Lady Bug Says ... 25 Random Facts

I have seen a few of these posts floating around and thought I would join in, I love getting to know the person behind the blog a little better!

1. I have 1 sister, 2 step sisters and a step brother.

2. I lived at home, and in the same house from when I was born until I was 19 years old. I didn't get on that well with my sister when we lived together, but now we are pretty much best friends. So much so that she is going to be my maid of honour :)

3. I got engaged on 6th October 2012 and I am getting married on 7th September 2013!

4. I am a real homebody, give me a cosy night in any day.

5. I love the smell of onions frying!

6. My Dad wanted to name me Kerry, I think I suit Vicky much better though :)

7. When I was at school I thought I wanted to be an events planner/wedding planner, I am much happier with the direction I went in (kitchen designer) and actually love going to work each day. I get to be creative and love getting feedback from clients.  

8. As much as I try to be organised, I am convinced it is not meant to be. I frustrate myself with my messiness!

9. My favourite food is either spaghetti bolognese or my Mum's roast potatoes.

10. The Mr says I largely watch 'crap tv' but we are both obsessed with Bones and religiously watch it together.

11. I was quite good at school, but once I got to 6th form I lost a lot of interest and ended up leaving after taking my AS Levels, I have had a full time job since leaving at 18 years old.

12. We really wanted to do an American road trip, visiting Man vs Food spots and all the theme parks in Florida for our honeymoon, but it is going to be hurricane season so we are having to rethink our plans!

13. Whilst at school I learnt to play the flute, recorder and keyboard, but gave them up as I cannot read sheet music, I used to just memorise all the songs!

14. I love looking back at photos but always seem to forget to take them!

15. I do nearly all the cooking in our house, other people cooking and possibly not cooking meat etc. enough actually scares me!

16. I am lucky in that I got to travel a fair bit when I was younger. I have visited lots of places including Florida, Majorca, Madeira, France, Italy & Gambia.

17. I went to Lapland when I was 6 years old and when I visited Santa I lost the teddy bear I had had since I was born, I cried all the way home :(

18. My favourite films are Shawshank Redemption, Love Actually, Bring It On & 10 Things I Hate About You.

19. One of my favourite places in the world is my Dad's house in France. It reminds me of happy summer holidays with my parents being together.

20. Whilst at school I used to get bullied for being super skinny, I was so glad when at 19/20 years old I finally got some curves!

21. Whilst watching Glee/Revenge/Jersey Shore my sister and I text each other a running commentary.

22. I am not a very strong swimmer, and panic a little if the water gets too deep.

23. Whilst on holiday I can quite easily spend the whole day lounging in the sun, reading at least a book a day, usually more.

24. I am the biggest lightweight, I used to be able to drink like a fish, but if I have 1 white wine spritzer I feel tipsy! Consequently I don't really drink any more and am always the designated driver.

25. My Mum is the one person I can talk to about pretty much anything, we have always been super close and I can't imagine it being any other way - Love you Mum!

So now you know a little more about me! Please leave a link if you have done a similar post, I would love to know a bit more about you!

Lady Bug Says ... Goals For The Year

I don't really like to give myself New Year's resolutions, because everyone know resolutions nearly always get broken! But I do like to give myself some aims for the following year, something to aim to do/try but not set in stone that I must!

In 2012 I aimed to...

Eat my 5 a day - I can't say that every day I got my full quota of fruit and veg, but across the week I think I did pretty well at getting my 35. I have become a big fan of a big pile of veg on my plate at dinner time

Worry less/ more positive thinking - I have really struggled with this, despite really trying to be positive, I think it is all too easy to slip into that negative frame of mind!

Read at least 1 book a month - This I did, I read 15 books on my Kindle, re read 12 books on my bookshelf and read 5 new books. 2012 was definitely the year I got back into reading and I am looking forward to reading more in 2013.

Take a photography course and learn how to use my camera properly - Yeah this didn't happen, if anything I fell kind of out of love with my camera :( I love it in the Spring/Summer months when taking photographs outside, but during the darker months, taking indoor shots just isn't working for me! Probably one of the main reasons why outfit posts have become somewhat slim on my blog! If I wasn't saving for my wedding a new camera would be on the top of my list!

So, enough of looking back, what am I aiming for in 2013?

Save for my wedding - My wedding date seems to be hurling towards me crazily fast - less than 8 months to go! The Mr and I are determined that we do not want any wedding debt after our wedding day, so these next 8 months are going to all about saving up, cutting back and a lot of wedding DIYing (something you would be interested in seeing?)

