Arty time.

My lazy Sunday is not over yet!! I have been feeling creative! This is what I have been doing. 

It also ends with a poem. That happens when I draw. I always create a little story behind it and have to write it down. 

I enter a world,

Where I know

I belong,

The trees,

The city lights,

Flower that bloom,

The arms of lovers

That pass on by 

Working progress. But getting addicted. 

Those First attempts!

Guten Tag world.
Today on this beautiful Sunday, where the wind is blowing, the sun is disappearing behind clouds and coming back out to say that glorious "Hello!" I am having that lovely lazy Sunday feeling. Which concludes in me wearing my favourite Chemistry tee and those all time favourite Skinny jeans! I am actually feeling quite great! My hair looks good, my skin is nasty still but I am on a water drink to attempt to clear it up and also on a no bread/butter for a bit. (I actually started that one today, so I'll let you know how it goes?? To be honest I think should lower my intake of wine as well.... BUT IT IS JUST SO GOOD!) It also helps that last night, I did the ultimate female pampering session. That includes a bath bomb filled tub, some amazing legs shaving and under arms! Ex foliating the skin, moisturising, face mask and a good old nails and toe nail pamper. A glass of wine (seriously not an alcoholic!), incense for the bath room, something to read and some good music! Now, I am normally the one for peace and quiet when I am having that ultimate female pampering session, but lately I have been feeling the music obsession. It also didn't help that with what little money I have left from this month, I spent on Itunes..
So after that pampering session and believe it or not an early night for me, I woke up this morning feeling refreshed and well just AMAZING! With a lazy day like today I am hoping I will feel amazing again tomorrow for work. But knowing me, I am having so much fun with just relaxing today, that going to work tomorrow will probably hurt me. Then again, right now I feel so awake I could possibly do a good days work. Work is good for you, mind, body and soul.


I have actually made use of my lazy Sunday by attempting a hair style.
I am probably the worst female, to try and do something new with my hair or face because I would much rather read book or draw, or lately doing fuck all and wasting my time on tumblr...
So by having a girly weekend has resulted me doing a fishtail braid to the hair! Ok, I know I got the hang of what I need to do with the hair, but it is going to take a lot of practise for me to get it to look right! First off, my hair isn't the great hair to do it with, (Ha! Already making up excuses) because it is very layered and still growing! I will also like to point out, that I am very pleased with my attempts and even posted a YouTube video about it!

It doesn't even look like a fishtail braid! Practise Claire!!

Rocking towards the Ballet.

Saturday 20th July, was a new day for me to attempt a new experience. I was out to my local library that morning and volunteer my time with them on the National Reading Challenge with children.

My assistance is needed to communicate to the children about the stories they have read, what they liked most about the book and what book they want to try to read next. As well as giving out achievements stickers for reading stories and congratulating them for completing the Reading Challenge! 

Check out the link for more information on the Reading Challenge and if you have children, encourage them to join the Challenge! They will have a great time disappearing into fictional stories and great adventures!

That evening I spent my time hanging out with my friend Elliot, who is a musician trying to create a band! Worth checking his tumblr page out. We went to the local Taunton Rock On The Green, which is basically local bands playing to an audience. Most of the bands this time round just did covers to general Rock Songs throughout the ages. Which is a great thing, when you are a lover of Rock. But I do like a good original songs from the bands. Elliot and I did have a great time and by the time the good ol' Somerset cider has hit the system for the locals and myself, the dance moves came out. Cheesy dancing has definitely made our night! 

On Sunday, I went to Bristol Hippodrome with the good friend Christina, and we spent the time there watching Swan Lake. Now what an experience! I have never seen a ballet before in my life, so I generally can't give a criticism about it really, or compare to anything.

What I will say about it though, is that I really didn't feel the passion in the dancers, now I think Sawn Lake is a beautiful story and absolutely romantic, the dancers I just didn't feel the passion or the enchanting romance that would find within the story. But a ballet is most certainly a must do within your life time. 

Check out my photos on Instagram!

Claire's Instagram...

Ink bottle attack...

This is a rather pointless post. But I had to share one of my clumsy moments.
I was in the middle of writing up my weekend in my "Journal".. Because a Diary is too teenage secondary school and well.. I'm one of those old fashion people that loves writing with ink pens.
So I got my ink pot out and forgot to screw the lid up properly.

