Team Princess

 Last year I discovered a group called Team Princess via Instagram, who were having fun dressing up as princesses while raising money for a cause that is very close to my heart. These amazing people all have ME, a chronic illness that I've been battling for the last five years. Currently there is no known cure and it seriously affects every aspect of my life. ME which is short for Myalgic encephalopathy, also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, is a neurological illness that affects the immune system and nervous system, it causes many horrible symptoms that so many people in this world struggle to cope with day in and day out.

 I've always wanted to do whatever I can to help raise awareness and funds for ME charities but I am unable to run a race or even guarantee being able to get out of bed, which is why I am so excited to be joining the princesses this year. This is something that I can do even if on the day I'm not able to do much at all. There is a point as to why we will be dressing as princesses, sadly the likeness between us and fairytales is pretty strong. We're the Sleeping Beauties of this world locked up in Rapunzel's tower. We're all guarded by this dragon waiting for a cure to save us, waiting for our fairytale ending where we get to be normal healthy people.
 My chosen charity is ME Research UK who do vital biomedical research into the causes, treatment and hopefully cure of this illness. International ME Awareness Day is on May the 12th, this is the day that all the princesses shall be dressing up. I can't wait to share with you my take on a princess outfit, but for now I am keeping it top secret! I am hoping to get the opportunity to take outfit photos before the date to make it a stress free fun day - that's if my amazing dress turns up in time! I will be writing a little bit more about this illness on here too which I hope will help my friends, family and anyone affected by this to understand what it's like living with an incurable illness.

As well as talking about life with ME and dressing as a princess, I am creating a very limited amount of original illustrations using watercolour and pen, like the ones in the photos. If you would like one like this with your name, friend's name or favourite short quote then get in touch. They cost a minimum donation of £10 to my Just Giving page so that all the profits go straight to ME Research UK. I can only do a very limited amount of these so get in touch quickly.

If you would like to support me and help me raise as much money as possible, I would be so grateful! Donating is so simple just go to my Just Giving page (link below). Any donation big or small will help ME Research do their job and hopefully one day cure all people just like me.
Thank you.
Emma Xx

My Just Giving page - Click here

An Outing With Poppy

Dress - c/o Poppy England (here)
Belt - Debanhams
Sunglasses - unknown
Necklace - Birthday gift
Rings - c/o Orelia Jewellery (here)
Shoes - Tescos

Recently I've not been able to get out much again, but this week I was feeling up for a little outing one afternoon, to make the most of the beautiful spring sunshine. Living very close to this beautiful pound, which sits next to a green surrounded by old farming cottages, makes me feel very lucky. It's such a beautiful place, full of happy memories and only five minutes down the road which makes it a great spot for a change of scene after being stuck at home. 

For the occasion I wore my new dress by Poppy England. As soon as I saw this dress I was dreaming of spring and summer picnics. Pimms and strawberries. I love the print which was inspired by Kew Gardens, another beautiful place which isn't too far from my home town. One of my favourite things about Poppy dresses is that they are a family run British brand that design all their own prints. 

This was the first time I've worn a summer dress this year, and it made me feel fantastic. You can't beat that feeling of putting on a summer dress for the first time in the year knowing and welll, in Britain, hoping for more good weather days to come. 

The detail that's gone into this dress is incredible, it's been so well made with every detail thought out, from the lining which you don't always find with this style of dress, to the print detail, just look at the woodland hem with all types of animals running around. The shape is very flattering for all sizes which makes it a perfect dress to wear on a hot sunshine filled day. I'm excited for more outings in this dress, I'm hoping to take it out for a picnic next! 

If you would like a stunning dress by Poppy then you can use the code LOOKINGGLASS15 for 15% off at the checkout valid until 30/5/15.

I hope you're all having a lovely weekend and are enjoying some lovely weather.

