Cateaclysmic

Things That Make You Go Oooooo (January 2012)

2012-01-31T00:00:00.000-08:00

January is always a bittersweet month for me I always seem to be really busy and stressed organizing various projects and setting myself ridiculous deadlines which is draining but in the long run totally worth it! How has 2012 been for you guys so far? If you've been having trouble sticking to your goals just as I have there should be a few helpful links here to get you motivated...

♥ Encouraging Words for 2012 - Print them out stick them on your wall, on your mirrors and in your journals to keep you on track and motivated for the year ahead.

♥ How to Write a Personal Mission Statement

♥Tackle Your Fear of Failure to Live Your Dream - Our own fears is the biggest factor in holding us back from achieving our dreams, sometimes we just need to "get over it" to move forward.

♥ 48 Things to Be Grateful for When You Need to Shift Your Focus - When you're stuck in a rut it's easy to forget all the nice things going on in your life, even when things are going wrong I always try to find at least one positive aspect to keep me focused.

♥ What Dogs Teach Us About Peace, Joy and Living in the Now

♥ Managing Change in Chaotic Times - I've seen people get so stressed by the world around them sometimes you just need to take a step back and focus on your own life and what you want to achieve without feeling the stress of the world around us.

♥ Poisonous Pals: How To Identify Them & How To Get Rid Of Them - As bad as it sounds sometimes you just have to bid farewell to those people in your life that are dragging you down and fill your life with people who inspire and create positivity.

♥ Your Feelings Are Not Up For Debate

♥ How to Make New Friends on the Internet -I've met some pretty awesome people thanks to the internet and make some great friends, I was once quite shy but now I quite enjoy socializing online.

♥ On Men Who Don't Like Women in Make-Up - The whole make-up debate kinda annoys me a bit if I wanna wear make-up I'll wear it if I don't it's not about catching a mate or what others think if it makes you happy and feel good then paint away!

♥ What I See in the Mirror

♥ Why Do Twentysomethings Always Feel So Old - This is so true, I'm constantly feeling the pressure of deadlines on my life even though I know it's foolish and I have many years ahead of me to worry about those things, I'm not old my life is just beginning

♥ Setting Goals: Doing What You Love in 2012 - Setting goals for yourself has to be the best form of motivation once you give yourself something to work towards it work doesn't seem like such a chore.

♥ Be a Crazy Awesome Bitch Like Angelina Jolie

♥ 20 New Year's Resolutions for 20-Somethings - Definitely a few things I need to take note of on this list...

♥ Rick Owen's 10 Rules of Style - I love these rules so simple yet so chic, I think learning to restrain oneself is key.

♥ Designer Uniforms

♥ Advice For Someone Trying to Refine Their Style - I love one of my favourite bloggers Sea Of Ghost's response to this question and it's some great advice to.

♥ Feeling Better About Your Body - Whether you're trying to lose weight or not it's about feeling happy in your own skin, don't punish yourself if you want a treat as long as you're looking after that body of yours that's all that matters!

♥ How to Be Awesome on the Internet

♥ Let's Talk Inspiration - Definitely one to bookmark if you're feeling in an inspirational rut!

Love & Sparkly Hugs

Cate

xoxo

Pinkie Pie's Make Your Own Pendant Party!

2012-01-28T05:31:00.000-08:00

My Little Pony is one of my little pleasures I often watch an episode or two while I'm putting on my make-up or doing my hair to get me in the mood for the rest of the day. I surprised my friend Cally with a special Rarity necklace for her birthday last year and for Christmas she gave me my very own Pinkie Pie so I just had to make myself a necklace to.

You will need:

♥ Beads

♥ Elastic cord

♥ A screw eye

♥ Mini pony figurine

Step 1

Twist a screw eye into where you would like your pony charm to hang, make sure the screw is screwed in tightly so your pony won't fall off when you're wearing it.

Step 2

Experiment and play around with different bead combinations until you find one you're happy with, thread the beads onto the elastic until you reach your desired length then tie the ends of the elastic securely (I at least triple knot mine!) and snip off the excess elastic.

Step 3

Wear your adorable pony necklace with pride!

Cupcakes & Balloons

Cate

xoxo

The Closet Clearout Never Ends!

2012-01-26T05:51:00.000-08:00

Just to let you guys know that I've listed a whole bunch of new items up on eBay, the bids start at 99p and there's no reserve so it's a great chance for you to pick up some great bargains and for me to gain a bit more space and harmony in the Batcave!

Happy Bidding!

Cate

xoxo

The Artist

2012-01-24T12:25:00.000-08:00

Today I watched The Artist, it was a truly beautiful piece of cinema, wonderful acting, touching storyline and very true to it's cinematic roots... and the little dog was cute to!

