Sunday Catch-Up - 7th July

It's sunday!! Which means time for a sunday catch-up post! And I got a new iPhone 5 last week so I have been snapping away much better pictures than I was able to with my last phone, so expect lots more sunday catch-up posts with fun instagram pictures!

So here's what's been happening in my life according to instagram

 Spent a lot of my time at work in the bay, but luckily the weather has been great!

1. Almost cloudless blue skies over St Davids Hotel

2. The new Wetherspoons is almost complete - it's called The Mount Stuart

3. Cardiff Bay hosted its annual multi cultural Mela with lots of great food and craft stalls, and some great live performances

4. The water tower has been decorated ready for the summer festivals with lots of strawberries

 We spent the afternoon yesterday at the Aberavon Beach charity festival. Here is Pasha and my Sister, Briony chilling out in the sun

 1+2 outfits from the last few days

3+4 Jon trying on hats in Tesco, looking for one for the summer. Which do you think suits him best?

I got these super flowery summer wedges curtesy of Shoe Zone in the post this week, been styling them with my maxi dresses for the last few days, which you will see in an outfit post next week.

And the obligatory food pictures! This is one of the best things from living back home with the parents!

1. Mild lamb & Leek Curry

2. Chinese Turkey Noodles - you'll find the recipe below

3. Oh so Maggi Stick BBQ chicken with herb roasted potatoes and peas

4. Sausage and Potato Hot Pot

Haven't done any Links and Love for a while so here are this weeks:

1. The recipe for those Chinese Turkey Noodles above!

2. Cross-Jones Photography's website is finally sorted (just pictures of us to be added)

3. Really want to try this Models Own Beetlejuice nail varnish!

4. This apartment is possibly the most awesome and insane apartment ever

5. This is the most perfect dress!

I was also incredibly proud to be asked by Tesco Magazine Online to write an article for them on family tourist spots in Wales.

Don't forget my Bumper Beauty Giveaway

Outfit Post - Denim, Houndstooth and a Hint of Pink

Thought it was about time I posted a new outfit post as I don't think I have done one in ages, and this is the first one to be taken at my parents home where we are now living! This was just a little outfit for running lots of errands as that is all we seem to be doing at the moment, sorting home stuff, sorting money and advertising for the business and just getting used to such a change in our life.

 Dress: Converse (c/o Patty Ann)

Blouse: Dorothy Perkins

Tights: Random Brand via TKMaxx

 My hint of pink comes in the form of these really sweet owl earrings I was sent by Miki of Miki's Scrapbook. I actually wear them quite a lot as they are really delicate but so cute!

Oh and do you like my little purchase from this week? Cardiff Bay hosted their multicultural Mela this week and I purchased this beautiful little bangle from one of the stall holders. I just loved the colour and sparkles!

So thats all for today, don't forget to enter my Bumper Beauty Bundle Giveaway! You could win some great elf, Lush and Burts Bees stuff.

Bumper Beauty Bundle Giveaway!

Good morning. At the start of my month off I promised you all 2 great giveaways, well one was held during my time off, so thank you for all those who entered, I hope Florrie and Taylor love their new books. 

I didn’t have time to get the second up whilst I was moving so here is giveaway number 2! I thought I would offer you all something a little different to my usual giveaways so here is a bumper beauty bundle giveaway I hope you will all love!

You will win all of these fun items!

Elf items - Eyebrow Kit, Contouring Blush and Bronzer Kit, Cream Eyeliner

Burts Bees Soap - Mango and Orange Energising Body Bar

Lush products - Popcorn Lip Scrub and Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter (I love both these products, they smell amazing!)
Over £28 of beauty goodies!

Open internationally, nice and simple to enter, just fill in the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck everyone!

A month has flown by already!

So my month off is over! Hasn’t it flown by? I have barely had time to stop and think, so it was lucky that I had some amazing guest bloggers to keep you all entertained while I was away. Did you enjoy them? I hope you did! If you missed any in my Show Us Your Favourite…guest series here they all are again. 

Favourite Holiday with Forty Percent Fringe : Sixty Percent Face 

Favourite Lip Balm with Makeup Pixi3

Favourite Band with Diary of the Evans-Crittens

Favourite Places to see in New York with A Pretty Place to Play

Favourite Places to Shop in Chiang Mai with Antares:Alpha Scorpii

Favourite Book with Little Nomad

Favourite Lipstick with C.S.I Beauty Blog

Favourite Mascara with Missy In The Mirror

Favourite Shower Products with One Little Vice

Favourite Nail Polish with C.S.I Beauty Blog

Favourite Websites with Miki's Scrapbook

And I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who helped me out, you can find them all on their own blogs here. 

Helen, Georgina, Claire, Bethan, Maryna, Nina, Shruti, Angelica, L&M, Miki

The move went well, so thank you for all the encouragement and well wishes. We have now handed in the keys to our little flat in Cardiff and are almost sorted and settled back at my parents home in Neath. It will take a little time for us to get used to all the changes and get our lives into a new rhythm but I’m sure it will all settle down soon, at the moment it is just a case of trying to promote and market the new business, whilst keeping up with my writing work and commuting to my TIC job in Cardiff 3 days a week, but I am getting there!

So as it is my first post back I thought I would give you all a little catch-up as to what I have been up to…other than moving.

We managed to squeeze in a much anticipated shoot, which if you follow Cross-Jones Photography on Facebook or me on FB, Twitter or Instagram you will already have had a sneak peek of, if not here is a little selection, but you will find the rest on our new website www.crossjonesphotography.comwww.crossjonesphotography.com (please check out the site and let me know what you think of it too!). The adorable Lili-Rose, just 6 days old.

I was very lucky to have been invited to The Ladyboys of Bangkok Gala Night, which was brilliant and so funny! It is amazing how beautiful they all are, makes a women jealous!

I also went to a little Lush blogger event, hosted by the Cardiff store. We got to try some fun non-alcoholic cocktails and get a skin consultation. It was lovely to catch up with some of the ladies, and I have to confess I bought myself a few things for the very first time! I always seem to get bath bombs as gifts and only ever go in to buy gifts for others, so it was nice to finally treat myself to a few things.

 Stefanie of Cowbiscuits trying out the make-up range as hair tint

 All the fun fresh face masks

 Georgina of Makeup Pixi3 trying out the chocolate based face mask

Laura from What Laura Did getting an arm massage

I have been to the theatre not once, but twice! Lucky me, eh? First I went to see Noises Off with my sister and work colleagues, which was great fun. Then I went and saw the awesome Hairspray with my Mum, Sis and Mum’s friend Liz. It stared Mark Benson, Lucy Benjamin and Marcus Collins. I loved it!

The girlies before the show! Biz, me and Briony

Me and Briony ready for the show!!

 Briony and Liz ready for food before Hairspray

 Me and my mum before Hairspray! (yes I know we look very alike!)

And lastly, I was invited to a great little local business womens beauty event called Business, Beauty and Bubbles, held at the Maldron Cardiff. It was a networking kind of event for business women and local fashion/beauty businesses. I meet a few friendly blogging faces whilst I was there, and a few businesses ladies I knew too, it was a nice afternoon of chatting, drinking, eating and a bit of pampering (Thank you Zoe for my lovely nails!)

 Lovely Anne of Stella and Dot

Gemma from Fat Frocks, Mia from By Mimi and her friend (who I cannot remember the name of!!)

So that is a catch up of what I managed to get done, whilst moving, for the last week. Have you ladies done anything fun or exciting? Is there any major news I have missed out on?

Oh and I got a new iPhone with a much better camera! So expect to see some my Sunday Catch-up posts making a return!