One for the Gleeks!: Santana

Here we go then - part 2! I've been looking forward to posting this blog all week!

In this week's 'One for the Gleeks!' feature, I take a look back at some of Santana's greatest one-liners. She is fierce, a bit of a bitch, but funny! Even though we did not see much of her in the first series, she has become such a great character that I couldn't imagine the show without her!


So here they are:

Santana: Please. I've had mono so many times it turned into stereo.

Santana: I've kissed Finn, and can I just say: NOT worth a buck. I would, however, pay $100 to jiggle one of his man boobs.

Santana: The only straight I am's a straight up bitch.

Tina: Five minutes ago, you said Mr. Schue belonged in a twelve-step program!
Will: Wait, what?
Santana: You're addicted to vests.

Santana: (To Brittany) I'm not making out with you because I'm in love with you. I'm making out with you because Puck's been in the slammer for 24 hours and I'm like a lizard: if I don't have something warm beneath me I can't digest my food.

Santana: Well, Rachel, congratulations. Normally you dress like the fantasy of a Japanese businessman with a very dark, specific fetish, but I actually dig this look. Yay!

Santana: Let us give you an introduction into the way we work. You buy us dinner, we make out in front of you. It's like, the best deal ever.

Santana: Everything about you screams virgin. You're about as sexy as a Cabbage Patch Kid. It's exhausting to look at you.

Santana: Look, my dad's a doctor, and not a tooth doctor, a real one. He goes to college or something. which means I have a killer health plan which pays for everything. So get up in my grill, cause Brits and I wants to get our anesthesia on.

Santana: Not only am I giving you full visitation rights to the set of rambunctious twins that live on my rib cage, you get the chance to show that pastry bag Finn that he can’t mess with Sam Evans. And not just because you can unlock your humongous jaw and swallow him whole like a python.

And of course... all of the lyrics to 'Trouty Mouth':

Guppy Face, Trouty Mouth

Is that how people's lips look where you come from in the South

Grouper Mouth, Froggy Lips
I love suckin' on those salamander lips

Wanna put a fish hook in those lips so cherry red
If you tried hard enough you could suck a baby's head


P.S: If you haven't seen the first episode of the third series then look away... NOW! *Spoiler Alert*

I REALLY hope Mr Schue lets Santana back into the Glee club, although I can't wait to see what trouble she stirs up in the meantime - Lima Heights Adjacent stylee!

LBD... Little BEAUTIFUL Dress!

As I was reading this week's Reveal Magazine, I came across one of the most beautiful dresses I have ever seen!

THE dress (on the right) - Lipsy, £120

I love everything about it; the lace, the feathers, the neckline and capped sleeves - I want it! However, it was not until I saw their tweet yesterday (Tuesday 27th) when I realised it wasn't available until December (sad face!) So for now, I will just have to look and hope Father Christmas brings me an early present this year!

Goodbye, little flat...

Part of my living room...

...the other part of the living room

Part of my bedroom

The kitchen

The bathroom

The hallway

The view in summer (excuse the roadworks!)...

...and the winter

As of today, the day this post is published, I am no longer the tenant of my lovely little seaside flat! It was my first home away from home and was right on the seafront - one of my most favourite places! Even though I am so happy and excited to be moving in with @ultimatecoddy into this gorgeous place, (click here for more!), it is a little sad to say goodbye. I'll always remember and have soft spot for it, but bring on the future - I have a feeling it's going to be good!

What to Wear...

Myself and @ultimatecoddy have been invited to our workmates' wedding next month (they met at Walton's Publications five years ago and now they're getting married - ahhh!) so naturally I am thinking about what I am going to wear!

I have only ever been to one wedding when I was a kid, making this is my first wedding as an adult. Of course, I want a fab, stylish outfit to wear but also something that will still be comfortable way into the reception (unless there is pink wine, then comfort won't necessarily matter!)

Like most women, Kate Middleton's style really appeals to me; it is simple yet classic and elegant, and when I think of wedding outfits, this is the first image that pops into my head.

My inspiration for the upcoming nuptials!

I love the colour-blocking effect and simplicity of the outfit - and teamed with some fab shoes and some sort of hair accessory I think this might be my look!

So as I was waiting for the AA men to come and fix my car (that's another story!) I started looking on www.missguided.co.uk - I have been a fan of this site for a while now. A friend recommended it to me when we were discussing clothing retailers (and the lack of in Grimsby - hence the conversation on online retailers!) and I ended up purchasing a fun, floaty, floral, one-shoulder dress - absolutely love it!

