Joyfully Light: Travel

Shopping Spree

On Monday Kate and I went to a shopping center armed with the last of our birthday money and heading to the sales.

First shop was Adidas but we didn't get anything, just looked round at the new colourful sporty gear. I liked the bright purple tie dye tracksuit and the pastel pink tops.

We then found our way to waterstones and looked for three different books but I couldn't find any of them. After that we went to Victoria's Secret and sprayed ourselves with the Love Me Eau de Parfum it looks so cool and smells so good.

Urban Outfitters was up next and we went straight to photo booth. £4 for three strips of four photos great deal to me, you also get a code so that you can save the photos and share them online. It's so much fun, they even record it so you can see more of what you were doing. Like pulling crazy faces then laughing at the pictures. We also checked out the vinyls as they have a few more modern ones but there but there way more expensive than HMV where I usually get them from. Do you have a record player, if so where do you get your vinyls from?

Here are some of the best ones from the times we have taken pictures in the photobooth. Each time we go to Urban Outfitters we tend to go and use the photobooth, sometimes we even go twice. Usually because we don't know which filter to use as I prefer colour and Kate prefers the black and white one. Although we are yet to use the sepia filter, but who knows that might be the next one we choose?

Speaking of HMV that is where we found ourselves after eating an early lunch of homemade sandwiches, as well as listening to a lovely violinist play who we thought might have gone to our school. Turns out she might have done as she got the same train home as us. We also sat there wondering whether to give her any money as we could see a stranger talking to her for a while, though it was obvious all she wanted to do was play her music in peace. I decided that I would give her some money when we walked past but I then realised that I didn't have any change.

In HMV I got lucky and found two, two vinyls that I really liked. One was Texas's new album "25" and the other Andreya Triana's album "Giants". After buying them I realised they were both from Carfest and I was very lucky to see them perform live only a few weekends ago.

So far I have only listened to the first side of the Giants album but I can't wait to hear the rest of it as Andreya's voice is amazing. Texas's vinyl remains untouched as I was to busy listening to Giant's but I am also very excited for it, as it has pretty much all of my favourite song on and more that I am yet to discover.

After HMV we went to Lush and I could not wait. Ever since my birthday I have been saving my vouchers for when the new Summer range came out but to us lushies I we just knew it as the New Oxford Street products that were coming to the rest off the stores. Anyway whatever you want to call it I was saving my Lush vouchers for: The Experimenter a crazy hexagon shaped rainbow of a bath bomb; Yoga bomb, bath bomb, a glittery orange sphere to froth up and relax the mind and finally the Intergalactic bath bomb a minty ball of blue, pink, yellow and... glitter! Woo everyone's favourite. Okay maybe not everyone's favorite but it does look good. Unfortunately Yoga bomb was the only one left from my list but as well as that I also picked up a Dragon's Egg bath bomb. Oh and I couldn't resist a copy of the new catalogue so that I could check out all the new products that were coming to the stores.

The last place we went to was Holister and oh I do love this shop. There was a small sale towards the back of the shop where I found a lovely white maxi dress for only £14.99. Bargain! The dress is white lace and flows gently all the way down to my ankles with tiny buttons down the front. It also has a cut out in the front down the legs and a fancy criss-cross back. One of my new favourites. Perfect for taking pictures and wearing after a day at the pool in a few weeks at Center Parcs.

Fancy a look at the dress on from a casual Tuesday photoshoot? I think you do, here you go.

When was the last time you bagged a bargain?

Joyfully Light

Carfest 2015

Last Friday we traveled down to Cheshire for Carfest.

Ever since it started four years ago we have been there from Paloma Faith to Tom Odell and The Feeling we have seen them all. The music is always brilliant as well as the cars and food.

This year started off great with a drive down the motorway and through the towns to find our Premier Inn, you'd be surprised there was a lot on the way down to Cheshire but we found ours soon enough. This would be our home for the next two nights.

We arrived at around 9pm and quickly found ourselves sat around using the unlimited free wifi to its full potential. This is a fairly new feature to Premier Inn which we were very happy about because previously you could only use it for half an hour before you had to pay. Later on in the evening we all slowly drifted off to sleep as we had a busy day in the morning and did not want to be tired; which was a very good idea as we were up till the early hours of the morning the next day, dancing the night away.

