The Girl recently commented on my Filofax post with:

“You have Paperchase by your office? Hello my name is jealous”

And yes, when I didn’t work near a Paperchase, I’d have thought it was the greatest thing ever (the nearest ones being in House of Fraser which back in t’day (ok…two years ago) weren’t open past 6pm or in Borders (which was a crap one anyway))

But now? Its a DANGER.

You might convince yourself that you’re going to pop in and ONLY come out with a birthday card for someone. Then somehow between going in and paying, you’ve ended up with ¬£15 of stuff (I’ve done that)

Paperchase (and stationary in general) is an addiction. Its like crack. In fact, crack would be a better addiction to have, because then I wouldn’t end up with piles of pretty notebooks with nothing written in them because

• They’re far too pretty to write in
• I don’t know what to write in them
• I’m a geek, I write everything on my iPhone anyway (or in my Filofax of course)

It tempts me every day with its swish colour changing logo and pretty things in the window. The bastard.

© Hayley for ceriselle.org, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags:

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

However, I had to share this haul video with you. Even if you love making and watching haul videos, you can’t help but laugh at this one!

via FashionBinge

© Hayley for ceriselle.org, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags:

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

The online boutique Anusha is based in Bath, and it is one of those sites that I have to ignore sometimes, because damn it, I want mostly everything they sell!

Not only are the clothes and accessories quite lovely, but they are photographed beautifully in gorgeous settings.

This teal circus print wrap dress is £49, cute pattern and a lovely colour.

The Maya circle design silk dress is currently reduced to £83, but I love the shape of it

The Milla taupe silk dress is only £39, and looks like one of those dresses you just chuck on and not think about it (I love those sort of outfits, but sadly don’t have too many!)

I’m currently on a shoe ban at the moment (I hate being on a shoe ban. I don’t have too many shoes, I just don’t have enough feet or occasions to wear the pretty shoes to.) but I could totally justify these couldn’t I? They’re £45, but sadly are sold out of my size. (I’m a size 7/40, y’know, just in case SOMEONE wants to buy me some shoes.)

I’m very tempted by these bird dangly earrings, and they’re only £13…hmmm….

I have a bit of an obsession with cake stands. This one is £37, but would go so well in my collection (which was reduced down to one cake stand when the other one was smashed. I was quite upset!)

Finally, I saw these cups in Harvey Nichols last weekend, with the cake stand to match, and I love them! They’re quite impractical (how do you hold it?!) and at £39, they’re not the sort of thing I should even be allowed near, let alone have a cup of tea from them, but I want!

You lot should just go and buy out everything, because otherwise I will.

www.anusha.co.uk

© Hayley for ceriselle.org, 2010. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags:

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

I’ve loved Filofaxes since I was a little girl. Who didn’t have a Fun Fax at some point? I loved filling out all the different sections, and for some reason ended up with a bit of an obsession with address books – I’d buy maybe 3 new address books each year (or more) and spend a happy evening copying over all the information that I needed – and deciding who to leave out.

Of course, since I have my iPhone, I don’t need to keep a physical address book, but I find it so much easier to write events and stuff down in a real diary rather than on my iPhone. I can add in little random notes and scribble down to do’s each day (and then feel ashamed if they’re not ticked off quickly)

It seems that having a Filofax is quite a popular thing at the moment – it feels like (almost) everyone is turning away from Moleskines, and turning to an organiser that allows the user to choose how they set it up. (See how Kirsty at Belle Fantaisie and Gala Darling have theirs). This article from the Telegraph goes into a bit more detail as well.

I chose a pocket sized Metropol in Raspberry (oddly, I bought this on the same day Gala published her article saying she had bought the bigger version!). Personally, I’ve got mine like this:

Things I need to get to quickly – my debit and credit cards, business cards, my lift pass and my bus ticket each day.

I have plastic wallets for my timesheet, a zipped one to keep little things safe, and a card holder.

