Handmade Mother's Day Gift Ideas | Crafts | Bit of a Freak

If you are not already aware, Mother's day is coming up fast! For some reason 2014 is disappearing at the speed of light and although we were only shouting "Happy new year!!" five minutes ago, it is nearly March. Mother's day is on March 30th this year and I have been thinking for a little while what cheap and cheerful handmade Mother's day gifts I could make for mine.

My mum is my bestest friend, and whilst I am not going to blab on about her, she is pretty incredible. For christmas I made her a handmade gift, which I may blog about, that made her cry. She said it was her most favourite present and it had cost me £0, being totally made with things I had lying around. Basically, she appeciates hand-made (don't we all?) which is just as well because I am well into scrapbooking and crafts at the moment, and I am skint!

So here I present the fruits of my Pinterest labour and the inspiration for what I will be making my mum:

1. Handmade paper/material flowers.

First of all, I am going to make something similar to the middle image, with nice, simple glasswear and handmade flowers. I hope it to be a combination of all the flowers pictured. Flowers are THE go-to gift for ladies I feel, beautiful and simple. These will be just as pretty, cost less, and last longer. WIN!

2. DIY recipe book.

I am also going to make a her a DIY cook book that will look a little like this. I am moving away in September, into my bofriend's house in Winchester (which is a looooong way away from where I live now). I do most of the cooking in my house, and whilst my mum is a mean cook at tradition "mum meals" like roast dinners and rice pudding, she struggles when it comes to cooking the things I cook. I figured I could write her down all of my recipes so she can use them when I am away.

3. My inspiration for the card I am going to make:

I love the simpleness of the card in the middle, the naturalness, and I love the quotes to the side, particularly the one to right. It reads "If I didn't have you as a mum I would choose you as a best friend".

What are you planning to do for your mum for Mother's day?

Five Guys London Review | Food | Bit of a Freak

So last time I was in London Five Guys happened, and boy oh boy was I happy about it. And yes, my boyfriend is always right and is far superior in terms of foody choices...

It's fair to say that I am somewhat of a burger addict. I'm known for my homemade burgers (recipe coming up!), I have turned my best friends into burger lovers, I received a burger-themed present for Valentine's day (see here),and no matter where I am, if burgers are on the menu I feel it near possible to resist. I just think you can't go wrong with a bread, meat, cheese combo, but some are much more spectacular than others! So when me, Tom and my best friend T were sat enjoying a pint in Covent Garden and Five Guys became a dinner suggestion, I was excited and we hot-footed (technical term) it to the venue in the rain whilst being battered to within an inch of our lives by rude people and their umbrellas (ellas, ellas...).

...And what an absolute HAVEN we were met with! We were greeted by a friendly man at the door, persuaded to munch on free peanuts whilst we waited in the queue, and made to drool by the smell and the prospect of the numerous options of burger toppings. Delightful.

After a tiny wait we were set to order. I opted for the bacon cheeseburger (obviously!) with toppings of (get ready) mayo, lettuce, pickles, tomato, grilled onions, mustard, relish,  jalapeño peppers, and green peppers. I was so hungry it was impossible to decide so I pretty much had everything. We also shared a large Cajun fries (also available Five Guys style) and refillable drinks.

Like a bloody work of art!

Now the burgers. Wow. I am drooling just thinking amount them. It is a properly dirty burger, juicy and spilling it's toppings all over. The fries were delicious and the refillable drinks aren't just refillable drinks. They are filled by a machine that comes from the future, a couple of traps of the screen and you are faced with the choice of every brand if drink imaginable in every flavour you've ever dreamt of.

All the food is cooked fresh to order and using peanut oil which is apparently healthier (like we care right now). 

Cheers!

So next time you're near one, get on it. I promise you will not be disappointed!

What I got for Valentine's day | Bit of a Freak

This valentines day was made to be very special by my boyfriend, against all the odds. The boy did good and I thought it would be lovely to share with you what I got for valentine's day including the presents and reasons why it was so special.

Me and Tom in London ❤

14th February 2014 marked the day my boyfriend, Tom, was flying to Kuala Lumpur in order to join a ship for the next three months. Tom is an officer in the merchant navy and is away quite a bit, so far him being away hasn't gotten much easier. I wasn't looking forward to the day I had to say goodbye to him again, especially as it was also valentine's day and I was acutely aware that all of my senses would be bombarded with people showing their love for one another through special plans, romantic meals, kind words and presents. We had agreed not to do anything for valentine's as we were both pretty strapped for cash and were unable to see each other anyway, however, I love the hand written nature of a card and how they are personally selected for another to express love and wishes of happiness, so I secretly hoped I'd still get a card through the post but honestly wasn't sure I would!

