Well it's officially here - AlohaKirstie is up and running (welcome!) and it is time to say goodbye to A Yellow Brick Blog. A Yellow Brick Blog was started back in 2013 in a time of jobless wonderment after many failed attempts to starting a blog. I have always been obsessed with being creative but having zero talent in the art department the internet has been the perfect place for me to pop things together and express what I'm loving. Blogging has been such an incredible experience for me and as I am now approaching my fifth year of creating, writing and general chatting I thought it was about time my blog evolved with me. I outgrew A Yellow Brick Blog a while ago and felt like the name just didn't reflect myself, my personality and/or the content I wanted to create. The name for me was a rushed idea and although I loved that it was different and stood out from the crowd, I always knew it wouldn't be forever. AlohaKirstie is the new and improved version of me! I know over the past year my blogging has been well... a little MIA! From getting a new job, to opening my own business (which wasn't planned!) and everything in between unfortunately it had to take a short backseat, which made me so sad. But I now feel refreshed and ready to get back into the swing of things and continue to upload new and exciting content for you all! You can expect to see lots of the same and lots of new ideas and thoughts :) If you have any requests or ideas for posts let me know in the comments below or tweet me @AlohaKirstie! Don't forget you can also find my new page on Facebook at /AlohaKirstie(go click 'like' now so I know you've read this post!) and of course Instagram @AlohaKirstie!
Well... it's been a while but I am still here - I promise! A Yellow Brick Blog is still well and truly alive.... it's jsut had a little nap! I've missed blogging so much and this Summer I am determined to get this back on track with regular posts and activity! So... what are we talking about today? We're talking clothing.... and in particular what I've been wearing this past month! With the Isle Of Wight Festival and a quick trip to Mallorca I've seriously jumped into the swing of Summer and embraced showing a bit of skin! Although the weather right now has been reaching for my cosy sweaters and waterproofs for the short time I had in the sun ... it was very enjoyable!
I am obsessed with this co-ord from boohoo! I get a little worried about showing my mid-rift but this is the perfect shape and size for me to feel comfortable but still rock the trend! The high waisted shorts are a great fit and the long sleeves mean I don't even have to take a jacket!
Boohoo have recently been my number one place to shop - their range is so vast there;s literally something for everything plus the prices are brilliant, I've been so impressed with what you can get for your money there!
Okay... I had wanted this playsuit for MONTHS! I loved the look of it but the original price of about £60 has seriously put me off.... along with the fact you can't wear a bra!
Flash forward to June and it's in the sale with only one left in a size 10.... kind of meant to be right? I headed more or less everywhere then to find something to keep my boobies under control!
Boohoo had a fab looking stick on backless thing which went upto a D cup so I thought it would be worth a try! For my boobs it's wan't the most supportive or sassiest looking thing but I was in Magaluf and it would do!
The sandals were a total bargain though - £10 not even in the sale... I can't wait to pick them up in black aswell!
Well... it's England so I couldn't go far without a jacket now could I! These two have been my go-to's this whole month, from chilly festival evenings to travelling outfits to the airport! These jackets are fab staples to see me right through until Winter ... and both of them were such great value!
I'd wanted a camo jacket for.... well months and months .... but ones I kept coming across just weren't doing it for me! This is where Octer came in handy!
Octer contacted me recently to invite me to try out their awesome app/wesbite service! Nowadays with the countless e-mails I receive daily it takes a lot for me to get excited about something and get on board but with this it was easy, I was hooked! Looking for something in particular? I always am! Whether it's a black dress, a midi skirt or a simple T-shirt, I've been known to spend hours flicking from site to site checking everything they have to offer in each option.... Octer is here to save you! With Octer you can search whatever you may be after e.g. 'Camo Jacket' across all the sites you want to look through - for me this is ASOS, Boohoo, Missguided, New Look, Topshop and River Island mostly! This literally makes life SO much easier - you can see everything on one page with the prices and you can even put a special feature on it where you just search the sales! I'm obsessed and highly recommend both the sire and the app!
Another amazing find via Octer! I was after a plain black playsuit for our last night in Mallorca and I thought instead of sitting on the internet for hours and hours browsing through all my favourite sites I'd head there and simply search them all at the same time!
