Lifestyle

Get to know me

Featured Kelly Diane38 Comments

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Hello everyone and welcome to my very first post here! I have some really exciting ideas for this space but I thought what better way to start than to get to know me a bit better so here are a few facts about me.

My name is Kelly (in case you couldn’t tell from the title) and I’m currently 24 years old. I’ve been a blogger on and off for the past six years but earlier in the year decided to close my main blog down as I had fallen out of love with it and found I was just doing content for the sake of it. I very much fell into the “blogging made me do it” category which was not only time consuming but expensive too!

For the past four years I have also run another blog which focuses solely on history. Whilst it was a challenge at times running two blogs, I felt it was important to keep them separate because they have two completely different types of audience.

I’m obsessed with shoes and have so many pairs, some of which I am ashamed to say I’m yet to wear. I’d love nothing more than in the future to be able to display my shoes in cute cabinets for all to see. For now though, they are scattered everywhere and anywhere. I’m also obsessed with butterflies and love wearing tops with butterfly print on, inspired jewellery and always stop to watch them as they fly past too!

Talking of flying, I’m also obsessed with aviation and for quite a while, wanted to be air cabin crew. I decided against this in the end when I realised how hard the training was and how much you had to remember on a daily basis. I do however still love taking IMG_8633photographs of planes and attend many airshows throughout the summer months.

A couple of years ago, I bought a better camera to help me take photos and have since been learning how to use it. I’m hoping that as my blog progresses, so will my photography.

I’ve been lucky enough to visit some amazing places over the years and can’t wait to share my experiences and tips with you on this blog. Whether its days out, weekends away or holidays in some amazing countries, I’ve loved every minute of it.

I have a dog named Trixie who is now five years old and I absolutely adore her. She is a Patadale cross Jack Russell who loves nothing more than long walks in the countryside followed my snuggles on the sofa when we return.35508636_10209415620266561_4646815144351891456_n

I’m very much a shopaholic and can be very impulsive. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve bought something, to then wonder what on earth I was thinking when I got home. This is definitely the case with make up! I’m forever buying new pieces of make up to try and yet, whilst I enjoy experimenting with make up, I don’t wear it everyday.

I’d much rather enjoy a cosy night in with a takeaway and a film rather than a late night out somewhere drinking. I’m very much that person that by nine at night, the pjs will be on. That’s probably also the reason why I own more pjs than any other item of clothing!

Cosy nights in wouldn’t be complete without my amazing boyfriend Andy, who also happens to be a great photographer, so any outfit shots you see on my blog will probably be thanks to him. 41479908_10209889031421544_4602219579794522112_n

So that is just a few facts about me that I wanted to share with you to get me back into blogging. I’m not entirely sure what my schedule will be yet as I think I’m just going to take it as it comes and write when I’m in the mood to.

I’d love to know something interesting about you so leave one fact in the comments below.

Bye for now

The Kelly Diane Report

 

Lifestyle

An update on Trixie with Top Collar

Kelly DianeLeave a comment

*Ad-gifted

For those of you that don’t know, Trixie is mine and Andy’s Jack Russell X Patterdale dog who has recently turned six. She is very much our baby and we love going on adventures with her. A couple of months ago, we decided to set Trixie up with her own Instagram page to share what she has been up to which can be found HERE . Its been doing so well that she in catching me up in terms of followers and so I was very pleased when we were asked if Trixie would like to try some dog treats from Top Collar.

So who are Top Collar?

They are bakers of fresh dog treats which are sent through the post in terms of a twice a month subscription box. On their website, you enter in details about your dog so that they can customise the treats for your dogs needs and you can even add a photo of your dog which arrives on the box itself. The company states that it uses natural ingredients and is also gluten free so they can be a lot healthier than other treats that are available in pet stores.

All of the treats Trixie has received have been in cute heart shapes and the flavours sound yummy even to me. So far, she has received fish cakes, Easter roast, pork burgers and peanut butter and coconut. We know she finds them yummy because as soon as we give her one of the treats, she eats it straight away and is then looking for a second one.

The best thing about Top Collar for us is that they are hassle free. We no longer run out of treats for Trixie and she has more of a variety of flavours than she used to. The boxes cost £5.99 a pack and come out of our account automatically unless we pause or stop it. They are also sent in letterbox friendly packs which mean that even if we are out, we’ll still receive the treats. At Easter, she also received a cute Easter biscuit as an added extra.

*The first packet from Top Collar was very kindly gifted to Trixie to try but I’ve since been a full paying customer. All opinions about the products are my own and whilst they are natural treats, they are to be given in moderation and always with water nearby.

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Lifestyle

A to Z of Me

Kelly Diane10 Comments

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Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog!

Recently, well quite while ago I was kindly tagged by a couple of bloggers to do the A to Z tag and I’ve finally got round to doing it, so here’s my A to Z.

I hope you enjoy it and find some things out about my interests, hobbies, general life or shall we say me!

A – Aviation. This plays a huge part in my life, going to my first air show when I was just six weeks old. As I’ve got older, its become more of a hobby for me and I try to plan the summer months around the airshow season. I’m lucky that my other half Andy also likes aviation too.

B – Books. I love reading and try to read a little everyday. My favourites range from romance to saga, although I’ve also been loving the Sarah Knight books too.

C – Cleaning. I wouldn’t say I’m OCD about it but I absolutely love cleaning and find it so therapeutic. If I’m annoyed or upset, I’ll take it out on the cleaning and of course, I’m obsessed with Mrs Hinch.

D – Dungarees. I absolutely love them, jean versions, skirt/dress versions and shorts! you can wear certain type and brands pretty much for all occasions, i even have a pair of trouser style ones that to me look posh, i feel i could wear them to a wedding, although it would be unlikely, you never know.

E – Embroidery. I have a huge obsession with embroidered clothing. Big cosy sweatshirts or slouchy jeans with embroidered detail look so simple yet pretty.

F – Food. I love my food and I’m always thinking about what meals each day to have with Andy, although i do try and get him to suggest. His typical reply is grass, bread and butter!

G – Grumpy. I am the first too admit that I am so not a morning person and be so grumpy if I haven’t had my cup of tea and I’m sure Andy would agree with me.

H – Hearing. Over the last few years I’ve noticed my hearing has got worse and a lot of the time, I don’t realise people are talking to me. I finally plucked up the courage with Andy’s nagging to speak to somebody about it, and, after a long process, I now wear hearing aids. It doesn’t bother me in the slightest because I’m no longer missing out on what people are saying.

I – Italy. I really want to go to Italy so bad, its top of my current travel bucket list. I just want to go there, eat all of the food and see all of the sights. Although in typical Andy fashion he said he’d take me to an Italian restaurant with a back projection of Rome on the walls!

J – Jellyfish. I love how pretty they look and could spend hours in an aquarium just watching them float around.

K – Kindness. I’m a big believer of being kind. It doesn’t cost anything and yet random acts of kindness can make someones day. If everybody was kind, the world would certainly be a much better place.

L – Liquid Lunch by Caro Emerald is one of my all time favourite songs.

M – Malta. I absolutely love the island of Malta. It has always been my favourite holiday destination and I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve been back there. It was also the destination of my very first holiday abroad which was many years ago now.

N – Northern Lights. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with the Northern Lights. I love how pretty they are and can’t wait to book a trip to go see them. I did think about going to Finland to see them but I need to save a lot of money because the place I want to stay is expensive.

O – Organisation. I love being organised and have lists everywhere of things that I need to do and want to achieve. If I didn’t have those lists, I just don’t know how I would cope and I’d probably be in a right panic.

P – Pets. I love animals and currently i have a dog. I’ve mentioned her before my six year old Jack Russell cross Patadale named Trixie. She brightens up my day and is always there for a cuddle.

Q – Quiz. I love quizes whether its watching them on the tv or going on a quiz night, I love them. I might not be very good at them and might not get many answers right but I still find them a great way to pass the time and always learn something new too.

R – Ribblehead viaduct. If you don’t already know, Andy is a train driver (you can read all about him here). Over the last year he has been introducing me too all things train related and recently took me to see the famous Ribblehead viaduct which was such a pretty place.

