101 Things in 1001 Days

Hey guys,

If you've been following my blog for a while, you may remember that several months ago, I shared a 101 Things in 1001 Days / Mission 101 List here on the blog... and then never mentioned it again.

Being adventurous, I had well over 200 goals on that list, which I had first created a year or two ago when I didn't expect my disc injuries to still be with me so far in to the 1001 days of the challenge. I began to realise that most of the goals were unrealistic and unachievable for me with my disc injuries. I can't travel up and down the country, or around the globe. I can't do some dare devil sports or move out of home or go to a festival, just yet. So... I decided to scrap that list, added a bunch of goals to my Bucket list and Things I'll Do When I'm Better list and started again.

I've started afresh with a new list of 101 goals which I feel are much more achievable for me in my current condition. There are a lot of creative and entertainment oriented goals which can be achieved from the comfort of my bed, and I've substituted my worldwide travel goals with local places I'd like to work towards visiting. I hope to actually stick to my list now it's much more invalid-friendly, and providing you guys are interested, I'm thinking of blogging my progress every month or so to keep myself motivated. Let me know what you think! 

In any case, I give you my new list of 101 things to do in 1001 days...

 101 Things in 1001 Days List

When?

Start Date: 7th September 2013

Half Way Point: 20th January 2015

End Date: 4th June 2016

Progress

Goals in progress: 9 / 101

Goals Completed: 0 / 101

Goals in bold are currently in progress.

Creative

These are the things which I want to make, create, and do; from creating an inspiration notebook for my disc injury journey to learning how to make jewellery and finding time for creative writing and painting. I genuinely enjoy being creative, and most of these goals are things which I can attempt while I'm stuck in bed.

1. Learn how to make my own jewellery.

2. Create an injury inspiration journal.

3. Fill up a notebook with song lyrics and quotes I love.

4. Fill up a notebook with lists.

5. Finish a cross stitch project.

6. Learn how to crochet something.

7. Customize a piece or two of clothing with the toucan buttons.

8. Repair my studded jumper.

9. Complete the book '642 Things to Write About'. (/642)

10. Complete the four 'Listography' books I own. (0/4).

11. Fill up a sketch book.

12. Fill up a book with paintings and drawings (using paints, pastels etc... IE. colourful mediums).

13. Draw or paint a self portrait.

14. Make tea cup candles.

15. Try my hand at card making.

16. Learn how to knit something.

17. Write a short story using a prompt from 'The Writer's Block.'

18. Modernize a classic fairy tale as a short story.

19. Complete the 5000 Question Survey. (25/5000).

20. Send a secret to Postsecret.

21. Design the tattoo I'll get to symbolise my disc injuries and new found freedom when I'm better.

22. Put the photos of my (late) pets in to photo albums or a scrapbook.

23. Put the photos of the dogs on to a disc (slide show/movie) creatively for my sister and brother-in-law.

24. Take photos with rainbow sprinkles used in the shots like confetti.

25. Make / fill Christmas crackers for Christmas Day lunch.

Entertainment

I'm a self-confessed entertainment junkie, and love nothing more than listening to music, going to shows, reading, and watching movies. Most of these goals should be a piece of cake... she says. A few of the goals require better mobility, and are ones I want to work towards.

26. Read 50 new books. (0/50)

27. Read all the unread books on my bookshelf. (0/?)

28. Read a book in one day.

29. Reread The Stand by Stephen King.

30. Reread The Hunger Games trilogy. (0/3)

31. Discover 50 great new songs. (0/50)

32. Discover 30 great new albums. (0/30)

33. Listen to every song in my iTunes library. (0/4266)

34. Watch 50 new films. (0/50)

35. Watch every DVD I own. (0/?)

36. Watch at least 5 new films at the cinema. (0/5)

37. Make it to the Boyzone concert I have tickets to in December.

38. Try to attend at least 3 concerts. (0/3)

39. See a musical at the theatre.

40. See a popular comedian live.

Trips Out / Travel

Usually my travel goals are much more adventurous and further afield (visit this country, spend  a day in London,  hop on a plane to Dublin for the day...), but right now I can't manage more than an hour or two out of bed. So, I've compiled a list of trips out I want to attempt locally, to add variety to my attempts to work on my mobility and pain tolerance out of bed. I feel that these kind of goals are important for strengthening my body, and for trying to get some sort of life back.

