Well i don’t know about you but i think the second half of 2019 well and truly whizzed by, and although i’m partly grateful for the gentle propel in to the feeling-back-to-myself zone, i am left wondering where the heck the last 5/6 months actually went. With that being said i thought i’d use the opportunity to have a look back on the year and have a moment of reflection in both memories and feelings, as i think it’s important as we move in to a new year (and decade jeez)

So for me 2019 began with a trip to Berlin which was a gift i got for my boyfriend at the time. Berlin is such a great place to visit and it was really beautiful to experience it in the winter months, as the previous time i went it was in the height of summer. This time around it was so bladdy cold though. I’m talking minus degrees. I’m not sure i actually felt my fingers or toes during the whole trip, but it was worth the pain. I’d definitely recommend experiencing the city in both hot and cold climates as you get to experience it in totally different ways. The summer months see you hiring bikes and exploring all of the outdoors treasures and the winter calls for finding hidden gems to shelter from baltic temperatures in.

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I also took a really quick trip to Brugge by ferry in January with some work friends which was actually my first time there. Brugge is very architecturally stunning which makes it great to photograph, and due to the time of year it was white over with snow which made for even better in pictures. I really wish we had more time there to explore as we were only there a matter of hours, but it’s definitely somewhere i want to explore again.

Both trips were a great opportunity to properly get in to film photography which is something i started taking a proper interest in in 2019. It was super fun to take pictures and be unable to see how they looked until i had them developed (they turned out a dream fyi) If you are planning a trip to either of these places, want more information or just want to see some cool photographs that i took, then i did write a blogpost all about them which you can find here

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The month of March saw me hit my 27th year of life, which i celebrated in Leeds with some of my best friends. In true Jade style i spilt Prosecco and pesto pasta down my gold satin skirt on the train ride there before i’d even had a proper drink *face palm* In spite of that though i had a wonderful day and now the impending doom of 28 is fast approaching.

Moving on to the Summer months i went on the annual Kemp holiday to Ibiza in June which was a blast as usual. You haven’t experienced a sunset until you’ve sat on the rocks at Cafe Mambos with a can of G&T bought from the local supermarket and watched it with hundreds of strangers. Honestly such a good feeling and everybody is so encapsulated in the moment, it really is magical (i hear you saying ‘er what are you taking about it’s ibiza?’ but just trust me)

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July was a total blur of a month in honesty. Well the first half at least. My long term relationship ended and my life shifted in to complete new territory. I had to learn to take hold of the rains of my life and set myself on a new path. I began living alone in my house for the first time and i also had to begin to learn how to enjoy my own company. This is something which in honesty i’ve found really tricky. I’ve not spent much time ‘single’ in my adult life and therefore it’s brand new to me but i’m learning slowly how to okay with being by myself. Before and during this time i experienced anxiousness for the first time properly and it’s something i’ve not really spoken about to anybody, but it was a part of my year and so i’m not going to pretend it never happened. As it turns out the break up was a really good thing for me, and it truly has helped me make sense of some things in my life. Sometimes things just don’t work out and that’s okay because you’re about to be flung in to the next chapter of your life and boy am i ready for that.

July wasn’t all doom and gloom, it did have some nice bits in too i may add. Hull Pride for example which was a fun day and thanks to some tickets from my work i managed to drink copious amounts of Pimms from a red bus and watch Claire from steps perform which made me feel 8 again. It certainly took my mind of things for a day at least and a dear friend came to the rescue when i was feeling low. Werewolf, you know who you are.

Moving in to August and the good old Humber Stree Sesh (which you’ll only really know about if your from Hull) For anyone who isn’t familiar, it’s a festival where local bands get to play and showcase their talent, we all eat and drink booze till our hearts are content and act like fools with our friends. I had a wobble which involved tears but my friends are truly the best, i couldn’t have got through the day without them. I wore the white denim boiler suit of dreams and i can’t quite believe it came home still white. I amaze myself.

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I also went away with my parents and sister to Cyprus for a lovely all inclusive break for a week in August. It’s exactly what i needed and in honestly i just laid on a sun lounger with my nose in a book and relaxed my mind and body. So very zen of me i know.

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In September my Auntie had her hen do which was fabulous, i had some lovely nights out with friends and i felt like i started feeling like i was getting back to me again.

In October i said goodbye to Karter who was my little Ford Ka which was a very sad day indeed. We’d been in two crashes together and i’d spent three times its worth fixing it since i got it, but he was my first baby and he went to car heaven in exchange for 63 English pounds. As sad as that day was, it meant i could finally get my new baby in the form of a VW Beetle. This car is something i’ve wanted since i was young so to finally have one is a dream for me. Back when i was in Berlin i took a photograph of a 1950’s style Beetle and said to it one day i will own a modern version of you and i guess it paid off. Put it out in the universe kids and you just never know what might happen!

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I also took my sister to a pumpkin patch in October which was a first for the both of us. We definitely learnt that suitable footwear is to be well thought out before we get there next time, as muddy would be a bloody understatement. The actual day of Halloween is one of my friends Birthday and so she had a party at her house the day after to which i attended dressed as a mermaid and lived my best life.

In November i went to Amsterdam on the ferry for my stepdad’s birthday which has become a yearly tradition. It rained a lot, we walked a lot and i ate so much crap in place of actual meals that i’m surprised i didn’t actually combust.

