All White Everything

Shoes - New Look £29.99 / Blazer - Topshop £65 / Satchel - PS1 £205 / Watch - Olivia Burton London £72 / Elephant teapot - BIA £13.25 / Bedroom furniture - various, not priced

Afternoon all! 

The idea is to make these posts shorter and more frequent now, rather than the length of a dissertation and with an average of 1.7 years between them.

Anyway, at the moment and because of our new situation I'm rearranging / decorating my room and I've noticed a change. The last time I had the chance to take total control over decorating a room was when I moved into a big city terrace with ceilings so high I could've leapt into passing planes (this may be an exaggeration) and a floorspace to die for (this may also be an exaggeration), anyway my point is that it was so big a bedroom that I was able to channel my deepest adoration for Moroccan design and adorn it in deep reds and purples, have (faux) fur rugs and hang sweeping taffeta from that mile high ceiling.

BUT, my accommodation now is a little more humble, and for this reason I've been finding myself drawn to white furniture and accessories. It just makes the whole room seem bigger and I love how fresh it feels.

In my searching I found these items which I absolutely love! The blazer is from Topshop and that and the bag would just look so good in the sunshine we've finally been getting. I'm always tentative when it comes to white shoes... call me old fashioned but someone mentions white stilettos and I shriek with images in my head of some 70s lady of thine boardwalk, but these platform lace heels from New Look have converted me! Imagine the look of them with a summer tan - divine.

I am in love with the Olivia Burton watch, she does so many pretty designs but this monotone hummingbird has to be my favourite. Finally, who cannot adore that teapot? Not only is the elephant adorable but the design of the thing is so beautiful!

Do you have any white favourites? Tell me about them below!

Looking For Inspiration...

 It is a truth universally acknowledged that when one part of your life starts going okay, another falls spectacularly to pieces.

Preach, sister Bridget!

Never was a truer word spoken. It's been a rocky road for a while with me, not really having my direction planned, flitting from one "raison d'être" to the next, but finally things had started to piece together. I found an amazing guy who is everything I need him to be (insert eye-rolls and gagging noises from my old kind - the romancynicals), I was actually enjoying the last few weeks of uni... I know, right? And I was looking forward to my final summer of "freedom" before I had to bite the bullet and commit to some form of career path!

Without going into unnecessary detail and sympathy harvesting; the bottom fell out of my world last month and everything has been turned on its head. I used to hate when people would say "you find out in times of need who your real friends are" ... I thought they were being melodramatic and pessimistic for the sake of it, but they're right!

I'm fully aware of how self satisfying it is for me to complain on here passively about things but I'm not saying it to get a reaction, it's actually making me think about the positive stuff I've got from this.

I DO know who my real friends are, and they have been amazing through all of it. People have been texting, calling, bringing flowers and just generally understanding we all need as much support as we can get at the moment. I can't get to the end of a post about this without mentioning my best friend, who has always been on hand with pizza, little trips out & general taking my mind off it-ness!

And obviously the boy, who's listened every day to my moaning and blubbing. He's a good one.

Anyway, my point is that I have time on my hands now that I REALLY need a focus of my attention for! (Shocking grammar; forgive me) so I've decided that, between finishing assignments for uni, I'll try and get back into blogging.
I would really appreciate any suggestions for what I could post about, so if you have any please post them below or email me on talulahsattic@gmail.com

If you've got this far through the drudge then thanks for reading my ramblings!
Take care, lots of love, Taz x

Autumn Instagram Post

Evening All :)

Thought I would do another Instagram post as they seem to go down pretty well and it's the easiest way to show you all what I've been up to this Autumn.
As usual, if you find this kind of post boring that's fine, if you don't read it I won't hold it against you... Much ;)

As you may have caught on, I love Autumn. Especially the colours and the leaves turning as you can see. I've been loving the colder weather, even the horrible rainy evenings, and the fact the nights are drawing in earlier since the clocks went back.
Although driving home in the dark and wet can be miserable, getting in to the warm is lovely.
I've been making the most of the chill by warming up with lots of cuppas in front of the telly, made better by the now-justified duvet dvd nights. Of course there is the obligatory Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte shot. I genuinely couldn't care less how common and stereotypical this is I LIKE THEM, OK?! ;)
I went to Yarm Fair for the first time since I was still at school, I was dragged along by my friend but I have to admit we had a great time, hooking ducks and eating candy floss until my teeth started to cry.

