It's Been Quite The Week!

Oh Hi, 

Well, what a week eh? I feel like the last few days have been huge and special and exhausting and exhilarating and so it feels fitting to round it all up here, like a digital scrapbook or memory box. 

First and foremost, I wanted to say. 'thank you'. In 7 years, I have never felt let down by you as readers and viewers. I've thrown some pretty big sh*t at you and yet, always, you've been amazing. I also want to say, for those that have even a crumb of confusion, I'm NOT leaving!!! Argh that would be terrible!! I'm still me, I still love glitter and girliness, but yanno, I'm an adult. I'm evolving, I'm growing up. 

Last week I announced that I was closing a chapter of life and beginning a new one. Gone is the 100% sickly sweet perfect princess vibe, and welcomed is a more honest version of my life, still glittery but also peppered with the occasional swear and some real life humour. 

I'll let you in on a secret- I've been doing it for a while. I've been making slightly older videos and getting into my new groove all summer (you might have noticed I've been a bit more 'me' in my Chatter channel videos) and the new artwork was always gonna happen (that's still coming btw). I almost didn't make a video. I was going to just slowly transcend into a more 'me' vibe, but I felt a chatty video was a good idea- I like to keep you in the loop. 

Please don't take it too literally. This is not a sad time, this is a brilliant time! The future looks bright. 

Turns out, that kind of announcement causes quite a stir with a lorra lorra news outlets picking it up and for the most part, being super supporting. The BBC wrote a lovely piece and even The Sun got involved (although I prefer not to link them as my heart belongs to Liverpool). A couple of media sites really went to town with the 'Louise Pentland Vows to Make Adult Videos' which made me chuckle. Don't worry, I won't be making those kinds of adult videos any time soon. Honestly, you'd have to gouge your eyes out with rusty spoons if you were subjected to that kind of visual. 

A few of you have asked if there will be any more 'Sprinkle of Glitter' merch or projects (like the books, clothing lines, posters etc). The answer is YES. Deep down I will always 'Sprinkle of Glitter' and I'm happy to still be called it and have it beautifully emblazoned on things, I'm just being a more honest version and it feels more natural to start using my name, Louise Pentland, a bit more. 

My 2017 Diary is available to buy and you guys have been going gaga for it. Hooray!

I've loved seeing all your pictures and hearing how much you like it. Keep them coming! You can pick up your copy from all major supermarkets, bookshops or Amazon. Click HERE to get yours. I'm planning on talking about this a fair bit more in the future too so keep your eyes pealed for that! 

Less than a day after all the hub-bub about me not being the new youtube porn star (please get that, re the above para, don't be confused. I should stop this joke asap), I was back on the road (again, not in the 'adult' street worker sense, theatre darling, theatre) for my basically amazing theatre show, Louise LIVE. 

We toured 5 UK cities, I meet so many of you, I laughed a lot at my own jokes and, in one of the shoes, my shoes hurt so badly that my left big toe bled into my shoe- huzzah!!! One lovely lady called Lucy, wrote THIS review.

In all seriousness, aside from the blood-toe-shoe-fiasco, I bloody (no pun intended) LOVED this tour. We raised the age limit for the tickets (something I want to do again next year but even higher) and I felt so free. The content was aimed at women my age and the humour was a little more racey than I'd normally allow. I definitely want to develop this. If you didn't make it to the show but would like to watch it, the DVD (made by the BBC no less!) is available to pre-order on Amazon, HERE. 

Such a huge thank you to all the theatres that hosted me, the wonderful staff at each one, my amazing team who sold merch/handled tech/made everything run so beautifully and of course, huge thank you to all of you who came along and made the shows so full of buzz and zizz. Roll on 2017 for the next one!!

After such an intense few days (and actually, a pretty whirlwind summer), I was craving homey normality. I'm big on routine. It makes me feel safe and so having spent almost 2 months with little to no structure, Sunday was bliss. We went to church (where I snapped this adorable shot below of my Dad and Darcy), had a mini photoshoot outside (the first photo in this post was taken by Darcy!) and then, quite spontaneously hopped over to MuMu's for pizzas and giant milkshakes. I sent a text round to the gang (my local mummy friends) to ask them to lunch and in a wonderful stroke of luck, they were all free and up for it- this NEVER happens! Once you pass a certain age and/or push a human out your fanny, you can never ever get all your friends together at once without some sort of military style planning weeks in advance. 

And so, me, Darcy, my friends, their small humans and menfolk, sat and ate and laughed and sometimes a little bit shouted, 'Sit down! No you cannot have my phone! MIND YOUR DRINK', and it was brilliant. I felt so relaxed and like my roots are so deep where I am. 

