autumn wishlist

TP and I are currently attempting to save for a trip to the States next summer so i'm on a no spending kick but if I wasn't then these would be the first things in my shopping basket!

1. H&M+ Bukse 199,-

2.Cubus - Hiawata sweater

3.Accessorize - Stud portfolio clutch

4.Ecco - Slav smart shoes 

5.Forever 21 (plus sizes) Coloured skinny chinos

I am definitely lusting over a pair of sensible heels for the colder months to pair with skinnies and sweaters.

I am also pretty excited that both of these jeans are in plus sizes, I have never bought plus size jeans from H&M or Forever 21 so it would be cool to see how they fit.

WIW Autumn layers

I am unusually excited for autumn this year, 

even with all the rain that's about to hit the rainiest place in Europe I am still feeling really enthusiastic about the change of the seasons.

This last week definitely started to feel like fall as the temperatures dropped so was the perfect excuse to start layering up with sweaters.

sweater - Cubus
dress- H&M
Leggings - Cubus
Boots -Ecco

I wore this dress a ton over summer and am not ready to send it to the back of the wardrobe just yet so i pared it with a light jumper (because it's not THAT cold just yet) and it felt like the perfect fall outfit.

now im off to finish up a cute little crafty DIY post and get some sleeps before Sunday morning Yoga yay!

New Glasses! courtesy of Firmoo.com

I was recently contacted by a company called Firmoo who offered to send me a free pair of glasses in return for a review. 

Of course I jumped at the chance and let me show you why...

these are the glasses i have had for the last four years and as you can see they were on their last legs, lenses popping out and the colour so worn off it looked like i permanently had make up smudged on them.

Firmoo 's motto is "Vision and Fashion the Frugal 

Way"  and you can certainly see why when you visit their site they have a huge range of glasses to choose from with such low prices it was hard to choose one pair.

I umm ed and ah ed over the site for a few weeks until i narrowed it down to the following.

the matte black ones

or

And eventually i decided to go for....

The last ones!

and I must tell you I am so impressed by the quality of them, 

I was expecting them to maybe feel a little cheap in the materials or maybe they wouldn't look as good as they do online, but I was so wrong. they feel sturdy and durable and they fit fantastically!

they are made of memory plastic which means when i inevitably sit on them by accident they just bounce right back into place and don't end up getting all wonky it is fantastic!

and Firmoo is offering you guys the chance to bag yourself some FREE glasses too! just click here, choose your glasses (they do fashion glasses for those of you blessed with perfect eyesight) and then all you have to do is pay for shipping!

so go go go! go and get yourself some brand new glasses for freee! (they ship all over the world so no excuses!) and let me know if you end up getting a pair so i can see what they look like!

I am officially a graduate!

As of Thursday 19th July I am officially a graduate! I now have a bachelor degree in Teaching English as a Foreign Language from Middlesex University.
Here's all the photos yay!

Selina is sew crazy!

After my last trip home to Leicester I decided on a whim to use the majority of my baggage allowance lugging my old sewing machine back to Bergen!


Thankfully it managed to make it back almost in once piece, unfortunately I broke a tiny little clip that joined the extension table to it which now rattles around inside the machine, but all I'm all it works pretty well.

I literally cannot fully express how many ideas I have sketched out in my head to make but luckily I can show you some of my most recent creations!

One of the first things I attempted was this cute little roll up tote bag,
I found a fantastic tutorial here

It was super simple to make although I feel the bag itself is a little too small so I am working on changing up the design a little to help it accommodate all the stuff I like to lug around all day!

The second thing I made, I made from entirely my own design,stupidly not writing down the measurements and completely messing up the copy I tried to make for my sister, woops live and learn.

This baby now looks after my lovely new iPad, a fantastic gift from my mother!

I definitely plan on making a bunch more of these once I can figure out the exact measurements again and hopefully put a few cuties up in the shop!

Next up I used laminated cotton to make a handy sewing machine cover which has come in really useful because my apartment is apparently the spiritual home of dust (read, it's covered I'm it, no matter how much I dust!)
And it will look super cute in my new craft corner in the new apartment which hopefully when I return to Bergen (I am currently on a plane heading for England where I will be for 5 weeks!!)

And then my biggest achievement so far....

The summer dress I made! I am seriously so proud of this baby, because despite a few minor issues this thing is actually good, I have worn it out to parties and on the beach in Nice and I felt so good!
Made out of jersey it is super light and can be worn without the sash for a looser dress (not entirely flattering on my frame but perfect over a bikini on the beach)
I definitely have plans to make some more clothes after the success of this one!

And then last but not least I have been doing some refashioning of clothes I already own, like turning a pair of chinos with legs that were way to wide into a skinnier and more comfortable pair!

Before,
Baggy and waay to long

And after!
(also I just realised that only the left leg has been altered in this picture and I don't seem to have a picture of both legs but you get the idea!)

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Our Love Story Link Up

I'm linking up with From Mrs to Mamma

not just because it is valentines on Tuesday
 but
more importantly because Sundays is the BF and I's first anniversary.
So let me tell you about
Our Love Story

1. How long have you and your significant other been together?

A year on Sunday! (yay excited)

2. How did you meet? {What's your "love" story?}

It's pretty embarrassing really, neither of us have a complete recollection of how it all happened but here's the bits we can remember! One of my besties was visiting me and it was her last night so she of course wanted to go out but i was so tired that i said i didn't feel like going, luckily one of the girls who lived in the same student housing as me offered to accompany my friend to the student bar downstairs as long as they could pre drink in my room, they started drinking and the peer pressure kicked in, next thing i know i am downing the gin and getting my glad rags on, the bar was alright and we all got pretty hammered and then my friend got sick! :( so being the lovely best friend i am i let her have my bed and said i would give her a while to get some sleep before i came home, next thing i know i am at a floor party and making drunk eyes at the tall dark and handsome man.then it all goes blank! luckily the next morning (and nooo we didn't do that!!) he was super lovely and made me breakfast and asked for my number which i gave to him thinking yeah this isn't going to happen, but then he text me later that day and asked me to go on a date. so there it is not so romantic! we have already decided that we need to make up a better one to tell the grand kids one day.

3. If married, how long have you been married? If not, is this the guy you hope to marry? {do tell}

Yes definitely so much, it might sound early to say it but i really hope i get to marry this man one day!

4. If you are married, where did you get married at? Big or small wedding?  If not, where would you like to get married? And will it be big or small?

Ideally i would probably have a bit of an over the top affair with all the extended families and friends out by a fjord in the summer.

5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another? Do share!

he calls me princess sometimes and i have many a nick name but usually it's bubba or honey or hunnnneeeeeeeeey

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.

His Eyes

His Personality (he makes me laugh all the time)

and his sexy beard! (love a man with a beard)

7. Tell us how he proposed? Or your ideal proposal?

I really don't have an ideal proposal, i would love to be surprised by a small romantic gesture (however the ring does not have to be small ;) and i would loove it if it could be caught on camera, i think it's so cute when people have that special moment caught on film to keep forever!

8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals?

I don't know! i guess i will find out on Tuesday!

9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch?

 I am a sunset dinner on the beach before going home and snuggling on the couch with a movie and snuggles.

10. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere?

Road trip across the US (it's in the works) 

11. Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine's Day.

I am planning heart shaped pizza its on a workday so we wont have a whole lot of time to spend together luckily with the anniversary being on Sunday we get to celebrate then, we are planning breakfast in bed with gifts (mine is awesome but i cant tell you about it yet, just in case) and then a nice walk in the snow/ice before heading to lunch at a nice restaurant and a trip to the movies <3

12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine's day?

Not really, a bunch of pink roses would be amazing.

13. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love.

being honest with each other and always make each other laugh.

14.  Show us a picture of what love means to you.

Bloggers Biggest Loser and a Giveaway!

Hi guys linking up again with
 Amy and Vicki

My last two weeks have been up and down again but i really started focusing this past week and have managed  to drop about 4lbs yay! 

I have been making a real effort to keep a diary of everything i put in my mouth and keep myself accountable! it's hard but so helpful on those days you don't drop any weight and feel so disjointedness! you can look back and think well those gingerbread biscuits probably didn't help.

