A-Z OF MOI

Hello you lovely lot! 

I've seen this floating about on social media a few times and thought I'd give it a go myself: as there is a few more of you around here, getting involved, why not learn some silly little things and some serious things using A-Z? Fun (cringy) right?
Time to put my thinking cap on...

ALEX 

The main little guy in my life, my son, my 3 year old. Although he drives me CRAZY alot at the moment - wouldn't have it any other way! 💗

BLOGGING 

Of course this had to be here! Its a part of my life now, something I really enjoy doing, something thats just for me. Did you see my post on why I like to blog?
clickhere

CHINESE FOOD

Always my preferred takeaway and I usually order sweet and sour chicken balls, beef curry and egg fried rice with prawn toast on the side. 

DANCING

Its weird to say this- I actually love to dance haha! Once upon a time I wanted to be a choreographer but NO I'm not good haha! So these days I enjoy a good boogie in my home with Alex to the cheesy hits playlist on Spotify or on a night out with the girls.

EYESHADOW

Probably my favourite thing to buy in my makeup collection. 

FLOWERS 

Up until recently I was never a fan of flowers whether thats buying my own or being brought them, but now I just want to fill my house with them in lots of pretty vases that I actually need to invest in.
Although still prefer to buy my own

GROWING UP?

I was stuck for so long in a vicious circle with myself and wanting to keep everyone else happy that in the last year or so I've done so much growing up and changing its weird haha! My personality has developed, my likes and dislikes have changed, my family and friend relationships have changed whether thats grown closer or fallen apart. I've created goals and ideas for myself and know exactly what I want from life and will no longer accept any thing less than I deserve.

Woah, abrupt-much I know!

HARRY POTTER

Harry Potter geek fan right here! Have been ever since I read the first book. The best thing about it is that Alex loves Harry Potter too. His favourite film is Chamber of Secrets mine is Prisoner of Azkaban although its such a heard pick.

I/ME 

I've been trying and failing at doing more for myself this year haha, its abit of a focus to spend more time on self care and being selfish.

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE AND JENNA DEWAN TATUM

JT is the Man, my ultimate celebrity crush! *heart eyes*
Jenna is just body, face, family goals right?

KETCHUP 

I don't have it with everything but I do love ketchup with my eggs in the morning.

LIES

I HATE lies. After alot of experience from many 'loved' ones It only hurts and causes more problems when the truth is found out. Its just not a nice thing to do in general.

MAKEUP 

 Another obvious one, but it still shocks me how my makeup ways have changed in the last 18months and how I'm not stuck in the sameoldsameold products and look everyday. Its nice to have the choice to mix it up and develop my skills (if you can call them that haha!)

NIGHTS IN

These days I much prefer a night in, in my pjs, with all the food and a film, all cosy on the sofa/bed.
Don't get me wrong a night out once in a while is good too!

OREOS 

Favourite. Biscuits and Doughnuts just yum!

PANIC ATTACKS & ANXIETY

Something I have suffered with for quite some years and its definately not as bad as it used to be so thumbs up to that! I wrote a post about my experience last year
clickhere

QUOTES

Oh how I love a good quote, you can always find one to fit any situation and/or feeling. I find most very inspiring or motivational or even make you think in a slightly different way.
I currently have one on my bedroom wall 'Everything is better in your pyjamas' true right?

ROUTINE 

I love routine, I like my life to be as routined as it can be and I like my days to be planned out. If its not or something goes out of sync its stresses me out so much!

SLEEP

Before Alex sleep wasn't important, I barely slept. About 6 weeks after Alex's birth I began sleeping alot more than I ever have. Although my sleeping pattern is not great I do love sleep alot more but always tired at the same time

TATTOO 

I have 5, 2 quotes, 2 tribal heart thingys and a robot. Random I know. Theres so many other I'd really like in the future.

UNDERWEAR 

I actually weirdly really enjoy buying underwear, bras and pants - that kinda thing! Although what I have at the mo is nothing to write home about haha

VOICE 

I believe everything voice/opinion/thoughts should be heard when there are two sides to a story.

WALKING

Yep, I love to walk not in a trekking up a mountain kind of way but a walk in the fresh air to clear your mind.
When Alex had a pushchair as baby I never once set foot on any form of public transport with it - walked everywhere - luckily I live not fair from the local city centre so the walk was nice.

X RAY 

Could X be for anything else? I couldn't think of anything.
I believe I've had one X-Ray in my time, at a time when my anxiety was telling me there was something wrong with me.

Yellow 

This has been a total surprise to me, but I'm really getting into the colour yellow, home decor mainly. Next have some beautiful yellow homeware in at the moment. 

ZOO 

I don't think I've ever been to the Zoo but I'd really like too in the near future. 

Well that was fun and hard haha! Would love to see if you do something like this!
I'll be back next week with a more normal kind of post :)

xx

WINGED EYELINER CUT CREASE?

When boredom strikes, we play with our makeup! Well I do, anyway!

When having a good old scroll through Instagram like you do, looking at alot of the makeup bits - I came across a video where a person claimed to be bored of there winged eyeliner and winged it round into the crease for a change.
So a sort of cut crease winged eyeliner look I guess?

So my inspiration has been taken from there and I thought I'd give it a go as we ALL know I'm a big fan of black liquid eyeliner and wear it day-in-day-out as part of my makeup routine so why not see if I can style it another way?

