Big kid with a passion for being creative? Look no further...

After being given a £100 Amazon voucher earlier this year, I had a bit of a crazy moment and for some bizarre reason, wasted it all on things that wouldn't be out of place in a ten year olds bedroom. For example, a lifetime supply of Fun Snaps, Lego Creationary and the focus of this post, a Wreck This Journal.

Wreck This Journal is a book created by Keri Smith. The book is kind of like an activity book, in that there are instructions on each page and you are meant to interpret the instructions in whatever creative way you wish. When I first came across this on Amazon, I decided to search for it in YouTube to get an idea of some of the instructions and how people had interpreted them and was pleased to find videos of people flicking through their own completed books. After I'd seen some of the cool things people had done on each page, I decided to forget about the fact that I'm actually 21 and not 10 and buy one.

When it arrived I felt like a kid at Christmas and was glued to it for about a week, where I just sat in the corner of the living room surrounded by pens, pencils, paints, PVA, and random things I had collected around the flat. Two of my flatmates study arty, creative subjects at uni and are always sat painting or drawing and I get incredibly jealous that my course only allows me to write essays and not do anything quite as Art Attack-esque. So for this reason, I was super excited to do this journal because it meant I could finally join in! (And it gave me something else to procrastinate with, when I was meant to be doing assignments...)

I've had my Wreck This Journal for a few months and have finished a few pages in it but there are still many left to do. However, I thought I would share some of my pages and talk about the journal on my blog because personally, I don't think enough people know about this book and I would've loved something like this as a kid.

So here are a few of the pages I've done, and please bare in mind, I cannot draw to save my life and to be honest, had I given the book to my 6 year old sister, she probably would've done a better job, but I've had a blast doing it so I don't care!

I cant wait until its finished and I can do this bit!

After seeing how excited I was about my journal, my flatmates also went on to buy similar books from Keri Smith's range such as Mess: The Manual of Accidents and Mistakes and The Pocket Scavenger. I also bought another of her books entitled This Is Not A Book, which is similar to Wreck This Journal but with a different spin.

Page from This Is Not A Book

These books are a great gift idea for any creative child, or anyone who is a big kid at heart like me. They would also be a great activity for the summer holidays, when struggling to find things to occupy them, and will be fun to look at in years to come. Wreck This Journal and all the other books I have mentioned are available on Amazon for less than £10 each, so grab a bargain and have some fun with it!

Recent Cosmetics Haul and Review! Barry M, Rimmel, Revlon & Lime Crime

I've been somewhat AWOL for the last couple of months in terms of blogging. This is down to a number of reasons such as university assignments, my job, enjoying time with friends and a simple lack of anything interesting to write about!

However, once again its Summer, which means my flatmates have deserted me for a few months and in between working and spending time with my boyfriend, I find myself EXTREMELY bored. Therefore, I have vowed to try and keep up with this and write a few blogs over the next few weeks/months. At least then I will have spent my time off doing something slightly productive and also when I go back to uni in September, I won't be a complete writing spazz because I haven't entertained a keyboard in months.

So here goes!

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Small Cosmetics Haul and Review:

Me and Boots haven't been the best of friends lately as I stupidly lost my Advantage Card a few months ago and therefore stopped going in on a daily basis (probably for the best!). However, I have been in on a few occasions accompanying friends and instead of walking out with a basket-full of cosmetics each time, I have just bought the odd item here and there, so I thought I would start my new blogging lease of life with a review of the products I've purchased!

The few cosmetics I have recently purchased

First up - nail polishes:

The first polish I bought was Rimmel Lasting Finish in 700 (Block Your Green). It is a vibrant greeny blue colour, perfect for Summer nails, and as part of Rimmel's Lasting Finish collection, it glides on easy enough and takes no more than two coats to achieve a good, solid colour coating. The picture below doesn't really do the colour justice (I really need to invest in a camera!), it isn't as teal as the image makes out. It is impossible to capture the exact colour but it has more of a green undertone and just screams Summertime.

