11 Questions

I'm quite new to blogging and was pretty excited to be tagged in the the 11 Questions by Audrey :) 
First of all, as ordered, here are 11 things about myself..

1. I love my car, a beautiful bright blue VW Polo called Ralph, an unhealthy amount.
2. I think that kitten heels are the work of the devil.
3. I have a ridiculously overpowering,but totally rational, fears of velvet (ughh) and celery (ughhhh).
4. I really wish that I hadn't given up performing arts. 
5. My family and I have moved 4 times.
6. I am an Aquarius.
7. I love my two dogs, Jenny and Compo, so very much and miss them a great deal when I'm at uni.
8. Within a week of knowing my friends at university, I knew that I'd found friends for life.
9. My boyfriend's smile still gives me butterflies.
10. Seafood makes my stomach turn.
11. Last year, I swam out of my depth in the sea for the first time ( I love swimming, but really hate the ocean)

Aaaand, here are the questions that I was asked..

1. What is your favorite trend this S / S 2012?
   I really like the whole metallic theme that's coming in, I'm a big fan of shiny and sparkly. However, I'm not a fan of 'flatforms'.. 
2. List three online stores where you prefer to buy (the best in your opinion)
   Definitely Topshop, first and foremost. Then probably Etsy, mainly for the jewellery because they have some really cool, quirky and unusual pieces. I also can't forget Jack Wills, which used to be my favourite store until I became a student and decided I'd have to start putting their lines on birthday and Christmas lists from now on, instead of buying them for myself.
3. Why did you start writing a blog?
   I've been following a few blogs for over a year now, and I've found a lot of useful tips and cool things this way, so I thought I'd like to do something like that so that I can not only share things with the blogging world, but also document memories or fun things without having to put it all on Facebook.
4. What language would you learn?
   Definitely French. I used to love learning it in secondary school, but once I moved to Wales the focus was put more on Welsh (which I really loved/love learning)
5. The perfume that you would not know to give up?
   I love Marc Jacob's Daisy, which I've been wearing for about a year and a half, but my Dad got back from Russia yesterday and bought me Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely. It smells really nice and I'm very excited to start wearing it once the Daisy runs out (which will be soon)
6. What phone do you own?
   HTC Wildfire S. It's a brilliant phone, but I recently attacked part of it with glittery nail polish, and my boyfriend stuck a picture of a puppy on it.. 
7. Favorite movie?I think I'm going to have to say 10 Things I Hate About You. Such a good film and I'm a huge Heath Ledger fan.
8. Three essential beauty products
   I have really sensitive skin, but the Nivea Daily Essentials line is brilliant! I can't go a day with out using the day cream or cleansing wipes. My only other essential is probably just any of my Rimmel London foundations (see previous blogs).
9. What's your last purchase?
   Two Topshop gold rings (textured band ring and another one which doesn't seem to be on the website.. and a 'totes amaze' bracelet from Miss Selfridge, which sadly exploded when I put it on just before going out that same night.
10. What kind of music do you prefer? (Favorite band if you have one / two)
    I'm really into the likes of Bon Iver, Gabrielle Aplin, Ben Howard, Kimbra and all that, but I'm also a massive rap/hip-hop fan at heart. My heart will forever belong to Eminem.
11. What do you think of social networks? They have more advantages or disadvantages? Say what you like among the many!I think social networking is not only a great way to keep in touch with people, but also to share your ideas and creativity. I'm a big fan of mainly Facebook and Twitter (follow me @Matildahhh_)

This is turning out to be an incredibly long post.. Sorry! Anyway, here are my 11 questions for the bloggers that I'll tag below.

1. Who are you favourite bloggers at the moment?
2. What are your three top make up items?
3. Do you read/look at the pretty pictures of any fashion magazines? If so, which?
4. If you could go anywhere right now, where would it be?
5. Who is your hero?
6. What is your opinion of velvet?
7. What is your staple item of clothing? (One which you go to if in doubt)
8. Did you make any New Year's resolutions/are you keeping to them?
9. What is your life long ambition?
10. Do you believe in horoscopes?
11. What's your favourite colour?

I suddenly lost all inspiration when I started writing the questions, so sorry if they're a bit boring! Anyway, I quite enjoyed doing this-it's been fun finding out things about both myself and others. The blogs tagged below are people whose pages I've become a fan of since starting out on my blogging journey (other readers, you should also check out their blogs) 

Beth (probably the most creative person I have ever met)

A Malaysian in France

e.claire

Priscillaa
Claudia Ria

Why is it always me?

