A-Z Guide to Happiness: M

M

I had a few for this, but I think the one I am going to go for is Make Up!

So, I'm not going to say you should cake yourself in makeup because I think looking natural and being comfortable in your own skin is so important, even if you still use makeup but as a natural look to enhance your features.

However... I find that if I am feeling low in general or about myself, playing with my makeup often cheers me up! Partially because it does take some concentration depending on the look you're trying to achieve, and also, if I'm being totally honest, it does make me feel more confident.

I absolutely love playing with makeup and I think its amazing the different things that people can do with it, I truly do see it as a form of art.

Here's some pictures from when I was experimenting a little a month or so ago, I've never done a look quite like this before and I also tried on false lashes for one of the first times! I've never been brave enough to wear them out though as you often see that drunk girl with her lashes hanging off her face or something, I don't wanna be that girl!!

What makes you happy?

Much Love

LJ xo

A-Z Guide to Happiness: B

B

Hellooo

So for today's letter I choose BUBBLE BATHS!!!!!!!!!

I've had a couple of rough days so I thought a bubble bath was just what I needed!

I set up my bathroom, lit some lovely smelling candles - There's a place called notcutts near me and last xmas they sold this amaaazzingg vanilla candle that smells like cupcake dolls (a toy from when I was little, they were basically like barbies and when you turned their dress inside out they went into like a cupcake, but they were scented.. sounds strange i know but delightful for your nose lol! -  So anywayyy.. I used that candle, and then a few others.

I got a couple of pieces of Zoella's fizz bar and used that, I love the smell of it and watching it fizz, the only thing is I quite like having bubbles in my baths and fizzers don't have that effect, so I have to use a bubble bath too :P

I stuck my new Toshiba Chromebook (highly recommended) on the side and set up a playlist of Gabrielle Aplin on youtube for whilst I was relaxing in the bath. Gabrielle Aplin is my go-to music at the moment when I'm feeling stressed or on edge, I'm not sure why, something about her music and voice is incredibly soothing.

What would be your happy thing for the letter B?

Much Love

LJ xo

A-Z Guide to Happiness

Helloooo!!

So for the month of August I am going to be making an A-Z Guide to Happiness!

Each day in August (minus a few as there's not enough letters in the alphabet!) I'm going to make a post about something that makes me happy using that day's letter!

The aim of this is to create a list of things to refer to if I'm ever struggling to find something that will make me smile.

Feel free to make your own list! I'd absolutely love to see what other people come up with too, so if you fancy it give it a go and write it in the comments below or tweet me at @ell_jaye :)

Much love...

LJ xo

Introduce yourself....again

Hellloooo!! Long time no speak

So, I'm trying to get back into blogging, mainly as a bit of motivation for myself.

My emotions are kind of a rollercoaster to be honest! sometimes I have down days when in reality there's nothing specifically wrong with my life, in fact I am very lucky but that doesn't stop negativity! Where as others I'll be full of laughs and everything will seem ok.

So basically, I want this to be my happy place, somewhere I can put all of my positives for me to look at when I need some inspiration and motivation.

Hopefully in time this blog will be filled with family, friends, happy memories, laughs, photographs, makeup, hair, cooking.... everything that puts a smile on my face!

With any luck, eventually I will help other people to!

Anyway, that's enough for now! Hopefully I stick to it this time!

Much love...

LJ xo

Tasty Tuesdays : Week Two

Hey guys!

Ok so this weeks tasty Tuesday was very almost not so tasty!!!

This week I cooked Chicken and Pasta Bake. However the receipe stated you basically cooked everything except for the chicken, put it all together then bake for 30 minutes - except 20 mins in the chicken was still raw... soo we had to microwave it. So it was ALMOST a fail  - but hey I'm still alive (woohoo!) so it was successful.. in a way >.<

Another odd thing about the recipe was that it suggested using Sultanas in it.... sultanas, chicken and pasta is not something I thought would ever be put together. At first it was ok - kind of different but after a while it just was a bit gross.. has anyone else tried chicken and sultanas/raisins? or is this cook book just a bit crazy! 

