My Spring Country Playlist!

After recently discovering the joys of having Spotify premium it has enabled me to find some pretty awesome new music. If you've been reading my blog for a while you will know that I have a soft spot for some country music, and that's the basis of my music playlist at the moment. So I thought, as I did back in June I would talk you through some of my favourite albums at the moment.

Striking Matches

'There's no music, no confetti
Crowds don't cheer, and bells don't ringbut you'll know it, I can guaranteewhen the right one comes along'

I first came across Striking Matches a couple of months ago after being introduced to them through the programme Nashville. They are the songwriters of one of the popular Scarlett and Gunnar duets, 'When the right one comes along.' After listening to a few of their EP's I was eager to hear their debut album. Their sound focuses around the guitar and the mix of a male and female voice create a tone of soothing voices that match perfectly to create a country inspired vibe. I'm pretty sure their album will be on repeat for a long long time.

James Bay

'Everything's that's broke
Leave it to the breeze
Why don't you be you
And I'll be me'

I have had James Bay's debut single 'Hold back the river' on repeat for goodness knows how long so I waited with baited breath, as I think a fair amount of the country did, for his debut album and it didn't disappointed! Yes, he does have a similar feel to Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith being a white male singer/songwriter but he has more of an edgy voice. Not only am I a fan of his hat, I love his chilled raspy voice, especially the fact the album has a range of slow songs like 'Need the sun to break' and more upbeat ones like 'collide.' It's the perfect Spring background music!

Nashville: On the Record Vol 2

'Got a pocket full of promise
Got it if you want it
Got a whole lot more to give
If your heart can handle it'

Nashville is one of my favourite TV shows and this music based episode where the cast perform live on the Opry and pay tribute to the songwriters of the show was ideal. Not only did they sing some of my favourite songs from the show like 'If you heart can't handle it' and 'Fade into you' there were some new ones, like the awesome Stella sisters singing 'We got a love.' Whenever the cast of Nashville come out with new songs I listen to them on repeat and this definitely won't be an exception!

The Shires

'We can build our own Nashville
Underneath these grey skies
And people will come, they'll come from far and wide
They'll leave their village greens and their big cities behind
We can build our own Nashville
It's about time'

Another Nashville/country duo, however this time - their from England! The Shires seem to have such a melodic and beautiful sound to their music. Their album, Brave, is a mix of slow love songs and upbeat pop-infused country songs. It's my perfect cup of tea. The upbeat songs like 'Friday Night'   and 'Nashville Grey Skies' sound perfect when driving along with my window down in the sun - then the slower songs like ' Brave' and 'All Over Again' fill the early Taylor Swift-esque hole in my life. The Shires is another music act that I'm very glad I've found!

I'm having a girly night in my sister and mum tonight, eating until we're stuffed and watching The Blind Side, and I couldn't be more excited! Hope your all having a good weekend! 

Now Listening // Listen to my Spotify Playlist of My Spring Country Playlist // StyleStorey - On the side of this page!

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Trouble is as Trouble Does

Top - Forever 21. Kimono and Shoes - H&M. Jeans - Topshop.

Oh, school! It's already taking up all my time and energy - and I've only been back two days! Today was horrible, it started with a timed History essay, after lunch an English timed essay and then I've been stuck in the library for two hours before a history lecture after school, not fun! But I'm actually in a pretty good mood, I've just been given the print edition of INK, and I could not be more excited. It's so exciting to see the whole year of work come together in an actual, physical, (and professional!) magazine. Being the editor, I almost feel like it's my little baby that has been growing this year and now it's finally all grown up - I don't know. It sounds odd but I just feel an overwhelming pride holding my magazine - lets hope its not the first of magazine I'm editor of that I get to hold!

A fairly simple outfit today, taken in my back lounge! It's been all stripped and redecorated so after the suggestion from Madeleine to use it as a background I went ahead and shot this outfit before I went out for dinner last week. I bought this floaty white crop top from Forever 21 and I love it, It has the perfect amount of 'float' (If that's even a word?) and the crochet at the top is a cute little touch. The Kimono adds to the bohemian relaxed type vibe of the outfit. It's just a simple one but actually something I really loved wearing, I felt all girly and cute!

Now Reading // Connor Franta's book 'A Work in progress' popped through my door yesterday and I'm pretty excited to start reading it!

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The importance of being part of a team

I have recently finished re-watching the first season of Friday Night Lights as it came to Netflix recently. And if you don't know what Friday Night Lights is (seriously, where have you been?) it's about a small town in Texas and is based around the high school football team. But, it's not all about sports! It's about the dramas, the romances, the passion behind the sport and everything to do with the coach's family and the players. And, it's amazing. Although I don't want this post to be all about this programme I would seriously recommend that everyone watches it - but I'm writing about this because it got me thinking about teamwork and how important it is.

I dance. That's my hobby (apart from blogging.) I've been dancing since I was three years old and since I was that age, I've been dancing in a group. We do a dance show every year or so so from the age of 3 onwards every year I would perform a dance in a group. Then, from about age eight onwards I started competitions and since then I have been performing with a group of four other girls by my side all these 15 years. And my love for those four other girls feels eternal.  In 3 months or so I will stop dancing with my dance school (as I hope to move to university) and the thought of leaving that dance school honestly breaks my heart. But reflecting on my past 15 years has taught me the importance of teamwork.

Teamwork makes the Dreamwork.

The two dances I do at competitions are solos and groups. I love doing solos - having the stage to your own and getting lost in a moment. But it's only you on that wide stage and sometimes, it gets a bit lonely. When you look out and see all those eyes staring just at you, it's a lil' scary. But when you dance in a group, it's a whole other feeling. Your part of a team, you dance as one, you are their for each other. Yes, you feel a whole lot of pressure because when you do something wrong its horrible. You feel like you have left everyone down. But it motivates you to do better. After all these hours of long tiresome rehearsals, most of the time it's the people your surrounded with that gets you through. When I catch myself in the mirror in the middle of a rehearsal, I look terrific, I look sweaty and tired and my hair is always a mess. But, then I look to my side and I see my best friend Emily looking the exact same. Some of the best nights I've had at dancing, when I've laughed the most, are the hardest ones, the ones when there are literal blood sweat and tears, but, although we get frustrated, we are all in it together. We all dance because we love it and when we're at a competition we all have the same goal; to dance our best, not let anyone else down, enjoy it, and to ultimately try and win. And when, last week things got tough, we all pushed through and winning with 91 marks, it was worth it. It motivates me to do better. To continue with the energy and drive that we found in that moment. 

None of it can happen without your teammates. 

Teammates are there for you all the time. Not only in the sport you play, but as friends, their support should travel further that the field (or stage.) You share a bond, a love for a sport, that connects you in more ways than one. Yes, you share the same goal, but you share the memories of how you got to that goal. Teammates are there for you in the good times and the hard, when things get tough, motivate each other and let them know your there. 

I don't know what this post is essentially about, but it felt like something that needed to be said - although I like being alone, being part of a group is a feeling like no other. So, yeah, sorry if this post was too ramble or just very random, it felt like something I needed to write and get off my chest! 

I'm going to finish with one last saying that I really love 

 Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose!

Now Watching // Friday Night Lights - Obviously!

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"You quite like stripes, don't you..."

Top - Forever 21. Jeans - Topshop. Shoes - H&M

This is such a simple outfit but for some reason, I loved wearing it. I went shopping to Westfield Stratford with Madeleine last week and we spent most of our time in Forever 21, literally every floor (and there is three floors) we had multiple pieces to try on! I came away with this simple striped t-shirt, a white skater dress, a white summer crop top, some black shorts and some workout stuff. The workout stuff is to try and motivate me so that this healthy eating and exercising thing that I keep on telling myself I will do, actually happens! I was so pleased with all my purchases but this striped top is possibly my favourites. You know how much I love stripes, even the cashier stated "You quite like stripes, don't you..." but having this casual - and extremely comfy - t-shirt will be a great essential for the wardrobe! 

So my summer wardrobe is slowly gaining some new things and building up, but I think a browse on Asos this morning made me realise all the other stuff I lust after!

Anyway, I go back to dancing this evening and apart from that am spending my day revising and drinking coffee, hope your Monday isn't too bad!

Now Watching // Madeleline and I have had a little film marathon over the past week, we've watched The Kings Speech, Life as we know it and we watched The Help last night - all which made a cosy night in.

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My Top 4 Favourite Places I've Travelled to

I love reading blogs. After the standard Instagram, Twitter and Facebook update in the morning I instantly go scrolling through my bloglovin' apps. Some of my favourite posts to read are about people's favourite things, posts written about things people love so that their passion shines through. And when thinking about things I love, I thought about travelling, so I have put together a little list about my favourite places in the world that I have been. Now there are so many more places that I want to explore but these are a few of my favourite that I've visited so far in my short life. 

