You may recognise this dress from a previous wish list post…and lucky me, my Mum treated me to it (FYI, it’s on sale for just £20 now!)
I knew instantly that I wanted to photograph it for the blog, getting back in to outfit photos on a regular basis is something that has been on my agenda for a long time, but quite honestly, I think I have forgotten how to do it!
Shoes c/o Pretty Little Thing
Whereas once posing for photos came pretty naturally, now I do it so infrequently that I just do not know what to do with myself and I find myself feeling incredibly self conscious even thought it’s just Bob and I (with the occasional interruption from Pablo).
Practice makes perfect though right? I really do need to make more of an effort to keep this up. There’s so many things I want to do with the blog, but it seems like I’ve lacked the get up and go to do them. I used to take such pride in keeping this place up to date and looking good, but then I fell in to the “I’m not good enough” slump and it just never happened.
I’m slowly starting to shift that attitude though, not just in terms of blogging, but in life in general. I’ve let insecurity get in my way for as long as I can remember, but finally, at the age of 32 I realise enough is enough.
That being said, if any one has any ideas for the blog, for how to pose for photos, or for how to stop giving a shit about what other people may or may not be thinking then I would be most grateful because I don’t have a whole lot of faith in my own ideas.
Credit cards; everyone seems to have a different opinion on whether or not you should get one. Stories of extreme debt and money-loss can often come to mind when thinking of a credit card, which can scare people off. The truth is though, that credit cards can actually be extremely helpful when used well.
When used efficiently credit cards can be a powerful tool that can help you in the financial world. It can help you to build your credit score, spread the cost of purchases, and also budget well. I’ve teamed up with cashasap.co.uk, experts in short term loans to teach you how to use a credit card well. Read this guide to help you decide if a credit card is right for you.
How to Use a Credit Card Well
Build Credit History
Having a credit card can help you build your credit history. A good credit history is important to have as it is what helps you to secure loans in the future, including securing a mortgage. Although not needing to borrow any money is great, it does mean that you won’t have any credit history for lenders to decide if you are a reliable borrower. For this reason it is important that you build up a credit history in advance of needing it, so when you need some form of a loan lenders will be able to approve you.
If you want to use a credit card to improve your rating, you should use it little and often. This means only purchase lower price items often that you will be able to pay off at the end of the month. This is better for your credit rating than using it for big purchases you will not be able to pay off for a few months. Credit reference agencies also recommend keeping below a certain percentage of your credit limit to ensure you have the best impact upon your credit rating.
You should aim to pay back your credit in full each month to avoid interest. To make things easier, you can even set up a direct debit payment that will automatically pay off the full amount every month. It takes time to build up credit history, so the sooner you start the better.
Buy Securely
Using a credit card can help you to protect any important purchases you make. If you buy something online, for example, and it either doesn’t arrive or arrives damaged, then your credit company is also responsible for getting the money back, depending on the price of the purchase. This means that if something goes wrong in your purchase, you can let your credit provider know and they are responsible for getting the money back.
Anything between the price of £20-30,000 bought on your credit card is covered by the law. This means you can charge higher ticket items to your credit card and then paying it back once the item or service is delivered.
There are many in which having a credit card can be extremely beneficial. It is important to remember if you do get one to use it wisely and ensure you don’t end up in any financial strain! It can improve your credit history if used well, but can also harm it if not. Evidently you just have to look at the facts and decide if you think a credit card is right for you.
The photos in this post were taken so long ago, I don’t even remember when; probably sometime between my birthday and when we went on holiday, but I can’t be sure. So much has changed since then, it’s crazy. I feel like I’ve reached yet another turning point, and whilst it isn’t all plain sailing, I’m loving it.
Life: Life has been so chaotic since we got back from America. First there was the jet-lag (which was far worse than I could ever have predicted). Then we had busy weekends with family and friends, celebrating our engagement and attending a truly fabulous wedding. We’ve had a couple of more relaxed weekends recently, and I had a week off work which I used to re-charge, and I’m starting to learn it’s ok to rest as much as it is ok to be frantically busy all of the time. It’s ok to feel like you have no time to do anything, to fall behind on the housework and then be so exhausted all you can do is vegetate. I’ve learnt to accept that things can’t be perfect all of the time, and most importantly I am learning to deal with the anxiety that provokes.