Moustaches & Tap Shoes

Cate

xoxo

A Lomo View On...

2012-01-23T10:13:00.000-08:00

Lomography is one of my favourite hobbies and it's bizarre that I hardly ever discuss it on my blog. I'm now entering my forth year as a "lomosapien" with a brand new camera to play with so I thought for 2012 I would start a series of blog posts showcasing some of my favourite shots taken by my little army of cameras over the years.

This was my very first shot with my very first (and favourite) camera the Fisheye 2. This was taken at Seaworld in San Diego in 2009 and even after the hundreds of photos I've taken with it this still is one of my favourite photos I've ever taken with it. After I got my first roll of film developed by this camera and seeing the amazing images it produced I was pretty much hooked on lomography and wanted to try out more cameras!

I then purchased a Baby Holga and a Superheadz Ikimono Harinezumi which were tiny pocket sized cameras but unfortunately I don't have many shots from either of these cameras as the 110 film they both took was retired shortly after I bought them and became increasingly hard to find so I ended up selling them for my next camera...

When I purchased my Baby Holga I also got a Disderi Robot 3 Lense camera which was originally intended as a gift to my nephew, however when he decided he didn't want it I though I would experiment with it myself and despite the fact that I don't use it as much as my other cameras I still have it and always take it on holidays with me, this year I have vowed to use this camera more because it gives such interesting pictures.

The Holga CMY was the last camera I purchased as I had always wanted a "real" Holga so when it arrived I was extremely excited to try it out however as much as I loved this camera I was never really happy with the shots I took with it and it became increasingly expensive to develop the 120 film from it so I finally decided to bid farewell to my dear Holga and save up for another camera...

This is the newest addition to my Lomo family, a Diana Mini en Rose, which was a lovely Christmas gift from my dad. I've already taken a handful of shots with it and will be taking it on a few outings to play with so am very excited to see what the shots will turn out like. Lomography has so many amazing and cute cameras now it's hard to choose which one to get but for the time being I'm having fun with Diana Mini and will be sure to share some of my favourite shots with you once I get them developed.

Lomo Love & 35mm Hugs

Cate

xoxo

Related Links

♥ My Lomography Collection on Flickr

The Frequent Flyer: Walking on Ice (and Fire)

2012-01-19T14:45:00.000-08:00

When in Iceland one of the things you MUST do is go glacier trekking, there's nothing quite as surreal as walking over a huge block of ice over a volcano which could erupt at any moment. My inner adventurer was out in full force that day and pretty much as soon as we stepped on to the glacier, crampons on and ice axe in hand, there were rumblings down below.

Some of you may remember the volcano Eyjafjallajökull that erupted in 2010 which grounded flights across Europe due to the volcanic ash being thrust into the air, well that volcano was just a 10 minute drive away and the ash from that eruption is still covering this glacier and it's surrounding villages which makes for some interesting formations or "Ice Monsters" as the Icelanders call them.

I've never really thought of myself as the "outdoors type" and usually when it's this cold you're more likely to find me indoors sitting next to fire with a big cup of tea and a ginger biscuit in my hands rather than outdoors hiking but when you're surroundings are this beautiful braving the cold for a few hours is totally worth it, in fact I pretty much forgot about the cold 10 minutes in and was just in awe of the absolute beauty and sheer white emptiness of the place.

After immersing myself in the world of Westeros for the past few months this was exactly what I imagined it would look like beyond The Wall, little did I know that just one week later Game of Thrones would actually start filming at the very place I was standing!

I enjoyed every single minute of my trek, it was such an amazing experience to be standing on a glacier seeing the beauty around me and exploring all the intricate ice caves and seeing this strange and unusual ice formations. It was surprisingly very relaxing to even though there were little rumblings underneath but they actually made me feel even more excited rather than scared.

Must admit I do quite fancy myself as a bit of an explorer (ice axes are definitely my new fave accessory) and it's an experience I would happily do all over again or even push the boat out and try my hand at a bit of ice climbing as those ice caves are really something beautiful.

Iceland has definitely stolen my heart and is one of the most beautiful countries I've ever had the pleasure of visiting and for anyone thinking of going there I would say just do it, a picture can only capture so much but the experience of being there and witnessing all its beauty cannot be replicated and is simply out of this world!

Love & Icicles

Cate

xoxo

Related Links

♥ Photos on Flickr

Inspirational Fashional Quotes #22

2012-01-15T10:54:00.000-08:00

"I don’t like standard beauty - there is no beauty without strangeness" — Karl Lagerfeld

Beauty Blitz: 5 January Faves

2012-01-12T03:00:00.000-08:00

by Dai.an

My "Beauty Ban" has now ended and during that time I discovered a few products that I really liked and will be adding to my re-purchase list. I will definitely be putting more consideration into the products I use, not be so wasteful and put a lot more thought into the brands I want to invest in and make sure they are morally sound before I make a purchase. Here are just five of the products I've been going crazy over lately and be sure to give me your recommendations for products you've been loving to.

Burt's Bees Pomegranate Lip Balm

I had almost forgotten how much I love Burt's Bees lip balms until I found this at the bottom of my make-up box and started using it again. My lips always seem to be dry and most lip balms and lipsticks seem to just dry them out even more but this is one of the few that actually keeps them hydrated.

Inecto Pure Coconut Hair Serum

I'm not quite sure where this came from or how long I've had it but it certainly is ones of those hidden gems, it just smells oh so good and it leaves your hair really silky and smooth without making it greasy. I use a tiny bit of this on the ends of my hair everyday and after I've just blow dried or straightened it and my hair definitely looks my healthy and less fried than it used to be.

Fresh Soy Face Cleanser

I've tried out a few different cleansers and this one is by far my favourite, it goes on to the skin so smooth and easily and does an awesome job at removing your makeup, it even managed to get rid of my thick waterproof mascara which it deserves extra bonus points for. Admittedly it is kinda pricey for the amount you get but I think it's worth it and once my current cleanser is all used up I will definitely be purchasing it.

Illamasqua Satin Primer

Illamasqua is quickly becoming one of my favourite make-up brands, I finally visited one of their stores last month and was treated to a mini makeover and this was one of the products I ended up buying. I love, LOVE this primer it gives my skin such a fresh dewy look and unlike some of the other primers I've used doesn't dry out my skin or cause breakouts. Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to use some of the other things I've bought but if they're anything like this I'm sure to love them to!

Jelly Belly Toasted Marshmallow Candle

This might not count as a "beauty" product but I think it definitely deserves a mention in my January faves. It had been a while since I treated myself to a scented candle but one sniff of this and I was sold! It smells so sweet, toasty and delicious and it's not so overpowering that it gives you a headache, in fact I find the smell really relaxing and have been lighting it for a couple of hours before bed to chill me out and help me sleep. Jelly Belly also have other sweetie candles available so I may just have to try another out next time!

Love & Glitter

Cate

xoxo

The Frequent Flyer: Bobbing Along at The Blue Lagoon

2012-01-07T06:35:00.000-08:00

The Blue Lagoon, like most places in Iceland, is such mystical, beautiful place and the number one stop off for most people visiting Iceland. Surrounded by snow filled fields and mountains the steam from this naturally heated geothermal lagoon seems to appear as if by magic from out of nowhere!

Once you take off your robes and make a quick dash across the icy boards and set foot into those lovely blue waters you never want to get out! It was below freezing outside but those waters were so warm and comforting making your frozen toes and that dash across the boards in nothing but your swimwear all worth it.

It's hard to believe that the water is really that blue but it really, truly is despite the fact that it's black at the bottom! There were also boxes filled with silica mud surrounding the lagoon which you could use free of charge to cover yourself in and gain the benefits of all those natural minerals and I have to say my skin really did feel better and much cleaner after swimming around covered in mud for a couple hours.

Of course after a couple of hours bobbing about in those blue waters you being to get a strange form of head freeze and icicles even begin to form in your hair so it's time to get out get showered and get changed, I wished I could have stayed in those waters for a bit longer but I really was turning into a wrinkly prune from being in there for so long.

A nice hot chocolate was a welcome treat and a good way to defrost afterwards and before I left I raided the gift store for some mud and scrubs to bring home with me. It was such a great way to relax for a couple hours and being in those nice blue warm waters, surrounded by snowy mountains, seeing the sun rising was such a surreal but wonderful experience it was definitely one of those moments that really make you see just how amazing our natural world is.

Love & Bubbles

Cate

xoxo

Related Links
♥ The Blue Lagoon

♥ Photos on Flickr

2012: Time to Start Fresh and Be a Better Me!

2012-01-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

by Toshi

For the past few weeks I've been thinking to myself what I would like to achieve in 2012 and the usual things like stop eating junk food, drop 10lbs, save money and be organised have cropped up on the list but these all seem a little shallow to me. My overall goal for 2012 is just to be a better person, a person that I would be proud to know and can admire, so here are a few things I'm going to try to do to hopefully help me achieve that goal.

by Elise

Take better care of myself

Instead of the usual exercise everyday, eat vegetables, make sure I take my make-up off before I go to bed or get at least 8 hours rest a night resolutions which seem to go out the window 3 days in I thought this one would cover all the above and be a more realistic achievement. It's all about looking after yourself, not getting too stressed out, and allowing yourself to indulge every now and again be that with a delicious cupcake, half an hour of meditation or a long country walk and hopefully by being in better health and having a more positive outlook this vibe will infect those around me in positive ways.