41. Go to the Wildlife Park.

42. Visit Christchurch in Oxford.

43. Visit The Old Prison in Oxford.

44. Visit The Ashmolean Museum.

45. Visit Pitt Rivers Museum.

46. Dawdle around the Covered Market... ideally at Christmas.

47. Visit Bourton-on-the-Water.

48. Visit Blenheim Palace.

49. Visit Broadway (in The Cotswolds, not NYC).

50. Visit at least 3 Cotswold villages / towns I've never visited before. (0/3)

51. Go for a walk along the river.

52. Go for a walk down the Water Meadow.

53. Go for a walk around The Dell.

54. Go on a picnic.

55. Manage a walk down town and back again.

56. Go to a Christmas market. (One of the European ones that pop up at Christmas time).

Foodie

These are goals of foods and drinks I'd like to try, recipes I'd like to make, and places I'd like to eat out at. I've kept the baking and cooking goals very simple, as I find it difficult to stand long enough to do so, but I'd still like to prove to myself that I can manage a couple of recipes through the pain.

57. Go out for breakfast.

58. Go out for lunch or dinner.

59. Go out for cocktails.

60. Go out for cocktails at Raoul's.

61. Sit in at Patisserie Valerie.

62. Go for afternoon tea at Maison Blanc.

63. Try coffee.

64. Try sushi.

65. Try a burrito.

66. Try a new cocktail.

67. Learn how to make a cocktail at home.

68. Bake something from my Serendipity desert cookbook.

69. Make a new sweet recipe.

70. Make a new savoury recipe.

71. Bake chocolate peanut butter cookies.

72. Bake a rainbow cake.

73. Go strawberry picking.

Body and Soul

These are fashion, beauty, and health goals, including a bit of pampering, and some things I'd like to try.

74. Get my hair cut shorter again.

75. Go for a manicure.

76. Go for a pedicure.

77. Go for optician check up so I can get contacts regularly again.

78. Learn how to French-plait my hair.

79. Learn how to do perfect 'Milkmaid braids'.

80. Buy a curling wand and start curling my hair again.

81. Try 10 new nail art designs worth sharing. (0/10).

82. Find the perfect red lipstick.

83. Get something pierced.

84. Get at least one new tattoo.

For Living Things

Animals, plants, and people, oh my!

85. Adopt an animal.

86. Get a new pet.

87. Buy a house plant and keep it alive.

88. Grow sunflowers.

89. Donate 1 million grains of rice on Freerice.com. (0/1,000,000)

To Do List

A few boring but essential goals.

90. Get my jewellery hooks up on the wall. (Looking at you, Dad)!

91. Clean up and back up all my music, photos, and other important files.

92. Keep a spending diary for a month.

Purchases

And this is a list of things I want and need to buy, including a few pieces for my capsule wardrobe, a few things for overhauling my bedroom, and a couple of creative books.

93. Buy the book: 'How to Make Jewellery With Tatty Devine.'

94. Buy the three '642 Things To Draw' Books. (0/3).

95. Buy a new iPod dock.

96. Buy new bedding.

97. Buy a new chest of drawers or a new wardrobe.

98. Buy a new bedside lamp(s).

99. Buy the perfect winter coat.

100. Buy the perfect (p)leather biker jacket.

101. Buy the perfect versatile blazer.

So, if you're wondering what this list is all about, let me tell you! A 101 in 1001 Days or Mission 101 list is quite simply, a list of 101 goals to achieve in 1001 days. The goals are entirely up to you- they can be anything you want to achieve from seeing your favourite band live, to trying 50 new recipes, writing a novel, or just drinking water every day. Anything at all. And then you have 1001 days to cross them all off.

Check out Day Zero Project, and Mission 101 on Livejournal, where you'll find out more information and inspiration; and can sign up to track your progress, if you want to. They're both worth joining, but you could just as easily keep track using a notebook offline.

I hope you've enjoyed this post, and if you'd like me to blog my progress, tell me what you think in the comments! Have a great weekend!

