Clown in the Moon

Cause I'm a gamblin' Boogie Man, although I don't play fair

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Halloween is, hands down, my favourite time of the year. Unfortunately, I keep being told that I'm too old to go trick-or-treating and I always seem to be working on halloween/the day after so it's been pretty dull for me the past couple of years. 

Having said that, a movie night is on the cards so I'm looking forward to celebrating in my own little way. 

I started to get into the halloween spirit on Monday night when I went to my friend's house to carve some pumpkins! 

I was reminded of 2 things; 1) Pumpkins smell vile, and 2) I am lethal with a knife. 

Here's a couple of photos from Monday :) 

Just trying to blend in as a pumpkin.

Oogie boogie looking suitably terrifying!

Cheshire Cat :) 

Another shop dixi post!

shopdixi.com

This is where I begin to show off my purchases that I talked about it in this post.

Firstly, my beautiful pink agate necklace from shopdixi.com! 

Click to buy

It looks quite big in the photos but it's actually the perfect size. I love the colour of this and can tell it's going to work its way on to my 'most worn' pile. (Not that I literally pile up my necklaces, that would be stupid!) 

I was also greeted with a couple of little surprises that have completely made my week! 

I've had my eye on this bracelet for ages, so now to have this in my possession makes me a very happy bunny! I can't see me taking this off any time soon. 

There are different colours available, so keep an eye on the bracelet page if you want one for yourself!

Lastly, this wishbone necklace was included as a little treat!

I love how simple (but sweet) it is. 

You can buy this for £5 by clicking here! 

With christmas just around the corner (eeeek I said the 'C' word) it's definitely worth checking out this website to get some nice little gifts. 

I would be doing the same...but I'm too selfish and end up keeping jewellery for myself ;) 

Follow me on twitter @AGP_x

Liebster Award

A massive thank you to http://glitterbomb-makeup.blogspot.co.uk/ for choosing me to be one of their nominees! I really appreciate this nomination :) 

(I'm not entirely sure what a Liebster Award is...I'll have to look into it, but to be nominated/tagged for anything in the blogosphere is massively appreciated!)

RULES:

You must post 11 random facts about yourself. You must answer 11 questions from the person who chose you. You must create a new set of 11 questions for who you tag. 

You must then tag 11 blogs with under 200 followers and let them know. You can not tag back.

11 Facts:

- I'm a Capricorn

- I have a phobia of cheese

- My first crush was Mick Hucknall from Simply Red. (I will never live this embarrassment down.)

- Over the past 4 years I have developed Tokophobia. 

- I'm a vegetarian.

- I'm also a feminist. 

- Also an insomniac. 

- I love the smell of lavender, but I nearly always smell of vanilla. 

- When I first began to speak, it was with an Irish accent. Which made no sense, considering none of my immediate family are irish and all speak with an English accent. (I was sent to elocution lessons by my primary school because I wanted to join the choir :/)

- I'm 5'3", which is disappointing considering I was always told I'd grow to be at least 5'7" :(

- I learnt to read by watching The BFG. 

My Answers: 

1) Who is your idol?

I can give you 3! Amy Lee, J K Rowling and Tori Amos. I won't get all sentimental, but I literally wouldn't be the person I am with the values and ambitions I have if it weren't for them. 

Personally, I think it's an amazing thing if a young girl can have such strong females as a role model. 

2) Which qualifications do you have?

Erm, 13(?) GCSE's, 3 A-levels, NCFE Level 3 and currently working towards undergrad degree. 

3) What's your favourite perfume?

Viktor & Rolf- Flowerbomb.
Why does it have to be so expensive? :( 

4) Have you ever received any negative feedback on your blog? (Trolls, etc.)

I haven't. But then I've not received all that much feedback so... 

Still, as they say, no news is good news! 

5) What do you hope to gain out of blogging?

I just enjoy talking to myself, really. I like having something else to keep me slightly busy. 

If I get to talk to others through it, that's always an extra bonus! 

6) What's your favourite thing about yourself? (Physically or personality-wise)

Uhm. *tumbleweed* 

My hair's okay when I actually bother to dye it. (As opposed to it's current purple/mudbrown state!)

7) Do you follow a skincare routine?

I attempt to, and then I forget after a day. So, no.
It's the thought that counts, though!

8) Do you have any body modifications?

I have a fair few piercings :) 

9) Is there anything you would want to change about your life right now?

There would be a lot, but I don't think now is the time to get in to that really. Let's not lower the otherwise cheery tone ;)

10) Who is your favourite blogger?

Essie Button

She sang 'The Count' song and she's entertained (and educated) me ever since!

