We've all dreamed of being Princes and Princesses, well this is not a bad way to start! I fell in love with these kitsch Crown Planters from Shabby Chic Originals - They have a real rustic feel to them and will certainly add a real sense of grandeur to any garden, even home! I do like to consider myself a bit of a Mrs Bucket a.k.a Mrs Bouquet about my house, and I think these babies will fit in quite nicely! Priced at £34 for a set of three - these would also make an ideal pressie!

Go have a gander HERE

Small Business Sunday

One of my most favourite things in the world is shopping - it doesn't have to be just for me (although it really does help) but what I love more than anything about shopping, is finding places that sell more one-off pieces, places that physically make their own wares and sell them. We can all go down to our local Tesco, Sainsbury or Topshop and buy their products - but what's unique about any of that?

Twitter has become my 'go-to' source for finding pretty much everything and anything from more individual smaller businesses. For me, I would much rather hand over my beloved cash to these people, than the fat cats of shopping world. Some people might argue that smaller businesses are more expensive - yeah, you may be right, but to get something that is a little bit more special and bespoke is priceless as far as I'm concerned, and if it comes to buying someone a pressie, wouldn't you rather give them something that genuinely has more meaning? It warms my heart to see so many dedicated people out there: all ages, all backgrounds, mothers, fathers, young people making their own wares to sell to the public - time and effort go into their produce to make something that extra special for each and every one of us. More and more I have been shopping at these individual websites or shops. Firstly, it has made me more organised - normally I would just leave everything to the last minute and pop to 'town' and buy the first thing I saw in Marks and Sparks and the like, but now I'm doing my up most to shop elsewhere and show some real support to these up+coming businesses - lets face it, isn't this the future of our economy and shopping habits?

So, the other week, discussing with my mum about a fab little website I'd come across, it suddenly dawned on me, that in some small, tiny way I could help these sometime struggling small businesses a little more. Now my blog is by no means famous, nor am I anything special, but I thought if I could feature these people on the blog for my readers to see that firstly it might generate sales for them, which is always a bonus, but it would also spread the word out there to support these companies, get the names and products out there so you can all, for yourselves, follow them, enjoy their wares and show them the support that we should all be doing in the first place - so girls and boys, from now on, providing you like the posts, Sunday's will be known as: Small Business Sunday's. 

Small Business Sunday's is basically where I will feature a company, their wares and a little interview with each and every one of them. Simple I know and yes, I know it is only a small thing, but it is a start and I really hope I can get the support up and hopefully introduce you to some companies that you may never have found previously. Only you, the reader, will let me know if this is worth doing, so I ask for your support, feature it on twitter with the hashtag #smallbusinesssunday and post this link to everyone and anyone!  

Stay tuned for next week, when I'll be featuring the first Small Business!

**I am still looking for more companies, brands and people to appear in these posts - your business can be anything, provided you make what you sell! Email me at: sarahs_scribbles@yahoo.co.uk Subject: Small Business Sunday with your contact details and website deets. **

Update: Operation Fit and Fabulous FAIL

As per my previous post - I have been embarking on the operation fit and fabulous task conjured up by the fabulous Beach Bum Beauty. The name of the game is to basically become more fit, more fabulous and trial her weekly tasks to try and become just this.

For the past two weeks I have been trying real hard to follow the Operation fit and fabulous tasks through and through, but I have to be honest with you guys... I have become a big fat fail. The main reason as to why I joined this brigade is its the boy's big 30th birthday party at the end of December, and well, since the beginning of this year, me and my weight have taken a slow and steady increase - I can no longer fit into most of my clothes and yes I know I'm hardly overweight, I would just like to tone up something chronic, oh, and to fit into me jeans again would be grand. The party is being held in a place where I used to work, and well, to put it frank they only knew me back then, the days where I could fit into a size 8 jeans, whereas now I'm 12-14.Now, I know I shouldn't care what they think, but I hate to say this, I really do. I don't want the difficult questions, the stares or worst of all, anyone thinking I'm pregnant, and most of all, for me, I want to feel sexy again.

However, the above being said, Ive been the biggest operation fit and fab failure these past couple of weeks - in all honestly, my brain and belly are convinced its in the middle of winter and therefore has full permission to stock pile whatever food I can lay my hands on and eat it in some vain hope Ill need it for extra warmth. And then there's the exercise bit... well, it would seem my exercise mojo is taking a well deserved month off too, and has gone into hibernation. Yeah, its going 'that' well....

So I weighed myself and the scales aren't happy - I have in fact, put on weight, and I am altogether alot softer than I hoped I would be. So here it is, my pledge to officially start again. I have scheduled in runs for during the week: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday and I shall get my rather rotund ass to the gym to get rid of the bat's wings sprouting from my arms.

Girls - this is hard........ onwards and upwards...

Website of the Week: The High Tea Cast

Introducing The High Tea Cast. This is no multi-national tea shaped company, nor is it some dramatic play over the joys of tea, oh no The High Tea Cast is a "UK Female Lifestyle & Podcast Blog" This is worlds apart from any other plain 'blog' out there, this is the next generation of blogging for sure - combining written and spoken posts about every fun and female. What makes The High Tea Cast so god damn amazing and worthy of Website of The Week, is the two very shining stars: Sam Sparrow and Lea Rice.
These girls, who are best friends, put together, week in, week out podcasts that are pretty much like having your very own girly sleepover, or cheeky chat with a glass of wine. They gossip, they giggle, they take the mickey, but most of all, they are so personable, believable and cover all manner of subjects in the most honest way. I've always found it hard to feel a real sense of 'real' through radio or other podcasts, but after listening to these lovelies I was giggling like an idiot into my mug of tea.
Each an every podcast is a delight and at just over an hour in length this is def a time that you should be setting aside, fill up your cup of tea, grab your cake and immerse yourself into their world. This show alone has restored my faith in female relationships - to me, they are my best pals!

You can download the podcast for free through ITune HERE and go check out the blog HERE

Not only are their podcasts so sodding amazing and I have been known to snort over my computer, they are also in the process of holding some events - get your mitts on these tickets right this minute - I shall be there also!

1. Podcasting for Bloggers: Getting pimpin' audio on to your posts in association with Cherry Sorbet Creative

The session will cover small scale podcasts that you can embed in blogs and websites using free tools and hosting services such as Soundcloud and Audioboo. They'll even show you how to set about hosting your own show on iTunes. They'll offer a tutorial on how to create a short, snappy audio piece for your blog to bring it to life - you can record anywhere and you don't have to wear any make up! Ever dreamed of being a Radio DJ? Well now you can!
Get your tickets HERE

2. The High Tea Cast Presents: Sex and Mugs and Rock n Roll

The High Tea Cast girls are making their mark in Kensington with a stupendous blend of comedy cabaret, burlesque dancers and the very best singalong rock'n'roll goodness you could hope to lay your eyes (and ears) on. The High Tea Cast bring you a Saturday night packed with awesome entertainment and followed swiftly by a DJ set 'til 2am. This is all for the mere price of £8, and all proceeds will be donated to the incredible charity Janie's School.
Get your tickets HERE
and log on to their FAB Facebook page HERE

These girls deserve Website of the Week and if I had my own way I'd nominate them everytime - Log on, sign up, open your ears and support!

Now time for a cuppa tea me thinks...

Getting Spec-tacled

When I was 8 I used to pray, that every time I used to go have my eyes tested, they would finally say those elusive words: "yes, you need glasses" I was a young girl obsessed. My mum has worn glasses all her life, and every time I used to go into the opticians I would pick out a pair of frames that I pretty much yearned for. The frames in question were bright blue and had a distinct floral pattern over the whole of the frame - looking back on it now they were pretty darn horrific, but back then, they were beautiful and I used to sit and wear them in the waiting room, simply hoping that they'd soon be a permanent fixture on my face. However, every time the answer was never yes, I used to walk out of the opticians genuinely sad that those frames were never to be mine and year in, year out the same thing happened. I then got to the age of 14, I was, in my mind, a grown -up: was in secondary school, became aware of my looks, or lack of, and that of boys. That year, the optician visit gave me a yes.

This was pretty much the last thing I wanted to hear: glasses were not something in my 'look' equation. Wearing glasses, as sad as it sounds, were seen as a bad thing at school, you were the geeky one, the brainy one. Not being of a natural brain, I thought this to be an absolute sin: I couldn't even pretend to carry it off. And so I picked some glasses: they were as plain as I could get - I did not, in any way, suit glasses - I just looked wrong, face was too long, lips too wonky, hair not suiting - the list was indeed endless. Throughout the years of having to wear glasses, I have taken every opportunity to not wear them.I will even take them off if I see someone I recognise. I don't have to wear them all the time and mostly I use them for distance work, however I do tend to just not wear them out of pure vanity, which is silly cos bumping into thing or squinting is an even worse look!

I've decided to be pro-active and actively search out some hot specs - oh yes, I want all singing, all dancing glasses that make me look all Mad Men Glam and Geek-chic cool. Now if only I knew what would work?! The first range I've been scouting out is Kirk Originals. I heard of these guys through the endless love people show them via twitter and through the net, I often find myself gawping at them with such love.
Their new range - The Saturn collection is all my eyes could've dreamed of. There is a real classic meets modern here: The shape itself is a classic silhouette yet the vibrant glitter finish is so modern. They are so colourful and well, in your face, they make wearing glasses a positive thing - there is a real air of flamboyancy with these frames, something I feel I should be doing to get over my fear of specs. My fave's in this range are the: Dione in Cherry, Pandora in Red and the amazing Phoebe in brown *swoon*

The second range I love is the Sculpture range which is really clever in its styling. There is a real textural and depth to these styles, using the clever colours and trickery of light, the styles seem to 3D morph and come to life. The colour choices in these are extra special and mixing the 3 colours on one pair of glasses is oh so glam! My favourites here are the: Aretha in Purple front and Martha in the amazing Gold Harlequin

I simply love both of these ranges and I'm starting to think that instead of playing down the fact I have to wear glasses, I should big.it.up and go loud and proud, and with these Kirk Originals I may just do that. The only thing being is the price tag - at from £200 + I'm not sure if my budget will allow for this and is it alot to spend on something I don't generically like wearing?

Go to Kirk Original's website for more inspiration HERE

Does anyone else try to hide the fact they were glasses? Do you have any solutions for me and my phobia?

Feeling Red..

I'll let you lovelies into a little secret..... remember no telling.... but Scribbles, or Sarah, is going to be in Red Magazine!!

Oh yes, keep your eyes peeled Ladies and Gents for I will be appearing in Red Magazine's December issue. I wont tell you all too much about it as quite frankly, I want you all to buy it and look at me make a fool of myself in the pictures, but it's a true story, gives you all a little info about my life, my past and bascially who I am today. There may also be a wee mention of a certain Team I was on....

Oh and did I mention, on the shoot I got my hair and make up 'did' and ended up looking like this!

Keep your eye's peeled....

Monday Must-Have Purchase

I love my bed - end of. But seriously, add a little ooo la la to your bedroom with these fab pillow cases from Urban Outfitters - their home accessories range is pretty darn amaze, but these pillow cases are just style and fun personified. Reasonably priced at £30 I suggest we all go and grab pronto!

Getting a perkier - pair?

I am nearing 28, yes 28. This is by no means 'old' or 'past it', but one thing I have found as the years roll (speed) past is the texture and formation of my skin has changed rather dramatically. I'm not talking just wrinkles, although this is high up on my list of 'ones to watch out for' but just how the skin feels to me has changed alot. I notice skin on my face and body doesn't quite ping back the way it used to - I've never been Giselle-esque but guaranteed I have noticed the dryness and loss of elasticity ten fold.

