Summer; a tribute

I should probably acknowledge the fact that I've been away for a while, so, yeah, I've been away for a while.

*le done*

Finally September is here and I can breath an un-tanned sigh of relief. If you haven't already gathered, I'm not a summer lovin type, none the less, I feel I should pay it some kind of parting tribute as Autumn sets in. So, so as not to leave a gaping hole in the fabric of my blog, this summer I have...

1) Been trying not to get burnt; letting others bask in my, frankly, boarder-line albino glow. In the winter I can get away with it, it's okay to be pale then. It's just at this time of year I have to suffer the pitiful glances of those with functioning melanin.

Jeans-Internacionale//Shoes- Jack Wills// Shirt- H&M mens// Vest- H&M

2) Visiting museums, specifically my favorite subject- small things! Tiny 18th century King's Lynn.

3) Wineing and dining with my Mumma and my Grandmumma.

4) Making edible goods, in this case elderflower cordial, my god does it smell good!

5) Holidaying on my nails in the absence of an actual holiday. Actually I'd say most of my summer involved painting and drawing on (and indeed off) nails, lots.

6) And finally, messing around with my sister at the pub (fun), at home and out and about (we're versatile like that).

Would you believe me if I said neither of us had actually had anything to drink at that point.

So, that's all that's been missed in the last moth or so, the rest has been lost to that most heinous of blogger crimes; the forgotten camera.

Let's hope this is the beginning of my blatantly seasonal blogging tendency eh? ta ta for now!

Nail art by Sara Fisk

Greetings!

I return, again, with two types of good news. Firstly, thank you for all your kind messages to my last post; my granddad is now back at home, and is doing much better thankfully.

Secondly, as you may have guessed from the above picture, it's got something to do with nail art!

I'm happy to announce the creation of my new website sarafisknailart.blogspot.co.uk ! Dedicated to displaying my nail art and selling my hand painted false nails.

I'm also doing nails from my home, so if you are in the North Norfolk area, come get yer nails done!

For more info and pricing click here. Or, if you want to contact me to book an appointment, or have an idea you want realised on your own set of bespoke false nails click here.  

There's also currently a launch offer of 25% or more off!

Till we meet again folks!

I'm not a wizard, you know?

Some things I wore to go somewhere:
Pumps/tights/top- Primark // vest dress thingy and cardigan- H&M 

First attempt at trying to look like a grown up for a grown up job.

Parting of the ways.

A brief and pic filled post from a brief and time strapped girl;  unfortunately, the other day, my Grandad collapsed and is currently in hospital. So my time has been split between the hospital and my nanna's house. Ergo- forgive me if I'm a little sporadic and nonsensical in my posting (or more so than usual). Nonetheless, blogging and tweeting has become a nice little escapist distraction for the present.

Moving on.

In my last outfit post I believe I made a request for advice on how not to dress like a hobo for up coming interviews. After trawling round town, I believe I've found something rather suitable, a simple black shift and jacket. Your critical views are most welcome here, as I've not yet bought it due to it's one terrible, terrible down fall- the price. If I'm convinced via comments it's worth it, I'll disclose the dreaded sum!

Oh, and in incredibly dull news, I have taken to centre parting my fringe. I didn't really like it full, I had the feeling it made me look even more like a toddler than my meagre hight already accomplishes, all by it's self thankyouverymuch.

ta-tar for nar.

DIY: Caviar, fish egg, bubble, micro bead mani...

Whatever you want to call it.

OPI- Ginger bells with ascent bead nail 

Stuff paying £18 squid for them, I don't know about you but I could not bring my self to spend that!

The Ciate fiasco has undoubtedly done it's rounds by now, but the bead mani is definitely still in the throws of its fifteen minutes. Plus, those glinty* little, tactile spheres can be quite the welcome distraction when in the middle of an eye-glazingly* boring meeting or conversation! 

Anyway here's the who/what/where/when;

Stuff you'll need:

Polish colour of your choice

Clear top coat (optional)

Micro beads

2 Containers to pour beads to and from

The how:

1) Paint your nails with base coat (if you like), and with your first coat of colour, let it dry.