Home life is fantastic, our little rented house feels like a proper home at last, and Pablo, Bob and I make a great little unit. Pablo continues to keep us on our toes, his most recent escapade being falling out of our bedroom window. Thankfully he suffered little more than a busted too which required a minor op, but he is the poster child for why pet insurance is crucial!
Wedding: Somehow we’ve been engaged for 10 weeks! I’m still in a slight state of disbelief- I never thought I’d find the person I truly can’t imagine my life without, but here I am, ring on my finger and totally clueless as to where to start! We’ve been asked loads when the wedding will be- a couple of years yet! We’re looking at Autumn 2021 to give us time to save and plan. I might sound stupid here, but I had no idea just how expensive weddings were! I knew they were costly but it seems everything is mega money and we really don’t want to get in to debt for our big day. We have a couple of venue ideas in mind, but that’s about it as far as plans go. Of course I’ve looked online at dresses and shoes and all of the super girly bits- egged on by one very excited mother of the bride! Bob and I have put together a rough guest list and over the coming weeks hopefully we’ll get a bit more of a solid plan in to place so we know just how much of our hard earned cash we need to stash away.
I’ll gladly welcome any and all wedding planning tips, I truly find the whole thing baffling!
Mental Health & Recovery: It wouldn’t be a sit down and ramble about life post without touching on my mental health and recovery. In short, things are great. I can’t remember a time in my adult life when I have every been happier, things have steadily been getting better since meeting Bob two and a half years ago, but recently things seem to have fallen in to place a little bit more.
Anorexia wise I am probably the most “normal” I have ever been since first becoming unwell at the age of 15. It’s been a 17 year uphill battle but finally I have hope that I can beat this for good. Recently I’ve been enjoying the things that many people will take for granted- eating lunch and snacks with colleagues rather than going to sit out in the rain, or going without because I couldn’t stand others seeing me eat. I have enjoyed fancy meals at lovely restaurants, and surprised Bob by suggesting meals or snacks that have previously been off the cards. When we first met there were about three dinners we rotated between…now we do have our regular favourites, but we have variety and normality in the cooking process; using oil, letting someone cook for me and serve up for me. Flexibility and freedom. There is still a way to go, kinks to iron out, challenges to embrace and that ever present last little bit of weight restoration (for long-term health and potential baby carrying). I still get stressed by food at times, cry over things that may seem trivial, but I am well and truly winning, helped along the way by some fantastic books around intuitive eating (please say if you’d like more on this as I could write a post).
In terms of general mental health things are looking good too. I had a bad week last week where my mood took a random dip and anxiety ruled, but I’ve bounced back and recovered. I’m working on reducing medications, find I can do more and more that previously would have been impossible- two lots of drinks with colleagues/friends in a week? No problem! Speaking my mind in a difficult situation? Why not!
I don’t know what prompted this post, but it’s been therapeutic to write it. I’ve been in a bit of a blogging slump lately but I’m starting to break free of it and hopefully can make this a place I am proud to call my own again.
High fives and a chocolate finger to anyone who made it this far! Until next time…
My life seems to be one big wish list at the moment, shopping is at an all time low as any spare money was either spent on our holiday, or is now being saved for Bob’s 30th Birthday and of course, our wedding. I’m totally ok with this though, I’m lucky enough that I get treated to things every now and again (thanks Mum and Bob!) and I certainly don’t have an empty wardrobe, so I’m quite content with a lot of browsing and sharing my favourite finds on this little piece of the internet.
I’m not sure I can pull of yellow, but this AngelEye midi dress is stunning. I’m obsessed with browsing this site, so much gorgeousness at pretty reasonable prices, this dress is £48 and would be perfect for the new season.Palava is a brand I found purely through social media and they have some of the most gorgeous dresses around. I instantly fell for the Beatrice walking zoo dress– I mean, how could you not?
