Monday 29 June 2015

TIPS FOR BUYING SECOND HAND FURNITURE


Living on my own means I've had total control of what furniture I buy for my flat and the theme I want. I could've easily gone crazy on high end home ware websites but girl ain't got those funds so I took to second hand furniture shopping - if you know where to look you'll be amazed at what people are throwing away!

1. Don't buy the first thing you see
The main thing for me when it comes to buying furniture second hand is to keep looking, even if I find something I like - you can guarantee that someone else is selling a better version for the same price or cheaper. When it came to finding a sofa for my new place I had my heart set on one from DFS that was over £1000 but I found one on a Buy and Sell Facebook page for my town that was in perfect condition and was only £220. The lady I got it from was lovely and super genuine just wanting to find a good home for something she was sad to see go.

2. Do your research on the seller / selling page
I've seen more often than not, that people get scammed by eBay, Gumtree or similar websites because they don't do their research into the seller. If someone has got a tonne of bad reviews on eBay - don't even bother browsing!! Email the seller and form some sort of idea about what they're like and that they're being honest when they say what you're buying comes from a pet and smoke free home.

3. Write down your measurements!
I'm not saying get the measurements of your alcove tattooed onto your inner arm, but make sure you have them saved on your phone at least. I was in town for work clothes the other day and stopped by a charity furniture shop for a browse and low and behold I found the perfect Mid Century Modern style TV cabinet and I'm in love. Luckily I had my measurements saved on my phone and the lovely people let me use their tape measure to ensure it wasn't too big, but it's a perfect fit and only set me back a tenner!

4. Save don't splurge
Although everyone loves a splurge save it for things that are worthy of it! Things that are going to last a looong time and that you won't get sick of. Microwaves, fridges etc. If it's possible to save money on something you love and if you end up not enjoying it anymore at least you didn't spend a fortune.

5. Enjoy!
Most importantly, enjoy second hand shopping. It's so much fun if you have the time to find exactly what you're looking for. Do your research on local warehouses that sell stuff for cheap and get the opinions of others to be sure you're not making a rash decision.

I hoped this helped some of you self confessed second hand addicts like me, and as always head to my Bloglovin page to stay up to date with my posts and follow me on Instagram where I post daily.

Charlotte x
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Friday 26 June 2015

THINGS LIVING ALONE HAS TAUGHT ME



One thing I thought I would find really hard to adapt to was living alone, but it's turned out to be a total life lesson about myself. Buying food for one is apparently super cost effective and it means that all those 3 for 2 deals in Tesco can go straight into the freezer for a later date or until you come up with a fancy recipe.

Bills.... Everyone's worst nightmare. But trust me, when it comes to living alone you know what to expect. I think I have maybe 3 baths a year and I shower really quickly, so goooodddbyyyee sky high water bill. I'm a lot more aware of leaving plug sockets switched on with nothing in them, and leaving lights on when I'm not in the room.. I even feel guilty about leaving my fridge on and my phone charging!

I don't think living alone should be seen as such a daunting change to make, and for any of you out there that are thinking about it any time soon, go for it! Just try not to go too crazy in IKEA in your first week - lessons learned....

Be sure to stay up to date with my posts via Bloglovin!

Charlotte x
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Wednesday 24 June 2015

THINGS I'VE BEEN LOVING: THE HOMEWARE EDITION

I really enjoyed my last "Things I've Been Loving" post a couple of weeks back and it seemed that you guys did too, so I'm returning with The Homeware Edition. 

I've finally got my flat to pretty much how I want it, so here are my favourite things that I've been enjoying in my new place. If you want to know where anything is from just leave me a question in the comments and I'll try and find out. It would take me forever to find all the links for everything! 

I've tried to keep everything very simplistic and clean so it doesn't take much upkeep, and meaning I can mix and match things if I get bored. 






Be sure to follow me on Bloglovin to stay up to date with my posts, and my Instagram where I post daily!

Charlotte x
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Friday 19 June 2015

MY HAIR TRANSFORMATION


I can only apologize for my absence on this blog over the past week, I don't really have an excuse other than a tonne of draft posts and no time to finish them. I did on Wednesday however - finally get my hair how I wanted it thanks to one of my good friends Kate. Over the past few months she has totally transformed my hair and I can't believe how bad it was before I let her get her hands on it! I don't know much about the products or technique that she used but it's exactly how I want it. Doing the process slowly has meant my hair has stayed in good quality too which I was so nervous about. When I dip dyed my hair a few years ago my hair became so brittle and snapped so easily. I'm really happy with the results and will be sure to devote my life to purple shampoo and regular trims. 

Be sure to follow me on Instagram for more picture updates!