If ever you're in Northampton, head to St Giles street and order a 'pimped milkshake'. You can thank me afterwards.

Monday was back to work normality and so I went to the world wide premiere of Bridget Jones Baby. Hahaha. I know, I sound like a real dick. Let me have my moment. <3 p="">

I've been Bridget's biggest fan since I first read my Auntie Jackie's battered old copy of the first book when I was 16. I felt like finally I was reading something that I related to. Bridget is charming and clumsy and compassionate and basically, my hero. So, the premiere was not something I was going to pass up. 

The film was fun, I laughed til I cried and cheered with joy at the end. I won't say anymore because I don't want to spoil it but really, go and watch it whilst it's in cinemas. I want to buy the soundtrack to it too. 

My dress to the premiere was from ASOS and felt amazing. What didn't feel amazing though was the beige fortress of control underwear I was wearing underneath. Honestly, you've not felt 'support' until you're wearing what is essentially a swimming costume of turgid beige fabric that sort of acts as a damn against all your fat. Taking it off in the toilets afterwards felt greater than I care to describe. 

Next day was the inevitable yearly panic of, 'oh my f*ck I haven't bought Darcy's plimsoles' and 'When did you grow 8 sizes out of your ballet kit?'. A day of shlepping round spending hundreds of pounds ensuring that everything on the list was ticked. Going to school these days is quite the feat. No more rocking up in your polo shirt and grey skirt with some shorts and tee-shirt in a bag for PE. Oh no. Get your judo kits ironed kids, it's September!!

Actually, aside from a little part of my soul dying as I spent £90 on smart shoes, plimpsoles and trainers, I loved the day so much. We mooched round Milton Keynes shopping centre and enjoyed everything it had to offer. I like to try and make shopping days as much fun as possible for Darcy so that she doesn't feel like she's being forced to walk round doing errands (which she is). We watched pennies whir round the charity thing that makes pennies look cool (descriptives on point), had lunch at Wagamama's (I have the regular katsu curry and she has the children's version and we like that we match), she coloured worksheets in kiddie corner, got all her wiggles out running in the open spaces and, my favourite bit, experimented with bath bombs in Lush. I was so impressed with the customer service and how much they made her feel like she was special and gave her that little experience. Also, I had a little shop so perhaps a haul soon would be good? 

A big week. I've loved it. 

Autumn feels like it's upon us and I'm glad. I'm finding my feet with routine again and throwing myself into work and motherhood after our summer of whimsy. 

Feel free to write an essay in the comments about your week, it's cathartic lemme tell you!!

Toodlepip!

xx

Why I'm 'Quitting' My YouTube Channel

Oh Hi, 

This is the kind of blog post I feel like I need to take a deep breath before writing. The kind that I need to sit in a quiet room and type fast sentences with long pauses for thought. I've been doing this for almost 7 years but still, there are posts where I feel nervous, like it's my first, and I am tentative yet buzzy with energy for. 

If you're reading this, you have most likely hopped over from my video. I've not filmed that video at the time of writing this. I decided I'd put all my thoughts down here, succinctly and carefully and then in the video I can freely chatter about it and if something is missed, I won't feel that pang of panic when you forget something, because it'll be securely noted here. This blog post is my safety net I guess.

(A very real picture. This is what I look like as I type this post. My necklace is wonky, my hair's a bit frizzy and those roots need some help, I don't have any concealer on and if I'm honest, some of that is yesterday's mascara. For a long time I've tried to be perfect. It's exhausting.)

Here goes. 

Sprinkle of Glitter (the blog) began one late Autumn night on Sept 20th 2009. Two months prior I'd bought a tiny fixer-upper house with my then fiance and I wanted somewhere to document the DIY we did in it. It was set to be a 3 month Autumn project to keep me busy when boredom set in. I'd had a lot of projects before that (my stint volunteering at the cattery, my obsession with Japanese seed beads, a failed attempt at daily baking etc etc) and so this felt no different. I wasn't one to stick at things. 

As the months rolled by, my love for the community around blogging deepened and once the house was finished, I didn't feel like the blog was. I transitioned it from DIY to beauty and in January 2010, set up a YouTube channel, also called Sprinkle of Glitter. 

When Sprinkle of Glitter started, I was a 24 year old PA in a corporate (aka so, so dull) office. I was engaged, planning a wedding, making new friends in a town I hadn't lived in for 6 years, doing up a house and basically, just finding my footing with adulthood. Life was sweet and so was I. 

Seven years later and a lot has happened. If you've been following all these years, some of this will be familiar. If not, let me fill you in. 

