Something Inspiring...

My mind has been focused on art recently, thinking about the blank canvas' I have hidden away in the back of my wardrobe got me itching to be inspired and get creative, and I think this website has done the trick! Coffee Art hadn't occured to me before, but when I took a look at some of the amazing pieces in the websites gallerly I couldn't wait to get started on my own! Paint brushes and coffee cups at the ready...

Opting against tradition

Like any female I pine after material objects and come to be in-love with them as if they weren't just inanimate objects that doesn't hold the capacity to love me back. This was the case with my Christmas Ball dress, except I don't think I have ever seen anything more beautiful! Although I know that it isn't really appropriate for a ball - It's not floor length and in no way resembles a ball gown and is in all honestly a cocktail dress. Nevertheless, I am going to wear it and break tradition and dress code, simply because I am so in awe of this dress.

Voila -

The importance of a little pick me up

I was sitting on the metro this morning feeling quite sorry for myself. Looking out the window at the pitch black sky poring with rain and I came to realise that it's in these dark, damp months that we are increasingly in need of "pick me ups"!

It's bitter cold, it's depressing, money has to be saved and scraped together to put away for buying that little something special for that extra special someone. So in a time where the weather emits little inspiration and we have to save our pennies, what can we do to shimmy off the winter blues and put a sway back in our steps? I've decided during the run up to Christmas I'm going to try to think of as many little inexpensive pick-me-ups as possible, so here are a few...



As the lovely lady herself highly recommends, nothing banishes the blues quite like traditional English afternoon tea! - Tried and tested, it relaxes, warms, cures a broken heart, and makes you feel rather quaint; jolly good! So, invite Mrs. Doyle round and pop' kettle on love.


Get smitten with mittens - An adorable little treat for yourself that keeps you cute and cosy when the weather is anything but! H&M do beautiful knitwear for a lady on a budget - The texture and colours of this Au tum/Winter's knitwear are both soft and pretty. Better still for your budget, pull out some of your old ones!




Get Bubbly! (But save the Champagne for Christmas... Or at least try to) The Lush store sells the most incredible cosmetics known to woman (and men now with their increasing male range since men stopped adopting cavemen-like hygiene routines) . It's not pricey, and a long, warm, soothing bubble bath is exactly what this time of year calls for! As if I wasn't sweet enough, (haha...) I always use the Honey I Wahsed The Kids soap bar, and the honey lip balm; the nicest smelling pick-me-up ever. And maybe, just maybe, have a glass of bubbly in the bath, I'm sure your uncle only wanted socks for Christmas anyways...




I love me, I love me more... - Buy yourself some flowers! I mean, why not? Unless of course you are lucky enough to have someone who actually buys you flowers (if you are that lucky someone, this will save you time, money and effort, well done you!). Flowers are an instant mood inhancer for me, they look beautiful and at this time of year when everything seems to be dank and dead and lacking life, flowers are a sweet smelling reminder of natures beauty!

Grumpy + Work = Creative?

Apparently, a grumpy, pessimistic working attitude is the new positive one according to associate professor Jing Zhou as. according to his study, grumpy emloyees produce hard work and creativity.

Having recently started a new job working in the hospitality industry, I can honestly say I completely disagree with all of the research! For instance, last Tuesday morning was a typical very bad day at work. Factors such as having to get up at 5am to catch a bus for work, the 6:30am bus being twenty minutes late, the weather being horrendous; rain, wind and bitter temperatures, and not having time for breakfast all contributed to me being in a terrible mood by the time I had arrived at work. Now, keeping this in mind when I read this article by David R. Butcher this afternoon, I found the entire idea very hard to believe.

The writer cited from Jing Zhou that "a bubbly mood may enhance creativity, but feeling happy can actually hinder the ability to focus on a task". A happy mood can hinder the ability to focus on a task? Keeping my horrible Tuesday morning in mind, my grouchy mood was the very factor that stopped being being able to concentrate. I approached a guest, like I do every morning, jug of orange juice in hand (usually with a somewhat over the top brand standard smile on my face, except this particular morning) asking him in a mundane voice if he'd like some orange juice. As I pored his orange juice I hadn't actually realised that I'd missed his juice glass completely and that his morning paper was now soggy and soaked in fresh orange. Whoops, sorry, I couldn't concentrate because all I could think about was how awful and tedious the rest of today is going to be because pessimism and grumpiness is oozing from my every pore. After that incident I proceeded to smash four glasses that day merely because I was unable to focus because I was not in a normal, happy mood which (being a morning person) I usually am during a breakfast shift.

Needless to say my manager wasn't impressed with me at all and to save me making any more clumsy blunders and before my bad mood rubbed off on any other staff I was sent into the kitchen to polish cutlery for two hours. I can definitely disagree with Jing Zhou on this one! Going to work or trying to do anything productive when I'm in a grumpy mood is probably the least sensible idea - bring me Ugly Betty, chocolate, Lush chocolate face masks and lock me in my bedroom until I'm in a better mood before I cause a calamity!