Sunday Favourites #49

Hey folks,

I hope you're all having a fantastic weekend, what ever you're up to.

Here's a bunch of my favourite images and links from this past week to get your teeth in to. Enjoy.

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I'm in love with this Alice in Wonderland sleeve. I want a sleeve and Alice and Wonderland tattoos so bad! I'll make it happen, one day. I will!

My other favourite tattoos this week include this carousel horse tattoo and this beautiful woodland piece.

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These chevron rainbow nails are gorgeous.

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I adore how this shelving unit is organised. Everything looks so interesting, colourful, and pretty.

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This lady's floral frock is beautiful.

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Giving money to a loved one as a gift? Well, why not pop the cash in to a balloon along with tons of confetti! I really want to do this next time I'm giving money instead of presents.

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The colours used in this eye make up look are so pretty together.

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I came across this old image from The Dainty Squid, and oh, have I fallen in love with her hair colour here.

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I also want my hair in this gorgeous shade of purple, too!

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Aren't these strawberry macaroons so cute?

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This little polar bear cub has made friends with a stuffed bear! There are more adorable photos of the pair at the source, and they're all insanely cute.

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The silhouettes of 9000 men were stencilled on to the D-Day landing beach, Arromanche, in France by two British artists and a team of volunteers in honour of International Peace Day, as a reminder of what happens in the absence of peace. What a powerful way to remember the fallen men.

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This is beautiful.

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Am I the only one who finds abandoned and decrepit buildings and structures oddly fascinating and beautiful? If these sort of images interest you, there's a bunch more of different places at the source.

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Stating the obvious... I mean, seriously?

There's more of these stupidly obvious signs at the source.

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Why not use buttons to embellish presents? I want to!

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This is what happens with me! Especially the ring thing.

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This is so very true.

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These GIFs of a group of otters chasing a butterfly are so cute!

~ This sloth must be the laziest eater in the world!

~ This lost and injured dog was found nursing a tiny abandoned kitten as if it were her own!

~ The story of Eddie, a blind Labrador, and his buddy Milo.

~ This story made me cry.

~ This photo is the most adorable thing I've ever seen.

~ These animals really couldn't care less.

~ Chessington World of Adventures (an English zoo and theme park) has banned visitors from wearing animal print as it confuses the animals. Well, nobody wants to be stalked by a big cat because it thinks you're a zebra!

~ The absolutely shocking, disgusting story of a toddler who was given weight loss surgery because he was over weight! In what world is that even ethical, not to mention safe for a growing baby? 

~ 50 people have shared secrets from their workplaces that their bosses don't want the public to know. Shocking but pretty unsurprising.

~ 26 Male Survivors of Sexual Assault Quoting the People Who Attacked Them.

~ A homeless man who found and returned a rucksack containing $40,000, has been rewarded with over $110,000 of donations from complete strangers! I love hearing stories like this that restore your faith in people.

~ The Norwegian prison that treats its prisoners like people. 

~ Tales from patients who were fat shamed by their doctors instead of being taken seriously and given the medical help they needed...

~ I love these cute illustrations.

~ Very important music related diagrams...

~ When a couple called off their wedding, the bride's family decided to invite 200 homeless people to what would've been the reception meal, and treated them to a four-course meal!

Panda-monium! (Next Panda Print Ballerina Slippers Review)

Slippers. I don't often buy slippers for myself. They're something I usually receive for Christmas from my family or best friend. For that very reason, I own at least four pairs (that I can think of), all in various states of wear; well loved but well looked after. It's fair to say I'm well prepared for keeping my feet warm and cosy during the bracing Winter cold.

So, there really was no need for me to buy myself another pair this week... 

Apart from the fact I needed these slippers because they are covered in sweater-wearing pandas! That's right, pandas! I mean, who doesn't need slippers with adorable pandas all over them?? 

I'd popped in to our small local Next with my sister, who wanted to check out the home ware, and on our way through, these slippers caught my eye. The panda print stopped us both in our tracks. I was so taken with them, I would have treated myself to them there and then, but my size was out of stock. Of course, I didn't let that stop me, and I ordered them online a few days later. 

And, well, you can see them for yourselves! Introducing my Next panda ballerina slippers...

