Honeybee Chatter

Archive for July 2014

New Blog Design

Wednesday 30 July 2014

Hey Honeybees!

As some of you may have noticed, I have a new blog design. It's designed by a company called Little Web Writing Hood. I found the company shop run by a lady called Jana on Etsy Here.

I chose the Custom Design Blogger Package. Little web writing hood is based in Chicago so It cost 75.00 USD but if you convert that to GBP it cost £45.45 which is a bargain for all the work Jana puts in.

The Package includes the following:

1. Custom header
2. Custom background
3. Custom signature
4. Link colour to match your header
5. Matching text colour
6. Custom post, date and sidebar web safe font.
7. Post divider
8. Top horizontal Navigation bar buttons shown below your header (with links to additional pages: Etsy, Contact Me, Meet the Designer, and FAQ's).
9. Custom favicon (replaces Blogger's orange "B" at the top of your browser tab).
10. Custom buttons (grab button, social media links, pin it button, etc.)
11. Free installation
12. Facebook Cover, Twitter Cover and YouTube
13. Pinterest Hover Button
14. Share buttons at eh end of every post

Jana asked me lots of questions to make sure she created what I was after. She asked about colours I would like, if I had a theme, patterns I might want and images I might want included. She designed lots of mock headers for me to choose from and once I had one I liked she based the rest of the design on it.

To say Jana worked hard is an understatement, I couldn't praise her enough. She really listened to what I wanted for my blog and made it a reality. Jana doesn't stop until you are completely satisfied and that is exactly what I am. I would definitely recommend Jana to anyone. So if you're looking for a custom blog design, graphic design or web design then go check her out.

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think of my new design.

You can also follow me on other social networks all the links are at the top of the blog under my photo and bio.

Thanks for reading and following Honeybees!

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Me and my weight we got issues!

Wednesday 16 July 2014

Hey Honeybees!

Hope you like the title, it's a little nod to the Saturday's song "Issues". Anyway, today's post is me discussing how I got fat, and my struggles to lose weight.

I haven't always been overweight/obese, I was a slim Jim until I was about 21. From the age of 16 I was always a healthy weight of between 9st and 9st 7lb, and being 5ft 7 inches in height that put me in the healthy bracket. Clothes size wise I was a UK size 10. The ironic thing was I thought I was fat! I'd love to be that fat now.

My Sisters wedding size 10

I started to put on weight at around 21, it slowly began to creep on. I was working in the city centre and there was easy access to food, with stores all around me. There was a Tesco next door to where I worked where I always picked up sandwiches with bread the size of doorsteps and a filling that would block any arteries. Then just across the way was a Greggs, I was rather partial to a corn beef slice.

A Holiday to Spain where I was heading towards being a size 12-14

I remember having the pictures above developed and picking them up. I opened them to have a look at the train station on the way to visit a relative and the minute I saw them I burst into tears at how fat I had got, again I'd love to be this fat now.

Jump forward about four years and I'd put on about 4st weighing in at about 17st 11 lbs. The photo below was my friends wedding where I was a bridesmaid. When I looked at the photos of the day I was repulsed by myself and hated the photos. I compared myself to the other bridesmaids and bride which I know I shouldn't but that's what us girls do.

17ST 11 LBS

I decided then I really had to lose weight for my health and self esteem. I joined Slimming World shortly after that. I managed to stick to the plan for a while and managed to lose about 3st 9 lb, slimming down to about 14st 2lb.

You can tell I had lost weight look at the size of those pants!

It was at around this time that my Brother passed away at the age of 35. I gave up going to Slimming World and I piled all the weight back on plus another two stone, weighing my heaviest at 19st 9 lb.

19st 9 lb

To say I despised myself is putting it mildly! So again I decided to do something about it and joined Weight Watchers on-line. I started losing weight again and managed to go down to about 15st 2 lb.

15st 2 lb

I even managed to get fit enough to do the Race for life 5k run or in my case fast walk. I was really proud that I had done this and I wasn't even out of breath.

Then of course life being life I had to give up Weight Watcher's because I couldn't afford it as well as the fact I lost my motivation.

That brings us to the present where I weigh around 18st and wear a size 22-24 UK.

People always say, why don't you do something about it! For me it's not just as easy as eating less food and doing more exercise. I have depression, which takes away all my motivation and makes me want to eat all day. From the minute I wake up until I go to bed I think about food. I crave chocolate and cake at breakfast time and pies and burgers at dinner and tea time.

