MARCH ROUNDUP

So I'm totally late with my monthly roundup this month, mid way through April, alas, here I am.
March - you've been ok. Luckily for me the good parts of this month have balanced out the bad parts pretty nicely. I feel like I've done a lot this month, (aka my bank balance is utterly shocking).
Weather is finally starting to pick up a little (legs out weather though, please hurry). I've managed to keep myself really busy with friends and family, which has actually been rather lovely. Theres been tragedy and loss but with that has come togetherness and lots of cuddles - which I could never complain about.

Unfortunately, this month started off with my first ever funeral. A surreal experience for me, as I've never really witnessed even the smallest of details of such events - such as a coffin, or a vicar making speeches. I've only ever been to one church wedding, and that was when I was 6 years old, so church events are pretty unknown territory to me. Although absolutely heart breaking, and upsetting beyond words - I'm glad my great auntie Jan is out of pain now. A free spirited lady with so much energy and adventure in her soul, now free. 

The beginning of the month also greeted me with 9 days off work - absolute bliss. If theres anyone that needs a break from life - mind, body and soul - its me. I'm a pretty delicate flower, so any time to recuperate and renew my little self, is very much welcomed. My first day off I decided to wear no makeup (and no bra), and take a walk in one of my favourite dog walking spots (Westonbirt Arboretum), with my mum and brother (a pretty rare occasion to get us all together). Theo always loves it here, especially when there are tonnes of leaves to run through, other dogs to sniff and chase, and an air full of Vitamin D. 

A first for me: COSTCO. I always, always, hear my friends/friends families etc rant and rave about Costco and the bulk goods it offers, (Including a freshly baked pizza bigger than my face x5). Me and Christina ended up browsing every isle, which resulted in 3 different tasters of food that were on offer, and a humungous bag of Chia seeds, which look as though they will literally last my life. 

As always, after work, weekends, days off, are always spent finding out new little secret pathways/routes for me to walk Theo. Just a couple of photos from the past 4 weeks. FYI, Frenchay and its surrounding areas are literally the best, for peaceful, beautiful and exciting walks for your pooches. 

Theo's first beach experience! At least, one where he wasn't violently sick the entire time. (I once took him to Bournemouth beach and instead of frolicking in the sand, he ended up keeling over throwing up bile for about an hour straight... poor little man). This Lab/Spaniel cross is my dads dog, Maisy. She is absolutely insane, and gives Theo an absolute run for his dog treats when it comes to the amount of energy she has to burn. A beautiful sunny day spent with my step sister & plenty of fish, chips & ice cream.

Day adventures with Christina Louise. Pretty sure these are a monthly occurrence for us too. This time around we went to Old Down Country Park, we ended up seeing a BABY dappled miniature dachshund, which I practically died at (before its teeny claws nearly ripped my brand new, expensive, luxury tights from Sainsburys....)(no photo soz). We also saw llamas, sheep, horses, and an array of other wildlife - not to mention a beautiful baby lamb which made me consider vegetarianism for a good 24 hours :( 

March always brings around Jamie's birthday - an occasion always celebrated, usually in the same tradition we've always had. The three of us (me, Jamie & Maddie), will travel up to London, all dressed up - ready for a night of beautiful food, cocktails, and Holiday Inn special Pre drinks, followed by some form of amazing Super club. This time we decided to go to Birmingham, a place I'd never actually visited before. I was amazed by the amount/size of all the shops there - however I hated how very busy it was. Although I enjoyed our Birmingham adventure, I'd have to say that London would win my heart a thousand times over when it comes to its night life.

Theo making me laugh as per usual. This month saw all the Spring flowers bloom, everything becomes that little bit more beautiful and the air noticeably change to that fresh Spring smell, (usually freshly cut grass and the odd BBQ). When I tried to get Theo to pose next to the daffodils, he reminded me of a spoilt teenager, with a 'FINE.' attitude, resulting in a daffodil perfectly placed on his little head. Then pissed all over them. 

