Taking some time...

Do you ever come to a cross roads in your life and not know which way to go? I feel like this is the first of many cross roads i will come to. Truth is, i really hate making serious decisions. I just get intimidated by the thought that i could be severely impacting my future. 

Anyway, I came to a point in my life recently where i needed to make a few decisions. And i kind of put everything else in my life on hold, including this blog. I don't know how much progress i have made with my decisions but now I'm just trying to be content with not knowing exactly where i'm going. You just get to a point where you have decide what's important and be ok with that. 

So i've been writing away and i'm so happy to be back to blogging again. I never realised just how much i love writing and sharing my experiences with you. 

If you're at any crucial points in your life, know that it's ok to take time out and not need to apologise for that. 

Much Love and you'll be hearing from me real soon :)
Beth xxx

Hydrotheraphy - My Experience & Honest Review

As someone who writes about their life and experiences, I'm not sure why i've never talked about my experiences with physiotherapy and the services they offered me. One of which was hydrotherapy.

I was very fortunate to receive a course of hydrotherapy a number of times. Unfortunately it never felt like enough. The course lasted 3-4 weeks, with 2 sessions per week. I always stated the one thing i wanted to improve was my sleep. At the time, i slept inconsistently with some nights resulting in no sleep at all.

I always found the weeks where i had hydrotherapy i was alot more relaxed and that often resulted in me sleeping better. We were encouraged to carry on the exercises at a local pool. However at the time i was in school full time, didn't drive and my nearest pool charged £5 per session. Hence, at that time in my life it wasn't overly realistic for me to carry it on. 

So, i know how anxious i was every time i had to go to a session at the hospital. Here's a little run down on what to expect.
Often you'll get the session dates & times well in advance. My hydrotherapy sessions took place at my nearest hospital. In recent refurbishments they added a pool to their physio dept.
Once you've arrived and found where you need to go, often you'll have a few forms to fill in - Yes, they are the dreaded "Please rate your pain from 1-10" forms - but just get them filled in and you can move on. 

There's often only a few invited for a session at a time. The most i've ever had was 5 other people in the pool with me. It is awkward - that is, if you're like me and have little social skills - but remember that no matter who the other people are, you are all in the same boat. You all have pain, and you're all doing your best to manage it. Actually once i'd got over my shyness, i met some lovely people with some very brave stories. 

The main thing is to feel relaxed in the pool. It helps to much if you can feel calm. The exercises are in no way strenuous, they're more like stretches and you are under no obligation to anything that hurts. If you wanted you could just relax in the pool, the physiotherapists emphasised that we are the only people who know how much pain we are in - so we control how much we do.

I don't currently get hydrotherapy. But i'm very happy to say i'm at a good place with my pain and i go swimming once a week - something i never thought i'd be able to manage!

I'd recommend it to anyone, particularly if you are newly diagnosed or are going through a really tough time physically/mentally/emotionally. The time in the pool helped, but actually the time with the physiotherapists and fellow chronic illness sufferers really helped me to develop and eventually to be able manage my pain. 

So there's my wee review. I think i'll do a few more reviews on things i've tried for pain in the past. If i can help anyone, it's worth it.

Love you all muchly, Beth xxx

10 ways to deal with a flare up...

Let me start off with saying that this list is a reflection of what has helped me in the past. I am in no way telling you how you should feel, also i understand that everyone’s personal situations are different. We all have different levels of pain and circumstances. My aim with this list is that you will be able to take away a couple ideas that will help you when times get tough with your health.

Always remember the quote from Les Miserables - “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise”

1. Be Honest.

With yourself and with the people around you. There’s nothing worse than feeling a flare up coming on and being in denial or hiding it. The sooner you deal with it, the sooner you will recover and get help from others.

2. Have a plan.

I know it sounds stupid but it works. Have you ever wanted to help someone but not known how? Well, help your family & friends out by writing out the things you need help with when going through a flare up. It’s also a good idea to include things to cheer you up. Thing’s i’d include are ‘a cup of tea in my favourite mug’or ‘watching While You Were Sleeping’.

3. Listen to an audiobook.

i love reading, there’s nothing i find more joy in than sitting down to a good book. But often i’m too exhausted to read when my health is really bad. Also it can be a struggle to focus on something for a long amount of time. I would highly recommend listening to an audiobook. Quite often your local library will have some sort of online service for you to borrow audiobooks too!

4. Listen to Music.

You know, no matter what i’m going through, there is just no denying that music helps. Be sure to make a playlist of your favourite songs to listen to when you’re not well.

5. Have Friends that understand.

There is nothing worse than feeling alone when you’re going through a hard time with your health. This isn’t easy but try to seek out the friends that will stick with you and do their best to understand what’s happening in your life. 

6. Plan something for the future.

Organise to meet up with a friend, have a day out by the beach or something you enjoy doing. Plan it for about a month’s time, so you know you’ll have enough time to recover from your flare up but you have something in your calendar to look forward too.

