With My Mask Off

song of the day - Feelin' Myself by Nicki Minaj

Last Wednesday I went to the Trafford Centre for a bit of retail therapy. Surprisingly I only bought three things in the sales (for myself), which is a mighty feat. I might be doing a bit of local sales shopping next week, but we'll just ignore that.

One of the main reasons for going out was to buy a pair of black trousers for work. My current faves are getting a little ragged around the edges, so off I went. It took me a few shops, but then I found these in Forever 21. I didn't actually realise these were in the sale until I got to the till, so that was a nice surprise. On a side note, the changing room doors at F21 start very high up, it was a little odd because I'm so used to full doors/curtains. They were £9.99 down from £17.50-ish (I can't find the tags!).

My last stop of the day was Zara, where I found this gorgeous handbag. I don't own a lot of bags, mostly because it's a lot of faff to take all of my bits out of one bag and put them in another every day. This will be a replacement for my current everyday handbag. It was £25.99 down from £39.99.

Finally, on my way to the till, I saw this stunning jumper. It was so soft and such a lovely colour that I just couldn't stop myself. For 2015 I'm trying to branch out into different colours, but I always seem to be drawn to reds and greens (and black). Originally this jumper was £45.99, which I have to say was worth it but not a price I'd pay. Thankfully it went down to £19.99. It was a blooming' good steal if you ask me.

Did you find anything nice in the sales? Or have you bought anything from the new collections recently?

Rubi
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p.s. I wasn't sure how I wanted to photograph the items that I bought, so I took a bit of inspiration from Sarah's haul photographs, let me know what you think!

What Would I like To Have Been

song of the day - The Union Forever by The White Stripes

I'm forever on the hunt for items that will help me to be a little more organised. From diaries, to note pads, to white boards, I've bought them all at some point.

Last year I got a Muji Diary with a gift card that I had won, and I have to say I love these diaries. I use it mainly to write down my shifts at work, and any in/outgoing money; the simple layout of the diaries make it so easy to do so. So I had to buy another this year. At £9.95 it's not the cheapest diary in the world, but to me it's worth it. The only thing I struggle with is using my diary to keep my blogging life sorted.

So today I hit up Paperchase (I needed to buy a few birthday cards anyway) and found this weekly organiser. On one side there is a little pocket (I'm not sure what I'll put in there), sticky tabs, and checklist sticky notes. The other side has the days of the week, and a space for notes, this is what I'll be using to help keep my blog-life organised. Hopefully.

Do you have any organisational tips to share? Anything that has worked particularly well to help you out?

Rubi
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I Wish That Only Greatness Follow You Around

song of the day - Been Down by Blue October

Jan/Dec 2014

So that's another year come and gone. 2014 had its ups and downs just like every other year.

My main resolution for 2014 was to get a job, and I managed that. Hopefully this year I can continue to move forward in my career. 2014 was also the year I decided to grow my hair out, to not cut any length off at all. Now I cannot wait to chop it off, but I am going to try and wait a little bit longer, just so the hair is long enough to donate. Let's see if I can do it.

I'm not doing any proper resolutions for 2015, I don't see the point in them for myself because I never really stick to them. I'm a firm believer that it's always good to try and better yourself, and I continuously try to do so.

Anyway, I hope you all has a good new year, and that 2015 is a good year for you all. Thank you for reading my blog, and commenting on my posts. It really means a lot.

Are you any good at sticking to resolutions? What's your biggest wish for 2015?

Rubi
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The Women Keep The Tempo

song of the day - Upgrade U by Beyonce ft Jay Z

I thought as this would be my last blog post of the year, I'd finish off with an outfit similar to my first of 2014. I do love this dress, but it isn't often that I wear it. The wool tends to pull and get caught very easily, so it's a bit of a faff to wear.

 tee- Urban Outfitters. dress & leggings - H&M. scarf - Primark. boots - Bertie.

I'm hoping to get a 2014 round up post done this weekend when I have a few days off from work.  Until then, I'd like to wish you all a happy new year! Lets make 2015 a good one!
Rubi
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Have A Happy Holiday

song of the day - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee

This year we did Christmas a little differently by celebrating at my brothers house. I was also ill with the flu and a chest infection (which I'm hoping will be gone soon), so I didn't feel upto taking that many photographs. Here are a few that I managed.

 The Christmas crackers had these wind up reindeer in them, and after eating my family raced them. My oldest brother somehow managed to win.

 One of the bros decided to take my camera off me to take this picture. You might be able to tell from me being slightly hunched over, and that I hadn't even done my hair, that I wasn't feeling my best.

Rubi
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Santa Baby, Just Hurry Down The Chimney To Me

song of the day - Santa Baby by Kylie Minogue

This is something I have said multiple times, but I cannot wait for Christmas. To get fully in the mood I thought I'd do the Christmas tag. This tag has been floating around for a while now, so here we go!

1. What is your favourite Christmas Movie/s?

The Muppets Christmas Carol, hands down. I love it so much! Gonzo and Rizzo are just perfection. "Oh, there goes Mr Humbug, there goes Mr Grim...". Then of course there's Home Alone, and Jingle All The Way.

2. Do you open your presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?

Christmas Eve, we (and by 'we' I mean my family and I) eat around 5/6, then after that we'll hand out the gifts and open them. We do our main meal on Christmas Eve too.

3. Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?

Not really. I remember one year when my Grandma got one of mine and my brothers presents mixed up and so he got my tights and I got his socks. 

4. Favourite festive food?

Poppyseed cake. I love the stuff, but my Grandad would only make it for Christmas, so I'd look forward to it for all of December, then finally after our main meal I could have some.

5. Favourite Christmas gift?

I don't think I have one. As a child I loved a little kitchen that I got. I remember playing with it all the time, and using salt and pepper as pretend food in the pots.  

6. Favourite Christmas scent?

Does 'warmth' count?  Like, after you've been out all day, and you get inside and that heat immediately hits you, and the air kind of smells 'warm'.

7. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?

As I mentioned above we celebrate on Christmas Eve rather than on the day itself, so I guess that's kind of a tradition.

8. What tops your tree?

For the last few years a Star. 

9. As a kid what was the one (crazy, wild, extravagant) gift you always asked for but never received?

I honestly don't know. I can't remember ever asking for a Christmas gift, or wanting something really badly. I probably did, but nothing stands out.

10. What's the best part about Christmas for you?

The three Fs. Food, family, and friends.

Have you done the tag? Do let me know by leaving a comment below! 

Rubi

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Your Attitude Determines Your Latitude

song of the day - Brand New by Kanye West

 necklace - Beaverbrooks

Christmas could not come sooner. It feels like these past few months have been dragging for me and I can't wait for it to be 2015. So much has changed over the past 11 months, and hopefully the good times keep on coming.

 cardi & blouse - Zara. skirt & leggings - Primark. boots - Bertie

I love wearing white blouses, but sometimes they make me feel like I'm back at school. I was at the dentists a few weeks ago and one of the other people waiting for a checkup actually thought I was still in secondary school, I just laughed it off and said "No Love, I'm off to work after this".
There's a thin line between 'mature' and 'school girl' when it comes to white shirts and black trousers.
Rubi
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