First thing we did after checking out the cars was to look around the Megaland section which was full of diggers and lorries. There was also old steam trains and a load of cool army stuff, we stayed there for a bit to watch the cars that came past. We also looked at the stalls that were in the field including motorbike and car stalls. They displayed a variety of cars and bikes that you could sit in, which were all interesting to see.

After looking at the cars Kate, Dad and I went on a Formula 1 racing simulator, it was very fun and took you speedily round the track on screen. Before lunch we looked at all the different food stalls and picked up a few malt loaf samples the chose where we wanted to go for lunch. Kate had a box of Japanese noodles which we had last year, but this year Mum, Dad and I went for something different. For lunch I went to a food stand called The Med Kitchen, which consisted of a flatbread with toppings on. I chose the Mezze option which was roasted vegetables for the toppings I had olives, tomatoes and coleslaw. Mum and Dad shared the BBQ Chicken option and had all of the toppings, that included red cabbage and lettuce as well as the three toppings on mine. Carfest I have to say never disappoints with the food and this one sure did live up to the standards of last year, a jolly good meal it was.

After lunch we looked around the tents and found the one that has been there every year, though I can't remember it's name. It was just past the fairground rides and had a selection of different food stalls where you could try and buy the foods. We stumbled across a fancy marshmallow stall, tried the vanilla marshmallows that the lady was kindly offering then bought two packets. The marshmallows we bought were the lemon meringue and the mint choc-chip flavours. Both were delicious but I prefered the lemon flavour.

By the time we had finished looking around the tents it had started to rain so we sprinted across to the garmin tent to look at what they had to offer. As soon as we arrived we found ourselves looking at around twenty different sports watches. You know the type that tell you how far you have been and the amount of calories burnt. Dad and I took a closer look as I had asked for one of these, of a different brand, for my birthday. They looked very interesting, in a variety of colours and surprisingly cheaper than the one I had previously asked for. The man talking to us was even willing to knock off some of the price as a special Carfest show deal. That was very kind of him though we decided not to buy one and instead carried on look round at other products like sports cameras until the rain had stopped.

Songs of Carfest 2015

The Conversation - Texas

Say What You Want - Texas

Black Eyed Boy - Texas

Summer Son - Texas

Gold - Andreya Triana

That's Alright With Me - Andreya Triana

Way Back When - Ward Thomas

Push For The Stride - Ward Thomas

Town Called Ugley - Ward Thomas

Rosé - The Feeling

Sewn - The Feeling

Never Be Lonely - The Feeling

Fill My Little World - The Feeling

Summertime Boy - Seasick Steve

You Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks - Seasick Steve

Walkin' Man - Seasick Steve

By this time it was almost five o'clock so we headed in the direction of the main stage and waited near the front for Texas, the first act, to arrive. I then got my camera out and started to snap the acts as they came on. Texas was brilliant she performed at the first year of Carfest and was just as good as this year, She put out a new album this year or was it late last year, I'm not quite sure. Anyway I didn't think I would recognise any of the songs. To my surprise I knew quite a few of her songs, so I obviously belted them out at the top of my lungs with Kate. As well as filming and photographing the ones that I did not know as well. But yes Texas was by far my favourite act. Well done for such a great show Sharleen.

After Texas was Ward Thomas they did a few of their own songs, a new single and a Taylor Swift cover. Apart from the cover I knew none of there songs. I have to say country music is not exactly my scene but nevertheless there performance was very good and some great musicians. Next up was Andreya Triana and for some reason she only played two songs. Chris Evans had recently told us why but I must not have been listening. Andreya's two songs were wonderful and we all wished she could stay and sing some more.

The second to last act of the night was The Feeling and just like Texas they have been here before. The Feeling performed there classics and big hits that all of the audience screamed along to, myself included. They also performed ones that I had not heard of before such as their song Rosé. I have to say they were brilliant live and did a great job at getting us all singing.

The penultimate performer was Seasick Steve he came to Carfest a few years ago his songs, well lets just say they're a bit different, he uses cool instruments like three string guitars and interesting self-made stuff and can I just add the music that is made is genius. His song Walkin' Man is excellent what he does is gets off stage and choses a girl from the front takes them on stage and sings then give them and hug to thank them, he continues by walking them down off the stage then goes on to perform the rest of the show. Well done Steve.

Other acts that performed were Sophie- Ellis Bextor and Joss Stone but I did not see them as Kate and I were getting tea and exploring the park for one last time before leaving at around midnight after a splendid performance by Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott.