Polish Days: Quirk Novels and Nails #1

Sunday 30 March 2014

As you may or may not know, I actually began my blog life writing a Nail Polish blog called 'Rose Tint My Nails'. In the space of two months my nail polish collection grew from a humble 15, to 150... I try to limit myself a lot more nowadays, and I haven't blogged about nail polish for a long time, until now.

My lovely blog friend Kerrie, who writes Pish Posh and Polish, has recently started her own indie brand of nail polish called Quirk. All her polishes are rigorously tested, and are beautiful. She decided that she wanted to bring out a monthly subscription box for her polish, but one with a difference, and so she came up with Novels and Nails. Here is what she says about it on her website: Novels and Nails is a mystery package based on a different book each month. This includes a brand new paperback, two limited edition polishes and a range of extras. Each package costs £20 and is sold on a pre-order basis and will be shipped on the 15th of each month. Each package should be a real experience when opening it!

Obviously when I heard that she was making this I couldn't pass up the opportunity to snap one up. I received my package ages ago, but have only just managed to open it tonight! As soon as I saw my goodies, I knew I just had to blog about it immediately, so without further ado... I present, Novels and Nails!


This is what greeted me when I opened my big brown envelope, a lovely bright green paper bag, holding all of the goodies inside...


I was shocked at the sheer amount of stuff that Kerrie managed to pack into this package. As promised there was a paperback copy of the book which the polishes are based on, but there were also three separate little bags.




Bag 1 + 2 contained the limited edition polishes and some lovely quotes...




These quotes were such a nice touch, and made me smile the entire time that I was opening my package, even my boyfriend came over and had a nosey at what I had got!


The first polish I opened was Little White Bird which has a cream coloured based, with golden glitters in it. This is the only one of the polishes that I have actually managed to use so far, and as I was applying it, I literally felt like I was painting pixie dust onto my nails.



It's such a beautiful polish, the perfect one to get me back into painting my nails! It was very fast drying too, which is always a plus for me when I am painting my nails.


The second polish is The Secret of Happiness, and it's a really pretty blue base with lilac glitters in it. I really wanted to use this one first, but as I wear SO MUCH blue, I thought I would give the other polish a go first. As soon as I paint my nails again, this will be going on them!



As well as the two polishes and the book, Kerrie actually included some cute extras, like these Tinkerbell Nail Decals, and some 'Pixie Dust' a.k.a glitter. Oh and love hearts... one of my favourite sweets (I promise they aren't gone already).

All in all I was seriously impressed with this little package, it was such a bargain, and I will definitely be purchasing one again! I have never actually read the book of Peter Pan, so as soon as I have finished my current reads, then I will be getting on it. I recommend these polishes very highly, yes Kerrie is my friend, but that aside, she really puts a lot of love and care into the polishes she makes, and it really shines through. If you would like to check out Kerrie's Polishes then please go to her website here.
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Bloggers Book Swap

Wednesday 26 March 2014

AGES ago, it honestly seems like forever ago... I signed up to be part of the Bloggers Book Swap that was hosted by the lovely Beth, who I have actually managed to meet in real life!

I was paired with the lovely Vicky of The Randomness of Twee, who actually has fairly similar tastes in books as I do! Which made getting stuff for her pretty easy. Basically we had to get to know each other's reading tastes, and then send each other some books, within a £10 budget, that we thought the other would like. We even had the chance to include some of our personal favourites for our partner to try! I'm ashamed to say I actually received my books WEEKS ago, but what with moving into the flat, I haven't had time to read them, or even blog about them, until now...

I don't often talk about what I like to read on my blog, but here is the information that I gave to Vicky:

'I normally do the one thing we were always told not to do in school, and I always judge a book by it's cover. If the cover compels me, then I'm sure the story will...

As for styles of books... My favourites are fantasy books, so anything about the supernatural... Werewolves, Vampires, Zombies, witches. I've recently read and enjoyed the Shade of Vampire series by Bella Forrest. Obviously I've read the Twilight series :D It's one of my favourites. I've also read the trueblood series and the Vampire Academy series... As for werewolves the only series I've ever read of those is the Shiver series by Maggie Stiefvater.

I also love Crime books, and especially crime books that combine with the fantasy/supernatural! I read a book once about a detective who could sense the dead, and that was pretty cool, but for the life of me I can't remember the author... that is so going to bug me now...

Like you, I also enjoy books for Young Adults! So I guess any of those that you have read, I would probably love.

The final kind of book I've been getting into recently is books that combine baking/a bakery with narrative. i.e. Cupcakes at Carringtons by Alexandra Brown'

When my package finally arrived I was dying to see what Vicky had picked out for me, and I can certainly say that I was not disappointed...


'They say that the cure for love will make me happy and safe forever. And I've always believed them. Until now. 

