Good morning! If you've been reading my blog for a while you may be aware that I have a slight love affair with Clarins. I don't know if I'm the only one but do you ever feel like there are certain brands out there that you just feel are right for you? Well that's how I feel about Clarins, I just love everything about this brand. I don't know if its because it's a French brand, and anyone who knows me knows that I have an, as yet unfulfilled, desire to live in France, specifically Paris or whether its just because every experience I have had of their products has been a darn good one. So, on that note, I went to my local Clarins counter last week to re-purchase my cleanser and moisturiser and was rather excited to see that there was a special offer on. On purchasing two full size products you could receive three (very generous) travel sized samples of products to try. There was a choice of ten and the lovely lady at the counter talked me through each one and I am here to show you my choices! And boy am I pleased! 

First just (another) quick rave about the cleanser and moisturiser I use, because I love them so very much! I've been using them for about a year now and have not looked back. I use the Daily Energizer range, which is specifically aimed at 18-25 year olds, and I feel has seriously improved the overall appearance of my skin and significantly reduced the amount of breakouts I get. I use the cleansing gel which claims to 'deliver fresh-looking complexion radiance' and the Cream-Gel moisturiser (there's a choice of this one and just the cream version for drier skins) which claims to 'visibly diminish imperfections to provide...a healthy looking radiant complexion'. I honestly could not recommend them enough, but obviously everyone's skin is different so what works for me might not work for you! 

Now, onto the exciting little freebies I got. First off I chose another cleanser (the Gentle Foaming Cleanser) which, with hindsight probably wasn't the best choice seeing as that was what I was buying anyway. But that's neither here nor there, I haven't actually used this yet because I just can't stop using my daily energizer one, but when that runs out I will definitely be giving it a go and I'll let you know how it goes. I am a bit dubious because I've used a foaming cleanser from Clinique before and absolutely hated it! Seriously, I don't know if any of you have used it, it's called the Rinse-off Foaming Cleanser and it leaves the weirdest feeling on your skin which I can't even explain, it just feels kind of sticky but not tacky. It's really strange (and really stung my eyes)! Anyway, here's hoping this one is better! 

Next up is this absolute beaut! I probably wouldn't have gone for a bath or shower type of product as my freebie in the beginning because I already have far too many samples to use up, but after I smelt this at the counter there was no looking back! This smells absolutely incredible! Now, I will warn you, this scent is not for the faint hearted. If you are not one for a strong fragrance or if you like your fragrances very girly and sweet then this is not for you! Seriously, this product packs a heady punch. It's got a herbal, aromatic scent with essential oils to relax tired muscles and can be used in the bath or shower. It hasn't got a thick lather, it's lightweight and I actually find it quite refreshing to use in the shower. I've not poured it into a nice warm bath yet but I can imagine that breathing in the scent of this before bed would send me to sleep pretty quickly! Absolutely love it and would recommend it for anyone who loves a bit of an assault on the nostrils now and again! 

And finally, I chose the fragrance 'Eau des Jardins'. And let me tell you, I am in love. This is everything I have been looking for in a summer scent, and so much more! It is absolutely beautiful and not only is it a gorgeous smell, it is also described as a treatment fragrance which 'moisturises, soothes and ensures beautifully soft skin'. The lady at the counter said to gently press it into your skin when you apply it  to ensure the fragrance lasts longer as well as making sure the benefits, such as the essential oils and plant extracts, really get into your skin and work their magic. The only thing I would prefer from this was that the travel size came with a spray applicator, because I'm just lazy and it's harder to dab it on from the bottle! But apart from that I cannot complain, it is the most gorgeous fragrance and a happy addition to my collection. I think the lady said that the freebies would total up to something like £61 so I was pretty darn cheery when I walked away with my bag full of goodies! 

So that's all for today folks, I hope you don't mind me ranting on about Clarins all hours of the day! Do you have a favourite brand that you love for reasons unfathomable to others? If so, let me know and I hope you're al having a great day and enjoying the sunshine (or what's left of it anyway). I'll be back tomorrow with another post, I'm having a writing day today to try and get back on track and will definitely be putting some more nail posts up soon. Speak soon and au revoir! 

