Dressing Table Delights

This Summer I decided it was time to overhaul my bedroom; I said goodbye to the headache-inducing duck-egg blue walls and the shelves made out of Ikea plywood scraps. In their place is sleek oak furniture, calming off-white walls and a LOT of trinkets. Most of these trinkets have landed on my dressing table - a beautiful wooden trunk bought from a local reclamation yard (apparently my haggling skills aren't as good as I thought they were because the vendor refused to throw in a hand-shaped jewellery stand with it). This little corner is without a doubt my favourite part of my new room; filled with treasures that have been gifted to me, made for me or passed down through the generations, these are a few of my favourite things...

May Favourites 2014

It seems a little unbelievable to me that June has rolled around already. For the last four years of my life, May has meant revision, exams, deadlines, stress and a fair few tears; it's been pretty blissful not having those worries this year and being able to spend the occasional sunny days sitting in pub gardens and the drizzly ones snuggling under the duvet. It also means that I have no excuse to be slack on the blogging front, so here we go with another set of monthly favourites...

Home-spiration

Lately I've found myself lusting after homeware as opposed to fashion and beauty products; take me to the garden centre over Topshop any day! I've got a burning desire inside me to buy a flat and fill it up with gorgeous lamps, beautifully scented candles and cute baking accessories. Of course, that's a little unrealistic financially, so I'm looking towards September when I'll be moving in to university halls and have a complete blank canvas of a room to jazz up.

I am madly in love with this Mathieu Challieres bird cage lamp, it would be the perfect statement piece for an otherwise simply decorated room (unfortunately the price tag makes quite a statement, as well!). I've also followed the crowd and got really in to glass jars lately, they're so simplistic and create a slightly rustic feel, they're also convenient as you can store pretty much anything in them; sugar, tea, milk, cereal, pebbles...

I'm also a stickler for any classic brands, such as Cath Kidston and Emma Bridgewater; their pieces are so recognisable and make everyone feel at home. Kooky wall art is also a must for me, witty slogans and classic posters add a lot of character to a room.

1. Mathieu Challieres Bird Cage Table Lamp - Liberty, £395 // 2. Large Jar Candle in "Fresh Cut Roses" - Yankee Candle, £19.99 // 3. Small Jar Candle in "Mango Peach Salsa" - Yankee Candle, £7.99 // 4. Glass Milk Bottle - Debenhams, £3 // 5. "Lotus Smoke" Cocktail Glass - Debenhams, £6.75 // 6. Genevieve Side Table - Urban Outfitters, £100 // 7. Teal 12-Piece Dinner Set - Next, £40 // 8. Bird 3 Tier Cake Stand - Cath Kidston, £20 // 9. Retro Coffee Canvas Wall Art - ASDA, £8 // 10. Spider-Man Canvas Print - Disney Store, £14.99 // 11. Glass Jar with Cork Lid - John Lewis, £4 // 12. Neon Orange Wire Candle Holder - Oliver Bonas, £16 // 13. Little Bird Salt and Pepper Pots - Next, £5 // 14. Newgate Covent Garden Alarm Clock - John Lewis, £12 // 15. Emma Bridgewater Polka Dot Biscuit Jar - John Lewis, £39.95.

Has this inspired you to update your home decor?
KJ xo

April Favourites

This year May has arrived so abruptly that it's almost rude; I wasn't quite done with April and before I knew it, May was just staring me right in the face. However, the passing of another thirty days brings with it another monthly favourites post, and this month's pretty much consists of a conglomeration of girly fabulousness.

100 Followers Giveaway

When I reached 100 followers, I decided to celebrate by hosting my first giveaway. I pondered what to have as a prize, and eventually came to the conclusion that a handful of Barry M nail varnishes would do nicely seeing as we all have a communal love for them. 

100 Followers/URL Change

First of all I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has followed me as I've just passed 100 followers on Bloglovin, which may not seem like a huge milestone to some, but for me it's extremely exciting! When I set up my blog I couldn't imagine how I'd even gain 10 readers and now there's 100 of you, which is crazy to me and also makes me excited for expanding my blog further and hopefully reaching more milestones in the future. I'd particularly like to say thank you to Jes from NaturallyJes for always leaving lovely comments and feedback on my posts!

I decided that when I reached 100 followers I would do some sort of giveaway, so I'll be going ahead with that sometime next week; make sure to keep your eyes peeled! 

When I started my blog I chose the URL www.kathjam.blogspot.com as I've spent my whole life watching people struggle to spell my full name, and wanted my URL to be easy to remember and spell. However, lately I've found myself wanting to change it as I don't think "kathjam" is as catchy or memorable as I would like. Seeing as the tagline for my blog is "A girl blogging about a little bit of everything", I'm hoping to change my URL to www.agirlbloggingabout.blogspot.com . I'll hopefully be doing this next week as well, it's just a bit more of a complicated process than I thought, and I want to ensure that the URL really fits my blog as I don't want to have to change it again (hopefully it will still be available when I come to change it!).

So, thank you for following and all your lovely comments; I will keep you updated as to when I'm doing the giveaway and when/what I am chaging my URL to!

