13 ways my childhood gave me unrealistic hair goals

If you were anything like me when I was younger, your hair is a BIG ol' deal. Like, I'm talking social life and death on the school playground here people.

And there were so many people on my TV screen, in my favourite films and in my toy box, that made me think I 100% had a handle on my hair. But now as a full-fledged adult (ish), I can whole heartedly say each and every one of them betrayed me in giving me regrettable goals and unrealistic achievements to do with my hair. HOW COULD YOU GUYS I LOOKED UP TO YOU.

1.) Snip snip!

Parent Trap made me think I could cut my own hair perfectly. Fast forward to me accepting a dare to cut off my fringe at Scouts camp and having to live with with teeny tiny hairs sprouting out for months to come. Just take your photo of Lindsey Lohan to the hairdressers instead kids.

2.)  Perfect pigtails

Because of my fave member of my fave girl group, I felt it was acceptable, neigh, my duty! To wear pigtails on top of my head, as high and swishy as possible. Even when some boys in my class said they looked like pineapples (meanies), I stuck with my guns and kept my head and pigtails high.

3.) Headband headaches

Oh Lizzie. Lizzie, Lizzie, Lizzie. Way before the sassy and glitzy headgear of Blair Waldorf a la Gossip Girl, there was you. And only you could get a young girl to try on headband after headband on her larger than average sized - at an awkwardly forward position may I add. And as if enabling many headband-related headaches wasn't enough...

4.) Mad, hot, mess

...you also made me think that if I crimped parts of my hair and clipped sections up randomly, that would make me really 'edgy' and feel all punk. Oh dear. Take a seat lil' Amy - we need to have a word.

5.) Badass eh?

Of course, inevitably there will be a time where crimped hair alone just won't do. And during your devoted obsession with The O.C (which let's face it, has never really ended), you laid eyes on the oh-so-cool rock chick that was Alex, and saw her purple streak and knew you just had to have it too. That is, until you rocked up into school with it and your teacher told you to get rid of it. ASAP. Thank god it was just a glue in extension eh?

6.) Summer in bloom

It wasn't just Alex though - deep down my alliance was with Summer. So much so that I once ever took a screenshot of her from an episode, and printed the picture out so I could take it to the hairdressers with me. Yep. That actually happened. So it's no surprise that once upon a time I stuck the biggest and poffiest flowers in my crisped-curled hair, just like Summer did.

7.) Double trouble

Clipping a layer of your hair underneath all the rest of it to create some sort of faux fringe was completely my jam back in the day. Happy to report that is in the past, along with these bad boys...

8.) Flutterby butterfly

Of course every little girl wants a butterfly in her hair, right? But as if one metal-winged creature clamped onto your head wasn't enough, Sabrina the Teenage Witch convinced me that in this case, it was the more the merrier. Sadly, it just means a lot of your hair being tangled.

9.) Beach babes

MK & A continued to influence my hair choices well into my teens, when while binging on So Little Time, I was frazzle my hair with a Carmen Girls Angel Curlz wand and twist said locks while drenched in sea salt spray, just so I could get similar effortless beach waves like theirs. Sadly, I did not live on a beach, and it was by no means effortless.

10.) Side to side

Ah, Lindsey Lohan. When I bought her solo album (yeah, I'm just as confused as you are) and thought that sweeping all your hair from one side, to the other to completely cover your forehead like a combover was a top idea. Young Amy, stop trying to make a fake fringe happen. It's not gonna happen. You go and get one snipped in anyway you know.

11.) Long locks

Let's not forget the animated gals of my youth too. The scouts of the Sailor Moon gang made me wish and urge my hair to grow as long as possible so I could have a pony tail that's as swish-worthy as this. Said long lengths were quite hard to achieve when you have a dad that insists of giving you a bowl cut in the bathroom every few weeks.

12.) Barbie Babe

If my dad didn't cut my hair, I'm sure I would've convinced myself that I could cut my own after asking for this Cut 'N' Style Barbie doll for a present, time and time again. If only you could actually switch your hairstyle up this often, that easily. Sigh.

13.) Disney damsels

We can't talk about 2D gals without mentioning those Disney princesses. But trying to wash my hair like Meg while stood up in the bath tub, and tying up as many Princess Jasmine-esque bubbles in my pony tail as possible just resulted in a lot of tangled locks.

Until next time,

A.x

Month by Numbers: sporty & singing-filled Spring

7 favourites...

1.) This month, it's finally felt that Spring has well and truly sprung. Like actual birds chirping, still light when you leave work, warmth on your skin...SPRING! And I've celebrated with classes of champagne in the countryside and singing along to said cheerful birds like I'm an animated Disney princess.

2.) All these antics have been captured on Snapchat as well. I've been well into Snapchat since day 1 way back when I was still in uni, but it went off my radar for a bit. But now with filters galore, my Snapchat story gets updated more regularly than a daily vlogger's YouTube channel. Add me babes, you can find me over at Amylo92 - see ya thereeee

3.) And there's plenty to be Snapchatting about when there's trips to country manor houses in the sunshine with champagne to be had. I kinda have my own little routine and bubble in London, so I kinda forget there's so much that I haven't ventured out there and seen. Like, who would've thought that just down the Northern line, is this little slice of paradise?

4.) I'm not one for change and in the past haven't been great at pushing myself out of my comfort zone. This year I've been really trying to do that more though - trying new fitness classes, going to more events when offered. I'm just trying to say 'yes' to more things, even when I'm initially not that excited or sure about it, and my life's been a lot more fun and varied due to it!

5.) For someone who's least favourite Spice Girl back in the day was Sporty Spice, I've certainly been taking a lot of inspiration from Mel of late. Oh, how wrong my young self's Spice Girls judgement was. Boxing gloves, Adidas stripes and Nike Air Maxes. Who says style and comfort don't go hand in hand?

6.) Guys. It finally happened. After years or wishing and waiting, I finally got to see my queen, the goddess that is Adele, sing live. It was everything I thought it would be and more - I laughed, I (nearly) cried, I lost my voice and my mind. And she's not the only music I've been indulging in - I've been venturing into the world of modern choirs at Southbank, and I got to go to a Sofar Sounds in Dalston. If you're into discovering new music and artists, get signing up to Sofar Sounds - it's intimate, personal and make you fall in love with music all over again.

 

7.) This back end of this month has been a bit of a funny one. I've just not really felt like myself, and it's not because I'm ill. I've been unmotivated about life in general and don't really know what's up with me, and that stresses me out more that I can't pinpoint it. And as someone who's a constant optimist, I didn't quite know how to deal with it. But as I knew I would, I'm out at the woods on the other side now and back to my usual Powerpuff Girls-esque self. So no matter how bad things, it'll always work out in the end my loves.

5 tweets...

1.) Put an emoji in an email & my boss asked if I could only communicate via emojis from now - you don't know how much I want and can do that 

2.) HOW have I just discovered Poutine?! It's chips, and cheese, and gravy...THAT'S ALL MY FAVE THINGS 

3.) No Facebook, I don't want to be friends with my ex's new girlfriend, so please don't suggest I add her as one.. Thanks. Sincerely, Amy 

4.) Excited to get home tonight because I'm going to ice some puns on some buns. Yup. That's the life I lead kids 

5.) My flatmate the other day asked if I'd watched Mean Girls recently because I'd been quoting it a lot. Nop. That's just how I roll hun

3 songs...

This little blank space used to be saved for 3 babein' outfits that I'd been reppin', but with a monthly rundown of my #OOTDs and general dressing up, it seemed a bit reptitive. And since I have a bit of a tendancy to get obsessed with songs and listening to them on repeat non stop, I've swapped this bit over for the earworms that have been invading my life recently.

1.) Troye Sivan - Youth

I remember watching this lil' munchkins vlogs years ago on YouTube, and now, he's got a full blown album and performing all over the world. I've had his album since I've been released and this song been out for a bit, but recently, I just can't get enough of it's drop and it's lyrics that make me want to sack everything in and run away into the sunset.

2.) Meghan Trainor - No

Yes, the lyrics are...quetionable. But this is dripping in 2002 vibes a la Britney Spears. So when Meghan says no, she actaully means 'YES THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE JAM AND YOU CAN'T HELP BUT SHAKE YOUR BUTT'

3.) Ariana Grande - Be Alright

If you're having a bit of a shit time of late like I was, take it from the sassy babe that is Ariana and know that everything will be alright.

Until next time,

A.x

March: pink-filled days & lovers haze

March means the beginning of Spring, which is perfect to wear ALL the fun clothes, including but not limited to dungarees with orange polka-dots, and, dungarees (yes, again - are you even suprised?) with metallic pink shoes.

Not that the weather or other seasons have stopped me from silly style before. You're talking to the girl who notoriously chooses fashion over function here.

But even when there's been drizzly days and gloomy moods, it's been consoled by the comfort of slouchy jumpsuits and kick-ass monochrome. CK straps AND Adidas stripes? Oh, I am being spoilt...

Who knew this Sport Spice would be making an appearance on here eh?

And when I do have to go into work and face being a real life, I can be safe in the knowledge of knowing that I actually can pull of being a real adult with a shirt on and everything. Well, apart from the laser gun phone case..

Let's face it though, we all know that a low-cut wrap around shirt covered in stars is much more my speed. Especially when covered with multiple necklaces and my hair dipped in candy cotton pink.

But whether it's stars or hearts splattered all over me, one thing's for sure. I'm a lover and not a fighter. A girl power choker dripping in 90s nostalgia, or a perfectly on-point pin reminding people: 'don't be a dick' should do the trick of letting you know that.

But if they haven't clued you up on how filled up with love I am as a person, then the amount of pink I own from nails to shoes and fluffy creature-d keyrings will. That colour is da bomb anyway.

If ever my Jigglypuff-esque gets trampled on by the weight of the world, then I just need to pop on my ice-cream coloured feather gilet, and fly away to the suburbs for a bit - revealing in the countryside and sauntering around old manors. 

 And if there's bubbly too? Well, that's just a bonus.

Oh and if you're in need for a quick fix of joy and happiness? Get yourself to a braid bar and get your hair done. 

You'll feel like a princess. And a sassy one at that.

Until next time,

A.x