Long story short nation..

I did the beautiful classic of spilling my ink bottle all over my bedroom floor.

I have just spent the last half an hour of cleaning the mess up, when I should have been typing up my exciting new experiences for this blog, but no.  

Another reason to actually work on using my notepad on this laptop as part of my Journal.

Oh, and to get a writing desk!!

Rock on the Green

So tonight, after a great Saturday I am killing time listening to live local music of Taunton with Rock on the Green 

So it is a lovely day and once the music starts rocking and the drink to start flowing. It will be a good time. 

Quick post tonight! 

Those days.

This week has been the longest for me, in a long time.
I don't really know how to feel about my extremely week. In some ways, I am kind of torn between two emotions, pissed off or happy.
Happy because I have been reading this book, that I actually turn out to have enjoyed all the way through. Considering I only picked it up, as it had a lot of hype on the internet.
Pissed off because, I felt like I have lived an extra day! Ok, that is also part of the happy feeling as well, because lately I have had this feeling of auto-pilot syndrome.
So this week, I have not been living in auto-pilot, but have been living in the 'Now' life.
Thinking back on it now, I feel more happy than pissed off. That is because I was living in the 'now' time and not in the auto-pilot, escapism mode
Although, I have been a little within the escapism mode because I have been reading a great book.

It's been awhile, for me to fall in love with some characters and these two characters, I fell truly in love with.

Augustus Waters and Hazel-Grace, your both a fictional inspirational and metaphorical great!

I loved the fact I got to share a few days of me reading about you guys and your love between you both.

You two are going to be on the list of fictional characters that have changed my life.

As, you metaphorical love for life and the illness that had you bind, will be my reason to go out there and live my life to the fullest!

I promise!

Ok, still a little bit emotional from reading the book. But give it a good go people!

Currently searching for holidays in Venice with the family. I strongly suggest for you people to help me here, where to stay mainly?

Weekends!

Hello Everyone,

I hope you all are enjoying this hot weather this weekend. I think people from other countries are pretty much laughing at me because, I have gone past the point of enjoying this weather and complaining it is 'too hot' now. But then again, I am not a 'summer' person. I am that type of person who loves searching for the abandon cold spots on your bed with your feet and to have the heating on low so I can just wrap up warm with all my clothes and blankets.

That is enough about the weather, because I suspect you find them all repetitive after awhile.

This weekend I decided to have a girly time in Bath with a couple of girls, for a shopping time!

We all took the train, for some grand adventure! Hence the post I had about trains, give it a read.

Some of you ladies out there and men, like to know what I wore.

At Bath, I experimented the skater skirt with a wool top.

I though it would work well with the layering effect and not tucked it in. There you go.

I think Bath is probably a great place to visit at least once or twice in your life time. I am constantly going to Bath for a get-away chilling out and admiring the shops. Bath has the best of both worlds in the shopping/retail industry. They have the great high street shops for people with salaries like mine, that high street clothes love, but they also offer the labels such as Ted Baker, East, Coast etc. 

If shopping not your cup of tea, the museums! The Roman Bath, that is always spectacular and always something new to see when you enter. The Bath Cathedral in the centre. That I haven't been inside yet, but I will do so one day. They also have many other museums, I recently visited a fashion museums of clothes through out the ages and of course the style of the year.

None of these type of thing, is for you. I strongly suggest you go, take out your camera and go mad on snapping shots of their beautiful buildings. It is absolutely lovely and stays true to their history.

Another great thing about my trip in Bath is finding the little alleys or private run retail business and their little things they have to offer. Sometimes vintage antiques things, or modern things made to look old. 

I actually didn't buy many things on my trip out to Bath, but I did buy a brilliant book. That I have finished today, it was one of those ' I can't put down books', which hasn't happened in such a long time for me. So I am going to make a big deal with this book and strongly recommend you all to go and give it a read.

Glacier- Alexis. M. Smith

A story about a lady called Isabel, one day in her life. A story about longing, vintage things, clothes and treasures.

One of my favourite quotes in this book will be this.

"Belly, he said, putting the record down on his stack and squatting next to her, it's a treasure if you love it. It doesn't matter how much it costs, or whether anyone else wants it. If you love it, you will treasure it, does that make sense?"

