My Marc Jacobs Obesession

Over mine and Neil's daily texts we brought up the discussion of how we both seem to stick to a certain brand of perfume/aftershave, his being Jean Paul Gautier and mine being Marc Jacobs.  This new obsession is only a recent thing, I've had Daisy for a while but always fell behind my go to faves Lancome Hypnose and Vera Wang Princess, however recently this has all changed.  Not only does MJ do the most amazing bottle designs that look fantastic alongside my other dressing table necessities but the different scents have really stepped up.  I tend to go for very feminine and sweet scents and all of these fit the bill perfectly, the 2 new summer versions are very similar however the Daisy Eau So Fresh (taller one)is slightly lighter and is better for day to day wear.  You may be looking at these thinking I spend too much on perfume but fortunately for my bank balance these are either gifts or purchased at Duty Free, however if you're looking for a good deal Fragrance Direct have them at competitive prices.

Since my birthday is coming up I've also done a little wish list of my favourites I've run out of, and also another Marc Jacobs fragrance I've not yet got.  ** HINT HINT COUGH COUGH **

Michelle xx

Birthday Boy

I would like to say a massive HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my best friend in the world (Neil if you didn't know) :)  He has turned the ripe old age of 27 today and we celebrated with a delicious late lunch at a local pub, and I am aware from his texts he is continuing the celebrations with some Ferrero Rocher chocs! 

My dog is particularly fond of him so here is her birthday message too (this photo is from a while ago but I love her rock face so much)

Michelle x

Hooters

Last week I introduced Neil to a side of my life he had been sheltered from, the tattoo side.  His clean skin has never had the adrenaline rush the tattoo gun brings, but his voyeurism had lead him to watch copious episodes of LA/Miami Ink, so him coming with me for my new ink seemed like a good idea.

I travelled 2 hours to Derby to be tattooed by the amazing Vicky Morgan, a journey I would definitely make again.  I do tend to stick to a local artist but after following her for a while on Instagram I knew that I wanted a piece by Vicky, she definitely has a certain style that she does so well.

Luckily for me I have quite a high pain threshold so the actual process was fairy pain free, especially after some numbing spray was used after the outline had been done (that stuff is AMAZING).  Two hours later I had a gorgeous new owl, I've named Hooters :)

I've shown pictures of my new ink immediately after because at the moment it is going through the not so appealing scabby/swollen phase, I just can't wait till it's all healed and I can show him off with pride.

When asked why I picked an owl Neil promptly quipped "because she's a hoot" what a cutie!

What do you all think about tattoos and piercings? I love how there is such a clear divide between those who LOVE and those who HATE.

Michelle x

Jelly Button Illustration

Just thought I would do a quick post mainly to show off my amazing new illustration done by Paige Joanna Calvert.  She created exactly what I wanted and I couldn't be happier, I can't wait to make new postcards and gift tags with the work!!

Once I get back into the swing of things I will do a proper post, at the moment I am browsing the internet for hotels in Paris for mine and Neils upcoming trip.  Does anyone have any recommendations?

Michelle x

Chocolate heaven

Well today was a rather fun day.  Michelle and I had decided to have a lunch date this week, but we were a little stuck for options.  Locally there are a couple of places, but it's not as fun going to the same places over and over - variety is the spice of life after all.  Thankfully I had something in mind, and came up with the idea of visiting Slattery's, which is a lovely patissier and chocolatier located in Bury, Manchester.  If you're an avid follower of the blog you may remember that I've mentioned Slattery's before (see here).  Actually what I mean is I've been once before, but it was so good I knew I'd have to go back!

Anyway I suggested it to Michelle and she thought it was a good idea.  I rang yesterday to book in for today as it gets rather busy, especially at lunch time.  It's only a short drive, say 15 to 20 minutes, from my house which is good.  However, I'd foolishly forgotten how packed the car park gets; to make things worse they're building some sort of extension so there are fewer spaces - I noticed this after I'd pulled in, grrrr!  There were signs that said a temporary car park had been set up near the health centre, only a short distance further down the road, so we headed there and thankfully there was plenty of room.