We are all faced with lotions and potions to slap on our faces in order to hold on to the face of a teenager, but seriously, what does one day for the rest of our body? No-one wants to be the lady with a smooth, skin-tight face and yet the body of a wrinkled prune - that's is just not sexy right?! Aside from my face, there is one area that my youthfulness has well n truly disappeared and that is my chest.

Women will def get me when I say this: my chest and dare I say it, my bosoms are looking more like that old lady in There's Something About Mary, than that of the latest Page 3 stunner that's for sure! But I pretty much didn't know where to start - I have tried buying the latest 'hook 'em in, hoist them up, and stick 'em out' bra's which is all well and good until you take it off... and short of getting a boob job I was pretty much at a loss. Until I found the name BooBoo Bosom Buddy being spoken about on Twitter.

Now before you all log on to the website and start thinking I am with child, I am not, however, this particular product isn't just for all you child owners out there: it's for anyone with the dreaded skin sag or for people looking for a preventative option - BooBoo is a good place to start. The Bosom Buddy, is very much your friend. Made with the likes of Argan Oil which will not only soften and smooth the skin, it also helps to tighten the skin on the chesticle area. Add in Entella and Ginkgo Biloba which help firm, shape and even reduce the appearance of the dreaded stretch marks, this ticks all the boxes in my want for getting a much better pair of puppies.

Now I have tried and tested this cream on the twins for the last month, and by Jove its a goody. Now if you were hoping there was gonna be pictures to prove, I'm sorry, I'm not that type of girl but in all honesty, I have noticed a real true difference to the texture and feel of the skin on my chest and the surrounding area. I have noticed the skin itself is alot more taught - even without a bra, however I'm not quite ready to unleash the bad boys without a bra - its too cold. The cream itself is tres thick and you only need a small morsel of it to smooth on and handy hint: it is best applied after a shower or bath and on slightly damp skin. It also smells delish, so much so, I used it all over my neck and shoulders.

I noticed a real difference by the end of the first week and since using for a whole month, the effect has deepened and well, short of sounding full of myself (full? get it?!?!) I have a perkier pair than most of these girlies on the elusive Page 3 - without a ice cube or knife in sight. For those with child or breast feeling, this product is safe to use! Priced at only £18.99 this product is affordable and to put it bluntly: works. Now to find something for the rest of the body..

Get yourself over the BooBoo HERE

What do you think? Would you buy a boob cream?

*Big thanks to Lucy at LucyDartfordPR*

An Ode To.... My Slow Cooker

That horrible feeling when you get home from work late, you stand there for a grand total of twenty-five minutes just staring, blank faced, wide eyed at your fridge. Yep, it's dinner time.
I don't know about you, but I am the Queen of UN-decision making - for the life of me I just cannot make one certain decision in life with um-ming and err-ing my way through it and this includes what I can or cant be bothered to make for dinner. I don't have any kids, just me and the boy, it shouldn't be too hard right?! well ,you're wrong. The boy is purely a 'meat-only' kinda caveman, whereas moi? I'm more of a veggie, convenience type of girl. It would seem it is virtually impossible to try and please both myself and the boy in one fail swoop, especially when its nearing Seven pm and I am still staring blankly at that white object in the far of my kitchen. In fact, I often leave it so late, or faff too long, and end up with cheese and crackers.. or best of all - toast!
When my mum first mentioned a slow cooker, I snorted laughter at her and announced that "I'm not a granny yet mum" I'd heard all about the slow cooker from grand tales from my mum and god bless her, my nan. How, back then, they were the 'done' thing, an essential to the modern-day family. According to my mum, this was the answer to all my problems. So I bought one and so it goes: Anyone who has one of these will know exactly what I mean when I declare my everlasting love for my Slow cooker - this is a long-term relationship, we go together like peas and carrots, a marriage and meeting of minds... this is my ode to you...

OH Slow cooker - you came into my life when I needed you the most - I hadn't eaten 'proper' non pre-packed, boxed meals in a long time, I 'd almost forgotten what it was like to bite through a vegetable and taste its freshness. You came to me full of promise that I almost doubted you immediately: You said you could make my life easier, you said you could provide me with healthy nutritious meals that were tasty yet convenient. Some might have thought you were promising more than you could deliver? They and I were wrong.

