Kirstie Allsopp Cosmetic Bag // Review

Last summer I received a box full of goodies in a competition I won. I have been slowly working my way through all of the different sets, so I can review them all for you as well. Before Christmas I was in desperate need of a new make up bag. When I remembered I had the Kirstie Allsopp Cosmetic Bag Kit I was super excited...! 

The kit comes with the most beautiful contrasting fabrics for the outside & lining, along with a matching pink zip, fusible interfacing & a needle & thread. Everything is already measure out correctly so it is just a case of cutting it out - super easy & a major time saver! Measuring our patterns can be a tedious task. The instructions are really simple to follow - I didn't get headloss once (I do sometimes get frustrated when I can get it right)! I pretty much followed the instructions completely, apart from the pocket on the front, which I chose to keep as one big pocket (rather than 3 smaller ones). I really took my time with this project, as I I knew it would be something I would use everyday, so wanted it to be perfect. I did it over two evening's but you could quite easily do it in an afternoon, depending on your ability. 

I would say it is a perfect project for beginners & would make a really nice gift for someone who wants to get into sewing. I am really pleased with my finished Cosmetic Bag, although I do struggle to fit all of my make-up in it! I really love Kirstie Allsopps products & am really looking forward to trying out some of the other sets I won.

What Sewing/Craft sets would you recommend? 

♥  

ZoFlo

101 Things in 1001 Days #74

Buy a pair of Ray Bans

When I wrote my list of 101 Things, I am guessing I imagined myself buying a pair of Ray Ban Sunglasses! Unfortunately I am blessed with having poor eye sight, so prescription glasses are much more essential than a cool pair of "sunnies" these days. My last pair of glasses were a small pair of Red or Dead glasses, which were "on trend" when I purchased them...7 years ago! So it really was time for an upgrade. I always feel really under pressure when I'm trying on new glasses in the shops, so decided to order some from Glasses Direct this time. You can order up to 4 different pairs for a free 7 day home trial. Try them on in the comfort of your own home with no shop assistant bugging you - perfect! I knew I wanted slightly bigger frames this time, so order 3 different pairs - the Ray Bans were immediately my favourite ones! 

Once I had sent back my free trial glasses, I uploaded my prescription on their website. I actually uploaded it totally wrong (as I really don't understand what any of it means) but I emailed Customer Support who were really helpful & input my prescription correctly for me. As I ordered them on Christmas Eve, I wasn't expecting them to arrive any time soon...so when they arrived just before the New Year I was super impressed!

I absolutely love my Ray Bans & would 100% recommend Glasses Direct to anyone wanting to find designer glasses at reasonable prices! Maybe one day I'll have some "cool" Ray Ban Sunglasses too - but as these ones help me see & stop my migraines, I'm happy for now...

♥  

ZoFlo

Upholstery Tips for Beginners

A little while ago (before my little blogging break) I took on another little upholstery project - a large foot stall. It has become a much loved piece of furniture in our lounge & gets used all the time! Visitors often comment on how lovely it is & say how clever I am for being able to do it all by myself. But you know what? It's so simple, literally anyone could do it. I promise. So I thought I would share some little tips with you all, to hopefully inspire others to give it a try...

It's not as scary as it looks - honest! 

• Start Simple - admittedly my first upholstery project was an arm chair. However I was doing it with my Gran, who knew her stuff! Pick something simple, like a small foot stall, that will be easy to complete so you don't lose interest. 
• It doesn't have to be expensive - once I got the upholstery bug, I was always on Gum Tree searching for bargains. My large foot stall cost me £20 (on Gum Tree) & I picked up my small foot stall for £4 at a car boot. Material can be costly, but I managed to find some at a local Flea Market for only £1.50 a meter! Don't forget to take a look at Free Cycle or your local Buy, Sell, Swap Facebook Pages too!
• Be careful when unpicking - if you're removing the old material, do it carefully. You can use the old material as a rough pattern for your new material. You can also see how it has been shaped around any corners. 
• Take your time - there really is no rush. Really take your time so you can understand the best way to complete your upholstery project. If you can feel yourself getting impatient or rushing it, step away for 5 minutes. You really don't want to rush it & ruin it if it is something you'll have to look at every day. Trust me. It's very annoying...! 

My most recent project! 

Hopefully these tips will encourage you to give upholstery a go. It's not that scary once you get into the swing of it. I'm still only a beginner myself, so plenty for me to learn too, but I can safely say I am addicted to it! If you want anymore advice, you can comment below or email me. And if you do give it ago, be sure to share your photos with me on Twitter or Facebook. 

♥ 

ZoFlo

101 Things in 1001 Days #29

Volunteer

Last summer, one of my 100 Happy Days was that I became an official Make-a-Wish Volunteer. It is something I had thought about doing for a long time, as I had worked with the charity in a previous job. I was able to understand first hand the positivity that the charity are able to create during such a difficult time, so being able to offer them a helping hand once in a while was important to me. 

I have only done the odd bucket collection but hope to be able to help out much more this year. It is nice to be able to do something so simple but know that it is helping to make a real difference. It is also a tick off of my 101 Things list...!

Have you ever done any volunteering? 

♥  

ZoFlo

101 Things in 1001 Days #49

Give (more) blood

Just before Christmas I gave blood. This is something I try to do regularly, although sometimes various other commitments get in the way. I was really pleased when I received an email to say I had reached my first milestone - I have donated 5 pints! 

It sounds silly, but this has definitely motivated me to donate more regularly, so I can reach the next milestone! As well as this, I know a few people who have had to have blood transfusions, so giving up an hour of my time doesn't really seem much when you consider the lives it could save. I know some people can't give blood for various reasons, but if you are able to then I would really recommend giving it a go (unless you're scared of needles or prone to fainting). It really doesn't hurt & you even get free tea & biscuits. 

♥ 

ZoFlo

Made By Me // Girly Apron

A few months ago, my Mum mentioned that she wanted me to make her a new apron. As it was leading up to Christmas I though this would be the perfect gift!

I already had a pattern for it, which my Gran got from the Daily Mail (they had a token collection thing a while back which resulted in her receiving a whole load of free patterns, which I was more than happy to take off her hands...) & the fabric was an absolute steal from Hobbycraft at £6 a meter! I picked a cute, baby pink binding that complimented the pink shades in the material - very girly so perfect for my Mum! 

As I am sure you can imagine, it was super easy. Just a case of cutting out the fabric, hemming it & sewing on the binding. It also included a pocket on the front. 

This was such an easy make & a great one for beginners. I would definitely recommend this to project to anyone who is new to sewing & wants to start with something basic. 

♥ 

ZoFlo

Happy New Year // 2016 Resolutions

Happy New Year!

Like many others, when the New Year approaches I immediately begin thinking of ways to improve my life. But if I am being totally honest with you, 2015 was a great year for me...so I don't really feel the need to make any dramatic changes. One thing I am certain of though is that I want to push myself more when it comes to sewing.

Image Source 

 So here are a list of my 2016 Sewing Resolutions:

• Challenge myself - I always play it safe by making simple skirts or tops. I want to try new things this year so I can extend my skills & learn new things. 
• Make more clothes than I buy - this will be difficult one, but by the end of 2016 I want the majority of my wardrobe to be handmade.
• Sew my holiday wardrobe - okay so maybe not all of it, but Nick got me the Sew Many Dresses, Sew Little Time book for Christmas. Sew (sorry) many of the dresses in the book will be perfect for our holiday. 

I also have a few blogging resolutions too...

• Get organised! - This is a big one for me. I have only recently started scheduling posts & would love to be able to prepare more blog posts in advance so it becomes less of a chore. 
• Meet more bloggers - I would love to go to a bloggers event or meet up with some fellow Somerset / South West Bloggers this year. I have met lots of lovely people online, so would be great to be able to meet some of these people in real life!! 

Only a small list, but hopefully it will help to motivate me in 2016. I will of course update you on through the year! Do you have any New Years Resolutions?

♥ 

ZoFlo

101 Things in 1001 Days #46

Go to a Wedding 

At the end of last Summer, I ticked another thing off my 101 Things - going to a wedding!

Nick being hilarious - as usual (taken by photographer)

"Just Married"

Most beautiful venue!

Playing dress up! 

Black & White 💜 (taken by photographer)

#Selfie 

I hope you enjoy this photo heavy post - just a handful of photos from what was a beautiful day! I do love a good wedding!

♥  

ZoFlo