Month by Numbers: Ibiza heat

7 favourites...

1.) At the very beginning of this month, I headed to Ibiza and it was the perfect remedy that came at the most perfect time. After what were some of the worst months of my life, I got to get away to a sunny paradise with some of my favourite people. We danced, we did nothing on the beach and our meals consisted mostly of sangria and gelato. 

This is uber-melty, but there was one point on the holiday where we were on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world (6th in fact FYI) and I went for a swim on my own in the bluest, most crystal clear water I've seen in my life. And there was not a worry or thought in my mind and before I know it, I'd swam so far out, I was just on my own and I just felt truly content for the first time in ages. After all that's happened this year, I was just floating there thinking 'You know what? It's really not all that shit. Life's OK. I'm OK.'


2.) After coming back from Ibiza tanned and filled with tequila, I spent a whole weekend with my bestie and a bunch of boys from Sheffield who I have a blast with every time I see them. Which would be once. I've met them once before. One weekend last year, I spent a weekend with my BBF, and her boyfriend had some uni friends stay. We all ended up hanging out all weekend and becoming friends - isn't that just the sweetest story you ever did hear? And this time, we drank a lot, and played a lot of games (because, you know, we're really cool like that)


3.) Sadly, all those drinks and games means a lack of sleep and an increased chance of feeling pretty rubbish. Probably not the best combo before you do a 5K charity run for Cancer Research. BUT, even after 5 hours sleep and being low-key hanging, I laced up my trainers, travelled from North to South London and threw myself (literally) into the mud that is the Pretty Muddy 5K. I'm not even joking, there was mud EVERYWHERE. In places where mud should never, ever be. But we did it! We raised over £350 for an amazing cause, which was made even more amazing after receiving the news that my no.1 gal Mama Lo had been given the all clear from the Big C after showing it who's boss, just like we all knew she would. 

4.) Ah the Bake-Off. It'll come as no surprise that I'm a massive Bake-Off fan. In fact, last year, me and my flatmate baked something each week to go the theme of said week. I love how wholesome it is. I love the cheeky innuendos. I love the characters on it. I love Mary Berry. I love how a whole nation is gripped by a show about cakes and soggy bottoms. And then, it all came tumbling down all so suddenly! First, it was moving to Channel 4. Then the hilarious Mel & Sue were leaving. And the final blow, the Queen herself Mary Berry bowed out. This current series of the Bake-Off is the last one as we know it, and I am not emotionally prepared for that guys.


5.) Hi, my name's Amy and I've become obsessed with pin badges. They're sassy and cute and creative and teeny tiny and up my accessorises game in a big way. But sadly, they're also starting to drain my bank account in a big way too.

6.) And speaking of little things, I've been doing more little gestures. I know what a heartwarming surprise it is when you get or hear something you really didn't expect to. So I've been writing postcards left, right and centre for my friends. To cheer them up, to encourage them, to thank them, and just to say hello. And I'm hoping they've loved the sentiment as much as I've loved sending them. 


7.) A mixture of holiday blues and that back-to-school slump of September meant that I felt like I was in need of about 50 hours sleep, 50 cups of tea and cuddles with 50 puppies. Fortunately, one of my fave babes told me to come up North where she could provide me with lie-ins, all the teas I could ever ask for and 1 adorable puppy. She even threw in a 10-course fancy and fabulous Italian dinner and some dancing as well. She knows the way to my heart.

5 tweets...
1.) Catching up on #GBBO on the train. Man asleep next to me woke up as I let out an audible gasp at someone forgetting to turn on their oven
2.) Playing Heads Up at the pub & Vera Wang came up. Me: designer makes lovely wedding dresses!  Lads: surname sounds like a DICK 
3.) Something in my lad of washing has made all my clothes glittery...whilst I don't love it, I don't hate it either
4.) Let's just get this out of the way. Thing I don't like that everything else loves: avocado, Idris Elba, chocolate orange & salted caramel..
5.) Can never remember how to do an accented 'e' on my keyboard. Always end up googling Beyoncé and copy & paste. PROFESSIONAL JOURNO Y'ALL 

3 songs...

1.) Tove Lo - Cool Girl

This makes me feel like a genuine cool girl, no matter how much I may not be. If you see you strutting down the street and swooshing my hair, 90% certain this is what's playing on my headphones.

2.) Little Mix - Move

I feel in love with this song with my BBF 2 years ago at uni, and even now, it still makes me dance like I wish I was in a girl band. Sass-central y'all

3.) Kanye West - Fast

If the other 2 songs make me feel like feisty and cool independent women, this song makes me feel tough and ready to box about 10 rounds in the ring. Neither of which I am, but the bass lines and auto-tuned singing in this makes for a good disguise for it

Until next time...

A.x

6 style struggles every girl has going into autumn...

Even though I haven’t been in education for a few years now, every time that September rolls around, I still get that dread of going back to school. Yep, summer is done and dusted for yet another year and autumn is rearing it’s head again, those awkward dilemmas of what to wear during this trasitional period appear once again.

1.) Layer it up like a Mary Berry cake

 This is especially true if you live in that there Big Smoke of London. It’s still stupidly hot on the tube due to there being about 200 people packed into a carriage about the size of a sardine tin. But the sun’s not making an appearance as often and it’s getting chillier with each day you walk to work. You wanna wear something breezy for the commute but wrap up warm for everything else. Cue you wearing more layers than a cake in the Bake Off, and you dressing and undressing more times in a day than you care to wish to.

2.) Right, so how long can you hang onto that tan you got on holiday?

You've caught a bit of the sun and now you’re feeling like a bronzed goddess from your summer holiday. The sun’s fading, but you don’t want your tan to be as well! So you do everything with all your might to stay golden while the skies turn grey. You wear loads of white to flaunt it - while you’ve still got it and everything. You invest in some of that after-sun that has a bit of fake tan in it and your bedding ends up smelling of biscuits. But in the end, you just had to do like Elsa from Frozen and just Let it Go. You’re going to be so wrapped up soon anyway, that you won’t see any skin, never mind a tan.

3.) I love and hate tights simultaneously.

As a loyal skirt wearer, they are an essential in my wardrobe as soon as those leaves start falling - I don’t know how i’d live without them! But my god, I love strutting around with bare legs. And the fact that they have to be prisoned once more by an 80-denier prison makes me so sad. Let’s also not forget that those little menaces ladder like crazy, you have to buy so many pairs that it ends up costing more than your rent, are just so unattractive. You will never feel more unattractive than the split moment you catch yourself in the mirror as your getting ready and you’ve just got your bra on, and a pair of tights pulled all the way to your bellybutton.

4.) Dust off those jackets and coats boy and girls.

Once upon a time, you could leave the house and go the whole day with just the top on your back. But those days are over my friend. Even your trusty denim jacket that goes with everything won’t even suffice now. Nop. You’re going to have to slowly step away from the jackets and infiltrate some big, snuggly coats back into your life.

5.) Better say seyonara to your sandals!

There’s no way that your little tootsies can withstand the ever declinging climates without being snuggled up in a pair of socks in the comfort of a pair of closed toe shoes. On the rare occasion you get ready in the morning and the sun’s peeking through and you think you can get away with one more appearance from your fave summer sandals, by midday you’ll realise what a grave mistake you’ve made

6.) Who knew you had such a GREAT winter wadrobe eh?!

Yes i know it’s sad to say farewell to those flirty and floaty skirts and sassy and strappy tops. But the upshot of all of this is that all of a sudden you feel like you have a completely new wardrobe to play dress up with. More jazzy jumpers, snuggly scarves and bangin’ boots that you can shake a stick at.

Until next time!

A.x

Alright there August?

August has been busy with a capital 'B', but that's not a problem when you've got bright and breezy pyjamas to chill out and recharge your batteries in. Whether they be laced with pom-poms all along the edge or printed with punchy pineapples, you're no doubt in for a lazy Sunday. 

And why so busy you ask? (you probably didn't ask that really) Well, let me tell you anyway boys and girls.
Technically at the very back end of July, but overlapping into August, one of my dearest, closest and loveliest people I know, got married.

I love a wedding. Any excuse to drink, be happy and dress up am I right? So i put on my brightest and boldest maxi dress and snazziest, metallic dancing shoes on for the big day ahead. But c'mon, we all know I can't do sensible and sophiscated all the way, hence the chill pill bag. Very on-brand.

But when I'm not crying tears of happiness over my friends saying 'I do', you won't be that suprised to know that you'll often find me in a pair of dungarees, or something with straps that I'm buckled up in.

Suede, green, chiffon, pink - it's got it all! 

See. Dungarees aren't just for 5-year-olds. Neither is Barbie - don't believe me?

For once in the UK, the summer has actually felt like, well, summer! But with the summer heat PLUS the tube, all clothes have to be floaty please.

That includes strapless pink dresses that make you feel like a pretty pig...
 
...pleated gold collutes that even MC Hammer would be jealous of, and silky flared pants that are so jazzy that you feel a bit like Princess Jazz-mine.

And if you happen to head to the beach, why not dress like a piece of Brighton rock to fit in?

or some simples stripes will do. And when I say 'simple' I mean the mullet version of the skirt word, paired with an equally as simplistic sheer, sparkly shirt with a sassy slogan. 

Even though, hot damn, it's summer in the city (5 points if you get that reference), I still like to be one with nature with cactus on a pair of prickly pants. Oh, and lace and florals? A match-made in heaven surely.

Or step into the jungle, with some leopard print - whether that be in the normal or snow variety. And you know there's fun and games don't you know? Games that belong on a Sega Megadrive, worthy of a Sega Megababe. 

At times, life gets so dreamy that you want to wear an equally as dreamy marbled shirt.

Not everything's been rosy though, but when times are tough, you put your gold crown and put your game face on like a Queen because it'll all be fine in the end. Because it always is.