This Beautiful Life...

I'm not someone that really enjoys shopping.

The thought of a Saturday afternoon traipsing around the shops just doesn't appeal to me. For me, shopping is best done from the comfort of my own living room, with a cuppa and a computer.

Having said that, there is something totally satisfying about a good bargain. A good bargain is about the only thing that makes a shopping spree for me.

And yesterday, I had a couple of great bargains.

I got this jacket in the Next Sale.

I've been looking for a summer-weight coat / jacket for a while, and this one was in the sale and just seemed to be calling my name.

It was £60 before the sale, and £30 in the sale. BUT I had a £20 voucher left over from my birthday (in March!) so I only actually had to pay £10 for it.

I also got a long black skirt for work. I HATE paying full price for anything for work clothes, so it was a result that I managed to get a skirt for £12, instead of £25.

Whoop!

This Beautiful Life

Live Music

Last week music was my thing to be grateful for, but I went to a concert last night, and that just reminded me how great live music is.

I love everything about it - the atmosphere, the people - even the queues.

I've been lucky enough to see a whole host of my favourite groups live, including Take That, Nickelback and Bon Jovi...

This Beautiful Life...

  

Music.



I love it.


I don’t think I could go a day without hearing some sort of music. My iPod is constantly with me, and on the rare occasion that the battery is dead, I’m a little bit lost.


There are songs that I hear that make me happy.

Others that make me sad.

 

Some that remind me of great nights out with friends.



And others that remind me of holidays with loved ones.


Song lyrics are things that I find myself quoting a lot, or hearing and thinking "that's sooo true". It's not quite poetry, but I can't help treating songs as though they are.

There's music for every occassion, for every feeling, emotion and time of your life.

I don't know what I'd do without it.

This Beautiful Life...

This week's Beautiful Life is brought to you by...

FAMILY

I don't get to see an awful lot of my family, due to the fact that I don't drive and we live about an hour's drive away, but that doesn't make them any less important to me.

In fact, I probably appreciate them more now that I don't see them as often than I did when I was living with them.

I certainly appreciate the amount my mum did for me when I was growing up and living at home more than I ever did.

And my relationship with my brother is a MUCH better one!

When I do get to spend time with them, I really enjoy it and make the most of it.

Chilling, catching up and chatting with my family is one of my favourite-est things to do.

Without them, I would be the person I am today.

This Beautiful Life...

I love reading Jenna's blog - she often has me giggling away to my computer screen - and I thought that This Beautiful Life was a lush idea and I wanted to get in on the act!


The idea behind it is celebrate something that makes you happy - big or small - and remember that not everything's bad or negative.


So this post is dedicated to PHOTOS

I love everything about them - taking them, looking at them, printing them, framing them - everything!

I love that they capture a single moment that can evoke so many different emotions, feelings and memories. That they give you a snapshot to a time past, with loved ones that maybe aren't around any more.

I remember getting my first camera when my brother was a baby, so I was probably 6. I don't think there's ever been a time since that I haven't had a camera. I've always been the "snap-happy" friend - the one that you could rely on having a camera with them for a night out. I loved sending film off to be developed, not quite knowing what the outcome would be. Or finding a used film at the back of a drawer that hadn't been developed yet.

But digital cameras have made photos even better - the only limit to the amount you take is down to your memory card, not how many exposures you have on a film.

I wish I took better photos. Having said that, though, I'm pretty happy with the ones I do take!

Here are a selection of my faves: