Louise Pentland's Blog, page 10

Amazing Advertisers || June 2015

Aloha Sprinklerinos,
Oh my giddy aunt, it is hot. Too hot! Summer is well and truly upon us and I've got the paddling pool out for all to enjoy, although I think I'm enjoying it more than Darcy. I hope you're all having a wonderful heatwave too. I advise taking a break from the sunshine to enjoy some of my Amazing Advertisers, as always we've got some good'uns!
SourceThe Prosecco DiariesThe Prosecco Diaries is a lifestyle blog written by London gal Sarah. I’ve always said The Prosecco Diaries brings a touch of Sex and the City to the blogging community and once more Sarah has proven me oh, so right! I love having a gander through The Prosecco Diaries if I’m in need of a restaurant recommendation or am after a suburb cocktail, I know I’ll be in for a treat! I trust Sarah’s reviews and thoroughly recommend having a gander yourself, Sarah offers variety in her posts and there is a recommendation for everyone, whether you’re a sushi or steak kinda gal. You won’t be let down!

The What Now Blog Louise is another returning advertiser with Sprinkle of Glitter and I’m pleased as punch to have her back once more! The What Now Blog is a lifestyle blog which centrals around inspiring and advising you to be the best version of you. From work advice, to tips of living a happy life, Louise has done it all! Recently Louise has also been providing us with a few foodie and beauty posts which have also been a joy to read! She just doesn’t let me down that gal! If you’re in need of some advice on turning that bad day around or maybe some motivation to kick start a new project, you need a dose of Louise in your life.

Unique Vintage Retro lovers, you’re in luck! We’ve the perfect online shop for all our swishy skirt needs. Unique Vintage is an American online clothing boutique which, quite frankly, makes me unable to control my swooning. It’s simply beautiful. Whether you’re a fan of the 1920’s flapper look, that 1940’s style pencil skirt, or all the swish of the 50’s dresses, Unique Vintage has it all I tell ya! They cater for plus sized ladies also which makes me happy, and the prices are wonderfully reasonable for such gorgeous dresses. I warn you, your purse will not appreciate it, but my golly your wardrobe will!

Britany PowellBritany Powell is a charming little lifestyle blog written by dog lover, Britany. I’ve been thoroughly intrigued by Britany’s blogging style and she offers a unique approach to lifestyle blogging which pleases me. Britany Powell is almost like a diary, and each post is a glimpse into Britany’s brain, I do love a good up close and personal kinda blog! The photography is beautiful and thoughtfully captured, and the musings are a joy to read, they give you a little something to think about also. Britany, I do like you and your writing and I look forward to having another venture inside your head.


Adventures of an Anglophile 
Ooft we’ve another returning advertiser this month in the form of fashion blogger, Andini. Adventures of an Anglophile is a tip top blog and I’ve always been a lover of Andini’s style. I’ve been inspired by her outfit choices in the past and I will never tire of looking at that beautiful face (and hair) of hers. Andini certainly knows a thing or two about fashion and she’s perfected the fishtail braid, which I felt deserves a mention in itself! It’s not easy gals. This month Andini has rocked the monochrome, the 70’s vibes and the glittery shoes. Ooh the glittery shoes of joy!! I advise you all hop, skip and jump on over, Adventures of an Anglophile is a haven for beautiful fashion.

Professional Daydreamer Professional Daydreamer is written by Chloe, a young gal with a love of writing. We all know I’m a huge fan of ‘little bit of everything’ blogs, and Professional Daydreamer is just that. Chloe writes about all sorts, from film reviews to advice on puberty, she’s certainly doing it all that gal! Recently Chloe has also written about her thoughts on Youtube culture which I thoroughly enjoyed reading, it’s something I have mentioned in the past and love hearing Sprinklerinos thoughts on it. I look forward to more posts from Chloe, she’s got all the spice of life we’ll need with that variety of hers.

