Wednesday Wish List

Morning all!

I've got a Wednesday Wish List for you today.

I can't say that I've been overly wowed by anything new in the last week; well, at least not since the Praslin dresses I discovered and blogged about last weekend. (If you're wondering, the two Praslin dresses I ordered were unfortunately too big and too low cut for me. Sadly, I just don't have the boobs for showing off to the world, so both dresses will be going back). However, there have still been plenty of clothes and accessories I've taken a liking to.

Some weeks I can notice a pattern in the pieces I've been coveting, and this week I have unintentionally gravitated towards a palette of black, reds, pinks, and corals.

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12 // 13 // 14 // 15

And, of course, there's still the usual patterns, motifs, colour, and novelty accessories present in my choices, like there is every week. I doubt my love for such things will ever leave me until the day I die. And I hope it never does!

I've become obsessed with daisy print everything these last couple of months; it's everywhere at the moment, and that makes me happy because daisies are one of my favourite flowers.  Dorothy Perkins have now jumped on the daisy print bandwagon with a large eye catching print which has been used for several different garments. I LOVE the tea dress (1) in the collection, which is the most wearable one for me, but the joggers (8) are also rather lovely if dresses aren't your thing.

Another of my favourite things of late (okay, of always) are novelty bags. I love the quilted bunny ear bags from ASOS; I already have one in mint which I snapped up with some Christmas money from my Nana, but I'm still drawn to the classic black version. Black bunny-eared bag would go with everything; that's what I keep telling myself. You can see how pathetic my reasoning is! It also comes in nude, but it's a little subdued for me.

Other favourites this week include the Peacocks cherry print jumper (2, so cute!); the lip print skater dress (4) from F&F at Tesco; the pink neon lace skater dress (15), also from F&F, and the colourful leopard print maxi dress (3) from George at Asda.

What's on your wish list this week?

The Nail Art Sourcebook Review

Before I say anything else, can I let you in on a little secret? I've been meaning to review this book for you for over a year! I was given it for Christmas the year before last, and I've had these photos sitting in a folder since last August waiting to be used. I am a bad, bad blogger!

Ah well, better late than never, right?

The Nail Art Sourcebook by Pansy Alexander-Potter and Mineko Sugita is, unsurprisingly, a book filled with nail art designs, Over 500, to be more precise. 

The book includes a wide variety of different themes, including floral, glitter, jewelled and even bridal; and each one has been split in to chapters to make browsing easier. While the 255 page book is laden with nail art images, this book doesn't include tutorials to go with them; working out how to recreate them is down to the reader. It's a book full of pictures to gain inspiration from, which is probably best suited to nail art pros or any nail art fan who isn't afraid to dive in and give new designs a shot with their creativity. The images could also be taken to a nail technician who could do the design for you.

The following are some of my favourite designs from the book.

As you can see from this 'small' selection, there is a variety of nail art in different colours, patterns, prints, and styles in the Nail Art Sourcebook. While they're not all to my personal taste- for instance, I'm not a fan of the jewelled look- I think there's something in this book for every nail art fan. There are florals, animal prints, love hearts, stars, tartan, polka dots, 3D designs, glitter, and even holiday themed ideas for Christmas. And that's just for starters! There is just so much inspiration in this sourcebook.

Some of the nail art is modelled on hands of different skin tones, and those photos are beautifully shot and wonderfully clear. Other ideas are presented as single artificial nails. with 2 to 4 of them displayed on a single A5 page. The variety of images makes the book interesting to browse through, and I always feel inspired from flicking through it.

The book also provides helpful information on caring for your nails, and explains how to use various tools such as stencils, striping tape, and nail transfers to help the reader learn how to create any nail look.

It retails at £14.99, which I think is a little steep for what is essentially a coffee table book, but if you consider how many images are provided in it, it doesn't seem so bad. It's currently available through Amazon here.

I think it's a great little book, but if you're looking for a book to show you how to recreate designs step-by-step, then this isn't the book for you. You may prefer DIY Nail Art instead.

Praslin Wish List

I was having a browse at the dresses on Dorothy Perkins' website the other day, and came across some beautiful dresses by Praslin that I just had to share. I was instantly smitten with half a dozen of them, so I thought they deserved their own post.

As almost all of the brands Dorothy Perkins stock are marketed at smaller sizes, I didn't expect this collection to be any different. After all, Dotty P's isn't considered a plus size brand, although their own pieces extend up to a size 22. (Which I'm sure you'll agree is a rare thing!) I was happy to be proved wrong. The selection of Praslin garments available through them caters to sizes 14-22, which is good news for us ladies on the lower end of the plus size scale!

