Pre-Uni Stationery Haul

Given that I was getting a little (understatement) excited about the concept of starting university this September, I decided to feed my inner stationery addict and purchase a few *ahem* essentials...

These gorgeous ring binder folders in my favourite colour, duck-egg blue and a crisp white were just £2.20 each from an adorable shop called Hema in Colonnade Walk, Victoria, London. Similarly, this folio file in a matching blue was £3 from the same shop, which I thought might be useful for slotting odd sheets and handouts into during lectures. 

Something I (probably) could have gone without was this adorable ball of bulldog clips, which, in my defence, I use a lot to hold essays together, and given that I'm studying English, it seems to do nothing but make sense, really... 

Anyway, £1, Hema

Pack of 12 fineliners to make colourful notes with (also from Hema), £2.50

Small bookmark-style post-its, £1, Hema

This was a gift, but I'd recommend it to anyone going on to study English Language like myself, as it really does cover all bases and I can tell already that it will be my saving grace over the next three years! David Crystal's 'Encyclopedia of the English Language', which I'm sure can be picked up on Amazon.

Burgundy and Brown

 Simply styling a plain, light grey summer dress with rich browns and burgundies for a casual shopping trip

Hat - £14, Primark

Dress - £7, Primark

Bag - £250, Paul Costelloe

Shoes - £24, Accessorize

Summer into Autumn Transitions!

Now that I've gotten into uni (hoorah!) and am no longer tied up in school work and dance-related things, I can get back into writing this blog, and I really will be keeping up to date from now on (promise!). I thought I'd kick this little return off with a few of my favourite items to transition from the Summer season into the Autumn... particularly relevant if, like me, you live in the UK, where August and even September seem to have seasonal identity issues!

 1) This dress was an absolute steal from TK Maxx at just £9.99, to my joy priced down from the original £45.99, and the skater skirt falls nicely to my knees (although I am only 5 foot 4!) in a way that is just perfect for a sunny but breezy day. I love the fitted waistline as the silhouette works well on my pear-shaped self!

2) This leather Paul Costelloe bag falls between the glorious autumnal colours of brown and burgundy, making it the perfect accessory for a Summer/Autumn day out shopping! It's also far bigger than it looks, and to my surprise fits my A4 refill pad within perfectly, and so has doubled up  by a wonderful accident as my uni bag.

3) Another TK Maxx purchase, these loafers came into my hands (or onto my feet) after an ongoing hunt for the perfect pair, and various oxblood and dark brown pairs just didn't do it for me. What I love about these, however, which I picked up for just £14, is their versatility, and they can be styled with leggings and scarves for an Autumnal layered look, or with a dress like my new skater flower patterned dress (above, number 1) on a slightly warmer day, and can be dressed either up or down to suit the ever-changing weather!

4) In addition to my recent new clothing purchases, I have to admit a few designed for my ever-growing-and-just-a-little-bulging makeup bag, because, come on, I needed the right pieces for August and September...

This Stila 'In The Moment' eyeshadow palette can be purchased for £25 direct from the Stila website, although I'm led to believe that Marks & Spencer now stock Stila make-up too, so if you live in the UK, it's worthing checking them out! The colours range from nudes and shimmery champagnes to deep brown mocha tones, and blend beautifully for the perfect light smokey eye, ideal for a day out shopping, a hot date or a wild night out! 

In addition to this, I also picked up an eyeshadow smudge crayon, also Stila, which are currently £7 down from the usual £14 on the Stila site - an absolute bargain for this rich shimmer called 'Smoke', another must-have for a smokey eye look! Having never used a smudge crayon before, I was apprehensive about this purchase, but have found it to be far easier and simpler than I had anticipated, and would definitely recommend this product!

Additionally, I finally caved in and purchased an oh-so-pricey Butter London nail varnish in a beautiful opaque dove grey called 'Billy No Mates' (promise it's not apt!) which I couldn't resist. I've always been a tough kid to convert to high-end nail varnish, as I really think the same effect can be gained from a £3 drugstore varnish, but I though I had better at least give it a chance before shooting high-end products down! All I'm saying is that it better last four times as long for the seemingly ridiculous price difference...

'You're fat'

What's the most insulting thing to hear from a guy?  For most women, being called fat has to be up there. I experienced this myself recently, and I think what annoyed me about it the most was the fact that I am happy with my size. As a UK dress size 10/12, I would have defined curves, and definitely a bum! Yet I like this about myself, and would rather be as I am than be a boy-shape. Absolutely no offence intended to anyone who might happen to be a 6/8, or to anyone who's an 18/20 - if you're happy and comfortable in your own size you are beautiful. Having an ex-boyfriend tell me today that I could stand to lose a few pounds and that, if I were to 'keep an eye on the snacks' he would take me back infuriated me no end. Why in the world would I want to be with somebody who doesn't like something I think defines me, and something I feel confident about? Luckily for me, I am strong enough to laugh such a comment off, but I think for the first time today my eyes were opened, and I had some sort of comprehension for what this type of comment may do to someone who is slightly self-conscious, or who may have suffered from disordered eating habits. It angers me to think that all it could take for some people is a careless comment from an insensitive arsehole. Words can do a lot to damage someone's self-esteem, and I truly see that now more than before.. and for that, I suppose I thank my idiotic ex. I hope he too has learnt from the torrent of abuse he received from my angry girlfriends. Girl power.

My Room. at School!

When I first tell people that I don't have a 'home', they look a little puzzled.

What I really mean to say is that I don't live with my mother or father, nor do I live alone, because I live at school.

This is an aspect of my life that I have touched upon lightly in previous posts, but it seems that people want more of an idea of just what it's like, and so I thought I'd show you a few photos of my dorm (bedroom). As I am now in Upper Sixth (or the final year of UK Schooling), I no longer have to share, and so this is the first time I have been able to really make a room 'my own'.

It's true that whatever you do to your dorm, it will always be school. But if you're as lucky as I am, and have a great set of friends, it really doesn't matter! There are 7 of us in one boarding house, what we call one of 'The Cottages'. We have a kitchen, common room (sitting room) with a TV and sofas, two bathrooms and even a garden, so it's a little bit like a student house of sorts!

I haven't said much about this side of my life, and was reluctant to for quite a while, so I ask that you please be respectful. I understand that I am extremely fortunate to be able to attend a boarding school, and am in absolutely no way deluded about that! I merely wanted to clear a few things up, as I have been asked a lot about this, and particularly in regard to my room.

                                       

Twinings Tea, London!!

Those of you who read my girlish ramblings regularly will know just how much I love tea, in fact, it seems to be becoming rather a regular topic among my posts! And so I'm sure you can only imagine my uncontrollable joy and excitement as I visited THE ACTUAL TWININGS SHOP in London yesterday... Hyperventilating just a lil bit here.

Whilst it looks upon first appearances small and quaint from the outside, once I stepped inside the very Mecca of fine quality tea I noted that it ran on for what seemed like an infinite distance, the walls piled high with teas: bagged, loose, pearls, crushed, gift sets and even adorable Twinings tea sets available in part or as a whole, making this an ideal present-buying spot (hint, hint, friends of mine...)

Whilst I could quite easily have gone absolutely mad and bought practically the entire shop (believe me, I would if I had the money!) I decided to get myself a variety of individually wrapped tea bags, which truthfully didn't come to all that much at only about 15p each. Rather than boring you all with a lengthy and complicated list of every single flavour, I'll just let you know that amongst my purchases were a Salted Caramel tea, a Gingerbread tea and those staple, everyday essentials (for me, anyway!) such as Earl Grey, Assam and Darjeeling.

If you share my immense passion for tea, I highly recommend that you journey here should you happen to be in London, as it really is well worth the visit (and the money!)

Tea at Birdie Num Nums!

After a disappointing run of AS Results (oops!) I thought it would be a good idea to reconsider my university choices for next year, one of which has now become Goldsmiths, University of London. Seeing as I was in London visiting my mother and a few friends, it seemed silly not to check out the area, and so I went for a wander around New Cross.

Given that I didn't, in fact, need to be anywhere for an hour or so, I spied an adorable, quiet little cafe tucked away in the busy high street called 'Birdie Num Nums' (cute name, right?), serving a range of flavoured teas in the most adorable mis-matched cups and saucers - and if you've read my previous posts, you'll know just how much I love my tea! Safe to say, for me this was heaven, and felt a world away from the business of London.

Highly recommend!