My Blog has had a Makeover!

Hey sparkles

My blog has had a makeover, do you likey??

I am so thrilled with it and cannot wait for the blogging world to set eyes on it!

Let me know what you think.

 

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Park with the pooch

Hey guys

Today's post is just to share some beautiful (well I think they are) photos that I took whilst walking my pooch at the park over the weekend.

It was a perfect winters day, sun was poking through the clouds, birds chirping and clear fresh air to clear your head, aaahhh.  

It was quite chilly so I made her buckle up in her pink stripey jumper (bought from Pets at Home about 3 years ago) and off we set.

It has become a bit of a favourite past time of mine / Saturday morning ritual to walk her while the hubby is getting on with stuff in the house and a time that I use to really do my deep thinking and be at peace with myself. I love spending quality time with my fur baby too as she is doggy sat by nanny during the day on weekdays while I'm at work. Weekday evenings and weekends just never seem enough to me but my hubby has refused to let me be a stay at home mummy to the dog! Boo him!

In case you are wondering, she wears a Perfect Fit Harness available from the Dog Games Ltd website but I shall go into that in more detail as I am going to be writing a blog post review of the harness soon. *Watch this space*

 Love the reflection in the water of this photo ^

 Wouldn't this just look magical in winter covered in snow?! ^

What is your favourite thing to do to chill our and escape the world? Do you have a dog? If so, what breed are they, age, name? I would love to hear about them as I love all animals.  If you have blog posts about your pets please feel free to leave links to them in the space below.

Thanks for reading guys!

Robin Sparkles


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How to: Easy Leopard Print Nail Art Tutorial

Hey guys

Last video I am going to share for now I promise but wanted to make you aware if you wasn't already that I posted a YouTube tutorial on how to do leopard print nail art on your nails yourself!

It is dead easy once you know out so please head over to my YouTube channel, subscribe and watch my videos.

There will be plenty more to come soon I promise! :0)

Robin Sparkles

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Muji UK Acrylic Makeup Storage Unboxing

Hey guys

Just wanted to give you the heads up about some of the videos I have posted on YouTube lately.  This is to show you the video I filmed of me unboxing my new Muji Acrylic Makeup Storage and how it looks once added to my existing setup.

I am going to film another video soon of how my final setup looks with all my makeup put away in them.

Please please give it a watch and if you like it, a thumbs up too! :0)

Until next time bloggerinos!

Robin Sparkles

How to: Crochet Traditional Granny Square YouTube Tutorial

Hey lovely people!

Please watch my new YouTube tutorial on how to crochet a traditional granny square!

Let me know if you like as I would love to make more crochet tutorials going forward.

Thanks guys

Robin Sparkles

Decorate your Filofax organiser with Washi tape

Hey everyone

I was recently browsing Instagram like I sometimes do, having uploaded a picture of my Filofax onto my instagram @Robin1Sparkles using the hashtag #Filofax.  I was amazed by the world of Filofax decoration out there that I was completely unaware of and how Wash tape played a great part in that.

I fell in love with how some people have made their Filofax's look and the idea of using Washi tape to make particular events stand out in your diary / organiser or to just make it look pretty.  I was sold on the idea.  Me being me, I took to eBay and ordered a roll of Washi tape that would fit with the colour scheme of my Filofax.

I have only decorated 1 page that I am happy with so far but certainly intend to stick with it and get more creative.  I shall keep browsing Instagram for more inspiration too.

I have also added some Post-It tabs to the front of my Filofax to use for special dates / events to make them stand out on the page.

Do you like to decorate your Filofax? If so, what with? I would love to hear your Filofax stories so please post links or comment below.

Robin Sparkles

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Muji Acrylic Makeup Storage Setup

Hey sparkles

Today, I wanted to show you my currently Muji Acrylic Makeup Storage setup.  I did a post on my original setup which you can find by clicking here but I have since added a larger two drawer unit and a tall 3 pot desk pot from Muji.

I am now very happy with my setup at the moment although when are we truly satisfied with the amount of makeup we own eh?!  I realise my makeup collection is very much a "beginners collection" but times are tight! For now though, I still have some space to use up so it should last me a little while.

Does anyone have the answer on how to clean acrylic storage pieces properly? I tried wiping mine with a wet tissue the other day as they had got a little bit dusty, but it still left a rough kinda texture on my Muji.

Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Robin Sparkles

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Flame Nails: Robin Moses YouTube inspired

Hey girlies

Today's nails are some that I saw on Robin Moses YouTube Channel that she called Flame Nails.  You can watch the video by clicking here.  I absolutely loved them and as they looked fairly simply to recreate I thought I would give it a go.

Armed with my new Bundle Monster striping brush I took 3 different Barry M nail polish colours and got to work.  I hope you liked how they turned out as much as I do.  Practice will definitely make perfect, I haven't used a striping brush too much yet so I really want to try these again one day.