11) Christmas or Birthdays?

I don't particularly like either. (bahhh humbug, I know.) But I suppose I'll say Christmas, just because that's a time for everybody as opposed to just the one person. 

I NOMINATE: 

1) http://doodleheartx.blogspot.co.uk/

2) http://bottleofsprites.blogspot.co.uk/

3) http://peterpancollars.blogspot.co.uk/

4) http://poptartsandsexx.blogspot.co.uk/

5) http://polkaspotsandfreckledots.blogspot.co.uk/

6) http://thesheerstories.blogspot.co.uk/

7) http://monogrammedscrubs.blogspot.co.uk/

8) http://beautybeatsbooks.blogspot.co.uk/

9) http://abbigrant.blogspot.co.uk/

10) http://katiemarieclare.blogspot.co.uk/

11) http://insusiesshoes.blogspot.co.uk/

11 Questions: 

1) Are you afraid of the dark?

2) What movie or song makes you cry? 

3) Favourite comfort food? 

4) If you could live anywhere, where it would be and why?

5) Favourite item of clothing?

6) What do you do to cheer yourself up on a rainy day?

7)  Do you believe in ghosts? 

8) Favourite book?

9) Do you have a childhood item that you'll never throw away?

10) Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?

11) Why do you like to blog?

Follow me on twitter @AGP_X

With a palm full of stars I throw them like dice

I'm a terrible human being, and I succumbed to the temptation of online
shopping.
I would be more disappointed in myself, if it weren't for the fact that I think I found some pretty good bargains, and hopefully it will all turn up in time for New York!
The majority of this was found on ebay, but I've included links just in case you like the item for yourself! :)

I've resisted black lipstick for SO long,
and it may be something that I try and hate
(i'm very pale and not such a massive fan of the 'dead'
look)
However, for £1.99 I figured it's worth the risk!
Ebay

Despite already having 2 body con skirts,
I couldn't but feel the need for this,
I'm slowly falling in love with stripes.
£2.99 from Ebay 

The following two items I've purchased with the idea of wearing them together, however I'm fully aware that the chances of me looking very stupid in the leggings are incredibly high. At 5'3, it's completely possible that these will look awful. But, I won't know until I try it and I just couldn't resist them any longer!

Despite my previous jewellery wishlist claiming I wouldn't be buying anything (heh, running trend here!) I couldn't help but buy this...and you'll see why I thought it was the perfect item to go with the following outfit.

This is £4 from Shopdixi.com 

I'm still completely unsure as to whether I'll actually wear these leggings, or if I'll look like a bit of an idiot, but I couldn't resist them any longer so it's a risk I'm willing to take.
At only £4.45 you can't really go wrong, again, these are from Ebay

The jumper is also from ebay @ £4.89.
I figured that as the leggings are quite...bold, it would be sensible to go for a toned back jumper. I'm hoping it's long enough and baggy enough to cover my arse (because nobody wants to see that)
I thought the necklace would go nicely and just tie it all in nicely as it's a similar colour!

I might make a post when these items arrive, just to let you know if I found some good bargains or actually got carried away and wasted my money!

Follow this blog on twitter @AGP_X

Just a few updates!

Hey guys,

As it's a Sunday, and there's an extra hour to the day thanks to GMT, I figured I'd be semi-proactive and make a few updates in regards to this blog. Some of you may have noticed (although probably not) that I updated the layout a few days ago, I just wanted to make it a bit easier on the eyes and easy to navigate! (If somebody wants to make me a banner for this blog though, it would be massively appreciated!) 

I've also just made a new twitter account that I can use for all things blog related. My twitter is security protected and I like to keep it personal, so it makes sense for me to have something that is open to the public. There's no point plugging my posts to the same people over and over again on my own twitter.
If you're interested in following this twitter, just click here. 

Okay, so that doesn't sound particularly active for today. I have also been messing about with google+ but I really don't know how to use it/'get it', so...I'll probably just share my posts to my profile and leave it at that! 

As I go to New York in 18 days (and counting!!!) I might start queueing up some posts for when i'm away. If there's anything you'd like to see, let me know :) 

As always, I'm still looking for guest bloggers, leave me a comment if this is something you would be interested in. If you already blog, leave a link to your page so I can check it out :) 

This has been an uninteresting post, apologies! It was more for my own benefit than anything else. 

Winter necessities

(a bit eager with the snow, but I don't think i'm  too far off!)

Today, I found myself huddled over a portable radiator whilst at work in a store with no heating.
(Always ideal when I've had the flu for over a week, I'm now curled up in with a cup of lemon flavoured lemsip.)

