The Round Up: January

Why does January seem to go on forever? Unlike some, I don't actually mind January, I like to see the whole month as a fresh start (February is a different matter...!) so the longevity doesn't bother me, but once we hit Spring, the months seem to disappear so quickly! 

The 'new year' positive vibes have stayed with me this month and I've felt a real shift in my attitude and outlook on life - I'm loving it and if it could stick around that would be great. I've put a lot of time into one particular project the past few weeks and I'm hoping this year will see the results of it... whether they're the ones I intended initially or not.

I'm writing this on the day it'll be published, the last Monday of January and despite the aforementioned 'positive vibes', I'm feeling a little lost today, if I'm honest. A combination of a busy week last week, waiting to hear back about certain things, hormones, wearing comfys, no make up and a frizzy pineapple for a hair-do and a grey, dull day has left me feeling a little 'meh'. However, tomorrow is a new day! I'm going to wear my new polka dot shirt, pop on a red lip, see the sunshine (if the forecast is correct...) and do some life admin and catching up with my best friend. Pretty good medicine if you ask me! 

As far as self-care goes, I've taken some baby steps and stuck to them so far! I bought a big water bottle with a straw and have been drinking at least one of those a day, according to my app that's about half the recommended daily amount for my weight and height. I've had a few bubble baths to have some screen-free/destress time and it turns out I enjoy them a lot more than I thought. I've had a lot more awareness of the amount of time I'm spending on my phone and have stayed under my limit on 19 out of 29 days - which I think is good going! 

Once hump day is out of the way, so is the month of Jan and we'll be waving hello to February!

As I said I'm going to pep myself up tomorrow and hopefully achieve a little more mental clarity before the week is out... but for now it's time to wrap up my work, clean my room and dance/sing my heart out to The Greatest Showman soundtrack (obsessed).

new new new: I'm going to add a song to every blog post! Music's a big ol' part of my life, so it's only right it sits alongside my blog too. 

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week {22.01.18}

One of my favourite posts to write, my little positivity log that makes me take a minute to reflect on the moments, big or little, that made my week a little sweeter.

1. Working hard for something I'd really like to achieve, but also realising the hard work won't be wasted if it's doesn't work out. 

2. Daffodils in the shops and little snow drops starting to pop up in patches of woodland. Very early, but hopeful signs of Spring. 

3. A chilled weekend after endless weekends of celebrations since November. Called for sleepy mornings, relaxed evenings and comfy clothes. 

4. Turning to the last page of my first book of the year. 

5. Friends on Netflix. Need I say more? 

6. Learning so much on a Jessops photography course on Friday. I left feeling very inspired and excited to see what I could create with my new knowledge. I also love that classes like this bring together the most random group of people, and apart from having photography in common, you end up finding so many things to chat about. We're not as different as we all think! 

7. Reaching out to someone I'd love to work with on the off chance they'll agree and getting a YES back! 

8. Bubble baths. I could count the amount of baths I've had in the past 5 years on one hand, but this year I realised just how relaxing they are and plan to make time for one each week. 

9. A super fun shoot day with Ems for her portfolio. Arctic conditions, sassy snaps and some serious cry laughing. 

10. Still feeling the 'new year' positivity vibes.

What's made you happy recently? 

How to Spend a Long Weekend in Bath

In December, Henry and I booked a staycation in Bath, Somerset. I'd been once as a youngun' and always wanted to go back and discover a new place, that I secretly knew I'd undoubtedly fall in love with. We arrived and checked-in to our AirBnB on the Friday and left around midday Sunday, so we had a good few days to explore. 

We stayed in the most incredible (but affordable!) AirBnB called 'Beautiful Bathwick'. Modern, light, airy and full of colour. There fresh flowers in the kitchen and bedroom, a personalised typed message on the typewriter and a fresh loaf of bread with jams and a glass bottle of milk in the fridge. Our hosts, Daniel and Anna could not have been more helpful meeting us on arrival and leaving a huge list of recommendations on the table for us to browse. It was a 5-7 minute walk in to the centre of town, so location was perfect. Kitted out with all the basics, there was also a speaker to play your music, Netflix on the TV and a collection of classic books if you felt like having a good read! 

The Stable
If you're looking for beaut pizza, head straight to The Stable. (The cheesy garlic bread will blow your mind, just fyi) They do cider tastings, with over 80 ciders to try and the vibe is awesome. Perf for a fun Friday night.

Hunter & Sons
A banging breakfast spot. A hidden, but well known gem in Milsom Place. You can get your fix of  good coffee and they serve brunch until 4pm, which is great if you've been snoozing all morning. I definitely recommend the poached eggs (I've never seen such a perfectly poached egg in my life), bacon and avocado on sourdough.

The Dark Horse
The best discovery of our trip. An underground, dark and mysterious bar with the most divine cocktail menu. The menu is changed seasonally to ensure the freshest ingredients, which are all foraged in and around Bath. The bar-tender was an absolute babe and made me two 'off-menu' cocktails completely to my own taste, they were insanely good. With no standing about allowed, it's capped to the amount of chairs they have, which makes it feel exclusive and extra special. We were lucky to get a walk-in, but I'd recommend booking.