2) Concentrating on one nail at a time, paint on the second coat of colour. Hold your hand over a container, and whilst the polish is still wet, pour the micro beads over the nail, tilting the nail as you do so for full coverage.

3) Tap your finger to shed excess beads and very lightly press over the surface of the beads on the nail to set them in place, delicacy is a necessity here!

4) Repeat steps 2 and three on as many nails as you want beaded up.

5) Paint over the beads with top coat to seal, this is optional as some people think it takes away from the 3D effect, but personally I find it to be like an extremely 'thirsty' glitter in that one coat makes little difference, plus, I favour the longevity it lends too!

And there you go, le bead nails! simple but interesting, if even in a slightly bizarre way (a bit like me!).

I got these particular beads for £3.20 including p&p from here on Ebay. The beads I used were the rainbow mix but there are plenty of other individual colours to choose from.

Hope this has been a helpful 'how to', I'd love to know how you get on if you give them a go, so let me know in the comments if you find them faily or successful!

*Warning; this post may contain made up words.

Now for something totally related...

The mani to match the previous post.

Fruit fimo-Claire's accessories//BYS-glam glitter gold finger//Boots 17- go go
Beauty UK- neon orange//sinful colours- inocent

A paint job on my own mitts for once! and suitably rough around the edges too. I sponged on a yellow, green and orange gradient than then added on the fruit fimo slices to jazz it up a bit (as if the orange wasn't already making my eyes bleed). Having used just top coat to stick these on, I was opening doors via elbow for quite a few hours (I got quite dexterous in the end, ever made a cup of tea with your elbows?), so advice to you and my future self is; use glue, not elbows. Anyway, my threshold for mani boredom being what it is, I also chucked some holo glitter on there too. Personal verdict for this is a much over used 'meh', it's nice 'n' all but, to be perfectly self absorbed, it's not very 'me', and the neon-ness makes me look even more corpsy that usual!

The pains of being pale

Are maxi dresses still 'in'? Whether they are or not is fairly irrelevant to me in terms of wearing them myself, but in terms of general opinion, are they? At least those horrible gypsy skirts that were in about ten years ago aren't back yet *shudder* I await their return in fashions next 70's faze with a closed purse.

Anyhoo, here I am in one, a maxi dress that is, on one of those rare occasion I'm not being lazy (read as penny pinching) in my free time. 

Maxi dress- Primarni//Cardigan- H&M// flip flops- toff central aka Jack Wills

Gemma said I looked like a ginger Morticia Adams, so I did my best pose. *FAIL*

Tractor of proof, we are actually in the countryside.

Beautiful mumma, doing her best elegant pose. 

Oh the HAIR!!! *claws at screen*

OMG he totally stuck it through his head! *facepalm* Dad jokes eh!

One thing I will add to this post, I feel of the utmost importance, is what a giant pain in the arse it is to be pale at this time of year, I feel like a freaking vampire, cowering from the sun. I know nothing but fear for it's rays, would I perhaps like it for instance, if it didn't hold the threat of turning me into a giant lobster after a few minutes out side without factor 50+? And to my impatient and naturally tan-but-not-burnt friends, I would like to say; I'm not high maintenance, I just don't fancy turning into a human blister! And with that lovely mental image, I'll say goodbye.

The Great Return Post

Yes, it's one of those 'return' posts, complete with apologies and excuses. The truth? I'd love to be sorry, but I highly doubt I've put anyone out! also, my life has been full of boring life stuff; eating, doing the washing, going to work, paying for stuff I need but wish I didn't have to pay for, all that good stuff, totally un blog worthy. So what is that has roused me from the complacency of my everyday life, to post again?

Full Fringe.

 That's right I've had a hair cut, and if that's not worth writing about, well, put me in a top hat and call me Fred, because I'm going to go ahead and do just that. My opinion of it at the moment is...meh. I don't love it I don't hate it, it's just, meh.

