A Piece of Festive Fun Tag!

Hello! 

Today I'm here with the first Christmas post of this year on the blog, and it's a collab with the ever so lovely Aneesa, you can find her blog here! We decided to create our own Christmas Tag and we've called it 'A Piece of Festive Fun' because its a bit of fun isn't it?!

I thought I should include a little Christmassy picture from last year because why not?!

So, lets get on with the tag!

1. On a scale from one to ten, how excited are you for Christmas?
I'd have to say eleven because I am TOO excited to say I'm almost sixteen..

2. Which John Lewis Christmas advert has been your favourite?
It has to be the snowman one with the power of love in the background (I'll link it here), I love that advert so much, Monty the penguin is very cute though! If you don't know what John Lewis is, it's a department store in the UK and they always have very exciting Christmas adverts!

3. What are your favourite Christmas films?
The Polar Express is probably my favourite, I think I've watched it every Christmas I can remember so it's got to be a favourite!

4. What time do you usually wake up on Christmas morning?
I usually get woken up by the very excited child inside me... or my younger brother usually wakes us up at about 7!

5. What are your favourite Christmas traditions?
Sitting down and eating a lovely dinner with my family, we might not always get on but Christmas day is an exception and we all manage to enjoy eachothers company.

6. What's your favourite thing to wear at Christmas?
Christmas jumpers and a good pair of comfy pyjamas!

7. What is your favourite Christmas drink at Starbucks?
I'm so boring, I don't like hot chocolate or coffee so i always stick to a nice warm cup of tea, you look like you've got something interesting when you have the red cup even if you've only got tea!

8. Do you like Christmas crackers?
Of course I do!

9. What is the best gift you've ever been given?
I've been thinking about this and I don't have a favourite because not only am I incapable of picking favourites but i appreciate all the gifts I've been given so I just don't have a favourite.

10. What is your favourite thing about Christmas?
Some of you might know this, my birthday is on Christmas Eve and most people say it must be awful but I honestly think it's the nicest time of year to have a birthday because the atmosphere of Christmas is amazing, everyone seems so happy and jolly and I love to see happy people so I suppose that's my favourite thing about Christmas, happiness!

We are each tagging five bloggers to do the tag so my five are:

• Lucy
• Charlotte
• Abbie
• Chloe
• Sophie

I also tag anyone who would like to do the tag as well, so if you do this tag you can say I nominated you!

I hope you enjoyed this post, thank you Aneesa for doing this collab with me!

lots of love, 

Emma xxx

Changing Tracks

Recently I’ve been finding it hard to put what I am thinking into words and began thinking that maybe some of you reading our blog may feel the same way.

Being a teenager can bring so many memories and I’ve already experienced these whilst still only being in my second ‘official year’ of being a teenager. However being a teenager is often very hard and the pressure put on teenagers in the current time is immense, causing a rollercoaster of emotions.

Currently, I am on a rollercoaster of emotions and no, not a rollercoaster that Augustus Waters likes to ride which are the ones that only goes up – I am on one that is constantly going on an incline however makes a few, sudden descents and these past weeks I am on the descent, hoping that the tracks will change soon.

Feeling distant from the world is painful, but if you’re feeling the same way – please, please remember that there are a lot of people, including many people around you, are feeling exactly the same way and you may not even know it.

At the moment I’m having trouble myself with friends at school and it’s quite hard seeing them around school and no longer feeling like you can say or do the same things as what you did only two or so weeks ago. Seeing the same friends you used to joke and laugh with daily, go out and have fun without you is exceptionally difficult, especially for a very emotional person like me.

I am the type of person to become anxious over the smallest situations, to overthink the simplest of comments and to be effected by one or two actions very, very quickly. This type of personality honestly, gets me absolutely nowhere. I find myself quite sad a lot of the time, and however cliché this may sound, I do put on a smile for those around me, so they don’t see me ‘hurting’ or 'sad'.
But I want to change this, and even though I am going through this situation at school, I’ve talked to four people whom are very special to me and listened to people on social media sites and they have truly made me realise that school is only a temporary thing, it doesn’t last forever, everything will get better and everything will change.

The people who you see every day at school, if you don’t want to see them again, then you don’t have to once you finish school. You can leave them behind, just like any bad memories or sour thoughts you may have. Think of leaving school for University, college or sixth form, as a new chapter to the book of your life (cliché again, I know).

And for now, try and distract yourself from the thoughts you think and the people who are making you think these thoughts. Do some drawing, listen to your favourite band over and over, write your emotions through a new book or a song, go for a run once or twice a week, do something that will distract you from your current state of mind.

Personally, I know this works. Whenever I feel sad or alone, I sit at my laptop and I work on a chapter for a fanfiction I am itching to write or I’ll lay in my bed and listen to The 1975 and close my eyes and think about my day and reflect on everything going on and try to calm myself down.

However if you aren’t feeling this way and/or you think you know someone that is feeling like this, make sure you ask if they are okay. A simple message can have a huge effect on the other person’s mood in an extremely good way, and making someone happy should be something you look to do every day. 

Best Nail Buys | For Winter

Hello everyone!

Today I'm going to tell you about my favourite nail products and tools for the winter time. Most of these products are very affordable but such great quality!

Products Mentioned:
BarryM Mint Green  (Left)
BarryM Christmas Tree
BarryM Gelly Hi-Shine Lychee
Essie No Chips Ahead (Topcoat)
Essie Skirting The Issue
Ebay Nail Tools

These are some of my absolute favourite nail products all of them are very high of quality and all of the nail polishes last a very long time on my nails, for the price they're amazing!

Sorry this isn't such a detailed post but I just thought I would just show you all what I've been loving and I hope enjoyed it!

Gabriella x

My Christmas Wishlist!

Hiya! 

Since we're now in the run up to Christmas I thought I'd share a few of the things that are on my wish list this year - it might give you a couple of ideas if you are stuck for ideas! 

The first thing on my list is a pandora bracelet. I know they can be quite pricey but I think they're lovely and will last a really long time if you take good care of them!

The next thing I would like is Zoella's new book, Girl Online. It looks really cute and I love reading so would quite like to read it!

I would also quite like a pair of Topshop Joni jeans because my current pair I have worn to death so really need replacing -  these are so comfy and I think they're worth the money! 

Now I know this one might sound a bit childish but I would quite like the 'Now that's what I call Disney' cd because I love all the Disney songs! 

Finally on my list is a couple of gift cards - Topshop and Urban Outfitters. I really like what these shops have and would like to purchase a couple of items from there. 

I hope you enjoyed reading some of the things I would like for Christmas - I'm getting quite excited about the holiday season now! Only 30 sleeps till Christmas! 

Kate x

(@kate_e_a)

Happy baking, Love Ella

Hi! I'm Ella,

I'm the new guest blogger for Emma's lovely blog, and I hope you all welcome me with open arms, as I know what a lovely little community this is! 

Here are 5 facts about me, so you can learn abit more about who I am and what I like to do! 

1. My name is Ella Louise Underhill and I am 16 years old ( I look about 12 though haha)

2. I love to bake. No exaggeration there, I work in a bakery and I make cakes for my family and friends. My blog posts are going to be mainly recipes for treats and tips about baking and making the perfect sweet treats for you and your family and friends to share! 

3. I have 3 cats, like Emma I am an animal lover! My cats names are biscuit, who is 19 years old, Boots who is 4, and Bertie who is 3.

4. I love making new friends. Family and friends are the most important things in my life, I don't know what I would do if I didn't have my bestfriends Molly and Pippa to spend my time with.

5. I'm really excited to start blogging! I've tried before but didn't know where to start! Emma was helping me last night, and she's the nicest person to let me be a guest blogger, so thankyou Emma! 

Just so you can see the sort of things I do, here are a few photos of things I have baked over the last couple of months:

'Cupacakes for children in need, mint and chocolate orange popping candy- recipes for these will be up soon, let me know if you are interested' 

'A frozen birthday cake I made for a 6 year old'

'Chocolate Oreo milkshakes' these are to die for, and I will certainly be doing a recipie on these, as they are so easy!

There are also a few photos of my bakes over on my Instagram, so go and follow me there to see them ~ @ella_lou_ 

Speak to you all soon when I upload my first baking post!

Happy baking, 

Love Ella x

The perfect night out dress!

I've been looking for a fancy, yet elegant night out dress for ages, and now I finally think I’ve found it!

I'm not the type of girl who goes out partying every night however, when I do get the chance to go out whether it's with friends or family I want to look good! I think this dress is perfect for an elegant night out yet still ideal for a wacky party. The high neck gives the posh, lady-like impression yet having the aztec pattern and three-quarter length sleeves it adds that little bit of edge to it which I think is the perfect mix.

This dress is from H&M- a fashionable and trendy shop that is affordable...

