The Week So Far (In Numbers)

The week so far has comprised (but has not been limited to)

1: iced coffee, pub quiz, new packet of polo mints, new blog post, picture of a dog sent by a friend, outfit that accidentally matched my best friend's, moment when I laughed out loud while walking down the street alone, bowl of rice crispies, mug of green tea
2: heart shaped biscuits, selfies, hours spent playing Bye Bye Love on guitar, boxes of blueberries eaten, conversations about blue smarties, Weetabix eaten
3: different nail polish colours worn on alternate nails, nights when it's taken an age to go to sleep, bowls of muesli
4: missed calls
5: pancakes, songs from David Bowie's Young Americans
20: cry-laughing emojis sent
25: pints of water consumed
45: minutes of v chill and jazz music played in a bid to help me sleep
75: minutes spent waiting for buses (over several days) (approx.)
90: minutes of yoga (over several days)
648382942 million: plays of The Boy Is Mine by Brandy and Monica (approx.)
978737272 million: plays of Say My Name by Destiny's Child (approx.)

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

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 

I've Been Thinking... - The Joy Of Colouring Books.

Hi!!!

Good evening everyone. I wanted to have a chat with you today about colouring books because I really like them. I know colouring in for 'grown ups' has been really popular recently, and it might all seem a bit odd, but honestly, I couldn't be happier.



I was a big fan of colouring in when I was little. I used to like 'fashion' type colouring in books, where I could colour in outfits to my liking and add in patterns (I've always liked clothes!). I liked taking control over the colours that would be on the page and I think there was a sense of accomplishment in finishing each piece.

Then, last Christmas, having seen a hundred and one grown-up colouring books in WHSmith every day, I decided that I'd ask for one and see what they were like. My mom bought me The Enchanted Forest by Johanna Basford (as well as another colouring book and some pencils). Then Elf Girl bought me this colouring book based on The Chronicles of Narnia (I have always loved the stories for my birthday.
 

My favourite parts of colouring in are still present - choosing colours is still a painstakingly thoughtful process, which I enjoy, and I still feel proud of myself when I complete a picture. The main difference in adult's colouring books and children's colouring books that I have noticed, is that the pictures are far more intricate and detailed, which means it takes me a quite a while to finish the pictures. This gives me time to really savour and consider the images, which is lovely.

A lot of the books are marketed as products to aid mindfulness, and I'm not sure I can comment fully or correctly on the subject because I'm not really all that clued up on the concept, but what I can say is that it is lovely to sit down and take time away from technology to enjoy colouring. It can certainly help you step away from things and puts you in a different mind set.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is that you should treat yourself to a colouring book this Autumn because there is joy to be found inside their pages.

I hope you liked this post, and that you may have found a new activity to fill some of your lovely autumn evenings.

Do you own any colouring books? Which ones would you recommend? Do you think you might buy one now? Do you have any other comments or maybe suggestions for posts you'd like to see in the future? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks so much for reading.

I hope your day is delightful!

GingerSnaps xxx

Going Anywhere Nice On Your Holidays? - Travel - What's In My Suitcase? Cyprus 2016

Hi!!!

Hello, lovely people. I hope you're having a brilliant week so far (and also that you enjoy this post...). Today is a post all about the contents of my suitcase. This is the second draft that I've done of this, because figuring out how to do it well has been interesting. Anyway, let's begin.



I have a whole bunch of cosmetic/wash bags. The red one contains my sun protection - two bottles of Nivea Factor 50, a bottle of Factor 50 Vichy Velvety Cream, aftersun and an SPF 30 lip balm from Malibu. The floral one is from Cath Kidston and it has my cleanser, makeup remover, toothbrush and toothpaste and deodorant. The blue one with the owls has my makeup in and there isn't loads - I have mascara, some colourful lipsticks, bronzer, concealer, primer and Nars Sheer Glow foundation and some brushes. I also have a colour protect conditioner (because it has UV filters), my fave shampoo and shower gel, some hair bobbles and insect repellent.

 

Clothes wise, I have a variety of vest tops, several pairs of shorts and some cover-ups. I also have some smarter tops and blouses, linen trousers, maxi dresses and a maxi skirt. I've got some light scarves and a light cardigan for the evenings, too. I have a couple of bikinis and a tankini - they are a bunch of different colours and prints.

 

I packed two pairs of sandals - some chunky white ones and some with black strappy detailing. I wore pair of trainers on the plane so I also have those with me.

 

I have this super snazzy (and rather glamorous) floppy sun hat which I adore - it is huge so it'll certainly help protect me from the sun. I've also got a blue and white one which has a slightly smaller brim.

 

And then the books. I packed Funny Girl by Nick Hornby, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding, Paper Towns by John Green (on recommendation) and Brighton Rock by Graham Greene. Would you like me to review them when I get back? (Tell me in the comments).

 

And that, ladies and gents, is 'what's in my suitcase'. This was a bit of a different post for me, so I hope you liked it!

Have you been on holiday this year? Are you going anywhere? Do you have any comments or suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading, speak soon.

 

I hope you day is going swimmingly!