I’ve taken out most of the information sheets because I can Google anything I need.
When I bought my Filofax, it came with a July 10 – Dec 11 calendar, so I took out all of the 2011 stuff for now. The address tabs are gone, with just the numbered ones left, labeled with various things.

I chose the sticky notes pack, and am looking for the mirror (because I’m that vain) to go in. I keep my passport tucked in the back – it’s my only ID, and you never know when you’ll be whisked off somewhere (a girl can dream!)

The Filofax is perfect for the obsessive planner type like myself, as it let’s you see a whole week (for example) at once. It works in any situation that the iPhone wont (obviously not underwater, because the paper would get soggy, but then the phone would explode if I did that anyway). I can scribble, note, doodle – things I can’t do on my phone easily. I can pencil things in and write what didn’t happen.

My Filofax was only £21, and I’ve probably spent another £15 on extras, but its nice to know that if this one starts to look a bit battered, I can easily buy a new one, or if I need more bits of it, its easily refillable (Paperchase is right by my office, which is always a danger!)

© Hayley for ceriselle.org, 2010. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags:

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

I finally got my side of the office all sorted out, and its lovely! The downside of course is that I have the office chair that the dog likes to sleep on, which means I often end up with a spaniel in the way.
I’ve sorted out most of the house, so its just the bedrooms (apparently I have too many shoes, handbags and clothes…um, no, no I do not.) to go.
I hate moving.

ThreeMobileBuzz are having a competition where you can win a new phone and a new handbag. I like this idea, and I’m not sure I should be telling you all this, because the less peopel that enter, the more chance I have of winning. And I do need new handbags. Visit www.handbagcompetition.co.uk for more info.

On Wednesday, I met Michaela for some food at Nandos after work. I never had Nandos before last week and now I think I love it. A double chicken burger thing was just a bit too much chicken for me.

Tim has decided to make some questions up to ask people, and first up is Julez! She doesn’t like pineapple. I find that odd.

One of the reasons I love Bristol is that people aren’t afraid to wear what they like. I saw this bloke who (to me at least) looks like a cross between the army bloke (Mike, apparently) from Spaced, and the bloke from Mythbusters that has the huge tache and beret. I know, this is why you read my blog – my amazing descriptive skillz.

Becs has given LayTheTable a gorgeous redesign, and with it, has posted this awesome recipe for Pimms No 1 Cupcakes. Mmm. All that buttercream.

On Saturday, I went to Harvey Nicks to see if I could find a nice bottle of whisky for my dad. (I did, but it cost £2000. Um, no. I ended up getting him a portable hard drive and put a load of pictures on it for him.) I was so tempted by this tea set, it was so Alice in Wonderland-y!

For those who were asking last week, my dress that I wore to the Chap was an old wrap dress I wear for work that I bought from Primark. I love it! Apparently, there is a mini Olympiad at Vintage at Goodwood, although  I tried asking them via Twitter and had no response.

I love the window and store decorations they have at Harvey Nicks, and this (incredibly blurry, because I was trying to make out like I was looking at the Shu Uemura eyelashes (ooh they do some pretty ones)) one was one of my favourites. They’re giant rag dolls, wearing outfits from the store. As I came down the escalator, I thought they were Frank Sidebottom heads!

I love how grafitti in this city is used to pretty up any building.

I’ve reinstalled Skype, so for anyone who wants to contact me, or only had my old user name, I can be contacted on hayley.constantine. I know. Its so unusual.

To end with, here is a kittin riding around on a tortoise. AMAZING.

© Hayley for ceriselle.org, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags:

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

For those people who might not read your blog or follow you on Twitter, tell us the basics about you.

I am a university student who is writing a blog in her spare time about the highs and lows of uni life, fashion, food and friends. I’m a friendly person (I think!) and I love keeping in touch with people and I am attached to my computer 90% of the time, with the other 10% spent sleeping or eating!