However, Praslin is also stocked by Simply Be, and Fashion World, who, I discovered, extend the sizes further! Most of the following dresses are also available from them and up to a size 28!

You can find them here...

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 via Dorothy Perkins

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9  via Fashion World

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 via Simply Be

So, naturally, I was drawn to the beautiful polka dot dresses, and got led astray. I think I have a polka dot problem! In my defence, the polka dot dresses in this collection are some of the loveliest I've seen in quite some time. (How many times can I say 'polka dot dresses' in one post?) 

I completely fell in love with the frilled spot print dress (1 and 2), but I had a hard time trying to decide which colour (mocha or navy) I preferred. In the end, I purchased both so that I can make a better decision once I've seen them in the flesh. I'm pretty certain if I like the dress, I'll want to keep them both! The mocha version makes me think of the Pretty Woman dress, although it's not the same style dress. And I firmly believe a girl can never have too many navy polka dot dresses.

I also have my sights on the classic swing dresses in red and navy spots (4 and 5), bird print (3), and butterfly print (6). The shape of the dress is classic and compliments curvy and plus size bodies perfectly, and I find them so fun to wear. I'd wear them year after year because the style never really dates, although if you prefer to follow the trends, they're bang on trend at the moment!

I purchased my dresses through Dorothy Perkins, who are currently offering 25% off everything using the code: DPFW25 and free worldwide delivery using code: ITSONUS. I paid £26 for each dress instead of the £34 they retail for! 

Also, if you shop through cash back site Quidco, they're currently offering 10% cash back with Dorothy Perkins! It takes no time at all to use, and you get a portion of the money you spent back; it's a no-brainer, really! (It was 9% when I made my purchases the other day, and I shall be getting £4.59 of my £51 bill back! So I've in fact spent just £46. 41!) Bargain!

Do you take advantage of discount codes and cash back rates before you make an online purchase?

Are you a fan of Praslin? Which of these dresses are your favourites?

Punky Penguins in Love

A few weeks ago I treated myself to the most adorable necklace I think I've ever seen in my life.

I doubt that's the first time I've ever claimed that here or elsewhere, but trust me, this time I mean it without a shadow of a doubt.

See? I wasn't exaggerating! What could be cuter than two penguins holding hands?

Nothing.

These two little guys are adorable. I love the Care Bear like pastel hearts on their stomachs and their sweet bashful cheeks. And the hand holding is too cute. 

The only thing that could possibly be cuter would be two real penguins holding hands, but it would be so much harder to wear them around your neck. 

The necklace is from a company called Punky Pins, who have been making kitsch handmade accessories for the independent fashion scene since 2005. Being a big fan of kitsch accessories, I had shopped with the brand before, but it had been years since I last thought to pay their website a visit. I'm so glad I did!

I discovered this Penguins in Love necklace almost instantly and knew I couldn't leave without adopting one. The problem was leaving without buying one of everything else! I wanted it all. I had to restrain myself and just bought the penguin necklace, which retailed at a reasonable £9.

The penguin charm is made from white printed acrylic and it's quite a statement piece at 6cm wide x 4cm high! The chain is silver plated and it's on the short size at 46cm long, sitting an inch or two below my collar bones. It has an extender chain, though, which helps to provide a little extra length. I like my necklaces long.

It has a lobster clasp fastening and the Punky Pins logo on a charm on the end of the extender chain.

And, it came packaged in its own little black box with foam inside to protect it. I think it gave the purchase a little extra touch; it's always nice when costume jewellery is packaged and presented with a little care and devotion.

Overall, I'm in love with my new necklace, and I was really happy with the service. The delivery charge was reasonable, and it arrived within a week, which isn't bad at all. I can't wait to start wearing it with my favourite outfits. You can find the beautiful Penguins in Love necklace here.

I've still got my eye on a variety of other gorgeous Punky Pins accessories including the Swan and Heart Necklace; the Strawberry Plant Collar Necklace; the Gumball Machine Necklace; the Strawberry Plant Bracelet and so many others. Now I know that the quality of their accessories is great, I'm sure I'll be collecting some of these in the future. 

Have you shopped with Punky Pins yet? Are you a fan of kitsch accessories like me?

