The Science Museum; Informative and fun!

This is definitely one of the more attractive places to visit in dear old London town. And that's saying something, as there are many attractive places to visit in this super city! This opinion, although very obviously biased on the fact that I absolutely LOVE science, is not completely dependent on this fact. I've visited with plenty of friends who, believe you me, have been extremely dubious in the beginning, only to have all their doubts washed away upon entering the building! Packed with six floors of fantastic, object rich rooms, including the basement with its Garden and The Secret Life of the Home sections, this tourist destination really does have something for everyone to enjoy!

Begin and end your visit with a glance at what the shop has to offer. You'll definitely find something that will grab your eye, trust me!! Advance a little further and you can admire the Energy Hall, housing iconic steam engines of various sorts. It is three floors high, complete with a metallic ring, which forms patterns and displays messages typed into kiosks by visitors through the means of LEDs. Walk past this wondrous image and you will stumble across Exploring Space, a room of historical journeys and achievements, as well as Making the Modern World. Venture a bit more and you'll reach the 4D cinema experience of Apollo. Go up one floor and you will find an extensive history of materials, agriculture, astronomy and, perhaps my favourite room, measuring time.

I'll skip now to the third floor. Here, you can find the infamous Launch Pad interactive area, perfect for children and adults alike. You could spend all manner of hours within this space taking part in your own experiments, both individually and those calling for a team effort. This gallery really is one not to be missed as it combines learning with a serious amount of fun! With your remaining time, have a mill around the remaining three floors and you'll be able to delve into Glimpses of Medical History, Veterinary History, Science in the 18th Century, health issues and resolves, flight, energy; past, present and future, Computing, Marine Engineering plus many more. So, come on down and enjoy a day of learning and fun with friends or family; you'll find something for everyone!

The nearest tube station is South Kensington. Alight here and follow the signs under and up, then swing a left when you surface and you'll arrive at the entrance within a time of around five minutes! South Kensington is also conveniently situated underneath two other destinations for a great day out; the Natural History Museum and the V&A Museum. So, if you find the Science Museum isn't right for you, you can always pop along to something else a bit more up your street, but I bet you £20 it will be!

Mini canvas; nails!

Having spent many, many years not bothered at all by all things girly, girly, I have rediscovered, so to speak, the joys of nail painting! Being quite useless at art in general (as much as I like to think myself perfectly artistic!), this is the perfect way to practise and perfect my oh so personal expressionism, on the mini canvases that are my nails. My first attempts were rather mediocre, with often far from good results. However, and this is very important, my recent nail adventures have led me to the most impressive of my tries yet! Not that I like to blow my own trumpet, but I'm genuinely satisfied with this lot! Each nail adorned with a different design; flower or animal, I am delighted to have a received a great deal of positive feedback, from both friends and strangers on the tube! This has definitely inspired me to continue exploring the possibilities of art on nails and to invest in some more creative and more awesome designs! Now just to train that left hand to apply paint steady and I'll be on my way!

In my previous post, now, unfortunately over a month ago, I posted some pictures of nail pens that I had recently purchased. I stand by my rather enthusiastic opinion of just how great they are! Also posted are picture of nail awesomeness, designed by others. I'm still a long way off by my count, but I'm getting there. I'm not exactly the most girly girl in the world, but this truly is a way to quite literally wear your heart on your sleeve and paint whatever comes to mind! So, grab those nail colours and get passing on the sunshine and smiles with your inner self shining brightly on your fingertips!

Nails; the window to the soul!

I love nail varnish! First and foremost, I'm a nail biter, and it stops me from nibbling away. Secondly, I love colours. Thirdly, I love painting! 

The only problem? Having enough time to sit down and do them properly! 

It's an issue. You paint your nails all pretty and nice, wait for a while, then, when you think it's okay to continue with your daily chores, you completely ruin them with a simple smudge. Ugh! Even so, there are too many cool nail designs out there to deter you from try, try, trying again! And painted nails can make you feel great; like exhibiting your own art work on your fingertips! 

