blogmas #2 : the christmas tag.

To help us get in the festive mood and out of Grinch-mode...

Yes don't say it. Blogmas day 2 is late. 

In my defence I decided last minute yesterday afternoon what this post should be and just as I was getting started I had to abandon it to get ready for a night out with Michelle Obama. Yup thats right the Michelle Obama...more on that in Blogmas day 3 and on to todays/yesterdays post...I've already seen via my blog stats that a lot of you are checking out the gift guides I did last year. Don't worry I'm working on this years guides as we speak but before we jump right into buying, I thought I'd set the mood by doing... 

🎅

*THE CHRISTMAS TAG*🎅

1. What is your favourite Christmas Film?

Has to be Home Alone and The Santa Clause. 

2. Have you ever had a white Christmas?

Yes! but only a handful of times. I'm a Summer lover but I equally enjoy a snow day.


3. Where do you usually spend your holiday?

At home, snuggled up in a onesie, with my the fam.

4. What is your favourite Christmas Song?

"Oh Holy Night" sang by Nat King Cole gives me the chills, Nat King Cole is basically the voice of Christmas soz Bublé - you should listen to his Christmas Album I promise it will give you all the feels, its really something special. 

I also love the rendition by Mariah Carey I've tried for many years to hit those whistle notes of hers and its not gon' happen boo lol, its just a beautiful song period that I can listen to over and over. I also love "This Christmas" by Donny Hathaway...I mean can you really have one favourite Christmas song?!

5. Do you open any presents on Christmas Eve?

When I was younger my mum would always let my siblings and I open one present on Christmas Eve, I have found memories of receiving new pj's and a Disney Princess Jasmine perfume and bath set - lol my mum is so cute.

6. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers?

Rudolph of course! Dasher, Vixen...Dancer?? Nah I don't really know them, do you?

7. Is your Christmas tree real or fake?

I have a fake tree but two years ago we got a real tree and it was so pretty, I will share that it was a pain carrying it home but once it was there it was worth it, so who knows this year! One day I really want a extra AF tree Kardashian style...




8. What is your all time favourite holiday food/sweet treat?

Is there anything better than a warm mince pie with lashings of whipped cream? Also sweets, any sweet, all the sweets, thats one thing I haven't been able to drop as a adult! Also my mum makes the best stuffing and honey roasted parsnips and carrots....omgasssssh food is the best!


9. Best Christmas present you've ever received.

Music has always been my number one love, so when I received a Sony Walkman CD player it was surgically attached to my head for a long while. Ugh I would spend hours on my own little world listening, singing and dancing along to music. 



10. What would be your dream place to visit for the holiday season?

A Christmas at Disney Land 👏would 👏be👏magical! Oooooh and maybe New York.



11. Are you a pro-present wrapper or do you fail miserably?

 I, my friends, am the Queen B of present wrapping. lol. I love being extra AF and live for those gift wrapping sets. Every gift, no matter how big or small, receives its own bow, ribbon and tag with a sweet message written with a glittery gold pen....told you extra. 

12. Most memorable holiday moment?

 Oooh that is a good question! Decorating the house for Christmas. My dad would put on Christmas music at top volume, we'd get the decorations and tree out of storage. All helping to put it all together. We'd hang Christmas foil garlands from the ceiling and tinsel would be on every radiator and door frame. My mum would do a Christmas Card display on one of the walls of all the cards we got from neighbours, church and school. And then when we finished we would have hot drink and a mince pie while we marvelled at our handy work.

  13. What made you realise the truth about Santa?

 skrrrrrt. Huh? What does that mean? This question really stumped me guys, I don't really understand? What does it mean the truth about the homie Santa? - maybe I should go talk to Mum and Dad about this...


14. Do you make and stick to news resolutions?

 I am definitely a resolution setter but I always manage to fall off track...I've started this year to set "intentions" instead. One could argue semantics but for me setting intentions each month allows me to focus on the small steps that I believe will contribute to the bigger picture. E.g instead of setting the usual resolution of "Improve fitness" or "Loose weight" break it down to specifics "Go to Yoga class on Mondays" - works for me. 


15. What makes the holiday special for you?

 Relaxing and spending time with family. Life can be so go go go, sometimes I feel it can be so unfair to only have two days to recover from a five day week, it can be hard to keep up with everything and everyone but Christmas allows you some down time to have a little catch up and appreciate the people you love the most over good food, drinks and Christmas TV. 😊

guys I don't know about you but I think I'm starting to get some festive vibes going...who's with me? 🙋

blogmas #1 : the christmas countdown begins.

Yes you read that right....BLOGMAS BABY!

If your new to blogmas, the idea is that I will be uploading blog posts everyday up until Christmas!

Thats 25 daily uploads! 

I want to challenge myself to take blogmas as an opportunity to write more and dedicate some time to the blog, as I've pretty much neglected it a lot this year. Side note: the posts will always recap the day before and sometimes they may not even be Christmas related at all! 