New York

New York. Nothing will ever really compare to New York. I went in the summer of 2010, when I was 13 and since then I have become overly obsessed with it (I mean, I even decorated my room New York themed...) I did all the traditional tourist things when I went with my family, like going up the Empire State, seeing the Statue of Liberty and spending time in Times Square and I loved every single second of it. Then in 2012 my brother, sister and I travelled into the city for a day whilst waiting between flights, although this day was rainy and quite a dreary day; it was perfect. I just felt so content walking along the buzzing streets taking in the whole atmosphere. I've said ever since 2010 that one day I will work and live there, and I know that is a huge huge goal to have, but I figure I might as well try.

Italy - Tuscany

I've been to Italy four times, and three were spent in Tuscany. I just have memories of endless days soaking up the sun by the pool, eating huge amounts of pizza and just having laughs with my family. I remember this one place we went, it was next to a river and we spent time jumping off rocks into this river, whilst my brother attempted to learn how to fish. However when he finally caught a fish he was too skirmish to touch it or to let it go, so me, being the youngest had to take hold of this slimy fish and throw it back into the river. I have great memories of Italy with my family but have created some this past year when I travelled to Civetta on my school ski trip. I liked seeing another side to the sunny Italy of a snowy tourist village in the mountains, Italy is beautiful and I really would like to go back there soon.

Florida

When most people think of Florida, they think of Disney world in Orlando. I have been there and loved it but in the recent years my family and I have been to Orlando to just chill. We've revisited a town called Bradenton a few times and it almost feels like home. Although the weather is slightly temperamental and you might be caught in a Tropical storm, like we were once, when it is sunny it is heaven, the humidity is crazy but days by the pool are perfect. Florida holidays are filled with sunbathing, eating a huge amount of food (mostly in our favourite restaurant ever, Applebees) and shopping, they are pure heaven.

Washington and Chicago

I have been so lucky to have visited both these cities, and like with everywhere in America - I loved it. Washington was such a pretty, chilled and clean city, I learnt a lot about American history and was happy to see another side to America. I went to Chicago just last summer and you can see in the multiple of blog posts I posted back then - but I loved it as well and often find myself daydreaming back to that holiday.

I am super lucky to have visited all these places at just 18 but I have so many more places on my bucket list. If you enjoyed this post let me know, because I've really enjoyed writing it and might do a 'places I want to go' list type post. Hope your week is going well, I'm off shopping today for a bunch of spring clothes!

Now Watching // Friday Night Lights has been the perfect accompaniment to my photography work the past few days!

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Grey Skies

 Top - H&M. Dungarees - Asos. Doc Martens - Office. 

I come to you stuffed full to the brim with chocolate. It's Easter Monday and I have had the perfect Easter weekend. It has involved seeing Cinderella, a day at the races and a small family walk - as well as eating my weight in chocolate. I took the chance, when on this rare family walk along the       canal to shoot some blog photo's as I haven't in, what feels like, yonks. 

Last week I ordered these dungarees in the spur of the moment from Asos. I realised I had a lack of new clothes since Christmas so felt I needed a bit of a sprucing up of the basics in my wardrobe. And so bought these '90's Dungaree Playsuit' from Asos. And I love them, the denim is super soft and they fit so comfortably that I feel like I will never take them off. I paired them with a standard stripy top from H&M however did not anticipate how much skin would be showing along the midriff, however I still like the look!

I had my haircut on Friday and have come to the conclusion - I'm bored with the colour! I originally wanted blonde and caramel highlights however my hairdresser urged me not to ruin the natural colour at the roots and suggested going an ash blonde/ almost grey ombre at the end, what do you think? I'm kind of tempted, I must say!

I hope you lovelies had a super Easter weekend, currently I'm sat in bed on a Monday morning with the sun streaming through my curtains - Life is good. However I probably should start tidying the complete mess my bedroom has become and should get a start on some revision. But, apart from that, Life is good!

Oh, and yes - I am wearing fluffy socks with my Docs - England can be very cold!

Now Reading // Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen - I'm definitely getting into it now - I forget how much I love a period drama type of book.

Now Watching // I've been getting into Pretty Little Liars again (I'm on Season 3) but have just discovered Friday Night Lights is on Netflix so may have to spend my time flicking between the two!

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