Pay-day Treats

As those of you in the UK may know, yesterday was the glorious day that is known as pay-day. After starting my new job around 5 weeks ago, and spending the last 3 years as a penniless student, it would be a huge understatement to say I was a tad excited to finally get to this day. 

For working hard this month, I decided it was only fair to treat myself to a few new bits and pieces (along with one or two drinks Friday evening... Would be rude to turn down 2 for 1 cocktails surely?!). 

So this relaxed, and maybe slightly hungover, Saturday was spent browsing various shop's websites and finally being able to make a few of the purchases that have been sat in my online baskets for some time now. 

A little sneak peak at a few of the purchases

After being a student for such a long time I'll admit I found it a little hard to treat myself to these things. Three years of counting every penny has clearly had an effect (I wonder if I'm the only student/graduate to feel this way?) but I told myself to click the "check-out" button as I know I'll be super excited when the packages arrive next week. 

I definitely didn't go crazy - just a few items and maybe a small gift for a certain boyfriend, sssh -  but it felt amazing to spend a few pennies that I worked hard to earn, and it made all those long hours in the office worth wile. 

When the items are all delivered I've decided to possibly put together my first haul post. I personally love hauls as it gives new ideas on clothing, accessories and products. However, even from just writing this post, I can see why so many bloggers state that they're in no way showing off when talking about their purchases... It's hard not to feel like you're showing off slightly... But I can promise showing off is definitely not something I would do, and I'm excited by the thought of putting together a haul post. 

If you have any tips about writing a haul I'd love to know - this newbie is still finding her feet in the blogging world! 

xxx

My ALS/MND Ice Bucket Challenge

I'm sure most of you have seen the Ice bucket challenge floating around social networking sites and the internet recently. However for those of you who don't know, the ALS Ice bucket challenge is a campaign which aims to raise awareness and money for ALS - similar to the "No Make-up Selfie" campaign for Breast Cancer. 

ALS -  Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis which is also referred to as Motor neurone disease - is a disease that effects the nerve cells in the brain, spinal cord and muscles throughout the body. According to the ALS Association  symptoms include: 

• muscle weakness in one or more of the following: hands, arms, legs or the muscles that control speech, 
  swallowing or breathing
• twitching and cramping of muscles - especially those in the hands and feet
• impairment of the use of the arms and legs
• "thick speech" and difficulty in projecting the voice
• in more advanced stages - shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing and swallowing

ALS is a relativity rare condition with roughly 5,000 people in the UK and 30,000 people in the USA being effected. However there is currently no cure and the treatments that are available are only there to help ensure the patient is as comfortable as possible (for example with a breathing mask to reduce shortness of breath). 

Unfortunately the condition strikes it's victims fast and is a severely life shortening condition for most people. The NHS states that life expectancy for about half of those with the condition is three to four years from the start of symptoms. However, some people may live for up to 10 years, and others even longer. Perhaps the most famous example of this comes from Professor Steven Hawking - who has currently survived with the condition for over fifty years. 

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The challenge itself started after a baseball player with the condition -  Pete Frates - volunteered to have a bucket of ice and water poured over himself. Following this many public figures and celebrities - including Josh Hutchinson, Victoria Beckham, Tom Cruise, Anna Kendrick, Ben Afleck and Cheryl Cole  (to name a few) - have joined in too. 

                                            

Sources - AK, CC, JH

The Ice Bucket Challenge Rules: 

• After being nominated (or if you haven't been nominated but fancy starting your own chain - the more the merrier) you have 24 hours to complete the challenge
• Next you must upload a video - in which you state that you are doing the challenge, say your nominations (I think it started as 2 or 3 but I haven't stuck to this so I say how ever many you like and tip the ice and water mixture over your head
• Finally - Donate!
  This can be done in different ways which vary dependent on where you're located.
  Here in the UK donations go to the Motor Neuron Disease Association (MND). This can be through their Just Giving Page which can be found here, by texting ICED55 followed by the amount (e.g. £5) to 70070 or by calling  01604 611860 and referencing the 'Ice Bucket Challenge'. 
  In the US you can click here  to go to the ALS official page or I'm sure there are ways in which you can text to donate too - (sorry I did try and find out but couldn't seem to find a number).

My challenge:

Here's a few photos from my challenge - which I completed earlier on today. You can find a shorter version of the video on my Instagram (as I rambled on nearly a minute in the actual video on my Facebook, nominating half my friends haha!). 

Just a tad chilly! 

Now.. I nominate YOU yes that's right - you to take part in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. It's all for a good cause - so lets raise both money and awareness for this heartbreaking condition! 