Trudy Johanna Ooh lordy, I am a lover of this blog! Trudy Johanna is a lifestyle blog, written by young London gal Trudy! Trudy blogs about her thoughts of life as a 20 something, the joys, and perils of the internet and there’s even a little bit of beauty in there for us as well. I love the layout of Trudy’s blog, it’s very swish and very la de da! Not to mention Trudy is quite the photographer. I take my flower crown off to you Trudy, you’ve pleased my eyeballs muchly. Trudy Johanna is a firm favourite and it’s definitely worth going for a gallivant and discovering some golden content, there’s a lot of it!

I’m Grammy Rose Rose is a delightful, caring woman with a heart of pure gold. She is a busy grandmother helping to raise her beautiful granddaughter and vlogging her adventures along the way. I’m pleased to have Rose join us this month as her blog is entirely different and I do love a good mix in my lovely Amazing Advertisers bunch. As well as writing about her triumphs and tribulations, Rose also offers some wonderfully helpful life advice and I’ve appreciated it muchly! Thank you Rose for sharing your experiences with us and being the best grandmother to that gorgeous girl. If you’re a parent, or just love to join others on their life adventures, then I’d thoroughly recommend giving Grammy Rose a visit.

 Chalk Kids Warning, the broodiness is upon us and we’ve got some darling kiddie winks in our midst. Chalk Kids is a stylish parenting blog brought to you by several mummies and their adorable tots. I’m a lover of the mummy blog, and Chalk Kids is no exception, it’s a right good’un! If it’s parenting advice you’re after, children’s fashion picks or even child friendly home décor, Chalk Kids has got it all. Alternatively, if you just love to look at cute babies and Instagram worthy baby bumps, then you’ll also be thoroughly impressed! I cannot recommend Chalk Kids enough as a perfect parenting blog, it’s a community of mothers ready to welcome you with open, stylish arms.

SilverSpoon London Another returning advertiser with Sprinkle of Glitter, the beautiful Angie! SilverSpoon London is the perfect food and lifestyle blog, it’ll leave you hungry and wanting more! I love Angie’s style of blogging and it’s obvious she is passionate about her little space on the web. Her reviews are always informative and truthful, her photography is divine and I love seeing her document the fun she has with her husband. SilverSpoon is simply beautiful and definitely worth a read if you’re after a review, whether it be for the perfect pasta dish, or the best spa hotel. Angie has done it all! 
Phew! And that is Amazing Advertisers done for another month. I hope you've discovered a few new beauties, I know I have! 
Toodlepip! 
xx

Full Book Tour Details || Life With A Sprinkle Of Glitter

Aloha Sprinklerinos,
I'm so excited that now LouiseLIVE is over (I feel so emotional about that- I definitely need to write a big blog post on it!), I can finally announce my Book Tour Dates!


My first ever book Life With A Sprinkle of Glitter is available now for pre-order and released into stores on the 2nd of July and with that I will be going on a super duper book tour!! A BOOK TOUR!! I know we have perhaps all become a little jaded to the idea of YouTubers bringing out books but to me, this isn't a YouTube Book, this is MY book. My baby. My heart and soul on glossy coloured pages, just waiting to be picked up, taken home and read. 
I would love to meet some of the people who have decided to add my book to their lives and thank them for supporting me, so, if you would like to come, the links are below. 
CLICK HERE FOR WATERSTONES TICKETS CLICK HERE FOR WHSMITH TICKETS

These things usually sell out very quickly so do snap up spots whilst you can.
I can't wait to see you!!
Toodlepip!
xx

Another Baby One Day?

Aloha Sprinklerinos,
In case you missed it on my YouTube channel, this week I uploaded a video answering all the questions you asked me on Twitter using the hashtag, #AskLouise. 


If you are struggling to view the embedded link, click HERE to be taken to the original video. Yay. 
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It was really fun to just sit back and answer the things you wanted to know, even with the cat did savage my foot to shreds. 
If you have any video suggestions for the next few weeks- let me know in the comments below and I will add them to my list!
Toodlepip!
xx

Motivational Monday | Slackin'