7. Write it down.

When things get tough i like to write. Quite often i like to write it all down then throw it away. It just gets my feelings off my chest. You may want to keep some sort of journal or diary as a means of expressing how you feel.

8. Get support.

Whether it be from family/friends or online, you’ve got to ask for help sometimes. I know, it’s hard. But when we’re down asking for help can be the only way out sometimes. Don’t ever suffer alone. Remember, no one should ever make you feel inferior because you’ve asked for help.

9. Keep your memories close at heart.

Scrapbooking can be a really fun way to look back on all the cool & fun memories you’ve made, it’s also a great activity to do. So if you haven’t started one, why not have some sort of book and some photos ready for when you feel like starting a scrapbook.

10. Get some fresh air.

I know how hard this can be. Trust me, I’ve been there. I got to a point last year where getting down the stairs each day was a struggle, but i did it. Most days, i sat out in the garden for half an hour, it doesn’t sound like much but it was a vital part of my routine and really helped me through that tough patch with my health.

I hope some of those suggestions will help you. If you're going through a tough time at the moment and feel like talking about it, feel free to in the comments.

As always, stay strong, have courage and be kind.

Much Love, Beth xxx

It's Ok To Grieve

Breathe.

Just breathe.

It's ok if all you did today was breathe.

I think we all forget how important it is to stop and just take a moment to breathe, especially when considering something so sensitive and fragile as grieving.

So take a moment before reading any further and give yourself a moment of calm.

Ok, so here's the tough stuff...

It's ok to grieve.

Recently, i went through the loss of a friend that shook my world more than i could have imagined.

This loss threw a question at me - why does no one ever talk about grieving?

From what i have experienced, in my culture anyway, it's not really normal to talk about the pain death causes.

For me, i always feel like there is this pressure that once a funeral happens, a loved one should just be able to move on. But in reality, it takes weeks, months, even years to just be able to live with the pain and to a certain extent, on some level, be able to cope.

This point was really brought home to me when i was very young. I had a family member pass away when i was in primary school, i reckon i was about 10 years old at the time. A week after the funeral a classmate of mine came up to me and asked me why i was still crying? Why was i still sad?

Even as a child i could't believe how little it's talked about that we need time to process and grieve the loss of someone.

The main reason i wanted to write this post is because of the guilt i felt at taking time to grieve recently. It's been 3 months and my heart still feels like it's shattered in pieces when i think about my friend.

I don't know when i'll feel "ok" again but i'm processing and trying to be honest with myself about the time i need.

I think what's really important is to have people there for you when you're ready for them. 

If you have gone through a loss, i hope you find peace and a way to go on. Try to find joy in the simple things, and know that you will find happiness again. And when you are happy, know that it is in no way disrespecting your loved one but rather finding a way to carry on without them here.

Much Love, Beth xxx

Art Focus: Living from Commission to Commission

Hello my lovelies,

I thought i would take a moment to discuss the ups and downs of working from commission to commission as an artist. If you'd like to check out my work, i'm most active on Instagram and that main acts as my portfolio these days. https://instagram.com/bethanyrogersart/

There are many different kinds of artist. I would describe myself as an evolving artist, one that is willing to learn a new skill just to complete your commission. You see, a lot of artists specialise and nurture their craft until they are an expert at one particular area of art.

I've never really been into that. I love spending time on a particular skill, but the idea of doing that one skill, repeatably, for the rest of my "career" kinda scares me.

I've always been someone who wants to learn - very ironic seeing as i didn't go to university. Maybe i should say i'm someone who constantly likes to increase my skill set. Quite often, that just means i teach myself how to do something. But this lends itself well to commissions in the 'Art' world.

I will do anything to help someones dream of a piece of art come true. I am pretty much up for anything. I really don't think i'd enjoy being an artist if i wasn't this way. It's really fun! You never know when you're gonna get a message from someone saying they'd like a piece of art the size of a person or a little quote the size of your hand. The sky is the limit and if you're thinking about being an artist, i couldn't recommend this way of life more.

Don't think it's all sunshine and roses though. With commissions come deadlines, pressure, stress, expenditure, very odd work hours and the determination to constantly learn.

Art should be accessible to all, whether you want to become an artist or you want to have a piece of art made, i want to break down the barriers of this far off world of art that seems out of reach to the everyday person.

If you've any thoughts on the subject i'd love to hear what you think in the comments.

Much Love, Beth xxx

My Week: Live life through my eyes //The open diary of a chronic illness champion

Hello dear friends, I hope you are all well!

A couple of weeks back i got an idea to keep a diary for 7 days, documenting what it's really like to manage everyday life with a chronic illness.

Inevitably, some days were better than others, hence some of the blog posts were better and longer than others.

If know someone with a chronic illness, extreme fatigue or even chronic pain, i'd ask that you please read some of these diary entries. When you have a chronic illness, all you want is someones understanding. This is my way of giving people the opportunity to understand what life is like from MY perspective.