I'm pretty sure I said, not so long ago, that I wasn't going to buy anything. However, when the temperature drops, I find my self in desperate need of a new hat and gloves!
I thought I might as well be open about my naughty spending and share my couple of buys :)

Hat is from dorothyperkins.com

(Originally £12 but there's 30% off online until sunday!) 

I couldn't help but feed my penguin obsession with these! I usually make the mistake of buying white gloves, so I thought I'd be sensible at the same time ;) 

Again, from dorothyperkins.com

Lookylikey?!

I just thought I'd make this post as over the past couple of weeks I seem to be having many conversations with people who seem to think I look like someone else.  It would be interesting to see if you often get compared with certain people, so if you make a post like this please link it to me so I can check it out!

Here goes!

Firstly, here's me! Please ignore the state of my face (i.e unedited, just finished work make up face.)

Lookylikey 1: 

Amy Lee- Lead singer of Evanescence.

As much as I love this comparison, I truly believe it's only due to the pale skin, dark hair & green eyes.
She's incredibly beautiful and I could only dream of looking like her. People are just being polite!

Lookylikey 2: 

Imelda May- Irish musician!

This is someone I'd not heard of until the weekend, but a work colleague is convinced I look like her.
Again, I think it's the pale skin/dark hair thing. We do wear slightly similar make up... but eh, that's about!
I take this as a massive compliment too, though.

Lookylikey 3: 

Sophie Ellis-Bextor.

This one has followed me since Primary school age, and my sister is still convinced this is a lookylikey of mine.
AGAIN, pale skin and dark hair.

Jeez...I wish. She's stunning!

Lookylikey 4: 

Lastly, 

Noel Fielding. 

Showing how far the pale skin and dark hair thing can be stretched.

I'm told by my brother daily that I am, basically, Noel Fielding.

Ahh..I can dream. 

:/ 

Welcome To

I thought I'd upload another piece of writing, this time it's a couple of chapters from something I started writing over a year ago (and have since decided to abandon the idea.) I was reading a lot of Chuck Palahniuk at the time, and I'm pretty sure it shows. Anyway, there's a couple of lines that still amuse me so I can't bring myself to delete the file completely. (I haven't included the prologue or the other 4ish chapters)

p.s warning: strong language etc etc
p.p.s I'm really not this cynical in real life. honest. 

Shop until...your bank balance cries out for mercy

As I've had to put myself on a shopping ban, I thought I'd fill in this 'Shopaholics challenge' that I found on Hannah's Blog.

So, I'm just going to dive straight in and make a start!

1. When I first realised I was a shopaholic...

About 18. Before that, I used to be so good at saving my money. I got a job as soon as I turned 16 and saved all my wages so I could completely redecorate my bedroom. Oh how I've changed. 

I think working in clothing retail has a massive part to play in it, because you're surrounded by clothes all the time and you see how quickly 'trends' change. To add to that, there's the tricky little item of a store card (which you get when you're 18) so you can get discount in select stores (until they throw on the interest, then it gets messy!) so it opens up your price range and before you know, you've managed to get a new outfit from one store. 

Yep, I went downhill when I was 18. 

2. How I feel after shopping, and how I react...

Generally, as soon as I've paid I'm constantly thinking about how much I couldn't afford to buy whatever it is I've just bought. And that will carry on up until I've worn/used the item, then the initial guilt and financial stress conveniently disappears. 

As soon as I get over the guilt, I'm happy enough to start planning outfits and what items I can wear together. 

Shopping opens up a wide range of emotions for me... 

3. My top five places to shop and why...

This is hard for me because I shop all over the place, i'm not a very consistent shopper!

Ebay- is definitely my go to website, for everything. Sometimes I think it's stupid to pay the top price for an item that I know I'll dislike within a few months, so I head over to ebay to find a cheaper make! It's also where I go to for hair dye, jewellery, make up...pretty much everything! 

Amazon- Can you tell I'm an online shopper? As much as I love Waterstones, I resent paying £8 for a book I could get for £3, ditto with CDs and DVDs, hence my love of amazon! (I also love that my sister has created a wishlist on amazon, it makes buying her gifts so much easier!) 

Primark- If you hunt enough, you can find some really nice items at incredibly reasonable prices. It my go-to shop if I need tights or simple knitwear items, but I also love that you can look in other high street stores and find a similar item in Primark for 25% of the price!

River Island- I never really consider myself that much of a River Island fan, to be honest I think the prices are a bit ridiculous when you consider the relatively poor quality of the items. Having said that, I often find myself thinking about where various items of my outfit are from, and River Island seems to crop up a lot! I'm obviously just in denial. 

Lush- I haven't actually bought anything from here in ages, but I went through a stage not so long ago of spending ridiculous amounts of money here. It was very handy to have Lush kicking around when I was vegan, so I'm definitely a fan of their ethics!

4. The item I have most of in my wardrobe...

Dresses! I own way too many. I own many dresses, many t shirts, many cardigans and only one pair of jeans.
There is no logic to my shopping. 

Saying that, if I look outside of my wardrobe, shoes would easily win- hands down. 

5. The most I've ever spent during one shopping trip...

Probably about £300. I have a feeling it would have been around christmas time, although I may just be saying that to make myself feel better. I spent over £200 in the space of 3 days not so long ago...not quite one shopping trip, but I'm still feeling guilty about that!

6. Have I ever experienced shopper's guilt, and what do I most regret buying?

I always experience shoppers guilt...never enough to regret it though :) The closest to regret I get is "Well, I didn't really need this, but..."

7. My favourite things to buy...

Make up, shoes and dresses! 

8. Do I buy the same thing in different colours?

Not really no! The only things I can think of that I do own in more than one colour are the body con skirts and the skater dresses, both of which I own in burgundy and black. 

9. Do I use dressing rooms and why/why not?

Pretty much never! I always seem to get in a bad mood if I try things on in a dressing room, so I'd rather not spoil my day! I'm a pretty good judge of sizes so I can generally tell what size to go for. If I'm with a friend and want an opinion, I might be brave and try it on, but only for a really special item!

10. Do I prefer shopping alone or with company?

It completely depends on my mood. I'm more efficient when I'm on my own and I tend to shop very quickly...and a little more outrageously probably because I know I have no one judging me. But of course, it's a lot more fun with friends!

11. If I could go shopping with a celeb/blogger/YT guru I would shop with...

Oh man I really don't know! There's nobody in particular I really look up to style wise (or I do, but I dress very dissimilar so it'd be pointless) so my choices are purely based on who I'd like to hang out with! 

Amy Lee, Taylor Momsen, Hayley Williams, Tori Amos, Dallas Green and Johnny Depp. 

Sure, that'd be a fun day. If I managed to remain conscious for longer than 2 minutes. 

12. My favourite shopping snacks are...

I don't care if I'm female, I can't multi task.

As long as I have Pepsi Max or black coffee to keep my hydrated, I'm ready to go!

13. I've always wanted to buy but could never afford...
A Burberry Coat....mmm yes please. 

14. If I had £1000 to spend I would spend it on...

Paying off debts. Seriously. Oh to be free of debt stress...

Ignoring that, I'd probably spend it on days out for me and my friends! I'd go visit a few people and just generally make the most of things that I struggle to in day to day life without the spare money. 

15. Am I a proud shopaholic?
No :( I think I need to go to some Shopaholic Anonymous meetings.  

Leave me a link to your blog if you decide to do this yourself, it would be interesting to see what everybody else has to say as far as shopping is concerned! 

Jewellery Wishlist

If you're anything like me, you have a bit of a jewellery problem that leaves you in a catch 22. I own far too many pieces of jewellery, yet for the most part, I stick to a select few pieces and the rest just stay there looking pretty. Despite this, I have an obsession with buying jewellery to add to the collection.
I thought for this month I would be well behaved, and instead of buying these pieces, I'll just list them all so I can continue to look at them. (For now, pay day is only round the corner...)

Necklace from Etsy
I love this book, and I love this quote. Perfect.

Necklace from Wallpaper Rose
I love keys, I'm  not sure why, is this normal?
It's currently sold out but they're often getting items back in stock so I'll be keeping an eye on this!

Necklace from City and Colour
Being a fan of City and Colour, and as someone who completely loves the song 'Little Hell,' It makes complete sense for me to own this necklace.
I'm usually not a fan of gold, but for this, I'll make the exception.

Ear plugs from Etsy
Thankfully, these are too small for my ears otherwise I would have snapped them up straight away!

Bracelet from Etsy (again!)
I can't think of anything more perfect for me!

Hand Harness from Shop Dixi
I've been eyeing this item up for a quite while! It's not like anything I've seen on the highstreet,  which just adds to the many reasons why I love it.

Feather drop earrings from River Island
I can't help but love these, however the price kinda puts me off.
I'm also not sure if it would look like I had 'too' much going on with my ears, as I have a fair few piercings in each etc.
I imagine I'd only wear one at a time just to tone it back, but even so...

The Light/ Memories of a Time

I'm trying to break out of writer's block, so this is pretty much the first thing I've sat down and finished writing in months. 

It's not brilliant, probably not even 'good,' but it exists, and for now that keeps me happy because I feel lost when I can't write. 

Yet to decide on a title so uhm, yes. 

Comments would be appreciated :) 

Needles through the face

...and wherever else you can poke them!
All about piercings!

I've been talking about doing this post for quite a while, so, here it is!
I suppose I should throw in a quick disclaimer: I am by no means a professional piercing or have professional knowledge. I will simply be talking about my experiences and the pieces of advice I've been given and found to be helpful!

I wouldn't say I've been pierced a lot, but enough to say that I'm quite well acquainted with a piercing studio.
Here's just a quick run down of piercings I've had!

• Ear Pinna x 1
• Nose x 1
• Smiley 
• 12mm Lobe 
• 8mm Lobe 
• 2nd/3rd lobe piercing- both ears
• 4th lobe piercing/Auricle Piercing- both ears (retired) 
• Centre Labret x2 (1x retired) 
• Eyebrow x2 (retired) 
• Navel (retired)
• Nape (retired) 

Most of the photos aren't very clear, sorry about that! 

I'll just write a quick run down on how the piercing was actually carried out, my experience of the pain and healing etc.

Here goes!

My spending ban lasted for 7 hours.

Despite  my insistence that I cannot spend any money at all, I went a bit shopping mad. I spent a fair amount in Primark but it was these 2 items that I wanted to share with you.
I bought them on separate days, however I actually quite like the look of them paired together!

Hidden wedge High tops from River Island- £40

Lace Maxi dress from Miss Selfridge- £45

I wore this outfit the other day, with plain black tights and a black blazer (£7 from Primark!) and as mismatched as it may seem, it worked! 

What I love about this dress is how you can easily make it look a bit more casual, simply by pairing it with casual shoes, or you could make it look quite high end and 'going out' if you matched it with some nice high heels. 

Unfortunately, I didn't take a photo of me wearing this, but next time I wear it all together I'll try and get a photo of it!

I've got to be honest, I've been making a lot of outfits that I actually really like, but I'm so damn insecure that getting a full length photo of me is next to impossible. But we'll see, maybe I'll get over that for the sake of this blog ;) 

What do you think, is it ever a good idea to casual something up that's originally quite elegant and pretty, or is anything okay for experimenting's sake?! 

We were infinite.

For those of you who know me, you'll now that I'm a fan of 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower.' 

As someone who loves the book, I was dubious about going to see the new movie; starring Logan Lerman, Ezra Miller and Emma Watson. 

My expectations (and emotional investment!) into this movie were very high, to say the least. So, I kind of predicted that I wouldn't like it, at all. 

How wrong was I.

As with all book adaptations, it's pretty impossible to include everything that's within the book. That's more than okay with me. What this movie did manage to (and I would assume this is due to Stephen Chbosky's directing,) is keep the heart of the book.
I know, I know, that's incredibly cheesy. But if you've read the book, you'll know why this is vital.

I don't want to give away anything about the book or the movie, just for those who have been hiding in a cave.
To put it simply, it's a coming of age, american high school story. Sounds unoriginal, right? It's so much more than that. You become attached to the characters and you become the characters themselves because everything they say and feel, you recognise it all. (By you, I mean I, but also maybe you.) This is applicable for both the book and movie.

I'll be honest, I'm probably biased. I was too emotionally invested in the book, and so the same is true for the movie. I sat crying for about 70% of the movie. It's both heart breaking and hilarious, and that's what makes it so realistic.
I dragged my friend along who hadn't read the book and only knew of it through me, and she was also a bit of an emotional mess whilst watching it.
There may be many things wrong with this movie, from cinematographic point of view, but I can forgive all that. It takes something special to invoke such emotion.

If you haven't come across 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' yet, run out and get the book. It's not that long, I promise. Go out and see the movie if that's more your thing, I am in love with both of them.
I get so excited when I remember how much I love something, and the reasons why I became so attached to the story.
Even if you love something for quotability factor, this is the book for you. I'm a sucker for a good quote, and this is full of them!

On a side note;
As a massive Harry Potter fan...I've really never been that much of an Emma Watson fan. This is probably more due to the fact that she got to play Hermione and I didn't, and therefore she knows J.K Rowling and I don't. Some of us just draw the short straw in life ;) However, all of that was forgotten in this movie. Emma was amazing. I can't really comment on the American accent all that accurately, but it sounded 'right' to me, and as far as the character of Sam is concerned, I empathised so much with her. I can't really say I felt this when reading the book, or just not as strongly as I do now I've seen the movie, but Emma just added an extra something.
Ezra Miller was amazing. AMAZING!
And Logan was the perfect Charlie.

"We accept the love we think we deserve."