Love is..... doing a reading at your friend's wedding

As I said in another post I was asked by one of my close friends to do a reading at her wedding and I agreed.

I was after the vows and just before they were pronounced husband and wife. I was so nervous, I really had to calm myself. I was called up and read it without sounding like Larry the Lamb. It was only when I took one of my hands away from holding the page my other hand was shaking uncontrollably. I looked up a couple of times at the happy couple to see their beaming faces. I managed to keep it together until the last line when I looked up and started to cry with happiness as I walked away.

I felt so honoured to do it, but I have no intention to do it again any time soon. I just hoped that I did my friend proud they both said thank you, people even came up to me after and said how well I did which was good.

It was a beautiful day and my friend was a beautiful bride. And the weather made it the perfect day.

Below is the reading I did, it is beautiful and very poetic although I cannot find it in the book...

'Love is a temporary madness,



it erupts like volcanoes and then subsides.


And when it subsides you have to make a decision.


You have to work out whether your roots have so entwined together


that it is inconceivable that you should ever part.






Because this is what love is.


Love is not breathlessness,


it is not excitement,


it is not the declaration of eternal passion.


That is just being "in love" which any fool can do.






Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away,


and this is both an art and a fortunate accident.






Those that truly love, have roots that grow towards each other underground,


and when all the pretty blossom have fallen from their branches,


they find that they are one tree and not two.'

Crazy, crazy, crazy!

Since I started my new job I have had a busy few weeks. On my first day I saw The Rifles at Southampton, not ideal when you have a two hour commute, they were really good though.

It was fairly quiet for a bit then I had my friends hen weekend, cocktail making, clubbing and dinner at Jamie's Italian. For the first time I had a Cosmo and it was really tasty. We had a competition, racing how to make a cocktail, I raced the hen to make a 'woo woo' fairly easy vodka, schnapps and cranberry juice. I got very nervous and got most of the vodka on my hands, but we drew so I had to drink a flatliner... Tabasco, sambuca and tequila AWFUL! My mouth burnt. It was a really good weekend though.

Then the weekend after it was my birthday and Denis did the Stockholm marathon again, then it was my birthday and I spent the day with Denis just chilling.

It's been fairly quiet but last Wednesday I went to a gig at the Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth. I saw Warpaint, a four piece girl band from America who I first heard on Fearne Cotton's show as part of the Music Generator. They played most of the songs from Fool album including Warpaint and Undertow, they were just beautiful live, such a harmony to their voices. They are not big at the moment but they will be. I could imagine them maybe being on a Twilight soundtrack some of their songs have a tortured quality to their songs that would fit perfectly alongside Paramore and Anya Marina. They are playing a lot of festivals so if you can go see them live make sure you do.

Then on Saturday I went and saw the matinee performance of Glee at the O2. I will admit I am a gleek! They played for about an hour and fifteen minutes which was a bit of a disappointment but overall they were really good. Amber Riley who plays Mercedes has a phenomenal voice and Santana (Naya Rivera) was exceptional, especially when they sung River Deep Mountain High. Lea Michelle was also amazing, her voice would not be out of place in Wicked, I really think she could play Elphaba in Wicked and be just a good as Idina Menzel. A bit different from Warpaint but more of a show than a gig and they were all really good.

On Sunday it was my friend's wedding but there will be a separate post on that.

Skin deep

I do love make-up.

I'm mostly about the eyes, I don't wear it day in day out but make a real effort when I go out.

As you know I have a wedding on Sunday and to treat myself I indulged on some make-up. I went to the Body Shop as I saw outside a board about Mineral make-up.

I went in and had a potter and a very helpful sales girl asked me what I was looking for, so I explained that I wanted good coverage but didn't like foundation as it makes me feel like my skin can't breathe and can be a gloppy. She then tried out the new minerals foundation and had me convinced.

It is a powder which you blend in with a foundation brush and it provides even coverage and a flawless finish. It goes to a cream-like finish not thick but light. It is amazing, I wore it all day today and it was great. It is SPF 25 so good for the sun, it is £16 but I think worth it, much better to spend that on something that looks good then £5 for something that gives tide marks and makes you look like an orange.

She matched my skin colour, she did half my face and asked what I liked, I did look weird but I think when buying something like foundation you should ask a make-up person to help  you as even if the shop light isn't natural they can give you a better view that you trying it on your hand (don't do you skin colour is darker on your hand and different texture) or you hurry as you don't want to look like a shoplifter.

I will admit as well I bought a foundation brush, it makes me think if I have the tools I will be able to do the same end result as the shop girl. The brush is so soft.....

That's all I will say on that brush. I will give a review after the wedding as I will be putting it on myself but as far as when she did it was very good.

For those that would like to have a look here is the link....
http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/_en/_gb/catalog/product.aspx?ParentCatCode=C_Makeup&CatCode=C_Makeup_Face&prdcode=58039m

Wedding Bells ringing again

I am at the age when people I know or went to school are getting married and settling down. And next weekend is no except, next Sunday one of my closest friends is getting married and I am over the moon, I can't wait to see her walk down the aisle as I have yet to see her dress so it will be a surprise and I know she will be a beautiful bride.

