New York: May 2014♡

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For as long as i can remember, i have always wanted to go to New York. I used to tell my mum that i was going to live there when i was older and i was so envious of her when she got to go every other year with her work. The huge, flashing billboards in Times Square, the view of the skyline and the extravagantly famous paintings in all the museums, all appealed to me greatly. Finally, my wish has come true (as cheesy as it sounds). In exactly 3 weeks i will be jetting off to New York with my mum and dad. We will be staying in the East village for one week.

I obviously have a few ideas on where to go and what to see but i need your help! I want to know the best nail bar in Brooklyn, all the best vintage shops and unique boutiques, best breakfast cafes and restaurants. Do you know of any flee markets or good places to get a belly button piecing done? I want to have the majority of the days planned out but most of the time we will just be 'mooching' around and discovering new places.
Here are my ideas so far:

-Central Park
-Broadway show
-Stature of Liberty
-MOMA
-Rockefeller Center
-Times Square
-Brooklyn Bridge
-China Town
-Little Italy
-Manhattan Skyline
-Yankee Stadium
-FIT Museum
-High Line
-Bronx Zoo
-NY or Brooklyn Botanic Gardens
-Empire State Building
-Ground Zero
-Brooklyn Flee Market

Please leave me all your recommendations and ideas in the comments below.

Are you going on holiday this year? xox

Happy Easter ♡

I'm sitting here at eleven o'clock in the morning munching on my Easter egg thinking of how fat i'm going to be at the end of today and how i will regret eating it. I still have a whole box of chocolate, another Easter egg and a roast dinner to eat. 

This is just a little post to saw happy Easter and to show you my handmade cards. Instead of buying my parents chocolate, i always prefer to make a card because it looks like i have put more thought into it. These cards were so easy to make and took no time at all. It reminded me of when i was younger, when i used to love doing finger painting.There was nothing more satisfying that picking off dried paint from you fingernails or glue from your fingers.

Have a great Easter but don't eat too much chocolate.

What are you up to today? Does your family still do Easter egg hunts?

xox

How to Choose the Right Bikini for You♡

I know that you might not want to admit it but bikini season is getting closer. Every year up until now i have felt fine with my body but suddenly this year my stomach has ballooned out. I eat much healthier than i used to but am still bigger than i was. I blame this on 'being a teenager'. But i will not make excuses or give up! My goal is to have a perfectly polished stomach by the summer. When my body is ready i am going to reward myself with a new bikini. Every year i struggle to find a bikini that suites my body shape; some make my hips look too big, some look see through, some make my boobs fall out (all i will say is never buy a Primark bikini), some make my stomach look fat. 

Here are my top tips for avoiding any beach bale outs or any swimming pool shames:

1. Go bikini shopping with a close friend that you trust will give you their honest opinion. Honestly is very important for me when it comes to shopping. I want my friends to tell me if it looks awful or i need a smaller size because i don't want to come home with the wrong thing. 

2. Shop with someone who is a similar size to you. I often make the mistake of taking my skinniest friends bikini shopping and they look amazing in every bikini and i look like a pregnant frog. This obviously makes me feel really insecure and i always just want to go home. 

3. Workout what parts of your body you want to hide or enhance. If you like your hips maybe choose a bikini that has detailing on the hips (number 6) or a high-waisted one (number 1). I really dislike the lower part of my stomach so i will probably go for a high-waisted one (number 9) or one with detailing around the top (number 3) to take the attention off my stomach.

4. Think about what colours match your skin tone when it is tanned. If you tan really dark choose a colour like white (number 2) or pink to bring it out. If you are very pale choose a bikini with a bold pattern 

(number 4) on to distract the eye from how pale you are. 

5. Think about where you are going to wear the bikini. if you are going to wear it at the beach you might not want a white bikini because the sand will stain it. I always bring two bikinis on holiday with me- one for the beach which is normally a cheap one and then i have a nice one for swimming pools and sunbathing.

Here are my favorite bikinis that are in store now:

1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/ 6/ 7/ 8/ 9

Have you brought your bikini for Summer 2014 yet?
xox

My Sale Picks♡

It's that time of the year anticipated by all...SALE SEASON! I can never contain my excitement when i get an email from Urban Outfitters or Topshop telling me that a sale has begun. I immediately click the link and spend my whole lunch time drooling over all the gorgeous clothes at such low prices. But the worst thing is finding an item you brought at great expense thinking "oh, this will never go on sale" on the sale rack for less than half the price you payed. It's happened to us all.

Lately, i have been feeling like my wardrobe has been lacking some floral prints. This skirt from Urban outfitters is a perfect way to wear the daisy trend with out looking like a toddler going to day school. My favorite thing to wear in spring is probably skirts because they are so versatile so will look great with anything.

