Why Girl Squads are Important

Empowered women, empower women.

There has been a lot of media speculation the past year about ‘Girls Squads’ and whether they empower women or just exclude them. Obviously I know everyone has different opinions and experiences about this subject but I wanted to discuss what I think, and how that has changed since going to university.

I saw a quote the other day that said ‘Girls compete with each other, Women empower each other’ and it got me thinking about my experience with groups of girls and how in the past two years, I have come to appreciate the strong independent women I surround myself with.

Although I’ve loved finding a new group of friends this year I want to take a moment and appreciate my old friends. I remember back when I was 15 (I don’t understand how that is four years ago) I wanted to be in a friendship group with guys, I created a perfect picture in my head and at that time, I don’t think I appreciated my group of girls as much as I should have. However I’ve now come to realise how amazing that group of girls are. We spent seven years together and made so many memories that it’s hard to remember all of them. The great thing is that although we don’t see each other everyday like we used to, we know we are always there for each other. Our teenage years are some of our hardest but I did it with this great group of girls by my side. Yeah, we went through a lot of stupid little fights, but we came out the other side. I am so excited to go on holiday with them all for a week at the end of June, I can’t wait to make new memories and catch up on the past year.

Sports – Dancing and Cheerleading has always played a huge part in my life, and most of the time it was the people surrounding me that made it so great. My Cheer team this year, Destiny, was a huge part of making me realise how strong women can be. I was in an all-girl team, meaning we didn’t have the natural strength that men normally bring to cheer, it meant we had to work out butts off to score high. We fought hard for our right to be on the mat, we overcame obstacles, we powered through pain and but we became stronger because of it. We lifted each other up, mentally and physically, and we rocked the floor. When I danced we would also normally be just girls (sometimes with one or two guys) and we could create something beautiful, something so serene and gentle. I spent years dancing next to my best friends and once again, although I don't see or speak to them everyday they still inspire me in many ways. Both Cheerleading and Dancing taught me strength in different ways, and its the fact that when you perform, your surrounded by a group of girls who you know are going to catch you if you fall, which makes it great.

Going to university this year taught me a lot of things and the ‘Cheer Senoritas’ were a huge part of that. Now, I’m still not 100% sure why we call ourselves that, it’s just the name of our group message that has stuck. They taught me to be comfortable in my own skin. They taught me that you don’t have to wear a full face of make-up every time you go out. They taught me that it’s okay to be fully interested and passionate in what you are studying. They taught me it’s okay to have strong views or opinions. They taught me that it is okay for you to do what you need to do. We are all different, none of us have the exact same personality, but that is what makes a group special. We appreciate one another and lift up each other, we boost each others confidence when we need it most, but are also there to comfort each other through the hard and stressful moments.

We all accept each other for who we are and somehow we all just fit together like pieces in a puzzle. I am eternally grateful to find these girls this year, and I know, whatever next year throws at us that we will all still be there for each other.

  

I know this blog post is a bit random, and technically is just me talking about how much I love my friends, but I wanted to highlight that ‘Girl Squads’ are good. Yes, people can be bitchy but, that's just a fact of life. I wanted to highlight the positive aspects of them and take a second to appreciate these women.  

As a group of girls or women we have the power to support someone. We can show them that we are always there for them no matter what. We can believe in them to chase their dreams. We can be inspired and motivated by their achievements. We can boost someones confidence with just one single complement. A single person has the ability to comfort someone when they are crying, but a group gives that person someone to lean on at all hours. Be that person, be in that group of inspiring women and be that inspiring woman. Groups of women or girls shouldn't be intimidating or scary, they should be full of laughter and smiles that radiate friendliness and inclusiveness. I've learnt a lot the past two years, but the most valuable thing I've learnt is how important it is to have a group of friends who you can lean on!

Hope this hasn't been too much of a ramble! And you all have a good start to the week, Christina x

Living in the Present or Contemplating the Future?

My life at the moment revolves around exams, school and preparing for university...

The past few weeks I've realised that i have been dropping in the topics related with Uni into everyday conversation. Like the fact I cannot wait to decorate my room there, like the fact it will be weird going out with new people and not any of my school friends, like the fact that I will be somewhere completely different. I will leave school in 5 months time. That in itself is very freaky, school is something that is always a constant in everyone's children years. We attend it since we were so young that you cannot remember anything different in your life. I like routine, and I like the fact that I have a specific routine very week that I rarely shy away from. My friends at school know me as being the organised one who likes to plan ahead and know what we are doing. Uni won't be like that, Uni will be full of spontaneous conversations, a bunch of new people and a lot of 'going with the flow,' it will be fun and exciting and full of new things however the prospect of leaving this small village, my school and my dance school; all things which I've known forever, is very daunting. But it's very exciting at the same time. It is bittersweet. 