I related to Isabel story so much, because she is longing for her story to begin, so much as I am longing for my story to tell.

Healing weekend, also happened this weekend and I went to day with the good old friend Christina. We didn't do a lot but look through the stalls and admired the tradition with have been doing the past two years.
 Healing weekend, is a charity based event that runs every year at this animal rescue centre. It based around Pagan beliefs and other healing in natural remedies and faith. It is definitely a fun day out.

Trains

I love trains. There will always be something about trains that will always capture my heart. The modern trains has this loud humming that never seems to bother me. The steam trains and their whistles, will always remind me of old fashion movies from 60's or 70's as they drive to their destination, sometimes you get that little romance goodbye thing. 

But no matter where the destination is, trains will always make me feel like I am about to embark on a lovely adventure, whether it is within the book I am reading or just looking at the scenery and drifting off into my own little world that sometimes hold a little romance or a action departure where my life depends on the justice of the world! So today when I travelled to Bath for a Girly shopping day, I was admiring the scenery and thinking of my new adventure, today I was Sherlock Holmes sidekick and tagging along on his detective work. But on the way back I became a librarian, looking for an old book, the train ride and my book apart of my job. 

My friend must have thought I was quite anti-social, but my book is really good! 

Heat wave!

Hello people of Britain!
I hope you are enjoying this gorgeous weekend as much as I am, it is really hot! It has been so much fun and so much sun burning! This time I actually brought some sun cream and I hope you all have been applying sun cream over the weekend as well. It is really important to protect that skin from the exposure of the rays and the dreaded skin cancer! Ok, so that was the serious note, lets tell you about my weekend eh?
Saturday, I took the great opportunity of this weather to pull out my play suit! I love this play suit! I brought it a month ago or so, from Warehouse in Debenhams, it is really gorgeous!

With the beautiful suit to wear, I went for a bike ride. I haven't been on a bike ride for such a long time, that I was pretty convinced I couldn't remember how to ride a bike. Luckily as soon as I got on the bike, I did remember and off I went for a grand adventure!
I escaped to some unknown land, along the canal and drifted away from society, from cars, modern culture and away from time. I felt like I left this world and entered a new one, where I could create my own characters and fall into an adventure, to stop the evil vampire from attacking innocent people with my side-kick. Or I entered a romance novel, where me and my lover went for a romantic getaway and ended up with hot passionate sex along a little secret passage way we found.
Or I am like Murakami, and the canal is my philosophical meaning towards life as I ride along the dirt path and facing the troubles, meeting the people with their stories.

I brought my art supplies with me, I did some drawings of a beautiful tree that gave me that spiritual tingly feeling. It wanted me to draw and now I want to explore with watercolours on tree images for a bit.

On Sunday, I brought a new pair of flip flops! Success eh? £2.50 from Primark, and they already feel weird, but it is fine as I am on a shopping trip to Bath next weekend, so they will do for work.

Did you all have a great weekend? Let me know..

Flip flops!

I am in the need of some Flip flops!
Hello world,
I am in process of writing about my weekend in this lovely weather we are having, when I was interrupted by my sister and by some really interesting dance/arm waving madness because I felt a bug on my arm. Which did not really freak me out too much, it just that I don't really like the feel and I tried to flick it off, it went the other way towards my chest, rather than on the floor!
So, that was the tale of one interruption. The other was my sister wanting her flip flops back! This becoming quite a nuisance for me because what with the beautiful weather and the sun shining the whole day long, my feet would like the fresh air.
Now you may remember the last post about toes! I still really dislike my toes and their terrible nails and short toes. But come on! My feet are really hot in this weather and they just want a pair of flip flops.
The fact I am having a dislike for my toes at the moment has caused me to hold off buying a new pair of flip flops, I am not actually sure what happened to my old pair? I got this feeling I have thrown them out when I was moving back home.
Normally, I am just content on borrowing my sisters or my mother flip flops (last year my mother had two pairs, so it wasn't a problem!). But I am under the sneak suspicion that she has taken to hiding her flip flops from me, so I don't take them and wear them from a long period of time and then my sister wanted to go out in her flip flops, which has now caused my to fine some huge sandals so my bare feet will not have to be sore being on the gravel outside!
So, flip flop purchase! I normally just settle with some cheap Primark ones, that I always fall in love with and wear them constantly until they break and then have to go back to purchase the same pair for summer next year. Which isn't a problem, because you can never go wrong on a £2 pair of flip flops that does last about the whole summer. This year I want to go a little more stylish and for some unbeknown internet browsing, I can see that this trend is reaching a metallic theme! YAY..... Yes, hint of sarcasm, I am not big fan blinging up. Perhaps, I could find some that still holds the same class.

