Louise Pentland's Blog, page 9

Why Is She Called Snoozey? || October Diary

Aloha Sprinklerinos,
I'm glad there was such kind support for my diary idea and I'm glad you were all so chilled about the 'no pressure' approach. I'm going to go at this like a nervous new boyfriend. All good intentions but big fears of commitment and a good chance of messing things up. Heh. 
Today was Friday (I'm going to always sleep on my posts before I upload them) and I'd say, a good day. 


Friday's are my lie-in days because Matt has Darcy and takes her to school and so I hit the snooze button til 9.45 before getting up and finding my Auntie downstairs pottering about and putting flowers in vases. I do love that she has keys and does these things!
Katie Snooks (or 'Snoozey' as I like to call her, not because she sleeps a lot but because Matt once mis-heard her nickname of 'Snooksy' and said, 'Why is she called Snoozey??!?'. It stuck) had stayed over night so it was nice to have a little visitor in my house. My home always feels better with people in it. I don't always want constant interaction but I do really, really love the sound of someone else just being around. My friend Drew stayed last week and I was reminded of how much I just love hearing someone on their laptop or knocking on someone's door in the morning to wake them up (I'm sure he just loved that) and plan the day. I'm a social hermit haha. 
After buttered bagels and some morning TV, we filmed a couple of videos (Katie is now helping me out every month with filming so that I can make better content, it's exciting to me to be able to stretch my ideas further and try new things) and brainstormed some ideas for November. It feels really good to be so creative. I'm already thinking about Christmas videos ideas so do leave some in the comments if you have any requests. 
Katie left in the afternoon and after a super full week, I just flopped. I was going to watch a netflix docu (I'm obsessed with documentaries), but instead I just fell asleep. I must have really needed it. 
After wiping under my eyes (I think I cry in my sleep because after a nap I'm a total mess) I headed out the door and spent the evening at Matt's. I miss Darcy on his days so it was lovely to have cuddles with her and then lovely to have chinese and chitchats with him. It's quite hard being friends with someone you have so much history with because you have to draw new lines and your love changes but I think we both have a desire to do it. I also know that it's so, so good for Darcy. She is so well adjusted to life and every day we work hard towards making her life as sweet as possible. 
A couple of highlights from today-
My phone ran out of charge at about 10am and I just didn't bother plugging it in. All my texts, calls and emails come through my laptop as well so I wasn't unreachable but it was quite liberating to not constantly check and scroll through stuff. I didn't take it to Matt's (nor my laptop) so I was entirely present in the whole evening and it was great. I'm definitely going to make a more concerted effort to rely less on that little technology rectangle!
As I drove back from Matt's the moon was so huge and so orange. I liked it a lot. 
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And there we have it. My not that thrilling day! Tomorrow the gang arrive for a weekend of fun so I'm excited for that. Now it's bubble bath and bedtime. 
Toodlepip! 
xx

An Idea

Aloha Sprinklerinos,
Once upon a time this blog was a hub and hive of activity. I would be super excited to plan and write my posts and spent a lot of time on the photography for each article. I poured myself into it. 
As Sprinkle of Glitter Ltd has evolved, some projects have taken more of my time and some have had to be cut back on. Sadly, my blog has been in the 'cut back on' pile and things like books (writing, promoting, book touring), youtube channels, live tours and clothing lines (I realise I sound like an obnoxious twit but it is what it is) have consumed a lot more of my energy. 
I call this place my 'sunset spot' because my favourite time to visit is as the sun is going down and everything feels super peaceful. 
I've tried quite hard to keep up with this slice of web but feel like I never do find my full footing and it slips away. So, I've had an idea. 
Life this month is about to get really, really cray. I mean it. Whirlwind crazy. I'm already looking forward to a rest in November!
What I thought I might do is use this blog as a diary. Just as an experiment, just for a month. 
I'm not sure if this is entirely unprofessional (I've always maintained that this blog is not a diary but a highlights reel of special moments or things that interest me) or completely genius (why not use it as a space for my day to day ramblings and document the good as well as the bad?). We'll see. 
I might throw in a bit of original photography if I'm able but mostly I think I'll just lift it from my other social media like instagram or twitter and see how I go. I'm giving it a completely no pressure approach. If I fail, I fail. Chances of this are high. 
If I succeed, it's a celebratory chinese takeout for actually sticking at something throughout what is set to be the busiest month of the year so far. 
I hope you like this idea. I'm not going to promote it at the start so if you're reading this- thank you for being such a loyal blog reader and I hope you will handle me gently as I go for this little challenge!!
See you....tomorrow??
Toodlepip! xx

Happy 6th Blogday

Aloha Sprinklerinos,
At this time of year I am always reminded of a few key days and one of them is my Glitter Birthday. Today Sprinkle of Glitter is 6 years old. Isn't that crazy? It feels like both the blink of an eye but also a lifetime. A world without it feels impossible to imagine but also I feel like the journey is just beginning and I still haven't had time to take it all in and adjust.
Thank you chummyswift. 