Anyway here's some pictures of me posing in clothes you may, or may not be interested in.

Bag- Warehouse
Dress- New Look
Cardigan- H&M
Shoes (which you can hardly see)- New look
Necklace- Ebay

Another reason for my blog absence has been the ongoing application for a job I very want. In my opinion it's a bit posh and in a very smart environment, and amongst the millionty more important hurdles to jump in order to get it, clothes is one of them (I'd say it's towards the bottom of the list, but it's not!). I do not own smart clothes, the above is the best I can do with what I've got and even that is far too casual. So my problem, and question to youz reading is, where and what should I buy? I need something to wear to interview and then some 'things' to wear at work (should I be so lucky) BUT, and it's a big one, I am utterly skint. To put it in perspective; £15 for a dress is on the dear side in my opinion. So come ye forth thrifty folk, led me your skills, a poor person is in need of threads on the cheap!

More Jubilee nail art! Cath Kidston-esque...

I personally hate red, white and blue, (apologies patriots) it's just not me, so it was never going to make the cut for my own personal mani! So, after some thorough googling I came up with these. I got my main source of inspiration from Kokoro nails (she is a fantastic artist in her own right, definitely give it a look if you're a bit of a nail art freak like me!), with a bit of a Cath Kidston floral going on in there too. It's very satisfying to look at, I just hope it holds out over the bank holiday!

Jubilee nail art

Yeesh, I hate flash.

Desperately tried to think of something other than just union jacks. The buntings are a bit of a fail, but where all else are concerned, I'm marginally satisfied, particularly the crown. At least 'she' attached to the nails was happy with them, that's all that matters!

Happy Jubilee everyone, and since I know she's definitely reading*, congrats on 60 years of queening, Liz!

* Possibly, maybe, untrue.

Robin Moses inspired tropical nail art; First attempt with acrylics!

I finally, finally, bought some acrylics to paint with, and this is my first attempt!

Once again mumma mitten is my model (yay alliteration). For a first try I'm not displeased, but I'm eager to do better, it's the perfectionist in me, plus I'm in desperate need of a finer brush this one was just too big! Mahoosive thanks, and credit for inspiration and general awesome teaching skillz, to Robin Moses, without her I never would have even drempt I'd be capable of such intricate pieces, and she has reignited my passion for art which totally when flat after I left collage. So if by some chance she's ever reading this, thank you from the bottom of my heart, thanks to you drawing and painting makes me happy again. and maybe someday I'll be able to make a living from this, that is my dream.  

Here's the video tutorial I used as inspiration for the above nail art.

                                           

and here's some links for Robin Moses's Pinterest, Blog and Facebook.

Chain gang chic

Hair- actually my own for once!
Top- Laura Ashley, v old
Vest- H&M
Jeans- Peacocks
Shoes- So old the place they're from no longer exists!

Note: I have no recollection of the spasm which must have caused me to pose my leg in such an odd fashion, which it must have been, as what normal person stands that-a-way!

With regards to the outfit; I was aiming for mildly nautical, but what I got, I think ended up looking more 'Alcatraz escapee' all I needed was an ankle chain and lump hammer. Anyway the whence at which I was rocking the prisoner look was Houghton hall, the home of Britain's first PM- Robert Walpole (Which I totally did know about before reading it on a tourist information board...). Although I had an enjoyable time there, what I did find confusing, was the amount of Hirst-esque, ultra modern art they dump it the grounds of this place, whilst still beautiful in it's own way (depending on taste I suppose), is an 18th century, stately home really the place for it? Then again, perhaps it's just a peek at the depths at which the National Trust have to bow to in order to foot the bill of the constant and inevitable up keep of these properties and their land, if it is, I hope it gets no worse. In my mind it's equivalent to buying fish and chips from the local Chinese. I don't go there for 'English', I go for Chinese. 

Apologies for picture quality, taken with a camera quite possibly made two decades ago. Lets call it vintage.

I do enjoy tiny writing!