I am on a budget, and the great thing about missguided is that is so inexpensive but is still so fashionable and a good quality. So, after loving nearly every dress on the site, I have narrowed it down to these few firm favourites - and I'd appreciate your advice!

'Alanetta' lace bodycon dress in Wine
£24.99 - love this colour!

'Aldara' lace pleat dress in Wine
£24.99

'Cristina' 3/4 sleeve lace pleat dress
in Burnt Orange £26.99

'Cristina' in cream - or is it too close
to white?

'Africa' sheered one-shoulder
dress in Rust Red £19.99

'Charlota' one-shoulder sheer pleated
dress in Sapphire £36.99

Twiggie crochet waistband skater
dress in Red £25.99

Twiggie in Wine...

...or Twiggie in Blue!

'Kornelia' Polka Dot bow dress
in black £24.99...

...or 'Kornelia' in white!

Obviously, I know none of these dresses look *exactly* like that of the Duchess of Cambridge's, but teaming the above with a simple black blazer will look fab. I think the reds, burnt oranges, mustards and creams are brilliant for Autumn, I personally LOVE  navy and the polka dot dresses are so cute! And each dress comes in a variety of colours which gives me even more choices, although, I am leaning towards one of the skater-skirt dresses at the minute...

So, what is your opinion? I'd love to get your feedback on my choices, or if you have any other suggestions please let me know!

One for the Gleeks!

Watch out Twitter world, because come Thursday night in between 9.00 and 10.00pm your timelines will be taken over by quotes, lyrics and tweets of Glee - literally! The series returns for its third series on Sky One and I can... not... wait!

The programme, for me, just has the ability to make you so happy! Even when the characters are going through hard times and tearjerkers are being belted out, it still, somehow, has the ability to make you happy?! The songs are fabulous, the characters are fantastic and, in my opinion, the scripts are genius! I just wish more people would give the show a chance before dismissing it as another 'High School Musical"...*sigh!*

But anyway, to get us in the mood, every week I will be posting my favourite quotes from the show, character by character. For my first post in this feature, it's Brittany... Bitch.

As the programme progresses, Brittany is becoming one of my favourite characters - her dancing is incredible, she's appearing more and more in songs and she has some of the best lines! Here are a few of my faves:

Brittany: I wore a tank top today because I thought it was summer, and no one ever taught me to read a calendar.

Quinn: I'm torn.  

Brittany: I'm not. I'm Brittany.

Brittany: I don't brush my teeth. I rinse my mouth out with soda after I eat. I was pretty sure Dr. Pepper was a dentist.

Brittany: Did you know dolphins are just gay sharks?

Brittany: So, hairography works best when you pretend like you’re getting tasered. Just move your head around like you’re spazzing and stuff.

Will: Can anyone tell me what a ballad is?   

Brittany: It's a male duck.  

Will: Alright, Brittany, take it away! 

Brittany: Take what away?

Brittany: People think I went on vacation, but actually, I spent all summer lost in the sewers. 

Brittany: (Touching Jacob's hair) It looks like a Jewish cloud. 

Artie: I don't get it. I don't even think you've made eye contact with me before.  

Brittany: Well, for a while, I thought you were a robot. 

Brittany: I was going to order us one really, really long piece of spaghetti like in Lady and the Tramp. I've been practicing nudging the meatball across the table with my nose.   

Brittany: I don't want to do Britney.  

Kurt: Why no Britney, Brittany? 

Brittany: Because my name is also Britney Spears. My middle name is Susan. My last name is Pierce. That makes me Brittany S. Pierce—Britney Spears. I've lived my entire life in Britney Spears's shadow and I'll never be as talented or as famous. I hope you'll all respect that I want glee club to remain a place where I, Brittany S. Pierce, can escape the torment of Britney Spears.

And later....

Brittany: I would just like to say that from now on, I demand to have every solo in glee club. When I had my teeth cleaned, I had the most amazing Britney fantasy. I sing and dance better than her. It made me realize what a powerful woman I truly am. I'm more talented than all of you; I see that clearly now. It's Brittany. Bitch.

What are your favourite quotes? Who's your favourite character? And which character shall I showcase next week?...

Hello Bloglovin'!

Follow me on Bloglovin'!

Just a quick update to say I am now on Bloglovin'! I have yet to properly browse the site but from first impressions, it looks great! So if you click the link above you can now follow me on there!

When I grow up...

The 32 magazines which have my features published in - so far!

I have always wanted to work as a journalist; the communicating with people, the office environment, the initial ideas and researching, seeing your final articles in print in front of your very eyes (the greatest feeling for me!) - everything about it I love. When I was little I drew my own newspaper (and then got VERY upset when I realised I had done the pages back to front) and always chose to write articles in English assignments when I had the choice.

When it came to leaving school, the local college offered a range of open days for courses; the journalism day was the only one I was really interested in, and as soon as I got on the National Diploma course in Journalism I knew this is what I wanted to do with my life. I enjoyed every aspect - news writing, page design and layout, PR and, of course, magazine production. Even though I knew that this would be a difficult industry to get into, I didn't want to give up and I really couldn't picture myself doing anything else. I was also a really shy person and this is what I thought would hold me back, but I was so determined to get over this and become a better, happier person for it too. And you know what... I did!

I really came into my own during the final year of my degree; I volunteered to be Editor of the Grimsby Institute's student newspaper, Pulse, and offered to help with press for local television programmes, even those outside of the course, as well as had work experience for the local daily newspaper and BBC Blast. It all completely paid off in early 2010 when I was picked, out of literally hundreds, for a job interview for the position of trainee sub-editor for the Daily Mail! I hadn't even finished my course let alone graduated, so you can imagine my excitement. Unfortunately I did not get the job, but the fact I was one of the final people considered for this position is something I still hold proudly to to this day and will continue to do so for a long, long time!

Now (as I may have mentioned a few times...) I work at a regional publishing house as a Features Writer and have done for the past 15 months, and I couldn't be happier! I was lucky enough to have got the job less than a month after finishing my degree and have now had features published in, at the time of writing this, 32 magazines - totaling well over 100 articles! The magazines include Lincolnshire in Focus, Commerce and Industry, Food and Drink Network UK, The Essential Business Guide to the Hull and Humber Region, The North East Lincolnshire County Guide and, my favourite annual publication, The Perfect Wedding.

My main role here is to write features; researching new ideas and the subject in hand (definitely a must when I'm writing about food processing solutions and many other technical features!), to write informative articles to suit the particular audience - and each magazine has its own market - and to proof read the magazine before it goes to print. I also began signing up to press office newsletters as it is always helpful when looking for new information and content (and I like to be in the know!) and using twitter to promote our features and to network; I have spoken to so many great people through doing this.

Lately, I have taken on a *bit* more responsibility; I now collate the parts of the publications which are supplied and speak to PR managers about press releases and events, etc. - it takes up a lot of my time and I do not get to write as many features as I would like BUT I am so grateful to have gotten a step into this industry and work incredibly hard to make sure the work I produce is as best as can be. I research my features thoroughly, try and find new angles for articles and really want the magazines to be a success in this increasingly demanding industry.

At the minute, we're hearing all about students who are starting university again, getting very excited about Freshers, and it's making me reminisce about my time at East Coast Media and GIFHE and how far I've come; I'm very happy with aspects of my life at the minute and I feel happier than I've ever been. Don't get me wrong, there are times that I get frustrated and I don't agree with certain parts of the job, but I really am so grateful for this opportunity and I do not take it for granted. This is what I have always wanted to do and  all I want to do in the future is to continue to grow and become more successful - so watch this space!

Sweets, sweets and more sweets!

Now, I know I have said this a couple of times on my blog, but I have an INCREDIBLE sweet tooth (as I established here: Mrs Crimble's Macaroons!) and I can not resist the temptation of chocolate, sweets and cake - especially when it comes to all-American candy! So you can imagine my frustration when I ordered some as a present for a very good friend of mine - not for myself!

I have been lucky enough to have gone to the good old USA twice - New York and LA - and the food there is like no-other. My friend thought the same, so when it was her birthday earlier on this month I decided to get her some American goodies, and I found the best site to buy them from!

The Stateside Candy Company are an Aldershot based retailer who deliver to the whole of the country and beyond through their website, www.americansweets.co.uk. They have so much stock available from sweets, cakes, drinks, sauces and cereals, it's hard to choose! Their delivery was quick and I felt their service, as a whole, was very reliable. I've picked out some of my favourite products, so when it comes to my birthday..... *hint hint!*

Strawberry Twizzlers...

For a loved one... or yourself?!

I always struggle to explain what this is like - you have to try one!

I know Jelly Belly's are available here, but still!

Always wanted to try this...

...and these...

...and this!

Myself and Miss Savage in the queue for the trip
to the Statue of Liberty, with our Twizzlers!

My Tootsie Roll and Vitamin Water -
we were down 5th Avenue, NY

Guest Blog: All Things Nautical, Stripe and Wonderful!

