6 Pieces Of Advice For When You've Just Had A Tragically Wonky Haircut

Last night I received a really rather tragic haircut. I came home to find my haircut was incredibly uneven and to make matters worse I preferred the longer side. Only solution? Chop off the longer side to end up with a short bowl hair cut which looks hilariously like a mushroom. Excellent.

Here are 6 practically useless pieces of advice I'd like to share in case this ever happens to you...

1) Go into the hairdressers and overdose them on pictures of what you want your hair to look like. Leave nothing to chance. If you want an EVEN haircut, point at the picture and ask for NO wonky bits.

2) If you're not sure as to whether your eyes are playing tricks on you and you happen to have an unobservant Step Dad at close proximity ask him for his opinion. If he gives you the 'I spy a shit haircut look' then it's really time to panic.

3) What's a great way to annoy someone just after their Step Dad gives them 'that' look? Have the hairdresser say down the phone "You're welcome to come back later. I'm MORE than happy to squeeze you in and correct it for you." Oh wow thank you so much. I am most grateful for your squeezing. Can't wait to see you. AGAIN.

4)What's an even greater way to annoy someone that has returned to the hairdressers for the second time in the space of 3 hours? 
Have the manager refuse to give you a refund. Yep. No apology, no refund, no hair products, Not even a mint from their tacky little bowl on the counter. Knob.

5)How to feel better about your new mushroom haircut that you seriously hate? Thank your Dad for passing his hairy gene on to you and be safe in the knowledge the hair on your head will grow quickly. As well as your leg hair, your armpits etc. Dad, I owe you one.

6)How to know it's time to get a bloody life and stop being so shallow and worrying about your mushroom hair? Walk into Boots a day later, buy some Dry Shampoo, queue up to pay and see a Lady in front of you without any hair due to cancer treatment. Carelle, you've been pathetic.

A year ago I would never have publicised the fact that I paid for a terrible haircut. I'd have sworn my Mum and best friends to secrecy and blag the fact I love my new 'do'.
Laughing at your own minor misfortunes is healthy and an incredibly important skill in life to master, (one I'm still working on). What better way to make me realise I need to get a grip and help me realise this really isn't a big deal? Publicly share it on social media so I can gain perspective and realise just how much of a pathetic moron I have been in the last 24 hours.

Turns out the manager called me up yesterday evening to apologise for how I was treated and said he will offer me a full refund and a complimentary blow dry, (the latter of which I won't be accepting) but thanks anyway...

I hope this makes you feel better about your own hair. If it's even AND it's the length you want it then you're a winner in my eyes.

Thanks for reading and I'll see you in my next bloggy :)

C x

10 Things A Typical Brit Learns When Eating Breakfast In America

"I'm just not a breakfast person" is a phrase that has NEVER left my lips. I go to bed thinking about breakfast and I wake up every morning hungry. Without fail.

America is my little food baby's dream and one of the first things on my priority list whilst I was in LA was to have breakfast every morning at an American Diner. The priority of breakfast came WAY before shopping, Disneyland and drinking gallons of Californian wine in a swanky hotel. So when we heard Mel's Drive-In was just a short walk away on Sunset Boulevard I was pretty EGGCITED. (Bad joke. Soz)

Of course the portion sizes were bloody enormous but that never stopped me over ordering and feeling like I had eaten enough wheat and sugar to last me... until the following morning...

Things I learnt...

1) When you ask for a cup of tea they panic and hand you a tea bag accompanied with a plate of lemon and 2 x tubs of honey JUST in case the token Brits didn't ACTUALLY want ENGLISH BREAKFAST TEA. 

2) What does a hash brown in America look like? Imagine getting a brain, smashing it on the floor and then putting it on a plate. That. 

3) Boysenberry jelly is a thing.

4) Apple Butter is also a thing.

5) (Look up) How does the butter come? In a cosy PAPER SLEEPING BAG of course... 

6) They put a slice of orange on top of nearly EVERY breakfast order. One of your five a day obvs...

7) They create breakfast concoctions that will, umm, make you go find a sick bucket... 
- Fried Chicken Waffle
- Short Stack Pancakes with diced ham and steak
- Local grass fed beef patties with eggs and FRUIT.

8) "More is not less" when it comes to decor

9) They take "How do you like your eggs in the morning?" to a WHOLE NEW LEVEL.
*Insert American Accent*
"Suuuure, would you like them... fried, scrambled, over easy, eggs over hard, over medium, soft boiled, sunny side up, sunny side down etc"
"POACHED PLEASE..."

10) If you did't leave the diner wanting to be carried out on a stretcher from severe tummy ache rivalling an appendicitis then I'm afraid you just didn't try hard enough. 

Mel's Drive-in is open 24 hours a day! So if you find yourself craving a fried chicken waffle at 4am then you now know where to go!