Stripes, Dots, and Bunting OOTD

Hello lovelies,

If you've been following my blog for a while, you'll probably be aware that two things feature prominently in my wardrobe and style: dresses and prints. (The third is colour). I have dresses in all kinds of prints: polka dots, flamingos, birds, cats, daschunds, foxes, bird cages, florals, fish... the list goes on, but until this summer I didn't have any stripes in my dress collection.

"... but, you're fat! You shouldn't wear stripes- EVER! They'll make you look BIGGER! Only skinny girls should wear stripes. Wear this black sack, instead." Says Society.

This is the message which I've heard ten thousand times since my childhood, from media, and from my peers; something which I'm sure most of you have been subjected to on numerous occasions, too... but have I ever listened to that 'rule'? Like hell, have I! It's a ridiculous rule. And anyway, rules are made for breaking!

I've worn striped items often in the past, and own my fair share of striped tops and cardigans at present. My body shape hasn't once grown miraculously before my eyes because it was clothed in stripes... and neither will yours. I never avoid wearing stripes, I enjoy wearing them. And I actually made it my mission to buy a striped navy and white dress this summer that I could wear for a nautical look with red, white, and anchors. I managed to find one, but it's taken me until now to share it. My bad.

Well, I never did manage to find a red cardigan to create the look I'd first envisioned, nor have I added lashings of white or anchors, but I am wearing a striped dress. And a double dose of stripes. And breaking another style rule by clashing patterns. Oh, and there's bunting!

I bought the dress from Dorothy Perkins back in May or June, and I've taken outfit shots of it twice before but I was never happy with the photos. These aren't great, either, but you get the idea. The dress is a lovely thick cotton, with a fitted but stretchy waist, a v-neck, and thick shoulder straps. The stripes are horizontal from the waist up, and in chevrons below it.  While I sized up so it wouldn't be figure-hugging, I don't think this dress makes me look wider at all (if anything it makes me feel smaller). Even with a loose cardi hiding my shape.

Lacking a red cardigan in my wardrobe, I thought I'd try the cardigan my sister gave me for my birthday with the dress instead, clashing the stripes with more stripes and polka dots. It's a little big on me unbuttoned, and I wish it was a little more fitted, but I like how the two pieces look together. 

The cardigan is by Per Una at Marks and Spencers, and it was on my wishlist for quite some time as it was quite pricey for a cardigan at £35. Although, now I own it, I think it was priced fairly as the quality of it is fantastic. It's the softest piece of knitwear I've probably ever owned, and it's so thick and warm. It's like wearing a giant hug. The best part of all about this dress is that it's embroidered with bunting! Bunting, of all things! It's very me, and I can't wait to wear it again, now that we're heading in to cooler weather.

I originally tried this outfit with a blue manicure, which I loved.

I dug out a couple of my most nautical inspired accessories; an anchor ASOS ring, and a seaside themed charm bracelet by Abilu Creations. It was bought from their stall in the Camden Lock Market a few years ago, and is one of a few pieces of their gorgeous eclectic jewellery I own. I tend to buy something from them each time I visit Camden, (they have a website now which often tempts me), because I just love their funky, fun accessories. The jewellery is all made by hand by a small independent business, who use a lot of vintage charms and signature guitar plectrums to create unique one-off pieces, and you can check their eclectic designs out here.

I then completely mismatched my accessories by wearing this beaded parrot Accessorize necklace. It's a few years old now, but I still love wearing it during the summer months.

Outfit Details

Dress-Dorothy Perkins // Cardigan-Per Una for Marks and Spencers (similar) // Leggings-Evans // Ring-ASOS // Necklace-Accessorize // Bracelet-Abilu Creations (similar)

I kept my make up simple with black eyeliner and one of my new red Inglot lipsticks that arrived earlier this week. I'll be reviewing them soon, but I'll tell you now- they're amazing!

What are your thoughts on wearing stripes?

Wednesday Wish List

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12 // 13 // 14 // 15 // 16 // 17 // 18 // 19 // 20 // 21 // 22 // 23 // 24 // 25 // 26 // 27 // 28 // 29 // 30 // 31 // 32 //

If I was a rich girl... na na na na na na na...

