BB Cream

Hello,
the other day in my January Lust List I spoke about Garnier BB Cream.
Well on a shopping trip today with my mum I decided it was about time I bought some to try it out, and since Boots currently have it on on offer at £7.49 reduced from £9.99 I couldn't resist :)
So far I'm really impressed. The cream applies really easily and smoothly and blends into the skin flawlessly, making pores less noticeable and blemishes a lot fainter. The effect is a lot softer than when wearing a proper, thicker foundation, it also gives a lovely faint glow which is nice for daytime without being too much.
I haven't had time to notice the longer term effect of using the cream yet, but I have noticed already that my skin is softer and more hydrated than it has been during this cold spell.
Over all, I'm pretty happy :)
Does anyone else use BB cream? What do you think of it?
Annie x

From the Scrapbook # 2

Hello,
Sunday again so its time for another From The Scrapbook post.
Sadly, earlier this week, my nan passed away. She had a long, happy life before dying during her sleep peacefully at 94 years old. She always loved the colour yellow so this week's scraps are all yellow in a small tribute to her.
So heres to Kathleen <3

Yellow:

First we have a pretty yellow striped blog header with space on the grey stripe to add your blog name and an empty shield frame to add a photo. Save as a PNG file to keep the frame empty.

This sweet shield blog accessory would be cute to use in scrap-booking projects of for making announcements on your blog. It could also be used to brighten up your "about me" section of your page.

Save as a PNG file to avoid having a white frame around the edge.

This is a cute little gift tag that could be used for any occasion on gifts. I thought it would be a nice alternative to the usual pink and red hearts used on gift tags for valentines day.

I hope you like this weeks offerings. Which is your favourite? Next week I will have so pretty valentines themed freebie scraps for you to brighten up your gifts to loved ones. 

Annie x

Monday to Friday Man

Hello from very cold and kinda snowy Bath,
Today I travelled back from Canterbury across to Bath so I've seen most of the south of England looking like it's been sprinkled with icing sugar. Very pretty view from a train window!

While the weather has been so cold I've spent a lot of time snuggled up reading on my kindle. The latest book I've finished reading is "Monday to Friday Man" by Alice Peterson, another lighthearted chick lit. Now recently I've been mainly reading Marian Keyes books which have all got a pretty heavy plot line along side the usual love story, so "Monday to Friday Man" proved to be a breath of fresh air. The characters were very gentle and likable and although the heroine Gilly has a sad background, the way that the book is written doesn't make this the main focus of the plot, keeping the book light and upbeat. The authors fun style of writing also works wonders for making light of all situations.

Gilly is a single girl living alone in London after her fiance abandons her two weeks before her wedding. Deciding that she isn't ready to leave London and start afresh she advertises for a monday to friday man to share her house during the week. Jack Baker is a charming, attractive man so when he responds to Gilly's advert, she cannot resist offering him the room despite the worry from her little gang of dog walking friends. Oh yes, did I mention that she has a little dog named Ruskin? The thing that Gilly wants to know, however, is what Jack Baker does at the weekend.

If you're looking for a sweet, uplifting love story with the obligatory chick lit happy ending then you should give this book a go, its easy to read, has lots of likable characters and is the perfect read for a cold winter night  :)

What are you reading at the moment? I've moved on to "A Winter's Tale" by Trisha Ashley and so far it seems good to me.
Annie x

Photo a Week Challenge- Week Three

Hello,
Another week gone and that means it's time for another weekly photo challenge shot.
I've had a lot on my mind this week so I'm afraid the photo isn't as perfect as I'd like, but oh well, sometimes life just gets in the way doesn't it :)

This week the theme was Tired so here is a cute little photo of my lovely sleepy Daniel.

Apparently we're forcast to get snow this weekend so hopefully Ima get the chance to take lots of lovely photos over the next few days :)

Annie x

The Ultimate Romantic Gesture

Hi,
So, with valentines day lurking just around the corner we're all feeling loved up and looking for that special treat for our someone special.
On Tuesday afternoon at work a customer came up to me and asked for my advice. He told me that it was his girlfriends birthday and he wanted to make her feel special so he had come into the supermarket and filled his trolley with lovely treats to feed her. I took a look and I saw that he had:

• olives
• stuffed peppers
• stuffed vine leaves
• a big loaf of fresh bread
• a whole Camembert to roast
• apples to dip
• thick slices of deli counter ham, chicken and beef
• a taste the difference savoury tart
• two GU puddings
• and a bottle of actual champagne

His question to me? "Do you think she'll like this? Is is special enough?" And I just looked at him (hopefully not looking too agog) and told him that it was one of the loveliest things he could do.

So let this be a lesson to us all, I think we could all learn a little something about romance from this sweet, romantic man :)

What plans do you have for valentines day? And don't you just wish that you had a boyfriend as romantic as this?

Annie x

Hedgehogs- Another Dose :)

Hiya,
The other day I blogged about Mooseheadstew, a comic that my lovely OH reads. Today he showed me a few more hedgehog related strips from the site and I just had to share, they're *so* cute :)
(click to enlarge)

Daniel seems to think the hedgehogs are silly judging by the file names he used to save the strips, but I just think they're lovely :)

Annie x

The Weekly Wedding Fix #1

Welcome to the first installment of The Weekly Wedding Fix!
This week's board is inspiration for all of the couples out there planning their wedding on a small budget. You can still have that beautiful wedding you always wanted without it costing the world.

1. A beautiful wedding dress need not cost the world. There are many online bridal shops offering great prices for the same dresses that you would find in a boutique. This lovely dress from The Online Gown Shop costs just £139.16 and you will more than save the money that you may need to spend altering the size by buying this way.

2. Much like the bridal gown, cute bridesmaid's dresses can be found very cheaply if you look in the right places. This red dress was found for just £18.99 in the New Look sale. Searching for bridesmaid dresses in high street shop sales is a great way to find dresses that your girls love for a price that isn't daunting.

3. The perfect pair of shoes complete an outfit, but a good pair of heels can prove very expensive, even from high street stores. For a good deal on your favourite branded shoes, why not pay Ebay's Fashion Outlet a visit. Retailers sell off sale and clearance stock here so you can find some truly great bargains this way.

4. Bouquets look beautiful, not matter how simple or elaborate. The cost of flowers can be kept very low by building a simple hand tied bouquet yourself. This reduces the cost to a small bunch of seasonal flowers and any decoration you may wish to add.

5. Everyone expects a cake at a wedding, yet a high quality, beautifully iced cake can cost hundreds of pounds from some suppliers. A much more purse friendly solution is to have a tea party style cake display of homemade offerings. Friends and family will quite likely be more than happy to provide a cake or two, you could even make a day of it, inviting your girls over to have a baking day.

6. Favours, although by no means an essential part of the day, provide guests with a little token to take home from your wedding. Here, if you have the time, you can save lots of money by creating your own. Traditionally sugared almonds are the gift of choice but for a more modern option why not create little homemade treats like these chocolate dipped pretzels for your guests to enjoy.

7. Weddings are a time for celebration, and many people like to indulge in an alcoholic drink to do so. Large jugs or jars containing pre-made cocktails can prove to be very successful, and can also work out cheaper to provide. How about Pimms for a simple and classic cocktail? One bottle of Pimms will stretch a long way when diluted into the classic fruity drink.

8. If a seating plan is in use, then place settings are a necessity. Even the cheapest ready made settings can add up when the number of guests is high. Instead, how about using simple luggage labels tags which can be decorated using stamps or freehand drawings to any design you want.

So there we are, 8 ways to help stretch a small budget and yet still have the beautiful wedding that you dreamt of. I hope I gave you some help :) 

Annie x