'The Noel' Felt Letter Board from Lisa Angel*

I have been after a felt letter board for ages, so when I was given the chance to work with Lisa Angel I had to jump at the chance to get one of these gorgeous boards. 

'The Noel' Felt Letter Board retails for £35.00 and comes in a variety of 4 colours. I opted for pink mainly because it suits my photos, it is my favourite colour and doesn't we deserve to be childish and girly sometimes?

There are slightly cheaper versions of these boards for £25.00, however, you don't get the funky symbols with them and I will be perfectly honest even from the photos you can see the quality difference.

The letters are quite easy to use, however you do only get 155 characters in total. This might seem like a lot but it isn't enough to create longer quotations other than 'We Wear Pink on Wednesdays'. I wanted to write a chorus from one of my favourite songs 'Baby you a song, You make me wanna roll my windows down and cruise' but there aren't enough y's for me to do that.

I have not been able to find a place to buy just characters either, it would actually be cheaper to purchase a dirt cheap felt board from eBay and use the characters from that. So that is the only negative I have against this particular board, if they added extra characters then it would be much better value for money and generally more practical.

Lisa Angel as a company is pretty great, I have purchased from them for years and have nearly never had any issues. I do love their price range and the variety of items in stock.

I have got an exclusive 15% off code running with Lisa Angel which will run out at the end of April, just use ROMANOV15 at the checkout. So if you have had your eye on any goodies or just fancy treating yourself then now is the time, plus they always have free delivery with no minimum order!

* I received this board from Lisa Angel for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased feedback, all my views and opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way. Please see my Disclaimer for more information.

Always be kind, you never know what personal battle people are fighting.

World Stationery Day Competition with the Old English Company*

Did you know that its World Stationery day on the 25th April? I didn't! I am a closet stationary lover and can't believe I was none the wiser.

The Old English Company have a great selection of stationary, homeware and accessories. I am especially in love with their selection of prints, particularly this Map of USA.

In honour of World Stationery Day, the Old English Company have a competition running where you can win all four of their Planners, within the pages, there are daily task lists for you to easily fill in. You also have the option to fill in the date at your pleasure, so you don't have to worry about missing a day or two. On top of that, there is a large sized note section at the bottom of each page for anything you might need to remember or jot down.

If you want to grab your chance at getting your hands on all four planners from the Old English Company then head over to the Competition Page here. Be quick though because they will be announcing the winner on the 26th April.

* This is a sponsored post. Please see my Disclaimer for more information, all photos shown in this post are the property of the Old English Company.

Always be kind, you never know what personal battle people are fighting.

Dating a Coeliac*

Going on dates can be daunting at the best of times, we have all had good and bad dates I am sure. I know many people that have so many different funny and brilliant stories. Let me tell you, being a Coeliac to boot doesn't make it any easier.

There are many things about me that I try to keep bottled up or just generally dampened until someone is ready to get to know me fully, because I know I can be a little full on and just well odd. One thing I wish I could keep close to my chest until absolutely necessary is being a Coeliac, and to be perfectly honest I shouldn't feel the need to keep it a secret, but I do.

The problem is dating = dinner, which means I have to broach the subject of food and all the jargon that comes along with this disease. God, I hate that word, sounds like I have something awful and infectious.

"You're not on one of those Gluten Diets are you?"

Even though there is more awareness of gluten-free dietary needs, there is still ignorance around the seriousness of Coeliac Disease. There is little to no understanding as to what it is or what it does to us as individuals, I was recently happily shocked when someone at one of my meetup groups spoke to me about it. He was very enthusiastic about the fact that people these days are extremely unwilling to open up their minds to change and even to just ask questions for fear of looking stupid. It is something I come across daily, not just with my Coeliac Disease but with work and so on.

So when you are struggling to even get across what it is you have, when it is fairly easy for someone to search it on the net, you are not really off to a great start are you?

Generally, it would be best to select a restaurant to eat at prior to the date, because I could then call them up and check they cater with no fuss. This doesn't always happen, however, so when you are wandering around looking for a new place to eat only to be hit with obstacles, it can be very off-putting. Places initially saying they cater, but then giving you silly options like rabbit food and expecting you to be grateful. It can make you feel very insecure and come across as if you are difficult, first impressions are everything and if this is what it looks like, then it will look like eating out with you is a chore?

 "Eating out with you is going to be a Chore"

If the date has gone well and you're getting on great, then the end should close with a kiss, right? Have you ever been worried about the fact that the other person has been eating gluten or drinking beer? No? Most people don't, but for me, I have too. If it goes in my mouth and I have the possibility of ingesting it, I could get ill. So how do you ask someone to go wash their mouth out? You just can't can you... it's strange and they would run for the hills.. 'who is this crazy bitch?!?!?'