Drinking more water - I suffer a lot from headaches and not drinking enough water is probably not helping, so I am aiming for 3 pints of water a day!

Be more organised - I am one of these people that is forever putting off doing things, then leaving myself with a ton of things to do all in one go, making me more than a little stressed! So organisation is required, managing my time better and keeping on top of things!

Cooking more adventurously - I am an avid cookbook/cookery magazine purchaser, but they don't get used anywhere near as much as they should. So I want to try and cook one new recipe that I have never tried before and hopefully find some new favourites.

Have you set yourself any aims for 2013? 

Lady Bug Says ... Guess Who Is Back

Long time no speak!

The only explanation I have for my absence is that 24 hours is not enough hours in a day!

Over the past few months I have been up to a fair bit, which I thought I would share with you, to catch you all up and start the new year a fresh!

Firstly back in November I attended a charity hair show put on by DKN Hair, with clothing and make up by students at Somerset College. It was an amazing night all in aid of raising money for the Exeter Stroke Unit.

Later in November I spent the weekend working at the Homebuilding and Renovation Show. By the end of it I couldn't feel my feet and had pretty much lost my voice but I loved getting to talk endlessly about kitchens and things to people who actually wanted to hear about it!

The weekend went really well and I am pretty proud of the fact that I did everything from booking the stand and designing our back unit to organising our show freebies(a flat pack egg box!) to designing the brochures. 

Then in  December it was the Mr's work Xmas party, where we got to stay in a pretty nice room with a fabulous view that managed to even make Torbay look good!

Then came Christmas, 11 wonderful days off work filled with visiting lots of family and friends, eating far too much cheese and giving and receiving some amazing presents!

The Christmas tree on Christmas day at my in laws with somewhat crazy!

Over Christmas we managed to take Daisy on some really nice walks, now she is 8 months old she can handle a good long afternoon out, though she does then enjoy a nice long snooze on the sofa when we get home!

A little outfit of the day in the woods!

Most of the pictures I have taken recently have been of Daisy, she is growing so quickly and I don't want to miss he cute puppy stage!

Look at those paws!

Sleeping with her Christmas collar on!

Christmas day was all a bit too much for her!

Being a floating puppy head :)

I have also been indulging in a lot of yummy food, I am really going to try and cook some more new recipes this year and maybe share them with you all if it is something you would be interested in seeing?!

Smoked haddock and spinach risotto

New Year's Eve scallop pasta dinner, it was delicious if a little bit too rich!

It wouldn't be Christmas without some sparkly nails!

So, all caught up?

This weeks posts are going to include an outfit post, some new year's resolutions and maybe a foody post if I cook something blog worthy!

Hope you all had a fabulous Christmas and a brilliant New Year!

Lady Bug Says .. A Little Absense & A Big Smile!

It has been more than a little while since I last blogged, so I thought I would catch you all up on what has been happening in the whirlwind that has been the last few weeks!

Firstly my much awaited for order from the 50% off Models Own sale arrived!

Peach Sherbet, Thunder & Lightening, Indian Ocean, Hed Kandi Ibiza Mix, Concrete Mixer, Utopia, Pinky Brown, Green Flash and White Nail Art Pen.

I couldn't resist a little bit of clinging on to the Summer nail art with some of the pretty pastel colours :)

If you follow me on Twitter I am sure you will probably already know my pretty exciting news, the Mr asked me to marry him after nearly 5 years of being together. I of course said yes and have already started planning our wedding for next year!

It was a complete surprise, to be honest I would have put more money on winning the lottery than being proposed to! But he had planned it perfectly and I have been walking around with the biggest smile on my face ever since, I can't wait to be a Mrs :)

The boy did good when it came to picking a good sparkler too!

I won't share too many details of how he actually popped the question but this photo he made made me smile so much!

The only dampener on our perfect weekend was our poor little pup getting stung by something and having an allergic reaction, resulting in a very expensive trip to the emergency vets on Sunday evening :( She was a million times better after the vet saw her though so it was well worth it!

We had a few engagement drinks with our friends this weekend, one of our friends gave us a bottle of homemade cider champagne, yum!

I promise the Mr isn't actually this short, he just had to squat down a little so I didn't end up spilling champagne all down myself!

All in all a good few weeks! I will try to not bore you all with wedding chatter promise!

Lady Bug Says ... Big Wheeling!