The Liebster Blog Award

In recent weeks I was nominated for a Liebster Blog Award twice by two lovely bloggers; Char of T*rexes and Tiaras, and the lady behind the blog A Touch of Sparkle. I feel awful that I've forgotten her name, and I suspect her blog has been deleted or changed because the link no longer works and I can't find the blog via Google. Regardless, I'm very grateful and humbled by both of the nominations, and it's only right that I take some time to answer the questions both ladies set for me. There are more stages to the award, but as I've been nominated a few times before, I'm just going to reply to the questions.

Char's Questions:

1. What is your favourite thing to do on a rainy day? 

I love to go for walks when it's raining (with or without an umbrella); get soaked, and come home to a hot shower or a hot bath. And you can't beat curling up with a good book and listening to the rain drum against the windows, can you? I guess it's a good thing I like rain since it's barely stopped raining here since November.

2. Skirts or shorts? 

Skirts. I've never really felt fully comfortable in shorts; I feel they draw too much attention to my thighs, and they make me feel self-conscious about my legs and big bum. I feel much more comfortable in skirts that flare over my hips and thighs; they make me feel more feminine.

3. If you found £10 on the pavement, what would you do with it?

If I saw somebody drop it, I would pick it up and make sure they got it back. If nobody was around to claim it, I would probably put it in my pocket and buy something nice for everyone (the family) for dinner, or treat myself to something on my wishlist. If I was feeling especially generous (or guilty!) I'd donate it to an animal charity.

4. Favourite colour? 

I love various shades of green, teal, and purple. Although I also have such a thing for mint right now!

5. Best advice someone has ever given you?

Don't be scared of other people; nobody is worth more or less than anybody else.

6. Where would you most like to go in the world? 

Right now, I'm still dying to return to New York and Perranporth in Cornwall, but if we're talking somewhere new... I think my heart is most set on Italy. I blame the film 'Letters to Juliet'!

7. What super-power would you most like to have and why?

I would like to have the power of not feeling physical pain. It wouldn't make me a hero to anybody, but boy it would be nice not to be in pain every day!

8. Who is the last person you sent a text to?

My best friend, Angela. She was recommending a band to me, and it turned out that I had just downloaded their new album the night before! (You Me At Six).

9. How many times per day do you brush your teeth (randomly this was a question on a survey I recently was paid to take part in!)? 

Usually just twice- when I wake up and before bed, but if I've got an appointment or something, I'll usually brush them again before I go.

10. What is the last blog you followed?

I believe it was the blog Votre Grande Soeur.

11. Do you prefer to read e-books or regular books? Library or shop-bought?

I never thought I would ever say this, but right now I actually prefer to read from my Kindle! As a book lover, I was so against ereaders for years, but I had to eat my words when I realised how great they were a couple of years ago. I seem to read so much more from my Kindle, and I love the ease of downloading a new book no matter the time of the day or night. I do love reading regular books, too, though, and often switch between the two.

I haven't used a library for years. With the Kindle, I get my books from Amazon, and find free and cheap books through Kind of Book. With paper books, I usually buy cheap titles from the supermarket or borrow off my sisters or friends. I do miss spending a small fortune on novels from Borders or Waterstones, though. I could get lost in bookstores for hours.


A Touch of Sparkle's Questions:


1. Three things you want to achieve / do during your life?

I hope to:

-Recover from my disc injuries and regain a normal life.
-See the Northern lights.
-Go whale watching.

2. Why did you start blogging?

I started blogging for a few reasons. I wanted something to keep me occupied while being house bound with disc injuries. (I sure found it!) I was inspired by other plus size blogs and wanted to give it a go myself in the hope of working my way towards self-acceptance; something which I still hadn't gained back then at age 26. (I'm getting there now!) And I wanted to have somewhere to share my outfits with like-minded people, and show the world that fat girls can wear bright, colourful and patterned clothes!

3. The beauty essential you cannot be without?

I couldn't live without waterproof black mascara. 

4. If you could be anyone, who would you be?

Oh, that's a tricky one! I really have no idea. Half an hour or pondering later... I wouldn't mind being Dita Von Teese; she always looks fabulous!

5. Favourite Christmas colour theme?

I'm a fan of classic colour schemes like red, gold, and green... I like to keep the decorations tasteful, but on the Christmas tree, pretty much anything goes. It's full of memories instead of used as a fashionable decoration to impress the neighbours with.

6. Are you a morning or evening person?

I've always been more of a morning person, even if I am currently nocturnal at the moment! I've always preferred the day light and getting up early to make the most of it.