This dress is black with some grey strips and has a pretty and unique aztec pattern all over it, it is three-quarter length sleeves and has a high neck which I love.








This dress has lots of edgy yet sophisticated details to it... 

I think the low back is very different on a dress and can be fairly daring-be careful what bra you would wear underneath as it would ruin the whole look and effect of it if you had a bra running through the middle of your back!

The perfect shoes to dress up this outfit...




Adding a good pair of chunky heeled Chelsea boots is a lovely way to dress up this look and even make you look a little taller! I love these boots they go with almost everything and can glam up any look. They're also surprisingly comfortable and therefore can be worn, without pain, for a good few hours which is always a plus!



So there you go, my idea of the perfect night out dress! I hope you enjoyed this post and it in some way helped you. Feel free to leave any comments below!

Love always,
Lucy

Chocolate Brownies!

Hello!

I hope you're having a good day! This morning I did a spot of baking and asked if you wanted to see a blogpost, obviously the answer was yes, so here's the recipe for some rather scrumptious chocolate brownies!

Ingredients

~175g chocolate (whatever kind you like, I used milk)

~175g butter

~3 eggs

~250g caster sugar

~75g plain flour

~40g Cocoa powder

~any extra chocolate, chocolate chips, nuts etc.

1. First you'll need to preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line the base and sides of a square cake tin (mine was 20x20 but you can use whatever size or shape you want)

2. Melt the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl (preferably one that won't crack if heated) over a pan of simmering water, then let this mixture cool slightly, don't go sticking your fingers in it when it's really hot and burning your fingers off, I know you'll want to taste it!

3. Whisk the eggs and sugar until thick and creamy, then pour into the chocolate and butter mixture and fold together. 

You're all thinking it, it looks like a lush bath bomb!

4. Next you'll need to sift in the flour and cocoa, and mix in any extras such as chocolate and nuts, then pour into the cake tin.

5. Bake until the top is crispy and there is a slight wobble underneath, this could take anything from 25 minutes to 50 minutes depending on your oven.

6. Leave to cool and chop up into squares or triangles, please be careful if you're using a particularly sharp knife!

And there you have it, delicious, extremely chocolatey and indulgent brownies!

I hope you enjoyed this post, if you make these be sure to let me know how they go by leaving a comment or tagging me in a photo!

I love baking and I've been asked to do Christmas baking blogposts, if there are any recipes you'd like to see, please let me know!

Lots of love, 

Emma xxx

My Top 5 Drugstore Picks!

Hello everyone!

Today I have my top 5 drugstore picks for you which is a collab with the lovely Leah, you can find her blog here.

My first favourite (in no particular order) is the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. Now that isn't much of a surprise, everyone seems to love this concealer and they have good reason to! It is a great coverage, it can cover anything from spots and blemishes to dark circles, it blends easily and it only costs £4.19, which is a bargain for such a fantastic product! You can buy it in both Boot and Superdrug as well as some pharmacies and even Asda!

My next favourite is the Maybelline The Rocket Volum' Express mascara. I use the waterproof formula because I curl my eyelashes and I find it holds the curl incredibly well, it doesn't smudge or flake during the day, and it always looks amazing on the lashes. I think it costs £7 or £8 so it's not too expensive, you can buy it in Boots, Superdrug and some supermarkets too!

The next product is the Soap & Glory Supercat eyeliner. If I remember right, it was only £6! It's spo easy to use, you can see it in this post. I couldn't recommend it more!

The next product in my top 5 are the Revlon matte and lacquer balms and the balm stains. this could be classes as three products but it is only the finishes that are different! The matte balms I have are in the shades Complex and Unapologetic, the lacquer balm is in the shade Cocquette and the balm stain is in Honey. There is a huge range of shades, all beautiful and very pigmented, I can't remember the price, but they're not very expensive!

 My last pick is the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum. I was debating buying this for a long time, but when I finally did, i was very glad! It's not a very full coverage but enough to cover some imperfections with a natural finish that I personally love. I think it cost around £11 and you can buy it in Boots and Superdrug!

I really hope you enjoyed this post! Thank you Leah for asking about doing a collab, it's been great fun! Make sure you check out Leah's blog by clicking here (in case you forgot to at the start!)

I'm hoping to start Christmas blogposts fairly soon, so make sure you let me know of any posts you'd like to see!
Lots of love,
Emma xxx

10 Facts About Me! (Gabriella)

Hello I'm Gabriella!

Emma has kindly invited me to become one of her guest bloggers.

I also have a blog which you can visit here :) 

I've decided to write 10 facts about myself so you get to know me better.

1. I have two cats named Jojo and Smokey, a guinea pig named Coco, a hamster named Isla and three fish named Mulan, Stevie and Miranda.  

2. I'm half Scottish half Swedish. 

3. I love animals, makeup, art, music, photography and going on runs!

4. I spend a lot of my time watching YouTube videos, doing art, taking photos and jogging!

5. My favourite YouTubers are Emma Blackery, Velvetgh0st, Hannah Witton and Aniamags.

6. My favourite movies are Juno, The Full Monty, Aristocats, Tangled, Some like it Hot and anything with Leonardo DiCaprio really ;)
 

7. Christmas is my favourite time of the year as I love all of the Christmas songs!

8. I'm a huge animal lover!

9. My goal in life is always to be happy and appreciate everything I have. 

10. My new favourite thing is blogging!

I hope you enjoyed reading my little introduction and I can't wait to start writing more! 

Gabriella x

A Day at the Beach!

Hello! 

I hope you're all well!

Last week was October half term so we had a week off, my parents took me, my younger brother and our two dogs, Freddy and Florence, to the beach! I thought as it was a lovely, sunny day and I took way too many photos, I should share some of them with you! 

It took a few hours to drive there so that journey consisted of listening to music, obviously I don't get any photos then apart from this one of Florence who had woken up from sleeping! 

It was such a lovely day, although it was only about nine degrees, it felt quite warm, the sun was shining and it was fairly quiet as far as Filey goes! 

Chasing seagulls and squirrels are among his favourite past times after eating and sleeping.

I hope you enjoyed seeing what we got up to at the beach. I hope it you had October half term it was fun and school wasn't too bad this week! 

Lots of love,

Emma xxx

Room Tour!

Hello!

Today I'm finally posting my room tour, you've only been asking for a room tour since I started doing my room up in February... So today is the day! 

Here's a slight overview of my room, which cuts out quite a bit of it so its not really an overview.

I have this cupboard from Ikea, its useful because of the shelves in the middle, I keep my cameras, laptops and school things there. In the cupboards above and below the shelves I have my school books from last year and a lot of revision I should really get rid  of, shoes and just bits and bobs that had no where else to go in my room!

I'm not sure where these lights are from, but I'm sure you can find some similar ones easily.

I get asked about a lot of things in this little bit of my room! the pots that are hanging off the wall are from Ikea, the little green and pink plant pots are also from Ikea and the mirror is from B&M. The chest of drawers was probably from Ikea as well, but we painted it white and pale duck egg to go with the colour scheme in my room. 

I keep skincare things, bits of makeup, cotton wool and other little bits in these pots, they're very useful!

My planner is from Paperchase, how cute is it?! 

The flowers and the pot are once again from Ikea.

This gorgeous little pot is from a garden centre.

This is the Toulouse Bureau from Dunelm Mill, the fairy lights, as mentioned in my last post, are from Asda.

I have my pointe shoes hanging off my clothes rail (which is from dunelm mill) because they look so pretty, who wouldn't want them on show in their room?

Clock from Ikea. Imagine if someone set the alarm on that clock, I'd have a lot of trouble trying to turn it off!

My room would not be complete without a cat...or three!

My magazine holder is from Ikea, the magazines are Cake Decorating magazines. I can't remember where the lamp is from and the bird is from Dunelm Mill.

This jewellery holder was a gift, I have it at the top of some shelves because it looks pretty!

I think this is everyone's favourite part of my room, the shelf full of nail polish. It isn't hard to tell what my favourite brand is, Barry M of course! I should stop buying nail polish but I think it is a habit that will never stop.

This is my very comfortable chaise longue (it's more like a sofa) I have plenty of cushions so its very cosy! there are fairy lights because you can never have too many sets of fairy lights. i like this area of my room because its just a good place to relax and watch a bit of t.v.

If your're wondering where my bed is, I have a ladder that leads upstairs to where I sleep. It's not very interesting so I haven't included any photos of it. My wall paper is from Homebase, who unfortunately don't stock it any more but if you want an extremely similar wallpaper, they had one at Laura Ashley which was almost the same, but about forty pounds more expensive per roll.

I hope you enjoyed my room tour, so many people have asked for one!

I hope you have a great weekend,
lots of love,
Emma xxx