what bee did...

Hot bowl of noodles for lunch // Afternoon reading in the form of 'Death in Venice' // Mini me loved her presents! // Nice hot bowl of tomato soup - the best thing since sliced bread! // You've got two hands for a reason, kids! // The gorgeous Georgia and I // Letting my hair down - yes my phone is tucked into my bra // Coffee and cake to sort out my hangover

Remember me?! I apologise for disappearing for a little while. Deadlines have slowly taken over my life but I promise I won't leave it that long again ;) I received my first grade through today and was pretty chuffed with it yet annoyed in equal measure. I made silly formatting mistakes that lowered the grade a little but I'm still happy with my 2:1! Onwards and upwards, albeit slowly because I'm currently nursing a little hangover...

I thought I'd post a few photos that have been sitting in my camera for a while. I've decided that soon, I shall bite the bullet and enter into the vlogging world a little more frequently. It's always something I've wanted to do but I've been reluctant due to my confidence issues/idiocy. Obviously, my blog is still my main priority but I think it'll be nice to get my opinions on various things out through videos. Let me know what you think.

None of this is really making any coherent sense today so please, bare with me. I've literally spent about an hour or so just passed out on my bed staring into space. Hangovers are evil, kids! As ever, I'm feeling suitably festive. I cannot wait for the next two weeks to hurry along so I can go back home and see my family. I'm also looking forward to the horrendous amounts of food that my mother will try to force down my gullet! Thank the lord for motherly affection. I'm off to cook up pie, sweet potato mash and gravy - comfort food to the max. Have a lovely rest of the evening!! 

P.S There's still tickets for the SOUTH WEST CHRISTMAS BLOGGER MEET so what are you waiting for? Come and snap one up! All the details can be found HERE. 

P.P.S One of my uni best friends just started up her nail art blog. She's already got some cracking designs up. You can go follow her HERE.

Bee's Gift Guide: For the Nail Art Beginner / Sister

I owe a massive apology to my loyal tramps*. I've been annoyingly absent from the so-called 'blogosphere' for a while now and it probably bothers me a billion times more than it bothers you! There's really not enough hours in the day at the moment to do all the things I need/want to do! I've found myself cowering in my local coffee shop nursing my busy head with a white chocolate mocha (with a generous helping of marshmallows) whilst staring into space. My sister's birthday present gave me the perfect reason to procrastinate for a fair few hours and, in turn, come up with other cracking ideas for Christmas presents!

I thought I'd share her little present with you in order to inspire you/give you a kick up the arse to get your Christmas shopping started! (I've yet to start so this is a little hypocritical but ssssh!).This is an idea that is simply called '_________ in a jar'. When in doubt, stick something in a pretty jar and you're never going to fail; that's my motto! My younger sister is turning 16 in a couple of weeks, if you ask her she'll tell you the exact amount of hours til her birthday she's that excited, and I wanted to get her something a little different to the usual shit CD or terrible DVD; her taste is acquired. I'd previously made boxes of goodies for friends and family with specific themes but it had been a while since I'd done so. Thankfully, the ever lovely and resourceful Gem came to my rescue and told me to create her a little nail starter jar. Armed with perfect advice from nail art goddesses, I set out to create an awesome nail art starter kit! I'd better just mention that I also bought my sister the Models Own Nail Art Kit too - just so she had a pen and some other goodies to enjoy! Oooh, and I've also got her some dotting tools!

- I bloody love confetti!

This was a relatively cheap present to put together and is something that, I'm sure, will be a lot more fun for her than spending half an hour trying to unwrap my mother's ridiculously over-cellotaped present. I've always loved the look of Kilner jars. I'm not sure what it is about them but I think they're just so amazingly versitaile and beautiful so I picked one up from the high street and mused over what to fill it with. If Luke and I ever buy a house together, I will be filling the thing with jars. I bloody love them! Alternatively, you can pick up some nice ones from charity shops too. I gave my little jar a bath with some Radox before I used it because Kilner jars tend to smell like they've housed death. After her little soapy bath, she was ready to use. Here's what I used to create my little gift:

purple tissue paper: paperchase £1.50 // twine: came on jar but available on ebay // 

kilner jar: wilkinsons £1.75

Kilner jars are actually amazingly cheap so I'd definitely suggest that you pick a few up for presents this year. You can also get ones with the flippy lid thing ~technical term~ to store your preserves in - yum! Paperchase has just opened up in the local shopping centre so I had a whale of a time waltzing around picking things up and then putting them down because I shouldn't spend all my money on notebooks that I'll never find a use for. Funny story, whilst I was browsing, a Grandmother asked me to help her find some 3D stickers for her granddaughter. I had no idea what 3D stickers were...so I just picked out some spongey ones and I'm now praying that I haven't ruined that little girl's Christmas/relationship with her Grandma!! Someone put my mind at ease?! A lot of the stuff I got for this gift came from Ebay and I'd advise you to use it as your first port of call for all things gifty. There are so many pretty ribbons, strings, tags and bags to be had for so cheap!

hot pink organza bags: ebay seller 25 for £2.49 // powder blue vintage style tags: ebay seller 10 for £1.25 

// balloon confetti: paperchase £1.75

I adore the organza bags that I found on Ebay. They're so cute and really help to make the jar pop with colour. There are different sizes to choose from and so many different colours on Ebay so get looking! They're cute for storing goodies in as well as presenting jewellery. I picked up the powder blue luggage tags because I wanted something a little different to write mymessage on. I'll definitely be picking them up in festive colours for Christmas gifts.Naturally, I had to pick up some confetti because, A) it's shiny and B) it pisses Mother off no end because it gets EVERYWHERE!

I won't insult you by suggesting this is a tutorial, because, lets face it, apes could probably put these together and make them look better than I did but I'll just cover the basic steps. You just need to take your tissue paper and fit it to your jar - you want some overlap at the top so that you can squash it all down to conceal your prezzies! Throw a few bits of confetti down the sides of the paper just to jazz it up a bit and of course, throw lots inside!! To make it look more interesting you could obviously use printed tissue paper or go for quirky newspaper for a different look altogether. My sister can always be found sat in her room surrounded by a big collection of nail varnishes getting high on the fumes so I knew that if I bought nail varnish, I couldn't go wrong. Her collection of colours is actually pretty constricted so I picked up a load of mini nail varnish sets from the high street in order to make sure I covered different colours and ensure that they'd fit in my pretty little organza bags.

The two little four piece sets were from H & M and I think they were £2.99 each. They're pretty little pastel colours that I know she'll absolutely adore and they're perfect for floral nails. The other two pinky colours were in a set from - wait for it- Poundland!! I know, right?! They look really cute so I'm glad I picked them up - for 50p you can't really say no. To present them, I just popped two into each organza bag and filled it with some obligatory confetti. Gem gave me the heads up that there was a little nail art kit in Poundland that I couldn't pass up so, curiously, I paid Poundland a visit and saw the little beauty there. Regretfully, I didn't get any snaps of the little individual bags but they contain pearls in various colours, hearts/stars in various colours and little nail gems. I think it'd be ideal for any beginner to nail art that perhaps doesn't want to buy too much in whilst they're still getting to grips with it. If she likes these, I'll definitely buy her some off ebay for Christmas!

Here's the finished result! I had so much fun putting this little jar together and it's definitely given me ideas for future projects and presents. I've compiled a mini list of alternatives that you could fill the beloved Kilner jar with. Let me know if you have any other great ideas/will be putting jars together this festive season! I've put some alternatives together to give you all a helping hand. What do you think?

Alternative fillings:
1. fill up your kilner jar with homemade chutneys, jams or sweet treats!
2. create a sewing kit in a jar!
3. treat your mum/grandma/sister/girlfriend (etc) to a little pamper jar: fill it with skincare goodies, bath bombs and luxurious smellies. you will forever be loved!!
4. fill it with nostalgic sweets for peckish family members and kids!
5. create some handmade crafts and present them in the jar
6. brew your own alcohol or make your own lemonade and fill the jar with it's goodness!
7. take the lid off of your kilner jar and use it to present a pretty little flower for the keen gardeners in your life
8. grandparents love a bit of nostalgia? fill it with old photographs of the family together and little things that remind you of them
9. fill it with toys for little hands to enjoy
10. purchase a tall jar and use it to house a load of arty goods and pens/pencils for the artists in your life!

Hope you've enjoyed this post! I had a lot of fun with it and would love to do stuff like this in the future. Have you had any present brainwaves as of late? I'm off to try and coax Luke to wander around the little Christmas market with me - I'm hoping the promise of a pulled pork roll will tempt him!! xo

Snap Happy #36: My Week in Photos

Doing a horrendous amount of posing. The first photo is part of my attempting-to-avoid-essay-but-being-a-pinup shoot, the second is a quick snap before fireworks and the third is my botox actress face. I'm easily amused / The lighthouse on firework night / Another set of photos from the aforementioned shoot / Chicken and bacon ravioli / Claire and I / Animal lovin' / Shameless posing / Grudge style photo / A collage of cider induced fun on my part / PIZZA! / More pisstake posing / NACHOS!

If you aren't now hideously sick of my face, you've got a real sexual attraction to me. Kudos. Apologies for the amount of snaps of my mug! It seems being the owner of a face is the only interesting thing I've got going for me at the moment bar a pile of work to do and little enthusiasm. Before I ramble, I'd just like to acknowledge the horrific accident that took place on the M5 the other day. All those people are in my thoughts as are the emergency services who braved it all to save what they could. One of my friend's brother's was in the crash but is, thankfully, stable. All my prayers are centred around him recovering as soon as possible. It just goes to show that you never know....

It often amazes me just how many new experiences that the blogging community has to offer especially the idea that there's a ton of people out there that know about me. Claire (her face is up there ^^) told me that one of her friends from home was mega surprised to see her face on here because she reads my blog! It gave me real perspective and it dawned on me just how small this world is, haha. So, Sammy...if you're reading this...HELLO!!! 