Due to the chicken disaster I forgot to take pictures... SORRY *Slaps wrist*

For this I used

- 1 Mug of pasta

- 1 onion (finely chopped)

- 250g Low Fat Cream Cheese with a crushed Garlic Clove 

- 4 Small mushrooms ( I don't like mushrooms but honestly could not even notice they were there so if you are wanting to eat them - this could be the recipe for you!!)

- 2 Chicken Breasts (cut into large slices)

- 1/4 mug of sultanas

- 1 tablespoon lemon juice

- 1/2 mug of grated mozarella or cheddar cheese

- Salt & Pepper

- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C 

- Cook the pasta (Penne pasta takes 10-12 minutes), drain and return to the pan

- Fry onions, mushrooms and chicken (by frying the chicken at this point you will not have the raw chicken issue that I had!!!) 

- Add onions, mushrooms and chicken to the pasta then add the cream cheese - mix it around, the warmth will melt it slightly to make it more like a sauce

- Add the raisins & lemon juice - season with salt and pepper then add the mix to a casserole dish, cover the top with the grated mozzarella then bake until golden brown (around 15 minutes as the chicken has arleady been cooked)

anddd VOILA

I Give this recipe a 2.5/5 

This is becaauuuseee....

1) It is easy to make in stages so you are not rushed and under stress cooking everything at once

2) It tasted pretty darn good

3) However - the chicken thing was a major issue for me as I am very funny about food and it being cooked properly - so once I cook this the way I have written above I will probably feel like the recipe deserves a higher mark

That's it for this week ! Hope you liked it :) Please comment below any suggestions or if you've tried cooking any of the dishes I am making!

Toodles ♥

Tasty Tuesdays : Week One

Hey everyone!

So I posted on twitter that starting this week I am going to be running a series called Tasty Tuesdays, where I will be trying out recipes for meals, desserts and the extra sides & letting you know what they're like REALLY rather than just out of a cookbook :) This is part of my New Year Resolutions - to cook atleast once a week - preparing me for the big wide world out there >.<

The cook book I'm using for this series is "Nosh for students" as I am an AWFUL cook(apart from cakes - I'm awesome at baking cakes >.< ) and this is a very basic book - perfect for new starters

So here goes.. My first dish was Sausages & Pasta (it was more interesting than it sounds). It was supposed to be spicy sausages but I don't like spicy food:P

Ingredients (Serves 2):

- 1 mug of penne pasta

- 6 Sausages
- 1 Small onion
- 1 Clove of garlic
- 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato purée
- 1 teaspoon mixed herbs

The way this is cooked is good for students specifically because it allows you to cook each section in stages before adding it together at the end to ensure its still hot

- Start by cooking the pasta. - Penne Pasta takes 10-12 minutes to cook
- Cook the sausages - the books suggests frying, however I grilled them as that is healthier (for the time on the packet usually 18-20 minutes) then cook them into bite size pieces
- Fry the onions and garlic (make sure you've cut them up into small pieces don't just check an onion in there ;) )
- add the tinned Tomatos and tomato purée to a pan and bring to boil, then allow to simmer for 4-5 minutes
- Add the sausages,herbs and Sauce to the pasta then cook for a few more minutes to ensure everything is heated through.

And here is the final result:

So what was it like?
I was reasonably happy with how it turned out. The tomato purée I think added more flavour to the tinned tomato/sauce as usually it's not as strong as I'd like when I've only had tomatos used.
I was worried there was not enough garlic when I first cut it up, then after I cooked it I worried there was too much - but there was actually an ok amount!
I wasn't too sure what herbs to use - I ended up using Thyme as suggested by my mother dearest however I couldn't really taste it so I think maybe I should've used a bit more!!

I give the meal a 4/5. Difficult wise I'd probably give it a 2 or 3 - the hardest bit in cooking I find is getting the timing right - I was having a few issues with trying to stir stuff whilst preparing the next step.

I also looked like I had killed the tomatos in my kitchen as I got the sauce all up the wall and everywhere... woopsie!!!

