Second Holiday, Days 3 & 4

The third day was spent looking around 'Eden Camp', an old army camp which has been turned into a museum about war. It was such a nice day (even though I lost my dad)  and the weather was perfect. We also indulged ourselves with a raspberry ripple cheesecake at dinner time :)

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On the Tuesday we headed down to Scarborough where I had an amazing milkshake (strawberry) which ice cream in at the cafe by the cliff tram. It was heaven in a glass I swear.

Somehow my dad coaxed me up the huge hill to the castle and I am kind of glad he did since the views were spectacular and I managed to take a gorgeous picture of a butterfly while looking out to sea.

After coming back from the castle we had a bit of trouble getting back to where we parked the car in town but after a lot of consulting town maps we found it.   

Second Holiday, Days 1&2

Two Saturdays ago I went on yet another holiday to a place called Hawsker near Whitby in the Yorkshire moors. Neither the journey there or back was a complete success. The drive up was the most successful even though we were meant to arrive at 4pm but it was nearly 7 when we got there. There was so much traffic and we had to take a big detour since there was an accident but we got there eventually. 

After we settled ourselves down in the cottage we drove to Whitby Abbey where there were some spectacular views and then Robin Hood's Bay where we drove down the steepest road I have ever been on in my life (scary). 

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The second day we found ourselves having a proper look around Whitby Abbey and on an open top bus tour around the town. 

In the evening we had a look around (the parking was free) and mostly looking through the windows at all the closed shops which was nice. For tea that we had "The best fish and chips in the country" which were good but I think I am going to have to disagree with that statement.

Holiday Diary! Days 5 & 6

On our 5th day we had an appointment booked at a local spa which was heaven. We had a back massage, facial, head massage and a mini foot massage. While having my back massage I noticed that my masseuse (it sounds so posh) had very long toes and her nails would be perfect for me to try out my pedicure skills. During my facial it was exceptionally hard to keep my eyes open as I was just on a cloud. After we left heaven we decided that we would do the White Rabbit Trail which was a trail around Llandudno looking at places to do with Alice Liddell and Lewis Carroll and the book 'Alice In Wonderland'. They have also erected loads of statues so I tried to get some good photos of them. During the day we missed out Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee so after our dinner (Chinese again, yum) we went to search for them. After getting confused we managed to find them and found ourselves on the most beautiful view point over the town. Unfortunately, as we were walking back, the thought hit us that we were going home the next so we felt a bit sad :(

On our last day before leaving we went for a last amble around town and along the beach. We had a last go on the air hockey machines (I won both times :)) but eventually we had to leave :( but I was glad to come home to cat Roly who spent then spent the night with me (aw).

Holiday Diary! Days 3 & 4

On our third day we went up the Great Orme (a really big hill) a there was some fantastic views and amazing ice cream to eat. It was also the first place I had manage to get full signal on my phone. We went up the Great Orme on a tram and halfway to the top there are mines which are supposed to be the oldest in the world. The mines were actually really cramped so I ended up going round on my own but they were quite interesting and there was a cavern which they lit up with different lights so it looked really majestic. When we came back down we got the land train to the East shore but it wasn't that interesting so we just came back and went back to the indian restaurant for tea. 

The next day we went to the Mountain Zoo. It was a really nice zoo but it was very small and it rained a lot so we just spent the morning there and went back to Llandudno where it was sunny (annoying right?). We ended up sitting on the beach reading before eating chips for tea. When we came back out for a walk there was a swing band playing on the bandstand so we sat and listened to them before going up the pier again to play air hockey (which I won) and relaxed the rest of the evening.

 em,

Holiday Diary! Days 1 & 2

Last week me and my mom went on holiday to Llandudno (North Wales) and we arrived to beautiful weather. As soon as we got there we went for a walk around, did a bit of shopping and padded in the sea. Theres a beautiful victorian pier in Llandudno which we walked up. At the end there is an arcade which four air hockey tables and we couldn't resist. We played two games, the first I won and the second I lost. On the way back down the pier we stopped in some of the shops, one of which was a bargain book shop. Since I have a slight addiction to buying books I came out with three Jodi Picoult books; My Sisters Keeper, Nineteen Minutes and Salem Falls. These have now been added to the wardrobe full of books to read :)

We had Indian for tea that night and just as we left the heavens opened and it began pouring down so me and mom walked back to the B&B in pouring rain taking pictures. It was magical since there are lots of fairy lights along the streets and the sky was a beautiful misty blue colour. 