Joy has featured on the blog many, many times before and I still absolutely love this shop, they have some of the best dresses around and most of my favourites come from there. Red is another colour I’m not sure I could pull off, but this Louche midi dress jumped out at me regardless.I think I can probably justify the purchase of this Happy Planet Planter* from New Look as it’s only £6.99. Fake plants are essential in our house due to Pablo’s tendency to eat everything he shouldn’t and this is just adorable!Another New Look find is this Pink Playsuit* . It might feel like Summer is almost over, but I think a pair of nude tights could see this last through September and I love this girly take on the utility trend.I really wanted this Oasis midi dress to wear to a wedding we went to a few weeks ago. I couldn’t justify buying anything new, but I’m still obsessing over these pink polkadots!
So there we have this week’s lust-list, I always say I want to make this a regular feature again and maybe now I’m feeling a bit less jaded about my blog I actually will stick to my word. Most of my browsing this last few days has been wedding related- would anyone be interested in some wedding themed wish lists? And what’s caught your eye lately?
We all like the place we call home – well, most of us do! We also agree that our homes could be improved upon quite significantly, right? Even if we think we have something of a palace, there are always things that can be done to improve it. Perfection doesn’t exist, and the times are always moving along, so work is never really finished.
A huge way people like to improve their home is by taking that dusty, old, redundant attic, and making good, productive use of it. Whenever we walk past a home that has had the loft converted, we tend to look at it and think ‘it would be nice to have one of those, huh?’ Not only are they a super convenient thing to have, but they also give you the opportunity to show off to the rest of the street!
Adding that third layer to the house is something I think we’d all like to be able to do. If you already have a loft conversion, or you live in a large house already, then you know just how awesome it is – those stuck with a traditional suburban home deserve to join the club, right?
Let’s say you’ve been thinking about it for a while. The loft has been out of use for ages – it just kinda sits there collecting cobwebs and creepy crawlies. You have things to do, and you could do with an area to get them done in. It makes sense to go through with something like this. What should you do, though? How do you even begin to go about something as significant as this?
Well, it’s not too difficult. Sure, it’s a big change to your home and, thus, to your life, but it shouldn’t cause you to stress and suffer too much. If you’d like a basic outline as to how you should be planning out this kind of transformation, then read on, and we’ll go through a bunch of stuff.
Consider Whether You’re Ready
Is this an impulsive move because you’ve seen others do it and want to join the crowd? If so, then perhaps it’s not the right time. It’s a great thing to have, of course, but you need to be a grown-up. Do you have the time, money, and even the permission for something like this? If the answer is a big yes, then fair enough. Anything other than complete certainty should mean a rethink.
Think What’s It’s Going To Be Used For
This is less stressful and more of a fun thing to do, really. The idea of having a converted loft is so that you can have an extra bedroom, an office, an art studio, or whatever you want. Figure out the point of it all. Again, like the last point, if you’re not ready, then back away for a little while.
Plan Out The Design Yourself First
You might not be an architect or a building surveyor, but you can still grab and pen and draw away to your heart’s content. The simple idea here is just to follow on from the last point. Once you figure out what you want from this conversion, then you can begin to draw up ideas. This may act as a catalyst for further changes around the house.
Calculate The Cost
Your bank account is going to take one heck of a hit with this move. It’s smart to figure out how much the entire operation is going to cost before you commit to anything. Obviously, planning things is the best way to get absolutely anything right, and your money shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Get The Funds
Once you’ve figured out how much it’s going to cost, it’s time to raise the money for it all. Now, if you’re smart, then you’ve probably saved up anyway. If you haven’t, then stop spending money! If you’re pretty much good to go, but still need a little more in a short space of time, then you can hit up places like Fast Loan UK and secure a short loan. Obviously, things like this should only be an option if you know you can get back to them.
Be Prepare For A Lot Of Work Afterwards!
When all is said and done, and those guys and girls have completed the job for you, they will probably be on their way to the next job they have lined up. It then up to you to pick up the pieces that they’ve left behind. It’s not their responsibility to clear up and then get on with the customizing! All they’ve done is lay the foundations for you; now it’s time for you to really turn this new room into something.