 

GingerSnaps xxx

 

 

Oh My Life! - Tales of My Life and Times - A New York Minute, Dancing in the Street, Free Fallin' Buskers and Milkshakes.

Hi!!!

So, the other weekend I headed down to my beloved London with my wonderful mother for a day full of all of the best things and I had an amazing time. I thought that I'd tell you all about it today and I hope you'll enjoy this post.

I was doing some browsing around the interwebs a few weeks ago and I found out about the (free to visit) "Fifth and 57th" installation at the Old Selfridges Hotel in London to celebrate the opening of the new Tiffany and Co store in Selfridges on Oxford Street. I have always loved Tiffany and could sit at my computer or stand at the counters admiring all of their exquisite pieces of jewellery all day long so this just seemed like a must for me. I was telling my lovely Mom about it one day and she suggested that we go together on a weekend. We ended up going on the last day it was running - the 12th of this month - and we had a great time in London.

I hadn't been to London in a while as I'd been fairly busy and so I was really looking forward to taking a trip down - it is one of my most favourite places ever. We drove down on the Sunday morning, caught the train from Watford and walked from Euston Station to Covent Garden because we love spending time there. We looked around the markets and smelled and spritzed numerous perfumes in the high end shops before continuing on to Oxford Street. I love walking around London and on our way up to Selfridges we passed many a school trip in Leicester Square which is where we passed a pretty good busker with a guitar who played "Free Fallin'" by Tom Petty and made me smile and sing along until we couldn't hear him any more. We were just about to walk up Regent Street and we noticed that the bottom of the road was closed off and we stopped to figure out if we could still walk that way.

It turned out that we could indeed walk that way, and I am very pleased we did. Every Sunday in July, Regent Street has been completely closed to traffic so that "Summer Streets" can take place. It features performances and workshops from dance acts and musicians, benches and deck chairs in the middle of the road, games (such as Penalty Shoot-Outs) and pretty flowers everywhere and nearly everything is free (except, I think, for things like food or certain games which have small fees). One thing I really liked about it was that I had the ability to see people's faces and to see people enjoy themselves. I love London, but it is true that on the busier streets like Regent Street and Oxford Street, you see less of people's faces and more of the backs of people's heads. I really relished being able to see people smiling and being able to stop and take photos without being in someone's way. That and being able to dance around in the middle of the road to "Uptown Funk" and not get run over because that is pretty hard to beat.

We managed to drag ourselves away and continue on to Oxford Street where we had a quick look around Selfridges before heading next door to the installation which was at the Old Selfridges Hotel. I hadn't ever been into the hotel but it is a great space which I really believe should be used more often. We were given our free guide brochures by the girls at the entrance and walked up the stairs to the installation itself. As we turned into the space, I instantly felt that my expectations had become a reality. Bright lights and the sounds of busy streets filled the room and we walked through the doors of a subway car to be greeted by a lovely Tiffany and Co employee and a slice of New York itself. There was a little corner inspired by Central Park which featured a beautiful backdrop, a crisp white bench and a "blossom tree" - we took photos and admired how pretty it was. We moved further along and found ourselves living the New York life, with "Walk | Don't Walk" signs flashing at us and projections of a subway station on the 1837 plain white Tiffany boxes that surrounded us - 1837 were used as Tiffany and Co was established in the year 1837. We watched a short film about the "New York Minute" and the influence Tiffany and Co and its founder, Charles Tiffeany, have had over it - for example Tiffany and Co had one of the first public timepieces on display in New York City by which everyone set their watches. We moved from there to the recreated Tiffany and Co storefront which looked identical to the one that sits on the corner of 5th and 57th Street in the Big Apple itself and watched a master engraver at work which was incredibly interesting. We then grabbed a complimentary bagel from a street cart and headed over to Charlie's Bar - a speakeasy inspired bar named after Mr Tiffany - to see the gorgeous décor and check out the scene. Finally, we caught the stunning "Manhattanhenge" Sunset which, as if it were not special and beautiful enough alone, transformed as it set, to become a gorgeous Tiffany Diamond, the boxes surrounding us turning blue and sporting white ribbon. It was a fantastic end to a brilliant exhibition. I had such an amazing time and was incredibly pleased that we went.

The rest of the day featured lunch at Selfridges, window-shopping on Oxford Street, more dancing and actual shopping on Regent Street, walking on walls in the rain in Leicester Square, dinner at Bella Italia and milkshakes on the motorway to keep us going until we got home.

 

I had the most brilliant day - a big, huge thank you to my fabulous mother for joining me.

 

Browse the Tiffany and Co at Selfridges website (HERE)

Browse the Selfridges website (HERE)

Find "Summer Streets" (HERE)

Find Bella Italia (HERE)

And listen to "Free Fallin'" (HERE)

I hope that you have enjoyed this post, it was lovely to sit and think about all the cool things we did while I was putting this together. It's my birthday on Friday so the next time I see you I'll be another year older (and ready to write more posts!).
Have you been to London recently? What do you think about the idea for Summer Streets? Did you get to go to the exhibition? Do you have any comments or suggestions for future posts? Please do let me know in the comments below.
I'll speak with you guys soon.

 

I hope your day is full of joy!

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