Now everything has changed. Now, I'd rather be infected with love for the tiniest sliver of a second than live a hundred years suffocated by a lie'

This is the only one I have actually managed to read so far, and I will be writing a review on it shortly, it was a very compelling story, and just the kind of book that I like. 


'The shocking thing about the girls was how nearly normal they seemed when their mother let them out for the one and only day of their lives. Twenty years on, their enigmatic personalities are embalmed in the memories of the boys who worshipped them and who now recall their shared adolescence: the brassiere draped over a crucifix belonging to the promiscuous Lux; the sisters' breathtaking appearance of the night of the dance; and the sultry, sleepy street across which they watched a family disintegrate and fragile lives disappear'

This is a book I've heard about a lot, but don't actually know a lot about. This is actually one of Vicky's favourite books of all time, so I was glad to see it in my package, and I can't wait to read it.


' 'You're going to hell, Jack Nightingale': They are words that ended his career as a police negotiator. Now Jack's a struggling private detective - and the chilling words come back to haunt him.

Nightingales life is turned upside down the day that he inherits a mansion with a priceless library; it comes from a man who claims to be his father, and it comes with a warning. That Nightingale's soul was sold at birth and the devil will come to claim it on his thirty-third birthday - just three weeks away.

Jack doesn't believe in Hell, probably doesn't believe in Heaven either. But when people close to him start to die horribly, he is led to the inescapable conclusion that real evil may be at work. And that if he doesn't find a way out he'll be damned in hell for eternity.'

This is the perfect mixture of Crime and supernatural, which are two of my favourite genres, and they are even more interesting when they come together. Can't wait to get onto this one.


'Jeane Smith's a blogger, a dreamer, a dare-to-dreamer, a jumble sale queen, CEO of her own lifestyle brand and has half a million followers on twitter.

Michael Lee's a star of school, stage and playing field. A golden boy in a Jack Wills hoodie.

They have nothing in common but a pair of cheating exes. So why can't they stop snogging?'

A book, about a blogger. I literally couldn't be more excited to read this one. It's a the top of my list, this kind of thing is right up my street!


'When Matt Freeman gets into trouble with the police, he's sent to be fostered in Yorkshire. It's not long before he senses there's something wrong with his guardian, and the entire village.

Then Matt learns about the Old Ones and begins to understand just how he is different. But no one will believe him, and no one can help'

I absolutely love the cover on this one. I am a sucker for black background with a bright colour though... This is another one that sounds right up my street, it has just enough information to peak my interest, whilst at the same time is vague enough to make me wonder what the story is really about. I'm hoping it's going to be supernatural.

Vicky also picked me up a copy of Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, but I've actually already begun to read that series, although she did remind me that I am currently only two books in, so thanks Vicky!

All in all I was seriously happy with my books, and I will be reviewing each one as I get around to reading them, and that may take me a while, what with still unpacking, house work, and trying to keep this blog going, but I'll manage somehow. So watch this space!

Finally, thanks again to Beth for organising the whole thing, and to Vicky for picking me up some seriously awesome books, that I probably never would have found on my own.

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#100HappyDays 8-17

Monday 17 March 2014

I know, I know, I haven't blogged in a good week or so... BUT I have had good reason! Firstly, last Monday, I started my new job, and secondly, myself and Tim have moved in together!! It's all very exciting. We got the keys last Monday, but have only just officially moved in, due to not having any furniture! I will be doing a tour of the place once everything is unpacked and we are settled, but for now I thought it was about time that I caught up with my #100HappyDays photos! We've got a lot to get through, so let's get going!


Day 8: We bought this lovely blue orchid for the flat, it looks so pretty in our windowsill, plus blue is my favourite colour!


Day 9: I went to Cotswalds Wildlife Park and they only have a low wall around the penguin enclosure, so I got pretty close to this guy! He even let us stroke him!


Day 10: Tim treated me to lunch at Café Rouge! I just had a chicken baguette, although he also let me have a pudding, so I had their tarte tatin! Which is freaking awesome!


Day 11: The first day we had keys to the flat, so I thought I would sneak up a cheeky photo of it! This is actually part of the living room...


Day 12: We had our first takeaway in the flat, although there was flatpack furniture everywhere...


Day 13: I've started taking softmints to work, and they are seriously scrummy!


Day 14: We finished putting our bed up! This was actually the first night we slept in the flat, it was awesome! P.s it's a kingsize!


Day 15: My first home made lunch, in my brand new lunchbox, I was extremely proud!


Day 16: I went to see Fall Out Boy with my sister, and we got to the second row!!! It was THE most awesome concert I have ever been too. I sang along to every single song, and now with it only being the day after, my voice is all over the place.. totally worth it though.


Day 17: I was very lucky that Tim and I received this Air Fryer as a moving in present! We'd been eyeing one up since way before we even chose the flat, but now we have one! We are both seriously excited to use it!!