Aloha Sprinklerinos,
Merry Monday mon monkeys. Mmmmm alliteration at it's finest there. 
It's the start of a new week, it's the Sprinkle of Glitter blog, it's time to feel motivated. You know the drill. 
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For weeks I have been working on projects. My live tour begins in a matter of days, my book is released next month, two other big projects are to be launched in August and September and I'm slowly getting into a rhythm with mine and Matt's arrangements with Darcy now that he is at his new job. It's a lot. 
The thing that I have let go is the house. Oh-My-God have I let it go. I'm behind on laundry, there is always a pile of dishes, post is piling in the hallway and frankly, the house would love to see a duster here and there! I keep trying to claim back the control but I fail every time and throw out all the usual excuses - I'm always away, I am exhausted after I've worked, I'd rather spend quality time with Darcy etc. 
Well, this week I'm gonna stop slacking and just do it. I'm going to put my sole attention onto one room at a time and just crack on. Bit by bit I will get there. I want to live in an environment that's neat and organised and I have the power and means to do that. 
Is there anything like this in your life at the moment? If there is, could this be the week that you quit slackin' and make shit happen?
Toodlepip!
xx

Popping My Target Cherry

Aloha Sprinklerinos,
If you follow along on Twitter or Insta you'll know that a couple of weeks ago I went to Seattle to visit my American Bestie Marie from the YouTube channel BitsandClips. 
For the entire 4 years (woah that went by fast!) of our friendship we have chatted almost every day on Skype and shared all the little bits of life that have meandered in and out. Our favourite thing to do is just, be. 


We've officially physically spent time together on two occasions. Once for a week in Spring 2014 in Seattle and once for a week in Winter 2015 in Orlando (for a big trip to Disney). Both of those trips were a whirlwind of sightseeing and families and activities. This trip wasn't. It was blissful. 
We decided to just have a week of hanging out, chatting, watching films, enjoying laptop club, seeing our girls play and eating waaayyyyy too many starbucks bagels. Oh my how I loved it. 
One of the many 'normal' things we did was visit a Target. My first over trip. Yeah buddy! As a YouTube addict I've seen an absolute tonne of vlogs from people who go there and watched lots of hauls but had never actually had a moment to go in and enjoy it. And, who better to enjoy a place full of trinkets and joys than the person who delights in all the things like that- MARIE!
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If you are struggling to watch the embedded link, click HERE to be taken directly to my channel. 
So, $143 later we were outta there and I was confused as to how that all happened! 
We had a little time before my flight home on the last day so whilst my Darcybluebird watched a film (you can just about spot her in the background), we filmed a haul video and had all the giggles. 
I hope you enjoy listening to us chitchat along as much as we enjoyed filming it. I wanna do these kinds of videos every single time I see her I think. 
Toodlepip!
xx

Amazing Advertisers || May 2015

Aloha Sprinklerinos,
Excuse me there but where is the time going this year? I'm sure I just sat down to write April's Advertiser post!!