The next day we decided to buy an actual camera for my photography stuff and to use for the blog so we strolled down to Argos and brought my beautiful purple Nikon. On the way back we took some photos on the front (I would show but I am using them for a competition) and went back into town. Here I revisited a great book shop and brought yet another book; You Had Me At Hello by Mhairi McFarlane. Oops. For tea we visited this amazing Chinese place and then waked up the beach in yet more rain. 

If you don't know, Alice Liddell, the inspiration for Lewis Carroll's 'Alice In Wonderland' had a holiday cottage here and this is where most of the story was based on so all around Llandudno there are sculptures and places associated with the story and family. It is all on a trail which we completed later on in the week but on this night we visited the Madhatter statue, one of the less creepy of them all. After, we went back to the B&B and had a chilled evening.

em,

The Liebster Award

It was a great feeling to find out that I had been nominated for the Liebster Award when I got back off holiday! The Liebster Award is basically a tag for bloggers to share each others blogs and is also quite fun :) 

The rules are :

1. You must link back to the person who nominated you.

2. You have to answer all the questions you were given by the person who nominated you.

3. You must choose 5-11 bloggers who have less than 200 followers, and come up with a new set of 11 questions for them. (some of my blogs go over 200 a bit but I couldn't not nominate them)

4. Let your nominees know they’ve been nominated.

I was nominated by Megan from Room With A Bloom  and here are her questions:

1. Whats your favourite season of the year?

Winter, I can't deal with hot weather and I will probably complain about the cold but I prefer to summer. It's also Christmas in winter! (It is my favourite holiday)

2. What does your blog name mean?

My blog name is basically my last name swapped around (Branson) as I'm not a huge fan of it but I wanted my blog name to be original and close to me.

3. What is your favourite candy/sweet?

I'm not really I fan of sweets but I LOVE chocolate. My favourite chocolate is Cadbury's Golden Biscuit Crunch.

4. How long have you been blogging?

Technically I started blogging in October 2013 when I started my bracelet blog but I kind of gave up on it but then I started this one which is nearly 2 months old :)

5. Which blogs do you check daily?

I normally on go on a blog if I know they have a new post up. I follow most of my favourite blogs on Bloglovin' so I can see their new posts there. These include: Xpresso Reads, Bored Panda, Writing My Own Fairytale and Zoella. I also check out About me, my life, my ART alot.

6. If you could go on holiday anywhere, where would it be?

I think I would go the Congo and search for the apes in the forest as it is one of my interests and what I hope to be doing when I am older.

7. Do you have any special talents?

Not particularly but I am quite good at making crafty things.

8. What is the best  book you've read recently?

The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer. I'm not really sure why I like it so much but I enjoyed the style of writing an the feeling that it gave you of unwinding a story that you had discovered yourself.

9. What is your favourite holiday?

I've already said but it is Christmas! I just love the feeling of togetherness and how nearly everybody gets in the spirit, regardless of whether they want to or not.

10. What's something that you have learnt recently?

That there is a word that means counting on your fingers: dactylonomy.