S – Shopping. I’m definitely a shopaholic. I love shopping and will admit I do it every single week, despite not actually needing anything. My weaknesses are definitely shoes and anything from Primark.

T – Tattoo. I currently have one tattoo which I got a year ago. Its a heart with a Spitfire attached. Not only is the Spitfire my favourite plane, it was a fighter in its day and it always reminds me to fight for what you want, but more importantly if it wasn’t for Spitfire’s and other types around that time, we wouldn’t likely have the freedom we have today! its disheartening when you hear young girls walking past a airfield when we wait for a take off and hear them say “whats all the fuss about, its only a plane” for me, keeping my mouth shut wants to say that plane is probably why your here today and show some respect!

U – Unpacking. If I’m staying in a hotel, I have to unpack everything so that it feels like home. I definitely can’t just live out of a suitcase.

V – Vintage. I love vintage looking things as well as attending vintage inspired events. My favourite era has always been the 1940s and I love the glamour of the hair and make up of that era.

W – Wales. I’d love to explore some more of Wales. It’s part of my history because it’s where my dad’s family are from.

X – Xray. Whilst I’ve had quite a few xrays in my lifetime, I have thankfully never broken a bone.

Y – YouTube. I’ve always loved watching YouTube videos and always have them on in the background. There’s so many channels that I love but my current favourites are It’s Em, Laura Byrne, Miss Budget Beauty, Fleur De Force, Lydia Elise Millen, Nikki Ryan and The Elle Next Door.

Z – Zoo. I love nothing more than visiting a zoo for a day out and usually end up going to a zoo for my birthday. They are perfect for any age and I love that you never know what to expect. I’ve had many a good laugh when at a zoo and an animal is behaving badly!

Top essentials for a perfect evening at home.
Lifestyle

Top essentials for a perfect evening at home.

Kelly Diane8 Comments

I’m not sure if its the constant changing in the weather or if because I’ve recently changed jobs, but I’ve found myself wanting to be at home more and having cosy evenings in rather than going out… maybe I’m just getting old! Or just feeling old. With this in mind, I thought I would share my essentials for a perfect night in.

  • Good company – having an evening in doesn’t mean you have to be on your own. Being with someone who makes you laugh and has similar interests can make such a good evening. Some of my best evenings in have just been me and Andy clowning around.
  • Relaxing Candles – I love scented candles in general but was recently sent some to try from All Candles Wholesale. I chose a set of 3 different sized ones from “The Homely Collection” because they suited my style and although I’m yet to burn them, they look great as decoration in our living room.
  • Good food and snacks – personally I love a good takeaway because it means nobody has to do the washing up or cook, although others may enjoy cooking and washing up together. As for snacks, this is usually where the crisps and chocolates come out.
  • Comfy clothes – Just because you want to feel comfortable wouldn’t mean you can’t still look good. People always say if you look good, you feel good and I think this is so true. You can see some of my outfit ideas in the fashion section of this blog, and hopefully I will add more outfit ideas in the future.
  • Something good on TV or a board game, or even a game of cards – I personally don’t enjoy sitting down to a film so instead I’d choose something on the TV. I’m currently hooked on Four in a bed and First Dates Hotel. If there is nothing on the TV that we fancy watching, we get out a board game or cards instead. Andy has recently been teaching me to play “The London Game” which I’m enjoying, he’s also taught me how to play his work version of “Rummy”.

Do you have any other essentials for a cosy night at home? or have you tried any of the ones mentioned above? Let me know in the comments below!*This post contains a product from All Candles Wholesale which was very kindly gifted to me, however all opinions about the product are my own.

Beauty

Procoal London Activated Charcoal Exfoliating Face Scrub (AD-GIFTED)

Kelly Diane12 Comments

Hello everyone.

I hope you are all keeping well?

A couple of weeks ago I was very kindly sent some exfoliating face scrub to try from Procoal London. Over the last couple of months, I have been trying to find a skincare routine to help improve the overall look and feel of my skin which, if you haven’t already read it, I wrote about here.