The Inside Out Beauty
This month Heidi has shared all sorts on her beauty, fashion and lifestyle blog. From great beauty discount codes (I think if you are in the States), interesting food inspiration (excuse me, yes, I would very much like to eat chickeny goodness out of a roasted pumpkin) and a makeup tutorial, there is a little bit for everyone. 
Frano Florenzi
Franco Florenzi is a sleek, professional looking e-shop selling watches, bracelets and individual watch straps for both men and women. All the bracelets are what I'd call 'rope' style and many have a sweet nautical charm on. Very summery, very casual. Woo!
The Student Switchboard
Lynsey, from Scotland, enjoyed her five years of university so much that she has opened up a YouTube channel giving weekly advice about all the trials and tribulations of studying and the student lifestyle. From help with your dissertation to tips for sleeping better, Lynsey has a lot to offer and is totally worth checking out. 
Sparkles & Stretchmarks
Beware! Clicking on Hayley's blog is gonna take a chunk of your time because you won't be able to not get sucked in. I just clicked on to have a quick swizz through and 20 minutes later I feel totally invested in her life and adore her sweet babes. This month I particularly enjoyed the post about the bits and bobs around her home (totally want a homeware spree now) and I appreciated how honest she was in her postpartum posts. Very refreshing. 
Laze Sundaze
Preet's beautifully laid out blog is a pleasure to read through. I absolutely love the mix of beauty, lifestyle and inspiration and particularly enjoyed all the little happy Monday quotes. Laze Sundaze really is the kind of place you need to grab a smoothie and sit in for a good chunk of time. I just did and I feel all the better for it. Lovely lovely. 
Ever In May
I would describe Charlotte's site as a 'classic beauty blog'. It's light, airy, feminine, beautiful pictures, products you can't help but want to buy and good, well thought out copy. Her most recent Barry M post has made me reminisce about my love for those candy colour bottles of joy. The post I was most interested in (and infuriated by!) was about her terrible customer service in Boots. I'm so saddened to hear this happened and hope we are updated if it is resolved to a satisfactory standard!
Smudgeness
Oops. My plan was to have a little flick through this blog and give you a feel for what you can expect and whether I like it or not. What I actually did though is hop over and become completely and utterly enthralled in the 'The Highland Fling', a post about a guy names M and how she almost made it with him but yanno, didn't. As a single gal myself, I can relate to dating disasters and loved the details of this baddun'. Better luck next time Charlotte. 
Trudy Johanna
So lovely to have Judy back again this month and to continue delving into her blog which is an enticing space of everything that interests her. The layout is unique, the posts fresh and the copy easy to read. I found her post on job hunting quite interesting because I know how hard that is at the moment (my sister is looking for a job too) and it's refreshing to read something so frank and honest. I hope you find something super sparkly very soon!
Mikkel Weiss
Oh hello a boy! Vair vair exciting! Mikkel is a lovely chap who blogs about travel, fashion and lifestyle. If you go over for one thing at least, it should be the photography- it is b-e-a-utiful! I think my favourite type of post would have to be the 'Weekly Snaps' because I love a glimpse into people's lives and Denmark looks incredible at this time of year!

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And there we have it, this month's beauties all wrapped up!
I hope you have lovely days and if you're in the UK, you are making the most of the sunshine!
Toodlepip!
xx

Motivational Monday || Hope

Aloha Sprinklerinos,
Ok, today we're gonna get real. I'm gonna swear and be blunt and brutal. If you came here for your usual dose of sweet and floral (which is totally my normal vibe), today isn't gonna be your cup of tea. 
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This weekend has been totally shit. Utter, utter, complete shit. 
On Friday I started suffering with a toothache. It came on suddenly and sharply and I took tablets for it. I have a huge fear of the dentist. My dentist is actually the kindest man ever and has been taking care of me since I was 4 years old but oh man do I have a fear of dental stuff. 
My plan was to take painkillers until I could book an appointment on Tuesday and then see about a filling or whatever I needed. The pain increased. I started taking more tablets to try and numb the pain and I didn't listen when friends told me not to take too many. 
By Saturday I had tummy ache (probably because I had taken more than the recommended dosage) and couldn't face any breakfast because my tooth hurt to eat. I was booked to talk at BeautyConLondon and didn't want to let anyone down so I forced myself on the train and hoped I'd feel better once I got there. 
I didn't. On the train I was clammy, shaky, short of breath and nauseous. I rang my Dad to ask him to come and fetch me from a train station (I just wanted to get off the train) but he refused because he thought I was just panicking and he wanted to watch a rugby match. I was pretty hurt by that. So I stayed on the train and the sickness feeling washed over me in waves. I called my friend Natalie who was meant to be meeting me at BeautyCon and she agreed to meet me at Euston. 
At Euston I was a mess. By this point the panic had set in, the pain was worse and I felt very unwell indeed. BeautyCon was defo off the cards. Thank you to all the girls who filled in my slot for me, it is so appreciated. 
We had to decide how I'd get home. A car was an option but trains are actually quicker and smoother out of London and since I was still at the station it made sense. I forced myself to eat and drink something, got on the train and tried to think really calming thoughts. 
My tooth was agony but I was afraid to take more pills. I took 2 more. Silly. The waves of heat and breathlessness washed over again and I knew I was going to throw up. I ran into the little loo and was very, very sick. Before I'd managed to press the button to shut the door. Hooray. People saw. Lovely. 
One girl was so kind to me and also told me she was a viewer so if you are the blonde lady who chatted to me afterwards- thank you. It was really comforting to have someone to speak with. 
I got home and my sister came round. She tucked me in bed and I laid crying/watching Netflix and drifting in and out of sleep. By Sunday morning I couldn't handle it anymore and rang round trying to find an emergency dentist. 
By some miracle, my Auntie got hold of my usual dentist and he agreed to see me. I've never been more thankful for anything in all my life. At 3pm he removed the tooth and I went home. 
It's 11pm now and it still hurts. It was a bit of a beast to remove so my face feels very bashed up and because of the nature of the infection, my socket (ew) hurts too. 
The thing I think that has effected me the most this weekend is how alone I have and haven't felt. 
For all of my adult life I've been in a team. The 'Matt & Lou' team. It was good for a long time and then bad for quite a while too. It's best that we're not in that team anymore but in times of sickness, the team was a good thing. I was very afraid to not be in that team this weekend and not have my trusty support.
I realised this weekend that I have a new team. My Manager Maddie and Producer Natalie go above and beyond what they have to do for their jobs and I feel like they really truly care. My little sister stayed in my house and watched TV alone downstairs whilst I was so poorly up here and my Auntie dropped her day to take me to the dentist and care for me. Also, my Dad cares too - when the rugby isn't on ;). 
It's been scary this weekend. I haven't dealt with trauma like this alone before and I thought that without my old team it would be horrific. Well, it was horrific but I found my new team and I'm so glad about that. 
I hope that every time a life hurdle crops up that I will find new teams or be able to lean on this one. It brings me such comfort to know that people care about me. I hope that if they ever need me, they'll turn to me and I'll be able to help them too. 
When things like this happen, when you have to face fears, it's frightening and really shakes you up. I hope that as I go into this week I can focus on the positives- that I did it, that I have good people and that I am always well supported. 
Thank you so much to everyone who left sweet Facebook messages or tweets, your love was very much felt. 
I hope you have a good week and that you feel no fear for the challenges you face in it. 
Toodlepip! 
xx

