I normally carry a huge make up bag with me to work everyday which really weighs be down so I emptied my bag out and only took what I would need to create looks for the whole weekend. My Naked palette has colours for both day time and more dramatic looks so it's perfect for a weekend away.

The 2014 Festival season has just kicked off and once again there are some great events with amazing line ups all over the UK. The Isle of Wight festival takes place in just a few weeks time from 12th until 15th June and has one of my favourite line ups of the year.

Headliners at this years event are Calvin Harris, Kings of Lean, Red Hot Chili Pepper and Biffy Clyro but I have to admit I'm more interested in the BT ‘Big Top’ where The Horrors and Peace will be taking to the stage. The Horrors have just released their fourth LP Luminous and hearing them play Still Life at Bestival a few years ago was the highlight of my summer so they are definitely ones to watch. Suede are also playing and I'm considering making my way down for the weekend mainly to see them, they were amazing when I saw them in Birmingham a few months ago. 


BT Sport are going to make sure that football fans don't miss any of the World Cup action for the duration of the festival by showing 11 games on a massive 7mx5m screen in their entirety. You can watch the hosts Brazil take on Croatia and England's first match of the competition. You can catch all the football in the “Field of Dreams” and alongside all that action will be coverage of the MotoGP as well as films and live music.

To celebrate their sponsorship of the Big Top BT Sport are giving away a pair of tickets to the festival away every day until May 30th. Each day will have a new question with a new chance to win – users being able to enter once every day. If that sounds like your kind of thing then you should head over to BT.com for your chance to win today’s pair of tickets.  All you have to do is answer the easy question to enter the draw. Best of luck!

*content created in collaboration with brand

We had such lovely weather for most of last week so Martyn thought he would make the most of it and picked me up after work on Friday for a surprise date. He packed a little picnic and took me to one of my favourite spots. We went to Nash Point on one of our first dates and it's such a beautiful place on the Welsh coast so I was more than happy to return.

Nash Point is a picturesque headland along the coastline of the Vale of Glamorgan and has cliffs of limestone. This was the last manned lighthouse in Wales (it became automated in 1998), and is now open to the public. Only about 10 in the UK open up to visitors. It is a popular location for ramblers and hiking along the cliffs to Llantwit Major beach. I hope I will head back in the summer to take advantage of the coastal path. 

This necklace and the watch below are probably my two most worn accessories. They make an impact and can really jazz up a plain outfit.



I'm off to Alice's wedding this weekend up in Sheffield with Martyn and I'm really looking forward to it. It's amazing to think that I met Alice through this blog, struck up a friendship through letters and now I'm sharing her big day with her. The internet can be a wonderful place and I feel lucky to have made connections with some lovely ladies through it. I even met Martyn online so you could say that the internet has been pretty life changing for me. I love having blogger friends all over the country and being able to chat to people with lots in common with me is something I never get tired of.


If you've got any tips about places I should visit in Sheffield please let me know and I want to break up the drive back to South Wales so would love some ideas of places to visit on the way back.

I've posted a few snaps of my new house over on Instagram but I haven't really shared any detailed photos even though I've been here for a couple of months now. My mum and Martyn have been great with helping me transform the bedrooms as my DIY skills are very limited and I have very little patience. I get bored after one coat of paint and sigh loudly after glossing one strip of skirting board.
Both bedrooms were pretty plain before I moved in, I don't think men believe in cushions or accessorising a room at all and I hoped I would be able to add a feminine touch.

This is the room I share with Martyn, I hope we can eventually achieve a bit of a Scandinavian feel eventually. The furniture was already there as it's a furnished rented house but I want to replace it with white or light wood furniture. I think the room is pretty masculine which is what I was aiming for, I didn't want to move in to Martyn's house and make it all pink and twee.


The bedding and light shade are both from John Lewis and the cushions are from Matalan, Habitat and Next. I love grey in interior design and it's the 'in' colour at the moment so I managed to pick up accessories pretty cheaply. The light shade makes such an impact in the room and that's what I was looking for. It was £60 but I had some John Lewis vouchers which I used to purchase it.


If you're moving or improving I highly recommend John Lewis as they had some wonderful items. The bedding I have is such high quality and washes wonderfully.


I picked up this dressing table for under £30 from a charity shop and I'm going to paint it cream. I want to find a wardrobe to replace the rail I have at the moment, possibly another charity shop bargain which I can spruce up with some paint. I prefer second had furniture and something with a bit of age, much more sturdy that flat pack stuff you get now and it means you have something that nobody else is likely to have.


I've put some artwork up to make sure all the white and cream doesn't look to sparse. The New Order poster came from Bestival a couple of years ago and I brought it with me from my bedroom at my mums. The ticket is from my trip to New Zealand a few years ago and the bird print is another charity  shop find which was only 25p! If you're looking to make a rented house feel like home I can highly recommend charity shops. Prints, furniture and kitchenware are always so much cheaper there and far more long lasting that high street buys.


This plate has been packed up ready for the move for ages and I couldn't wait to displays it, it was a gift from the lovely Sarah (A Million Dresses) and it sits proudly on my dressing table.


I've got another post with some photos of the kitchen, living room and garden to share next time so keep an eye out for those later next week. I definitely feel settled in now and I did whinge a lot when I moved in as the house wasn't to my taste but I'm a lot happier now it's had a coat of paint and finishing touches.

Boohoo unveiled its new plus-size range recently and I was pleasantly surprised by the collection. Plus size clothing can be rather expensive. Leggings and tunics are £20+ when the standard sized ones are much cheaper.  I love the pastels, neons and sports luxe items in the collection but I also love the price- nothing costs more than £30! The range comes in sizes 16-24 (hope this is extended even more) and I feel they offer fashion forward pieces for women with a fuller figure.There are plenty of classic items in the range and I opted to try out this striped t-shirt. It's one of those items that is always handy to have in your wardrobe and it's a heavy jersey material so it hangs nicely.

These boots have been hiding in the botton of my wardrobe for a while now that I walk a fair distance to the station in the morning. I'm wearing the same old pair of converse all the time so it was nice to swap them for a smarter pair of boots on the weekend.


Just to bring a smile to your face I've added a photo of Button's who lives with me and is my boyfriend's bunny. Isn't he a cutie?

I've let myself slide into a bout of self-pity recently. I've been thinking about how I'm not happy with the way I look, I've been comparing myself and my surroundings with other people and what they have. I'm not a very optimistic person and sometimes these thoughts can get the better of me. I'm trying to learn to be happy with my lot as I know deep down that I'm terribly lucky person. Despite all my moaning and self critical thoughts I have a lot to be happy about and here's a little list of the things I'm most grateful for:

1. My job



I have a full time, permanent job and in this climate that's something to be really grateful for. I get to work in a library, for a Russell Group University and I get to do what I love. Yes, some days I want to go on an adventure and not go to work. Sometimes it can be a little dull and other days when the students have deadlines I don't have a minute to myself. I'm very grateful to have a job and one that I I don't dread going to.

2. Martyn


He puts up with a lot from me. I met Martyn about 10 months ago and just kind of fell into living with him recently even though we haved't been together for long. The circumstances were right and I'm glad I moved in so we can share more things together. He's supportive and likes me for who I am and we don't feel like we need to impress each other. We act like a retired couple and go on steam trains, go to the seaside and stay in on weekends and cook. Party lifestyle Gemma has gone (except for when I go to Snobs with Claire) and I can't say I miss it. (Martyn, if you're reading this, I really appreciate the dumbbells and the flowers)

3. My Friends


These guys are really awesome. I don't get to see all of them enough and some of my friends have moved away and are getting on with their adult life now but I value any time I get to spend with them. This photo was taken at Bestival last year with my friends Harri and Emma who I met in college when I was 16. They make me smile, we go on adventures and gossip over some tea and cake. I couldn't ask for a better bunch of pals.

3. My travels at home and abroad




This post was inspired by the Made in Hunters 52 lists project. I'm not taking part in the whole thing as I'm months too late but hope to post a few more here and take some time out to reflect using lists.

Located South of the river Greenwich village can feel  far removed from what surrounds it, like a diamond in the rough. Home to the Cutty Sark - A famous clipper ship, the stunning Greenwich University and Greenwich Park which offers romantic views of London’s. Greenwich is the perfect place to spend a whole day exploring when you visit London. 