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December was filled with so much love. Works Christmas party, one of my best friends little girl turned 6 (she’s so wonderful), me and my friends had our annual cheese and wine night, we then had a day out in town filled with booze and food, i had a Christmas meal with my two best friends, i had meal with my Dad and Sister, i took my baby sister to the Pantomime on Christmas eve and then BAM Christmas day.

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Turns out 2019 was a mixed bag and whilst i was looking back on the key moments of the year to put together this post, i realised that it was exactly what i needed to understand just how fortunate i am. Amongst all the good stuff, the last year also came with some heart ache, not only from my breakup, but from sad news in relation to my friends and family and so remembering just how blessed i am feels so important right now. If there’s one thing i know for sure it’s that you can’t predict the future and you can’t alter the past, but you can enjoy the right here and now. So live with honesty and kindness, take life by the bloody horns and please 2020 for the love of god bring me some more badass two pieces to wear!

Jade x

Well an accidental short break away from writing quickly turned in to a loooong break, which in itself was heavily saturated with some massive life changes for me. I’ve tried my best to take some serious ‘me time’ in the last few months, and i’ve also taken quite a step back from posting so much on socials too which was probably (unimportantly) unnoticed by most people, but it honestly has felt so great. Sometimes i think it’s good to re centre yourself and rediscover what makes you feel good again. I’m truly feeling happy at the moment and i have a really positive feeling about life moving forward.

So after some time to deal with general life stuff and getting my head back in to a positive mind set, i’ve been feeling like writing again and what better time of year than with Autumn/Winter on our doorstep? And to mark the occasion in the most apt way today is Halloween and I bloody love Halloween!

I’ll admit right here and now that i am that sucker who succumbs to buying all of the Halloween themed foods and decorative squashes in the supermarket, and i will 100% watch Hocus Pocus at least twice in the week of Halloween (1 down 1 to go) but i cannot help myself, i just love it. To be honest i love celebrating or marking occasions in general and i’m not sure why but it’s just me.

I’m also a massive sucker for Pumpkins and this year i headed to a pumpkin picking farm for the very first time which was so bloody fantastic. I cannot believe i’m in my 27th year of life and this if my first experience at a Pumpkin patch, but it’s safe to say it was definitely worth the wait. It was so magical to see all of the families there making memories and picking out their favourite Pumpkins to take home and carve. Bloody loved it.

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For me Halloween also represents the starting marker for the firm change in season and is for sure where we begin the fight against the impending cold weather. With that said however it also marks the beginning of Autumn/Winter styling which means layers layer and more layers which i totally live for at this time of the year! (I’m feeling like some A/W styling content may be on the horizon)

So there we have it, short and sweet but today felt like a good day to write (i’ve been sitting in a car garage for almost 3 hours and i’d say i’ve utilised my time pretty well here, amirite?)

Jade x

It looks like Spring has finally graced us with its presence and although this weird undecided weather would definitely suggest otherwise, the daffodils and the blossom tree in my front garden are for sure onboard with the season change! Since we’ve also had the clocks spring forward an hour too, it of course means that we’ve managed to gain more daylight (yay), and for someone who works an array of weird shift patterns this is such a blummin’ dream for me. Like most people i find myself more productive when the sun is shining or the weather is just that little bit better in general. It definitely gives me that boost of motivation i meed to get up out of bed and get stuff done! With all these switch ups that are going on, i thought it was the perfect time to chat about the what new season trends are ahead of us and which of those are sticking around!

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For me this time of year can be a real pain in the derrière when it comes to figuring out what the heck to wear, and i’ve found myself raking through my wardrobe multiple times and having melt downs because I ‘can’t find anything to wear’. Which is obviously stupid, i mean i have clothes. With this in mind i took a deep breath and went through my wardrobe with a fine tooth comb. My aim was to figure out roughly what’s missing, what i no longer need and to dig down in to the deep dark depths to find the items that have been neglected, and made a mental note to bring them back to life. I have to admit during this process i found items still with the labels on, (this is not okay) from over the years where i’d intended to save it for the right occasion – which clearly never came. There were even items in there that made me have that ‘what on Earth was you thinking’  or ‘why did you not send this blummin’ thing back?!’ moment. In the end i managed to rack up a hefty Charity pile, a throw away pile, a sell on Depop (link to my profile is *here*) pile and a keep pile. I always stick by the rule that if i haven’t worn it or even thought about wearing it in the last year then i definitely do not need it.

As of late i’ve been making a conscious effort to try to be better with what i’m buying and wasting and not just in the fashion aspect of my life, but in the day-to-day too. We are too excessive and it’s gotten so crazy. Have you watched Attenborough lately and seen our poor planet?! By no means am i preaching and i’m definitely not doing everything i possibly can by any stretch, but every little helps! To aid with this i’ve also been trying to buy items of clothing that i know for sure that i will wack out year after year, season after season.

As well as this i’ve also been making sure i get my use out of older clothes by mixing them with new in items, accessories and shoes to style them up in fresh ways and make them feel brand new again. I’ve noticed whilst going through my wardrobe how my style has evolved and how i’m so much more comfortable these days in my fashion choices and i am definitely more confident than i’ve ever been. My mantra is ‘if you put an outfit together and it makes you feel confident and happy then rock it because who is anybody else to tell you otherwise?!’

