Day 7 - Bakasana Practice

So it is day 7 of the Bakasana (Crow pose) practice..

I hope you have been practising every day,

I managed to squeeze an extra 10 minutes of Yoga practice in my day to focus on my crow pose.

I know it still isn't there yet, but I have seen improvements in my posture and length of time I could hold this arm balance for.

The biggest thing I noticed was how important it is to engage you core, the more I did this the longer my posture could be stabilised.

So here is my day 7 photo's. Let's keep practising are foundations of Yoga and we will be ultimate Yogi's in no time!

Looking at these photos I can also see where I need to improve (note to self: KEEP FINGERS SPREAD AND FLAT)

But I have also come a long way, getting a better posture: more lifted, and showing more stability on my arms. Because I gained better balance I could hold the posture longer. This is just after a week of practice. I hope to perfect this one soon! 

Any suggestions for our next Yoga challenges? 

Thinking of keeping it simple with Tolasana or Vasisthasana.

Becoming a Yogi

It was on my New Years resolution post that I wanted to become a fully fledged Yogi..

Admittedly I am not practising Yoga as much as I hope to yet, however have been following Yoga with Adriene videos on YouTube, which I usually do on the weekends as my body is still feeling chronically fatigued during the week days, but thankfully I can slowly feel my self becoming more awake and self aware once again, when I feel comfortable with my body again I will hopefully start practising my Yogi moves during the week as well.

Ok so I have done the occasional Yoga class in the past, but never really ventured into all of the foundations of yoga, (WARNING: remove all rude thoughts now) of course I have done the occasional downward dog, it is pretty much the move you will be guaranteed to learn at any Yoga class.. but my interest is in the contortion of Yoga, therefore I embarked on learning my first more challenging move this morning, Crow Pose.

This move will strengthen your wrists, forearms and abdomen, while improving your balance.

It is my challenge to practise this move for 10 minutes every day for a week, taking a day 1 and day 7 photograph to see the progression.

Feel free to join along and post your photographs too, which you can do over on my Facebook page or tweet me at @SSC_x

Here is the video I learnt from today:

The Basics:

- Bring flat palms and feet close together, bending them, while keeping back and chest elevated.
- Place one knee on the upper arm, followed by the other.
- Press your weight into the heel of your hand.
- Lean slightly forward, keeping gaze forward as well.

Oh and remember, the falling crow is one of most important steps toward mastering your Crow Pose, you have to try to perfect.

Day 1 Photographs:

I think you can already see the development in these photographs after a few practices!

Excited for my Yogi adventure now!

Namaste

x

WILD THING

Good afternoon Sunday readers,

                                                     I have a quick update for you...

Started a new internship 2 weeks ago.. 

It is going well..

I only have 2 weeks left..

Then I am back to being the 'New Girl' again..

Another day, another internship..

Sending my anxiety through the roof of, will it be a good one? 

I hope so..

I am there for 5 months.

Anyway, all things aside, I met up with my favourite London gal pal yesterday to talk fashion, life, food and futures.

We decided to go for lunch to a place that has been on our foodies bucket list for a good long while now called Wild Food Cafe. 

The building was picturesque, with brick work that was so orderly you wouldn't believe, old fashioned and somewhat Parisian style blue window frames, surrounded by neat greenery and pretty florals. 

This beautiful building is in the perfect London location of the magical Neal's Yard in Covent Garden. 

The food is colourful, fresh, raw, vegan/vegetarian and created using playful innovation that will be sure to satisfy your hunger queues with not so guilty meals and puds!

There is no denying the menu had me wanting to go tapas and order everything.

I was initially drawn to the Ayervedic Salad of:

'organic lamb lettuce and wild rocket topped with amaranth, courghetti spaghetti, hijiki seaweed, slices of artichoke hearts & avocado, cucumber & red pepper cubes, finished off with coriander, rocket & parsely pesto, mango salsa, activated savory seeds flavoured with leafy greens and spices, and marinated shiitake mushrooms.'

However, I pretty much live for salads, therefore I thought trying something more unusual would be the best option.. as good as this looks and sounded.

My next temptations were the:

I Love Ewe:

'unpasteurised Neal’s Yard dairy sheep cheese, caramelized onions, Dijon mustard, gherkins & tomato sandwich.'

The Wild Pizza:

'raw, dairy-free young coconut cheeze, wild sea purslane & basil pesto, raw cultured tomato & goji berry marinara, Turkish olives, artichoke hearts, avocado.'