According tot this book you can make the meal for just £0.97 per person if using the most basic ingredients! I did spend more than that though as it was my first time cooking properly for my parents so I wanted it to be yummy!! :)

Anyways - hope you like the post! If you want to keep seeing them let me know! if you have any recipes you want me to try drop me a message and I may give it a whirl!:)

Much Love,
Toodles ♥

Twitter > @ell_jaye

Instagram > @elljayeblog

My Youtube Channel and plans for 2014

Hey Guys

So as you can tell from the above title... I have a youtube channel ! yeeeyyy

http://www.youtube.com/user/EllJayeLife

I have already uploaded one video which was a Xmas Party/Going out hair and makeup tutorial! Below is the link. I was going to blog about it also however I have been away for the past 2 or so weeks at my boyfriends for christmas!

It was my first christmas away from home and it was very weird!! The reason we didn't spend it at both of our families is because he is from Newcastle, so his family lives around 5 hours away from mine :( Sad times!

My new years resolution is to blooming blog/vlog more!!! I love doing it but I feel like everything I write is just a bit pants so I get disheartened - if there's anything that you would like me to blog or vlog about PLEASE let me know :) It would be a massive help and mean a lot to know that someone reads this and I'm not a crazy person talking to myself :)

Anyways -  I will be able to blog more as my boyfriend is being posted away for 2 months in February and will also be being posted elsewhere in the world and on courses quite a lot this year (he's in the army) so it's going to be lonely times a little bit - so I shall be here more often yeyyy!!!

Another thing I plan on doing is cooking once a week from the student cook book i got from my parents - I love cooking but I am VERY bad at it (mainly the timings) If you'd like to see it I may even do a weekly blog of the meals I'm making - what do you think ??:)

I best be off!! Feel free to comment or tweet me - I will always reply!:)

Toodles
♥
                                                                Twitter ---> @ell_jaye

Instagram ---> @elljayeblog

Youtube ---> Elljayelife

Barry M .... Again!!

Hey guys!!

Apologies again for the lack of posting!:( I really am rubbish - most evenings after work I've been with my mr as he's now gone away for the next month. Also I'm not really too sure what type of things you would like to read? any requests/suggestions just tweet or post a comment below!!:)

So... those of you that have read my blog before know that I'm kindaaaa obsessed with nail varnish - especially Barry M. I purchased my first magnetic nail varnish from Barry M a fair while ago after seeing it was a lot cheaper than the other magnetic varnishes and I knew Barry M was good so thought i'd give it a shot!!

I had actually forgotten how much I loved this product until a couple of weeks ago when I used it again - which then lead to me buying a new one... and then yesterday another one.. woopsie! lol :) here are some pictures of the outcomes....

These are all £4.99 each. - I love how they come out, I feel that because of the pattern/2nd colour drawn out by the magnet it gives your nails a more manicured look - but obviously is a lot cheaper than going to get them done professionally, they also end with quite a glossy finish too which adds to manicured look. I will admit I was a LITTLE bit disappointed with the black one - which is my newest one - because the pattern that was drawn out did not stand out as much as it did in the other colours - but I do still like it :)

Hope you liked the post guys - remember if you have any suggestions for things you'd like me to post about just post below or drop me a tweet!:) Thanks for reading

Toodles ♥

www.Twitter.com/ell_jaye

www.Instagram.com/elljayeblog

What's in my makeup bag?

Hey hey :) I'm sorry I've been pretty absent:( I had some relationship issues and have started a new job so I dont get home until about 6:30 each evening and then i tend to go see the mr. This is a post I wrote a month ago for a guest post on Scottish Lass' blog :) Before we continue, I don't actually own any high-end products as I'm more of a budget beauty kind of girl :P 

Makeup Brushes

From the gold brush to the front we have:

Real Techniques - Buffing Brush - Which I use for my pressed powder

Blusher Brush (not sure what make as it was a gift)

Real Techniques - Deluxe Crease Brush - perfect for creating a smokey eye!

Real Techniques - Base Shadow Brush

Real Techniques - Brow Brush

Jenna Kidd - I- Glamour Define Eyeliner - however the eyeliner broke off, but the other end is perfect for correcting mistakes with liquid eye liner!!

