Things That Make You Go Oooooo (December 2012)

Well we've all survived 2012 but was there ever really any doubt? A new year is just around the corner and what will be a fresh clean slate for some of us and a starting point for new amazing dreams to happen. I'm working my socks off to make 2013 the best year ever and keep on striving to be the best person I can be so here are some great links to get you motivated to make the most of 2013.

♥ 50 Reasons Not To Kill Yourself - This is a pretty intense way to start off but a very important one, no matter how dark those times are things do get better, believe me I know! If anyone out there is having a problem please don't hesitate to talk to someone and get help, it really can make a difference.

♥ Reflections on Enoughness & Dipping My Toe in the Ocean of Vulnerability

♥ Overcome The Top 25 Excuses to Wait on Your Dreams - The biggest thing that stops us from achieving our dreams is ourselves, sometimes we need to smash through those walls to get to where we really should be.

♥ 20 Inspired Ways to Monetise Your Blog - Some really great ideas here, I love the idea of utilising your blog as an online portfolio to get other jobs.

♥ Finding Your Confidence on Camera

♥ How Often Should You Blog? - This is a question I'm constantly asking myself, is it better to blog daily or just when you feel inspired? What do you guys think?

♥ Looking Back, Moving Forward - We learn from our past in order to make a better future and there is some awesome advice here on how to built a better blog.

♥ What Internet Habbits Say About Mental Health

♥ True Secret To Success - So true, I love this article and think we should all regularly practice possitivity and gratitude in our lives.

♥ 8 life lessons, gracefully learned - Some really beautiful advice here, if you could go back and give some advice to your younger self what would it be?

♥ The Secret To Lighting Up A Room: Find Your Inner Glow

♥ Get It Done, Girl! Lessons From Daddy Darling - I'm all about setting goals and achieving them and there are some great lessons to be learned here!

♥ Some Thoughts and Musings about Making Things for the Web - This is hilarious and SO true, The Oatmeal is awesome!

♥ The Complete Guide to Not Giving a Fuck

♥ Sixteen Things to Do When You're Bored - AKA ways to be more useful with your time and have just have some fun

♥ Respect Yourself Enough to Walk Away From Anyone Or Anything That No Longer Serves You, Grows You, Or Makes You Happy - I spoke about this subject recently to a friend and it's so true, we grow and change as people and sometimes clinging onto those ties can be more harmful than good so it's better to cut them, move on and nourish the things that are positive in our lives.

♥ Why Women Should Stop Trying To Be Perfect

♥ Thinking About Giving, Not Receiving, Motivates People To Help Others - This is a really interesting study and maybe something we can try ourselves to help be more generous people.

♥ Is It Time For You To Stop Dabbling And Get Serious - One of my goals of 2013 is to continue to grow and improve my little business, while it's so tempting just to start over I always feel the better thing to do is to work with what you have and build on that.

♥ Guided By Your Own Best Thinking

♥ The "It's Not Rocket Science" Approach To making Your Dreams Come True - This is so true, hard work and dedication will always pay off so don't let your dreams pass you by!

Love & Sparkles

Cate

xoxo

2012: The Year I Changed and Became a Better Me

Back in January I vowed to myself that this would be the year I broke free of all my past gripes and became a better version of myself (Cate2.0!), I discussed a few of my goals for the year so now with 2012 coming to an end I'm going reflect back and see how much things have changed for me.

Taking better care of myself

One of the biggest and most visible changes I've made this year is to my health, I've lost nearly 3 stone in weight, I'm stronger both mentally and physically, my skin is clearer and overall I just feel so much better and so free. The best thing about this change is that being healthy is no longer some sort of fad for me it's a lifestyle, I've changed my habits so that exercising and meditation are now a regular part of my day and the strength that I feel now is so amazing that I know I'll never go back to that unhealthy place.

Building a better business

Wow is all I can say, this year has really pushed me when it comes to business! The support everyone has given me this year has been overwhelming and given me the boost I need to try new things and carry on going. Running your own business is hard and I've learnt so much this year and I hope in 2013 I can really push myself to the next level and continue to grow and improve.

