WELCOME TO 2015

Sorry it has been awhile, I have been a busy bee, but no1 on this list will be to get back into the swing of things. Ironically in the past I would have made a list of 'New Years Resolutions', and yes like most people, this list would be made one day and forgotten the next. The ironic thing here, is that in 2014 I stuck to my New Years resolutions of working out more, eating healthy produce and drinking more water. My 2014 resolutions all sounded great but predictable, little did I know these resolutions that most of us admittedly make every year turned my life upside down, as you can probably gather from the last post I made. So before you make your list for 2015, really think about it. Yes, most people probably won't spiral into the whirlwind my mind created, but one thing 2015 should really be about is happiness, why feel guilty about not working out or eating that piece of cake, a healthy body isn't just a one man show, it needs a healthy mind to accompany it. 2015 is about balance, self love and acceptance for me. If you hate running, why put it on your New Years resolutions list to hit the treadmill 5 days a week, not only are you setting yourself up for a fail, you are not spending your time doing things you love. I found there was a lot of sadness in 2014, not just for myself, but for others, many deep and upsetting events in the world took place, it makes you realise that you only have that one life and doing little things everyday, like the passing smile to a stranger, ok might freak them out, but also might brighten their day, you never know what someone else could be going through. 2014's had many traumatic events for the world, and with the sadness that this week took place in France, we are not making a very good start, but its in times of trouble that you see how us as beings can really pull together and support one another. I am hoping 2015 is the year of conquering demons and overcoming hardships.

Anyway, in my list you won't see me striving to work out, cut out food types, and up my water intake any more (water is good, but if I drank anymore my whole day would be spent on the toilet, TMI?):

1. Consistant blogging.

2. Get more organised - make good use of my Filofax 2015 refills!

3. Work hard, making the most of my internships to hopefully startup a network of freelance work ready for graduation.

4. Explore more, I live in London right now and could only tell you about the tube stations I have been too.

5. Read more books. Kindle at the ready!

6. Become a Yogi. No, not Yogi the Bear, Yogi is the term used for "one who is adept in Yoga" (courtesy of The Free Dictionary .com). I have done the occasional bit of Yoga here and there, but I really want to pursue it further, I notice how Yoga makes my body feel relaxed and rejuvenated, it definitely makes a difference to my day.

7. Further my religious journey.

8. Keep in better contact with loved ones. I haven't been the easiest person to get in contact with since  becoming an unpaid working woman. I want to speak to my nearest and dearest (friends and family) more often now I am apart from everyone, even if its just a text.

9. Meditate. This goes hand in hand with me becoming a fully fledged Yogi. Whether it is on my walk to work or before I go to sleep, 10 minutes of Meditation a day has been proven to be a worthy source of medication and transform many peoples lives, while also being something many successful people do day-to-day, check out this article in the Huffington.

10. Aim for no less then 7 hours of sleep a day, strive for 8-9 hours. Sleep is a vital part of healthy living, I recommend listening to this - TED Talks video, it proposes some interesting facts and theories.

Let's hope I stick to these resolutions this year, I think they will be the secret for my happy 2015.

LFW: 2014

Before I moved out to Sydney, Australia, I attended London Fashion Week working behind the scenes. Backstage was filled with beautiful models, makeup artists and hair stylists from the best brands, creative directors, photographs and of course the staff, interns and designers for the company who had all been working flat out in the run up to the S/S '15 show.

It was incredible to see all the hard-work that was put into the collection embrace the runway and then to read the feedback from some the most notable fashionistas and fashion magazines was the icing on the cake.

Understandably I can't go into too much detail about the show because of confidentiality. However, I have snooped out a few of my favourite outfits from the show, let's call it.. who wore what.

First things first though..

When I was deciding what to wear it was a calamity jane situation. I wanted to glam up, after all I was attending LFW. But, all staff were strictly restricted to no makeup and all black clothing. How might one look glam with no make up and black clothing, was my first thought. My second thought was... well what do the greats say? 
This was the verdict:

Karl Lagerfeld: "One is never over-dressed or underdressed with a Little Black Dress."

Ann Demeulemeester: "Black is not sad. Bright colours is what depresses me. They're so… empty. Black is poetic. How do you imagine a poet? In a bright yellow jacket? Probably not."

So having to wear all black wasn't all doom and gloom.

Don't get me wrong, I love black clothing! But all black… Really?

Anyway, I had my eye on a lady suit at Topshop for a while, it also so happened to meet the criteria of my work clothing requirements. Black.

Without hesitation, I logged onto my computer and snapped it up faster then you can say Cara Delevingne.

If you didn't guess from my previous sentence it was from the A/W collection modelled by Cara Delevingne for Topshop. This Premium Tailored Suit Blazer and Cigarette Trousers was perfect…

1. It was smart.
2. It was sophisticated.
3. It was fashionable.
4. It was comfortable.
5. It was on trend.
6. It was worn by Cara Delevigne.
7. It was black.

