Fancy Nails!

I've recently started making my own nail transfers which I think I've already mentioned in a previous post. I genuinely can't get over what a good idea it is, especially for people like me who aren't blessed with a steady hand when it comes to painting nails, it turns out that I'm the least ambidextrous person in the entire universe!

Anyway here's my nails from last week:

I personally love the googly eyed design! Oh, and the tuxedos! Hence why all my nails are teeny tiny tuxedos this week:

Let's be honest now, EVERYBODY loves Raymond a teeny tiny tuxedo, AM I RIGHT?!

This will definitely do until I can afford to get my nails done at WAH Nails!

This isn't how I always look.........sometimes I wear make up & brush my hair

Don't you just hate it that the one time you decide to risk it and pop out to the shops quickly without ANY make up on and your hair in a tangled MESS, that you're guaranteed to bump into pretty much EVERYONE you know.

I guess you have two options when you see someone you recognise: 1) Hide. Keep your eyes on the ground (avoiding any awkward eye contact) and hope that if you can't see them then they can't see you. OR 2) It's too late to hide, they've seen you and you've seen them, you have no choice but to stroll over to them and make small talk. Normally I find the best thing to do is to come up with some excuse for not being able to talk long, such as 'Sorry I'm in a rush, I've left my hair straighteners on and I really don't want to burn the house down.' or something to that effect.

Personally, I like the avoiding option, that way you don't have to explain why you look such a state i.e. have no make up on and crazy-lady hair. However for some reason I'm terrible at avoiding people, I tend to panic and the pushy side of my brain takes over and forces me into walking towards said person whilst the less domineering side of my brain shouts HIDE. I don't know why but when I get caught, I tend to draw even more attention to how awful I look by apologising for it straight away, which just makes everyone uncomfortable because they then have to lie through their teeth and pretend like you look fine, which you both know that you don't.

I would like to say that I've learnt from these constant situations I get myself into and that I never step outside my front door without a made up face and perfectly (or at least near perfect) coiffed hair, but that would be a lie because to be quite honest, I'm lazy. I can't be bothered to spend time making myself look half decent when I'm just popping out to grab some milk or get some Ben & Jerry's ice cream (cookie dough, preferably). So yes, I bring it on myself, but at least I can tell those people that I bump into that this isn't how I always look........sometimes I wear make up and brush my hair................but most of the time I don't.

Boredom Leads To Braiding

I don't know why but for some reason when I'm bored I resort to two things: painting my nails or trying out different hairstyles. So seeing as I was extremely bored this afternoon I decided to try out hair braiding, and by that I don't mean plaits and French braids etc but the hair braids where when you were a little kid and went on holiday to Spain you'd go into the local town in the evening & there would be a hair braiding stall so you'd get your hair braided with threads and beads and basically look like a badass 8 year old. Although there would always be ridiculously long queues, mostly made up of other impatient 8 year olds all wanting a badass hair braid of their own. I never understood why there was only ever one stall when it was clearly so popular? Or at least my 8 year old self never really understood that and I guess my 22 year old self still doesn't really understand it either. Anyway, here's how my hair braid turned out:

Not bad for my first attempt, they last for quite a while as well so I'll probably keep it in for a couple of weeks or until it starts looking a bit tatty or coming undone. I will definitely be doing it again though, I mean for one thing it made me feel summery and like my 8 year old self had just got back from a sunny Spanish holiday (when in reality my 22 year old self hasn't been on a holiday in 2 years. Not that I'm bothered. Not at all. I love hanging out at home in the Summer with nothing to do except look out the window gazing at the despressing rain. So. Much. Fun).

So to sum up, hair braids are great, being 8 years old was great but British Summers are not so great. The end. Great!

How I Spent V-Day This Year

How did I spend Valentine's Day this year I hear you ask? Well let's see, it's one word, two syllables: ALONE.

Well technically I wasn't alone in the evening, I was with my mum watching the Valentine's Day special of Don't Tell The Bride on BBC3 feeling utterly depressed and lame about being on my own at this time of year. It's the one time of year where ALL single people resent all those in relationships. It's also the one time of year where us single people look sadly at the Valentine's Day displays in shops & map out exactly which card we'd choose if we had someone to give it to.....wait, is that just me who does that? Awkwaaaard.

Anyway, rather than get drunk on wine or eat my own body weight in chocolate (both tempting choices), I decided to do the only thing a girl can do to take her mind off her lonely social status. And what may you ask is that which I'm referring to? Why, it's painting my nails of course! DUH!

So not only did I paint my nails, but I also made my own nail art transfers. Chuffed much!?! They're so pretty AND cheap! I mean who doesn't love moustaches, tuxedos and smiley faces! I know I do!

