Wildest Dreams

 Dress - Topshop. Jacket - Craft. Necklaces - Miss Selfridge. Boots - New Look.

One thing I thought about when I got back to blogging after my break was how I needed to re-insert the ‘country girl’ vibe, and what’s a better way to do that than stand by a windmill?

I drive past this windmill most days as it’s only 5 minutes away from my house, and although I remember walking to it on a year 3 School trip, I’ve never really looked at it. But a few months ago I was driving home late from school and realised the sun was a bright ball of red and that it was setting perfectly behind the windmill. So instantly I thought, being the 21^st teenager that I am, I must take a photo. So I pulled over to take a picture and took one crappy photo before my phone died. Now although I didn’t get my perfect instagram shot, I just stood there isolated from the world staring at this fiery ball of red setting over a windmill. It shows that a small break from technology can help you realise the beauties of the world.

This dress is one of my favourite new pieces this summer. It’s from Topshop and is just a perfect white summery dress with beautiful flowery details around the bust. A simple white dress is one of my favourite things to wear, you can wear it so many different ways that you can never get bored of. I chose to edge it up a bit wearing my new choker set (which I’m still not too sure of) my leather jacket (trying to be Emma Swan from Once Upon a Time…) and my standard heeled ankle boots. This dress is definitely going to be worn and re-worn many times over the summer.

I’m having another lovely day in London today, and might even vlog it! Hope the start of your week is going well, make sure you follow me on twitter and instagram whilst you there!

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Why I'm glad I had surgery four years ago

On this day, 4 years ago, I had major back surgery. I had two rods of Titanium infused into my spine to straighten a curve in my spine - to correct my scoliosis. At the time, this surgery was a major thing, and it still is but 4 years on I am so glad that I took the step (not that I had much choice) to have surgery as not only has it corrected my spine and stopped me wearing a back brace until I was 18, it has taught me so many things.

There is always someone going through something worse

The year before my operation I had to wear this plastic back brace for 20 hours each day - eating, sleeping and only really taking it off for dancing. I remember one night only a couple of weeks after I got it I had a breakdown crying that I couldn't understand why me out of everyone had this and felt that life was unfair. Although it's true, life is unfair, I remember my mum saying that I had to realise that there are always people going through worse situations and that has stuck with me since then. Scoliosis was bad but it was no way near life threatening, it was painful but not excruciating pain, and it could be fixed. Since then, whatever I go through I try to keep that in my head that there are always people worse off than you and that in fact, you're actually very lucky.

Family and Friends and the most important things

The week I stayed in hospital those four years ago was long. I remember lots of random details from it, but my most prominent memories are my family who was always around. My mum stayed with me the whole week - she was freezing after wearing about 10 jumpers and on one of the last nights managed to break the bed she was sleeping on! My dad, brother and sister drove 40/50 minutes most days looking forward to seeing me but just ended up sitting in a dark hospital room with me sleeping every five minutes, but they never failed to try and make me smile. Then once I was back home recovering it was the frequent visits from my friends that brightened up the whole summer - the group of three of my friends, who are still my best friends, coming every week to watch Harry Potter, eat lots of chocolate and play some random Harry Potter board game. It was the support of them, and lots of other friends that kept me going - it made me realise that although I like to be on my own sometimes, friends and family are always there for you.

There is always something else out there

Dancing since the age of three has been my hobby and my surgery had put that on hold for just under a year. I knew I physically couldn't dance, but I felt empty and hated the fact that it was still going on even when I wasn't there. It was on one random evening when I was reading the Teen Vogue Handbook that I decided to start a blog. I didn't have any clue about the blogging community, didn't know what was a good blog, didn't know what to write - but I did it anyway. It gave me a new hobby and more drive for my ambition. It was in those months following my operation that I realised that I wanted to go down the English/ Journalism route, it was having that space away from dancing that allowed me to open my mind to other delights the world had to offer. 