Koh Thai
If you like Thai food and love the idea of sharing small plates to get a taste of everything, Koh Thai is the place. Hen and I often go out for Thai and we both agreed it was one of the nicest meals we'd had. We had small plates to share for starters, but opted to have a curry each for mains (sliiight issue with sharing when you're an absolute spice wimp...) The Massamann Chicken Curry and Papaya Salad were delicious.

There are plenty of interesting sights to see including The Royal Crescent (pictured below), Roman Baths, Bath Abbey but we didn't particularly plan, we just wanted to see what we stumbled upon. With the town being a mix of your favourite high-street shops and quaint independent store there's a little something for everyone - Check out Liv Purvis' post here for the hot spots to shop. (Liv also stayed in the other AirBnb owned by Daniel and Anna - another beautiful place)

It was the happiest weekend and I've definitely got a little soft spot for Bath now.
Where your favourite places? We'll definitely be heading back!

Bailey Nelson: Affordable & Stylish Glasses

When I popped on my glasses to go to the cinema and realised I'd been wearing the same pair for the past five years, I knew it was time to get my eyes tested and switch them for something a little more chic. 

I wanted a stylish pair that wouldn't break the bank and I also wanted to get anti-glare and scratch protection... which most of the time are additional extra at around £30+ each, eeek.

Bailey Nelson offer the absolute best service in my opinion. They have a great selection of frames, there's a shape and style for everyone and they're all a set price! This was a complete sway for me - any of the beautiful frames, with my prescription lenses plus the usual 'added extras' are considered essential, so anti-glare and scratch protection will cost you no more. There are are a few different bands of pricing, my new frames cost just £105 - which is a lot cheaper than designer frames in other stores (and that's without the extras!)

I popped into their Covent Garden store and the staff could not have been more helpful. They gave me opinions on the different frames I tried on (I'm the most indecisive person you'll ever meet, so that's v helpful), I already had my eye test results with my prescription, so they put my order in and within a week they had arrived back in store and were ready to be picked up. As simple as that!

I got the Parker glasses in 'Speckled Tort' and I want to wear them ALL the time.

I know, totally sounds like an AD (I wish!) but it's not. I was just so impressed with the service and price, there was no small print or strings attached, so I really can't recommend them enough!

5 Things To Focus on in 2018 (+ hello NEW blog!)

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

A huge HEY to 2018 and big welcome to a rather snazzy looking re-designed blog! 

I do love a new year. I love that feeling of wiping the slate clean and starting fresh. It's funny how we all wait for a new year to make big changes, to shake things up, when really we could do it any day of the week, it's just that extra boost of motivation. This year though, I really do feel a shift as we've gone into 2018. If you've read my last blog post on my thoughts about 2017, you'll know how I felt about whether I had achieved enough, so going forward I really do want to change. 

To build my confidence, to say yes to more things, to just do, see, experience and live a little more.

A lot of my goals for the year go hand in hand. It feels a little strict to refer to them as 'goals' or resolutions', it's more so what I want to focus on to have a healthier and more productive year. 

I just need to look after myself a little better. You only get one body and we should all be treating it like a temple! I've got four things I'd really like to focus on this year - to have a better sleep pattern, to drink more water, to move more and find an exercise I enjoy and to be on my phone less. 

I spent most of 2017 working for myself... part time. Which meant I was in charge of when I worked, but I didn't need to work all the time. This resulted in little structure, a lot of distraction and hella procrastination! If I continue working for myself this year (who knows!) then I plan to structure my days more. I also hope (read: need) to get more work, so a busier life will naturally leave less time to faff about.

Similarly to above, I just want to invest my time better. Whilst the previous point relates more to work, this is more to my hobbies, interests and skills (which in turn will help my work). I want to learn more about my camera, discover photoshop properly, find out new ways to edit on Final Cut, experiment with my GoPro - to dedicate time to learning, rather than doing it as I go. Inspired by my brothers 12x16 project, I think I'll focus on a different topic monthly/bimonthly so I have a bit of a plan together. 

A more personal one, maybe a slightly odd one, but I just think I need to remember I'm an adult. I worry a lot about what people think. I worry about doing the wrong thing and getting in trouble or that I actually have no idea what I'm doing and just blagging my way through, sometimes I just need to sit back and remind myself I've got 23 years of life experience in the bank and I'm no where near as naive or inexperienced as I think I am. 

A big goal, but one I feel has to happen, or at least be on the way to happening, this year. Henry and I want to move in together and when our work situation clicks and works the both of us, that'll be our next step. I love living with my Mumma (and will weep when I move out properly!) but I know it's time for me to grow up and get my own little home. 

With a fresh new year and a brand new blog design (big thanks to the awesome pipdig for all the help!) I'm switching up my upload schedule too. 

There'll be one new blog post every Monday and a new video on my channel every Thursday - with bonus vlogs in between!

Here's to a creative, productive and bad-ass 2018!