Saturday 30 June 2012

☮ LOTD | Etsy #1 ☮


Hello everyone.
If you'd like to know what LOTD is then read Louise's post here or mine here


I'm so sorry I missed yesterday's LOTD. It was a video one, which I found pretty tricky, but I went shopping in the afternoon with my mum and then felt not-so-great when I got home so I decided to cuddle up on the sofa and feel sorry for myself for the rest of the evening!

Anyway, I loooove Etsy and was very excited when I found out that Sunday's LOTD will be featuring it. It's a website (a bit like eBay) which offers a platform for sellers who make their own handmade products or sell vintage products. It's really lovely and you can find some lovely unique little items on there, and some perfect gifts.


I was scrolling through Etsy for the first time in a few weeks wondering what to feature, I looked at candles and bedding and jewellery but then I came across this! This item is a little lilac dinosaur plant pot for succulent plants. As soon as I saw this my inner-child was let loose. When I was little I was obsessed, literally obsessed with dinosaurs and I still have little thing for them especially since they make me feel all nostalgic. I have a few dinosaurs lounging around my room from my childhood which I now use to hang jewellery on. The obsession will never end. I love how this item is lilac and I have some cacti in my room that would look perfect in one of these. I think one of these would jazz up my desk!

Join the fun at Sprinkle of Glitter! And read Louise's post here.

Do you love Etsy? Or dinosaurs? (tehe)

'Til Next Time,
Carys xox

Thursday 28 June 2012

☾ LOTD | Fact or Quote #1 ☾

Hello everyone!
If you're wondering what "LOTD" is then read the lovely Louise's blog post here or mine here.

Louise has decided that Friday's LOTD will be sharing either an interesting fact or an inspiring quote to "spread knowledge" and "cheer all". I thought this was such a good idea, I love interesting, fun little facts and lovely quotes so if you have one or have done this LOTD then leave the link below so I can have a nose, tehe.



As soon as I saw Louise's blog post here, I knew exactly what quote I wanted to feature. I found this image whilst doing the daily aimless scrolling through tumblr and fell in love with it. I think it's so lovely and I hadn't heard it before. I think it's a nice little "pick me up" type quote and inspires me to keep dreaming even when things seem unachievable. I can't explain why I just love it and it's also inspired me to do a little canvas painting to put up on my room (which I may show when it's finish if you like?).
 I'm not sure if you guys know this but I love to paint. I haven't really done an artsy post, would anyone be interested in something like that? I hope so. I love Van Gogh anyway, not so much now but when I was a little bit younger he was the first artist I really admired and enjoyed constantly looking at their work aw. (I also loved the Doctor Who episode about him tehe)

Join in with the fun at Sprinkle of Glitter! and read Louise's post here

How do you feel about this quote? What quote inspires you?

'Til Next Time,
Carys xox



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☼ Marina Diamandis Inspired Daisy Nails | Summer Nail Tutorial ☼

Hello everyone. 
I haven't done a nail tutorial or nail post for such a long time which is strange because I love painting my nails and creating cute designs on them. This tutorial, or step by step guide, probably won't be anything new but I loved this design and just really wanted to share it with you all. I also haven't seen a tutorial on this exact nail design.

I was inspired to create this design by Marina Diamandis from Marina and the Diamonds. I adore her and her new album "Electra Heart" and she's become a little bit of a style icon of mine at the moment. I saw a very similar design on her whilst I was watching a video of her singing one of her newer songs. I recently re-watched the video and realised it wasn't daises she had on her nails they were sunflowers so look out for that tutorial soon!  As soon as I saw it I knew I needed to re-create it. Obviously mine isn't be as polished and perfect as hers but I was pleased with the results and received lots of compliments. I think this design is perfect for summer and It'll definitely be my "go-to" nail design when I want something extra special on my nails because it's so quick and simple.

Sorry about the rubbish quality, having computer-camera problems so I had to upload this from instagram
Step by Step Guide
  • Firstly, apply a base coat to your nails to protect the nail from any damage or staining from the coloured polish. I used the No7 'So Smooth' Base Coat.
  • Apply a pastel or light blue shade as the base colour. You can use any colour for this but Marina used blue and I liked it. Apply in thin layers until the colour is opaque. I used the No7 Stay Perfect Nail Colour in Minty Fresh.
  • Using the tip of a 'bobby pin' or hair slide and dip it into a yellow polish, then dab it onto the centre of the nail to create a small circle to create the stigma of the flower. (I believe that's what it is called but please correct me if I'm wrong). I used O.P.I Nail Lacquer in Fiercely Fiona. 
  • Then using either another bobby pin/hair slide or a tooth pick (a tooth pick creates a more fine line and is easier to use for this detail but I didn't have any left so I used the hair slide) create flicks/lines coming out of the centre circle to create the petals of the daisy. I used Natural Collection Nail Polish in Nail Tip Whitener. 
  • Then seal the design with your favourite, long lasting top coat. I used Sally Hansen's Mega Shine Top Coat. 
I hope you enjoyed this pretty quick and simple nail design. I really wanted to share it with you because I love it and it's so summery. I hope you re-create this look, if so let me know in the comments or send me a picture via Twitter. I'd love to see! Here is another nail tutorial I've previously done.

What are your favourite summer nail designs? Who's your style icon at the moment? 

'Til Next Time,
Carys xox



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☺ LOTD | eBay #1 ☺

Hello everyone.
If you're wondering what "LOTD" read Louise's post explaining it here or read my post here

Louise has decided that Thursday's LOTD will be featuring something fun/crazy/affordable/brilliant that you have recently found on eBay and share it. I was soo excited to here that eBay was being featured in a LOTD  because I am constantly looking on eBay for something amazing at a great price. I always look there first when I'm thinking of purchasing something!  

I've chosen this cute little "lucky" elephant charm bracelet to share today as I love little bracelets like this and I think eBay is the perfect place to find them for such a low price. I especially love this one because it comes in a range of colours (from yellow, to blue, to purple) and it is suppose to represent 'luck'. I love the colour that is shown in the image that is displayed on the items page but the yellow and lilac ones sound nice. The seller also does these "friendship string bracelets" with a range of different charms on them. I also like this wishbone one. The best thing about these bracelets is that they're only £1.50 (only 50p postage) so it comes to a total of £2.00, which I think is soo cheap for something so cute. I can't wait until I get the chance to order some of these and I'll definitely do a little blog post showing it if you're interested. 

Join the fun at Sprinkle of Glitter! and read Louise's ebay post here

How do you feel about these bracelets? What's your best eBay find? 

'Til Next Time,
Carys xox


Wednesday 27 June 2012

☮ A Little Kukee Obsession ☮

Hello guys. I thought I'd let you all know about a wonderful little jewellery website I've stumbled across recently.
Kukee is a lovely jewellery site where items start from just £1. I know, what an amazing price right? I found out about this wonderful site whilst reading this post by a blog called little paper swans (which is a lovely blog and you should all check it out). I almost thought it was too good to be true, amazing and trendy jewellery at such low prices?! I'm pretty sure everything in the store is under around £7. Most things are around the £1-£3 mark which makes my bank account very happy and me even happier. 


A few pieces from the website that I'm lusting over:


Drop Anchor Earrings - 80p
Festival Peace Necklaces - £3 (for one) 
Charm Bracelets - £2 (for one) - I especially like the little planet one!
Above Knuckle Ring - £1.50 for either silver or gold
Multi Cross Necklace 2 - £3.50 
They also have an offer on right where if you spend over £10 then you get a free cross charm ring with you purchase which is amazing. I haven't actually ordered anything from there yet but as soon as I have some money (PayPal is taking forever to release my funds :C ) I will definitely be ordering, probably all of the stuff above. I hope they still have the offer on when I get around to doing it.

They also have a Twitter and a Facebook where they do regular give-aways (there is one on right now.) They also have a blog which I suggest you follow. 

I'm just obsessed with them at the moment and I had to share this little find with you guys.
Would you guys be interested in me doing a give-away of some of this jewellery? Let me know down below as I'm definitely considering it!
Have any of you heard of Kukee before? Anyone purchased anything or done a review?

'Til next time,
Carys xox

✪ LOTD | Books #1 ✪

Hello everybody.

If you're wondering what "LOTD" is then head over to the lovely Louise's blog and all will be revealed, or read my this blog post. Louise has decided that Wednesday's will always be about books, which is great because I've always been a bit of a book worm and I have a very nerdy side (shhh).


The book I've chosen to share is one I've just finished reading. It's "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro. I looooved the film which caused me to read the book and I fell in love with the character Kathy. Even though the first few chapters were a little boring and didn't really make me get into the book at all the remaining 2/3 kept me up at all hours and totally intrigued me.
I've heard a few people say they didn't enjoy the book or couldn't get into it but that's probably due to the first 1/3 being a little boring. I adore this book and I love how it's written and how Kathy narrates her friendship and memories. The film and book are a bit of a sad one but not depressing or soppy, but I love the story and how it's written. I'm not going to give much away because I found out something about the story which kind-of ruined the mystery of why the characters are at this 'special' school so I urge you to read the back of the book or watch the trailer before you read it as it lets you in on just about enough of the story, if you're interested that is.
I bought my book from eBay for 99p (+ £1.96 p+p) from a seller called Brit_Books_xp here. Although it was second hand it was in very good condition and even came with a plastic cover to protect the book. Not bad for 99p eh? 

Join in the fun at Sprinkle Of Glitter and read Louise's LOTD here.

Have any of you guys read/watched Never Let Me Go? Did you enjoy it? What's your favourite book?

'Til Next Time, 
Carys xox

Tuesday 26 June 2012

✌ LOTD | Blog Post #1 ✌

Hellooo everyone.

If you're wondering what "LOTD" (Love of the day) is, read my last post or visit the lovely Louise's blog.
Louise has decided that Tuesday's LOTD will be sharing a blog post that you have read and enjoyed/have learnt from/been inspired be/all that good stuff (as quoted by the lovely lady herself). You are able to chose one of your own blog posts or someone else's. I love the whole idea of sharing a blog post, definitely an opportunity to share some blogger love and positivity. 

I have chosen to share a blog post that I have literally just read from a lovely lady who's known by the name of A Thrifty Mrs, who I first discovered in one of Louise's vlog videos on YouTube, coincidence eh? 
I've been loving her blog lately and her recent blog post "eBay Craft Wishlist" has got me all inspired to get creative. I've already ordered the studs she mentioned in the blog to jazz up a plain H&M shirt of mine (£1.75 for 200? Couldn't say no). I love her blog anyway, she's always sharing wonderful "thrifty" and money saving tips, which is always helpful when I'm trying to save some pennies. Check her blog out, you won't regret it :) 

Join in the fun at Sprinkle Of Glitter 

Have any of you guys been getting 'creative' recently? Any other fans of A Thrifty Mrs? 

'Til Next Time,
Carys xox

Sunday 24 June 2012

☼ Joining in with LOTD | Clothes #1 ☼

I absolutely adore Louise (Sprinkle Of Glitter). She's my favourite YouTuber, Blogger and she's an all round fabulous lady. Watching her videos and reading her blog generally add some loveliness to my day so when she announced she was starting a feature called 'Love of the Day' of course I was interested. 

I think the general idea behind this feature is to share something you've found that stands out to you or that you love, whilst mooching around the internet e.g online stores, etsy, tumblr, pinterest etc. I'm constantly wasting time lusting over clothes online or scrolling endlessly through tumblr so naturally this was the perfect kind of thing for me to get involved with. The post where Louise explains it all is here and she does a much better job of it than I just did. 