by Cat MacBride

Create a better business

I've had my little Etsy shop for nearly three years, it started as just a little side hobby for me it has slowly began to grow so I would love to turn it into a more viable source of income (or possibly career) for me especially during these hard economic times. My crafts are something I'm very proud of and now I'm getting help crafting from my wonderful nanna (my first employee!) I think I might be able to turn it into something bigger and better.

by Savannah Mae

Never stop exploring and doing new things

I had a little knock back in 2011 and it kinda put me off exploring for a little while up until my dad suggested a little getaway to Iceland a country I've been dreaming about visiting for most my life and it ended up being everything and more than I ever imagined it to be. I've had bad moments travelling and some new experiences were downright stupid and terrifying but overall the good far outweighs the bad and I know that even through those bad times that I can survive and should never be discouraged. Travel really does broaden the mind and open new doors so I should never be closed off to these experiences!

by Joe Miller

Be more charitable.

I think I'm already a reasonably charitable person but I always think that there is more that we can do to help our world, I do tend to get more charitable around the holiday season but I think that effort should extend to all year round and I should help out more where possible be it buying more charitable items, donating or volunteering, I'd also like to use my Etsy shop to once again help raise money and awareness for charities as I once did in the past it's something I really enjoyed and definitely give me a reason to be more pro-active when it comes to my crafts.

by Ruth

Be more considerate of my purchases.

This is probably the goal I'm most likely to break, admittedly I don't splurge that often but when I do my poor bank account doesn't know what's hit it! After being on a beauty ban I'm definitely more concious of the amount of beauty products I own and when it comes to clothing I now keep lists of the items that I need and stalk sale sections to see if I can get some great bargains. But this isn't all about saving money this is also about buying from more independent designers, sourcing more eco friendly natural items and supporting smaller businesses, when I spend my money I want it to go to the right places and if that means giving up those larger cheaper chain stores then so be it!

Do you have your goals all set out for 2012?

Love & Sparkly Hugs

Cate

xoxo

Things That Make You Go Oooooo (December 2011)

2011-12-31T00:00:00.000-08:00

by Beth Retro

Wow a new year is upon us already! This has been another great year for me, it's had its ups and its downs but all in all a year full of new discoveries, dreams fulfilled and amazing new friends made. I'm so grateful to live the life I have although it may not be perfect but it's those imperfections which really make me appreciate just how lucky I am, I just hope 2012 will be just as great a year for me as 2011 was...

♥ On Happiness - This is such a great list and something I can definitely relate to, use these tips and make 2012 YOUR year!

♥ 5 Rules for a Creative Culture

♥ How to Live a Beautiful Life - "A beautiful life requires work & effort!" and ain't that the truth!

by Looooo

♥ 55 Gentle Ways to Take Care of Yourself When You're Busy, Busy, Busy - Some wonderful easy tip which everyone can do to make their day a little brighter!

♥ A *Fresh* Technique for Working Out Your Life Values

♥ Life Only Sucks if You Do - "We have two choices: the pain of staying the same, or the pain of growth." sounds a simple choice doesn't it?

by Rebecca Naen

♥ Staying Green and Healthy When Time Is Running Short - We all want to eat more healthy but sometimes it's hard to find the time these are some great tips of how to keep healthy during those busy times.

♥ The Complete Guide to Not Giving a Fuck

♥ 5 Workout Mistakes To Avoid For Better Results - Definitely something I need to take note of as I'm terrible when it comes to exercise.

by Carrie

♥ How To Feel Fabulous When It's Frigid Outside: My List Of Winter Essentials! - Seriously who said winter was the worst season when there's so many fun things to do?

♥ 4 Ways To Curl Your Hair Without a Curler

♥ Winter Pick Me Ups! - Winter is fast becoming one of my favourite seasons there are so many little things you can enjoy when it's cold outside.

by AndrejA

♥ 5 Things Bloggers Can Learn From Don Draper - If there's one thing Don Draper knows it's how to sell!

♥ Tips For Newbie Bloggers

♥ Blogger Beautiful? An Examination Of What It Means To Be Beautiful & Valuable In Fashion Blogging - Amazing read, great for anyone wanting to turn their blog into their business.

by queenanka

♥ Alan Rickman Reading, And Other Velvet-Voiced Celebrity Narrators - I love a good narrator and Alan Rickman has such a soothing voice I also love Morgan Freeman's voice and for my fellow Game of Thrones fans you should check out Roy Dotrice reading the series he really brings those characters to life!

♥ How to Create a Regular Creative or Spiritual Practice

♥ 11 Books That Changed My Life - If you're looking for some alternate interesting reads for 2012 then check out some of these.

♥ D.I.Y. Glitter Star Crown - This is adorably festive and although Christmas has passed there's always an excuse for a little bit of extra sparkle in your life!

♥ Holiday Hair

♥ Kaelah's Cocktail Hour: Bartender Knows Best - It is NYE today so it's a great excuse to raid the booze cupboard and create some delicious new cocktails!

Love & Sparkly Hugs

Cate

xoxo

Post Christmas Sale Time!!

2011-12-26T00:30:00.000-08:00

Christmas day is over for yet another year but don't let that get you down because it's the start of the EPIC sale season and to spend all those pennies your distantly related aunts and uncles gave you for Christmas. So to get in the mood and hopefully clear some space for new and awesome designs in the coming new years I'm offering all you guys a massive 25% off all purchases in my Etsy shop from now until January 1st!

To get your exclusive 25% off any purchase (and yes that also includes sale items!) all you have to do is enter the code 25DAYS at checkout and your discount will be automatically applied, so go on treat yourself a special one of a kind item completely handmade by yours truly I promise you won't regret it!

Love & Cuddles

Cate

xoxo

Merry Christmas Everyone

2011-12-25T02:42:00.000-08:00

Just stopping by to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, I hope you all have a wonderful day filled with gift giving, delicious food and excellent company.

Love & Snowflakes

Cate

xoxo

The Perfect Cup of Tea

2011-12-21T08:58:00.000-08:00

As a little pre-Christmas treat I decided to order myself a bunch of new teas to try from Teapigs. This was my first order from Teapigs although I've heard really good things about them and with flavours like popcorn and crème caramel it was hard to resist.

There was a slight hiccup in my order which meant it wasn't shipped when it was supposed to be but after a quick email to the company they resolved the problem, promptly sent my parcel out to me and even included a few extra samples for me to try to apologise for the wait.

Tea is pretty much my drink of choice especially in the colder months there's nothing quite like a nice hot cup of tea to warm your insides and your fingers up and this tea was particular delicious. Out of all the samples I've tried what is most noticeable is the freshness it has, not only is it warming but it really quenches your thirst and you can really taste those different flavours, the crème caramel was creamy, the super fruit super fruity, the chai suitably spicy, the winter tea like a cup of Christmas all very delicious and very flavourful!

I'm a Teapigs convert, this is really good tea and I love the little serving suggestions it has for each of the brews I've tried all the them in multiple ways alone or with milk or a dollop of honey or splash of brandy each has it's own unique way to be served. I totally recommend them to all my fellow tea drinkers as there is something for everyone and they're a real treat to, the perfect thing to warm you up on a cold winter's day!

Love & Tea

Cate

xoxo

The Frequent Flyer: Aurora Hunting

2011-12-18T05:40:00.000-08:00

Our main reason for our mini Iceland getaway was to seek out the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis, after checking the weather forecast religiously the week before we were due to leave and seeing nothing but rain and snow I wasn't expecting to see them at all but after just a few hours in Iceland and a short bus ride out of the city we got lucky and experienced one of the most amazing displays on record!

At first it can be difficult to see the Aurora, with the naked eye we could make out a more defnined band of white in the sky and slowly a greenish mist, however after taking a long exposure photo we could see that there were colours in the sky, as we were only using a point-and-click we only saw the basics but other people with better quality cameras were getting all kinds of brighter different shades of red, pink,and green.

After standing outside (in sub zero temperatures) staring at the greenish mist in the sky which was beginning to fade we made our way back to the bus a little disappointed that that was all we managed to see but then as we were driving back to Reykjavik the sky seemed to explode and well defined colourful streak appeared all over the sky moving and dancing just like you see in the movies!

There are no words for me to express just how amazing it was seeing them in real life, the sky just seemed to explode and light up with colour and it was so beautiful I even shed a tear. A lot of people go to Iceland with the intention of seeing the Northern Lights and don't see them at all but we saw them three nights in a row although the first night was definitely the brightest and most spectacular.

I feel exceptionally lucky to have had the experiences that I had in Iceland they are definitely something I will never forget and I'll hold close to my heart for the rest of my life. Iceland is such a beautiful and wondrous island that I think everyone should visit at least once in their lives, I've only been back a couple weeks but I miss it so much and would love so much to visit there again.

Stars & Snowflakes

Cate

xoxo

Here are a couple of my favourite videos of the Aurora Borealis just to give you an idea of what we saw

Aurora Borealis in Finnish Lapland 2011 from Flatlight Films on Vimeo.

Earth | Time Lapse View from Space, Fly Over | NASA, ISS from Michael König on Vimeo.