Catch up with my o2 pals. Always so lovely (even if they do consistently bully me). We always seem to have so much to say about our lives over the past 1/2 weeks we haven't seen each other. We actually ended up going to Zizzi's and I tried their new vegan cheese on a pizza. To my delight, and surprise, it was amazing! Nothing beats eating something that I know would usually make me suffer, with complete enjoyability. The last photo is when me and Austin took a walk with Theo, to my usual local dog walking spot. The day was beautiful, until we ended up going into town and I accidentally ate some sushi that was purely egg based. ERROR - alas, I'm still alive. 

Me and Christina decided to take a little overnight trip to Cardiff the other week. Completely last minute, spontaneous and reckless - a little like we've been in general, over the past month or so I guess. It was so nice to get away from Bristol for the night, crack open the prosecco, whack on the 'out out' outfits, and be free from all responsibility we'd left behind at Temple Meads. (Something I must admit, we should probably tone down in coming weeks, LOLZ.)

Considering we're currently half way through April, I'm excited to update my blog with what I've been up to this month! Things are very slowly starting to turn around from mildly dismal, to kind of ok. I'm on the path to getting the help I've always needed with managing other peoples and my own mental health, I've met new people and I've booked a holiday - but enough about that - thats for Aprils roundup ;) 

Hope you're having a lovely Spring time, its currently the Easter Bank holiday here in England, I'm enjoying it by spending it doing things I enjoy, visiting family & chilling the FEWK out. 

Thanks for reading! Madi x 

HAPPINESS LEVEL, 100%

How did I not realise that it was International Day of Happiness, until the very end of the day? Seeing the odd post on Twitter is what spurred me on to write this post this evening. 

I love thinking about what makes me happy. It almost makes me want to experience it all at once and relish in the feeling. My nan always speaks to me about happiness, and that ultimate moment where you feel and think to yourself, 'this must be it, this is happiness'. Feelings I get when singing (shouting) with Christina, lyrics of our favourite song in the car, when Theo actually snuggles himself into me and presses his nose against mine, or when I'm surrounded by my nearest and dearest, tucking into a glass of Prosecco. 

Heres a little list of things that make me the most happy:

I. Waking up to sunshine. 

Who doesn't love that? my favourite days are when I've had an exhausting week at work, the weather has been dull and miserable and I've spent the best part of the week dashing too and from my car - Sloshing my travel cup of Earl Grey absolutely everywhere, trying to put my hood up and trying to fish for the pound for my locker in my pocket, all at the same time. 6.50am multitasking at its very finest. Waking up to sunshine beaming through my window, makes me not bothered to get out of bed early, it makes me inspired, creative, excited for the day. Please stay forever Mr Sun :( 

II. Good Breakfasts.

I have to admit, I am one of those people that actually wakes up dreaming about breakfast. Especially if I've bought something new to try/have a current favourite. At the moment I'm loving Coconut and Cocoa Nib porridge from Sainsbury's. Add in a little extra oats, (come on, who are those small packets actually big enough for), toss in some Blueberries or Pomegranate seeds, add some Chia seeds & honey, and you've got yourself not only an Instagram worthy treat, but something healthy and wholesome to kickstart the day.

III. That fresh shave feel.

Come on ladies, you know what I'm talking about here. N O T H I N G (ok maybe some things..), feels better than freshly shaved, freshly moisturised leggums. Slipping into some soft cotton PJ's, or roaming free/starfishing/one leg in, one leg out, in my Egyptian cotton bed sheets - UH. HUH. HONEY. 

IV. My friends.

I don't have a lot of friends, I never really have! Unless you count Myspace in 2008... However, the friends I do have, I really do adore. I have friends from when I was 4, 14, 17 and 21. Each and every one, special in their own unique way, have helped me without even knowing it, and made me feel good when I've felt my worst. LOVE YA GUYS AND GALS <3 

V. Buying new shoes, that are actually comfortable.

Best. Thing. Ever. I have the WORST feet when it comes to fitting shoes. They're narrow, slim, small, and all kinds of AWKWARD. Can I wear cute slip on shoes? no. Can I wear saucy stiletto heels? no. 

My best buys are heels that I can wear all night, or trainers I can wear with no jip. Shout out Vans Mono ISO 1.5. You da bestest.