In 6 years my life has changed in almost every way.
Every year I like to look back and assess where this glitter has taken us and feel proud of the work we have done together, because it is together. You might not know it or feel it but we are a team. We have a symbiotic relationship. Without me you wouldn't have the videos or books or clothing line or live shows, but, without you, I wouldn't have anyone to do those things for and so operations would halt and we'd be in a pickle. I am now and forever your very grateful and humble team mate. <3
This year Sprinkle of Glitter has been quite a life raft for me. An incredibly exciting and showbiz glitzy life raft but a life raft all the same.
Thank you themallorymiller. 

Let's talk real stuff and then get onto the glamour.

This was the year my heart broke. 

It broke very slowly and then all at once and then I felt like I couldn't catch my breath and would never be OK again. Sometimes, in the small hours of the morning when it's very quiet and there is nothing to listen to but my own thoughts, I still wonder if I'll be OK again. I think I will.
Five years ago I married the great love of my life, Matt. I planned our lives and trusted that we would sail through and be on each others teams until we were old and grey (grey with pink tips I hope haha). But, like everything in life, things don't always pan out as you imagine and my great love story crumbled to a point where I couldn't pick up all the pieces and put them back together again. It felt like trying to hold a million tiny pieces and never really being able to keep them all in your hands at once.
I tried and he tried. We tried every way we knew how but eventually, I gave up. I couldn't do it. We were so far apart that the life of mostly good with a few bad moments felt mostly bad with a few good moments and I didn't think that was enough. I knew we deserved better and I knew the little life we were raising needed to see better too.
Thank you sugglet. 
I have never in my whole life felt like more of a failure than I have this year. It will forever be my greatest sadness. I'm crying as I write this. I'm crying for all the hurt Matt and I have both felt and the hurt I think I will always feel in a quiet, hidden part of my heart.
Neither of us are to fault and neither of us did an awful thing, so it's such painful grieving because there is nothing huge to be angry at. It's just sorrow.
Thank you starshiprichterranger. 