Rimmel Lasting Finish in 700 (Block Your Green)

The nail polish is a great consistency and goes on your nails in the exact same colour you see in the bottle (unlike many!). As a lover of black and red nails, it is unusual for me to wear bright colourful shades but this is one that I definitely don't mind wearing. However if I had to say one bad thing about this particular polish, it would be that it is a nightmare for staining, so you really need a base coat underneath. I was channeling The Hulk for a few days after removing the polish, as it stained the tops of my fingers really bad and wouldn't come out of my nails for a while either. All in all a great purchase at the measly price of £2.99, and I will continue to wear it over the Summer months regardless!

The second polish I purchased has fast become my absolute favourite. I was already smitten with Barry M's Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paints, as you can tell from my earlier posts, but after buying another in the shade Blood

Orange, I am truly, madly in love.

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint in Blood Orange

Even though the name suggests it is an orange shade, it is actually a really vampish deep but bright red. And I adore the colour so much, it is now my go-to red nail polish. Like all the other Gelly Hi-Shine polishes, this is good to go in two coats and I personally don't even bother with a base or top coat as it doesn't stain and the finish you get with these polishes is phenomenally shiny. I can see this polish being used up very soon and I will most definitely be re-purchasing it, as they are only £3.99 yet leave you with a perfect salon finish.

Onto the lipsticks:

As well as nail varnishes, I have recently become a bit obsessed with lipsticks too. The first two I picked up were from the new Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Suede range. I bought two shades, Backstage and Trendsetter.

Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Suede - L: Backstage, R: Trendsetter

Backstage is very much my colour, as I am really into dark lipsticks and this is a mahogany/plum shade. Trendsetter on the otherhand is quite girly for me, as it is a red shade with pinkish undertones, however I also really like this shade on myself. 

Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Suede swatched on the back of my hand, L: Trendsetter, R: Backstage

As someone who accidently rubs off her lipstick all the time, I actually found that both lipsticks stayed on for quite a long time, even in the sun and whilst eating and drinking. Not only this but they were quite moisturising, and had a nice feel, in that they weren't too dry or too wet but you could tell that they were still on your lips, which is good for me, because it indicates whether or not I need to reapply. Which in this case I didn't. I got both these products when they very first burst into Boots and I think (but I could be wrong) that they were on offer for £6.99 but recently are around £8, which is a little pricey for a lipstick but I personally love them and think its worth it.

Last but not least, I watched a few Youtube videos about the Lime Crime Velvetines lip glosses and was intrigued to try one of them out for myself. I purchased Lime Crime Velvetines in Red Velvet from an online seller, as I think it is an American brand (?), for around £15, which is a lot, but I felt the need to invest.

Lime Crime Velvetines in Red Velvet

Before even opening the product, I fell in love with the packaging, because it was so girly and pretty, so major kudos for that one, Lime Crime. Now, I'm not a fan of lip glosses as they tend to be a bit girly for me and I don't like the stickiness of them, however this one is extremely different to any other. The promise of Lime Crime Velvetines is that while they are technically a lip gloss as they come in the form of a wand and are shiny and extremely pigmented, once they have actually dried to your lips, they are completely matte.

Has all the traits of a lip gloss but actually dry on completely matte

I had been trying to find a specific deep vivid red for quite some time in Boots and Superdrug but can never come across one that suits my skin tone, so thats why, I opted to try out this offering from Lime Crime.

Beautiful red shade

I love the colour, it is exactly what I'd been looking for, however I personally couldn't get to grips with the consistency and application of this product. Because initially it goes on very shiny and extremely pigmented, you have to take great care applying it, and for someone with really small lips, this proved quite a task and it didn't suit me personally at all, which is a massive shame. If you have fuller lips and don't have any difficulty applying lipsticks/glosses with care then this would probably be a great investment, however if you're like me, unfortunately this one can afford to be overlooked.

And there you have it, my recent cosmetics purchases.

I did not expect this to be so long, but I hope I have given any cosmetics lovers out there a fair and decent review of each product.

I have also just finished uploading a few bits and bats to ebay (everything from games, dvds to clothes) so take a look at my items and see if anything takes your fancy: ebay: terri-leigh123

And I hereby pledge to do some more posts in the coming weeks and not leave my blog unattended for too long this time!

