January book club review

We'd not covered an autobiography in over a year so after rounding them down to between this one & Barack Obama, we chose this, Losing my Virginity by Richard Branson.

I have to admit to being a longtime fan of Richard Branson so was looking forward to this read.  I absolutely loved reading about his childhood & school/university days, which of course led to the opening of the first Virgin Records store above a shoe shop!

It's amazing the pure gumption he had in those days (& I strongly suspect nowadays too!) & I loved finding out what key elements of his career were named after - who knew an antique tin sign would become synonymous with an yearly bestselling album?

The first three quarters of this book really gripped my attention but I'm afraid it began to wane towards the end when it became too much about money & the business side of things.  Here I found myself speed-reading & just skimming over the pages as it's a realllly long book but overall, a great read.  I think it just backed up my initial thoughts that he just seems like a really nice bloke!

MAC ~ Hot Tahiti

My daughters bought me another MAC lippy for one of my Christmas presents (they know me so well!) & this little gem is named Hot Tahiti.

As it's a glaze finish, I was expecting only a sheer hint of colour but it's surprisingly really pigmented with a medium blue-toned wash of red-pink, it's gorgeous.

I'm sorry there are no 'lip-wearing' photos but when I took them, I was in the depths of yet another foul cold & well, the Rudolph effect would've detracted somewhat from the lipstick!!

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!

NOTD Barry M ~ Navy

Well here's a shocker.......I've found yet another Barry M gem of a polish & it's just perfect for adding some serious Christmas shimmery bling to your tips!

Let me introduce you to Navy, the most perfect shimmering blue shade I've found to date.  It applies like a dream with the usual Barry M great longevity - 7 days with no tip wear or chipping.....amazeballs!!  (Did I really just say that.....?!)

Yet again, my photos don't do the intense colour of this beauty any justice but you'll just have to take my word for it & get yourselves out to the shops to go & get it!!

I've been getting all festive with my nails this week & I'll post soon about my Christmassy candy cane nails!

House of Farnell - the best Christmas shop......ever!!!

 

Ooooh,it's Christmas-a-gogo in our house at the minute.....so exciting!!  There are many, many things I love about winter & Christmas but I have to be honest & say that visiting the House of Farnell, is one of my most favourites!!  You know that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you visit somewhere you love....like Disneyworld, for example?  That's how I feel when I pull into the driveway here, it's so beautiful I could cry!!

 

This amazing Christmas shop is in the tiny hamlet of Farnell near to Brechin, about a 20 minute drive from our home & I like to get 2 or 3 visits in whilst it's open.  It closes this year on Sunday 15th December so if you're in the area & want to visit, you have a week left to go, it's so worth the drive & they serve the best cinnamon Danish I have ever tasted!

 

Here's a wee taster of what awaits you here (apologies for the photos, they were taken on my husband's iphone after my camera broke!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do let me know if you get to visit here or have been already!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Silent Sunday