Left Vegas Volt (again, sorry it looks horrible); Right Costa Chic

Left Vegas Volt; Right Costa Chic

Well hello there! I am so sorry that I haven't posted in what seems like forever, there's just been some stuff happening recently which has made it difficult to get posts up. However, I am back now and hope never to leave again! So how have you all been?! I have so missed sitting down and writing, I know it has actually only been a week but it feels like a LOT longer. Anyway, I was down in good old London again at the weekend for one of my friend's birthdays and whilst I was had some time to kill I happened to be around the Covent Garden area and, as many of you may know, there is a MAC store there which was just calling to me! I mentioned in a previous post (read all about it here) that I wanted to pick up Costa Chic lipstick, and whaddya know, I just went and got it! I'm just that crazy. Even though I haven't actually tried that many MAC lipsticks yet, I think the price you pay for the quality that they are (I've not tried a bad one yet) is really fantastic. (Also, before I get onto the colour, why has no one ever told me that MAC lipsticks smell and taste like Mini Eggs? I think this is a pretty huge selling point!) Anyway, Costa Chic is a really bright pinky-coral with a frost finish. It really brightens up your face and would be perfect for one of those days where you can't really be bothered to do anything with your eyes but still want to look somewhat interesting.

I did mention in my previous MAC lipstick post that I had been recommended Vegas Volt as an alternative to Costa Chic and I can see why - they are extremely similar, with Vegas Volt being more orangey and fiery and Costa Chic more pink toned. I don't see this as a problem in the slightest though. I love both but possibly prefer Vegas Volt due to the finish. I'm not a massive lover of a frost finish but I do think that with a lovely golden tan and beach babe hair this finish would work perfectly. Even though I have a really quite ridiculous (and ever expanding) collection of all manner of lip products, it still excites me so much when I get a new one! Does anyone else get that? It's really quite unnerving. I've finally managed to finish the next book for my new years resolution so will be putting a review up tomorrow. That's all for today folks so I shall speak again soon and I really do hope you're all swell :) Byebye! 

Hello there lovelies! I think know I have a problem. I really need to stop watching Vivianna's videos and reading her blog (here and here!) because I am obsessed and want everything she owns! So here I am again with something I saw her talk and write about - the Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in the shade Apricot Shimmer 02. There was no need for me to buy another lip product, I already own far too many, but I just couldn't resist! Clarins is without a doubt one of my favourite beauty brands and after hearing so many good things about this product I thought it would be rude not to give it a go! So, what do I think? Well firstly, it smells absolutely gorgeous. It's really quite sweet and tastes like caramel, which is definitely not a bad thing in my books and the texture is extremely smooth and silky. It actually claims that it 'nourishes, repairs and protects' and makes lips visibly more beautiful day by day and, whilst I don't know just yet (I've only had it for a few days) about the repairing or beautifying results, it definitely does leave your lips feeling moisturised and hydrated. It also gives the lips a gorgeous (very slight) apricot sheen with no stickiness at all, which is always a good thing with lip products. At £16 a pop it's definitely not the cheapest lip product out there, but it feels luxurious and so far does what it says on the tin. So if you're after something really nourishing and aren't afraid to spend a little hard earned cash then I would definitely recommend it. 

I'm now so close to buying the Caudalie Beuaty Elixir that I've also heard Vivianna (and pretty much everyone else) talking about - she just makes everthing sound so good and it's so bad for my bank account! However I did just buy a MAC Fix+ and I don't know how much spray my face can take, so I may have to wait for that one, but I'll keep you posted! Off to get my hair cut again this afternoon in my ongoing effort to have healthy, flowing locks - I think I'm getting there, slowly but surely. Hope you're all having a great Friday and looking forward to the weekend, speak again soon and bye bye!

One of my gorgeous girlfriends was amazingly kind and bought me a lipstick the other day as my secret Santa present (yes we were long overdue exchanging these presents haha!). We have been terribly disorganised when it comes to seeing each other but we finally all managed to get together not too long ago and we had a fantastic time, topped off by receiving this beauty! She knew I wanted something from MAC because I was going on about it so off to the counter we went and I picked up the seriously gorgeous 'Vegas Volt'. I originally went with 'Costa Chic' in mind, but they were sold out and I was kindly directed to this colour as a near alternative (I'll just have to go back and get the other one at some point). It's much more orangey than Costa Chic, but personally I love an orange toned lip product, so I was not disappointed. I took an Instagram shot because the colour in natural light was just not doing it justice, it's much more orangey-red than it appears in the second picture and also a lot brighter. I really do love it. I wore it out the night we were all together and, as well as loving the colour, the staying power was very impressive. I made sure to layer up the product in thin coats to ensure maximum staying power and, boy I was not disappointed! It's an Amplified finish so it's very pigmented and the texture is a lot more creamy than I was expecting which was a big bonus! I would highly recommend this colour as a nice alternative to a classic red lip, something a bit more modern and still really wearable if you apply only a thin layer. 

