And It Feels Like Jealousy, And It Feels Like I Can't Breathe

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.1. I watched Beaver Falls on Thursday on E4+1 (why is everything on at the same time as 24 Hours In A&E?!). I didn't think i'd enjoy it as much as I did but it's a really nice summery show and i'll probably watch next weeks episode :) It's a little bit like Skins which I used to love but the past few series' haven't been as good so I stopped watching it - bring back Luke Pasqualino and Mitch Hewer! 

.2. I started driving again this week and although I haven't driven since January I don't seem to have forgotten how to do it which i'm quite pleased about! I wanted to take my test again this summer but there is an 8 week wait so the earliest I can do it is the middle of September and i'll be at uni. I'm really hoping i'll be able to get a cancellation or i'll have to wait till December when I come back and knowing my luck it will snow or something!

.3. I went to the cinema on Friday to see Horrible Bosses which I loved as it's definitely my kind of film as it was really funny! I'd definitely recommend it! We were originally going to see Bridesmaids but it's already finished in the cinema we went to so we're going to have to go somewhere else - gutted! Also managed to sneak in a McFlurry as cinema prices for food are a joke!

♥ On My Wishlist: Ikea Wooden Drawers and Dorothy Perkins Bunny Jumper

♫ I'm currently listening to: Joss Stone - Somehow and Will Young - Jealousy 

I Like Guys That Sing #2

Ross Copperman

I first heard Ross's music about 5 years ago and I find myself coming back and listening to his tracks every now and again; they just never get old! Ross isn't as well known as he should be as I think he has so much talent that is wasted! He writes some incredible songs with lyrics that everyone can relate to and even if his music isn't your kind of thing you can't argue that he's an amazing song writer. As always it's hard to choose which songs are my favourites but Shine, Glass and Ordinary are beautiful and well worth a listen. If you're a fan of CSI:NY you might have heard Holding On And Letting Go which was recently featured on the show.

Pete Lawrie

Another recent discovery, I stumbled across Pete through a YouTube advert and fell in love with his voice. He's recently released his album and i'm loving all the tracks especially A Little Brighter and Just Dust. Paperthin is a lovely song which is calming and relaxing to listen to but in contrast I love All That We Keep which is more upbeat and catchy. I also had to mention the song that brought Pete's music into my life which is In The End which is another favourite of mine and really shows off Pete's voice. Pete has just started a blog which you can follow here and he's also offering a huge collection of songs for free in his first post.

Ed Sheeran

Probably the reason why I love writing these posts: Ed's music was introduced to me by Jessica who commented on my previous post. Since then he's become huge and I still can't stop listening to The A Team, Ed's voice is beautiful. After having a look through lots of his songs in YouTube i've decided that Last Ones Standing is my favourite even though I think it's one of his oldest songs. His new single You Need Me, I Don't Need You is coming out soon and I can see that doing just as well as The A Team; it's got quite a different sound to some of Ed's other songs but it definitely has the potential to top the charts. 

Record Of The Week: Maroon 5

As last week's Record Of The Week was acoustic I thought i'd pick something with a bit of a beat today. 

I've always loved Maroon 5's music and Moves Like Jagger is no exception! This collaboration with Christina Aguilera is catchy and I can definitely see it being popular when it's released in August. 

The official video isn't out just yet but i'll let you into a little secret that Adam Levine is topless in it! If you want a sneaky peak you can watch 'The Making Of' by clicking here ;)

I'd Rather Be A Comma Than A Full Stop

Living in the UK you kind of know that although it's July the chances of it raining or being cold are quite high. I was recently contacted by Zalando who offered me the opportunity to try out one of their products. Zalando mainly offer a huge range of shoes; I was tempted by some Havaianas for summer but I didn't think i'd get much wear out of them and my feet are often a different size in every shop so I didn't want to order any online (Zalando do offer free returns though).

I then started looking at Zalando's huge range of clothing (they have thousands of items!) I was really impressed with the range as there is something for everyone - there are some gorgeous Lipsy and French Connection dresses as well as lots of other well known brands for really reasonable prices. 

After looking through literally hundreds of tops, jumpers and dresses I finally settled on the edc by Esprit Jumper in black; i've been wanting a hoodie or warm jumper for a while and I really liked the style of this one as well as the fact it looked warm. When it arrived it was packaged really well and fitted nicely so I didn't have to worry about sending it back. Zalando updated on my order's progress with regular emails and the ability to track my package which was helpful too.

The only thing I can really fault Zalando with is that when ordering, a lot of things I looked at weren't in stock in a wide range of sizes so although I loved some of them I couldn't order because they didn't have my size.

I don't know about you but I really don't like paying for delivery when i'm shopping online and I usually wait until companies offer free delivery so I don't have to pay. Luckily Zalando offer free delivery on everything which is brilliant, especially as my jumper only took three days to arrive.
Apologies for the quality of my photos in this post too!