VI. Having good skin days.

Those who know me, will know my change in mood/goals/aspiration/life, when I have good skin. When I went to Rome last year, the sun cleared my eczema up entirely. Its a kind of bliss I can't even describe when my skin is good. Don't get me wrong its pretty good majority of the time, now I'm on my medication, but being completely clear, able to wear a spot of fake tan,  frolic freely in any item of clothing I want to wear, showing any part of my body I want - is just awesome. 

VI. My pooch, Theo.

If you follow me on any form of Social Media, you'll know I am completely besotted with my pup, Theo. I got Theo when I was in a really bad place, and he seemed to turn everything around for me. I love watching him run around on walks, receiving his gentle puppy kisses, and letting me carry him around the house like a baby. 

VII. Perfectly constructed roast dinners.

You know the ones. Perfect fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside roasters. The perfect ratio of solids to gravy. A good array of vegetables, and of course a decent amount of sauce options. 

(My personal favourites are Racks, The Badminton Arms, Fox and Hounds, and a couple of my ex's mums. BANTER.)

VIII. Travelling.

Ah, that feeling of stepping off an aeroplane and into a different place to where you started. When people say pretentious things like 'travelling feeds the soul', or 'travelling has changed me' etc. I have to agree. The best way to get over life's stresses, or if you're feeling at a stand still. Opening your eyes to new culture, experiencing new foods, people, and adventures. An addiction I wish I had more funding for!

IX. Good quality clothes.

100% organic cotton? perfect cut? snug in all the right places? lose in all the right places? flattering? expensive look and feel? Soft to the touch? SOLD.

X. Youtube.

Youtube is my escape. Every single night without fail I watch some of my Youtube favourites. I'm a sucker for daily vloggers, travel vloggers, beauty guru's and style documenters. 

XI. Driving through the country.

This has to be a new found love. What with my snazzy new car, being able to put my foot down and it actually MOVE. Driving through the winding roads of the countryside is so freeing, especially when the appropriate music is playing and the weather is the perfect mixture of blue skies and flashes of bright sunlight through the trees. 

What makes you happy? 

Its humbling to know I could actually make an even longer list than this - but if you made it even this far - well done. I'm not the biggest fan of a big rambly post with minimal photographs. (PS The photo for this post was taken last Summer in the Longleat House flower garden!)

Thanks for reading, stay happy!

Madi x

SPRING IS COMING

.cactus - Ikea. trainers - New Look. perfume - Zara. notebook - Moleskine. reed diffuser - Homesense. silk flowers - Country Baskets. photo frame - Homesense. candle holder - Primark.

I'm so excited to say Spring is finally on its way. I've spent the past 6 days off work. (what. 6 days. SIX DAYS?! ALREADY?! why is it that time off work goes SO quickly, its so not fair!). ehem. Anyway, the past 6 days - have been filled with beautiful, Spring infused walks, refreshing sunny days and a slight change in wardrobe choices (which maybe excites me the most!).

I had my first little Spring clean today, nothing feels better to me than clearing out my (usually) messy room, sorting out my bedding, cleaning my clothes, wiping the dust from the window sills, hoovering and anti-bac wiping the lot! Most that know me, will know that I usually dedicate a day a week to do my 'chores'. I have seemed to delegate a little regime to myself over the past few years, a Spring clean a week - if you will. Considering its pretty important to my health that my room is consistently cleaned/dust free, I don't see this as a bad thing! My bedroom has always been my little nest and I'm constantly trying to improve it. 

Recently I've been buying little oddments that I wouldn't have bought 3/4 years ago - Home bits. I find as I get older, the word 'nest' seems to become more and more appropriate when describing the little space I get to call my own. Considering I am part of a generation that are left stuck in their family homes, not wanting to share a house with random people, not being able to move on with their adult lives, and not being able to own their own home - all due to the rocketing housing market we're faced with. HOWEVER, I thought I'd make a little list of things that make me feel SO much better about life now that we've finally got January and February out of the way! (thank fewk, for that!)

WALKS & PHOTOGRAPHY:

Walks walks walks, I just cannot get enough of, walks. I'm pretty sure its my favourite activity like, ever? I'm also pretty sure its not the first time I've mentioned it on my blog. I'm so glad the evenings are finally getting lighter, and the chill in the air is starting to disappear. Its strange not needing my hugely padded coat and a bobble hat when leaving the house. Going for a walk - dog or not, is such an amazing way to clear your head, get some exercise and inhale some fresh air. I'm really lucky in the area I live that there are tonnes of different ways I can walk, and most of them actually link up.
Get those wellies on and don't let the recovering, muddy walkways, put you off. Me and my mum also love to whack our phones out and take photos during our walks. I'm done with taking photos of frost and dull skylines, so the pleasant details of Spring peaking through is most welcomed.

WAKE EARLY & ADVENTURE:

The top photo here was actually taken at around 6.30am when I left for work sometime last week. The sunrise through the houses next to mine, literally took my breath away! Getting up early becomes SO much easier now the sky actually shows its light before 7.30/8am. I'm obsessed with all the flowers coming into bloom this time of year. My usual comments while driving or walking with company are 'wow look at that!' 'oh how pretty!' (since when did I turn into an 80 year old floral enthusiast?) This week me and my friend Christina, took a trip to Old Down Country Park, in Tockington, (even the name of the place just sounds so quaint, right?). Both of us are going through a pretty rough patch at the moment, what with family and relationships etc - so getting to escape all the shit going on in our lives in Bristol, is an extremely 'cleansing for the soul' experience - especially when we get to see baby lamb's!!!!!

What are you doing in prep for Spring? My next milestone is being able to rock my newest dungaree dress with NO TIGHTS. The freedom! 

Hurry up Spring, I can taste you!

Thanks for reading, Madi x

IWD

Today is International Women's day. I've been thinking about doing this blog post for a while, but today it seems most appropriate. First of all - I love being a girl, but its hard. Really hard - but we all know that. What with periods, mood swings, the lack of choice in decent men, having to be the one to carry and birth a baby, stupid dating apps that make us want to die, skincare, what clothes will make our assets look the nicest, our hair, our toenails, having to shave our hairy legs & foof. I could honestly go on forever. (Ps I think thats the first time I've ever referred to a vagina as, a foof). Half of my days are spent wondering whether I should aspire to be a nature loving, free spirited feminist, or a self indulgent, materialistic, Instagram model.

My favourite part about being a women in 2017 is how strong we are perceived, recognised, and most importantly, are. I do agree that social media is a huge part of this. Women are standing forward when it comes to being a 'girl boss'. Girls are encouraged to take their passion or career path, and run with it. Whether it be writing about the make up we love, talking about our pregnancy journeys, becoming qualified builders and electricians, or becoming CEO. Gone are the days where women are confined to motherhood, or discouraged to use their brains for anything more than keeping a home. Girls are being brought up to stand up for themselves, never back down until they get what they want, and most importantly, continuously fight for the respect we always have and always will, deserve.

Okay, so lets talk about men. Who doesn't love men? Whether it be your dad, brother, dog, cousin, work friend, Tinder squeeze, boyfriend or husband. Men are the spice of life, the opposite sex. What would we do without strapping young lads or wise old men? Whether we like it or not, men make us feel good. Whether its helping us, spoiling us, flirting with us, or squeezing us and spinning us around, (one of my personal faves). However, (come on, of course theres a 'however), what really upsets me, is men with double standards, and worse - inflicting emotional and physical abuse, particularly when it comes to sexism.

Men who expect women to stay reserved and 'old fashioned', yet expect us to send nudes. Men who expect women to not dress in a certain way, yet deem it ok to pry, perv and pester, when a woman chooses otherwise. I've actually been pretty shocked at some remarks I've heard, aimed at women. To name a few, 'I would never date someone who isn't a virgin, damaged goods' or 'If I found out you'd slept with more people than me, I wouldn't date you. Trust me, ALL men think the same', but of course - its perfectly acceptable, almost disregarded, for us to date men who have been around the houses, and some. I feel extremely passionate when it comes to women and how/when we use our bodies. GUESS WHAT?! Sex feels great to us too! It baffles me as to how older generations STILL appear to think casual sexual partners, one night stands, and sex based relationships are 'disrespecting yourself' or 'letting a man use you'.
....But, what If we're 'using' them, just as much as they're 'using' us? Like I say, I could talk on this subject matter for an eternity.

