Inside Melly's Mind

Are you as obsessed with berry lips as I am, right now? I can't get enough of them. This is a great day to night look. I'd go for the eyes during the day and then take it up a notch with the lipstick for an evening out.

This is about a charitable initiative that I am so excited to be a part of and is a cause close to many of our hearts, I am sure. See what ' For Homeless People' is all about and how you can help...

Aside from having a horrible cold, I have had a lovely week and on Tuesday, I got to play in front of the camera. See what I got up to... Photo by  Pèétürh Jackson He invited me to be the subject of a photography workshop, at a new collective space called Mental Images . It's set inside Newhampton Arts Centre and houses a fab photography studio service, for commercial and personal use. Everyone from brands to families who want portraits have been using the space and they're very reasonable on price to hire, as well. I've met some of the team and they're great. The whole space is very well-equipped and I'll be using it for a project of mine in the future. It's set in a Victorian school building, so you can even make use of the original features. There's a dressing room there too, so I had somewhere with great lighting and mirrors to do my hair and makeup. I think that there were a lot more photos that I'd have liked but I don't own them. If I g

So, it's been an unusual few days for me. I've been away for a couple of days...for work!

Another post about one of my favourite items and today, it's the turn of my black skater dress .

I just love a blogger event. I think this is my fourth of the year and it's been great getting to know new faces...

I was fortunate enough to be invited to the Pinterest UK training, run by the fabulous Elizabeth ( Rosalilium ). Followed by cocktails and nibbles... The training itself took place at Work + Play at Malmaison. We had half an hour or so to mingle and grab coffee, then sat down for the talk.  I think it was over an hour long but I was so engrossed in what Elizabeth was saying, the time flew by. Did you know that... - Pinterest is not a social media platform but a catalogue of ideas? - 75% of all content is generated by businesses and blogs? - no other platform has a more receptive audience than Pinterest? - hashtags don't work on Pinterest? I've come away from the training with a whole list of things to do, to improve myself as a pinner. I'm very excited, especially as I've been hearing about how other bloggers have used Pinterest as an element of their blog strategy and how that's worked for them. Goodies! Thank you, Pinterest UK. I also

Hey there! It has been a ridiculously long time since I posted an outfit, so here's a look that I wore recently. This year, I want to make an effort to share more of what I wear because sometimes, I look alright, you know? Part of the reason that I don't share my outfits is because I'm not a big time fashion blogger. Well, that's not going to stop me. Prepare to delve inside my wardrobe a little more. One item that I can't get enough of this summer is an  off-shoulder top . I've never been a fan of the colour orange on me but I love this burnt shade. I styled this one in particular with a pair of supersoft  black skinny jeans . The boots I'm wearing are a recent favourite. I love this tobacco colour. Can you believe they were only £5? Thank you, Primark.  This stunning  tan tote bag  was a gift from my gorgeous friend Kim, for helping to organise her baby shower. I love it so much! I am obsessed with large bags. I especiall

I had a great time on Saturday, mingling with some other bloggers and getting inspired. I've been making a conscious effort in 2016 to go to more blogger events and be more involved in the blogosphere in general. I feel like I could do better but it's going well, so far. When I saw that the Big Bloggers Meet Up was happening, I made a mental note to go along to it. June came round so quickly that I almost forgot. Anyway, a mere £5.50 later, I was booked in and ready to get the train the next day. We arrived Stirlings Bar, in St Paul's Square just about on time. I invited my cousin Naomi along, as she's about to launch into the blogosphere too. I figured it would be good for her to network and she loved it. The first talk was from super lovely Jem, founder of Iced Jems . She talked about how her brand grew and what she did to get to where she is now. She owns a lovely baking shop in Stourbridge, not too far from me, so I'll be popping in some time. I

This is the second in my Blog Every Day in May challenge. Today, I'm musing on encouragement. Last week, I felt totally rubbish. Have you ever felt a little bit naff but can't quite put your finger on why? Well, that was me, for about a week or so. It was awful. I think that those moments happen to all of us and no matter how long it lasts, you are allowed to feel your feelings. Try not to wallow for too long. One thing that I try to make a habit of doing is encouraging people. Whether you'll admit it or not, everyone likes to be encouraged. Sometimes it comes in the form of praise for something you've done; "great job." Other times, it will come in the form of a gentle nudge; "you can do it. Keep going." Either way, you can't deny that it feels really good. You know what? Making someone feel good can actually make your day too. Over the past few days, I've gone out of my way to encourage a couple of blogger friends. That's n

It's been a while since I did a 'facts about me' sort of post, so I thought this would be a good idea for a little catch up.  1. I was born on Groundhog Day - which means absolutely nothing in England but it is the name of a pretty popular film. I for one would love to wake up in the same day over and over, because I'd always wake up to cards and presents.  2. I love many many genres of music but most people won't know that I love country music. My grandparents used to play it and I think that's where it started.  3. The last concert I went to was Duran Duran (with Seal as their special guest and The Bloom Twins as their support act) at the O2 Arena, last December.  From my shoot with Yasmin Qureshi 4. I wanted to be a teacher, up until the age of about 18, when I realised that I didn't enjoy teaching very much. I used to make lesson plans and teach my teddies.  5. My first ever job was in Clintons.  6. I like candles but rarely bu