Thursday, August 28, 2014

camping, rivers and trees

I have just got back from a two week holiday to the Dordogne in France where I have been camping with my family. Over the two weeks, I took many photos which I've posted to my instagram so here are some of my favourites. It took me quite a while to condense them down but be sure to check out my instagram (@bastillemegan) to see them all...

ADELE (MY SISTER) ALL READY TO LEAVE FOR HER HOLIDAY

LEAVING PORTSMOUTH ON THE OVERNIGHT FERRY TO FRANCE

LEAVING THE FERRY IN THE EARLY HOURS OF THE MORNING IN FRANCE

TRAVELLING FROM ST.MALO TO THE DORDOGNE

WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE CAMPSITE SOME PEOPLE HAD THESE CANDLES OUTSIDE THEIR TENT :)

OF COURSE I BROUGHT MY DUNGAREES WITH ME

ON SOME OF THE EVENINGS WE WOULD GO INTO THE TOWN SARLAT WHERE THEY HAD LOTS OF NIGHT ENTERTAINMENT AND ACTS

LATE NIGHT STREET EXPLORING IN SARLAT

ANOTHER TOWN/VILLAGE NEAR THE CAMPSITE WAS CALLED DOMME WHICH HAD AMAZING VIEWS

IT WAS BEAUTIFUL WHEN WE WENT THERE AT SUNSET

EATING CREPES WITH AN AMAZING VIEW

BRONWEN (MY OTHER SISTER) BEING BRONWEN

ONE DAY WE WENT TO THIS HIGH ROPES PLACE (LIKE GO APE) AND THERE WAS A 400M ZIPWIRE WHICH WAS PRETTY EPIC (sorry for poor quality, i didn't take this)

WE SPONTANEOUSLY DECIDED TO DRIVE 3HRS ONE EVENING DOWN TO THE MEDITERRANEAN TO SPEND THE DAY THERE, WE WENT TO THIS BEACH WHERE PEOPLE JUST PARKED THEIR CARS WHEREVER THEY WANTED

BRONWEN

BRONWEN DOING SOME DANCE

ME AND MY DAD WENT ON A JET SKI IN THE MEDITERRANEAN, BEST EXPERIENCE EVER (sorry for poor quality, i didn't take this)

EACH SATURDAY THERE IS A MARKET IN SARLAT, I GOT A HAIR BRAID ONE WEEK

LOTS OF MUSIC AND STALLS, THE GUY ON THE DOUBLE BASE WAS PRETTY COOL

THERE IS A HUGE RIVER THROUGH THE DORDOGNE (WHICH YOU CAN SEE FROM DOMME) WHICH WE CANOED DOWN ONE DAY // from left to right: joe (my brother), cass (ben's girlfriend), ben (my brother), me and my mum

MY DREAM CAR WAS AT THE CANOE PLACE

WE ALSO BROUGHT OUR OWN KAYAKS DOWN TO THE DORGOGNE WHICH WE WENT OUT ON A LOT

MY FLIP FLOPS BROKE SO I HAD TO SACRIFICE MY CATH KIDSTON CHERRY SHOES TO GO RIVER SWIMMING

WE ALSO WENT PADDLE BOARDING ONE DAY WHICH WAS SUPER FUN AND SO MUCH EASIER THAN I THOUGHT

DOMME HAS PRETTY DELICIOUS ICE CREAMS, I HAD CHOCOLATE AND IT WAS SOOOO GOOD. THE RASPBERRY, COFFEE AND STRAWBERRY FLAVOURS WERE ALSO GREAT :)

ON OUR LAST DAY, I TIED BRONWEN'S HAIR INTO A FISHTAIL PLAIT.