Exploring and discovering new things

I didn't really have as many adventures as I would have liked in 2012, my summer in Thailand was mostly spent with my family and sorting out my Thai citizenship (yep I'm officially Thai now!) but the one thing I did learn this year, which is probably the most important thing, is how much I love my family and how much I miss seeing them, leaving Thailand this year was really difficult for me but it gave me that push I needed to work harder and create a better future for myself and my family.

Being charitable

I still feel like this is a major work in process for me, I haven't done as much as I've wanted to when it comes to charity this year although I do feel that when it comes to my family and friendships I've been the most charitable of all. They say charity begins at home and for me this year my family and friends have needed me the most so I've always been there to offer a helpful hand or two whether they want advice or just someone to moan at, I hope next year will be a better year for them and that we'll all have happier days x

Making the right purchases

Earlier this year I said this would be the most difficult for me but I actually think I've done pretty well. After losing so much weight this year it's left me with a wardrobe I can't fit into and although it has given me the perfect excuse to go on a shopping spree I've actually only bought a few things and most of them are from independent designers or bought second hand, I definitely think I've made a change for the better especially in the later part of this year so I hope it continues in 2013!

What were your goals for 2012 and do you think you've achieved them? Be sure to leave me a comment!

Stars & Dreams

Cate

xoxo

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Just a little note to wish all my wonderful readers a very merry Christmas, I hope you all have a wonderful day no matter where you are or what you celebrate and remember to enter my Mystery Lucky Bag Giveaway before 2012 is over for your chance to win some very special prizes!

Love & Cookies

Cate

xoxo

Handmade Geeky Gift Ideas: A Mad Man With A Box

Tardis Bracelet $30 // Book of Spoilers $40 // Starry Night Pendant $10 // Tardis Neck Tie $24 // Tardis Teapot $120 // Tardis Wallet $44.95 // Doctor Who Converse $115

Jammie Dodgers & Fish Custard

Cate

xoxo

Beauty Blitz: 5 December Faves

It's amazing how much different my skin is now compared to what it was at the beginning of the year, I never thought I would have skin this clear and I think it's mostly down to my healthier eating habits and my awesome Clarisonic. I've discovered some amazing products this year, cut down on my stash and I really can't wait to try out some new products in 2013 but in the meantime here are a few things I've been loving this month.

Skin Food Salmon Brightening Eye Cream

Salmon does sound kinda weird for a cream and I was hesitant when I first saw this in Skin Food but the staff told me it's one of their best sellers and gave me a sample and since then I've been a convert to their weird sounding beauty products. Thankfully this cream doesn't smell of stinky old fish it actually smells quite nice and works great on those dark circles and bags you get under the eyes, in fact this has to be my favourite eye cream ever!

Clean & Clear Morning Burst Facial Scrub

Ok I've mentioned this one before but I recently tried out the lemon version of it and I love it even more than the other one. Lemon naturally cleanses and brightens the skin and this one left me feeling really clean, fresh and tingly after using it. These scrubs are complete value for money to as the last one I used lasted me up until September so I guess I've got plenty of use left out of this one!

Hello Kitty x Liberty Mini Box of Treats

I can't resist a cute Hello Kitty collaboration and I will fully admit I bought this because it was cute and didn't expect the products to be anything special but after trying them out I actually really like them. Each product has a soft fresh scent which isn't overpowering and great for me as my skin doesn't react well to over perfumed products, but my favourite treat is the scrub because it's really gentle but effective and its creamy texture keeps your skin hydrated, I may just have to get the whole collection now!

Skin Food Black Egg Pore Gel Base

Another weird sounding Skin Food product that I've been loving this month is this Black Egg Pore Gel base. I picked this up on a whim as I read it was good for enlarged pores and blackheads which can sometime be quite prominent on my nose and with all the rich delicious Christmas foods I've been eating my skin has started to break out. I've been using this as a primer as it has quite a smooth texture which thickens up when worked into the skin to make a great smooth base for your make-up, I really like this it works great as primer, has a really soft powdery scent and does exactly what it claims, I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who suffers from oily skin.

Benefit Lemon Aid

This is a product I've been using for years but I feel like it needed as special mention this month. December has been one crazy month for me and one to many late nights have brought out those dark circles but this is the one product that can really disguise them and if you have a cold it also works great at reducing the redness around your nose, I love it!

