Who says wheelchairs can't look good!

A while ago I mentioned that I had a new wheelchair which I was making some decorative adjustments to! That seems like ages ago now & I have been meaning to post some pictures of how it looks so here goes...

I decided not to go too over the top with colour, much to my own surprise... I actually love it & for the first time since having to use a wheelchair I don't feel embarrassed as I am no longer using a battered-rusty-falling apart-old thing!! So here is my lovely new companion, that is yet to have a name (!)

I used zebra print Duck Tape for the black & white.  Their UK website is here but you can buy on Ebay or Amazon & also Asda stock it.  I bought some silver crystals on Ebay which are described as for laptops but can be used to decorate anything.  They were really easy to use & can be cut to size then just stuck on.  I can't say it was a totally stress free job as I had to change my mind about the pattern I wanted originally on the sides as I couldn't get them to sit flush but I prefer it how it is now!

I have had lots of compliments from people when I've been out in it. I mean, who doesn't like a bit of bling!  When we went to Blackpool Zoo recently one of the people working there told me I had the perfect design for being there & I even had a sneaky picture taken with the zebras!!

My friend Hayley (who blogs here & since I starting writing this has been featured in 4 National newspapers raising awareness of M.E!!) did a visual campaign for M.E Awareness Week here & inspired me to have a few pictures done showing how you can still (yes, really!) look good in a wheelchair.  I am planning something else but for now here are a few snaps of me when I first decorated it.  I wish I could say I actually wear the heels however I don't!!! They live on a shelf in my bedroom for purely eye candy purposes. Crazy? Maybe. But I love them & had to have them, even if just for show!

Disability doesn't mean you should be invisible. And it certainly doesn't mean you can't look good.

Thanks for reading.

ME Mummy A
xx

A few of my favourite things

This week hasn't been the best for a few reasons but I am trying to focus on positive stuff.  I also think that when you're living with chronic illness it is really important to have happy things to keep you going.  So, I thought I would share a few of my favourite things.. things that make me smile. Other than my daughter as that's a given!

Top of the list I think has to be sparkle! Everyone who knows me knows how much of a magpie I am.. I am just drawn to glitter & anything sparkly. If I could I would live in a glittery wonderland where everything just sparkled & I would be permanently smiling! However as that is only ever likely to happen in a fairytale, the best I can do is adorn my hair, body & anything else I own with as much of it as possible. It appears I have passed my love for sparkle on to my daughter too. Hurrah!

Another favourite thing of mine is nail polish.  I have loads of it & a special storage unit for it all! Well, the stuff I can fit in it anyhow. I used to bite my nails when I was younger so seem to have gone OTT with it now I have decent nails. Obviously my favourite kind of polish is glittery!!

I also love bows. Anything & everything bow shaped I just have a thing for. So imagine my joy when I discovered Crown & Glory, who make the most amazing glittery hair bows. I have rather an impressive collection going on now despite only finding out about them a few months ago!!

Vintage stuff makes me smile. I love things like china teacups.. they are just so pretty. My mum-in-law got me one last Christmas & I adore it.  It would be amazing to have a separate room to turn into a den full of vintage loveliness! I love looking at all the different stuff on Instagram.

As well as vintage I also love kitsch stuff. I've always liked things that are rather quirky. There is some amazing jewellery out there & I love anything that's a bit different. I probably spend far too long sometimes looking through pages of it on Instagram. Can you see a pattern forming?!!

I can't do a post about some of my favourite things & not mention the one & only Keith Lemon! He cracks me up & just in case anyone missed it here is a picture of me when I met him the other week!!! Blog post about it here :-)

Make up, bags & shoes are an obvious thing to like but it's true that a lady can never have enough of any of it!! Yes we really do need that shiny new lipstick even though we have hundreds already... and those shoes. No of course they don't look anything like that other pair I have but hardly ever wear ;-)

I can't finish this post without mentioning my friends. They are just awesome & I am so grateful for them. Any of you who don't know how much I value your friendship then I am telling you now. ☆♡☆♡☆
Laughter, craziness, tears.. whatever it is, they are there & we get each other through. I think having good friends is even more important than having lots of shoes ;-)

What are your favourite things? If you say glitter then have a big high five from me!

ME Mummy A
xx

Looks can be deceiving!

This is a very quick post as I am really struggling as a result of doing too much the last few days (by my standards anyway).

I am lying in bed thinking how people wouldn't believe I was the same person they saw earlier today.  They'd have thought that despite me being in the wheelchair, that I was well. To look at I probably looked fine. It's amazing what a bit of make up & a some sparkle in your hair can do to cover up a load of poorlines!
With M.E, as I've talked about before, it's an invisible illness so it isn't always obvious the sufferer is suffering!

This afternoon it was my daughter's dance show at the Northern Ballet theatre which has made me a very proud mummy (& auntie as my niece was in it too). It was brilliant & I'm so glad I went. I didn't think I would be able to last night as felt so bad.  I think I forced myself to go really as I had a bit of a wobble last night & got really upset about missing out on lots of other stuff.