The Face!

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation - in the colour 100 (Ivory) - I love this foundation as it has very good coverage but doesn't feel heavy on your skin! 

MUA - Cover & Conceal - I recommend going one tone lighter than your skin tone if you're wanting to cover up under eye darkness!:) 

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder - Transparent - I use this to get rid of any shine as I have quite oily skin.

Eyes

ELF - Eyeshadow Duo - in the shade Butter Pecan

Collection 2000 - Fast Stroke Liquid Eyeliner - Black

Avon - little red dress - perfect for the base coat on your lashes!

MUA - Every Lash

Maybelline - Great Lash

Rimmel - Scandaleyes - Perfect for the final coat to give extra volume! 

Blusher/Bronzer

Bourjois Paris Bronzing powder- smells DELICIOUS! 

MUA Blusher - Cupcake

Eyebrows

I never used to fill in my brows until very recently, when I had it done once for a photoshoot and I realised how much better it actually made my makeup look as it balances the face out a bit. Also when I went out before it sometimes looked like I wasn't really wearing makeup, but with the Brows darkened a bit it finished off the look and enhanced everything. 

The brow colour (top right) was coming out not quite dark enough, so I've been mixing it with that and the 3rd colour down :)

Lippssss

My Latest Lipstick purchases were Nostalgic by E.L.F (in the silver casing)

& the Lasting Colour Sweet Tart (the middle one) the colour of this one is very pigmented so it comes out really well, however it was a little bit too shocking pink for my liking, so I put foundation or the Nostalgic lipstick underneath and it makes it a lighter colour :) 

Miss Sporty - Hollywood in 140 Pasadena

&

Avon Moisture Seduction - (VERY bright pink!) 

Final Addition

The last thing in my makeup bag which is also my latest purchase is the MUA Pro-base fixing mist! You apply this after you have applied your makeup and it is supposed to help keep your makeup in place. I was initially going to get the ELF one after asking my friend how her makeup stays on all day, but it was out of stock so I thought I'd experiment with this for the time being!!! So far, it's not too bad I think it did keep my makeup on a little bit better than usual but will have to see how I get on with it :)

Thanks for reading!:)

Toodles ♥

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Holiday Photos :)

Hey Hey! Ok so I know i've been REALLY slack! :( I'm sorry - I had 2 job interviews last week then on friday we found out that on sunday/monday my boyfriend was being flown to Canada for 2 months! So we were very shocked and gutted about that :( So I spent my weekend glued to his side! and so today he flew off and I started my first day at my new job too! Bit of an emotional rollercoaster tbh!

anyways a couple of people were interested in seeing more holiday pics so I thought I'd upload some for you all :) xx

What would you like to read on my next blog post? Beauty? Love? Life? Advice? let me know!

Toodles ♥

Follow me on twitter --> www.twitter.com/ell_jaye

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Shhh!

Hey Hey!

Sorry I've been very quiet over the past week or so! as you know last week I was away on holiday, then the day I got back my boyfriend also returned after 3-4 weeks of not seeing him so I've been pretty much glued to his side for the past 2 days!

I decided against trying sun-in Spray whilst I was away as it has hydrogen peroxide in it- which i'm pretty sure makes your hair green when mixed with chlorine - but I'm going to try it out now that I'm back!:)

Heres a picture of the view from near our room! was a bit of a hike going up and down the steps everyday but hey ho the rest of it was lovely! It was CRAZY hot though. Like usually its around 35-40 and I can bare it.. but it was 44 degrees C and hotter! my parents spent the whole time in the shade so I spent most of the time sitting by the pool on my own reading - I read 6 and a half books in one week!!!

If you like Romancey type books that aren't full of mush but a fair bit of drama - Lindsey Kelk is an AMAZING author. I think the first one of hers I read was a whilst ago and I think that was the Single Girls To - Do List, then I read the I heart series (I heart New York , I heart Paris etc) and finally I read another one called About A Girl. If you like one of her books you'll like them all as they all have similar plots just with different twists:)

If you'd like to see more pics then comment below! Are you going anywhere this summer???

Toodles ♥

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