a wonderful mother and I love her very much.

To see the post I did about Mother's Day, click (ME)

Appreciating the Little Things.

I have a post that'll be up within the next few days about the little things that have made me smile recently, so more on that soon, but I thought I'd mention it now because they really do put a smile on my face and they make my day a bit brighter.

Excitement for my holiday!

I'm going on a family holiday in April, and so I have spent a lot of March being very, very over excited to go away.

I love travelling, I love the place we are going to and I love spending time with my family so it should be great.

My Favourite Blog Post of March.

Yeah, that's right, I'm back to choosing just the one and here it is...

"Hello March - a note" on A Rosie Outlook", (HERE)

I liked the upbeat nature of this post and I liked seeing what Rosie was looking forward to for March is looking forward to for the Spring.

It is a pretty, well written post and I likes it.

Other blogs that I like can be found in my Blogger Profile which can be found on the right...

My Favourite Song of March.

"FourFiveSeconds" by Rihanna and Kanye West and Paul McCartney, (HERE).

This song is so, so good and I am a bit in love with it. You should deffo listen. I love the music, lyrics, vocals and the simplicity of it. I find it relaxed, effortlessly cool and just awesome. Love, love, love - its on the list of favourites from now on.

That will be all for now then you guys, Happy April, and I will speak to you all very soon.

What did you get up to in April? What do you think of what I did? What do you think of my favourite blog post from March or my favourite song from March? Any comments or suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading, you lovely bunch of people.

I hope your day is totally fabulous!

GingerSnaps xxx

So, To Sum It All Up - July Summary.

Hi!!!


Another month, another summary. I have no idea where the time is going because apparently, we're already on August. Can someone please explain to me what is happening here? Is it the wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff? If you got that reference, then go you!

Beginning to Move Our Stuff To The New House.


So, after such a long time of perfecting the house, we've finally started moving our things in a transit van and now have an actual sofa in the new house (as opposed to a row of garden chairs) and have put clothes into the wardrobes IKEA delivered and assembled as well as making the beds. It's all coming together and there is only one room to complete now and some more pieces to move.

Exciting times, especially considering that I can near enough guarantee we'll be moving this month!

To see all of my posts about moving house, (HERE), (HERE), (HERE) and (HERE).


Enjoying Going Out and Spending Time In The Sunshine.

Something I have no corresponding posts to link up with is spending time in the sun. And I don't mean sunbathing - I'm ginger, therefore pale, therefore no.

No, what I mean is spending time doing things, going to interesting places and in turn, enjoying the sunshine. 

It's been nice to get out and do things which are a bit different and a lot of fun,

The Commonwealth Games

Aah, the Commonwealth Games, which are wrapping up as we speak. 

The Opening Ceremony was fabulous as were all of the sporting events.

I have really enjoyed having the opportunity to see so many athletes from so many diverse countries participate in sport and cheering on my favourite althetes. 

It has been great.

To see my post about the Commonwealth Games, mosey on over (HERE).

My Birthday and Celebrations.

So, as you may or may not know, my birthday was last Thursday and I spent quite a bit of time celebrating with all of my wonderful friends and family.

I enjoyed myself a lot and  I recived some lovely things.

It was brilliant.

I had such an amazing time and I'd like to say a massive thanks to everyone for that.

To see the post I wrote about my birthday and celebrations, click (HERE).

Lots of Lovely Little Things.

As you know, I am always one for the little things and I find nothing better than feeling happy.

In July, I spent time enjoying a lot of lovely simple things which made me so, so happy. 

I think we should all spend a bit more time appreciating how sometimes even just some eggs and toast can lift your mood.

To see my post about some of the things that made me smile, click (HERE).


My Favourite Blog Posts Of July.

"Yarn Bomb Pics!!!" on Chronicles of the Red Herring, (HERE).

Elf Girl got her photography skills out here and took some great photos of the time earlier this month that our neighbourhood got yarn bombed (she explains the terms in her post). 

I found this fun, interesting and unique.

"We did: An Indoor Fort" on Little Winter, (HERE).

I love quirky little things like this and since forts were a massive childhood fave, I really like this post.

It's nice to see something alternative on a blog like this.

"A Seaside Weekend with Friends, and a Video" on A Rosie Outlook, (HERE).

I liked this post because of it's friendly feel and because it showed off some of the delights found near Rosie's home.

It's also nice to have a video to accompany the writing as it added something else to the post and made it more interesting.

"Cuckoo Clocks & Late Night Kisses" on Charlotte 's Web, (HERE)

I love when Charlotte writes like this.