 I have also been trying to eat a BIG soup for lunch because i find it really helps me feel fuller longer plus i am being way more adventurous with the soup im eating, i used to be a heinz tomato or vegetable only kinda girl! but in the last couple of weeks i have had a carrot/swede/celariac soup and a sweet potato/carrot/parsnip soup, my next soup adventure looks like its set to be a roasted cauliflower/garlic and Shallot soup I can't wait!

couldn't get the bowl to look all perfect and fancy it was too yummy!

I mentioned the book that has really got me moving in this post

and
after ordering a paper copy for myself and one for my work colleague
 i managed to order one extra by accident so now here is your chance to win it!!!

a drive to Fanahammeren

Yesterday the boyfriend and I decided to take a quick drive

 to enjoy the beautiful clear blue skies.

Our goal was to drive into to Fana to see the area my boyfriend's family farm used to be

we decided seeing as the views were so beautiful to keep driving and visit the farm school he went to and in doing so we came across the most beautiful little place called

Fanahammeren

I am pretty sure we have decided if we ever get super rich we will be buying a koselig little house out here!

wishful thinking!

here are some photos to show you why.

Also me and my boyfriend attempted pictures in front of the beautiful skies but they failed lol

Happy Monday :)

one last thing it is my friend Alyssa's birthday today 

so i think you should all go and visit her blog :)

Do you know what really grinds my gears?

A lot of things!!

But 

I have decided to not write them all over my blog like i have been tempted to these past few weeks.

I feel like all i read at the moment is negative negative negative and it's starting to affect the way i am looking at things.

often i find myself moaning about something or worse listening to someone else moan about something and then agreeing with them before i catch myself and think first world problems much!

So 

I have decided to concentrate on some positive things from now on.

Like how happy i am to live in an AMAZING country with a job and a boyfriend i am madly in love with.

How happy i am to be connecting with a bunch of new ladies who i am sure will be firm friends soon enough.

and how happy i am to be working towards my fitness goals with a renewed energy!

I hope that this new found focus on the GOOD things in life will help me blog a bit more. I really want to start blogging about the place i live because it has been my dream country since i was a teenager and it hasn't disappointed me yet!

also i can't wait to start posting about all the progression we are making in the new apartment!

and many other fun things!

so look out blogger world! 

THERE IS A NEWER POSTIVER SELINA ON THE LOOSE!

Oh How Pinteresting - Kitchen Edition

I really didn't plan to link up today but the bf and I have been picking paint swatches for our new kitchen and i just felt super pinterest inspired.

As our apartment is tiny but blessed with BIG windows we are going with a very neutral cream/latte colour scheme.

in our kitchen the majority of the walls are lovely latte coloured panels but there is one wall which faces the window and i think just deserves to be a lovely accent colour. 

still pale but just a change of tone to make it feel a bit different.

These are the colour swatches we are looking at the two in the middle are a variation on our panels and the other two are the ones we are trying to decide between for an accent wall.

Source: Uploaded by user via Selina on Pinterest

what do you think??

I am completely love the pink but also think the soft blue would look so pretty and be so calming in the kitchen.

Here are some of my pinterest inspirations

Source: free-home-decorating-ideas.com via Selina on Pinterest

Source: hookedonhouses.net via Selina on Pinterest

Source: myhomeideas.com via Selina on Pinterest

Source: christinebauer.com via Alex on Pinterest

What do you guys think??

 I can't wait to share photos of how it all turns out!!




don't forget to link up with Michelle at The Vintage Apple

Bloggers Biggest Loser: Week 2

Ok so week one went well and i lost 4.3lbs wooo! 

But

then i had some university work to finish and it all went downhill from there :(

so now i am at 191lbs boohooo!! 

However

I have started work with a personal trainer and so i am feeling a lot more motivated to kick this weight loss in the arse!!!

while i was on my ignoring dieting and my blog hiatus aka last week! I had a revalation while out on date night!

Usually on date night the BF and i go out for a big dinner and ALWAYS include desert because i have a sweet tooth and i am treating myself.

I don't feel bad about this because we all need a little treat sometimes but i do feel bad about ending up buying  a huge expensive desert just for the sake of it after a big meal.

This time around we tried something new

TAPAS

it was the perfect way to not eat a ton but to have a lot of little bites of yummy food.