Adios! :)

DIY: Dip dye customised shorts

What you will need:
- Pair of shorts (they don't have to be a specific brand/type, mine are simply Papaya from Matalan and cost me about £4 from Ebay)
- Fabric Dye in 2 different colours (I used Dylon, but other brands would be fine too)
- A bowl to dye the fabric in (I used my flatmates, which was just a washing up bowl that she bought specifically for dying in)
- Warm water (packet said 500ml, but I just improvised)
- Salt

To begin with, make sure your shorts are quite damp and then decide what colour you want to do on the bottom, as I did the bottom first. I decided to use this one:

Dylon Burlesque Red - £2.99 - sold in most fabric stores

I filled my bowl up just under half way with warm water, like I stated earlier, the packet says to use 500ml but I'm not one for following instructions so I just judged it myself. Add about a tablespoon of salt (this is supposedly to make the colour stick to the fabric better) and then sprinkle in some of the dye. Just enough so that the water turns a deep colour, then stir for a good 10 minutes. 

Once the concoction is mixed and of a rich colour, decide how far up you want the colour to go and simply dip in your shorts up to that point. Keep your shorts dipped in the dye for about 20 minutes/half an hour, if you don't want to stand there for that long then somehow lean the shorts over the bowl so that they won't drop in and then you can go about your normal business until they are ready.

After that time, take out your shorts and rinse with cold water until they water begins to go clear. This took me some time, I would recommend rinsing for about 10 minutes at least. After this, wring them out a bit so they aren't dripping wet. At this point you need to either dispose of the dye you've used or store it in a bottle or tub if you intend to use it again, but I wouldn't personally store it for a long time.

You then need to wash out your bowl and repeat the first process but this time with your second colour (the colour you want the top of the shorts to be). I used this one:

Dylon Velvet Black - £2.99

Decide how far you want the colour to go and then dip in your shorts, top first so that the already dyed part is out of the liquid. Again, leave them for a good 20/30 minutes and then repeat the rinsing process.

Once this is done, you will need to leave them to dry. I left mine overnight, however be sure to check them from time to time as mine burnt slightly in some places. I found that it added to the effect of my shorts but this might not be the look you desire so make sure you keep your eye on them. Bear in mind that the shorts will be slightly brighter when dry so the look you get straight after dying might not necessarily be the end result.

When my shorts were dry, I customised them further by adding studs. You can add these in whatever design you wish, I just improvised again. I bought my studs from here. Mine are 10mm Gunmetal studs:

I added these around the pockets and sides of the front of the shorts and put 3 on the back pockets too. You simply just push the spikes of the stud through the desired spot and fold over the spikes at the back to add them to your shorts.

I would advise hand washing, at least for the first few washes, to be sure that the colours don't run. Studs also tend to be quite temperamental in the wash to so its better to just wash them in the sink anyway.

But there you have it, your own customised shorts. These babies are going like wildfire on Ebay at the minute, along with other DIY items, so bear that in mind if you have the equipment lying about and are in need of a few extra pennies coming up to Christmas!

Frank Turner: O2 Academy Leeds, 12/11/2012

Frank Turner is a man of many talents. Once a member of hardcore punk band Million Dead, Frank successfully made the transition from one genre to another, both at opposite ends of the music spectrum.While his roots are still obvious, through his lyrics and the atmosphere/energy of his performances, he now sits comfortably at the folk/acoustic end of this 'spectrum'. With his trusty backing band, The Sleeping Souls, Frank embarked on a tour of the UK at the beginning of November, and on the 12th, this tour ascended on the O2 Academy, Leeds:

Support came from Jim Lockey & The Solemn Sun and Tim Barry. The first of which, weren't particularly my cup of tea but they went down well and seemed to warm the crowd up considerably while people took their places ready for the headline act. Tim Barry on the other hand was mesmerising. I had never heard of him before the gig, but was pleasantly surprised after hearing his set. Much like Frank, Tim was once the front-man of a punk band, and now tries his hand at more folksy-acoustic music. Also like Frank, he does this extremely well. His songs are humorous and stimulating, especially Dog Bumped, which was a personal highlight for me.