Evening :)

On Sunday I spent a lovely day with my Mum and Sister, filled with a farm shop breakfast, a spot of shopping, swimming in the wave pool, a trip on a big wheel and a yummy carvery dinner! A busy but fun day :)

The wheel was a little bit bigger than I anticipated, especially as I am not a big fan of heights, but I was fine as long as everyone kept pretty still! There were some pretty great views of Torbay to be seen too!

My sister with her pretty ombre hair, my beautiful Mum and me, all looking a little worse for wear as we had just been swimming!

Trusty grey flatforms! - H&M £20

Patterned jeans - H&M £20

Grey jumper - Next £12

Leather Jacket - Primark via Ebay £25

Necklace - Primark £5

Outfit total - £82

Yes, I am aware I live in this jumper and necklace combo, I am just getting my moneys worth!

Lady Bug Says ... A Daisy Update

I recently asked if you would all like a puppy updated and some of you said yes, so I thought I would let you all know how she is doing!

She is now nearly 16 weeks old and has been home with use for nearly 8 weeks. During that time she has more than doubled in weight and increased even more in overall size! She has learnt so much and is now completely toilet trained and knows a wide variety of commands including sit, stay, lie down, paw, roll over, come and leave it. She has also just about mastered going up and down the stairs. It has actually surprised me how quickly she has learnt things! She can now go out for walks and has discovered a love of the beach, especially swimming in the sea and digging in the sand, she isn't so fond of having to have a bath afterwards though! She also loves playing with ice cubes, eating cold carrots and sleeping on the sofa.

So on with the cute photos, I can't believe how much she has grown!

At 9 weeks old, chewing leaves and barely able to get up onto the decking!

11 weeks old and not quite getting how to play with the Frisbee!

12 weeks old and enjoying sleeping in the kitchen whilst I am cooking dinner!

14 weeks old and loving her new toy!

15 weeks old and nearly too big for her favourite corner!

15 weeks and claiming her favourite spot on the sofa!

Lady Bug Says ... What I Did On Holiday

I though seeing as I have shown you what I wore on holiday, I would show you a little of what we got up to. The weather on the whole was pretty cloudy and rainy, but we did manage to make the most of our time there!

We went to stay with my Dad at his house in the Charante region of France. We used to go on holiday there every year but my Sister hadn't been in 7 years and I last visited with the Mr 3 years ago. So it was nice for us to revisit and go on holiday together!

On our first night we ate at 'The Shed' a little restaurant in the middle of the forest, you eat on a covered veranda over looking the lakes. The also happen to do the best Salade de Gesiers I have ever tried!

On the one day we got some proper sunshine we headed to La Jemaye for canoeing and soaking up some rays!

We also tried jet skiing at an disused quarry near Brossac. I say tried, I screamed for 5 laps before calling it a day and letting my Sister have some real fun!

We also visited Aubeterre so take pictures at my favourite spot.

And consumed a few chocolate crepes and an Orangina or two.

We had to have a play around with the panoramic settings on my camera of course! Jazz hands!

We saw loads of sunflowers :) Usually we are there later on in the summer so they are getting towards the end of their season, but in early July they were out in full bloom!

We also dressed up and took lots of photos in our pretty street!

All in all it was a pretty good get away!

Lady Bug Says ... Daisy Dog!

Everyone, meet Daisy!

This little fluff ball has been home for less than 24 hours but she already has us well and truly wrapped around her little waggy tail!

She has a bit of a thing for feet.

Enjoys a good nap.

And chewing on her toys.

If you overlook the using the kitchen floor as a toilet and nibbling on anything and everything she is pretty much perfect!

I will apologise now for my Instagram turning into Puppygram!

Lady Bug Says ... New Years Resolutions 2012

Afternoon lovelies. Hope you are all having a nice weekend so far!

I am one of those cliche people that make up (and largely don't stick to) New Years resolutions every year and this year will be no different. I think its nice to have realistic things to aim for!

Last year I set myself the following resolutions, this is how I got on with them!

Get Fit - Well I did do a fair bit of cycling and attended zumba classes for 3-4 months. Once my body decides to behave itself I hope to get back into a routine and exercise more.

Take part in a charity sporting event - Unfortunately not :( I did make a fair few charitable donations last year though so pleased I still contributed in some way.

Become more organised - My filofax got used alot! I seemed to slip with being organised when it came to blogging though, another thing I hope to improve on this year.

Get a proper skincare routine - Ummmm, not quite! Though I did get the Liz Earle cleanse and polish kit for Christmas so hopefully that will kick start me in the right direction!