Charlotte x
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Wednesday 10 June 2015

PEANUT HOTTIE MILKSHAKE

A couple of weeks ago, I was contacted by the lovely people from Peanut Hottie and challenged to create a peanut butter milkshake recipe using their products. It's a super refreshing recipie and is perfect for those hot days when you want to whisk something up quickly! You will need:

- Peanut Hottie
- Almond Milk (or whichever you prefer)
- Reeces Chocolate
- Chopped Nuts for topping
- A blender





As I mentioned in my past couple of smoothie posts, there really is no extravagant method to make any of these recipes. Just throw it all in your blender, taste and tweak if necessary. 

Be sure to tag me on Instagram if you try this recipe! 

Charlotte x
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Monday 8 June 2015

OIL PULLING

Whyyyy does everything go wrong at once? If you read this post here you'll know that I started using Coconut Oil recently and wanted to try Oil Pulling for two weeks to see the results. Week one went amazingly and the results where amazing but along came week two and I've got my first ever cold sore - gross I know. It's painful, it burns, and generally just ugly af. So I can only give you my one week update as my mouth currently feels like its falling apart and I definitely don't want to put it all over the internet.


Hopefully I can start Oil Pulling again when I'm feeling better and share some more in depth results with you again. Head to my Bloglovin page to stay up to date with all my posts!

Charlotte x
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Friday 5 June 2015

THINGS I'VE BEEN LOVING: THE BEAUTY EDITION

I moved house nearly a month ago now and I still don't have anywhere to store all my make up and skincare, but because of this I've been reaching for some products more often than others and it's' only fair to share them with you. I've been so impressed with the products I've got on the go at the moment and hopefully you'll love them too!


First up is the amazing MAC lipstick in Taupe, I bought this online on a total whim in hope that it would satisfy my need for Kylie Jenner lips. It's the most lovely shade, perfect for work with simple make up or for a night out with an intense smokey eye. Whatever occasion you have in mind this is the perfect nude shade for every skin tone. Next is the Gorgeous* Lush face cream that I got for my birthday in a gift box. I didn't expect anything drastic as a moisturiser but used just before bed it takes hours to eventually sink into my skin leaving my face feeling like silk in the morning.

If you read this post here you will have seen that I recently picked up some Coconut Oil and was going to update you on how I'm getting on with it as a multipurpose product, and in all honesty I can't believe I didn't jump on the band wagon sooner. I've been using it for Oil Pulling (more on that coming soon) and the results have been great! I shared a sneak peak of the results so far over on my Twitter page so go have a nosey :)

And finally is the Maybelline Brow Drama - after my MAC eyebrow pencil ran out I scurried back to Boots to see if they had anything to replace it. I picked this pencil up once before but I think I must have chosen the wrong shade as the brows I'm packing at the minute are the best they've ever been.

I'd love to hear what beauty products you've been loving in the comments! I'm over on Bloglovin too if you fancy staying up to date with my posts.

Charlotte x
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Wednesday 3 June 2015

MINI SPRING CLOTHING HAUL

I ventured into town on Monday ready to pay a disgusting amount of £120 to have my iPhone screen fixed and the place was shut, so what else to do then spend my pennies on some new Spring clothes. My friend gave me a Zara gift voucher for my birthday which went perfectly towards this suede, fringed jacket and I picked up the striped tshirt for a mere £5.99. The last three pieces where all from a charity shop and came to a grand total of £9.95! The black V neck top is originally from Laura Ashley and the quality is amazing, this white ribbed tshirt is identical to the ones in Topshop and the moment and the camel trousers - well.. What can I say? They fit like a glove and cost less than a fiver! I'm still on the hunt for a small cross body bag so if you know of any be sure to leave them in the comments. 






As always if you want to stay up to date with my posts I'm over on Bloglovin' and Instagram where I post daily.

Charlotte x
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Monday 1 June 2015

JUNE ALREADY?

I was plonked on the sofa the other day thinking up blog post ideas when I decided it was a time for a roundup, thinking it had only been a couple of weeks since I had done one - turns out it was in MARCH! I found myself questioning where on earth this year is going and how it's possible for time to be going so fast but nevertheless I couldn't help myself from continuing with the post so here goes, April and May..


I went to a new bar in my town and tried some yummy mocktails before heading to the races, there's something so satisfying about mind and lime... I attended the Hope & Glory coffee event in Hull, it was my 21st birthday in April, I finally got my hands on some lace up pumps, I moved house again and have been totally obsessed with minimalistic home interior and I finally bought myself some succulents for my windowsill. 

This year has hands down been the busiest year of my life and I definitely need to book me a holiday sometime soon. Just for a week off doing some exploring in the sun.. If you have any reasonably priced recommendations please leave them in the comments!

How has your year been so far? Don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin to stay up to date with my posts and of course all these pictures have been taken from my Instagram account so head over there for a nosey!

Charlotte x


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