Ohhh chicas, this is a li’l bit exciting, Dyan Sheldon author-girl of Confession of a Teenage Drama Queen and new book My Worst Best Friend has come to play in our world o’ pink - hurrah!
Hola! So, because of all this cold and crazy weather, I have spent a LOT of January under my brand-new goose feather duvet - it’s truly the most amazing puchase I’ve EVER made - reading books and chicas, do I have some book-shaped treats to share with you!
As you all know, I’m agony aunt for Mizz magazine, and as if a fortnightly magazine o’ fabulousness wasn’t enough, they’ve gone and published two fabulous books too Blush-o-meter and the Mizz Guide to Life. If you love Think Pink and Lola Love, then you’ll adore these… Blush-o-meter is a fantastic compilation of MIZZ readers’ cringeworthy moments, including school situations, lad laughs, beauty blushes, family funnies and other hilarious stories, while The Mizz Guide to Life is filled with everything you need to deal with the triumphs and traumas of being a girl in the world. Both are £4.99 each and available from Amazon.
Lauren Luke is an internet phenomenon. Her make-up tutorials, filmed in her bedroom in South Shields near Newcastle, have attracted a staggering 36 million hits on YouTube.
Growing up, Lauren had a tough time at school and began experimenting with makeup to fit in. And so began a lifelong love affair with cosmetics and the art of transformation. One day she decided to share her passion with friends online and became a sensation.
Everyone has bits they love about their face, and other parts they’d rather conceal, and Lauren will show you how to make the most of what you’ve got. Just like sitting down with your best friend for a makeover session, Lauren’s book is brimming with fresh ideas and packed with insider beauty tips and tricks of the trade. £6.79 from Amazon
My Worst Best Friend by Dyan Sheldon offers a warm, smart and very funny look at the friendship between two very different girls. Gracie and Savannah are best friends - despite being totally different. Savannah is beautiful, outrageous and irresistible to the opposite sex. Gracie is shy, smart and would rather be learning about lizards than meeting boys. Together they make a great if surprising team and it seems like nothing could come between them - but over a long summer Gracie begins to question Savannah’s reliance on lies and manipulation to get her own way and wonder whether her friend is quite as confident as she seems. When Gracie meets a boy she really likes, and Savannah comes between them, Gracie realizes that maybe it’s time she started thinking for herself.
The two friends may never be as close as they were but they’ve learned a great deal from each other. This is a witty and very funny story about friendship, keeping your own identity and moving on. £6.99 from Amazon
If you’re a Twilight fan - I’m Team Jacob btw - then you’ll LOVE Need by Carrie Jones.
Author Carrie has a way of creating kooky characters with strong voices that seem immediately familiar. Zara’s character is no exception, she’s been shipped off to Maine to stay with Grandma Betty in the middle of nowhere during a super-cold winter. According to her mother, Zara just hasn’t been herself since her step-father passed away, and all of this is apparently supposed to help.
Before Zara even has a chance to snap out of the depression, her attention is drawn elsewhere by a mystery surrounding a local boy’s disappearance. Oh, and then there’s the strange man who seems to be stalking Zara.
I LOVED it, I think you will too! £6.99
What books are you currently reading, gorgeous girls? Care to share?
I heart bombshell-inspired clothing, but being a curvy girl means that it’s not often I can indulge my inner 1950’s goddess girl.
Enter Vivien of Holloway. If you love the retro look, Vivien of Holloway is your go-to girl whatever your size. She has a real-life shop in London and a beyond pretty website that has a fabulous range of 40s and 50s inspired ensembles at very reasonable prices. Charlotte Church, Nigella Lawson, Alesha Dixon and Kate Nash are all fans of the full-skirted halter dress, and myself? Well, I just want it all! Come meet the lady behind the label…yep, you’ve guessed it, I’ve gone and got a girl crush.
So, when I was 12, it was the opening night of the school play and as I walked out on stage, I literally landed on my bee-hind in a pretty spectacularly embarrassing way.
What did I do, you ask? Did I cry? Run off? Hell to the no. I declared; “I have arrived!” and continued reciting my lines from the stage floor. The audience laughed, the pink in my cheeks slowly subsided and everyone clapped.
What’s this all about? Well, sometimes life throws us a curveball, an awkward sitch, a not nice scenario, and at the time, it can feel icksville, but believe it or not, it can be the beginning of something awesome. I got a phone call yesterday that threw me a little. I was upset, I felt a little freaked out and I wobbled. I then rang Miss Cathy who later messaged me and I think it’s the most awesome advice any of us can follow…
“…Miss Lisa is putting on shiny pink heels… stepping out into the snow… slowly, at first, and then adding a little wiggle… then whirling around, dancing… reaching out her fingertips to catch every snowflake, every sparkle, that comes her way… go for it!
xxx…”
No matter what life throws at you, make a quick save, hold your head up and before you know it, you’ll have flipped it into a moment to shine.
You know that I’m a HUGE fan of Miss Sarah at Temporary Secretary, and you really don’t need to ask why when she keeps creating cute, cute prodz like this ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ necklace, do you?
I’ve just ordered the pink one, natch, as a li’l reminder to myself to chill when my head gets messy and stressy! They’re £22.50 from www.temporary-secretary.com
‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ was a motivational poster produced by the British government in 1939 during the beginning of World War II, because, let me tell you, the grandparentals have got game. Seriously, where do you go to when you want really good advice? Tap into your grandma. Is she a fortune teller? Probably not, but Gran has lived a lot longer than you, and you can learn from her experiences. Pals are great, of course, but sometimes peer pressure can have bad results. Grandma knows all about respect and dignity. In fact, I bet you’ll be surprised by how much she knows!
Pic: http://penelopesoasis.blogspot.com
I love pampering myself, this is factuality, but if, like me, you’re all out of cash after the festive season, pay less and pamper yourself more with these easy home-made beauty recipes. Now, go get mixin’!
HUNGRY HAIR
What you need:
1 egg
1 tsp honey
1 tbsp olive oil
Directions:
Crack the egg into a bowl.
Add honey and mix with an electric beater for 10 seconds.
Pour in oil and blend for another 20 seconds.
Take the mixture with you into the shower.
Shampoo and condition as usual, then apply this super-conditioning concoction to your hair (keep it away from your eyes!)
Massage it in for about five minutes.
Rinse thoroughly with warm water - voila! Shiny, gorgeous tresses!
APPLE A-PEEL
What you need:
1 medium apple
5 tbsp honey
Directions:
Peel and finely grate apple.
Add honey and combine thoroughly.
Smooth over skin and let sit for 10 minutes before rinsing off with cool water.
FANCY FEET
What you need:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp oil (almond or olive)
juice from 1/2 lemon
Directions:
Mix ingredients in a bowl.
Get your feet slightly wet and rub the mixture briskly all over your feet and up to your ankles (it’s a bit messy, so make sure to do it over a tub or towel).
Rinse in warm water, then dry completely.
Ohhh, I can’t tell you how much I LOVE Miss Carla. It’s not that I don’t want to, I just literally haven’t got enough words to describe her fabulousity. I’ve never met her - although I really, really want to - yet we’ve been internet budz for over 5 years and now she’s gone and created my new favourite internet destination - Messy Carla: A Fashion Blog in A Size 16. Not only do both Carla and I get mistaken for Kimmie dolls on a daily basis, we both work our curves in a dangerous way - come meet her, you’ll fall in heart with her too!