I LOVE this playsuit - such a fab fit and as body conscious as I am this had me feeling confident and girly!
The shoes are my Matalan babies - I saw them on Abby Clancy earlier this year and HAD to have them, only £20 and SO comfortable! I even wore them to travel in on my way to Mallorca - the perfect summer heel! (Now can I just get them in 5 different colours please?)
Fingers crossed this is the start to man posts coming this Summer :)
Did you know my Instagram AND Twitter have changed? You can now find me at ...
As you may have noticed.... A Yellow Brick Blog has been very quiet recently. Something that I hate but right now with work and general life plans I'm running out of spare time and brain power to create and write. This makes me so super sad and I hate looking at my bloglovin' seeing that my last post was 7 days ago - shame on me, I'm just not used to being this slack with it all! I know I'm not the only one who struggles with not only time but ideas and thoughts for posts! I'll have days where I'm bursting at the seams with fun post ideas but at the same time I have weeks where I just cannot muster up the words or energy to throw myself onto my keyboard and type away.
My '5 Things' posts always seem to have a great reaction and I love writing tips/advice/chatty posts - in fact I prefer doing them to your bog standard beauty review (which have been very thin on the ground here for a while now... I'm sorry!) So, let's talk blogger's block and what to remember when it hits! 1. We All Have Them Yes, it's true! From the blogging beginners to the full-time blogging babes - we ALL have those phases now and again where we just.... can't! Can't think of anything to write, can't get our photos just right, can't seem to persevere with that ever-growing to-do list. I'm been suffering alot recently - I think working online full-time may have something to do with it - and I've had an overwhelming sense of panic that I have no content scheduled, written or even planned! The less I do the less I feel I can do ... time to shake it off! 2. It Doesn't Mean You're A Rubbish Blogger It took me a long time to realise this. There's been many a time I've thought to myself - how can I call myself a blogger when I'm sat here with an empty brain and 5 posts going up a month, I'm pants! But the reality is.... I'm not a rubbish blogger it's just a short mini break while I adjust my thoughts and get back on the blogging wagon - I mean look how many posts I've uploaded in the past - I'm not pants, I'm pretty darn cool. 3. Look Back At How Far You've Already Come Exactly! Just because you're having a bad week doesn't mean you're heading back to square one.... in fact, I bet at least 75% of your readers and followers won't even notice you haven't uploaded, unless you tell them!
4. There Is Always Someone To Talk To! Well.... there's never a shortage of blogging buddies - especially on Twitter. The amount of times I've expressed my stresses and blogging woes and feelings on there and had support thrown my ways within minutes - everyone's felt it and will assure you it will pass and you'll be back to you're usual awesome self in no time! 5. It Will Pass It will. You'll be back typing away until your fingers ache before you know it and you'll wonder just where that motivation and those ideas were hiding! Don't stress, even if it's a month or even two, just give yourself time and don't force yourself into writing content - it will never be as good as the stuff that comes naturally!
I've been wanting to start a new series of posts on A Yellow Brick Blog for a while now, I love doing my "This Week I'm Loving..." posts but sometimes I do think I'm loving the same things for a week or too so they aren't needed weekly... as that would be super boring! I came up with this idea last week and have been really looking forward to writing it! What I'm Watching & Reading is going to be a new series of posts highlighting certain blogs and vlogs that I have been loving! Sharing specific channels, videos, posts and sites - I want to share the love and let YOU know who I've been obsessing over. As a huge fan of youtube and the blogging world I am near enough always online when not at work and just love finding new people to watch and read! I might just share certain people and their work, or maybe even a type of video that I've been watching alot of - either way hopefully YOU can find new vlogs and blogs to enjoy! First up I'm going to talk YouTube. I have been totally obsessed recently with watching peoples "My Tattoos" videos! I find them soooo interesting! I love seeing what other people have chosen to get and their reasons and explanations about them. I spotted InTheFrow (one of my blogging FAVS!) had uploaded hers and from there that was it - I couldn't stop watching them!
My 4 favourites had to be InTheFrow (Victoria), Helen Anderson, Katie Snooks and a new youtuber to me, who I found through this, called Tasha Leelyn (who's videos I've fallen in love with!). These girls have amazing channels - Helen's personality makes me laugh out loud she is brilliant! I highly recommend them .... especially if you're a nosey tattoo person like me! (although I haven't actually got any...... yet! These videos have seriously spurred me on to stop being a wimp and go and get one)
Now onto blogs! I thought I'd share 4 blog posts that have stuck out to me over the last few weeks. Ones that I really enjoyed reading and want to share with you guys!
First is from Aspiring Londoner aka Farzana! This was actually the first post I had read from her blog and found it via one of the Twitter chats. "3 Essential Steps To Improve Your Blog Photography" - I mean it had me sold from the title, I am always looking to improve my photos on here. I own a DSLR but am still trying to get my head around it and don't always get the results I'm looking for with it no matter how much I fiddle! The £1 marble background idea is awesome! Next is from one of my favourite bloggers ever - Couture Girl aka Kayleigh! She recently had a total hair make-over from Catherine Boden and shared her whole experience in THIS blog post! I think her hair looks incredible, the colour and dimension she's been given is perfection.... makes me miss my long hair! Another one of my favourite bloggers now - ReallyRee. My favourite blog post this MONTH has to be her interview with Paris Hilton. Yes I am 100% green with envy even thinking about it but it was amazing to read such a natural and fun interview without heading to my local newsagents! Paris has been a total idol to me since I was a teenager - I just adore her and think she is one of the smartest women in the world! Read the interview - here. Last but not least is a blog post all about.... blogging! "The World Of Blogging Nobody Sees" is a post recently uploading my the total amazing Gracie from TheUglyFaceOfBeauty. (you may know this beauty from youtube.... but did you know she has a blog too?!) This post is all about those things not everybody knows about blogging..... and some stuff even I didn't know either! I love Gracie's honesty, this post is a must read!
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During a twitter chat last week I asked people what posts they like reading the most, there were lots of different answers - hauls, reviews, favourites, but one that popped up ALOT was "personal" posts and "life" posts.
So I thought why not give you guys a little bit more of a personal post today and let you get to know me a little bit more.... so here it goes........ (you may or may not know these little snippets about me...)
- I was going to be called Charlotte or Emma - but Mum saw Kirstie Alley's name come up on TV and changed her mind!
- I have lived on the Isle Of Wight all of my life and I love it here, I feel so lucky to have grown up here.
- Popcorn with chocolate m&m's is probably my favourite snack ever.
- I have a musical obsession and have done ever since I was little. I listen to Defying Gravity at least once a day.
- The first YouTubers I started watching were Shaycarl/The Shaytards, Blair Fowler & Elle Fowler.... and I still watch them now.
- I have a seriously sensitive nose. - I am 25. I get IDed....alot, people think I'm still a teenager. - I have dental implants - it's the only operation I've ever had. - I didn't like pizza until I was in high school. - Me & my friends have a mayo addiction. It's actually laughable how much we can get through. - Me & my boyfriend technically met through Bebo..... we've been together 8 years.
- I am a major bargain hunter, I'm straight to the sale section when shopping online.... don't judge me!
- Going to the cinema is one of my favourite things to do.
- I once met John Clease, he was very nice.
- I always have the urge to change my hair, I've dyed it so many times over the past 12 years..... and now I'm considered chopping it off... again!
- The number one thing on my bucket list is too own a French Bulldog.
- I think I have more girl crushes than guy crushes!
- I've never had a driving lesson.
- My one regret in life is going to LA Ink but not getting a tattoo.
- I have a baby name list.... My top 3 for a girl are : Violet, Mollie & Aria.
- I have a teddy I've had since I was born, he's called Yellow Dog..... he is a yellow dog. (He's yellow because my parents didn't know if I was a boy or a girl!)
- I started drinking green tea to try and be a bit healthier about 4 years ago and haven't stopped since - I LOVE the stuff!
- Whatsapp group messages make me life complete, so.much.hilarious.banter.
- Me & my best friends have been best friends since we were 13. They are the greatest people in the world and make me laugh every since day.
- Rock Challenge was the best thing about High School. (We were awesome)
- I have a sugar addiction. - I am the worst yo-yo dieter - I don't think I've ever been happy with my body. - I got a diamond ring for my 21st birthday and the only times I've taken it off were when I was at Typhoon Lagoon & Blizzard Beach. - I watched Felicity Huffman & Willam H Macy get their stars on the walk of fame. - I used to have a magazine addiction. I literally bought about 6 a week and HAD too. I had piles and piles of More! magazine under my bed. - I am the messiest person around - it's embarrassing. - My dream holiday destination is Hawaii. - Sometimes I regret my blog name and other days I'm not bothered. - I randomly bought Taylor Swift's album back in 2009 and became utterly obsessed and have been the biggest fan ever since. - I still think 'Bridesmaids' is one of the funniest movie's ever made. - I wish everyday that I was at Disneyworld. - Harry Potter makes me SO happy. - I am still terrified of The Witches..... it has also given me a fear of baddies who wear wigs - very strange I know. - I'm serious when I say I will pluck up the courage to get a tattoo this year. - My parents are the best. - When I was younger my favourite thing to do was make collages and I still LOVE it now. - 90% of what I drink is water and I only ever drink fizzy when I'm drinking alcohol. (which isn't very often!)
- Starting this blog was the best decision I ever made. I really hope this hasn't bored the hell out of you guys!
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I cannot believe it's Christmas tomorrow and I also can't believe I got picked to be such an awesome day. So, get those festive socks on, get munching on a mince pie and check out what I have to say on some of The Body Shop's top picks for Christmas!
Christmas 2014 at The Body Shop is all about making wishes come true(I'm a huge Disney fan so the sound of this just makes me happy) and the guys at TBS are confident that you'll be able to find everything you need to delight your loved ones this year.
And I must say I was definitely happy with this duo I received.
The Body Shop are amazing, full stop. Since becoming a 'blogger' my love for them has been totally rekindled and I am officially obsessed once again!
My wishlist for TBS is as long as my arm at the moment, I could spend hours looking through their website!
The products I will be reviewing today are from the white musk smoky rose collection - which is a totally new collection to me.
White Musk Smoky Rose Body Wash* & White Musk Smoky Rose Eau De Toilette*
If you had sent me products with this name a few years ago my instant reaction would be.... "that's going to smell horrible" ..... I think this proves how much I've grown up (haha just kidding I'm still a total kid but maybe my nose has matured!)
First up the Eau De Toilette! I was so pleasantly surprised by how lovely the scent is! Not as strong and 'pokey' than I was expecting, a subtle sweet floral smell which smells like something you'd get behind the perfume counter at Boots! Even though it isn't the parfum version the smell is still strong and lasts a long time for what it is! This is something I'd wear everyday to work and priced at only £11 for a 30ml or £16 for a 60ml this is a perfect bargain.
Again the shower gel has the same sweet floral but non-overpowering smell that I mentioned before. If you like the smell of the spays then this is perfect to keep the scent on your skin for even longer! Using the shower gel alongside the fragrance is a great way to layer the smell on yourself which helps keep it stronger for longer!
This 250ml is £6.50, a little more expensive than my everyday Sanex shower gel but a lovely product to have as a treat a couple of times a week!
I have loved being involved in this awesome advent calender of posts, especially with being alongside some amazing bloggers who I read and admire....alot! So thank you very much to the lovely people at The Body Shop for the opportunity to get involved and make sure you check out all the other lovely ladies who are hiding behind those advent doors. What they have made is just amazing, a fabulous interactive calender with a great range of different products for you to see and read about, so there really is something for everyone - have a look for yourself - HERE
AND it doesn't stop there! For more festive fun with The Body Shop why not check out the brilliant video below featuring none other than UK vlogger legend (and other half of queen Tanya Burr)Jim Chapman!
What are your favourite products from The Body Shop?
I'm definitely going to be heading to their January sale to stock up!
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I have been so excited to get on my laptop and write this post for weeks now and now it's finally time - wahoooo!
It was back in October when Jurlique first started talking Christmas to me, I blooming love Christmas and the lovely lot at Jurlique alike so to be asked to join in with a fabulous December campaign of their's was so exciting!
