The Foamy Gnome is on the roam!
Here it is the second Rowntrees RANDOM video below, following the adventures of a ‘foamy gnome’, Random’s special pink sweet. As is the case with Random’s, most of the time you have no idea what is going on, which is half the appeal. Also, if anyone is following the Facebook group you may find this even more confusing than the video’s: ‘Hi ice creams! I am a teapot flower feeling monkey bike! I like Randoms, they are very squidgy chess piece. Bye post boxes!’….um, ok?
So the story starts with the Foamy Gnome who has left his flatmates, Jedward, behind and is off on a random adventure in his giant hot air balloon. Where will he go? What will he do? And will you get anything for free? Interested parties can follow the gnome on Facebook, Flickr and Twitter to find out! www.rowntrees-randoms.co.uk
In the second video The Foamy Gnome continues his random adventure. Included is a massive people washing machine. See how much Jedward are missing him. Follow the Foamy Gnome’s antics on Facebook, Twitter and Flickr! www.rowntrees-randoms.co.uk
Want to get involved? Want to know where Random’s little foamy friend roams? Visit the site, or the Facebook group. But we need your seahorse help keeping track of him! If you spot him take a picture and upload it onto our Facebook Fanpage for a chance to be added onto our Foamy Gnome Adventure map!
Beware The Fakes
One has been plagued with the dangers of counterfeit material and products all of our lives. There are some memorable classics in counterfeit stuff that are almost laughable. For as long as a product has been successful there has been someone somewhere who thought to themselves that they could make something that looked almost the same, cost a fraction of the price and break within 5 minutes of use. Of course the flooding o the market with cheap gadgets and everyday objects from China and Taiwan and such countries has not helped getting rid of this problem. Before online purchases became famous the counterfeit material marketers set their sights on stuff sold on the home shopping channel and the likes of that. I remember that mere days after a new hair product or a kitchen robot machine of sorts got announced on the TV Shopping Channel a similarly named and shaped item would pop up in the less reliable stores.
But nowadays, with so much money changing hands online, the problem with fake products has grown exponentially. And so have the dangers related with the purchase of said products. Let’s take a popular product like ghd straighteners. Being sold online as well as in stores makes it a prime target for scammers. And a bad counterfeit product harms the original brand as much as it harms the person using it, be it physically or just in their wallet.
The fight against these people needs to be fought by the authorities, naturally, but also by the companies themselves and by you, the consumer. The company should provide ways to verify if their products are the real deal or not. Plus, if you buy online from a dodgy website there are more dangers than just buying a bad product, your credit card and your privacy might be at risk also.
Keeping with the example of ghd, the company has taken steps to help in the fight against counterfeit products. If you go to the website website-checker.ghdhair.com you’ll get a lot of good advice on how to protect yourself against products like this. Not just that, they also have a list of dangerous websites and a simple and easy to use checker where you can insert the website where you’re planning to buy the product and they’ll tell you if it’s official or not.
But remember there are also steps you can take. Just remember: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Read MoreHow to shop vintage
You are probably already aware of how ethical and fun shopping for vintage clothing is. However, it is difficult to know how to style a vintage outfit if you have only ever shopped on the high street before.
First go online to look for the best online and offline shops in your town, you can also search for charity shops in your area. London is the best place to tgo to for a wide variety of vintage boutiques. Before going shopping, know what decades interests you the most. In order to not feel too overwhelmed in the shops, keep in mind what sort of garment you want.
Styling is very important when it comes to vintage. Remember your look has to remain modern, not dated. Style vintage with pieces that you have bought recently. To ease yourself in, it could be a good idea to start with vintage accesories such as hats, bags and shoes, and move your way up slowly. Get inspired by all the different color, fabrics and textures on display, all the while looking out for rips, stains and missing buttons. Try before you buy whenever possible, as sizing can differ greatly.
Once you are used to shopping for vintage, you can have endless fun creating imaginative outfits, and you will find out it is much easier building an individual style when your pieces are unique and thrifted by you. In magazines you will notice that more and more celebrities are going for vintage on the red carpet in order to make a lasting impression. On the streets of London and Manchester you will find all the trendy girls wear a bit of vintage.
Another very valid reason to go for vintage is the fact it is ethical. You are basically recycling clothes, and in this world where sustainable production is becoming more and more of an issue, vintage clothing is a stylish way to be green.