I feel kinda sad for some of my friends in their 20's who still, in 2017, feel they can't freely talk about relationships/sex with their parents. I mean of course, some things are unheard of sharing. However, I believe now, more than ever, girls should be talking about sex - safe sex! Educating each other, and most importantly not made to feel ashamed for taking part in, and enjoying safe sex. Why is it that boys get 'get in their son', yet girls get a subtly shunned with derogatory remarks. What confuses me the most, is one minute girls are 'frigid' teenagers, made fun of in the playground for being a virgin. Then the next, they're made to feel unnecessarily ashamed, for carrying out an act, that on most occasions, is both pleasurable and empowering. I feel like as a society - views, feelings, emotions and attitudes towards sexism is still something we need to work on. I mean, isn't it kind of sad that most of the songs on the radio are about getting back at our ex's, how boys are all cheats, and how dying our hair blonde, would be a necessary action to take to get a boys attention/approval?! AND, whats with all the meme's/videos about 'needy' girlfriends, when all we're really doing is expressing our love in our own weird and wonderful ways?! Bring back the days of heartfelt mix tapes, love poems and romance, I say!

“A slut is someone, usually a woman, who’s stepped outside of the very narrow lane that good girls are supposed to stay within. Sluts are loud. We’re messy. We don’t behave. In fact, the original definition of “slut” meant “untidy woman.” But since we live in a world that relies on women to be tidy in all ways, to be quiet and obedient and agreeable and available (but never aggressive), those of us who colour outside of the lines get called sluts. And that word is meant to keep us in line.” 
― Jaclyn Friedman

Women - let us continue to be loud, messy, colourful, fierce, creative, wild, free, excitable and absolutely extraordinary. Keep growing your freelance business', keep bringing up amazing families, keep striving towards #goals, travel often, love often, and don't let men like Donald Trump make you think you are anything less, than absolutely FAB.

Thanks for reading, Madi x

URBAN DECAY: MOONDUST PALETTE REVIEW

Finally, here I am getting round to doing a review on the beaut Moondust palette by Urban Decay. 

I'll be completely honest, when I first saw this palette, I really didn't give it much thought. I'm much more into my neutrals, warm shades and natural colours. However, one day after work I decided to mosey on over to the Urban Decay counter in John Lewis, Bristol (love the fact we finally have one in The Mall!).

Initially I was after a neutral shadow I could quickly brush over my lids before work that would give me a little suttin' suttin'. I'd looked online previously and realised that 'Space Cowboy would be the perfect contender for what I wanted. When I went to the counter I began to speak about the Moondust shadows in general and remembered they released a palette of them not too long ago. When I was shown the palette I just instantly fell in love - all the thoughts suddenly rushing through my head - 'Madi, imagine the looks you could create with this... It's not even that expensive when you think about what you get for your money... Yes, you came in for one shadow but, now you could get EIGHT for a mere £15ish more?!' 

So I caved. Of course.

The pigmentation on these shadows is absolutely in-sane, buttery, bendable and a beautiful colour pay off. I find they work to their full potential with using your fingers, or a damp flat brush. I love anything with a bit (or a lot) of glitter involved, so when these shadows were swatched in front of me, under the big bright lights of a department store, emphasizing every. single. flex of glitter - it was NEED at first sight (not to mention it was the last one in stock!). So far I've loved using these shadows on their own, or over coloured eyeshadow. The work perfectly in the centre of a halo eye or as the main glitter/shimmer on the lid. They are quite statement colours and I have to feel quite brave when I wear them, however I feel like with all the colours/iridescence of each colour, whether it be glam, grunge or everyday, theres a look for even the faint hearted. 

I'm hoping to post more makeup looks/tutorials to this blog soon, so keep your eyes peeled! 

Thanks for reading,

Madi x