I had a big white wedding and we fixed up our house. We planned for and were blessed with a beautiful baby girl (Darcy) and lived happily and lovingly as a family of three (four if you count the grouchy old cat called Mindy that we adopted). Then, as many couples do, we drifted apart, couldn't fix our differences and parted ways to start new chapters separately. A big life thing. 

Over the past two years I've adjusted to single parenthood and acutely felt all the ups and downs that come with it. It still feels like I'm getting to grips with it and new things are still being experienced. As I write this, Darcy is on a holiday with her Dad and his partner. It's the longest I've ever been away from her and whilst I'm pleased for her having this experience and glad she is so loved by them, a part of my heart aches for her to be home with me. It's a hard mix of emotions. Each time something new happens in the shared parenting/single mother arena, the next time feels easier. There are lows but of course, lots of highs too. I'm learning how to navigate and 2 years in, I feel OK. I'll probably touch on this more in the future. 

I've tried my hand at dating, or 'disaster dating' as I've referred to it over copious glasses of fizz with my friends and hope that one day soon I'll fully love and allow myself to be fully loved in return. Although my heart is squishy and open to the idea, it's also fiercely protective of Darcy and any repercussions my love life could have on her. Tricky tricky. 

In the last few years, I've learnt a lot more about what friendship is, what it means to me and the type of friend I am to other people. I've had moments where I've felt so thankful to the people in my life that I could burst. Friends that will pick you up off the floor, shivvy you along even when you're crying, laugh with you over nothing, chatter for hours, embark on tiny adventures (Emma- the time we ran breathlessly from the pub cackling all the way down the road, I'm thinking about this right now!), cheer for you in your success and fill your heart, those are friends. 

I've had some big years. I've had amazing highs and frankly, some pretty awful lows. I've had some 'dig deep' moments and have enjoyed the feeling of always plodding on, always finding the best in each day and always enjoying whatever I have. 

Personal life, you have been a big ass roller coaster. 

Professional life, so have you!! 

I no longer work in the stuffy office of dullness. Instead, quite unexpectedly, social media has become my full time gig and it's all because of you. Your reading, your watching, your support, your kind comments, your love, has turned this late night Autumn project into a blossoming business. Thank you. A million times, thank you.

I was going to do a round up of everything Sprinkle of Glitter has offered in the last 7 years but it's way too much. It has just been incredible. I'm going to have to write an entire post of it's own on it next month because I think it deserves to be documented. I've made life long friends, experienced things I never thought possible, met unbelievable people, travelled, created, published, designed and lived fully. It's hard to express in a paragraph how much has happened- it's been life changing. 

And so to my point. When I began all this, my life was so different, I was different. I was sweet and sugary and untarnished I guess. In almost a decade (woah), I've had knocks and scrapes and growth and life. I'm different. I'm still me, but I'm an older (maybe wiser?) me. I still see life through positive eyes and I still laugh at the ridiculous but I'm an adult. Life isn't all blessings and giggles. Life is loud and vibrant and amazing and gentle and rough and everything in between. I am those things too sometimes. 

As I've grown in my real life, I haven't allowed myself to grow in my online one. I've kept everything rosey and sweet and although I've shared vulnerable moments and been very honest, I've always sugar coated, held back and tried very hard not to offend. 

As an audience grows in size as mine has done (woohoo), so do the amount of opinions you have thrown at you. You're not honest enough, you're sharing too much, you're boring, you're immature, you're using this for views, you're not showing enough of that, you're saying things you shouldn't, you should come out of your shell more. You simply cannot win. 

In a bid to try to though, I've held back. A lot. I've kept things sweet and nice and plodded along reasonably unscathed by the dreaded trolls and haters. I've played it safe. I've stayed inside my box. 

I'm so, so bored. 

My sense of humour is dirty and my life is adult. I like to do shots with my Mummy friends (not with our littles around obviously!), I like to say, 'fuck' and I sometimes, heaven forfend, take Darcy on adventure days that go on past her bedtime. I'm not perfect. I'm don't live a princessy life in a house made of candycanes (although that does sound cool), I just do normal things. I'm 31, I work, I play. I'm so bored of making things I know will just coast by, not upsetting the apple cart. I want to run free and enjoy it. 

I still do want to make videos about the usuals (hauls, motherhood, collabs) but I want to just let myself go more. I need to shed this sugary sweet sparkles and unicorns thing and just say, 'hey, my name is Louise Pentland. I'm a nice gal, doing my best, dating, mumming, enjoying myself, let's share and talk and enjoy'. 

