One Line A Day Giveaway

'One Line A Day' is a 5 year diary I purchased at the beginning of this year which has space for you to write a short couple of sentences each and everyday about something that happened. Either something extraordinary or something mundane. If you stick to it it's a fantastic way to look back on the year you've had. Choosing how to sum up your day in one line is the hard part! But the most exciting part comes at the start of 2014 - where I will be flipping back to the beginning of the diary and starting again. I can compare each day with 12 months ago knowing exactly what I was doing on that day in that year. The diary has room for you to fill up 5 years. And a lot can happen in 5 years of your life.

It's a smooth pale blue book with each page edged in gold and I've kept mine beside my bedside table all year. It's not too big or bulky to take travelling with you and it's fairly lightweight so you can pop it into a bag wherever you go. The best thing is you enter the year, 2014, 2015 and so on so you can start this diary at any point!

If I can commit to filling it in every single day it will be a documented piece of my history all in one neat little book. This year I got my first full time job as a photographer. Who knows what I will be doing in 5 years time! There are certain days of the year which are always busy - such as Christmas, New Year, my birthday and the birthday's of my friends and family. So it's exciting to think how these days might change over time.

I'm really pleased with myself for keeping it up all year long. There were some days I would forget to fill it in and have to backtrack a week and remember what I was doing (or check my calendar) but as long as you don't leave it for months at a time you can always catch up.

This 5 year diary makes a lovely gift - if you know someone who enjoys writing or collecting memories who can keep up with this small daily task (it only takes a minute each day!) If you are in the UK you can find this diary to purchase on Amazon here.

...But even better, I'm giving one away!

Giveaway

If you'd like to enter to be in with a chance of winning a brand new 'One Line A Day' 5 Year Diary all you need to do is use the Rafflecopter widget below. You must be a follower of my blog either via GFC or Bloglovin. There are a couple of other ways to gain more entries too.
The winner will be selected randomly in one weeks time (with the giveaway ending on Sunday 15th December 2013) and contacted via email or twitter feed. So PLEASE leave some contact information with your entry. The giveaway is open to the UK only I'm afraid - please do not enter if you are outside of the UK.
I will email/tweet the selected winner and need a response within 3 days so I can ship your prize out to you. It's important it gets to you before the new year so you can start writing in it on the 1st January. 3 days without a response means I will have to select a different winner.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

DIY Gifts for Girls

Following on from my 'DIY Gifts for Men' post I wanted to pop up a similar blog post with tips for DIY presents for your the ladies in your life too. So if you're hoping to make something this year for your girlfriends, sister or your mum, read on for my quick and easy DIYs...

001. Illustrated Makeup Bag
This canvas bag was made in the exact same way as my Camo Clutch and is simple two rectangles of fabric sown together with a zip along the top. For those instructions have a look at my Camo Clutch DIY or you can always purchase a plain makeup bag and jazz it up if you're not so good with sewing.
But basically this is a great DIY gift for anyone who loves their beauty bits or even just to be used as a travel bag. I made quite a large one and used a Sharpie to illustrate. I added a splash of colour with fabric crayons which are really fun to use; it's just like colouring in! You could personalise this further by choosing to illustrate your bag with initials or the name of the recipient and it makes a nice alternative to a shop bought bag.

002. Makeup Brushes Roll Up
All you need for this DIY is a piece of fabric 17" by 32" and some basic sewing skills. Lay your fabric out flat and fold up the bottom half length ways to create a long pocket. Place various sized brushed along the pocket to determine the width of each section. Pin everything in place and get sewing. I decided to go for a khaki coloured roll up with the camouflage print inside.
You can hem each edge for a neat look or leave it rustically frayed. I also sewed a second piece of fabric to the back to cover up the stitches but this is optional. You could always choose a thread to closely match the colour of your fabric.
When you're done sewing pop your brushes in, (a nice new set of Real Techniques or ELF brushes for a makeup enthusiast makes a lovely present) roll up and tie with a strip of leather or strong ribbon.