DECEMBER 1ST

My tree isn't up, decorations are still storage and I don't even have an advent calendar! Instead I spent the day in bed to cope with the crippling pain of menstruation. And mother nature days deserve copious cups of tea, my cuddly dog shaped hot water bottle, a paracetamol every 4 hours and intermittent naps...

Ok so I'm not feeling very festive at all, that is until I read Lydia Millen's latest blog post and this really resonated with me: 

"THE FESTIVE FEELING DOESN'T JUST HAPPEN, I DON'T SIT AROUND EXPECTING TO FEEL FESTIVE AND LET THE FEELING OF DISAPPOINTMENT ENVELOPE ME WHEN IT DOESN'T, I CREATE IT."

I've always loved Christmas, I used to be one of those people who got the vibe early and would buy everything in sight that was Christmas related. I've always prided myself as a good gift giver. I love the look on my friends/families faces when they open their gifts and its that thing they mentioned only once to me and never expected I'd buy. That look of genuine excitement and disbelief that I actually remembered and they actually have that gift. I LOVE THAT, I'M ALL ABOUT THAT!

But I've noticed that for a few Christmas's I've not been enjoying the lead up to Christmas. The festive spirit doesn't hit me until on the actual day itself. I stopped appreciating that December really marks the end of the year instead I'm so focused on setting new year goals and wishing the year could end so that next year can be "my year" - how many of us have already seen online that if you haven't planned 2019 your already behind!

Like really, why are we always so in a rush to get to the future and never take the time to enjoy the present?

I am so guilty of this and have been for quite some years and the more I'm "adulting" the harder it is to not feel overwhelmed by every day life happening emotions that I know take me out of the moment and keep me concentrated on my worries. 

Being unemployed also means Christmas this year is definitely happening on a tight budget, which has also been a bit of a buzz kill. But you know what I cant allow that to spoil my mood, I have to and can overcome my default Grinch mode settings - and if that means watching all the 'Home Alone' films, including Home Alone 3 that sucks big time, repeatedly to get that sparkle in me going...then I will! 

This is the last month of 2018 and I'm determined to end the year on a high! I really hope participating in blogmas will help me, and anyone struggling to feel merry right now, create a festive spirit and be more present to enjoy the last weeks of 2018.

So no we're not decking the halls just yet, but it is only the beginning of the month so theres still time...happy blogmas, lets create some magic!😊

what do you do to get that festive feeling?

five new things in my wardrobe.

I promise, this post does not contain Black Friday discount codes...

Happy weekend lovelies! No doubt you've had 101 emails cluttering your inbox, enticing you with Black Friday discounts or you've read enough blog posts titled "Guide to the best Black Friday deals". But fear not I come bearing no discount codes in today's post. Just simply sharing 5 new pieces I've invested in, in the last couple of months that I'm really enjoying and some styling suggestions too! Enjoy!

GLAMOROUS MIDI DRESS

I bought this Glamorous dress from Next, its now sold out, but 

I found it on sale on the Topshop website! - Here

Now its getting colder I cant wait to layer it with turtlenecks 

or pop cable knits over, with a belt to cinch the waist, for a 

jumper/midi skirt illusion. I'm still a big fan of a dresses w/sneakers 

combo and could totally see my Nike Cortez's will work well with 

it and in the evening I'll style up with boots and gold accessories.

STYLE IT WITH...

 NEXT DOUBLE BREASTED BLAZER

Ever ordered something full price, found out it was on sale, 

returned it, and then bought it back cheaper....guilty. (But I 

believe this is just good karma coming my way for having paid 

full price for the previous dress, above). This blazer is worth its 

original £59 price point but £29 is even better. 😊

Blazers never really go out of fashion and I already have two, 

both from Primark that I still get great wear out of, but it is really 

nice to own a quality tailored piece that feels and looks great on. 

I recently ordered the matching trousers and really hope they fit, 

it would be nice to have a matching suit as well as team it with denim.

STYLE IT WITH...

H&M CHECKED MINI SKIRT

This skirt is rather nostalgic for me, I distinctively remember 
owning one when I was 9/10 years old and I wore it everywhere, 
with everything, until it shrunk in the wash/I grew out of it. I don't 
remember the details. Tartan/check print can be busy 
so I think an "all black everything" look would give 
it an edge, keep it chic and let the skirt do all the talking. 
Think Clueless, but "grown up."

STYLE IT WITH...

ZARA CROPPED SNAKE PRINT JEANS

If you've been following me on Instagram you would know I'm 
currently having a animal print obsession! 
I'm typically a bargain hunter, but recently I've realised I work too 
hard to spend all my money on cheap items. Don't get me wrong 
I'll happily still spend hours in Primark searching for a bargain 
but every now and then its good to treat yo self to the pricer side of life! 
£49.00 on jeans is a rare move by me but I don't regret it, 
unfortunately they're sold out but if your craving an exotic 
alternative to plain blue jeans try these or these. - they're on sale!

STYLE IT WITH...

NIKE M2K TEKNO

I posted these sneakers on my Instagram yesterday and I 
couldn't believe the response! 2000+ likes for trainers! 
But I totally get it because as soon as I saw them I had to have 
them and these babies have fulfilled all my dad trainer goals. 

I wouldn't say I'm a sneaker head but I do have a appreciation 
for them and probably if my bank account allowed it I definitely 
would be, but there was no way I was passing on the M2K Tekno's.
Definitely one of the best purchases I've made this year. 
They're such a statement piece that make any outfit pop, 
I cant see them leaving my feet anytime soon. 

STYLE IT WITH...

let me know which item is your favourite!

↓↓↓

bob braids.

The braids are baaaaaack!!! Ive been dying to wear my hair in braids since I took them out in March. I always feel like me. This time I wanted more of a bob style, I chickened out of going real short because I wasn't sure it would suit me and played it safe by using black 1B kanekalon hair. I'm usually more of a colour 27 girl and will definitely be trying out this it that colour next time. But regardless I love the length and I love the overall look, I'm super happy with how it turned out.
I used 3 packs of hair, splitting it into thirds, and it took me 10hrs, longer than it should. I'm not a pro and it took me all day due to a few distractions like dance breaks around my bedroom to "Sweetener" by Ariana Grande, binge watching Season 3 of "How To Get Away With Murder" and snacks, lots of snacks. In case you were wondering it was epic. 

The last time I posted about my hair here it received 687 views, unfortunately no one commented so I've yet to find out what made it so popular, but seeing as I got a new do over the weekend I thought why not show it off on the blog, I'm guessing its content you guys like/want?? 

what do you think of my new hairstyle?

july favourites.

hi everyone! welcome back to my blog!

I've been feeling overwhelmed with the need to "get things back on track". I seem to be in a vicious cycle of needing a break, taking said break and then feeling guilty because I know where I want to be requires me to put the work in on my platforms! "write a blogpost, write a blogpost, write a blogpost..." has been on my mind for the last 4 months! So even though monthly favourites are usually done around the beginning of the month, here I am sharing my July favourites in the middle of August 😊  haha!

I've been listening to the Blackgirlinom podcast and its just what I needed lately. I consume alot of media, youtube, TV, films, shows, voices so many voices and sometimes it gets to a point when it all becomes noise. Too loud. Too much. But the hosts of Blackgirlinom, Lauren Ash and Deun Ivory, have soothing, almost healing voices that I could listen to all day. On my most hardest days just listening to them speak has calmed me and their discussions on self care, self love and wellness (specifically for women of colour) have really helped me to set aside an 1hr max, sit back and consciously check in on myself. It is impossible to pick a favourite episode, I literally binged listened to their past 2016/2017 episodes one weekend, but I would highly recommend Episode 33 with guest Lalah Delia on vibrating higher daily and Episode 34 with guest Yaminah Mayo on trusting the process. 

Adding Superdrug's Vitamin E Moisture Boost Facial Serum to my skincare routine was a great move. I used to be a person who thought serums, eye creams and primers were unnecessary, just an excuse for beauty companies to take all my coins. But this past year I've really wanted to focus on improving my skin and feeling confident even when I'm not wearing makeup but the gag is you really do have to invest in these products! And the other gag is...you dont have to spend £100's!
Guys Superdrug's Vitamin E range is the ish! Its both budget friendly and been really effective on my skin. The serum has given me a much needed moisture boost to my skin, especially under my eyes and I've seen a real difference in my skin, its more plump and looks nourished, especially since I am also using the eye cream, day cream, night cream and oil cleanser from the same range! 

The boys from PAQ on Youtube really inspire me - presented by four friends, Elias, Dexter, Shaq and Danny who compete against each other in unique style challenges. What really appeals to me is that each guy has their own unique look, so your guaranteed to see four different outcomes of the same challenge brief and it is highly entertaining! The boys have a healthy competitive banter, that always leaves me rooting for someone different each episode. I dont see anyone really doing videos like them so I find it really refreshing to watch on youtube and have given me a few ideas for my own channel...

These books helped me nail a internship! - Thats right your girls been interning with a fashion PR company since the beginning of August! FINALLY! 
I've really been enjoying it. Just so grateful that after all these months/years I've finally been able to get my foot in the door, I'm really hoping that this starts to open a few more doors as I now have actual experience I can put down on my resume!!! I literally learned to approach my cv and cover letter writing in a new way and develop my knowledge of PR thanks to All Work, No Pay by Lauren Berger, The PR Couture Guide to Breaking into Fashion PR by Crosby Noricks and Leave Your Mark by Aliza Licht.

I was ready to go all "Devils Wear Prada" on them and turn up in a stylish outfit each week, but the dress code is really really relaxed, which to be honest is totally fine seeing as I handle alot of returns and post office runs! But that hasn't stopped me from being a little spendy so expect more fashion related content coming soon! 

Photos by me.

Dress - Asos