11. What quote do you live by?

"Never regret anything because at one time it was exactly what you wanted" Its not a proper quote but it is still something I 'live by'. It was actually one of my first tweets :)

I nominate:

1. About me, my life, my ART

2. Hey It's Hannah

3. Beauty Girl Blog

4. Beauty With Hazelnut Toffee

5. Urban Moonlight Blog

6. Jemma In Words 

7. NeonRainbow

8. Smudges of Thoughts

My questions:

1. Why did you start your blog?

2. How long have you been blogging?

3. What are your favourite blogs?

4. What is your all time favourite film?

5. What is the one thing you couldn't live without?

6. What is your favourite nail varnish?

7. What is your favourite word?

8. Do you have a favourite place to be? If so, where is it?

9. What is your favourite song?

10. What is your most loved beauty product?

11. Chocolate or Sweets?

If you do the tag let me know so I can read them, 

em,

Favourites... New Clothes

I visited Primark the other day to get some shorts since I had none for my holidays and I found some other things which I really liked too. Primark isn't my favourite shop as most of the shorts end up showing ass and most of the t-shirts are quite see-through but I did find these two really nice things.

I got some black shorts with little flowers on. I like that the detail isn't too obvious but it is still there. These cost £10.

I love this t-shirt too since it has a nice design, it isn't see through and it not too bright or over-dramatic. This cost £5.

I did buy some dungarees as well (£12) but I didn't take a photo so I can't show you :(

em,

Summer Playlist

What is summer without a good summer playlist? All of those songs which remind you of the summer when they are played after the summer is over? I love it when I remember my summer through the songs that I played and heard constantly, but, for me, my summer is normally defined by the music I see and hear at Reading Festival. In case you don't already know, Reading hasn't happened yet and I have found some songs that have really implanted themselves in my head. I think what I need for the songs to make it to my summer playlist is the fact that they sound cheerful, they are danceable (it doesn't matter if you can dance or not) and that you can sing them as it makes its fun. They aren't really new songs but I haven't really listened to them before so they are kind of new to me:

• Animal - Miike Snow
• Let Me In - Grouplove 
• Entertainment - Phoenix 
• Little Secrets - Passion Pit
• Anna Sun - Walk The Moon
• All I Know - Fenech-Soler
• Live Those Days Tonight - Friendly Fires
• Flakes - Mystery Jets
• We Are The People - Empire Of The Sun

If you check out my Soundcloud, you can listen to most of these songs on a playlist I have made (Summer Playlist '14)

em,

NOTD: Pink and Purple Speckles

I am in LOVE with this varnish, it looks great, it lasts well and it is just overall really, really good. But, do you want to know the best part? I got them for a pound each out of Poundland. I spotted it in the shop and immediately fell in love with what it looked like on the packaging so I brought it. To be honest I wasn't expecting much since it was from Poundland but it is actually great quality so if you also like them then take yourself to Poundland and buy them, they are so good. I have had them painted since Tuesday night and only one of my thumb nails have chipped but I have been doing a lot of cleaning and moving stuff around so it would have probably happened with any varnish.
em,

How to... Take care of your piercings

Inspired by my newly acquired piercings I thought it would be appropriate to put out some advice about care and getting piercings as if you do the wrong things they can go very, very wrong. 

1. Do your research - Be careful not to go anywhere which has bad reviews, the reviews have been made for a reason. Do the opposite and find a place with really good reviews and comments. Also don't go to Claire's or anyone who uses guns to pierce your ears as they can actually do more damage than good. I have heard so many horror stories about guns and they don't heal as well as when you use a needle. Yes, it tends to hurt a little more than a gun at the time but its less painful in the long run as you don't have ears which keep closing up and get gunky. 

2. Keep them clean - After care is so important and you need to do it. The best way to clean them is to get a healing solution especially design for pierced ears which you can get off the internet. I have a Caflon one which you can buy here.

(Excuse my cat)

 If you don't want to go through the trouble of ordering it or you are waiting for it to arrive you can boil some water, pour it into a mug and dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt and wait for it to cool. Then, with either solutions, just soak your ears in them with a cotton pad or ear bud. This removes any discharge or scabs and just prevents infections. You should do this twice a day to keep them clean. 

3. Avoid aggravating them - I know its difficult but try to avoid lying on them, pulling them or catching them in your hair. This may inflame the area around the piercing and slow down the healing process. For the first few days, if you have long hair, try to keep it up in a ponytail so it doesn't catch on your ears. 

I hope these tips have helped if you need some advice about your piercings and if your have any questions just ask :)

em,