Mel's Drive-In is a breakfast lovers dream world. If you find yourself in LA then this has got to be your morning hangout.

Thank you for reading and I'll see you in my next bloggy :)

C x

Feeling A Sense Of 'Happiness Guilt' On My Way To LA

For the last few weeks my boyfriend has been working in the States. His work plans unexpectedly changed whilst he was out there and he was given five days off in LA. Last Sunday he surprised me with tickets to go join him for a few days. This was something I NEVER expected and I was so bloody happy and excited. I suddenly felt like THE luckiest human being on the planet. A surprise trip to LA. Pinch me.

An eleven hour flight (when you can't sleep) is a dangerous length of time to be inside your own head. My stomach was doing somersaults with excitement but I had this huge wave of guilt hanging over me. My thought process went a little like this...

- Why do I deserve such an incredible surprise?

- I could probably work a little harder

- I could probably do more for other people

- Am I sometimes selfish?

- Some people are fighting for their life and I'm casually on the plane to LA

- Some people went on holiday to Tunisia and never came home again. Life can be so unfair.

I suddenly felt plagued by a severe sense of what I call 'Happiness Guilt'. I felt so guilty that such an incredible experience was happening to me. There's so many people in my life that I would have absolutely loved to have seen them surprised in this way but the fact it was 'my' surprise made me feel uncomfortable, other people deserve it more than me, surely? I dream of the day that I can surprise people I care about and spoil them rotten but accepting the fact someone else thinks the world of you and wants to spoil you can often be a difficult situation to accept.

I knew I had to snap myself out of feeling this way. I couldn't get the tragic victims from the Tunisia attacks out of my head, the families of the victims from the missing Malaysian airline, the families that have just lost a loved one to cancer etc. I couldn't stop thinking about the people robbed of their lives and here I was jetting off to LA happy as larry...

I guess what I'm trying to say is if something happens to you which gives you a 'pinch me' moment and fills you with huge amounts of joy and happiness then please please embrace it. Live for the moment and lap up every second of it for you don't know what is around the corner, (soz to get all morbid). Don't let being happy make you feel guilty. Enjoy the fact that in these incredible moments you're the kind of person that can appreciate how lucky you are, be humble, stay grounded and realise how bloody fortunate you are. Forget bloody surprise trips to LA, I'm fortunate to have my health, a roof over my head and incredible people in my life. Anything more than that is a huge luxury I feel very blessed to have.

I genuinely had the best four days of my life in LA with my boyfriend. It all went far too quickly but we didn't waste a moment and I was never without a smile on my face. The best feeling to take from my trip is the fact I feel safe in the knowledge that I KNOW how lucky I was to have that experience and the best thing to come out of it? I feel inspired again to be the best version of myself. I want to get back on the blogging game (it's been two weeks since I last posted), I want to work my absolute butt off, I want to appreciate my health, have empathy for others and embrace the happy times in my life because none of us know when a terribly sad time is around the corner. The tragedies we hear in the news shouldn't depress us or make us feel guilty for being happy. Use these situations to gain perspective, savour our happy moments and stay humble because unfortunately life can be so so short.

Thank you for reading my deep ramblings. Really needed to get this one off my chest.

What a lovely feeling it is to be blogging again. Thank you so much for reading.

Love Carelle...x

5 Steps On How To Tan Your Face On Holiday. The Fake Way.

First things first…

I never lie in the sun with my face exposed because the skin on zee face is incredibly sensitive and can age pretty bloomin badly (paranoid MUCH…)

BUT panic not! You can still return from your summer holiday with a very natural looking tan which certainly won’t be causing you any long term skin damage. I’ve been doing this for YEARS and I have never had anyone rumble me and realise the tan on my face is totally fake. TO-TALL-Y FAKE. 

Here’s what I do…

1)Exfoliate

As well as exfoliating your body before your holiday it is also essential to exfoliate the face too. Getting rid of all those dead skin cells not only gives you a smoother and fresher look to your skin but it also gets rid of any remnants of previous fake tan and products that have been building up before the holiday. It provides you with a blank canvas ready for you to follow the next steps.

2)Factor 30

When it comes to my face I will use factor 30 the entire holiday. This is non negotiable. (Factor 30 #loveyou)

3)Sun Hat

I have had sun stroke more times than I care to remember. Suddenly rushing off the beach and laying in my hotel room whilst it spins uncontrollably followed by spending the rest of the night with my head in the toilet. Yup. It’s awful and I don’t wish it upon anyone.

Since being totally vigilant about wearing a huge sun hat whilst in the sun it has made all the difference. Whether I’m sunbathing my front or my back that big fat sun hat is glued to my noggin. Keeping my head shaded and ensuring my face is out of the direct sunlight means a win win situation with no sicky sicky.