Whats the most exciting thing you’re looking forward to this summer?

I am doing an internship this summer in London for the Civil Service which I am excited and terrified about in equal measure!

What bands/songs/albums will be the soundtrack to your summer?

I love California Gurls by Katy Perry but the ‘500 days of Summer’ soundtrack is always a winner in the sunshine

Where is the strangest place you’ve been on holiday?

I have never been anywhere strange on holiday, Italy was probably the most exciting though.

What song (old or new) instantly makes you think of summer?

Bedshaped by Keane reminds me of being about 15 and moping around on the beach…It sounds particularly good with a moody skyline and waves breaking behind you

Show us a picture from a summer holiday you loved

This is a photo of me and my boyfriend when we went on holiday with my family to Jersey.

Whats the best iced lolly: FAB, Magnum, Mini Milk or other?

Vanilla Mini Milk or any kind of sorbet!

Did you look forward to the end of summer as a kid or did you dread going back to school?

I enjoyed the freedom of holidays but I liked getting back to school to see all of my friends.

What five things are essential for the perfect summers day?

Good company, plenty of shade, a good picnic, suncream and a good book.

Anything else to add?

Why not take a look at Frills ‘n’ Spills (http://frillsnspills.blogspot.com) or my Twitter (http://twitter.com/frillsnspills )?

Check out Marias (and Dannis!) blog at Frills ‘n’ Spills and follow her on Twitter. If anyone else is interested in answering some questions, drop me an email – hi (at) ceriselle.org)

© Hayley for ceriselle.org, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags:

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

An hour after that post published, Michelle at ThreeMobileBuzz got back in contact with me to offer me a trial of the next version of the MiFi.

Its a lot nicer looking – white plastic only looks good on Apple products (thats why I didn’t go for a white Dell netbook – it just looked wrong!) and gives much more information on the screen.

I’ll be giving this little MiFi a workout to see just how good it is, and will report back (of course. You lucky lucky people)

© Hayley for ceriselle.org, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags:

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Here’s the programme for the event. Since you probably can’t see that properly, I scanned it and uploaded to Flickr. There were so many excellent events, but because we had decided that we wanted to leave London by 8pm, we only stayed for the first half.

First up though, was the lighting of the Olympic pipe. No silly torches here!

Of course, what afternoon in a park is complete without a few pitchers of Pimms?

Here’s the first event, the martini relay. There were three tables set up, the first with glasses, shakers and ice, the second with gin and vermouth, and the third with olives. It was a relay race so the contestants had to run between the tables. However because this was the sort of event where rules were just guidelines, you had people sauntering up to the alcohol table and swigging the gin from the bottle. Good work I think.

More chaps making a martini

The crowd were the most amazing though. Almost* everyone had made some sort of effort in dressing up in style, and there were some amazing outfits and hair dos!

Setting up for the cucumber discus. I’m not sure I understood this game fully, but you had to throw a cucumber sandwich on a china plate and points were awarded for the distance between the sandwich and the plate (when they inevitably separated during the throw)

Here is someone gearing up for their throw…

And during their throw:

I’ve tagged the flying cucumber sandwich and plate on this picture on Facebook, but they’re pretty much in the centre of the image. Beautiful. People were disqualified for using cling film for keeping the sandwich on the plate, but all sorts of things were using – including popping the plate inside a Nazi uniform hat!

Here is the butler with a giant tube of mustache wax for the tug of hair – which was basically a tug of war but with a big (fake!) handlebar mustache.

During the interval, this “comedian”, Paul Foot, came on to entertain us. I said “comedian”, but there were only about 10 people who were actually paying attention to him. Honestly, if you see an event with him on, just avoid, avoid, avoid

Here’s Alex and I, in what I think is the first picture of the two of us ever. God thats smug.