As expected the dining room was full of lunchtime visitors, and we had to wait a minute or two just while our table was cleaned, but that was all.  The staff are really pleasant and made sure we felt comfortable, which I personally feel makes a big difference to your dining experience.

Michelle decided to have a spicy chicken ciabatta, which came with a side salad and some lightly spiced potato wedges.  (Please note how much better my photo is!  I think she takes bad ones of me on purpose to make herself look better - yes I said it!)

I opted for a simple cheese and ham toasted sandwich, and I ordered an extra portion of wedges to go with it - I forgot how generous the portions were.

 

We decided to go for actions shots - that's what cool people do *wink* - but I obviously look a little like a lizard with my tongue out.

Michelle's second attempt to take a nice picture or me - is it better?  At least I'm smiling, which is something.  Maybe next time she'll manage to get the whole of my head in - no jokes about the size of me head missy!

Although the food was lovely I ended up leaving some wedges and the salad - vegetables scare me.  However, I still believe one day I'll get to the point where me and veggies will get along... we're some way off yet.

For dessert we both opted for the wicked chocolate sample platter (that's the first picture).  There were four individual chocolate desserts accompanied by two chocolate cups; one contained whipped cream and the other chocolate sauce of your choosing: dark, milk or white chocolate.  To say were were beaten is an understatement.  As a self diagnosed chocoholic I thought it would be a breeze, but with such a large lunch on top it was just too much; Michelle was pathetic.  On the plus side the lovely staff gave us boxes to take what was left home - yum!  Price wise it was quite affordable and I'd recommend it to anyone.

Well that about wraps up our lunch date.  We had a fab time and I'm sure we'll be heading back again.  Oh, and be sure to have a nosey at the downstairs shop and showroom - it is amazing!

Take care,

Neil x

My weekend

So now the week has well and truly begun I thought I would let you all know what I got up to over my weekend.  Aside from enjoying a bit of sun with my pooch, I also went to Salford Precinct to run a free jewellery workshop for children.  To save myself the hassle of extra admin I run all my classes through Ministry Of Craft, they are a great company to work for and have several other artists who all run craft classes through their base at Fred Aldous Manchester.

 

This particular event had been requested from the PR company that work for Salford Precinct, and was aimed at having fun but easy jewellery sessions for children during the half term holidays.

Overall it was a great success, rather than be the 8 planned classes like we had planned we had drop in sessions throughout the day.  This meant I was able to give more one to one time with each child than if it had been groups of 10. The adults got into it just as much as the kids and we all had a fun afternoon.  I also met the lovely Lindsay who works for M.O.C, she is a total sweetie and hopefully I get the chance to work with her again!

If anyone is looking for a fun alternative to regular parties then feel free to browse the Ministry Of Craft website, they cater for hen parties, birthday parties etc.  However if you are looking for a craft class they also hold these, the next Fimo one I'm teaching is October 12th.

Take Care

Michelle xx

Summer shades

Well guys and gals the weather has finally been living up to the title of summer, and as a result I've had the perfect excuse to invest in a few more pairs of shades (not sunnies!)

As a sucker for classics I've fallen a little in love with the Wayfarer style and shape.  They're flattering on practically everyone and have been a key trend of late.  Unfortunately I couldn't justify a pair of Ray-Ban shades so I picked up a collection of cheap alternatives from Primark, which I bought for either a £1.00 or £2.00 each - crazy right?

Well anyway here is a little round up what I've bought; I hope you like them!

This pair in a bright blue gloss add a pop of colour to any outfit!

A little different, these shades are in a matte finish with a black frame and contrasting blue arms, which for me makes them look that bit more chic.

A staple in any wardrobe should be a pair of black gloss Wayfarers.  What more do I need to say?

For a red hot summer I went for these vibrate red gloss shades.

A little more quirky are these multicoloured paint-splat effect shades, which add a fun factor to any outfit!

 Well that's my little collection of Primark shades.  Price wise they can't be beaten and they definitely add the finishing touch to any summer outfit, as well as being practical.

Take care,

Neil x

p.s. Oh and just to prove that I've always loved Wayfarers, here is a picture from the late 80s of me and my sister - always fashion forward clearly!!!