I am proud to say I am the owner of a lady suit. The suit jacket is stunningly tailored and the fit is great. I wear it as a smart/casual in the day, and dress it up in the evening. The trousers are a little baggy on my tushy, but this was inevitable as I am currently in search for my lady curves to go with my lady suit. Hopefully I will have some glutes to pad out these trousers soon, but they still looked great. The trousers are fabulous during the daytime and paired with some killer heels in the evening. I wouldn't hesitate wearing them on a night out with some bright heels (when colour is allowed of course), they would look sophisticated and glamourous.

While in London I was a bit of a lone wolf, with nobody around to get a shot of me in my LFW outfit I made do with a mirror celfie.

Of course my favourite pink lipstick had to go, strictly no makeup. But, overall ALL black wasn't seeming so bad.

   

  

I was going to pair this outfit with my beautiful new pointed flats. But to be on the safe side I made my shoes all black too, I ended up wearing my un-pictured little black boots.

Anyway, enough about me…

Here is my favourite outfits of what was worn to the show (warning: none of the following photographs are my own):

Daisy Lowe

Paloma Faith

Poppy Delevingne

Olivia Palermo

xoxo

Fashionable Autumn

As Autumn approaches back home in the UK, I have just landed in the sunshine city of my internships… Sydney - Australia! I am currently unpacking my suitcase of books, sunglasses, swimwear, shorts, dresses and floppy hats.

Before I packed-up and up-rooted down under for 3 months I started to plan this Autumn post. Autumn is my favourite season to shop and I am pretty sad I will be missing Autumn 2014.. but hey I will be in Australia, no complaints there! However, my shopping subscriptions think I am still in the UK with constant Autumnal emails rolling in to my inbox with key must-haves for A/W 2014.

The changes in weather make me restless for a bit of retail therapy (these shops know my weakness!) and to avoid my twitchy hands going over-board on pressing the checkout button too frequently buying myself unnecessary A/W clothing, I decided to instead browse and browse to scoop out a few of my favourite fashion trends to share with those of you preparing for the Autumn chill.

Lets talk:

Over-sized - buying everything that little bit bigger is always popular during the colder months, whether it is in preparation for some added Christmas weight or just for sheer cosiness, either way A/W '14 has really outdone it.. everything is bigger and better than ever!

Tailored - Suited and booted with perfectly tailored cuts. I've got mine and it is my new wardrobe romance, *cough* Cara Delevigne at Topshop *cough*.

High-rise necklines - I would say since A/W 2013 the turtle neck has been creeping its way back into our most loved high-street stores. But ultimately this is one look that will forever remain in Vogue. A/W 2014 seems to be the year of the neckline, everyone is adding that bit of mystery to one of the most alluring parts of the female body. Slouchy, chunky, fitted or ribbed you are bound to fall in love with one.

Pointed flats - Polish up your look with pointed flats. Great to dress any outfit up without the need of heels and perfect from desk 'til dawn. I treated myself to a pair for LFW.. I haven't looked back, I pair mine with black tailored trousers in the evening and ripped skinnys in the day.

Leopard Print - Unleash your wild side. A/W is showing a mixture of looks from at the Office to Rock 'nd Roll, yes this is quite the contrast but I could not think of a more perfect combination.. Office by day, Rock 'nd Roll by night. Leopard print seems to be the focal of the wild side. Who would of thought are wardrobes would be filled up with turtle necks and leopard print again. De ja vu?

Popping your colour - Monochrome is big this season! You can't go wrong it is the most versatile staple wardrobe, but adding a slight pop of colour can instantly change a look. This season is all about monochromes mixed in with splashes of green, hues of blue and lemony yellows.

Cosying up - A/W '14 loves to keep you toasty, from fuzzy bags to luxurious fur coats and shearling visible left, right and centre, there is no excuse for you to be hibernating this year!

Images:

Top/Left - Unif Crayola Jumper 
Top/Right - Knitted Rib Skirt  & Jumper with Flared Sleeve
Botton/Left - Cowl Neck Poncho
Bottom/Right - Tailored Striped Blazer and Peg Leg Trousers

My weekly smiles #6

Two blog posts in one day?! That's right. Sunday has been my day of writing. I love writing but have been told I have dyslexia, meaning my writing skills aren't considered academic. But it is something I am passionate about, I have come along way with my spelling and punctuation thanks to good ol' spell checker. I somehow don't think spelling and punctuation is the most important thing when it comes to writing, I think you should write with your heart and use your creative mind, surely that is the most important thing? I for one don't pick up a book and think.. "wow, great punctuation". I read because the piece interests me, which is why I am such a lover of blog writing, I am not being marked, it is my little bubble, my journal for me and my thoughts and anyone else who might be interested. If you have ever wanted to look inside someones mind, wondered what people are thinking and like learning about peoples lives.. we'd have that in common. My favourite shows are Escape To The Country, Place in the Sun and Location, Location, Location.. this along with my interest in peoples lives pretty much makes the person who everyone thinks is "the nosey one".. meet me and you will probably feel like your on a quiz show. My interest in people might cause criticism but it is merely just out of interest I love learning and getting to know people and their interests. Any-who it has definitely been a day of Sunday rambles..