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Now don’t get me wrong i’m not saying i don’t like to buy new things and if you’re like me and you’re a sucker for the ‘New In’ section of both the online retailers and in store, then you’ll be familiar with some of the bits that are floating around at the moment for Spring. I’ve found myself gravitating towards a good handful of this season trends, and have found that some of them are ones which have been hanging around for a while now, which means we can get wear out of some of the pieces we already own *yaay*. With that said there are definitely some new kids on the block, and I’ve been really enjoying seeing all the newness styled up and have been getting all the inspo as of late. So with all of that in mind let’s talk all things New In and get on to the nitty gritty regarding the new trends that have hit our retailers. The trends i’ll mention are just the ones that have stuck out to me the most personally since the Spring peices have been released – but of course there are so many more out there. These are simply the ones i’ve been getting the most inspiration from when i’m styling myself.

So can i get a drum roll please…

My Personal Favourite Stand Out Trends:

NEUTRALS // UTILITY/ BOILER SUITS // ANIMAL PRINT //  NEON //  TAILORING // RUFFLES & PLEATS// //THE SATIN SKIRT // COLOUR BLOCKING //TIE DYE //

Colours Of The Season:

SAGE GREEN,  PURPLE, BEIGE  PINK, ORANGE, DUSTY BLUE, YELLOW

(the aesthetics was looking great until i got to yellow and realised you can’t read it if i put it in that colour *face palm*

To break all of that all down let’s start with what seems like the most basic of choices – Neutrals. Now for me Neutrals are super fun to play with and I think most people would think that it just means all the beiges and whites and that means a super bloody boring outfit. But for me personally i think there’s so much fun to be had with these colours, especially when paired with a poppin’ (who am i Ariana Grande?!)  animal print shoe or boot. Mix these two trends together and BAM you’ve ticked off two in one. I’ve found that mixing the oatmeal shade with white is also such a nice combination and I’ve been having a lot of fun styling this kind of colourway lately. I feel like it’s a really fresh take on a typically plain’ outfit but so easy to build on to add extra detail.

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The utility trend is something i have been seeing a lot of lately and particularly in the way of boiler suits and more toned down Jackets and shirts. With the Utility trend it/ all about the boxy fit, usually natural tones, the pockets and an army-esque vibe. This is a great trend for someone who maybe isn’t as bold with their fashion choices (which is fine) or also a great trend to mix with something super bold like Animal Print or even Neon. As for boilersuits – well let’s be honest you can’t scroll through Instagram without seeing a babe rocking one, and although I’m still yet to find the perfectly fitted one for my 4ft11 self,  i do think they look pretty bloody fabulous! A lot of boilersuits i’ve seen out there have incorporated the utility vibe and i’m here for it! This one *here* is an example of one of the ones i’ve been lusting over for quite a while now – do i take the plunge?!

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I’m particularly happy that the Animal Print trend is sticking around because i bloody love myself any excuse to wear anything printed. For me it adds so much interest to any look, but you don’t necessarily have to go the whole shebang, you could just keep it more simple with just an accessory such a belt or a pair of earrings. For some extra interest you could even let some animal print shoes/boots do the talking and you can keep your outfit minimal. I have a pair of leopard print boots that are my absolute fail safes and they have seen me through 4 years and are still going strong. But my current love affair is with a pair of pointed toe faux snakeskin boots i bagged in the Topshop sale *drool*.  They have the most interesting heel detailing and i’m utterly in love! If like me you love to be bold with your styling choices, then i would highly suggest clashing animal prints – i recently sported a leopard print top, white jeans and a zebra print belt and felt pretty damn great! The more the merrier!

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Now the neon trend is something I’m still on the fence with. I think some people style it perfectly and although i’m not sure i see myself wearing a full bright green unitard anytime soon, i am on aboard with injecting a little pop of Neon somewhere within my style. I currently have one item that could pass for neon in the form of a blue lightweight jumper and mixed with a bit of Animal print i’d say i could just about nod to this trend. Let’s see how i get on with neon in the months to come!

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Now Tailoring, particularly the blazer trend that is popular right now, is something i’m definitely onboard with. Checkered tailored pants with a band tee or a plain tee combined with a statement boot – can i get a yaaaas please?! I definitely have a love affair with Blazers and have one in my collection i’ve owned for probably 7 years now and it’s still a firm fave. Now finding a full two piece is the tricky part for me because of my height, and i usually end up having to wack out the wonder web to take the trousers up, but it hasn’t put me off and i am still on the hunt for the perfect suit. I just think a pair of tailored trousers look so badass with pretty much anything and i feel like i go in to dont-mess-with-me-i’m-an-independant-female mode whenever i rock this trend!

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Moving on to the more sassy stuff with Ruffles and pleats. I mean they pretty much are what they say on the tin. Both of these trends are everywhere and with good reason because they add so much interest to every item and in particular the likes of blouses or satin skirts. I’m keen for it for sure! And speaking of Satin Skirts they are EVERYWHERE and i mean literally everywhere. I’m loving it because not only do they look badass with boots, they also look insane with trainers and give me ALL the Lily Allen vibes. I currently have three or four in my collection but my newest additions are a zebra print one you can find *here* and a champagne coloured one you can find *here* and i’m excited to style them up and give them some air time (just need the weather to improve please)

As for Colour blocking, this is something that is super simple to do, literally wear two different colours together and voila you’ve nailed it. But the interest comes when you start to pair colours that classically wouldn’t be seen together. Those that would be opposite on the colour wheel, for instance Red with Green, Blue with Orange, Purple with Yellow etc. This is when you would likely feel out of your comfort zone, but if you check out some of this seasons catwalk shows you can find all the inspo you need to pull off this trend!