Rose Dust

Illusoire

I'm all extremes

Gagan

Sprinkle Of Glitter

If you read all of this, I applaud you. Thank you :) 

Topshop Nail Polish

I'm pretty fussy when it comes to nail polish, but once I find one that I like I tend to wear the hell out of it until I find a new one (I also feel pretty naked without any on) My current favourite is Topshop's Rainy Day, which looks cool combined with Ice Crush (see Things I'm Obsessing Over). I really like how easy Topshop nail polish is to apply, and it stays on for ages (unless of course you scratch it off like I do) Anyway, these two shades are really good and the grey is relatively neutral so it goes with most things :) 

Yummy yummy pasta.

This is just a really easy pasta bake recipe, brilliant for just two of you. Basically, you put about 100g of pasta per person in a bit dish and add a whole jar of Homebake Pasta Sauce (the creamy tomato and bacon one is really nice). You don't need to cook the pasta first, just mix it all up with the sauce, then refill about half the jar with cold water and mix that in, too. Put this in the oven.

After 25 minutes, take it out of the oven and mix it all up again, then cover in grated cheese. We used lots because I love cheese, but you can use as much as you like. Put this in the oven for another 20 minutes, then you're done. Enjoy :)

Makeup Makeup Makeup

I thought I'd review some of my favourite makeup, just because, really. The majority of my makeup tends to be either Rimmel or Benefit, both of which are amazing brands that haven't failed me yet! 

I've already blogged quite a bit about my Finding Mr. Bright kit from Benefit, which is what I use for concealer and general face brightening. I really love Rimmel London foundation, and the the 25 Hour Lasting Finish (red lid) and new Wake Me Up. I tend to use shade 100 because I'm pale, but as it gets towards Spring I like to combine shades to make a mid-tone, so I have the Lasting Finish in 100 and the Wake Me Up (and another Last Finish) in shade 200, and I mix up the two of them on a little patch on my hand. I also love Rimmel's Stay Matte powder, which I put on with a big, fluffy brush, though it does depress me a little that my shade is 'transparent'.

I love love love mascara, and I tend to wear all three of these at the same time. Thick & Fast, by Soap & Glory, came free with Elle Magazine the other week and I was genuinely really impressed by it. I used that one a base, then once it's dried I add Rimmel's (of course) Glam'Eyes mascara, which is really good for making your eyelashes look long. Rimmel's Volume Flash mascara is works well if you put a light mascara underneath, like either of the two I've just mentioned. This one is sort of a bit wetter, so it is a bit easier to get it on your face or make a bit of a mess, so just be careful with it :)

I really love this blusher from Accessorize, even though I dropped it within three days of the purchase. The brush that I use is from an Elizabeth Arden bronzer kit that my mum bought on holiday a few years ago, and it's perfect for applying blusher. 

Being ill has some perks.

I've not been well for the past week or so and today I am bed bound (boo hoo), but I thought I'd take this chance to catch up on some blogging and watch Sorority Girls, my newest obsession. 

 The tea is from a Whittards set that I bought my Mum for Christmas. She paid me a visit on Saturday and brought me a few of my favourite flavours. I'm also eating Welsh Cakes because they're incredible and remind me of home, and they're also pretty easy to eat if you're not feeling well. Nomnomnom :) 

Resolutions (sort of)

I've decided that I want to get myself together a little bit more, so here are a few things I want to do more of..
Go to the gym

I joined a gym the other day, so I'm part way there.. I just have to actually go there now. My mum and I were really into Zumba last year, but since coming to university I haven't really done much any exercise, and it's definitely showing. So, fingers crossed I can get back into the fitness this year. Who knows, pretty soon I could be flashing guns like Ronnie's... Hm, maybe not. 

Eat healthily

As a student, it can be pretty difficult to eat healthy food because that's usually expensive, and the cheaper options tend to be easy and relatively bad for you. In semester one I ate mainly ready meals, but even though I chose Tesco Light Choices, I've found that this semester I feel a lot healthier for cooking and eating real food (pasta, chicken, vegetables, etc) Fruit is also a good thing to have around, but try to buy it either in small amounts or choose the ones that aren't quite ripe yet because it's easy to forget about them if they're just left in the cupboard or, if you really want to show off the new you, in a fruit bowl. I'm also going to try and explore some healthy meals for dinner time, I'll blog any interesting finds :)

Wear prettier things

I really want this dress from Topshop

I'm usually pretty lazy when it comes to getting dressed, so I tend to just throw on a t-shirt and jeans. I've decided that I now want to make more of an effort during the day, not just when I go out. Recently I've become obsessed with Topshop's flippy hem dresses, so I think I'm going to invest in some more nice dresses. I should probably also add spend less money and save up to my list.. how else will I afford more dresses? I suppose with only 6 hours of lectures a week I could squeeze a job in...

Things I'm obsessing over.

I sometimes find myself in a bit of a rut and I get a tiiiiny bit obsessed with things. So, here are some of the things I'm obsessing over at the moment..


