Ins and Outs

IN

Christmas

As you can see from my previous post, I am definitely already thinking about Christmas!  I've actually done the bulk of my present and decoration buying as I knew November would be a manic month and I could not face leaving it all till December.  So the Ikea trip is done (they are amazing for decorations, wrapping paper, ribbons etc...but get there asap!) and most of the pressies are hiding in my car.  Now I can't wait till the 1st December when we can get the tree up and decorate the flat.  Anyone else like me or are you all laid back when it comes to this time of year?

Baking

You may not know but I love a bit of baking in my spare time - especially cupcakes.  I have spent a while perfecting my technique and slowly pulling together lots of tools and pretty decorations so I can create cupcakes for my friends and family on their special occasions.

Last Sunday was on of those occasions when my lovely friend Sarah held her baby shower.  She's due to pop anytime soon and is having a little boy so I scoured ebay for baby themed decorations and came up with these!

Next up is one of my best friend's birthdays and as she is a cupcake fiend like me I know I am going to have to come up with something special! 

If you're looking for decorations, I can highly recommend this seller on ebay - I ordered the bibs as well as some roses and flowers and they came super fast and perfectly packaged.  I wish I had a bit more spare time to make my own decorations but sadly no...as you will see below :)

Exercise

image via weheartit

I used to be a real gym nut until I starting seeing my boyfriend just over 3 years ago...since then my attendance slowly dropped until I cancelled my membership in January this year and started pilates classes instead.  However I have put on a fair bit of weight since we moved in together last summer and I am determined to slim down!  So I've joined a new gym and have been given a super tough fat fighting/get fit routine.  I'm trying to get there at least 3 times a week and I can see the results already which is great.  I'm also trying to incorporate more healthy food into my diet and cut down on the junk....I will get there, I will!

OUT

Studying

image via weheartit

I've never really spoken much about my job on here - I work full time in Marketing - and I started to study for my CIM Professional Certificate in September.  So the past few months have been pretty hectic with full time work, evening classes and homework...and now it's culminating in an assignment (due next week) and a 3 hour exam (on the 30th).  I am so scared!  I haven't done a 3 hour exam since my GCSEs (I studied maths/history/art at A level and fine art at uni) and haven't done an assignment like this since my dissertation...eek! Any study tips would be most appreciated!

My car

I spent a fortune in car repairs the other week to get it through its MOT and then the other day I managed to scrape the front of my car really badly when leaving the gym car park...so frustrating!!!!  Sometimes I think I should just get a chauffeur instead :)

What about you ladies?  What are your current ins and outs?

Ins and Outs

IN

Autumn Days

The transitional seasons are definitely my favourite - I much prefer the promise that Spring and Autumn bring...full of change and potential! I love wrapping up in my new autumn clothes, sipping on hot chocolate and cooking 'proper' meals.

New Nails

Clockwise from top: Bermuda Shorts, Mint Candy Apple, Haute as Hello, Van D'Go, Demure Vixen, Pink Parka

Thanks to the ASOS sale and the infamous beautyzone2007, I have picked up just a few new Essie colours to add to my rather extensive nail varnish collection. My favourites so far? Van D'Go, which surprisingly applied pretty well (think my new OPI base coat helped!) and Demure Vixen - a lovely shimmery grey toned mauve. Any suggestions for what I should pick up next?

Bright Lips

I've been laying off the fake tan recently and have begun to embrace the pale. This has led to me picking up some of my favourite bright lipsticks as well as a new addition to my collection. Though bright lips can look a bit OTT with a full face of slap, with nude eyes, dewy skin and glossy black lashes I feel I can actually pull them off - even at work.

My current top four are: Givenchy Red Cancan, my perfect blue tone red, Mac Toxic Tale, which I only bought the other day but have already fallen in love with, Mac Impassioned, which I picked up in Florida in June and Mac Pink Burst, a vibrant subtly sparkling fuschia from the Spring Forecast collection.

So what about you ladies - are you embracing bright lips to brighten up these dark nights?

L-R Givenchy Rouge Cancan, Mac Toxic Tale, Mac Impassioned, Mac Pink Burst

As above!

Chocolate

Not to eat...to shower with...this smells AMAZING.

OUT

The annual winter boot struggle

Every year I try and find the perfect pair of winter boots, only to give up. The reason? I am cursed with big calves and tiny ankles, so if I do find a pair of boots to zip up my legs, they almost always end up baggy around my ankles! Last year I bought a pair of short studded Carvela boots which I love...but I am still keen to get some 'smart' boots...so if anyone spots any, please please let me know :)

The Rain

I had my hair cut a couple of weeks ago (I will get round to writing a post about it one day!) and had a fringe cut in...and it's rained almost everyday since. Not good!  Any 'keep fringe straight' tips would be most appreciated :)