Tie Dye is something that has come back around again and whilst it’s definitely not my all time favourite trend, i do think you can nod to it without having to go head to toe in the stuff! I have got a couple of items within my wardrobe, definitely a tshirt or two, so who knows maybe I’ll find some way to incorporate it back in to my style in some way.

So there we have it – a round up of some of the key trends gracing our retailers at the moment.  Although trying out different trends and mixing up your style is a great way to get inspired there is also no pressure to take any of these onboard. You should wear whatever you want to wear and be whoever you want to be, so long as you’re happy. I also just want to add that if you’re wanting to cut back on your spending, carbon footprint or generally just want to be less excessive you should check out the charity and vintage shops. I think sometimes people forget that trends come back around through the years and you will definitely find some treasures in both of these types of shops!

Until next time,

Jade x

Oh hey there and welcome to the first post of the year!

Firstly how the blummin’ heck did January just pass us by like that?! I swore i’d write a post during January but alas it’s two weeks in to February and here we are. I’ve spent the first month of the year making a start on fulfilling some of the promises that i made to myself at the end of last year.  I promised to make more time for self-care and look after myself better because after all, the you that you have is the you that you have.. ya get me?! I also promised to myself that i would choose to see the positives in situations and do less unnecessary worrying thus remembering what Newt Scamander said in Fantastic Beasts ‘worrying means you suffer twice’ which i think is a bloody great quote to live by. I promised i would do more things which nourish my mind and my life and be more of a ‘yes’ (wo)man. So i guess there’s just a few things I’ve been working on which have kind of taken the limelight over blogging so far this year. I know excuses excuses eh. To be honest with you i’ve got quite an extensive list of self promises but let’s bring it back to the point (and shoot) shall we… See what i did there *wink*

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So let’s rewind and take it back to January, which for me was a pretty damn positive month. Upon refection it couldn’t really have been any better. I started the year with a positive mind-set and I was lucky enough to have a bit of time off work which is always super refreshing. Sometimes it can feel like my work patterns dictate so much of my life, which isn’t always good for my mental state (but that’s a whole different topic) and so to take some time out was just what i needed. I managed to travelled to two countries Berlin and then Bruge. The latter of the two I had never been to before, and so I really enjoyed that new country feeling you get when you go somewhere for the first time.

First up we have Berlin. Myself and my boyfriend went together as it was the gift i got him for Christmas. We’d spent the weeks after Christmas and leading up to the trip being super excited to go back. It was my second time visiting this city and I honestly bloody love it there. The first time I went to Berlin was in the summer of 2015 and it was super hot so we hired bikes, cycled around and I got an epic tan. But this time around it reached lows of -6 degrees and let’s just say it looked beautiful but it felt BALTIC. However despite the cold weather and the amount of layers required (which resulted in me permanently resembling the Michelin man) the trip was an absolute dream. We ate and drank to our hearts content, had dinner with some friends who live out there (so jealous of that fact) Luke did some coffee related stuff which was great to be a part of and we basically just wandered around taking photos of Berlin in all it’s glory.

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So as you’ve probably gathered from the title of this post i bought a point and shoot camera. It’s been one of those things i’ve always meant to get around to buying and start doing myself but I just never have. So with the new year upon us and the drive to want to try new things, i took this as the perfect opportunity to do just that. I browsed on eBay and found a Canon Snappy LX point and shoot camera which cost me around £15, i also purchased some film (which by the way isn’t cheap these days since the Pound Shop stopped selling the damn things) and i was set to go. It’s been really nice to have a mixture of iPhone camera photo’s and film ones to look back on, and most of them turned out way better that i thought they would. There’s something quite delicate and raw about how the film photographs turn out and i found it super exciting to get the images back when i had the rolls developed and getting to see the images for the first time.

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I mean just look at that car! Not only is this Beetle a version of my dream car, but this photo turned out so bloody well, i’m dead chuffed with it. It was one of those moments where i wouldn’t have usually thought to take a picture if i just had my phone but because i LOVE VW Beetle’s and had this brand new camera in my backpack i was like ‘i must stop to take a pic of this’ and that was the result. Love it. I found that using a film camera really made you stop and take things of things you maybe wouldn’t have bothered with. I could never understand before why Luke would stop and take a picture of a bloody bench or a wall but now seeing how the photographs have turned out i totally get it. It’s a really exciting feeling not knowing how they are going to look once they are developed and it makes me realise what a shame it is that technology has stolen that element of excitement from us.

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I just love how each photograph has turned out totally different in terms of exposure and colour contrast and each one is really unique. I already loved Berlin after the first time i visited in the summer time but now i’ve taken photo’s of it in the winter i’ve definitely found a brand new love for the place. With that in mind here’s just a few places i’d recommend after visiting Berlin this time around for anybody planning a trip there:

 

• Bonanza Coffee Roastery

A beautifully designed and brilliantly inviting coffee roastery but also cafe in which you can sit in, grab a coffee and a pastry and relax in a really inviting setting. It’s a super cool layout with the roastery at the back sectioned off from the cafe space making it a really interesting place to grab your caffeine fix.

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• Zola Pizzeria

This place served up the most delicious pizza ou ever did eat! One thing i will sa is you should be warned that it’s cash only because Luke ran out in -6 temperatures to get cash out of an atm which he was told ‘was just around the corner’ when in fact it was a 10 minute walk (he jogged it) and he didn’t take his coat *face palm* Cue me sitting alone when the food arrived and Luke shivering for the next 30 minutes!

• Annelies cafe/coffee house

We ate brunch at Annelies one day during out trip and i can’t explain to you how delicious it was. I never knew Scrambled eggs on toast could taste so damn amazing! (See my instagram highlights for photographic evidence)

• Soeul kitchen

This place is a the most dreamy Korean restaurant and the poke bowl style dish i had was amazing. Also they serve Edamame beans in their pods as a starter which had me completely sold as they are one of my favourite things ever to eat!

• Brammibals donuts

ALL the donuts in ALL the colourways to satisfy your every need. They are also vegan which means nobody has to miss out on the goodness! If you search them on Instagram you’ll 100% spend the foreseeable future drooling. You’re welcome.

• Apotheken Bar

A beautiful bar that has been converting from an old pharmacy and still has some of the old school tools and equipment within it which is a really cool touch! They serve up great cocktails and the place has a really vintage feel inside.

• Nudelbude

A freshly made pasta restaurant with the most divine menu! It’s a really small place so i would advise booking ahead but it’s worth the carb overload for sure!

• Jaja

Right across the road from Nudelbude you can find Jaja which is a natural wine bar. Some of the wine is unbelievably pricey and rightly so because it really is incredible! You can still pick up a reasonable priced bottle to sit and enjoy though and it’s definitely worth the money. I sampled orange wine for the first time ever and it was amazing. The staff there were great as at giving you all the background on the wines too so if you have a question i say fire away.

• Five Elephant roastery/cafe

These guys have a roastery but also a couple of different cafe’s within Berlin. we visited two of them and they have THE most insane cheesecake. Their interior is super asthetically pleasing and the coffee is delicious of course.

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Brugge

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When it comes to Brugge I’m already dying to go back again! It was a super quick trip for us as we did the quick dash on the ferry so literally had maybe 5/6 hours there to explore. The girls that i went with were all severely hungover but i felt super smug because i hadn’t been plagued by the dreaded aftermath of the ferry from the night before. I took my freshness and boastfully positive attitude and channelled that in to taking some photographs on my camera. I’m super happy with how these ones have turned out! Bruge is a wonderfully beautiful city with so much colour and epic architecture. To top all of that off it was white over with snow which gave it that little bit of extra character and made everything look so dreamy. As the trip was so short we just wandered around, grabbed a bite to eat and the girls dealt with their ever burdening hangover. Oh and we did go to a torture museum which let me tell you was bloody insane!

Brugge reminded me quite a lot of the city of York. I mean just look how beautiful it is! It’s has a really delicate feel to it but is also bursting with life when it comes to it’s buildings and streets. To be me it felt almost Disneyland-esque and some of it didn’t look real almost like a movie set. Overall it was really fun to shoot on film and the colours contrasted with the snow which made them turn out so much more crisp and bold!

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So there we have it. Some beautiful shots i managed to capture during my travels in January. I honestly had so much fun using my new camera and I would definitely recommend buying one to play around with. I found that the beauty of point and shoot cameras is that you don’t necessarily have to be good at photography, but with the right intention, a keen eye and a good angle you can produce some really beautiful images! I’m looking forward to taking more photographs this year and hopefully there will be another post of similar content in the not too distant future!

Jade x

 

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Well i feel like i blinked and BAM we’re at the end of the year. I mean what even!? This year has well and truly flown by and i think it’s because it seemed to go from long bad Winter to a long brilliant Summer and then straight back to Winter again. I swear we skipped Spring and Autumn all together?! Classic England.

For me December has meant three things: Christmas festivities, eating and drinking everything at all times in completely unnecessary quantities, and reflecting on the year that has escaped us. So with reflection in mind, i’ve been rounding up all the things which have made this year great for me. A mixture of good and bad has formed the year but it’s the positive stuff that makes the reflection worth while.

So firstly of course, I found a new hobby in blogging and although i’ve probably not written as much as i should or would have liked to throughout the year, i still feel like i’ve made a really good start. I’ve found this little space on the internet a really great tool for creativity, expression and for maintaining a positive mental health too. Although i’m aware that people (not many but some) have access to read my blog whenever they like, it still feels like a semi private diary, and for me has been a really helpful tool for me this year. You can read my first ever blogpost here if you missed it or care to see where it all began!

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I would highly recommend starting up a blog if you’re wanting a creative outlet or something to focus on. It doesn’t matter if you decide to hone in on something specific like a hobby or an interest, or just use it for a rambling of a mixture of topics that you love – much like this one. When i first set up my blog i found that i had all of these ideas for posts, content and photographs and then i’d lose a bit of creativity along the way and then suddenly i’d find it again. And that’s okay. Because there are no real rules here, and if you want to talk utter crap you can. It’s your space. Do what you want.

I will admit that it did take me a while to get to this point and at first i found it an embarrassing and confusing space. I’d spend hours and days writing a blogpost and then people would read it which was great and i’d feel like it was worth while. But then a couple (and i mean just a couple) of people would make a comment IRL about it (that weren’t even mean just about it’s existance) and that just made me feel embarrassed and anxious to post again and i’d be back to square one with it all. But here i am still rambling on and still enjoying the freedom of having a blog that is controlled solely by what i feel, i like, i need and i want. And that’s good for me.