Another drink I've become rapidly obsessed with is the Hot Spiced Apple from Costa (yes, I'm cheating on the 'bucks, just don't tell them) its so tasty and smells AMAZING! It's a little on the sweet side but also quite tangy which I think balances it out. Let me know if you have/do give it a try!
I carved my pumpkin at stupid o'clock with no plan and winged it, which is why it was no where near up to the standard of last year's!
I also want a Degu. If any of you have one and can tell me the general Degu rules (how friendly they are, if they make good pets, etc) I'd be very appreciative! This one was just so cute in the shop and came running up to the bars to see me (I am fully aware he probably just thought I had food. Sad face.)
The 'selfie' (god I hate that word) was from girls night and I LOVE my new top!
And finally, I made some Gingerbread and Vanilla Whoopie Pies for Bonfire Night last night. I'd never made them before and didn't really know what I was doing but they turned out great! And SO yummy! I'd love to make them again but I'm not sure if, knowing how much icing sugar and butter went into that frosting, my conscience will ever let me.

Hope you are all enjoying your Autumn and aren't rushing head-on into Christmas just yet!

I'll be posting again this week about something I feel quite strongly about (not really like me, I know!) so keep a look out for that :)

Until then, take care. Lots of love, Taz x

Seasons Change And So Do We.

I can’t wait for Autumn.

Okay so here’s the thing…

I hate summer.

It’s a bold statement to make, I know, but every year I fall into the trap of expectation, and every year I’m left with the disappointing reality.

Expectation – hot days, hot nights, hot sun… at all times!

Reality – a few sunbathe-worthy days. Granted, this year we seemed to get a good spell of heat, and you could almost plan something for the week ahead with the guarantee of good weather… almost. But then the torrential downpours arrived. And the pointlessly boiling days when the sun barely made an appearance.

Expectation – We were going to make like the summer tumblr tag, and do the things those moronic smiling beach babes were doing. So you packed things for a BBQ didn’t you, and headed optimistically for the beach! Woooo!

Reality - Where you got sand on everything, mainly the food. And got approximately 30minutes of relaxation before you were almost mauled by a passing Rottweiler and were serenaded by the sweet sounds of the Jeremy Kyle rejects sitting 20yards away with their white shite-ning.

Expectation – beach body, bikini body, babelicious beauty bellyless body.

Reality – I should have that cake… because it’s SUMMER. Logic – fail, body – frumpy, cake – goooood!

Okay so maybe I’m being unfair. Maybe I’m just having a moan for the sake of it. But I’m allowed, I don’t enjoy summer, and I don’t care who knows it. It’s uncomfortable, it drags, it makes you notice almost all the things about your body that you loathe, and most of all… it never lives up to expectation.

Unlike Autumn.

Autumn doesn’t pretend to be your friend. Autumn is upfront and honest.

“Look, I’m mostly gonna be wet and miserable. You’re gonna be cold, you’re gonna never want to leave your bed, and you’re gonna get little to no direct sunlight. BUT, you’ll start to ADORE the little things.”

So yeah, your shopping trip is going to be dire. Your primark bag is going to get soggy and fall apart and you’re going to end up on a bus, wet to your skin clutching your new purchases to your chest like a life jacket on the titanic… but when you finally arrive home looking like stig of the dump, imagine how wonderful everything will be. Making a cup of tea, putting your pyjamas on (coz it’s dark outside, you’re allowed!) sticking the fire on and watching Bridget Jones’ Diary with some chocolate and slippersocks. BLISS!

So yes, Autumn is a bit glum, a bit dreary… but at least it isn’t lying, cheating, fill-you-with-hopes-&-expectation-then-dash-it-all Summer!