 Okay, I love the tanned ones from Debenhams!

















So, my mission for this Sunday is to stroll and find some Flip flops! Also get the same amazing pair from Primark! Ideally I would love a pair that is tanned brown with a comfortable toe split. It is hard to find one that doesn't rub your toes and cause blisters!

See you guys later!

Toes!

I love self-grooming! I always will, it's the whole prepping yourself for the day and feeling the achievement you get when you look in the mirror and feel that confidence because well 'damnit! You just look mighty fine to face the world today!' Whether it is moisturising the whole body to feel that smooth skin, with the finalising perfect make-up touch or the whole body pampering effect. Which is body scrubbing, shaving, moisturising, that great outfit then the all out make-up where you try your hardest to look like you have not over done it! 

The one thing that I do hate? Nails!! No matter what attempt I make, I can never seem to get them right. The easy answer is to get them done professionally, but due to the recession I have no money to get them done. My finger nails are history, due to love of painting and writing. Also due to the constant hand washing and long hours of my work. Those nails are easy, maintaing them is harder. I need to constantly apply nail strengthening to them to keep the strength otherwise I end up with split nails. Now I know the flaw of my finger nails, but I never do anything to improve it. Applying one coat of nail strength polish once a week, is not enough! Yet again that is what I do! 

Now what really is hard is the toe nails!! In the winter it is fine, you can hide them as much as you can in boots and trainers, or whatever your preference in shoe wear during the winter is. What's difficult is the summer!! Those months where your feet are free to embrace the fresh air in flip flops or beautiful sandals!! 

So what is there to moan about? The maintaining of them, you spend four-six months hiding them. Only to have them released into the wild with the crazy nails that have developed during hibernation! Perhaps I haven't read much about toe nails treatment do it yourself, but I think I will make it a mission, because I can't go on with hiding them and having to deal with the ugliness of them!

Send in your advice on nail treatment, and I will try and review them!! 

A Bake-Off!

My work colleagues and I held a bake-off yesterday, Tuesday 2nd July! A friendly competition between me and two other girls that I work closely with. Now I think a friendly competition is a great way to build a good  work relationship with your colleagues. The bake-off consisted of us bringing in cakes that we have hand baked in our time and presented to the other members of staff within our setting to try, admire and then to write down who they thought was the best cake. None of the other colleagues knew who made what cakes, so the competition could then be completely biased. As I said before, a great way to develop a good working relationship with your colleagues because it builds that communication between each other, but most importantly brings in a positive atmosphere within the work setting. The other two girls and I was feeling positive because of the compliments of the cakes that was being said, also the friendly banter that was being past. The other girls just seemed extremely excited over the fact that there is free cake to eat!! You know it is a good working day when there is free cake to munch on. 

The cake I made for the bake-off is a chocolate sponge, with cream cheese and mini oeros. Not going to lie, they was extremely yummy! I like to challenge myself in these situations and make something I have not attempted before. I knew my chances would be weak, when I wanted to make a cake that I haven't attempted to bake before. But I was really pleased with the out come!

Another great thing about the competition is being able to walk away from it, in a positive attitude and know there are things you need to work upon. For me, I walked away knowing I need work on my presentation skills. To make my cakes look more appetising for other to want to try! (If you haven't guessed, I'm not the most tidiest of people. Organised mess!)

The cakes being presented together before they are tasted/tested:-

Cake number one: was a chocolate sponge with chocolate chips within them, topped with either strawberry or mint flavoured icing. YUMMY!

Cake number three: was kind of like tiffin/caramel shortbread! Which I was AMAZING! 

So, to let you all know as well... The winner, or the person with the most votes was:-

ME! Even though, I walked away with things to improve on. The girls voted for my cakes and I was really chuffed. But all the girls walked away with a stronger working relationship than before, and with inspiration to devise another bake-off between a group of other girls, and then the managers to compete. The winners would then compete together for the ultimate champion bake-off! A good reason to start practising eh?!