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Category: feel good

Breaking a Habit of a Lifetime | QueenBeady

”I’m too cold.”

”My head hurts.”

”God, this house is such a mess.”

I probably utter these words a thousand times a day. I’m a complainer. I have to face facts & accept it. Or should I? I’m never one for making New Years resolutions, simply because I know that I will break them. I’m not much of a rule breaker. I’m terribly boring. But I saw a little anecdote on Pinterest about complaining. It said, ”Go a full 24 hours without complaining and you’ll be amazed at how your life will improve.” I sighed when I read it because I knew this was me. I need to have a complaining ban. I need to be more positive. So no, I won’t just accept it, I’m going to make myself a better person by being more positive. When my head hurts I will go take a paracetomol and ride it out & no-one will ever know. When it’s cold I will put a heater on & warm myself up, no-one will ever know. When the house is a mess, I will get up (off my fat arse! That’s another NY resolution that needs work!) and do a bit of tidying, no-one will ever know I’m miffed.

You see a theme here? It’s all about doing & making those positive, tiny steps to get you out of that ”Negative Nelly” rut. I’ve gone in to 2015 knowing we had a fabulous year and it’s very hard to beat a year where you married the love of your life/soulmate but why can’t 2015 be even better.

This year is all about creating memories, being whimsical and spontaneous. Laughing till my sides hurts, sharing amazing days outs & travelling the world with the man I love. It’s all terribly soppy but I feel I’ve been terribly guarded this last year or so. It’s time to start living & enjoying the now.

I hope wherever you were saying goodbye to 2014 you were happy & that is all that will ever matter.

Rebecca xxx

January 2, 2015
Cotton Traders Day Trip Decider: Skiing at Xscape, Castleford | QueenBeady

I was lucky enough to be asked to take part in Cotton Traders Day Trip Decider. This handy online tool is the creation of high street retailer Cotton Traders. They have carefully selected hundreds of ‘’Days Out’’ ideas for families & couples alike through a nifty little questionnaire which ultimately decides a fabulous day out for everyone!

After inputting a few details such as location, if we wanted the day out to be active or relaxing, indoors or outdoors we were given probably what I think is one of the most fantastic ideas in our region…

Yes, indoor skiing at Xscapes SnoZone! When this came up I was practically jumping for joy as Mr C & I have always wanted to try skiing but never had the guts to do it. So armed with an opportunity we were not going to miss out on this.

After a relatively easy checking in process and adorning ourselves in some very sexy waterproof outerwear we set to getting our ski’s and boots. Note to self; Ski boots are very uncomfortable we were ready to go on the afternoon of the 25th October and experience some sheer extreme sport fun!

As we were all beginners we were on the nursery slopes all being pushed through our paces towards completing Level 1 of Skiing. As a complete novice no matter how many times someone tells you how much your muscles are going to hurt the next day you do not believe them, but trust me, after sidestepping up & down the slopes about 15 times I promise that you will feel the burn for days after (yes, I am wincing in pain right now as I write this!) but in the name of fun it was all fabulous. Our lovely instructor, Liam taught us how to control our speed and stop as this is the first thing you need to master if you are going to go skiing properly! It took me a couple of times to really get it but it eventually the penny started to drop and on my last run I had (just about) mastered it.

I know what question is on everyone’s lips. How many times did you fall over? And the answer is 3 spectacular, face planting times! I occasionally resembled a scene out of Bambi where my legs were skirting around the snow so bad that I gave in and went head first, arse up and looked ready for action all in the space of t-minus 2 seconds. So lady like of me? In all honesty there is nothing demure about skiing, well not if you are me that is. The husband had it down like a pro the first time down the slopes so at least one of us was good!

A big thank you to Liam as he was always so encouraging, despite me shouting expletives for the whole 90 minutes I was there and completely doubting my ability! He was always at the bottom ready to cheer you on and give you constructive criticism.

So, did we pass Level 1 I hear you ask? YES! I’m pleased to say we did & we’re going to be booking our next lesson shortly to master the art of turning on the slopes in Level 2. So keep your fingers, toes and anything else you can that I pass the next one too.

Thanks to Cotton Traders we have now done something that we thought we would never do & it has given us a brilliant opportunity for not only a day out but what is hopefully going to be our newest hobby!

Why not try the Cotton Traders Day Trip Decider for yourself and see what fun & exciting idea you get!

Rebecca xxx

October 28, 2014
The Wedding Diaries: Phil Lyons & The New Vintage Band | QueenBeady

I am so so so excited to share with you the AWESOME band that played at our wedding in June. Phil Lyons and the New Vintage Band happen to be the most adorable bunch of people you will ever come across. Clearly passionate about what they do, you can see how much they enjoy themselves when up on the stage.

We came upon them at a Wedding Fair in Wetherby and as soon as I saw their stand when we arrived I was over like a shot. I knew for a fact we could not just have an ordinary DJ for our wedding nor could we have a really awful tribute act that would make me cringe (don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about!)

The guys have class. In bucket loads. Phil Lyons voice is just so typical of a 1940’s parlour club singer but on an even bigger and better scale. There is nothing cheesy about these guys. The Frank Sinatra covers are almost like they were wrote for them.

I’ve realised that one of the Summer Bell Sisters is not in any of the photos who provides extraordinary background vocals for the band. I think she could have been in between her outfit changes because they do two sets. They do the soul, swoony songs first and then move on to the jive & rock n’ roll songs for everyone to have a real boogie before the night is over.

We opted opted for the 6 piece band rather than ten piece (this was mainly down to cost and space!) but we were delighted with our choice. These guys really know how to get the crowd up and dancing!

If you need some entertainment for your wedding or just any event I would definitley recommend these guys, without a shadow of a doubt – so go, what are you waiting for? Go check them out here! You will not be disappointed.

Rebecca xxx

July 15, 2014
Lust List: June Picnic | QueenBeady

Now that June is slowly coming to an end I thought it was only right to post a Lust List.

June has been an exceptional month for me as it was the month of the wedding & honeymoon and we couldn’t be happier with how everything panned out! Some people have even said it was THE BEST wedding they had ever been to, which was testament to the hard work that James & I put in to the making of the day.

So we will now have money! Which means one things… SHOPPING. I am a free woman with no constraints on my purse strings (except for my driving lessons) so I can spend, spend, spend!

Coco Chanel Mademoiselle: I had always dreamed of wearing this delicious scent at our wedding but sadly at £98.50 a 7.5ml parfum bottle that would have paid for a few bits & bobs. You can find it here at The Perfume Shop along with lots of other beautiful perfumes too!

Links of London XS Sweetie Bracelet: I have teeny tiny wrists (I wish I could say that about my hips!) so this bracelet is perfect for my delicate little wrist bones. Priced at £120 on Links of London you will not be disappointed with the selection of jewellery on offer here.

H&M Floppy Hat: What’s a sunny day without a super elegant floppy hat that oozes Hepburn-esque style? A really rubbish one that’s what! It’s in the H&M sale for £9 which is a steal, find it here at H&M

New Look Co-Ord: Who doesn’t love this co-ord style at the moment? It’s chic & sassy at the same time. Everyone on Capri Island was wearing them. So if it’s good enough for the super rich Italians its good enough for us. I love the vintage, floral design! Each piece shown is priced at £17.99 and can be found in store or online at New Look.

Birkenstocks Madrid Style: Ahhhhh, my lovely Birkenstocks! Having started suffering with a “dropping in step” I have had to act quick to find a few pairs of shoes that help lift it & these are just perfect. Especially for just slipping on and off on a Summers day. I for one, will always be buying these sandals from now on! Stylish and orthopaedic (see that big word I just threw in there, yeahhhhh enjoy it!). You can buy your Birkenstocks at Cloggs UK where you will find an array of brands and unknown footwear that will keep your eyes entertained all night!

John Lewis Picnic Hamper: What’s a picnic without a picnic hamper? Well it would not be a picnic. FULL STOP. Now we have a super duper new John Lewis at York Retail Park & we have John Lewis vouchers I can see myself getting sucked into that middle class values type of life! Everything is just so pretty and beautiful that you can just stare at everything 24/7. Not good for the bank balance, but totally ok for the picnic scene! This hamper along with the cutlery and glasses etc it is priced at £100 but so totally worth it, right? You can find it in store or online at John Lewis

So what would you wear for a picnic or why would you pack for your day out in the glorious sunshine. It would have to be ham salad and tuna & cucumber sandwiches and then plenty of strawberries/raspberries with lashings of cream and sugar (plus a bottle of prosecco!) PERFECT!

Rebecca xxx

June 25, 2014
OOTD Channelling my inner Italian | QueenBeady

WELCOME HOME! I hear you shout!

Some of you may or may not know (and if you don’t, do you live under a rock?!?!) that I have been wedding-fying and honeymooning myself up with my HUSBAND.

I hope to bring you a few posts over the next few weeks that share a glimpse and a peek into our special day, but for now in the spirit of keeping our honeymoon alive & well I thought I would post an outfit inspired write up today because I have been lusting after the Italian lifestyle.

“why?” I hear you say. Well. Let me tell you.
1. Everything is just effortlessly chic.
I could go on to point 2 but to be honest the above sums it up pretty nicely. Having skirted and winded around the Amalfi Coast, explored the billionaire practise that is Capri, people watched from a quaint cafe in Sorrento I can safely say we experienced all of what the beautiful region of Italy had to offer.

Leopard print sunglasses – Next
Cream Silk Top – River Island
Red Cigarette Pants/Ankle Grazers – H&M
Birkenstock Madrid Sandals – TK Maxx (can also be found at Cloggs

I have so much to look forward to this year. I thought I’d be lost after the wedding with something to do but I’m looking forward to my first Bloggers Meet in Leeds next month, so please say hello if you will be there too!

How would you dress for Italy? I’d love to know, post your comments below!!

Rebecca xxx

June 23, 2014