4)Fake It

I have finally found a fake tan for my face that genuinely works. It doesn’t streak, it’s hydrating and most importantly it looks incredibly natural. Every night of the holiday I put a small layer of the St Tropez face oil onto my face. It’s very buildable so I layer it up throughout the holiday until the level of bronze on my face matches the rest of my body. 

Hey presto, my face is tanned without having to run the risk of burning it or getting sun damage. Personally it’s a no bloody brainer.
It is slightly more expensive than other fake tans on the market but it’s totally worth it. It retails at £25 but Boots often has a deal on their fake tan range. I snapped up my bottle for £16 - you can buy your bottle by clicking here.

5)Tinted Moisturiser

When it comes to tinted moisturisers you name them, I’ve tried them! The L'oreal Nude Magique BB cream is by far my favourite at the moment. It’s incredibly affordable at £9.99, has an excellent amount of coverage and gives you a great tan and glow to your skin. This is the perfect tinted moisturiser for the evenings when you’re on holiday. No need for cakey foundations and it works brilliantly over the St Tropez face oil. It gives my face a bit of extra coverage and tannedness in the evenings (I’m aware that’s definitely not a word but I’m gonna roll with it).

These 5 steps and products enable me to return from my sunny trip away with a tanned face whilst feeling safe in the knowledge that it has been protected from the sun all week. I cannot recommend these products enough.

Happy holidays and happy faking it!

I hope you found this blog post useful. Let me know if you recommend any other products for me to try!

Thanks for reading and I’ll see you in my next bloggy :)

C x

7 Tips On How To Perfectly Pack Your Suitcase For Your Summer Holiday

1) Plan Your Outfits

This may sound like an obvious one but for so many years I used to just shove as many outfits as I could into my suitcase. I would haul thirty different dresses to a foreign land and end up wearing just seven. Why? Because I was only there for seven days so technically I only needed seven outfits. Remarkable stuff...

I am now older and a little wiser (I think) and I carefully plan in advanced what I want to wear. I suggest you plan an evening outfit for every night you're away and include one spare (in case you spill your cocktail down your cleavage or a tropical bird poops on you or something...)

2) Roll

Roll those clothes! This honestly saves you so much room in your suitcase. You eliminate any wrinkles in your clothes and you can shove rolled items into every nook and crannie of your case so no space has been ignored. Et voila...

3) Shove In Shoes

Don't waste any valuable space. Now you've rolled each item it's time to fill your boots! See what I did there...

4)Travel Toiletries

As soon as they're empty you can bin the bottles, ditch them at your hotel room and then free up more space in your suitcase for all those items you bought in the local market. (I know this point is an obvious one but there's ALWAYS one that insists on lugging their jumbo, multipack, extremely heavy, best value EVER shampoo...)

5) Leave Your Handbag At Home

Ever since I started using my beach bag in replace of my handbag I have freed up so much room in my suitcase. I bring a clutch bag with me for the evenings and I use my big beach bag for all my hand luggage items at the airport as well as my beach bum essentials.

6) Cling Film

If you're going away for more than a week and you need to buy full sized toiletries this little trick is perfect for eliminating any explosive surprises when you arrive at your hotel. Pop some cling film over the opening of the bottles and screw the top back on. This is a perfect trick for suncream or any high end products that would make you cry an actual river if they exploded!

7)Pill Box

I have so many silver rings in my jewellery collection and by popping them in a compartment of a pill box it reduces them scratching and getting lost and damaged. It's also great for fine jewellery and earrings too.

And there you have it! A few little tips and tricks on how to pack for a week away! Many budget airlines give you such a small weight allowance and as soon as you go over they charge you a bloomin fortune. I hope you find these packing tips helpful and enjoy a satisfied smirk at the check in lady when your suitcase is as light as a feather. (Kinda).

If you have any tips yourself then I'd love to read them in the comments below.

 

Thank you for reading and I'll see you in my next bloggy :)

C x

Triangl Bikinis - Are They Really Worth The Hype?

I thought this review would be a rather fitting blog post today as 'apparently' it is National Bikini Day!!! How can this actually be a thing I hear you ask? 

Despite the fact I think the world has clearly gone a little mad I'm just gonna roll with it...

Now, unless you've been hiding under a rock all year you will know that Triangl Bikinis have absolutely swamped social media. They are known for their bright colours, unique designs, beautiful sun kissed models and genius social media campaigns. But what I want to know is, are Triangl Bikinis REALLY worth all the hype?