7. Favourite place to buy clothes/shoes?

I'd say my favourite place to shop is probably ASOS. They have one of the best, cutting edge plus size ranges out there, and offer such a wide range of accessories, shoes, bags, and beauty products by a variety of fantastic brands. You can buy your whole outfit in one place, without having to dress head-to-toe in one brand. It also helps that they offer free delivery- that's always a winner in my eyes. For shoes, I also turn to New Look and Simply Be who do some great wide fit shoes.

8. Do you have a Christmas tradition, if so what is it?

We have a few Christmas traditions, one being that we always have a family get-to-gether at my Auntie's house a day or two before Christmas each year. It's very informal, and the house is filled with family on my Dad's side, including some of my Auntie's friends and neighbours. It's basically an occasion to catch up with family, eat, drink, and spread a little Christmas cheer.

9. What is your favourite film?

My favourite film is Titanic, and it has been since I first saw it aged eleven. I never tire of watching it.

10. If you could change one thing about the world what would it be?

I would like to change society's obsession with body size and weight, and the unrealistic 'rules' and expectations that go with it.

11. If you could make one law, what would it be?

I would make it illegal for people to discriminate and body-shame fat people. It seems to be the last acceptable form of discrimination, and it's not okay that people are treated badly and often unfairly because of the size stitched in their clothes.


Thanks for reading.

Wednesday Wish List

Happy Wednesday!

It's wish list day once again!

I'm going to keep the chatter short and sweet this week as I have the mother of all migraines and staring at the screen long enough to type is hurting my head. Here are lots of pretty, patterned and colourful things I would like to add to my wardrobe of other pretty, patterned and colourful things! Yep, I'm that predictable! And I doubt I'll ever change.

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12 // 13 // 14 // 15 // 16 // 17

I'll let the pictures do most of the talking, but I'm loving Accessorize's new season scarves. I was in my local branch last week, and totally fell in love with the flamingo print (4) and teal polka dot (2) ones, along with so many other pretty things. Their stock is so colourful at the moment!

I'm still coveting a few dozen pretty bags, and I also need all of the ones on this page! I'm particularly in love with the yellow scalloped satchel (6) from ASOS, and the lilac bunny eared bag (8) from Modcloth. I already have a similar mint bunny eared bag from ASOS, (coming soon to the blog) but I adore the colour and studded ears of the one above. If the cost of shipping and additional taxes weren't so expensive, I'd be on that one like a shot!

I can't go without mentioning just how beautiful the Scarlett & Joe black floral print dress (1) is. The shape, the print, the colours! I've fallen in love with it. It's a little pricey for me at the mo at £60, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a good reduction or a lottery win! I would give it a good home!

So, okay, that wasn't quite as short and sweet as I intended... but that's all folks!

What's on your wish list this week?

Friday I'm in Love

Happy Valentine's Day lovelies!

I know the day is almost over, but I hope it was a good one, and that you were able to spend it with your special someone or favourite bunch of people. Did any of you get swept off your feet this year? And not just from the gale-force winds!

My Valentine's Day has been spent curled up in bed with a headache and painful stomach cramps, on top of an angry back. I've mostly been watching rom coms and scrolling through Pinterest, so it's not all bad. I was hoping to dress up in something heart shaped for a Valentine's OOTD, but realistically, I think there was more chance of an alien invasion than that happening today. I couldn't even execute this post on time!

I've instead rounded up some of my heart-shaped outfits and accessories from previous posts for a little Valentine themed collage. I may be single, but I couldn't resist embracing a little of the love this Valentine's.

Black and Red Outfit // Zatchels Barrel Bag // Red and Navy Outfit // Topshop Bag // Punky Pins Necklace

My collection of heart print or heart shaped clothes and accessories isn't substantial, but I do love the small amount that I own. They're all so different but lovely.

I've blogged about each of the items before, apart from the adorable penguin necklace which I'll be blogging about properly in the next couple of days. You can read each of the posts for the other pieces via the links below the picture.

Happy Valentine's Day, guys!

Ten Heart Print Dresses For Valentine's Day

Love it or hate it, Valentine's Day is less than a day away. Hurray! Meh? Hiss? Sob? [Delete as applicable]. 

I know the mere mention of the V-word brings out mixed feelings in us, no matter our relationship status, and many of us choose not to acknowledge it, but for those of you who do- have you got your outfit sorted yet?

No? Of course you don't! How many of us really plan our outfits for Valentine's Day? I sure don't. I just couldn't resist the chance to share some of my favourite heart-print dresses with you today because there really is no better day to wear a heart print dress than on Valentine's! You don't even have to be loved up or looking for love to embrace one!

Here are ten of my current favourites.

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

Each of these dresses has been on my wish list for a while, and I repeatedly find myself returning to my saved lists and Pinterest boards for another peek at them, just to check they're still there. Is that sad? Probably.

There are so many beautiful heart print dresses available in both plus size and straight size collections, with ASOS, and New Look both stocking a particularly good selection of them at the moment. Most of these dresses are plus size, but a few cater to straight sizes as well. Sadly, frocks 6 and 7 only go up to a UK size 20, but cater well to smaller sizes.

My favourite is the Alice and You skater dress (1) which I recently treated myself to. It's one of the most beautiful dresses I've ever owned (in every way), but it's selling out fast now, so hurry on over for a look! I also love the look of the cupid heart ASOS Curve skater dress (3), and the beautiful bold Kimberley Walsh heart dress from Very (7)... What I really want to say is that I want one of each, please!

You might still be able to get one of these heart print dresses in time for Valentine's if you use a next day delivery service, or pop in store, (where possible). Or you could just consider the purchase a Valentine's Day gift to yourself to enjoy afterwards! Heart print dresses aren't just great for Valentine's Day!

Would you wear a heart print dress on February 14th, and are you already planning to do so?

Happy Valentine's Day Eve!

Wednesday Wish List

Another Wednesday, another Wednesday Wish List...

This week, it's been all about the bags...

Bags are one of my main weaknesses and favourite vices, and they have been for as long as I can remember. I've built up quite a collection over the years, but sometimes I just can't say no to adding in another. I can only assume somebody out there has a Louise-shaped voodoo doll and is manipulating me in to buying them! I'm on to you, whoever you are!

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12 // 13

Last night, I discovered the camera-shaped bag (3) from Accessorize, and I'm pretty certain it'll make it's way in to my collection before the season is through. Wouldn't it make the perfect little sight-seeing or concert bag?! Ah, I'm in love with it! 

Cath Kidston also have some gorgeous bags at the moment; I'm loving their patchwork and polka dot designs. The leather saddle bags are particularly beautiful (4), and the patchwork frame bag (11) is so wonderfully retro it would look adorable with everything.

If I had a spare £145, I would also get my hands on the pretty mint backpack (9) from Zatchels new collection. Sadly I don't, but it doesn't hurt to dream, does it?

Drifting away from bags, I also love the camel print snood (1), which I saw in Next last week. It's covered in little dromedary camels, and I don't think it's a print I've come across before. I can't get over the amount of fantastic quirky prints I keep seeing! They make me so happy!

And finally, another new favourite of mine is the fit and flare polka dot dress (2) from Dorothy Perkins. Yes, I've already got many polka dot dresses, but the shape is perfect, and it's a very reasonable £18... I wonder how long I can resist temptation!

What's on your wish list this week?

101 Things in 1001 Days Progress: Jan 2014

Once again I'm over a week late in posting January's progress on my 101 Things in 1001 Days list, but better late than never, right?

In January, I was able to cross a couple of goals of this list, and made good progress with several others. I think I advanced particularly well on my reading goals, as I've really been enjoying curling up with my Kindle lately.

Here's what I achieved during the first thirty-one days of 2014...

Goals in Progress

Read 50 New Books (11 / 50)

I've set myself the challenge of reading fifty books by the time the 1001 days are up, and last month I devoured another four novels; bringing the total read so far up to eleven. I also vowed to read more in 2014, and considering I read just thirteen books last year, I think I'm off to a pretty good start! 

On January's reading list was Allegiant by Veronica Roth; the last book in the Divergent saga. I enjoyed the series so much, I was so sad to finish it, and it even made me cry. I've never sobbed actual tears over a book before, but wow, Allegiant was an emotional ride!

I also started working my way through the Darkness books by Leonard D. Hilley. I discovered the first book, Predators of Darkness for free on Kind of Book, and I'm so glad I downloaded it as I've thoroughly enjoyed reading them. I flew through Predators of Darkness, Aftermath of Darkness, and Game of Pawns, and now I'm reading the fourth book, Death Valley. I won't talk about them just yet, as I'm planning to review both series really soon, but I'd recommend both series if you love dystopian style novels like I do.