I would like to apologise, both to you lovely readers and to my friend, for its slightly dishevelled appearance. As I said I did wear it on a night out (and therefore took it with me for top-ups) and somehow it got a little bit bashed around. But hey-ho, that is so not the point! The point is I am in love with this lipstick, I can't recommend it highly enough!

I thought I'd include a (blurry) picture of me wearing it, here with my gorgeous girl Flo. What do you think? Are you a red lipstick kinda girl, or do you prefer something more natural and nude? I hope you enjoyed this review and be sure to let me know if you've tried this colour, or if there are any you'd recommend for me to try! Hope you're all having a fantastic day. Speak soon, Byebye!

Quite a while ago I picked up one of these cream puff matte finish lip creams from Collection (2000 - why have they changed their name?!) after hearing about them from Lisa Eldridge on one of her YouTube videos. I picked up the colour 'Cotton Candy' and have to say I absolutely love it. I don't really know why I haven't been back to get the other colours (I believe there are 4 available) because they are so good! The consistency is very smooth and, even though they give a matte finish, I don't find them overly drying at all. They taste and smell lovely (quite sugary and sweet) and wear really well (gently fading after a couple of hours of wear). At only £2.99 each I think they are a no-brainer and I am led to believe that they are pretty much the same as the NYX Soft Lip Creams that I've also heard a lot about. There are more colours available in that brand but I don't think they're as readily available as the Collection 2000 ones (you can get them in Superdrug and Boots).


Here's what Cotton Candy looks like on...

(Sorry they're not the best pictures)

I have also tried using this as a cream blusher and find it works quite well. I know it can sometimes be a bit iffy using products where they're not supposed to go but I really don't think it matters a lot of the time. As a cream blusher it blends in seamlessly because it has such a smooth texture and gives a really lovely pink flush to the cheeks. I would say it doesn't have the best staying power on the cheeks but if you built it up I reckon it could be a keeper ;)! 


Have you tried any of these lip cream type products? What do you think? Hope you're all having a fantabulous day! 

This is a little post about some beauty products that I am loving at the moment, and have been for the past month or so. I'm having to get a bit creative with my hair because of my mission to not use heat on it (you can read about that here) and have found it difficult to get it looking nice enough that I don't feel like a total tramp, especially when I go to work where it probably pays off to look slightly presentable, so that's where the rollers come in. Obviously, they're not heated (would kind of defeat the point!) but I just use one in my fringe in the morning as I'm getting ready in order to give it a bit of lift and a couple at the front pieces of my hair. I find it really helps to just make it look a bit more 'done' and on days when I'm not actually washing my hair I'll just dampen it with a bit of water and pop the rollers in for about 20 minutes.


My Clarisonic is (at the moment, anyway) my all time favourite beauty gadget. It is seriously amazing. I know there has been a lot of hype about this for months and months now and I got mine for Christmas (after a bit of persuading on my part because my Mum couldn't seem to get her head around the concept of using a giant toothbrush on your face!). If you haven't got one, you should! Honestly, it is just incredible. I don't have particularly problem skin anyway but this has just made it even better. It feels so soft and smooth and looks the best it has ever done. In the past couple of weeks I've actually had a few comments on how good my skin is looking and I would definitely put that all down to the Clarisonic and it's ability to work wonders! I know it is a little on the pricey side but it is worth the investment and will last for years and years, so you will get your money's worth.

Miss Dior Cherie - absolutely loving this at the moment it is such a sophisticated scent in a gorgeous bottle.


Estee Lauder DayWear - have been wearing this almost everyday since the weather has been getting warmer and sunnier. I love it. I'm sure you will all have heard lots about it but it is worth the hype as it gives a gorgeous dewy, sunkissed glow.


Umberto Giannini Overnight Beauty Moisture Balm - yet another hair care product which I've been using to bring my hair back to tip top condition. I like it and it smells divine but I'm not completely convinced that it does that much for my hair. 


Blistex Lip Brilliance - really great product that I have re-purchased many times. Gives lips a lovely rosy tint with the slightest hint of shimmer whilst making them super soft and moisturised. It's only £2.49 and something I always opt for if I'm in a bit of a rush or feel like my lips need looking after. 

Do you use any of these products? What do you think of them? Let me know what your faves of the moment are! 

I am having a love affair with jewellery at the moment so have dedicated this Weekend Wish List to just that. I also am loving the jewellery on offer at Urban Outfitters at the moment and as I was putting together my fave pieces of the moment it was ending up as mostly pieces from there anyway, so I decided to dedicate it entirely to them! I want all of these things really rather a lot. Unfortunately it's not payday for me until NEXT. FRIDAY. so I'm afraid I will just have to be patient...Enjoy!

Hamsa Charm Necklace: £12

Metal Stone Ring: £14

Vivienne Westwood Rose Gold Valentines Necklace: £110 (gulp!)

Heart and Chain Bracelet: £8

Hanging Triangle Earrings: £8

My favourites from this little line up are the ring and the bracelet. I'm really into cute, simple bracelets at the moment and this one would be so easy to wear all the time. It does come in a couple of other colours as well so you could layer them or just wear one on its own. The Vivienne Westwood necklace is really gorgeous (if a bit on the expensive side at this time in my life!). The rose gold colour is bang on trend and would quirk up an outfit instantly. Love it!

Is there anything you are desperately lusting after at the moment? Let me know in the comments! Hope you're having a really fantastic weekend!

This look was inspired (well, just full-on copied really!) by MissGlamorazzi on YouTube (video here) and I think it turned out really quite well! The look overall is something a little bit different and was so easy to recreate. I used Nail Rock's Designer Nail Wraps for the leopard print nails. I got these free in a GlossyBox one month and this is the first time I've used them and I really like them, they were just so easy to use. I've tried the ones where you had to heat them with a hair dryer before but found those really annoying, but with these you literally just stick them on and you're ready to go! I used Nails Inc.'s 'Tate' for the red nails, which in my opinion is the perfect red colour - it's a really deep pillar-box red but with a bit of brightness to perk it up.

I alternated the leopard and red on each finger and did the opposite fingers on each hand, so thumb, middle and little fingers in leopard on one hand and just index and ring finger on the other - I'm really pleased with it!  Stay tuned for more nail posts in the near future, I just can't help myself at the moment!

Thanks for reading I hope you enjoyed and let me know in the comments if you like the look! Have a great day everyone!

A little late what with it not actually being the weekend any more but wanted to share with you some more pieces that I am having a serious love affair with at the moment. I haven't had a big clothes shopping spree in far too long and have the overwhelming need to buy something. But I just know that when it actually comes to being let loose around the shops there won't be anything that I want because that always seems to happen! Whenever I can't shop for one reason or another (mostly because I'm not looking after the pennies too well!) there seems to be a never-ending list of things I want to buy, but then when I allow myself to have an indulgent spending spree nothing seems to float my boat or what I have seen just doesn't look or feel right. Hopefully that will not be the case with this little collection of beauts that I've lined up for you...As it was St Patrick's Day on Saturday I've chosen mostly green things, which is good as green is in at the moment!

Mint Shirt: New Look

Snood: Topshop

Typewriter Necklace: Accessorize

Nail Varnish: 'Gargantuan Green Grape' O.P.I

Green Shorts: River Island

Patent Pumps: Lipsy @Asos

I absolutely love the nail colour, I've been looking for a green for ages so might just have to go ahead and buy that one. And that mint green shirt is gorgeous and so in right now! Hope you like my picks and let me know what you're loving at the moment. 

I hope you all had a really great weekend. I've got some exciting posts on their way, including some of my favourite beauty products of the moment. Have a great day and speak soon! 

Howdy folks!

I have just had my first attempt at ombre nails. At first I thought it was going horribly, horribly wrong and I was going to give up but after a little while, and about ten coats of nail varnish which won't be dry until next week, I think I have something that vaguely resembles this hot nail trend.

