Song Sunday - What a Wonderful World

What a Wonderful World

By Louis Armstrong

Tomorrow is my Granddad's 83rd birthday. Unfortunately he won't be with us to celebrate this year. In memory to him, my Song Sunday this week is What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong. A favourite song and artist of my Granddad. We all miss you. Happy birthday!

Sarah x

Guest Post: Twisted-Rust & Pixel - My Top 10 Beauty and Skincare Hacks

Hi everyone, today I have a little treat for you all. A guest post by the lovely Emily at Twisted-Rust & Pixel. Hope you enjoy it, go check out the rest of her brilliant blog!

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I thought today I would introduce you all to the world of hacks with my top ten beauty and skincare hacks that are simple and everyone can do. 1. To warm up your eyelash curlers, put your curlers in your bra when starting to do your makeup to make them warmer for a longer and lasting curl. This will also work with your thighs if you are sat down or in a hurry you can use your hairdryer for a few seconds.

2. Have pencil eyeliner but need gel liner? Use a lighter to heat up your pencil liner to create the best liquid liner.
 3. Mascara is also a really good alternative for liquid liner. By using a liner brush, get a little bit of mascara from the tip of the brush and apply it like you would liquid liner.

 4. Conditioner works well as shaving cream leaving your skin feeling silky smooth just like you shaving cream would; that’s where the conditioner goes... 5. Use a bobby pin to get the last bits of any beauty product or toothpaste out so you get your money’s worth!

 6. Mix sugar and oil with your favourite flavour and you will get a great lip scrub for when you have chapped lips.

 7. Use oats in your bath to create a soothing bath. Simply blend the oats and use the oats like you would with bubble bath.  8. Use half a lemon and sugar to remove dead skin and also acne. sprinkle the sugar on the half of the lemon and apply to the skin in circular motions to get the dead skin cells. 9. Crayons and Coconut oil make for a good replacement for lip gloss. 

DIY Crayon Lipstick

10. lemon juice and white vinegar can make for a great replacement for nail varnish remover.

 For more hacks and lifestyle posts I will be over at Twisted-Rust& Pixel!

Thank you for having me!

My Summer Plans

Today I sat my last management level case study exam and, all being well and I pass it, that means I get the summer off exams and college! I can't remember the last time I had this long off studying. But a summer off means I get to make summer plans. Here's what I hope to do:

Pointe

As a dancer it's always been a dream of mine to go on pointe, to own a pair of those beautiful shoes. This year I get the chance. I'm booked onto my first ever pointe class, and now just need to arrange my pointe shoe fitting. I'm so excited.

France

This year I get a proper holiday. Two weeks relaxing by the Pool in France. I haven't been abroad since 2007, and after the busyness that has been the last few years a fortnight doing very little is exactly what I need. We've booked two beautiful cottages, one right near the beach, another further in land and I can't wait to get away from home for a while.

Birthday Celebrations

The summer is always a good time of year for me as it's my birthday! This year it's even better because it's the Sunday of bank holiday weekend, meaning I get a long weekend off work. No concrete plans yet, but I foresee plenty of meals out, cocktails and quality time with loved ones. Exciting!

Boulevard

Boulevard is a burlesque show in Newcastle that I've been longing to go to for a few years now. When debating where to go for our last work's night, one of the girls and I suggested here but then decided that we'd save this for a girls only summer night out. Drinks, dancing and laughter is sure to be fun.

Reading

I started the year with a list of books I wanted to read. I think I've managed to read only one. I'm very disappointed in myself, but college unfortunately took over my life. I want to fall back in love with my Kindle and start to make a dint in my reading list.

TV/Film

Again, my TV shows have been neglected whilst I've been at college. I can't wait to continue working  my way through Pretty Little Liars, and getting up to speed on Vikings. There's also a few good films out this summer I can't wait to see, and my Now TV box that's feeling very unloved.

Health and Fitness

With a summer of no college, I have no excuses not to focus my attention on getting fit and healthy. I can get back to the gym, get back on track with loosing my winter weight and improve my flexibility and strength a lot more.

Blogging

I have a list of blog posts that I keep adding to quicker than I write them, and a new camera that's dying to be used for some new photos. I'm going to do as much as I can over the summer, and plan ahead for the rest of the year.

So far I have only a few definite plans, but I'm sure there'll be a lot more adventures with my friends and family to come. Here's to a brilliant summer! (And fingers crossed I passed my exam so I can enjoy it all)

Sarah x

My New Camera

Whilst I love my iPhone the quality of pictures it takes aren't wonderful, and my old digital camera is even worse. With a lovely 2 week holiday to look forward to, a trip to London in the pipeline, I decided it was time to upgrade to a new camera ready to document my adventures.

Although I'd have loved an SLR camera, my budget wouldn't stretch that far, so I treated myself to a Nikon Coolpix L31 in a gorgeous red colour.

Price: £58.20 (amazon.co.uk)

You can get the camera elsewhere cheaper so it's a good idea to shop around. I had a voucher for amazon that needed using up, hence why I went for a more expensive price.

Size: 2.9 cm x 9.6 cm x 5.9 cm

This camera is a little bulkier than my last as it takes proper batteries and not a rechargeable flat one. But it's still a lovely size camera, compact enough to fit into a bag or a coat pocket but big enough to have a good screen size on the back, and buttons that are nicely spread out. Easy to hold and use with one hand, the camera is also light to carry.

What's in the box:

The box included the camera, a USB cable, wrist strap, batteries (not photographed as they were already in my camera by the time I took the photo), and a manual.

User Experience:

Very simple to use and set up. The camera has different macros and settings. The manual in the box isn't great, so you may want to download the one from Nikon's website. But there's nothing overly complicated about this, and even copying the photos onto a laptop is simple using the USB cable provided.

Sample Pictures:

Here's just a couple of pictures I took as testers for my new camera. I love how well the colours have come out on the first picture, and how well the detail of my tea-towel came up on the background of the last one. Really looking forward to taking some more lovely pictures with my camera, and playing around with the features a bit more.

Sarah x

Do's

• Turn up early - One of the worst things you can do for a job interview is turn up late. It gives a bad impression. Plan your journey in advance and aim to arrive about 10 to 15 minutes earlier than your interview time
• Be Prepared - Spend time researching the company and the job you're applying for, understand what the company does and what part you'd play in meeting their objectives. If you're asked to bring a portfolio, or examples of work, make sure you have them ready and neatly presented. Take a spare copy of your CV too, in case they ask for it.
• Dress Appropriately - You don't need to purchase a suit and wear it if you're going for a job in a shop. Find out what style of clothes the shop sells, and wear something that reflects their style, whilst still makes you look smart and presentable. If you're going for a job in an office, then a suit a good option, or you could wear a smart dress and a cardigan. Avoiding turning up in jeans and trainers. It's better to overdress than underdress.
• Be Polite - Say 'please' and 'thank you', refer to the interviewers as 'Mr' or 'Ms' or 'Miss' unless your asked to call them by their first names. 
• Ask Questions - Interviewers normally give you a chance at the end to ask some questions about the job or the company. Asking something shows you're taking an interest. Come up with a few before your interview so you have something to say. A good one is asking about future development opportunities. Where as asking 'what's the salary' isn't normally a good question to start with as you can come across as too money focused.
• Positive Mental Attitude - PMA is vital during an interview, you'll come across a lot more confident and give better answers if you think positively.
• Sell Yourself - An interview is your chance to sell yourself. Talk about your experiences, your strengths, your plans, your aspirations. But remember, no one is perfect, and that includes you. Mention some areas for development or some of your weaknesses.

Dont's

• Go Off Topic  - When you're asked a question, make sure you answer it. Don't go off on an tangent avoid telling them what they want to hear
• Show Too Much Skin  - Unless you're applying for a job where showing off your body is a part of your daily role, be conservative in how you dress. You don't want to give of the wrong impression
• Play With Your Hair - It shows your nervous. This goes with any type of fidgeting. Be aware of what your body is doing and try to control your nervous habits.
• Moan About Your Current Job - If you're planning on leaving a job for your current job and you're asked why you want to leave, don't be negative and moan about the job/your boss/the company, no matter how bad it is. 
• Be Too Familiar - Even if you know the person interviewing you, make sure you keep it professional. Don't be over familiar with the person and start telling them stories or chat to them like they're your best friend.
• Lie - Lies always get found out. It's not worth it.
• Stress - Easier said then done, but don't stress about an interview. You can only do your best. Take a few deep breaths and relax. Don't over think it, don't worry and show them why they need you in their company.

Sarah x