So once the “comedian” disappeared off the stage, they started playing some swing type music, and people were dancing at their picnic baskets, then all of a sudden were up on the stage. Yes, thats a lady in a Nazi uniform. She was called Heidi Heil, and instead of a swastika, there was the logo of the Chap. She was very pantomime-y. camping it up all over the place.

Soon after this, we left, and hunted down some food. Of course, we found the nearest Wagamamas. We were slightly over dressed.

This is Nathan’s “I’m going to moider you with only a chopstick” look.

We got on the train home, and the boys produced a bottle of champagne which they had purchased earlier and tried to smuggle back into the event, using the excuse that it was Grannys Christmas present! Unsurprisingly, the security weren’t impressed with this excuse! We drank it from plastic glasses, and posed a bit:

We played Scrabble on the iPad (such a good thing to travel with!) and drank tea on the way out.

I had a really lovely day with three of my favourite people ever, and can’t wait to go again next year!

If you’d like to read some other versions of events, then Fleur de Guerre and Retro Chick have also blogged about it, which are well worth a read.

*Almost everyone dressed up, but there were quite a lot of professional photographers who just rocked up to the event wearing jeans and a t-shirt. This was a bit annoying, as it wasn’t difficult to pop a shirt and trousers on. These photographers would get in the way of everyone else as well, which was pretty irritating. I don’t mind people wanting to take pictures to potentially sell on later on, but please respect the people who have paid to get into the event and want to take part as much as possible!

© Hayley for ceriselle.org, 2010. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags:

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Annoyingly, there was no pricing schemes, so I forgot about it. However, when we went to London for the Aussie Angels Mad Hatters Tea Party, we ended up on a FUTURETRAIN again. I love FUTURETRAIN. It costs £1.50 for an hours viewing, or £3.50 for “unlimited viewing” (But only for the length of your journey)

LOOK AT IT. FUTURETRAIN LOVES YOU.

I don’t know why FUTURETRAIN must always be written in capitals. Mostly to show how important it is.

© Hayley for ceriselle.org, 2010. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags:

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Anyway.

I took a few random snaps at the Aussie Luscious Long party that I went to last weekend on my iPhone, but forgot to actually put them up anyway. Lazy. So here is a small glimpse into the event – a Cosmo and some of the food. Mmm.

When I got home on Sunday, I took out my beautiful (but by this time very messy) up-do and was left with nicely curly hair. This never happens! I may have to try experimenting a bit more with the mousse when tying my hair up – it left my hair soft, not crunchy.

On Tuesday, the Krispy Kreme drive thru opens up in Avonmeads. We couldn’t wait that long, so I picked up a dozen variety donuts and took them into work the next day. It was SO warm at Paddington station – I stepped out of the Krispy Kreme shop and felt a rush of hot air hit me! Some of the  donuts melted, but they were still very delicious the next day.

On Wednesday, I finally tried Nandos for the first time. Oh. My. Life. DELICIOUS. I met with Abbi, Kate, Amanda (and her boyfriend) so Abbi and Kate could get one last chance to tell us about their holiday to New York before actually going for a week. They’ve been so irritating with it, they’ve even got a hash tag on Twitter (called, #newyorkwankers)

On the way back from the Chap Olympiad yesterday (which I shall blog about soon!) we opened a bottle of champagne (Verve Cliquot, because the Wife is such a fussy cow, she wont drink anything else.) and drank it from plastic glasses in First Class on the train. Yes, we are very snobby sometimes.

My hair here is quite messy, since I did it in a bit of a rush at 9am, and this pic was taken 12 hours later, but for my first go at attempting to copy the style that Zara gave me last weekend, I’m pretty pleased with it! Alex was a little bit too excited about having a side parting in his hair, I’m not sure about it!

This week, I have lots of tidying to do as we have moved some of the stuff around to make better use of the space. This of course means all the boxes of crap we carefully hid have reappeared. Damn! (On the bright side, I did find all my Aussie hair styling stuff, which helped a lot yesterday!)