I rest my case.

(I’ll be doing a follow up post about things to look forward to in Autumn soon)

Until then, take care. Taz x

The Attic's 'Rafters Jewellery' Is Open For Business!

Hello all!

Terribly exciting news! Talulah's Attic is now opening Rafters Jewellery!

A modest collection of unique costume jewellery is available to you lovely people at bargain prices.

All pieces are brand new and very distinctive.

In this post I will show just a few items, to test the waters and see how much interest there is before posting the whole collection.

Tribal Spike Ring - £4

Cross Drop Earrings - £3

 

Bronze Crocodile Ring - £4

Skull, Crown & Rhinestone Necklace - £4 

(please note: centre stone available in Red/Blue)

White Crystal Studs - £2

If you would like to purchase any of the items above, please leave a comment below or email;

talulahsattic@gmail.com

Delivery costs £1.50 for one item, but only 50p per additional item.

It would mean the world to me if you would share the link to this post with your followers and try and help make the Rafters reach as far as possible!

Thank you my lovelies!

Take care, Taz x

“The Most Beautiful Make Up Of A Woman Is Passion. But Cosmetics Are Easier To Buy.” - Yves Saint-Laurent

I don't know about you, but I have an absolute nightmare when it comes to finding a make up brand I can commit to. It seems like every time I find a type of foundation that I love, it goes a little like this;

it's perfect for me
wow!
how did I ever live without this in my life??
...
actually it's a bit dry
its the wrong colour really
oh god I look HIDEOUS!

and this isn't just foundation, it's every piece of make up I own. I have my staple favourites (naturally, these are the ones that I usually have to take out a mortgage to buy) but my daily wear make up bag changes constantly. I've decided to stop wasting my money on trying every new cosmetic item that gets released and instead focus on trying to find the right shades and 'types' (do I want creams, mousses, powders?) of make up to suit my face.

I've never ordered from the Make Up Academy before but a lovely Twitter friend of mine told me about a sale they had on, so I went for it and bought a few items, just to try different things out.

For my base I got these items;

Matte Perfect Foundation in Fair - BB All in One Beauty Balm in Light Rose - Matte Perfect Primer - Matte Perfect Loose Powder in Translucent - Blusher in Shade 4

I haven't used a BB cream yet and thought I should give it a go considering all the hype about it. The foundation is nice and smooth and the colour isn't too bold but also isn't pale enough to wash me out.

For my eyes;

Pearl Eye Shadows in Shade 11 (a muted bronze) & Shade 15 (metallic dark grey) - Eye Dust in Shade 5 - 3 in 1 Extreme Contour Liner in Black Shade 1 - Glam Textured Lashes

For my lips;

Sheer Finish Lipgloss in Just Incase - Lipstick in Juicy & Bare - Kiss Proof Lip Stain in Fabulicious

I really wanted to try a lip stain as I hate the 'clarty' feel of more intense lipsticks but you don't always want a gloss. I decided to try this one out just to see if stains appeal to me.

Finally, for my nails I got;

Nail Polish in All Nude & Pistachio Ice Cream

I've seen a few posts about these calm pastel colours and at £1 each they were definitely worth a try!

Overall It only cost around £30 (about the price of one of those pricey foundations) and I have a lot of new items to play with. 

Has anyone else bought regularly from Makeup Academy? What are your favourite items?

Lots of love, Taz x

Afternoon Tea And Wandering In The Snow

Okay, no excuses or apologies for my absense. I'm back now, so let us not dwell!

Just a VERY quick post tonight to tell you about my weekend.

Since Christmas and New Year has been over and done with I've been trying to keep to a very strict diet, and it's working wonders, but the fact is I LOVE CAKE. One of the things me and my mum do to have a really good chat is go for afternoon tea so, as a treat, we went over to Crathorne Hall on Saturday and indulged!

It was so delicious, the best part being the miniature Black Forest Gateux and a White Chocolate Ganache Tiffin.
Afterwards we put our walking boots on and went for a walk around the grounds. There was about a foot of snow in parts and I ended up with snow in places I can't even talk about.