Leave me a comment below if you've completed the challenge - I'd love to see! 

xxx

Hello Tumblr

As you've probably figured out from the title, today I set up Tumblr account for Small and Blonde. Well I say today - but I initially set this account up about a month ago... but after the initial few days of having it, for some reason I just stopped using it. 

So today on a lazy Saturday afternoon, I decided to give Tumblr another try. Although if I'm honest, I don't really have a clue what I'm doing. But I suppose it's the same as when you first use any new social media site - hopefully I wasn't the only one completely lost by Twitter?! *blushes a little*. 

I think once I get used to Tumblr it could become a bit of an obsession. So many photos of all the things I love - especially cute kitty-cats! (Crazy cat lady strikes again!) 

 If you fancy checking out my Tumblr you can by clicking here or through the Tumblr badge on the side of my blog. It's a little bare at the moment and no-where near as good as some of the pages on there - but we've all got to start somewhere!

At the moment I feel like the new kid at school who doesn't have a clue what's going on. So if anyone has any helpful tips or if you have a Tumblr page yourself, page please let me know in the comments.. I'd love to see some other pages. 

xxx

 

Liebster award x 2

So yesterday I received my second nomination for the Liebster Award from the lovely Charlotte from Charlotte Speaks About. If you haven't already, check out her blog here. I love it.  

If you don't know the rules of the Liebster Award you can read about it on my original blog post here. 

There are variations of the rules but following the ones from Charlotte call for eleven random facts about yourself. This wasn't part of my original post so it's quite an nice little addition plus it's nice to write a little more about myself.

Eleven random facts about me:

1. I have recently been awarded a Bachelor of arts degree with honours, in Events Management  

2. I am 5 ft 2" (Yes very short haha)
3. My favourite show is The Walking Dead
5. My ultimate girl crushes are Jennifer Lawrence, Isla Fisher and Emma Stone
6. I have recently moved into a new flat with my boyfriend
7. My middle name is Jayne (I love that it's spelt with a "y")
8. I love anything shabby-chic
9. I have a cat called Fizz (named by one of my sisters when she loved the Tweenies)
10. Cheesecake is my favourite desert - especially strawberry. Yum.
11. I have a small swallow bird tattooed on my hip

Now it's time to answer the eleven questions given to me by Charlotte. 

1. If you held a dinner party who would you invite? - This could be anyone. 
Hmmm... Well first I'd invite my close friends and family, then I'd invite someone they'd each like to meet. So my mum loves Johnny Depp so I'd invite him. 

So without rambling on too much about who I'd invite for each person.. I think the famous/well known people that would be joining me, my friends and family would be: 

• Johnny Depp - for mum haha
• Jennifer Lawrence - she seems so fun! 
• Bradley Cooper - more that one of my friends are boarder-line in love with him
• Barack Obama - also seems super cool
• Michel Roux jr - my boyfriend loves all things food related 
• Nicholas Sparks - I love his books 
• Rachel McAdams - she's so pretty and seems lovely 
• J.K Rowling - we could talk Harry Potter all night

This would be one interesting dinner party haha! There would probably be many more people too, but I could spend all night thinking about it so should probably stop. 

2. If you could be an animal what would you be and why?
I would probably be a cat - crazy cat lady is back! They're so pampered and cuddly. Plus I'd happily lay in the sun all day having tickles from my loving owners. 

My kitty-cat, Fizz

3. If you could build anything at all, what would you build?
Now the first thing that popped into my head was my dream house - as that would be amazing. But then I really thought about it. If I could honestly build anything at all, I'd build a huge place where everyone in the world who wasn't safe -  those struck with poverty, domestic abuse, war - anything that made them feel at risk,  could find a safe place. Cheesy I know, but this would be much better then building my dream house. It's more of a dream house for those in need. *more cheese ha*. 

4. What's your favourite film?
I have so many films that I love, and it really all depends on what I'm in the mood to watch - but I'd say one of my all time favourite films is The Holiday. It's such a feel good film which *bonus* is also a Christmas film. What more could you want?

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5. Would you rather have four arms and two legs, or two arms and four legs?

Haha I love this question. I would chose four arms and two legs. You could get so much done with 4 arms! Make-up and hair? No issues. Need to hold loads of bag? Easy. However 4 legs? Imagine how much you'd spend on shoes!

6. If you could be a superhero who would you be and why?

Ooh this is tough. There are so many amazing super-heroes and powers, I think I'd choose Violet from The Incredibles. I imagine it would be very exciting to have the ability to become invisible and create force fields. Plus she's individual which is cool - go Violet. 