First of all you need to get to Greenwich and the best way of getting there is the Thames Clipper. It’s a great excursion, passing many original London landmarks as they were meant to be seen: from the river. Coming back into the city after dark is magical, passing under Tower Bridge with the lights of the City shimmering on the Thames. In

The O2 is a pretty iconic and hosts sports events, concerts and  exhibitions. Feeling brave? Scale the dome, Spidey-style, for panoramic views of London from the viewing platform. I'm hoping to climb it on my visit to London in September. The 02 is currently hosting the wonderful Cirque du soleil Dralion which  fuses the 3000 year-old tradition of Chinese acrobatic arts with the multidisciplinary approach of Cirque du Soleil. Dralion draws its inspiration from Eastern philosophy and its never-ending quest for harmony between humans and nature.

If you want a cracking view head to Greenwich Park which been a haven for Londoners and tourists since 1427, playing host to countless cricket games, picnics and most recently the Equestrian and Modern Pentathlon arena for the Olympic Games. It’s royal, it’s pretty and it’s hugely popular. If you want a quieter spot to relax then try heading out to West Greenwich, close to Blackheath, where you can walk up to The Point. You can see across the chimneypots of London and enjoy some lovely views.

What are your favourite spots in London? What other delights does Greenwich have to offer that I've missed out?

1. I had a very tasty Bleecker Street Burger with Hannah before heading to see...
2. The Manics in Brixton Academy.
3. Tried baked eggs for the first time and they make an excellent brunch.
4. Martyn assembled my bed and hung some pictures up for me so my dressing room/guest room is looking lovely.
5. I headed to Caerleon Roman Fortress with my best friend for a fun and informative day out.
6. I went to visit my nan and her dog Sindy, don't get to see them often enough.
7. The conference I helped to organise, Library Camp Wales was a success and a day filled with cake.
8. I went to see Derren Brown in the Millennium Centre with Martyn on his 'Infamous' tour, won't spoil it for anyone but it was brilliant.

I don't really talk about my job on the blog very often as I'm sure a lot of you wouldn't find it very interesting. I don't work in fashion or PR or the music industry or any of those jobs that Cosmo tell you how to 'bag' in those articles which annoy me. I might want to be a farmer or a dentist, not all women want to work in fashion. Anyway, I digress...

I've been using the skills that I've learned through blogging to promote the library and I've been sharing this with people at events. I spoke about blogging at a CLIC(Cardiff Libraries in Co-Operation) event a few months ago you can see some photos here and I've got a few more talks lined up at conferences in the near future. I never really thought that I would be using what I have learned from blogging in the world of work and it's great to be able to share this with colleagues and the wider library community. Who know blogging would teach you so many transferable skills?!

I've also planned a few blogging events in Cardiff and I put those organisational skills to use when I helped to plan Library Camp Wales as part of a team. A library camp is Librarycamp is 'user generated unconference' for people interested in libraries. Anyone can organise a librarycamp - they run across the UK and there's a larger event every October in Birmingham.

Our event was held in the rather grand Glamorgan Building here at Cardiff University where I work. Doctor Who and Sherlock have been filmed there.


It’s an unconference so we followed the principles of Open Space events - people can wander in and out of sessions, tweet, blog and take photos all day. Sounds a lot like a blogger meet up and it's actually very similar. I got to meet library staff who I only know through twitter or reading their blog and eat loads of cake.
Above are a few of the sessions that were pitched on the day. If you want to talk about something you can just pitch the idea which means these events can be very topical and lively.

There is always loads of cake at these type of events and they don't have any funding so people bring lunch to share and we approached companies for competition prizes. Working with companies on this blog gave me the confidence to negotiate with sponsors and agree to give them exposure in return for products.
This was our speed networking part of the day and a great opportunity to meet library staff from all over Wales and the South West.


Me and the rest of the lovely organising team. It was such a great day and we all pulled together to create a fun event that brought people together an enable them to share ideas. I took photos and tweeted all day (again skills I picked up through blogging) and created a Storify for the event which you can look at here if you want to.