I'm sure those of you who are as smitten with animal motifs as I am will agree that these slippers really are adorable. The pandas really make these slippers a winner in my eyes; their proud little faces are impossible to resist. It's also refreshing to find a pair of girlie printed slippers that aren't bright pink and emblazoned with cartoon characters... There's nothing wrong with that, of course, but that's just not my style.

These slippers are a different style to any I've owned in my memory, but they're everything I look for in a slipper: warm, cosy, comfortable, cute, and well fitting. I have wide feet, but they fit like a glove. I think the sizing is quite generous, and your regular size should fit you well. If you're between sizes, you'll probably want the smaller size. I'm a 6 and a half, but the 7 was huge, and the 6 was perfect. 

The toes of the shoes are decorated with a bow in a golden colour.

Here's a closer look at the panda print.

The fabric of the shoe is cream and flecked with grey with the print all over, and then trimmed with gold piping.

The insole is just about the cosiest fleece my feet have ever touched, and that includes my expensive Ugg boots! If you're looking to give your feet some TLC this winter, then I recommend you consider checking these out- your feet will thank you!

And, if you needed any more detail in a pair of slippers, the soles are also decorated with hearts and a well-used Christmas / Winter quote.

So, would you believe me if I told you that they only cost a purse-friendly £10? Believe me or not, it's true! The slippers will only set you back a tenner! That's nothing for a cute pair of fuzzy warm slippers that will keep your feet warm throughout the winter chill.

The slippers can be found here and they stock UK sizes 3-8; get them before they go!

Oh, and I must quickly mention, before I go, how fantastic Next's customer service is. I ordered these slippers late one evening, and they arrived by noon the next morning! I'm so impressed with how efficient their delivery service is. You really can't ask for better than that with a standard delivery option for £3.99!

Jemma Kidd I-Tech Liquid Eyeliners Review

So, I love good quality make up; the sort that is mostly found on make up counters and in boutiques (read: expensive), but I can't often afford the price tag that comes with them any more. Jemma Kidd make up is on the lower end of the scale, but a step or two up from drugstore make up brands, with prices starting at around £9.00 for an eyeliner pencil.

I had always wanted to try some Jemma Kidd make up, and you can imagine my delight when I discovered their I-Tech liquid eyeliners were available on beauty bargain lovers favourite, Fragrance Direct. And for just £1.99 each; a steal considering the RRP is around £10.50!

From the moment I saw them online, they instantly reminded me of the liquid eye liners that B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful (the late sister company of Lush) once sold. I once had about fifty different colours of them in my collection and I LOVED them. (To be honest, that's an understatement! I was obsessed). So, I had to order the Jemma Kidd ones to find out if they could possibly live up to my old favourites.

I collected the three shades available on Fragrance Direct over a couple of orders, and also bought some for my best friend and little sister. The colours consisted of a deep chocolate brown called Aesthetic, a dreamy emerald green called Contrast, and a beautiful stormy ocean blue called Abstract.

In appearance they look very similar to the B Never Too Busy... eyeliners. The packaging is made of strong plastic, with a clear pot so you can see the inviting colours of the make up. The lids are a matte black with the logo and brand name adorning them in bright pink. I personally think they look tasteful and I like the simplicity of the design. The lids have a screw fastening, which is easy to use, and should keep the make up from coming open in bags and make up bags.

The outer packaging is made from sturdy cardboard, like most high-end make up packaging, and the design is sleek and simple. No fuss, just simple red and black and a few words. It certainly has that high-end charm.

"Make a statement without saying a word. Quick dry, extreme last liquid liner in classic black to bold brights. Fine brush for professional application. Remove with an oil based make up remover."

I really agree with this statement, and I will explain more in just a moment...

"Jemma's fashion fix: Liquid liner every time for after-show party glamour that lasts and last; dusk till dawn."

Each eyeliner has it's own brush inside the lid, which has a long handle to get to the bottom of the pot, and a fine flat brush for achieving perfect and precise neat lines. Each time I've used these eyeliners, I've created the neatest eye liner looks I've ever managed in my entire life. Honestly, I'm terrible at achieving neat eye liner, but I have no problems with these. The brush makes it so easy to get in close to the lash line, and whip it across in a straight line.

Here are the swatches of the eye liners taken in natural daylight. In the photo above, I altered the levels and contrast of the photo, but it's still true to the real colours and vibrancy.

The photo above hasn't been altered at all. This is what you get. Freckles sold separately.

So, the colours are all absolutely beautiful. All of them. They're all so bold and vibrant, and oh so pretty.

The green is probably my favourite. Mostly because I have a thing for green eye make up. This one looks like a gleaming pool of liquid emerald that I just want to swim in, and it really makes my brown eyes pop. The blue reminds me of the sea on a stormy day; of choppy waves crashing towards the shore. I could sit here and look at the colours of it all day. The brown is a stunning chocolate brown and bronze colour, and I find this shade so beautiful. It's a great alternative to black, and versatile, too. 

The biggest surprise to me was how long-lasting they are. Once you apply these quick-drying liners to your skin, they're not going anywhere for quite a while. They will last an entire day without so much as bleeding or fading, which is brilliant... but, that also means they take a bit of effort to wipe away at the end of the day...

It took me about five minutes of scrubbing my hand raw with a cleansing wipe to get those swatches off my skin. You should be able to see how red my hand looks. It wasn't too big a deal, but it wouldn't be possible to use the same force on and around the eye lids, so the make sometimes ends up remaining in place for a day or two.

I'm very impressed with all three of these Jemma Kidd eyeliners, and they are definitely just as good as my old favourites, and some of the best eyeliners I've ever used. Not bad for the bargain price of just £1.99 each! All three colours are still available through Fragrance Direct, and you can find them here.

Have you tried Jemma Kidd's i-tech Liquid Liners yet?

Wednesday Wish List

Hey guys,

I've got some really lovely pieces to show you in this week's Wednesday Wish List. I'm coveting so many items now that the Autumn lines are really flooding in to the shops, so much so that this is just a tiny fraction of what I have on my dream list.

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12 // 

13- TU at Sainsbury's  // 14 // 15 // 16 // 17 // 18 // 

19- TU at Sainsbury's // 20 // 21 // 22 // 23

I'm currently keeping an eye open for the perfect Winter coat. I need something long line which can be worn over dresses that sit below the knee (or above), but it's slim pickings at the moment. The other day I came across two lovely-looking fit and flare coats on the Next website (3 and 4), and I actually think they could be what I'm looking for. The only issue is that they retail at £85 (steep, but a good investment, I think), and I can't decide if I prefer the black or the red. I usually prefer colourful coats, but I may be leaning towards the black. Which one do you prefer?

I do love my colour, though, and I'm in love with the rich purple and forest green lace dresses from New Look Inspire (1 and 6). Aren't they stunning? I almost wish everything in my wardrobe was in these two colours! I'd happily dress in elegant Gothic forest green and purple every day.

I'm really impressed with Sainsbury's TU clothing collection at the moment, and in particular their knitwear. I've picked up a few colourful cardigans from them this week, and I have my eye on many other pieces. My favourites are the beautifully thick and cosy fox (13) and Scottie dog (19) motif jumpers, which are super soft and would be perfect for snuggling up in when the temperatures plummet. I hope to make them mine very soon.

I'm also in love with Next's panda print ballerina slippers (20). Slippers with pandas on them, what more could a girl need? Nothing, that's what! I couldn't resist, so I have a pair whizzing their way to me as we speak.

And before I go, I just have to mention the ASOS ombre beach cover up (17). I know it's the wrong season for beach wear for many of us, but it's such a pretty cover up, and it would look so beautiful over swimwear. I like that it's longer than the average kaftan, which is great if you don't feel comfortable flashing too much flesh or you need something to take you from beach to bar.

What's on your wish list at the moment?

The Five Thousand Question Survey: Questions 26-50

Hey guys,

I've got the second part of The 5000 Question Survey, which I'm attempting to work my way through, to share with you today. Today I've answered questions 26-50.

I'm still not sure whether to blog my way through the challenge here or not; are you guys interested in reading this kind of post and on a regular basis? My other thoughts are to blog through it on my inactive Livejournal account, or perhaps create a page for this on the sidebar to add to each week. I'd love it if you'd let me know what you think!

26. Who has done something today to show they care about you?

A good friend messaged me and told me she missed our chats. (It's been a few weeks since we last had a good catch up via text).

27. Do you have a lot to learn?

Of course. Nobody can know everything. We're all constantly learning and evolving until the day we die.

28. If you could learn how to do three things just by wishing and not working what would they be?

A. How to fix my back and take the pain away.

B. How to earn a small fortune.

C. How to drive a car.

29. Which do you remember the longest: what other people say, what other people do or how other people make you feel?

I remember all three, but I never forget how people make me feel, nor do I forget nasty things that are said to me. I'm quite a sensitive person, and I do take things personally and to heart.

30. What are the key ingredients to having a good relationship?

Trust, honesty, support, humour, give and take, love, friendship, and fun.

31. What 3 things do you want to do before you die?

A. See the Northern Lights.

B. Go whale watching.

C. Visit Italy.

32. What 3 things would you want to die to avoid doing?

A. Burning in a fire.

B. Allowing physical harm or murder to happen to another person because of me.

C. Handling a tarantula.

33. Is there a cause you believe in more than any other cause?

I feel quite strongly about animal rights and against animal cruelty. It upsets me to think of animals being abused and killed whether it's for animal testing for cosmetics or science, for sport, for fashion, inhumanely for food, by pet owners, just for the hell of it, or whatever the reason. It baffles me how people can be so cruel to another living creature.  I prefer to use cruelty free beauty products as much as possible, and have always given my pets the care they deserve.

34. What does each decade make you think of:

The 19..

20's: The Wall Street Crash, The Depression, the 'Roaring Twenties', Flapper Girls, bob haircuts, jazz music, silent movies, Charlie Chaplin, The Charleston.

30's: The start of World War 2 and The Nazi Party, the Golden age of Hollywood, The Wizard of Oz, swing, blues and jazz music.

40's: Tea dresses, red lipstick, amazing fashion, victory rolls, war, Nazis, Hitler, the Holocaust.

50's: Poodle skirts, polka dots, cat-eye glasses, perfect hair, housewives, gentlemen in suits and trilbies, Elvis, Johnny Cash, rockabilly, beautiful dresses, (the beginning of) the civil rights movement.

60's: The Beatles, Motown, Woodstock, hippies, stoners, bra-burning, feminism, psychedelic, Twiggy, mini skirts, beehives, men with side burns, a lot of facial hair, and long hair, black eyeliner, tie die, bell bottoms, Martin Luther King's 'I Have A Dream' speech.

70's: Disco, R&B, Motown, Abba, The Jackson 5, The Supremes, glam rock, punk rock, The Clash, hippies, platform shoes, floral prints, flared trousers, beards, side burns, long straight hair, lava lamps, Mohawks and tartan.

80's: Madonna, big polka dots, big hair, mullets, neon, leg warmers, good music, movie montages, Bon Jovi, Band Aid / Live Aid, the Chernobyl disaster, Rubik's Cubes, Arcade Computer Games, Michael Jackson, Dirty Dancing, Footloose, Tears For Fears.

90's: My childhood and early teens, boybands, Boyzone mania, Britpop, Blur, Pulp, Oasis, Top of the Pops, Smash Hits Magazine, Pogs, Eternal, En Vogue, TLC, smiley faces, troll dolls, crop tops, baggy high-waisted jeans, a line skirts, Adidas poppers, Hooch, Tamagotchis, Gladiators, Ceefax, Home Alone, sun moon and stars prints, recording the Top 40 on to cassettes, making mix tapes, forever untangling cassette tapes, Live and Kicking, Byker Grove, the death of Princess Diana, electric blue mascara, hair mascaras, N Sync, Backstreet Boys, Sonic the Hedgehog, Saved By The Bell, Sister Sister, Sabrina the Teenage Witch... I could go on!

The 20..

00's: The 9/11 terrorist attacks, the 7/7 bombings, dirty denim, hankerchief tops, emo music, Friends Reunited, Internet that took an hour to connect to (and hogged the phone line), Ugg boots, Livejournal, the evolution of mobile phones and digital cameras, the deaths of Stephen Gately, Michael Jackson, Brittany Murphy, and Heath Ledger,

10's (so far): Selfies, social media, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, the duck face (groan), iPhones, gadgets, terrible music, diverse fashion, amazing animal prints on clothes (animal motifs, not the patterns of their skin / fur),  dresses, bloggers, plus size fashion expanding and improving, celebrity child abuse scandals, the death of Amy Winehouse.

35: Which decade do you feel the most special connection to and why?

From my life time, I'm definitely most connected to the nineties which was my childhood and teen years from ages five to fifteen. It was a great time to be alive and I have a lot of happy memories connected to those years. Although, I often wish I had been the age I am now in the forties of fifties, because I love the fashion and I guess I'm a little old fashioned in some ways at heart.

36. What is your favourite oldie / classic rock song?

Any of these...

Billy Idol's Dancing With Myself.
INXS's Never Tear Us Apart.
Joy Division's Love Will Tear Us Apart.
Tears For Fears's Everybody Wants to Rule the World.
Queen's Under Pressure, I Want To Break Free, and Radio Ga Ga.
Bruce Springsteen's Dancing in the Dark.
Bon Jovi's Livin on a Prayer.
The Beatles The Fool on the Hill, A Day in the Life, and Lady Madonna.

37. What country do you live in and who is the leader of that country.

I live in England and our Prime Minister is David Cameron.

If you could say any sentence to the current leader of your country what would it be?

How do you sleep at night?

38: What's your favourite TV channel to watch in the middle of the night?

I can usually be found watching E4, BBC3 or Food Network in the middle of the night.

39. What Disney villain are you most like and why?

I've spent ages trying to answer this question, and I've really no idea. I don't think I'm like any of them. I'm going to go with The Queen of Hearts from the Alice in Wonderland cartoon, as I have high standards, and a short temper- but not as bad as her!

40: Have you ever been a girl scout?

No, but I was a Brownie, if that counts?

41. If you were travelling to another continent would you rather fly or take a boat?

I'd rather take a boat. I love being out on the sea. The views are amazing, being on board is far more relaxing than flying, and I'm generally quite content out on the water. 

42. Why is the sky blue during the day and black at night?

Why is the grass green? Why anything?

43. What does your name mean?

Louise means "famous warrior".

44. Would you rather explore the deeps of the ocean or outer space?

I'm curious about what's out there in outer space, especially beyond our own galaxy, but until we develop a fast form of space travel, there wouldn't be much exploring, just a lot of travelling. So, I'm going to say the oceans. They're filled with amazing creatures, and probably dozens if not hundreds of animals yet to be discovered so exploring them would be far more fascinating and productive. I'd still like to explore outer space, though.

45. Word association:

What is the first word that comes to mind when you see the word:

Air: Plane

Meat: Cleaver

Different: Me

Pink: Panther

Deserve: Karma

White: Snow

Elvis: Presley

Magic: Man

Heart: Beat

Clash: (ing) Colours

Pulp: Fiction

46. If you could meet any person in the world who is dead who would you want it to be?

I would have loved to have met Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley.

47. What if you could meet anyone alive?

I've been fortunate to meet and spot quite a few celebrities over the last decade, from Boyzone to Ronnie Barker, but let's think... I would love to meet Dawn French, Tom Hanks, Mike Shinoda, Fall Out Boy, Stephen King, Liam Neeson, Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton, Peter Kay, Omid Djalili, Caleb and Nathan Followill, Colin Firth, Johnny Depp, Naveen Andrews, Leonardo Di Caprio, Kate Winslet, Channing Tatum... the list goes on.

48. Is there a movie that you love so much you could watch it everyday?

Yes, and on occasion, I have done. It's Titanic and I've been a bit obsessed with it since I was eleven.

49. You are going to be stuck alone in an elevator for a week. What do you bring to do?

You mean, after I've had a panic attack about being trapped? (I'm really claustrophobic). I'd bring a fully charged Kindle and a few paperbacks to see me through most of the week. When I start reading I can be engrossed for hours. I'd have to bring a fully charged iPod for some music- I can't live without music; a notebook or two and a pen for writing down blog posts and creative writing; and perhaps bring in my disc injury journal and craft supplies to do a little art journaling to pass the time.