Despite not knowing whether I'd receive a card, I decided to make him one myself. I have recently become seriously into scrapbooking and making pretty pages and handmade presents and love it, so this was going to be something I'd enjoy, and I think it turned out pretty well! Tom actually said it was the best card he had ever received!

The card that I made for him.

The day before valentine's I received a package with his address in the return to sender box but I was under strict instructions not to open it until the next day. I took the parcel to bed with me that night so I could open it as soon as I woke up the next morning. I was already so grateful as I hadn't expected anything, and certainly not any presents! Valentine's came and Tom woke me up with phone call. He opened his card first and loved it and promised me he was not at all sad about having not received any presents (I felt very guilty), then I opened my parcel. Here's what I got (a box of chocolates didn't last long enough for me to picture them!..):

Burgers are my favourite food in the world!

I was then instructed to stay in and listen for the door... I was excited! I suspected flowers as he knows I love them, but I didn't not expect this!:

Soooo beautiful!

My day was full of love, time, appreciation and gratitude for each other. He made sure I had the best valentine's despite not seeing each other. What a guy!

Were you treated to anything lovely?

P.s. I was rescued by my best friend at night so I wasn't sad when he was about to fly. love her too!

Urban Decay Naked 2 DUPE! | Bit of a Freak

This is EXCITING! Shopping in Next last week I almost screamed with delight when I stumbled upon this little beauty! My boyfriend looked at me bemused as I tried to explain that it looked as if I had found the perfect Urban Decay Naked 2 dupe palette. He literally didn't have a clue what I was banging on about but bought it for me anyway, he's a good egg. Introducing the W7 in the buff palette!

The similar packaging caught my eye!

When I got home I set about swatching and picturing the Naked 2 copy-cat and was amazed at the quality. 

So here are the close ups and the matching swatches:

Left-right: Buff, Camel, Sand, Dust Chocolate, Topaz.

Left-rght: Buff, Camel, Sand, Dust, Chocolate, Topaz.

Left-right: Earth, Storm, Silk, Wave, Thunder, Onyx.

Left-right: Earth, Storm, Silk, Wave, Thunder, Onyx.

I never have the highest expectations for dupes but this little beauty well exceeded them; it was surprisingly pigmented and with a beautiful texture, the colour was easy to blend and buildable. It was not at all chalky. As you can see, the palette consists of 12 neutral colours, 9 shimmer shades and 3 mattes. The packaging of the palette is tin, just like the Naked palettes, and comes with an applicator which I won't be using it, however, considering this was £5.99 I definitely cannot grumble.. All swatches were pictured on clean and bare skin and the colour pay-off was still very impressive. I have been hankering after the Urban Decay Naked palettes for a while and they are firmly on my birthday wish list, but I just couldn't afford them at almost £40 a pop. After this little discovery I'm glad I didn't break the bank and whilst I will still be wanting the Naked palettes, they will be saved for best only. As you can probably tell, I was extremely pleased with my new purchase! 

What are your favourite dupe products? 

Attitude Gratitude: A positive reminder | Bit of a Freak

Good evening, lovelies!

Stalking Pinterest today I came across this beautiful little image. It really struck a chord with me and caused me to be reflective about my recent past.

Recently, there has been a fair bit of drama in my life in the form of negativity and bad feeling towards others, insecurities and a little bit of sadness and loss. People around me seem to be having a tough old time of it at the moment and it's easy to get caught up in it all and I think that's what may have happened, I have been caught in all of this badness and sadness and absorbed negative feelings. Instead of being kind to people who need it, I have had feelings of annoyance and a lack of understanding. Instead of forgiving, I retaliated. Instead of loving, I have been pushing away.

I truly believe it is of the utmost importance to have a positive mindset, and that your mindset influences everything. I believe that your thoughts become things and being a happy, positive person attracts a happy and positive life. I also believe in the importance of kind words and understanding and what a huge impact this can have on the receivers. The key is to all of this is gratitude. It is important to be thankful and give thanks for all that you have. Attitude gratitude! And that is exactly what I plan to reuptake from now on. I really do have so much to be thankful for.

So, my mission upon my positive reawakening (har har) is as above; to be so busy loving my life and others that I have no time for negativity. It isn't always easy, but my mission starts here!

Gdansk, Poland | Review | Bit of a Freak

Once upon a time, me and my friend Clare left on a jet plane, knowing exactly when we would be back again; but NOT knowing how much we would be opposed to coming back after falling deeply in love.

A few weeks previous to our departure, Clare Whatsapp'd me to ask if I fancied going away for a few nights, and we booked it that night. Neither of us had ever heard of Gdansk, but chose it as it was one of the cheaper flights with the ever formidable Ryanair. The flights were around £35 return, and the hostel around £60 between 2 of us, for 4 nights. Brilliantly cheap. 

Without sounding too dramatic, Gdansk is the first place I have been to, outside of England, that instantly felt like home. As soon as I stepped on the tarmac I told Clare I already loved it. However, I was a little put off by the crazy scary looking airport people. I think it is the uniform.

We were told that our hostel was near the train station and so we braved the local bus from the airport to central Gdansk, trying to match up the sequence of letters meaning "train station" that we read on the map to any signs we could see through the window. This was a challenge in itself, but we made it. 

The thing is, everyone in Poland is so helpful. So willing to go out of their way that it almost comes across as a bit weird, because us English folks just aren't like that. We are a smiley bunch for sure, but the Polish go a step further, and it really does make all the difference.

Gdansk is the most beautiful little city. Very charming, packed full of history, delicious bakeries and industrialism. I had never been somewhere like it before, this was my first time visiting eastern Europe, and it was nothing like I expected. 10X better. Gdansk is also the birthplace of the Solidarity movement, which sparked the fall of communism across central Europe. 

As our stay was so short we tried to cram in as much activity as possible. We went on nights out, drank a lot of vodka, ate out for every meal, got the train to Sopot and explored there, visited museums, wandered around the old town, drank lots of Polish tea, and generally had the most amazing time.

My favourite restaurant was Kubicki. The food was delicious and the service was fantastic. The Roads to Freedom Exibition was also one of my favourite things about this trip. it was hugely informative, fairly interactive, and the perfect size. We then took a trip down to the ship yard, which was also amazing after learning all about it at the exhibition.

I think accommodation is important wherever you go, regardless of how much time you spend there, it is nice to feel at home, and able to ask for help. We stayed at a hostel called Happy Seven in a private room. All the rooms are themed; we were assigned to the sports room (ironically), and it was VERY cool. Happy Seven, I can honestly say, is the best hostel I have ever stayed at, and the most reasonable. You get complementary breakfast with your stay, and the staff are super friendly and always go that extra mile. The staff often come back to the hostel, even on their days off, because they just love being there so much. I had the most fantastic stay there. You can find them on Facebook.

Delicious chocolate cake from a cute little coffee shop

Found a deserted cathedral

Even the trains are beautiful

Rubbish picture, couldn't wait to get stuck in! Salmon at Kubicki.

Polish pancakes

My guestbook entry in a coffee shop

With some guys we met at the hostel

Gdansk, I LOVE YOU. And I will definitely be back.

What's On My Face? (Weekend edition) | Bit of a Freak

Now, I don't know about you lot, but a lot more make-up gets applied to my face at the weekend than it does during the week, regardless of what my plans entail. This is probably because I am in less of a rush at the weekend and I am able to enjoy applying every beauty product I own, with every single applicator under the sun. So, with inspiration from Beauty in Beta, I thought I would share what I wear on my face!

(My weekend face)

Face:

- No7 Beautiful Skin Day Cream (Normal to Oily)
My favourite go-to moisturiser (although I am inexperienced in this department and have aims to shop around!)

- Laura Mercier Foundation Primer (Radiance)
This is still in it's trial stages with me, although I am currently loving it!

- Estee Lauder Double wear (1N1 Ivory Nude)
100% the best foundation to have ever graced my face, the staying power of this product is second to none.

- Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer (Light)
The favourite concealer of the entire blogosphere, or so it may seem, and for a good reason! Budget priced excellence! 

- Max Factor Creme Puff Powder (Truly Fair)
This has been my go-to powder since I began wearing make-up. I still absolutely love this product. Great coverage, great lasting power, and great price. 

- MUA Mosaic Bronzer (Sunkissed Glow)
I fear I am falling out of love with this bronzer. I use it soley for contouring at the minute and it just isn't the right product. If anyone can suggest a better bronzer which is suitable for contouring please let me know!

- Rimmel Lasting Finish Soft Colour Blush (050 Live Pink)
I am usually a MAC blusher kind of girl but I picked this up in a supermarket on a whim and absolutely fell in LOVE.

Brows:

- Sleek Eyebrow Palette (light)
This product took a whole lot of getting used to for me, but now I love it and use it daily.

Eyes:

- MUA Eyeshadow Palette (Undressed), shades Lavish, Obsessed and Reveal. 
Just utterly brilliant. 

- Primark Liquid Eyeliner (black)
I love this product. Great applicator too.

- Benefit They're Real Mascara.
Just. Love.

Lips:

- Carmex

I always use this to prep my lips before I start applying anything else. I get quite dry lips and this product is a saviour. 

- Mac Viva Glam VI

(I am under no illusions that this is a nice picture! Haha)

...And then it is onto the hair. No wonder my boyfriend gets so annoyed at how long I take to get ready!

PHEW!

I'd love to know what changes, if any, you guys make to your weekend make-up! Do you make an extra special effort like me?