10 Life Lessons Learned in My Late Teens
3 September 2016
Eldwick, UK
September's here! As it's basically school season and I'm feel reminiscent of my time in the education system, I thought I would share today's post. My late teens were a turning point for me. Everyone has that
stage at a different point, some teens really mature at 14, others would
rather sit and play The Sims for 6 hours until the problem disappears like me.
However, towards the end of my teenage years, I started to grow as a person and
mature more during the struggle of sixth form.
I am responsible
It's time to grow up! Once I started looking after myself in
little ways, I realised I'm responsible for everything regarding me. My mum can
only do so much and I've got to fly the figurative nest at some point. I
learned it was down to me to be time efficient, and pack bags properly and even
revise thoroughly otherwise I would have no one else to blame.
Friends aren't forever
While in sixth form, I drifted away from my group of friends
quite a lot. When I started in school, I had an enormous group of friends, both
boys and girls but somehow it started to fade. I never really noticed until
there were about four of us left and then there was me. Looking back, I'm happy
I had those experiences, but I've moved on and found people who care about me.
Most things require effort
Being lazy doesn't get me very far. It's one of my biggest
traits, I enjoy laying around and doing absolutely nothing. I could easily
stare at a wall for a good half an hour and feel entertained. I'm just a simple
lass like that. However, growing up, I have noticed that I need to work HARD if
I want anything done right. Minimal effort isn't an option when it comes to
blogging, and that should be the same for most tasks I tackle.
Spending is much easier than saving
I LOVE shopping so much. Even window shopping is better than
going down to the bank and actually opening a savings account and locking away
my money, but it has to be done. Seriously, if I do not but some of my savings
in a fixed bond, it will disappear, I will find something to spend it on. Right
now I'm learning to drive, and I've realised saving is the only way I will be
able to continue.
I can't please everyone
I had spent a large amount of my adolescent and teenage
years trying to impress and please everyone. If I could sense even the
slightest tone of disappointment in someone's tone or facial expression, it
would sit with me for months. One day, during that mid A-Level-breakdown
everyone goes through, I became determined not to care and haven't looked back
since. I still have the same attitude today: you don't like me....so?
I won't have a perfect life
From around the age of nine, I had my life planned to the T.
I would become a fashion designer and marry a super hot guy and live between
Los Angeles and London - basically become Victoria Beckham. I'm sad to announce
that didn't happen, but happy to confirm that's perfectly okay. My life has had
many twist and turns in its twenty years, but it keeps me on my toes and I like
the unexpectedly.
Getting old is what I make of it
While in school, I had a friend who used to cry every
birthday because she didn't like the idea of getting older. She was completely
inconsolable and felt like she'd wasted a year. I still think of her every
year, but it helps me to remember that getting old isn't the worst thing in the
world and its an opportunity to reflect and grow!
Keep those unrealistic expectation
This may not apply to everyone, but I'm pretty sure I live
in a fairy universe. I imagined my self driving a Range Rover about now and my
blog being so successful I was fighting off publishers with book deals and
sponsors with collaborations. Of course I know this is a ridiculously high aim,
but it makes me smile and keeps me blogging on the days when I really don't
want to.
Experience is everything
Despite there being incredibly trying times I wouldn't be
the same person without those experiences. I'm sure there's many many (many)
more to come, but I'm still happy to learn and attempt to grow up on my own.
Travelling alone has really helped my confidence and understanding, as well as
allowed me to see countries and cities I could only dream of!
Happy September!
Here Comes the Sun
31 August 2016
Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden
I don’t consider myself a big nature outdoor-sy person, I’m
the first to run from the sight of a bee and cry if there’s a spider in my
eyeline – but I really enjoyed the Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Gardens.
From watching swans fly across the lake, to purchasing the best ice cream cone
I’ve ever had, to walking through the river and trying not to fall; there’s
something for everyone. People of all ages can walk around, and there’s dogs
everywhere! The highlight of the day was definitely seeing deer close-up, as
well as spending a great day in the sun.
What did you get up to over the bank holiday?
My Summer Bling Wishlist with Gemporia
26 August 2016
Baildon, UK
I can be really weird when it comes to jewellery. Sometimes
I forget I own it, sometimes I completely drench myself in diamonds and
sometimes I like that one staple piece that blows an outfit out of the water.
Either way, I love anything that sparkles, and have a soft spot for the super
shiny and any pendant pieces. Since we’re still technically in summer and I’m
slowly becoming obsessed with accessories (I’m even thinking of creating a
Pinterest board dedicated to them), I thought I would create a wishlist just
for my favourite bling bling. Gemporia
recently contacted me about their line and I was very pleasantly surprised
at the quantity of stunning pieces available from their website. I was
expecting a fairly simple site with a few pieces that I would obsesses over,
but there are pages of stunning jewellery items that I adore!
One thing I love about Gemporia is that they ensure their business has a positive impact on the people and environments around it. As you know, charity work is very close to my heart so you can read more about Gemporia's work here. They believe that beautiful jewellery shouldn’t cost the earth, nor should it be massed produced or run of the mill. This is why they go direct to the source to bring customers the finest gemstones Mother Nature has to offer, from some of the world’s most remote locations! I began this
wishlist with just ten items, and ended up with over thirty. Then I decided
that may be a little too much for one blog post, so I got it down to an easy eighteen,
but trust me – it was not easy. Everything is just so pretty!
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18
What’s your favourite item? Let me know below!
This post is in collaboration with Gemporia.
Annika Nail Polish | Review
24 August 2016
Otley, UK
Since I stopped wearing acrylics, it’s my duty to now hunt
down as many nail polishes as I can. So far I’ve been doing pretty well, but I
do occasionally struggle with polishes that won’t chip within the first two
hours, like most I’ve tried. There are plenty of brands out there that provide luxurious
quality varnish… that costs more than a bottle of champagne. Barry M and Rimmel
are two of my favourite brands from nail polish, but I recently tried the Annika
Nail Polish line* by The Edge Nails it’s not just the name I’m obsessed
with.
I’m always open to trying new products, especially from
brands I’ve never heard of or bought from. When I received the Annika Nail
Polishes I was absolutely thrilled to try them out, and finally get some colour
on my bare nails. The line includes 30 different colours, from jet black to
bright yellow and I received Bella Ballerina, Pretty Pixie and Beauty Queen.
My first impressions of the colours was that they were
brighter than I expected and would look great on my nails as long as the formula
is strong enough. It’s really common to find nail varnish that’s a stunning
colour, but is almost like water when painted on the nails – major
disappointment. I get that quite a lot with glitter nail polishes, and hate
applying layers on layers, as I’m impatient and it takes too long to dry. With
the first layer of Bella Ballerina, the lightest shade, I was actually quite
surprised at how visible it was, despite the colour.
Regarding the formula of the Annika Polishes, it’s thick and
light without being too watery. The polish is easy to take off and doesn’t
stain my nails which is a big yes in
my book. I’ve also found that the varnish dries very quickly and doesn’t pool
on my nails. I don’t have the biggest and best nailbeds (hence why they’re not
splashed all over this post), so to have a polish that takes well to my nails
is a colossal advantage.
Luckily, the colours also dry the same shade when they dry,
and most importantly – they don’t chip. Overall, I would say Annika varnishes
have a lasting power of 7 to 10 days. I usually apply two layers, because the
colour is bright and pigmented enough for just two; plus I often find that
whenever I put on more than two solid layers on my nails the varnish struggles
to dry and ends up getting smudged no matter how long I wait. I wouldn’t go as
far as saying Annika Nail Polishes are chip-proof, but they last long enough
for me, as I get bored of the same colour quickly.
If I had to pick a favourite colour, it would be Pretty
Pixie, simply because I think I could wear it in almost every season and get
away with it. Beauty Queen is definitely more wintery, and Bella Ballerina is certainly
more summery – whereas Pretty Pixie is a happy medium for me. Overall, I would
totally recommend this nail line to anyone who is looking for an affordable line
of colourful polishes that are a great quality and so pretty! Plus, I absolutely love the name ;)
*The three Annika Nail Polishes pictures above were gifted to
me by The Edge Nails.
Totally Thrifted
21 August 2016
Alton, UK
I recently spent a whole day at Alton Towers, also known as my favourite place on Earth, and I always want to wear something comfortable but inexpensive as I'm the one girl that loses a jacket (or a shoe) whenever I go anywhere. I managed to put together an entire outfit (minus the accessories) from thrift shopping and I have to talk about how much I'm falling in love with it.
I haven't bought too many things from thrift shops in the past because I never grew up shopping in them, and would always go on shopping trips to the enormous centres in the nearest city, which usually don't include local charity and thrift shops. I actually live in a tiny village in West Yorkshire, and there are charity shops everywhere; and as you know, charities are my life. Literally. I hear a lot of bloggers talk about thrifting and I decided it's time to really make the plunge, digging around in those shops is a lot like shopping in TK Maxx, it takes time and real dedication - there's so much stuff!
Alton is pretty far from where I live, so number one thing was a comfy outfit. To get there I had to set off at 06:00, not my favourite time of the day, but as a new-found morning person it's not the worst. I knew I would sleep in the car because heat + nice tunes + rocking motion = Anika asleep. I wanted to wear jeans on the trip because I absolutely loathe leggings and cropped or really short tops and I had already fallen in love with this poppy-printed cotton tank top I'm wearing. Black jeans are my new go-to, so of course, I looked in twelve thrift and charity shops until I found some! The ones I got were some vintage super-stretch jeans (sadly the label is faded) but I'm so glad the colour is still there! For me, that shows the great quality.
My hoodie was a little too big, but that's ideal for me as oversized clothing is my total weakness. Comfort is number one for rollercoasters so a cosy grey number is perfect! The weather always varies, we're in the UK, what else is going to happen? So I needed something I could tie around my waist or stuff in my bag when the sun decided to appear. Luckily it did make a small appearance and brightened the day. There's only one water ride left at Alton Towers (BOO!) and it's still likely you end up drenched. Although there's always that one person who never gets wet and I need to figure out their method because I'm the complete opposite. Anyway, I knew a cotton zip-up would dry off quickly, especially if the sun is out, and it happens to pair with the rest of my outfit pretty well!
Overall, I'm loving thrift shopping, it could be my new thing! Have you every thrifted? What did you get?
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