It's probably a good thing I'm not a rich girl as I would become bankrupt oh so quickly from going on a shopping bender and buying everything on this wish list. Everything! 

I think this is the largest wish list I've ever posted, which tells me I got carried away with window shopping this week. I'm not even sorry. There are so many gorgeous clothes and accessories popping up everywhere now that the summer lines are fading out, and I'm looking forward to buying and wearing some of them.

My favourites this week are the studded ankle boots from Simply Be (7,8,9), in wine, black, and forest green. They look like the perfect versatile ankle boot for wearing with everything, and they're even wide fitting in E and EEE sizes! I find it so difficult to find stylish wide-fit ankle boots that I actually like, but these seem perfect. At £45 a pair, they're affordable, and my only issue is deciding which colour to buy first. I love and hope to own all three, but I think I'm leaning towards the wine pair. I'm just weighing up whether to buy the boots or a polka dot scarf I have my eye on this week, after making a little money on eBay.

Have you guys seen the new Tatty Devine lines that have landed on ASOS this week? I'm loving the bold, psychedelic 'Love' necklace (20), and heart brooch (21), necklace (27), ring (25), and earrings (not shown). They're a bit out of my budget, but they're amazing, and I'm sure many of you will love them, too!

Honourable mention also goes to the beautiful squirrel necklace from Accessorize (2), which has to be the most adorable ring I've ever laid eyes on. It would probably be too small to fit on anything but my little fingers, but it's so lovely I might give it a try. If not, I could easily be consoled by one of their beautiful tartan scarves (10).

Well these are my favourites this week; which ones are yours?

Cath Kidston Haul / Messenger Bag Review

Hey guys,

On Sunday I went to Oxfordshire's outlet village, Bicester Village, with my older sister to browse for bargains, potential Christmas presents, and new handbags.

Most of the shops in the outlet village are designer fashion retailers, and unsurprisingly, are way out of my budget (not to mention dress size), but it's always fun to gaze adoringly at all the beautiful bags, shoes, and outfits as we drift in and out of the more affordable shops. This time it was a quick visit as I was struggling with the pain and feeling nauseated, but we conquered L'Occitane, Guess, Zatchels, and Cath Kidston. 

The sister bought the most gorgeous purple and yellow Zatchels satchel, which I would've bought had she not beaten me to it, but I did come home with a few things from Cath Kidston. If there's one thing I love more than Cath Kidston, it's Cath Kidston things at discounted prices!

So, this is my mini Cath Kidston haul. I bought a new polka dot messenger bag, a pack of four floral folders, a set of four strawberry hair clips, and a strawberry brooch. Oh, and also the most adorable retro wooden stamp set for my best friend's little boy for Christmas.

I loved the strawberry collection Cath Kidston had for Spring / Summer 13, and had coveted most of the range, including these adorable hair clips and brooch. They featured in one of my Wednesday Wish List posts many moons ago, although I never made a purchase... until now. 

The hair clips are actually from the kids department, but they were far too cute to resist and I had to buy them for myself. Why let the kids have all the fun? There are two for each side of the head,and they are made from a mixture of metal and plastic. These were £2.50 down from £5.00, I think.

The brooch is equally cute, and I think it'll look lovely pinned on to a cardigan or dress. It's made from plastic, but it's also quite solid and sturdy. It was £3.00 down from £6.00.

Messenger Bag Review

I couldn't leave the store without bringing this bag home with me. I was lured in by the gorgeous deep red polka dotted fabric... Yep, I never change! This was another piece I'd been admiring for months, but since I already have the same bag in blue, I couldn't justify the purchase. However, with it being on sale at £26.50 instead of £40.00, and with hospital appointments, physiotherapy, and hydrotherapy in mind, I decided it would come in handy and justified it to myself!

Cath Kidston's messenger bags may look quite casual, but I can't deny how practical they really are. I used to use my blue one for work, and for travelling by bus, train, or plane. It's got so much room for all those essentials, and even when it's heavy it's comfortable worn over the shoulder with the cross-body strap, leaving your hands free for other things.

The bag is made from a very thick, good quality cotton. The outer front and back is a beautiful deep red with white polka dots, and the inside features a print of hunters, horses, and hounds on a white background. I'm completely against hunting animals for sport, but the print does look lovely, and is very quintessentially English.