ON OUR WAY UP TO CALAIS TO CATCH THE CHANNEL TUNNEL, WE WENT THROUGH PARIS AND STOPPED OFF AT THE EIFFEL TOWER

WE GOT LOST AND ENDED UP MISSING THE TUNNEL BY 10 MINUTES MEANING WE HAD TO WAIT TILL 3 AM FOR THE NEXT ONE BUT WE FOUND THE ARC DE TRIOMPHE

WHILST DRIVING AROUND THE MIDDLE OF PARIS LOOKING LIKE TYPICAL LOST BRITISH PEOPLE, I FOUND AN ADVERT FOR TFIOS WHICH MADE ME VERY EXCITED!!

I am now back home after arriving at 5:30am this morning (sorry for this post being late, i had no internet whilst travelling) and feel very refreshed after being on a two week holiday. It was a much needed break but I'm not sure if I'm ready to be back at home with everyday life....

(photos on my instagram are taken with my iphone 5 and edited using vsco cam)

I hope that you enjoyed this post and are having a great morning/afternoon/evening/night/whenever you are reading this and check back again on wednesday for a new post :)

megan x

links to my other internet things....

Friday, August 22, 2014

how to: make a button bracelet

For my birthday last week I received a kit which contains all the equipment to make a shell button bracelet. The kit is from www.buttoncompany.co.uk which sells fabric, ribbon and obviously buttons. If you don't have the kit, this diy would be very affordable as you can easily get the thread and buttons online or at your local craft store like hobbycraft. Thread and ribbon can be sold by the metre for pence and buttons can be bought in the pick 'n' mix style like sweets cheaply:)


You will need:
~ 0.5m waxed cotton cord
~ 10 small shell buttons
~ 9 smaller shell buttons
~ 1 small coconut button
~ glue or clear nail varnish (not included in the kit but I used the natural collection 'crystal clear' nail varnish)


1. Tie a loop at one end of your cord, and cut the short end close to the knot to make it tidy. (Make sure the coconut button can easily fit through the loop but it isn't too loose.)


2. Thread a big button onto the cord, going up through the back and then down through the front. Push the button to the loop so that it's tight against the knot.


3. Thread a smaller button on in the same and it will fit snugly behind the first big button.


4. Carry on using the opposite size button each time going big, small, big, small etc until you run out of buttons (you should end with a big one.) If you want you can add more buttons so that they will go all along the bracelet, the kit only came with 10 big and 9 small and it's fine with just that. Tie a knot at the back of the last button making sure they are all tightly close together.



5. Check the length of the bracelet against your wrist to see where to attach the clasp button (this is the coconut button).

6. To attach the clasp button, go up through the back, diagonally across, down through the front and repeat in the holes you haven't used. Check that this is still the right length and if not you can easily adjust it. When it's the right length, tie a knot underneath the button. The loop tied at the beginning and this button is the clasp.

7. Neatly trim the ends of the thread to tidy up and dab with a bit of glue or clear nail varnish to secure the knots.


FINISHED :)


I hope that you enjoyed this tutorial and found it easy to follow:) I really like the bracelet especially with the shell buttons as they shine in the sunlight but it's still small on your wrist with no in-your-face bright colours. I quite like the plain buttons being all the same but maybe you could try will selection of coloured buttons in a pattern. The only fault that I can find with the kit is that there could maybe be more buttons so that they go all along the bracelet?

SOME OF MY INSTAGRAM PHOTOS {@BASTILLEMEGAN}

I hope that you enjoyed this post and are having a great morning/afternoon/evening/night/whenever you are reading this and check back again on wednesday for a new post :)

megan x

links to my other internet things....

Wednesday, August 06, 2014

keeping it simple

Recently, my skin has not been in great condition, I don't know whether it is due to me going swimming in the sea and chlorine treated swimming pools lots recently or some other reason but I have therefore decided to try and keep my skincare routine as simple as possible (literally). Obviously I don't always use simple products as there are so many other brands but I know I can always trust them if I have a bad experience with something else.

KEEPING IT SIMPLE

Simple products were some of the first skincare items which I bought, they are very affordable and do the job of taking care of your skin just right with no fuss. Every product, whether that's a cleanser, toner or moisturiser, contain no harmful chemicals and are suitable for even sensitive skin. Over the past few years I have tried, tested and accumulated quite a collection of simple products, some I love and re-purchase again and again and some I found weren't so great. As I am trying to keep my skincare routine as simple as possible, I haven't been using every single product in the photo above every morning and evening as that would be silly but I do have some favourites which stick out. 

Each product is focused on moisturising, soothing, refreshing, revitalising and protecting your skin; what more could you need.

CLEANSERS

REFRESHING FACIAL WASH GEL {50ml - £1.32}
This face wash does exactly what it says on the tin {tube}, my face feels gently cleansed and refreshed by removing all dirt and make up accumulated during the day and night. It is so easy to use, just lather the gel up in your hands, massage in wet skin and rinse with water. However, even if I use a moisturiser afterwards, I have found that this product dries my skin out quite a lot and strips away any natural oils from my face.

MOISTURISING FACIAL WASH {50ml - £1.28}
This works exactly the same as the gel and feels just as refreshing and has the added extra of also moisturising as well. The product foams up much more in your hands which isn't always an indicator as to whether it is cleaning more but it feels much nicer to apply and my skin feels so soft afterwards. Even though it is moisturising, it doesn't make my skin feel oily afterwards and I always follow with a normal moisturiser afterwards anyway. I have recently been using this every morning and evening and it is definitely gentle enough for this.

OIL BALANCING CLEANSING WIPES {25 wipes - £3.20}
As I have quite oily skin, I have found that halfway through the day my skin is becoming to build up a lot of oil again however I don't want to do a full cleanse as washing your face too much can actually be bad for your skin. So I just pop these wipes in my bag and they're great as they balance the oils, leaving the good ones and make my skin feel refreshed again.

MOISTURISERS

I don't like using regular sun creams (the same ones you would use on your body) on my face as I find they are way too heavy and oily and don't feel very nice. I like this moisturiser as it is still very light but I know that my face is being protected. Even if it's not clear sunshine outside, I will always put this on just to reassure myself that my face isn't getting damaged.

HYDRATING LIGHT MOISTURISER {50ml - £1.25}
There is not much to say about this moisturiser, it is just great. Again, it is very light on my skin and doesn't feel heavy or oily but still moisturising, making my skin very soft. I use this in the evening before bed as obviously I don't need SPF protection at night.

MAKE UP REMOVER / TONER / EYE GEL

EYE MAKE UP REMOVER {125ml - £3.25}
I don't like using the facial washes to remove eye make up as even though I am sure it is gentle enough, I cannot cope with getting something in my eyes as they are so sensitive, I don't even like getting water in my eyes when I go swimming. However, this make up remover I can cope with, it is so gentle and I just need a few squirts onto a cotton pad and it removed everything.

SOOTHING FACIAL TONER {50ml - £1.32}
I always used to miss out the step of using toner, but everybody seems to rave on about them and say that you MUST use them. I decided to pick the simple one up as it was afordable but to be honest I don't see any difference that it makes to my skin. I don't know whether it is a long term product which will take a while to show the results but I still never skip it as I'm worried that if I do my skin will go even worse...I don't know. I'll carry on on my mission of finding a toner which I find makes a diffeerence clarifying my skin.

REVITALISING EYE ROLL ON {15ml - £5.49}
I only just recently picked this up and how I wish I had bought it sooner. I have very bad dark circles under my eyes due to genetics or lack of sleep but even if I've only had a few hours sleep, it is so refreshing under my eyes and attempts to wake me up just a little bit. It is also great halfway through the day just to keep my eyes open and keep me going. Due to using this product everyday and the extra sleep I've been getting in the holidays, my dark under eye circles are definitely lighter:)

I hope that you enjoyed this post and are having a great morning/afternoon/evening/night/whenever you are reading this and check back again on wednesday for a new post :)

megan x

links to my other internet things....