Sort out my wardrobe - Yes! I had a much needed clear out and 3 massive bin bags full of clothes went off to the local charity shops and I have a big box of items to photograph and list on Ebay.

Worry/stress less - Well this hasn't been the greatest year for me worry wise! I think having bad health that I can't seem to control has made it a lot worse. But I am determined to work on this is 2012

This year I am going to TRY to do the following!

Eat my 5 a day! - I eat fairly well and do like fruit and veg, but realistically only get maybe 3 of my 5 a day. So lots more healthier snacks at work for me!

Worry less/ more positive thinking - I failed on trying to overcome this last year and really want to work on it this year. I need to stop thinking of the worse case scenario and start being more positive!

Read at least 1 book a month - I used to be a complete book worm, but recently I don't seem to have time for reading. I received a Kindle for my birthday back in October and still haven't finished the 1st book I downloaded on it!

Take a photography course and learn how to use my camera properly - I have had my new camera for a while but still haven't really ventured away from the auto settings! Seems such a waste to have all those extra functions and no idea how to use them!

We will see this time next year how I got on!

Lady Bug Says ... A Little More About Me

Evening lovelies.

Sorry I have been rather absent, various ailments seem to have struck me down all at the same time! But I'm soldiering on, don't you worry!

I thought tonight I would show you a little more of my life outside of the blog. As much as I love fashion, beauty & baking my job means the world to me. I can talk kitchens for hours and tend to bore people with my incessant chatter of traditional vs contemporary and granite vs solid surface!

I work for a bespoke joinery and shopfitting company as a kitchen planner, though as we are a small family company I also cover various other roles such as reception and payroll.

My favourite part of my job is receiving a 'list of dreams' from a client and being able to create their dream room :) Plus I get my vicariously spend a fortune of gorgeous joinery through my customers!

Traditional in-frame painted kitchen with granite and timber worktops.

Oak & cream shaker kitchen with granite worktops

Traditional sage in-frame kitchen with oak block worktops

Cream framed doors with solid surface worktops

Oak shaker doors with solid surface worktops

Cream in-frame kitchen with slate worktops

So what's your dream kitchen? Every time I design a new one my personal dream seems to change!

Lady Bug Says ... A Bit Of A Ramble

Evening Lovelies!

Going to be a little bit of a rambley post this evening and basically some reasons(excuses) why I have been a bit absent recently!

I did have every intention of photographing some outfits from the last week when I got home tonight, but by the time I had done the food shop(such a glam life!) it was already dark! Really not liking the dark nights arriving so suddenly! Certainly not looking forward to the day I go to and come home from work in the dark!

I thought I would share a pretty photo from the summer, bring back sunshine and bright flowers please!

Over the past few months I have been ill on and off which is increasingly frustrating! I have been diagnosed as wheat intolerant(big thanks to Alex for making me realise that being wheat free isn't actually the end of the world!) and having Costochondritis, which is inflammation of the chest cartilage which is bloody painful. So painful I ended up at A&E on Thursday night as I was slightly concerned that there might be something wrong with my heart :S One ECG and a few hours in hospital later I was reassured that my heart wasn't giving up on me but I do need a course of strong anti-inflammitories! I don't want to sound all 'poor old me' but feeling generally rubbish each day is getting me down!

Recently the lovely girls over at Select contacted me and offered to send me something to review. I picked this pretty skater style dress and so far have worn it to the Look Show. I have honestly never received anything from a company so prettily packaged! I will be doing a proper review once its had a few more outings.

(I have no idea whats going on with the spacing of these photos! Though with the way blogger is being at the moment I am just thankful that they are the right way up!)

Very.co.uk also very kindly offered to send me something from one of their Autumn/Winter collections. I originally picked this pretty yellow dress from Fearne Cottons range but unfortunately the sizes seemed to come up really big :( Luckily they let me send it back and pick something else so I went for these Love Label suede shorts. Highly impractical, I have only worn them once and was fearful of eating anything whilst wearing them, I can't afford dry cleaning bills!! I do love these shorts though, can't wait to wear them with thick tights and boots :)

Finally, like most bloggers I have attempted galaxy inspired nails! I think they might look slightly more like sparkly bird crap but hey!

I think that is about it for my rambling! This post has taken bloody hours to write after my laptop decided to blue screen of death and restart no less than 10 times in 30 mins! I am now on the Mr's computer after much swearing and giving up on mine! I have lots of posts lined up so hopefully Lady Bug Says will be updated a little more frequently! How you ladies manage to post daily I will never know!!