Last post of 2014

Wow so this is the last day of 2014 and instead of leaving with a review, I just wanted to say a huge

To each and everyone of you who is reading this, reads my blog, leaves comments, messages me across social media, has emailed me, I've met via blogging, I've worked with, am working with and generally supports me.  It means so much that someone takes the time out of their lives to spend just a few minutes reading what I have to say and sometimes saying thank you is what I should do more often.

Over the past year I have seen quite a few changes to my blog that I am chuffed to bits with. Whether it is regular comments, new people commenting, new followers and even the other way round. I have taken the time to find new blogs to read, some that I have no experience in whatsoever, but do you know what, I've enjoyed every minute of it.  I don't try and 'fit in' because that isn't me, I am who I am.

I've tried my best to support some new bloggers on the scene by commenting as regularly as I can, I've been to blog events and met other bloggers, some of whom have become really good friends and I hope to meet more of you.  I've even stated watching YouTube videos and leaving a comment but the thing I am probably most proud of is my Hubby and his blog, you might know him better as Beautykinguk and if you have a few spare minutes, please do  go and say hello to him, being a male beauty blogger (though he is also doing fashion too) isn't all that easy a task and thee are very few community groups that exist, so it is quite hard to get yourself acquainted at times.

Anyway as this is my last post of 2014, I want to wish you all

Enjoy whatever it is you do today and tonight and I will see you next year!

Frame again

Do you find that you have a lot of photos on your phone/iPad that you think would look brilliant in a frame, or when visiting friends and family, snap some really lovely shots and other than upload them to Facebook, really do nothing with them? Well let me introduce you to Frame Again.

Frame Again is an independent UK company started by two Camden-based entrepreneurs, Jake Hayman (above, left) and Joe Kenyon, with a love for both the technology that allows us to take more photos and that special, traditional feel of putting a framed photo on display with no plans to take it down. We wanted to put permanence back into photography and ease into photo printing and framing. It took twelve months of planning how to make it happen with other jobs and no financing but we eventually found some backers who believed in us and the things have moved quickly since.

So to use the service simply go to Frame Again and upload your photo directly from your device, be it computer, Instagram or your phone and then choose the colour of your frame base and frame ring.  This is something you can spend ages deciding over, even I changed my mind numerous times!

It is so time consuming printing off pictures and then having to cut them to size to display in your frames - this is why I love Frame Again. They take away the hassle of printing the photographs as you simply upload your picture directly from Instagram or from your computer, and they arrive already fitted into your frame - which is also designed by you! You can choose the colours of the frame base and the frame ring - as you can see from my pictures I opted for a very classic black and white, simply because I think the colours are really versatile and will match the decor in every room of the house. The quality of the photo paper is really good, I wasn't sure how my image would look as it was taken from an iPhone but the printing is really good quality and I am impressed with the results.

Another fun fact is that the frames are actually free standing; as you can see from the images above; Frame Again frames are really attractive, modern and cute cube shapes with a thick base meaning they can stand alone without anything holding them up. Of - course, you can also hang the frames against a wall if you want to.

After browsing their website I also discovered that the frames have magnetic sides, so if you have a few frames this will make a great display altogether. This is how the frames work - with magnets. The frame itself is actually kept together by magnetic force, which makes it much more safer than having to bend the metal at the edge of a frame when changing pictures. I don't know about you but that is one of my pet peeves when changing photographs in frames.

You can even change the photo in the frame if you wish to, it is actually really easy and simple to do. Instructions are provided on the sleeve that the frame arrives with. Delivery is really quick and my frame arrived really well packaged.

Frame Again is such a straight-forward website to use, I really recommend Frame Again if you like to display your special pictures in a modern way. 

I think this is such a brilliant idea.  It is perfect for saving those precious memories quickly and having something to do with them rather than leave them sitting in your iCloud.  You can of course order as many different frames as you wish, I can see this whole concept being quite addictive!

Have you ever used Frame Again? Is it something you would use?

*I was given a voucher code to trial out Frame Again. All opinions are 100% honest and my own*

Moving = Stress!

I hate moving. Well I love it because it is about newness, putting a stamp on your own place and spending hours fawning over paint sample pots and Ikea catalogues, but I actually find it really really stressful, infact moving to the home we currently live in was more stressful than waiting for my degree results, organising a wedding in 6 weeks and being the foreman of a jury at a massive trial!  Once you begin there is just so much you need to think about.

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At work, I found it really stressful moving one floor whilst we had some painting and decorating done, as well as a new carpet being laid and some new windows installed.  I was responsible for the whole lot, it sort of comes under my ever-growing work title, and again I know nothing about half of these things, it isn't something I have to deal with on a daily basis and it takes me totally out of my comfort zone, whilst being a bit of a learning curve.  Thankfully, I do have some friends who work in the legal sector who are always on hand to help out, advise and help me work through legal matters.

Finding the right legal services is so important, it doesn't matter where the come from, it could be as simple as choosing Cambridge Estate Agents whilst living in London, to using your friend who runs a firm at the end of the road. What matters is that it feels right to you.  There is so much to think about and most of it costs money, so getting it is right is really important.  When we moved we needed someone who specialised in leaseholds and freeholds and then came structural surveys and the never ending wait for your mortgage approval, even if you know it is going to happen, that dreaded wait is just so terrifying.

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But none of this should be the case and having the right help could make it all go much more swimmingly and after all, this is an exciting time, a new start and a chance to get your inner Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen out!

Do you find moving stressful? Do you have any tips should I ever want to do it again?

**This post contains a sponsored link.

Jo Malone Christmas Cracker

I am totally new to Jo Malone, of course I know all about the brand and have been green with envy at some of the products people have bought or been given, some sound truly amazing and others I simply need in my life, but haven't quite got round to sorting it out.  Then the lovely Louise from LouLovesBeauty held a giveaway just before Christmas to win a Jo Malone Christmas Cracker, which I had looked at many times whilst in John Lewis, but I've never actually bought anything, so I am mighty glad to have won the giveaway!

The cracker itself is as you would expect it to be. Designed in the well known Jo Malone packaging with the cream background with black letters, it is hard not to like it just for that purpose.  Tied at either end with a red ribbon, it looks exactly like a cracker you would put on the dinner table to pull on Christmas Day (multiple versions of this would be amazing!).

Inside the candle it is filled with three gifts which comprise of. a mini 9ml perfume (Lime, Basil and Mandarin), 15ml body lotion (Nectarine Blossom and Honey), and 15ml body wash (Blackberry and Bay) which is a perfect introduction to just some of the products you can purchase from Jo Malone.  

As each product is a mini, you don't get much use out of the body lotion, there certainly isn't enough to cover your body once, but there is enough to moisturise both arms and hands which really lets you see how amazing the scent is, it is one I could easily get used to using.  

The shower gel again seems exactly as the name suggests it too and possibly not a scent I would personally purchase, but it is nice enough and is incredibly moisturising, the perfect size for a weekend away with a bit of luxury.

Finally the perfume, now for me 9ml is a brilliant introduction in the world of Jo Malone perfumes and there are a few I have my eye on, the main object of my obsession being Peony and Blush Suede which I personally think is the best scent.  That said Lime, Basil and Mandarin is both fragrant and refreshing, the combination of the citrusy limes and mandarins with the aromatic herby basil is one great scent and it lasts for hours and hours on the skin, for me becoming more stunning as it settles and fades slightly.

I am really pleased with this cracker and am so glad that I was lucky enough to win it, the downside for the Hubs is that I now desperately want to try a candle and get my mitts on another perfume! Well Valentines Day isn't that far away!

Are you a Jo Malone fan? do you have a favourite scent/product? Is there anything you really rate and recommend?