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Secondly I think it’s super important to fill yourself to your full capacity with things that make you feel good, bring a positive impact to your life and overall improve any aspect within your life. This year I’ve found these fulfillments in many things including blogging and this had meant that fashion has gone hand in hand with it too. I’ve always loved fashion but this year i feel like it became a real love of mine. I love putting outfits together and digging out old pieces and styling them back up. I love posting outfit photos on Instagram and this is something that didn’t come easy. I got the fear. The fear that if i posted outfit pics frequently it meant that people would start to think i was trying to be something i wasn’t, or just think i was plain obessed with myself. Neither of these things are true of course, and i’m glad i no longer worry about this. Instagram, after all, is a place for you to share photos of things you love and fashion is just one of those things for me.

Since we’re talking fashion some may say i’ve always had a funny (i use this word loosely) sense of style. The kind your mum looks you from head to toe at the front door and gives you *that* look. And for a while probably in my late teens i think i was always stuck somewhere between trying to blend/fit in and wear what everyone else was wearing because that’s what i thought i was suppose to be wearing, and the idea that actually i have my own style and i can wear whatever i please. I’d probably describe my sense of style as a *whatever i feel like on the day* kind of style and i do not like to be pigeon holed in to a specific genre or a type (yeah that old cliche) But i really do just wear things that i like, that i feel great in and i no longer fear judgment from anybody, ever. I’m comfortable in my choices and personally i bloody love it.

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Thirdly and by no means the least or last, this year has taught me more about things i probably (definitely) already know about myself, and how best to cope/deal/manage things within this realm. Take from that what you will but for me it makes a whole lot of sense.

So with all the deep stuff out of the way 2018 in a nutshell for me included (in a sort of chronological order):

• Starting up my blog
• Celebrating two friends engagement to eachother. Cute AF.
• A car crash. Not cute.
• Seeing one of my favourite bands do a gig at night in a council estate shopping centre. Bloody Brilliant.
• Finally seeing Russell Brand live. LOVED IT (the show is now on Netflix ‘Rebirth’)
• Meeting Derren Brown and seeing him live for the 3rd time. Bloody love him.
• Finally meeting up with some of the uni girls and seeing their babies for the first time. So lovely.
• Creating myself a dressing room in my house. Post on which can be found here
• Spent the weekend in a log cabin for my sisters 13th Birthday. Super cute.
• Ibiza. The best.
• Little Mix with my sister and mum. Fun.
• Bought a vintage Raleigh bike. It’ amazing with a really lovely back story.
• Barcelona for my boyfriends Birthday. We LOVE Barcelona.
• Best Friend day out in London. We are gret tourists.
• Leeds festival. Boyfriend’s Coffee shop had a pitch there and it was great.
• Alton Towers for Rachael’s Birthday. I love rides.
• A festival of cheese. Delicous.
• Arctic Monkeys. Best night ever.
• Took my mum to see Kylie Minogue. She got pissed and we had a great time.
• Another car crash. These are in no way a testament to my driving.
• Halloween as Maleficent. A dream.
• Amsterdam for my Stepdad’s Birthday. Family time is always great.
• Milton Keynes to watch my cousin perform in Robin hood. He’s amazing.
• Winter Wonderland. One of my favourite places to be at Christmas time.
• Cheese and Wine night with some of my fave people. I love them.
• And of course Christmas. The best.

So that’s a condensed list of some of the things that have filled up my year and made it one worth posting about. These combined with having the best friends, loving (sometimes annoying) boyfriend and great family have made another year super duper enjoyable.

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As we move in to 2019 it’s only right to chat about what we’re all expecting from the year ahead. I think there’s far too much pressure on new years resolutions and the whole rejoining the gym and doing ‘better’ than the year before. And whilst these things are great, sometimes the idea of something seeming to have such an importance can inject a sense of stress and worry that we’re failing if we dont do as well as we thought we would. So i say do whatever you feel is right for you. Join the gym and give it a go or don’t. It doesn’t matter. Just be happy. Of course it’s healthy to set yourself personal goals and have an idea of what it is you want to accomplish, whether it be personally or publicly. For me, i like to try and set these regularly and not just when a new year is approaching. The reality for most of us is that we make resolutions with good intentions but we don’t really see most of them through, am i right?

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So there we have it, my last ramblings of the year. A round up of 2018 and what it has brought me. Moving in to 2019 I plan on being a more regular writer and get fully back in the swing of it. I plan on continuing to wear whatever makes me feel good and not let anybody’s opinion on my life alter my reality. I plan to make memories, travel more places and enjoy my life one day at a time. I plan on a lot of things really but in reality let’s just see eh!

Jade x

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Hello hello hello!

It’s been a fair few months since i’ve written a blogpost and to be honest it’s been a mixture of lack of motivation and life stuff simply just getting in the way. But alas i am back in the blogging world with a brand spanking new post, yay!

So as the Autumn months seem to have crept up on us pretty damn fast, i thought it would be a good time to take you momentarily back to the Summer sun. I was lucky enough to jet off on holiday twice this summer- once in June to Ibiza and then again in July to the beautiful Barcelona. Since the latter is relatively fresh on the brain i thought it would be apt to write a post talking all things Barcelona. I wanted to combine my most recent photographs and experiences with ones i’ve taken/ had over the years of visiting this fabulous city, on the off chance that anybody was planning a visit and/or just generally wants some highlights of things to see and do. Brace yourself as i have a feeling this is going to be a fairly hefty post.

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This time around was my third time visiting Barcelona and i can honestly say it’s definitely one of my favourite cities to holiday in. It’s always interesting when i tell people this, as a lot of people think that it’s just an inland built up city much like Madrid – but it is in fact on the coast with a huge beach that stretches for miles, a beautiful harbour (in which you will spot THE most incredible luxury yachts you ever did see – think Wolf Of Wall Street) And this incredible place has everything you expect from a city – beautiful architecture, huge buildings, shopping, restaurants, coffee houses and bars. But for me having the beach side to it, also makes it the perfect combination holiday!