If you really want to make an impression in your vintage items, feel free to clash color and fabrics, as well as decades. You do not have to follow any rules with vintage clothing, since you can really be in control of your own fashion sense. You do not have to be frustrated by the endlessly similar trends in supermarkets and high street chains in big cities like London and their disappointing quality standards. If you make the effort to look online for the best addresses in your town, you can be the most stylish girl in town. Pick the ones that change their stock regularly and have a wide range of choice, with eras from the 20s to the 90s, and who really look after their garments.
A straightener for all
When it comes the time to take command of your hair, there are a lot of products in the market that you can use. Unfortunately, not all of them are top quality. You’ll recognize a top quality product not just by the quality of the material or by how well it does the job, but also by how fast it does it, how easy it is to use and how long it lasts in your hands.
GHD hair straighteners get full marks in all of those categories. And they don’t stop there. Realizing that not everyone has the same needs, ghd came up with different kinds of hair straightener options that fit into every hand and can handle any sort of hair. This is indeed a phenomenal breakthrough, as usually hair straighteners were divided into two categories: cheap quality ones that were designed for home use, and the over-complicated and sometimes very bulky professional ones that you could find in a salon but were very hard to buy, and very expensive.
But all of those concerns are a thing of the past. If you take the ghd hair straightener option, you’ll never go back to any other brand, and you’ll want to give them to your friends.
Read MoreThe Trendy Clothing Store
If you love great fashion clothing and distinctive styles, you should look at the types of apparel available at Ben Sherman. You will find all the hottest fashion looks for women and men at this store. They carry trendy casual pants as well as traditional denim styles. They also have several designer dresses to select from. If you’re looking for some great quality outerwear, they have that too. The men’s collection features long and short sleeved shirts, polo style shirts and their exclusive Beatles collection. These are shirts and tees designed with the fab four imprinted on the fabric. The store also offers a wide selection of hoodies and pullovers to compliment any casual outfit you have.
They also carry footwear for men in casual and formal styles. If you like personalizing your look by wearing unique accessory items, you will find those available as well. The store offers many hats, belts, gloves and scarves. You may also choose a designer pair of suspenders or sunglasses. To complete the style that will be originally you, they have several types of fragrances. You can choose from the Live Forever spray or the 2Tone scent. The store offers many apparel items at sale prices with Ben Sherman discount vouchers as well, so you don’t need to spend a fortune on clothes, you’ll just look like you did.
Read MoreMeeting Someone Special
One is the loneliest number and most people want someone special in their lives. At adolescence we begin to realize there’s more to life than slingshots, frogs, dolls and easy bake ovens. In almost everyones future lies marriage, children to raise and grandchildren to play with. These ingrained and human eventualities begin by dating.
Boy meets girl, boy likes girl, boy wants girl and boy dates girl. First dates can be make it or break it propositions and must be a thing of thoughtful creation. The old stand by has been dinner and a movie but here’s where creativity comes in and bonding begins.
Dinner is still a good choice but for the standoffish, a conversation over a cup of coffee can be very telling and if it goes well can lead to step two.
Outdoor dates can be some of the most enjoyable and Mother Nature can smooth out the awkward times.
Hiking, fishing, picnics and even a quiet walk in the park can be comfortable and bonding experiences. For more lively and socially oriented couples, cocktails and dancing can get thing off on the right foot as long as you don’t, continually step on hers.
Whether it’s dining and dancing, hiking, a picnic or a quiet walk in the park, the future of soulmates always begins with dating.
Internet Shopping
If you’re anything like me, than it’s very hard for you to trust online stores. I don’t know if it’s all the urban myths about credit card and identity theft, the scams that we see online, or just the immaterial fear of not being able to hold whatever you’re going to buy in your hands and being able to turn it around and look at it entirely before you buy it, but I find it extremely hard. But every once in a while one has to go with the flow of times and, truth be said, you can find amazing things online, if you know where to look. There are absolute goldmines out there on the web, giving you top quality articles for very little actual gold in return. I find that if there’s one thing that’ll make me trust an online shopping site entirely is its customer support. I never actually buy anything without first sending them a barrage of emails asking anything from known problems people have with different sizes, be it shoes or clothes, to delivery times, paying options, etc.
But slowly but surely, online shopping became part of my life, and now I’m becoming the prophet of the e-buy that I before hated so much. I’m the one telling my friends that it saves you so much time to do stuff you actually need, that it’s cheaper and more convenient and that, above all, it’s fun. And you can do it at work (wink).
