Tuesday 25 July 2017

Fashion Inspiration


I was recently looking through all of the new clothes on the MissGuided website and lemme tell you – They have some really nice bits and pieces on there. Whilst I was scrolling through them with my mad dreamy heart eyes, I just knew that I had to put them in a blogpost and share some of their best bits with you all. This is only a select few so, if I was you I’d head over to the website after reading this (be prepared to burn a big hole in your pocket). Ready? Lets go!!

 
 
I absolutely LOVE this embroidered mesh crop top. It’s gorgeous. I’ve been noticing recently that this kind of floral print is everywhere. Obviously, the floral print has been around since before us, our mums and our nans were born (haha). Yet, I’ve noticed that this floral print seems to be drawing on twigs, stems and leaves as opposed to the actual flower but itself. It definitely seems to be more Autumnal inspired (crazy I know but, all the sales are getting rid of summer clothes for cough cough AUTUMN WHAT!!!). Of course, it’s still a crop top and it’s still very summery but, I think it’s something you could wear all year round. I like how the model has paired it with a plain black bralet – I would definitely do the same. For the bottoms, I would find a faux leather skirt in the green/yellow shade that the stems have – It would look so amazing.

Ah, I really do start thinking of all sorts of amazing outfits when I see wrap over mesh trousers. Luckily, they do come with the knicker underlay so you would never be worrying about that side of it – From there you just need a pretty bralette or vest top and you’re sorted. The one thing that I love about these mesh trousers (something that other types are missing) is how there’s a slit up the leg of them, it gives them more of a “swishy” look which I think would look great as you were dancing on a night out. You could put sparkles and glitter over your legs and every so often, you would get the glimmer from them – It would look amazing. The belt is such a good idea, I really think it adds a statement to the outfit and helps to provide a block between the trousers and the top, adding to the contrast of the outfit. If you zoom in you will see just how beautiful the belt is – I need it in my life right now.

I know that this bralette may just look like your typical lace bralette but hold with me, holdddd with me. You may have noticed that it’s longer than your typical bralette and if you have noticed that, then you’re right. I love that the added extra length of it really helps to create an impact to the look as you’ve got more lace against bare skin which is always such a nice look. The plunging neckline and the skinny straps really give off a classy look – It could easily be very over the top but it’s been designed in a very simplistic way. My idea with this was that it would look amazing on a shorter person – Of course, it’s designed for a taller person so can you imagine it as a full length bralette (Just to set the record straight – I’ve never seen a full length bralette (EVER).  Wow, I’m glad I’ve finished talking about that – I feel like I’ve said “bralette” about a million times. Not an overexageration, okay.







I’ve only just realised how nice the skirt and the “like no other” top would look together. It would be such a simple and casual outfit yet, it would still look ever so nice and stylish. The blue denim has such a nice hue to it, it’s almost like the perfect shade of denim. It’s bright but, in a natural and worn in way. The fact that it’s distressed really helps in keeping with the worn in and casual vibes. There is a lot of rips across the skirts which in some cases, I find ruins it and makes it look overdone BUT the designers have really nailed this one on the head. You could definitely wear the top with the skirt, you could either: tuck it in, tie it with a knot at the side or even tie it with a knot at the front. There’s multiple ways to style it. I know it may look like the flowers/twigs are embroidery but, in actual fact they’re graphics. When I read that in the description, it made me like the top more. Everything has embroidery across it nowadays and I do really like it BUT sometimes it’s good to change it up a little bit. The other thing that I really like is the font of the writing, I like how it’s big, bold and quite officey. Officey is definitely not a word (haha) – I’m hoping you understand what I mean.

Okay, so the pink shorts and bralette are pyjamas but, I think you could definitely get away with it as an outfit on holiday or to a festival. Nonetheless, as a pyjama set – It’s absolutely gorgeous. I don’t know if I’m the only one (I’m sure I’m not) but, I feel so much better when I’m in a pair of matching pyjamas, especially when they’re cute ones like these. Even if you’re home alone and no one is going to see you in them, there’s something about a nice pair of pyjamas that puts you in a good mood and makes you want to get cosy and watch a movie. These are exactly those kind of PJs. Ahh, out of everything I’ve shown you so far I honestly think I want these the most. I know the saying is “A girl can never have too many shoes”. Well, I think “A girl can never have too many pyjamas” – You can’t go wrong.
 