My surgery taught me to be strong, it taught me to look on the bright side, it taught me to take anything in my stride. Scoliosis has givens me setbacks and pain over the past five years but I'm glad I had it. It's a story to tell, it's my main event in my teenage years and although I wouldn't wish it on anyone - anyone can get through it!

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Final Fling

Dress - Quiz Clothing, Shoes - New Look.

'Prom' or 'Final Fling' - as my school like to call it - is supposed to be 'The best night of your life' and  be the highlight of your whole school life. My night was good, but it wasn't the highlight of my school years. The highlight of my school years are the most random ones; the memories of dancing with my group of girls in the house room to Olly Murs, or laughing at our rumbling tummies in year 13 English, or eating too many biscuits in the common room. These are the highlights of my school life that I will cherish. This one night was good, it made the whole year come together and everyone looked beautiful but it was the pinnacle of school. Many memories add up to what I will remember of my school life, the good and the bad, and I don't think this one night reflects it all.

I was so stuck on what dress I wanted for Final Fling. In my head I thought I knew exactly what I wanted, but it turns out it didn't really exist! So three weeks before the night I was stuck between a elegant dress from Quiz or this fantasy princess type dress from Asos - I joked that I would wear this dress on a red carpet and the other to the Met Ball! I decided on this dress from Quiz because of how simple yet elegant it is, the beading on the neckline and below the bust add a little sparkle which I wanted but the white and black chiffon create the flowy, ethereal look. I kept Jewellery simple, with my mother's earrings, my grandmas ring and my other grandmas bracelet. My hair was beautifully done by my friend Emily, I loved it! It was so nice not to have my hair traipsing around my neck, but to have it off my face yet still frame my face, it was possibly my favourite part of my whole outfit.

Tonight I'm off to see Miss Saigon in the West End with Madeleine and my mum. I do love a good musical and I've heard it is outstanding!

Now Watching // I've just finished watching Once Upon a Time (blog post coming soon!) and I've just started Season 2 of The Originals!

Now Reading // Tess of the D'urbervilles by Thomas Hardy - I read the first half super quickly but have seemed to slow down a bit now - Netflix got the better of me!

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Getting back to normal

So, I haven’t written in a while, and partly that’s been because my life has been so hectic and partly its because I have lost motivation/ confidence in this blog.

My life the past month or so has been extremely busy and you will have seen on my instagram. I’ve been finishing off exams (thank god their over – now for the long wait until August 13^th), went on a girls holiday to Ayia Napa, had a lot of ‘end of school’ celebrations like Vale and Final Fling (Prom and a speech day/graduation type thing) then have been preparing for my dance show which happened this past weekend. I’ve been wanting to live life in the present and not worry about my blog, which is weird, I shouldn’t worry about my blog, I should be excited to write about it. But, I couldn’t really put it into words all the different emotions I felt about leaving school and dancing and in a way didn’t (and still don’t) want to come to terms with it. I am excited to go to Uni, but I am also terrified for everything to change.

For some reason in my head  I created a mental block against my blog. I would sit down to write a post and think ‘Why are you doing this?’ ‘There are so many other people who write better than you’ and ‘Your blog design looks like a child has done it.’ Therefore I just closed the window and opened Netflix to distract myself. Even with the encouragement with my friend Luke to collaborate to create a better youtube channel, I lacked motivation, and I still do.

But, my blog is my baby. I’ve nearly been running one for 4 years and I can’t give up now. It’s an odd period in my life, everything is ending but I know new beginnings are around the corner, and I want to document that and be able to look back at exactly what was going on in my life and treasure the inbetween moments. So, I’m back, StyleStorey is back to normal (fingers crossed) and I’m seriously considering a blog redesign or even a move to wordpress, but we shall see. To symbolise the ending of multiple things to the beginning of new things these two photos are a sunset and a sunrise in Ayia Napa.

If any of you are still around, thank you for reading this and thank you sticking by me through a very bland blog break!

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