Before we jump in to the post, i just want to make it clear that by no means am i an expert on Barcelona nor have i experienced everything there is to see but these are my personal condensed highlights, so i hope you enjoy reading!

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Things to see and do

When it comes to sight seeing there really is something for everyone on every corner of Barcelona if you simply just look up from your phone and live in the moment. Pretty double standards of me i know given the amount of pics i took, but i did make a conscious effort to experience the city more visually this time around and really embrace everything that was happening or was there to see around me. From landmarks and insane peices of architecture , to simply wandering the streets and taking in the culture, for me Barcelona caters so well for all different types of people looking for different experiences from their holiday. So let’s jump in with some of my personal favourite things to see and do.

La Sagrada Familia/Casa Batló

These incredible buildings are arguably two of the most ‘must see’ sights in Barcelona. The Sagrada Familia is an insanely beautiful Roman Catholic Church which began it’s formation in 1882, and is still being built to this very day! It was designed by the architect Antoni Gaudí (you should 100% look him up as his work is amazing) and it’s probably one of the most breath taking things you’ll ever see. It’s simply impossible to capture the shear size and detail of it in a photograph as it is a definite must-see-in-real-life kinda thang. Another of his works is the Casa Batló which is thought to be one of his ‘masterpieces’ and really is something else, i mean just look at it! These are just two of his great works and are permanantly swarmed with tourists hoping to get that perfect shot. If you do get the chance to look in to Gaudí a little further you’ll see the amazing scale of works he has created, mainly in Barcelona and how incredible they really are.

Explore Montjüic

Looking at Gaudí’s work isn’t the only sightseeing to be done, you can also jump on a cable car and make your way up to the top of Montjüic mountain and find yourself able to take in the whole of Barcelona from up there which is super dreamy (wear trainers of some sort there is a lot of walking to be done up there). There’s a castle, lots of history to learn about and perfect spots to have a picnic!

La Ramblas and El Gothic Quarter

La Ramblas is the main street in the centre of Barcelona which branches off in to lots of smaller area – one of which is the the Gothic Quarter. This is an area filled with bars, eateries, shops, bakeries, architecture, hostels, Irish bars (yay) coffee houses and so much more. You can enter this area down any street off La Ramblas and will find yourself in awe wandering around discovering cool spots to eat and drink and to take those all important photographs. It really is the heart of Barcelona and a general area where most tourists hang out during their visit. There are some really cool Vintage shops and independant clothes shops in this area too which are always great to explore.

Camp Nou

The place all football fans are in their element – Camp Nou is the Barcelona FC Stadium and it really is something. Despite not personally being a football enthusiast i have to say this place is definitely worth visiting, as even i had fun wondering around looking at all of the history of the team through the years.

Arc De Triomf in Parc De La Ciutadella

This park is another beautiful spot to wonder around, take a picnic, lay and catch some sun or eat at the little cafe within. The Arc De Triomf is another landmark and is within the park – another great spot for photo opportunities!

 

Hire Bikes

I would say if you’re wanting to get the most out of your days when sightseeing a top tip is to definitely hire bikes! You for sure will see way more way quicker and your day is definitely more fun on two wheels! You can even hire segways or mopeds if you’re really wanting to be adventurous.

Relax On the Beach

An obvious to do on a beach on holiday, i know. But in Barcelona if you head to the supermarket by the beach you can pick up cans of beer for around 40 cents each!! And alos all the snacks you could possibly need for a day at the beach as well as water of course… gotta stay hydrated! Do not buy the ‘cocktails’ that people offer you on the beach i’ve read horror stories on where they get their ingredients, where they store it all and have witnessed some of them get arrested on the beach for selling these drinks along with massages and that kind of thang. Stay safe people!

 

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Food And Drink

If sightseeing is not your thang or you’ve simply spent hours walking/cycling around then you may have food and drink on the brain (or if you’re like me then these two things are always on the brain) well i can certainly give you a few pointers of places i’ve dined at during my visits to Barcelona. On the day we arrived this time around it was late in the evening and after a super stressful day leading up to the arrival to the airport, the flight then being delayed and getting to the hotel later than planned, we were so bladdy hungry and so on the hunt for somewhere to eat pronto. We ditched our bags and wondered over to La Rambla and came across a bar/restaurant named ‘Schilling’ and oh my! If i can say anything about this place it’s that it made me feel as though i was in Sebastians jazz bar in the movie La La Land! The ambience was fantastic, there was live jazz band playing and the food and drink was superb. Exactly the kind of thing we needed after a stressful day. In true blogger failure style i forgot to get a photo but if you look it up you’ll hopefully get the feel of it. There were a couple of places we made bad decisions on so we wont talk about them, instead i’ll just highlight the goodies for you! The Bars and restaurants we visited in the evenings which were massive stand outs for me were Mikkeller, Two Scmucks, Betty Ford and The Aperol Spritz bar (yes you heard right!)

Mikkeller

This craft beer place as well as being fantastic in booze also serve the most delicous food comprising of a combination of American and Spanish which i absoloutly loved. Mikkeller have spots all around the world and their menu has everything from Texas Ribs (which can i add were bloody ginormous) to fish tacos to veggie burgers to Sombrassada and brie sandwiches to chicken wings and the list goes on! Something else i also loved was that they have a snack menu which i thought was a great idea for those who just wanted to nibble at something while they drink there. One thing i can say about this bar is nothing is too much trouble and if you wanted to know information about any of the craft beers the staff were super keen and very informative.