As the months have gone by, things have softened. I'm coming to terms with being the only adult on my team and I'm happy for the new life Matt is building too. For the most part we get on really well. We bicker (a hangover from our married days I think) but really, I know we both share the same goal of raising a good girl, constantly demonstrating that she is loved and supported and happily, we are finding a new way to love each other. I will always love Matt. He will always be my family, just not in the way we had originally planned.
So, as you can imagine, this year has been rough. I've tried to limit how much of that I share and to focus on the good (which has been there in abundance) but I thought it would be a disservice to gloss over it in a post like this. It's been hard, life does and will move on. 
On to the glitz. Good gracious there has been a lot. 
Thank you phan-girl004.
The blog year (Sept-Sept) began with a myriad of projects that I had to keep under wraps. I spent hours and days and weeks holed up in my bedroom writing my book, Life With A Sprinkle of Glitter. I thought it would be an easy project that blissfully filled cosy Autumn evenings and that I'd have sent off finished to my Editor by Christmas. How wrong I was. 
Writing a book is a big deal. It's a whole job. It's incredibly mentally consuming and takes a lot more effort than I had originally anticipated. So, it was with quite a shock that I found myself struggling and beginning to resent it. As Christmas rolled round and it was apparent I was going to spectacularly miss the December deadline, I was given a 3 month extension and my excitement and vigour returned. Book writing became a joy again and something to feel passionate about. 
I wrote the book, predominantly focusing on happiness, during one of the least happy times of my life. It forced me to find good on dark days and to look at life with positivity instead of wallowing in the pain of heartbreak. 
When I hold my book or see others holding it too, I feel a surge of emotion I would never have had if it hadn't have been hard to write or if I hadn't have been travelling down a painful road at the time. You can be pleased with things that were easy but you can be proud of things that were hard. 
To me, my book is a triumph. It is a symbol of how much I can do and what I can achieve. I hope it is the first of many. 
Thank you lovetheyoutubelife. 
In Spring 2015 I felt a spark of new life. I'd told you all that was going on and felt a little more able to go ahead with clear air. 
I went to New York City to attend a Creator Summit and watch the 2015 Brandcast show. I spent some really great time with my Manager Maddie, Alfie and Joe. Also, I turned 30. 
I had been dreading turning 30 for about 5 years and subsequently, it became a bit of a running joke that I would be 25 forever. Somehow, and I can't quite put my finger on why, a few days before the big three-oh, I accepted it. 30 wasn't something to fear and shy away from but something to celebrate and be joyful for. I'm going to say something bold now- my 30th birthday was the best day of my life. Everything amazing that could've happened, happened. I was surrounded by amazing people, given incredible gifts, had insane experiences and felt so alive and ready to run at the world. To age is a blessing. My Mum lost her fight against cancer when she was 37. I'm going to live all of my years with as much passion and joy as I can because some people, like my darling Mother, weren't given that chance. 
Thank you sleepwiththekings. 
In May I escaped. I booked last minute flights for me and Darcy and jetted off to Seattle to spend a week enveloped in the Bitsandclips family. That trip was life defining for a couple of reasons. One, it was the first time Marie and I had spent together just being supporters of each other. Our previous visits had been fun and frolics but this one was much more for love and comfort. Marie's dear Mother had recently passed away and so it was lovely to be able to offer the tiniest bit of comfort for her and in return, Marie reminded me how good it is to feel family love and welcomed me with such open arms. Two, I proved to myself that I can be a Mummy. That might sound crazy but for the first 3-4 years of Darcy's life, Matt and I had tag-teamed that parenthood gig. Going solo on an 8 hour flight and in a hotel is scary and I had a lot of doubts as to whether I'd cope. Fortunately (for Darcy haha), it turns out I'm ok at this motherhood thing and we both came out unscathed, even when the flight TV's failed and we had to play cards/crayons/quizzes for 8 solid hours-yay!
Summer was a whirlwind. My theatre tour, LouiseLIVE debuted in 5 different UK cities and hot damn, it went well. What started off as a Q&A session has now evolved into a structured, cohesive comedy/audience participation/self empowerment show and I couldn't be more pleased. Plans for LouiseLIVE 2016 have already begun and I'm crazy excited for how it will turn out. I think it might be my favourite project actually. If this whole YouTube thing pans, live shows are where my heart will be. 
Thank you memories-and-roses. 
After the shows it was straight onto promo for the book which had now transformed from text on my laptop to bright glossy pages of a hardback book. We had a launch party, TV, radio and magazine appearances, book clubs, videos, tweets and a tour. It was incredible. The book hit the top of Times Bestseller charts and I cried so many happy tears I couldn't even stop in the shower. It was the second greatest moment (after finding out I was having Darcy) of my life. 
As soon as the book was hot off the press, the project I'd been working on since January was launched - my clothing line. I worked with Simply Be to create a 10 piece collection of clothing that flattered and celebrated the fuller figure. I'm so keen for women to embrace their body shape and feel confident in the clothes they wear that it was a total pleasure to design this line with curvy figures in mind. Every item has now become a staple piece in my wardrobe and seeing the women who have ordered items, take pictures and send me their thoughts really sparks a little place in my heart for them. All being well, this won't be the last you'll see of clothes I've designed! 
Thank you Addisonand5sos. 

After a quick trip to LA for Vidcon and collabs, the book, the tour, the clothes and a soft launch of my first dip into the stationery world with my 2016 diary (you'll be hearing MUCH more about this in October- we have a tour and all sorts planned), I spent the last 4 weeks of summer at home, with my Darcygirl, being a Mummy and enjoying life in suburbia. I needed it. 
My friendship with my neighbour Vicky grew as we bonded over our Daughter's and as we added some more mamas to our group, I now have some local 'Mummy Friends' which is new to me. Before, all my friends with children lived far away, so to have some practically on my doorstep feels crazy comforting. I love that Darcy has so much interaction with children (as well as her school classmates) and I love that there are people I can socialise with who actually don't care about Sprinkle of Glitter. I know, that sounds ridiculous right? But it's not. When you live in a world of glamour and glitz, it's easy to be swept away into it and become a person you didn't mean to. It's easy to let yourself believe your own hype and drift away from your roots. I know this because sometimes I've felt it happen. It's like floating but very slowly. You begin to just float off a tiny bit and then before you know it, you're very far from where you came from. My goal is to never float off. I want to enjoy the glitz and glamour, it's freakin' amazing, but I want to never loose my love of supermarket shopping and the satisfying feeling of putting Darcy's fresh laundry away or the warmth of a chat on your neighbour's drive about the cost of school uniforms. Those are the things that nourish you I think. 

And here we are, in September, and I'm celebrating my blog's 6 birthday in the exact same spot that I started it all those years ago. A better decorated spot but the same one none the less. 
When I look back on the year I think of a lot of different things. I have enjoyed so many glitter adventures but I think my broken heart stole the show and so I won't ignore that. There is nothing wrong with accepting the sad moments in life and I will now move forward with confident strides and feel optimistic for our glittery future. 
Last year I wrote -
"Happy Birthday little blog! What a journey we've been on. First year a wedding, second year a baby, third year a business, fourth year friends, fifth year a community. What do you think will come next?"