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7. You have 4 free plane tickets, where would you go and who would you take?
I'd take my mum, step-dad, sister and boyfriend and we'd go on a round the world trip - I know that's probably slightly cheating - but if you don't ask you don't get... Haha. 

8. What is your dream job?

My dream job would to be an actress. Not that I know how to act in the slightest, but having the opportunity to play different roles and characters for living seems like a lot of fun to me (plus I could be friends with Jennifer Lawrence!).

9. What's you're favourite thing to cook?
I love baking. Especially cakes and especially cheesecake. I find baking so much fun and it's lovely to see people enjoying a little treat that you've made. 

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10. If you could only eat one food/meal for the rest of your life, what would you chose?
Oh my gosh.. this is so hard! I love food and couldn't imagine having to chose just one food. At the moment I think I'd chose Pizza as it's something you can change around to make it a little more exciting. Although I'm sure this would change almost daily - there's to many delicious foods out there. 

11. What is your favourite thing to write about?
To be honest, I wouldn't say there's one particular topic. So anything lifestyle related that I can chit-chat about. 

The people I nominate for the Liebster Award are:

1. Brunette Wavez
2.Totally Typical
3. Just A Bit of Nicole
4. Confessions of a Shopaholic
5. Where Our Time Went
6. Karis Arkinson
7. Lipstick Kisses
8. Let us Wonderlust 
9. Jessica's Journal
10. Wendy's Nook
11. P.S Ashley  

The 11 questions for my nominees are:

1. What is your favourite food?

2. If you could travel to one place in the world where would it be?

3.  If you could pick one, would it be shoes or Handbags?
4. Who is your favourite fictional character and why?
5. What piece of advice would you give your younger self?
6. What made you decide to start a blog?
7.What is one thing on your bucket list?
8. What is your favourite book and why?
9. Would you rather live in Harry Potter's world or Pokemon's world?
10. What is one thing on your bucket list?
11. What one blog would you recommend to read? - (Not your own haha - cheeky people)

Have fun and let me know when you've answered so I can read!

xxx

Surprise product - Technic nail varnish review

It's not unusual for supermarkets have beauty and make-up sections, but whilst doing my weekly food shop last week I stumbled across an unexpected item tucked away down one of the isles. This product was a sample of nail varnishes that were placed between some snacks and cleaning products close to the check outs. 

The polish is from a brand that I've never heard of before - Technic - and according to the bottle this is part of their Pretty Pastels collection. I noticed that it was selling for an absolute bargain - only £1 - so decided to add it to my shopping. If it turned out to be a great polish then fab haha but if it was pretty awful £1 isn't much of a loss.

Admittedly there wasn't a huge amount of colour choice and some of the available choices weren't the nicest - think slime green. However there was one shade that caught my eye called "Mr Blue Sky".

When I got home I tried this out pretty much straight away. I applied 2 coats along with a clear top coat and to be honest, was pretty impressed. The colour came out the same as shown on the bottle (does anyone else ever find it can look completely different sometimes? Such a disappointment) and had a lovely gloss effect. The polish lasted for a pretty reasonable amount of time with only a few tiny chips after around 4 days.

After searching around I can't seem to find a website for Technique so unfortunately can't leave a direct link. Yet it seems you can buy them from different online stores including eBay and Amazon ranging from £1 to £2.50.

Now, I'll be honest and say this isn't as good as some of the more popular nail varnish brands - but for £1 it does a good job. I'd definitely recommend this product if you're on a budget or just fancy a mini beauty treat.

If anyone else tried this or have any other budget nail varnish brands to recommend I'd love to know.

xxx

A Tribute to Robin Williams

Today I woke up to news that truly saddened me. As I'm sure most people are now aware it was announced last night/this morning that the acting legend Robin Williams  has sadly passed away. 

Throughout my childhood, my teenage years and now in my early twenties I have always had the same feelings of admiration for the actor. He was hilarious, fun and silly yet could also expertly portray serious and touching roles - which takes a truly huge amount of talent. Even as I grew up I always knew Williams was someone I'd love to get to know.

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I honestly believe that without watching Williams' films -  Hook, Jumanji, Aladdin, Flubber, and Night at The Museum to name just a few - that I would have been missing out on something amazing. In fact, I would happily argue that if you don't/haven't watched his films then you 100% are missing out! There's no doubt about it.

