I just can't get enough of green nails...

I'm not sure whether it was the amount of alcohol drunk over the weekend, the amount of singing done on Sunday at the football or the dodgy air con on the bus home from Glasgow, but I've now lost my voice and have a horribly sore cough. Good job it's half term and I don't actually have anything important to be doing this week! I have so much to update on, so I'm going to do a few posts throughout the remainder of this week.

Look forward to:

• the usual outfit, make-up and NOTD posts
• two recent experiences of eating out in London; the good and the bad 
• what caught my eye at LFW
• Twinings Tea
• recent film reviews

I had a fantastic time in Glasgow at the weekend and it was really nice catching up with family and friends, albeit a bit manic. I literally arrived late Friday night, spent Saturday catching up with family, topping up the red in my hair (only my mum can do it) and getting ready for a family party that night. The party was brilliant; pouring my own measures of vodka, not so! I've probably not mentioned on here but I also work at Celtic Park and even though I'm now living in London, they're very kindly keeping my job open for me as long as I try to make it up for as many home matches as possible. So on Sunday morning, along with a less than delightful hangover, I made my way to work. It was really nice seeing everyone and the atmosphere at the Celtic V Rangers game was electric! I was more than chuffed with the 3-0 result and ended up going to Bairds Bar for some post match celebrations with the male members of my family and some of my brother's friends. There are hardly any photos that I can post where I don't look a complete shambles, so it's probably best if you just use your imagination! Apologies if you are not football inclined, but I am a strange mix of football fan and beauty addict!

My cousin James on his first visit to Bairds Bar

This clip sums up my Sunday :)

Obviously I had green nails, with a hint of silver (representing the trophies Celtic are bound to win this season).

 Barry M Mint Green and Claire's Glitter 

(pinkie nail was re-done after this photo!)

I didn't get a chance to update about this last week but all my paper work has now been processed and I have been approved to start teaching. As this week is half term I'll start teaching on Monday 28th - I'm very excited! Not sure how much time I'll have to spend on here when I'm actually teaching, but hopefully I can catch up on everyone's blogs in the evenings and post then. I'm so relieved that it's all sorted now and that I made the right decision moving to London, I just hope I adapt quickly and teach as well as I did in Glasgow. This week I'm just going to relax (and get rid of this cough) and make up a few little activities for each stage that I can use as a back up if there is no work already set.

I'm off to get some cough medicine and  paint my nails :)

I'll always be a Glasgow Gal at heart...

Hello everyone!

Sorry I've been a bit MIA the past few days, I went back to Glasgow for the weekend and have literally just stepped in the door in London. I am EXHAUSTED!

I just want to say a big hi and thank you to my new follwers who arrived while I was away! Also, I really appreciate your comments on my last post. I was a bit nervous about posting something so wordy and non-beauty relatd, but I'm gladyou liked it :)

Right now I'm going for a lovely bubble bath and bed and am looking forward to spending tomorrow catching up on all your blogs and updating you on my CRAZY weekend! It's safe to say, you can take the girl out of Glasgow, but you can never take Glasgow out the girl... I just can't seem to get enough of the place...

Goodnight all :)

xxMxx

return to sender, address unknown...

How many of you, when you were little, had a pen-pal? Someone you would write to, maybe from another country, or within the UK. I'm pretty much certain that most of us have written a letter at some point in our lives, whether it was to a friend, family member or romantic partner (or maybe I'm showing my age here?). Now I'm not talking about letters that you write to the bank manager asking for an extension of your overdraft, or letters written to complain about faulty merchandise. The letters I'm referring to are those personal, informal and carefully handwritten letters, at times, on beautiful notepaper in matching envelopes.

The thing about a handwritten (or even typed letter) is that they last. Unlike a text or an email, which can be completely erased from existance at the touch of a button and are things you look at, letters are things you can physically hold in your hand, take out and re-read a hundred times over. Nowadays we live in a world of tweets and pokes and comments, which are all great for keeping in touch with people throughout our increasingly busy days, but there is something precious and personal about a letter. Thoughout the centuries the letter has been used to declare love, declare war, announce births, deaths and marriages, commence engagements and cease realtionships (yes, the infamous 'Dear John Letter - more commonly done through text and e-mail, equally crushing). My most favourite part of the  Sex and the City movie is when Big sends Carrie the 'Love Letters of Great Men', but again, he e-mails them, and they are not really his. Receiving a letter someone has taken the time to compose themselves is far more precious than words copied from another. And it's not the quality of the language used that makes them special, it's just the fact they are personal and straight from the heart.

I have a box in my room that contains letters from friends over the years. Some are letters written over the summer holidays when we were seven or eight, written in pink pencil and detailing events which were important at the time: going to the park, getting a new bike, having a picnic for your Barbies in the garden. I have a letter from a friend in primary school apoligising to me for breaking my Beauty and the Beast rubber. Obviously this was not a hugely significant event in our lives by any means (I doubt she even remembers it) but to me, it serves as a reminder of childhood innocence, when a broken rubber really was the extent of our worries. I have letters from 'boys' asking me to out with them, and also one telling me he didn't like me anymore and had been going out with my friend *Susie for the past two weeks (I don't know why I kept that one, but it reminds me of the fact that no matter how much you a love a person, it doesn't mean they necessarily feel the same). There are a collection of small notecards given to me by truly inspiring teachers, and whose words have probably helped me to become the person I am today. I still revert back to what these cards say, in moments when I doubt myself.

