Do you collect?

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If you follow me on twitter you might have seen my call outs to people who collect to get involved with a little project I'm working on for LOTS. My call to you is to ask yourself if you collect anything a little different? Do you want a space to show off your little collection, feature on LOTS and tell people all about it?

You all know about my random obsession for the vintage compact but I'm looking for bloggers that also collect. Be it perfume bottles, buttons, china dolls, toys, postcards, old books. You name it, old or new I want to know about your collecting habits!

If you do collect and you fancy getting involved with writing a piece for my blog get in touch! I'm looking to provide a slot for us collectors to talk about what we collect, how we got into collecting, tips and a little look into what we have. The depth and the involvement is totally up to you I just want to give you the space to share your passion! Just get in touch and I'll send you an overview of what I'm aiming for - but I'm giving you the freedom to write it in your style. And just maybe we'll inspire someone else into the collecting world.

If you want to take part or want more details, you can leave your contact details below, email me at lo_ts@ymail.com or tweet/DM me. If you already got in touch via twitter I'll be emailing out things hopefully within the next day!

p.s have you entered my 500 followers give away?

BLOGGING: Tag Post Time!

I've been tagged a lot in the past couple of weeks so I thought I'd lob them together and post them as one long post. Apologies for it's length and being text heavy! So we'll start with the Versatile blogging award from Neeny for which I have to tell you seven random facts about myself. 

• I fear dogs.
• My memory is rubbish.
• Love tacos but tacos hate me.
• I'd love to visit Italy.
• Sushi is my guilty pleasure - just wish it wasn't so expensive.
• I really don't get the buzz around How I Met Your Mother. 
• Me and Joe are coming up with random endings for this season of NCIS. Someone will get killed off we thinks.

Next up we have the 11 questions tag from which I was tagged four times

11 things about me

• Until moving to America I use to majorly hate sweetcorn - now its one of my must have veggies. 
• I named my first cat Bertie after my favourite children's book when I was two - Big Bad Bertie.
• I've met the author Melvin Burgess [he wrote Junk, Sara's Face, My Life as a Bitch etc]. 

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• We have dreams of going to the Galapagos Islands [photograph] to see penguins in the wild.
• I'm a freak for saving money. 
• Margaritas are my new addiction.

• I have a slight fear of roller-coaster but I'm taking my boy for his birthday to one of the countries largest theme parks [I may come to regret this]. 
• Seeing Razorlight in 2003 was the first gig I ever went too.

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• We have 106 toy transformers in our apartment. 
• Aladdin has to be one of my favourite Disney films.
• Secretly want to run a vintage store. 

So here are Charlee's questions

1. What is your favourite beauty product?

Either eye-liner or the Sleek eye brow kit.

2. Drugstore or high end products?

Drugstore, I think for what your buying most of the products are similar these days you're just paying for the name. I'm a big fan of rooting through clearance, found lots of OPI for amazing prices so you can always find your more expensive goods somehow!

3. Least favourite product you've tried?

While I'm a huge fan of Lush I wish I hadn't brought their Ultrabalm, I don't find it offers my skin anything which is a shame because it's the first Lush product I've been disappointed with.

4. Your favourite skin product?

Any of the Palmers skin lotions - they are miracle workers.

5. What is the most you've ever spent on a beauty product?

Probably a perfume, probably my Chanel Chance that I got at duty free. I don't spend loads on beauty.

6. What item is currently on the top of your wish list?

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation it was my favourite but apparently Bourjois don't sell their products over here any more?

7. Your favourite feature?

My eyes.

8. Are you a dress it up or dress down girl?

Dress down most days but I love a reason to dress up!

9. Favourite song currently?
I go through phases of constantly playing bands rather then songs, so probably something by either Godsmack or SOAD.

10. Your favourite makeup brand?

I'm a fan of Sleek, i'm using both a blusher and their brow kit. They offer really good products for their price.

11. Why did you create your blog?
I needed a space to write down things that were going around in my head. I was in the middle of doing my Masters so I need a distraction that I could go to when I didn't want to be thinking and it grew from there. 

And 11 questions from Char

Question already answered.

2. How long does it take you to write your blog posts?

I normally start writing a post a day or two before it gets published and spend an hour depending on the length of the post. I keep them back a day or two just to give me a couple of chances to reread or rewrite.

3. How did you get into make up?

I was a rocker in my teenage and university years so I got into the eyeliner and the black make up that way. Then got more girlie since. 

Question already answered.

5. What is your favourite TV show?

There's a couple. I love The Big Bang Theory and shows on the History channel like American Pickers, Pawn Stars and American Restoration. I love old things so I love seeing the stuff these guys find and restore. 

6. Do you enjoy reading, if so what is you favourite book?

I do, I use to read constantly then stopped suddenly last October. My favourite author is Daphne du Mauirer and I love her book Rebecca.  

7. Who is your fashion inspiration?
I have two - Kaley Cuoco [Penny from TBBT] and Danielle from American Pickers both for different reasons. Kaley appeals to my girlie side and Danielle to my rocker, tattooed side. 
 

8. What is your favourite magazine to read?

I haven't read a magazine in months sadly.

9. What is your number 1 staple make up product for your everyday look?

Eyeliner - without it I look asleep. 