Day #1 - 'not my usual start to the week':
http://bethanyrogersbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/live-life-through-my-eyes-open-diary-of.html

Day #2 - 'sleep is wayyy too important':
http://bethanyrogersbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/live-life-through-my-eyes-open-diary-of_20.html

Day #3 - 'a busy work day & driving!!':
http://bethanyrogersbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/live-life-through-my-eyes-open-diary-of_21.html

Day #4 - 'the "Meh" days' :
http://bethanyrogersbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/live-life-through-my-eyes-open-diary-of_32.html

Day #5 - 'changing up my diet':
http://bethanyrogersbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/day-5-live-life-through-my-eyes-open.html

Day #6 - 'Work hours are non-existent':

http://bethanyrogersbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/day-6-live-life-through-my-eyes-open.html

Day #7 - 'social situations can be stressful':
http://bethanyrogersbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/day-7-social-situations-can-be.html


Please let me say that these diary entires are personal to my circumstances. This doesn't blanket cover all people with chronic illness. We are all in different circumstances, some better, and some worse than others. I would consider myself somewhere in the middle. If you know someone personally who is going through a tough time or tiresome circumstances, i would encourage you to go and talk to them. Give them the opportunity to open up to you and give them time to voice how they feel.

Have a great day!

Much love, Beth xxx

Day #7 - 'social situations can be stressful' - Live life through my eyes: The open diary of a chronic illness champion

I know, i know...i'm a day late with this diary entry but i have a good excuse, i was being social. Considering how bad my anxiety was last month, i'm proud of the steps i'm making. Mind you, i couldn't have been out last night without my brother and my 2 best friends. But still, i'm happy i went.

So seeing as i spent some of today recovering from one... let's talk about having a chronic illness and going to social events. First off, for anyone with illness or pain, you have to make sure you definitely want to go. All that effort just isn't worth it if it doesn't appeal to you or doesn't seem worth it.

Then, on the actual day you have to pray you won't have a flare up or a random 'no-sleep' night beforehand. I really feel like the people around you help to make social situations less stressful for chronic illness sufferers. You need atleast one person who truly understands you and your situation with you. Even if its just a 'how are you?' during the evening, it's important to feel like someone is looking out for you.

Make sure you brace yourself for the next day. Forget work, it's not going to happen. Don't make any solid plans for the next day. As always, surround yourself with people who love you and understand what your going through. The day after is always hard, that's why you've got to make sure the initial event/party is worth all the effort!

Pace yourself over the next fews days. Pushing yourself and ignoring your body will only bring on a flare-up. Take it easy and make sure you have plenty of fun!!

This week of blogging has completely flown by for me. Usually, at the end of every week i find myself reflecting on the past week and all i have accomplished. Most of the time, theses reflections mean i ponder on how i should be more organised and be more productive. I know i need to start being more positive and easier on myself.

But i always look forward to a new week starting, it's a chance for new beginnings. I received tons of orders over the weekend, so i need to get my act together and get organised.

Have a great week,
Much Love, Beth xxx

Day #6 - 'Work hours are non-existent' - Live life through my eyes: The open diary of a chronic illness champion

it's nights like this i am reminded that i run my own business. I know it's 12:30am on a saturday night. I should be asleep or enjoying the weekend, but i'm doing work on my laptop instead, and i don't mean blogging, I don't consider blogging as work.

The difficulty with having a chronic illness is timing. I should've done all my work this afternoon but i was out all morning and absolutely exhausted by the time 2pm rolled around. My eyelids were shutting on me so i took a 3 hour nap.

Most people can say, i'll work 5 days a week, 9am til 5pm,  and then i can enjoy my evenings and weekends. But with an illness it's extremely hard to have a routine. You can plan your week but then you have a bad day or a flare up and it puts the whole week out of sync. So you take what opportunity you can.. even if that be after midnight on a Saturday.

Otherwise today was fairly successful. I didn't do anything too crazy today as i know i'll be busy all day tomorrow. Literally i'll be up at 8am and i won't be able to chill until midnight. A lot of it is social events but i discovered recently that i'm something called an introvert. Basically it's a great way of explaining how much social events drain me and are a challenge for me. So tomorrow will be a challenge but i've got some great friends who really get me and understand me.

Right, I'm going to keep it short and sweet. I've got half and hour more of work to do then i'm gonna pray i get to sleep straight away... big day tomorrow :)

Much Love, Beth xxx

Day #5 - 'changing up my diet' - Live life through my eyes: The open diary of a chronic illness champion

Days like today just fly by. We all get them and i think i truly know the day has flown by when it's 11pm at night and i'm only just starting to think about dinner.

I've been debating changing up my diet recently. I've cut down on bad fats and sugars recently which has brought down my overall calorie intake and i can feel the difference. I eat fairly 'clean' and healthy. I always try to cook everything from scratch but i never think too much about food 'groups' and whether i'm having an equal amount from each. Recently i'd come across an article on how a diet high in natural fats has helped some people with chronic illnesses.