50. Have you ever saved someone's life or had your life saved?

I saved a starling that was stuck head down in a bird feeder, once- does that count?

Sunday Favourites #48

Morning folks,

It's time for my favourite images and links of the week; so put your feet up, grab a coffee, and get stuck in. Enjoy!

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These Cath Kidston inspired nails are so pretty.

I'm also loving all the nail art The Dainty Squid has posted over the last few months.

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I can't get over how amazing this lady's rainbow dyed hair is! I wouldn't have the confidence to pull it off myself, but it looks incredible.

I also adore this two tone blue hair style, this gorgeous pink and orange look, and this amazing dark blue do.

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I never get fed up of seeing colourful eye make up, and this fiery look above is just perfect.

I also love this emerald look, and this multi-coloured one.

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I LOVE this kitchen.

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This water colour fox tattoo is beautiful.

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How cute are these rainbow painted huts?

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I'm so in love with this stunning colourful outfit worn by Danimezza. The colour combination is so eye-catching.

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I'm lactose intolerant and can't actually eat cream without being sick, but these Banana Split Eclairs sound amazing. As do these S'mores Eclairs, Black Cocoa Cake With Peanut Butter, and Crock Pot Ravioli Casserole.

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Pretty snail mail.

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Find what it is that makes you glad to be alive and hold on to it!

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Love this lady's ensemble.

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There's something about colour-coordinated collections such as this that appeals to me. Maybe it's the visual merchandiser in me, but I find them so interesting.

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A blogger's life.

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This is so beautiful.

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I want my hair to look like this, please!

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The only known lion, tiger, and bear living together in the world!

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This should be practised world wide!

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I love this lady's entire look.

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It's a porcupine... wearing a birthday hat...!

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I think I posted this odd couple's story in a previous Serendipity Sunday, but I stumbled upon more of their photos and more of the amazing story this week and wanted to share. Pocho the 17 foot croc was discovered with a gunshot wound to the eye, and a Peruvian fisherman called Chito took the crocodile and nursed him back to health. When Chito returned the croc to a lake 6 months later, Pocho just followed him home. For 2 decades the pair bonded and performed tricks for local crowds, before Pocho died in 2011 at the age of around 50. Amazing.

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Creedmor Psychiatric Center, in Queens Village, New York has been left abandoned and decrepit since the 1970s, and the decay of the building captured in a series of photos tell a haunting story, as do a few stories themselves.

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Love this retro room.

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I love Autumn and everything on this list... apart from Thanksgiving which obviously we don't celebrate here in England. And also I've not been apple-picking since I was little.

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So true.

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So it appears that I'm not the only person who does this!

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This cat is a Jenga dare devil!

And some more stuff you might enjoy

~ These random acts of kindness all melted my heart. There's a few more here.

~ This little boy wrote a heart warming letter to Santa to ask him to help stop his twin sister from being bullied (for being fat), instead of getting the toys he wanted for Christmas. 

~ Every year in Alesund, Norway a group of daredevils stack up wooden palettes to a height of 130 feet, and then set them alight in celebration of Midsummer and John the Baptist's birthday. It looks incredible. I've linked this instead of posting a photo as I feel a couple of photos may be a potential 9/11 trigger to some people.

~ I love this apartment tour from the Adventures After Hours blog.

~ How odd looking is this giant oarfish? I've never heard of them before.

~ The sad tale of the baby elephant who wept inconsolably when his mother rejected him for the second time. I didn't know elephants could even cry. This made me sad.

~ This baby kangaroo is adorable.

~ I love this tutorial for DIY lace elbow patches.

~ I found a website with some fantastic writing prompts, which would be great for blogging and journaling.

~ From the mouths of rapists, the lyrics of Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines. Rape survivors bravely show us what their rapists said to them to justify the assault... words that are also in the lyrics to the controversial 'Blurred Lines'...

~ "Confessions of a shopping bulimic: Bonnie Estridge is addicted to the thrill of shopping for clothes- then taking them back." This is clearly a dangerous habit.

~ 50 things to make your wardrobe both functional and fabulous.