Topshop nail polish in Ice Crush

source: topshop.com

I was genuinely really impressed with how glittery this was! I thought it would be clear with a few sparkly flecks, but I was pleasantly surprised. It works best if you do two or three coats, but even with only one it's really glittery. Someone even told me that my nails looked like they belonged to Cinderella, so that's never a bad thing.


Benefit's 'Finding Mr. Bright'

My boyfriend bought me this for my birthday and it really is amazing. I've loved Benefit makeup for a long time and have quite a few of their products, most of which are for eyes. I like this one in particular because it focuses on my skin, giving me a damn near perfect complexion. I also love the size of the make up that you get in these sets, because there is more than enough for you to figure out if you love it or not and if you want to buy the bigger version, but there isn't so much that you regret buying it if you find that it's not for you. The Erase Paste that I got in this set is a really good concealer and, even though it's a tiny bit dark for me (with this set you're given the medium shade), it definitely does it's job.


My Camera

It's a Lumix FZF8 and it's absolutely brilliant. I used to use my Dad's SLR camera, but I got this for Christmas and I love it a great deal. The zoom lens is brilliant (it also looks really cool when it extends) and the quality is mind boggling. 

TOMS

I already did an entire blog dedicated to these, but I just really love them.

Reading

For a while I was worried that my degree had sucked all the fun out of reading, but now I'm back to being a literature whore because this semester the reading list is really good. This is a snapshot from The Bondwoman's Narrative by Hannah Crafts.

TOMS

On Saturday I decided I needed some new flats, and since I'd had some money for my birthday, I thought I'd treat myself. I'd planned to buy some ballet pumps, but my boyfriend suggest I try out TOMS. I went into Republic and tried on the first pair I saw, and haven't looked back since. They are, without a doubt, the comfiest shoes I have ever worn. I got them in navy because, well, it's my favourite colour. It's also a really easy colour to wear as it doesn't tend to clash. Anyway, back to my beloved TOMS. They look cool with jeans (I wore them with turnups to a gig last night), or even with skinnies on a night out. I wore them today with a dark red Topshop flippy hem dress and black tights. My one piece of advice is that you don't buy a pair that feel a little bit big.. I'm a size 6, and when I tried them on they felt quite snug, but they give a lot so there really isn't much point in buying some that are too big to start with. 


By far the coolest things about TOMS, however, is their One For One Movement. So, for every pair that you buy, the company donate a pair of shoes to a child in need. I definitely recommend you all invest in a pair.. or two :)

Birthday Celebrations

Chocolate birthday cake :)

Yesterday was my birthday and I was absolutely spoilt rotten by everyone. I have an incredible family, the most amazing boyfriend, and the loveliest friends. I got some really beautiful presents, including; Urban Outfitters shoe boots, navy Hunter wellies, Benefit make-up, tickets to see Wicked in London, and lots of clothes and other pretty things :) 

This was my first ever birthday away from my family, but I did spent Tuesday night at home with my boyfriend and had a lovely birthday lunch with my parents on Wednesday. When we got back to the flat my flatmates had decorated the living room with lots of balloons and confetti, and everyone surprised me later on with a cake. I did get very homesick on Thursday, and it made me quite sad that my parents couldn't see just how much I appreciated everything they got me. Despite this, I had a really brilliant birthday night and day with everyone at Caledonia :)

Finding Mr. Bright -Benefit.
This set is really good, so I'll do a full blog on it soon because I have some more make-up I want to review and show off :)

Valentine's Day Cupcakes :)

So, as it's Valentine's Day, I thought it gave me a good excuse to do some baking :) I decided to make some cupcakes for my flatmates, The recipe I used for the cupcakes is really simple and easy to remember- I got it from an adorable book called Easy Cupcakes that I got for Christmas (they also have an Easy Chocolate one which is also very nice) Here is my take on the recipe...

115 g/4 oz of unsalted butter

115 g/4 oz caster sugar

2 eggs

115 g/4 oz self-raising flour

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5. Put the paper cases in a muffin tray (about 15 or 16), or double-layer the cases and put them on an ordinary baking tray (otherwise they'll collapse, and nobody wants that)

Mix up the butter (soften it a bit in the microwave first) and sugar in a large bowl until pale and fluffy. 

Beat the eggs together, then gradually add them to the mixture. Swap your wooden spoon for a metal one and lightly fold in the flour.

Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases, being careful not to put too much in each. 

Put your tray in the oven for about 15-20, or until 

they're golden.

Once your cupcakes have cooled, you can start on the icing. For some of mine I melted some chocolate (it doesn't need to be the good stuff- I chose Tesco's 83p milk chocolate) and spread it on top. For the rest of them I mixed up some cute pink butter icing. For this I just softened about 100 g of butter then added ample amounts of icing sugar. If you like, add some food colouring, but be careful not to put too much in. The best (and only) way to know if your icing is ready is by tasting, so have a teaspoon at the ready! Finally, just spread it over the remaining cupcakes :)

Hijack & Meeting Luke Pasqualino

So, last night I went to Hijack with Pete, Matt, Dan, Gerard & Ray. It was meant to be a 'UV Rave', which eventually meant that we ended up plastered is UV paint (as in, you could barely see my face through it). It was also a 'Skins Party', but all that really entailed was Luke Pasqualino (Freddie from Skins) doing a brief DJ set. 

I'm not usually that girly about celebrities etc, but Luke is one of my not so guilty pleasures, so I went straight to the front and waited for him to come on stage. They (whoever they are) are definitely right when they say 'patience is a virtue, because after a bit Luke came of stage and came near to where we were standing, touching the hands of other desperate girls. I missed him first time round, but when he came off stage again he came straight to me and actually gave me a genuinely long hug! He even pulled back to ask me what I'd said ("YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL") and hugged me again whilst telling me that I am too. My night was made from that point on, I even had tears in my eyes. The rest of the night is a bit of a blur, but I did get to spend some quality time with Matt & Dan, which I don't usually get to do :) All in all, Hijack was a success.

HUGGING LUKE PASQUALINO!!!

Away We Go

Another proven way to make myself feel better is by watching a selection of good films. I'm starting with Away We Go, and then moving onto (500) Days of Summer. I love these films, not only for their feel-good factor, but both have really brilliant and iconic soundtracks. Alexi Murdoch, whose music makes up the majority of the Away We Go soundtrack, is an amazing musician and his music is really good to listen to when you're just pottering around or attempting to get on with some work. 

This is one of my favourite Alexi Murdoch songs:

Alexi Murdoch- All My Days

Tea & Biscuits

I'm not feeling very well today, but tea (milk, no sugar) and Custard Creams always make me feel better. I like this Victoria & Albert mug- my mum (or should I say, Santa) bought it for me for Christmas, and it came in a lovely matching box. She also bought me some little trinket boxes in the same pattern, which are perfect for keeping little pieces of jewelry etc, and the big one is the perfect size for my Sharpie collection.

It's common knowledge in my family that I am probably the world's biggest fan of Custard Creams, and my dad found this really cool biscuit box that not only looks like a giant Custard Cream, but was full of them when I opened it! (They didn't last long, probably only two days). It was waiting for me on my bed when I visited home for the first time from university- very exciting. It's full of makeup now and has pride of place on my desk. I think it's from Marks & Spencer, but at the outlet near my flat. 

Old friends.

My friend Imogen is coming to visit next week and we're going to see Rizzle Kicks are my university. I'm a bit sad that none of the boys wants to come along, but it'll be good anyway. Also, I will be ridiculously hungover from the night before (my birthday).


Imogen and I have had our ups and downs, but I'm so glad that we're back to how we used to be. This photo was taken in November 2010, when we went to see (little did we know) Paramore's last ever tour with the original band members. It was, without a doubt, one of the best nights of my life. I even cried, that's how good it was.

The other picture is of a Hayley Williams cake that we made because we really had nothing better to do. I did the hair, and I was genuinely quite pleased with myself :)

Anyway, it'll be good to see Imo on my turf and introduce her and her massive boobs to the Caledonia Millains.

Birthday Excitement

It's my nineteenth birthday a week tomorrow and I am ridiculously excited. It is, however, my first ever birthday without my family. Instead, I'll be with my Caledonia family, who will hopefully share in my excitement (especially Ray, as it'll also be his birthday) This year will be completely different to last year for quite a few reasons, but that's quite exciting. Roll on February 16th!

Oh, and the cupcakes represent my excitement for birthday cake and celebrations.

Dinner for two.

Today my boyfriend, Fergus, and I went out to Pizza Hut and, being the gentleman that he is, he paid. I met Fergus whilst at university and knew that I liked him straight away. He's one of the boys from the flat upstairs, where we have all spent the majority of our time since about the second week. Fergus really is one of the most wonderful people I have ever met and, despite only knowing him for a matter of months, I love him more that anything :)

My Beautiful Flatmates

This is me with my two flatmates, Chandni (middle) and Taylor (right). They are both beautiful people and I’d go to the ends of the Earth for them. We don’t always get along, but that just makes us closer. Sometimes I feel like I’m in the middle, acting as a buffer between the pair of them, but most of the time we’re just like sisters. I’ll be sad next year when Taylor goes to America and Chandni moves in with Anya, Charlotte and Anita.

The Caledonia Millains.

I am a first year English and American Literature student, currently learning more from the beautiful mish-mash of people that I live with than from my course. I want to document the trials and tribulations of university life; the workloads and deadlines, the days in and nights out, the food shops and fashion disasters, and, especially, the friends that I have come to love more than anything.

Hopefully I can stick to this, unlike many failed diary attempts. Wish me luck.