It's funny, it's sweet, it's endearing and the ending is adorable. It's great and you should read it, too.

"Lead the Way" on The London Project, (HERE).

It's a good set of photographs that look great.

It's unique and interesting and one for the creative amongst you.

"Friday Round Up" on Made Up Of Little Things, (HERE).

This post is a very "real" post, as it truly is just a life update.

This post takes the good with the bad and pinch of salt, and that is appealing as it connects a lot with you. It's more a conversation than a presentation.

"What Olivia Cooked: Salted Caramel Popcorn" on What Olivia Did, (HERE)

I actually discovered What Olivia Did this morning, not last month, but this recipe looks so good that I had to share. I've been having a wee butchers at some previous posts and I like what I see.

This blog could become a new addition  to the reading list and the popcorn could become a fave of mine soon.

So, that's all for today then, I hop you have enjoyed. I look forward to getting back on the blogging bus this month and posting more, I hope you are too. 

Did you enjoy July? What were your highlights? What do you think of mine? Did you enjoy this post? Any comments or suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments.

See you all soon for a lot more posts.

Have the most wonderful day!

GingerSnaps xxx

I've Been Thinking... - Things That Have Made Me Smile Lately...

Hi!!!


Hello there! How are you? Good I hope. There's been a few things that have made me smile recently, and I just thought it might be nice for me to share and maybe make you smile too.


So...

Things That Have Made Me Smile Lately...

1.  Finding Easter Eggs that I thought I had already eaten in my kitchen cupboards at home. It made me smile because I got the gifts again in a way, and I really like chocolate.
2. Raiding the draw full of Sharpie's (HERE), at work the other week - it was all above board, it was decided we needed to do a Sharpie clear-out (there were two very deep drawers full...). It made me smile because we all turned into little kids over the pretty colours and it made everyone smile.
3. The Chocolate Trolley (a selection of free chocolate for everyone to enjoy) at work a few Fridays ago. It made me smile because it made everyone happy and I like chocolate buttons a lot. Especially when they are free. This isn't just a post about chocolate... promise.
   
   
   
   

   
   

   

   
   
   
   
4. Doing Prom makeup for a family friend. It made me smile because she was really pleased with it, had a lovely prom, and looked beautiful (as always).
5. Eating Eggs and Soldiers with my Mom at the weekend. One of the children in the school my Mom works at brought them in for her, his Grandad owns chickens and he goes with his Grandad to collect them and they sing nursery rhymes as they do. This made me smile as the story behind the eggs made me all warm inside, and the food itself reminded me of when I was very little.
   
   
   

   
   
   
   
6. The beautiful flowers in the garden at my Nan's house. This made me smile because I love flowers (as does my Nan) and they look and smell gorgeous.
   
   
   
   
   
7. The thunder storm that happened in my neighbourhood over last weekend. This made me smile because I ran outside into the rain and it was really strong and it was an awesome storm to be in. It reminded me of the weather in Northern Ireland a number of years ago now, and Northern Ireland is one of, if not the most special place to me.
8. Watching Mary Poppins and eating chocolate digestives. This made me smile because I love the film very, very much (its one of my favourites), I love Disney films, I love singing all the songs (regrettably I'm not the best singer) and the biscuits were very yummy.
9. Watching Sunshine on Leith. This made me smile because it is another one of my favourite films, I love it, I love The Proclaimers (and their songs are the soundtrack) and it made me feel very happy!
10. Getting my nails done at a nail bar. This made me smile because the colour was lovely, the design on the accent nail was lovely and, as I always do my nails myself, I felt very special having them done for me.
    (Excuse the chipped polish in the photo below) 
    
    
    

    
    
    
    
11. Seeing fairy lights in a shopping trolley at work. This made me smile as it seemed so peculiar and yet it looked so pretty. I should point out that it was in the creative department, not in the lobby or anything...
12. Purchasing Ben & Jerry's (HERE) Strawberry Shortcake Frozen Yogurt. This made me smile because, although I haven't tried any yet, its nice to know its in the freezer, it looks so yummy and it reminded me of the time a few years ago where I literally just ate Ben & Jerry's...
13. 
    

    Watching Big Brother. This made me smile because, as uncultured as some people find such programs, I love Big Brother and this series is good.

    
    
14. Going to see Who's Afraid Of Virginia Wolfe at the Malvern Theatre (HERE) on Wednesday night. This made me smile because it was a great production and I had a wonderful evening! 
15. Eating miniature sticks of rock (like the ones from the seaside). This made me smile because it reminded me of holidays at the beach and because I love the colours too.