I want to make videos about the hideous dates I've been on, heck, I'd like to make videos talking brazenly about some of the sex I've had. I'd like to make videos talking about Motherhood not just in a light way like I do now but I'd like to tell you what I find hard without you thinking I'm a shit mother or what I find easy without you thinking I'm being smug. I want to make videos about my journey with religion and faith. I want to talk openly about my relationship with the church and what it means to me. I'd like to be able to openly admit that I don't like choker necklaces or those little circle framed sunglasses with blue mirrored lenses! I'd like to run free with my sense of humour, I'd like to be able to have adult conversations, aimed at adults, even though I know some (although not the main proportion) of my audience are young. 

What I really want for the next seven years, and hopefully with your blessing, is to step forward and just be the person I am. More raw, more real, more me. 

What do you think? Are you chill with that? 

Toodlepip

xx

PS- I'm dropping, 'Aloha Sprinklerinos'. New greetings ideas needed!

Preparing Darcy for School

Disclaimer: This is a paid for advertorial with Tesco. 

Aloha Glitterbugs!

Oooeeee it's been a while since I tiptapped away here on my blog. Summer holidays are in full swing so most of my time has been taken up with Mummy duties and squeezing in work round playdates and trips and you get it, you get it. More posts to follow soon I promise! Also, it's about time this blog had a bit of a makeover so keep your eyes peeled! 

Something I've really enjoyed blogging about more this year has been Motherhood and the fun that accompanies that great adventure. 

Darcy is now 5 and so school is a big part of our lives. Last year was her very first year and with every milestone I felt my heart swell. Trying on her uniform, her first stage show, sports day, parents evenings, I love them. Watching her grow and develop is such a pleasure. 

Naturally, as she grows and progresses through her education, there are certain things I need to do to make life run smoothly and the back to school kit is always something I enjoy sorting out. There's something really pleasing about the start of a new school year. Fresh uniforms, unscuffed shoes, sharp pencils and brand new lunch boxes all bring the promise of exciting times ahead and make me feel all the warm fuzzies- is anyone on the same page with me? I hope so!! 

I thought it might be fun in this post to tell you a few of the ways I like to help Darcy prepare for the start of a new year, and how Tesco help me make that easy peasy. Yay!

Bedtimes

I'm pretty strict on a 7pm bedtime throughout the year (Darcy is like me, sleep is vvveerry important) but with no early mornings during the holidays, I usually let it slip. So, a week before school starts, we transition back to 7pm (from about 8-8.30pm). By doing it gradually, I don't have to completely throw her the night before and cause a melt down. Slowly, slowly. 

F&F School Girls Gingham Dresses with Scrunchie (Red, Green and Yellow). Subject to availability, while seasonal stock last, selected stores only).

Uniform

If I'm totally honest with you, I might actually be the least organised person on the face of the planet. I regularly find myself at almost the point of tears because I've lost things/left stuff to the last minute so to avoid this when term starts, I collect together everything she needs uniform wise, wash it, iron it and have it ready by the door/hanging in her room so that when it comes to it, we can just put it on and GO. I find it so helpful that Tesco have everything you need without having to schlep to lots of different places. Trousers (with reinforced knees for little boys- yay for Mummies!) have amazing quality fits in slim, flat and pleated, the dresses are super sweet (would you just look at those matching scrunchies-so sweet) and these light up anti-scuff shoes were such a hit that I think all shoes are going to need flash features now!! Eeep!

Foodies

Darcy generally has hot lunches cooked by her school but she does take in snacks for break time or evening clubs, so buying her new lunch and snack boxes is always fun. Plus, we can use them for non-school outtings. Or, yanno, if Mummy's feeling fancy and wants to put her popcorn in a bright pink box, she can. Heh heh- it certainly gets my 'Mum Stamp Of Approval'!

Stationery

If you know me at all you know how deep my love for stationery is. So, at this back-to-school time of year, when Tesco is full to the brim with a huge range of untouched pads of paper and giant packs of coloured gel pens, my heart feels aflutter. I hope hope hope that Darcy feels the same love for brand new stationery as I do because this kid is spoilt with supplies! Oooeeeeee I could fill a room with all the lovely things! 

Thinking

Although she isn't moving school this year (last year we transitioned from nursery to reception), she will be moving class and spending time in a new area of the building. We're going to talk a lot about this (I think whilst having a little role play game of Schools so it doesn't feel too intense for her), just so she is mentally prepared for the change and her mind is ready for something different. I know that if my work or leisure spaces changed, I'd feel a bit thrown so the prep is worth it. 

I'm so thankful that Darcy loves her school life so much and that we can enjoy this back-to-school prep together. I'd love to know what you do to get your little ones ready, tell me in the comments! 

Toodlepip!

xx

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