© Hayley for ceriselle.org, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags:

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

For those people who might not read your blog, tell us the basics about you

Well, er, the basics would, I suppose, include name, this being Tim, and age, that being 27. Urgh, that makes me sound old. For the past two years I have been telling people that I now age backwards, making me a spritely 23.

I live in St Neots, near Cambridge, which is both the best and worst place in the world. Best? Because the majority of my friends are here, I know every single inch of the whole town (I like to know my surroundings; and after 21 years I bloody well should), it’s cheap, it’s quite pretty and it has easy access to more interesting places, such as Cambridge and London.

Worst? Because it’s a typical small market town, there are a few too many chavscum (although mostly over on the less salubrious Eastside), and everyone knows you, so you can’t do anything without hearing about it later from a bloke who knows a bloke who knows a bloke. You know this bloke!

I was, however, born in Portsmouth, so if I wish to disassociate myself I can claim to be southern; and my great-grandmother was from Liege, so I can always claim to be un peu Belgique.

I just finished my first year of uni as an apparently mature student, and instead of getting a real job for the summer I am driving a white van for a local courier company, which is brilliant; and another thing to add to the varied list of jobs I have done in the last eleven years.

Finally, I’ve been not blogging and not updating the St Neots Citizen for the last month or so, but have big typing plans.

Whats the most exciting thing you’re looking forward to this summer?

I’m going to Sark with the lovely Julez (Tims very lovely girlfriend) in September. This is doubly exciting because A) I haven’t been on actual holiday for years and years, and 2) it’s like stepping back in time. Sark has no cars, no motorbikes, no buses, no taxis, no trains; so apart from a few tractors it’s like being in the twenties. So I’m told. The twenties with internet and Freeview. Yeah!

I’m also looking forward to some interesting deliveries coming up in the next few weeks in my big white turbovan, possibly including France and Switzerland, but more likely just including Park Royal and Lewisham.

What bands/songs/albums will be the soundtrack to your summer?

I’ve been listening to Radio 1 a lot recently, which has mostly been full of shit. Played 7 times a day. For example, I’d love to make an example out of Example. It wouldn’t be love getting kick started again, I can tell you.

However, there have been some gems in amongst the dross. Allejandro, from everyone’s favourite Lady GaGa, is obviously brilliant, especially the bits where she can’t decide between Roberto and Fernando (as is my understanding). I also quite like the Jay-Z remix of XXXO by MIA, and Magnetic Man’s I Need Air; and upsettingly Professor Green has really grown on me.

Apart from that, it’ll be the usual Shuffle of 80′s electro/synth/hair pop, random dubstep tracks from YouTube, and lots of G-Funk, which is really the only kind of hip-hop you need ever listen to.

Where is the strangest place you’ve been on holiday?

Wales. Easily.

Actually, Julez’s parents have got a holiday chalet type affair in Mundesley, in Norfolk. That IS a strange place. I love slightly-rubbish seaside villages, which all have a Spar shop with seven things on the shelf, an amusement arcade with some 2p machines that haven’t got enough 2p’s in them and a broken change machine, one bus in and out a day if you’re lucky and a café that is open 12-2 or something daft. Mundesley does, however, have a stunningly clean sandy beach, but it doesn’t detract from the general oddness.

Oh, and Pat from EastEnders lives there.

What song (old or new) instantly makes you think of summer?

Are you expecting a load if summery tunes? You won’t get them. Guantanamo, by Outlandish, is the one. It’s about how Cuba is rubbish and nothing works but they love it anyway, and you can practically hear them sweating in the summer heat.

Oh, and I’m On A Boat, obviously; especially if you are.

Whats the most embarrassing thing thats happened to you on a holiday

I’ve not been on a great number of holidays, so there hasn’t been that much potential for embarrassment. I did once nearly get arrested in France for doing something I shouldn’t have been in a toilet on a train with a 17-year-old French girl.