As is tradition, I'm going to add to it. 
Happy Birthday little blog! What a journey we've been on. First year a wedding, second year a baby, third year a business, fourth year friends, fifth year a community and sixth year, sadly, a broken heart. What do you think will come next?
A million, billion thank you's to everyone who has made this year good, to every kind comment and supportive tweet, beautiful fan art, well edited fan video and every good natured Sprinklerino I've met in real life. You're a good lot. Thank you to everyone who submitted art for this post. Their names are credited below each piece. 
Special thanks to Dom, Maddie and Natalie who make Sprinkle of Glitter what it is. Without them, I'd probably just be a mess haha. 
Toodlepip!
xx

Amazing Advertisers || August 2015

Aloha Sprinklerinos, 
Crikey, where has the summer gone?! I'll be welcoming Autumn with open arms before I know it. Crunchy leaves and warm blankets, I am ready for you! But before we wish goodbye to August and embrace the chillier months, let's have another gander through some Amazing Advertisers, there have been plenty of travel posts by my lovely ladies in August, the perfect antidote if you're not quite ready to say goodbye to the Summer. Let's go! 
SourceThe Coupon QueenEmma is a good egg, she has certainly earned her title as The Coupon Queen! She’s pretty darn good at finding us a bargain or two which is nifty in itself, but she also dedicates her time couponing to help others who may be struggling to get by or having to pinch the pennies, which is simply heart warming and gives me all the feels to know Emma has established her royal couponing status in order to help a sista out! Whatever your financial status, I’m sure we could all use a bit of Coupon Queen magic in our lives, so go on, get saving with Emma!
Wave To Mummy I warn you, Sanna and her beautiful little toddler will make you all kinds of broody, their family is simply wonderful. Wave To Mummy is a tip top parenting and lifestyle blog which I’ve had much joy in reading recently, I’ve loved following Sanna on her mummy adventures, her house renovation and celebrating her first blogging birthday (although the toddler outfit posts are a particular favourite I must admit.) If you’re a fan of the parenting blogs, or just love a down to earth kinda gal with a bloomin’ cute kid, then I’d recommend having a read of Wave To Mummy.  
SilverSpoon London I’ve talked of my love for Angie and her blogging antics many times in the past, and once more Angie has delivered with some pretty swell posts for us to enjoy. Angie has shown us the beauty of Singapore and all it has to offer which has me itching for travel and glorious sunshine. She’s quite the jet setter that Angie! And to keep things closer to home, we’ve also had a good old British Sunday Roast snap, it doesn’t get more culturally diverse than that! Whether you’re a travel blogger lover, in need of a restaurant review or two, or just love fabulous photography, then Angie is your gal.
The Runner Beans The Runner Beans is a lifestyle and fitness blog written by self-confessed lycra addict, Charlie. I’m quite the fan of The Runner Beans as it teaches the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and regular exercise. Charlie makes exercise look super fun and it’s the perfect inspiration if you’re after some pep in your healthy step! I do love a good old scenery snap, and with Charlie’s hiking talents, she certainly picturesque places a plenty on The Runner Beans, so much so I would love to visit them myself (Northern Ireland I’m looking at you.) Speedily hop on over and allow Charlie to teach you the ways of running and stretching, I’m tempted to get the lycra out myself! 
And that my lovelies is it! short but sweet I'm sure you'll agree. I hope you've enjoyed my gals and their musings as much as I have. They really are good'uns! 
Toodlepip! 
xx

Louise In LA

Aloha Sprinklerinos,
If you have been following me on my vlog channel, 'Sprinkle of Chatter, you will have seen that earlier this month I was in LA for a week of fun, collabs and adventures. 


Since all the videos are now published, I thought it would be fun to answer some of your questions!
If you would like to watch the vlogs, click HERE. 
Now, on with the questions!
Favourite thing you purchased in LA?
Oohh this is very easy. After seeing it on so many beauty blogs and in beauty videos, I took myself off to Sephora and picked up the Becca & Jaclyn Hill Champagne Pop Highlighter and oh my life, I was not disappointed. Although it's a pressed powder product it applies like an intense cream, blends beautifully and leaves you like a golden goddess. I've used it almost every day and I can safely say, it's love. 
Where was your favourite place to go?
Somewhere I went to but would have liked to spend more time at was Venice. It had sweet little canals and beautiful homes and lots of little nooks and crannies. To me, America feels really big and intimidating with it's crazy wide roads and huge buildings but Venice had the higgledypiggledy vibe that London has so I felt nice there. 
Favourite restaurant out there?
So, I'm not sure if I would call this a restaurant, but In-N-Out Burger. It's a fast food place (with eat in or drive thru) and oh em eff gee it was good. So good I had it twice. Once when I was in a grumpy hangry mood and once to cure a hangover (oops haha) and it was EXACTLY what I needed. I don't really eat beef so I was just going to get Animal Fries (I had those once a couple of years ago and have been dreaming of them every since) but Drew was way too much of an enabler and ordered me a grilled cheese thing too. It was the stuff of dreams I'm telling you. Also, whilst I'm at it recommending things- pink lemonade. You need it in your life. 