The Wild Burger:

'scrumtious shiitake, raw olive & dulse burger with in-house cultured Wild Sauce, tomatillo salsa verde, caramelised onions, baba ganoush & crispy gem lettuce in a wholemeal sprouted organic wheat bread.'

The Wild Falafel:

'organic pistachio, olive & coriander superfood falafel balls, sprouted chickpea hummus, baba-ganoush, sprouted quinoa tabouleh, red pepper dressing, tahini sauce.'

In the end I opted for the Wild Falafel and Rosie chose the Wild Burger.

Of course I am going to be honest with you here, we don't know if we just made the wrong choices or  we would of thought this whatever the choice.. 

The food was delicious, but not worth the money with both our lunch orders coming to around £13 each. The portions were pretty small for the price, but I guess organic and healthy food like this generally tends to be more expensive. The food tasted great, but it wasn't mind blowing like you would hope for a £13 wrap. 

Either way the food was good but I don't think I would order the same thing, I would however definitely go again.. maybe when money isn't so tight. 

Feeling slightly disappointed by the lunch mains due to how much this place was hyped up, we decided to go all in and share a dessert as these looked doubtful to disappoint! 

We decided to ask which was the dessert that is most recommended to a newbie at Wild Food, we were told to go for the Raw Chocolate Tart:

'our most popular dessert. Creamy & smooth thick layer of chocolate superfood heaven on a firm crust of organic almonds, figs, dates and coconut chips.'

This was delicious. We had wished we had just visited indulging in an array of desserts. 

The mousey, chocolatey, gooeyness, just melted in your mouth and the base provided a filling soft but crunchy end to the delectable mouthful. 

Ok so if you are reading this and you haven't already cracked open your treat jar.. now is the time to run to the kitchen and satisfy your cravings, writing this post sure had my belly rumbling! 

Time for a Sunday of Homeland, lunch prepping, chocolate and church. 

See you next week, hope you have all had a lovely weekend. 

Oh and if you are in London be sure to go and treat yourself to some Wild Food! Nothing like guilt free cakes. 

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

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.

Getting ahead in fashion

Working for a high-end fashion brand has made me think long and hard about getting ahead in fashion. So you have your CV sussed, you've started a blog compiled of your fashionista tips & tricks while highlighting diabolical fashion faux pas, you've escaped to the Capital.. now what? 

This is my situation...

I am nail-bittingly close to ruining the opportunities I have worked so hard to achieve and I don't want anyone else to fall for the blunders I have caused, so here are a few things that have been learn't so far working in industry.

DO: Nourish yourself

Ok. So you might think the Fashion industry promotes skinny, but oh could you be more wrong. In the run-up to deadlines everyone is in the studio chowing down on pizza, thai, sushi.. the list is endless. We have just stocked up with goodies for the week, by stocked up I mean the biggest box of crisps, chocolate & fizzy drinks. Now I am not promoting un-healthy eating to get ahead in fashion, but I am promoting the need for energy, strength and balance to be able to work 7 days a week, with hours that don't have a time-limit, meaning you could be working 14hours + in the run up to Fashion Week. I have so far been the girl rejecting the cookies, the crisps, the cake. You might applaud thinking what good will power, but in reality it is just stubbornness. My unhealthy relationship with food caused me to take my eye off the ball. I am unable to work the gruelling hours I prepared myself for and that other interns and staff members work, I do not have the bodily strength to do the tasks others can do. I am the girl with the apple and a salad, maybe staying an hour late here and there and un-impressing. Although staff members are happy with my work and say they are impressed.. my contribution to the team is far less superior then others. I thoroughly enjoy what I am doing, developing skills in different areas such as embroidery and pattern cutting and want to continue to learn. I have a determination to work the gruelling fashion hours others work and impress and be desired to come back and contribute each year but my eating habits have so far stood in the way of me making the impressions I had hoped.

 I am a working progress. 

Luckily, I will be returning to the fashion company I am interning with next year for 5 months. When I return I will be the girl eating the cookies and the cake, working the late shifts and proving to everyone that I will make it in the industry. 

This challenge for me started yesterday, working the weekend: I ate a sushi bento box for lunch and delved into the biscuit tin at snack time, convincing my manager I have the strength to work a little longer than usual. Next week my progress will continue, fighting for my future, my dreams, my desire to prove to everyone I am worthy of this internship. If I make more progress my studio manager will allow me work the longer hours and the big weekend 48hour stint before the fashion show on Monday the 15th. You all must think I am mad aiming for longer shifts but that is what the run up to fashion week is all about.. if I am going to intern in fashion, I will do it properly. This is game on. 

Phew, you might be glad to know that's my blabbering out of the way. But, hey when your stuck inside, no way to get to my usual Sunday church service, whats a girl gunna do. 

My other points are slightly more heard of but coming from my real life interning experience, I have realised just how true they are. 

DON'T: Be a 9 to 5 kind of gal/guy

While you dream of your lavish fashion lifestyle of endless shopping trips and copious amounts of champagne as you pull up to the most talked about parties in a black limousine surrounded by the likes of Karl Lagerfeld, Vivienne Westwood and Stella McCartney. The reality is a lot of graft, late nights, constant deadlines, sleepless nights, people freaking out when designs change last minute, things can't be found, exhaustion takes over, and before you know it the season is over and the next has begun. But don't be put off, everyone in the studio loves the madness and if you want it badly, you will too!  

DO: Network

Networking was stressed to me throughout my second year of my degree, but while interning the need to network has become evermore important. It is all about contacts I'm afraid. The more people you know in the industry the further you will get. Working in a creative environment means you can meet a lot of people who will know someone that can help you out in the future, Foot in the door? Photographer? Stylist? Freelance work? The more people you meet whether it is the designer at one of your favourite fashion houses, the receptionist at Vogue, the cleaner at Burberry or the security guard at Dolce & Gabbana, you meet someone in the industry they will probably be able to help you out in the future. Also, meeting other designers is a great way to meet like-minded people. Maybe the security guard might not share your interests, but he will know someone who will. 

DON'T: Rely on qualifications

Don't assume that your degree will guarantee you a job in the industry at the end. Of course doing well and academic study is important but most professionals I have met that have been working in the design field for a long time have stressed that the need of interning and networking. I have learnt so much after just 3 months of interning, things I never learnt on my degree. I enjoy my course, my lecturers are great and I have learnt all about designing and design process, but putting these skills into experience in the working world is a completely different ball-game. So intern, think outside the box, stand out and throw yourself into every task no matter how small with unbridled gusto.

DO: Live the City life

Chirping birds flying past the window of your Victorian house with a garden (yes, "A GARDEN!" I hear you scream) as you gaze on to the mountainous hillside and sip a cup of tea, while later venturing into the grassy fields as you sing 'the hills are alive' like Julie Andrews.. I don't think so. If you want to clamber up the fashion ladder you have to make the move. Relocate to the capital. And live it like a Londoner. I am sure you have all heard the saying "you've got to be in it to win it", well thus applies. All the opportunities are in the city, it is where the biggest companies are based, where the fashion shows are hosted and where your real-life fashion career begins. So, if you can cope with a box (i.e. small flats) at designer prices and virtually no money for a few years for that desirable fashion gig, pack your bag and book a one way ticket. 

DON'T: Fake it

Yes it is great to have a look, having personal sense of style can get you a long way.. make you stand out from the crowd. Attitude and confidence are highly valued and having a personal style is great to showcase your fashion eye. However, don't pretend to be something you are not. If at heart you are a girl who loves the high street or is guilty of indulging in the high end life, don't pretend to be an artful hipster, find your niche and wear it with pride. 

Find a company to intern with that interests you and reflects your style. Don't walk into a company pretending you are into Avant Guard when you like Commercial. You will only enjoy the job, the discounted clothing perks, and won't look like a wolly when your true style, thoughts and feelings are revealed. It will only be embarrassing when you can't relate to the concepts and the brand you are representing and working for, you will go a lot further working for a brand you are passionate about. 

Enough of my intern advice, hear it from the real professionals reading this Vogue interview for some famous fashion advice.

With all this fashion talk, what kind of fashion posts would you like me to create on my blog? London Fashion Week is also among us! So I hope to create a lot of posts on design collections I loved at the show, in the mean time.. This Resort '15 Valentino collection still has me head over heels in love.

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.

A Relaxed Bank Holiday Weekend

I hope everyone has had a fabulous bank holiday weekend last week.

Being transformed into a true Londoner I had hoped to head on down to Notting Hill Carnival, where every year the streets come alive with food, music and colourful costumes for Europe's biggest street festival. 

I guess you could say in reality I am a quintessential countryside girl at heart. So instead of dancing in the streets of London's festivities, I opted for a relaxing weekend filled with many cups of tea, movies and good reads. This choice was mainly down to this being the last weekend I can relax before London Fashion Week madness starts. I will be working late nights and weekends.. so essentially I will be working 24/7. I am actually excited and I am sure I will have loads of stories for you all on the reality of interning in the fashion world in the run up to Fashion Week, as well as all the behind the scenes knowledge from the show!

But for now, let's relax... 

Woke up thankful it's the weekend.

Unwrapped my new trainers I purchased on Friday after work.

Wore my Nike Jordan's for the most part of the day, they are seriously like wearing slippers.. comfort galore!

Morning coffee is a must. The day does not start until the kettle has boiled and the coffee is poured.

Breakfast loving. Topped off my mound of weetabix with banana and clementines.

Stocked up the cupboards in preparation for the busy weeks ahead.

Errands completed, now for movie time.

Traded in my Jordan's for some fluffy socks.

Cuddled up to my bear for extra cosiness.

Got creating.

Salad bigger than my head.

It's Sunday! Time for church.

An organised Bank Holiday Monday. Meal planning in my Filofax.

Then things got messy in the kitchen. Lunches of salads, vegetables, eggs, smoked salmon, cheese crackers, fruit and an un-pictured soup for the week ahead.

Food prepping complete. Followed by Monday's humungous salad bowl filled with all kinds of goodness and drenched in balsamic of course.

Night time read.

With some chocolate of course.

Many yawns later and it's time for bed, ready to reconvene the next day as The Textile Intern working in the mad, mad fashion world. 

My week in smiles #4

I was unsure whether to post about smiles this week as sadly my Grandma past away. It somewhat seems wrong to post about having a happy week when in reality it has been filled with many tears. But, Grandma was very unwell.. and she is at rest now. I know she would want us to all be positive and strong, while smiling at the good times. So this week my weekly smiles is going to be a little different, it isn't necessarily going to be from the last week. I have instead decided to write about 10 family times and smiles spent with my family as well as remembering my Grandma. I hope everyone has had a great week and bank holiday weekend and that you enjoy this post even though it is not the norm. Bring on next week, may it create many happy memories!

1. Ice cream cake for my birthday in Australia. I always remember this cake being the best birthday cake I had ever had. 

2. My Grandma was GLAMOROUS! She loved her makeup, getting her hair done and a pamper. I always remember her dyeing her hair.

3. Making french toast together.

4. Christmas, spending Christmas many years ago in Australia. I remember getting a baby Annabel! That's how young I was. Anyone else have a baby Annabel when they were younger?

5. Bingo! Grandma loved bingo.. but who doesn't! 

6. Skyping Grandma and Mum when I was in University. I hadn't seen her since I was very young, so when mum went to visit her in Australia we Skyped, it was a conversation filled with many happy tears. 

7. The Big Bang Theory. This is more a memory from my mum, I remember mum saying Grandma loves watching The Big Bang Theory, whenever it is on it now makes me smile.

8. Spending precious time together. Every moment no matter how small I am grateful for.

9. Even though my family are spread all over the world, we always pull together and support each other. There is no love like the love of family. 

10. Memories. Grandma may now be in the heavens but she will always be in our hearts, her memories will never leave us.

Sorry if this post was too personal and not what you were hoping to read this Sunday. I know it doesn't really give you much insight into my week and what I have been loving, but it didn't feel right posting anything smiley other than happy times spent with my family and Grandma.

To keep you enticed until next weeks smiles I will however still share my favourites in song, movie and blog, so check them out if you haven't already!

Song of the week: MNEK - Wrote A Song About You Last Night. Such a great track, I am obsessed!

Movie of the week: Warm Bodies. I have been loving Amazon Prime to catch up on films I wanted to watch but never ended up getting around to watching. I did have Netflix, but they got a bit slow on updating there contents, anyone else feel like they watched everything on there? I bid farewell to my Netflix membership a few weeks a go and have now jumped on the Prime bandwagon.

Blogger of the week: The Londoner. I am sure everyone knows Rosie over on The Londoner, she is my all time favourite blogger, I religiously refresh her blog waiting for a new blog post. This week she has been keeping us all updated regularly on her Parisian adventures.. so grab a cup of tea and head on over, you will spend hours perusing her blog if you haven't already!

My week in smiles #3

The weeks are passing so fast, right? I can't believe this is the third weekly smiles post… spoiler alert: this week might of been the best so far. Although I have said a sad farewell to working in studio with the interior company I had been interning with, I have amazingly been offered the opportunity to work from a distance for the company while I continue the rest of my placements and studies. Tomorrow I will be starting my next internship working for a high-end fashion design company. I am not going to lie, I am fairly terrified. I know fashion can be quite demanding especially as we will be working in the run up to London Fashion Week. I am preparing myself for many sleepless nights, aching feet, finger blisters and eye bags so heavy it will be like lifting weights at the gym. But hey, its going to be a whirlwind experience. Anyway, here's a little list to peruse of the things that have made this week a truly lovely one and I hope you all had a delightful week too!

1. Spotting men with beards. A man with a beard and tattoos is becoming my guilty pleasure. Dreamy.
2. Victoria Sponge Cake with the Sian Zeng team. Another week, another fear food tackled. Victoria Sponge is so simple & traditional but one of my favourite cakes.
3. Stevia. I have recently developed a coffee sweet tooth, Stevia makes this craving slightly more innocent.
4. The Girl with All the Gifts. Finished listening to my first audio book on audible! I enjoyed it but would still rather a good ol' fashioned paper book.
5. Snuggling up in my duvet. I love summer, but appreciating the cooler nights this week.
6. The advice and wisdom from friends and family. I am truly grateful to be surrounded by such wonderful and caring people.
7. Health progress. I had a successful appointment at the doctors this week, to get my mind & body healthy. I have also upped my food content and although it's not as big of an increase as it should be, I can feel myself getting stronger and improvements with my energy levels already.
8. Having the most beautiful Lillies delivered to my flat. You know you have the most amazing best friend when she sends you flowers for no occasion other then to make you smile.
9. Continuing my work with the Sian Zeng team. Even though I will not be in studio, I am glad I get to remain apart of this little design family.
10. Blog reading. Spending my weekend armed with a cuppa and a good blog.

Song of the week: Jamie T - Zombie. Ooooooh yes Jamie T is back! About time as well if you ask me. Loving this track, can't wait for the album to be released.

Movie of the week: After the heartbreaking news, a Robin Williams film had to be my movie of the week. After appearing in so many amazing films I found it hard to pick, so I decided on two of my all time childhood favourites, Jumanji and Flubber! 

Blogger of the week: Catherine Sprunt aka Sprunting. This girl is also a Sian Zeng employee from a distance, so I am yet to meet her. However, I came across her blog through work and have been enjoying reading it, she blogs all things food, interiors, travel and life!

The Model Diet - Qnola

As mentioned in my SBC workout post, I promised to tell you all more about the Qnola that was given at the end of the workout session.

Photograph by Danielle Copperman

Quinoa Granola (Qnola) is a healthy alternative to your typical Granola breakfast. Granola is packed with sugar, additives, processed dried fruit and many more unwanted extras. I know it's yummy, I was heartbroken too when I discovered this originally thinking of addictive Granola as a healthy breakfast. But unless you read the ingredients and understand what is good and bad you wouldn't have a clue how you are honestly fuelling your body, you know what they say, if you can't say it don't eat it! I am definitely someone guilty of overindulgence with Granola, there is actually quite a few good organic and gluten free brands on the market that I would look at investing in if you can't resist your fix, but now Qnola is on the market I am a Qnola convert. I never missed my normal Granola breakfast at all when I had Qnola in my cupboard. This really is the ultimate no-nasties breakfast, combine it with nut milk or add it to natural yogurt with some fruit to experience something mouthwateringly special... I tried both combinations and couldn't get enough.

Breakfast snap before my first mouthful!

Qnola is rich in antioxidants, nutrients, vitamins and minerals and free from gluten, grains, refined sugar and dairy but is packed with texture and nutty flavour with many superfood ingredients including chia seeds, coconut, goji berries, organic sunflower seeds, almonds and pumpkin seeds. There is also a number of added goodness ingredients in each flavour like beetroot powder, cacao, cinnamon, ginger and agave... healthy never tasted so good! 

Danielle Copperman

We all have the beautiful Danielle Copperman to thank for this heavenly natural, unprocessed creation. Danielle is a qualified nutritionist and model, so if there is anyone who is going to get us that Victoria Secret body it is this woman. If you want to find out more about Qnola you can check out her post about the breakfast that will change your lifestyle over on her blog here.

I also nabbed a few photographs from Danielle's instagram, which I recommend for more healthy meal ideas!

Photography by Danielle Copperman

You can grab your Qnola from The Detox Kitchen at their Kingly Street Deli in London, but it has caused quite the stir.. so if you can get your hands on some you are in luck! They do re-stock the range, so all is not lost. Danielle is also going to be selling Qnola online so everyone no matter where you are can experience this beautiful breakfast...

Glorious.