Arts 'n' Crafts | Candle Making

"A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle."

James Keller

I've been looking forward to writing this post for quite a while now. I mentioned, what seems like forever ago now, that I had gotten a crafty opportunity courtesy of Sykes Cottages to try something on my bucket list. I got an email from the lovely Leanne and she explained that Sykes Cottages had worked alongside six very talented craft bloggers to create Simple Crafts: A Guide for Beginners. Simple Crafts: A Guide for Beginners is an illustrated graphic guide featuring six simple craft tutorials that are easy to make, inexpensive and use little specialist equipment – making them ideal to create at home or away. They were looking for bloggers to try out a couple of the crafts and share their results and their thoughts on them. After seeing candle making on my bucket list she thought this might be right up my alley as candle making was one of the simple crafts.

I was slightly overwhelmed as it's the first time I've been given the opportunity to do anything because of my blog. Let alone something I can tick off my bucket list that I have wanted to do for a long time! Naturally I jumped at the chance.

A couple of weeks later I got a parcel in the mail. They sent me the equipment needed for two of the Simple Crafts, scented candle making and spiral earrings. They also sent me a small budget of £10 for customisation and some other goodies. I was completely blown away.

My Bae Requirements

"You know you're right for someone when they force you to be the best version of yourself."

Danny Castellano 

I have often said I like my men like I like my cats, with an air of indifference. Now that probably seems ridiculous and I probably seem like I'm the stereotypical 'bad boy' or 'treat you like shit boy' chaser. However, I don't think that's true. I just know the type of relationship that makes me feel comfortable from past experience. Your relationship history moulds how you view relationships and potential mates and to find the right person they need to be able to understand that history and work with it. I'm very open about what I'm comfortable with and the reason the stereotypical 'nice guy' puts my teeth on edge.

With all that being said I don't feel completely ready to divulge my relationship history and why I am the way I am when it comes to them to the masses just yet. Instead I thought I would make a list of, slightly ridiculous, completely superficial and unrealistic, requirements all future baes must meet.

My Week In Words | #17 2015

"Get busy living, or get busy dying."

Stephen King

Howdy and welcome to this week's edition of My Week In Words! This week was my birthday week and my parents were also away for a few days which left Eva and I to play house! This post covers from the Sunday 19th to the Saturday 25th of April. Much fun was had and I hope you enjoy reading about it!

Cruelty Free & Topshop Haul/Review

"We, as human beings, have the capacity for extreme cruelty."

Lupita Nyong'o

Yesterday was the first Thursday I haven't posted since the new year. I was supposed to post a Bloo's Review but with my parents away this week I was busy just spending time with Eva. Yesterday we were out a lot of the day too. So I just never got around to writing and posting something up. I'm definitely not going to make a habit out of it. Instead of just not posting three blogs this week, I figured better late than never, so here I am with another haul! I know it was supposed to be a review but I wanted to give this haul a post of it's own and I can tie in a bit of a review of the items I've used. So everyone's a winner!

My Birthday Haul!

"Let us never know what old age is. Let us know the happiness time brings, not count the years."

Ausonius

Yesterday was my 25th birthday. Yes! I turned a quarter of a century. I can't quite believe it either. My parents were told when I was twelve that I had eighteen months to live, longest eighteen months ever, so I am thankful to make it to this grand old age. However, at the same time twenty five feels too old. If someone was to guess what age I am from what I ended up getting for my birthday, the number would be a lot lower. Nothing wrong with that though, right? 

My Week In Words | #16 2015

"Cure for an obsession: get another one."

Mason Cooley

Welcome to My Week In Words! I had another fun filled week this week. Now the hockey season is over, I guess I had to fill the void with something else and boy did I! This post covers from Sunday 12th to Saturday 18th of April.. kind of. I hope you enjoy!