Would you ever consider living out there?
I've always dreamt of spending some of my life living in America. The problem now is that Matt and I are separated, so taking Darcy over to America (and therefore away from him) would be a horrible idea and something I don't want to do. So, maybe when she's a lot lot lot older I could do it or if I really wanted to, perhaps I could divide my time between the two for a few weeks at a time. No plans for moving anywhere for a good while yet though. 

Hardest thing to over come being away from home?
The hardest thing was obviously being away from Darcy. I'm pretty good at switching between Mummy Mode and Louise Mode but there were times, particularly at DisneyLand where my Mummy heart hurt. Also, as we've talked about before, I struggle REALLY badly with being out of my comfort zone so doing so much on my own (without Matt, family or Maddie) was a challenge. I was really grateful to Cayleigh and Drew for being so lovely and understanding. Even when I had a little strop in the car once hahaha. 

Best night out you had?
I think the best night out was a night at Joey Graceffa's house. We had a mermaid pool party for our friend Cayleigh, with amazing drinks, yummy food, lols and of course, pool time. I wore the bikini I bought here last winter. I'd been building up the courage to go for a bikini for months and when I finally did it, it felt so freeing. It was pretty pricey ($89.99 plus extortionate shipping) but omg, it was so worth it. 

Did you see any famous people?
Well, I collabed with some of the most fabulous YouTubers in LA so yes! 

Favourite thing you did?
One afternoon my friend Drew and I drove the length of Mulholland Drive and then down to the coast. Pootling around in cars, singing careoke and taking in the view is basically my idea of heaven so this was the perfect afternoon for me. There is something really soothing about being driven about and listening to someone telling you which school they went to as a child, pointing out famous houses and stopping to take a few insta's of the scenery! 

Will you go back to DisneyLand?
Yes. My heart belongs to Disney. Not Walt, just yanno, the concept of Disney. 

What was your favourite part of DisneyLand?
In the last hour of the day, when we were so tired and ready to head home, Cayleigh, Drew and I jumped on a Story Book ride. It was a little boat (that tipped about thank you very much) that meandered through sweet grassy verges adorned with all the houses of the Disney characters. The structures were only doll house size but so detailed and sweet, I could've done that ride so many more times and looked at everything. Sometimes it's not the big beasty thrills that make your favourite memories but the quiet little moments that capture your imagination. 

Any weird accidents?
Oh yes. So, it was early morning and Cayleigh and I had been swimming in the hotel pool. PJ and his gang were due to arrive round to come and record my voice for something Oscars Hotel related. We'd spent a bit too long at the pool, I was wearing a towel and the door knocked- they were here!! I shouted, 'just a minute!!' and tried to put my dress on. I wasn't fully dry so it got all tangled and stuck, I had no underwear on, I frantically whispered to Cayleigh to help me and basically was a half naked, half moist (ooer) woman caught up in a dress and she saw everything! Hopefully by the time I opened the door to PJ he had no idea of my issues. Incidentally, I still had no underwear on for the entirety of the voice recording!!!

What song reminds you of your trip?
Dear Future Husband by Meghan Trainer. Cayleigh had it in her car on repeat haha. 

Will you visit LA again?
I really hope so. 

Did Darcy miss you?
Funnily enough, I don't think so. She has such a great time with her Daddy and is so used to spending chunks of time with each of us separately that I think she was just happy to be doing what she was doing. We Skyped a few times though, mostly for my benefit haha. 

Favourite thing about LA?
I'm gonna be really smooshy but, the people. I have lots of American friends now and one thing I always notice is how welcoming and hospitable they are to me. Cayleigh was always on hand to gee me up when I was having a scardycat moment, Drew did all my favourite things with me (he even sat through all of Bridget Jone's Diary and ordered aaaalllllll the room service food which pleased me soooo much. Netflix and dinner, bliss), the Whats Up Moms ladies for having me over for the day (with amazing food, the best girlie chats, shopping and taking me to the airport), Joey for hosting the amazing mermaid party and letting me raid his fridge, Ingrid, Cat and Mamrie for taking the trouble to come out to my hotel to film such fun collabs. 
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Thank you to so many of you on twitter for asking such good questions, I really enjoy posts like this so I think I might do more like it- it's like taking part in a mini interview haha!! Don't forget to checkout the vlogs and things I've linked in the post for you and I'll see you all soon!
Toodlepip!
xx