My Triangl bikini landed on my front door step last September. To be honest I was pretty shocked to have received an email from them asking me to chose my size and my favourite colour which they would send to me in the post with absolutely NO STRINGS ATTACHED. Don't they do that with celebrities and bloggers with a bazillion followers? I was pretty shocked and excited to find this orange bundle of goodness on my doorstep. My only disappointment was that the summer in the UK was over and I wouldn't be able to wear it until next year. Fast forward to now and I'm finally getting round to my Triangl bikini review. So here goes...

First things first. The material is pretty darn cool. Imagine cutting the prettiest bikini out of a wet suit? That. It's stretchy, comfortable but still extremely well fitted. Let's just say I definitely wouldn't lose my bikini bottoms if I were to belly flop into a public swimming pool, (unfortunately for me gracefully diving just isn't an option). I also believe that if I were to run out of the sea during a shark attack and my boobs HAPPENED to be a little bigger and bouncier I certainly wouldn't expose them to the bods on the beach. Basically, this bikini is as secure as they come. It must be down to its unique 'wet suit' like material which is really rather genius.

The size of the bikinis certainly do come up small and because they are so well fitted it's pretty unlikely the bikini would ever stretch and sag after a lot of use, (Hooray). I would certainly recommend going up a size as that is what I was advised to do when I placed my order.

On a more personal preference I would have liked the bikini top to have a little more padding and support, although this is probably not needed if you are naturally graced with the most beautifully buoyant boobies! However, judging from my experience in wearing the bikini and the models they use on their campaigns this brand is really only suited for women with small to medium sized boobs. I think if you are any more than a D cup you MAY not think this bikini gives you the support you need. And giiiiirl you need to support.

The colours are just gorgeous, vibrant and look great with a tan. The only downside to my ridiculously bright bikini is that the bees and the wasps on holiday seemed to think I was some sort of fully pollenated flower. One minute I'm engulfed in my book and the next minute a bumble bee wants a piece of me. I would run for my life, looking like a complete lunatic in front of the Croatian locals. Never mind.

These bikinis certainly don't come cheap! Triangl is an Australian brand and on average each bikini is sold for 89 USD which is around £57. In my opinion this is an awful lot of money for a bikini HOWEVER they are excellent quality, unique and they are certainly not one season wonders. I have truly realised the difference in quality in a more expensive bikini in comparison to a cheapy, flimsy number from the high street. 

Would I buy myself a Triangl bikini? If I were to be going away travelling and I wanted a bikini that I could trust to stand the test of time then I certainly would buy one. However, if I only went on holiday once a year then perhaps £50+ would be a little too much to spend on a bikini. But hey, I'm a sensible Susan that loves a good high street bargain! 

Triangl - Thank you for sending me this beautiful bundle of orange delight. I absolutely love it!! Are Triangl bikinis really worth the hype? Absolutely

Fancy having a browse on the Triangl website? Click right here.

Thanks for reading and I'll see you in my next bloggy :)

And of course I wish you a very Happy National Bikini Day. No doubt you all have great celebrations planned on such a joyous and traditional occasion...

C x

Want to see what I got up to on my recent holiday to Croatia? You can check out my blog post by clicking here. http://carellesayshi.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/croatiacameraroll.html

My Croatian Camera Roll

 Are you a nosey person? 

If you answered yes to the question above then you've come to the right blog!

I went to the beautiful Croatia last week and took some pictures during my stay. Instead of uploading them all to Instagram (which would be a little boring) I decided to create this blog post where I can share all my holiday snaps with you

Spending quality family time is becoming more and more difficult as time goes by as we are all so busy. My wonderful Moomin (as we like to call her) likes to take my brother and I away in the summer for a week of fun. Just the three of us.

We stayed in a modern apartment in a town called Okrug. It was incredibly quiet with a lovely beach and harbour. The sea was a beautiful blue and there wasn't an ounce of feeling overcrowded on the beach. It was quiet and serene and not a murmur of club music was heard whilst I was trying to unwind and relax on my sun lounger. My kinda heaven.

Heads up - If you order a lemonade in Croatia you get fresh lemon juice. #saysprite

A local Croatian man honks a horn and sells Croatian Corn. Not my regular 'go to' snack whilst sunbathing on the beach but I thought I'd give it a try!

Don't mind me and my Tubigrip...

In the evenings we would get a short boat ride to a beautiful town called Trogir. This was a busier place with lots of lovely restaurants, cobbled streets and endless ice cream parlours.

 Meal times consisted of eating amazing food, drinking lots of beer and playing cards at the table. Playing cards whilst eating in a restaurant is apparently rude but, yeah, whatevs...

 

I won seven card games in a row (just so ya know)

 What an incredible holiday. Beautiful scenery, amazing weather and the best company. Thank you Croatia and thank you Mum and Dexter for being the best company.

 I hope you enjoyed a quick flick through my Croatian camera roll. 

Thank you for reading and I'll see you in my next bloggy.

C x