That's that for today then, hope you've enjoyed! I like writing posts like these because I can revisit things and get all smiley again!

What has been making you smile recently? Did this post make you smile? Do you have any suggestions or ideas for future posts? Maybe you have comment  on this one? Let me know in the comments below.

Speak soon lovely people.

Have a spectacular day!

GingerSnaps xxx

So, To Sum It All Up - March Summary.

Hi!!!

Another month over, another Summary to write. And so, without further ado, here is my March Summary. I hope you enjoy.

Getting Work Done At The New House.

Back in February, we found out that we had a new house and so the last month has been dedicated to getting as much done as possible so we can move in ASAP. Getting things done is so rewarding as you can see results straight away. Plus, the more work we get done, the sooner we can decorate (!) and move in. YAY!

I would also like to mention the friends and family members who have been giving us a helping hand, as well as those who have even just offered to help. We are very grateful and it means lot.

We have conquered lots of tasks, but I am planning on doing an update post soon, so that you know what is going on.

To hear more about the kinds of things that we have done at the new house, click (HERE).

Doing Some Really Cool Stuff.

Throughout March, I spent my time doing some really cool stuff (or at least I think so). I spent my time doing a variety of things and it felt really nice to have things to look forward to. I know most of the stand-outs were big things, but the little things count towards my monthly stand-outs too.

To see a post about my busiest weekend in March, click (HERE).

Celebrating Mother's Day, Saint Patrick's Day and People's Birthdays.

During March, we had Saint Patrick's Day (which is always a nice day - this year filled with texts in Gaelic to and from my Uncle). We also had Mother's Day, which is such a great day, because Mom's are amazing and they deserve a day to relax and enjoy. I also celebrated H's birthday, amongst others. I didn't realise quite how behind I was on my blogging this month, because I missed writing posts for two family members birthdays - you know who you are, I'm sorry, and love you!

To see a post on Saint Patrick's Day and H's Birthday, click (HERE).

To see a post about Mother's Day, click (HERE).

Supporting Charities.

 During March, Sport Relief was broadcast, and I donated to them. It is such a good cause, and I was really touched by some of the stories shown (I only saw an hour or so of the show, as I was busy). One story in particular which touched me, was the story of an old man called Bob, who had reached out to a program called The Silver Line after his wife died.

I hope that you guys support, or will support charities like this in future, as they really are worth it.

To find a post I did about Sport Relief, click (HERE).

To find the Sport Relief website, click (HERE).

To find The Silver Line website, click (HERE).

Taking Time For The Little Things.

Some of the little things this month have really stood out to me. For example, getting as much out of my weekends as possible, watching movies on my laptop in bed on a rainy evening, and singing/humming songs everywhere under my breath.

For a post on my favourite things about weekends, click (HERE).

For a post on the kind of songs I have been humming and singing, click (HERE).

My Favourite Blog Posts Of March.


Might I suggest that you check out more posts from the blogs here that were produced this month, this selection was tough.


"Doing The Lennon" on Charlotte's Web, (HERE).


First of all, I love the amount of Beatles-ness going on here - the sunglasses and Charlotte's top. I also kinda want some of those glasses. I also love the simplicity of this post. It made me smile.


"Friday Round Up" on Made Up Of Little Things, (HERE).


I have always loved the Friday Round Up's on this blog since I first started reading it. I love how images are used in the Friday Round Up posts to make them more personal. I found this one sweet and loved all the Elbow references - I do love Elbow...

"Mama's Recipe" on Little Winter, (HERE).

I found this post quite interesting, and it also made me smile. It is quite rare to get a kind of foodie post, so this was a welcome change, and there is a real sense of fun to this post - I think it is the mother-daughter relationship shining through. Oh, and some of the pictures are quite amusing i.e apple for a nose...
Good stuff.


"Happy" on Chronicles Of The Red Herring, (HERE).


Short, sweet and very wise, just like most of the posts on this blog. I liked this post very much, and the message from it is something I believe in very strongly much. This was almost motivational to me, which can never be a bad thing, right?


"Five Favourites: March" on A Rosie Outlook, (HERE).


I thought this post was interesting, personal and I love the Five Favourites concept as it is very individual as well as making things stand out more. Rosie's favourite links from March were ones I hadn't read until she suggested them, but I did enjoy a few.

So, March, consider yourself wrapped up. I hope you enjoyed this post, everyone, I can't wait to post more this month.

What did you get up to last month? What were your favourite blog posts of March? Any suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments.

I will see you all very soon, and hopefully you will enjoy my April content.

Have a brilliant day/night!

GingerSnaps xxx

So, To Sum It All Up - October Summary

Hi!!!

