50 Shadez of Laura

Oh dear. This week has been a home hair dying disaster, a dyesaster!

Usually I just go to the hairdressers and everything is fine, but I decided to try and save my pennies. Big mistake. I started off blonde, then went orange, then red and then gave up and now I'm dark brown again. I'm quite pleased with the result, but gosh my hair is ruined! A lesson learned.

Affinity For My Hometown

I decided to take a little break from the hustle and bustle of the city and go home for a weekend.
It was lovely to escape and spend some time with my brothers, sister and of course my beautiful pup, Clover. I moved to Newcastle 8 years ago and rarely get the chance to go home unless it is for a birthday or at Christmas.

On Friday night I  played pool and had a few drinks with my brother and sister. I even converted her to gin! After a couple too many I marched up to the DJ box and asked him if he could put on September by Earth, Wind and Fire and his entire collection of Fleetwood Mac. Luckily the dance floor was empty and I was tipsy enough to storm onto it and start cutting shapes out of every surface.

Saturday was spent lounging around at home. I watched a bit of football (yak) with my brother and snoozed on the couch. I ordered Chinese from my favourite takeaway in the whole world and spent the rest of the evening watching TV with the family. Lovely.

Sunday was a little more active. We went to a car boot sale and I struck gold! I had so much more success than I have had when rummaging in Newcastle as of late.

I got:

 A lovely pair of brown zip up ankle boots. The heel is very slight so it should not present any major problems with walking.

A new purse. I have to accept my tattered American Apparel purse has seen better days. I don't know why I get so attached to my purses. It was tiny and totally unsuitable, but I just couldn't bear to get rid, even when holes started appearing.

 Finally I got a dress. I said previously that I'm not really into 'busy' clothes, especially a flouncy, long sleeved, patterned affair. For £1 I could see potential with this one though. I'm quiet happy with my arms so I'm going to attempt to remove the sleeves. If it still looks naff on me, I'm just going to remove the crocheted peter pan collar and use it to spice up a plain dress or top.

My sister was also wonderful enough to donate these boots to me. I had spotted them in her wardrobe months ago and 'oooh and ahhhed' over them. Thank you Jessamy you magnificent little creature!

Last, but certainly not least I made a volcano with my little bother. I bought this for his birthday in June, but couldn't hang around to make it on the day. I'm such a bad sister...I left the poor little fella hangin' for 2 months. I think he had fun making it. I'm hoping he is going to grow up to be a little geek! Maybe a crystal growing kit for his next birthday?!

Boot Camp

Well! I made the bold decision to join a boot camp. I've sort of struggled with my weight, mostly in my head, since I was around 13. I'm currently at the smallest I've been in a long time, but the self confidence is still very much lacking. It's time to take the bulge by the horns (I.am.hilarious) and make myself happy.

Since the break up I have a lot of free time on my hands  and attempting to obtain a 'hot bikini bod' seems like a pretty good way of passing the time rather than drinking it away! I started today with a free trial session in Exhibition Park in Newcastle. I have to admit I felt a bit silly teetering up to all of the legging-clad 'sporty girls' wearing shorts, ankle socks and plymsols.

At one point I thought I was going to vomit up my lungs and I discovered that I have gone my entire life without knowing how to do a squat properly,  but now that I'm home and showered I feel incredible. I don't feel my usual sluggish, tired self and I'm not yearning for bed time. In short, I'm signing up!

I'm going to aim to go 4 days a week for at least a month. I know that sounds like a lot, and it probably isn't achievable, or it is and I'll end up like some sort of buff Olympian god. If that's the case I will turn to crime fighting and become a heart-break vigilante. Lurking the streets and beating up boys who break girls hearts! I think that would make a wonderful  Scott Pilgrim-esque graphic novel. Has anyone done that yet?

Such a mucky pup

Weekend Outfit Wishlist

It's pay day on Friday! Hurrah! After a tough couple of months recovering financially from a last minute holiday I will finally have the money to splash out and treat myself to a new outfit and also buy the red sewing machine I have been lusting after. So excited!

