December book club review

It's a bit lot late I'm afraid but we thought that for December, we'd have a nice, light read so someone suggested This Year It Will Be Different by Maeve Binchy.  

My heart sank a little as I'm not really a fan of Maeve Binchy & then it sank even more when I realised it was a book of short stories.  I just don't like short stories - I like to sink my teeth into a lengthy tale, not for one to end just as it starts picking up!

This was also supposed to be a lighthearted read with some Christmassy tales in it but oh my god, I was getting so depressed reading these!  I'm afraid this book really didn't float my boat but unfortunately I didn't get to rant about it as I was in bed with flu when we had our book club meeting!!

January's read was much better, I'll post about it very soon!

Spring Wish-list

                  

Spring Wish-list by fortytherapy 

Having been wrapped up in woolly-pullys for several months now, I'm starting to look forward to spring arriving & the new season's clothes in the shops.  After a quick perusal online, as you do on a dreich Sunday afternoon, I've put together a wee collection of what I'm hankering after right now!!  (I may have just bought the leopard print blazer already - whoops!!!)

New York planning #1 ~ travelling light

    So we've finally begun to plan our much longed-for trip to New York next spring & me being the total list-lover that I am, I'm already planning how best to pack & travel light to free up room in my case to bring back lots of goodies! (Yes, I already have a shopping list on the go too!!)

I always over-pack when I go away, even when I think I'm being really good so this time, I'm determined to get it right.  Day time will be spent sight-seeing so comfy, light-weight clothes that can be layered are a must, as are flat, comfy shoes & a cross-body bag - I'll need my hands free for lots of photo taking!

I love maxi skirts as they can worn in the day with a vest top, denim jacket, scarf & Converse or in the evening with a smarter top, blazer & heels so are a real must for me.  My kimono is ridiculously light-weight but looks great over a vest top with a statement necklace, a pair of skinny jeans, heels & a red lip.

I'm going to try & stick to a navy or black & white capsule with a couple of brights added in via scarves, jewellery & lipstick - naturally!!  All I'll need are MAC Plumful & Russian Red & that's my lips sorted too!

                               

Travelling light by fortytherapy 

Everything else on here is pretty self-explanatory - super-light hand luggage, iPad (note-taking, music, Kindle, films, camera etc in one!!)  I spotted the yellow top in M&S yesterday & it's soooo beautiful.  I immediately thought of wearing it with a pair of skinnies, heels & my striped blazer - easy smart/casual outfit for one evening.  I love these heels from Next as they're not ridiculously high so if we do walk to a restaurant in the evening, I won't be too crippled!  Actually, there's an awful lot in Next I'll be ordering soon, the S/S collection is gorgeous.........!

So that's my plan - at the minute!  Anybody else have any 'packing light' tips?  I'm getting back to my notebook now........lists to be made people!!

MAC ~ Plumful

Whenever I go to Edinburgh, I always pop into Harvey Nicks to have a gander at the MAC counter.  Admittedly, it's nearly always that ridiculously busy that it's nigh on impossible to even reach the stands but luck was on my side when I popped in in late November.

I had a list of potential lippies that I'd taken from blogger recommendations & one colour that kept popping up time & time again was Plumful.  After swatching it, I decided that it was going to be my purchase of the day & I've worn it so much already, it's down to the last quarter left in the bullet!

Plumful is a lustre finish lipstick & it feels so nourishing on the lips, it's lovely!  It's quite a high sheen finish so if used without a lipliner, it doesn't last for hours on end & can have tendency to bleed.  I have to reapply after about 3 hours but longer if I use it with a lipliner, which also helps to stem the bleeding issue.

I'm annoyed with the the photo of the product on my lips though as it doesn't look this Barbie-pink in real life, funnily enough, it's more plum than pink.  It has blue undertones so makes my teeth look nice & white & is not too bright or garish that it looks too much for day makeup.  This will definitely be a staple colour in my makeup bag from now on.

My daughters bought me MAC Hot Tahaiti for christmas so I'll do a post on this colour very soon!

Happy New Year!

Well, the Christmas decorations are all down & packed away for another year & the house is getting back to normal! I hope everyone had a great christmas & New Year with plenty of eating, drinking & being merry!

I was unfortunate enough to come down with horrendous flu a couple of weeks before Christmas which absolutely wiped me out for 10 days. I missed out on all of my Christmas parties & school shows & concerts because of it so was thoroughly miserable. I was just about feeling human again a couple of days before the big event so was running around the shops like a headless chicken catching up on all of the shopping I should have done by that point!

But we all had a lovely time & great presents were given & received.....a fair amount of Baileys was consumed too!  We then made up for the lack of pre-Xmas partying when my dad, step-mum & friends came up for Hogmanay.  We also spent some time pondering over travel brochures discussing our trip to New York next year to celebrate both mine & my friend's impending 40th birthdays - eek!! I'm so excited already, I've even bought a new notebook which is rapidly filling with lists of what to do, where to eat & which shops to visit!

I haven't made any resolutions, I don't really believe in them...they nearly always end in failure to do them & then disappointment so I just focus on staying happy & healthy & that'll do me just fine!

So here's hoping everyone has a fantabulous 2014!