I know, it sounds completely wrong. Adding fat to your diet can help? well apparently yes. And i know what your thinking... Ahhhhh...i'll put on 2 stone with a diet like that. Well that's where i was surprised, Many people found when lowering carbs, which can be translated into sugars and absorbed in to your bloodstream, and upping healthy natural fats, their body actually started letting go of their fat reserves and they lost weight. Which kind of makes sense when you think about it. Your body holds on to things it deprived of, like its afraid it won't get it again. But if you give it a regular fat intake, it starts a cycle where your body doesn't need to hold on to as much fat. Weight loss is definitely a benefit for me but the bigger appeal was that people noticed their side effects of chronic illness lessening.

Anyway, read up on it yourself. There's a lot more science behind it and it's a lot more eloquent than my ramblings.
The most important thing i'll need to consider is the impact it will have on my overall health. Most people can adapt well to new diets and quickly get into new routines but it takes a lot more thought and effort for me. When i try something new like this i have to think about whether i'm ready to take on the challenge yet or not.

Back to today...I got a little work done but it definitely feels like another day has whizzed past right before my eyes and I'm trying to catch up. Still, it was a much better day than yesterday.

Thank you for reading my ramblings, let me know your thoughts on chronic illness & diets/ high fat diets/changing eating habits... any of that stuff :)

Much Love, Beth xxx

follow me on instagram: www.instagram.com/bethanyrogersart

Day #4 - 'the "Meh" days' - Live life through my eyes: The open diary of a chronic illness champion Day #4

"Where there's hope, there's life. It fills us with fresh courage and makes us strong again" - Anne Frank

Today is tough. Not that it's been much of a tough day but rather it's tough to write about. But, I am thankful i have my little blog post to write today.

This morning I was blessed with the horrible curse all women get monthly. Whoop! whoop! Mood-crazy, sugar-craving time of the month! (SARCASM)
I kind of knew how the rest of the day would most likely pan out. When you add in this monthly blessing on top of existing pain and tiredness, it wipes you. Its frustrating though, you're forced to little, not out of choice or as a consequence of doing too much the day before but purely out of circumstance. It sucks...

It sounds extreme but at the end of day's like today you can very easily find yourself questioning what you even do with your life. It only takes 24 hours of having to stay in bed for your brain to turn on you and start viewing everything negatively.

But, you also ponder a lot of things. I often find myself thinking about my friends and wanting to spend more time with them. I think about my family, all they do for me and how i want to spend more time with them too. Most importantly, i think about the past. Many people tell me not to hold on to the past and to focus on the future. But, looking at the past gives me hope. I think of all the experiences i've had in my 21 years, all the times in the past when i did things i thought were impossible and that gives me hope. It reminds me that, today may not be so good, but who knows what i may accomplish tomorrow.

Speaking of which, i have alot of packaging up to do tomorrow. I had an auction on my Instagram account at the start of the week, so i've got some artwork to send off. I often give myself little goals to accomplish for the next day. Tomorrow's is to package up orders. If i get to the post office as well, that'd be a major bonus!

Thank you for reading this,
Much Love, Beth xxx

Follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethanyrogersart

Day #3 - 'a busy work day & driving!!' - Live life through my eyes: The open diary of a chronic illness champion

Today was a good day. Sort of. Well, pretty much as good as it gets for me.

Follow me on Instagram - www.instagram.com/bethanyrogersart

It actually didn't start out great. I had to stay in bed an extra two hours than i wanted too. I know, it sounds heavenly but my stomach was cramping constantly and i couldn't stand without it hurting more. When you're on medication it's only "normal" that you'll get off days and side affects.

Once, that passed i got on with the day. My work had piled up throughout the last week so i had plenty to tackle! I replied to loads of messages, and got organising my desk ready to set up new commissions. I finished off a couple of illustrations and quotes, ready to package and send off. I also start some new projects. I cut out card, planned the artwork in my journal and mapped out the initial sketches on the sheets of card.

I gladly welcomed numerous tea breaks with my grandparents. They were over for the day helping with some major work going on in our garden. I wanted to be out there helping them but i had to be selfish in that 1. i had my work to do and 2. It would take me 3-5 days to get over that amount of physical work. Today was an example of why i am thankful to have an understanding family.
Not once did any of my family complain that i wasn't helping, it helps to take away the guilt when you have people that understand you surrounding you.

I then got some driving practice in when i took my grandparents home. Did i mention i passed my driving test? I did it exactly a week ago today. I learnt to drive in a Ford Fiesta and i own a Skoda Yetti... it's taking a little getting used to! The main thing is my spacing, not the road and parking, but i'm the type of person that i'd rather be safe than sorry so i'm being safe and double checking everything! I can't wait to know my car better and not have to think so much when driving her.

Once i got back home i felt super inspired to keep going with my artwork, there have been tons of projects i haven't been well enough to have a go at, so this evening i spent hours doodling and illustrating. I finished just after midnight and i feel super content. This is definitely a good day!
My back aches and i won't be able to do much more than work on the computer tomorrow but it's worth it. I'm currently looking at my desk covered in drawings, doodles, animals, patterns and orders,  feeling very content.