What I have found to be working relatively well has recently caused me to have a few break outs, possibly from hormones or stress or who knows, it might even be my skin not happy. But this is where I’m seeking new ideas to prevent it from happening so I thought I’d give Procoal London a try.

So who is Procoal London (PL)?

PL is a company started by a husband and wife duo who had a vision to create ethically-made products. They strived to create products that were created from natural ingredients (see below) and also where they have used synthetic ingredients it has a proven history of safe use and their website states it has never been tested on animals. As well as skincare products, PL also have teeth whitening kits, shampoo bars and body care products available to buy on their website.

The face scrub that I was sent to try contains four key ingredients which I will go into detail shortly, but for me I hope the face scrub helps exfoliate, cleanse and detoxify my skin in a gentle but effective way.

The activated charcoal helps to clear deep seated pores, removing pollutants to purify your complexion, whilst the Calendula oil helps to restore your skins water balance and improves moisture retention over time. The third key ingredient is pumice, this helps to gently exfoliate dead surface skin cells and unclog pores, whilst lastly, the Allantoin helps to reduce skin irritations and stimulates the growth of healthy skin tissue.

As well as cruelty-free, it is also free from parabens, SLS (Sodium lauryl sulfate), mineral oil and paraffin and is currently developed and formulated in the UK which is great for the UK economy.

I will admit that because I don’t always get on with face scrubs as I feel a lot of them can be harsh on my skin, however, my first impression of this product was how gentle it felt on my skin. After dampening my skin, it was recommended I use my fingers to apply the product in small circular movements, which I thought might be a bit messy but surprisingly it was really easy and not that messy. The colour of the product when squeezed out of the tube is a white based colour with a paste texture but has flecks of charcoal in it which mixes together when you massaging it into your skin. One thing I usually worry about, is when I remove facial products, making sure I don’t any behind as the last thing I want to do, is end up walking around all day with what could look like a dirty mark. This wasn’t the case at all, I just simply used a cloth and warm water and it came off with no fuss at all.

After using this face scrub for a couple of weeks, I must admit I have really noticed the difference. I feel my skin is a lot softer and the break out that I had described earlier has pretty much gone. I am now hoping this product is the reason behind this.

So to sum up and conclude, PL was hassle free to use and has now encouraged me to continue using it and consider trying out other PL products. Do you use facial scrubs? If so you might want to check out the PL “Activated Charcoal Exfoliating Face Scrub” if you do, let them know that you’ve tried it on my recommendation and it would be great if you could perhaps let me know how it works for you.

*This product from Procoal London was very kindly gifted to me, however all opinions about the product are my own and all results described above are purely based on my own use as I have not tried it on any member of family, although I am tempted to see if my partner would like to try it to see what results he gets compared to me.

PS, I’d be annoyed if it works better for him than it does for me.

Outfit of the day – Springtime (AD-GIFTED)
Fashion

Outfit of the day – Springtime (AD-GIFTED)

Kelly Diane12 Comments

How amazing has the weather been the last couple of days. Spring is definitely on the way and I thought what better way to celebrate this great weather than by putting together another outfit of the day post. I’m really enjoying doing this type of post to show you what I’m wearing and I hope you are enjoying reading them too.

So the first thing I wanted to talk about was this amazing unicorn necklace by Statement Made Jewellery. They make dainty, beautiful pieces of jewellery which are great quality and inexpensive too. I already have one amazing piece of jewellery from them which you can see here. I feel very lucky to have received a second necklace from Statement Made Jewellery.

As mentioned in my previous outfit of the day post, the jewellery comes in a pretty pouch complete with ribbon and I think they would make the perfect Mother’s Day or birthday gift. Whikst they offer necklaces, they also offer a wide range of anklets, bracelets and earrings as well as an engraving service on selected items. Each item also comes with a certificate of authenticity which on the other side, contains great informative care instructions. The attention to detail that Statement Made Jewellery have with all of their products make it even more of a special gift for someone. If you fancy picking up a piece of beautiful jewellery for yourself or someone special, check out there website here

On to the rest of the outfit and I have to admit that I’m not quite ready to bare my legs, so these temperature control tights from Primark are great. They keep you cool when its warm and warm when its cold, how amazing is that? Also from Primark are the mustard ribbed jumper which is super cosy and flattering and the little black ankle boots. The dungaree shorts are a great purchase from eBay, where they have so many designs to choose from at great affordable prices. Have you got your shorts out yet? I wasn’t too sure about wearing shorts with tights but Andy convinced me to try them on together and see what I thought. What do you think?