10. High end or High street?

High street, I can't justify spending crazy amounts of money on clothes.

11. Staple clothing item?

Jeans they are just my go to item.  

Fool and faffs questions 

What is the best job you've ever had?

My work experience as a journalist at my then local paper, it was the job I wanted when I was younger and I had a lot of fun. Plus the people I was working with were great, supportive and helpful. 

If you could be anywhere, where would you be?  (in life or location)

Cheesy as it sounds I'm more then happy where I am right now - I'm with my boy and we're happy. I'd love a lot more security about my residency though. That and being in Chicago would be heavenly!

Something you've always wanted but never got?
I always wanted a pet rabbit but my mum would never ever let me have one and I never understood why.

The first movie you saw at the cinema?

Not sure if it was the first but I do remember seeing Hook which came out in 1991 when I was five.

Your top played song on iTunes?

Godsmack - Moon Baby

Would you rather be taller or shorter (if you HAD to chose!)

Probably taller, I'm like 5"5 so I could go either way.

Your longest standing hobby?

Mostly likely sewing - cross stitch is my sewing craft of choice. 

If you had an hour to kill what would you do?

Poking blogger or reading. 

The best thing that's happened to you so far this year?

Having afternoon tea at The Whitney with my boy for Valentines.

Lastly, eleven questions from Jess

Question already answered

2. When did you last skip taking your make-up off?

Last night, I'm rubbish at taking make up off.

3. Name a film you've watched so often you can say every line before it happens.

The Secret Garden which was one of my favouite films from my childhood and I still don't tire from watching it. 

4. Who inspires you and why?

My boy - he's so caring, passionate and he's doing the dream job he's always wanted to do. 

5. Did you make any resolutions for 2012? If so, what were they and how are they going?

To make more hard copies off my photographs, which I've done two batch lots of so far!

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6. Do you have any guilty pleasure songs/bands/etc.?

The Backstreet Boys, I got into them when they first came out and they've always been my secret loves. I still haven't ever seen them live though darn it!

Question already answered. 

8. What's the most-played song on your iPod/iTunes/whatever?

Probably something by Flyleaf. 

9. What's your favourite way to relax?

Messing around on the internet, poking games, blogs, researching compacts. 

10. Do you have any bad habits? If so, what?

Not taking my make up off!

11. Where do you see yourself in ten years' time?

Hopefully in a house of our own with a baby or two and our kitties. 


 My questions for people;

• What did you want to be when you grew up?
• Your dream thing to do on a date?
• Holiday location you really want to visit?
• Era of history you really want to visit and why?
• Your all time favourite Disney film?
• Are you a cat or a dog person? 
• What's your favourite hobby?
• Recommend one nail varnish brand?
• One beauty tip you couldn't live without?
• Do you collect anything?
• What is your most treasured possession?

I'm basically tagging anyone, feel free to drop me your links if you take part!

P.S. Have you checked out my giveaway?

500 followers give away!

This is only the second give-away I've ever done on LOTS so I hope you find this as exciting as I do. To show my gratitude at reaching 500 followers [to some bloggers this is a tiny tiny figure - but it means a lot to me] I've organised this little thank you. Because I want this to be international - because lets face it with moving to the states I have followers all over the sides of the pond, it needed to be something that was small and light enough because we're trying to save our pennies too. But I hope it's something you'd all love to have and it's my way of saying thank you.

So here is what is up for grabs;

Left to right - set of four clothespins, 3D rose sticker, set of 12 mini notes with envelopes.

This competition is now closed. 

Again thank you to you all that have followed, viewed and/or commented on LOTS since I started back in the summer of 2009. Finally all that is left to say is, good luck if you enter!

Rex Leaping Gazelle Powder Compact

After getting a little disheartened with collecting compacts I thought I'd try and throw myself back into writing about my hobby - so far its working and I'm feeling much more engaged and happier. I thought i'd take the time to say that I get attracted to powder compacts that are different, I love colour and odd sizes just like this over-sized compact. Because of this it made its way onto my Christmas Ebay wish list - it's red, made of leather and has a gazelle leaping in flowers as decoration. Gazelles may seem an odd animal to be upon beauty accessories but as a motif they became popular during the Art Deco period if only for a short time - a trend that continued well into the 1950s. Some suggest it was the result of the popularity of the film Bambi, whatever the reason it can be found across a range of manufacturers including this one by the New York house Rex.

Made of red leather this compact measures four and a half inches in diameter, classifying it as a flapjack [anything over four inches fits this category] dating around the 1940s/50s. I sometimes wonder if such a size limited it's ability to be carried in purses and is far from being as practical as it's smaller counterparts and was probably just used at a ladies dresser. The puff and sift that came with this compact aren't original as the puff would have had Rex fifth avenue banded across it's ribbon. 

With particular regards to leather compacts, manufacturers produced them in a range of colours - sometimes matching the purses the compacts came with additional accessories a lady could purchase from the same line. In fact there is a green version of the this compact on Ebay - whether someone would pay $95 for this is another matter. Yes vintage compacts can go for some very crazy prices.

* And yes that really is a Christmas tree in the background of these photographs, I'm suffering from a huge compact post backlog so be prepared for a compact overload in the coming weeks.