In a way when I write this I realise that I need to focus on the present and put the future in the back of my mind. I need to enjoy this last five months of school (not matter how much stress they bring!) as, they are my last! I should just embrace the whole school atmosphere, embrace the vast array of people in my year, and embrace the opportunities I have to learn and grow at school. Right now I need to be doing my photography work but I had a sudden spurt of inspiration to write this post - I may or may not have just finished Girl Online by Zoella/ Siobhan Curham (awkward...) and been inspired by the blog and general fuzziness that the end brings!

Just to say, I think for the next few months I may have to turn this blog into a 'once a week' type thing, which does irritate me a bit but school comes first etc etc, I also am going to leave you with my favourite quotes/photo's I find from the week or in general life...

Now Reading // Girl Online - It was such a cute cheesy fun read!

Now Watching // Pretty Little Liars again!

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Unforgettable Nights, Feeling Infinite and Creating Worlds...

 So, I come to you with a Sunday night ramble inspired by pictures. I know my last post was a rather writing -heavy post but I've just feel like I've got a fair amount to say at the moment and this post was just screaming to be written all day whilst I was revising for my mocks this up-coming week! So, here it is, my thoughts spread out in the open for you all to read.

I've been writing a fair amount the past week (in my new beautiful journal I got for Christmas) but not the normal journal writing I do regularly, but creative writing. I've been creating characters inspired by film characters, making scenes, producing dialogue between characters, just creating a story. I've got so lost in my own little world, I've loved it. I quite often murmur about how I like creative writing but I only ever really have done it when I need to for school but it was such a liberating feeling doing it because I wanted to, it's something I really want to keep up this year!

 I turn 18 a week today, and that is incredibly freaky but super exciting. 18. I'll be an adult! I'll be able to vote, I'll be able to buy alcohol. It's odd, what an age means. I'm sure the next day I won't feel any different but 18 seems like a monumental age that you've always dreamed of being. I won't longer be a 'child' anymore! I know I'm growing up and the future is coming at speed but it still doesn't feel that real yet, but I have a feeling it will start soon enough!

Last Sunday night my mum, my sister and I were driving back from London, I can't even remember what we were singing too but we were singing at the top of our lungs. The lights were passing by as we drove with speed down the motorway and I just snapped this picture. I think I have a thing at the moment for imperfections in pictures. I like how this isn't crisp or perfect, the lighting is amazing and the colours are off, but it captures what I was feeling at that moment - infinite. (Perks of being a Wallflower reference right there)

This is another picture that I like because of its imperfections. If you follow me on instagram you will see that whenever I go out with friends to a party or something, I always post similar photo's of us posing and looking relatively nice (or so we think!) but Olivia took this just after Bryony and I had finished posing; I think the blurriness and the smiles we seem to have capture the essence of the night and it's one of my favourites of that night. It was  on New Years Eve and was our friends Ella and Olivia birthday party, it was such a great night. It's one I'll remember because of dancing until everyone went home and the last song of the night came on, Superbass, and my small group of friends sung and danced our hearts out, it was perfect - a perfect way to start the year.

I've got some exams at school this week, a uni to visit and a mountain of photography work to do but am as motivated as ever to keep this blog up. Let me know if you like this kind of post, because it's definitely one of my favourites to produce!

Now Watching // Pretty Little Liars - Season 1 - 5 is on Netflix and I'm going to attempt to watch them all and finally catch up, so I won't have to read synopsis on each episode to join in my friend s conversations!

Now Reading // We Are All Completely Besides Ourselves - Karen Joy Fowler - This book has taken a while for me to get into it but I think it's captivated me now! 

P.S I updated my good reads page yesterday, so make sure you check it out. 

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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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Rainy Cities, Magical Worlds and Future subjects: A General Life Ramble

Hi there, I'm back again. This blog is turning into a one post per week type blog and although I'm not really okay with that I'm just trying to juggle everything and sometimes it proves difficult. So today I thought I would go on a good old ramble about life because I haven't taken outfit posts in about 4 weeks and sometimes a ramble is just what is needed. So grab a cup of coffee and enjoy...

