The Christmas Tag

Source [edited]

It's no secret that I absolutely bloody love Christmas. Scrooge I certainly am not.  I'm one of those people who will burst into a verse of Slade at any given time...the type to adorn the comedy reindeer antlers and suggest a family game of Charades long after the golden caramel barrels have disappeared from the Roses Tin. I just love it all and I'm like such a big kid at this time of year. So when I was tagged by the lovely Aymie to do the Christmas Tag - of course, I got typing straight away. Any excuse for a festive chit-chat - and since we've all broken into our advent calendars this morning (let's face it, you're never to old), it seemed the perfect time to get a little bit festive...

What's your favourite Christmas movie/s?

My all-time favourite has to be 'The Greatest Store in the World'.  It's by no means a well-known classic (it was a mission and a half to track down the DVD) but if you're a fellow 90s child with a deep-seated love for S-Club-7 (they appear in the film), then you'll love it and I highly recommend you hunt it down. It's basically about a family who are made homeless just before Christmas and they attempt to hide-out and live in a big, London department store for the 'big day' without being found by the management. It's so cheesy in parts but it really does get across the real meaning of Christmas and the moment when the little girl gives Mr Whiskers a jelly bean just melts my heart (gold star to you if you know which bit I'm talking about).  

I'm also a fan of Miracle on 34th Street, Deck the Halls, and of course, Love Actually! I'm a bit strange with Christmas films, really. I don't go head over heels for Elf or The Grinch - I much prefer a good old classic or the ones that aren't as hyped... Got to love a dose of Home Alone though, haven't you?

Do you open presents on Christmas morning or Christmas evening?

Always on Christmas morning.  I sometimes wish we had the tradition of saving a select few for the evening and paced ourselves... but if there's presents to be unwrapped and gifts to be swapped, then we just go right on in! There's no time for being patient in my house!

Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?

I always remember getting so excited about writing Christmas cards for all my friends at primary school. I would take a great deal of time and effort choosing which picture best suited each person (it was a delicate operation) and I wrote them all out superly-duperly neat with my gold, glittery gel pens and, if i was feeling particularly creative, I drew illustrations of reindeers for extra effect (yep...)  They made such a big thing of Christmas at my school,  and there was a big post-box made to look like a chimney in the hall which you sneakily posted your cards in to between lessons.  At the end of the day, they'd all be sorted into classes and you received all your envelopes to open.  It was so exciting and we'd all rush into the school hall afterwards to watch christmas films on the projector (life before proper technology eh?!) I always feel so lucky that my school made such a big thing of Christmas - I don't think you really get that anymore but it really made that time of year so much more special.

What's your favourite festive food?

PIGS IN BLANKETS!!! Seriously - if you're next to me at the dinner table and there's a pig in a blanket on the edge of your plate - don't expect it to stay there.  I'd happily eat a whole bowl of them.  I love Christmas dinner as a whole though - I don't know why but it always tastes so much better than regular dinner even though there's not much difference aside from a bit of turkey and a brussel sprout or 2... is it just me?

What's been your favourite Christmas gift?

The Polly Pocket Dream World always stands out to me - there's many a photograph of me on Christmas Day lecturing family members on the ins and outs of why it was so bloomin' fantastic. But it was! I loved Polly Pockets as a child and I would sit and arrange all of the little compacts on my living room floor so they made up a 'city'...Polly Pockets = hours of fun. They beat the much anticipated Furbie by a mile.

What's your favourite Christmas scent?

Tinsel.  My Mum always thinks this is really weird but seriously, I could sit and sniff tinsel allllll day long. It just reminds me of Christmas... When I see it all lined up in shops I secretly have a bit of an urge to dive into it - why is it just so inviting?! I also have a festively-scented oil which I use in my bedroom and it just makes me feel all cosy and happy.  

Do you have a Christmas Eve tradition?

Sometimes, we all tottle off to the garden centre and look around the christmas baubles and decorations.  This sounds absolutely bonkers but if you're a fellow Christmas Eve garden-centerer you'll know exactly what I mean (we have a really nice one not too far from us who always make a massive deal of it all...) We all come home, have a little tipple or two, and sit down to watch Christmas films whilst trying our very best to resist breaking into the Roses tin...   Later on, I always like to have some 'me time' and I'll sit and watch Love Actually whilst wrapping the last of my family's presents after a lovely, Christmas-themed bath (Lush's Snow Fairy, anyone?!) and a mug of Spiced Winter Red tea.

What tops your tree?

Just your average bog standard star. Nothing spectacular but we always make sure that the tree is colour coordinated... it's a must in our house.

As a child, what was the one (crazy, extravagant) gift you wanted but never got?

I've spoken about this before in my 50 Random Facts About Me Tag, but I always asked for a donkey.  I just really quite fancied one and wasn't fooled by the scpiel about Santa not being able to fit one into his sleigh at all. In my mind, there was more than enough room for a donkey (it's smaller than a horse after all) and I felt so much disappointment when there wasn't a donkey-shaped present smack-bang in the middle of my living room come christmas morning. I'd soon forget about it when the Polly Pockets were unveiled though... Parents? You are forgiven.

What do you think is the best part of Christmas?

It goes without saying that family-time is the best part of Christmas - it really is.  I love that there's a certain magic in the air, everybody seems much happier in general and that it seems to bring people together.  If I'm honest though, I often love the build-up to Christmas more than the actual day itself. I love walking around Christmas markets in the freezing cold...I love festive hot chocolates and getting cosy at home with family and friends and I love all the Christmas songs and family films on TV.  I'm such a big kid when it comes to festivities... pass this girl the comedy santa hat!

Phew. That one was a long's wasn't it?! If you made it to the end - I applaud you.  I tag Liza, Rachel, Mel, Kayleigh and Leanne to do this post - but I also tag any of you reading - there's too many of you to mention! If you decide to go ahead and join in - do leave the link below as I'd love to have a nosey...

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas! 

A Little Bit of... The 'TMI' Tag

Howdy folks. So, it's no secret that I've been struggling to keep up with my usual blog schedule at the moment. Uni work has had to take priority over most things in my life the past couple of months and as a result, I've had to spend less time typing my life away on Bird's Words.  However, I had a few spare moments the other day and quite fancied branching out from my usual beauty related jibberish. I don't often share a great deal of my life on my blog - I rarely dip my toe into more personal posts unless I really do have something useful to say, but after seeing the 'TMI Tag' pop up on blogs and after the lovely Laura-Beth tagged me to do it, I decided to give it a go.  Let's face it - we all like talking about ourselves and we all enjoy being complete nosey parkers in other people's lives, right? I haven't answered every single question - I feel as if I've answered a few of them in past 'get to know me' typed posts and some of them just seemed a little pointless or weren't overly relevant to me so I've just selected a few of the more 'meaty' ones (I also ramble on quite a bit - I'm definitely not your one word answer type so 50 questions in one post would equal quite an essay that would rival the likes of my dissertation...) If you want to do the TMI tag in full then it's easy to google and come across (or hop on over to Laura-Beth's blog who tagged me - she's a beaut!)  But, if like me, you're a fellow chit-chatter-er, then feel free to just answer the ones I've chosen. Who makes the rules, eh?! It's ok to pick n' choose! I tag all of my fellow bloggers...

Have you got any tattoos?

Nope. I'm far too indecisive to get one and I'm so fickle when it comes to things like that.  I know for a fact I'd get it and regret where I'd got it or what I'd had done.  If I had one though, it would probably be bird-inspired or have something to do with a family member - I'd want it to have a meaning behind it and I'd want it to be fairly small.

Piercings?

Here's an interesting fact about me - I have none! I never saw the point in getting my ears pierced because I almost always wear my hair down and it's rather difficult to spot my ears amongst my mass of hair. I reckon it would annoy me having them in. I'm stuck without them done now because I'd look a right twerp going to get them done aged 23 wouldn't I?! 

How tall are you/How much do you weigh?
Funnily enough, I actually get asked this quite a bit through email! I believe I'm 5"4/3ish but I could be wrong.  I'm quite the little elf really...  And as for how much I weigh.  I haven't got the foggiest.  I never weigh myself as quite frankly, I'm just not bothered.  As long as I feel healthy and I think I'm alright then I couldn't care less what a set of scales say to me.

Have you ever been in love?

Oh how I hate this question. Because you always think you are until you look back and realise it was probably a case of the rose-tinted spectacles don't you? I've had 2 long term relationships but I'd say I truly loved only one of those people.  I was quite young(ish) and the time and I didn't really appreciate it like I would do now.  Love is hard to find.

Have you ever had a terrible breakup?

I wouldn't say a terrible breakup, no.  We all have to go through the whole Bridget Jones 'woe is me I'll never find another man again' stage don't we?  I'd say my last breakup was pretty crappy to be honest - but if we're being totally honest here I was probably more upset about leaving the cat behind...

Something you miss?

At the moment, I'm seriously missing having some routine in my life! I'm really struggling with sleep and I'm often tossing and turning until 5 or 6 in the morning... I've put it down to the fact that I just have no routine in my life now that I'm in my final year of uni.  I actually miss the 9-5 of being at work.

Zodiac Sign?

Leo. Yep - that's right. The stubborn one ;) I have to say, if you google Leo characteristics, I'm SO spot on it's unreal - it actually amazes me how close the descriptions are. There must be some truth to the whole star sign thing...

Quality you look for in a partner?

Oh flippin'eck where do I start?! I guess all the typical things - well dressed, well groomed, someone who quite clearly looks after themselves.  The main thing is having someone who's on my level and who I can be 'Beth' around without having to feel like I have to impress them all the time.  Someone with a bit of banter, as they say! I won't lie and say looks don't matter, but if I can't have a lark around and a giggle with someone then they're off the cards. I think somebody trustworthy is important too - after all, you can have the looks, the personality and everything in between but if you can't trust them as far as you can throw them, what's the point in that?!

Turn off?
I'm not drawn to 'plodders' - those who just plod along in life and are happy just cruising along... I much prefer the 'grab the bull by the horns' type.  I also hate arrogance, bossiness, cockiness and 'typical lad' types - NO NO NO. Get away.  You know the ones - the little sleazeball creatures out in town on a Saturday night, prowling the tiles looking for this weekend's bit of prey (since when did this post turn into a David Attenborough spesh?!) If i meet someone and I can tell straight away they're even slightly 'like that' - no matter how many boxes they tick, it's a case of sling yer hook. 

Favourite Quote?

'Everything will be ok in the end. If it's not ok, it's not the end'.  I've had quite a few tough times the past few years and this has always been at the back of my mind. Everything always turns out alright in the end no matter how long it takes. I also like 'Don't compare your beginning to someone else's middle'. I often feel as if I'm a step behind some of my friends who are all settled down in jobs and are either engaged or getting very close to being married off (even though we're all around the age of 23-25...apparently that's old now?!).  I'm hoping I'll find my dream job after I finish uni, and as for being left on the shelf? Well, I'm seriously hoping I'm not still fishing around in the singles pond when I'm getting towards the edge of my twenties *shudders*

What are your fears?