I’d love to relay a story of sex and drugs on the TGV, but alas we were merely smoking Marlboros, as the aircon was broken and the only window that physically opened was in the loo. The walk down to the overheated smoking carriages seemed a bit upsetting when we had fresh air at 130mph.

Unfortunately for us, there was a sneaky plainclothes copper sitting just near the toilet. The French love a cigarette and hate a no-smoking sign (especially back in 2001) but they also love paperwork, and this particular gendarme was clearly salivating at the thought of completing an arrest report.

After a while of me pretending my average French was, in fact, non-existent, the rozzer gave up and just told us not to do it again. I expect he had realised it was time to go on strike.

Whats the best iced lolly: FAB, Magnum, Mini Milk or other?

Magnums, purely for the variety. Every summer a new one comes out, better than the last. This year’s gold ones ACTUALLY LOOK like they have been painted with ACTUAL GOLD; and those Ecuador ones had a cocoa content of about seven thousand percent.

Also, the shop in the last place I went on holiday (see Mundesley, above) didn’t sell Fab’s, only ACE.

Did you look forward to the end of summer as a kid or did you dread going back to school?

A bit of both. School was a welcome break from being bored after six weeks off with nothing to do, but overall I would have rather not gone back.

My little brother announced after his first day of school that “it’s alright, but I don’t think I’ll go”. I wish I had his resolve.

What five things are essential for the perfect summers day?

• Money in your pocket, cash in your hand, skrilla in your wallet. There’s nothing worse than being poor when there is drinking to be done.
• A day off work. To get one of these you will need a job with sensible hours, or failing that, a well-planned mystery illness and a pub in a town your boss doesn’t know about.
• At least three amigos. A summer pub outing in the Neots generally includes two people on ketamine, one on acid, a paranoid schizophrenic, a boy who is bitter about everything and loves that, and a chef who has fallen asleep over a bottle of Waggle Dance. So…
• A way to get home, because you may want to spend the aforementioned day in a different town.
• A river, or, failing that, a large field. Rivers are great for drinking alongside, especially if you can then punt/boat/swim/throw someone in.

Anything else to add?

I would like to know why you haven’t answered these questions yourself to kick things off. I also think you should email them to Bonnie Tyler’s agent and see if we can get her to answer them. How awesome would that be?

Holy crap. That WOULD be pretty bloody awesome actually. Tim and I (and his family) have a bit of a love for Bonnie Tyler and “Total Eclipse of the Heart”. Enough to make us consider dressing up as them.

Anyway. Tim is funny, and you should read his blog Foshiznik because of that.
If anyone else is interested in answering some questions, drop me an email – hi (at) ceriselle.org)

© Hayley for ceriselle.org, 2010. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags:

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Well, when its in a good signal area.

And theres the main problem with the MiFi device that I trialed.

Heres the device with all the lights happily lit up (forgive the slight wobblyness – I was on a train!)

But after a few seconds, they all go off. Which is a bit useless really, because if (for example) you’re on a train, then theres bound to be little patches of areas that you will just get no signal. But you wont know this until the browser (or whatever you’re doing) times out. Pretty annoying really.

The other thing that I wasn’t so keen on with the MiFi was that you turn the device on, wait for it to stuff and then you have to press the connect button. Why? If I’m turning on the device, then I want to use it!

I’m told that these problems have been addressed with the arrival of the new MiFi unit, which is making it a bit more tempting towards purchasing one.

However. I was lent this device by Michelle at ThreeMobileBuzz which meant that everything was all set up for me. Three unfortunately does not have the best customer service, something which Alex found a month or so ago when he bought his iPad and after switching it the next day for the 3G one, he chose to go with Three as he has been an active customer for quite a long time. He had such trouble just trying to get them to put the iPad SIM account onto his old account!