I hope you all had a great productive day!
Much Love, Beth xxx

Day #2 - 'sleep is wayyy too important' - Live life through my eyes: The open diary of a chronic illness champion

Oh boy the tiredness has hit tonight...why did i think this was a good idea?

There was a time, meaning 4 months ago, when i'd stay up til 3am getting work done. Now i fade quickly after midnight and have to go to bed. I used to cherish my time in the wee small hours making art, but now i actually appreciate the mornings so much more. I do my best to get up around 8am and get going on work, then i can relax when the work is done for the day.

I actually accomplished a lot this morning. I woke up around 9am and got lots of correspondence done (fancy phrase for messaging people about work).

Around 4pm i realised it's still frappaccino happy hour at starbucks for the next few days so i threatened my brother that i was taking the car to go get one and he surprisingly decided he wanted to come with me! It was good to get out of the house. Today has been a typically rainy day for Ireland, which can get pretty depressing when cooped up inside.

I felt wrecked when i got back though... social situations are really draining for me. I always need a nap or a rest after going out, even just for 30 minutes at starbucks. So i spent some time recovering and then got back to work. I checked in with all my Instagram activity and got going on a few new quotes that are on order! It's a good feeling get some work done.

Sorry this is a shorter entry today but my bed is calling me!!!

You're not following me on Instagram?? What? Check it: https://instagram.com/bethanyrogersart/

BTW, my brother put up a new video on his vlogging channel today...check it out!

Much Love, Beth xxx

Demelza's song - Medhal An Gwyns - LYRICS & Youtube cover - Poldark

Whilst watching the final episode of Poldark, i once again fell in love with a beautiful original folk song written for the series.
I put a cover of the song up on my Youtube channel yesterday, if you want to check it out you can watch it here:

I also wanted to provide the lyrics that i used in this video for anyone else wanting to have a go at singing it themselves,

Medhel An Gwyns:

Memories like voices that call on the wind
Medhel an gwyns, Medhel an gwyns
Whispered and tossed on the tide coming in
Medhel oh Medhel an gwyns

Voices like songs that are heard in the dawn
Medhel an gwyns, Medhel an gwyns
Singing the secrets of children unborn
Medhel oh Medhel an gwyns

Dreams like the memories once born on the wind
Medhel an gwyns, Medhel an gwyns
Lovers and children and copper and tin
Medhel oh Medhel an gwyns

Dreams like the castles that sleep in the sand
Medhel an gwyns, Medhel an gwyns
Slip through the fingers or held in the hand
Medhel oh Medhel an gwyns

Songs like the dreams that the bow maiden spins
Medhel an gwyns, Medhel an gwyns
Weaving the song of the cry of the tin Medhel oh Medhel an gwyns
Medhel oh Medhel an gwyns

I hope you enjoyed my cover of this beautiful song,
Much Love, Beth xxx

Day #1 - 'not my usual start to the week' - Live life through my eyes: The open diary of a chronic illness champion

There are advantages and disadvantages to having a chronic illness. That might sound very strange to you but from my vantage point, having a chronic illness means i get to share with the world what it's really like to have an illness and be in constant pain. Life isn't easy for any of us. But if i can share my story and help us all understand one another better, then i view that as a positive.

I've been wanting to share some of the mundane day-to-day things i go through for a while now. This is an open diary i'll be keeping through a week of my life. This week, you're my best friend and i'm telling you everything...well, mostly.

Monday mornings are usually good for me. I hate Mondays. But i always try to get up early and get going on work, and set up the week as i'd like it to carry on.

This Monday was a completely different story though. I woke up at 11am, earphones still in from falling asleep to my favourite film 'while you were sleeping' and i felt like i'd been run over. I spent all of Sunday in bed and was throwing up all of Sunday evening... this isn't a common occurrence for me so i felt pretty rotten.

I tried to get up, however it took me til 1pm to get downstairs and finally stomach a piece of toast. I spent the majority of the day checking up on business on Instagram, watching 2 films then doing some illustrating.

You see, i battle with ALOT of guilt when it comes to my work. I'm an artist. Love my job. So thankful to the people that continue to pay me for what i love. But when i'm sick it all comes to a standstill. The commissions list gets longer and then comes the guilt.
When your sick, who knows how long you'll be out of the game. So you think about all the work you should be doing when you can't.
It's a vicious circle that i'll discuss more of later in the week.

For now, this has been DAY 1. And i am feeling alot better tonight.

Much Love, Beth xxx


P.S. my mum brought home peonies yesterday. She bought them to cheer her & i up and they kept me company today... aren't they beautiful?!?!

Deciding on YOUR healthy weight

There's a BIG reason why the emphasis is on YOUR weight in the title of this post, because YOU are in control. Many of us are genuinely concerned about our weight...

-What's healthy?
-Am i underweight?
-Am i overweight?
-When should i stop loosing weight?

