Dear August...

Dear August,

Thank you for a wonderful month, you are already missed. I have to go back to work on Monday and I'm not ready to have to wake up at 7.15am every day after you spoilt me with lie ins and late nights chatting with friends.

You started off brilliantly with a holiday away in Scotland. A week away from home with my family in a different environment was lovely. A week away from my laptop is always welcome, sometimes I feel like I spend too much time staring at the screen instead of doing something a lot more useful with my time.

What followed on was two consecutive weekends away, one in London and one in Bristol. London brought it's usual delights...a catch up with friends and fellow vloggers and bloggers, great food, aching feet. I helped to organise a meet up which I always enjoy to do and it's great to be able to take pictures of your food and not be questioned because they're all doing it too.

The following weekend, I went to Bristol to see my brother and visit the south west. Whilst down there, we took the trip to Bath, a place which I always enjoy visiting because it's just like stepping into a Jane Austen novel...shame my Mr Darcy was busy that day.

You ended all too quickly August, finishing faster than you started and I'm sad that you have gone but I'll always have the memories thanks to taking part in Vlogust. Although it was stressful at times and it only brought me to tears once or twice in the whole time I did it, I'm proud that I completed the challenge and can't wait to daily vlog again in October.

Thank you August for everything, see you next year.

Love,

Clare

xxx

Obsessed by Home Wear

Hello there,

Today I have a question for you all. Are you obsessed by home wear?
Once upon a time, I'd spend hours and hours on websites such as MAC and Space NK lusting after all the make up in the world. Nowadays my tastes have changed a little....but not completely don't worry. I'm still a make up obsessive.

You see recently I've been a little obsessed about home wear, interior design and everything homey. It's like I'm nesting without being pregnant.

All pictures sourced from pinterest

My new obsession has taken over. I like to spend my time on pinterest mooching at pictures of ideal bedrooms, make up storage set ups (because I'm never happy with my set up) and I also like to pin other rooms because you never know I might be able to afford my own digs one day.

To go along with pinterest, the other places I spend my time are online stores that sell home wear. Asda home wear, H&M Home, Muji and Ikea are some of my favourite online haunts right now, the amount that I could spend on all of these websites is crazy.

If you follow me on twitter (@tloatb90), you might have read that I've never been into an Ikea and I think as a newly crazy home wear buying machine, I should change this soon...might need to save up before hand... I fear I will want to get everything I see.

Am I alone in this obsession? Let me know in the comments.

Lots of Love,

C

xxx

Taking a Break from it all

Hey there,

If you follow me on twitter you will be aware that I recently went on a little holiday to Paris. Me and my mum went on a long weekend coach trip to the French capital city and I really enjoyed my time away there (there will  be a post full of pictures soon, just got to find my memory card)

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Whilst I was away, I had no internet on my phone. When I first realised this, I felt a bit anxious because the internet is a big part of my life, from writing blog posts and uploading videos to just googling something if I don't understand what it is or I've just forgotten how to spell something. However as the days went on I felt free.

Switching your phone on first thing in the morning not to be greeted by a ton of junk emails or going onto YouTube to find out how many people have not watched your videos or read your posts is a great thing and it made me realise how dependant on the internet I was.

Whilst I was away, it gave me time to think. As I have mentioned a few times on Twitter I've really been struggling with my blogging world recently, I have had no confidence to write and anything I have thought to write has seemed to be wrong. This stressed me out even more which in hindsight was the worst thing to do. You see stressing out about blogging made me dislike it anymore.

I started my first blog over two and a half years ago and I did it because I loved sharing my love for all things beauty and make up with a group of people that were like-minded and friendly. With the addition of many many more bloggers joining the community, I started to worry that my blog wasn't as good as everyone elses and I became jealous of other people's successes.

After my internet free weekend break, I decided to give myself the rest of the week off blogging and just enjoy my surroundings, spending money and spending time with my parents as this week has been half term. It was nice to have a break and I'm not going to apologise to anyone for giving myself time away from the internet like I used to do.

Instead from now, I am a writing for me and for anyone else who fancies a look. Blogging is just a hobby it's not my job, there is no need for the stress.

Lots of Love,

C

xxx

Age on YouTube

Hello there,

I love YouTube, I have my own channel which I upload twice weekly on (Wednesday and Sunday at 10am GMT if you're interested) and as well as being part of the community that way, I also spend most of my time watching other people's videos too.