Discover 50 Great New Songs (3 / 50)

Well, these songs aren't exactly new, but I downloaded Pink's Raise Your Glass and The Goo Goo Dolls' Better Days, which are on the soundtrack to the film New Year's Eve, a film I've been enjoying lately. Uplifting songs are a  great way to treat the January blues, and these two worked for me.

Discover 30 Great New Albums (4 / 30)

Last week, I downloaded the new album from You Me At Six, and I'm really enjoying it so far! I've never really listened to You Me At Six before, and I'm not sure why because I love this style of music, and my younger sister used to play them a lot (during her mid noughties emo phase). I'm going to have to check out some of their older stuff now, too.

Watch 50 New Films (2 / 50)

I finally got around to watching Never Let Me Go, which my little sister lent me about six months ago! It's about a world where humans are cloned and raised solely to become organ donors for non-cloned humans. Once these people become adults, they're forced to start donating their organs one by one until they no longer have enough left to live themselves. The main characters (Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan and Andrew Garfield) are locked in a love triangle, and desperately cling to the rumour that if they're in love, they'll be granted a few extra years to live before they begin sealing their fate. The film is really heart-breaking, and it left me questioning the moral and ethical sides to cloning / raising humans to save the life of another. I now know I'd be one hundred percent against it. The idea disturbs me.

Watch Every DVD I Own (53 / ?)

January was the month for chick flicks and disaster movies. I watched The Sound of Music, Valentine's Day, Knowing, The Happening, The Village, The Day After Tomorrow, Dante's Peak, Corrina Corrina, Sex and the City, Pretty Woman, and Julie and Julia. Which means I crossed another eleven DVDs off the list!

Complete the 5000 Question Survey (175 / 5000)

I answered questions 151-175 a couple of weeks ago, which you can catch up on via the link. I'm currently working on the next 25 questions which I hope to post really soon. It's much harder to answer than it would seem!

Complete the book 642 Things To Write About

642 Things To Write About is a great book filled with creative writing prompts, and I returned to it several times during January. I think I completed at least another six or seven tasks last month. The one above was a short list of some of the things I hope to do before I die. I may be shy, but I'm also a thrill seeker!

Complete the Listography Books (0 / 5)

I have five different books from the Listography series, and recently I've got in to the habit of filling in a page or two before bed. I really enjoy stepping back and thinking about my answers to the prompts; trying to personally define subjects I may have given little thought to in the past.

One of the last lists I filled in was 'my personal fashion trends over the years', part of which you can see above. I began the list thinking I didn't really have personal fashion trends before I hit my twenties, but as I began brain storming, I proved myself wrong. The memorable 'trends' of my past spilled on to the page, and overflowed in to the margins. Most of what you can see above was worn in the nineties, a decade when I was such a tomboy and had little interest in fashion. Scrunchies! Cycling shorts! Inflatable bags! What a time to be alive. What was I thinking?

Clean up and Back Up My Music, Photos and Files

This is a boring one, but something I really need to do so I can get my laptop fixed or replaced; the cooling system has been buggered for so long, I fear it'll explode if I ignore it much longer! I finally organised and backed up all my Music and other Itunes files in January, but with 70gb of files, it took me the best part of a week! Thank God that's over! Just the rest to do now... *sigh*

Listen to Every Song in My Itunes Library

I listened to quite a lot of tunes... but I deleted my iTunes library and started from scratch, so I've erased all my play counts... I couldn't keep track of this one if I tried. Hmm.

Goals Completed

Create a Cross Stitch Project

January was the month that I finally completed my Christmas cross stitch, which I'd been working on since September. I'm extremely pleased with the outcome, and now I just need to get it framed in time for Christmas! You can read more about this little project here.

After a few weeks of pondering, I eventually decided to buy a new kit to challenge myself with, and I went with this one. It's a little larger than I realised, but what's life without a little challenge now and then?

Buy New Bedding

[Source]

I've been meaning to buy some new bedding for so long, as I've been making do with a single duvet on a double bed. My Mum treated me to a lovely new duvet, so I sourced a new duvet set. I even managed to find one similar to the Next set which matches my curtains, so I don't even have to worry about buying new curtains to match!

Goals Completed in January: 2

Goals in Progress in January: 10

Goals Completed Overall: 12

Goals in Progress Overall: 11

11% Complete! 

Days Left: 846

I'm really pleased with my progress so far, but I hope I can do even better in February!

You can find my full 101 Things in 1001 Days list here. Feel free to use any of my goals for your own 101 Things in 1001 Days lists!  

I'd love to see your lists, so please leave me your links in the comment box!