In a society that pushes and shoves us into it's standards, we quite often get mixed responses to the questions above.

There is no RIGHT answer. But there are a few things that help you decide what YOUR healthy weight is. My first piece of advice... don't look to the media for help. Most of what's portrayed is completely unrealistic and does nothing for your self-esteem.

Remember a healthy weight should mean that you are content. That is the most important thing to take into consideration. When loosing weight, stop and ask yourself: Am i content at this weight or do i feel like i still need to loose more?
We all fluctuate weight throughout our lives and there will be times when we feel more comfortable with our weight and times when we don't.

I'll let you in on a BIG secret though.. Feeling content and comfortable with yourself has alot to do with your mind. You could be at your ideal weight and still look in the mirror and not be happy.

Whatever weight we all are we can all be more positive and take it easier on ourselves.

In my experience, being too hard on myself has led to stress and weight gain.

Ultimately, you are in charge of your life. You get to decide where you are happy.

Have courage and be kind,
Much Love, Beth xxx

Lavender's blue dilly dilly Cinderella song inspired by Lily James LYRICS

Earlier this week i did a cover of a beautiful lullaby that was featured in the latest adaptation of Cinderella. I changed up the order of the lyrics and wanted to make them available for anyone wanting to sing it the way i did.

If you haven't watched my cover be sure to watch it here and let me know what you think!

Lavenders Blue Lyrics:

Lavenders blue dilly dilly lavenders green
When you are king dilly dilly i will be queen

Who told you so dilly dilly who told you so
'Twas my own heart dilly dilly that told me so

Lavenders green dilly dilly lavenders blue
You must love me dilly dilly for i love you

Let the birds sing dilly dilly and the lambs play
We shall be safe dilly dilly out of harms way

Lavenders green dilly dilly lavenders blue
If you love me dilly dilly i will love you


I hope you enjoy having the lyrics and watching my cover of this beautiful little song.

Have a great day, Beth xxx

Holland & Barrett Haul with Links!

Hey Folks!

Recently i put up a Holland and Barrett haul on my Youtube channel. I wanted to provide the links to everything i bought so you could go take a look yourself and be able to purchase what i mentioned.

If you haven't watched my video you can do so here:

List of Products purchased:

Meridian Natural Smooth Peanut Butter 1000g tub:
http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/meridian-natural-smooth-peanut-butter-60079212?c=nut%20butter

Pukka Fairtrade Original Chai Tea, 20 teabags:
http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/pukka-fairtrade-original-chai-60076711?c=chai%20tea

Wholefoods Chia Seeds, 100g:
http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/neals-yard-wholefoods-chia-seeds-60079178?c=chia%20seeds

Precision Engineered Breakfast Whey Powder, 70g:
http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/precision-engineered-breakfast-whey-powder-chocolate-60035499?c=whey%20powder

Wholefoods Bombay Mix, 150g:
http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/neals-yard-wholefoods-snack-bombay-mix-60091034?c=bombay%20mix

Wholefoods Bulgar Wheat, 500g:
http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/neals-yard-wholefoods-bulgar-wheat-60003917

Wholefoods Millet Grain, 500g:
http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/neals-yard-wholefoods-millet-grain-60002232?c=Millet%20Grain

Whole foods Brown Rice Flour, 500g:
http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/neals-yard-wholefoods-brown-rice-flour-60029177

I hope you all found this helpful, if you would like a review of any of the specific items let me know in the comments.

Hope you're all well, Have a great day, Beth xxx

Demelza's Song LYRICS ...I'd a pluck a fair rose for my love - Poldark

I recently did a cover of this song and put it up on Youtube, however i noticed the Lyrics weren't anywhere to be found online. I had to revert to the good old fashioned way of listening to the song and writing down the Lyrics. I thought i would spare anyone else the trouble and post the lyrics here!

I'd a pluck a fair rose for my love
I'd a pluck a red rose blowin'
Love's in my heart, i'm tryin' so to prove
What your heart's knowin'

I'd a pluck a finger on a thorn
I'd a pluck a finger bleedin'
Red is my heart, wounded and forlorn
And your heart needin'

I'd a hold a finger to my tongue
I'd a hold a finger waitin'
My heart is sore, until it joins in song
With your heart matin'


Enjoy singing this beautiful song and please listen to my version if you haven't already.

Much Love, Beth xxx

Art Focus: You’re either an artist or a business woman

On a little break away from home, I found my family sitting around by the fire, drinking horlicks - It was all very picturesque - talking about my little business SillyMooArt/BethanyRogersArt. My Grandad actually said something very insightful to me and everything just seemed to click. "You're either an artist or a business woman, the two very rarely mix." 

For almost three years i've been an artist, to varying degrees of success! But nonetheless, I've been painting, drawing, calligraphing and illustrating my way through the last three years of my life. It can be so easy to get caught up in art that you actually find it hard to promote yourself and make the sales.

I have really been trying to get my head into the idea of social marketing. I love social media and feel like i should try to take advantage of that. I have definitely been successful to a certain degree, as i make the majority of my sales through instagram and feel like i have a great community on it.

