Wednesday 31 December 2014

Reflecting on 2014

So I started doing a reflections post on the last year yesterday and it turned into a more of a personal in depth reflection (and was 2,500 words) so I thought I'd spare you the personal essay type reflection and put it in bullet points (as every other reflection post seems to be) after last year I don't think this year has been as dramatic, my life hasn't changed hugely or anything, it's just continued and that's the main thing I've learnt I suppose - that Life goes on and that Life is good. 




  • Around February time I chopped off my long thick blonde locks to a shorter style. I wasn't initially pleased with the actual cut but was happy that I had taken the plunge and done it. After that my hair felt fuller, thicker and I didn't feel like I was hiding behind it anymore.
  • I started reading Rookie more regularly after I got the second yearbook for my birthday and immediately became obsessed.
  • Most of March and April were spent leading up to my dance exams, I took my Advanced One Tap, Intermediate Modern and Intermediate Ballet, and although I wasn't overly happy with the outcome I am happy I powered through and did them, and am happy I never have to do a dance exam again!
  • During April I travelled to Russia with school and had a great experience. I remember feeling happy when I was in Russia but not ecstatic or anything but I know that as soon as I returned home I missed it. I missed the country, I missed the people I shared the experience with and I just missed travelling. It was a really great experience that I don't think I can ever match. 
  • Although my youtube channel was not updated regularly I was really happy with these few videos that I took, a vlog, a chatty one and a lookbook.
  • Had my annual dance show this year and once again it was amazing. It takes so much hard work the couple months before but when your on that stage surrounded by the friends that you love, all the literal blood, sweat and tears are worth it! 
  • After a week work experience in a PR agency in London I got asked to go back so spent three week of my summer working there. This must be one of the highlights of learning in my year, although I didn't have the greatest time of my life - I wasn't that interested in what I was doing and didn't feel a connection to the work - looking back at it, I learnt a lot. I learnt what it's like to commute, I learnt what an office environment is like, I learnt the standards expected of you in an office, I learnt how beautiful London is in the summer. One of my main highlights of these three weeks were my lunch breaks when I would go out to Soho square and sit and eat my lunch int he sunshine of London and people watch, there was so much hustle and bustle and so many different types of people around that it was just so intriguing and captivating to watch.
  • I travelled to Chicago and Florida with my family which was an unforgettable experience. Chicago was a dream, an absolute dream. It was exploring another corner of the world that I've never been to before, seeing new sights, seeing new people, learning new random things about American culture. It was bonding with my family. It was eating too much. It was sleeping in a hotel next to a fire station. It was walking in the boiling hot air in the windy city. It was sitting on the pier looking at the fireworks on the last night, staring at the skyline lit up in the night sky. We then travelled to Florida which was even more of a dream. It was spent eating, laughing, tanning, shopping. I treasure these holidays with my family a lot as I never know when the last one we take with all five of us will be (because of changing lives - jobs/uni etc)
  • I got my exam results which I was relatively happy with. Happy with English (the main one!), Photography and Classics but not so much with History but I knew I just had to work harder the upcoming year.
  • Starting Year 13 was really exciting - our senior year! It didn't feel like the movies but I felt we all had a collective feeling of making the last year the best one. 
  • In October I passed my driving test! It gave me the freedom to get out of this village when I want to and not rely on many other people to do so.
  • I sent off my UCAS and got three offers and an interview! All the stress surrounding personal statement etc was definitely worth it.
  • After becoming Editor-in-chief of my school magazine in March, the first issue came out beginning of November and I felt so proud! So proud of all of my team to put it all together, we felt it looked so professional and it got a great reaction from the rest of the school which was a needed plus.
  • I became of one of the 'head pupils' at my dance school which is what I've dreamed of (I suppose) since I was little. It's odd being one of the oldest at the school but I've been attending it since I was three so it is a honour to be a head pupil of it with three of my best friends.
  •  I got my first ever PR sample of a divine bracelet from Tales of the Earth jewellery. I was really pleased with this as I felt that my blog had suffered from school etc in the past few months so getting given this gave me an extra small boost of confidence!
  • Christmas has to be my last highlight of the year - It was spent laughing, eating and talking loudly with my cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and close family. It was divine and just what the holidays are supposed to be about.
2014 was a good year! And I have a sneaky feeling that 2015 will exceed it, I've got lots of exciting things happening - A mass of parties, a ski trip, my 18th party, (exams etc) leaving school, girl holiday to Aya Napa, Final Fling, the dance show then off to University. I'm not sure where I'm going yet but I suppose it makes the upcoming year very, very exciting. But wherever I'm going, and wherever my life takes me I plan to take this blog with me. I know I haven't excelled or anything this year in my blog but I will continue to work hard on it and dedicate my are time to making it bigger and better!  My life isn't precisely planned out like it has been all my previous years, it changes drastically this year and I cannot explain how bittersweet yet excited I am!
Happy New Year!

P.S. Congrats if you made it this far - it was a very very rambl-y post!

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Monday 29 December 2014

Absolute Dream



As absolute dream happened on Saturday night that meant I was able to get this Chanel, I repeat - Chanel (!) lipstick for free through one of my sisters friends! I had a choice of this classic red 'Cambon 31' or other shades of pink but I felt obligated to my love for red lips to choose this one, and I'm so glad I did! It's just pretty amazing to have something from Chanel, its not something I will wear everyday but I think that it will be special when I do. It's just such another lovely gift to have after Christmas!
So yeah, not the most informative blog post ever but I felt the need, as every blogger does, to share a materialistic thing with you all!

Now Watching // Watching Downton Abbey from Season One again, I forgot how much I love it!
Now Reading // Just finished Love, Rosie by Cecilia Ahern - such a captivating book with a sweet ending.


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Saturday 27 December 2014

My Christmas Day Outfit





 Dress - Asos. Shoes - New Look. Socks - Forever 21
This is so exciting, my first blog post from my new Macbook Pro. I am so so happy right now. Christmas was amazing, I spent it with lots of family in Essex laughing, eating and smiling. We arrived on Christmas Eve when we went to the cathedral for a Carol service which was good then had an evening of laughter with the anticipation of Christmas not too far away. Christmas Day was mainly spent eating and just catching up on life then opening presents in the evening. Boxing Day was spent not like I imagined but was equally as good - my cousins and I went on a (roughly) 15 mile bike ride! And I am not one to ride a bike often so I am feeling it today but it was really nice to spend some quality time outside with them, and burning off some Christmas lunch! We then had another big meal and finished off with Downton Abbey Christmas special (such a good episode) So overall I had a lovely Christmas that it is almost too hard to put it into words how grateful I am to spend it like that!

My main present was my Mac which I have been waiting for since last summer and I cannot explain how amazing it is! Hopefully everything will be slightly more professional and high tech on the blog from now on. I also got a range of clothes, accessories and lots of other lovely little gifts that I cannot stop staring at. Today is being spent rejuvenating and learning my way around this laptop, tomorrow I am off to see Edward Scissorhands at Sadlers Wells so it is fair to say, Life is pretty darn good right now! Hope you all had a Merry Christmas laughing and eating with loved ones!

P.S. Madeleine shot this outfit on Christmas Day and although I was at first doubtful at her camera skills I am really really happy with how they turned out, I think the light and background is beautiful that I would go as far to say that it is one of my favourite shoots on my blog, ever!

Now Reading // Love, Rosie by Cecilia Ahern - So sweet and captivating!







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Tuesday 23 December 2014

Uptown Funk




 Jeans - Topshop. Jumper and Jacket - Reublic (ages and ages ago) Scarf - Zara
I often think how much I would love to be a full-time blogger, like Lily Melrose, Lily Pebbles, Suzie from HelloOctober but I realise that it means I would be by my computer all day and as I have seen the past weekend, I can get very distracted by get very obsessed with a television show and then end up shutting the world out. Like I have with The Vampire Diaries the past weekend! I had some busy nights last week celebrating birthdays and Christmas with friends so by the time Friday came I need to rejuvenate myself so I opened up Netflix and got lost in the Mystic Falls world. It was fab but by the time Monday came around, I had cabin fever, I needed to get out of the house. So therefore on Monday I ventured into the hectic streets of London to do some photography shoots with Vicky. We braved Oxford street and took some street photography whilst gaining some odd looks from people around us, then walked to Carnaby street where we looked into a few shops like Brandy Melville and Monki before going to a thai restaurent. It was such a chilled day and I wanted to be comfy so kept my outfit simple and understated but actually was quite a fan of it. Grey has been a really popular colour this winter and I've definitely joined the trend, it goes with the monochrome vibe I often sport but just adds something slightly different. This is a jumper I got probably about 4 or 5 years ago and every now and then I find it and realise how much I love it!
I cannnot believe Christmas is so so soon! It's so exciting, I have been christmas baking and watching countless of Christmas films (The Polar Express on Sunday, Elf yesterday and The Holiday later today) to get me in the festive spirirt that I felt I was lacking. My family and I drive down to Essex tomorrow to spend Christmas and Boxing Day with my family, I'm super excited for a family Christmas and hope you all have a jolly time as well!

Now Playing // Yours by Ella Henderson, Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson and Classic Christmas songs!
Now Researching // Ways to get messy waves on short hair - Having serious hair envy at Izzy's hair (and life in America) at the moment!




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Tuesday 16 December 2014

Got that red lip classic thing that you like






Dress - Missguided. Coat and Boots - New Look. Scarf - Zara.
My recent obsession with roll necks is a bit out of control, the last three days I've worn them and I'm planning on wearing another one today! I remember when I was little my mum quite often wore them and when ever I would I didn't like them, I felt like they were choking me but fast forward ten years and I can't get enough. However they do still remind me of my mum, I think I look really similar to her with this style, especially with my short blonde hair! 
This is becoming my go-to outfit for any slightly more dressy occasion as it is so simple and comfy to wear but paired with my heeled boots from new look and my new coat, it works quite well to fit the 'smart-casual' look. I'm planning on wearing it tonight as I'm going to the West End to see The Scottsboro Boys with my friend Vicky and I cannot contain my excitement, I'm a sucker for a good musical!
My life the past couple of days has been recuperating from the past hectic term at school by watching a fair-share of The Vampire Diaries as well as rushing around the shopping centre looking for Christmas gifts - 8 days now!

Now Watching // The Vampire Diaries (obviously!)
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Thursday 11 December 2014

Style Crush - Gigi Hadid








My ultimate girl crush at the moment has to be Gigi Hadid. She has such a classic cool California chill vibe, the long blonde hair, the big blue eyes, it's no wonder at 19 years old that she has already had an amazing model career. At the moment she is linked with many model friends like Kendall Jenner and Cara Delvingne as well as being the girlfriend of Cody Simpson. Her instagram is one of my favourites as it is filled with different pictures like her beautiful model shots, stunning selfies and fun photo's with her friends. I just think that her career is going to blow-up in 2015 as she is such a stunning girl. Her fashion sense does also stand out to me as the California 'chill' vibe is very much there with casual knit jumpers and (as a model for Guess) the classic denim. Then her red carpet style is also stunning, my favourite being this simple black and white combination. The simplicty of it really captivates her laidback feel she has. But yeah, you can tell she is a proper girl/ style crush at the moment for me!
I should (fingers crossed) be back in the blogging swing as I break up for Christmas holidays tomorrow so can hopefully can spend some time on this blog and get it back to something I am proud of! Sorry for the absence over the past couple of months, life has just been getting in the way, as it always does! Hope life's good with you!

Now Reading - Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

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