I have (very recently) discovered the amazingness that is Nail Art Pens and I'd like to share with you just how fantastic they are! If you're looking for a new project or hobby, then this could be the place to start! It requires a large amount of patience and a stable hand (my right is a lot easier to control than my left, so you'll always find that one hand is better than the other at first), but it's super fun and the end results can make you feel like a little genius! 

The pens I have featured here (above) are from Models Own collection (http://www.modelsownit.com/), which is available at Boots and Top Shop, amongst others. They currently come in a range of five colours; blue, black, white, pink and yellow and are priced at about £6 each. These pens come with a choice of two applicators; a nib for precise painting and a slim-line brush for bigger designs. They fit perfectly in your hand and as such allow for great control. I love them! After buying my first two from Models Own, I decided that two colours were simply not enough and invested in a pack of eight; pink, green, red, yellow, blue, black, silver and white from a company known as Rio Nails (http://www.rionails.co.uk/).

These are cheaper than the Models Own brand, yet just as good quality and as easy to use. The kit even comes with some designs and a step by step dvd guide to designing your nails precisely and professionally, as well as some glitter and a small pack of gems if you'd like to really jazz it up!

I know there is loads of nail hype out there and loads of sites giving you ideas and techniques on how to paint the cutest designs and I'm hoping that with practice, I'll be able to attempt some of the ideas posted by others! For example, take a look at this amazing Very Hungry Caterpillar, painted by a lady who's blog I follow, Adventures in Acetone (http://adventuresinacetone.blogspot.co.uk/). You should really check out her brilliant 30 day nail challenge; maybe you'll find something that you'd like to try! I'm sure you will! One day. One day I'll be as good as this!!

Stamps and cupcakes; a girls best friend.

From the age of about 6, I started to collect stamps. My Dad works for Royal Mail, and as such, signed me up to a Royal Mail Young Collectors Club. Through this I managed to collect a wide range of stamps; from all different countries, different years. AMAZING! I would receive regular letters about special stamps to look out for and about sharing my collection with others. I don't have so much time on my hands anymore, but I stumbled across my well kept collection a while back and had a little trip down memory lane! A couple of weeks after this I was in a charity shop in Rochester, Kent and saw, out of the corner of my eye, a 1936 edition Royal Mail Stamp Collectors book! And right next to this? A bag of assorted stamps for a mere £2.50! Perfect! Now, onto the more important issue at hand; cupcakes! I love cupcakes. Who doesn't love cupcakes? There is nothing (almost nothing) that a cupcake can't solve. Along with my stamp album thrift find, I also came across this beauty; Dress Your Own Cupcakes. I cannot describe to you in enough detail how amazing this book is, featuring all manner of decorations; spiders, surfer, hedgehog, polar bear, flower garden, worm, and my personal favourite, a tea party on a cake! Although, so far, I have only attempted a Flower Garden (I'm not too hot at baking, as much as I wish I was!) my next ambition is the Tea party! Fiddly, and time consuming, I imagine, but totally worth it nevertheless! I mean, of course, these are cupcakes we're talking about after all! A tiny teapot, with tiny cups and tiny saucers? YES PLEASE! So quaint and so British- perfecto! 


Go and make someone's day with a cupcake! Happy baking! 

Nice dress = loveliness!

What should I stumble across last Saturday evening during a visit to Top Shop, Oxford Circus? Why, this beautiful, sparkling, eye-catching from across the store kind of eye-catching dress! I'm not sure why, but I love anything adorned with sequins. Be it shoes, skirts, dresses, headbands, bags; you name it, I love it! So, when I clocked this little number dazzling from across the room I left my friend rummaging through the peach coloured jeans for her size and headed straight for it. Hoping they wouldn't have my size so that I wouldn't be able to part with the £80 price tag, I took a deep breathe and worked my way through the rail. Alas, there it was; my size, all shiny and pretty. "It won't hurt to just try it on", I told myself as I skipped off to show my friend, still over by the peach jeans. I should have really foreseen the chain of events that would unfold post changing room visit, but I assured myself that I would be strong and that I couldn't afford to buy it, so I wouldn't! 

