What a wonderful weekend

I have just had a lovely, lovely weekend :p
Saturday was spent doing some work in the garden in the morning. We managed to smash up the very badly done brick patio bit at the back of the garden and take all the rubble to the tip. The tip was blessedly empty of grumpy people and we managed to get in and out in two shakes of a lambs tail. We had lovely lunch sat out in the sunshine and then went for a quick trip around Headington in order to postpone the trip to Tesco's as it was reported as being very busy by the neighbours. We must have left it just long enough as by the time we got there the crowds had thinned out nicely. In fact everything set itself up so that we had an easy, relaxed and productive day in the sunshine. It really was too nice- the kittens thought it was the best thing ever as there were tons of bees to chase and we were at home to make a fuss of them whenever they wanted.
Sunday was an excitement as I was off to London for a free make-over and photo shoot. I won a competition on-line(!) which was quite bizarre as I don't win things and I only entered it in order to get entries to another prize draw. I didn't really give a thought to what would happen if I won the make-over day! So I was more than a little surprised to find that I had won it but figured that it was free so what the hey, might as well just go for it. I booked it as close to my birthday as I could get so that I'd get to see some friends (am not organising a party- experience has taught me that it's not worth bothering with- I really am unlucky normally so I have no idea what has prompted the recent lucky streak that I'm going through but I'm not going to count on it in any way!) and after some minor skirmishes over who could and couldn't come I managed to round up a group of ladies for the event.
We had our make-up done first though there was less of the consultation bit than I would have liked. Not that my make-up wasn't fabulous but it would have been nice to receive a bit of advice on what colours would suit my skin tone etc. But then I don't really think that the company was set up for that as the emphasis was more on the photo shoot bit than the pampering beforehand. I got great purple eyeshadow which I was very pleased with though the concealer and powder they used on my skin was so thick that it blotted out my freckles. I was particularly chuffed with my hair however as they put it into big loopy curls that I got to bounce around for the rest of the afternoon and I still have them now. I paid very close attention when it was being done in the hopes that I will be able to replicate it at home as it only needs some straighteners (I find it weird that they would use straighteners to make curls- anyone else with me on this???) and touch of hairspray to finish.
We then had our pictures taken about twenty million times. It was quite good fun once we'd kinda gotten into the grove though the poses felt really unnatural to me and so I didn't look all that comfortable in most of them. We were given the opportunity to purchase them at the end but they were quite expensive (as suspected) but I treated myself- well, the husband really, to one as I was really pleased with it. It's the best picture I've seen of myself in ages (since I got married in fact) and it's nice to have at least one for posterity. I gifted it to the husband as an early wedding anniversary present. If I'm feeling brave then I will put it up on my blog at a later date. The other girls had some lovely photos as well and two of them also bought pictures of themselves that where absolutely cracking. If I had lots of money then I'd have been tempted to get some group shots done- or go back with other friends or family for some fun pictures but seeing as how my money tree has failed to take root I guess I'll just have to keep using my own inexpert hand. I had been really worried and anxious (it's not really me after all) about the whole thing beforehand but I'm really glad that I went. It's not an experience I'd have bothered organising otherwise because of the cost but it was nice to do it just once.