What products have you been loving this month? Be sure to share in the comments

Cinnamon Tea & Ginger Biscuits

Cate

xoxo

Inspirational Quotes #33

“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.”
- Gail Devers

Geeky Handmade Gift Ideas: Dinotopia

Brontosaurus Necklace $16.50 // T-Rex in Bunny Slippers T-Shirt $13.99 // Triceratops Hat $25 // Resin T-Rex Head $139.99 // Ammonite Necklace $44 // Trilobite Ring $195 // Dinosaur Pillow $35

Triceratops & T-Rex

Cate

xoxo

Winter Knitwear Wishlist

Winter is all about keeping yourself warm and there's no better feeling then snugging up in a big cosy jumper in front of a fire with a nice big mug of hot chocolate. I love knitwear and Warehouse has a really awesome selection this year that I just had to share some of my favourite pieces with you.

♥ Animal Sleeve Cardi - Such a great design I love the subtly of the peeking cheetah sleeves and it's a great length which is sure to keep you nice and warm on those cold days.

♥ Flora Motif Jumper - I love me some cute winter knits and the floral motif of this is just adorable but if pink isn't your thing it also comes in black to.

♥ Horse Jumper - This reminds me of those jumpers my Nan used to knit for me every Christmas, I just love the sense of nostalgia it gives me.

♥ Embellished Dress - A knit dress is perfect for those winter parties not only will you look chic but it'll keep you nice and toasty to, the embellished sequin detail adds a really nice added hint of sparkle to.

♥ Wolf Jumper - Winter is coming... (well actually it's here!) you guys all know how obsessed with wolves I am so I could not resist this jumper, those haunting yellow eyes are just perfect. This is definitely one piece of knitwear I need to add to my wardrobe!

♥ Placement Floral Jumper - Baroque is a big trend this year and I love seeing how the high street incorporates it into simple wardrobe items like this jumper, it's such a classy piece which will keep you toasty and on trend this winter.

Snuggly Sweaters & Hot Chocolate

Cate

xoxo

*This is a sponsored post but my thoughts and opinions are entirely my own

Handmade Geeky Gift Ideas: Crazy Cat Lady

Prettiest Neko Cat Bag $85 // Grey Kitty Sweater $50 // Kitty Garden Party Leggings $78 // Wonder Kitty Button Set $6 // Coin Purse $33 // Cat Ring $80 // Kiki's Delivery Service Music Box $49.99 // Brown Kitty Scarf £20

Meows & Kitty Cuddles

Cate

xoxo

Pad Thai

Winter always has me longing for my favourite comfort foods and Pad Thai noodles is one that always warms me up and reminds me of home. When I was back in Thailand over the summer I had a pretty delicious tofu and crispy noodle Pad Thai but nothing beats my mum's Pad Thai so I've stolen her not-so-secret recipe so I can share the yumminess with the world.

Ingredients

• Rice stick noodles
• Celery
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Onions
• Spring onions
• Beansprouts
• Sweet radish
• Soy sauce
• Fish sauce (or a teaspoon of salt if you're vegetarian or vegan)
• Tomato puree
• Tamarind
• Palm sugar
• Fried garlic
• Peanuts
• Egg (optional)

♥ Soak the noodles in hot water for at least 30 minutes to soften them.

♥ Grate or shred the carrots and chop all the vegetables into small pieces.

♥ In a wok heat a tablespoon of oil then add all the vegetables and egg.

♥ In a bowl mix a tablespoon each of the sweet radish, soy sauce, fish sauce, tomato puree, tamarind and palm sugar then add the drained noodles and mix thoroughly.

♥ Add the noodles to the wok and cook until soft.

♥ When the noodles are cooked remove from the heat and add a sprinkle of the fried garlic and peanuts before serving.

Eat & Enjoy!

Cate

xoxo

Mystery Lucky Bag Giveaway!!

December is upon us and I'm in a very generous mood so I want to give something special to all my readers for your awesome and continued support this year.

As most of you know by now I have a shop over on Etsy where I sell a bunch of my handmade creations so I wanted to give away something very special and what could be more special than one of my Mystery Lucky Bags.