At the moment - I'm terrified of not being able to find a job after I finish uni.  I'm the type of person who won't take a job for the sake of it, and after being in a job i hated for 5 years, I'm not taking any chances. I hate uncertainty.  I'm definitely not one of these 'happy go lucky' types - I like some stability and I like to know I'm all good in life. I've been worrying no end about everything the past month or so and this has to top the list.

Favourite Show?

Oh it has to be Prison Break doesn't it?! I could watch it over and over and over again and I can guarantee I'll still be watching it with baited breath as if I'd never seen it in my life. I'll also openly admit I bloody love TOWIE. I love all that sort of crap. I'm also partial to a bit of 'Don't Tell the Bride' - I'm addicted to it and I get ever so excited when a new series comes on.  Did you see the one where he wanted her to jump out of a plane before she said 'I do'?! Goodness me, I'd have a fit!

Favourite Bands?

Err... One Direction? ;) I jest... I jest... Obviously I'm far too old to be a 1D fan... *cough* I quite like The 1975 at the minute, though!

Favourite Flavour of sweet...
I love those little jelly strawberries you find in Pick n' Mix sections. The really chewy ones that nobody else ever seems to pick out. You're missing out, by the way.

Favourite Song?

There's far too many to mention.  I have a playlist on my iPod full of all the songs that remind me of one of the best holiday's I've ever had in my life - I can't reel them all off but if I'm ever a bit glum, I'll pop it on and I'm instantly reminded of good times with my friends. I also love Snow Patrols 'Just Say Yes' and Justin Timberlake's 'Mirrors'. 

Do you have a crush?

Oh yes. Who doesn't?I have to say I'm not one of these people who's tempted with a load of celebrities - I hardly ever have 'crushes' (i hate that word...) on people I can't have. That's just setting yourself up for disappointment isn't it?! I prefer focusing my attention on people much closer to home. I like an actual challenge.

The last song you sang?

I've just been in the car and was singing along to a bit of Whitney's 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' on Gem106... I don't mess about when I'm in the car on my own... You's can't beat a bit of Gem106 at full whack when you fancy a sing-along!

Where do you go when you're sad?

Sometimes I'll go for a drive in my car and I'll park up somewhere quiet and have a little cry.  I hate people seeing me cry or knowing I'm upset so I try and hold off the water-works until I'm on my own. I can hide the fact I'm feeling upset very, very well - I'm one of those people who bottles everything up and pretends they're happy til the point where I sometimes even forget I'm feeling sad.

A place you want to visit...

I love to travel (although I hate flying) but I can't think of a specific place that I have an overwhelming urge to visit.  I've always fancied the Maldives or Hawaii for some reason.  And I'd love to go to Santorini and Skopelos in Greece.  I really want to pretend I'm Sophie from Mamma Mia and go about my daily life singing Abba songs in my flip-flops with my hair in beachy waves... I have a lifetime goal to visit all of the Greek islands. But we shall see how that one goes.

The last sport you played...

I shan't lie. It was probably back in the day at school.  I was always the one who got picked last for teams and 'PE day' always put me in a horrible mood.  I've knocked over high jumps, twisted my arm rather badly attempting to get over a vaulting horse, hit myself in the face with a rounders bat and I've given myself a black eye and a swollen cheek from running into a log.  Yep. You couldn't make it up really could you? I'll stick to writing essays and putting on lipgloss in class, thanks!

Favourite Colour?

As much as I do like a dash of pink (i'm such a girly girl), believe it or not, my favourite colour is blue. Let's get specific here though - it ain't just any old blue! I love the really bright 'summer ocean' typed blues... the ones that instantly remind you of being on holiday in sunnier climes!

Have you ever been in a physical fight?

Nope. I'm just not the type of person to get myself into situations like that.  I'm sure we've all had a few sharp words now and again - i certainly have - but I've never, ever thrown a punch in anyone's direction.  To be honest, I'd be daft if I did - I'm such a weakling. I struggle to win a thumb war.

The reason you started blogging?

I cut my full-time hours at my place of work and had a lot more spare time on my hands - I found myself getting so bored on all my days off and wanted something worthwhile to get my mitts into! There's only so many times you can watch repeats of Friends on Comedy Central, ya know! I'd been reading blogs for about a year and really wanted to start my own. 

The meaning behind your blog name?

I explain more in my FAQ! But it basically derived from my nickname amongst my group of friends (Bird) - hence 'Bird's Words'. To be honest, I often wonder about my blog name - it doesn't sound very beauty-related at all does it?!  Anyone who arrives here expecting reviews about various species of bird is gonna be disappointed to say the least... Sorry, if that's what you were after. Maybe try National Geographic...

The last time you were insulted?

I can't remember to be honest! I shall tell you a story about a little girl I spoke to at work though because I will forever remember it. She was plaiting my hair whilst we were waiting for her mum and we were talking about Disney Princesses.  She said 'but your hair is like a princesses'. I thought 'oh how lovely'. But then she continued and said 'It's a bit orange though'. Kids don't hold back at all do they? I'd recently had my hair stripped from black to light brown and in all honesty, it was a little on the brassy side. I spent the rest of the day catching glimpses of my ruined barnet in all of the shop mirrors and asking my colleagues if it really was 'that bad'.  Bless that little girl, she wasn't half lovely but she really did kill me off that day. I have nothing against orange hair, by the way! But it looked bloomin' awful on me and it was clearly obvious I'd had a dye-mishap. When your work shirt is a dashing shade of bright red and your shop lights have the power to blind you with their brightness - orange probably isn't the best way to go.

And there we have it.  My take on the 'TMI' tag. If there's something in here I've missed that you would really like to know the answer to then fire away, but I tried to pick the more interesting ones of the bunch! From now on, I vow to post more random little tag posts like this... It's good to throw one into the mix now and again after all.  

If you've done the TMI tag over on your blog, do let me know and I shall hop on over and have a stalk...

Beauty Things I Suck At

Cripes. It's May already. Time flies. Some of my regular readers may have noticed I've gone somewhat 'skew-wiff' just recently with my usual posting habits.  I'm the type of person that loves routine, especially when it comes to days I get my blogging-hat on. For those of you who follow me on twitter you may have seen that I had the ever so fabulous idea of taking it upon myself to write, design and illustrate a children's book for my final project at uni, all in the space of about 4 weeks (smashing idea that, Beth - you've really made things easy for yourself!). I've enjoyed doing it so much but I've spent many a late night sat at my kitchen table, clicking away on Photoshop or covered in watercolour paint - snacking on endless packs of Dairy Milk Giant Buttons as I go (straight out of the fridge - THE one and only way to eat chocolate buttons - none of this room-temperature malarky! ffs..).  It's all coming together though, and for those of you interested I will hopefully have an online version put up on my 'profesh' website over the summer, so I shall provide the link when it's all done and dusted.  I only have another week or so left of having the deadline looming over me, so fear not, I shall be back to my usual schedule pretty soon and back into the swing. Anyway, on a recent rare chance I've had to actually sit on the sofa and browse the interwebs (after completing this book never ever again shall I take for granted the joy of just sitting on a sofa and doing nothing..), I noticed this tag floating around the world of YouTube. Whilst watching a few other beauty fanatics ramble about things that they 'suck at' in the world of cosmetics, it occurred to me that one is actually pretty cruddy when it comes to certain things that crop up in one's beauty regime from time to time.  I thought I'd talk you through 5 things I just cannot get the grip of..

French Plait | Can I do a french plait to save my life? Well the answer is basically, no. No I can't do a french plait to save my life. Ask me to do a fishtail braid or a regular bog-standard plait and i'll whip one up for you in a swish of a puppy dog's tail, but ask me to do a simple french plait and I'm useless to you. They're just far to fiddly for my little hands to fathom.

Eyebrows | If you read my Advice to my Teenage Self post (link here) you will know about my lack of arch on my eyebrows. It's taken me a very long time to get eyebrows that look remotely substantial ever since I got too familiar with my Tweezermans (wow that sounds iffy doesn't it..I can assure you it's not). I'm pretty nifty with eyebrow wax and my brow gels now (the HD brows palette is also a godsend) but I can never, ever get them to look the same. I know that people harp on about them being 'sisters not twins', but sometimes mine don't even look like they're friends let alone from the same family.  It's very rare that I'll do my eyebrows and think I've done a swish job of it. 

False Eyelashes | Although I do wear them from time to time and I love how they look, I hate applying false eyelashes.  I somehow always end up ruining the makeup I've already applied.  When I was 17/18 I went through a stage where I wore eyelashes every single day. I even went as far as to wear them on a flight and they absolutely wrecked my peepers (if you have sensitive eyes I really don't recommend you do it!).  I have such a love/hate relationship with them and guarantee if I'm getting ready for a night out you will find me sulking in the bathroom because my false eyelashes are giving my grief.  If I'm in a rush, I can't apply them.  Bare in mind I've had a lot of experience with them so I should be a dab-hand by now. I do the whole apply glue, waft hands in the air and apply when tacky thing but to no avail. Fiddly things don't mesh well with me.

Eyeliner flicks | Okay. So maybe I'm not completely rubbish with this but it's just the whole 'flicky' thing that has me in a right kerfuffle. It takes so much concentration and I get so close to the mirror I might as well be in it.  Liquid eyeliner is my staple 'go to' makeup look but the flicky-bits never ever turn out the same. Much like my eyebrows.  And don't get me started on gel liner. Just no. I'll stick to my Loreal Super Liner Ultra Slim thanks..much more Beth-friendly.
 

Getting My Hair Cut |  I've spoken about this on my blog before, but me and hair dressing salons do not get on well together. When I was younger, you could have sat me in any dentist's chair, waved drills and tooth picks in my face til your heart's content and as long as I got a sticker at the end of it then I would quite happily sit there and twiddle my thumbs like butter wouldn't melt - but sit me in a hairdressing chair and I'd morph into a devil child. Not the screamy-shouty type I might add, but I certainly cried one heck of a lot as soon as I saw someone with a pair of scissors, and used to shake my head and repeat the words 'don't cut much off' until the ordeal was over.  I caused a bit of a fuss, to say the least, and I can imagine a few of my past hairdressers decided to take a day off sick when they saw my name down on the books... There's just something I don't like very much about having a pair of scissors near my hair and fast-forward a few years and I still dread it. I still have a bit of an 'OHMYGOD don't cut that much off' moment every time I see a centimetre fall to the floor. Therefore, I don't go for trims as much as I should and split ends are probably having a field day on my barnet. I'm quite aware hair grows faster and healthier with regular trims and I'm probably doing myself no favours, but I often take to cutting it myself with my own hairdressing scissors. In fact, I don't think I've been in over a year now. Slap my wrist and call me a bad beauty blogger but I just hate getting trims and make no secret of it. 

So, there's a select few of the things I suck at.

What beauty things are you less than nifty with? 

Advice To My Teenage Self & Silly Things We Did At School

Me last year on my nan's boat in Norfolk | Quote - Oscar Wilde | Frizzy-mess hair courtesy of - The Wind.

Every now and again, I like to type up a little (what I like to call) 'slice of lifestyle pie'.  This post wasn't planned - spur of the moment n' all that..  I haven't edited so do forgive me for it being a little rambly and rather lengthy, but I know a few of you enjoy my diary/life related posts and I often sit down with a cuppa to read things like this on other blogs (apologies to those of you who prefer no more than a couple of papargraphs ;)) A while back, I saw posts like these floating around the bloggersphere yet never decided to do one myself.  You know when you have one of those reflective moments in life (getting a bit deep here..get the goggles out!) when you think back to your younger days, think about how you've changed as a person and things you would change if you had the chance?

Me and my best friend sat on my bedroom floor (we never sit on chairs, always the floor..we have done since we were 12) on one of our many girlie nights the other week, and looked through all of our notes and letters we used to sneakily pass to each other at school in our lessons. We kept a big stash of them in an envelope and now and again, like our own little time capsule, we open this top secret envelope and look back on our younger days. It was a right hoot, let me tell you.  It really took me back to being a teenager again and how carefree our lives actually were - even though some of what we said in these letters really made us cringe, it was fabulous to look back and reminisce. All the little notes we have kept are written on torn out pages of our school books and planners (and believe me we used every last inch of those little torn pieces of paper) we folded them up into teeny-tiny little squares within an inch of their life, so they were as discreet as they could possibly be.  I still remember the sheer horrifying, gut-wrenching moment when our english teacher snatched the note we had been writing back and forth for the whole lesson from our hands, and threatened to read it out to the whole class. After a few whimpers from the both of us and the exchange of looks on our faces, we spent the whole lesson on the edge of our plastic chairs. He never did read that note out, and for that I am eternally grateful (thankyou, Mr Brandreth, in the very unlikely case you're reading this), but we never got that letter back.  I can just imagine him going home, finding it in his suit pocket and thinking to himself what a strange pair of students we really were.  We used to make up our own languages and words and create secret 'code names' for boys we both liked. I used to vandalise her pencil case with 'I love ? IDST' (If destroyed still true..who remembers that fabulous little abbreviation creation!?) and 'Sarah smells' - every single young teenager cliche you can think of, we did. Skip foward a few years and at 22/23 we are still the best of friends. I still tell her everything, we still sit and gossip about male species and er..related subjects, and we still giggle at things we used to giggle at when we first met (we still crack out the made-up words now and again).  There's nothing like a friendship where you can still whip out the same jokes you used when you were younger and still cry tears of laughter years later. 

Although my days at school were happy ones, and I wouldn't change them for the world, I wouldn't like to go back to them now.  I know people say your school days are the best days of your life, and although this is true in the sense that you have nothing to worry about except deciding the route which gives you the best possibility of seeing a certain boy between lessons, school-life is like living your life in a little bubble.  You can't get away from the 'popular crowd', the bitchy gossiping and even the class bully no matter how hard you try.  When I was at school I remember thinking that the way things were in that building was reflective of how things would be when I 'grew up' - and I wish I'd have known how things would be in a few years time. Saying this, I loved school - I really did.  Mine was a little rough around the edges at times, the type of school where it was the 'in thing' to do anything and everything besides doing your work and the popular crowd was made up of some pretty colourful characters, but I still turned out just fine (I'm not saying it was gang-land or anything, but you get my drift..) Here's a few little tit-bits I would tell my teenage self if I had the chance to now..
 

| Stand up for yourself gurrrrl! |

Sometimes, you'll wish you stood up for yourself a little bit more - but in the end you'll be glad that you stayed true to yourself and didn't cause a fuss. That inner confidence you have is never going to go away and in a few years time you'll see it to it's full potential. But I wish sometimes that you'd told some people exactly what you thought and spoke your mind a bit more. Don't be so polite that you come across like a doormat to be walked all over. Don't worry though, in a few years time those people won't matter at all, and you'll even have the chance to prove some of them wrong. Remember that time when your cooking teacher went crazy at you, made you give up your lunch hour to wash up all the pots that someone else 'forgot' to wash up and you got the blame for their laziness..(even when you'd already done your pots and pans)? You didn't want to cause a fuss so you just did it anyway, albeit with a bit of a huff and a puff, a scowl on your face and a few muttered curse words under your breath, but you still did it. I admire your attitude towards certain situations and I'm glad you knew when it was best to keep your mouth shut, but your future self would have told that woman politely where to shove those pots and pans.

 | Continue to work hard |

Keep working hard, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I'm so glad you didn't give in and fall in with the wrong crowd. The 'popular crowd' might be popular in school but when they leave, trust me, you'll have the last laugh.  You also have some serious thankyou's to owe to your art teachers - they are the one's that gave you the confidence to get where you are now and if it wasn't for them, you'd have been stuck struggling to understand that Psychology A-level you attempted to take.. (that career wouldn't really have gone very far would it? Not when you struggle to write the name of the subject correctly..let alone write an essay on it..) And please stop messing around in your Geography lessons.. looking back now I feel so sorry for your teacher...

| You're a good judge of character - for goodness sake - use it |

There's a few friends you will have that aren't good for your well being at all - I'm so glad you let go of them but I wish you had done it sooner.  Don't let the people who don't care about their education and their future pull you back. They might think they look ever-so popular and amazing now, but in a few years time you'll realise that it's really not worth it and that the tables turn very quickly.  There's one friend who you'll still be close to in your 20's and one that will be a friend for life - you already know who she is - I'm so glad you didn't let that one go because you still have the same amount of giggles now than you did when you were 11.  

| Stop caring so much what people think of you |

Who cares if a certain boy that takes your fancy doesn't feel the same back!? In a few years time he will actually send you a message asking you to go out for a drink (#truestory) and you will show him the same courtesy that he showed you. Stop caring so much about what people think of you, there's plenty of time to be grown up about stuff, and try not to let words effect you so much. It's still your greatest downfall now. Nip it in the bud now, please.

| Don't wish away your teenager days |

You have a fabulous opportunity to enjoy yourself every day and not have to worry about work - use it.  Never again will you have the chance to spend time with your best friends every single day of the week and finish the day at 3:00! Make the most of it! 

| Stop worrying |

You'll always be a natural worrier, this will never ever change, but you'll soon realise that things don't matter half as much as you thought they did.  Also, stop worrying so much about your panic attacks - you will go through a very tough time with them but you're going to come out the other end so much better and you'll learn to cope with them. Stick with it. Things will get better. I promise you. I wish so much you'd known this a few years back. And please stop obsessing over boys.. jeeeeez woman! 

| Please stop plucking your eyebrows |

For goodness sake, stop plucking your eyebrows. You'll regret being so tweezer-happy with them in a few years time when you have the worst arches in the world, trust me.

| A little fashion/beauty advice... |

That fake playboy bowling bag you got from the market that you think looks amazing? IN.THE.BIN. Burn it. Attach it to a breeze block or something and throw it in a deep expanse of water. Just get rid of it! Nobody looks good with a bowling bag. Your future self will be so embarrassed (#cringin'ell!). Your mother was right, that metallic white eyeshadow looks awful (as does that eyeliner you apply round the back of the garages when you know she can't see you applying more makeup) And those synthetic hair extensions you thought looked amazing. They don't. What on earth made you think that having black and pink stripes in your lovely blonde hair looked nice in any way shape or form?

So there we have it, I could go on but these are things I'd love to tell myself should I have the chance.  I'd love to tell my teenage self about how things are now, about my journey so far but I've enjoyed being a little bit indecisive at times and letting things work themselves out.  

What would you tell your teenage self if you could go back now? Any of my memories remind you of your own school days? If you decide to do a similar post, do let me know - I love a good reminisce, me! @Beth_BirdsWords.

50 Random Facts About Me | Tag

Hiddely-ho folks! So. I've seen this '50 random facts about me' thing going on just recently and I thought it was about time I got my teeth into a little personal/life related post! I really struggled thinking of 25 let alone 50! But nevertheless I persevered, racked my little brain and I got there in the end.. You may have also seen on Twitter that I got to the end of this post and accidentally deleted every single word of it like the complete clumsy little elf I am.. So I've had to think of 50 facts about me, twice over! A task and a half I'm sure you can imagine..

1.  My hair is naturally poker straight.

2. I've always had fairly light hair and I had white 'barbie' hair up until the age of about 10/11.

3. I love watching prison documentaries. Or anything with Louie Theroux in. If a programme has a title containing something along the lines of  'the world's worst prisons' then the record button is most certainly pressed. And well, if Louie Theroux is presenting said programme then Oh My Goodness it's a dream come true.

4. I have a teeny-tiny mole underneath the ridge of my bottom lip that always gets mistaken for a biro mark. 

5.  I used to really want to be an air hostess. Up until the age of 11 when i decided half-way to Florida that I was actually scared of flying.

6. Which brings me on to my next point... I'm fascinated by all things travel related. If I hadn't gone to uni to study graphic design I would have probably pursued a career in travel & tourism. There's just something that's really captured me about travel from a very young age - I even went to great lengths to get a work placement in a travel agent at 15! I think working abroad would be an amazing experience.

7. My favourite colour is blue.

8. I love ice hockey. Watching it. Not playing it.

9. I'm an only child. Although I wouldn't describe myself as a 'typical only child'.

10. My lucky number is 4.

11.  I made my best friend watch 'Bend It Like Beckham' with me over and over again when we were younger simply because Jonathon Rhys Meyer's accent made me swoon.

12.  I love elephants. I adore them. I think they're beautiful. I'd have a pet one if it was physically possible.

13. When I was a very young child I used to carry a toy hoover around with me everywhere. (wahhh strange..) I used to love my wooden toy farm and Polly Pockets were the best thing since sliced bread!

14. My first crush was on Leonardo Di Caprio and me and one of my school friends used to sit and watch 'The Beach' everytime we had a sleepover. What a dish.

15.  I'm terrified of cockroaches. The way they move, the way their little whisker things flail around in the dark and how evil they look. They disgust me.

16.  I hate it when people speak in overly posh accents like they're the queen or something. It's almost like they put it on and it really annoys me. Unless of course they are actually the Queen. That's fine...

17. I love cats. All of them. Even the grumpy ones.

18. I have a weakness for Chinese takeaways.

19. I have a massive sombrero hat underneath my bed. I bought one thinking it was hilarious when on holiday. I obviously didn't think about the practicality of bringing it home again..

20.  I love cheesecake. Any kind but vanilla is best! The Cheesecake Shop is my favourite sweet treat.

21. I could watch the TV series 'Benidorm' on repeat. I don't know why I love it so much. I guess it's because it's easy watching!

22. I can't wait to have my own place to decorate. Going to IKEA is my idea of a smashing day out.. even if it is for the free pencils and a hot dog at the end.

23. I love airports. When i was little I remember my parents taking me to the airport cafe so I could sit and listen to the 'airplane' noises for a little while.

24. I kept a diary every day when I was in year 8. I still have it and sometimes have a read back through it for jokes and giggles. Every single page is either about boys or my hatred of PE lessons as I was completely useless at it (i once twisted my arm attempting to do a 'vault' over a tiny little stool and I knocked down the entire high jump and landed in a heap on the gym floor - PE was definitely not my forte!) Funny how not being able to hit the ball in rounders was the only thing I had to worry about back then...

25.  I'm a bit of an art geek. I could happily spend a whole afternoon trawling round art galleries and having arty-farty conversations with strangers...

