Beautiful Ballerina

Strictly Come Dancing isn't a guilty pleasure for me. I just full blown-out love it

And apart from the beautiful sparkly dresses, funny banter and amazing dancing, one of the reasons why I enjoy watching every Winter is the judges, in particular, the beautiful Darcey Bussell.

After watching a documentary about her life recently, she had a whole lifetime as a dancer before the show, that I knew little about - and it's the stuff that fairytales are made of.

While being named Dancer of the Year in the 90s and featuring in modelling in countless campaigns, she was a the youngest principal dancer t the Royal Ballet for many years.

Being awarded a CBE in 2006, she retired from the Royal Ballet in 2007, and was faced with a standing ovation, with hundreds who were tearing up and catapulting flowers onto the stage, begging her to stay!

She is just as elegant and beautiful on Saturday night tv now, as when she was a graceful ballerina. And with my slight obsession with the ballet - it's so feminine and I dream of tutus - it's unsurprising that I dress like a wannabee ballerina every now and again (especially as I am basically a ballet drop out!)

Sources: balletnews.co.uk, dailyrecord,co,uk, ballet.co.uk, royalacademy.org.uk, guardian online, britsattheirbest.com, classicfm online, express online, flikr, hellomagazine online, whatsontv.co.uk, huffingtonpost, digitalspy.co.uk

Although I may not have a beautifully embellished, multi-layered tutu in my wardrobe, a powder pink skirt that swirls like a dream, is just as good when it comes to going to lectures.

With a just as girly sequined bow in my hair and sparkly belt around my waist, I brought the outfit off of the ballet stage and into the 21st century - where a 22 year old girl has to do more than gliding across a stage, and has to do less exciting things like buy groceries - and teamed it with a shearling-lined denim jackets and brown lace-up boots.

top:H&M, skirt:ASOS, jacket:Topshop, belt:Topshop, boots:Timberland, bow:Topshop

I may not live out my childhood dream of being a ballerina, but damn it, I will dress like one!

What profession do you wish you could dress like on a day-to-day basis?

Hope you're all well!
Speak soon,
A.x

Leading Ladies

While most people my age might think that Marks & Spencers is a sore filled with eye-sore jumpers and filled with clothes for cute, elderly grandmothers, I've realised for a few years now that this is simply not the case. They've been catering for shoppers who need new onesies and mobiles for their cots, and kids first shirt when going back to school, to the perfect winter coat for a working woman to wear from office to cocktails, and your grandma's favourite comfy slippers.

Their new campaign at the moment is one of the best and personal favourites that I've seen in a long time, which shows a cast of inspiring women from different walks of life. 

What I love most about this advert is that race, age, sexuality, occupation, and everything inbetween is irrelevant. Like they say in their tv spot, they are 'all women keeping the plate spinning, juggling children & jobs, and trying to do everything well...at the end of the day, we are all fundamentally very similar, even though we're pursuing different passions.

And that is just a brilliant message to put out there.

With beautiful and brilliant well-known women such as Darcey Bussell CBE, the former ballerina from the Royal Ballet, and is now retired to be a judge on the popular television show Strictly Come Dancing, and Nicola Adams who last summer was a champ and became the first female box ever to win a gold medal at the Olympics

Not only is it these women that we know and love, but with just as phenomanal women such as the Jasmine Whitbread, who is the CEO of the Save the Children charity and was previously the International Director of Oxfam, and Helen Allen, who was named Nurse of the Year 2011 and also involved with a charity, being the founder of PEPAIDS (Peer Education Programme Against AIDS).

Singer Laura Mvula, supermodel Karen Elson, writer Monica Ali and former creative director for US Vogue Grace Codding are amongst this ensemble of womnderwomen

 

The women who stand out for met though, are my favourites, singer Ellie Goulding and actor Helen Mirren, who I have sung praise about both before many times on this blog. 

As well as one of my favourite artists Tracey Emin, and the strong and superwoman that is Katie Piper. Having rebuilt her life after an acid attack 4 years ago, and always bringing focus onto the trials and tribulations of this horrible situation and its victims, she has now set up her own foundation to burn victims and people with other disfigurements. A woman who is truly beautiful inside and out. My admiration for how strong and positive she is, is endless.

It is women like this that make me want to push myself and strive for more in my life, and help others and thank those I care and love. They make me want to improve myself and everything about me and my life, constantly.

I feel so patriotic about this campaign as well. Feeling not only proud to be British, but also appreciative of the British high street and how much it actually offers us, wheich we may sometimes take for granted, especially with a long-standing British name such as Marks & Spencers.

sources: M&S

What do you think of this campaign? Who do you admire?

Also, if you follow me regularly, I've moved recently...to Sheffield! I'm studying here, doing a postgraduate Magazine Journalism course, and am absolutely falling in love with the city, and the people I've met on my course and that I'm living with have been so great. It's been so brilliant meeting new and lovely people, and so nice getting on with them so well. So if my blogging slows down a little bit at the moment, it'll be all the excitement getting in the way, but I'll be back on it when I've settled in some more!

Hope you're all well,

Speak soon,

A.x