carmen rita

Let's bring this back

2022-01-04T18:07:00.005+00:00

This was sitting in my drafts from 2018! Blogging creeps into my mind here and there and I think I'm ready to start again.

This year has already been brighter than previous ones and I hope it continues to do so for us all.

Fluffy

2017-11-28T13:30:00.000+00:00

Hello Tuesday! I should be writing my assignment right now but can you really call yourself a student if you're not doing everything else apart from what you should be doing?! On top of my current lack of motivation to do any-th-ing - I am ill. I guess it had to happen since it is now Winter here. As much as I love drinking hot chocolates and snuggling in a blanket - this over abundance of colds and flu going around I do not love.

Life lately has been studying, assignments, work and trying to juggle everything else. There are days when I am great at it and then other days where I am so hopeless. Today is one of those days. If you are a major multitasker please leave me some tips - right now I feel like I could use some extra help!

As the weather has gotten colder I find myself wearing more and more fluffy stuff. I completely adore any jumper, top, coat, any garment that feels like it is the missing element of Monsters Inc. The jumper above has been my go to for the last few weeks - so soft and warm!

Today I finished listening to Artemis by Andy Weir. It was the first audiobook I have listened to and I have to say I really enjoyed it. This year has challenged my book purist self and I have not only expanded to read on a kindle but have also ventured into the realm of audiobooks. Maybe all the extensive advertising has got to me (also this is not an ad). If you read The Martian or are into humorous sci-fi and Rosario Dawson then I feel like you'll like this one. Rosario Dawson really made it for me - she was so good and I was completely in awe of her having to deal with different accents and making it believable. If you have any suggestions for audiobooks - send them my way!

Reading through this post I realise this has ended up as a little catch up :) Hopefully it won't take me too long to post the next catch up! How's life with you lately?

Barcelona Part 1.

2017-11-07T13:41:00.001+00:00

Welcome to part one of my recent Barcelona trip :) At the beginning of October I took Mum to Barcelona as a late birthday present! We took an atrocious amount of photos so will be breaking this 3 day trip into 3 posts. Coming from London - I couldn't believe how warm it is in Barcelona at this time of year. It was such a blessing to be able to wear some summer clothes.

Even though we were only there for 3 days, we had managed to walk over 55km! Barcelona is one of the easiest cities to walk around in with everything we wanted to do within 30 minutes walking distance. It was a great excuse to get some exercise in without feeling like we were actively doing so. With the weather being so beautiful it seemed almost a crime to jump on the underground when we could walk for just a little bit longer. I easily fell in love with Barcelona.

I enjoyed probably the best fish dish I have ever consumed in my life! Thinking about it - all the best fish dishes I have eaten has been whilst I have been in Spain. Unfortunately I didn't take a good quality photo but it was at a lovely restaurant called Sucursal Aceitera - if you are in Barcelona I highly recommend seeking this place out. We were incredibly lucky or maybe Barcelona is that plentiful but everywhere we went was filled with cute cafes and delicious food!

It feel so odd to write about this trip when I am sitting in my warmest pjs whilst trying to type a little faster to warm my fingers up (we don't have any heating at the moment as the house is being redecorated).

Have you been to Barcelona? If you have, where was your favourite place to visit whilst there?

Reignition

2017-10-09T22:08:00.000+01:00

Hello. Major long time no see. I won't go into lack of blogging blah blah blah....however, I am back.
I recently met up with Szeyuin - we had been meaning to meet ALL year it feels like and the stars finally aligned and it happened at the start of September.

We met in Peggy Porsches which is this beautifully pink, picturesque café in the Fitzrovia area. I don't think I have ever been to a place more instagrammable in my life or have seen so many people take so many photos in one place in such a short space of time. If you are after pretty photos, I highly recommend heading here. The cake is pretty good too.

I was a tiny bit apprehensive meeting Szeyuin as I can be socially awkward and weird when I meet new people as well as worrying about if we would get along. That was silly, Szeyuin is one of the loveliest people I have ever met and had a such a fun day laughing and talking about how much we love food.

She was also really inspiring, not only with her creative skills but also with her life! Moving across the World and having the courage to follow her dreams is just so cool.

One of the things that I have been actively trying to do this year is to appreciate the people around me a lot more and to recognise what makes them wonderful. Maybe this is something that comes with shrugging off insecurities but there's something so freeing in openly celebrating what others do, not only to others but to their faces. If you think someone is great, don't hold back - say it to their face, you might just make their day :)

All the above photos were taken by Szeyuin. If you like what she does, give her a shout on Instagram - she's a social media content creator! Go and follow Szeyuin on Instagram @szeyuin

I would love to hear who inspires you - leave me a comment down below!

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Unwind with Me | Painting Cherry Blossom with Watercolours

2017-04-26T14:51:00.001+01:00

I finally did it! I painted. For Christmas I asked for some watercolour paints and brushes so I could have a go at painting which my mum graciously gifted. They have been sitting in the corner of the room ever since glaring at me to be used! The last time I used any sort of paints was in primary school (a lifetime ago!). Excitement and uncertainty ensued whilst creating this picture. It turned out so much better than I had hope and thought I would have to scrap a few before I felt happy with anything I would have created!

Bullet journalling is something I have taken great joy over the last six months and I feel like this is an extension of that. It brings me so much peace and joy to doodle, draw and now paint. I chose to paint cherry blossom as I have been loving a floral theme in my bullet journal but also because I wish I could go to Japan for the cherry blossom season.

You can also watch how I created this picture on youtube :)

What do you do to unwind? What is currently inspiring you?