I've used Jurlique products before (you may remember this post) and, of course, fell in love with them straight away! They are one of those 'how have I not tried anything from these people before' kind of brands!
Anyway back to what this is all about! This year Jurlique have created some amazing goodies and gift sets full of their best selling products and with Christmas just around the corner, it's all about giving the gift of glow!
Know someone who's a skincare addict? Want to treat a loved one? Or maybe fancy something new for yourself?Then keep on reading!
For 12 days this month a different blogger is going to be sharing with you one of Jurlique's fabulous sets .... and I, Kirstie, here at A Yellow Brick Brick am Day number 2!
So sit back, relax and check out the Aromatic Rose Duo!
The rose range was what I tried before from Jurlique and I love love loved it so I had high hopes for this lovely duo!
The set comes in a lovely gift box and as you can see from photos at the top, came beautifully wrapped! I love the little touches like from companies, especially if you are giving i to someone as a present!
In this duo you get the 125ml Rose Hand Cream and the Roll-on Rose Fragrance Oil.
First I'll talk about the hand cream!
This tube is huge! Well... it's 125ml but it feels so big compared to all the other hand creams I own, which is fab! I always carry a huge handbag so the fact it is a little bigger doesn't bother me in the slightest!
The cream itself is so thick and creamy, without being greasy at all it is seriously lovely! I use so much hand cream at this time of year, the cold weather makes my hands so dry and working with the public I tend to over-use that trusty anti-bac aswell which causes havoc with my hands too, so hand creams are life savers!
The scent is beautiful, just like my other rose products from Jurlique, the smell is soft but strong and lasts for ages!
I can imagine my Mum keeping this cream by the sink for everyday use.... she always has hand creams near the sink and I know she would LOVE this!
The other half of the duo now and the roll on fragrance which comes in a convenient 11ml bottle.
The powerful rose scent includes top notes of Rose Wardia and Rose Anatolia blooms and the smell is so long lasting on the skin!
I find the smell of rose really soothing and calming and it has really been helping me relax after a hard days work recently! As you may have seen earlier this week I talked about products that have been helping me sleep better.... this is one of them!
After having a shower I have been putting this on my pulse points and relaxing on the sofa! If you wanted to have it as an everyday fragrance it's also great layered with the other rose products Jurlique has to offer!
Convenient, quick and easy this is a fabulous product!
Worth £50 in value this gift box saves you a whopping £15 being only £35! Click here to check it out! A gorgeous present for a loved one this Christmas (or yourself!), I must say both these products have been such a luxury treat for me.
Make sure you check out the rest of Jurlique amazing blogger #12daysofGlow - I know some amazing girlies that are just waiting for their turn to rave about their products they have been trying!
To see each day being revealed make sure you are following Jurlique on twitter - @JurliqueUK and see how many blogger and vlogger faces you recognise!
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Dolly bow bow, I'm guessing you've all heard of it right?
Well, if you haven't I'm guessing you're new to the internet or something!
Dolly bow bow is a cute, girly, kitsch and basically all round pretty website and webstore run by blogger and youtuber extraordinaire Kate Murnane!
I first stumbled upon Kate's YouTube channel probably around 4 years ago now and I immediately got hooked on watching her Primark hauls and favourites videos plus I'm not going to lie.... had some major hair envy going on!
This girl loves shopping and has a fab sense of style so everytime I watched her videos I had mental wishlists so long they were coming out of my ears!
Since starting my own blog, moving out, working full-time etcetc my time for 'YouTube watching' seems to have dramatically decreased (I can no longer have 'watch the shaytards new video' in my morning routine boooo) but I always make sure I try and catch Kate's videos when she uploads them and her past few have been super heart-warming and sweet as she's had gorgeous baby Archie!
Anyway I've totally digressed there!
I've always been a fan of Kate's website of the same title - Dolly Bow Bow, making a few orders over the last few years and after not visiting it for a while I decided to have a cheeky look this week after spotting Kate rocking a gorgeous necklace and I fell in love with so much on there!
So here's a little Wishlist of those bits I've been eying up, make sure you go on over and have a look for yourself and don't forget to check out Dolly Bow Bow's YouTube and blog, you won't regret it!
