Two Topshop Staples

Topshop has got to be one of my all time favourite shops; there hasn't been a time where i've gone into the shop and not come out with at least one new item. I literally have to tell my friends we can't go in to the shop if i'm ever short on cash because i will end up spending, no matter how pennyless i am! 

Unsurprisingly i went into Topshop with some Christmas vouchers the other day (guilt free, even better) and bought a new outfit. 

I'm absolutely in love with these leather look jeans, i've had my beady little eye on them for a while and it was time to bite the bullet! They are so comfy and, although they look like they would be restricting, you can move about so easy in them. They are the 'Moto' jeans from Topshop and i'm wearing a size 10. I'm normally a size 8 however i think, with topshop jeans, you're always better getting the next size up!

I promised myself i wouldn't buy anymore crop tops for a while; but when you see a long sleeved, 60's patterned, high neck crop? A girl can't resist. Such a pretty pattern and goes amazingly with the jeans.

I wanted a winter coat that you could pass off as part of your outit, rather than something that you feel obliged to take off round the dinner table. This coat does the trick!

The material of this coat is so thick and cosy but still feels quite lightweight and not like you have a million and one layers. The blazer type folds near the collar help if you're going for a more sophisticated outfits but you can still pair it with a casual outfit (like i'm doing here). The rolled up sleeves to give that extra bit of flare and goes brilliantly with long sleeved tops like the one im wearing above. 

Well done topshop.

Zara Coat tragic love story

For my birthday (by the way, it was last November, whoops late blog post) i needed a new winter coat as, living in England, it's almost more necessary to have a chunky coat than having edible food in your fridge. I was in a state of joy when my Dad said he would give me money to buy a coat as my birthday gift because, let's face it, coats are quite expensive!

I am a massive fan of Fleur de Force, i look forward to her videos every week. Around November time she made a haul video showing this amazing Kaki coloured Parka with the most incredible faux fur hood. Immediately i was on the hunt to get one for myself. 

I succeeded! 

This Zara coat is genuily gorgeous. I wanted a Parka this year for three reasons: 1. To keep myself toasty warm. 2. They normally have huge hoods to keep your hair dry. 3. Who doesn't need a Parka?

The fabric is just the right amount of thickness to keep you warm but not feel too heavy. The style of this coat is so different to any i had seen. Unlike most it is perfectly fitted; almost an 'A line' shape as it comes in tight towards the top and flares out a tiny bit towards your hips. Very flattering.

Another bonus to the coat is that it wasn't knee length. I find with most Parkas, they tend to be a bit too long on me, covering my entire outfit. Sometimes you just want a coat that stops before your lower regions to show off a little bit of your outfit - this coat does the the trick!

The hood is beautiful, it's so big and fluffy  and incredibly silky smooth. I instanty fell in love with this coat

Unfortunately my love story does not have a happy ending. I had to return the coat not once, but twice, as the button attaching the fur to the hood,popped off. To say i was devastated would be an understatement. I considered simply exchanging my ripped coat for a new one once again however, for a steep £159.00, i expected a little more durability. The coat has now in fact sold out online, so i assume others are enjoying theirs enough to keep it!

Still, i had to write about this beautiful coat, almost a shrine for a lost cause. 

Belated Happy New Year

Why hello there 2015, how mysterious you seem.  

Another year has sped by in a flash and I can’t help but sit back, a cup of tea in my hand, and think about how much I honestly believed we'd have hovercrafts by now. How disappointing. 

I’m not one to be drastically cheesy and think ‘new year, new me’ (It is honestly ridiculous how frequent this saying is on my Facebook timeline), but I thought I would reflect on myself a little, and maybe write a few things down I’d quite like to accomplish by the end of this year. I am turning 21 this year after all *internally cries*. Don’t get me wrong; I am extremely excited about turning 21 as, yesterday, we booked to go to New York City to celebrate the occasion! One of my life long dreams will finally be complete. Some girls tell their dads to save for their weddings. I however have been insisting since the age of four that my dad is taking me to New York when i turn 21. He has not let me down bless him. 

Now, on to my aims for the year (by the way, no one be expecting ‘win golden globe’, lets be realistic about this):

READ 50 BOOKS

Yes yes yes, I am attempting the ‘Read 50 books in a year challenge’. Cliché I know. But I really do love to read. I have been slacking recently which i don't appreciate, so i'd like to keep track of the books I end up managing in 2015. Side note: currently on ‘The Rosie Project’ by Greame Simsion.

BLOG POSTS

I love to blog, it’s a great hobby to have and as the blogging community thrives, I am eager to try and get involved. I plan on uploading a blog at least twice a week, maybe even trying to blog every day for a certain month. We'll see what happens.

NAILS

I envy girls with long elegant nails, I really do. I swear i have been biting my nails since they started to grow in the womb. I need to kick this filthy habit before I mature into a fully grown adult of 21 years old.

GUILT

I am a very guilty person. I feel guilty about almost anything. It could be the most harmless act of kindness such as my Dad offering me a £10 note for the weekend. Most people would react like 'thanks Dad!' snatch it out of his hand and run out of the door. I however, take it guiltily as if I've just shot his own mother for taking something he offered in the first place. Ridiculous. This is a scenario where no real stress is endured but unfortunately for me, this year there has been far too many nights wasted due to unnecessarily stressing. No more i say. 