1. Tan La Tropezienne Tote Bag from Bodie and Fou (I'm not going to be able to afford this this side of forever. Sob.)

2. MAC Lipstick in Lady Bug

3. Navy Polka Dot Pleated Dress by Jolie Moi. I recently discovered Jolie Moi. Some of their stuff is a bit busy for my liking. As a bit of a shorty (5'2) I don't really suit anything that has a lot going on. I prefer classic, plain clothes of a good quality, so this dress is perfect for me. You also get 20% off with your first order. This will be mine on Friday. EEP!

4. Office Monumental Platform Pumps in Black. I've been on the hunt for some nice plain pumps for a while now. These are perfect as they will give me a bit of height without risking me breaking my neck. I can see myself wearing them for work and for nights out dancing.

5. I'm really into messy up-do's at the moment. I've had quite short hair for the past year and I'm just starting to grow it out. It's finally at a length where I can start experimenting a bit more. I love anything twisty, messy and french looking!

Lovely Locks

I can't believe I didn't know about Love Locks until today. It is just the sort of adorable nonsense that I thrive off. There are a list of reasons that I pine for a trip to Paris, but gosh, this is wonderful. The idea is that you and your beloved inscribe  a message onto the lock and then affix it to one of two bridges; the Pont des Arts or the Pont de l’Archveche.

I love the idea of leaving your heart somewhere. I've always been sentimental. As a child whenever I visited a new place I pulled out a few strands of hair, and left them there so that a part of me would always be in that place.  This emotional indulgence stayed with me into my adult life. A few years ago me and an old boyfriend were on a ferry to France and decided to write notes declaring our undying love. We put them inside a bottle and headed out onto the deck and threw it into the sea. The relationship didn't last, but I think it's beautiful that we immortalised our feelings and that they are now sat at the bottom of the English Channel. Who knows...years from now the bottle could be discovered and the finder will wonder who we were and what happened to us.

I can't help but wonder though, what do people do with the keys? Do they throw them into the Seine as a further declaration of 'foreverness'? I think that I would turn mine into a necklace.

Honey and Aspirin Face Mask

I love this combination. It sounds so simple, but it really does make your face so soft and it smells amazing!

I used 4 aspirin tablets. First, sprinkle a few drops of water on them so that they dissolve a little. You really do only need a few drops otherwise it'll just dissolve entirely.

Squish with your fingers then add the honey. I used about half a teaspoon  and used my fingers to mix it into a paste.

Apply to your face and leave for 10-15 minutes. Scrub gently and then wash off with warm water. Lovely. Oh and avoid your eyes...not nice to get honey in your peepers.

A Poorly Little Heart

I've had a really busy week. The hours at work have been long and brutal and my personal stuff has taken a turn for the worst. Me and Michael's relationship came to an end. It wasn't mutual and  my feelings are battered and bruised. I'm not going to go into the detail of it, but suffice to say I have no ill feeling toward him and I still think he is the most wonderful human being I've ever met.

I've scoured the Internet in search of tips and advice on how to cope through what is inevitably going to be a difficult time. I think its so, so important not to ignore your feelings. If you need to sob into a pillow or get angry, you should. But, saying that, I don't want to mope around feeling sorry for myself all the time. I came across a very sweet little blog post that talked about being heartbroken, it said that your heart is never broken, it is just sad. And its not forever. I've been writing a lot more in my journal and have tried to make notes of things that, even on these very dark and gloomy days, make me feel happy. It can be simple things like eating Thornton's chocolate mice in bed, using some lovely coloured paper at work, drinks with friends and playing table football, having a long bath or fresh bed sheets. It really has helped to appreciate the little things.

Today I thought I'd treat myself to a nice salad for lunch. I sauntered around a couple of shops near to work and stocked up on chocolate and even bought a couple of pieces of new make up. A brown eyeliner and some peach coloured blush. I'm a slave to black liquid eyeliner and use lashings of it daily, but I have quite big blue eyes so I think the brown might compliment my eyes as well as  looking a little bit more 'day-time'. I've never tried Boots No.7 range before, but it was half price. I'll report back later!

My culinary lavender also arrived today. Incredible cakes ahoy!