However, i know i still have so much to learn. You always have to accept that you are not going to be able to know the best way of doing everything. But i am making progress and i feel like in the near future i should take  a small at home course in marketing/social media marketing.

But i wanted to write this for anty fellow artists out there that are starting out or feel like they're not getting anywhere with sales/promoting. Your art may indeed be beautiful but my advice is make sure you know how to promote yourself, get to know your customers, and always accept commissions - they give you amazing insight into your target market and what people really want.

Keep going and accept that we still have much to learn.

Much love, Beth xxx

The Realities of living with IBS - IBS attacks

I’ve been debating doing this post for some time now, due to the very nature of it. But really, this is a reality for so many people. It's estimated the 20%-25% of the population suffer from IBS. But i will tone things down a bit for those of you who haven’t had to put up with any sort of bowel problems before.

I definitely think there are varying degrees of IBS, for those who don’t know 

IBS = Irritable Bowel Syndrome. 

The mere fact that it is labelled a syndrome suggests you have it on a permanent basis, however i do believe i have quite a severe case of it.

If you want to find out more about IBS check out this Bupa article. 

Honestly, it’s all about managing it. But like anything, it’s hard to keep on top of and maintain control. About 18 months ago, after suffering really badly with it, i realised i actually get IBS attacks. Within a week i had two of these attacks, one i suffered on my own but the second, my parents witnessed and were on the brink of calling an ambulance. 

It made me realise just how life altering a syndrome this is and something that needs to be talked about. 

Here’s where we get icky… stop reading if you are easily grossed out. 

I thought it might be helpful to quickly sum up an attack as you might relate to it if you already suffer from IBS or its sounds similar to something you're going through and you may want to run it past your GP/doctor.

First off, is major pain in my stomach coupled with extreme tiredness. Then something similar to gastroenteritis (diarrhoea/vomiting), which you’ll know is always awful to go through. But most of my symptoms don’t fully develop till about 5 mins later. I always become light headed, i struggle to stand up, very often i loose my sight or black clouds form infront of my eyes. I start shaking and i mix between being too hot and too cold (similar to a fever).

These attacks are really scary to go through, especially for the first time and if you don’t know why it’s happening. But when i know I'm going through an attack there are a couple of things i try to do, at the very least i sit down. But quite often if i can make it, i’ll lye down on my bed and get under the covers to counteract the shivering. I try to drink some water if i can. What i hate most about these attacks is the mental confusion, whilst going through it, i find it very hard to talk or communicate with my family about what’s happening or how i’m feeling. Also, my body usually goes into a state of shock afterwards, i usually lay in bed or try to sleep for up to a couple of hours afterwards.

I think it all sounds horrendous and scary, but once you’ve realised whats happening and why, it helps you to cope.

I feel it really necessary to share this as i've yet to find much information about these attacks. I feel like people are maybe too embarrassed to share this, but for me, its my life. If i can help anyone by writing this, then it'll be worth it.

Don't worry, i'll be back to my usual posts soon :)

Much love, Beth xxx

Guapo - THE best Mexican in Northern Ireland - Review!

If you’d ask me a couple of years back what my favourite Mexican restaurant was in the local area I wouldn’t haven't been able to answer. There has been a complete lack of good Mexican food in Northern Ireland for way too long. Thank goodness for Guapo!! 

The only experience of mexican i’d had was what my mum cooked at home (which by the way is pretty awesome!). About a year ago, My mum introduced me to Guapo and i’ve loved everything i’ve had from there since. 

Before i talk about the food, i have to talk about the staff. They are always incredibly polite! Mum & i always have loads of questions about the food and they are always happy to answer them. Oh and get this, the food is all made fresh everyday, as it should be!!! But unfortunately a lot of restaurants & cafes don't!

First off, what really stood out to me was the variety of choices and combinations you could make. It was like Subway… but way better.

I personally love their burrito bowl, everything you’d get inside a burrito without the guilt or in my case, bloating that comes from eating bread. But you can get a burrito, fajita, tacos & nachos as a base instead

You can then choose from a variety of meats (chicken/beef/chilli/pork), all of which are amazing, if you cant decide you can try a bit of each or simply have a vegetarian option. 

(Mum's Vegetarian burrito bowl!!)

Next up, Two of my favourite things you get on every dish are the Beans and the salsa. I’ve not advanced past the ‘mild’ options in each of those… someday i’ll be brave! But its so flavoursome!! Then they top off your meal with lettuce, cheese & sour cream.

Also they’ve just started with lunchtime deals, which was i got last time i was there. I got soup & mini burrito for £3.50, it was so tasty & filling, i’ve been craving it ever since! I can’t wait to go again!!

 (Lunchtime Deal -  Soup & Mini Burrito £3.50)

I’d definitely recommend giving Guapo a go. Whatever ideas you have about Mexican food, don’t judge it until you try it for yourself - i reckon you’ll love it.