Not bad for my first attempt at DIY nail art transfers! Also notice how there are no love hearts in my designs? That's my shameless attempt at rebelling against Valentine's Day, after all it's just a holiday created so card companies can make heaps of money out of the gullible 'loved-up' consumer, right? I am SO not bitter. Now, would someone PLEASE love me so that I'm not alone next V-Day! That's not desperate, right? Cooooool.

Signed Merch

Guess what arrived today?

MY SIGNED COLDPLAY TOUR PROGRAMME which I ordered along with my tickets back in whatever month they went on sale (I want to say September or October?). Great timing as usual though, the postman rang the doorbell to deliver it but I had literally just stepped out the shower & was pretty much half naked so yeeeah I didn't answer the door because that would have been pretty awkward for everyone involved. Mostly me. And him. Anyway Mr. Postman left the parcel round the side of my house, which I went & collected once I was fully dressed & had no nudity whatsoever about me.

The idea that I get to hold/touch something which has been held or touched by Chris Martin & Co makes me ridiculously happy. Or as I've recently started saying, 'it makes me as happy as a kitten in a room full of catnip'.

I recently have started having a thing about signed merchandise. The December before last, when I turned 21, my parents got me a signed poster of Florence & the Machine as my main present & I got it framed so it looks suuuper pretty!

Then I bought a signed copy of The Wombats latest CD because they're kind of great & it was exactly the same price for a signed CD as it was to download it or buy an unsigned copy so that was actually a pretty good deal if I'm honest.

And finally my Dad got me a signed Alan Partridge (aka Steve Coogan) book which I couldn't even believe he'd got me because I can't think of a more ideal present for me than that signed book! AHA! Yeah I went there, that definitely did just happen, I definitely did just quote Alan Partidge.

I'm not going to lie & try to be all cool about it, one of the main reasons I like signed merch is because it's been touched by that partiular person/band etc who I'm a fan of so it baaaasically means I've touched them. Sort of. Well, not really. I also like to think that maybe in the future it'll be worth a bit more so if I ever have any tiny people (and by that I mean children) then it's something I can pass down to them & it'll be the COOLEST family heir loom EVER. Fact. Even if it isn't worth anything in the future I still stand by the fact that it'll be the best family heir loom pretty much in the entire universe. I mean who wants a diamond necklace when they can have a signed Alan Partridge book? Point made.

Nicki Minaj OPI Mini Nail Polish Collection Part 2

These Nicki Minaj OPI nail polishes have now become my favourite out of all my nail polishes (which is a big deal seeing as I own a ridiculous amount of different nail polishes). The nail polish is really decent quality which I guess you'd expect seeing as it's OPI & as well as that all 4 of the colours which come in the mini polish collection are gorgeous!

On my thumb & little finger I have the Pink Friday shade. On my index finger is Fly. On my middle finger is Did It On 'Em & on my ring finger is Save Me.

All 4 of these shades I absolutely love & I have a feeling that I'll be getting through them pretty quickly so I should probably start saving my money now for the actual full sized bottles of these nail polishes!

As well as the 4 shades that come in the mini polish set, there are also 2 other shades in the collection which I don't have. The first one is Super Bass Shatter which is a crackle/shatter nail polish in a sort of magenta/purpley/plum kind of colour which I'm not that fussed about because I'm not massively into crackle nail polishes, I have a few Barry M ones & I don't particulary like the effect. But that's just me being fussy!

The other shade is called Metallic 4 Life which I really want, it's a shame that it's not included in the mini polish collection because it looks really pretty. It's a sort of black/charcoal based shade with what seems to be silver particles in it.

I got my Nicki Minaj OPI mini nail polish collection off ASOS for £12.95 & they also offered a combo deal of the mini collection along with a full sized bottle of the Super Bass Shatter shade for £18.00 but annoyingly they did not offer any sort of combo for the Metallic 4 Life shade which would have been perfect. So I'll guess I'll have to get that individually at some point, which I definitely plan on doing!

Nicki Minaj OPI Mini Nail Polish Collection Part 1

It's a little bit embarrassing how excited I get over nail polishes, I genuinely think I am addicted to painting my nails. But I'm ok with that, it beats being addicted to other stuff like drugs and alcohol, which would be a total bummer by the way.

Today my Nicki Minaj OPI mini nail polishes arrived and opening that tiny ASOS parcel was like opening a long awaited present on Christmas morning.

It's like the world's created the ideal gift for me. I LOVE Nicki Minaj and I LOVE nail polish, especially OPI, so to combine those two things together is almost too much for me to handle.

I can't wait to try them out which I plan on doing later on tonight! Although I should probably chill out before I use them because I don't want any smudges!

The Top Ten Things That Make Me Ugly Cry

Ok, so I've just watched the first episode of the latest series of Being Human and all I can say is: I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR IT.

The final 5 minutes of that episode left me in an absolute emotional wreck, my Clinique mascara was pouring down my face & I was praying that the postman would not choose this moment to ring the doorbell to deliver any parcels because, quite frankly, it would have been awkward.

I personally find it quite cathartic to cry at certain films or any beloved TV series, and not just cry, UGLY CRY. Let's be honest, there is no one in the world or in fact in existence, who has not at some point in their life been victim to the 'ugly cry'. Personally, I like to think of myself as something of an 'advanced ugly crier' so for that reason I have decided to put together a list of my top 10 films or TV episodes that I can always rely on to get my ugly tears flowing. So have a look whilst I still work on coming to terms with the fact that George is now no more in Being Human (OH DEAR GOD I NEED A KLEENEX!).

1. Being Human. Series 4, episode 1 'Eve of the War'. Well this had to be on the list seeing as it's the reason why I'm writing this in the first place. I'm fine throughout the entire episode, it's just the last 5 minutes where I lose all control of my tear ducts & the water flows. The moment when Russell Tovey as the beloved George dies in the arms of Annie (Lenora Crichlow) is just too much and absolutely DESTROYED me.

 2. P.S. I Love You. The book as well as the film resulted in me crying within the first few minutes of the film & the first few pages of the book. I don't know why I chose to see the film when I had already read the book, I mean I knew what would happen, so I guess I kind of brought those sneaky ugly tears upon myself.

3. Skins. Series 2 (Episode 9 'Cassie' & Episode 10 'Final Goodbyes') & Series 4 (Episode 7 'Effy' & Episode 8 'Everyone'). Unsurprisingly these four episodes which I'm referring to are the ones where my favourite characters got killed off. In BRUTAL ways may I add. Gaaaaah.

4. Friends. The very last epsiode of the final ever series. To be quite honest I cry in most 'last ever episodes' just because I get so attached to them.....yeah that's kind of weird I know. Literally after the last Friends episode, I kept my cool and in a subtle manner left the room (where the rest of my family were), went into the bathroom, locked the door, and BURST into tears. There was some serious ugly crying going on. It was great. 

5. That bit in Love Actually where Emma Thompson's character realises that her husband (played by Snape/Alan Rickman) has bought a necklace for another woman, a necklace that she thought was for her. Basically Alan Rickman is a mean old man in this film & because of his actions he made hundreds of women, & I'm sure a few men, ugly cry their little hearts out. 

6. Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Series 2 Episode 22 'Becoming Part 2'. There are no words for how distraught this particular episode left me. I mean, it's not unusual for me to ugly cry in Buffy episodes, but this one obliterated me. So much so, that whenever I hear that damn Sarah MacLachlan song (which they play at the end of the episode), it makes my eyes well up & I need a few minutes to compose myself.

7. Spooks. Pretty much EVERY episode because they tended to kill off their main characters at a ridiculously fast rate. I mean come on now, give us viewers a break. Or at least warn us before the episode starts that we may need some tissues nearby! Although actually that may suggest that it's an enitrely different type of progamme, so maybe not!

8. My Sister's Keeper. Now, I haven't read the book & after seeing the film, I have no intention in doing so. My friends & I made the mistake of going to see it in the cinema & within the first 5 minutes of the film EVERYONE in the cinema was crying. Myself included. Obviously. So after that experience, I don't think I could cope with reliving it through reading the book.

9. One Day. The film & the book both resulted in me crying off my entire eye makeup. I know the film got slated but I actually really liked it, as far as I'm concerned Anne Hathaway can do no wrong in my slightly puffy, tear dropping eyes. I would just like to point out that when I went to see this film, I checked with my friend to make sure it wasn't too sad (she'd already read the book & I hadn't at this point) anyway this is pretty much what she said to me: 'I'd say it's a mostly happy film'. No. No it is definitely not. It's sad & it's tragic & Anne Hathaway gets hit by a car whilst on a bicycle. As you can imagine, I ugly cried A LOT. At the cinema. In front of people. That was embarrassing. 

10. And finally, Jack Frost. I watched this for the first time this Christmas. Never again. I thought Christmas films were meant to be happy & jolly but there is nothing happy about a kid's dad dying & then coming back as a snowman & then going again. I mean, COME ON?! No thank you, I'll stick with Gremlins, Elf, Nativity & Home Alone 1 & 2 thank you very much. 

So there you have it, my top ten films and TV episodes that reduce me into the unfortunate state of ugly crying. I defy anyone not to ugly cry after watching any of those that I've mentioned. 

Now please excuse me whilst I get over George's death by sobbing into my pillow. Don't worry, at least I've got my waterproof mascara on!