Related Links

♥ Photos on Flickr

Inspirational Fashional Quotes #21

2011-12-15T09:48:00.000-08:00

I am attracted to people who make this effort in knowing what suits them - they are individual and stylish. - Vivienne Westwood

The Frequent Flyer: Horse Riding Through Narnia

2011-12-10T16:51:00.000-08:00

Some of you who follow me on Twitter may know that I took a short but magical break to the Land of Ice and Fire AKA Iceland and whilst there I fulfilled one of my childhood fantasies of horse riding in the snow although I never actually planned for it to snow lucky for me the snow started falling on the morning we had planned our ride and completely transformed the amazingly beautiful scenery into something vast, white and mysterious.

This was my first time horse riding, it's one of those things that's been on my to-do list for the longest time so I wasn't sure exactly what to expect, if it would be difficult to do or if it would be painful but thankfully the staff were wonderful with us giving us simple instructions on how the handle the horses, mount and dismount, and my horse Struoka was lovely, calm and very patient with me.

Icelandic horses are smaller than your average horse but just as sturdy and they love the cold weather, so being out in the snow that morning was a great treat for them and us, we were only out riding for a couple hours but they had to have been some of the best hours of my life!

It was such a great experience riding through the falling snow in such a magical setting I almost felt like I was in a fairytale place and I'd somehow fallen through my closet and landed in the mystical land of Narnia. My horse was so lovely and friendly with me even when she went a little too fast and nearly overtook the instructors she slowed down when I told her to and didn't throw me off which is always a good sign!

Seeing Iceland on horseback was such an amazingly beautiful thing to do, even though I was quite cold and wet (but luckily not sore!) towards the end of it, it was one of the best things I've ever experienced and if given the chance I would do it again in a heartbeat, so who knows maybe I might take some horse riding lessons in the new year...

Snowflakes & Sugarcubes

Cate

xoxo

Related Links

♥ Photos on Flickr

♥ Ishestar

The Warriors of Westeros

2011-12-07T12:13:00.000-08:00

As 2011 is nearly over we decided to drive down to Birmingham to attend the last big comic con of the year Memorabilia and much to my delight some of the cast of Game of Thrones were in attendance. As you guys probably know from my various posts I'm just a little bit obsessed with Game of Thrones.

I bought an awesome map of Westeros (courtesy of eBay) especially for the cast to sign, which they all seemed to like, there isn't currently a lot of Game of Thrones merchandise available so when I stumbled across this map I thought it would be the perfect start to my Game of Thrones collection.

Miltos Yerolemou plays one of my favourite characters in the series Syrio Forel had the honour of being the first to sign my poster, I almost wish I had a sword with me so I could as him to teach me some cool moves, he was absolutely lovely and charming and seems to have a great love of the show and did a wonderful job of bringing the character to life even though Syrio is short lived (or is he?) he still has a strong presence in the story through Arya so definitely will not be forgotten.

James Cosmo was next and he plays Lord Mormont Commander of the Night's Watch which is one of my absolute favourite aspects of the whole series of A Song of Ice and Fire if you couldn't already tell from my outfit and my constant gushing about it. He was also very friendly and just as strong and fatherly as I expected him to be, I pretty much felt like a hobbit in heels next to him because he seemed to tower over me!

Finn Jones plays Ser Loras Tyrell or The Knight of the Flowers and is just as charming and dashingly handsome as he appears to be (and yes that's his real hair!) luckily he has read the books so we could talk about that and what can be expected from season 2 which he had already finished filming when we spoke (sorry no spoilers guys!). He seems to be as much of a fan of the show as I am which is awesome because it only makes me more excited for what's to come.

You can tell from speaking to everyone involved that there is a real love and dedication to the show and it really is something special, so much care and effort has been made in to bringing this enriching world to life and presenting these complex and amazing characters, they all should be very proud of what they've created. Anywho that's enough of my fangirling if you haven't a clue what I've been talking about for this whole post then you need to go watch Game of Thrones and/or go check out the books but be warned they're very addictive!

Fire & Blood

Cate

xoxo

A Very Merry Holiday Wishlist

2011-12-03T10:40:00.000-08:00

source

December is here and the holiday celebrations have already started, in the words of Perry Como "It's beginning to look at lot like Christmas". It's the season of giving and I've already sent a few gifts out to friends and family across the pond and I've got lots more gift bags ready to give out to those more local in a couple weeks time. I've been that busy gift shopping that I haven't even thought about what to gift myself this year so here are a few things I'll be dreaming about this Christmas.

Alexander McQueen Hand Embroidered Silk Chiffon Dress

Definitely THE dress of my dreams it looks like it has come straight out of a winter wonderland, I just love all the attention to detail this dress had and the sense of winter regalia it gives, priced at over £16,000 this is one dress that's likely to remain in my dreams but wow is it a beautiful creation to dream about.

Christmas Lush Stuff

I know, I know I'm currently on a beauty ban but the Lush Christmas stuff is just so irresistible, I love all the sparkly bath bombs they have and the warm yummy holiday scented soaps and gels, they make a nice hot bath on a winter's day feel even better!