I love the idea of the MiFi, and the signal/service was pretty decent wherever I used it (O2 always crapped out on me between Reading and London, but Three held up reasonably well with little black spots) but its a shame that other networks with better customer service don’t offer this device!

© Hayley for ceriselle.org, 2010. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags:

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Zoe invited me to be one of her guests to the luscious long party which was held at Avalon in Shoreditch, London and I happily accepted. I hopped on the (beautifully) air conditioned train and sped off to London where I spent far too long dealing with tube closures. Ick. I eventually found the tube, and walked to the hotel – walking into the lobby was so lovely as it was freezing cold with the air con! After trying to sort out the mix up with the rooms (Crowne Plaza Shoreditch, your staff suck)

I eventually made it to my room (loving the copy of Marie Claire on the bedside table, a nice touch. Not sure if thats standard in Crowne Plaza rooms!) and flopped down on the bed before remembering that because of all the delays since getting to London, I only had an hour or so to get ready. Zoe had had the same problems as I did with tubes and bookings, so didn’t really get to the hotel till half 6 – the event was due to start at 7!

Because one of Zoe’s friends was unable to come, and then the replacement guest was unable to come at the last minute, she dragged James along who intended to have a quiet night in the hotel room but instead ended up surrounded by girls as he was invited to join us in the party.

I knew that I was going to ask for a 40′s hair style that I could easily recreate as next weekend we were going to the Chap Olympiad. Zara, who did my hair last time, put it up in two victory rolls and then pinned up the back. She explained what she was doing so well, I’m going to attempt to do it myself!

We were pretty shattered from our fun times with public transport earlier, so we had a glass or two of wine before bed.

Next morning, Zoe, James and I met for breakfast upstairs

The view was pretty epic (this was taken from my seat far away from the window, apologies!)

Zoe and I swapped pictures (which used to be such a typical habit when James and I lived together at uni, everyone swapping about memory cards!) and I left them to it. I knew the Tube was still having issues, so I headed over to Paddington, and mooched in Starbucks (the only place it seemed in Paddington with plug sockets and air con!)

I had such a fun time, thank you Zoe and of course Emma at Uncover Aussie!

© Hayley for ceriselle.org, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags:

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

At the same time, I’m sure you’ve heard of the problems with the iPhone 4, and how holding it a certain way will affect the signal strength (or perceived signal strength)

Perhaps this phone will solve both of my issues

These phones cost about $200 each (and $60 to ship to the UK) but I’m still quite tempted. I even love that there appears to be an app to turn the phone into a rotary dial!

© Hayley for ceriselle.org, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags:

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

For those people who might not read your blog or follow you on Twitter, tell us the basics about you

Ok, well I’m 25 (ok almost 26 but I’m clinging onto 25 for as long as I can!) and I live in Chester and work at a Solicitors as a paralegal doing Industrial Disease work. It’s not a bad job, as with any work you have good days and bad days but in general I like my job even though I sort of got into it by accident and it was actually supposed to just be a temporary job while I looked for something related to my degree…

That takes me to uni, I went to Lincoln University and did a psychology degree (which is why I don’t have a job related to my degree!). I didn’t spend a lot of time in uni or even in the same city as I had a boyfriend in Manchester at the time so it’s pretty amazing that I actually finished my course and ended up with a 2:1.

For the past two years I’ve sort of just been getting on with life, going to work, going home and doing the odd thing or two but since one of my BFF’s (I did say one of my BFF’s Hayles!) has just returned from Australia, we have decided to try and do as much stuff as possible so my life is pretty hectic at the moment. I’ve just started salsa dancing, am actually going to gym classes rather than just being a member of the gym and have started riding my bike lots. I even walked up Moel Famau last weekend! (Although I might not look it, I’m pretty lazy when it comes to exercise and so it’s a big step for me to be so active lately!). Ooh I’m also going to try and relearn some languages starting with German then Spanish.