What I'm saying it, letters not only have meaning at the point of being written, or your initial reading of them, their meaning can change several times, and indeed, each and every time you read them. Sometimes they can serve to be a reminder of who you were at a particular point in your life, relationships you once had and how you felt. They can also hold incredible sentimental value, especially letters from a loved one who is no longer present in your life.The feeling that you are touching thw same page as that person, you can trace the patterns of their letters with your finger, and are essentially joined together by this one page. Letters can also reveal more than the meaning of the words on the page, you get an insight into the person through their handwriting, unique to them. The most personalised you can be with e-mail is by changing the font, the colour and adding some smileys.

I don't want to come across as being completely against all forms of social networking, modern means of communication and the pressures of the 2011 - I am of course typing this as a blog - but I just think it would be nice if we could also make space for a little more romance, personality and sincerity in our communication. Maybe this weekend, or sometime soon, put pen to paper, tell someone that you love them, miss them, or are simply thinking about them, pop it in an envelope, stamp and everything, and send it. You never know just how your handwritten words will touch the recipient, and what you might receive in return.





I know this is swaying a bit from my normal posting, but I kind of want this blog to reflect me as a person, and not just beauty. I hope it is still of interest to you readers and that it means something to you. What are your thoughts on the lost art of letter writing?

What's in your handbag?

I've seen this post on so many blogs and love getting a sneaky peek into what people carry around with them (if you have done a similar post please link me - I'm nosey). 

This is the contents of my handbag today, for a trip to Morrisons, the Post Office and a cafe. I generally carry a lot more than this, and when I'm teaching I'm like 'bag lady' carrying around three bags full of all sorts of stickers, jotters, craft materials and games etc - really need to get a car!

This is today's bag:

It's really old, and past it's best, but I've grown so attached to it as it holds so much stuff!

My diary aka my brain! I use an academic diary as, spending 4 years at uni and the rest of my life as a teacher, I pretty much work in 'school years'. This contains everything I have to do each day, appointments, contact details and random bits of paper and post-its that get stuck in there. I really would be lost without it!

My passport goes everywhere with me really, mostly because I always get asked for ID when buying wine, even though I'm 24 soon!

A magazine - I tend to flick through magazines so carry one around with me for about a week. I never have time to read a whole mag in one sitting, though this one did come in handy in Starbucks, when I was killing some time. 

My 'diary pen' - I have a touch of OCD for some things, and my diary is one of them. I 'must' use the same pen, as I like to keep things neat and the same. I'm also the same with notebooks and things (in school, my marking pens are colour coded for each subject - the kids must think I'm mental!).

I always carry around the make-up that I'm wearing that day, although I have been known to also carry several other items when I have a bigger bag - just in case. I used to have to carry around 'night time' make-up when I was at uni as afternoons at the pub usually ended up as nights out (a spare top also came in handy then!).

 I have the start of a wee cold at the moment, hence the Airwaves and Olbas, and also carry around Anadin as I tend to get really bad pains leading up to my period (I need to switch to prescription painkillers during that time, but these do in the week leading up to it).
Hand Food is my most favourite hand cream, especially now as the hard water in England is playing havoc with my skin :( This travel size is also ideal for popping in your handbag.
Hygiene Lotion, as I am a complete germophobe, and like to apply this after holding on to handrails on the bus/tube, and generally being in a public place (yes I am a bit of a nutter).
Vaseline - for when my lips get sore, especially as I bite the skin off (I know, disgusting) whenever I am nervous/stressed.

 As well as my diary pen, I also carry 2 black ballpoint pens, in case I need to fill in forms or something, my writing is really nice with these.
My pen drives come everywhere with me, partly so I know they're safe, and also as you never know when you might need them. The diamante one is personal and the pink one is uni/school.
Spare keys for my aunt's house in London. My old keys are at home in Glasgow and I'm supposed to be getting a copy of these spares to add to my own keys, but I keep forgetting about that!

 My purse, that has evidently seen better days, but which I love far too much to part with yet. My friend got me this for my birthday and I just adore it.

 It holds all my cards and cash :)

 A prayer card and also a card of my favourite (former) Celtic star, Artur Boruc (my little brother gave me this, because I love him!) Both precious items I like to always have with me.

My most favourite perfume (I tend to only ever wear this, and am devastated that The Perfume Shop have discontinued it). It's Wish by Chopard and is just beautiful, both the bottle and scent.
My Barbie mirror, for little touch ups. I love Barbie - yes I am a child!
My mobile, which at the moment is the most precious thing as it's keeping me in touch with all my friends back in Glasgow. I'm not really a gadgety person, and this phone is pretty old, but I love it.
A spare bobble, for emergencies such as getting caught in rain, or when my hair just bugs me, especially in the summer.