I was actually going to post this yesterday or the day before but I didn't think I could really overshadow Halloween successfully. Anyway, October was a pretty good month for me and so I wanted to share some of my highlights. This could be a bit of a lengthy post - I suggest you get yourself a cup of tea...

 

Going to see About Time with Elf Girl.

          That was a brilliant day, About Time is my now my favourite film, without a doubt, and I

          want you all to go and see it, please, and I will be a very happy little ginger. I know it sounds weird but the film completely changed my outlook on life - you'll know what I mean when you see it. Best film ever.

          Apart from the film, we went to Hawkins Bazaar and had soooo much fun messing with

          all the toys - Elf Girl walked away with a Chinese Finger Trap and I left with a sparkly

          majorette baton.

          We went to Giraffe for lunch, I can't believe we hadn't been before but I highly recommend the Penne Margarita. It was just a day filled with lots of little happy things and I am very grateful for days like those.  

 

You can find a post I did on my excitement to see About Time (HERE), and a link to Elf Girls Blog (HERE) - I mention her too much.

 



Taking up running.  

Granted I haven't been on a great deal of runs, but making the decision and actually even just completing one run is a huge deal for me and I took some big steps last month towards changing my lifestyle for the better so I can live a healthier life for many years to come.

I also realised that anyone can do anything if they really want to and it is imperative that we all learn this.

 

You can find a post I did about taking up running (HERE).
 

Enjoying the little things.

Last month I've been noticing the little things a lot more.

I found beauty in a Sainsbury's car park and I really enjoyed my long weekend at my Aunties house. I didn't do a lot of "big" things last month but it was just a good month for me.

 

You can find the post I did about that car park (HERE) and you can see the post I did about staying at my Aunties (HERE).
 

 

Halloween Shenanigans.

Halloween this year was pretty fun and I really enjoyed it.
Elf Girl and I had another addition to our Halloween Shenanigans, as one of our friends joined us, and it was lovely to have her round.

I was very happy with my costume and my hair and makeup. The pumpkin was nice to me and, I think, looked pretty cool. Elf Girl's pumpkin went a bit mad and almost set the curtains on fire... And I'm scared of fire (no jokes, please). We watched Ghostbusters - great film... - and we ate lots of food and just had a cracking time.

 

You can find my Halloween preparation post (HERE) and my Happy Halloween post (HERE). To find Elf Girl, I'll link her a-gain, (HERE).

 

 

My favourite YouTube video from October.

 I think it might have to be...

Autumn LookBook by "Zoella" (HERE) - I LOVED THIS. It was filmed so, so, so beautifully, the outfits were stunning and it looked like something out of a movie... One of my favourite YouTube videos ever, I think.

 

 

My favourite Blog Post from October.

 

October has been a month of great blog posts but my favourite is going to have to be...

A yurt holiday and some news... by Rosie at A Rosie Outlook (HERE) - A Rosie Outlook is one of my favourite blogs anyway, if not my favourite, and this post was utterly adorable. I won't spoil it for you but I do want to say Congratulations to Rosie. Do go and have a read and be sure to leave a lovely comment for her.

 

 

Phew, that was a bit of a lengthy post but if you made it this far, I hope you enjoyed it. I'm not sure that I'll do these every month, but I did enjoy piecing this together and if you want to see more of these, then do let me know in the comments.

 

Have a truly lovely day.

GingerSnaps xxx

 



 



 



I've Been Thinking... - It's The Little Things.

Hi!!!

Today's post is just a quick one.

Yesterday, I was sat in the car park of the supermarket, waiting for someone to come back with dinner to have after watching a film (Shall We Dance) and before Strictly (just in case you were wondering; Thai Fishcakes and Potatoes Au Gratin - nom...) and it started to rain. And I mean rain. It was lashing it down. Opposite the car park, there is a lovely church and their were pretty amber lights and candles, illuminating the windows and the street lights were glowing. The rain put everything in a blur, and it just looked so beautiful. That's correct, I did just call a Sainsbury's car park "beautiful". I think one of the best things being a blogger has taught me is to really look at and appreciate the small things in life. I think I was quite good at that before, but since becoming a blogger, I've been clinging onto those more. This is probably because, as bloggers, we want the universe to look at our lives and think, "that's cool", and so we notice more in order to build up to these things.

 

"One day, when we reflect on our lives, we'll notice that the little things, were indeed big things,"

That's all for today then folks, I hope that this was enjoyable for you, although it does seem a bit random...

I hope your day is filled with the most wonderful little things...

 

GingerSnaps xxx