Is that enough about me? I’ll carry on anyway…I have a blog but I haven’t posted anything on it in ages, I do have a list of stuff to write about and it is on my to do list as I’ve done lots of fun stuff lately and I need to tell everyone about it all!

Just in case you want to know about hellybellybutt the early years…I grew up in Huntington and went to the local primary school (that is where I met hayles and our beautiful friendship grew over chippy chips and knickerbockerglories!). Nothing of much interest happened, it was a normal childhood then off to high school, working in Sainsburys and off to uni. That’s pretty much it I think.

Whats the most exciting thing you’re looking forward to this summer?

I have loads of things to look forward to this summer. Next weekend I’m off to Edinburgh for one of my uni friend’s hen party, I haven’t seen her in ages so it’ll be really nice to catch up with her. Then the weekend after that my sister is getting married!!!! I’m a bridesmaid and I have been given the task of looking after my nephew (I call him Doozer) for the day and to make sure drunk relatives don’t feed him beer! I also have a trip to Bristol in the pipeline, not entirely sure when but it will be happening soon. Then the biggest thing I’m looking forward to is Oktoberfest in September (I kid you not!) with Carly, I’ve never been to Germany but always wanted to go and what better time than for the beer festival?!

What bands/songs/albums will be the soundtrack to your summer?

I’ve not really been listening to the radio lately so haven’t heard much new stuff but all my train trips will involve my ipod so it’ll be my classics, Journey (although tv has ruined this slightly, I’m not blaming Glee but it seems to be everywhere lately), I also love R Kelly’s Ignition, it’s a total uni song and gets me in the summer mood, I can’t help but dance to it.

Where is the strangest place you’ve been on holiday?

I haven’t really been to that many places, so not sure I have a strange destination. One of my oddest holidays was to Holland with my granny, granddad and cousin when I was 18, I think I was sent to look after everyone and they needed it! Unfortunately we didn’t know at the time but my granny was in the early stages of dementia so there were lots of strange, but quite funny things going on. It was a great holiday though.

What song (old or new) instantly makes you think of summer?

R Kelly – Ignition or Len – Steal My Sunshine oh and Peter Andre – Mysterious Girl (which I have on SingStar and I rock it – oh yeah!)

Whats the most embarrassing thing thats happened to you on a holiday?

I’m not sure if I was embarrassed as I was half dying at the time but my first holiday with a boyfriend after my A-levels was to Salou in Spain. The day we were leaving I woke up at about 5am and felt very ill, I ran to the toilet and started throwing up but I choked on it and had to bang on the floor to get my boyf’s attention so he could stop me choking. It was traumatic and I was ill for the next week, to make it worse our plane was delayed so I spent 8 hours sitting on the toilet floor in the airport and was even sick as we walked to the plane, it was awful!

Whats the best iced lolly: FAB, Magnum, Mini Milk or other?

Twisters all the way! you have to scrape the ice cream bit out and eat it with your finger then pick the green bits off and eat them, then you can suck the red it. I am disappointed there aren’t any jokes on the sticks anymore though.

Did you look forward to the end of summer as a kid or did you dread going back to school?

I loved the holidays but I also loved school, particularly as you got to see your friends everyday. I did love the going back to school shop but that might be cause I have a bit of a thing for stationery!

What five things are essential for the perfect summers day?

1. Friends
2. Some choons
3. A ball/frisbee/anything fun to do, can’t stand just lazing about in the sun
4. Ice cold cocktails
5. A fire and some marshmallows to toast for when it gets a bit chilly in the night.

Anything else to add?

I is acicles, also Hayles is acicles although I think this is only because she learnt how to be acicles from me!

Ta Bel! You can follow her on Twitter at @hellybellybutt or read her blog (and pester her to update!)
If anyone else is interested in answering some questions, drop me an email – hi (at) ceriselle.org)

© Hayley for ceriselle.org, 2010. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags:

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh