Berlin

Berlin 2013 - Hen Do Alert

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Hello Sweeties, 

I'm home from Berlin and had a good time. It was very tame as hen do's go and not one hand over between the 6 of us who drank! 

We arrived on Sunday evening and went for a traditional German meal. The restaurant was 2 seconds walk from our hotel and it was like going into someones front room, there were no menu's and the owners tried there best in broken English to explain what was on offer. 

I had slices of cold roast beef, fried sliced potatoes which came with a cucumber and onion salad and what i'm assuming was potato, gerkin and mayo. It was really good. Most of my friends had a beef stew and dumpling which came with boiled potatoes and  hot red cabbage. I was really impressed but I think the others had mixed reviews! 

On Monday we bought a pass for a hop on hop off bus and did the full circuit with a bit of hopping off, walking and hopping back on again. 

We started at 1B and went to Checkpoint Charlie.


We then walked for a while

Via the chocolate shop Fassbender & Rausch where they have the most amazing sculptures made out of chocolate, Bears, planes, Titianic, the Berlin TV Tower and much more, one thing that surprised me was that there was no smell of chocolate at all!!!



We headed over the the TV Tower, I really didn't want to go up it. I've been up the Sydney tower and had a bit of a wobble. When we arrived at the tower there was a massive queue and only the Hen wanted to go up. I said I'd go up it with you when no one else volunteered and instantly regretted my decision. We all went for lunch to somewhere doing amazing Pizza's and I couldn't eat. I didn't even order one. I'm sure some people thought I was being mard but the thought of it made me feel really ill but as the hen really wanted to go up it and it'd taken us ages to walk to it I didn't think it was fair just to walk away form it and let her go alone.


It was actually ok and I think the thought of it was worse than the actual going up. It didn't actually seem that high, there was no revolving floor (that was a floor higher up in the restaurant)  and once i'd got my legs back (I was convinced it was revolving for a few mins) I think it helped that it's not floor to ceiling glass and there is a rail round. 

It was a very clear day and i'm sad to say my favourite view was barbies dream house! I have no idea what this is but doesn't it look fab! 


We then went back on the bus and headed over to the Brandenburg Gate and the Holocaust memorial garden.

 before having an epic wander to locate bus stop 17 and onward back to stop 1b. Tip you don't have to go all the way round this monument to get to bus stop 17, we did!!!


Monday night we went to an Italian restaurant under our hotel then back to the residents bar. 

Tuesday we went to the hotel pool, which was part of a gym and we almost got roped in to OAP Aquacise! we quickly made our leave and after a complementary Currywurst! Sadly I didn't get a photo and for me it's a never to be repeated experience! 

We then hit the shops, we all walked over together and split off into little groups. I went off alone which was for 2 reasons. I prefer it and 2 I went in the wrong H&M looking for the others! 

I got a few bits which I'll post about separately and  for our last supper we went to Hard Rock Cafe. 

TBH I'm not a massive fan of the one in Manchester and it wouldn't have been my choice but I enjoyed it. We had a few cocktails and I had a cheese burger. It had odd melting / not melting cheese but tasted good. One thing that always makes me laugh is they ask you how you want it and bring it out well done anyway. If they'd not have asked me i'd have been 110% happy with how it was cooked but I asked for M|edium Rare and it came out charcoaled! I think ask me and cook it to order or don't ask and cook it however you like! 



The next day we were up and out the flight was delayed and it didn't have a time so we feared the worst but after a quick text to la mama it was only 20 mins late and our pilot got a few sneaky short cuts so we landed early! Bonus!!


I really want to go back to Berlin. I would stay in a different area but it was a lovely hotel, we had a huge room!

Charity shop challenge

Charity Shop Challenge - August

Friday, August 30, 2013

Hey Lovelies,

I have been charity shop hopping again and I think I've got outfits for the next three months. I'm telling Skipton is my Charity Shop Mecca.


Dress / Tunic - Evans Originally via The Greyhound shop, I can't remember how much this cost but it was defo under £5, It wasn't new with tags but I really liked the print and it's soft jersey so mega comfy.


The Cardigan is from Adsa and it was new with tags from the Scope shop and cost £4, which was half the shop price.

I wore this on a sunday to potter about the house and have a sort out, as the top is a bit too short to wear as a dress I wore it with my black jeggins and my mums shoes.

Artful readers club

The Artful Readers Club #8

Friday, August 30, 2013

Hey Lovelies,


I'm feeling super organised, as I type this we are still in July!

This month I deviated from my list once again and read a book I picked up in an Oxfam shop.

The Invisible Ones by Stef Penny.


I picked this up because I read her previous book The Tenderness of Wolves, a while ago and was awe struck by it and It's on my pile of books I want to re-read.

The Invisible Ones is a totally different type of book to her first one but I am equally as in love with this book.

I found it beautifully written, an engaging and gripping story and I really felt I connected with the people in the book, recently I have disliked a lot of people in a lot of books.

The book is written from two points of view the first a private detective with Gypsy heritage and the second a teenage Gypsy boy who likes with his family and are still very much travellers and not house Gypsies as they call it.