There are two inner pockets which could be used for storing a mobile phone or keys; those essentials you like to be able to grab in a split second without emptying the contents of the entire bag on to the tarmac to find them. While these pockets are handy, I personally think the bag could do with a zipped inner pocket for keeping certain things concealed.

As you can see, the bag has so much room. You'd be surprised by how much you can really cram in these bags.

There are also two pockets at the front of the bag.

The brand name is present on the front, but it's a modest size and not overbearing.

I love the colour and all the polka dots.

The strap is made of thick canvas in denim blue, red and white.

It's adjustable, and can be shortened to wear on the shoulder, or extended to the desired length to wear over the body. I often find straps are too short for my taste, but this strap is generous and can sit lower than the hip!

This shows the strap extended fully.

I'm really pleased with my new bag. It will be perfect for hospital appointments, and for future travels. I also think it's the perfect casual day bag for Autumn, as the deep red is the perfect fall colour. It'll look great with most outfits layered up for Autumn / Winter; from jeans and a sweater, to dresses with opaque tights, and a cardigan. Just add a pair of boots, a scarf, and a cosy beanie hat and you're ready for Autumn adventures!

These items are no longer available on Cath Kidston's website, but it's worth popping in to your nearest branch or outlet Cath Kidston shop because you may still be able to find them. They're highly recommended!

Have you bought anything from Cath Kidston recently? What bargains have you been buying?

Barry M Blueberry and Blue Grape Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paints Review

Morning folks,

So, I popped in to Boots last week to pick up a few essentials (read: three packs of cleansing wipes and a face scrub), and couldn't walk past the Barry M display without having a quick peek at the nail polishes. To be honest, I never can; Barry M has such a great range of nail products and the bold colours never fail to lure me in. 

I was actually looking to replace two dried up old bottles, but those particular colours weren't in stock, so I came home with two of their Gelly Nail Paints I'd never tried before, instead. 

I chose two different shades of blue; a bold cobalt blue called Blue Grape, and a a paler blue somewhere in between baby and cornflower blue called Blueberry... Do I get an award for how many times I said blue in that sentence? I'm not sure I said it enough times. Blue.

So, why did I choose these two nail polishes? Quite simply, because they were the first two colours that caught my eye, and I'd been previously impressed with other colours in the range. I was pretty confident that they'd be just as good as the others I'd tried... but, was I right?

 Just before the weekend, I took these nail polishes for a test drive, and created this simple nail look.

And... I wasn't disappointed! These polishes were just as good as the others in my collection. 

Firstly, these nail polishes glide on to the nail so easily, with no stickiness from the brush as it paints the nail. Very little effort is needed! The brushes are long and easy to handle, and the nail polish is fast drying. Each coat was dry in less than two minutes. I applied three coats to achieve optimum opaqueness, but in all honesty, two coats would have been more than sufficient as the consistency is reasonably thick. 

These Hi Shine Gelly Nail Paints are just how they sound: highly shiny. I love how glossy they are; they have the look of a professional gel manicure without the price tag, commitment, and upkeep- and that, ladies, is fine by me!

I painted my nails an hour or two before bed, and when I woke up, the nails were still as smooth as a pane of glass! That rarely ever happens; I often wake up with horrible tacky, textured nails when I paint them before bed. Probably as I tend to slip a hand under the pillows as I sleep...

This manicure lasted four days without chipping or dulling, which I personally think  is a decent length of time compared to most nail polishes. Not bad for a £3.99 nail polish. Even better considering they were bought on a buy one, get one half price offer! 

So, all in all, I'm very impressed with both these nail paints. I can't actually find a single fault in them. I love the two colours equally; they paint and set beautifully; they last well; and the price points are very purse friendly. Fantastic! Once again, Barry M has got it so right!

I now have six Gelly nail paints in my collection, and I love all six colours, as different as they all are. My favourite is still probably the lilac 'Pricky Pear'. I'm very tempted to give some of the deeper, darker Autumnal shades a try for A/W, and knowing me, I probably will!

Have you tried Barry M Hi Shine Gelly Nail Paints yet? Which shade is your favourite?