Monday's will be about clothes and today I have been on and off the Topshop website, literally all day, oops. I've been lusting over the Peplum style top for the past few days now, well since I saw fellow blogger "Hannah May" wearing one I haven't stopped thinking about purchasing one. On Topshop they are £16 which I think is a very reasonable price for a trendy and flattering item. Topshop sell them in an aray of colours but my favourites are this berry coloured one and the white one here. I think they are a really versatile piece and I think it would look lovely paired with light washed jeans and some chunky heels. I can't wait to get my hands on one!

Join the fun at  http://sprinkleofglitter.blogspot.co.uk/ - I'd love to see some of you guys join in with this, let me know below if you do! 

How do you feel about the Peplum style top? 


'Til next time,
Carys xox

Wednesday 20 June 2012

❤ Underrated Bloggers I Love ❤

Bit of a different, non-beauty/fashion related post today as I fancy sharing some blogger love.
I've noticed lately that a lot of the blogs I love and continuously read shockingly don't have too many followers when they really should have thousands. So I thought I'd do a post letting you all know about my favourite 'underrated' bloggers to share some love and let you all know about blogs you may be missing out on and because I can't upload any images right now as the computer crisis carries on and I miss blogging!


http://mymee-moo.blogspot.co.uk/ - I adore this blog. She takes really good quality images and her blog is just nice to look at. Her posts always, always interest me and she's beautiful. Her blog is definitely top quality  and she only has 59 followers?! What. Her blog is a mix of everything, beauty, personal and a little bit of fashion, she also reviews stuff a lot. Seriously just follow her, her blog is fabulous.


http://overlyselected.blogspot.co.uk - Although I wouldn't say 300 or so followers is underrated, she definitely deserves more. I adore her outfit and nail posts and she is absolutely gorgeous which makes me a little bit jealous. Her posts are so pleasant to read and I just find her blog generally interesting to browse through. If you enjoy fashion posts and the odd unique nail designs then why are you not following her already!?


http://zozeze.blogspot.co.uk/ - One of the first blogs I followed when I started blogging and I'm so glad I did. She is always posting and I always read her posts whether they're relevant to me or not. Again, she's not exactly underrated because she is so wonderful but she deserves 10x the amount of followers she has! She's always reviewing beauty products and I always look to her blog if I want to see a review of a beauty item I'm thinking of purchasing as her reviews are in-depth and informative. She seems really lovely and again, she's beautiful. She also does 'Week in Photo's' posts which are always interesting to snoop through. Plus she has a lovely give-away running at the moment :) 


http://www.jdrmakeup.co.uk/ - Aw, I adore her blog and her YouTube videos which I've been watching for years. Literally, she was one of the first people I started watching on YouTube and I still do. She's also my age and in the same year as me in school (I think) which makes her easy to relate. She seems so mature beauty wise and I can always trust her view on a product. She's pretty big on YouTube but I'm pretty sure she's just started a new blog, maybe, I'm not sure. Her reviews are always spot on and she's beautiful inside and out as cliché as that sounds. Her blog is also really nicely set out which is always a plus!


http://dinas-thoughts.blogspot.co.uk/ - Someone new I've been reading a lot from lately. She is seriously and boot-sale queen and always lists what boot-sales/jumble-sales are on over certain weekends etc and she reviews some boot/jumble sales she's attended. I think her blog is very unique and it could turn out to be something really really great. The things she finds at sales make me soo jealous, she always finds something amazing for an even better price. I just enjoy looking at her finds! If you love all things vintage/charity shops/boot sales etc then you really should be following her, you're missing out! 


If you manage to wander over to any of these lovely ladies' blogs then it would be great if you could just let them know I sent you as I'd love for any of them to read this post, it's nice to spread a bit of positivity. 


Hope you enjoyed this post and let me know your favourite underrated bloggers in the comments. I love finding new blogs to read!

Also I'm almost on 100 followers and I'd like to know if you'd like a give-away and what of? Maybe some Essie nail polishes? Or some of my fave high-street make-up, something small just to say thanks :) 
And would you guys be interested in a Graze Box review? Not really too beauty/fashion related but let me know if that's something that you'd like!

'Til Next Time,
Carys xox