BOOK COVER REVEAL! Life With A Sprinkle Of Glitter

Aloha Sprinklerinos,
I mentioned this in a video lately but I thought it would be fun to share it here too. 


In case you didn't get to see the jazzy little video, oh em gee, this is what my actual book cover will look like! I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS!!!
It takes so much love and time and effort and (sometimes) tears to write a book, so when you see something like this, it's kind of like watching your baby walk. You just feel such a great sense of pride. Oof, my heart.
The book hits shelves on July 2nd but if you would like to get ahead of the game and pre-order it, you can click HERE for the Amazon link. 
I can't wait to have my copy in my hands!
Toodlepip!
xx

How I SHOULD Get Ready

Aloha Sprinklerinos,
I'm writing this from a huugggee hotel room in Seattle (I almost wanna spend the blog post talking about the great deal I found on flights and hotels for me and Baby Glitter but that's something for another time haha), whilst Darcy has a bit of Netflix time and we wait for Marie to come and collect us for a day of fun.


I uploaded a new beauty video to my main YouTube Channel (Sprinkle of Glitter) this week and thought it would be fun to share it here whilst I had a couple of minutes to spare.
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I actually filmed this a few weeks ago when I was in London for a few meetings. It's much easier to film this kinda dealio in a hotel room than my rickety little messy house. Since I stay in hotels a lot, I should probably try and do this more often!
Anyway, hope you enjoyed it and had a little giggle with me. 
Toodlepip!
xx

Motivational Monday || Self Care in Dating

Aloha Sprinklerinos,
It's Monday. A new week, a new leaf. I'll be starting off my week in Seattle (we fly home today) so that's not a bad place to be eh?

I saw this on Pinterest and felt like it was the right thing to share this week. 
I'm at a place in my life that I hadn't planned on being. I'm 30, I'm single and I'm aware of other people. Men people. Oh hai. 
I keep typing and deleting things because I don't fully know where I'm going with this post. Perhaps I'll just leave it here and update you as and when. I'm facing something very new. It's exciting and a tiny bit scary but I like it. 
As I go forward with my new chapter, I'm going to remind myself to always take self care, respect who I am and be my best Louise, no matter what. 
I hope that if you are in the same boat as me, you will join me in those things and that we will find most lovely Kings to treat us like Queens. 
Toodlepip!
xx