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Obviously I didn't know the actor personally, but when someone is in the public eye and has an influence on you growing up it's hard not to feel sentimentally about that person. I believe this is why the news has had such an saddening effect on everyone. Williams brought people joy through film and television in such a way that they felt connected to him. This means that the news of his death has left us all feeling like there's part of us missing. The same way we'd feel if we'd lost someone close. 

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I know I usually write up-beat posts but today I felt it was fitting to write a post as my personal tribute to the actor. Williams is someone who, even as I grow-up, will always have a place close to my heart and I will always remember him with such joy. I hope one day I can share his films, laughter and love with a family of my own.  

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In addition to this, if you didn't know it is thought that Williams took his life after a long battle with depression. Therefore I feel it is so important for me to say that if you, or someone you know, is suffering with with depression or any other type of mental health issues, please talk to someone. Even if you just think there may be a small something. If you or someone else is feeling low, out of character, anxious etc. There is no shame in it at all. We're all only human. I'll link the samaritans website here along with their contact number 08457 90 90 90 which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (UK number but there are plenty of services available internationally). 

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My thoughts are with Robin's family, friends and the millions of fans worldwide. A truly amazing man, taken too soon. He will continue to live on through his films. Wherever he is, I'm sure he's smiling. 

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Robin Williams. 

21st July 1951 - 11th August 2014. 

Gone but never forgotten. 

Rest In Peace. 

xxx

A Little Milestone for Small and Blonde

After a long day at work during the week, I came home to see the little green notification at the top of my screen on Bloglovin'. 

This little green sign popping up makes me very happy each time I see it, but this time I was on a whole other level. 

Now some people may not think this is overly exciting - or in the grand scheme of things think it's that much of a big deal. But I personally could not be happier... especially as I've only been writing my little blog for around two months and *if I'm honest* I don't really have a clue what I'm doing! 

What's so special about seeing the little green notification you ask? Well this particular notification was to tell me that my beloved Small and Blonde had reached 100 followers... Yaaaaaay!! 

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This may seem like a teeny-tiny number in comparison to most blogs, but to me it's a huge achievement. So I thought I'd write a quick post for a couple of reasons... 

1. If you couldn't already tell I'm super excited by this - so obviously wanted to write about it 

2. I wanted to say a little thank-you to the people who follow Small and Blonde. It makes me so happy when I get a comment or a like on a post and I love the interaction with other bloggers.

So yes... Thank-you very much! 

I'm now going to skip/sing around my flat whilst continuing to feel overly happy about the whole situation! 

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xxx 

Live Colour XXL competition

Some of you may be aware that Schwartzkopf are currently running a competition on their website with the opportunity of winning products from the range. 

As you may be able to tell from my blog's photo I love the idea and look of pink hair. Especially dip-dyed. Therefore I have entered my photo into the competition. 

If any of my lovely followers would be so kind as to click on the link here and vote for my photo it would mean so much. 

The photo is under the name "Samantha B" ... 

Thank-you in advance! 

If any of you do or have entered let me know! 

xxx 

Working 9-5...

... what a way to make a living. 

Classic song to start of my post there. 

As you may already know if you read my New Job OOTD post (which you can read here if you like) I have recently started a new full time job - despite what the title says I actually work 8 - 6 *yawns*. Since I've been at university for the last 3 years (and school etc before that) I've never had the chance to work full time. I've worked part time to make some extra  money, which any student will agree is always needed, but have never had a set 9-5/5 days a week job before. 

I've only been at my job for a week now, and despite the fact that I do enjoy it, it's been a massive shock to my poor body. Early starts and working hard all day have left me feeling almost constantly sleepy and it feels like my daily routine consists of waking up, getting ready, going to work, *many hours later* leaving work, eating tea, shower then bed - repeat x 5. 

Like I said it's only been a week but I've come home a few evenings - feeling incredibly sleepy -  and wondered what's the point of so much work, only to have minimal amounts of fun and left feeling exhausted. 

But then it hit me - one evening I was browsing various online shops, looking at clothes and accessories that my poor little bank account couldn't afford, and I realised that by putting in the effort and working hard, I could afford these little luxuries that previously weren't an option - again any student will be able to relate to the feeling of being pretty poor. 

Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's all about money or having nice clothes etc. But I do think it'll be lovely to now have the option of treating those closest to me.. My mum see's a dress she likes? Well now I have the option of treating her too it.

So I've decided that each time I feel tired, or grumpy at the thought of working so much I need to remind myself that it'll all be worth it in the end and that *cheesy quote alert* nothing worth having comes easy!

If anyone has any tips to keep motivated during work I'd really appreciate them.I'm sure they'll be needed when my alarm buzzes bright and early!

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xxx