003. Glitter Jars
A DIY that takes 5 minutes! You need glitter, PVA or any other craft glue, tape and old jam jars. Tape off the section you'd like to cover in glitter, apply glue with a sponge to that area and either roll through glitter or sprinkle liberally all over. Shake off the excess and leave to dry overnight. Then remove the tape carefully.
You can put whatever you like inside the jars. Tea lights are always a nice option but I like to use mine as vases for real or fake flowers. If the jar is not enough you can always fill it full of goodies - sweets, colourful hairbands for kids, or you could put together a nail care kit with new nail polishes, and cotton balls. If it's a gift for a crafty member of family she might appreciate a mini sewing kit.

If you liked these DIY gift ideas please make sure you check out my DIY Archive for lots of great tutorials and even more present ideas. Or have a look at my DIY Gifts for Men blog post.
I always love to hear your feedback so let me know which one is your favourite...will you be making any Christmas presents this year?

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His & Her Jewellery

Today I wanted to share some of my favourite places to shop online for jewellery and considering we are getting closer and closer to Christmas you might be thinking about gifts. These jewellery websites are my faves for stocking female, male and unisex jewellery. So if you fancy treating someone to a bit of luxury I have my top unique jewellery stores listed below. All the best things come in small packages!

Fashionology

Have split their jewellery line into two sections, Men and Women - although I think the majority of the items could be classed as unisex. I LOVE Fashionology.nu jewellery. It can be a bit pricey, especially as of late. When I first discovered the site there jewellery was much cheaper but I've since built up quite a collection and I know how well made everything is so it's totally worth the price.
The cross bracelet and smooth bangle pictured above are from Fashionology.nu

John Greed Jewellery

A website I'm new to, John Greed stock all the usual favourites Pandora, Thomas Sabo, Links of London etc - but they also have their own jewellery line for men and women. The items are such good value for money and the people at John Greed sent me a few items to review. I'm so pleased with the quality especially of this man's Zirconia and Carbon ring which feels like a real luxury designer item but with a really affordable price tag. I think this might be the place to go if you're looking for jewellery on a budget this year but don't want to compromise on quality. The tree ring, mans metal ring and smooth band pictured above are from John Greed.

& Other Stories
One of my favourite online shopping ventures &OtherStories don't prominently sell jewellery for men but  think a few of their designs could be worn by both men and women. Especially the smoother band rings. I've purchased a few items and can vouch for their beauty although one of my rings is turning slightly brassy now I've worn it so often. If not for anyone else, look and treat yourself to something!

Not On The Highstreet

If you're looking for something more personalised and unique you need to check out Not On The Highstreet. They have really amazing items for men and women and lots of their jewellery bits can be engraved or embossed. Much cheaper than having an item engraved at a jewelers too. Prices range from in the twentys to hundreds of pounds so it depends on your budget but I've added many things to my wishlist from this site!

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Ann Summers Bra Fit Campaign

Bow Boudoir Ivory/Black Lace Set* - Ann Summers

Not too long ago Ann Summers contacted me to let me know about their Fit to Flaunt Campaign. Ann Summers recently conducted a survey into British bra buying behaviour and found that while over half of women claim to have had a bra fitting within the past 6 months, 60% are still wearing the wrong bra. They asked if I'd be happy to go along and get measured and pass on this message to readers of my blog!

You might be shocked to know I've actually never been properly measured for a bra. Or this may sound way too familiar? I decided it was probably time so popped along to my local Ann Summers (Market Street, Manchester) to get fitted. Plus I got to take away this beautiful set too!

The service I received at the store was excellent. I was greeted by Karen (team leader) and Marie who was my fitter. Marie popped me into a dressing room and I expected to need to remove my old bra and the measuring tape to come out - but I was wrong! Marie basically looked at the bra I was already wearing and checked to see how it fit me. She concluded it was fitting me very well, two fingers under the band, not too tight or too loose on the shoulder straps and the cups were not gaping nor too tight. I was proud to discover that through all my years of guessing my own size, and trying a few sizes on at one time, I'd guessed correctly!
So I was then introduced to lots of different bras in their range, and Marie ran around the store to pick some out for me to try on. I came home with this beautiful white and black lace set which oddly is all over the website to promote the Fit to Flaunt campaign - so I must have been subconsciously influenced!

I'd recommend that on your next trip for new underwear you ask for a bra fitting. It's free, quick and there is no waiting around. You might be surprised to discover you are wearing the wrong size or just happy with the knowledge that you are wearing the right size. Plus Ann Summers have some beautiful new sets in store at the moment it might be nice to treat yourself to a Christmas present!

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