My searches the other day led me to a brilliant site. I was looking for footwear, most exactly boots, and we all know how a good pair of ladies boots is hard to find, even in a specialty store. I’m also very picky about styles, so I like to have the convenience of not having to browse through tons of pictures of wedge boots when I’m looking for flats, just because the website was too lazy to implement a search that went beyond “shoe size, availability, price”. And that’s why I went over the roof when I found www.modainpelle.com . Not only do they have one of the finest selections on the web, they also have a smart – and I mean really, intelligent, smart – search engine that’ll provide all you need with just a few clicks. And remember how I measured the quality of websites by their support? Well, this one got back to me in record time and answered all I asked for with unseen candor, detail and helpfulness.
I was taken before even noticing their prices…which could probably have done it on their own.
Read MoreDress For The Occasion
Regardless of which specific occasion it is, you should always dress the part. Whether it is a work party, an evening out, an important interview, or a romantic date, you should always look your best. This is a concept that is hard to grasp for most men, they don’t understand why their jeans aren’t proper attire for every single occasion. And where jeans can be one of the most versatile aspects of your wardrobe, it isn’t the only article of clothing that can go a long way. Believe it or not a good blazer can be just as useful as jeans.
As far as mens jackets go, there is nothing more coveted (and respected) than a well fitted blazer. This can go over a tshirt for a night out with the guys, or over a button down for a hot date. It is great with jeans, and more formal pants for just about any setting. It can be dressed down, or dressed up depending on the elements you pair it with. Put it over a graphic tee and some dark wash jeans for a “I care, but not too much” look. You’ll be casual enough for the bar scene, but just clean enough to pick up a chick, she will admire the well tailored detail, as it says a lot about you. The key point with a blazer is to be sure it fits you properly. You can always get your favorite one professionally tailored if the store doesn’t offer it in your size.
Another must have for mens clothes and accessories is a good belt. Doesn’t sound like much, but it can add a little flare to a simple outfit. If you don’t want to appear too fancy, you can wear it with a tee and some jeans. A great belt buckle is also a nice way to add some personality, pick up one that says something about you, just not one that reads “everything’s bigger in Texas”, this isn’t charming, although you might think it’s funny. When you wear it with a button down or simple tee, tuck in the shirt just behind the belt buckle. This is a nice alternative to tucking your shirt in (should only be done with a suit!) and gives a casual tone to your outfit. When worn with jeans, belts don’t have to match in any particular way, suits should always match the color of the pants.
Read MoreCostumes Year Around
Whether you are getting ready for a themed birthday party, or a costume college party, it is difficult to find adult costumes year around. Come Halloween, you end up drowning in more and more options every year. But in the middle of March, where do you find a good costume?
Themed parties are all the rage, and that trend doesn’t look like it’s stopping. From eighties parties, to Toga parties, there is often an occasion all year around to wear a costume. This doesn’t just stop with College or University life either, birthday parties are more frequently becoming themed. Whether it is after a movie, or a book, or even a TV show, everyone is finding a reason to dress up.
Creating our own costume is usually never an option. Either we don’t posses the skills to sew our costume, or are not keen on the idea of asking our mom to make us a pimp outfit. Some party themes may allow us to dwell on our own wardrobe with the use of some overboard tactics (lets just hope we all don’t have white suit jackets with shoulder pads) but often we need a store to cater to our needs.
Read MoreDiscover FitFlops
Workout shoes are an important part of your exercise gear. They are often the one aspect of your workout attire that you will really put money and thought into. This is understandable, considering they make the difference between a great workout, and one cut short by discomfort. If you are in desperate need of new workout shoes, or just want to look and feel great while you exercise, then you need your own pair of FitFlops. Here are some reasons why they go above and beyond traditional shoe, and how they can help you.
1) Increase your workout results. By just a simple change of your shoe, you can do more with the same amount of time your normal workout routine lasts. These shoes help tone your thighs, calves, and bum, which is something your current pair of trainers can’t do!
2) Let your feet breathe. Often shoes used for sports or exercise are very closed, laced up, and refuse to let your feet breathe. Sweaty, uncomfortable, bound feet are a quick way to end your workout. These are design to be open, to breathe, and support your feet all at once.
3) Look great! No longer sacrifice style for comfort. Get the best of both worlds!
Read More