Who remembers Garfield? I had completely forgotten about him until i saw this top. I don't think i would ever pay full price for a joke top like this one but i would pay sale price. I could never wear this out the house unless i was just going to the corner shop. This would probably become my favorite pyjama and 'i can't be bothered' day t-shirt.

Even though coat weather has pasted, I still feel like i have a duty to buy this one from Topshop. When buying coats i always tend to go towards the more basic colours like black and navy. Maybe i should try a really colourful coat. Do any of you own any brightly coloured coats? It's even got a fluffy hood; perfect for acting like an Eskimo. And it even has boob pockets because everyone needs them...

I've never really been brave enough to try a coloured pair of jeans but since they are more of a Spring trend i really want to try them. Because these ones are quite a dark colour that wouldn't blind you if they reflected off the sunlight, i think they would work well in most outfits. These are also slightly cropped so will work perfectly for spring.

It's quite strange but i already own a pineapple bodycon dress, but who doesn't need another one? I find bodyon dresses quite difficult to wear because when at a party, you tend to eat a lot of bad food which can make your belly pop, and if you are wearing a tight dress, sometimes it doesn't look that great.

I used to be the queen of friendship bracelets- i would have them all the way up my wrist on both arms. I think this watch is such a innovative idea. From a distance it would just look like a friendship bracelet. I always have the issue that watches look too posh and formal for an outfit when i want it to look more grungy, i think Asos have answered my prayers.

This bracelet is also another interesting idea. It looks exactly like you have just wrapped a climbing rope around your wrist but it has an elegant gold chain. I love the contrast. You could easily make this at home with a pretty rope and a bracelet clasp.

I have been looking for a plain and simple shoulder bag for a while now and i think i have found one! This cute little bag from Asos is the perfect size to fit all my things in and i love how gold and tan look together. Tan will literally go with any outfit too so you won't have to think about matching your outfit with your bag everyday.

This velvet crop top would have been a perfect for valentines day. I love how feminine red velvet looks and it reminds me of the cupcakes called red velvet. Velvet matches with everything too and makes every outfit that little bit more feminine and put together.

I would pair these tartan shorts with a black velvet crop top or an over sized cream jumper. They look so preppy and remind me of the days when i used to play online dress up games. Tartan skirts are so last season, tartan shorts are the new thing!

Have you brought anything in the sales yet?

xox

School Clothing and Makeup Essentials♡

Crops tops are just a must for summer. The majority of shorts and skirts that i own are high waisted. I don't want to be wasting my day faffing about with tucking my top in. Having my top tucked in also makes me incredibly hot. Black matches with everything and i think looks quite elegant too. My favourite look is a crop top with a maxi skirt.

Depending on what your school allows, you might be able to wear Converse or Vans for P.E. I have chosen these New Balance trainers because you can get away with wearing them for P.E because they are more sport trainers than fashion trainers but you can also wear them with a cute pair of lace shorts and a crop top. This saves money as well because you don't have to buy two pairs of trainers.

I believe every girls should have a mascara that makes them feel like their eyelashes are like butterflies. I know that a lot of schools don't allow makeup to be worn so the Falsies is perfect. It's the most natural mascara i own and this one has two brushes, one for top and one for bottom. If you wanted a really natural look you could use a small layer of the lower lash mascara on your top lashes.

I literally have nothing to say about black leggings except if you don't have a pair, how do you survive?

I sometimes get really awful spots that are so red and visible that they look like little strawberries on my face. I am also prone to getting dry skin around them. I haven't had a chance to try this concealer yet but i have been told that it is good for all skin types and lasts all day. This sounds perfect for me because i have combination skin so sometimes it's very greasy and sometimes it gets very dry. I also have little time to touch up in the day.

I decided to put in two options of bags because everyone has their own preferences. Personally i prefer backpacks because my bag generally starts to get exceedingly heavy near to the end of the day and i walk to school and back so i find it to be less heavy and not so much weight on one shoulder.
I also don't have the hassle of having to push it back on my shoulder every time it falls off. When choosing a new bag, i always tend to steer towards the plain bags because if my outfit is very classy or has a lot of colour or pattens, i don't want a crazy patterned bag destroying my look. In the past few years i have stopped going to Accessorize because their bags are such poorly made and have such a hefty price tag. The last bag i brought from there had the buckle the wrong way round and the material ripped almost straight away. For good, sturdy backpacks i would recommend Eastpak and American Apparel. I have completely fallen in love with this scalloped satchel! It's so simple yet so sophisticated. It has two handles and a front pocket so would be perfect as a school bag. Gold and Tan complement each other really nicely.

This is another basic. I find ankle socks so helpful and they are perfect for summer. I just feel like they are a must have and you can even get special sport ones that have 'breathing holes' or something jazzy like that.