A prime example of my ability to turn anything into guilt is this: Last week, a lovely lady at Starbucks unfortunately made me the wrong drink. I reluctantly told her what had happened and she happily made me another coffee. I was very grateful for her politeness. The plot thickens. She proceeded to make me the wrong drink again. I was mortified. There was no chance i was telling the poor girl she had made a second mistake. No chance on hell. So instead,  I drank the dairy infused latte rather than my regular soy. In retrospect, I paid for the coffee. I am in fact entitled to get what I ordered, i'm sure the lady would of understood. Why did I feel guilty? You tell me.

FOOD

I am a little obsessive when it comes to my food and health. I enjoy working out; I eat well for nearly all of my meals, avoiding white carbs like the plague. Due to the fact that I used to be a little larger in my early teens, I am generally quite self conscious about my figure. I’m happy with my body at the moment but I find it hard to treat myself without waking up and regretting it terribly. This year, i plan on working on that. This year, if I’ve had a bad day and need a bar of chocolate, then that’s what I shall buy. And the next day, I shall not feel the need to torture myself at the gym. This will probably be my biggest challenge. 

PASSION

My boyfriend is extremely passionate about music. Whilst it's amazing to listen to someone talk about something they love that much, it’s a little dis-heartening when you don’t have something in your life you are truly passionate about. My main hobbies are reading, exercising and YouTube/Blogs. Out of the three, reading blogs and keeping up with my subscription box on YouTube is honestly one of my favourite things to do in life. Now that i have started to write my own blog, I've found a new hobby i love to do. I will find a way to be involved in the Blogging world even more. I am determined. 

And that’s it for now folks! Maybe I’ll tack on a few more throughout the month but I think all of the above are almost 98% achievable.

To conclude, please enjoy a few pictures from New Years Eve where i attended the annual house party with all my friends. It was glorious. 

What i got for Christmas 2014

My ultimate Christmas song this year was Michael Buble's 'Baby Please Come Home'. The most festive moment of December was when i was belting the lyric 'Chirtmasssss the snow's coming dowwwwwn' whilst travelling up to the Christmas Markets. It gives me festive shivers even now.

But alas *sigh*, another Christmas has passed us; a day full of joy and laughter and presents and family and drinking and eating and chocolate and chatter and love and happiness and films. And not forgetting the one million pigs and blankets people consume. It has always baffled me why we only eat these wonderful creations once a year. I may have to enquire about making an addition to our weekly roast. 

Now, unlike some families who gather around on the couches in their pajamas all day, watching Christmas movies and eating their goodies; I have the unfortunate family situation where my parents are separated, along with my Grandparents. So in total, including my boyfriends family, i had a total of four houses to visit in the short timescale of one singular day. It was manic to say the least. I used 3/4 of a tank of petrol for Christs sake. 

Nonetheless, it was an excellent day; i saw family members i hadn't seen in a few months, i ate delicious food (no rules on Christmas day) and generally had a lovely lovely time. It's a soul crushing feeling to think we have to wait another year for it all to happen again. Saying that, i'm pretty sure my bank account will be grateful for it. 

It's all well and good having quality family time, but let's be honest, presents excite practically the entire human race. One of my favourite things post Christmas is reading everyone's blogs/watching Youtube videos on what people got for Christmas. In the spirit, i thought i'd select a few of my favourite gifts this year to show you. My main present from my dad was Michael McIntyre tour tickets which i am giddily hyped about. He is almost certainly my favourite comedian.

Top Left: It wouldn't be Christmas without a few toiletries. Part of Louis' present to me was an incredibly smelling Lush set which i've already half used. Then there's the Body Shop's body lotion and body wash in 'Vanilla Brulee' (the most perfect scent) and the Soap and Glory 'Orangeasm' body butter and body wash (such a cheeky name).

Top Right: A vanilla (told you i liked vanilla) Yankee candle which apparently crackles like a wood fire when lit. Very excited to dry that out; A beautiful ring from my Dad; a pretty Statement necklace and of course, the latest series of Vampire Diaries. 

Bottom Left: I mainly asked for some new high end makeup for Christmas as it's even better when you don't have to pay for it yourself. From the left: Charlotte Tilbury - Matte Revolution lipstick in Glastonbury; YSL's 'Beaute Paris' lipgloss in the shade 39; Bodyshop's 'Colour Crush' lipstick in shade 101 and a gorgeous MAC palette which has four warm toned gold and silver colours.

Bottom Right: Being a book nerd, my Christmas would not be complete without several books. As some of the titles are cropped out, the books are - The Body Finder (Kimberly Derting), The Spectacular Now (Tim Tharp), Sharp Objects (Gillian Flynn) and The Rosie Project (Graeme Simsion)

These are yet but a few of my favourite Christmas presents and i'd like to thank everyone who gave me something. I am an extremely lucky girl on Christmas day, i know i get far too many presents but hey, i'm not going to complain.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and have a very Happy New Year. See you on the other side of the year. 

xo