If you buy one album this year - make it this one!!!!!!

Today's blog is about a different kind of buy.........

I went to see Chantel McGregor at the Gala Theatre in county Durham last week and I was blown away! So much so I just had to share it with you!
Chantel has the kind of amazing raw talent that makes you wish the gig would never end, the hour and a half passed so quickly it was unbelievable. I didn't know much about Chantel before I went to this gig and now I only wish I'd found out about her sooner!

In a world where most well known guitarists seem to be male, I like Chantel even more because she's so girly and she plays the guitar barefoot wearing in amazing floaty dresses. Don't let the cover of the album and the sweet girly appearance fool you though - this girl is fierce!

At the end of the gig I purchased the album 'like no other' for £10.

The album consists of 12 songs. Nine of which are originals and three of which are covers.
The covers include Robin Trower's Daydream, Sonny Boy Williamson's Help Me and Fleetwood Mac's Rhiannon. Five of the tracks are acoustic.

Chantel works with Robin Trower's bandmates Livingstone Brown on bass and keyboards, and Chris Taggart on drums.
The album is just under 64 minutes long and leaves you wanting more, Chantel has set a very high standard with this album. It will appeal to a very wide audience of all ages. It's very radio friendly and full of catchy, melodic hooks and choruses. There is something there for everyone to enjoy, and lots for most people to enjoy.

I love this album from start to finish and it has been on repeat in my car for a week now and I have no plans to remove it any time soon!

If you are not a huge blues/rock fan then listen to track 1 'fabulous' I think this song strikes a chord with all of us girls who like a good night out on the town, it's the perfect 'getting ready' song. Even my friends who only like 'pop' music have bought the album based only on hearing this song. I think this song could do amazingly well in the charts!

The best £10 I've spent in a long while!!

For more info on Chantel visit her website  or her Facebook page and there is a fabulous biography here.

Go buy this album now - you won't regret it!! And please let me know what you thought??

xXx

Pinterest-ing

I gave Pinterest a go sometime last year and I just couldn't get away with it.
After hearing my friends rave about it for the last couple of months I thought it was about time I gave it another shot.

I am now quite literally OBSESSED with it. Oh my days, you can find anything and everything on there. Am I really the only one who thought this wasn't all that great and had a complete U-turn?

I am currently getting my spring-spiration from Pinterest and I just cant seem to log-off!

Now I just need to get the hang of Instagram and I am laughing :)

What are your favourite pins? I'd love to hear all about them..................................

xXx

Life is an ADVENTURE! Let's live it :)

I am always looking at motivational life quotes and blogs for inspiration. Here is a list I've compiled over the years which I read when I am feeling a little down or stressed or when I need to shake things up a little;

Just do it!

Putting off those things you don’t really want to do only makes them harder when you finally get round to them. Make lists, write notes – whatever it takes, just do it. Start with the hardest bit, get it over and done with, and the rest will be easy.

Reinvent yourself!

Think of something you would never normally do and go for it! For example dye your hair, cut it, start using more/less makeup, change your style, get a new hobby, write a song.

Switch off!

Meditate, swim, cycle, read - whatever floats your boat as long as you little else for an hour or two.

Be Cultured!

Go to a food fair, a county show, an art gallery, a museum, a gig, a sports match or whatever you’re into and remember it always good to try something new.

Be thankful every day!

If you are having a bad day or you feel down, try to remind yourself of all the good things you have going for you and how lucky you are. Everyone is entitled to a good old mope every now and then but sometimes you need to pull things back into perspective and acknowledge just how lucky you really are.

Set goals!

You could decide that you need to sew more, if you like it. Or you could decide to cook a different type of food, or try a new hobby or sport.

Be Generous!

Send an e mail telling someone why you admire them! Tell someone you love that you love them, do a favour for someone who needs it and try asking a friend who is down if they want to come talk with you over a glass of wine to help make them feel better! You will be surprised with how it can make you feel happy too!

Be Zen!

Don’t allow yourself to become hung up on the past, you can’t change it, and don’t worry about the future, it might not happen. Now is the only moment you’ll ever be able to change.

Get active!

Exercise releases endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Find a form of exercise that you enjoy doing and do it regularly. You only get one body - look after it!!

Scare Yourself!

Push outside of your comfort zone, try something new – don’t worry about looking like an idiot. Scare yourself at least once a week.

Get rid of idiots!

Surround yourself with good people –negative people will usually drag positive down to their level. Don't waste time on people who bring you down, true friends will never make you feel bad about yourself.

Be yourself!

Make sure that you always be yourself and don’t let other people try to make you into something that you aren’t. As you learn more about who you are and what makes you tick, make sure you find time for these things in your life. Never put too much pressure on yourself, accept that you are not perfect and that you will make mistakes. Remember to treat yourself every now and then too, whether it be a long bubble bath or a new handbag, we all deserve a little something just for us.

Talk!

Don’t try to solve all your problems yourself. Make sure you talk your problems through with someone you trust. A problem shared is a problem halved as they say!

Get out there!

Spend more time with those you love, call them and get together, plan fun things and remember to laugh a lot! It's healthy! And why not call your distant family members too? Invite them to dinner or a garden party! Reconnect with people regularly.

A change is as good as a rest!

Mix things up a little! Go to bed earlier, wake up earlier, read a good book, take advantage of the light mornings, especially at the weekends! Make your favourite meal, go out for breakfast, watch the news, go for a walk, connect with nature and take pleasure in the smaller joys of life.

Expand your senses!

Enjoy and appreciate every bite of food you eat. Experiment with food; learn what you like, and why you like it. Listen to music that you enjoy, and think about how the music make you feel. Spend more time with your partner, touch each other, get to know each other, and what you like to do together, and why it feels so good. Talk together and be close.

 

 

Natural Enlightenment

I am a natural blonde but with every year I get older it seems to get a little darker. I really don't want to dye my hair but like to keep it looking bright and shiny.
My hair always goes 2-3 shades lighter when I spend time in the sun, especially with a little help from some natural lemon juice.
Lemon juice alone can be really drying for the hair so I decided to make up my own little conditioning concoction when I was on holiday recently and it worked really well. If you fancy trying it this is what you will need.

1 spray bottle:

Lemon juice:

Chamomile tea bags:

Light conditioner:

Intensive conditioner:

Here's how I made mine:

Before you leave squirt a good measure of the light conditioner into the spray bottle (I used Timotei fresh and strong) you can use any conditioner you like but I'd suggest something light in texture so it doesn't weight the hair down. I added the conditioner to the bottle before packing it to save me taking a full heavy bottle.
When you get to the hotel add a good squirt of lemon juice to the bottle, I took a bottle of jiff natural lemon juice with me and used this to begin with and added some natural lemon juice to it throughout the week. I think fresh lemon juice is best but you can't always get it and it can be very messy.
Next, boil the kettle and make a large, strong brew of chamomile tea. Leave the teabags in until the water is cool then add this to the spray bottle.
Give the mixture a really good shake (it may take some time for the ingredients to gel together).
Take the bottle out into the sunshine and let it warm through a little, then spray evenly into the hair and comb through. Let the hair dry in the sunshine and keep adding more when required.

I wouldn't recommend doing this every day as it can be quite drying to the hair, every other day or once every three will still give the lightening effect.

Make sure you pack a couple of sachets of intensive conditioner to use during your trip, I used John Frieda sheer blond and it left my hair so soft and shiny.

My hair is now looking very 'sun kissed' and I am very happy with the results.

xXx

Tenerife Tales

Well, I am back refreshed and slightly golden after a week in Playas de las Americas with the boy.
We had the most amazing time, the weather was amazing and it was so good to feel the sun on our skin. The week was spent walking, swimming, eating, drinking and partying - truly amazing.

Here is a bargain holiday outfit I really want to share with you; there was a print midi dress I wanted so badly from Lipsy which had sold out, the only one I could find anywhere was on eBay and it had 'defects' (meaning a large ladder in the material below the bum area!) I wanted it so much I decided to buy it anyway and see what could be done. I took the dress to Goldstitch in a little village near to where I live and asked what could be done, a week later I collected my new mini dress and a boob tube too! The total cost (£6 for the dress, £15 for the alterations) was still way less than the initial selling price and I now have two individual pieces to sport!

The original dress:

My 'new' dress:

My 'new' top:

So now it's back to reality (and bargain hunting) with a bump for me!
On that note, I popped into Matalan during my lunch break today and got the most amazing pair of bargain heels, I will post about them asap watch this space :)

xXx