Longclaw, Jon Snow's Sword from A Song of Ice and Fire

Winter is Coming and I can't think of a better nerdy gift for myself, I'm well an truly obsessed with Game of Thrones and the Song of Ice and Fire series (more to come on this obsession soon!) and the Night's Watch is one of my favourite aspects of the book, but anyway enough of my geekiness just look that this magnificent weapon how freakin' bad ass would this look in the Batcave‽

Handmade Floral Crown

I've been meaning to craft myself one of these for the longest time but can never find the time (or the flowers) so this might be one of those occasions when I'm better off just buying one. I love floral crowns and although they tend to be thought as more of a summer accessory I think they can look pretty festive to.

Disney Couture Minnie Mawi Necklace

Disney Couture have made yet another necklace which I've fallen in love with and I honestly can't think of a necklace more perfect for me, the colour combination of pink and black is my absolute favourite and I just love how chic and stylish it looks, Minnie would be proud!

Hello Kitty Fuji Instax

This is another camera which reigns high on my wishlist (second only to the Diana Mini) I've always wanted an instant camera as have a soft spot for analogue. The Fuji Instax comes in a wide variety of shapes and sizes but of course it's the Hello Kitty one which has caught my eye and you can even buy special Hello Kitty and Disney film to go with it, how cute is that?

Teatime Treats

I'm the type of person who likes a biscuit with my afternoon tea which I suppose makes me very stereotypically British in a way but I always try to make time for an afternoon cuppa and at Christmas time I always make it a bit more special and break out the festive china, holiday brew and biscuits, however, I broke my festive teapot and cup earlier this year (after 5 long years of service) so this beautiful set from my favourite tea company Whittard's would make the perfect festive treat.

What have you guys got on your Christmas lists for Santa this year?

Love & Snowflakes

Cate

xoxo

Things that make you go Oooooo (November 2011)

2011-11-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

by hakanphotography

I can't believe that another year is almost over, I feel like I've done so much this year yet so little and I still haven't made any solid goals for 2012 despite it edging ever closer. Winter is here, I can't wait for the snow to arrive and I'm feeling rather festive which is probably the effect of my Starbucks eggnog latte addiction, so grab yourself a hot drink and enjoy this months Things that make you go Oooooo...

♥ Vintage Egg Tutorial - Aren't these the cutest? The perfect way to decorate your Christmas tree.

♥ 21 Small Habits That Will Help You to Live a Simpler Live

♥ 5 Tips for Better Self Portraits - I've been think of maybe taking up the 365 challenge next year so these simple but great tips will come in useful.

by Moonywolf

♥ How To Get Calm in a World Full of Crazy - I don't know if it's the effect of the Christmas season but I'm finding myself getting extra stressy so here are some great tips from Gala for finding your calm.

♥ My Childhood Icon: Sailor Moon

♥ 10 Real-Talk Blog Tips - A few of you have asked me about blogging tips recently so here are some great tips from Joy which I 100% follow and agree with!

by sssseahorse

♥ Let's Make & Receive Surprise Balls - These are such a great idea, especially for Christmas it be great to make a few to hang on your Christmas tree so not only is it an adorable decoration but a fun gift to.

♥ Hair How-To

♥ D.I.Y. Faux Fur Stole - The perfect winter accessory and definitely on my winter crafting list, they would also make a great gift for Christmas!

by Jyoujo

♥ Tokyo Rising - This is a great mini series about Tokyo's youth and creative culture, so inspirational!

♥ Save That Money

♥ Mila Kunis - Great interview, not only is she absolutely gorgeous but a very inspirational and intelligent role model.

by Misses Magoo

♥ Young Me Now - Recreating your childhood photos is such a great idea I'm so inspired to join in on this project.

♥ All "Restriction" is Not Created Equal

♥ The Muppets in Fairytales - I love the Muppets and I'm so happy there's a new movie coming out soon also here's some more Muppet love for my fellow Game of Thrones fans

by Candace Lesage Austen

♥ What Carrie Bradshaw Can Teach You About Blogging - I always kinda think of Carrie as the original blogger even though technically she wasn't but we can still learn some great lessons from her to help our own blogs.

♥ "We are all bad feminists, really"

♥ 5 Feminist Conversations I'm Over - THIS so much, such a funny but great read!

by marymarycherry

♥ The Thing About Posing - My gorgeous friend YumeNinja shares some of her great tips on posing and looking your best in photos, definitely something I'm taking notes on!

♥ Wanna Be My Friend?

♥ Good People - This is such a heart warming read from Gala and definitely something I can relate to.

Love & Sparkly Hugs

Cate

xoxo

Beauty Blitz: The Shopping BAN!