Betty Ford

This is a cute little bar on a corner that we found by mistake, wandered in and was pleasantly suprised. It’s relaxed layout and chilled feel was a great setting to wind down in an evening and it’s offering of cheap fruit beer (which is my jam) also made it a stand out place for me! They also apparantly serve incredible burgers which i did not have the chance to sample this time around but it is definitely on my to do list for next time.

Two Schmucks

With Betty Ford literally next door the pair go pretty well hand in hand. There’s almost a communal feel with these two bars even though they stand as two seperate businesses.  Two Schmucks make the most insane cocktails and have walls covered in the most weird and wonderful things including the headshot of young Jim Carrey (love) One of the owners has described it as ‘A Five Star Dive Bar’ and i totally get where his head is at with this statement as it has that grunge sort of feel but is also relaxed and professional too. When i was researching more in to the bar i found the story of how it came about particularly heart warming. You can read up on it here if you fancy gaining some knowledge on the local scene. Unfortunately it was pretty dark and with only my iphone in hand the below picture is all i managed to capture (face palm)

 

Black Remedy

In terms of morning goodness for coffee and breakfast i’d highly recommed checking out Black Remedy. We found this place by chance as we were wandering around the Gothic Quarter and it was definitely a blummin happy find. I had their Eggs Benedict and it was (bold statement alert) the best i think i’ve ever tasted! They serve speciality coffee, breakfast/brunch/lunch food as well as cakes and sweet treats. The interior was delightful and the external walls were almost completely made up of windows which meant it was so bright and inviting.

Nomad Coffee

Another fab coffee house to check out would be Nomad Coffee if you love fabulous interior and delicious speciality coffee. Nomad is spread across three locatons within Barcelona – one spot is their roastery, one their ‘coffee lab and shop’ and the other their every day pick up a coffee spot. We headed to the latter and it was a relitively small spot but worked so perfectly. It can be found in ‘Ciutat Vella’ and the design of the shop combined with the delicious coffee worked so perfectly. I went for Iced Latte because dang it was hot out there and with almost black hair i be feeling the heat!

Satans Coffee Corner

Finally if you fancy checking out another coffee spot then Satans Coffee Corner is definitely worth a trip to. This Aptly named spot, given the place it resides in being not so far from the Cathedral, is a cool and very on trend place to enjoy a relaxing coffee and spot of breakfast. I particularly like how they offer their menu to you and a check list, collect it then return it as your receipt. They also have two spots – once in Eixample and one in El Barri Gòtic. I personally have only visited the one in Barri Gotic as it is just off La Ramblas and has been the most convienient for us when visiting and have always enojoyed my experience there.

So there we have it a mini guide to Barcelona. What i love so much is that after three visits there is still so much left to see and do and i can’t wait for my next visit to this amazing city. I hope for anybody planning a trip here that you found this informative and if not then thanks for reading anyways!

Jade x

Hello hello hello!

Thanks a bunch for coming back or if you’re new over here then a bladdy warm welcome to you indeed! This morning i’ve been a busy bee and as i currently have a gardener at my house sorting out my super out of control and weed infested garden, i thought since i’m tied to the house for a little while, that i’d make a start on a new post to give you a little peep inside my brand new and almost finished dressing room!

For me a dressing room is something i’ve always wanted – a space for yourself where you can pamper your skin and get ready for whatever the day or night has in store for you. Now we’ve all see those celebs with their full on walk in wardrobes (i mean have you seen the Kardashians’ closets?!) and for most of us it’s not too realistic to have a fully fledged walk in wardrobe in our homes, and so a little dressing room space is a-okay with me!

I’m super lucky to have a tiny box room at the front of my house with the most amazing natural light, which makes for the perfect dressing room as all of us girls know that natural light is the best way to ensure even coverage and minimal makeup mishaps – amirite?! So with this in mind i thought about having all the walls white to emphasise the light even more, but i knew i would change my mind days or weeks down the line and regret not injecting that little splash of colour. And so in the end i went for this beautiful blush pink just on one wall and i mean how beautiful?! The colour is ‘Truffle Berry Cream by the paint brand ‘Valspar’ and i bought it from good old B&Q.

I also knew when designing this little space in my mind that i definitely wanted white furniture and some plants thrown in the mix! I’d searched far and wide for a dressing table and finally i found the one for me, surprisingly on Amazon, and it’s by the brand Songmics. I’m in love with it. I love the unusual shape of it and the fact that the mirror is round a-pose to oval or square as i’d seen on the million and one tables i looked at. Plants wise i picked these ones up at the garden centre – for no other reason than i just liked them!

When it came to storage I went with the trusty Ikea option – this chest of drawers is from the ‘Malm’ collection and i got it in matte white. For me it has the perfect amount of room for my electricals, makeup, hair and face products.

Sticking with the Ikea theme – of course no dressing room is complete without a clothes rail and for £14 this one is exactly what i needed. It’s actually super sturdy and much stronger than i thought so it’s a 5/5 from me for this one Ikea!

So there we have it – a peep inside my brand new dressing room and all i’m waiting on is some Artwork for the wall and a new chair as the dressing table came with a stool, and voilà a simple but perfect (in my opinion) take on how to turn a box room in to a perfect ‘get ready’ space.

Thanks as always for reading,

Jade x