I'm trying to stick to low fat food at the moment but it's a struggle and as for exercise I just can't force myself to do it. I don't want to be fat I really don't but it's like a constant battle with my mind.

Mr Honeybee has to lose weight for an operation he has coming up, so I'm going to try to lose weight again with him. I'd like to get down to 11st and be able to maintain it. I know some people would think that's still fat but to me it would be heaven.

Do any of you have any advice to help me? I don't want to do any faddy diets like eating cabbage soup. I want sensible suggestions. Do any of you have depression and have managed to lose weight? Please leave me some tips in the comments and maybe some inspiration, do you have any before and after pictures?

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Melissa (Honeybee Chatter) xx

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Styles From The Past- 1998 - 2004

Thursday 10 July 2014

Hey Honeybees!

A few weeks ago I did a styles from the past from 1992 - 1997. This time I'll be showing you some of the things I wore from 1998 - 2004.

Twit - ter - woo look at those legs! Oh dear look at that pose I was obviously trying my best model pose out that day. I'm wearing a long sleeve v-neck blue top and a denim mini skirt. The best part of this outfit are the lilac and purple Spice Girls shoes I'm wearing. I don't think they were even my shoes, me and my friend were always swapping clothes and shoes. I have no Idea how I walked in them. Mind you I also had a pair of Buffalo style shoes like the Spice girls had. Unfortunately there are no photos of me in them.

Here I am not wearing my own clothes again, I think the black top with the white and red stripes was mine. The white trainers also in a Spice Girls style (Emma Bunton had some) were my friends and the jeans with sparkly stones at the bottom were also my friends.

Strike a pose! I believe me and my friend were doing a photo shoot for some reason. Here I'm wearing my friends cardigan my own beige suede mini skirt and brown suede knee high boots with beige hearts on, I bought the boots from Faith shoe shop.

Did I ever wear my own clothes? Yep, I'm wearing my friends clothes again. This time I'm wearing a Chinese style red and black satin top and a red and black flower patterned skirt with a split at each side.

In this Picture I've gone from thinking I'm a Spice Girl to thinking I'm an All Saint (I went through a Bewitched stage to). This was my combat trousers stage, I've teamed my grey combats with a black long sleeve Goth looking top.

Here's my Bewitched stage! I have white hair grips in like Lindsey use to wear, four either side of my head. I had black Denim jeans with a pink, glittery, spiky belt that I got from Afflecks Palace and a black halter neck handkerchief hemmed top.

Posing like a boss! I have a twin set here, it's a black cardigan and a lime green vest top. the skirt is beige with cut out bits and an underskirt. The boots are the ones from Faith again.

This is me at my Sisters wedding, I'm wearing some glittery gold high healed sandals, the straps use to tie round my legs. I also have a gold satin skirt, a glittery halter neck top with a glittery long sleeve top over it.

Apparently I thought it was cool to wear jeans that looked like they had gold paint splattered on them. I teamed those bad boys up with a pink and gold sleeveless top.

I'm wearing a rather risky see-through top here in navy, it has a large light blue butterfly on the chest area. My skirt is a red velvet above the knee number. I've teamed them up with some leather knee high wedged boots.

Here I'm wearing the red velvet skirt with a black spaghetti strapped top. It had Broderie Anglais on the chest with turquoise underneath it.

There you have it another fashion blast from the past. Do any of you Honeybees have any past fashions you would like to share. Post a link in the comments to some of your pictures or maybe a blog post you ave done.

Hope you liked that? Let me know by following me and leaving a comment.

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Thanks for reading and following

Melissa (Honeybee Chatter) xx

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Would You Rather - Beauty Edition

Thursday 3 July 2014

Hey Honeybees!

I've seen the ‘Would you Rather’ Tag on a lot of Youtube channels and beauty blogs and I thought it’d be fun for me to do it! There's a few variations to this so I may add more, would you rather, questions that I've seen.

1. Would you rather wear one eye shadow or one lipstick for the rest of your life?

One lipstick, as long as it's a nude shade and I suit it. One eye shadow would be really boring and imagine it was blue! no thanks.

2. Would you rather have dark nails or bright nails all year round?

Bright nails definitely, Dark ones might start to get depressing, plus dark nail varnish tends to stain your nails.

3. Would you rather go out with messy hair/nice make-up or nice hair/no make-up

Messy hair/nice make-up, I would not leave the house without at least foundation.

4. Would you rather live without make-up or nail polish?

I think I'll have to wear a bag over my head and live without make-up because I can't live without nail polish.

5. Would you rather leave the house with an obvious foundation line or overdone blusher?

I would have to go with an obvious foundation line, I don't really do blusher and I really don't want to look like Aunt Sally.

6. Would you rather have a bad haircut or bad hair colour?

I guess I'd rather have a bad hair colour, If I had a decent cut I could so pull off a bad colour.

7. Would you rather give up using make-up brushes or mascara?

Make-up brushes, you can put foundation, concealer etc. on with your hands.

8. Would you rather never be able to paint yours nails again or never use lip gloss?

Never be able to use lip gloss again, I could not cope without nail varnish.

9. If you had £1000 to spend, would you rather buy clothes or make-up?

Why can't I buy a bit of both? I would probably choose clothes.

10. Would you rather lose all of your mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, and lipglosses or lose all of your palettes and eyeshadows?

I'd rather lose all my palettes I suppose, I can get eye shadows in pots, or is that cheating?

11. Would you rather chop off all your hair or never be able to cut it again?

Never be able to get it cut, I'd have to keep it in a large bun. I couldn't chop it off I'd cry.

12. Would you rather have a coral cheek or a pink cheek?

I don't like blusher but if I had to choose it would be coral.

13. Would you rather apply lipstick as eye-liner, or eye-liner as lipstick?

Lipstick as eye-liner, a black one.

14. Would you rather wear winter clothes in summer or summer clothes in winter?

Summer clothes in winter, I prefer being cold and I hate sweating.

15. Would you rather only be able to wear your hair in a ponytail or a messy bun?

A messy bun, sometimes I just want to get my hair off my face and ponytails annoy me.

16. Would you rather shave your eyebrows and have none at all or Sharpie them in everyday?

This is a very strange question! I guess I'd have to Sharpie them in.

17. Would you rather only shop at MAC or Sephora?

We don't have Sephora in the UK so it would have to be Mac.

18. Would you rather have a bad orange tan or bad tan lines that can't be covered?

Lines that can't be covered, I could probably cover them with clothes mostly anyway. Besides, who wants to look like David Dickinson.

19. Would you rather always have smudged Lipstick or always have smudged Nail polish?

Smudged Lipstick, it winds me up when I smudge my nails.

20.Would you rather never wear false eye lashes again or never wear concealer again?

I'd never wear false eyelashes again, I have to have something to cover up the big bags under my eyes.

Hope you liked that? If you did, hit the follow button. You can also follow me here:

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Melissa (Honeybee Chatter) xx

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June Favourites - Random

Wednesday 2 July 2014

Hey Honeybees!

You've seen my beauty Favourites, now it's time for my other June favourites.

Television

Here Is what I've been watching on TV or Netflix in June.

1. Orange Is The New Black - This is a Netflix production set in a Women's prison in America. It's based around the main Character Piper, who ends up in Prison after smuggling drugs with her then girlfriend. Several years later whilst engaged to Larry she turns herself in to begin her sentence. The storyline's are really good telling you how all the inmates got there as well as their day to day problems. It's a definite must watch. Check out a trailer for season two below:
Trailer

2. Big Brother - I've watched Big Brother since day one and this series is no different. I love reality TV and this is one of my fave's. I usually have a favourite but not this year, I can tell you I can't stand Helen.

3. The Only Way Is Marbs/Essex - I love a bit of Essex drama, all that bling and fake tan, what more could you want. This year they have treated us to those Men's half thongs Bobby and Harry wore, SHUT UP!!

4. New Girl - This is an American sitcom starring Zooey Deschanel as Jess. She shares an apartment with three guys Nick, Winston and Schmidt and the programme is basically about what they all get up to together. It's really funny and one of my fave sitcoms.

5, Brooklyn Nine Nine - This is my second favourite American sitcom. It's set in the fictional 99th precinct of the NYPD. Jake is the main character and the show follows him and the other police officers and what they get up to in a very funny way. Trailer

Music

Here's the music I've been listening to in June.

1. Ed Sheeren - Sing - Watch Here

2. Ella Henderson - Ghost - Watch Here

3. Iggy Azalea - Fancy - Watch Here

4. Demi Lovato - Neon lights - Watch Here

5. Pitbull feat Kesha - Timber, (I know it's not new but I love it.)

- Listen Here

Blogs

There are so many good blogs out there, these are just a few I enjoy.