A short while later and I was standing in front of the mirror admiring the loveliness of the shimmering item of clothing. "You look like Shirley Bassey", my friend commented. Well, that was all it took to seal my fate; I was sold! Who doesn't want to look like Shirley Bassey?! 

So, about an hour and half later and with a much lighter purse, but with the most amazing dress known to man, I exited Top Shop not really fully aware of what had just happened. 

I'm often told that I get far too excited about clothes and especially sparkly attire; of which I'm fully aware! But I don't care, I'm not ashamed! Long live the sparkle I say! 

Best buys March 2012.

Another best buy for March just in; only one day after the bestest best buy! My Mac is coming up to it's 4th birthday party and to celebrate I FINALLY decided to buy a cover. After looking high and low for one that I actually wanted to spend my money on, I found one in none other than the Britsih Museum, London, courtesy of Chocolate Rain and I have to say, I am seriously impressed! It fits like a glove and it is definitely a heart stealer! I love it!

The British Museum.

As part of my job, I accompany children on trips to numerous places throughout England. The vast majority of these trips are centered around our marvellous capital city, London! I <3 London. I genuinely love London. There is no other city quite like it. From it's small and very British underground system (not small in scale, but rather small in size of each tube station), to our beautiful examples of architecture; St Paul's Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, Houses of Parliament, The National Gallery, St James' Palace, Westminster Abbey, and of course the first national public museum; The British Museum. The British Museum is one of those mysterious museums; the ones that look like you would unearth a hidden passageway somewhere that would take you to rooms of treasure, or where the artefacts and exhibitions come to life at night- Night at the Museum anyone? Founded in 1753, this grand museum is a free educational resource, and educational it most certainly is. 

Of course, the most popular of the museum's collection is the Egyptian rooms and if you have limited time, definitely head in this direction first; it is something not to be missed! My advice to you on a limited time schedule is to go first to the Rosetta Stone; the key to understanding Egyptian Hieroglyphs, and then move upstairs to the Mummies. After, if you have time, head over to the Greeks. I'm a bit biased, because I have a very big fascination with Greek history and especially mythology, but it is one of the best areas within the British Museum. I know, I know, many people will have different opinions and ideas, but for me this is one of the most interesting eras of our history. 


If your itinerary allows for more time, take a stroll around the King's Library, the Enlightenment Library as it is now known, on the ground floor. Here you will be able to see samples of strange and exotic animals and species from voyages the world over. There are also a number of extravagant fossils to be admired. All in all a Natural History collection to rival many. Any remaining time after this should most definitely be spent inside the very colourful, Aztec room. Lights here are kept dim in order to preserve the stunning objects; many of which are carved with the images of snakes; one of their Gods was Quetzalcoatl,the "Feathered Serpent", made from turquoise mosaic and largely celebrate the theme of fertility. Keep an eye out for the double headed serpent as seen below! This is a fascinating object of great value, believed to be used by important people during religious ceremonies.


There are, of course, thousands of other things to see here, from the Romans to North America's native tribes! Be sure to grab a map when you enter the building; you often have to pay for these but the money is donated to the upkeep of the museum (it is free to enter, afterall!). 




There are often special exhibitions running throughout the year. However, many, but certainly not all, require an entry fee. On at the moment is a very exciting Manga exhibition in room 91. This is free so be sure to catch it before it ends! You have until 9th April 2012, so get going!
http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/manga_at_the_british_museum.aspx


Go and visit this wonderful place of history today! 


http://www.britishmuseum.org/