I'm amazingly tempted to splash a bit of cash at the moment. A mass of work and stressy seminar leaders make for an insatiable need to buy things in order to forget said irritants. I'm definitely going to treat myself to some goodies. If you know me well, you'll know that I don't like to part with my cash; I own one pair of shoes....and they leak. If you've seen any awesome things out there recently pop me a link...I'm in the market for a few new possessions!! Anyway, I need to dash to my seminar so I'll love you and leave you for now!

P.S There's still plenty of places left with regards to the Christmas Blogger Meet. You can register for tickets HERE. If you've got any questions please feel free to email me at: vivatramp@gmail.com

Things I Love About Autumn

*all photographs are my own. if you steal them, i'll track you down and sit on you.

darkened sky // cosy slippers to encourage toasty toes // bare trees

crispy leaves before they fall // woodland walks // hearty bowls of thick soup
snuggling up in my duvet // hot bubble baths // coffee dates
printed scarves // comfort food // hiding inside from the elements
family time // cosying down with a mug of milk and biccies // baking treats


'The autumnal canvas had become suffocated with rich reds, plums and burnt oranges; hues all fighting for dominance among the withered leaves. Brash perennial Dahlia’s lit up the flowerbed for a second season; their musky scent subtly flavouring the otherwise damp air. Upon their entrance, the grand Horse Chestnut trees embraced each individual visitor with their wide arms, luring them into a sense of security with every shaded step. Hedgerows rich with plump blackberries swelled on the neatly woven brambles, awaiting pairs of greedy hands to stain with their syrup. Those very hands were clinched around hot beverages; with each sip they took, the air filled with a comforting mist. The more adventurous amongst them enjoyed their picnics on the dewy grass; the smell of hot bubbling soup and crumbly sweet pastries wafted through the crisp clean air '. - descriptive extracts from an autumnal day by myself. 

In my opinion, autumn is the best season because it allows me to stuff my face before reassuring myself that it's solely for winter padding and inevitable hibernation. Everything becomes more atmospheric and cosy - perfect for those of us who can usually be found underneath their duvet with a good book. Summer always seems to be so hit and miss but with autumn, you know what you're getting. You know you're going to be walking to your 9am appointment with your breath misting the air in front of you. You know you're going to need those 25 layers that you've cleverly managed to hoist on top of the other. For me, my autumnal uniform consists of: oversized printed scarves, coloured skinny jeans, wine colours, a large coat, fairisle socks, high waisted shorts, crop tops, ridiculous hats, jersey tees and a standard pair of mittens.  

I'm hugely excited for Bonfire Night, anticipating the arrival of Christmas, snuggling up in my duvet, making a few cheeky autumnal purchases and movie nights. I'm easily pleased! I'm spending the next few days slaving away over an assignment. It's the story of my life! Thanks to those of you who have stuck around despite my posts being less frequent that usual. I'll be back soon xo

Snap Happy #35: My Week in Photos

Uni friend. Oooh, friend! | Nice big close up of my face and terrible hair for you | Repping my 'awesome' crop top in Oceana. I have no idea who the guy holding me is...and I had no idea he was there until I found this photograph | Uniii friends. Ooh, disco room friends! | My first M & S christmas sandwich of the year - the first of many! | Fatherbear and I strolling around a very rainy Plym | Halloween snacks for my film night with Claire | Collage of Claire, Emma and I. My eyes looking insanely blue | Chilling in the alleyway - not really sure what this snap is about | Watched Shaun of the Dead with Claire because we realised its the scariest film we both owned - LOLZ!

Hello! I thought I'd bombard your screens with photographs a plenty whilst I take a little break from my mounds of work to eat my first Christmas sandwich of the year. By the end of this post, I could easily slip into a turkey induced coma so please - bare with me! My life seems to be occupied by assignments, reading, Sims Social and jaunts around the town. I've got my first official assignment hand in next week so, in true OCD style, I've created a colourful comprehensive plan of every little thing I need to write. My seminar leader was blown away by my colouring in/doodling skills!  I'm devoting my day off tomorrow to the library and its mass of information so hopefully, I can pull something bloody wonderful out the bag. 

Halloween has, thankfully, passed us by. I really don't get it as a holiday. I'm much more of a Bonfire/Firework night person - which is handy because this weekend sees that very night! There's just something amazingly atmospheric about a town coming together to watch one sole display but I swear to god, if they play Firework by Katy Perry I will be diving headfirst in to the bonfire. It's safe to say I'm feeling well and truly autumnal - the leaves are falling, the sky is darker and I'm comfort eating as if I were going into imminent hibernation. I managed to gorge my way through four BBQ chicken fajitas the other night and felt like weeping for more. Does anybody else eat a lot more in winter or is it just me and my greedy self? 

Anyway, I'm just rambling now so I'm going to go and be productive! I'll quietly read the rest of Jane Eyre and contemplate the mass of washing up that seems to have accumulated around the sink. I'll be back soon with another incoherent ramble. Keep smiling!