KJ xo

Birthday Wishlist

As I've spent the whole day in bed wallowing in self pity due to the fact I've contracted the flu, I decided that the only thing that could cheer me up would be a spot of online shopping. However, I simultaneously realised that everything I want it rather expensive and my birthday is just round the corner, and decided it would be more productive to make a birthday list.  

Slowly but surely, Converse have become the only shoes that I wear and I've been wanting a new pair to add to my collection for a while. As soon as I laid eyes on this sequinned pair, I knew that we were going to end up together; love at first sight, if you will. At the other end of the spectrum, I do want a pair of smarter shoes because I do occasionally venture to places where Converse aren't appropriate. These tassled loafers from Topshop are perfect for smartening up dresses and jeans!

I may have naturally curly hair, but I often crave smoother, more even curls because the dragged-backwards-through-a-hedge look doesn't always work for me. This Babyliss wand has a nice thick barrel, perfect for creating loose curls and waves!

Seeing as I'm turning 19, I think it's about time I owned a proper bag. You know, not a rucksack or a Primark handbag. Zara has the best bags, and I'd happily carry my junk around in any one of them, but this bowler bag is practical, sophisticated and the perfect size for day to day use. 

I'm on a mission to own all of my favourite TV shows on DVD, and having culminated a nice collection of Gossip Girl DVDs, it's time to move on to the second best show on the planet; Pretty Little Liars. 

I've always struggled to find a mascara that leaves my lashes looking long and lustrous, and have come to the conclusion that maybe a slightly more expensive product would do the job. These Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent ones have rave reviews! I'd also like another Chanel polish to add to the collection, and "Holiday" is the perfect shade for summer.

Last but not least, macarons. I only know of two bakery's in Bristol that sell them, but have scoured the internet and found a couple of reasonably priced websites that do home delivery! Of course, it would be preferable to receive a trip to Paris for my birthday and buy my own from Ladurée... A girl can dream, huh?

1. Converse All Star Multi Sequin - Office, £59.99 // 2. Laverne Tassle Loafers - Topshop, £32 // 3. Babyliss Boutique Loose Waves Curling Tong - Tesco, £19.50 // 4. Bowling Bag - Zara, £19.99// 5. Pretty Little Liars DVD box-set - Amazon, £29.95 // 6. Sublime De Chanel Infinite Length and Curl Mascara - Boots, £24 // 7. Yves Saint Laurent Babydoll Mascara - Boots, £24.50 // 8. Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in "Holiday" - Boots, £17.50 // 9. Macarons (Box of 6) - Bettys, £8.

KJ xo

March Favourites 2014

This month I've discovered some new beauty products (and re-discovered some old ones!), and so decided to do a little "favourites" post. I'm not exactly an old hand at these types of posts, so you'll have to bear with me as I'm yet to learn about "favourites" posts etiquette.  

First up is Rimmel's Match Perfection Illuminating Concealer (Boots, £5.99). Before now, I'd been using Rimmel's Wake Me Up Concealer, but I've found this one blends in to my skin a lot easier and gives a much dewier, even finish. If you're looking for a new concealer, I would definitely recommend the Match Perfection range over the Wake Me Up range, as the products give my skin a really healthy glow.

February Food Favourites

Since the start of the new year, I have had a bit of a lifestyle change; I go to the gym 4-5 times a week and I've completely changed my diet. Now, don't get me wrong, I still love burgers and crisps and all things sweet (as is evident from some of my recent posts), but for the most part I'm making healthier and more wholesome choices.

I've been experimenting with lots of new foods and have now got a ton of new favourites! Anyone who knows me will know that this is a massive step for me, as I was about 16 when I tried my first carrot (and promptly spat it back out). So, I wanted to share some of my new favourite foods with you partially because I just love food and also to give you some ideas for new snacks. For the sake of alliteration, let's pretend this is a slightly belated post that I intended to put up at the end of February! 

I fell in love with Yeo Valley yoghurt at Glastonbury in 2011, where they had their own stall set up from which they sold frozen 450g tubs for £1 each. Given that England was basking in one of the sweatiest heat waves I have ever experienced at the time, this cheap treat was an absolute God-send. I probably go through a tub of this every 2-3 days, dishing it up with grapes, strawberries, blueberries and banana. It's the perfect way to wake me up in the morning, and means I've had 4 of my 5-a-day before I've even got out of bed!

 Yeo Valley Strawberry Yoghurt - £1.60

A Box of Memories

I finally got around to painting my memory box this week, which gave me the chance to rifle through all of the things I've saved over the years. If I had it my way, I'd keep every card I was ever given, every train ticket I ever bought and every essay I ever wrote. However that would be insane and I'd probably end up on one of those shows about hoarders. Therefore my memory box is filled with an array of things that represent happy memories, or achievements... Unfortunately that means the card I received from that family friend that I've never met on my 14th birthday didn't quite make the cut.

Taking a trip down memory lane made me feel all warm and fuzzy and so I thought it would be nice to share a few of the less personal items from my box, in the hopes that it would encourage you all to dig up some of your own memorabilia... Or just leave you thinking that I'm a bit strange. You know, whatever.