Me and my best friend have a serious issue with people not brushing their hair when they go outside. I totally get it when you're going for the "i woke up like this" look but when the knot in your hair is as big as a fist...come on! You are asked to look acceptable at school and i think brushing your hair is the 1st step to that! I have never really had a problem with tangly hair but recently my hair started to get quite thin and when i brushed it lots of hair would rip out. I decided to ask for the Tangle Teazer for my birthday and now i understand why it is so amazing. It is quite an expensive item to buy but if your hair is incredibly tangly or very thin then i would recommend this. The one in the edit above is made for carrying around in your handbag so it had a little lid to stop the hairs from going all over your bag.

At least one day a week, my hair just won't do what i tell it. I try to plait it but it looks too tangly, i try to put it in a ponytail but it looks too sleek and then i try and do a half up-half down and my baby hairs are all over the place. Do you feel my pain, sister? My scrunchies are literally my life saviours. They take the attentions off the tangles and baby hairs and make the hairstyle look less sleek and perfect. You could even match your black velvet crop top with your black velvet scrunchie! I would always say choose a colour that will stand out. Black is always a good option but if you have ginger/strawberry blond hair try green, people with blonde hair try pink and red and people with very dark hair try purple and white.

Peace out Girl Scouts!

xox

Surviving February: School Work and Organisation♡

I find it really difficult to get all my work done in time, be really organised and still have time to do everything else. So here are the tips that help me get through school work and being organised.

1. Prepare for projects and revision sessions.When i get a arty project as homework i always plan it and then list the materials that i need to buy/use. This just makes it easier so that when i come to actually doing it, all the things i need are set out and ready and it is basically done already. When revising for a test ask your teacher or make your own revision list. Basically everything that is going to be in the test. So then if you don't understand one topic that you studied you can highlight it on your list and go over it again or ask for help with it. So then you can go up to your teacher and instead of saying "I need help with revising for the test" you can say "I need help with finding the area of a circle."

2. Do it with a friend. I find revising way more fun if i have a friend. Also if one of you doesn't understand something then the other can explain it. Everything sounds easier if it's your best friend teaching it to you. Also if you have lots of lovely snacks like crisps and sweets then that's a bonus!

3. Plan out your day. It makes everything 10 times easier and it means you get everything done.
I already have my day today planned:
-Watch Call the midwife on Iplayer
-Write 3 blog post (i know, i'm such an organised blogger!)
-Read my school book
-Prepare cookie ingredient and put the mixture in the fridge
-While they are setting in the fridge do my saxophone practise
-Finish making cookies and put them in the oven
-Workout time!
-Revise for maths test, pack my bags for Leeds and do other bits and bobs like that.

4. Rewards! I always reward myself by watching a Youtube video after i have finished a blog post or after writing a long paragraph refreshing my Instagram or Snapchat inbox. If you are doing something really difficult like a practise test or an essay then i would recommend using food. Giving yourself one Maltesers after each paragraph or question and three after each page. But don't do this if you are writing a one hundred page book.

Do you ever revise with your friends?xox

Surviving February: Teachers and School♡

I know so many people that love school and a few who hate it. I'm a bit in between because sometimes i love school and sometimes i can't stand it and just want to stay in bed all day eating Rice Crispies. Especially in the Winter time i find it really difficult to stay motivated and concentrated. Here are my 3 top tips on surviving school.

1. If a teacher is really annoying you just take a deep breath. There is no reason fighting back because all that is going to happen is you will get in trouble- there is no benefit from it. What probably annoys me most about teachers is that they think they are 10 times better then everyone and 10 times more important and they always get everything right. Obviously, they are teachers and they do have some control over us and we need to accept that. If a teacher does this then instead of making a huge thing about it, just ask yourself "Is there any reason in getting myself in trouble when I'm not going to win this fight anyway?"

2. Don't get into bad habits. This is pretty self explanatory. Get your bag and outfit ready the night before and always check as soon as you get home from school if you have any homework due the next day. I always forget about homework and then find it in my planner the night before and stay up till midnight finishing it off. Also if you have pack lunch then at the start of the week think of what you need to buy or what you can have for lunch on each day. Bad habits can also occur with behaviour for example constantly calling out in class: this will a. be annoying and b. be disruptive to the whole class. It can also occur in friendships like always stealing your friends food or interrupting peoples conversation.

3. Don't get a reputation. This is the same for teachers and friendships. If a teacher thinks that you are just going to say a silly answer to a question then they won't choose you to answer it. If everyones knows that you spread gossip in seconds then no one will want to tell you their problems. Just remember to not be consistent with annoying things.

Whats you top tip for surviving secondary school?xox