5. Anticipating Autumn

Some are lamenting the end of the summer but I'm excited for the new season ahead. Here's my sales pitch for autumn...

Although the weather gets colder, I like the crisp fresh air and the pale autumn sunshine. When you go for walks in the autumn sunshine, the colours of the leaves are eye catching and range from gold to bold red shades.

On those days where the skies darken and the rain falls relentlessly, causing puddles and soggy umbrellas, there is always the promise of autumnal treats. Rich hot chocolate with melting marshmallows. Pumpkin soup. Hot chestnuts. Roasted autumn vegetables. Squash risotto. Real log fires in country pubs.

There are calendar events that make autumn interesting, too. There's Halloween and even if you don't have childen or participate in trick or treat, you can indulge in Halloween decorations (or make your own if you're crafty) and make a special meal with seasonal autumn ingredients and spooky sweets.

There's also Bonfire Night. I'm biased in liking this date in autumn because it also happens to be my birthday! Bonfire Night holds the promise of fireworks, bonfires, sparklers, toffee apples... It creates an exciting atmosphere when the sky is clear for Bonfire Night, you can smell the bonfire smoke and see multiple firework displays happening if you have a good vantage point.

If autumn still doesn't appeal to you, there's always winter and Christmas to look forward to! When you're a kid, it's the presents that make it exciting. But as an adult, there's still a lot to enjoy about Christmas. When I spend Christmas with my family, we have a small special meal or buffet on Christmas Eve and open some of the food and drink treats! Christmas Day starts with a glass of champagne, smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. Breakfast is followed by opening presents and getting ready for the day. We have Christmas Dinner at lunchtime and then usually go for a walk about mid afternoon. Boxing day is always for watching TV and eating an assortment of the cold leftovers!

Then, of course, comes New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. A fresh start. A blank canvas.

Michelle -x-

4. Reviving Chairs in Red

I'm always one to find new projects to do! This week, I've turned my attention to a set of cream fabric dining rooms chairs that were starting to look tatty and didn't fit in with my new red living room colour scheme!

So, I thought I'd have a go at re-upholstery! It was fairly simple because the chairs are of a basic design. I was able to unscrew the seats from the metal chair frame, recover the seat in new red upholstery fabric that I'd bought online and then re-attach the seat to the frame.

I've only done one chair so far..  owning a staple gun would admittedly have sped up the process! But there was something satisfying about sewing the fabric.

The only tip I would give to anyone else trying something similar is to make sure you think about how you're going to fold your corners before you commit to any fabric attachment! My corners are neat but on the  other chairs, I will make sure that the two front facing corners fold like mirror images as I did the four corners in consecutive order which has led to mismatched corner styles.

All in all, I like the effect of the new fabric - it makes the chairs look newer and has made them look like they belong. 

Michelle -x-

3. Sleek Eyes of a Supercat

I'm following up my first ever beauty blog post with another beauty blog post! (Don't worry, I have other blog post themes prepped but I'm in the middle of moving home... so they're on the backburner until after moving day!)

This time, I want to show you an old love and a new love of mine in the world of eye make up. The combination of which produces the likes of the above photos! I thought I'd start with those photos to get you to read on - the tricks of the newbie beauty blogger? ;)

My old love is Sleek MakeUP i-Divine eyeshadow palettes. I have collected three different colour sets now and would like to own them all, covering metallic dark shades to matte bright colours. The thick, bold powder lasts all day and never fails to give a bold look. 

My new love is Soap & Glory's Supercat Carbon Black Extreme Eyeliner Pen. A few years ago, I tried and failed with liquid eyeliners and stuck to solid eyeliner pencils that I'd always used. However, while browsing online, I read lots of good reviews about this felt-tip like pen so I thought I would give it a go.  It is perfect - this eyeliner pen provides the bold, defined black lines that I wanted to achieve. The pen is much easier to use than the liquid eyeliner I previously tried. I find that the eyeliner withstands a long day too - whereas my pencil eyeliners tend to fade throughout the day.

Michelle -x-

2. Make Up Essentials

This is my first ever beauty blog post. And I don't just mean on this blog - on any blog or website I've ever created! I used to feel that beauty blog posts were for the incredibly beautiful who could don immaculate make up of expensive brands and not for a cash strapped, spectacle wearing, amateur applier of make up.

However, I've since found that when I want to know how to achieve a look or want to find a new product to try, I turn to blog posts and YouTube video tutorials. The wide variety of authors and tutorial makers has persuaded me that make up and beauty are open to all. So, here is my first tentative beauty post!

These are my make up essentials - they are the products I tend to use most days. 

// Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation //

 Hides dark circles and imperfections but still shows my freckles. Being pale skinned, I appreciate the light porcelain shade available and I find that it keeps my face matte all day - even traipsing across a country park on a humid July afternoon!

// Rimmel Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder //

I find the pressed powder helps boost the matte effect of the liquid foundation base and adds to the final finish.

// Rimmel Hide the Blemish Concealer //

 For emergency cover up situations when Rimmel foundations alone won't conceal dark circles under the eyes, I turn to this.

// Boots Seventeen Brow Sculpting Pencil //

I use this to extend and thicken the look of my natural eyebrows. The effect is subtle and the pencil is easy to use.

// Rimmel Scandaleyes Lycra Flex Mascara //

 I'm pretty easy going with mascara - I'll use the nearest one I find in the make up bag! But I have to say that this is my favourite. It provides the longest lashes and definitely has the boldest effect of all my mascaras.

// Clarins Joli Rouge Brilliant Perfect Shine Sheer Lipstick //

I bought this to replace a discontinued lipstick in a particular shade and Clarins was the only counter who could offer a similar alternative. It is long lasting, has a good shine but without being sticky and I love the colour (No. 13 - cherry).

// ModelsOwn Colour Lip-Stix Twist Up Lipstick //

I picked this lipstick at random as part of a 3 for 2 offer but it has become a favourite. It is a bright colour without being garish and I love the unusual matte effect of it as all my other lipsticks and balms are shiny.

Michelle -x-

1. The Next Chapter

The first sentence is always the hardest. How to begin a brand new blog?

Let's start with introductions. I'm Michelle. I'm a twenty-something country girl who now lives in the city. This isn't my first blog and I very much doubt it will be the last, but for now this is where I will begin my new chapter.

The last couple of years have been a chaotic mix of triumph and failure, the best times and the worst. In amongst it all, it can be the little things that suffer. I've been working and studying but I haven't been making time for the little things and it's time to get back to making sure that I do.

Blogging is one of those things and I thought as a way of introduction, I would write this this first blog post about the other little things that I aim to make more time for.

1. Cooking from scratch. (I can't take credit for the pink risotto, it was served in a countryside pub in my home county of Devon.)

2. Seek out new experiences and adventures.

3. Improve my Spanish language skills.

(Map courtesy of Map-of-Spain.co.uk)

4. Return to being an avid reader.

5. Learn just for fun again (as opposed to studying only my degree modules).

6. Take an evening class.

7. Get crafting again.

8. Do some more creative writing and participate in NaNoWriMo.

Michelle -x-