a sunny cornish day.

20/04/2013

Gwithian Downs/Dunes

Cornwall

I know, I'm boring but I bloody love Cornwall. And here is why...

Last Saturday, myself and the fam headed down to the nursing home where my grandmother lives. It was the most glorious sunny day down here and we made the most of it! Whilst my grand parents spent precious time together, myself, my sister, her fiance & their baby boy (my nephew Harry) walked up the path onto the sand dunes in Gwithian and what a sight we were met with! It truly is so beautiful there and the blue sky only made it better. Harry hasn't had much experience on sand but after a few cautious steps, he became quite the explorer.

Karly & Haribo at the top of the dune

Looking towards the sea, but the sun was in Harrys eyes!

Mummy, Daddy & baby <3

Beautiful photo

Sisters

Aunty Dani & Harry

What a beaut! I can only hope that, one day, Chris & I have children as precious as this one.

We all went out for lunch after and it was so lovely to spend so much time with my wonderful sister and her little boy. Family is so important, please don't forget that. I am now waiting for many more days like this, this summer. So come on Cornish weather, don't let me down!

Cornish Beauty.

phoenix gets a photoshoot.

My little baby, Phoenix is rather spoilt and is a renowned legend in our family. EVERYONE loves him. He is so sweet, gently and loving. Yet he's a staffy. Yes, that breed of dog that rips children apart, fights and loves to hurt and kill humans. Fuck off. That is all I have to say. I could argue this all day long but let me just say one thing. It's the owners, not the dog. If you bring up a child to bully, fight and kill then it will. This is the same principle for a dog. We've had Phoenix since he was six weeks old and we've bought him up how we see fit. The outcome is rather lovely.

Chris' step-dad, Neil bought round his fancy camera today (6/4/13) and the sun was shining whilst we were chilling in the garden.

He really is our baby!

Cornish Beauty.

(Ed note-this post is ever more poignant to me now after the sad news of Fleur (FleurDeForce) & Mikes doggy, Woof passed away yesterday. As a dog owner, I can only imagine the heartache)

a few cornish days #4

• Exploring the doggy walks around our new house
• Got my contact lenses back! 'Oh hello eyes!'
• Trip to Penzance on the train
• New walking boots
• A day out at Porthcurnick beach & The Hidden Hut. Beautiful.
• New summers drink? Fosters 'radler' YUM! Lager with cloudy lemonade.
• Homemade sausage,tomato,chickpea & bean casserole with mash
• New sofas have finally arrived!

Cornish Beauty.

lime & soda.

I've GOT to loose a lot of weight. It scares me, it makes me angry and to be quite honest it makes me want to crawl into a hole and not talk to anyone. But, this is the fact. Weight has be gone.

So in my aid of doing so, I'm trying to make it as 'easy' as possible so I don't feel like I'm really missing out on anything. I really like fizzy drinks so have cut right back, with the aim to stop. So my alternative is lime & soda. All pubs will serve this, it's low in calories and probably the cheapest drink you can get in a pub ( other than tap water!) I'm not a fan of fizzy water but with lime I can drink it. It's really refreshing actually :)

And at under a quid per glass, you can't go wrong can you?!

I'm hoping that all these blog posts are going to spur me on to keep going with my healthy eating/exercise. Ive been doing Jillian Michaels infamous 30 Day Shred and I'm thinking of taking up Slimming World again soon. Desperate times and all that!

Urggggg. Why can't I wave a magic wand and be a healthy weight?! :(

Cornish Beauty.

thinking of you, Boston.

Unless you've been loving under a rock over the last few days, you would have heard about the Boston bombings. Lat Monday, it was the infamous Boston marathon and two bombs went off near the finish line. This killed three people and left over 170 people injured. I was watching the breaking news as this happened and literally couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing. Like something our of a horror movie. The images that have since come out of Boston are heart-wrenching; people crying, blood everywhere, people with limbs that have been blown off. Seriously, what is the world coming to?!

It's now Friday, and it emerged early this morning that Boston police have two suspects and as it stands now, one suspect has been killed (along with an innocent policeman) and the second is 'at large'. This scared me to death and I can't imagine how the people in Watertown are feeling. They've all been told not to answer the door or leave their house. How petrifying. I just can't get me head around it.

I'm so hooked on this story that I'm at work, but we've gone to the pub and I've plonked myself in front of the TV just to see any updates as to whether they've found the guy or not.

Although, the good thing I come out of all this is the fact that there are so many decent, amazing people out here, heroes helping the injured at the marathon. There is hope, after all.

Cornish Beauty.

these boots were made for (dog) walking.

Spring has spring. Yep, that's right, over the past couple of weeks the sun has been out! Hallelujah!! It's been a longtime coming and I'm so glad it's slightly warmer now, even more so when the sun is shining.

I really am one of those people that responds really well to sunshine. I feel more pro-active, want to get up earlier & want to get out in the fresh air and make the most of my life, without wasting a second.

Since we moved house, Chris & I have been exploring our local area a little more to see what is on our doorstep. We live in mid cornwall, near the beautiful Roseland Peninsula. And it really is stunning. However, since going on these little adventures I've noticed I'm not particularly well kitted out or being a walker and my little feet have been suffering (not to self-converse do not make good walking shoes. Ouuuuch!). And I love walking, for a start-I've got to do it as I've got a dog. And I really enjoying finding new places to go band finally the feeling of freedom and fresh air really is therapeutic.

Whilst out in Penzance the other day, I popped into Mountain Warehouse. Not the most fashionable of shops but very useful. I found myself a pair of chunky, waterproof hiking boots. Perfect! Solid, supportive and does the job perfectly (I tried them out on a mega walk yesterday and yep....they're good!

These were on sale for £39.99 from £79.99. What a steal! I'm really glad I've invested in these and think ill get a lot of use out of these, whilst exploring the Cornish coastline this summer :).

Cornish Beauty.

my skin #2

So, a quick little update on the new 'my skin' series I've started.

I went along to my GP Surgery yesterday and saw a doctor (who I'm usually not too keen on as he's previously hurried me on my way when actually I had a condition!) about my skin. I just explained that my skin had changed a lot in the past year and I now have acne,something I've never had before. He suspects it is connected to another health issue I have and that it will, one day hopefully sort it self out but for now he offered me antibiotics. I was not expecting this, as I said previously I was expecting Once Daily Duac Gel. Instead he offered me oral antibiotics or topical. I opted for topical, for a few reasons but mainly because I actually feel like I am doing something, applying to the problem area rather than swallowing a tablet.

The new treatment I have is Zineryt Solution. A liquid antibiotic containing eurythromycin and zinc. It comes in a large box (see pic) and you mix the powder and solution together and apply a 'dabber' to the bottle. This is to be applied twice a day on clean skin. This will be easy for me as it means ill wash my face am & pm then apply it. Make up can still be worn, just once the solution has dried on the face. This treatment takes weeks to months to see visible improvement and can be used long term. 10-12 months in most cases so I have it on a repeat prescription which is good (although not impressed with the recent prescription price rise-£7.85 per item WHAT?!?!)

So generally, I'm really happy that I have been taken seriously and something has been done. Ill keep updating on here although it won't be too often as I'm no expecting miraculous results anytime soon ;)

Cornish Beauty.

my skin.

Now, I'm not being big headed but when I was younger I had beautiful skin. Porcelain, pale and clear as the sky. I very rarely got any spots or blemishes and it was very smooth looking. No red patches and no discoloration. Even throughout puberty, my skin stayed lovely, allowing me to only require minimal makeup but also feel completely at ease wearing none.


As I got older, I got more into make up and therefore started wearing more. I never had much of a skin care routine but never failed to take my make up off by night-that was my one golden rule.

As far as I can remember I used to use concealer/blush/mascara and eyeliner. That was IT! I occasionally used foundation (but didn't like the feeling) and i member always using Rimmels Recover foundation in 'Ivory'. I repurchased this so many times; it was cheap, perfect shade match for my skin, felt nice & dewy finish. What more could you ask for?!

I must also add that up until the age of 22 I was on contraception that typically helps with skin and acne. Ie Microgynon pill, implant etc once I stopped these, things changed.