1. Making friends. New interns joined our team recently, like I said.. I like getting to know people!
2. Sushi Saturday happened. Working during the weekend means sushi lunch. The company treat us to lunch if we work during the weekend and the bins become filled with empty wasabi bento boxes and many happy tummies.
3. Learning new skills. I have learnt so much through my internships and it's only been 3 months, bring on the rest of the year.
4. London Fashion Week outfit purchased.
5. Relaxing Sunday of writing.
6. X Factor. I haven't watched the X Factor in years, but I flicked it on to see if the new judge panel could rope me back.. yep, that's right.. it did. So glad to have Cheryl and Simon back! Is it just me that thinks Simon seems a lot more timid since becoming a Dad?
7. Thinking about the future. Feeling excited and determined! Working in the industry makes me fall more and more in love with the creative world everyday.
8. UniDays. HOW HAVE I ONLY JUST REGISTERED.
9. Tea and biscuits. After dominating a sushi lunch in work on Saturday I continued to fight for true health and happiness, sharing out my biscuits among the Embroidery team & we all got dunking. It's safe to say there is nothing like a biscuit dunked into a freshly brewed cup of tea.
10. Turtle neck. I never thought I would say the phrase, I am loving turtle neck fashion. It is going to be huge this Autumn, turtle neck dresses, turtle neck tops, turtle neck jumpers. The turtle neck is making a comeback and I am welcoming it with open arms. Embrace the turtle.

Song of the week: Not just a song it is an album! Gabrielle Aplin - English Rain. This Album reflects my mood these days, it is the perfect album to sing along with into Autumn to!
Movie of the week: Fool's Gold. Kate Hudson is simply divine. Sunday night movies at there best.
Blogger of the week: Charlotte's Web. Her posts on Love are great. I like her writing style it is different to most bloggers, I have spent this evening with movies and catching up on her blog posts.

My weekly smiles #5

It's that time of the week again and oh has it been a mad one. Things are starting to get busier in work and everyone seems that bit more stressed. It is only going to get more hectic from here, so apologies if I am not posting as regularly or posts become shorter, I will be sure to keep you updated on the crazy happenings though making sure each post is a little special. Things will be less crazy after the 15th September, our London Fashion Week show date. I am very nervous but luckily my manager has confronted me about health, I managed to explain to her about my struggles. I know I haven't really gone in depth about what is actually wrong, I have always just brushed over it.. maybe one day I will open up completely to you all, but for now just know that I am fighting & improving, finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It was nice to speak openly to my boss and for her to be understanding, this is a hectic time in such a cutting edge industry and I know the last thing they need is me being ill and having to attend dr's appointments. But, talking to her has somewhat gave us a good relationship as her advice is so comforting and motherly.. just what I needed when my family is so far away. Even though this week has been busy it was hard to think of what to post just because I was so rushed off my feet, it has been a case of work-eat-sleep-repeat, but this is what I came up with:

1. Bank Holiday Monday, it was a productive day but I spent it in my lazy clothes. Check out my 'Relaxed Bank Holiday Weekend' to see what I got up to.
2. DMC (deep & meaningful conversations) in work.
3. Finally got in the Embroidery room. Hoping the Print department start needing some help soon too, I am a studio intern so I just kind of float around where I am needed.
4. Wasabi Hosomaki Sushi Bento Box. Weekend working started this week, they provided us with lunch choices of Wasabi Sushi or a Pret Salad. Of course I opted for the sushi!
5. Smoked Salmon. I have been a lover of salmon since I turned pescetarian, adding fish into my diet. This week I bought smoked salmon slices to add into my salads for work. This was the best decision I have made in awhile! Love trying new foods. However, this was great for my taste buds and not so good for my bank balance. Why is it so expensive?!
6. Church. Went to the HTB 9:30am service on Brompton Rd. It was one of those services that you think, wow he is literally talking about my life. I especially like this quote from today's speaker "The antidote to anxiety is gratitude, thankfulness gives contentment".
7. Mugs. Vintage and handcrafted I have finally bought some large mugs, they were the perfect charity shop find at only £2 each and covered in a beautiful floral print. They are so big, perfect for the morning coffee and night time hot chocolate.
8. Student Finance. I got paid!
9. Morning Porridge.
10. Autumnal fashion. Autumn fashion is my favourite, starting to make it's way into the stores. Even though I will be in the sunshine continent when it is autumn in the UK.|

Song of the week: Lily Wood & Robin Schulz - Prayer in c (Robin Schulz Remix). Gives me that Summer vibe.
Movie of the week: Sweet Home Alibama. Sunday night movie time.
Blogger of the week: Laura Jane Williams aka Superlatively Rude. Blogger of all things vagina, spiritualism and food. This girl is a super talented writer, not to mention hilarious.

My week in smiles #2

HELLO. Happy Sunday. 

This week has mostly focused on good health. As mentioned in previous posts, I have realised that my body is not healthy and functioning properly.. which is effecting me being a good Textile Intern, the Textile Intern I had promised to be at those endless amount of interviews. So I have been focusing on gaining a healthy body & a healthy mind. 

Also, you or may not know this about me, depending on how well we are acquainted. But it is no secret that I am very unlucky when it comes to technical products. I would estimate that I have broken around 8 iPhones and 6 laptops - I once had 3 new laptops in a year - I can imagine my insurance company wasn't best pleased. Now I have to sadly declare that my technical unluckiness has made its way on to kitchen appliances as I have said bon voyage to the second microwave I have broken since moving into my flat, to make it even more a sad farewell the last one came with a vegetable steamer, It had full approval from the rest of the kitchen equipment - excuse me well I just fantasies about everything coming to life dancing and singing around the kitchen recreating Beauty & The Beast - Shameless Disney fan & proud. Any-who to continue my ramble, yep, I have undeniably broken.. not one.. but two microwaves in the space of a month. I sincerely apologies to my accommodation. On the topic of microwaves, I also managed to somehow burn/disintegrate a sweet potato in the microwave the other day, this was a not such a smiley part to the week as I was so Hank Marvin at the time (a bit of cockney rhyming slang, living the London Lifestyle after all) Luckily, I managed to cook up another quickly before my stomach got too foul mouthed. Anyway, I hope you all had a peachy week and lets hope the sunshine doesn't quit on us just yet!

Here are a few things that have made me smile this last week:

1. The Power is Within You - Louise Hay. I mentioned this book in my last post, I really recommend it even if you don't find yourself struggling in life, it is really interesting how powerful our minds can be & you never know it could change your life in 232 pages. 

2. Cardio Barre - Lower Body Shred Workout. I have been doing this workout on Youtube, it is only 15 minutes but really works your legs and glutes and it doesn't get boring, look out Kim Kardashian!

3. Andrew Johnson - Deep Sleep. This man has been talking me to sleep every night. Zzzz..

4. Lindt 70% dark chocolate. Made baby steps to find my balance, haven't had dessert/chocolate in weeks until today!

5. Cuckoo - Taylor Lautner. Need I say more?

6. Sushi. I only tried sushi for the first time a few months back, I am addicted. I could eat it every day of the week, and this week was one of them. Mmm.. 

7. Picnic in the park. Met up with Rosie on Saturday and headed to Hyde Park for a picnic, luckily the sun was shining brightly!

8. Lemons. When life gives you lemons? I have been loving eating lemons this week. Some might find it weird but I eat the whole lemon, even the skin. The skin actually has 5-10 more vitamins then the juice, and it tastes good.

9. Planet Organic. Treated myself a few goodies from this Devonshire Sq Planet Organic the other day, it is so good in there but so expensive. Why is healthy so expensive?

10. Discovering my new favourite coffee - Black Americano with Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup   I have visited Cafe Nero three times this week for this drink. 

Song of the week: Jesus Culture - Your Love Never Fails. This song cheers me up within seconds!
Movie of the week: The Wedding Planner. Is it just me that misses seeing Jennifer Lopez in movies?
Blogger of the week: Thumbelina Lillie - for making the #ProjectBareAll tag!

New Beginnings

UPDATE

21/06/14 - I MOVED TO LONDON.

Ok, so I am starting this blog a little later then I had first anticipated. I had been planning on writing this before the big move, but with all the madness… I am writing this 26/07/14 - over a month later…

But I am finally settled.

I have a flat.

In Shoreditch, London.

I am interning with a designer.

She designs for interior furnishings.

She is lovely, which makes the days fly by.

London life is hectic.

I have found it hard to keep in contact with people as much as I had hoped.

So, I have started this blog.

To keep my friends and family in the loop.

And anyone else who may be interested on my interning journey in the capital.

I also have to write a report in order to achieve my Diploma in Professional Studies.

This will be gained after completing my year in industry, and will accompany my BA hons degree.

The essay will focus on my year and experiences.

I am secretly hoping they will let me submit this.

Wishful thinking...