I just want to finish this post by saying thank you to my amazing partner who took these great photos and put up with me fussing over how I looked in them. You have the patience of a saint Andy!

*This item was very kindly gifted to me, however all opinions are my own.

Beauty

My everyday make up look

Kelly Diane20 Comments

I recently posted about my skincare routine which I will leave linked here if you would like to check it out. In that post I mentioned that having a good skincare routine helped my make up sit better on my skin and so I thought I would share with you what my current typical everyday make up looks like and show you the products that I’m currently enjoying.

makeup

I don’t always use a primer but if I’m going to be out of the house for most of the day, that is the first thing I apply. My favourite primer to use is the L’oreal “Lumi Magique primer” as it blends well into my skin and adds a glow that shows through my base make up, making me look a bit healthier. For foundation I use the Rimmel “wake me up foundation” in the shade 100 ivory and apply it with a damp beauty blender. This is a anti fatigue, skin brightening foundation that also contains vitamin C and has an spf 20 as well and I pair this with the Rimmel “wake me up brightening concealer” which I use under my eyes and pat in with my fingers.

For eyebrows, I use the Fleur De Force for Eylure “fix & colour” in the shade light followed by the Rimmel “Brow this way” styling gel because the fix part of my Fleur one has actually run out. As I’ve already brightening my skin with the first three products, I just want to add a bit of a shimmer and so I apply my MUA Luxe “Ombre 3 shade highlighter” on my cheekbones, nose and cupids bow, using a small brush to blend it out. To add a bit of colour I also apply my Rimmel “Lasting finish soft colour blush” in the shade 010 santa rose, applying this with a contour brush to get the right shape for my cheeks.

The last thing I focus on it my eye make up and I’m currently loving using my Matalan eyeshadow palette, which was such a bargain at £10! There are so many different colours to choose from and the pigmentation of the shades are amazing quality and last all day too. What colour would you use? For this particular day, I used a lighter pink shade all over my lid and then went in at the crease with the darker pink shade before blending it out with a standard blending brush. I also use the same brush to lightly colour under my eye to really make my eyes pop. To finish off the look I add my Rimmel “Waterproof wonder’full mascara with argan oil”. Not only does this lengthen and add volumn to my lashes, it also nourishes them and lasts all day too which is great.

I have been trying to experiment with the colours of eyeshadows I use so I will definitely show you some more versions soon.  Which colour do you think I should try next?

Fashion

Outfit of the day (AD-GIFTED)

Kelly Diane23 Comments

Hello everyone, I recently went out for a meal with some colleagues and thought I’d share with you what I wore. I wanted to to look like I’d made a bit of an effort but still feel comfortable too.

The jumpsuit is unbranded so I can’t tell you where it is from but what I can tell you is how soft it feels and how flattering it is when wearing it. I teamed it with my navy peep toe Clark’s heels and ended up putting on my pink cardigan from New Look just before I left as it was a bit chilly. For jewellery, I kept it simple with a pearle bracelet from George and an adorable necklace from Statement Made Jewellery which they very kindly gifted me.

Statement Made Jewellery make pretty jewellery that you can either buy for yourself and for a gift for someone. They come beautifully packaged in a little storage bag complete with bow detail and also have a card with how to care for you selected piece of jewellery. I personally love roses in general and the skill and attention to detail of this particular necklace it so good that I can’t wait to see what other items they have. What do you think of this necklace? If you’re interested in purchasing something yourself, click here which will take you straight through to their website so you can see the stunning pieces of jewellery to choice from.

If you do decide to purchase something, let me know in the comments what you choose as I would love to know.

Disclaimer-items featured in this post may have been sent to me or may contain affiliate links, however all opinions given are my own.