It was a lovely day and we did it just in time as by this morning all the snow had disappeared!

Have you been enjoying the snow, or are you glad it's all over with? Let me know about your perfect Afternoon Tea treat in the comments below!

Until next time, take care, lots of love Taz x

What I Like About Photographs Is That They Capture A Moment Thats Gone Forever, Impossible To Reproduce.

I've decided to do an Instagram post.
In the past I've heard people go on about how dull they are, and how people fail to see the point in them... Well, with an attitude like that, what's the point of having Instagram at all? Surely the whole idea is to show people what you've been up to and the pictures you've taken while doing it.
Anyway, I LIKE THEM. So there :) I love nosing at what people have been up to and I especially love a good instagram. (My best friend's fail safe of getting me to go places with her is now "You can Instagram it!" haha)
If you fall into the demographic of instagram-blog-post haters, I suggest you depart now, you have been warned!

 

 

 Last weekend we went to Northallerton for some late lunch. We hadn't realised it, but there was a Beer Fest going on which had a Continental Market attached to it. They had an amazing stall with bowls upon bowls of Turkish Delight, Olives and Pastries like Baklava which I absolutely love! I also bought some macaroons whilst I was there which I've never had before but always wanted to try. They're delicious! Will definitely be buying some again.

I found the beautiful blue velvet shoes in Topshop. I don't usually go for velvetty things (I'm not keen on the feel of them) but these were just so gorgeous with their sparkly heel and platform. They were £75.

Me and Morag also found those rather fetching police headbands out shopping. Aren't they attractive! Haha!

Obviously there's another photo of my beautiful Bobby sleeping on the sofa. She looks quite big there but she's still only a kitten. So cute!

 

We have finally been re-visiting our beloved Tea House this week! Now that the Autumn months are creeping in and the temperature is dropping we've really felt the need for some nice warming tea! On that day we had an array of Fairy Princess Tea, Spiced Orange Chai Tea, and Rose Bud Tea, all of which were delicious!

The top right is a photo I took at Rushpool Hall. We visit it regularly and I actually had my 18th Birthday there years ago so it has some lovely memories for me.

I've been having some more Autumnal walks which I really enjoy. I love it when the ground is crisp and crunches under your feet!

Has anyone tried the new Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks? I bought my first one at the beginning of last week and didn't know what to expect... I'm now on about my fifth, so you can assume I loved it! It's very seasonal and warms you up on a chilly day!

 

We had a lovely meal at Pizza Express the other weekend and my favourite bit was definitely dessert. I had the Semi Freddo Reale and a Tia Maria coffee. Delicious!

This weekend we went to York for a big surprise birthday celebration, which was great fun (and, amazingly, all came together in the end!) we had a gorgeous meal at Rustique, a small French restaurant on Castlegate. There was a Kinky Donuts stall (that made me giggle), the York Eye, and of course a Hotel Chocolat, where I couldn't resist getting some goodies!

Then after arriving home on Sunday evening, my best friend asked if I fancied a trip to the beach (she used the old Instagram line) so I got a lovely photo of the pier all lit up at Saltburn.

So there you have it, my fortnight in Instagrams! I hope you liked it and it wasn't too "dull" :)

What have you been doing lately? And how are you liking the Autumn coming upon us?

Take care, Lots of Love, Taz x

London 2012: When Our Time Came, Britain, We Did It Right!

NB: Please click on the photos to view properly, this new layout is playing havoc with them!

 

Last weekend I went to the London 2012 Paralympics and it was hands-down one of the best experiences I've ever had. The atmosphere was amazing all through the Park and all of the Gamesmakers were so happy and helpful.

  We were seeing the Athletics so were in the Olympic Stadium and it was completely electric. Having seen it so much on telly, I thought I had a good idea of what it would be like, but I was wrong. I expected the view from our seats (the middle price category of 3) to be quite restricted and to only see the Athletes as little dots on a miles-away track, but the view was fantastic! We could see everything, track and field.

