New Start

Wow it’s been a while. I’ve had a crazy packed summer and actually ended up working nights for the past few weeks so posting just wasn’t an option. Also, because i wasn’t in college i sort of lost the urge to be creative or blog. Luckily uni starts next week and i want to use this blog to document all the new things going on right now including moving in to mine and E’s new home!

We moved in yesterday and are so in love with everything about it! The best part is we don’t even have to pay for internet because when i tried to log on to my mums internet account from here it worked?! Amazing. Anyway here are a few pictures of our new casa…

Where the magic happens...

Haha i feel like i’m on Cribs! There are two wardrobes (the big one is mine obviously…) as well as two dressers, a dressing table and draws under the bed. Even so i’ve already run out of room for my clothes, but one thing that makes up for it is the Juliet balcony looking out to the cool round house across the street. The street where we are is a quiet side street but it’s just off a busy road so even though it’s quiet there’s a lot going on. Next door is a pub and there’s a park and a museum opposite… it’s perfect.

Cutie bathroom

The bathroom is off the bedroom and has a bath and a shower. The cute bathmat was a bargain from Primark and about 95% of the toiletries are mine haha!

IKEA!!

E built this yesterday, it was so cute! There are some books/magazines and dvd’s in here and on top is an empty photo frame that was here when we arrived; im working on taking some pretties to fill the spaces with. I’m also in love with the cute hole in the wall! It holds my instax, headphones and programmes from GaGa, Isle of White and Legally Blonde. Theres also a plastic chest of draws in the opposite corner that we’re using to hold DVDs, as well as a cool slide out thing in the kitchen. I think it’s meant for food but we have A LOT of DVDs. There’s still a suitcase full unpacked and some under the bed!

let's bake a cake...

And last, here is the kitchen. I love the glass shelves for holding all our pretty bits and bobs (and vintage floral lunch  trays!)

Well, that’s all for now; it’s 1am and i need to write up a shopping list because we’re doing our first big shop tomorrow. Is it weird that i’m so excited?!

Love,

Sparkle xoxo

It’s been too long already

…but it’s going to have to wait a little longer. There’s so much going on right now what with work, finishing college next week, putting on the final show, GaGa and the Isle of Wight Festival coming up in the next 2 weeks or so…see you soon!

Love, always

Sparkle xoxo

Extolling the Virtues

There are a few things right now that i can’t get enough of and what’s the point of having a blog if you can’t ramble on at length about your favorite things every once in a while? I’ve been basically absent from college for a week and when i go that long without seeing people my own age (you have to remember i work with the elderly..) i tend to feel like i’m growing really old really quick. Maybe this list reflects that, i’m not sure… or does everyone love porridge?

I seriously cannot explain how much i love porridge! I’ve been eating it for breakfast everyday in the middle of my shift (about 10am) with a banana and some honey and it makes me feel so energetic and satisfied and also a bit smug and healthy. I’m not sure if i’ve mentioned on here before but i’m trying to eat better at the moment to set myself up for the festival… five days in a muddy field is not fun if you’re feeling sluggish and puffy… and i think since i started eating breakfast my skin has been clearer and i’m not wanting to snack throughout the day. I never used to eat breakfast because i can’t face food first thing in the morning, but having it part way through is bearable and so far i think it’s doing me some good : ) I want want to divert a little bit and say that even though i’m trying to be healthier, i’m not necessarily trying to be thinner. I don’t really have too many issues about myself (on a good day) that clothes can’t solve and i’m sick of spending my time worrying about how big my hips are, but i would like to have thicker, healthier hair and be generally more active and take of myself. I think that a lot of this second year in college has been spent worrying about myself and doubting my choices but at the end of the day as an adult i have to be strong enough in myself to make decisions that will affect the rest of my life (which uni to go to, moving in with E, etc) and if i can do that then i needn’t worry about what other people think about how i dress or who i am. Sometimes i think spending time alone clears my head about things like that when i can take a step back and look at the bigger picture and see that problems i worry about aren’t important at all.

Image from WeHeartIt

I’ve been spending a lot of time finishing up sketchbook work in the evenings this week while listening to Regina Spektor’s “Far.” From the first listen of the first song last year i was instantly charmed and knew that this album would become a first favorite. It might be my favorite of hers, but then again it’s hard to say because i love them all so much. My favorite thing about her songs is the way she tells stories and makes you laugh.. when i saw her at Glastonbury last year she sang, played piano with one hand, and played drums with the other  using a chair instead of a drum kit. Magical doesn’t even begin to describe her : )

Last but not least is Zara. Zara is one of those shops i always mean to go in but never do, for some reason i always think the windows are boring and the general layout just doesn’t get me excited… plus the fact that you can’t shop online which is annoying for me since we don’t have one here. I went to Liverpool today though and disillusioned with the new Kate Moss for Topshop collection (seriously…there’s almost nothing under £60, and most are over £100) i wandered into Zara expecting nothing but loving almost everything. For the price of less than one Topshop dress i managed to walk away with all this…

Perfect skirt

High waisted shorts

Frilly shorts

Pretty top

Perfect Skirt

This is called the perfect skirt because it’s perfect. I can’t describe the fabric it’s made of.. a kind of brushed silk… almost velvet but not quite… so soft and perfect and it sits in just the right place and sticks out just so.. just perfect! So this skirt put me in a happy mood and then everything else just followed; i think that the shorts and top will be good with tights and wellies for the festival. I’m getting excited, it’s only three weeks away today! I need to find my boots though…

Love, always

Sparkle xoxo

So That Was a Long Bad Mood, Then?

I’ve been gone for ages! Every day this week i’ve thought “oh i really should blog about this” but then i forget or, more likely, fall asleep before i get the chance. I’ve worked everyday since last Friday and i don’t actually have a day off until Sunday so i’m pretty tired right now and generally blah…

There’s about 2 weeks of college left i think and i can’t wait for it to be over! When college is done that means it’s tome for Lady GaGa, the festival and London/my birthday! I really want to buy a nice bag in London with my birthday money that i can use for Uni and as a general everyday bag, so it has to be big enough to carry my laptop and also sturdy enough to be used for a long time… but not too formal. Am i asking too much? I want something that won’t date or go out of fashion, but then i always think will it go with any of my clothes? I hardly ever wear block colours and usually wear some sort of pattern and every bag i look at i’m worrying that it will clash and i will have spent all this money and will end up looking cheap? I was originally looking at designer bags but i would be willing to buy from Anthropologie or somewhere else mid priced if it was nice enough… I just haven’t found anything!

The one i’m considering most is the Louis Vuitton Neverfull GM. The print is so classic and i love the colours, but it’s more the style i would love to have rather than the style i actually have. Should you change your whole wardrobe to accommodate a bag? Maybe when it’s this nice…  i love how you can change the shape of the bag and the ties at the side and the hardware….everything really. But is it me? I don’t know. I feel so indecisive! It’s a good job i have a month to decide…

Love, always

Sparkle xoxo

Goin to London, to buy Heat magazine!

I’m so excited! Seeing as E is at Glastonbury for my birthday this year, my mum and dad offered to take my to London for the weekend. I went to London for the first time for my birthday last year with my nan, and then again with college last October and loved it so much both times. I got my student loan forms back from the Bank and it turns out that next year i’ll have £69 per week in loans/grants (my rent is going to be around £70 and that’s for somewhere really cheap) so god knows how i’ll be able to survive, and i thought i might as well have one last shopping filled extravaganza!

We’ve booked rooms at the Hotel Russell in Russell Square which is right in the middle of everything and it looks so pretty and grand and old fashioned, here are some photos…

There’s so much that i want to do that i haven’t had chance to before; visit China town, see a show (we’ve booked tickets for Legally Blonde the musical!) and visit Liberty. Hmmm something just happened that put me in a bad mood so this will have to remain a short entry…

Love, always

Sparkle xoxo

Got That Friday Feeling?

On a Monday? Weird i know, but i’m feeling really motivated this evening! I did a TON of work in college today (putting together about 40 pages on the magazine… although i am panicking a little because i’m quickly running out of things to put in it!) and i’m really looking forward to going to the gym with Em tomorrow. Normally i dread it so that must be good! This is a pretty random post full of little bits and pieces i’ve been meaning to write about but hopefully it won’t seem too ADD…

OK so a couple of days ago i purchased the new limited edition Charles Worthington “Rough and Tousled Salt Spray” which i love! I’ve been wearing my hair wavy/curly almost every day recently and i really love the matte finish that this spray gives my hair without making it feel straw like or drying it out too much. It also holds really well and i’m finding that i don’t really need to use hairspray with this which i like a lot. The best part i think so is the packaging which i really love; the product is part of a collaboration range with Erdem and each product features a different pattern on the bottle all hidden away behind a black label. You just peel off the label using the tab to reveal styling tips & tricks and a very pretty bottle : )

Cute right? Kind of like unwrapping a little present to yourself… it makes me want to try them all! I also have a couple of outfit shots saved up from the past week. I’ve been experimenting a lot recently with layers of jersey and lace under and over things… i think light layers are really nice right now because the weather is so transitional and i can never tell by looking outside if it’s going to be hot or cold; the sunshine is so deceptive!

The first is what i wore today for college. I wanted to try out the cream dress i bought yesterday from Miss Selfridge because i still wasn’t sure if i wanted to return it or not. I think i’ve decided to keep it because it is very pretty and actually quite versatile… it will work well with alot of things i already have in my wardrobe like my lace leotard which i wore under it just for a little more coverage. I love the leotard so much i got it for Christmas from River Island and didn’t wear it for ages because i wasn’t sure what it would look good with. It’s also really short on me because i have quite a long body and so i usually just wear it as a tee shirt under something else to add a little extra detail. I’m also wearing a crocheted hair bow sent to me by Heidi Pumpkin Pie, Topshop pale pink tights and cardigan and Vivienne Westwood Anglomania shoes (they smell like jelly sweets!).

The second outfit is from Friday when i went shopping in Liverpool with Georgia and i wanted to wear something that would be easy to change out of for trying things on, so i wore my really loose Free People playsuit from Urban Outfitters. I love how easy this is to wear and i always find myself pulling it on when i can’t choose between things. I wore my tights and leotard again because i love the colour combination between the blush pink and the cream and i think they make the outfit look more girly and summery. I have no shoes on in the picture because i hadn’t decided yet!

I’m really feeling excited this week because there are only about 3 or 4 weeks left in college before the big show and then a few months of freedom where i’ll be able to work full time and earn some money, and also because on Wednesday E and I are going flat hunting for the first time! I can’t wait and i’m really looking forward to exploring our future neighborhood and getting the ball rolling. This does mean that i won’t be able to go to the gym on Wednesday but i hopefully made up for that by doing a really healthy shop today in Tesco… Sushi, yoghurt and fruit mmm : )

Love, always

Sparkle xoxo

Lazy Sunday…

…That’s what i had planned anyway after a stressful evening yesterday starting to put the magazine together on the computer. I ended up working this morning and then G and I went shopping (again… i have spent WAY too much money this weekend!) The good part is that we made a little haul video together and i’m actually in this one! It’s good having someone else hold the camera for you, and i can’t actually think of any other way of doing a video right now because it’s not like i can rest my phone on something like you can with a camera? We actually went into Curry’s Digital and asked about a tripod for the iPhone but they looked at us like we were insane for having such an idea…

A few notes about things we got that i forgot to mention: firstly G tried on an eventually bought the kid’s bikini because it was only £5.99!

I haven’t tried on the Barry M eyeliner yet so can;t vouch for it’s staying power, although it hasn’t rubbed off my hand yet after quite a few hours so that can only be a good sign : ) I didn’t mention in the video that it’s a sort of metallic baby pink, but you can’t really tell the base colour because of all the sparkle, and i think it would look really pretty with quite a nude eye. I need to start planning reviews of some of the products i’ve bought in the last couple of weeks, is there anything you would like to see in particular?

G got the Barry M Nail polishes after i put the mint green one on her for the photoshoot in the woods last week and she loved it; it stayed on really well and didn’t chip which i think is true for all the colours, although it does take a few coats to get the colour completely even. I have the GOSH nail polish on right now and i love it so much i’m really pleased i bought it although it was fairly pricey at £5 (or am i just being cheap and that’s not expensive at all? Not sure.) I thought the shiny bits in it were just flecks of multicolored glitter at first but they are actually holographic shards in all different sizes and look really amazing and different colours when they catch the light. I might do a couple of outfit shots of the dresses later in the week, but right now i’m off to catch up on Glee!

Love, always

Sparkle xoxo