What a year!  2017 seems to have flown by!  As we are nearing the end of December, I thought I would take a look back at the year from a few different perspectives and see what has happened as the year has gone by.

Blogging

This has been my first full year of blogging as I started this in October 2016.  I’ve looked back on the final post of 2016 which was 2016…A Review, with a few hours to go! and I was so pleased that I had 235 followers on WordPress!  Since then I have so many more lovely followers not only on my blog but also on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook!  I am still shocked that anyone wants to read what I write but am also truly grateful.  I also feel that I have made friends … albeit online friends, but friends with whom I can chat about blogging, instagram issues, makeup, dance and also send a message to say ‘Hey!  This company just shared my photo!‘ and they’ll actually be pleased and understand my excitement rather than think I’m a nutter! Haha!

In April I received an email from a company called Aveniro asking me to test their glass nail files….my first PR post!  I was super chuffed to be asked to review them and still use them now!  You can see this post here!  I have since been asked by other companies to review products which has been brilliant!  My most recent is for Nail Buddy by Majique for whom I have reviewed their products but also put forward nail ideas for Halloween and more recently Christmas as well as running my first Give-away thanks to them!  Their polishes are super affordable and I love them!  I also received my first Max Factor – My Influenster VoxBox!

Dancing

I started my second year at Silver level this year in January and actually got my first WIN at the first competition of the year!  I was thoroughly pleased with myself, especially as it was in Foxtrot, which if I go back a few years, I never believed I would be able to dance it let alone love dancing it…..and even further, actually win a competition dancing it!  I also placed 3rd in Jive at that same competition which for me was a win anyway given I hadn’t been very well with a bad cold so I had really reined it in but in doing so I actually think I looked more in control of the action which is so easy to loose in Jive!

(Photos by Fredric Frennessen)

In March I took my final Silver Ballroom exams and gained high Honours and realised how quickly Gold level is approaching in January 2018!

April was the Gillingham competition where I wasn’t recalled in the Ballroom section but made the final in the Latin so got to dance both Samba and Cha cha cha!  I had also turned a corner in my dance journey at this competition as my teacher told me that it was the best I had danced in competitive terms.  Sometimes the results (despite being what we go for!), aren’t everything.  Going out onto the floor and actually holding your own, dancing how you can dance (despite always having things to improve on) that in itself can say a lot about development as a Dancer.

Have you seen my latest blog post? If you struggle to apply false lashes, take a look at how I apply my Eylure ones!

The Blackpool Dance Festival held in May is always something I try to go to see even for a few days and this year didn’t disappoint (except for spending a night in A&E thanks to what is likely to have been a full on anxiety attack but it’s my first trip in an ambulance for me so I guess there’s a story to be had! haha!)  Watching the worlds best Dancers compete for their title in the Open British Championships is just amazing and undeniably inspiring.

July was back to Gillingham where it was the opposite in that I didn’t make the Latin final but was able to Tango my way into a Quickstep final so I was super pleased with that!

September and back to Lymington where we had started the dance year……another win in Ballroom and a 2nd in Latin.  The Latin section was something that would usually totally freak me out but as my dance friend and I walked onto the floor it was clear that nobody else was joining us, yet we needed to share our dance teacher……cue solo demonstration scenario dancing Rumba!  Usually as I say, this would freak me out, but that corner I turned earlier in the year stood me in good stead for that competition and although I was 2nd, I felt like a winner for getting out there and doing my best!

(Photos by Fredric Frennessen)

Dance exams in October saw the end of my Silver journey with the one dance I am not that keen on….Jive!  It also saw the start of my ‘Opposite Role’ journey, so essentially dancing as a man / leader.  I was very chuffed with the results on that, ending up with 99% in my Latin dance!!!

Blackpool!  Omgosh Blackpool!  Such an amazing place year after year!  The pivotal point in our dance year is the Grand Finals and its such an amazing place to dance, the Empress Ballroom in the Winter Gardens.  I didn’t place this year in the finals but just dancing there and spending the weekend with dance friends making memories is what the whole weekend is about!  Check out my post ISTD Blackpool Grand Finals 2017 for more on that!

Personal

In February I was lucky enough to be taken to see Strictly Come Dancing Tour at the O2 by my friend Julie who treated me for my birthday.  It was amazing to see the show and the dancers as I am a massive fan of the show….obviously!!  (I’m going next year too thanks to a birthday present from my Hubby!!)

Also in February my hubby revealed a surprise that he had booked for us to go to New York for our 15th Wedding Anniversary!  Unfortunately due to health issues we had to postpone the trip but still managed to go later in the year!

Given the summer was lovely this year, we made the most of it with lots of days out with the boys, Airshows, Alice Holt, Longleat Safari Park, Chessington, and also started taking part in the the 5k Parkrun events!  My boys are 14 and 12 and both are far quicker than me!!  My eldest even managed a time just over 20 minutes which is amazing!

In May I experienced IMATS in London for the day which was pretty good.  You can read all about that trip here and see what I bought here!

22nd June was my 15th Wedding Anniversary.  As we couldn’t yet go to New York, we went to Bath for the weekend which I had booked as a surprise for my Hubby.  The Bath Spa Hotel is so lovely and we can highly recommend Miller & Carter Steakhouse there!  Amazing food!!

I felt very old in July as my youngest son left Primary school!  How on earth did that happen already??

We spent a lovely long weekend in Cornwall at Forrest Holidays which involved plenty of outdoor activity and lots and lots and lots of walking!!  I can highly recommend Forrest Holidays as somewhere quiet but with great surroundings and things to do with the kids and where pets are also allowed.  (The hot tub on the decking is sooooo good after a day out walking!!)

October…..a memorable trip of a lifetime…..NEW YORK!  Anyone following my Instagram or blog in October would have been more than aware of where I was haha!  After being advised by my Cardiologist that I was fine to fly and to just ‘get going‘, we went!  Being away for 4 nights without the kids was strange as it was the first time going abroad without them but it was lovely to be away with just my hubby, celebrating our anniversary and also his 40th Birthday.  I have so many blog posts on New York but please do check them out!

Career

2017 has seen my biggest career decision.  I have been working for, and running a Home Management / Cleaning company that was set up by my Mum almost 13 years ago, that I have been running essentially as my own for around the last 7 years.  This year I finally decided that as my boys are older now, I would like to do something for me.  Something that I feel is a new challenge and something that I would love to do.  So….I gave quite a lengthy notice period and as from 22nd December, my job and company are no more.  I am sad about it but at the same time I am very excited to embark on a new journey starting with a course at Mode Makeup School to become a Makeup Artist.  I love makeup (as you’ll probably gather if you follow my blog or instagram!) and the amount of people who have said I will be great at it has been quite amazing!  I even got the opportunity in July this year to be a Makeup Artist for the day which you can read about here …… MUA for the day! A 1950’s photo shoot!

(Photos by Fredric Frennessen)

So that’s 2017 in a blog post!  Thank you to all of my followers and anyone who just pops by to read every now and again!  Here’s to 2018 and whatever it may bring!

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