The best moments for me were; first, seeing Richard Whitehead win and receive his Gold medal. The place went insane when he won, and I have to admit to emitting noises and screeches I never expected I had in me! Singing the National Anthem as a crowd of 80,000 was just unreal!

We saw 6 GB medals in total!

 

The other stand out moment was seeing Houssien Omar Hassan, an Athlete from Djibouti running the 1500m. He's the one in blue on the above photos. When the pistol went, all of the runners set off and it quickly became clear that he wouldn't be in the running for the medals. He was lapped twice by the other competitors and was still on his first lap when the group had finished. But the most inspiring and humbling thing was that as he went round, barely faster than a stumble, the entire stadium stood up and cheered him on as if he was in the lead. A mexican wave-style round of applause greeted him from every stand as he went by. Even the commentators, whose speech was audible only to the TV Broadcast for all other events, came back through the speakers to will him on and all the screens you see on the photos lit up with "MAKE SOME NOISE!". It was a very emotional 11 minutes and as he crossed the line, the cheer went up as if he'd just won gold. He certainly won something.

I hope you all enjoyed the Olympics & Paralympics, tell me about your favourite moment in the comments below :)

Take Care, Lot of Love, Taz x

To Many People Holidays Are Not Voyages Of Discovery, But A Ritual Of Reassurance.

Afternoon all!

I got back from my little holiday last weekend so wanted to show you what I got up to.

However, after reading through some of my past posts, I've realised I do have a tendancy to 'waffle'. So for this post I'm going to try and summarise a bit more and let my photos do the talking.

We stayed in a little cottage quite near York, and it was small but really cosy. Bijou, if you like! And the view was beautiful.

Just down the road was Yorkshire Lavender which I didnt really expect to enjoy that much. But there was actually lots to see and do, including some cute little deer and an interesting cricket game sculpture.

We also had some amazing things to eat, like Lavender Ice Cream, Lavender Tea and (yes, you guessed it) Lavender Shortbread!

We also visited Malton, Hovingham and Gilling, which are all beautifully picturesque villages, and the gorgeous Benningbrough Hall where we had tea and lunch before looking around the house. 

The weather was great all week and the most spectacular thing was the clear nights. Because of being out in the countryside there was absolutely no light pollution. I took a few photos just on the off-chance of them picking something up. After filtering and HDR-ing the hell out of them, this was one of the results;

Finally, on the day that we left, we decided to take a trip over to Castle Howard for lunch. We were seated by a family who were all laughing and chatting, when an older gentleman turned and smiled at my mum, greeting her with a happy "hello there!" and then we realised it was Michael Parkinson!

He was visiting on his way to do a show at Scarborough theatre, and had stopped for lunch with his family. He was a lovely man and chatted with us throughout lunch.

It was a lovely relaxing week. Hope you're all having wonderful trips this summer. Tell me about them below!

Lots of Love, Taz x

Every Summer Has A Story

Wow.

It's been such a long time since my last post, and for that I am eternally sorry!

I should probably catch you up on what I've been up to.
I got my Uni results for this year back, and came out with an overall first, which I'm very pleased with.

Since Summer began I haven't had a minute spare (hence the total lack of blogging) but I spent a lot of time seeing friends and catching up. And drank a fair amount of cocktails too :)

First week of the holidays I was cat-sitting for my God Parents. They live by the sea and luckily a lot of friends (& my big brother) live over there so I got plenty of beach time (and more cocktails) in!

One day we went over to a place called Sledmere House, which was beautiful!

And another we headed to the Forge Valley. It was really stunning!

My godparents cats are gorgeous and still only really small so they would come for cuddles all the time. So adorable!

Paige - we were watching Lovejoy at this time! We know how to live.

Bobby - she spent every night just gazing at me from my lap!

 While I was shopping over there, I came across a little sweet shop which did some amazing stuff I'd never seen before. There were a lot of American sweets & drinks but I was taken in by this giant block of Equador (I think) Hot Chocolate which you break a bit off and drop it into milk. It's meant to be the tastiest thing ever!

