Whoo whoo that's the sound of the Police!

Sat 30th May, a day that will live in all our minds for a long time I think.

So it's the day of the Race for Life 5k Pretty muddy Event. It's a lovely 18 degrees, the sun is shinning and the roads are clear.

 

Then suddenly there was a thud, then a sound of metal grinding on asphalt.  We were in the fast lane with no other option than to squeeze onto the central reservation as what was left of the blown tyre, came flying past us!

Four women in the car, none with previous experience of exploding tyres and cars whizzing past us like they were late for a formula 1 convention. We had no choice, we had to call the cops (FYI the AA won't come and rescue you from the central reservation, it's not their job). We were instructed to put on our hazards and stay in the car with the seatbelt on and under no circumstances were we to try and cross the motorway to get to the hard shoulder.....no shit Sherlock!

Within seconds of calling the police, there were new motorway signs stating accident, slow down to 50mph.  Unfortunately, that was relatively ignored by the majority of the speed freaking wankers. Thankfully, 5 mins later the whole section of the motorway was cordoned off so that we could hobble across to the hard shoulder.

Then something wonderful and miraculous happened.  The police changed our tyre for us! (we had explained we were on our way to a charity race and that the AA had refused to come out until the car was secured in a safer place).  I can't thank them enough. We never got their names but they were marvellous male and female officers.

Not only did they have to inflate the spare tyre first,  they had it all secured and the damaged tyre packed away by the time the AA did actually arrive.  We had a lucky escape  a) because the central reservation was wide enough that we weren't actually sitting on the middle of the road.  b) That we were in an MPV that could take the impact of an exploding tyre without flipping over.  c) That the police acted so quickly.  d) That they bent the rules and replaced the tyre.  e) That we are all alive to tell the tale.

So we got to the race in time to find our missing member making the most of the atmosphere

After some pep talk

To my beautiful team members....

GI Janes on a mission

Go under or over decisions decisions!

Some of us flew over

Others needed some help

But we all got muddy.....somewhere!

Some of us ran to the finish line.....

Others needed  their inhaler ...ah bless

              

But under the circumstances, crossing the finish line deserved something extra

Others had to make do with Race for life medals    

But the only way to finish is with a glass of bubbly

                                          Thanks to Brett and Debbie for support!

                                         
                                         Thanks to Paul for all your photography

And thanks to all you lovely people who helped us raise this amount for Cancer research.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

24 hours and counting!

On 7th February 2015, 7 makeup artists decided to take part in a Pretty Muddy 5k Race for Life on behalf of Cancer research.

111 days later, 7  turned into 5.   Collectively, we have undergone approximately 70 hours of training, suffered aching knees, ankles and bums.  Had  disagreements with what promo pics to choose. Have had fun taking promo pics. Have sent 83 Twitter and Facebook notifications.

We set a goal to raise £1000.  We've exceeded that and raised £1460.  (Although we're hoping we can get a final push to take that to £2000).

With the money we have raised  for Cancer Research and Breast cancer in particular. We have made a contribution that will  hopefully cover the following:

• £10 could buy 300 glass slides for studying cells and tumour samples in detail under the microscope.
• £30 could buy around 250 plastic Petri dishes. They're an essential resource for thousands of scientists who are working hard to understand cancer.
• £54 could buy 22 thermometers (range -10°C to 110°C) – indispensable for many experiments that need to be performed at very precise temperatures.
• £94 could cover the cost for one woman to take part in a clinical trial aiming to improve survival for post-menopausal women with early-stage breast cancer.
• £123 could fund one cancer information nurse for a day. Our experienced cancer information nurses provide a confidential service for anyone with concerns about cancer. 
• £260 could buy a sophisticated microarray; a powerful piece of technology, helping scientists to scrutinise thousands of genes in a single experiment, and identify which are switched on in cancer.
• £677 could cover the cost of one person taking part in a clinical trial testing chemotherapy before and after surgery, and the antibody drug Vectibix, to improve survival for bowel cancer patients.
• £900 could cover around 20 days running expenses for an important lab project into a type of children's cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma. The study aims to identify molecules that are involved in driving tumour growth, and this could lead to improved treatments so that more children survive the disease in the future.

So thank you for following us on this journey and we hope to show you a video of our run, filled with muddy madness.

DONATE:     https://www.justgiving.com/teams/dirty-dollys

TEXT:   70070 and quote  DOLL93 £5

Raised so far: £1,460.77     (thanks you guys! xxx)

5k Pretty Muddy Race for life

Which Tip: I'm Not Visualising Correctly! #LOA

Which Tip: I'm Not Visualising Correctly! #LOA: Anyone who knows me or who has scanned through my blogs, knows I am an avid believer in Rhonda Byrne

I'm Not Visualising Correctly! #LOA

Anyone who knows me or who has scanned through my blogs, knows I am an avid believer in Rhonda Byrne's The Secret and all things related to the Law of Attraction.

In fact, I am part of a  selective group of "Secreters" who regularly meet up and keep each other boosted.  A new member felt frustrated as she'd been doing a mantra each morning and visualising the outcome, but months had passed and nothing had happened.

I  didn't know what she was visualising about but I asked her, when she visualises, can she see the back of her own head?  When you're driving that dream car, can you see the back of your head? When you're talking to that guy you fancy, can you see the back of your head in that scenario?

Visualising is like being Neo in the Matrix.  Your body is in one place (usually a place you're rather not be) and your mind (and spirit) is elsewhere.  I once went to bed 'visualising' I was doing 100 sit ups.  Through my eyes, I could see from the middle of my torso, to the tip of my toes.  I could feel the pain in my abdomen as I hoisted myself off an imaginary floor.  I could feel the breath leave my lungs as I exhaled and inhaled. As I would if I were truly doing sit ups.  I didn't watch myself doing the sit-ups as if I were watching a home movie (I could not see the back of my head).  The results were, when I woke up the next morning, I could hardly move as my stomach muscles ached so much from all those sit ups I had done in my realistic imagination.

If you're seeing yourself, your full body, doing anything, you're day dreaming.  There's nothing wrong with that.  Everyone can do with a little flight of fancy every now and then.  But if you truly want something to change in your life, you have to see it through your minds eye first.  It may take you a while to master, but when it's done, the world is yours.

Speaking of visualising.  I wanted to help raise £1000 for Race for Life.   We have managed to do that and we still have 26 days to run and raise funds.  Thanks to everyone who has helped thus far.

DONATE:     https://www.justgiving.com/teams/dirty-dollys

TEXT:   70070 and quote  DOLL93 £5

Raised so far: £1,017.77     (thanks you guys! xxx)

                               "Duchess", "GI Jane", "Bollywood", "Doc Martins", "Guru".

What's New In Make Up!

Have just come back from Bourjois press launch and I must say, they never cease to amaze me!

First up is the Sunlight Elixir.  A non greasy skin bronzer that gives a golden sheen to tanned or dark skin (similar to MACs beach body oil, without the oily tackiness) and it smells divine.  Should be great for shoots if you're using a darker model.  For those who are into the "Essex" tan. There is also a bronzing BB cream in matt and sheen.  It promises to last 24 hours and smudge proof.

Nude Sensation foundation is a light coverage mouse foundation cream.    If you have clear skin but want it to look as smooth as velvet, this is for you.  Your friends will think you've been rubbing vaseline on your camera lens!    It comes in 4 shades (pale to olive) RRP £9.99

Aqua Blush is a pump action blusher.  Very subtle, it gives just a hint of colour.  Fine if you're looking for a no makeup, makeup look. For professional shoots, you have to build it up layer by layer.  It comes in 4 shades, but coral was my favourite as it worked with most skin tones depending on how many layers you applied.  RRP £8.99

Anyone, who has used their Rouge Edition Velvet lip glosses, will know how good they are, and how moisturising they are even though they are matt.   They have now brought out an Aqua version, which has a very nice 80's sheen to it.   RRP £8.99

Products should be in stores from May to June, but well worth looking out for.

RACE FOR LIFE  5K Pretty Muddy Update

WE ARE NOW 37 DAYS AND COUNTING TILL  "D -DAY"....eek!.  WE HAVE MANAGED TO RAISE  £967.77 (THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THOSE WHO HAVE DONATED SO FAR).

DONATE:     https://www.justgiving.com/teams/dirty-dollys

TEXT:   70070 and quote  DOLL93 £5

                               "Duchess", "GI Jane", "Bollywood", "Doc Martins", "Guru".

"

Can we PLEASE stop using the N- word!

Day 49

We have been looking into our family tree and as a person of colour, obviously we've run into relatives who were slaves.

We have managed to get copies of flyers from the Caribbean (there was a lot of rebelling and runaways in Jamaica, no wonder it was the first Island to abolish slavery).

The majority of paperwork relates to people from Africa as Negros.  It comes from the Latin word Niger meaning the colour Black.

Malcom X as well as others in the American Civil right movements of the 60's, championed for the word Negro to be removed, due to its connotations to slavery, discrimination  and segregation.

Nigger, is an American word.  Used as an insult to anyone with even a single drop of black blood running in their veins.  It is a seriously offensive word, that brings to mind, one races inhumanity towards another.  Whipping, rape, hanging, poverty and torture.

Yet black men insist on calling each other this word. They say it to each other in the street, they use it in their song lyrics, they use it in films.  I have young nephews who hear these words every day.  Why?   The people who insist on using this word, who are in the main stream entertainment industry claim they are reclaiming the word, so it no longer has any power over us.....BULLSHIT!

The Jews suffered not only slavery in the past, but 6 million suffered at the hands of Germans, yet I have yet to hear a Jewish comedian or singer open up with "What's up my Yids"

Pakistanis suffered at the hands of the English but I don't remember any bollywood hits with lyrics "I'm a Paki and I'm proud!"

The Irish suffered for over 800 years at the hands of the English, yet I don't remember any of them constantly referring to each other as 'Paddy'.

I grew up in the 80's where offensive words like that were constantly on TV (we still had the Black & White minstrel show on TV for God's sake!).  Words like those above were used to hurt, insult or used to make another feel inferior.

The word 'Nigger' IS a major insult.  It shows how low you have become.   Low intelligence, low prospects, low life expectancy.  Those in the entertainment industry,  use that word to inflame, to be popular with the kids who they want to buy their products and make THEM rich.  In that respect, they are no better than the old slave masters.   We should be helping each other, not using words to segregate us further.   We need to ban this word, not only from others but by us as blacks too.  To do otherwise, is to perpetuate the Nigger mentality.  Generations of black boys killing each other in the gutter,  where the old slave masters always said they belonged.

Race for Life 5K Pretty Muddy Reading 30th May 2015

DONATE:     https://www.justgiving.com/teams/dirty-dollys

TEXT:   70070 and quote  DOLL93 £5

MONEY RAISED SO FAR:   £830.77

                 "Duchess", "GI Jane", "Bollywood", "Doc Martins", "Guru".

WHERE'S MY EASTER EGG???

Day 42

Since time began, Man has felt the need to explain the existence of the Universe.  For those with a more sensitive persuasion, they have felt the presence of a force, an energy.

It doesn't matter which part of this world you visit, with its population of over 7 BILLION people, every nation will believe in something or someone. A deity of some kind.  And with each deity, there will be a story to explain its existence, as well as our own.    It has been this way since man first walked the earth and it shall be that way, long after our generation has withered into dust.

For far too long, religion has been used to control and conquer the weak and the poor.  It has been used as an excuse to create enemies of anyone who has a different belief.   And yet it still persists.  Man can sense there is SOMETHING there.

I myself believe in a higher power, I also believe that all power is within us all.  We "borrow" the energy and with it we create our own reality.  Whether that thought be positive or negative,  I have created it.

Some might say that's crazy, but that is my belief.


So whether you believe in the Easter bunny (which was originally a pagan festival of fertility by the way), Christ, Jewish Passover, Buddhist Higan, etc.

Happy Easter one and all!

Race for Life 5K Pretty Muddy Reading 30th May 2015

DONATE:     https://www.justgiving.com/teams/dirty-dollys

TEXT:   70070 and quote  DOLL93 £5

MONEY RAISED SO FAR:   £726.10

                 "Duchess", "GI Jane", "Bollywood", "Doc Martins", "Guru".