My one complaint, no that is too strong a word, minor issue was that it did a few time jumps back and forward which was slightly confusing but that could just be me.

The story starts with the detective waking up in hospital and being paralysed in parts from what the doctors can only describe as some form of herbal poisoning,  the story then jumps back in time to the detective being engaged by a man to find his daughter. A Gypsy girl who went missing around 7 years earlier from her husbands caravan.

It is queried why he hasn't looked for her sooner and the father knows very little about his daughter or had any contact after she was married but when her mother has passed away he wants her to know, if she is alive rather than finding out through the grapevine.

The detective takes the case more out of curiosity than anything else and he then uses his own Gypsy heritage to delve into the case, mysteries, social stereotyping, prejudices, complex family structures and  misfortune and illness plaguing a family.

The point of view changes to JJ the 14 year old  cousin in law of the missing girl, he tells his families side of this. His family is made up of his mum, his grandparents, a wheelchair bound great uncle, young cousin and his uncle the Husband of the missing girl. There are also various aunts but no other uncles as the family curse and illness his cousin the son of the missing girl has, an illness that has baffled doctors and that has killed off most of the male line of his family but from which his father recovered from after a miracle trip to Lourdes when he was 16.  The family take a trip to Lourdes and  visit the site of an accident that killed and his aunt and in which his uncle was injured.

As the plot thickens the lives of both side increasingly become intertwined, old Gypsy tales are shared and old camping sites are re-visited.

When a body is discovered at one of these old sites that has been turned in to a housing development is this the end or is there another twist.

In some ways the ending might be predictable, my mum said she guessed the ending after chapter 3, While it didn't entirely surprise me  I enjoyed the journey to get there so much I didn't care.

If you want a beautifully written book with a good tale I would recommend this book.

I gave it 5 stars on Good Reads.

As we are still in July I haven't arted as yet but I have ideas :0)

#OMCZ

OMCZ 14 Unleash your wild side

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Hey Lovelies,


As this post goes live I will be hopefully be at Berlin Airport waiting for my flight home after my friends Hen Do!

I have  packed my dress which is from Tesco and I will update this post once I get home as long as I remember to get a photo of myself. I am hoping to enlist my friend and room mate as official holiday photographer!

I've looked back through some of my old girlie holiday photo's and there are few if any photo's of me so I'm hoping to try and get someone to take pictures of me or at least have a decent surface in which to balance my camera!


Date Due: Wednesday, 28th August
Time Due prior to noon your time.
Challenge: Unleash your wild side

This time it was Nat's turn to choose the theme.

Nat wrote:

Unleash your wild side

Leopard, cheetah, zebra....... I hope that will join me in unleashing your wild side and show some love for animal print! Shoes, tops ,bags or be brave and go head to toe!

Much Love
Nat
x

 UPDATE

 I took my dress all the way to Berlin but didn't wear it!

This is the dress and I did wear it to Work on Thursday but I forgot to get a full length shot of me wearing it!

I did get a shoe shot!


We've had another slight line up change so I hope you'll take some time to visit all the other lovelies who take part in this challenge.

shoes

New Shoes

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Hey Lovelies, 

I'm really not doing well on my no buying things. I spend about £80 on Saturday on things I don't really need but i'm not returning. 

Including these shoes, they were £10.00 from River Island. 

Being a fattie it's not somewhere I go into very often but I was lured in and spotted these. They are so comfy! 


I've seen some similar online but I have to try shoes on and I think they will look cute with jeans.

What do you think?


Eyebrows

I Finally got round to sorting out my brows

Monday, August 26, 2013

Hello Lovelies, 

After weeks of moaning to myself but not doing anything about it I booked to get my eyebrows done. 

I had to wait a few mins for my appointment which was fine as you can see by the clock I was a little early for my 30.30pm appointment. 


I amused myself by taking photo's 


It always makes me laugh that this chair is pulled up to the waiting area. 


I really want my nails shelacked. (is that even a word?)

I finally wore my killer curves tshirt!!! 


The girl that did them likes really thin brows and while they are a little thin they are so much better than before. Usually I stay bright red for ages but it's already gone down and I remembered to book in again for September! 

Berlin

I'm going to....

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Hahaha no not Ibiza!

Hey Lovelies,

I'm just about to ring a taxi to take me to the pub! Yes it is 8.40am on a Sunday but today i'm off to Berlin!

I had decided to travel in a Maxi Skirt I got from Primark yesterday with a pink NL top I got from the last clothes swap but I felt a bit frumpy.


 I ditched the pink top for a pinky red vest and it still wasn't right.
 I added a belt and some jewellery and
 I think i'm ready to go!

I've never ever travelled in a maxi skirt before so I can image I will hate it by the time I get to the airport and I know I need to remove the belt to go through security! 

OK i', off for a lovely weekends with friends! See you on the other side!

Lipstick Storage Updated

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Hey lovelies,

A couple of days ago I posted about how I stored my lipsticks in my bid for organisation. 

Since then I have been to pound world!  From there I spotted these small drawers and thought they looked lipstick sized.

They fit 3-5 lippies in each draw and I was so impressed I went back for another set.

I might be getting a third set as they will fit small eye shadows and blushers. 

I have also bought some more mua lippies! 

I just need to start wearing it now! 

Brushes

Real techniques

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Hey Lovelies, 

I've been treating myself this month and for once it's not on dresses! 

Not only have I bought a new Benefit Blusher - I will do a post once i've used it a few times. 

I treated myself to some new makeup brushes!

I've been after some for a while but not got round to it.

The twitter consensus was Real Techniques were the best ones and I almost got a set from superdrug but I ended up getting them from Amazon


For the 2 sets it was about £33 which isn't too bad for good quality brushes. 

I've used them a couple of times and I really like them. I'm a very happy bunny. I just need to learn how to apply make up now x

Lipstick

Lipstick Storage

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Hey Lovelies,

I am currently trying to find better ways to store my makup so it's all in one place, I seem to have bits and bobs all over the place and I'm still missing some key items. 


I'm using a wooden Ikea drawer set for most make up but I'm not loving it. I found this plastic box that I got for keeping other things in and decided to put my lippy in it and then put it inside one of the Ikea Drawers. It's not Ideal and I keep googling acrylic make up storage and Really Really want the Muji drawers but I need to get to a muji store to see them and work out if they will work for me.

How do you store your makeup? x

Hen Do

Hen do's

Monday, August 19, 2013

Hey Lovelies, 

As you will probably know by now I'm off to Berlin on a Hen do this coming Sunday and I was looking back through some old hen do photo's on the book of faces.  

I have been on a number on hen do's over the years, from blackpool dressed as a skool girl, my local town centre but most of them have been abroad, there is usually a theme and most of all lost of drink consumed. 

I'm going to walk you through Hen Do's through the years:

Barcelona (2006) 

We had a theme of black and red, the hen made us all masks (do they look familiar, they are jazzed up incredibles masks) and we went to a Flamenco night 

Benalmedena (2007)

This was a fab hen do, we had drunk nights, went to an Ice Bar and had a fab time. This was also my first Hen do with a t-shirt

Lithuania (2009) 

5 days in Lithuania we had fab weather, more hen do t-shirts and had our own personal belly dancer

We look cold but it was really warm during the day


Local Night Club (2009) 


We had a practice run before Lithuania! we also got free fizzy

Bath (2012) 


No t-shirts but we had a purple theme and sashes. This was a lovely hen do, we went for afternoon tea in the Jane Austin tea rooms and a meal at a Jamie Oliver restaurant 

Scotland  (2012) 

This has to be the most random  hen do ever! Camping! in a tent with a round house and a wigwam!

We also had a fire! 

I've also been having a play with some photo collages what do you think? 

MUA

I learned something today

Monday, August 19, 2013

Hey Lovelies, 

Don't laugh but I only found out that the bottom of the MUA lipstics unscrew and have a lipgloss in them. I just assumed it was a swatch of the colour so you could tell at a glance which colour you wanted! 

The older ones just click on and off but the newer ones have a screw cap. 


I do love MUA lippies and they are £1 each. There are 16 in total but looking on their website there is a couple missing. I'm very tempted to get them all! My favourite one isn't pictured Shade 11. I have snapped this one so will be rebuying it soon. 

The only one i'm a bit confused about is the middle one as it's glittery! i'm sure when I tried it on my hand in the shop it wasn't but I might have picked up a different number than I tried! 

I seem to own a lot of MUA and I really like everything i've bought.  

Derma V10

Derma V10 Products

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Hey Lovelies, 

I wanted to share a couple of products i've been using recently, I'm not a massive user of products. I buy lotions and potions but never use them. 

Two products that I find myself needing to use are Moisturiser and Hand Cream. I picked up these products from the Fabb Manchester Event at the beginning of July and I have been using them daily since then. 

I'm really not fussed how much a product cost as long as it works and I can afford it. I'll admit to loving a bargain and if something is on offer I'm much more likely to buy it. 

Derma V10 are a budget range they can be found in poundland, tesco and similar shops and most products cost around £1. 

I have used Derma V10 before and I've liked everything I've used in the past so when I got the chance to get some more of their products I went for products that I needed rather than trying new products. 

I went for the Sensitive skin moisturiser, although I don't think my skin is all that sensitive I think that sensitive products tend to be a bit easier on the skin. 


I've been using this at least once a day since I got it and I really love this product. My skin feels lovely and soft and for £1 I will be buying this again once I've run out. I don't think this will last me as long as my usual moisturiser but at around a 5th of the price I can live with that. 

Next up the hand cream, I am prone to Eczema on my hands so use hand cream every time I wash my hands and I was a little wary about this to start with as I like to use a really thick hand cream and this felt a little think when it first came out the tube but again I'm impressed, it soaks in easily and leaves my hands feel really nice and soft.  I finished the tube a couple of days ago and haven't used any hand cream and I can feel the difference. I have spotted they sell the Derma V10 stuff in my local Tesco so I will be buying some more of this very soon.

I did get a few other bits from them and I won a facebook give away for some body butter and another face cream what impressed me was they arrived the day after I game them my address! 

Have you used their products? 

Instagram