I had:

baby potatoes (boiled) with garlic and chilli
stuffed mushrooms (little ones)

bread and garlic mayo

and olives

not so bad really and for desert instead of going for a big gluttonus desert i shared this baby with my love

Cucumber and Lime sorbet, dark chocolate cake with port and Creme Caramel

I seriously think this was a brilliant choice because i got to try three different deserts but because we were sharing and the portions were like 2 bitsizes i didn't over indulge.

I remember commenting to my Boyfriend on the way home how nice it was to not feel so full i felt a bit sick but instead i felt satisfied.

I wanted to thank everyone on their lovely comments on the last blog posts i did and let you all know that at some point this week (ahem maybe tomorrow or thursday) i shall be giving away some awesome things including..

The Flat Tummy Club

Hey guys this is just a quick one to tell you about this new book i have been reading which in turn has inspired me so much i am getting ready to walk an hour to work!

 in the cold and possible rain people!!? 

this book must be doing something rightt!

the blurb says:

Depressed by her expanding waistline, Kate Adams set out to lose weight - and keep it off for good. Six months later and over two stone lighter she decided to share her experiences and set up the Flat Tummy Club. 

Now you too can become a member by following the foolproof Flat Tummy Club Diet:

1. Do the Flat Tummy Inquisition to work out where exactly your spare tyre comes from.

2. Beat the bloat and shed up to 7lbs in a week with the 7-day Jump Start.

3. Swap in the Top 20 Flat Tummy Foods to keep you on the straight and narrow-waisted.

4. Keep your flat tummy forever with tips to help you maintain your willpower when stress, holidays and work start getting in the way.

I say:

I haven't finished this book so far as i have only read week 1 of the plan it includes but i cannot tell you how inspired i feel by the first chapters 

(not even including the plan its self) 

The author knows her stuff 

and better yet when i'm reading it i don't feel like its all sciency jargon i don't understand.

 She talks about the need to tailor make a diet and not to just blindly follow a crazy one. 

she also talks about looking at the root of our  unhealthy and unhappy habits. 

after reading the first half of this book i woke up this morning at 6:30 

(usually i drag myself out of bed at 8) 

and have decided that to save the bybane money 

(another of my resolutions was to get debt free by 24) 

I am going to set off an hour and 15 mins before work and walk all the way to work!

so call me crazy, call me weird but check out this book -

 i downloaded it to my kindle and LOVED IT <3

also there us a website if you guys want to look a bit further into it

The Flat Tummy Club

also i forgot to mention yesterday but many of you found me anyways i am on MFP too

Bloggers Biggest Loser . Fitness Goals 2012

Hey Guys today i am linking up for..

and today we are talking about fitness goals of 2012!

Mine are the same as always although this year i feel focused! 

my goals are...

1. first and foremost lose weight, i have been trying for many years to slim down and get my body healthier but so far i have no succeeded it is often down to following impossible diets, a lack of will power and an overwhelming sweet tooth.

But this year i shall be following the

This isn't a crazy diet which makes you cut everything of joy out of your life, instead its a healthy and easy to follow plan! my colleague is on it and she has lost a lot of weight without starving her into a bag of bones!

My overall weight goal is to get to 125lbs

2. start running, i have tried running so many times but i just hate it!! this year however i really want to work on loving it! so i am trying the nike + walk to run program! and hopefully i will run a 5k this year instead of walk one like i did last time!

3. stick to my goals! plain and simple

yes it will!!!!

Date Night and NYE

The boyfriend and i decided that instead of venturing out into town on NYE, spend lots of money and getting crushed on the bybane home, 

we would do a Date night the evening before instead.

so i got all dressed up

inspired by a ballerina?

and off we went into town

<3 My Love

 to one of our favourite places to eat 

Taste of Indian,

it has gotten some pretty bad reviews in the past but i personally love it.

after dinner we went for a little stroll to enjoy some of the lights

picture is a bit rubbish :(

while we were walking i noticed this cute second hand shop which had a great quote on its ceiling.

I thought i would share it with you all.

New Years Eve wasn't the quite affair we had imagine cut to me and the BF getting in at 5am!

but i thought i would show you what i wore cus i felt awesome in it ;)