Even though I am excited, I am also a teeny, tiny bit nervous as I am doing a reading. I feel very honoured to be involved but I am very nervous about it as I have not always been a big fan of public speaking. Over the past few months I have gained a lot confidence in going up to people and talking to strangers as in my job if you don't have the confidence to go up to someone then you are in the wrong job. So I feel a little more at ease with talking to a room of people.

I suppose I just feel the pressure of speaking at her wedding as it is a big day. And I really, really, really don't want to ruin it for her. I know the pressure is coming from me, but I just don't want to disappoint. I am reading a bit from Captain Corelli's a beautiful book and I am honoured, truly am to be part of her special day.

It occurred to me today that I might be a mess at the wedding. She is one of my closest and best friends and I know when I see her walking down the aisle I will be a happy crying mess! Waterproof mascara I think.

So wish me luck, I'm sure I will be fine and at the end of the day it will be over before I know it. 

Now I'm 25

So... 25, the big two five, quarter of a century! WHOA!

I'm not going to lie, little bit freaked out by turning 25. When you are younger you think by the time I'm 25 I'll have a house, be married with kids. Now I'm here I'm still at home and I have just figured out my career path and maybe on my way to the house, marriage and kids.

I still feel quite young at 25 to be a mother, I have friends who have babies, houses and husbands, and although I do feel ready at the same time I don't mind that I don't have it. I'm not going to lie sometimes I would like my own place and my own space.

My age.... I don't know you think of all these goals but then when you get there you can't understand why you haven't got there yet, but then when you plan your future you just assume everything will go well, I have been with my boyfriend for five years and although there were points we could have moved in together we have both had dead end jobs, been made redundant from career jobs and embarked on new education courses or training so the opportunity to do so, or more the money has never been there.

I think you can plan as much as you want but at the end of the day you can't plan everything.
So I suppose at the end of the day I should embrace being 25 as you  know age is only a number.... now to enjoy my kids tea party birthday dinner... what? 

Free you say... don't mind if I do.

As you will all know I was unemployed for nearly a year and as a student I had to beg, borrow but definitely didn't steal money from family members to get by when I started my course in October. I have always loved a bargain but a freebie 'oh my'.

I love going into Montezuma's and seeing what delicious delights they have on offer to try, a good sugar pick me up if you are starting to flag and who knows you may even find your new favourite chocolate.

So my recent lack of funds has meant a lack in beauty products, I have a lot left over from Christmas but that can get a bit tiring. This has meant I have a little collection of free samples, I recently got samples of a range of dermalogica products, heaven!

Today I used Loreal Restore five shampoo, Aussie 3 minute heat protection mask and a new Garnier body intensive 7 days moisturiser, it may sound a little sad but when else can you use a different product everyday and not have to spend a fortune. It may sound a little bag lady but think about it they want you to use their products so that you will buy in the future and who knows you may find your new favourite product.

Magazines are even getting creative now with freebies knowing that they are a great way to hook a reader. I recently bough Cosmopolitan because it had a free book. And I subscribe to Marie Claire, which you will know I love,  but it really annoys me that I don't get the free gifts, but I love the magazine so it doesn't bother me too much.

I recently said to my sister about people loving freebies, if you are told spend £50 and get a free gift worth £5 most people would do it, not sure why but the appeal of something for nothing just makes some people irrational. I have known people to fight old ladies in M&S for a sample of a hot cross bun, not me by the way... the boyfriend, it wasn't his proudest moment but I still love him.

 Please don't judge those who love the freebie, for those who have little money it may be the only pleasure and new product we get and we all know it's nice to get a  little treat especially when it's free. 

'Once a cheater, always a cheater.' Rachel - Friends

Due to the amount of stories recently about lying cheating scumbags it got me thinking about cheating.

It seems now that cheating has got a whole lot easier. For the rich and famous they can pick someone up, treat them mean, dump them, then get a super injunction  to stop them ever revealing details on the affair. These people seem to think that with fame comes power and the excuse to do what they want and get away with it. I think this has instilled a sense that you can cheat and its fine, the partner's forgive and they return to normal life not facing any consequences.

The emergence of social networks has meant that the fine lines of cheating have been blurred, before a kiss or more was considered cheating, but now due to Facebook, Twitter and mobile phones cheating has become cyber.

Who can forget Vernon Kay's sexting or Jason Manford getting and sending rude messages via twitter. It seems to some that if there is no physical contact then surely it cannot be cheating, but it does make you think if you found out your partner was sending stuff like that wouldn't you feel hurt? confused? and embarrassed? It's hard is an affair of the mind worse than the flesh? I think sometimes it can be as flesh can be a physical thing but mind is a deeper level and is more about emotions.

Cheating though is cheating, if you are entertaining thoughts of being with someone else other than your partner that is cheating, especially if you make it obvious and actually voice them outside of you head.

It relates to trust I think, you want to think you are your partner's one and only and the thought of them thinking those types of thoughts about someone else just makes your guts churn.

Social networking has been blamed for a lot. For the decline in face to face conversation and the need to be friends with everyone, even those people who you hated but you keep them just to be nosey. I just think as well that social networking allows people to meet people that they wouldn't usually get the opportunity to meet. It also can give a false security, whereas someone might not have the confidence to approach someone in a  club it is very easy to face rejection when its a friend request or instant message.

It can make it hard for any sane woman, just too much to compete with I suppose. But lets not fret there are good people out there who are faithful and trustworthy.