The academy didn't take long to fill up, and a quick scan around the room made it evident that Frank Turner appeals to a large range of people. From teenagers to the middle aged, everyone was ready and in good spirits....some more than others! When Frank appeared on stage, the reception was epic. I Am Disappeared, was the opener and a great way to kick start the gig. The faces of people in the crowd beamed as the devoted fans yelled every lyric back to Frank with the same enthusiasm he delivered to them. I have to admit, I'm not the most devoted fan by any means, but one of the things I love about the songs of Frank Turner is that, you can listen to one that you've never heard and a minute in, you've grasped the chant-like chorus and its suddenly your favourite song. A highlight for me was The Road. One of my favourite songs anyway, but as its a song about being on tour and feeling free, hearing it played live on his tour, really put it into perspective.

Another thing I adore about Frank is that some of his songs are extremely relaxing and light-hearted, while others are edgy and fast-paced - but no matter the pace or point of his songs, every single one is uplifting and motivational. One that particularly emphasises this is Reasons Not To Be An Idiot. The energy throughout this song from both Frank, The Sleeping Souls and the fans was second to none. Turner has an inspiring ability to bring a whole venue of complete strangers together in unity. Though the crowd are alien to one another, a glance around during one of Frank's choruses just shows that they are all united in their love for such a talented artist.

Frank premiered a new song later on in the main set - Anymore - a simple song, just him, his guitar and some emotional yet beautiful lyrics. Being the big softy I am, this song moved me to tears and was actually the most memorable part of the gig for me. A prime example of what an amazing songwriter Frank really is.

I Still Believe marked the end of the main set, before Frank and the band returned for my favourite song, If Ever I Stray, which got a brilliant reception. A real crowd pleaser, due to its chant-like chorus and catchy lyrics, the fans lapped it up. Frank played fan-favourite Photosynthesis, before a brilliant finishing performance of Dan's Song. In which he took to crowd surfing, and subsequently disappeared for 5 minutes amongst the fans while they basked in his company. He finally returned to stage somewhat dishevelled and missing a shoe, but still smiling and thankful for the loyalty and adoration of his fans.

Overall, the gig was amazing, as expected. Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls delivered a gig, which was up there with the best of the best. I exited the venue with a smile on my face and a new favourite artist. After the gig, I actually met Frank and this point was just reiterated. Clearly dazed and recovering from his epic gig, he still found the time to pose for pictures and meet his fans waiting outside. Frank Turner truly is, a wonderful artist and a wonderful human being and I for one, can't wait to see him tour again.

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint

As a self confessed nail geek, its virtually impossible for me to go in Boots or Superdrug without coming out with at least one new nail varnish. I am by no means a great nail artist, in fact I'm quite the opposite - where others spend their time carefully painting on their polish, I tend to whack it on in any which way and spend the time neatening them up with a cotton bud instead. For this reason I like polishes with a thick consistency and quick drying time. Collection 2000 Hot Looks are my usual favourites due to their cheap price and fantastic quality, and therefore I generally buy them in bulk!

However, I'm quite partial to a Barry M Nail Paint every now and then, and their new Gelly Hi-Shine range caught my eye. There are a range of colours, and they promise to be thick and shiny - which is why I like the Hot Look range, because they are exactly that. I think this range is supposed to give the same finish as you would expect from a Shellac manicure so, at £3.99, you can't really go wrong. With this in mind, I decided to try them out and picked up a few different colours.

The three shades I bought from L-R: Plum, Prickly Pear and Pomegranate

The one I tried first was Pomegranate, I started out with a Natural Collection clear coat to make sure my nails didn't stain, as its quite a bright vibrant shade. After one coat, my nails were covered, the polish is nice and thick so I knew it wouldn't take many coats, however I applied a second just to complete the look. I finished with another coat of my Natural Collection clear polish, which was just force of habit, but I probably didn't need it. The hi-shine finish was fantastic and visibly more glossy than a regular polish, giving the illusion of a Shellac nail. The shade was beautiful, a really deep pink, but not too tacky, and the polish its-self dried in seconds. To add to this, I found that the polish was a lot more resistant to chipping than others, and therefore lasted longer, even with work and uni everyday, any chips were barely noticeable.

I can't wait to try the other colours in the range and would definitely recommend them to others. A bargain at £3.99 and a fantastic cheaper alternative to Shellac. Definite must-have for nail geeks like me!