Rut + Inspiration

2017-03-31T09:41:00.004+01:00

THEN
Lately I have been stuck - I have lost the joy in getting dressed and instead have turned to "comfy" options. My wardrobe is full of clothes that I absolutely love but for the past year I have used maybe 10% of it and as a consequence I feel like I have gotten boring. At the same time my self love or self appreciation for my body has gone down - not to say that I hate how I look but I don't feel as comfortable or as confident as I feel I did a year ago.
~~There hasn't been a great deal of change~~ No, that's not quite a true statement - my job has changed, my schedule has changed and I have just started a diploma in nutrition. My life has definitely changed - its more grown up and I'm starting to ponder if somehow, unconsciously, that its affected how I dress and in turn affected how I view myself.
How I dressed in the past used to be an expression of self - I had so much fun with it and working in a clothes shop I had that freedom everyday to be as big and as bold as I dared to be. Then I changed jobs and worked in hospitality where that freedom didn't exist and was restricted to a uniform. Now my freedom has somewhat returned but working as a Chiropractic assistant doesn't allow for too much boldness. I guess I still haven't quite worked out the balance of looking professional without losing my touch of self.
Its funny I didn't realise how important dressing each day has an impact on how I feel or view myself. I need to start posting again regularly and I definitely need to start having fun with how I dress again. Lets bring back the fun.

NOW
I wrote the above post at the end of last year with the intent of posting it but I clearly didn't get round to it. I actually have a few of these more "honest" posts where I talk more about my feelings and thought processes. So there's more of these types of posts on the way.
It's so funny to look at it now as I feel the pretty much the opposite. I went through my wardrobe which helped me rediscover some things as well as trying to clear out the unused/unloved items. Clearing through my wardrobe is so hard as I love so much but I have managed to filter through a few things. Rediscovering items is so much fun - its so easy to forget about items if you're wearing the same set of clothes through the different seasons.
At the beginning of the year I made a promise to myself to save more and buy less - I have mostly kept to that! It was my birthday this month so I allowed myself a little reprieve and got myself a few new things. However, I could only buy it if it truly evoked some sort of good feeling. Sounds a bit woowoo but it helps me from purchasing things I don't really want/need! I recently found a skirt in Topshop that I just fell in love with - the moment I saw it it made me happy! Sometimes it truly is the small things in life.
Another exciting thing that is happening is Brian has decided to come on board and help me with this blogging/youtube thing. He has given me a renewed spark of inspiration on what I can do. I love blogging and whatnot but it is not the easiest thing to do by yourself. I always wished for a partner who could help me film and shoot and now I have one. So excited to share some new and hopefully exciting content for you!

Do you have an inspiration rut or just a rut in general? How do you get out of it?

2017

2017-01-25T11:11:00.005+00:00

Happy ridiculously belated New Year! I can't believe it's taken me until the 25th to write this post.

Instagram/Youtube has taken over my blogging brain. I hope your new year has gotten off to the best start.

How crazy is it to be writing 2017? ~~Makes me feel so old to realise that I can remember it turning 2000 with vivid clarity..I swear we should be called time travellers with how fast time is going~~

So far this year has been a good one - I managed to finally realise my dream of going to see Hamilton (I got tickets for 2018)! In all seriousness this year marks a few milestones for me

- I turn 26 - the age that my mum had me

- Brian and I celebrate our 10 year anniversary

- I will have completed my first year of nutrition and enter my second

If those three lines don't make anyone feel like a growed up - I don't know what will! For me a sense of being an adult and feeling like what my ideal of a grown up so far hasn't married together. I have noticed that I have written about this quite a few times in the last few years and it's something I can't quite help going back to. I definitely have more responsibilities and my thought processes are definitely geared about making the future better but I don't know whether I feel like I am what my ideal of a grown up is. Will this come when I own my first house? When I have a child? Will I be fortunate to be able to do those things?

So with the start of the new year comes the typical changes and the hope of a more productive me. I started a bullet journal back in October and I absolutely love it - not only is it making me slightly more organised but I am enjoying the creative outlet it brings.

I recently downloaded Asana Rebel and I love it. I have a gym membership but with the trains being crappy and time being something I don't seem to have a lot of - having an app that will plan my workouts for me is a blessing.

This month is also when I decided to do the Whole30 - it's something I have been wanting to do for a while now but didn't think the festive season was the best time to start. I am in my third week and definitely seeing the benefits, I feel as if I have more energy, less groggy when I wake up, my skin is clearer & brighter and I feel a little lighter. Brian is also doing it with me and we have decided to continue with the principles of Whole30 when we are done with the 30 days but with a one day reprieve each week!

Beanie Weather

2016-11-25T08:16:00.000+00:00

The time has finally come...for the beanie! Over the past few years I've a new found appreciation for the colder months. Only because it means I can cradle/sip a hot drink and slip into the comfiest clothes that makes me feel like I'm walking around in a constant hug.
I got this beanie when I was in Japan last year in a store called 3 Coins - where everything only costs 3 coins! I wish I had grabbed them in other colours - I can't even remember if they came in other colours but I'm cursing my past self regardless!

What I'm wearing: Beanie | 3 Coins ~ Top | Missguided ~ Dungarees | Surface To Air ~ Cardigan | Zara ~ Boots | Primark

Grayling

2016-11-15T10:34:00.000+00:00

Can I say how much I love gray? I love the colour gray in clothing so much. I don't know why - I don't particularly like the colour in anything else but I adore it in clothing. There's something about it which is so comforting and it just looks so crisp/clean.

I took these photos when it was a lot milder - the Winter air is definitely starting here. I can't believe it is already November! Time moves too quickly!

What I'm wearing: Top ~ Brandy Melville | Jeans ~ Zara | Shoes ~ H&M

3 Easy Saves For Bad Hair

2016-10-03T21:52:00.002+01:00

We have all been there. The all too familiar "bad hair" day. If you are blessed with the hair that won't be tamed then you sir understand my everyday struggle. I may be exaggerating a little....not really but I have gotten to the point where I've just accepted that my hair will just do what it's got to do. However, there are days when I try - these are my "go to" hairstyles when I am trying to look like my hair obeys me.

You can also watch me ramble and create these styles in motion below :)

Birthdays

2016-09-22T12:00:00.000+01:00

What I'm wearing: Jacket ~ Zara | Tee ~ ASOS | Jeans ~ ASOS | Boots ~ Solestruck

Birthdays are my favourite part of the year. Not just my own birthday but everyone else's too. When else in the year can we celebrate someone's being and also help usher them into their own personal new year? It is for this reason I become so confused when people dislike their birthday ~ you don't hold such reverence when the new year comes around, so why should you on your birthday?!

Thankfully my sister isn't one of the those people!We celebrated Alice's birthday back in July ~ with a coconut mocha at the Scandinavian Kitchen and juicy burgers at Dirty Bones! Birthdays are also a great excuse to try somewhere new to eat. Dirty Bones was such a lively setting for a birthday meal and the food was pretty good too. My mum and I couldn't decide on whether to pick the chicken burger or the mac 'n' cheese burger so each of us chose one and halved - such a good idea as both were extremely yummy :)

Tide Tables.

2016-09-17T18:56:00.000+01:00

These photos were taken at the start of the Summer. It's so funny - these were meant to be the start of a new me, a more efficient blogger me. Needless to say that it didn't exactly go to plan. I did put in the work and took lots of photos and video content throughout August. Somewhere between capturing the content and posting on this blog I got lost. I got lost in life. I love creating content and I love posting but I have been getting so lost in reading the books that have captured my imagination, watching the programmes that transport me into a different reality and my friends/ family who embrace me with their warmth and being.

So now I'm going to try and bring a little more of that here. See you next week!

What I'm wearing: Sunglasses ~ Cheap Monday | Kimono ~ Love | Playsuit ~ UO | Shoes ~ Converse

Natural Glow

2016-06-09T21:51:00.001+01:00

I'm back! Hello. Here is my face with and without make up. Lately I have been dabbling with putting more on my face - but without seeming to. The more natural and the more glow-y the better. Especially as Summer is finally arriving. Hurray! If you want to see how I create this non fuss look watch the video below :)

Make A Wish...

2016-02-18T17:51:00.002+00:00

My Little Wish Box | This month's box is definitely my favourite by far! Everything is just so gorgeous in this box.

Print | I love quotes and I love Disney so this print definitely wins me over. I have a space on my wall in my bedroom where my favourite prints live - and this one will now join them. Having these prints included in box is such a nice way to decorate your living space.

Wish Magazine | This month's edition is so whimsical and dreamy. It drew inspiration on "Big Magic : Creative Living Beyond Fear " by Elizabeth Gilbert and also interviewed the author herself. This book has been on my to-read list for the last year and it was great to get some background info on it!

Also hallelujah! They have gone back to their magazine format - I really didn't like the poster format and found it hard to read.

Diary | ♥ just pure love for this. So much love. It is so beautifully designed and oh so photogenic too! I could talk about how it's a perfect size and that I love the little monthly printed pages and all the other brilliant quirks it has probably forever but you kind of get the jist of how much I adore it.

Bracelets | I love how they're incorporating things that you can give away to other people. Now I can share my joy of the box with people I love. Such a lovely idea and the bracelets are adorable. They are also so complimentary to that person too!

My Little Beauty Make A Wish Balm | This just glides softly over your lips and smells of heavenly vanilla. It gives your lip a slight sheen as well as leaving them kissable soft. I honestly just want to eat this.

Ren Rosa Centifolia 3-In-1 Cleansing Water | I'm not a huge fan of rose scents but this only has a slight hint of rose and is actually quite pleasant! This has become my go to cleanser for cleansing my face after a workout. The faint floral scent is a welcoming aroma for my nose after spending an hour at the gym. Definitely something I'll look into replacing after I have used it up.

Noxidoxi Mask & Peel Perfection Eclat | This is the only thing in the box that I haven't yet tried and I'm not sure that I will. I'm just starting to use all the products that I got in Japan and am not sure adding another cleansing scrub is a good idea at the moment. However, I have just smelled it and I really don't like how it smells - it smells like a swimming pool aha. But seeing as I haven't actually used it I can't really give you an opinion on it!

As I said above this was my favourite box so far - in the magazine they said that they were going to "shake things up" this year and already they're doing amazing things! I can't wait to see the next one!

Disclaimer* I am not being paid to review this box. All opinions stated are my own.

New Year. New Blogger.

2016-02-13T23:05:00.000+00:00

Hello my old friends. It has been too long - way too long. I feel like for a long time now I have been apologizing for the lack of posts or for how long it has taken me to post. Definitely over the past year I have had a love/not so love relationship with blogging/filming - I wouldn't say hate as this will never be something that I hate. Following on from my last blog post I now realize that this lack of motivation mainly comes from not really posting about things that I really want to post about. So let's shut up and post about things that I want to talk about.

So as this is the first post of the year lets reflect and make goals. Reflections.

Age - last year I turned 24 and am now fast approaching 25. I am definitely not one of the oh so common 20something who fears their birthday like the plague, birthdays are something to celebrate. To commemorate everything you've accomplished so far and to aspire to those things that you haven't yet achieved. So while I definitely wouldn't say I feel older - I most definitely feel more comfortable within myself - though ironically last year has been one of the toughest in a long while. I worked and worked and tried to do everything at once. I nearly burnt myself out both physically and emotionally - maybe because of that I am now more comfortable with myself.

Travel - I travelled more and further before than I have in my whole life. I was fortunate enough to visit Turkey, Germany and Japan. Turkey was my least favourite of the three but that is mostly down to us not visiting the right part. We went to a resort and it was a little town out of the way, very touristy. Didn't feel like a very good representation of the country or culture!
Germany on the other hand was a wonderful surprise. I never thought I would like it as much as I did - the food was amazing and Munich was such a lovely city. Not being a huge fan of alcohol I didn't think I would enjoy Oktoberfest but it was one of the best experiences I have had. Definitely a place I want to go back to.
Japan. Oh Japan. Somewhere I have always dreamed of going and a destination I thought would take a lot longer to get to. It was truly an amazing place, everything was a wonder. It is kind of hard to put into words how much I enjoyed it there. Even though we were only there for two weeks - I miss it. There's still so much I want to do there, so much more I want to explore!

Work - Work was crazy last year. I wanted to take as much money with me as possible for my trip to Japan and I worked more than I have ever done before. I didn't realise how detrimental working that much was to my body until just before I went to Japan. I had barely seen my friends or family, I was barely eating or eating too much to compensate and then my sleep was all over the place. I had never gotten sick as much as I did in such a short space of time. Despite all the negative aspects I'm glad I did it - I had all the money I needed for my trip and it definitely made me more appreciative of my spare time. It also made me realize time is too valuable to spent on doing something I'm not passionate about.
At the end of the year I was fortunate to be offered a job in as a Chiropractic Assistant and that is something I'm definitely passionate about. Balance is important in every aspect of life but I feel that this is definitely more so when it comes to your health. I'm glad I have the opportunity to take on a new challenge, expand my knowledge and help others!

Family & Friends - As I said work was crazy, so unfortunately for a little while I didn't get to see my family as much as I wanted to. This gave me an opportunity to make new friends and I was very fortunate to work with some lovely people who ended up being more than just colleagues. I don't think I could have made through all the ridiculously hard, long hours without the help of them. So thank you Saff, Mia and Hayley.
Not being able to see my family (that includes you, Maya, too) as much as I wanted just made me cherish the time I get to spend with them now and it was so lovely to have more time towards the end of the year to do that.

Brian - Relationships are never easy. Ever - despite what social media, movies and television wants us to believe. This year Brian and I celebrated our 8 year anniversary. 8 years! It has definitely been a joyous 8 years but this last year was harder than most. We took our first big trip away as a couple and made a lot of adult decisions about our future - which sounds a lot more ominous on screen than it does in real life!

Acting - This has and always will be an ambition for me. It will always be my biggest passion but 2015 was the year it took the backseat. I did get over my fear of singing in public though! I learnt doing the things that terrify me also exhilarate me too. I hadn't sung in front of anyone I didn't really know since I was 15 and somehow found myself volunteering for it. At the moment I thought myself a fool for even doing so but now I think my past self brave aha. I liked it so much I did it in two different shows. I also performed Shakespeare and one of my favourites - Much Ado About Nothing. It was a fun experience.
Last year was also the year I decided not to audition for Drama school again. Not ever again but just not now. I had been auditioning for a few years and looking back on it now I was probably quite terrible. I had put so much hope and fear into my auditions that I probably wasn't the best that I could be. I also was using it as the only way. Like if I didn't get into drama school I will never act. That's just stupid. My mind is just stupid. But hey you grow eventually - I know I will act but in what capacity and how is yet to be determined.

GOALS.

Blogging/Youtube
Lets start with the most obvious one. I also say this one every year. Though normally I say I want to blog more. Whilst that would be great- this year's goal will be different - I want to create more interesting content that is at a higher quality. I also want to talk more about things that are important to me, that are more personal to me. I also want to create more fun content too!

Health & Fitness
Ok - this is probably the most obvious one. Health and fitness is something I have tried to maintain some balance in but the last half of the year it has gone out of whack. Eating healthily and working out when down the toillet, so not good.
I have already joined the gym - which was actually terrifying. The thought of working out with other people in my general vicinity was something I thought I would never do but seeing as I lost all motivation to do it at home I figured I would give it a go. It is actually not so bad and I'm kind of enjoying it. However, I do feel incredibly selfconcious. So one of my goals is to become more comfortable in the gym.
Another goal is to tone up! I am a lot more toned than I used to be but I'm not physically where I want to be in terms of being fit.
Eating balanced and healthily is another thing I want to achieve. Lately my eating hasn't been all that great - pizza and pasta is ruling my plate but that needs to change.

Emotional Health
I feel like our bodies are so readily forgotten and our minds even more so. We are constantly bombarded with everyone else's expectations of what and who we are supposed to be that even if we realize it or not it takes an emotional toll. I am one of those people who readily takes on other people's problems and emotions with disregard to how that affects me. Thankfully I was born with a positive temperament so it isn't a burden at all but I am great at putting my own emotions and problems away. I rarely bother to examine my own emotions - though not to say that I'm full of them or problems. I want to be healthy and that shouldn't just apply to my physical self. Not to go all hippy on you but I think regardless of what kind of person you are - emotional happiness/healthiness is something that should be more talked about. Only the extremest of situations are deemed as things that should be talked and have more exposure but millions of people don't fall into those and they still need to be helped. Wellbeing should be applied to everyone.
Too help with my emotional happiness I started to keep a journal - so when I need to or even when I don't need to I can talk about my emotions and also go back and reflect. Too much of us live in the future we forget to think about the now.

Acting
I want to do more in acting and definitely to improve and progress. I'm going to be taking some Meisner classes which I can't say how excited I am to start. I have read about it and now finally I will be doing it.
However I want to do something beyond learning and amateur dramatics - I want to do something professionally and maybe even get paid for it - I would be happy to get paid any amount but I feel like if I did something that I got paid for - I would feel in some way validated as a performer. We'll see!

Travel
I want to go to even more places this year and not just abroad. I have lived my whole life in London and have barely ventured out into the rest of the country! I am sure that there are many wonders and delights to behold here.
There is already a trip to Japan planned this year - I'm finally going to meet my Japanese family :):) I can't wait!
Whether I get to go to other places all depends on money though. I wish it wasn't so integral to what feels like everything.

If you're reading this I would love to know what your goals and aspirations are for the year!

The Good Life

2015-10-24T23:59:00.001+01:00

The Good Life Eatery. Sloane Avenue. I have wanted to eat at this little cafe for the longest time! It is located in Chelsea, just off of Kings Road but living in South East - I rarely get the chance to go. Recently Saff suggested that we go to the Saatchi Gallery - wasn't open :( - so I thought it was the perfect time to have a little bite. I was not disappointed, everything I ordered tasted delicious and it is so cute inside. Anyplace that names a smoothie as "Choc Norris" will always have a special part in my heart.

If you're still reading my blog - you might have noticed the huge hiatus since earlier this year. Recently I have just lost the will to do a lot of things, not just blogging. A lot of my passions just went straight out the window. Part of it comes from a lack of will and another part of it comes from exhaustion. Not that my life is excruciating tiring but I have been working a crazy amount lately (mostly to create funds for my upcoming trip to Japan). I haven't really stopped between work and shows....for a long time.

Unfortunately as my job requires a uniform - all my clothes became forgotten. Even on my days off I lost the will to put anything "nice" on opting instead for something cosy and definitely more boring. It was only recently a week or two ago, when I was painting my nails (we aren't allowed to have that at work either) that I realised just how much I had been neglecting my appearance. Not in the horrible not washing way but in the way I wasn't doing little things that used to make me feel nice. It seems really silly and definitely more narcissistic than I would like to admit - but even the small action of painting my nails made me feel more like me than I had in a long time.

The weirdest or the most frustrating thing is that I didn't even realise that I had been so.....I don't even know what....in a way just not me.

Now that I have noticed the not being me - I can change things. I am going to start doing more things for me. I miss my family, I miss my friends, I even miss my boyfriend with whom I live. Working six days out of the week is not how to do things aha.

So expect to see a lot more of me around these parts. Though I think I might take the focus off of outfits - though they will still make an appearance - and include more aspects of what I enjoy in life.

I want this space to be here for me when I'm older to look back and remember the good stuff. Ha, maybe even my children can look here and laugh with me.

Until my next post, Carmen.

Munich.Oktoberfest.

2015-10-15T17:41:00.001+01:00

Munich. What a wonderful place. I honestly didn't think I would like Munich as much as I did. Especially Oktoberfest. For some reason I thought it would be full of unreasonable drunk people (I work in a pub, I try to avoid drunks as much as possible) but it wasn't. Oktoberfest was full of lively and happy people. Having wonderful weather and food would make anyone happy. We were meant to go to Oktoberfest only one of the days whilst we were there but we enjoyed it so much we went nearly everyday.

Marstall was the only tent we went to and it was perfect. We mostly stayed in the beer garden enjoying the sun. I had even managed to get sun burnt - definitely a feat I didn't imagine that I would accomplish at the end of September! I even drank some beer. A lot of beer. Whilst I am not against drinking, I have decided early on in my life that drinking copious amounts of alcohol is not for me. However, I figured as I was at a drinking festival I may as well try a beer or two :)

Please do not view my photos of alcohol as a suggestion to go out and drink - nor am I condoning excessive alcohol consumption. Please, please, please drink responsibly and if you aren't of age - please wait until you have come of age :)

Viktualmarket & Pschorr. I love food and I love markets - put them together and I'm the happiest person. On our last day we headed to Viktualmarket as we were given a recommendation for a restaurant there. I was so pleased as we had gone past it on a city tour bus and had hoped we would get a chance to visit. Viktualmarket is a warm, vibrant and bustling market even at 11 am in the morning. There were so many cute stalls full of different kinds of foods, handcrafted goods and flowers. I wish we had more time to explore the market properly!

Pschorr. Oh my lord - was the food good. We had a sharing platter full of different kinds of cold meats and rye bread. I really shouldn't have had as much bread as I did but it was so good. But it meant I had little room for my main course when it arrived. I had ordered the beef goulash - I was not prepared for the sheer size of the dish - it was massive. I'm still upset and ashamed of myself - I could only eat half - despite its deliciousness. One day I will go back and finish it!

Another thing I was surprised by whilst in Munich is that I really liked the coffee there. If you know me, you know how strange this is. I have a huge disliking for coffee but there....I really liked it.

Supermarket. My most favourite thing to do when I go abroad is to head to the local supermarket. Hell, it is my favourite thing to do when I'm home. There's something about roaming the aisles of foreign but oh so familiar food. Germany is the home to Haribo and we are seriously being deprived over here. There are so many types! Don't get even get me started on Milka! Aha. It is probably a good thing!

The apartment building was a minutes walk from the hotel. The architecture in Munich was so interesting - you had a stark contrast of the historic buildings in the centre and then super modern glass buildings on the city's edge towards to airport! I wish I had taken more photos!

Overall Munich won me over with it many different ways to serve potatoes. Honestly, I didn't think it was possible and I am so glad that I have now found it! Potatoes are my favourite.

My Little Super Box

2015-04-21T21:05:00.001+01:00

My Little Super Box was last month's little box. I'm super late with the review, I have had all the photos and video on my laptop for weeks but just haven't been in a blogging/anything mood. Mostly I haven't really been in a technology mood - opting for reading lately. Sometimes you need the break :)

Back to the review - My Super Little Box - the contents.

My Little World - This issue is probably my favourite out of all that I have read so far. Full of vibrant images, cute recipes and one of my favourite bloggers (wishwishwish).

Stickers! - If you haven't already guessed from the exclamation mark, I love stickers. I never have any use for them generally but these I actually did use. It was my sisters's birthday last week and use them to jazz up their wrapping! These stickers are full of empowering slogans and cute superhero themed daily essentials :)

Caudalie Hand Cream - This stuff smells absolutely amazing. They smell like an orchard of oranges or what I imagine an orchard of oranges to smell like. It glides over your skin like a dream and leaves your hands incredibly soft. Definitely one of my more favourite beauty products.

Kerastase Cristaliste - This is a perfecting hair conditioner. This I felt didn't really work with my hair very well. It was an ok conditioner but I think it would work with people whose hair is a lot finer than mine. I find I need a really strong conditioner when I condition my hair. However I have only used it twice so maybe I'm not giving it enough of a chance. I'll finish it up and update!

My Little Beauty Lips and Cheeks - A coral lips and cheeks crayon. Again their packaging is adorable and I really love the colour of it. I just wish it suited me. It is a little too bright for my skin tone on my lips - which totally sucks. I am yet to try it on my cheeks yet though, so hopefully it will suit my cheeks more :)

My Super Tee - I lovelovelove this so much. For some reason I find it incredibly funny too! It is slightly oversized which makes it very comfy and it has become my favourite lounging t-shirt. To me there's not many things better than lounge clothes - being comfy is the best!!

Overall Impression
The beauty products are a little hit and miss this month which is to be expected! I can't love every product they include in the box every month but the hand cream more than makes up what the other two lack. The tee shirt was such a great thing to include and I hope they do more of these :) I really loved the theme of the box and it definitely didn't disappoint. As always I'm excited for my next box!

I also filmed an unboxing/first impressions of the box! Watch it below :)

Serenity

2015-04-01T23:14:00.000+01:00

I feel like a gunslinger with this harness on. Oh boy do I wish I was a space cowboy some days. I guess this is the closest I am going to get. I am slowly making my way through watching the first and only season of Firefly - savoring every moment. I find once I get stuck into something it starts to influence how I dress and that's how it should be - everything that we dedicate time to should inspire in some way.

Back to the outfit - I couldn't resist the leather harness when I saw it in the F21 a few weeks ago and it was really inexpensive too :) The shoes I have been waiting to show off since Christmas but the weather has been too poops to wear them until recently. They are waterproof but I just didn't want to expose them to the harsh elements. They're my Bowie Boots :)

What I'm wearing: Harness/Dress | F21 Shorts | H&M Shoes | IDesireTheThingsThatWillDestroyMe

Silver Lining

2015-03-20T02:03:00.000+00:00

This time last week it was my birthday! Birthdays are my favourite times of the year. For me I view it as the start of the new year and technically it is! I know so many people who view their birthday as a day to dread, they forget that this is their very own personal new year. I don't know anyone who views new year as negatively as people sometimes view their own birthday. Birthdays are meant to be full of joy, excitement, celebration and cake. Lots of cake.

I have somewhat of a birthday tradition - my mum and I go shopping! When I was younger clothes shopping was something to be treasured. It wasn't something as a commonplace as it is today - we only ever really went shopping for clothes on birthdays or Christmas. So even though now that I'm older and shopping has become a widespread phenomenon is my family's household - it is still very magical to me.

This year we were quite restrained and didn't buy the whole of Oxford St. I am trying not to buy things that will bore me too quickly - instead trying to choose things that I will want to wear forever. I think this jumper counts as one of them. I know I have a gazillion turtleneck jumpers already but this one is different. It may actually be my favourite. No, it is definitely my favourite. The oversized neck, colour and overall slouchy, comfy feel to it just makes it a joy to wear. Kind of thanking the weather for being so out of whack that I can get some good wear out of it before I will have to retire it until the Autumn. The best part - it was on sale.

If you want to see more of what I bought and also what wonderful people gave me, watch the video below :)

What I'm wearing : Jumper | H&M Skirt | UO Shoes | I Desire The That Will Destroy Me

Striped Culottes

2015-03-10T14:45:00.000+00:00

Striped culottes - definitely something I never thought I would type on here or anywhere. These culottes are something I knew I really wanted but also something that stumped me a little. I am unfortunately not blessed with long/lean legs so culottes would normally be my worst nightmare. Somehow these look a huge amount better on than I was expecting and despite my boyfriend's claims that they are clown pants - I love them. Not only are they super comfy but they feel fun to wear.

Clothes, for me, should be an extension of who you are and how you feel. How I dress is affected by my mood. It is even better when what I wear has an affect on me! I think sometimes people forget that getting dressed in the morning isn't something that is meant to be a chore (unless you have a uniform - in which case, totally a bore.) Too often I hear "I can't wear that" or "that wouldn't suit me" when I know that's exactly what they want to wear. It is crazy to think in this modern age where we have so much freedom that we put these limitations upon ourselves in these small ways.

My little advice for the day is never be afraid to dress how you want to dress - at the end of the day you're going to have to wear something, make it something that brings a little joy into your life!

**Just a little note from my memebox post. Let it be known that I am a fool. I deleted the video files and didn't notice that it didn't render properly. I want to punch my past self in the face. I am going to upload it very soon, so keep an eye out on my youtube for it! Sorry and thank you to those who took the time to watch the botched upload & for notifying me :)

Memebox Valentine's Day #2 Candy For Me

2015-03-04T18:05:00.001+00:00

I have been wanting to try a Memebox for the longest time and was overjoyed when my boyfriend got me one for Valentine's Day. Definitely the perfect present :) I'm not a flowers kind of girl - preferring something that lasts and doesn't just sit there and then die in a corner. Sorry.

The whole box is based on candy style products, which I completely love. There's nothing better than smelling like sweet, sweet candy! So in keeping with trying new things on my blog - here is my review of the Memebox Valentine's Day #2 Candy For Me.

First Impressions of the box

The box is super pink and has the memebox logo on the front. The box is a lot smaller than I was expecting but that definitely doesn't detract from the box - for some reason I thought it was going to be huge. Which I am glad it isn't, means that I can store the box without it taking up loads of space!

When you open it up it has a silver lid and a little description of what Memebox is all about :) You also get a product page with photos of everything in the box, what they do and how to use them. So useful as some products don't have any information in English apart from the name.

Shara Shara Berry Berry Cleansing Sherbert 70g Full Size ($14)

The packaging of this product, like everything in this box, is adorable. There's something very childlike about it :) The cleanser smells amazing too, very much like a strawberry yoghurt. The consistency is quite thick on your fingers but feels completely different on your face. It almost feels like an oil and is amazing at getting rid of any residue of make up. I have been using it pretty much every day since it arrived and I love it. It cleanses my face really well and also the scent lasts even after you have dried your face - so good!

Elizavecca Aqua Rising Steam Filler Moisture Cream 100g Full Size ($46)

This item has got to be my favourite packaged item. Maybe ever. It has a pig dressed in a what I take to be a fish suit, looking adorable, with a fiery almost action film style background. I laughed when I took a proper look! Packaging aside, this moisturizer is great. It doesn't smell of much really, has that typical cream smell. It is described as a "gelato cream" and I have to say it really does feel like it. A little bit goes a long way. My skin feels super soft afterwards and I find it to be the perfect pairing with the cleansing sherbert, It even comes with a little gelato spoon to spoon out the cream.

Rappol Nutritious Bio Ampoule Mask 27ml x3 Full Size ($36)

With this product you get three masks in separate packets. It says it is meant to improve fine lines, maximize brightness and even out complexion - it contains the secret to Cleopatra's legendary beauty!! When you open up the mask, there is a face sized sheet that you place on your face. My boyfriend and I had a good laugh at what I looked like (if you want to see what it looks like on see here.) You place it on your face for 10-20 mins, take it off and then rub any excess product in. This was a very relaxing 20 mins and when I took it off my skin felt completely refreshed. It also had a lovely cooling effect on the skin.

Lassie'el Kiwi Brightening Yogurt Mask Massage Mask 12g x4 Full Size ($6)

This one I haven't tried out yet as I recently put on the last mask and wanted to give my skin a few days before doing another mask. However I'm curious to find out which one I will like more as this one is significantly cheaper than the other. It comes in ridiculously cute yogurt shaped pots and there is four of them in the plastic little box. On the description page it mentions that kiwi and yogurt flavours are extremely popular - especially in gift boxes on Valentine's Day, so cute!

Etude Sweet Recipe Candy Stick 2g Full Size ($5)

I was so excited that they had included a Etude House item. I have been wanting to try out their stuff for ages and this stick didn't disappoint. You get sent this one in a random flavour - mine was in Oh! Orange Candy. It has a very orange tint to it and it smells lovely too. The packaging is adorable and modeled after a candy cane :) I can't wait to try other products from Etude House now.

Overall Impression

The box cost around $20 with $10.99 shipping - which comes to around £18. This box is definitely good value for money. I wasn't disappointed by any aspect of the box and it certainly lived up to the hype for me. I was impressed I have ordered another box :) which I'll review again once it has arrived! The only thing I will say is that the boxes sell out really quickly on the website and not everything is global.

See me speak about the box below :)

This isn't my usual kind of post, so I would love some feedback! Please let me know if this is something you like and would like to see more of :)

Jinkies!

2015-02-25T17:45:00.000+00:00

If you got the title's reference - I salute you! These corduroy dungarees are so Velma from Scooby Doo it hurts. As much as I hate trends, I am really loving this revival of the 70s in fashion at the moment. Deep, rich colours, big floppy hats, long flowing hair, fringing and my most personal favourite - turtlenecks - what is not to love?!

Missguided has become my new favourite online store. Even more than ASOS - and that's a huge deal. I can't go on there without wanting to buy at least 5 things and them announcing 40% extra off sale definitely didn't help. These dungarees were my third package in the last week and have another one in the post. I should place some kind of child proof lock on sites I can't help myself too - if anyone is aware on how to do this, please let me know!

My new blogging schedule of posting every Tuesday and Friday has slightly gone out of whack. For this I apologize and so does my body. I got sick. Again. Because clearly my body doesn't like being healthy. I am feeling loads better and can now direct my energy back here :)

January Favourites

2015-02-18T13:32:00.000+00:00

January has now come and gone. Again. So as a new feature for my blog, I thought I would start bringing you my monthly favourites :) Without further ado & many, many photos, here is what I have been loving this month!

Pierre The French Bear - My recent, beloved Hello Kitty phone case died on me. I loved that phone case to the very end it would seem. My phone now has a wonderful replacement! I found this phone case in Paperchase's sale at the beginning of January, so it was only £4 - cute and a bargain!

Stars and Moon Ring - My best friend Maya always seems to be trekking around the World and at Christmas she got to see the German Christmas Markets. This ring is her Christmas present to me :) I love it so much, I couldn't ask for more from a ring - it is perfect!

Doctor's Bag AKA My Grown Up Bag - I recently gushed about this bag and I am going to do it again. I adore this bag, it is just the right size - big enough to carry everything I need without being bulky. It also has great zipped compartments to keep all my important things safe. There's nothing else I could ask for from a bag.

Roll Necks - They don't wanna leave my body and I don't want them to. I bought a lot of them in the sale and I regret nothing. They are the best things for keeping my neck and face warm. You have already heard me hark on about these in many, many posts. So I'll stop. For now.

Uniqlo Men's Socks - How unfair is it that the men's socks are so much prettier and comfier?! Recently went into Uniqlo to get some for my boyfriend and then walked out with some for me as well. They are ridiculously comfy and look really cute rolled up or down in boots. Makes for a nice pop of colour too!

Coconut Oil - My skin had the misfortune of reacting badly to a face wash at the beginning of January. My skin resembled the scaly, rough skin of Medusa. It was not a great look and felt horrible. So I looked for a more natural alternative to put on my skin to help repair it. Coconut oil was my saviour. I would gently put this on my skin at night and would wake up with noticeably softer skin. It also makes an incredible makeup remover and you want to go that far - is a great addition to your oral hygiene routine!

Korres Wild Rose 24-H Moisturising Brightening Cream - This is another present, this time from my sister :) She remembered me mentioning wanting to try out some Korres products and got me the Sleeping Beauty set. This cream is great, I don't normally like rose scented products but this one has a really light scent. It was amazing on my suddenly allergic skin and felt wonderfully moisturising.

Korres Mandarin Lip Stick - Another Korres product :) The packaging is so pretty and I love the descriptive text that runs around the barrel. This has such a lovely sheen and colour to it as well as making my lips softer.

Malin + Goetz Lip Moisturizer - This is something that actually came free with Elle magazine sometime last year and it is amazing. It not only works at softening my lips but gives it a nice glossy finish without having that sticky consistency. Perfect to layer of my favourite lip colours.

NYC Lip Crayon 031 Granmercy Park Plum - I was very unsure about this at the beginning but now I really love it. I have always wanted to try a darker, plum lip but didn't want to spend a lot of money experimenting. Which is great as this was only £2.99. The color is long lasting and feels really buttery on the lips.

Urban Decay's Shadow Box Palette - This little box makes me want to be more adventurous with my make up. I have really been enjoying playing around with it, especially the green colour ~Indo~. Green is my favourite colour and this shade is so, so pretty.

Belville Bakery Body Souffle and Sugar Scrub - If you haven't smelt the heavenly scents that &OtherStories put in their body products, you are severely missing out. I am a sucker for anything that smells sweet and this one definitely ticks that box. The body souffle is incredibly moisturizing and the scent stays with you for hours, if not all day! The sugar scrubs are great as well - making your skin feel truly exfoliated. Another present - from my mama :):)

Glazed Apple Room & Body Spray - My love of candied scents will be undying. This spray is the best thing for spraying in your hair as well as your body. The scent lasts for ages and never gets old. I'm so sad that it isn't stocked anymore, I wanted to buy at least another two. Hopefully they will bring it back next Christmas.

Ginger Peach Candle - Candles are a new obsession for me. There's nothing more relaxing than sitting in bed watching my favourite show with a cup of hot cocoa or tea with a candle burning in the background. This one smells so good - it reminds me so much of the Robinson's peach squash I used to drink as a child.

So not my normal kind of post! I had so much fun shooting and making this post :) Let me know if you think this is a good idea and also what you have been loving lately! If you want to watch me talk about my favourites you can do so below -

Sweater Daze

2015-02-06T01:45:00.000+00:00

Nope, your eyes are not deceiving you. I did indeed wear this very same jumper in blue a few posts ago. I told you my shopping had gotten bad. But hey if you like something, owning it in every possible colour is imperative? Right?

I know it isn't quite Spring yet but it is February. And I am gonna make like it is Spring because, hell, I want to. All this cold weather is bor----ing. As I have said a million times before, Winter and I just don't see eye to eye. I may have got this layering thing down though - over the knee boots and thigh high socks make a good combo! These boots have been in my wardrobe for the longest time and are definitely the best purchase I have ever made from Primark.

In an attempt to tame my cavewoman hair - I have accomplished the side braid! Braiding is something I have always loved but only something I have recently been doing. Which is something I sorely regret. Braiding is the best thing my hair can do, it tames my wild mess and turns it into something pretty ~~for about an hour after which it just comes undone damn hair.~~ I think Spring will be a great time to master the many types of braid!

What I'm wearing: Jumper | Zara Dungarees | Urban Outfitters Renewal Socks | ASOS Boots | Primark