So that's my bag! I'd love to see what's in yours!

xxMxx

Check this out ladies...

I wanted to draw your attention to this giveaway:

Ms. Eggplant x Stila Blog Giveaway!

deadline for entries is on March 14, 2011

The Stila giveaway includes:

Trendsetting in Tokyo Palette
Smudge Pot
Long Wear lip color

some lovely products and a really nice blogger :)

xxMxx

Post-Valentine's Musings...

Yesterday was a really strange day for me, and although I have read all your lovely Valentine's posts, I myself didn't quite know what to write, therefore I didn't. I split up with my ex at the end of November, and even though it was for the best and a few months have past, yesterday hit me a lot harder than I'd expected.

I know I was only missing the guy I fell in love with, not the guy he turned into. I was missing the happy times, not the relationship as a whole. Yesterday I decided just to take some 'me' time - have a relaxing bubble bath, watch some DVDs and finish a book I've been reading for a while, on and off. My cousin even invited me out for drinks with him and his mates, but I really wasn't in the mood for any of that. He even got me a really cute Valentine's card and Adele's new album (however listening to 'Someone Like You' was inevitably going to lead to tears), and that made me smile at least. After some good old Disney and a good night's sleep I was back to normal again this morning. Hopefully that's the end of it now and I can finally put the past behind me.

Yesterday I gave myself 'new' Valentine's nails, this time opting for a 'sweet' pink to replace the 'sexy' red. I actually thought they were pretty cute :)

Barry M 'Shocking Pink' and Claire's Glitter

I really miss my nail collection at home as I'm finding that I actually want to wear colours that I've left behind in Glasgow. The same with shoes - living out of a suitcase really does have it's drawbacks. However, I'm going back to Glasgow this weekend for a family party on Saturday and the Celtic V Rangers game on Sunday. It should be a fun weekend, if a bit hectic, and hopefully give me the chance to grab a few more things from home that I'm missing.

Here was what I wore yesterday, clearly going for comfort over style:

Yesterday I was missing my friends a lot. I know I can still call and text them easily, and I know what everyone is up to thanks to the wonders of Facebook, but I missed the fact I couldn't just call up a friend and go to the cinema or for a coffee. I'm usually quite independent and enjoy the fact I'm a stranger in a new city, but I think on days like yesterday, everyone needs a friend who you can drop in on at a moment's notice. I'm glad my cousin was here, even if he is a boy and didn't quite know how to react to my 'sad face', other than to bring me in a piece of caramel shortcake on his way home from the pub. He's also taken to just staying here with me at my aunt's house in London as it's way to big for one person , though it does mean I've had to take on a sort of 'housewife' role - doing washings, cooking, cleaning etc. To be fair, he does take the bins out (I am germophobic), go into the garage(I hate spiders) and most importantly, closes the curtains at night (I have an insane fear of looking out a window when its dark outside).

Still no progress on the teaching front. One of my references came back (from my old programme leader at uni) and they're still waiting for the teacher at my last school, but I'm still in touch with her anyway and know it will be great. I just cannot wait to get back into the classroom!

Tomorrow I'm going to have to go do another food shop as I'm running out of ideas for meals and feel like I'm starving my poor cousin with my pitiful servings. I'm totally living it up in London eh, Morrisons will be the highlight of my day!

From London, with Love...

Cannot believe the weekend is over already! I'm writing this now as I forgot Dancing on Ice was on :( I'll need to wait for the repeat - I can't watch a programme halfway through.

I've felt a bit horrid this weekend and mostly just sat in the conservatory with a book, or mulled about in the house, even though it was lovely outside on Saturday. I would probably have spent the whole of the weekend indoors, if it hadn't been for my amazing cousin suprising me. He thought I needed cheering up so took me to see Black Swan at the cinema... he's such a gem. Any single girls out there around 20... he'd be the perfect BF... such a wee gentleman :) He also drove me to mass earlier as it was bucketing, and came and picked me up. Black Swan was really good. I'd heard mixed reviews about it, and a lot of negative stuff, but I found it to be really interesting. My only gripe was the sex scenes - they were unnecessarily explicit. The music was amazing. 

On Saturday morning I was bored and decided to give my nails a little Valentine's make-over. I was pleasantly surprised with the results actually (they also matched my mug, surpsrisingly).

I used 17 Fast Finish in Ruby Gem first of all

then Barry M Red Glitter,

followed by silver glitter from Claire's,

to give some added sparkle and a bit of depth. The photos don't really do them justice, they are like the nail version of Dorothy's ruby slippers - I <3 them :)

Here's what I wore yesterday:

 Dress: New Look

Cardi: Primark

 Most favourite scarf in the world: TKMaxx

Ballerina earings from Topshop I think? Perfect fot going to see Black Swan. 

Today's outfit:

 necklace was b/day gift from a dear friend, I think from ASOS

Cardi from Primark that I customised with patches from Hobbycraft

 Dress is an old summer one from last year

 I wish my hair was longer :(

 I'm beginning to feel better so thought I'd chillax with some wine and my fav sweets ever!

What's everyone's plan for tomorrow then? Who is single and who is attached?