Archive for May, 2015

50 Things That Make Me Happy

2
3 years
by Naomi in Lifestyle, Personal

I’ve been experiencing a lot of stress and anxiety lately for various reasons, so to remind myself of the good things I have going on, I’ve decided to take part in a tag that I’ve seen doing the rounds lately – 50 Things That Make Me Happy.  Making this list has actually helped me feel a bit better and shift my focus away from the negative, so I tag anyone who’s been feeling a bit down in the dumps lately!

So in no particular order, here are my 50 things…

1. My fiancé, Charles.

2. My pet rats, past and present.

3. Cooking, and trying out and inventing new recipes.

4. Spending time with my family.

5. Seeing my friends.

6. Going to gigs.  I love that feeling of being in the same air space as my musical heroes, and hearing them sing my favourite songs live.

7. Taking photographs.  Whether it’s a snapshot for Instagram, or a shoot with my DSLR, photography is a definite passion of mine.

8. Being outdoors.  I try to get out as much as possible as it makes me far happier than being cooped up inside all day.

9. Theme Parks.  There’s nothing quite like the adrenaline rush you get from a massive rollercoaster!

10. Eating out at my favourite restaurants.

11. Being appreciated at work.  It’s always nice to hear some good feedback, either from a manager, a colleague, or a student.

12. Running for charity.  I try to complete an event every year.  This year I’m doing the Race for Life.

13. That feeling of buying and wearing new shoes and clothes.

14. Glastonbury.  The town, not the festival.  It’s a beautiful place.

15. Dublin.  Another of my favourite places.

16. Watching wildlife.  Squirrels, foxes, hedgehogs, rabbits, everything.  I especially have a thing for birds.  My mum likens me to Bill Oddie…

17. Volunteering.  I recently did some volunteering at the local wildlife hospital and I loved it.

18. Chocolate, cake, puddings, pastries, ice cream.  All the sweet food.

19. Chilling with my favourite TV shows.

20. Mine and Charles’ takeaway and movie nights.

21. Getting home from work.

22. A good cup of tea.

23. Coca Cola from a cold glass bottle, especially on a hot day.

24. Finding a bargain.  It makes getting something new feel that little bit sweeter!

25. Going to carboot sales.  See above.

26. Books.  The way they look, the way they feel, the way the smell, the stories within them.

27. Watching Grav3yardgirl videos.

28. Listening to my favourite music.  In particular, Kate Bush, Nine Inch Nails, Placebo and Mike Oldfield take me to my happy place these days.

29. Fireworks.  And bonfires.  And Bonfire Night in general.

30. Halloween.  It’s one of the best days of the year.

31. Going to the cinema.

32. Writing.  Blogging, scribbling in my journal before bed, jotting down stories.  Love it all.

33. Saving money for a house.  I smile every time I see my savings account balance go up.

34. Weekend breakfasts.  They usually consist of pain au chocolat, croissants, fruit toast, or something like that. Yum.

35. Storms.  Thunder and lightning reminds me that I’m part of something big and powerful, and it’s amazing.

36. Walking and hiking.

37. Geocaching.  It’s been a while since I last did any but it’s a lot of fun.

38. My mum’s cats.

39. Boxing Day.  I like it more than Christmas Day and Boxing Day lunch is one of the best meals of the year.

40. My birthday.

41. Family and friends’ birthdays.

42. Hugs.

43. Foot and back rubs.

44. New Walk Museum in Leicester.  It’s been one of my favourite places to go since I was a kid.

45. Camden.

46. People showing that they care, with a gesture, a question, a smile etc.

47. Getting a good night’s sleep.  They’re rare, but damn do I appreciate it when I get one.

48. Winning things.  Competitions, games of Monopoly.  S’all good.

49. Swimming in the sea.

50. Camping.  Feeling the grass on my feet, the fresh smell of dew in the morning, watching the sun set, cooking breakfast on a camping stove.  God I love it.

What are 50 things that make you happy?

Naomi x

Race for Life 2015

0
3 years
by Naomi in Charity, Health and Fitness, Lifestyle

I try to do at least one charity run every year, and this year I’ll be doing the Race for Life again.  The Race for Life is a huge nationwide event which runs every year, where women and children of all ages come together to run, jog, walk, or even dance a 5k or 10k route, to raise money for Cancer Research UK.  I’ve signed up to do the local 5k race on 5th July, which gives me just under two months to do some fundraising!

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My fundraising target for this year is £50, but I hope to raise as much money as possible.  So, if you can spare a few pounds, please sponsor me via my JustGiving page.  Also, if you’re a UK taxpayer, please tick the Gift Aid box, as this will increase your donation by 25%, at no extra cost to you.

Thank you everyone!  And please check back in July for my Race for Life photos!

Naomi x

 

What I Wore: Burgundy

1
3 years
by Naomi in Fashion, Lifestyle

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Connection Burgundy Dress / George Black Shrug / Primark Tights / Blonde + Blonde Lace Up Block Heel Boots / Juno Black Patent Grab Bag / Le Chat Marcasite Watch

On Sunday I went out for a lovely meal with my in-laws, to celebrate Charles’ Grandma’s 90th birthday.  We went to The Grey Lady in Newtown Linford, and had a private room for twelve to enjoy our delicious three course lunch.

I decided to wear something colourful for a change, so I went for this gorgeous burgundy dress that I bought from Everything5Pounds a little while ago.  Considering it was so cheap the quality is fantastic, and I adore the subtly patterned floral fabric.

Of course, I had to get some black in there somewhere, so I teamed it with black tights and a black shrug from George (it was a bit chilly out!), my Blonde + Blonde boots, which are becoming a wardrobe staple of mine, and one of my favourite bags.

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You might have also spotted our neighbour’s little kitty, who likes to photobomb when I take outfit photos!  She’s the cutest.

Naomi x

What I Wore: Witchcraft

2
3 years
by Naomi in Fashion, Thrifty Finds

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Handmade Flocked Skater Dress / MortiisM Vegan Skull Necklace / Blonde + Blonde Lace Up Block Heel Boots / Primark Tights

Today’s outfit post is also a Thrifty Finds post, as my beautiful flocked skater dress was handmade by my very talented mum, using fabric that we got from a carboot sale.  And the best part is the fabric only cost £1!  My mum drafted the pattern for this herself, using the bodice from one of my dresses, and the skirt from another, so it turned out the exact fit, shape and length I was hoping for.  I’m so impressed by mum’s work, especially as this was the first adult dress she ever made.  The stitching is so neat, it’s comfortable, and it fits me really well – quite an achievement considering I tried the bodice on once whilst she was making it, and that’s it!  Needless to say I’ll be asking her to make me another dress very soon, as I’m so pleased with this one.

My necklace is also a craft piece, by the lovely MortiisM, who makes vegan skull and metal jewellery, antlers, and homewares.  I won this piece in a giveaway on Instagram, and I adore it.  I love the length, and the quality of the piece is really high.  It looks so real, and the Swarovski adornment is like the icing on the cake.  Stunning!

Naomi x

P.S. Check out how else I styled these boots!

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