The Secret

I've wanted to write a New Year post for a while but as I type this I'm still figuring out what to say. 

2013 was a tough year for me. I lost a dear friend to cancer and generally had quite a negative outlook for a while due to this and other things which had happened. I think it's a vicious circle...once you begin to think negative thoughts it's difficult to remember the positives. I really took it upon myself during the summer to start having more fun. I realised that I needed to start thinking positively again. I heard of a book called The Secret. I haven't read it but I did look at a brief summary which explained how our thoughts affect our lives. Positive thoughts attract positive things and the same goes for negativity. If you want something enough, you should imagine yourself doing it or being with a certain person and hopefully this will come true. I started to do this and believe it or not, good things started happening and things that I really wanted and I was thinking positively about started to come true. Maybe it's simply a coincidence but I really do believe that this has helped me. The only person I know who reads this blog is my Mum and the rest of you kind visitors are total strangers. Oddly enough, I'm a very private person and wouldn't tell anybody this but I kind of don't mind sharing with you as I don't feel like I'm being judged and I genuinely hope it might help one of you.

I have a good feeling about 2014. I feel like there's something special about the number fourteen so fingers crossed. My resolutions are to spend more time with my wonderful family and people I love. I couldn't ask for better people around me. I take time to be grateful that I have people like this in my life. They made my Christmas and New Year so special.

Another resolution of mine is to take more photographs. I invested in a new camera in the summer but I'm still learning how to use it properly. This is a shot of the view from my bedroom window. I love sunsets and I want to enjoy the beautiful things in life. I want to see new things and go to new places.

I try and be as kind as I can to people, but I want to do this even moreso this year. I bought the roses below for a friend who's been so kind to me and hopefully I can be a good friend to her as well. Little acts of kindness go a long way.

You might think this is a very cheesy post but it's from the heart and I mean every word. I'm going to carry on with my positivity and hope more fun, love and good things come my way. I hope they do for you too. 

Backyard Bill

One of my New Year's resolutions is to take more photographs and I've just been very inspired when I stumbled across a blog, called Backyard Bill - a place where Bill posts photographs he's captured of interesting people. It started off in his backyard and has expanded into the subject's spaces. What I love about his work is that he really does meet his objective of capturing interesting people. I love how they're not necessarily typically beautiful people; they're so much more than that. I'm going to share some of his photos with you and I chose them because when I was looking at them I really thought 'Wow, they seem like such fascinating people and I'd love to meet them and find out more about them.' I think that's a difficult thing to capture in photography and Bill does it oh so well. If only I could take photographs like him.

The magic of ballet.

I've always thought ballet dancers have beautiful figures. They move in the most elegant way and even years later, they still hold themselves in a dignified and graceful manner and you can just tell they've been a dancer. When I went to the ballet, I was mesmerised.

A Shade Wilder

A Shade Wilder kindly sent me a beautiful white three wick candle called 'Serenity' and as the name suggests, it really is serene. As soon as I opened the box, a beautiful vanilla scent emerged and every visitor has been asking what the lovely smell was and that's even before it was lit. I thought I'd save it for a special day to light it and opted for Christmas day. Everybody commented on how gorgeous the house smelled and wanted to know where they could buy one.

I can't recommend it enough...You can buy the candle here and be sure to check out A Shade Wilder - They sell really cool pieces of art, wallpaper, mirrors, vases and much more. I have my eye on a few pieces for the house.

*Sent to me for review purposes

Winter beauty essentials.

When it comes to winter, my hair and skin need a lot more looking after. They both feel a lot more dry than they do in summer so I have to up the ante with lotions and potions. 

Real ale.

My Dad has always been a fan of real ale and I've inherited his passion. There's nothing better than going to an old fashioned pub and having a few tankards (!) of real ale. As you can imagine, I was delighted when Cottage Delight sent me a couple of bottles of their Great British beer to try.

The designs on the bottles are so cute; the illustrations have been given lots of thought and they would be perfect to give as gifts to beer lovers. We tried Fisherman's Tail first, which is a smooth dark stout. It was rich and creamy, with a lovely aftertaste. The taste testers (my dad and I) both loved it.

We then enjoyed Pleasure Beach, a strong ruby ale. Again, we both really enjoyed it. It was crisp yet smooth and had a nice aftertaste. We probably enjoyed Fisherman's Tail a little more, but wouldn't refuse another bottle of either. You can purchase them online from Cottage Delight. Thanks so much for sending them!