26. I really want to get into Graphic Design or Illustration when I finish uni. I want a job I enjoy doing for a living.

27. I don't drink a lot of alcohol. It just doesn't agree with me. I stop drinking once I feel tipsy and move onto soft drinks! I just can't take my drink very well... who says you can't have a good night out on Sprite!?

28. I hate mayonnaise. I cant eat anything with it on. Even if it's just a little droplet of the stuff.

29.  I collect children's books as I love the illustrations in them. My favourites being 'Where The Wild Things Are' and 'The Tiger Who Came To Tea'. 'The Rainbow Fish' doesn't go a miss either...

30. I hate people listening to me on the telephone if I'm having a full blown conversation!

31. I hate horror movies. Or anything overly 'jumpy' - they bring on my panic attacks! Give me a rom-com any day...

32. I loved English Language at school and I used to look forward to any creative writing lessons. Actual Swot.

33. I once dyed my hair black on a whim because I love Mila Kunis' hair. It looked effing awful and I kept it for all of 12 hours. It took ages to get it back to a half decent colour.  One of the worst beauty mistakes I ever made.

34. My car's name is Mirabelle. Whenever I go anywhere I tap her on the steering wheel before I get out as if to say 'thankyou' for being such a good car! Ahaha.. weirdo..

35. I love crisps. I'd eat them over chocolate anyday and will happily sit and scoff packets one after the other.

36. I am so forgetful. I forget everything and anything. I have post-it notes all over my bathroom mirror and I even have to put them on the back of my iPhone so I remember things.  I almost always still forget. I've heard it gets worse as you get older.. so at 22 I have no hope!

37. If something annoys me I find it very difficult not to speak up. I'm not a confrontational person at all.. in fact - I hate arguments. But if I'm really against something or if I have something to say I like to speak up for myself.

38.  I'm addicted to buying bikinis! I buy ridiculous amounts of them and as a result now have to dedicate a whole drawer in my bedroom to them.  It's silly really seeing as I only ever wear them when i'm abroad.. but they're something I enjoy buying and I have one for every single mood and 'level of tan' possible!

39. I used to ask Santa Claus for a donkey every year when I was little. Never got one.

40. I love summer and sunny days put me in a reet good mood in an instant!

41. I hate coffee. I hate the smell of it on people's breaths and I find the taste awful! I like the smell of it when it's in the mug though..

42.  I love perfumes. I have a drawer full of them!! and yes.. i use them all!!

43.  I struggle to say the word 'squirrel'

44. I am the biggest home bird you will ever meet.  I love being cosy at home and it's very rare I will venture out of my house once the pyjamas have gone on. I much prefer nights in to nights out!

45. I've become a secret fan of watching Question Time. But it often gets my back up!

46.  I love Greece. I love it's simplicity and the whole culture surrounding it. I think it's very endearing and it holds a special place in my heart.

47.  I have a fascination with abandoned places. There's an abandoned theme park near me and I used to go there when I was a child. There's not much left of it now - it's being built on in the near future but there's something a bit spooky about places that used to be full of people that are now completely deserted. I'm still yet to find someone who wants to go with me. Suppose it is a bit strange though .. 'oh hey.. fancy taking a trip to that huge expanse of un-used land with me?' hmmm..

48. I'm crap at maths. But i'm pretty snappy with percentages! I must have been very selective with what I learnt in Maths lessons.. I'm a whizz when it comes to working out how much discount i'll get off something in Topshop. Sod algebra! 

49.  I love reading books about crime and grisly stuff! I think I secretly want to be a member of CSI...

50.   I love wearing heels. I wear them most days.. even if it's just a little one... I lack in the height department so an extra bit of tall-ness allows me to feel like I mean business!

A massive pat on the back to you if you actually made it to the end! Do i share any of these random things in common with any of you?!

 ♥ 

Tag: You're It!

image:weheartit (edited)

Ohhh how I love a little tag post when I'm at a complete loss of what to write. I have Natalie over at youralmostalice to thank for this one, and I thought I'd take the chance to have a little ramble.

Rules:

- Every tagged person has to tell 11 things about themselves

- The person who tagged you asked 11 questions, answer them

- Ask 11 questions for the 11 blogs you're going to tag

- Mention the blog that tagged you but don't tag back

11 things about me:

1. I once kept a diary every day for a whole year

2. I love going on holiday and a massive chunk of my wages goes on trips abroad, and clothes to go in my suitcase! There's always a holiday brochure lying around my bedroom somewhere.

3. I can be very competitive..never in a nasty way though. I'm definitely not the vicious type...

4. I absoloutely adore elephants.

5. I'd rather eat a pack of crisps than a chocolate bar. Smokey bacon is preference.

6. I'm terrified of being sick. And cockroaches. And i'm not keen on flying either...

7. I'm very arty. I love drawing and making things. I can forget my troubles in an instant as soon as I pick up a paintbrush. I find it all very theraputic.

8. I once dyed my hair black and hated it. 

9. I love driving at night. It makes me feel relaxed.

10. I love chinese food. 

11. I paint my nails up to 3 times a week - I feel naked without any colour on my talons.

1. If you were stranded on a desert island with one other person, who would you want it to be and why?

My best friend. We have been friend's since we were 11, have essentially grown up together, share the same sense of humour and she strolls into my house as if it's her own home. I could imagine being stuck on a desert island with her would be side-splittingly hilarious and together we are just the ultimate dream team.