There we have it, a massive roundup of my #100HappyDays photos! If you want to see them as I post them, then follow me on Instagram, and let me know what you guys have been getting up to! I'm hoping to get back to my normal blogging now we've actually moved in, and especially want to get my Youtube back on track, so watch this space!
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#100HappyDays 1-7

Saturday 8 March 2014

Welcome to my first #100HappyDays post! A couple of my favourite bloggers were posting photos using this tag, so I thought that I would jump on the bandwagon, so let's see my first week of pictures.


Day one saw me joining a gym with my boyfriend for the first time in my life. It's all part of my plan to get healthier!


Day Two was when I finally got my tablet back from repair! Well they gave me a new one anyway...


Day Three was my final day at Vodafone, I'm gutted that I had to leave, but I'm moving on to bigger things.


On Day Four, I painted my nail again for the first time in forever! I love these Barry M Silk polishes, this one is in Mist!


The evening of Day Five was spent bowling with my Vodafone work buddies, that was a good night, also the first time I have had a proper drinking session in a long while.


On Day six I treated my boyfriend by cooking American style pancakes with chocolate chips in them, they were scrummy!


Day seven was spent cuddling my most favourite bitch in all the world, my beautiful dog, Maizey...

So all in all I've had a very good week, although I've got a stressful one ahead of me, so I don't know how that is going to turn out!
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Bloggers Kindle Book Club!

Friday 7 March 2014


I've been reading a lot more frequently recently, and one of my 23 Before 23 goals is to read at least one new book a month, but also, to write about them on this blog. So I thought to myself, what better way to encourage myself to write about the books I read, then to start up a book club!

So here's how I'm hoping this will work:

  • Each month someone will be chosen at random to pick our month's Kindle book.
  • The book will have to be under £5
  • The last Sunday of every month there will be a BKBC chat in the Facebook group that I have created
  • If you want to get involved for the first month then please join the Facebook group!
  • We will use #BKBC on Twitter, so you can follow it on there
  • The book will have to be available on Amazon Kindle.
  • You are free to blog about your thoughts on the book after the monthly BKBC chat. (so that you don't accidentally share spoilers if others aren't as far ahead as you are!)
I've already chosen this month's book so that we can get started as soon as possible, seeing as we've already lost a week. This month's book is:


You can currently pick up the Kindle version of this book for a mere 99p on Amazon! And here's the description: 

'During a snowstorm in England in 1910, a baby is born and dies before she can take her first breath.

During a snowstorm in England in 1910, the same baby is born and lives to tell the tale.

What if there were second chances? And third chance? In fact an infinite number of chances to live your life? Would you eventually be able to save the world from it's own inevitable destiny? And would you even want to?

Life after Life follows Ursula Todd as she lives through the turbulent events of the last century again and again. With wit and compassion, Kate Atkinson finds warmth even in life's bleakest moment, and shows an extraordinary ability to evoke the past. Here she is at her most profound and inventive, in a novel that celebrates the best and worst of outselves'

And there you have it! It's that simple, if you want to get involved then check out the Facebook Group, and I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you all!
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23 Before 23 Update #2

Thursday 6 March 2014

I had another look over my '23 Before 23' list the other day, and realised that I have started a few of my other goals, so I thought it was time for another update! So I don't bombard you with updates on my list, I thought I should keep them monthly, and I will be writing these updates at the beginning of each month. Let's get this thing started!

Get a Full Time Job
I can now say that I have achieved this goal! I am starting my new, full time job, next week. Although I know next week is going to be super stressful, what with starting my new job AND moving in with Tim, but i cannot wait for our life to settle down so we can really live it!

Do Something for Charity
Every year I say that I am going to do something for charity, and every year I chicken out! This year is THE year. I am signing up for the Race for Life in my home town! I want to do it in costume, I'm thinking of getting people to donate to decide which costume I wear, but I'll let you know about that at a later date!

Work on Being Happy
I'm taking part in the #100HappyDays photo challenge! If you want to follow it, you'll be able to check them out every day on my Instagram. Also I will be completing weekly posts showcasing my photos! This is supposed to make me focus on the little things that make me happy every day, and it's certainly working so far!

So there we have it, only a month in and I've already completed two goals! I'm really proud of how I'm doing so far this year!
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Giveaway Winner Revealed!!!

Sunday 2 March 2014


If you didn't already know, it was my One Year Blogiversary on the 29th of January, and to celebrate I hosted a giveaway!

The winner will receive a W7 'In The Buff' palette, which is said to be a dupe for the Urban Decay naked Palette. So without further ado, let's announce the winner...


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations Sarah-Louise Bailey! Check your email as I'll be in contact with you shortly. Thanks so much to everyone that entered, it's been really fun reading your entries, and watch this space as there will certainly be another giveaway soon!
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