Showing posts with label boots. Show all posts
Showing posts with label boots. Show all posts

Thursday, 7 November 2013

My DUO Love Story // Winter Romance

belle


1. Zara coat // 2. H&M shirt // 3. ASOS knitted tights // 4. Etsy earrings // 5. DUO Capri boots // 6. Boohoo dress // 7. Cambridge Satchel Company satchel


It's not very often a company will approach me with an idea that I immediately want to be involved in. Whether it's due to bloggers block, me not feeling I am good enough to do their product justice or it doesn't fit in with my blog, I find myself politely declining opportunities more often than not because it just doesn't quite feel right. However, when DUO contacted me recently asking me if I would like to take part in their DUO Love Story competition,  it was one of those rare and wonderful times it did feel right. Very right.  They wrote to me talking of winter, romance and shoes and my imagination was immediately captured!

Winter has always been my favourite time of year. Mornings sparkling with frost, mittened hands clinging to mugs of hot chocolate, those first steps onto freshly fallen snow- the whole season is just so romantic! When DUO asked what my favourite love story is, I knew my answer without any hesitation. It has to be Beauty and the Beast! Since I was a little girl, it has always been my all time favourite Disney movie and love story. I longed to be Belle. As the book loving, daydreaming, brave and caring Disney princess, she was always my favourite. Remember at the beginning of the movie, she is dressed fairly plain, unaware of her beauty, spending all her time reading? Then bravely sacrificing herself, going to live with the Beast, just to save her father? How can you not love her?! I love how she isn't scared to tell the Beast off when he needs it, but her caring nature also means she looks after him when he needs it too, and in the end she finds herself seeing a different side to him, a gentler side, and they fall in love. She doesn't care what the rest of the world thinks, she can see past his exterior and stands by him. 


Now, I'm not calling David a Beast, but while we were at school together, for a long time, I did not like him at all! I thought he was cocky, immature and annoying. I couldn't stand him. Most of my friends felt the same way. When he started liking me, and pursuing me, I was horrified, and found the whole situation completely irritating! He insisted on walking me home everyday, but I found the more we talked, the more I spent time with him away from everyone else, the more I got to know him and I started to like him too. Everyone thought it was a bad idea, that we shouldn't be together, but I didn't care. I felt like I'd got to know the real David. On the way back home from our first 'date' (we were 15 years old, and it consisted of walking around the shops and stopping for a McDonalds!), it began to snow. David gave me his jacket and wrapped an arm around me to keep me warm. Walking through the snow with him that night is one of my favourite memories of when we first got together. I was so happy. He told me on that walk he was going to marry me one day, and we had our first kiss. Now here we are, almost 8 years later, a month away from our wedding day. A winter wedding just seemed perfect for us. A wedding in a grand old house with lots of cosy little rooms, where, with our closest friends and family, we can sip mulled wine and hot chocolates by big open fires, enjoy a roast dinner and mince pies, and dance the night away. It is going to be unintentionally very much Beauty and the Beast style! 


For our honeymoon, we're having a few days in a hotel in Warwickshire. It's another grand old house, set in 17 achres of beautiful land. I can see us having lots of romantic walks, and if we are very lucky, perhaps with a dusting of snow! Walks in the snow always remind me of that first date we had, and my very favourite scene from beauty and the beast. You remember this one? So very romantic, with the snow and the beautiful gardens and Belles cape with the fur trim. I have put together an outfit that I think is very modern day Belle, and would be perfect to wear on our honeymoon. Pretty and feminine while still being practical and cosy. The blue pinafore, white shirt with an adorable collar, the luxurious fur hood, cosy tights, teeny roses, a satchel (how else would Belle carry around her books?!), and how gorgeous are those boots??! I have completely fallen head over heels in love with them. They look ridiculously warm and comfortable, while still being so stylish, and the heel keeps them looking feminine. I am usually a little nervous to buy shoes online, as I am one of those awkward people who have feet that fit right in the middle of two sizes, but the wonderful thing about DUO is the shoes are all tailored to fit you. I would absolutely love to wear these boots in the first few days as David's wife!
What's you're favourite love story? I would love to hear!
xo

Friday, 15 February 2013

BOOTS EXPERT HEAT PROTECTION INTENSIVE CONDITIONER



SAM_0851

.

SAM_0854
/  Expert Heat Protection Intensive Conditioner- £2.49 from Boots /  

Hello everyone! I have a little review post for you today. I came across this hair mask the other day in the Boots clearance aisle. I have been experimenting a bit with difference hair products lately because I really want longer, healthy, shiny hair for our wedding, but hadn't found anything that seemed to really work for me. I use a lot of heat on my hair, and while I always use heat protection, my hair still suffers. I have a uncontrollable, thick, frizzy mane of hair and just can't go without blow dries and straighteners  so as a result, my hair is often dull, dry and damaged. I love the natural dark colour of my hair and never dye it, but find that when my hair becomes dry, the colour gets lighter. I've been looking for products that will add a bit of moisture and shine to my hair, and have used shampoos and masks from Herbal Essences, Aussie  Tresemme, L'Oreal, and found things that were 'ok' but didn't really get the results I'd hoped. I had been planning on spending a bit more and going to pricier brands, but as this was on offer, I picked it up to try.