First Thoughts

- Wow, this is hard
- Oh no! its smudged *wipes off and starts again*

- Maybe it'll look better with eyeshadow

- Hmmm lets try the pinks I've never used

- Smudges again 

- Why can't I do both eyes the same?
- Odd

To be fair, I don't think it looked that bad, but I don't think it'll be something I'll do as part of day makeup, maybe as a night out or fancy dress! I also reckon it'll look nice as part of a dark smokey look.
I did however really enjoy using the pink eyeshadows, don't know why I haven't reached for them before- will add to these to my summery makeup go-to's. Something fresh and bright, also very different for me. 

Makeup Used

Foundation - Rimmel Lasting Finish Powder Foundation in Porcelain Light (001)
Concealer - Maybelline Eraser Eye in Light and Collection Lasting Perfection in Fair 1

Highlight and Contour - Tanya Burr Beautifully Defined Palette
Lips - L'oreal Sexybalm in Bold Adventure (202)
Mascara - Soap and Glory Thick and Fast in Film Noir

Brows - Bad Girl Sleek Palette in Black
Eyeliner - Maybelline Master Precise (top) Collection Extreme Felt Liner (Bottom)
Eyeshadow - Too Faced Chocolate BonBons Palette - Cotton Candy as base - Totally Fetch as definition 

Have you tried this before, what did you think?

xx

HUGE THROWBACKS | PHOTO EDITION

Hey! Hope you've all had a lovely week? 

So this week, I got onto looking at some old photos of myself as a child/teenager and thought why not share them with you! I mean I love having a nosey into these kind of things, I hope you do too.
I've really loved going through these photos- its brought back some funny memories and also great to see how I have and haven't changed all at the same time. Also I can't believe how similar Alex looks to me haha! 

I didn't realise I had so many pictures of me, my friends and I, or the raw pictures of being a mummy with a newborn- for my eyes only though haha!

It took so long to write this post as I kept getting so distracted look back through photos.

I don't know the years these were taken, but this is where I see Alex in me so much, we look so alike as kiddies- my hair took so long to grow when I was little.

This is one of my oldest friends and I - I mean we were all about that 90's fashion and matching everything from hair to clothes haha! I feel like we all had this haircut at some point though! I remember I loved that teddy and it was't even mine, insisted on having a photo with it!

Theres a lost couple of years here, so fast forward to about age 14. Out comes the full fringe that I really tried to sweep across my face but just never looked the way I wanted it too, then the change in hair colour game, bits of red, bits of purple, full head of red.

I don't know what possessed me to do an at home 'photo-shoot' looking like this haha other than the fact I LOVED those shoes that I couldn't actually walk in. At the time these were taken I really liked the first black and white one, but looking now I think the one taken off guard is abit more natural and real! Its amazing how views change.

Fancy dress nights out with one of my besties, one of my favourite pictures of us💕

A professional type of 'photo-shoot' for a friend and her college project. This is one of the photos I really like- how street style haha!!
Although you'd never catch me wearing anything like this these days!

I'm currently using this photo for body inspo and how I want to look again by this summer haha, a glow and some definition. At this point in life, Age 18, I was confident with the way I looked and felt.

The biggest change and best thing to happen in my life :) 30 weeks in this picture!

Now its us against the world!!
Looking back at ALL my old photos has shown me the importance of taking photos and storing them as it gives you so much happiness being able to look back - I haven't stopped smiling. 

I'd love to see some of your throwback photos! How about write a post? Let me know so I can have a read - tag me on twitter @_gracie92

xx

WHY BLOG ??

When I began Graciesworld in 2015 I made the conscious decision to share it with my family/friends via a Graciesworld Facebook page within 2 days of launching. 

At the time the support was incredible, Although alot of questions have been asked over a course of time the main ones are -

 "Why you doing that?"
"Whats the point if you aren't being paid?"

Well, the answer is pretty simple, when I began blogging I was at a very strange place in my life, going through abit of change within my own life and personality, growing as person as such. I have always loved reading/writing and with alot of encouragement I thought 'Why not give it a go and see?'
It became an escape! Something I look forward to planning and delving into every week (sad I know) but a place where I'm able talk about all the things I like, also a place to document things I want to remember and look back on. Alot of you know, I have a son and although his pictures and chats of him don't feature very often, behind the blog its encouraged me to take more photos and get out and about doing things and combat parts of my anxiety.

Basically, I blog because I enjoy it, for me. whether I have readers/followers or not - all of that is just a bonus!

I can't really talk to my 3 year old about my makeup haha!

Blogmas was a huge step for me but also a great motivation and made me see how much I love my blog and all the behind the scenes work that goes with it. As I was blogging everyday I got asked if i was being paid for said posts - no I wasn't, it was a fun little stressful challenge I set myself and was super proud of by the end😀
 If ever in the future, payments became part of this thats just be a huge bonus.

As I look back, I can certainly see how my posts and writing style have changed and how much more confidence I have in myself both on and offline. This little online focus has helped me through some terrible times and developed me as a person in terms of confidence, being a little more relaxed, a tinsy winsy bit more fun haha, working on self-care, I've found things I like about myself and I found things I enjoy doing | e.g - experimenting with makeup as before was same old routine day in day out.

Sometimes a post can take from 1 hour to a week+ to be ready, but I love the whole hustle and bustle. I've found something thats mine and just for me, I love that!

I'm all about going with the flow and enjoying what I do when it comes to Graciesworld!

Thanks to all the readers, the comments, the likes, the shares- I really do appreciate it

Lots of Love💗

If you have a blog, I'd love to hear why you blog?