I came off the pill as I wanted my body to be completely natural for a while as I'd been on it since the age of 12 (10 years) and it is recommended that women give their body a rest from these fake hormones after 10 years or so. As soon as I stopped the pill I noticed a huge change in my skin. It was getting greasier and more blemishes appearing.

It's not bothered my too much until recently. I've suddenly had enough and it's making me really down. I've always had nice skin and for someone who loves looking nice and make up and beauty eye, it's quite devastating. Right now I have Los of blemishes, spots and red patches all over my chin, lips and forehead. My skin feels 'bumpy' and uneven, make up does not stay on or feel nice at all and it's just sliding off instantly cause my fave is so greasy. I'm really not a happy bunny.

Right now I'm at work and in public with no makeup on. This NEVER happens. Die to anxiety and general preference, I hardly ever go out without makeup on. It's making me feel so ugly and discussing. Chris has even noticed how bad my skin is and has mentioned it to me a few times. Come on, it must be bad if a bloke notices! I'm gonna try a few days make up free just to give my skin a break, anyway as soon as I put make up on its sliding and coming off and looks awful anyway. I just feel so self conscious! Ha below are some photos of my make up free (bar a tiny bit of eyeliner). I'm going to the doctors in the next week to beg them for something (Duac gel?) as I've tried everything in the beauty line to help my skin. I know it's hormonal but I can't go on like this-it's making me miserable!!!

This will be my skin journal and ill keep you updated with what happens.

Cornish Beauty.

stop smoking | update #9

This is my 9th update on my smoking cessation journey, and I can't believe it but it's been 6 months!

6 MONTHS

26 WEEKS

183 DAYS

That, my friends is definately something to be proud of. I can still remember the day I gave up, I was about 6 weeks into my Champix treatment and I woke up one morning and there was no cigarettes in the house and i thought "Oh well, I'll not have one and see how I go." Turns out, I could go over six months without so much of a puff. That's right, not even one little tiny drag of a fag.

I DO feel better for it...nicer breath, no tight chest, exercise is easier and I just feel rather free and liberated at the fact that I do not plan my life around having a cigarette. Tis may sound dramatic, but if you're a smoker, you will understand this. You literally plan your day around when you can have a fag and what places you can smoke etc. Crazy, but true.

The biggest achievement is that (according to me NHS Smokefree app) I have saved £1127.00. That alone, is enough to stop me from going back. People have been very supportive and the frequently ask if it was hard to give up. The absolute truth is, NO. I was totally ready to give up, i was in the right frame of mind and more than anything, i wanted to give up. So I did (and this is coming from someone with zero willpower) The only downside to this journey is that I have put on weight. I'm not sure how much but at a guess I'd say 10-14 lbs. I am obviously very upset and cross at myself at this but the truth is, it's so difficult not to out on weight whilst giving up smoking. This is my next challenge.

Cornish Beauty.

papas 83rd birthday.

This day could have gone one of to ways: amazing or utterly gutting. Fortunately it turned out to be amazing! It was the first time Nanny had come out of her nursing home for a family mean and we were worried that it would be too overwhelming for her and she wouldn't make it. But she didn't let us down and we had a brilliant time! My Papa was born 24/03/1930 and I think he really did enjoy his 83rd birthday. Myself, Nanny, Papa, Tom, Karly & Harry went to The Portreath Arms for a lovely roast and some family time. My papa was very emotional as he was so happy that his beloved wife spent the day with him. It truly was magical.

Nanny & Papa

Karly

Myself & Karly

Harry

Harry & Aunty Dani

The food was yummy, the company was even better (apart from the fact that my Chrissy was tucked up in bed with a horrid cold!) and I'm so grateful for the wonderful day we had together.

Family is precious, don't waste a moment & look after each other.

Cornish Beauty.

a few cornish days #3

These photos sum up the past few days of my life. Here are a some words that do the same.....
Sick
Roast
New house
Moving
Phil in the garden
Tissues
Tulips
Poorly
New view
Snot
Shabby shic
Sick
Sister
Papas birthday

And I have lived in my pjs for the past 4 days due to this plague. Yep, you guessed it. I've work no bra for 4 days. My breasts have now lowered 2 inches. Lush.

Cornish Beauty.