From the moment I read your life-story instruction manual, I knew I'd made the right choice and when it came to using you for the first time I couldn't believe my luck that I'd found you: EASY is your middle name. You told me to shove everything in first thing in the moring before work, and in the space of only 10 mins you were raring to go, raring to please and off you went on your day long cooking spree. Upon returning home, you greeted me like a surprise party: filling the air with your chicken casserole aroma that lightly danced on my nostrils. Gazing through your flirty see-through lid I saw the delights that awaited me. You had delivered slow-cooker, you had indeed.

OH Slow Cooker - the meal was gorgeous, It had taken all of ten mins to prepare and then you took over the 8 hour cooking time and prepared such goodness for me. I no longer stared at the fridge like a gormless idiot, I no longer was the total UN-domesticated goddess: I was now on league, at the top of my game. You, Slow Cooker are my friend and own personal chef - plus you were and are the cheapest investment buy ever. This is my ode to you...

I shall not 'Chip' anymore...

Normally this would be a post about chips - the potato, fried kind, but this time - not so.

At the weekend, I used a Groupon voucher for the first time, now, yes, it was err an ok experience, I wont go on about that side of things, but I do want to show you all,what I had done. Originally my Groupon voucher was for a simple mani/pedi, nice enough and much needed after half marathon running on this feeties *vom* however when I got there I was offered such a thing, for only £10 extra, a Jessica Geleration Manicure. Sounds interesting? it is.

To put it simply, Jessica GELeration gel polish is the answer to all my chipped nail dreams. It really is the perfect alternative to simply nail colour - let's face it if you manage to get it to a dry state without smudging it to pieces in the first place, you know the second you start washing up (yes, I don't have a dish washer) its gonna come peeling/chipping off leaving you with a big dirty mess. Jessica GELeration is a a mix between gels and polish, giving fantastic color, that does not chip or peel , maintains a shine, dries in seconds, gives a flawless finish, and believe it or not, lasts for 3 weeks!!! To me, this really was music to my ears.

I was initially worried it was going to take ages to apply, like most of my experiences with gels etc, however the whole process was really quick and to be frank, god damn simple. After applying what was similar to base coat, a Start varnish was applied, dried, then the gel went on, all simply with a brush, cured under UV for a short while, then the gel colour was applied, cured again then topcoat was applied and cured once more! Ta Da! New lush, super shiny nails!

I've only had it on one week so far, and quite frankly, I sodding adore it! It's another thing I don't have to worry about! It constantly looks good and shiny! I love it! I hope it lasts the full 3 weeks, but we will see.

For me, this is definitely the way forward and if you see any Groupon vouchers for it, do it!

 

An Ode To.... The Midi Skirt

'Swish, swish, swish....' No, I'm not going slowly mad, this is the sound of a midi skirt as it goes floating past like an angel from Heaven.
The blessed midi-skirt: with its gentle pleats that run from waist to mid calf, its floaty chiffon fabric that hugs every slim curve, it ability to create a real picture of beauty, elegance that screams of girlyness. That is until you put a size 12, 5ft-nothing, me in one.

I have gone in and out of every shop, up and down every town, stripped my clothes off and bundled them all back on, in the hope, just a tiny hope, that, you, the elusive midi skirt, will suddenly turn me into SJP a la SATC - all refined, feminine and gorgeous. To me, midi skirt, you are pretty much the panther of the skirt world: all smooth, sensual and oh so hard to contemplate. You're not like that typical Lion of the skirt world: the mini, all loud, brash and in your face, neither are you like the full length-wilderbeast-esque skirt all sensible and dull, You are one hell of a looker. When I see a female dressed in you, midi skirt, I go completely and utterly gooey eyed, I blush, giggle and often bump into things. I gawp with my mouth open: I simply can't get enough: I zone in on where you, the skirt, falls in length, check out how they're wearing you and how they styles you with shoes. I had high hopes for you Midi Skirt... very high hopes.

Oh the midi skirt, why do you insist on making it look like you've cut my, already short and stumpy, legs in half, why do you always, always make me look like a very old, very squishy bag lady? Why do your pleats not elongate my short body but instead make me look like even wider? Why do your waistbands insist on sitting so tightly around my pot belly, creating what can only be described as, well, looking early stages pregnant....

I thought we could be friends, I thought I could shove you on with any old top and look amazing. I thought you'd be versatile: flats, heels, blazer, cardigan... little did I know that you were more like a Monet: you look good on that hanger, but on me? that's a whole different ball game. Why do you appear in such lush, sheer fabrics that do little, or nothing to hide the copious cellulite filled legs I have...

*sigh*

I know alot of people, no matter what size, shape you are, still rock this length in all manner of sizes, but I'm sorry, I am curvy: my ass sticks out like I'm smuggling something, my stomach is neither flat nor toned and my legs are pretty much short stumps. A midi skirt is never going to propel me to midi-skirt heaven, instead ladies and gents, I am going straight to centre of hell to be charged with crimes against style. end of.

I'm sorry you couldn't fulfil my fantasy, midi-skirt, we could've been something real special... coulda, woulda, shoulda...

Mondays Must-Have Purchase

You want a Winter coat? Well girls, look at this! I'm never normally a fan of this much leopard print, but when everyone else is covered in plain black coats, what better way to stand out than with this baby! With a very reasonable price tag of only £89.90 and a lifetime of wear, this has to be the winter choice!

#Operationfitandfabulous - Just what the Doctor ordered

After the elation of last week and succeeding in my half marathon battle, I pretty much came down to earth with a big fat, carb-loading bang. After eating (gorging) myself on pasta for the last couple of weeks in preparation for the 'big race' I have been trying to get back into the big swing of things and eating normally. I took a week off the running, and have been practising Pilates, but one thing that hasn't changed is my pasta filled gob. Despite knowing I am no longer carb-loading anymore, there is something that keeps drawing me towards a big ol' bowl of carbonara *dribbles*

Crunch time has come ladies and gents - oh yes, all of last week I have been subjected to worst bout of IBS I have ever been faced with, and it was all down to my naughty eating habits. I know I cant keep going on like this, and lets face it, its me who's making myself feel like this - Time to get serious! I caught wind of Operation Fit and Fabulous via the gorgeous Jayne of BeachBumBeauty fame, and immediately wanted in. I'm not a typical diet kinda girl - I don't believe in them, and to be honest, I don't really need to lose weight all that much but I do need to tone up and mostly I need to learn to eat properly and learn how to take care of me, to make me, well, quite frankly, fabulous!

What kicks serious ass about Operation Fit and Fabulous is its motto. Unlike most other plans its not all about the weight loss - sure a few pounds would be nice, but it’s about feeling fabulous. Personally, I want to be toned and I want to have loads more energy. I want to feel way happier about my eating habits which will then in turn, hopefully, control my IBS.  This is exactly the plan I needed: Lighthearted fun, but with an underlying message, to make us women feel absolutely amazing!

If you want to be a part of this please get yourself over to Jayne's rather amazing blog HERE
Now, time for a little admission, the plan has been going for two weeks, and me? I haven't really started. I've been so caught up in my little running heaven (did I mention I ran a half mara!?) that my way of thinking has been a little too pasta brained and celebratory - needless to say both my belly and the IBS have not been loving me, but my sweettooth though has loved it! I have my running now, so I'm not worried about the exercise, all I need now to complete my goals is the nutrition and motivation.

So as of today, this is it, time to work my bum off, time to make a change for the better, a change for life possibly? Playing a catchup from the last two weeks here are my tasks:

• Drink 2 litres of water a day
• Body brush every morning
• Get enough sleep
• Exercise 3 times a week
• Be kind to me
• Eat my five a day

I will be adding to this in order to catch up with the other girlies, but it's a start, and boy do I need it!

I'll keep you all updated with how I'm doing week by week with my tasks and the difference in me! Remember, you're not too late to give to give it a go too yknow!