♥

We Are Listening And We're Not Blind, This Is Your Life This Is Your Time

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.1. BBC Three, Friday Night at 9pm. Alex Lewis is an inspiration to us all.

.2. You could (Olly Murs style) say that i've been busy doing nothing this week. And I really enjoyed it. It's been the most peaceful quiet week i've had in a long time and although i've only been out of the house a couple of times it's been really nice being by myself for the majority of the day. I've also nearly finished decorating my room so hopefully i'll be able to share some photos when it's finished as i'm so happy it isn't lilac anymore!

.3. After reading Laura's post I decided it was about time I changed the polish on my toes to something more summery than red as it's the only colour I ever seem to paint them! I opted for Pink Parka by Essie which a really bright neon pink and I love it! It will look so much better with a tan but it's a nice change for the time being.

♥ Blog posts you need to read: Men are from Mars by Emma and Moving to Uni by Laura

♫ I'm currently listening to: Snow Patrol - Called Out In The Dark and Bluey Robinson, Swedish House Mafia, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Adele and The Wanted at iTunes Festival (They all did amazing sets!)

I Was Here, I Lived, I Loved

I've been spending a bit too much on clothes... again! There are quite a few nice sales going on at the minute and i've been wanting to get a few more summery clothes for my wardrobe. I thought i'd share with you my recent purchases as I love reading other people's!

Soul Cal Crop Top - £10 - Republic

I don't normally buy much from Republic but I loved how summery this top was and it's actually really nice quality too. Definitely going to wear a vest under it and pair it with some denim shorts.

Stripy Vest - £7 - River Island

I only tend to buy from River Island if there is a sale on as I find a lot of their clothes are a bit overpriced. This vest fits really nicely and is quite soft and well worth the money I paid. Apologies for how creased it is!

Peep Toe Flats - £12.99 - H&M

I saw these on Liz and loved them! H&M is one of the only shops where the shoes actually fit me properly and are comfy so I went in wanting a new pair of flats. These fit really nicely although i'm normally around a size 5-6 and ended up getting a 4 so if you're thinking of getting them you might need them in a smaller size.

Flower Bracelet - £3 - Dorothy Perkins

I wanted this at full price so I had to have it when I found it in the sale! It's not everyone's cup of tea but it's really cute and summery although definitely not worth it's original £8.50 price tag!

Oh and how good is Beyoncés' new album?! Other than Ellie Goulding and Adele I rarely listen to female singers but i'm actually loving so many of the songs on 4. My favourites are definitely Schoolin' Life, Start Over and I Was Here. Give it a listen if you haven't already!

Record Of The Week: The Suburbians

I'm not sure if this is going to be a regular feature but I borrowed the idea from Radio 1. I want music to be a bigger part of my blog instead of me just linking a few songs at the end of my Sunday posts so this is a step in the right direction.

My very first Record Of The Week is The Suburbians' cover of The A Team.

I've been loving this song so much recently; I love the original by Ed Sheeran but if i'm honest I think this one is better! I love discovering new bands especially if they're not well known and i'm pretty sure The Suburbians have a bright future ahead of them if this cover is anything to go by. 

Hit the play button and let me know your thoughts :)

Tomorrow Doesn't Matter When You're Moving Your Feet

I recently bought these lovely shoes for summer from H&M and i've been wearing them a lot. Obviously bare feet and hot weather are not the perfect match and that's where the Liz Earle Foot Spritzer comes in. I was sent this a little while ago and i've been trying it out and I have to say i'm definitely a convert. I've never really been one to try foot sprays as they aren't something you see a lot of in the shops but they're actually really convenient. I used this after a long day at Alton Towers and it made my aching feet feel a bit more alive haha. 

This foot spray (like all Liz Earle products) has lots of natural goodness in it and has a lovely minty scent; it has a really refreshing and cooling effect on your feet which is exactly what you want when it's warm. 

It comes in a 75ml bottle so it's a nice size to put in your bag and i'm planning on taking it to the beach with me this summer :)

♥

I Know I Have A Fickle Heart And Bitterness

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.1. I watched 24 Hours In A&E on Wednesday (as always) and this particular episode really made me value my life. There was a man who fell from a ladder onto his head and ended up with a serious brain injury. He went from being a perfectly normal person living an everyday life to being unable to do anything for himself. It really made think about how that could just happen to anyone and how precious life really is. The man actually made a miraculous recovery after two months which really surprised me but it was just one of those things that really makes you think. You can catch up with the episode here (you might want to skip some bits if you're a bit squeamish haha).

.2. On Thursday I finally started decorating my room. It's actually been mainly preparation - all the old paint and border have gone and my room is completely bare (i'm loving how much space there is now!). With my Dad's help we've just painted the first coat so hopefully in a week's time we'll be nearly finished although i'm still on the hunt for a few bits of furniture and accessories before it will be perfect! I also have major bedroom envy of this bedroom which I saw on Tumblr earlier!

.3. Everyone seems to be getting all Harry Pottered out this week but sadly im not. Unfortunately me and Harry never really got on. It's just not my kind of thing - i'm one of those people who likes realistic things so I just don't get all this magic related stuff. I tried to read the first book but just couldn't get into it and then I saw a couple of the films and didn't really enjoy them - it's the same with things like Doctor Who and Pirates of the Caribbean. I do want to like them and I have tried but it's just not going to happen, it's probably why I live for things like 24 Hours in A&E instead!

♥ A Few To Follow: Pebbz Blog and Zoe

♫ I'm currently listening to: Adele - Don't You Remember and David Guetta - Little Bad Girl

Be Careful What You Wish For When You're Young

First things first, i've given my blog a little makeover today; i'm not sure if it's completely finished just yet but i'm happy with the summery theme that's going on. Let me know what you think or if there's anything else you'd like to see :)

Onto the main reason for this post... I went to the Great Yorkshire Show yesterday, it's the third time i've been and I had a really good day. I ate a ridiculous amount of food, the majority of which was free samples so it's all good ;) I ate so much cheese (and I don't even like it that much) as well as sausage, strawberry milkshake, yogurt, cake, shortbread, fudge and probably quite a few things that I can't remember! 

I also bought a glittery blueberry cupcake, a cinnamon and sugar pancake and a giant meringue all of which were eaten on the day so I don't even want to think about the amount of calories I ate or my blood sugar! I also saw James Martin - me and my friend wanted to talk to him but we couldn't actually think of anything to say!

Steering away from the food related stuff I saw Prince Charles and Camilla - I wasn't impressed at being pushed out of the way by their people so they could get passed though!

I just managed to hear Youcef Preston performing (I could only actually see his hand and his guitar because I was sat on a hill!) - i'd never heard his music until yesterday but he's done some really good covers on YouTube - my favourite is Just The Way You Are.

As you would expect there were quite a lot of animals there, the huge horses and donkeys were a highlight as well as the greyhounds. Apologies for the lack of photos - I really wish i'd taken more!

Hope you're all well :)
♥

It's Time To Say Goodbye To Turning Tables

I mentioned my plans to decorate my room a little while ago and fingers crossed i'll be starting it in the next week. I thought i'd share some of my inspiration with you!

I want it to be shabby chic but I kind of want to put my own twist on it, not sure how but i'm sure i'll think of something! I love retro things like the postage stamp rug but i'm sure it would be expensive! I've been wanting some form of wall art like a canvas of a city print, maybe New York or London but I don't think it would go with the wallpaper! 

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I'm not 100% sure exactly what i'm doing with my room yet - I know I want all the walls painted and then one wall wallpapered but that's about it! My room has a bit of an awkward layout but i'd like to change it around and make it a bit neater. I suppose I need to work out where I want things soon so that if I buy any new furniture it will actually fit!
♥

Maybe We Reached The Mountain Peak, And There's No More Left To Climb

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.1. I've had such a busy week for once and it's so nice to look back on all the fun i've had! Not gonna lie, it's also been expensive and tiring but i'd happily do it all again! On Monday I went to Alton Towers; it was such a perfect day - the warm weather and water rides made a good match! I've only been once before and I didn't go on many rides but this time I went on all the big ones and as a complete adrenaline junkie I loved them all! I'd probably say my favourites were Oblivion and Air- definitely give them a go if you ever have the chance!

.2. On Tuesday and Thursday I met up with some friends I haven't seen in a while and it was nice to have a gossip and plan more meet ups for the rest of the summer. On Thursday we also went for a meal to Frankie and Benny's and did lots of shopping which was really good - I had Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni and then we shared a Cookies and Cream Explosion and a Cinnamon Waffle Crunch for dessert between the 3 of us. It's safe to say I was completely stuffed after all that food!

.3. Marley and Me is on Channel 4 tonight and i'm in two minds about watching it. It's the only film that has ever made me cry which proves what a total animal lover I am! It's a really good film though and I was thinking of getting on DVD so I might as well watch it :)

♥ A Few To Follow: Laura (don't think I could relate to her blog any more than I already do!) and Aqsa (so glad one of my favourite bloggers is back!)

♫ I'm currently listening to: Beyoncé - Start Over and Example - Stay Awake

Just When Things Are Getting Complicated In The Eye Of The Storm

I've decided to take a different approach to my blog. I'm not making any drastic changes (although my blog is getting a makeover very soon!) but I don't want everything to have to be so perfect anymore.

I want to be able to just sit down and write a post and hit publish instead of re-reading it, adding more detail and trying to make it so perfect all the time. I'm a total perfectionist at heart but sometimes I think it holds me back so i'm going to stop caring so much about what people want to read, getting the perfect photo and being grammatically correct everytime. It's a blog not a magazine and I can write whatever I want, whenever I want.

Expect to see more lighthearted posts, if I hear a song I love I might just write a quick post and stick the video in just because I can. I want it to be more representative of me and less about fitting to the image of the perfect blog.

Hope you're all having a lovely evening!

♥

It's Too Cold Outside For Angels To Fly

I'm back! 

haha i've actually got a bit of time on my hands today to write blogposts, take photos and all that kind of thing so hopefully if I find a bit of inspiration i'll be writing some decent posts after a few months of being a bit lazy ;)

So today's post is a bit like the 'YouTube Made Me Do It' tag i've seen floating around; basically products that i've bought because they've been mentioned a lot in the blogosphere. 

Batiste Dry Shampoo

This is talked about so much and I definitely know why; I couldn't image life without it! It means I can be lazy and not wash my hair as regularly which has definitely improved the condition of my hair. I don't really have a preference to the scent, as long as it does the job I don't really care ;) I've tried a couple of other brands of dry shampoo in the past - the Lee Stafford one is definitely not worth the higher price and although the Klorane one is a really good product, as I get through so much of it I can't justify spending so much on a dry shampoo! The new bigger cans are good too as I get through the smaller cans so quickly and it's super affordable especially as I save on shampoo and conditioner from not washing my hair everyday.

St Moriz Self Tan

I can't say i've tried a lot of fake tans so I can't compare this to anything but after seeing reviews with people comparing and preferring it to St Tropez I knew I had to try it. I'm fairly pale and having a bit of colour in summer is always nice as I tend to just burn so this is perfect! It doesn't make you orange and is fairly streak free so what's not to love? I've tried both the mousse and the spray and I definitely find the mousse the easiest to apply. Again it's really affordable and I don't really have any reason to try another brand.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural

This was (and still is) the most expensive make up product i've ever bought in my life. At £18.50 it wasn't cheap and I have to admit that when I first bought it I hated it. I just didn't like the way it sat on my skin or the effect it gave and I regretting spending so much money on it. I've actually started to warm to it now and use it everyday, I don't think it fully lives up to the hype and i'm kind of only using it now so I can justify buying it instead of leaving it unused. I don't think i'll repurchase it but you never know, when I switch back to a drugstore powder I might think differently. One thing I will say is that although £18.50 is an expensive pricetag, it does last a very long time so in a way it wasn't as bad as I initially thought. 

Oilatum Natural Repair Facecream

I, like a lot of other people, wanted this after seeing Nicola mention it as a bit of a savour to her dry skin. As someone with the same problem I thought it was worth trying especially as it wasn't expensive and with a lot of other good reviews from people like Sara I finally tracked it down in Sainsburys (it was completely sold out in Boots!) and I have to say i'm a convert. It definitely improves the way my dry skin looks, it doesn't break me out and it sits well under my foundation. The only thing I have found is that it runs out quite quickly but other than that I can see myself repurchasing it a lot!

I have to admit i'm very very close to succumbing to the Naked Palette hype even though i've got the Sleek Storm Palette and the Urban Decay Preen Palette and I don't actually need it. I think when funds allow (hello student loan and 19th birthday in September!) I will be treating myself to it :)

Also just a quick heads up that New Look are offering an item each day for just £1! Today's item is a Crochet Sundress so head over to their Facebook page each day to get your voucher!
Hope you're all well
♥

I Can't Predict What The Future Holds But I'll Fight Forever To Keep You Close

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.1. It was my sixth form ball on Wednesday which I enjoyed and it was a lot better than I expected it to be. Thanks for all your lovely comments about my dress - love you guys longtime! This week i've been talking to a few of the people i'm going to be at uni with including a couple of my flatmates so I really can't wait for September! I think i'm going to write a separate post asking for uni advice as I know a lot of you are there now or have already been so you're probably the best people to ask about things like what i'll need to take etc.

.2. It was my friend's 18th birthday on Friday and we all got together in the evening and had a BBQ and some drinks and it was a really good night. We've all planned a trip to Alton Towers soon which i'm so excited for! I'm a bit fearless and will go on all the rides - total adrenaline junkie! 

.3. I've been thinking of a few things i'd like to do to keep me entertained till September. I really want to decorate my room; it hasn't been done in so long and I have lots of ideas for it. I'm currently on the hunt for some nice wallpaper - I love the Laura Ashley range! I also want to get lots of accessories from Sass & Belle, Ikea and Bombay Duck so i'm going to have to get saving!

♥ Internet fave of the week: Simple Desktops

♫ I'm currently listening to: Jason Derulo - Fallen and Bombay Bicycle Club - Shuffle