I wont tell you exactly what's inside as that would ruin the mystery but let me just tell you this this bag is heavy and full of handmade goodies from me including an original one of a kind scarf design, some cute bracelets, some non-edible yet adorable cupcakes and a whole bunch of other accessories, sweets, candy and more, there's sure to be something inside for eveyone so I guarantee you will love it!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open internationally and entries will be accepted from now until December 31st, just follow the instructions in the widget above and be sure to leave a valid email address that I can contact you on should you win.

Good Luck!

Cate

xoxo

Things That Make You Go Oooooo (November 2012)

2012 is almost over can you believe it? Christmas is in a few weeks and I feel like life is starting to get hectic there's a million and one things I want to get done before the new year starts but I also think it's important to just relax and appreciate what you have, so without further a do here are some great links to check out this month.

♥ How To Organise Your Stuff Without Spending Any Money - Some great tips on organisation here and something which I'm trying to get ahead of for the new year!

♥ Waking Up And Forgetting A Bad Day

♥ What Readers Want: How To Please Them And Stay True To You - I'm always looking for new ways to improve my blog and this is a really interesting article which I'm sure will help others to.

♥ Change - A great article from Goop about how meditation can help, I love all the tips and exercises in it, meditation is something that has definitely helped me clear my messy headspace!

♥ Good Ideas Take Time

♥ Am I A Hypocrite For Professing Radical Self Love While Wearing 5 Inch Heels? - This is something I've been wondering myself, it's a really interesting thing to look at your habits and behaviours to see if they really are an expression of who you are or something that's holding you back.

♥ How To Remove The Clutter And Get A Badass Simple Lifestyle - This is something I've definitely been trying to implement into my life lately and it's nice to know that even the littlest of changes can make a big difference.

♥ 11 More Life Lessons For Peace, Love And Happiness

♥ Rambling On - A really truthful and honest post from Elizabeth of Delightfully Tacky which I can definitely relate to and I'm sure many of us twentysomethings can to.

♥ Make You Own Play Teepee - When the weather is cold outside there's nothing quite like building yourself a little nest to hide away in!

♥ The Beatles Paper Toys

♥ Olive Box - I love this idea of a monthly gift box for stationary lovers and it would make an awesome Christmas gift for someone, unfortunately it's not available outside the US (boooo!) but hopefully everyone can join in on the fun soon.

♥ Take 100 NASA Photos, Stir, Make Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’ - I have no words as to how amazing this is, it's literally made of pure awesome!

♥ 50 Best Websites of 2012

♥ Dog Shamming - This gave me a bit of a giggle, I love this idea and will definitely have to do one with my James!

♥ Blogging and Success - Do you need to blog in order to be successful? Some interesting thoughts here.

♥ Three Things Bloggers Don't Want To Do

♥ 10 Tips To Being The Best Writer You Can Be - Great tips especially the ones about reading and writing I feel you have to do both these things everyday in order to advance and improve.

♥ Classic Beauty Staples You Need To Own - Who new that pile cream would work wonders on those eye bags!

♥ Be Inspired

♥ Overcoming Shyness: How To Feel More Confident - I feel like my confidence is still a work in progress but I'm slowly coming out of my cave and these great tips really help.

Warm Hugs & Hot Toddies

Cate

xoxo

Handmade Geeky Gift Ideas: Pony Princess

Pinkie Pie Soap $7.50 // Fancy Carousel Ring $46 // Fluttershy Dress $90 // Twilight Sparkle Glitter Shoes $70 // Pegasusland Acrylic Necklace $12 // Swarovski Crystal Pony iPhone Case $169.99 // Princess Celestia Wig $160 // My Little Pony Dress $75

Friendship & Magic

Cate

xoxo

What's your #partypose?

When Boohoo.com got in touch telling me out their new #partypose challenge I just couldn't resist the chance to create myself another gorgeous party outfit, my last outfit was a more festive, vintage inspired look so for this one I thought I'd go back to my goth roots for something more edgy.

♥ Boutique Lexie Embroidered Stud Side Straps Tutu Dress (£35) - I am in love with this dress, I love me a bit of baroque and the gold embroidery and the cut-out sides just make this dress amazing, it's definitely a dress that will get heads turning and people,  perfect for the party season!

♥ Maya Pearl Mock Suspender Tights (£10) - You can't go wrong with a good pair of tights especially in these colder months, I love the mock suspender look and the little pearl studs just add to bring out the details of the dress.

♥ Sakia Studded Back Block Heel Platform Boots (£30) - I absolutely adore my studded boots they get so many compliments and would match this dress perfectly, also because of the platform they are really easy to walk in and a lot more comfier than regular heels which is very important for dancing those late nights away!

♥ Victoria Velvet Touch Metallic Trim Clutch (£18) - This is such a great staple bag and the gold trim on it will help bring out those gold details in the dress and there's plenty of room inside for your phone, money and favourite lipstick.

♥ Roxy Spiked Stud Headband (£4) - With a dress as beautiful as this one you don't want to over accessorise so a simple studded headband like this would add a nice finishing touch without taking too much attention away from the dress.

Be sure to check out the #partypose challenge and let me know what your dream party outfit would be.

Christmas & Cocktails

Cate

xoxo

D.I.Y. Fashion Tutorial: Make Your Own Pom Pom Scarf

If you liked the scarf I posted in my last outfit post well here's a little tutorial on how to make your own as it's super easy to do, also be sure to check out this post I did a while back for extra information on how to make poms poms.

Good Luck!

Cate

xoxo

Handmade Geeky Gift Ideas: Cosmic Girl

Full Moon Necklace $14.45 // Red Starlight Bangle $25 // Orion Constellation Soap $18 // E.T. Brooch $14.50 // Galaxy Print Dr Martens £190 // Magellanic Cloud Nebula Dress $175 // Cleopatra Pyramid Leggings $40

Stars & Galaxies

Cate

xoxo

Beauty Blitz: 5 November Faves

Winter is here and my skin has been feeling the effects, I've been trying all sorts of different products this month to try and ease my skin woes and I'm even considering investing in a humidifier so my skin can get that extra moisture boost it needs, winter is not the best time for my skin but luckily I have found some great products which have been helping me keep that healthy glow.

Skinfood Fresh Apple Sparkling Pore Cream

This is the perfect cream for anyone who suffers with enlarged pores and greasy skin, although it feels quite light on your skin it really does reduce that oiliness and it smells so sweet to. After just a week of using it every night my skin felt so much healthier, my pores were reduced and it give me a nice healthy glow to despite not getting much sleep.  Great products like this is definitely why Skinfood is my favourite skincare brand!

Apple Cider Vinegar

Sounds kinda weird I know but trust me on this one. A while ago when my excema was at it's worst I was recommended to take apple cider vinegar tablets which for the time I was taking them did seem to help but those tablets can kinda be expensive so I stopped taking them. I recently picked this up on one of my shopping trips after reading about it on Gala's blog and I've been putting it in my food everyday and dabbing a little on blemishes and yes it has worked wonders on my skin and for a fraction of the cost of the tablets, I will admit it does taste kinda funky but it's totally worth so everyone give it a try!

Lip Ice Lip Balm

I found this one hiding at the bottom of my satchel, yet another random Watson's purchase I forgot I made but I'm glad it finally made it's way back to me as my lips have been super dry recently and this has been keeping them pretty well moisturised. I have the orange flavoured one which smells divine although it tastes kinda minty which is odd but I really do love that cool tingle it has on my lips.

The Body Show Coconut Shower Cream

I love just walking into my bathroom after a shower and still being able to smell that delicious coconut smell. The Body Shop makes such great shower creams, not only do they all smell great but they keep your skin moisturised and soft to, I just adore the smell of coconut so this one is definitely one of my faves.

Skinfood Peach Sake Pore Essence Mask Sheet

Surprisingly this is the first time I've tried out this mask and I'm not sure why that is because not only is the Peach Sake range my absolute favourite but it had such a great effect on my skin. These Skinfood sheet masks have a slightly spongy texture to them which retains more of the product and lets it absorb into the skin much better and after just a few minutes I could almost feel more pores shrinking and my skin feeling tighter. This mask is definitely a treat for this skin and something I will have to try again soon!

What products have you been loving this month? Be sure to share in the comments

Apples & Peaches

Cate

xoxo