 I'm not actually that big fan of the rain. I hate being outside in it and it generally just makes everything gloomy but sometimes I find it quite calming. There's a romantic side to the rain, it reminds me of the Taylor Swift lyric -

There's somethin' 'bout the way the street looks when it's just rained 

There's a glow off the pavement, you walk me to the car 

And you know I wanna ask you to dance right there 

In the middle of the parking lot,

 There's a sense of vulnerability if your stuck outside in the rain and a sense of strength if your shielded inside, either way I think it can be seen as as a really interesting concept. Then this photo just stood out to me because as you know I am a sucker for cities and right now I would love to be stuck inside looking out at a rainy city and all the different mix of people that would run past.

Over the past couple of weeks I've returned to the world of Hogwarts, Muggles and Butterbeer and was reminded of the fact that 'Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home' (All hail Queen Rowling.) I was instantly transported back to the world of Harry Potter and it made me feel warm inside. It was like going home to such a familiar setting, people and story. I think I almost forgot how much I love the world of Harry Potter but recently I have been fully reminded and now know that you can never fully leave it.

However much I dislike getting up at 6:13 (Yeah, I'm one of those weird alarm clock people) every weekday I know there is something worth getting up for; the transportation of the day from dark to light and being awake in that hour, I get to see most days. It's so beautiful, seeing the sun rise from a misty cloud of grey to a beaming shade of orange. And do you know what I can't wait for even more? When it is all frosty and even snowy and how the sun rays catch light of the tree branches and sparkle. It will make my mornings magical.

I'm really excited for the future (although pretty scared but that's a whole other topic!) Next September I will be packing my bags, saying goodbye to this village and going to university. I'm not sure where yet but in the past week I have got 3 offers and an interview so I am definitely going somewhere! One of the things I am most looking forward to is just studying English. Although I don't actually mind photography and history  (my two other Alevels) this photo just really excites me for when reading will be the main bulk of work I have to do. It will just be so good to just study one specific subject and not have my brain burnt out by all these various completely random other topics. I can't wait when all I study is English!

This past week I've been in bed with a nasty cough for half of it and to cure my boredom I went back to season 1 of The Vampire Diaries, and I love it even more than ever. It's just one of those shows that I will never get bored of. It captivates you, keeps you guessing and you fall in love with each character in their own way. I'm still not sure who I want Elena to be with in the end but I love watching every twist and turn in their messed up and totally unrealistic lives!

So there we go, my thoughts and random feelings at the moment. All of these images are from my tumblr so if you want more of my random feeling and thoughts head on over there for a more regular updates like this! Hopefully I will actually post soon, but I cannot make a promise to that!

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Road Between

Skirt - River Island. Top and Shoes - H&M.

Just a super quick post before I go and watch dance moms and probably fall asleep on the sofa. I am so tired after a busy weekend which included of dancing, driving, a perfect summer barbeque with friends then more dancing. I wore this outfit to work on Friday - my flatforms from H&M finally came - and I still don't really know how I feel about the outfit though. Wearing a maxi was super comfy but then seeing it in this photo, I'm just not I can pull off a maxi skirt! 

I finally got my disposable camera photo's developed the other day and this is a shot of my beautiful garden in the rare english sun. I'm going to see the musical Once tomorrow with my mum after work tomorrow which I am really excited for, there is nothing much better than a West End show!

Now Playing -  Boom Clap by Charlie XCX - Love love love the summer vibes to this

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Reflections

 A moment of clarity. Head in the clouds. Standing over everyone.  I stood there, surrounded by my family and a bunch of strangers as a wave of peace flew over me. Standing over the ground, in this odd tower was an intriguing feeling. I felt like I was abroad: In some foreign country up a national treasure looking out at a historical city. Looking out at the sea, I could have been anywhere. The line between the sky and the sea was hazy, the view was neverending. The sea is such a scary prospect, its full of the unknown. But should we be scared of the unknown or excited for the opportunities it could bring? It's odd how at just reflecting on the view from the top so many things pop up in my mind. The buildings look like their own sea. The roads wind between the stones and the speckles that represent the cars could be small insects. Standing on top of this tower I felt authoritative. Although I was uncertain about what this view led to, I felt power and peace in my heart.

I don't really know why and how this piece of writing came out of me but on Sunday my family and I travelled to Portsmouth to see Matthew and celebrate his 20th birthday. We enjoyed a meal at Strada before going up the 'Spinnaker Tower.' - Basically a small version of that hotel in Dubai. The view from it was amazing and looking back at it gave me so many different feelings that I thought I would summarise in a different piece of writing compared to normal. It's nice to keep things fresh and new sometimes!

My life is normal really - school work is dragging and the thought of exams next weeks freaks me out but then the thought of study leave is very exciting! It's rare that I blog spontaneously in the middle of the week but I had a sudden urge to, I miss it!

How's your week going? What do you think about my little writing spree?

Currently listening - Why can't this get out of my head?! (Buuut, I love it)
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New ways for Inspiration...

 I have always played with the idea of printing out all my blog posts or my tumblr posts and putting them together in a book. It would just be so cool to have my blog printed out and in book form. Then from reading a couple of articles about journalling and the different types of journalling I had an idea, why don't I create my tumblr in a notepad? So therefor I traipsed down to Smiths just over a month ago and purchased a small plan sketchpad. I mostly update this on Sunday evenings when my sister and mum watch Call the Midwife and I go to hibernate in my room to collect myself together before the week begins (and before Mr Selfridge begins!) So I print off various photo's that I love from tumblr along with some quotes from books and people. Sometimes I write some in, other's I stick. A couple of pages have ended up as just fangirling over Alexa Chung, others dreaming about New York and others wondering how people see me. At first I hadn't planned to share this with anyone, it was going to be my own little secret but then during conversation with two of my best friends Ella and Bryony I somehow got it out and showed them. It got such a positive reaction from them and then my sister when I showed her that I thought I might as well share it here. I just find it a really calming and productive thing to do when I'm a little bored, stuck for inspiration or stressed out. 

What do you do to gain inspiration? Do you keep a journal?

Now Playing -  Nina Nesbitt, Tough Luck

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 (Sorry, I had some trouble with scheduling posts etc so have had to repost this post today!)

Being inspired...

Lately, I’m questioning the way my blog is going. I’ve expanded the amount and different types of blog I read. I used to always just read fashion blogs, where outfit posts were the main content. However I have recently starting reading more lifestyle and journal type posts,  as well as reading lots of different magazines from the usual circuit. From these I’ve been inspired to try and expand and improve my writing. It has also become a realisation that applying for Uni is just around the corner and looking at the different English courses there is on offer I’ve realised that it is extremely competitive and if I want to be the best I can be I need to start challenging myself by my writing.  For example, since the beginning of 2014 I have made it my aim to write in my journal every other day and I’ve started doing some more picture-y journaling inspired by some of my favourite quotes. And it has recently hit me that why don’t I share some of this on my blog? Why don’t I try and improve my writing skill through this platform I already have? 

I’ve known for a while that my blog is still developing into something I want it to be but I think I need to improve my variety and explanation of posts. Of course I will still post lots and lots about fashion but I can only post so much, as I only have a limited amount of clothes! This  will take more time and effort and with everything else going on at the moment (Dance exams, school stress) the posts might be less regular. But I need to continue this balance that I had sorted out at the beginning of the year so please just bear with me. Stick around because hopefully this development will make my blog a whole lot better!

This was a very spontaneous post and I feel quite nervous posting it! I also don't have a clue how this photo is related to it but I couldn't have a picture-less post now, could I?

Now Reading - I'm actually getting quite involved in Jane Austen's Emma, I'm a 1/3 of the way through it!

Now Playing -  Recently come across this cover again and love it as much as I did the first time!

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Attempted Monchrome

 Wearing: Top - Zara. Short - New Look. Wellies - Next.

So I had planned to have this post as a 'Monochrome' theme post but I decided I didn't want to ruin my precious wedged trainers so I went for the wellies instead! I love this top, when I bought it there was only an Xtra Large, so on me it is more like a dress rather than a top but thats what high-waisted shorts are for. I had a lot of fun taking these photos, as you can probably tell. There are many photos of me trying to give a serious pose but just smiling instead. I spontaneously went in the middle of the road because, lets face it, no cars were driving along this country road!
This week I have been swamped with homework and dancing that I am fully ready for the weekend. Just one more day of school to power through! I literally am not too sure If I've ever been this excited to go shopping on Saturday. As I still have lots of birthday money which is just burning a hole in my pocket. I also finally got round to ordering my Company magazine subscription, Wohoo!

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