The way I feel now after almost 4 hours of being home, I am thinking about how wiped out I (we) get from doing something that most people would see as normal.  I have had ringing in my ears for hours, I feel so poorly I can barely move. I have had to just lay really still. Everywhere hurts. And the next few days will likely be even worse.

I have done a before & after picture. My face now is grey, I have dark bags under my eyes & if a picture could talk it would be saying Bleugh!  Looks really can be deceiving...

The Autumn Tag

When my beautiful friend Meg at Meg Says tagged me in her Autumn Tag post I thought "Oooh I like the sound of this" so here I am.

I have to say I love Summer. It makes me feel so much better when I see the sun shining & I love being able to chill with it on my face so I usually dread the change of seasons.  However I do rather like Autumn & so here are the questions with my answers :-)

1. Favourite Starbucks drink

Shoot me down if you wish (!) but I am not a regular visitor to Starbucks! I can't drink coffee unless it's decaffeinated due to tummy problems & IBS, but on the odd occasion I do go in a Starbucks I tend to have a.. shock horror.. herbal tea!! I am seeing lots of pictures online at the moment though of people's festive Starbucks cups so may have to go in just to get one!

2. Favourite music to listen to

I love music & I like a huge mix. I don't have a particular favourite style, it all depends what mood I am in as to what I listen to.  I have just been listening (& singing along) to Bruno Mars. But also on my playlist at the moment is Calvin Harris, Michael Buble, Christina Aguilera, John Legend, Alicia Keyes, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran & Kings of Leon to name a few. A proper mixed bag!

3. Autumn scent

I have just noticed while writing this that I am running short on perfumes!  My all time favourite is Dolce Vita by Christian Dior which is quite a musky scent, but I haven't had any for ages. Hint hint ;-) I like quite sweet smelling ones & wear them all year round despite them probably being more suited to Summer. I love Vera Wang Princess which I ration use of as I don't want it to run out! Next do some nice everyday perfumes & I have a few at the moment.  I don't have a particular scent for different seasons, as long as I like it I wear it.

4. Favourite Autumn lip product

I never used to wear lipstick as I didn't think it suited me & I used to stick to gloss. But a few years back I turned into a lippy lover! I have loads & in Autumn I like wearing red or plum shades.  I recently won a Twitter competition with Bourjois & one of the prizes was a lipstick which has become my new favorite.  It is from the Rouge Edition range & the shade is number 18 Violine Strass.

5. What do you love most about Autumn?

I really like wearing chunky jumpers & cosy onesies! I also love seeing all the different coloured leaves, they are so pretty & watching my daughter jump in them when they are on the ground is lovely.

6. Go to Autumn accessories

I have a bit of a thing for scarves. I have a special hanger in my wardrobe just for them as I have so many! Plus all the ones that aren't in my wardobe.. I think they are so versatile & not only good for keeping warm but they dress up outfits so easily. This is a just a selection of some of mine..

I think Autumn also screams ankle boots, funky tights, earmuffs & long coats. I have a new one which I haven't worn yet in blue check & it is very Autumnal.  I also have a new found love for hair accessories. Crown & Glory is amazing & make the most beautiful stuff. This flower crown epitomises Autumn for me. It is called the Whole Lotta Rosie & I teamed it with my new lipstick as mentioned above.

7. Favourite Halloween movie

Not seen it for a long time but has to be The Rocky Horror Show!

8. Favourite Autumn nail polish

I also have a bit of a thing for nail polish. I have a whole storage unit dedicated just to them! Summer is all about the brights & Autumn is for the darks. I love a classic red mani but I have a favourite at the moment which is another Bourjois product. It is black & has loads of glitter in it. I also have a (big) thing for glitter!  It is so sparkly & it stays on really well. Usually by day 2 I am messing with my nails & have to start again but this one has proven me wrong. It is called 1 Seconde Gel Silicone Texture & is in shade 31 Dangerous Wish.

9. What are you most looking forward to this Autumn?

Having chronic illness makes it difficult to go out & do all the things I wish I could do, like walks in the park kicking crunchy leaves. Going over them in a wheelchair doesn't quite have the same effect! But I am looking forward to snuggling under my amazing heated throw, drinking hot chocolate with marshmallows & doing Autumn crafty things with my little girl. I love burning scented candles when it's dark out, there's something really cosy about having a candle burning. And more than likely I will be eating nice chocolates that are meant for Christmas but that I couldn't resist buying!

Thank you for reading, hope you've enjoyed it. I am tagging my lovely friends Aly at Perfect is a Myth, Hayley at Life, Love And M.E & Emma at Emma's Looking Glass but feel free to write about your favourite Autumn things in the comments & let me know, I'd love to hear :-)

ME Mummy A

xx