 

Anyone who is interested in nail art should seriously check out Robin Moses YouTube channel, her work is insane!  I cannot imagine being able to do half the videos she does, but one can dream :0)

Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Robin Sparkles

Lush Bath Bomb Haul! - Christmas present

Hey sparkles

Guess what? I got some Lush Bath Bombs for Christmas! Guess what else? Somehow, I had never used one before!! This caused much excitement for me!

The picture above shows the set of 4 bath bombs which I received: Space Girl bath ballistic; Mini Comforter bubble bar; Think Pink bath ballistic; Creamy Candy bath bubble bar.

I have used two of the Lush bath bombs so far and they had completely different effects in my bath:




Space Girl Bath Ballistic



Think Pink Bath Ballistic
 

The Space Girl bath bomb was a beautiful smelling bath, I cant say I really noticed my skin feeling fresher or softer though.  It didn't leave any unwanted pink residue around the bath.

The Think Pink bath ballistic on the other hand was a gorgeous bubble bath and definitely made my skin feel smoother and moisturised.  I felt it the day after and even the day after that.

I cannot wait to use the last two and I shall be sure to record what happens when I do! :0)

Do you use Lush bath bombs? If so, which one is your favourite?

Robin Sparkles



31 Day Challenge - Day 7 Black & White Nails

Hey guys

Just a quickie from me to let you all know that I am picking up where I left off on the 31 Day Nail Challenge.  I know I am not doing it correctly and that it should be carried out every day for a month but I wouldn't have time for that so I'm going it alone and just allowing it to encourage me to try new things!

I am on Day 7: Black and White Nails:

I haven't stamped for a while so I couldn't restrict myself to just one stamp design, I went for 5!  they are all from my Bundle Monster stamping plates, either the 200's or 300's.

I think I need to invest in a new top coat also.  I currently use No. 7 Stay Perfect top coat but it keeps smudging my stamp! I had seen it well spoken of but hey ho.

Can anyone out there recommend a good drug store top coat available in the UK?

Robin Sparkles

How to stay organised: Filofax Pocket Organiser

Filofax Pocket Organiser

Hey my little sparklers!

Today's post is about one of my most trusty belongings; my Filofax!  I have been using Filofax's since I was at University (7 years yikes!) when I was shuffling lectures and lessons with work shifts and since then I have been totally hooked.

It is my go to accessory in my handbag, I cannot go anywhere without it and if I do, I have to tell my friends and family that I cant make arrangements "until I have checked my Filofax". 

My Filofax Pocket organiser consists of the following sections:

• Week on two pages 2014 diary.
• Notes (blank pages).
• To do lists.
• Lined paper.
• London underground tube map.
• World map.
• Numbered 1-6 dividers.

My organiser came with A-Z dividers and address book pages but I didn't use them so decided to take them out to make way for some extras I have added.  I have a separate address book that I keep so decided to stick to using that.  I feel that the address pages do not give enough space for the amount of information I need to put on them also.

Filofax Organisers are available in the following sizes:

• Mini
• Pocket - this is what I have
• Compact
• Personal
• A5
• A4

Diary

I go for the 'Week on two pages' view and always have done.  for me personally, this provides enough space for me to fit in 2-3 items that I have scheduled per day and I like to be able to visually see the week I have coming up ahead.

Diary inserts are also available in the following layouts:

• A day per page.
• Undated page per day.
• Week on two pages starting on Sunday.
• Week on two pages starting on Monday.
• Week per page.
• Month per page.
• Month on two pages.
• Four year planner.
• Year planner.
• Week on two pages academic (Aug-July).

There are lots of different types / variations of the above but that list gives you the general idea.  They are also normally available in white, cream or pink coloured paper!

What I use my Filofax for

• Reminders of birthdays and anniversary's
• Appointments (doctors, dentist, vets etc)
• Social events (seeing friends, parties etc)
• Holidays and annual leave myself and my husband have booked off

Other Info

The To Do check lists are really handy for making sure you don't forget to do something!

There is a few slots at the front of the Filofax organiser to store business cards and there is also a slot at the back of the Filofax organiser to store other notes / pieces of paper.

You get a ruler which doubles up as your marker for what day you are on in your diary. This ruler has centimetres on one side and inches on the other.

The world map that came with my Filofax has time zones of the world on the other side of it!

That is all I can think of at the moment, if you have anything else you would like to ask please let me know.  I really cannot stress enough how lost I would be without my Filofax.  I know people like to use their phones calendar etc nowadays but what can I say? I'm old skool. Cannot resist a good bit of stationery. Give me a pen, paper or a book any day over electricals. Plus, a pen and paper cannot break!

Do you have a Filofax? If so, what one? Do you use something other than a Filofax to stay organised? I would love to hear from you so comment below!