Amazing Advertisers || July 2015

Aloha Sprinklerinos,
I'm currently on my travels in LA which is simply wonderful, I've been spending time with my favourite people, eating all of the American food and generally having a jolly old good time! And with good times comes speed, and yet again we're at the end of another month and I can't quite believe it, so without further ado, here are my Amazing Advertisers for the month! 
Source
MissLauraBoraLaura is a fun gal, she makes Youtube videos for our enjoyment and she’s pretty bloomin’ good too! Not to mention I love her curly wurly hair and Oliver Wood impersonation (name that reference!) If you’re after a Youtuber who does it all, then MissLauraBora may just be for you. Laura creates make up tutorials, challenge videos, impression videos, her talents really are endless. She’s also pretty nifty with those Sims, I really could lose hours watching her creations and Sim mishaps! Hop on over to Laura’s channel and have a gander, she’s a good’un.
Adventures of an AnglophileAndini is a long term advertiser with Sprinkle of Glitter and she’s a favourite of mine, not only because she too once rocked the pink tips, but because her blog is simply gorgeous. Andini has a talent for fashion and her ability to create outfits and just make things work makes me swoon. I could do with Andini as my very own clothes picker and personal dresser, she’d make me look good every day! If you’re also a fashion lover, or simply just want to look at photos of a gorgeous woman, then Adventures of an Anglophile is definitely worth your attention.

The Barefaced Chick Oh my, we have an exceptionally pleasing on the eyeballs type situation, The Barefaced Chick shall definitely sooth your soul with its swanky features and photography. Michelle, the writer behind the Barefaced Chick likes to write about her life, her loves and her wardrobe, all of which I have enjoyed learning about muchly! I do love it when I discover bloggers who pour passion and dedication into their work and Michelle is no exception, she’s a talented gal. If you’re after good vibes, good photography and a lotta good writing, The Barefaced Chick shall be your sanctuary.

Unique VintageUnique Vintage is an online shopping gem and those of you who love a flouncy skirt or several are in for a treat, all your needs shall be fulfilled and you’ll be as glam as can be! Unique Vintage is an American online clothing boutique which, quite frankly, makes me unable to control my swooning (or my purse strings.) Soon I shall be forced to move out of my bedroom due to an overflow of floral dresses. I love a good online treasury where I can find feminine clothing to make me feel beautiful, and Unique Vintage offers just the perfect amount of femininity and swishyness. Go on, treat yourself.
SilverSpoon LondonAngie is a returning advertiser with Sprinkle of Glitter and she’s definitely a good egg. SilverSpoon London will enlighten you on some of the best places to visit, whether you’re in London or jet setting, and Angie will always give a thorough and honest review, which I appreciate muchly! I love a blog which offers me something, or encourages me to try something a little different and SilverSpoon London is the perfect foodie and lifestyle blog to fulfil these needs. Not to mention, the face behind the camera is a beauty, Angie is not one to be missed!
The What Now BlogThe What Now Blog is another returning advertiser with Sprinkle of Glitter, offering us another unique experience within the world of blogging. Louise is a motivator, an inspirational lady and overall, someone I would quite like to help run my life for me. The What Now Blog is designed to get us thinking about our own lives, how we can improve them and generally, it’s an invisible motivator seeing us through our daily lives and offering to put a little pep in our step. Louise puts a lot of work into her blog and it certainly has paid off, she’s a clever lady and I appreciate her work muchly.
Brooke Megan JonesBrooke Megan Jones is a lifestyle blog created by lovely gal Brooke, and oh my goodness is it beautiful. I’m a lover of America, and Brooke catches her American ventures with her other half and cute pooch perfectly. Brooke Megan Jones is just a feel good blog, perfect with a snuggly blanket, a beverage of your choosing and time to kill. I’m a lover of reading about other people’s lives and learning new things about the world every day and I’m pleased as punch to be including Brooke on my list of people who I like to know about, it’s a blogger kinda thing I’m sure you’ll agree!
Britany Powell Brit is a Canadian gal and a lifestyle blogger with quite the impressive brain. Britany Powell is a lifestyle blog which discusses all things from feminism to Lush products, there really is something for everyone! I’m particularly a fan of Brit’s more ‘serious’ blogging, where she talks about the ins and outs of some important issues, such as feminism. I’m quite the believer of discussing these things more on social platforms for young gals to interact and learn, so well done Brit! She also captures the most exceptional photographs perfectly, definitely worth a gander!
Trudy JohannaTrudy is a favourite gal of mine, not only because she is a wonderful blogger, but because she talks about being a 20 something so accurately that I can relate to almost everything she says, it’s magical. This month Trudy has been advising us up a storm, with tips on blogging, wearing a bikini out in public (eek!) and making long distance relationships work. She’s like the big sister you always wanted. Thank you Trudy for being a rockin’ female and embracing it!
Wave to MummyI do love a good mummy blog to make my ovaries swoon and my heart melt, and Wave to Mummy is no exception. Sanna is a working mummy with a beautiful little girl who just happens to share her parenting journey and life adventures on the internet, and I appreciate it muchly. I love reading about the milestones and accomplishments she shares with her little girl as she grows older, as it takes me back to Darcy’s toddler days, it’s like a trip down mummy memory lane and I love it. Thank you Sanna for sharing your journey with us!
Patricia Baret in FrancePatricia is a little like me, and I love that. She’s a beauty obsessed mummy who wears her heart on her sleeve and loves to write about all the things important to her. The only difference being, she’s living in France with her dashing French husband after magically falling in love, and ta da! A gorgeous little baby was born shortly after. Patricia, your family warms my heart. Patricia Baret in France is primarily a lifestyle and beauty blog, Patricia surely knows a thing or two about beauty, her eyeliner is always exceptional and her smile, well, it’s just beautiful. If you love a cute baby, tales of romance or all things beauty, you need to have a gander! 
Ta Da! What a crackin' bunch. You'll be entertained for hours thanks to my lovely ladies, enjoy!
Toodlepip! 
xx

Motivational Monday || Great Adventure

Aloha Sprinklerinos,
Merry Monday to you! I hope you all had good weekends. Most of my focus has been on my upcoming trip to LA. I'm flying out on Wednesday for Vidcon and then to spend a week with friends afterwards. I decided to go out there for an extended time a while ago because who knew what adventure would await but now, I'm nervous. 


If you have been reading for a long time you will know how much I struggle with being away from home. I resist the urge to stay in my comfort zones and regularly travel for work. For a homebird, I'm away a lot!
It's very hard to explain because I don't suffer from anxiety/panic attacks and on most trips I have a great time and love it BUT, because of the few trips/days/moments I've had where I've felt terrible, I have the FEAR. 
It can be triggered by lots of things but mostly by a feeling of isolation or lostness. I feel best when I'm with people who I know really, truly care about me. Kindly acquaintances will not cut the mustard, I know they aren't going to subtly hold my hand when I'm being overly reserved and they aren't going to indulge me in half an hour of calming hotel room netflix time when I need it. At best I can muddle through and just be a bit quiet and scared on the inside, at worst, I cry and throw up- yummy. 
I'm doing it though. I'm doing it for the possibilities. When you're brave and give the scary things a go, amazing things can happen. Granted, sometimes they don't, but that's sometimes a risk worth taking and I think this adventure is worth the risk. Though I probably won't admit this out loud, deep down, I do love the adventure. When I take away all the worries and concerns that blanket everything in negativity, all that's left is amazing. Eeeep. 
So, wish me luck. I'm going to put my bravest foot forward and encourage you to do the same with whatever your week has in store for you. I'm nervous, someone hold my hand haha!
Toodlepip!
xx

#UseYourAnd

Aloha Sprinklerinos,
Do you remember a while back when I made THIS video about the new #UseYourAnd campaign from Venus? 
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The aim was to encourage woman to let go of labels categorising them into just one thing and embrace everything they are. For example, I'm not JUST a Mother, I'm a Mother AND a business woman. Or I'm a homebird AND a party girl. You can be all the things you want to be and #UseYourAnd reminds us to believe in the power of our own potential. 
To launch the campaign I asked some of you to tweet me your '&Stories' and these were some of the fantastic entries.

THE WINNERS



I love that Nicole is a strong woman, we should all allow ourselves to feel strong so this is a real inspiration. 


I loved that Jenni was a Formula 1 fan AND a cat lover- such a fun mix!


Christy has shown so many great examples of the woman she is from glamourpuss to working out to being outdoors. I really liked that. 


'I am everything I love to be', seemed so perfect for this campaign and something I'd like to live by more. 

As a proud selfie lover myself, Lucy had to be a winner!

I love them! I hope you all feel as inspired as me to celebrate your own '&Story'!

So keep posting your #UseYourAnd pictures and support this lovely campaign. Just post a photo, that shows all the different and unexpected sides of you using the hashtag #UseYourAnd as well as tagging @GilletteVenusUK and me (@SprinkleofGlitr) along with some text about you and your '&Story' and could win a Venus Snap razor. We'll choose 50 people at random after the closing date on 29th June. (T&C's).
Snap razor- their first pocket razor for instant smoothness whenever you need it. Find out what people think of it HERE. 

Woohoooo, I do love a good beauty freebie! Also, side note here, I have the little snap razor and it's so, so handy for throwing in a travel or gym bag so I'm happy 50 of you are getting one!
Good luck Sprinklerinos!
Toodlepip!
xx

Motivational Monday || Smooth Seas

Aloha Sprinklerinos,
As I scrolled through Pinterest this morning looking for Motivational Monday inspiration, I came across this and knew it was perfect. 


Some weeks I know exactly what I want to discuss, some weeks there is nothing I want to share and some weeks, like this one, are so full that I don't know where to start. I thought this was apt since it covers a lot of bases. 
You would not believe how many times I have written and deleted this blog post. I want to open up and spill my heart out but I'm so conflicted because I also want to maintain my personal standards of using this space to only document and highlight good moments rather than focus on or glorify the bad. 
Right now, in this season of life, I feel torn. 
Glitter World is sparkling. I've had an amazing LouiseLIVE tour with sell out theatres, a hugely successful book launch with a wonderful book tour, I'm proud of my recent videos, I feel so much love through social media and I have one more exciting thing to launch this summer as well as a tonne of travel plans. I'm so pleased. Last year I felt that I put Glitter World on the back burner whilst I dealt with my breakup but since January I have been getting on my feet and I'm feeling very healed and very able again. In fact, at the start of April my lovely Manager commented that she was glad I was 'back'. It feels good. I love this world so much. 
Motherhood too is going well. I've (we've) chosen a great school for Darcy to start at in September, I'm enjoying lots of great Summer activities with her and she continues just to be an absolute joy in my life. Matt and I have a pretty good time share arrangement with her that I think we are managing really well, we're both flexible and we both make sure to spend time as a 3 doing something nice almost weekly because we want to show Darcy that Mummy and Daddy respect and care about one and other, even though we aren't in love anymore. I am glad she will have her happy family memories and also, I'm glad to spend time with Matt because despite not being on Team Marriage anymore, we'll always be on Team Parent together. It's nice. 
And here's the conflicting part. I feel afraid quite often. 
I do these big events where I meet hundreds of you and you say such wonderful things and I say them back and we have these moments of such amazingness and community and people and buzz and wow and then suddenly, in an instant, I'm sat alone in a lovely hotel room booked by the publishers, with nobody to talk to or tell my day to and I look out the window at the canals below and think, 'I have to appreciate this alone. I have to enjoy and savour this moment by myself. There is nobody that cares about this as much as I do and so this is all on me'. And that is a big burden. I like to share things and experience moments with people and often, there are no people to share them with. 
I think I might be sounding like I'm saying, 'uurrrggghhhhh I need a boyfriend to rescue meeeee', but I'm not. If I could have one of my friends just come and do my life with me all the time I would freaking love it haha. Sadly, the logistics of having a friend devote themselves to my work schedule is rather a lot to ask!!
I guess what I'm saying is that I'm struggling with learning to live in the quiet moments. When you have such thrilling amazing things happen that give you such a high, it's a mighty big drop when you come back down to earth and if there is nobody there waiting to grab your hand as you fall, it's rough. 
Lately I have been focusing a lot on self care. On finding things to do in the quiet moments that don't involve reaching out to other people to lift me up but instead look at ways to help myself. My friends are always there in times of need but I'm working on turning 'times of need', into 'times of want'. 
I've been making brave choices (shall I do a blog post on these? I feel like that would be uplifting and potentially uplifting?) and embracing new experiences so this I feel is a big leap forward. 
Sooooo, at the moment, life is smooth seas with a few storms and I'm leaning to navigate them as best I can. 
If you feel like things are hard, know that I am with you. I'm facing challenges too and we will learn to be such wonderful sailors because of it. 
Toodlepip!
xx

Summer Listings

Aloha Sprinklerinos,
I'm writing this at 8.51am and already today is a scorcher. I had to drag the garden waste wheelie bin round the back of my house and out onto the road (the glamorous life I lead) and by the time I'd done the 4 minute job I was over heated! I also successfully but petrol in my car this morning. Not a huge feat you might think but I've had my car almost 2 months now and there is definitely a knack to filling her up which I am only just learning. It's the little things in life that please me so!


Since Summer is most definitely in the air, I thought it was due time to do one of my most favourite things- make a listy blog post of all the things I want to do this summer! I think writing this list will be really useful for me to come back to and check, motivate me to try new things and also it makes me feel all fuzzy inside to think about the fun things I like to do. Hopefully I can share some of the things I do with you on here too. Let's get cracking!
Summer Listings
Buy lighting for the garden and have a few evenings enjoying it either alone or with friends. Take Darcy's Summer pictures by the rose garden in Abington Park. Try out as many village playgrounds as possible (with Darcy of course!!). Spend more time with my new Mummy friends. Eat dinners outside. Go to Coton Mannor Gardens and enjoy the peace. Launch my book (wooooo).Take more pictures with my big girl camera. Have a big night out with pretty dresses and cocktails. Go to LA and make brave choices (more on this in a couple of weeks). Tidy up my front garden. Celebrate my Sisters Hollie and Tiyana more. Watch and photograph as many sunsets as possible. Feel sand between my toes.Have a pedicure!Read more of Darcy's books to her. Binge on Pinterest ideas haha. 
I'm sure there are more things I will want to do but for now, those are the main ones. 
Tell me in the comments what you're excited for this summer!
Toodlepip!
xx