For this post, the lovely Hannah Coleman of @Dreamwalls shares her love for Beach Huts - and just in time for the annual Festival of Bathing Beauties! Hannah runs her own interiors business, Dreamwall - a fabulous range of wall coverings, and here she gives her brilliant advice on how to achieve that classic beach hut style in your own home.   

All Things Nautical, Stripe and Wonderful!

Hannah and her daughter outside Margot Charlton's
award-winning beach hut

Lincolnshire coastlines are rich with colorful beach huts, so much so that in September, Mablethorpe and Sutton-on-sea will be celebrating the fifth Bathing Beauties Festival - the UK’s only Beach Hut Festival. Sheds on the seashore have become a huge phenomenon and now are classed as trendy, hot property.

Beach hut exteriors are well known for their striped designs; most are decorated in bold primary colours, some are painted in block colours and some are done in traditional candy stripes. This is most definitely my favourite design – Sandilands, near Sutton-on-Sea, is full of eye-catching candy stripes; my favourite beach hut is owned by Margot Charlton and was named ‘Beach Hut of the Year’ in 2010.

Lines and stripes add a classic touch to any room; they can create a colour block effect or make ceilings seem higher. Used sparsely they can break up a room’s space or create a minimalist look. Sometimes a small room can look too busy with a large scale pattern which is why plain striped wallpaper is perfect for the job. 

The Laura Ashley ‘Lille Linen’ range has got it right; the range comes in variety of colour palettes and is washable - ideal for well-ventilated kitchens and bathrooms. It features pearlescent inks for shimmering highlights which looks lovely as a feature on its own or as a compliment to a bolder statement wall. More styles are available from www.lauraashley.com

Farrow & Ball have a vast choice of stripy wallpapers to choose from; a few favorites are Broad Stripe ST 1323 and Closet Stripe ST 364. If you don’t want to go with colourful stripes, why not be a little more daring with black and white stripes? To see more of the vast range of striped wallpapers that are on offer, visit Cleethorpes based Farrow & Ball stockiest, P & L Interiors, and ask to view their wallpaper books.

‘Giddy Kipper’ is a rural Lincolnshire independent business. They produce original home accessories, from small pieces of furniture to decorative items and gifts, all of which are handmade. My favorite products are the ever-popular seaside range; items start from as little as £5.00. To see more from Giddy Kipper range and to find your nearest stockist, go to www.giddykipper.net

Nikki Austin's beach hut
inspired office

 Austin John Interiors, based in Spalding, created a unique beach hut inspired office; this is a perfect example on how to bring the beach hut look in house. For more details on how this was achieved, contact Nikki Austin by visiting the Austin John Interiors website www.interiordesignerslincolnshire.co.uk

Beach huts are close to my heart, I spent most of summer 2009 on a beach hut tour travelling along the Lincolnshire coast. Discovering more about these beautiful seaside icons, I became fascinated with these small structures and I personally feel they are a national treasure of our seaside heritage.

Here are some product ideas:

Farrow and Ball - Closet Stripe ST 364

Laura Ashley - Drayton Striped Wallpaper

Laura Ashley - Lille Stripe wallpaper in pale cobalt

Fabrics and Papers - Shirting Wallpaper
designed by Vivienne Westwood

Giddy Kipper - Handmade beach huts

From the Wilde - 'Beach Hut' cushion

Feature kindly provided by Hannah Coleman of Dreamwall; for more information visit www.dreamwall.co.uk or www.twitter.com/dreamwallstyle

Being Beside the Seaside

One thing I absolutely loved to do when I was younger was take my beautiful Sandy on long walks with my Dad along the beach. She is now nearly 12 years old and really is turning into a little old lady before my very eyes; she struggles to walk now, is very slow and likes a lot of rest, and although I'll always remember our walks with my dad, it is lovely to be able to do this now with @ultimatecoddy and his lovely dog, Brandy.

A few weeks ago, we went for a very long walk all around Cleethorpes and along away I took some photos and, once again, broke out the Instagr.am app - I LOVE the way some of the images turned out!

Cleethorpes Seafront

The Boating Lake

At the Country Park

Brandy running in and out the flowers at Country Park

Two planes putting on a display along Cleethorpes
Seafront on the way home!

I know the warmer weather may be drawing to a close anytime now, but that doesn't mean our walks have to stop! As much as I love Summer, I also love the colours of Autumn and the snow of Winter - so keep an eye out for many more picturesque Instagr.am images yet!