I used a white Sally Hansen varnish as the base and then another Sally Hansen varnish in 'Kook-A-Mango' (No 560) for the orange tips. I also used a glitter topcoat from Revlon in 'Belle' (mainly to disguise the slightly dodgy colour change). Ideally I would have used something like a foundation sponge to apply the orange, however, I didn't have any so used a cotton pad, which I surprisingly found left little fibres all over my nails! Never mind. A quick coat of the topcoat and it's barely visible! 

Without Glitter Topcoat

Not too bad for a first attempt but definitely room for improvement! If you have any hints or tips for perfecting the ombre I would love to know! Have a joyful day everyone! 

Real Techniques Stippling Brush

My make-up brush collection is unashamedly ever-growing. It's not huge by any means, but whenever I'm in the vicinity of them I seem to be incapable of just walking away. A good few months ago I bought one from the Real Techniques range by Samantha Chapman, one of the YouTube make-up artists I regularly watch, and I was really impressed by it. I bought the Stippling Brush to use with my foundation and found that not only was the quality of it exceptional, but it worked fantastically well.

So, when I heard the news that they were going to be selling them in selected Boots stores across the country I got a bit (too) excited. I never actually got round to checking whether or not the store nearest me was going to be stocking them, but one day happened to come across them and, naturally, had to buy them. Now they did actually have two sets to choose from; The 'Core Collection' and the 'Starter Set' (along with a selection of single brushes), and I was quite pleased with myself when I only walked away with one.

Real Techniques Core Collection

Sigma Large Contour Brush

Real Techniques Contour Brush

I went for the Core Collection, a selection of brushes mainly for base make-up, including the Buffing Brush, Detailer Brush, Pointed Foundation Brush and the Contour Brush. And I LOVE THEM. I've started using the Buffing Brush to apply my foundation and, whilst I do still love the Stippling Brush for this, I find that using the two for different types of foundation works wonders.


My favourite brush from the Core Collection is the Contour Brush which I use for applying blusher or a contouring powder. I do still mainly use my Stila Large Contour Brush for, surprise surprise, contouring, but find the Contour Brush (how many times am I going to say contour in this sentence) perfect for blusher. Because it's quite small it means you don't end up with massively rosy cheeks and are able to precisely apply the colour where you want it.


I will definitely be investing in some more from the range and will most probably go for the other set when I'm next in Boots. At £21.99 for four great quality brushes, I would highly recommend them, especially when make-up brushes can be a great deal more expensive from other brands. Take a look at the selection they have on the Boots website and let me know if you have any of these brushes and what you think of them.


Also, go over to the pixiwoo website for a list of all stockists of Real Techniques brushes. 


Hope you're having a lovely day!

Image from google.com

 I love watching YouTube videos on make-up and beauty and find you can get a lot of tips and tricks about how to recreate some beautiful looks. One of my favourites to watch is Tanya Burr (visit her blog - www.tanyaburr.co.uk), or pixi2woo, and a recent video she has done is on the Tom Ford Violet Blonde campaign (watch the video here). 

I don't normally attempt the looks that any of these YouTube gurus do but I was heading out that night and had just watched the tutorial for this look so thought I'd give it a go. The look was inspired by the Tom Ford 'Violet Blonde' advert featuring Lara Stone, and had a focus on deep, vampy lips and a sheeny, wet-look eye. I adore the look as a whole, and especially love the eye make-up because the sheen added on top of the eye-shadow allows it to crease and look worn-in in a gorgeously sexy way. Not saying that I look at all like that haha, but I was relatively pleased with the results and, having not used a single product the same as Tanya did in her video, I think the effect was remarkably similar. The lip colour is more true to life in the top left hand picture than it is in the bottom right. It was definitely a deep berry colour, not like the more pinky tone that the right hand picture is showing.

The lip products I used were; first the colour 'Cranberry Cream' from a Clinique Butter Shine Lipstick Palette, followed by a Pixi 'Lip Booster' in the colour 'Sindri' (No. 8), to give it a bit more depth and a deeper purple colour. 

You can get an impression of the sheen on the eyelid from the picture at the bottom, I just used a clear lipgloss to do this but did remove a bit of it before going out because I think if I hadn't my eye make-up would have been non-existent by the end of the night. I used the colours 'Sidecar' and 'Hustle' from the Urban Decay Naked Palette (I'm sure you've heard all about it!) and a BM Beauty pigment in 'Her Majesty' to achieve the pinky tone (which isn't really visible in the pictures). 

Apologies for looking a bit strange in the photos, it was dark and the lighting was not good, but I really wanted to get a picture of the look before going out. Hope you enjoyed this post and talk soon. Have a fabulous evening! 

The reason books three, four and five have been compiled into one review is because they are all part of the same trilogy, so thought it might be wise to review them together. The books are The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins and have pretty much consumed all my time over the past week and a bit. 

I don't know if I mentioned before, but I am one of those people that cannot put a good book down. If I start to get into it it pretty much takes over my life until it's finished, and what with this being a trilogy, it's been pretty hard to do anything else recently. I know there has been a lot of hype about these books and sometimes that can be a bit off-putting, but after seeing the trailer for the up-coming film (out on 23rd March - super excited!) I thought I would give them a read beforehand. And I was not disappointed. 

The story is set in a post-apocalyptic world (stay with me here...) called Panem and is ruled by the Capitol who, every year, host The Hunger Games - an event where 24 'tributes' have to fight to the death, literally, to become Victor. The books follow the volunteer tribute Katniss Everdeen who throws herself into the games to save her young sister from having to do so. 

There is love, loss, fighting, anger, sorrow, hope and so much more and, in a strange way, kind of helped me understand more about what is actually going on in the world today and shows how revolutions and wars and destruction can so easily come about. I found all three of the books really engaging and enjoyable to read and, whilst I think the first one is probably my favourite, none of them seemed to drag on or have that "This didn't need to be a trilogy" feeling. If you know what I mean.

I can't wait to see the film now because from the trailer it looks like they've done a really good job with casting and I'm intrigued to see how they recreate the world of Panem. Take a look at the trailer below.

Hope you're having a brill day and let me know what you thought about the books if you've read them! 

OH MY GOD! I didn’t actually think I would finish it (it being Before I Go To Sleep just in case you missed my post about it) so soon but when I got towards the end I just couldn’t put it down and HAD to know where the story was going. And let me say, you won’t be disappointed. Unless I was being hideously blind and had lost my ability to think then I don’t think it would be an understatement to say I was completely shocked and that it was really a very good twist. I always like to think I’m reasonably good at guessing what’s going to happen, but I think because I had so very many ideas as to what might happen in this, I may have got distracted and not been able to focus on any other thoughts. 


But anyway that really doesn't matter. All that matters is how much I enjoyed reading this. It took me a few chapters to really get into it, as mentioned previously, but it was well worth persevering and was a very interesting concept to read about. I mean it is awful to imagine losing your memory every single day and having to rely on the people around you to tell you the truth and piece it back together. 


I would highly recommend this book for anyone that likes a bit of a thriller and a mystery. It will keep you guessing right up until the end and when you finally do realise the truth, it its written and described in a truly spine-tingling manner. It really makes you cherish the memories you have because really, they are all we are; a collection of memories adding up to a full life. 


I have started reading Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman, but got distracted and then started The Hunger Games trilogy (by Suzanne Collins) and haven't been able to put it down since, so the next review will be on those. 


Hope you enjoyed reading and hope you're having a fantastic day. 

I wanted to share with you one of my absolute favourite products at the moment. It is the Clarins Daily Energizer Cream-Gel and is the best moisturiser I have ever used! I love it. I keep it by my bedside table (as in the picture below) because I normally forget to put it on before I get into bed and am generally far too lazy to get up again to use it. 

I really, really like the Daily Energizer range from Clarins. It's aimed at the 18 to late 20's age group and has worked wonders for my skin. I use it with the Daily Energizer Gel Cleanser, something which I was a bit cautious about trying because I love a creamy, luxurious cleanser and thought a gel might not give me the consistency I wanted. However, I'm glad I gave it a try because it is amazing. 

Image from google.com

The whole range smells incredible and lives up to the title of being energising and for those of you who are also wary of using a gel cleanser or moisturiser, I would urge you to give it a go. I have combination-oily skin and whilst I have never had any major problems with breakouts or blemishes, when I do get a spot it helps to clear up the skin really effectively. 


Let me know if you've tried anything from this range and what you thought! Hope you're having a happy day!