Emma Xx

Summer Ready Hands

Hand cream & Cuticle cream - Morris & Co at Heathcote & Ivory (here)

Guava Hi-Shine Gelly - BarryM (here)

Plumpy topcoat - BarryM (here)

Empress Stack Rings - C/o Orelia Jewellery (here)

Indian Mixed plate Rings - C/o Orelia Jewellery (here)

Living on a tight budget means getting a manicure is something I can only do as a treat once in a blue moon, but I don't mind at all, I happen to have everything I need at home to make my hands summer ready, which is easier than needing to leave the house. Over winter my hands can get pretty dry so I like to keep them moisturised. Putting cream on has become a habit I've got into before I go to sleep at night. At the moment I'm using this lovely sheabutter hand cream by Morris & Co available at Healthcote and Ivory. I've also used the cuticle cream too to really nourish my hands.

 Every spring I love to find a new nail varnish to add to my collection and make me feel more summery. This year I purchased Guava 444 Gelly hi-shine by BarryM along with Plumpy which is a topcoat that I've also used as a base coat.  I'm so pleased with the vibrancy of this colour and the shine is amazing. I'm seriously late to the Gelly range and only now do I understand why people love it so much. I doubt I'll be buying bog standard varnish ever again! The reason why I've chosen such a vibrant blue is because it makes my pale hands look slightly less milk-child (think Milkybar kid) and slightly more tanned. It also happens to be one of my favourite colours too!

To finish my manicure I've put on my new rings by Orelia Jewellery. I've started to wear more gold recently so these rings are a favourite new addiction to my ring collection. I love the detail that's been put into them, it makes them feel much more expensive than they are. I love how the colours compliment my nail varnish too. The Empress stack rings on my right ring finger are amazing! I've been looking for a ring this shape for a while, so I'm very pleased to own one at last! I just love the unusual shape and the beautiful hammered detail. The Indian mixed plate rings come in a pack of three, one of each of gold, silver and copper. I love the simplicity of them and how they will go with any outfit. I've got a feeling my ring collection is going to grow even bigger this summer as I've already got my eye on some more of the new styles on the Orelia website!

Emma Xx

Easter Bunny Love

 

Dress- Asos via Depop £18

Necklace - By Sarah Ford at MaMagasin via Depop £4.50

Braclet - Won via The Little British Company

Vintage shoes - Thrift but brand new £4

Gold Bunnies - C/o Lindt

Easter is my favourite holiday after Christmas, but I've noticed that many people have been complaining about how commercialised it's got in the last few years. The decorations, cards, gifts and of course Easter eggs are in my opinion a very welcome sight after the coldness of a dull British winter. My Easters have nearly always been accompanied by a Lindt gold bunny. It's just not Easter without him. This year I have been left in charge of this cheeky litter of wee rabbits and their mother, the stunning limited edition Fashion Bunny. Naturally like all good bunny sitters, I took my brood for a little outing in a basket. We ventured out into the daffodils at Claremont Gardens, my local National Trust. The sea of yellow amongst the trees looked so stunning and the peace - apart from bunny bells chiming away, was wonderful. It's been a long time since I've been able to walk around the whole of the gardens, but to go now and then for a very short stroll and a long sit down in the sunshine makes me happy. 

I'm looking forward to this weekend and the week to come. If my health is being good to me on Good Friday I will see my best friend. We're planning to eat massive sundaes made with lots of Ben & Jerry's at my house, which I'm sure will be followed by us both moaning that we feel sick. The rest of the weekend will be pretty quiet which I'll probably need after Friday. Normally on Easter Sunday or Monday we would have a small family gathering with a big roast dinner but this year it will just be my Mum and I. Watching Paddington Bear is at the top of the list along with eating lots of chocolate!

My auntie and cousins live about three hours away, so they come and stay with my Grandma every school holiday. It's become a tradition in my family that my mum and I arrange an Easter egg hunt for my younger cousins. We hide eggs in our back garden and watch the kids run around trying to find them all. It's a lot of fun. One year we had an Easter egg hunt in July because it rained so much in the Easter holidays that we had to postpone the hunt. Fingers crossed that next week the sun will be shining.

I hope you all have a fantastic Easter weekend with lots of chocolate and fun.

Emma Xx