I must admit, I wasn't expecting much. A shops own brand hair mask in the clearance aisle didn't exactly fill me with confidence, but for £1 (yes, £1!), I thought it was worth a shot. I'm so glad I did! I LOVE this product! It contains pro-vitamin B5, antioxidants and a UV filter (I'm not going to pretend that I know the science behind these at all, but they sound good, don't they?) and claims to add strength back to the hair while protecting from heat damage. The consistency is creamy but quite light, not really thick like you might expect from something called 'intense'. I just applied it in the shower after shampooing mainly through the ends but a little at the roots, left it a couple of minutes and rinsed. As I was rinsing it out, my hair already felt so much smoother! I couldn't believe how much more manageable my hair was while blow drying, and I barely needed to use my straighteners at all, just a little to help shape the front of my hair. This is amazing, considering my hair usually needs so much taming with heat and different products! My hair was so much glossier and looked so healthy and hydrated. My colour was much darker and richer, back to how it used to be before I damaged it. I have never had such good results from any hair mask before! I am so impressed, and will definitely be repurchasing.

.


How are you all? Did any of you do anything special for Valentines day? We had a very quiet but lovely one. I baked brownies, David bought wine, we ordered takeaway and watched Lost In Translation. Perfect!

If you have any hair products you love or have any special hair care tips, please share them, I'd love to improve my hair routine even more!

x ♥

Friday, 23 November 2012

Instagram 003


Cold evenings in with home made hot chocolate // making the house smell of Christmas // Off to work // Cheeky face covered in cauliflower cheese // Lily's lavender bath bubbles & rubber duck // ready to go out for a family meal // decorating Lily's room //cute baby hands // Lily loving her new cot //cosy socks & bed // mint jumpers & pastel pink nails // Titan, the hamster I'm looking after this week //new boots from here // Lily's breakfast // love my new Rimmel wake me up foundation!

This is how my November has looked so far, I can't believe next Saturday it's the first of December! My instagram name is _rosie_o if you don't follow me already :) 

How have your Novembers been? Are you looking forward to Christmas? I can't wait!!

x ♥

Wednesday, 14 November 2012

sand, sea & swings



 Just a little update, I will get back to some proper blogging soon! I have been terrible at remembering to take any photo's lately to post here, but I did get a few from a little family trip to the beach we had this weekend while visiting my Aunt in Brighton. It was a very cold but lovely, crisp day on the beach. Lily seemed to enjoy herself too, and absolutely loved the swings that were close by! She couldn't stop giggling the whole time she was on them, and she was laughing particularly hard and grinning at the dad pushing his son on the swing next to her. She's a little flirt already!  David & I had a great time in the park too, and may have had a sneaky go on the swings and zip wire while Lily played with her Grandma.

Lily and I also had a little trip to London recently where we met up with the lovely Charlotte and Sara. We had such a wonderful time, and it was so lovely finally meeting two pretty ladies whose blogs I have loved for years. Unfortunately I didn't manage to get many good pictures, but hopefully we will be able to do it again one day and I will make sure I remember to take lots!

I have a few outfit posts planned as I haven't done one for ages, sorry for being such a rubbish blogger, I think I'm gradually getting better at balancing being a working mummy and fitting in other things around work, nappy changes & feeds!

x ♥

Monday, 17 May 2010

hello again ♥



hello!! I have missed it here ever such a lot. Finally I have finished my year at uni and have time to blog again!! Although my camera has decided to hide, so you must excuse the pictures, they're taken with my phone and are not very good really.
I had my end of year exhibition, after weeks and weeks of hardly any sleep, working late into the night. The piece I made for the show was a big big park with the miniature figures. The piece was 4ft x 4ft, and had 63 figures in it!! They were all children, playing and exploring. it took much much longer to make than I expected it too, making each little tree and sticking on its leaves and making the earth and the grass and the paths, having to paint and glue each tiny detail. The piece was put on the floor of the gallery, so that the people who came to see it had to crouch down like children playing with little toys.  I was ever so nervous about it being in the exhibition. my family came to see the opening and to stay for the weekend, too, which was lovely. Luckily, people seemed to really like my work!!!! it was wonderful to watch as people went over and smiled as they found another detail, another child climbing a tree, or little girls whispering secrets in each others ears.








While my family were visiting for the weekend, we took a trip to the peak district. It was so so beautiful!! We stopped at a little farm we found too, that was selling the most delicious homemade ice cream. And we saw all the baby animals, like the new born  lambs and baby cows. Whilst petting the lambs, they seemed to confuse me for their mother and began sucking on my fingers!! I had 3 of them, with a finger each, and they wouldnt let me go!! It was adorable!! My father took some lovely pictures, but he cant send them to me because he hasnt worked out how to put them onto the computer yet. hehe!! Whilst in the peak district, I found a teeny tiny wooden chicken hidden in the corner of a shop for a couple of pennies. I had to take her home, shes adorable!! her name is minnie.






since finishing uni, I have been a little bit naughty. I got a nice little suprise of some extra money I didnt realise I was getting. so I have bought myself a few treats!! Dresses of florals and tiny horse prints. Gold sparkly tops and pretty little skirts. Pale pinks and lace. some floral jeans. Some new ribbon, and cord, and charms. A new haircut. snip snip snip. my hair was in terrible condition, so the lady cut it to just below my shoulders. It feels very different but much much better!! and a little ebay find. Some boots. Mint green with peach laces, which that I now have to wait for, to arrive in the post. please hurry mr postman!!






I have also been doing lots of baking now I have more time. I have made some lovely brownies, and some dilicious peanut butter fudge!! I got the recipe from Sophie Dahls show. I adore her and her prettiness and her stories and her lovely lovely homely recipes. My David and I have been enjoying the little homemade treats in the evening wth cups of tea, until our tummies were completely full of sweetness!!

 






I am still working, as a waitress and behind the bar at uni, until the end of June. And then I get to go home!! I cannot wait. i have lots of arty projects planned, and books I want to read, and lots of cuddles. With my little brother and my poppy pops. I cannot wait, I really really cannot wait!!!






And of course, lots more blogging!! I have missed it lots, and I have missed you lots. How are you all??

♥ x