2. What is your most embarrassing moment?

oh I have wayyy too many to mention. I'm so clumsy and there's so many embarrassing moments involving me falling over that I'd be here forever trying to pick one. So I shall go for one that instantly pops into my mind. I was once on a school trip in Germany and we had all just arrived at the hotel and settled in our rooms. Being a typical group of girls, we went to see some of the boys in their room as it had a cooker and we were slightly amazed that their room was so much better than ours. I can't remember what happened but it involved us all being chased back into our room by one of the boys, and I dashed through my bedroom door only to be greeted by one of my school teachers, in the middle of getting changed, staring back at me with her jumper half over her head screaming at me to get out. Obviously i'd ran back into the wrong room in the excitement. She mentioned it the next day in front of everyone at breakfast and needless to say she hated me ever since. To be fair though, she could have locked the door?...

3. Three things that you would consider your biggest pet peeves?

Customers - the really rude ones that speak to you as if they're realms above you. I hate stereotypical men, and I also hate it when I can hear people eating or chewing.. or indeed even just rustling a pack of crisps...

4. Your favourite place in the world?

Home. I am the biggest home-bird you will ever meet and as much as I love travelling and going away to lovely places, nothing beats the feeling of coming home after you've been away for so long.

5. What's your dream job?

Anything to do with illustration or graphic design. I've always been a creative person and I'd love to do something with it. Hence why i quit going down the 'retail' path and decided to go to uni. I really want to be able to say 'i love my job'. I'd love to wake up in the morning and not dread going into work. That would be fabulous.

6. Your favourite thing about blogging?

Without a doubt the social side of it all. I think most bloggers would say the same. I also love coming home after a long day and reading through every single post on my reading list (does anyone else do this or is it just me?!)

7. One thing that is on your Christmas wishlist?

A new camera. I've been saving for one for ages but the 'rents have said they will chip in and help me. And of course a couple of beauty bits! What Christmas wouldn't be complete without a new lipstick or two?!

8. What is your most proudest achievement?

I'm proud of everything i've done to get me to where I am now.

9. Favourite lip colour?

As much as I adore bright reds and pinks for nights out, I love a good nude lip, me! They're just so wearable for everyday and it means I can be a bit more experimental with my eye makeup. I love muted pinks and peach tones.

10. A saying/motto that you live by?

My life goes by my star sign in the Metro. If the Metro says it's going to be a good day - then by heck it's going to be a jolly good day!

11. An unusual fact about yourself?

I really cannot think of anything unusual about me! I struggle to say the word 'squirrel'...?

My 11 Questions:

- What is your ultimate holy grail item?

- Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
- If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, alive or dead, who would it be?

- Your most treasured/favourite item in your wardrobe?

- What scares you?

- Your favourite childhood memory?

- What is the worst product you have ever used?

- What was your first makeup item?

- If you could have anyone's hairstyle, who would it be?

- What was your favourite subject in school?

- Who/what inspires you?

I Tag:

LolaRoseBlogger

Cosmetic Crave

Hannah's Bow

Lindsay Frances

Couture Girl

Amelias Allsorts

PandaxPink

KatieLewLa

LucyRosex

PrettyLittleObsessions

MissSunshineSparkle

  ♥

Tag: Why Do You Wear Make-Up?

Image: WeHeartIt (edited)

I was tagged by the lovely Katie from Katie Lew La to do this post - it's a short and snappy little tag - so I thought it would make for a jolly good light-hearted read. I think it's clear to see from reading other answers, that the majority of us come to the same conclusion when people ask us 'why do you wear make-up?'. I don't feel as if it is a need, but I feel much more presentable and confident with it... I like to feel like i'm making the best of myself. 

1. When did you begin loving make-up? I was into make-up way before any of my friends when I was younger. I remember being in the Brownies (ahh surely some of you went to a Brownie group and made cups of tea for 'Brown Owl'..right? ;)) and telling everyone I wanted to be a make-up artist when I grew up. I used to really annoy my poor friends - I'd take my make-up 'box' with me round to their houses and do them up using all the different coloured lipsticks and eyeshadows that I'd collected from magazines and birthday presents, whilst they would have happily sat and played Mario Kart on the N64... The obsession has pretty much grown from there... and here I am now with a set of drawers full of make-up in my bathroom and a beauty blog.

2. How do you feel without make-up? I'm not going to lie - I don't feel what one would call 'at one's best'. But i'm comfortable with myself without it. This said, I only ever go out without it if i'm going out in my car somewhere boring (Tesco, Maccies drive-thru..). If i'm on holiday I won't wear anything whatsoever until I go out at night - I suppose it depends on the situation. Day to day, I do like to apply make-up though. I wouldn't ever dream of going to uni or to work with nothing on at all. To be honest, with a bit of concealer and a quick flick of mascara i'm pretty content to go anywhere. I enjoy applying it and experimenting with different products, so applying make-up in the morning is just part of my day. I don't cake it on - I like to look made-up, but natural. I just like to feel at my best.

3. What do you like about make-up? It can bring out your best features, make you look presentable and above all, it hides all matter of sins! If i've had a late night, or my skin is looking dull, or if i've burnt myself on the face with my curling tongs and have a massive red rectangular mark on my cheek (true story.) then make-up will soften the imperfections and make you look as if you never accidentally burnt yourself whilst half asleep with your curlers that morning.

4. Three 'Holy Grail' items - oh this is just cruel.

Estee Lauder Smoothing Creme Concealer (review here)

Urban Decay's Naked Palette - every eyeshadow I could possibly need to survive - in one palette.

Illamasqua's powder blush in 'Lover' (post here) - the best blush I have ever owned and one I always go back to.

I tag all of my fellow bloggers to do this! I've just written a list and there was so many it just looked ridiculous... so - if you've got this far and are reading this - I tag you :) but you must, must, must tweet me or leave me a comment to tell me youve done it so I can have a nosey - it's only fair ;)

 ♥