1. Sprinkle of Glitter
Sprinkle of Glitter is a blog by Louise, she talks about her husband and daughter. The main theme of the blog is Beauty and Fashion.She is always super fun and she writes in a really friendly way.

2. Zoella
Zoe Sugg is so sweet and this comes across in her blog. She blogs about beauty, fashion and life topics. She shows her human and more vulnerable side by blogging about her struggles with panic attacks, which I can really relate to.

3. llymlrs
Lily is a seriously stylish girl, she blogs about Fashion and Beauty. She does really amazing make-up tutorials and I love watching her Youtube videos to.

4. In the Frow
This blog is a new find for me, Victoria is a fashion and beauty blogger. She has such a lovely taste in clothes I love seeing all her photographs.

5. Danielle Vanier
Danielle is a Plus size fashion blogger Again I've only just discovered Danielle but I love all her photographs as I to am plus size and she gives me some ideas of what to wear and where to shop

Youtube

1. Sprinkle of Glitter - Yep It's her again. I love her, she does amazing videos. She does beauty tutorials, fashion hauls and collaborations with other Youtubers including my next Favourite Youtuber. Watch Here

2. Zoella - Yep it's the lovely Zoe Sugg again. She has over 5 million subscribers which are well deserved. She does beauty tutorials, fashion hauls, cooking and collaborations.

Watch Here

3. Thatcher Joe - Joe Sugg is Zoe Sugg's brother, he is really funny. He does fun videos like prank calls, Youtuber whispers, Impressions and collaborations. Watch Here

4. Velvetgh0st - This is a channel by Gabby, she does mainly make-up tutorials but she does do some fashion hauls and some home hauls. She's really quirky and boy can that girl sing. Watch Here

5. Tyler Oakley - The only American Youtuber in this months Favourites. He's so funny his videos always make me laugh. He does a lot of Q & A's or as he calls them Q & Slays, collaborations, and some funny rants. Watch Here

There you go that's some of my other favourites for June. What have you been watching or Reading in June, let me know in the comments.

I hope you enjoyed this if you did please follow my blog. You can also follow me here.

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Thanks for reading and following.

Melissa (Honeybee Chatter) xx

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June Favourites - Beauty

Tuesday 1 July 2014

Hey Honeybees!

It's come to the end of month so it's time for me to share some of my favourite things in June. Lets get started!

Beauty

1. The Tangle Teezer - My love for the Tangle Teezer is endless. The hairdresser that invented this deserves a big fat kiss from any one who has ever had knotty hair. It glides through your hair from the first brush I can't recommend it highly enough. It's the best money I have ever spent. Get yours HERE.

2. Crest 3D tooth whitening professional effects strips - I first saw these on Velvetgh0st Youtube channel you can find that Here. Her teeth are lovely so I bought 20 strips which is 10 packets from Ebay. You get a strip for your top set of teeth and one for the bottom set. You wear them for 30 minutes a day for ten days. My teeth are a lot whiter now, I might get some more of these in the future to keep on top of the whitening. I paid around £15 for them which is expensive, but they are a lot dearer from other places on the net. They don't hurt like some whitening things so I'd definitely recommend them.

BEFORE

AFTER

Sorry my teeth aren't the nicest to look at but I thought you might want to see the difference.

3. Benefit Boi-ing industrial strength concealer 01 - A friend of mine recommended this, as every other concealer I tried didn't conceal anything. I got the lightest shade as I'm a pasty chick, and low and behold it actually works. It costs £17.50 but it's totally worth it and I'll definitely buy it again. You can find this HERE

4. Liz Earle cleanse & polish - I've seen this in so many Youtube videos and lots of people recommending it, I thought I'd give it a go. I use to use face wipes to take my make-up off, I know it's naughty! so I thought I better start looking after myself and buy this. I got it while it was on sale for £9.50, I think it's usually £14.75, you get two muslin cloths with it. This works so well and quickly, it feels lovely on your skin. All you do is rub it into your face (don't worry about looking like a panda because of your mascara) then put the muslin cloth in warm water and gently wipe your face, it's magic, I'll definitely but it again. You can find this HERE

5. Models Own Hypergel - These nail polishes come in 14 different shades. I bought three of them blue glint, turquoise gloss and cornflower gleam. They have such a lovely shine on them and the last around a week efore chipping. They are a lot cheaper than other gel nail polishes, they're priced at £5. You can find these HERE