The Sweet Shop on Bar Street

Leading on from that, I am on a determined health kick!
(I didn't buy the hot chocolate... sob!)
Perhaps spurred on by the Olympics, and all the outrageously beautiful people that went with it, I'm really trying to cut down on the bad stuff. I have a few healthy but tasty recipes to post, hopefully not in the too distant future!
My main downfall is alcohol.
I just can't part with my mojitos and wine. Does anyone know any nice alternatives I could give a try?
My friend and I are also going to start swimming regularly. (Mostly to try and bag guys who look like Michael Phelps or Ryan Lochte!)

Speaking of the Olympics, wasn't it fabulous?!
I enjoyed every minute of it and really think the whole event did us, as a nation, proud!
After a gruelling SIX HOURS (Yes, SIX) at the computer I finally managed to get Athletics tickets for the Paralympics so I will certainly be blogging about that!

I've been working hard at our various Halls and Castles since I got back and will post lots of pictures in another post.

Hours of hard work but I finally got the library in order!

There's a lot more to tell you but I'm very aware of not waffling on(!) so I will leave this one here for today. Here are just a round up of pictures I've taken over Summer so far.

Our friend's Jayne & Tony got married and I took this photo outside the church.

Our hotel we stayed in for the Wedding Reception.

Our GOLD post box! 

Thanks for bearing with me! Until next time, take care!

Lots of Love, Taz x

The Liebster Blog Award

The Liebster Blog Award is given to upcoming bloggers. Thank you Niki for tagging me :) 
 

The Rules:

1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves. 

2. Answer the questions the tagger has set for you and create eleven (11) questions for the people you've tagged.

3. Choose eleven (11) people and link them in your post.

4. Go to their page and tell them.

5. Remember no tag backs!

11 things about me:

1. If you include individual tealights, I own over 100 Yankee Candles.

2. I get cranky if I don't have a minimum of 3 cups of tea a day and one of them has to be Chai.

3. My bedroom in my parents house has been the same since I was 12.

4. My favourite person in the world is my mum.

5. I used to walk to uni and pretend I did it to be healthy - it was really so I had more money for booze.

6. I have a biased love for things beginning with T.

7. I have more jewellery than I could wear in two years if I changed it every single day.

8. I've adored Harry Potter since I was 9, and always will!

9. I own a piece of land and therefore my legal title is 'Lady'.

10. I have a whole youtube channel of my videos that is set to private, and will never change.

11. I once got so drunk at a pre-lash, I was taken home and put to bed before we even left the flat. Embarrassing.

11 questions from Niki:

1. Favourite make-up brand (expensive)? I love Clinique, but only as a treat.

2. Favourite make-up brand (budget)? I'm not fussy, usually Rimmel, Maybelline or No. 7 at Boots.

3. Which country would you most like to visit? Without a doubt - Morocco.

4. What made you want to start blogging? To share things from my everyday life with like-minded people :)

5. What one make-up product do you never leave the house without? Foundation.

6. Favourite skin care product? Botanics body cream.

7. Dresses or skirts? Dresses, then there's less faff trying to match up!

8. Favourite food? Sushi, mmm.

9. What's your favourite shopping website? I love ASOS, H&M, and New Look.

10. How do you care for your hair? Deep cleanse shampoo, conditioner, and use a hair mask once a week.

11. What's your diet and exercise routine? It doesn't exist!

11 questions from Me:

1. What are you most proud about?

2. How many different countries have you visited?

3. If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?

4. If someone gave you a million pounds, how would you spend it?

5. Are you an Optimist or a Pessimist?

6. If you could go back in time, what era would you go to and why?

7. What thing do you wish you had invented?

8. If you brought out a beauty line, what would you call it?

9. What is your favourite product?

10. Which is your favourite season and why?

11. If you could be any fictional character, who would you be?

I tag:

Julie

Bethanie

Liz

Morag

Sophie

Kat

Hannah

Ruth

Angela

Haldis

Georgia

Now all you guys need to do is fill out the things about you, the 11 questions from me, and then ask another 11 questions and tag 11 new people to continue the chain.

Much Love, Taz x