"You want me to what?? Wash my mouth out?" - Crazy Bitch

It's not all bad though, despite the initial introduction we don't take much work. I will always keep myself fed and try to keep some form of food on me in case there isn't anything about. We get super excited about new food and are experts at reading labels. We are excellent interrogators too. 

But if the date still not going your way and it completely fails, then no fear there is a get out clause. Just head over to the bar and 'Ask for Angela'. It is a new scheme created for people on dates that are feeling uncomfortable or scared, that need a discreet way of letting staff within the bar/ restaurant know. 

We Love Dates have set up a wonderful campaign that has been proven to work, 'Ask for Angela', so if you find yourself on a date from another free dating site or set up from one of your friends or whatever, and it just isn't going well, then go to the bar and 'Ask for Angela'.

* This is a sponsored post. Please see my Disclaimer for more information.

Always be kind, you never know what personal battle people are fighting.

So I'm 28 with Osteopenia

If you're a regular reader then you may be aware that I am a Coeliac and have had severe weight loss over the past year and a half. Coupled with a few other issues, I thought that things had started to settle down and I was not going to be hit with any more curve balls.

Silly me hey, after a routine X-ray I have been found to have Osteopenia. Which is basically the first stages of Osteoporosis, as a coeliac I am prone to it but with the sudden unexplained weight loss, it appears that I am one of the minority, thankfully not too the severity of actual Osteoporosis at this stage.

What is Osteopenia? Well, it is decreased bone density, but not to the extent of Osteoporosis as stated above, however, it does still come with the increased risk of bone fractures and breakages; as well as the weakening of the bones.

I am now awaiting an appointment for a Bone Density Scan which will determine what type of medication I will have to take, hopefully, it will reverse the damage and I will never get to the stage of Osteoporosis. Honestly, I should rattle with the number of tablets I am taking these days.

Whilst this isn't all that bad an outcome, it has thrown me a little. Having yet another thing wrong with me health wise is just wearing me down mentally, constantly trying to put my weight loss on the back of my mind. Trying to forget about the fact that my nails look incredibly gross and now this to top it all off is just another thing for me to process and try to manage.

Most of the time it is easy to put on a smile and pretend everything is a-okay with me, but days like this when I am thrown curve balls I find it hard to hold back the tears. Especially when I go home and am alone, yes I do have some family around me but to be honest, it isn't always easy to talk to them because I don't always want them to know how hard it is for me.

Always be kind, you never know what personal battle people are fighting.

What I Wore to the C2C Festival - Country Girl Style

Going to the C2C Festival has always been something I have wanted to do for such a long time now and even looking back at my memories on Facebook I swore that I would go this year. Well, I did and I went twice!!! Honestly, 2018 is going to be my year!!!

The first day I went down was with my Mum and we had planned on making a day of it, visiting London to see the Too Faced Store, Eek. Again something I have wanted to do since it opened in December, so I knew that practicality needed to be factored into the outfit.

That and obviously some Country, after all it was a Country concert.

I opted for the standard oversized checked shirt over a pretty black dressy wrap top, which gave it that slightly modern Country look rather than the stereotypical t-shirt.

For the bottoms, I wore my new supersoft denim wash jeans and cowboy style boots, finished off with my Katie Loxton bag.

We were lucky enough to have some help from a really lovely lady, Mum was really struggling with my new Lens, making me blurry in every shot. Honestly, she was such a star and we couldn't believe that someone in London took the time to help out some complete strangers!!!

Later on, I was able to get my hands on some merchandise, so bought myself a Dibs Baseball cap, which finished off the look nicely. Well, I think so anyway, My Mum said I looked rather 'Red Neck'.

Shirt: River Island
Jeans: H&M
Boots: Rocketdog
Glasses: Specsavers
Check Shirt: T K Maxx
Bag: Katie Loxton

Always be kind, you never know what personal battle people are fighting.

Birchbox Timeless February 2018

This is my Second Birchbox and I am sorry to say but I am still not overly impressed. This month's theme was supposed to be kind of retro and timeless, but other than the box I wasn't really getting that with the items. 

Luseta Coconut Milk Hair Mask (Travel Size), R.R.P £32. This was the main item that caught my eye this month, being sulfate, paraben, and phosphate free it was sure to be good for your hair. Packed with Coconut Milk, Vitamins C, E, B1, B5 & B6, as well as essential fatty acids; all working together to repair and nourish dry damaged hair. I applied as instructed, leaving it on for 5 minutes (probably longer) and noticed that my hair was super soft and shiny.

Percy & Reed Finishing Polish (Travel Size), R.R.P £10. I am pretty biased when it comes to Percy & Reed, every product I have tried I have loved. This was no exception, it provides a little extra shine with no greasy residue and helps to combat frizz too. I found that it also gave some hold too, I used this mostly on dry hair against the recommendations and had no issues whatsoever.

The Beauty Crop Eyeshadow Trio in Love You So Latte, R.R.P £7, probably the main thing fitting in with this bix's theme is this eyeshadow. Brown is the main colour people wore in the 90's, on their eyes, lips, and cheeks at that. This trio is packed with coffee extracts meant to brighten tired eyes, whilst the shades are perfect for creating those 90's smokey eye looks.

The Model Co Correcting Pencil, R.R.P £14. Colour correcting was all the craze in the 90's, not that I really remember it to be fair, if I am being honest I thought it all started up now? But then crazes come and go and come back around again, don't they? This a great correcting pencil and green is meant to colour correct reds. The best way to determine which colours correct what is to look at a colour wheel.

Pixi Shea Butter Lip Balm, R.R.P £8. A very 90's item, this handy lip balm is perfect for anyone on the go needing a quick moisture fix, with a hint of pink tint. Infused with vitamin E and shea butter as the name suggests, you won't need anything else in your bag. I am not really one for these sorts of balms, but think it is good for those no makeup days.

My Verdict is pretty similar to last month in that I am not overly impressed or wowed. There were only two items that stood out for me and they were both travel size, so didn't really benefit me in terms of monetary value. Especially when you consider the fact that the Luseta Hair Mask only did one and a half treatments. I honestly do not think that after next months box, I will be continuing with this subscription box.

Always be kind, you never know what personal battle people are fighting.

Studio 10 Cosmetics*

Being a makeup addict I am always keen to try out new brands, especially those that are of the higher end the market. Studio 10 is a brand that I was first introduced to in a Glossybox way back in April 2016, so when I was offered some more goodies to try out I was hardly going to say no.

I will start with the Brow Perfecting Liner which retails for £22.00 because this is the item that I have actually tried and loved before. The shade is actually universal and does seem to blend right into my brows making them look immaculate. It is so easy to use, with the creamy formula making it almost impossible to create harsh lines that make it obvious you have brow liner on. The highlighter end is the perfect shade for creating a slight bit of definition under the brow arch, a perfect eyebrow combo pencil. The other great thing about this product is that it's part of the "Look Good Feel Better" campaign, so for every brow pencil, you buy they donate one.

I am partial to a bit of bronzer and contouring, so was pretty happy to have received the Radiance Glow Bronzing Veil, R.R.P £28.00. I found the formula to be fairly easy to use, buildable, with no patchiness and quite light meaning that if you have a heavy hand you will find it very hard to create sharp lines. This bronzer is infused with D'Orientine, a synergistic blend of 7 natural compounds that claim to prevent the visible signs of aging. I cannot really attest to the prevention of signs of aging, but I can say that it didn't make me look tangoed. The little highlighter included is very subtle, which for me I love as I can very easily apply to much.

As someone that tends to always wear matte lipsticks, I was a little skeptical about trying out a Gloss. I always find them to be sticky and they never last very long. So the Lip Perfecting Plumping Gloss, R.R.P £22.00, claims to contour and fill your lips instantly. I found the gloss to be slightly sticky actually, contrary to what they claim it to be. Formulated with Omega-3 rich Plankton Extract which is meant to protect reduce fine lines; whilst the Volulip stimulates hyaluronic acid synthesis to create plump lips. I didn't find that my lips looked more plump than normal, it did feel tingly though almost like it had some sort of mint extract. With regards to the longevity, I wasn't able to verify this as I couldn't wear it for a long period due to it not being gluten-free.

The perfect combo to the lip gloss has got to be the Age Reverse Perfecting Lip Liner retailing at £22.00. If I ever wear anything other than my Melted Matte Lippies then I am usually guaranteed to need a lip pencil, this one is fabulous as it doubles as correcting pencil too. It can be worn alone or under your favourite gloss or colour as it is pretty universal. Infused with coconut oil it doesn't dry out the lips, and antioxidants such as Vitamin C & E help to condition and nourish too. I thought this pencil was especially pretty worn alone and would work very well at contouring your lips to achieve a very sophisticated day look.

I can confirm that the Bronzing Veil is gluten-free, however, the Plumping Lipgloss contains sorbitan isostearate which is obtained from wheat. I am still awaiting confirmation on the brow & lip pencil so will update this post as soon as I hear back from Studio 10.

* I received these cosmetics from Studio 10 for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased feedback, all my views and opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way. Please see my Disclaimer for more information.

Always be kind, you never know what personal battle people are fighting.

Are you in the Friend Zone?*

Here's the thing the Friend Zone is real, and we have all been in that situation at one time or another. The issue is whether you know you're in it or not and to have realistic expectations of what the outcome of your situation may be. Let's face it many books and films have played out what we think is happening in our lives, yet the outcome is very rarely going to ever happen. 

In the real world the girl does not do the sensible thing and bin off the jerk, finally realising the nice guy she should be with has been under her nose all along. That guy that just can't seem to settle down, isn't going to suddenly see you for the amazing stable perfect woman that he should end up with, I am sorry but it just is a one in a million chance.

So how can you spot if you're in the friend zone?

The words "The right person is out there for you" 

It's quite simple this is like a punch in the gut, you like this person so it should be them right? Obviously, they don't know how you feel or they just don't see you that way.

Do they always bring along other friends?

When you have arranged to hang out, not as a group, but you are under the impression it's just the two of you? Well if they generally always bring along another friend or a few then that's cause for speculation. If you were the object of their affection then you would be, they would want one on one.

No Touching, Ever. 

It's pretty simple when you like someone you almost inevitably touch one way or another. Think about it when you're flirting with someone, do you find some way to touch them? Play fight, nudge something. So it's quite simple, if you're not touching then is there anything there, probably not.

They talk about other crushes.

Depending on their maturity age, this could be tactic to make you jealous. In most adult relationships this isn't going to be the case and they are just comfortable enough to talk to you about other people. It is great in some respects that your relationship has reached a point where you can open up to each other, where there is advice wanted or just general chit-chat. The main thing you want to think about is are they ever asking you if you are okay because it can't just be a one-way street and if they are in a relationship with someone else then shouldn't you be too.

Their friends don't know who you are?

This can be extremely awkward, turning up to a group outing arranged by them, only to be introduced and no one knowing who you are.

Them: "Hi Guys this is Jen"

Friends, with blank faces all round: "Uhm Hi Jen, who's Jen again?"

Yeah, cringe, trust me if they like you in any romantic capacity then your name will have been brought up and their friends will have some inkling as to who you are.

If you found that you resonated with most or all of these signs, then it is time for you to either start changing your game to let them know how you feel or get yourself out there and try some dating sites head over to Glasgow Dating, Singles in Cheshire, Best Dating Sites, Norfolk Dating Sites or Over 50s Dating Cornwall and so on.

* This is a sponsored post. Please see my Disclaimer for more information.

Always be kind, you never know what personal battle people are fighting.

February Lookback 2018

I cannot actually believe it is that time of the month again!! I never believed my Mum when I was a child, telling me not to wish my time away because, when you get older it will go very quickly. Well here we are, 28 and the days roll into weeks and all of a sudden another month has gone by, in the blink of an eye!

Social

So not much has changed here really, I have been out to another meetup group and met another lovely girl called Emma. So I now have a little girl group, we have met up a few times. Having a very grown-up meal out and girly gossip all around. I have to say that getting myself out there to the meetup events has to be one of the best decisions of 2018 so far.

At the last event, I also got asked out for a few drinks by a guy.. who I should be meeting up with again should the weather let up. I am still not sure where my head is at to be completely honest and with other complications of these things you call feelings creeping up on me about someone else, that is just not clear.

I and my brother have also decided to gatecrash my parents holiday to Rome. Albeit they weren't going on their own anyway, so we will be going to Rome with some Family friends late June. Yippe!!! Just have to try and not kill my brother, we are very close except when he moans and bitches about the heat.

Blog

I have invested in a new lens the M.Zuiko Digital 45mm 1:1:8 for my Olympus Pen and I am in love. It has enabled me to create such beautiful images and new content, I hope to continue to learn more new creative ways of showing off products etc.

Last months look back I gave you a little insight into my health, well February was the month that I actually opened up about how all the weight loss has been affecting me. If you missed it you can read it here and will expect to see a follow up on mental health at some point when I feel confident enough to speak about it.

Unexpected Visits

I was not expecting any un-arranged visits this month, so when an old friend asked me if he could come up from Bristol to get away for a bit I was pretty shocked.

Needless to say, I didn't say no, having not seen him in just over 3 years it was a nice surprise and change to have some company on a Sunday and in the evening. Harley was also very excited to see him, which was sweet.

Hopefully, this will not be a one-off event and we can catch up again soon. I do very much enjoy hanging out with people I can genuinely be myself around.

I am very much looking forward to March, after all, I am finally going to the C2C Concert!!!!

Always be kind, you never know what personal battle people are fighting.