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Gandy’s Flip Flops: Orphans for Orphans

 

 

Hey guys

I was very excited yesterday because my Gandy’s flip flops arrived! I am very happy to be supporting such a fantastic charity and it also combines with some retail therapy so smiles all round!

If you haven’t heard of this company/organisation yet you should definitely go to their website and read their story as it is truly heart-warming. Basically, two brothers who were sadly orphaned in the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami in Thailand have set up the shop/charity.  A few years after the tsunami they set up Gandy’s flip flops and for every pair of flip flops they sell, some of the money goes towards building a children’s home out there.  The ultimate goal is to eventually have children’s homes built all over the world.

I know the “fashionable” thing at the moment is to be bustin’ a pair of Havaianas but seriously, getting a pair of Gandy’s flip flops are both fashionable and you will be supporting such a great cause. I for one certainly feel better spending money on myself when I know it will also help other people less fortunate than myself.

They have a huge range of colours and are aimed at both men and women.  They are available to buy on the Gandy’s flip flops website directly and also on various different other sites (I got mine from House of Fraser).

Do something great, place an order and spread the word, I promise you will feel good and be glad you did every time you look down at your feet!

 

Do you own a pair of Gandy's flip flops? Will you be purchasing a pair? Let me know!

Robin Sparkles

How to: Easy Leopard Print Nail Art YouTube Tutorial

 Hey guys

I just wanted to let you know that my Leopard Print Nail Tutorial is now LIVE on YouTube so be sure to click the link and check it out!

I really hope you like the video.  I know its not quite up there with some of the brilliant nail tutorials I watch but I have put a lot of time into it, especially editing the video (wow, editing is hard) so depending on how it goes down I would really love to make some more, practice makes perfect afterall!

Thanks for all your ongoing support and let me know what you think.

Robin Sparkles

Leopard Print Nail YouTube Tutorial

Hey guys,

 

Just to let you know that I filmed a YouTube video tutorial on how to do leopard print nails yesterday. I shall be editing this video over the next couple of days and hope to have it up by Wednesday this week.

 

I shall post the link and details of how to watch it once it is up on YouTube. For now, here is a pic of the leopard print nails you will be able to create!

 

Robin Sparkles

‘Devine Nails’ Company & Product Review – False Stick on Nails custom made

 

 

Today I would like to review an up and coming company that I recently discovered on Twitter and Facebook thanks to the genius #hashtag that is #twittersisters which takes place on a Thursday evening between 8:30pm-9:30pm GMT.  Devine Nails make and design custom made stick on nails, you pick the shape, design, colours and let them do the rest.  The company is based in Northern Ireland but can post worldwide.  All the nails are hand painted by Laura at Devine Nails.

I spent AGES trawling their Facebook and Instagram pages seeking out what design I would like most and in the end finally settled on one with a small amendment. 

 

 

 

I simply messaged Laura through her Facebook page and discussed my requirements with her.  She will send you out a nail size guide which basically consists of 10 different sized blank false nails which you tally up to your own size finger nails and let her know what size you need for each of your fingers.  Laura will then get to work straight away with making your custom design!

 

 

I think a set of Devine Nails are really great value for money, my set cost me £7.00 including postage.  They get sent in a cute organza bag with a couple of spares in case you lose any and also with a small tube of nail glue.  I must admit I chose not to use the nail glue and instead use some Elegant Touch false nail stickers which I picked up from my local Boots which meant I can just peel them off and reuse the nails without spoiling the underneath of them with glue.

 

 

I received really great feedback from friends and colleagues at my work Christmas party about my Devine Nails and was very proud to show them off!  All in all I received a great service from Laura and really cannot thank her enough.  I find it is very rare to find something that is good value for money nowadays but these certainly are.

Make sure you take a look, ‘Like’ her Facebook page, Follower her on Twitter @DevineNails1 and nab yourself a set ASAP!

Robin Sparkles

New Years Resolutions 2014

Hello my little sparkles

Today's post is going to be a bit of a different one for me. As it is written on 1 January 2014 I have decided to document some New Years Resolutions which hopefully you can remind me to stick to throughout the year!  They will include the classic get fit and eat healthy but with hopefully a few personal ones thrown in too.

So here it goes:-

• Exercise more and maintain my goal weight (see, I told ya!)
• Eat healthier meals
• Spruce up my blog and give it a new lease of life.
• Spend more time working on and promoting my blog
• Reach 100 followers on my blog.
• Write 100 posts this year on my blog (not pointless ones though, they must all have substantial value).

 I would like my blog to become more of a documentation on lifes journey and a place a can have chats and discussions regarding things as well as the nail designs, DIY crafts and beauty reviews, more of a "Dear Diary" type place.  I hope you would like to join me on this journey and help me to find my "inner blogger".

What are your New Year's resolutions? Please feel free to post links to your blogs below, I would love to find like minded people to follow and read.

Happy New Year sparklers.

Robin Sparkles