Arts 'n' Crafts | Past Arts & Crafts

"Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

George Santayana

I was hoping to have a new craft done for today's post, one of the ones Sykes Cottages sent me, however I had a bit of a busy start to the week and then yesterday I wasn't well for a lot of the day so I couldn't get it prepared. I think I might skip Bloo's Reviews next week and opt for an Arts 'n' Crafts post then too. As I'm really excited to give the crafts they sent me a go. I just want to wait until I have enough time set aside and fell well enough to really enjoy them. Anyway!

I decided since I didn't have the time to start something new today I would show you some of the arts and crafts I've done in the past. Some are better than others, especially where drawing is concerned. I got the idea for this after my friend put together a picture of all the drawings I'd done of one of his characters I'd done since I met him. He realised I draw him about once a year, and no two look the same style. So yeah, here are some of my past attempts at arts and crafts and the date I did them!

My Obsessions #2

"Love your Zelf."

Welcome to the second instalment of the My Obsessions series! You can read the first edition here! Today's is about a new obsession I've acquired in the last week. You could even call it an addiction. I haven't spoken about it much, if at all, on my blog but I collect toys. I LOVE toys.  My bedroom is brimming with them. I go through phases of finding a new kind of toy and basically over a very short period of time amass quite a collection. I just can't get enough. It can be quite damaging to my bank account but alas they make me happy. 

I've seen Zelfs around for a little while and I've always wanted to get them but for one reason or another I didn't. Perhaps because I knew it would break the dam. It's been a while since I've had a new toy obsession after my last one left my display shelves with little space for anything new. Okay, no space for anything new. Perhaps it's because the hockey season is over and I don't have something to fixate on, this weekend I decided I NEEDED to get one. Two days later here I am.

My Week In Words | #15 2015

"I think togetherness is a very important ingredient to family life."

Barbara Bush

Welcome to this week's My Week In Words. A lovely Easter week full of fun! This post covers from Sunday 5th to Saturday 11th of April. Enjoy!

Pets 'n' Stuff | Edwin's 1st Birthday

"A dog will teach you unconditional love. 

If you can have that in your life, things won't be too bad."

Robert Wagner

On this day a year ago a little bundle of fuzzy love was born somewhere near Newry, to a mother and father named Baby and Johnny. Yes, like the Dirty Dancing characters. It wasn't until two months later that I met him but I believe he was meant for me from day one. I'm a woman of science. I normally don't believe in a higher power, nor do I really believe in destiny. Life is what you make it. The one thing that makes me question that are my pets. How each one has felt as though they were born to be mine. 

Bloo's Reviews | The Way He Looks

"Not every love happens at first sight."

Source

This review may contain spoilers.

Our Sister Songs

"Music is the soundtrack of your life."

Dick Clark

I've written in the past about My Mood Music, music I listen to when I need help cheering up or when I need to get the boohoos out. Today I decided to do another music themed post! Now we all have certain songs that remind us of certain people. Usually a romantic partner. Either past or present. While I have those, I also have a number of songs that remind me of my sister Eva! Is that weird? Where it differs slightly is we have songs that remind us of each other that we like to duet together.

Before I started writing this post I made a list of the songs I was going to include and then asked Eva what she'd include without letting her see my list. She named the exact same songs. So these are our top five sister songs! Click the titles of the songs for a link to a YouTube video of them.

My Week In Words | #14 2015

"Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced."

Soren Kierkegaard

Howdy and welcome to this week's instalment of My Week In Words! Another action packed week in the life of Bloo 'n' Stuff! This post covers from Sunday 29th of March to the Saturday 4th of April. Hope you enjoy reading what I've been up to this week! 

Arts 'n' Crafts | Easter Egg Fun

"An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail."

Edwin Land

Okay, this blog post was originally going to be a fun how to but it ended up a how not to. My first mistake was basing how I went about things on a foggy memory from when I was a kid at the Ulster Transport And Folk Museum. I vaguely remembered something involving crayons, food colouring and/or paint and boiling an egg. And out of that vague memory this how not to decorate eggs for Easter was born!