Be sure to check out their Facebook page here, Give them a like and show them some love! 

I hope if you're in the area soon you'll give it a go,

Much love, Beth xxx

Be Kind For Everyone You Meet Is Fighting A Hard Battle - Be Honest

Have you ever stopped to ponder the true meaning of this quote? 

We are all facing battles. Externally, Internally, From others, From ourselves, In our health and In our lives.

Somehow this idea has come about that we are all 'great', 'fine', and we need to portray ourselves as doing so. Don't get me wrong, positivity is such an important part of my life. I love it, but theres a big difference between being positive and being honest about whats really going on in your head & in your life. 

I hate the physical pain i feel every day. I absolutely hate it.

But more than that i hate the mental anguish it puts me through daily.

I've learnt recently that i cannot get rid of it, but having people that i can talk to about it, ultimately helps others to understand what i'm going through. I've been trying to reach out to people in my life that are willing to listen. That might sound selfish, like i want people only if i can unload what's on my mind, but it's actually the opposite. I've been working hard at building real friendships were we can both be honest with one another.

I just wish we could all be more honest with one another, and that it would come easily to us. But it doesn't, being honest takes a lot of courage. Be courageous, try to share with someone whats really going on in your mind, you never know, they could open up too.

I'm not okay. 

But i'm ok with not being okay. 

I don't know if my anxiety, if my insecurities, or my fears will ever go away. But i'm trying to change what i can. And i'm happy with that. 

Love to you all, Beth xxx

Benefit Hello Flawless Foundation REVIEW!

BACK in December my mum and i were doing a bit of shopping in Belfast, actually we were having a day out together, something we like to do every month or so. 

By this time Boots had taken on extra staff, they were working the promotions and trying to entice customers. As my mum and i were having a relaxed day, we listened to what they had to say. They then offered to try some products on us. My mum and i had been talking about brow products so we say Yes!

(After our makeovers... look how beautiful my mumsie is!!!)

An hour later, my mum had her eyebrows and mascara done, and i had a full scale makeover. As a result of this my mum very kindly treated me to benefits ‘they’re real!’ mascara (RRP £19.50) and i got myself ‘hello flawless oxygen wow!’ foundation (RRP £26.50) in Ivory. I’ve been using both products for a couple of months now so i thought it was high time i did a couple of reviews!

For this blog post we're gonna focus on my review of ‘Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow!’ foundation in Ivory. 

One of the main things that stood out to me when the benefit staff member put this foundation on me, was how well it matched my skin tone. Ive always felt any foundation was a shade too dark or it had a yellow undertone that make me look ill. 

Then there’s the texture, I've always hated that the majority of foundations are cakey, really obvious and hard to work with once applied. However, i love that this foundation works so well with my moisturiser and primer. It gives amazing coverage, whilst looking glowy and not drying my skin out. It lasts well throughout the day, really hides my redness and blotchy skin. The application is made easy as the bottle has a pump top, and i find i get the best results by applying it with my fingers.

(After 6 hours of wear with minimal makeup...seriously love this foundation!!)

This was such a risky investment for me, but it felt so great on me, i wanted to take the chance. To be honest, i can’t see myself changing to any other foundation for the foreseeable future. Nothing compares at the moment.

If you can get your hands on a sample or get an application of this foundation at your local benefit stand, i would definitely recommend you give it a go.

Much Love, Beth xxx

Jessie Ware @The Mandela Hall, Belfast - 20th January 2015

So back in December on my parent’s Anniversary, my brother surprised me with tickets to go and see Jessie Ware. If i’m honest, i knew he was just as excited to go and see her as i was. 

The day crept up on us, as it always does but we were super excited! Neither of us had been to a concert at the Mandela Hall in Belfast but we knew it was a small enough venue that the gig would be intimate. We arrived super early near the venue but we went off and got some amazing food (Review coming soon) at Scalini’s, followed by a tradition of coffee at Starbucks. We got back just in time for the doors opening, and fortunately there wasn't a crazy queue! So it ended up that we got a sacred spot at the rail. 

We were stood right in front of a speaker, so the sound was pretty intense, but i couldn't care less! 

The guest performance was a band called ‘Dornik’ and what i loved about it was he used to be Jessie Ware’s drummer! Keeping it in the Family!

He gave a really good performance and I've checked out some of their music since. If you'd like to see a video my brother made of their performance then check it out here

Then came on Jessie! The crowd were going mental for her, but it felt lovely to be in a room of people that really appreciated her music. I can definitely say, Jessie gave an amazing performance, her performance was actually better than any recorded music.  

What i loved most, was how real she was throughout the concert. She chatted away to people between the songs and let us in on a little background story to some of the songs. I really enjoyed myself and i came away from the evening feeling like i’d had an amazing time. I would definitely go to a concert at the Mandela Hall again, and i would definitely see Jessie Ware in concert again.

Hope you enjoyed my review, check out some more photos below.

Much Love, Beth

Check out my brothers Instagram for photos he took of Jessie Ware at the concert!