What was that about saving the best until last? Uh huhhhh, I totally went there and I defineltely (by far) saved the best till’ last. I honestly can’t get over these oversized tortoise shell glasses. I mean – Look at the lens for starters, it’s a mixture of copper, bronze and gold; It’s the perfect shade. The contrast between the lens and the tortoise shell pattern is perfect, it flows so effortlessly. The final feature of these glasses that I love is the transition from the tortoise shell pattern to the plain black. So effortless. So chic.

I hope you enjoyed this post, maybe it’s given you some inspiration and if it has – My job here is done. I really can’t wait to start building a new wardrobe up and looking at clothes online has really been giving me ideas for the direction I want to take my wardrobe in.

Anyway, have a great week and thank you for reading.

See you next Tuesday.

C x

Tuesday 18 July 2017

6 Month Update


I’m a bit late on the bandwagon as it’s now reaching the end of July but, it’s time to do a half year recap. Firstly, can you believe that we’re already over half way through the year? I know I sound like everybody and their mum bit, it’s unbelievable how fast it’s flown by. I really can’t get my head around it. Nonetheless, I’m very excited that summer is here. The weather is getting warmer, I’m building up my summer wardrobe AND everything in my life is on the right path. Metaphorically, the sun has come up again.

I don’t really know how to structure this post because, there is SO much to it. I literally have so much to talk about and it’s kind of like when you’re tidying your room but you don’t know where to start. Do you get me or am I just rambling about stuff that doesn’t make sense.

Ya need to get a pot of tea (not a cup, a pot), this is going to be a long post.
 

                                                                                                  BLOGGING

One of the things that I really wanted to do this year was set up a blog and here I am; blogging. I’m very much at the start of my journey with this blog but, I’m thoroughly enjoying it and I can’t wait to see what it grows into. It’s nice to have a hobby that’s also helping me learn about things at the same time. Having this blog has helped me to organise and plan things to a deadline, nobody is holding me at gun point telling me to do any of the things that I do for this blog BUT I know what I need to do in order to help it grow so, I have to organise and plan around that. Since I started this blog, I’m yet to miss a Tuesday (the day I upload a new post) which is a big achievement for me although it does sound like a small thing. On top of all that, it’s nice to have a place of my own where I can create content that represents me – It’s an amazing feeling. I appreciate every comment, follow, like, read – It all oddly means a strange amount to me.

My goals for this blog over the next six months are quite clear to me – I know the next step that I have to take. I want to be uploading two posts a week, I would love to be doing three posts a week but, that’s more of a goal for 2018. I would also like to have a better blog design and to have bought my own domain just because I feel like I’ll have more freedom with it. I have lots of ideas for how I want my blog to look so, it’ll be very exciting to see them become a reality. Finally, I would love to do a collab with another blogger (if you’re interested in this then please leave me a comment). I just think it would be a really fun and enjoyable experience that I’d also learn a lot from.

                       HEALTH AND FITNESS

 I used to work out a lot, like two hours at the gym, six days a week kind of a lot. I was very healthy, in actual fact – I was vegetarian, almost vegan. However, life got in the way and I couldn’t go to the gym which I think had a huge part in me giving up on vegetarianism. Anyway, I wanted to get back to working out and eating healthily this year which I’m definitely on the road to doing. Like I said, the first few months were quite bumpy and things only started to settle around April time so, my health and fitness was almost non-existent at that point. Skipping forward to now, I’ve been working out five days a week and eating 70% healthy – It’s been making me feel so happy within myself and now I’m ready to keep pushing. I think the thing that’s motivating me to work harder now is the fact that I can see the smallest most baby abs peeking through BUT they’re definitely there.

My health and fitness goals over the next six months are to be working out for at least one hour a day, six days a week. I’m not really into cardio very much so, I would like to develop on my running. Even if I went for a jog once a week, I’m not on about becoming the next Usain Bolt or anything but, I do need to open my lungs up a little bit more. I would like to see more concrete abs forming as well as larger glutes and growing my legs in general. In terms of eating, I would LOVE to get back to a point of being vegetarian or at least on the path to it. I’ve done it once before and I know just how good it made me feel so, I don’t really know what my excuse is? Finally, I would like to practice yoga a little bit – Even if it’s once/twice a week; as long as I form a routine with it, I’d be happy with it.

                                                                                               WORK & MONEY

I was in a bit of an unstable position at the beginning of the year in terms of work ect… What I really wanted was to get a job that I could thoroughly enjoy because at the end of the day, we all need to work for our money but, it’s horrible when certain jobs result in unhappiness. Fast forwarding to now, I have a job that I absolutely love – It’s in the industry that I’m most passionate about which is giving me a proper buzz for life. Yes, sometimes I will come home and I’ll feel knackered but, none of that matters because I’m not tired mentally. Honestly, it is wakening my brain and making me want to work as hard as possible and see where I come out. I also have another job that I really enjoy too. It’s such a chilled out and causal environment and everyone is so lovely. You can’t really ask for anything more.

My goals for the rest of the year in terms of working and money is to basically just keep working hard and building upon my work ethic as I feel a good work ethic really sets you up for life. In terms of money, I definitely want to open a savings account – I have a few ideas about what I want to save for but, I’m not sure yet. I figured that the best thing to do was save anyway and then at least I have the money there when I decide what I need it for. Finally, I want to start putting money by for my pension, even if it’s a fiver a month. Most reactions I’ve got from that have been laughter but, it’s better to start late than never. We’ve all got to remember that one day, we will be old and we may not have a government that gives out a pension. It’s definitely one to think about.

                    GENERAL LIFE & HAPPINESS

This is the last section to this post but, it is by far the most important. I used to have a lot of love and respect for myself, I never thought I was better than anyone or anything like that – It was more that I didn’t let anyone treat me badly more so, I never treated myself badly. Over time I wound up hating myself and all I wanted to do was crawl out of my skin and be someone else. It’s a horrible feeling which is why I set myself a goal to learn to love myself again and to start being nice to myself again. Over the course of this six months, I really have done that. I feel like myself again. I feel comfortable in my own skin. I’ve got my identity back which is beyond empowering. I’m back to having a positive mind set which means it takes a lot to knock me down. I can feel the strength within me, burning like a fire and it’s only growing more and more each day. I stand up for my opinions – I will hear other peoples out but equally, I’ve rediscovered the fact that I have a right to take up space in this world and to put my voice out there.

This is a journey without a destination, I don’t necessarily have an end goal as I want to continually be moving forward and growing as a person. However, I know that by the end of this year I would like to be able to say “I love myself” and 100% mean it. I also want to bring meditation into my life and be practicing it regularly by Christmas time as I feel it’s an amazing thing for self-discovery and to connect to yourself which is EXACTLY what I need to do.

 

                                                                            OTHER GOALS  

·         Get my provisional licence and pass my provisional test

·         Start an Etsy store (More on this in a few months)

·         To stop one of my bad habits from being a regular thing

Thank you so much for reading, what are your thoughts? I would love to hear about how your year has gone so far and what you want to achieve over the coming months. I love hearing motivating and inspiring stories/goals.

Until next time,

C x

Tuesday 11 July 2017

Morals & Beliefs

 
My life is beyond hectic right now. I’m currently balancing three jobs, this blog, exercising, socialising AND chill time. Nonetheless, I’m having a lot of fun and it’s filling me with huge amounts of motivation – I just can’t afford to spend as much time blogging as I was, not until I’m settled into my new routine and can find the best times to blog, blog, blog. It’s going to happen though, I’m determined to make this into my creative little space.
Originally, I wrote down facts about me which was actually really hard? I have to
 
nnes of facts about me but, thinking of them on the spot is near enough impossible. Instead, I’ve decided to tell you about some of my core beliefs. Grab some armbands cause this is gon’ get deep.
 
 
 
1.       I believe that people who are intentionally mean to someone are just projecting their insecurities outwards – Even if they themselves don’t realise they’re doing it. Think about it, it’s okay to tell someone why they’ve upset you etc… But, the bullies that call people “fat” “ugly” and a wide range of other things, are obviously missing something within themselves to want to hurt someone for no apparent reason. I don’t know if I’m explaining this very well but putting a different spin on it – When you are at your most happiest and confident, you would never go out of your way to hurt someone (hopefully). This is why the saying “Hurt people, hurt people” rings so true.
 
2.       I believe that what you put out into the universe, you get back. I know that sounds REALLY spiritual and it is a bit but, hear me out. If you spend 24 hours of your day being negative about life and talking about how you can’t achieve anything blah blah blah, the likely hood is that you won’t achieve that thing that you have no confidence in. However, if you’re constantly being positive and thinking “I can do this”, “I will do this” – There is a much higher chance of positive things happening to you. I guess it’s like karma.
 
3.       I believe that everyone is entitled to do what they want AS LONG AS it’s not hurting everyone. This is why it really grinds my gears (haha) when people are criticised for how they dress or how they talk but the fact of the matter is, there’s far more bad people out there, like murders and terrorists and paedophiles. So, so what if someone’s slept with loads of people? Really, what is the problem if no one has been hurt in the process? What’s wrong with someone choosing to be vegan to better the planet? What’s wrong with someone being a hard worker and being happy with a basic job rather than something extravagant? We are way too judgemental as a race, we all truly need to chill out and let people do their thing.
 
 
 
4.       I believe that it’s important to spend time by yourself, like SO important. Spending time with yourself helps you to build up a sense of personal identity. It helps you develop a love for yourself like no other as well as tremendous amounts of self-worth and respect. These are things that we ALL need because, at the end of the day, every person you meet isn’t going to be a good person. Some people are going to treat you badly and you need self-respect to know that what they’re doing is wrong. Please, never underestimate the importance of spending time by yourself.
 
5.       If somebody doesn’t want to be in your life – Fine, let them go. This is something that’s very important to me. Why waste time on a person that doesn’t care about you? As soon as someone tells you that they don’t want you in their life, accept it (no matter how hard it is) and let them walk away. I’m telling you from experience, these people are life suckers and they will only tear you down. Please, don’t beg for someone to stay when you can close the door and throw away the key.
 
6.        I believe it’s important to not be judgemental. Okay, we’re all human and sometimes you judge without even realising but, when you do that – Make sure you pull yourself up on it. You never actually know who a person is – Just because they wear all black clothes does not mean they listen to heavy metal vice versa; just because a girl wears pretty sundresses does not mean she’s obsessed with Ed Sheeran. Hahah, I don’t even know if I’m making sense with those examples (it’s early in the morning) The point I’m trying to make, is that you will gain so much more from life if you allow yourself to be open minded and not jump to assumptions. Just try it.
 
I have a lot more beliefs and thoughts on so much stuff but, I think it’d be interesting to make this into a monthly thing, what do you think? Shall I do a part two?
Thank you so much for reading, I really do appreciate it. At the moment I’m writing one post per week but my aim for the end of the year is to get to two posts per week. If you have any suggestions for post ideas, I would love to hear about them in the comments so let me know and I will try and do them J
Chlo x
 

Tuesday 4 July 2017

The Ultimate Blogger's Handbook



Blogging can seem like an absolute mind field sometimes, which is something I know I’m not alone in. There’s just so much to it; in terms of the look of your blog, writing posts, marketing, networking, SEO (I’m still pretty clueless about that) and so much more. Now, I started blogging three months ago and it’s actually become something that I get a lot of joy and passion out of. As I’m fairly new here, I’ve been looking to other bloggers for their tips and tricks regarding growing and bettering a blog. Below are a few of the posts that I’ve found really helpful and thought they deserved to be shared with you beautiful people.



 
1.       This post really helped to give me an insight on writing content that people are actually going to read, she talks about things like photography, the value of the post and also how to create a killer introduction paragraph.

 
2.       If you’re a fellow blogger and you’re really trying to take it seriously, you will know just how hard it can be to balance growing your blog as well as working and socialising. This post really gives some great tips for how to establish a balance whilst growing a successful blog.

 

 
3.       I’m no way at this point yet BUT I would like to get to this point in the future. So, if you’re interested in writing posts EVERY SINGLE DAY, then get reading this post.

 
4.       A big part of getting readers to your blog is making sure it looks really nice. I still have a long way to go with mine and I’m waiting a few months before buying my own domain and really making my blog look good but, when I’m ready for that I will be heading to this blog post as it’s got some great tips to have your blog looking flawless.

 
5.       A great way to help grow your audience is through marketing on pinterest. This post explains how you can take advantage of pinterest to increase your traffic and readers.

 
6.       I love this post, it doesn’t necessarily give you tips on how to improve your blog but, it provides reassurance that every blogger has started somewhere. It also prepares you for what you’ve got to come.

 
7.       If you’ve got writers block, this is the perfect post to give you some ideas on what you can write about.

 
8.       This post provides you with all the tips and tricks to rule marketing via social media.

 
See you next Tuesday,

C x