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I recently was watching a vlog of someone who asked the question, Was she too old for YouTube? This youtuber was in her thirties but the reason behind her question was the fact that there are so many newer younger YouTubers arriving on the scene that you start feeling old by just watching the videos. I have sat before watching a video and thought "this individual has never seen Fun House/The Crystal Maze" or "they didn't know that Billie Piper was once upon a popstar".

I don't think it is possible to be too old to film videos as long as the enjoyment is there, then there is no reason to think that you are too old, after all age is just a number in the end.

The thing I am unsure of is if its possible to be too young for YouTube. Whilst searching for Superdrug Hauls recently I came across a collection of videos from a girl who couldn't have been older than 10, filming what she had got from Superdrug and Claire's in a haul just like her idols Zoella and Tanya Burr, both of which she mentioned in the video as she bought both of their books and shared them in the haul.

Whilst I'm aware that all of Zoe and Tanya's little fans want to be like them, there was something uneasy about watching this girl film her video. As most of us are aware, the internet can be a horrible place full of some very vile people and there lies the reason why I think it could be possible to be too young.

Think back to when you were beginning your teenage years, how a little mean thing said to your face would hurt like hell. A comment online is normally 10 times worse than that and I'm just not sure a young girl will be able to shake it off as easily as we do.

What do you think? Should there be a minimum/ maximum age for YouTubers and creators?

Lots of Love,

C

xxx

When Everything Goes Wrong...

Hey there,

Recently I've been having a bit of a crap time. Everything in my life seems to be going wrong. I haven't got the same blogging bug that I used to have, people I thought I could count on disappeared when I really needed them and all in all I am stuck in a funk that I can't get out of because I've shut myself away from the world.

Whilst shutting myself away helps to not be hurt by more people however it also means that I can't talk everything through with proper friends or just get a good hug which what I really need to do/get. When things get hard, I have a few ways of getting myself out of little moods or just ways to deal with things when it feels like everything is going wrong.

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Online Shop. I am a shopaholic/beauty hoarder and I often find a way of cheering myself up a little is to online window shop. This to me means to go on Boots/MAC/ Space NK/ Selfridges and create a basket of goodies that I want to own. Most of the time I don't go through to the checkout stage but on the odd occasion I will treat myself and press confirm payment.

Music. Without music I am nothing, it can make me laugh, it can make me cry, it can my throat sore when I scream it at the top of my lungs. So my first step to getting me out of any mood is to pop my headphones on and putting on my iPod or my Spotify account on my laptop. Nothing does better for cheering me up than dancing round my room to some proper 90s cheesy music or singing musical songs outside in the garden in a sheep onesie at 9pm on a Friday night.

YouTube. Like music, YouTube has cheered up when things have been bad. In case you are looking for things to cheer you up may I suggest any of the whisper challenge videos or one of my favourites Grace Helbig's Fart Sound Board Challenge . If you don't laugh at that one then you are too much of an adult and we can't be friends.

Talk it out. The community of friends I have gained on twitter means that I know I've always got someone out there who I can talk to. Whether it's about blogging, life in general or just getting a bit of advice, there's always someone there. 

If you ever feel like poop remember, there is always someone there. If you ever need a chat, my twitter is @tloatb90 feel free to drop me a message. You are never alone.

Lots of Love,

Clare 

xxx

Where I want to go this year?

Hi there,

I am a big lover of the UK as a place to live, as you might have worked out from any holidays I have vlogged most of my holidays are taken on mainland UK.

Althought this is true, there are still some places I've never properly visited or haven't visited at all and I'd like to visit this year. Some of the places on this list, I’m hoping, I might get to visit through meet ups but if not maybe I can get a cheap train ticket and bring a friend along. So with out further a do, here is my list.

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1. Cardiff – In my lifetime, I’ve only ever made one trip to Cardiff and that was because the football team that my family supports, Wolverhampton Wanderers, had made it to the Millennium Stadium for something. This was many years ago and I don’t remember anything about the city. I visit London a few times every year and I feel I should see other major cities. If this wasn't enough reason to make a trip, one of my school friends has just moved there so it would be nice to visit her once she is settled.
2. Edinburgh – Same as Cardiff, I’ve only ever visited once a VERY long time ago. From what I remember, it was a gorgeous place to visit and one I’d really like to see again.
3. Bicester Village – now I know this one isn’t a city/town, I’m well aware that it is a Shopping Village but what can I say.. I’m a girl who loves a bargain.
4. Dublin – I have visited the Republic of Ireland a few times but one place I’ve never properly seen is Dublin. I’d love to make a trip, look around the city, absorb the culture and enjoy the accent.
5. York - I have big love for York. I have been a few times in my life for different reasons. I just love the place and I'd love to visit it again, maybe even climb to the top of the minster.
6. Liverpool - I've been there once before and I don't remember much. This is a reason to go again
7. Paris - Its not in the UK but I haven't been since I was about 10 with school. I'm 24 now and it's about time I return (which I am in February...yay)
8. Manchester - The closest I've got to Manchester is the Trafford Centre, I want to experience the actual city next.
9. St Albans - I've visited there once before with family and it was really beautiful. I want to return this year to catch up with my blogging lovelies including Bex, Shona and Lisa.
10. London- It had to make it's way onto the list. I love visiting London too much to not put it on my list. I haven't seen a West End Musical down there since August last year, I think it's time to pick a new one to watch... any suggestions.

There is my list. Where do you want to visit in 2015? Let me know in the comments.

Lots of Love,

C

xxx

Books to Film Adaptations Rant

Hello,

I don't know about you all but I love a good book or an entertaining movie. I am one of those people who feels the need to read the book before I watch the film. This can mean that I will watch something a lot later than everyone else in the world.

When it comes to books that are turned into a film, I like them to be similar.

When I read a story, nine times out of ten I become engrossed in the book and can begin to imagine the characters and what they look like, When they turn books into film, I understand that they try their hardest to get an actor that could suit and I don't mind that sometimes the person on the screen isn't the same as the person who was in your head.

However, the one thing that bugs me is when you are watching a film version of a book you have read and enjoyed and they change the plot slightly. I don't know about you but I can get quite protective of my favourite reads, which is why I felt I had to write this rant.

The thing that made me start writing this post was when I watched the trailer for the sequel to Divergent, which is called Insurgent. As you can see on my bookcase in the pictue above, I have both books and I am currently reading the third and final book,Allegiant, on my iPad,

 As a fan of book series such as the Hunger Games and to Twilight, I like a bit of the teenage fiction. So when I heard that Divergent was the next series to be turned into films, I knew that I'd have to pick up the book and have a read before the film came out. It turned out that by the time I had read Divergent, the film was out on DVD so I downloaded it on iTunes and sat down to watch it.

As the film progressed, certain things bugged me about the film. They had made a character, who in the books was quite a large boy into a relatively thin strapping young fellow and there was also something about the ending of the film which annoyed me too.

I got over everything and carried on reading the series because I am a fan of the books. Like I said I am currently reading the third book, when I saw a random tweet saying the new Insurgent trailer was out. I was interested to see what it looked like and again there just seemed to be a few things that weren't the same. I'm not going to ruin the second book's story in case you haven't read it but after seeing the comments on youtube under the trailer I'm not the only person who thinks that they have messed with the book..

I'm going to finish my rant here for now. But I want to know from you, do you like when books are turned into films. ALSO if you were to pick one book to turn into a film, what would it be?

Lots of Love,

C

xxx

Welcome to Square Peg Round Hole

Hi there,

Yes I know, another blog from me. BUT there is a reason behind all of the extra bloggyness. Over the past 2 and a half years (well actually longer but I can't do fractions), I have written a predominately beauty blog and because of this every time I put up something lifey or fashiony, it felt a bit weird and a little out of place.

To you all, it probably doesn't matter but I wanted to try something out. So meet you new friend, Square Peg Round Hole.



Square Peg Round Hole will be a place of rambles, possible outfit/fashiony things, moans and general life things that I feel wouldn't work on The Love of All Things Beauty.

The other thing I have decided with this blog is that there won't be a specific schedule or plan to this blog, I could blog often or I could go for a while without posting. This is going to be my chilled out space that is just somewhere I can come and let off some blogging steam (did that sound like a fart to anyone else... I'm NOT going to blog fart haha).

I hope you all enjoy your stay here at Square Peg Round Hole. All links and plinks are on your right and thank you for stopping by.

Lots of Love,
xxx