2011-11-28T07:57:00.000-08:00

Whilst doing my monthly purge of items I don't wear or never use I noticed that I have an excess of beauty products. Over the past few years I've been more conscious of my spending and trying only to spend money on items that I will use, beauty products coming under that category, however it would seem that even when it comes to those items I am still consuming too much. The final straw came when my the drawer I keep all these products in broke and well you know you have too many lotions and potions when your drawers collapse under the sheer weight of them!

I will openly admit I don't have the best skin, I suffer from eczema, I break out, I have blackheads and yes I do use a bit of photoshop to cover up certain blemishes so I'm constantly on the look out for products that will soothe and better my skin (espcially during winter!) but my problem is is that I tend to hoard products, I'll save them for certain occasions which never seem to come instead of just using them and making the most of them before their shelf life expires.

Maybe you guys have heard of the 10 pan challenge but basically it's where you put yourself on a shopping ban for beauty products and make-up until you've used 10 items up, this video explains the basics of it...

I think this is something I definitely have to do if not for myself but for the sake of my poor drawers who can no longer handle the sheer weight of my addiction!

Christmas is around the corner and I am expecting a few beauty related gifts (don't worry gifts are allowed!) so I feel this is the perfect time for me to clear out my drawers, use up some forgotten items and see what products work best for me.

This is my pile of beauty products that I want to use up which is admittedly A LOT more than 10 but as a lot have already been used or are sample sized I figure it wouldn't be much of a challenge. I won't go through each individual product but if I find a good one I'll be sure to share, in fact most of what I want to use up is lipgloss which considering how dry my lips get in the winter shouldn't be too much of a problem.

After all these are used up I think I'm going to take a lot more time and consideration into which products I'm going to buy, maybe spending that little bit extra on them if they do a good job of making my skin look good and maybe booking myself an appointment with a dermatologist to see what treatments they can recommend for me.

With that in mind do any of you have any must have products that you just couldn't live without or are you like me a hoarder of beauty products and in dire need of a purge?

Love & Sparkly Hugs

Cate

xoxo

Recipes For a Cold Winter's Day

2011-11-25T09:22:00.000-08:00

The holidays are on their way and with it a plethora of delicious food, I'm a firm believer that anyone can cook and even if your meals don't turn out as pretty as they do in the recipes there's no better gift than a home cooked meal and that to me is what the holidays are all about so I thought I would share a few of my favourite winter recipes from fellow bloggers for you guys to try out.

♥ Quinoa Stuffed Squash - The perfect seasonal recipe, healthy, delicious and really easy to make.

♥ Curried Vegetable Stew with Pearl Barley & Almonds -Stew is the best cure for a cold winters day and I love this different take on a traditional recipe.

♥ Beef Stew - A simple but delicious recipe sure to warm your belly!

♥ Lentil and Root Vegetable Soup - One of the best soups I've tasted and makes great use of those seasonal vegetables.

♥ Butternut Squash Soup - I love the use of pears and cheese in this, it gives the soup a great depth of flavour

♥ Super Moist Pumpkin Bread - Although the recipe says bread there's none of that kneading and rising involved (thankfully!) this tastes great with a hearty warm soup.

♥ Chocolate Crinkle Cookies - So light and delicious perfect with a mug of hot chocolate.

♥ Old Fashioned Donuts with Chocolate Glaze - Hot fresh donuts are the yummiest thing ever, the perfect comfort food!

♥ Blueberry Peach Pie - I love me some pie and blueberry and peach work so deliciously together.

♥ Fifteens - These are such an easy and great treat to make whatever your kitchen skills, try them and you'll be hooked!

Indulge & Enjoy!

Cate

xoxo

Set Your Music On Fire

2011-11-20T08:47:00.000-08:00

by ice-cold photography

Metaphorical or not we all need a bit of heat and fire in our lives whether it be to keep us warm or to give us courage. Music is a wonderful motivator and something I've been relying on a lot recently to perk me up so here are a few of my favourite fiery tunes sure to inspire and keep the fire going through these long cold winter months.

♥ Set Fire to the Rain - Adele
♥ Fire of Unknown Origin - Blue Oyster Cult
♥ There is a Light That Never Goes Out - The Smiths
♥ Sparks - Coldplay
♥ Volcano - Damien Rice
♥ Golden - Late Night Alumni
♥ Crash and Burn Girl - Robyn
♥ Canned Heat - Jamiroquai
♥ Fever - Lady Gaga
♥ This Fire - Franz Ferdinand

Love & Flames

Cate

xoxo

Inspirational Fashional Quotes #20

2011-11-15T09:45:00.000-08:00

Style is primarily a matter of instinct. - Bill Blass

20 Things to do in bed

2011-11-10T05:58:00.000-08:00

by Jessica Florence