Wednesday Wish list #1

As any blogger will tell you, there are always new things to lust after, so here is my round up of this week's drool-inducing picks!

Cath Kidston Bloomsbury Bouquet Skirt: I think this is the ultimate 'it's nearly spring skirt' and just the thought of wearing it puts a skip in my step. I think this would be perfect with a simple navy tee and some tan wedges.

Essie Topless and Barefoot: Many a blogger has lusted over this beautiful neutral shade and the day I get my hands on it is the day I promise to go topless and barefoot.

Warehouse Asymmetric Reefer Coat: I tried this on in store just before Christmas and ever since then I have been obsessively checking to see whether it has gone down in price. While I love the fit of this coat I just think the material is too thin to warrant the £95 price tag. If the Warehouse gods are listening, reduce the price a little and I will be first at the checkout.

Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer in Nova: These are up the top of my makeup wish list right now. Supposedly a dupe for the YSL Glossy Stains and at less than a quarter of the price, a cheeky purchase is clearly inevitable.

What are you lusting over this week? Which of these would you most like? Let me know by commenting below or tweet me @MaddieChilds1.

Maddie xxx

Nothing like a bit of new arm candy....

This week I made a very exciting purchase. One that I have been trying to make for months now but the perfect one just didn't seem to appear... until now!

My struggle to find the perfect new handbag has been compounded by needing one that can not only fit the normal keys, purse and phone in but also my Kindle,  a spare pair of shoes, a brolly (a year round essential in the UK), a notebook, my work Blackberry, my work laptop, a lunchbox and makeup bag. The list is endless, so when I saw this Zara beauty I knew it was the The One.

The Zara Office City Bag has three zipped compartments with two compartments either side that are closed with magnetic poppers.

One of the two compartments has slots for bank cards and work passes as well as a slot for one mobile phone (both my Blackberry and Iphone fit in the slot, but I wish there where two phone slots) and a small zipped pocket which I keep my keys in.

The other side compartment has a large zipped pocket which I keep my makeup bag in.

This bag easily holds all of the above with space to spare, so much so I though I had forgotten to take my lunch the other day but it was hidden in one of the zippable compartments. However, it is very large (dimensions here) so I would say if you don't need to carry all this junk around with you and you don't want any looks of disgust on the Tube this isn't for you.

But for me, right now, this is the ultimate bag and every time I pick this beauty up I get a little of what I like to call handbag smugness.

Have you bought a new bag lately? What to you think of mine? What do you look for in a handbag? I'd love to know your thoughts so comment or tell me on Twitter: @MaddieChilds1

Maddie xx

It's been a while....

Well hello there!

Yes, I know it's been a long time... far too long! 2012 ended up being a very hectic year and, as these thing tend to do, my barely started blog fell by the wayside.

While I was saddened and disappointed in myself that I didn't manage to keep up with my little corner of the web it did give me an opportunity to reflect on what I would really like to do with this blog. The more I thought about it the more I realised  that this blog should be a place for me to talk, discuss and muse anything I like, not just beauty products! Therefore I now declare No Time for Day Dreams a lifestyle, fashion, beauty, cookery and whatever else strikes my fancy blog.

I really hope that my loyal following (of four subscribers - Thanks for sticking with me) enjoy the new direction.

Now that we have got that out of the way here is just a sample of what kept me so busy in 2012, a slightly belated review of the ten months that have passed since my last post.

April brought the now annual pilgrimage to my boyfriend's home town for Easter where we ate plenty and took in the Norfolk country air!

April - Dinner with friends in Nofolk

May saw me start looking for a new job as my fixed term contract was drawing to a close. It also brought the sunshine and encouraged my boyfriend and I to explore lots of  the villages close to us, as well as taking a trip to London to visit the Natural History Museum.

May - My first visit to the Natural History Museum

In June I attended many interviews and eventually got the job I had my heart set on. By the third week I had started my new role as a Media Officer.

June - Celebrating my new job!

July was all about Norfolk - boats, friends and my boyfriend's birthday. A good time was had by all from what I can remember.

July - My boyfriend's birthday spent cruising down the Norfolk Broads!

August again saw us return to Norfolk for Cromer Carnival. We had a great few days involving the carnival procession, a fancy dress party and even a little sunshine.

August - Cromer Carnival

September finally allowed my boyfriend and I to take a much need mini break to Canterbury where we sampled two of the eateries recommend by Rachel Phipps - The Rose Inn, Wickhambreaux being the the ultimate country pub and Williams and Brown Tapas allowing my boyfriend to try his very first tapas!

September - Mini break to Canterbury and Whitstable

September also saw my boyfriend and his band play their annual gig at Rockstock in Overstrand. We were also treated so some very late summer sunshine which allowed as to spend a perfect day on the beach!

September - Rockstock, Overstrand

I spent two lovely consecutive weekends in October with friends. One up in Leeds, where two of my friends share a flat together, and another at ours where my friends experienced their first haunted Hallowe'en village and we ventured out to the local nightclub. Both resulted in two very sore heads but so worth it!

October - Leeds with friends

November is the month of my birth and so I took my first full week's annual leave since April! My boyfriend and I took a three-day trip to Dublin which saw us sample the sights, sounds, food and tipples of Ireland's capital.

November - Dublin, Ireland

For my birthday my boyfriend and I went to London where he surprised me with a trip to the theatre to see my favorite play of all time The Woman in Black. We then headed to Jamie Oliver's Union Jack restaurant and I indulged in my first item of Chanel make up in the form of Fleur De Force's (and now mine) favourite lipstick, Boy.

November - celebrating my birthday with the obligatory glass of champers!

We experienced our first snow this winter in December and prepared for Christmas. I also managed to eat five Christmas dinners before the big day itself and spied Proudlock from Made in Chelsea on the tube.

December - I spy with my little eye... Proudlock on the tube!

Christmas was spent Norfolk-style and we indulged in many board games and boxes of chocolates. New Year's Eve rolled around and, like many people this year, we spent it at one of our friend's houses - playing silly games and dancing to old-school tunes. Anyone for So Solid Crew?

December - The first snow

So there you have it, 2012 in its entirety. Here's to the the next 12 months!

How was 2012 for you? Do you have any tips on how to keep up with a blog?

Maddie xxx

PS Keep your eyes peeled for a post on my nails... did I manage to stop biting or am I still chomping away?