Happy weekend!

Finally, after what feels like the busiest, most stressful week ever, we've reached another weekend. Unfortunately for me, my weekend will be just as stressful as the week previous; not only am i working both nights and hitting the gym for some serious working out (all in preparation for a lovely weekend with my sort-of-not-really-boyfriend next weekend), I'm also working on a few articles to send to one of my potential universities. Here are a few things I wish i was doing this weekend:

1)Shopping- Every girl loves to shop no matter what the occasion or the weather. I'm not bothered if i'm buying shoes, bags, jewellery, dresses or underwear, i just love having new things. It sounds very shallow and material, but there is something about shopping and holding something pretty and new in my hands that gets my heart racing. Maybe even more than a boy!

2)Drinking cocktails- Probably in my list of top five favourite things to do, if i could drink cocktails all day every day (given that I have the finances and didn't get obese from it) I probably would. I love so many cocktails and they're perfect for every occasion. Whether it's a romantic date or a night with the girls, celebratory drinks or a wedding, they're just so divine. My favourite place in my hometown is probably this little, chic vodka bar which does the best cocktails ever. i'm planning on writing more about that and my favourite cocktails later, keep your eyes pealed.

3)Hanging out with my girls-I think this is just 

obvious, what girl doesn't want to spend time surrounded by her girls? The brilliant thing is we can be doing absolutely nothing and still have a fabulous time being stupid and girly. It pains me even more because one of my best friends has just texted me asking to hang out tonight and I've had to turn her town because of my looming five hour shift! ew!

4)Partying- Partying is the best. Getting to dance and have fun, meet up with old friends and new friends. Just generally have a ball, the way I normally spend my Saturday nights! (when i have the money anyway)

5)Seeing my boy-I hate smushy couple stuff, I'm the first to cringe when it comes to couples parading their relationship all over and kissing in public, but i wouldn't mind seeing him right about now. Not long until next weekend when i go to Leeds to visit him. The thought of next weekend with him will be the only thing motivating me through my ten hours at work this weekend, working my butt off at the gym and the week ahead of me. Aw young love.... 

xox

Body dysmorphia: my new best friend

With the introduction of fashion forward Gok Wan’s latest television show ‘Gok’s Teens: the naked truth’ taking over many of the adverts on my television, I was encouraged, not only to investigate this show myself (at least the first episode of) but also to think about many of the issues he brought up. One main thing which Gok discussed was the dysmorphic view teens of today seem to take towards our bodies. With the constant display of seemingly perfect bodies, skin and features surrounding us in the media, as well as the constant façade of beauty on social networking sites, it seems that for the modern day teenager there is no way of escaping. Yes, I am the first to hold up my hands and complain when people blame the media for every single eating disorder victim, but at the same time, I can’t help but agree slightly. While the press tend to point the finger at catwalk models, magazine edits and pro-anorexia blogs, I’ve found that for me these aren’t the only catalysts to my desire for so called perfection.

Social networking sites were introduced to the Internet as a way of networking with people from school, work and college, as well as a useful way of interacting with friends from the past. However it seems that, from an inside perspective and being a teen myself, I can also see the dark side. Not only is there the fear of cyber bullying in the form of status’ and wall posts, comments and messages, but there is also the need to compare your own pictures with other peoples. Technology in the modern age allows us the capability to modify and edit our own pictures to a degree of surreal ‘perfection’ in a way that, while may be aesthetically pleasing, can also be damaging to self-esteem.

I find myself looking at pictures of girls who live near to me, and comparing my own features to theirs, why does my hair not look like theirs? Why do I not have as pretty a face as theirs? Why do 70 people ‘like’ their picture and only 5 ‘like’ mine? And above all, why do I not look as skinny as them?

It does sound stupid really, that such a trivial thing that is supposed to be a way of building relationships and communicating can have such a negative impact on my life. However the realisation of how I feel with regards to such things shows me that surely I’m not the only one. And looking at how much make-up, how obviously edited and how hard these girls who I call my ‘friends’ try to look good enough just for ‘likes’ is only one indication of how much society depends on appearance.

Yes, the media and constant bravado surrounding size zero models and editing on double page spreads in celebrity magazines certainly don’t help the rapidly plummeting self-esteem of both teenage girls and boys, but I think that’s social networking sites should also take some of the blame. That normal, everyday teenagers can also have an impact on each others lives. 

xox

You learn something new every day!

I’ve learnt a few things recently, especially since the beginning of 2012 that appear to be making 2012 start off brilliantly (lets hope this doesn’t jinx things!)

1) you never know whats around the corner. I mean that in the most serious of ways. The most unexpected things can happen to you every day, things you’d never even dream of, things you wouldn’t dare to dream of because you had so little expectation in them

2)You should never give up hope because no matter what if you put your heart into something you have the capability to acheive it- even if it seems like an impossible task (it probably isn’t!)

3)Money doesn’t buy happiness (but it does buy amazing shoes)

4)You never know who you can trust, admittedly, but it’s amazing realising exactly who you can trust and who will always be there for you. Having a solid group of friends around you who can provide fun when it’s necessary and serious when it’s necessary is the bets thing ever. Loosing friends isn’t always a bad thing, it doesn’t always result in an argument or a falling out, sometimes drifting apart just reveals exactly who you need. I just hope i stay in contact with the wonderful people in my life (I’m sure i will)

5)No doubt are just as amazing as they were in the 90s!

Home from the city so nice they named it twice!

I came home from the big city last thursday and i think i've been in a state of mourning ever since; everything here at home seems too small! Where the heck are the sky scrapers when you need them? Honestly New york was one of the most amazing, surreal experiences of my life and I feel so privileged to have had the chance to ever have been there. The fact that people actually live there and don't bat an eyelid at the amazing views that surround them on a daily basis is unreal. It is like being in a movie.  Typically we did all the basic tourist things: the statue of liberty, the empire state building (the view is even better than any pictures i've ever seen), 5th avenue, central park, ground zero (shed a couple of tears, how could i not? Such a sentimental place!) and all the rest of it... As well as a tonne of shopping, though not as much as I would have liked to have done I have to admit. And ate like a true American, I put on about five hundred stone by feasting on burgers, chips, donuts and candy- but like they say, 'when in rome....' Obviously, i could go on all day about how amazing it was and list everything I did there in detail, but it would be most likely the most boring thing anyone has ever written. So instead i'm leaving it up to the art of photography to try and tell at least half of my story! 

I think i'd give almost anything to go back again and really can't wait for the opportunity to crop up again. Such an amazing and breathtaking experience from start to finish; if you ever get the chance to visit the big apple- do it!

xox

Damn Delays!

With another two hours to kill before I can even reboard my plane it seems like I may as well check in, since I haven't bothered with an update in quite a while. Today has been, potentially, the most hectic day of my life. Force to wake up at  5.00am to catch a connection flight to Heathrow only to get here and have my flight delayed (of course only after boarding and sitting on the plane itself for two hours) for a further three hours. Honestly so bored of being in the first class lounge already, and with alcohol and food in abudance I don't think I ever imagined myself saying that. It sucks because  originally set to arrive in the big apple at about 4.00pm, I'm now being forced to sacrifice my first afternoon and a potential meal, due to now arriving at 9.00pm. On the plus side, I'm pretty sure it's the city that never sleeps, so something is bound to be going down. Started the day off with a champagne breakfast so you can't really complain- hopefully I'll arive in New York safe, sound and in one piece soon!

My eighteenth went off with a sparkling bang too which was nice, appart from occasional drunken girly banter which always seems to be the problem when certain members of my friends are involved- won't waste letters typing about it though. And the most ironic part of my whole birthday was that I may as well have not turned 18, still haven't been ID'd yet (bar me demanding the bouncer outside of Revolution ID me, as when I went for my first legal cocktails at 1.00pm that day they didn't even bat an eyelid!). Hopefully my eighteenth year is going to be my best yet with minial drama and maximum success (and cocktails and glitter), and hopefully my love life will stay as fab as it is being now, if not just continue to climb in awesomeness.

Can't wait to spend a ton of money, see a lot of awesome things and dance through the streets like a crazy person!
xox


p.s my iphone died and i packed my charger in my suitcase-typical

Who's eighteen?

I honestly can not believe that on friday i will be turning eighteen. I man of course i'll be sad to say goodbye to my childhood (not that I will suddenly become any less of a child than i currently am over night) but i am so excited to be saying hello to vodka in abudnance. And if the fact it's my birthday simply isn't exciting enough, by some stoke of luck I am surrounded by the coolest friends and family who are helping to make my celebrations the best yet. I have a little party at sixth form in the common room to look forward too- something that i can only imagine is going to be filled with embarrassing pictures of me in my youth, but also hopefully lots of cake (despite the fact I feel and probably look as though I have gained twenty stone since christmas i am still looking forward to devouring lots of sugar... because it's my birthday and you only turn eighteen once!). Then at one o clock (again by some luck which i can only thank God for i finish at 1 on a friday and my eighteenth just happens to have fallen on a friday!) me and my best and most amazing friend in the world are going to go to revolution for a cocktail lunch break. Can't even contain my excitement to go into my favourite bar ever and not lie to them about being twenty three. i plan on looking as young as I can and ordering as much vodka as I can, just for high-jinx. 

Then, on the evening I get to have an awesome gathering with my best friends, lots of drink and lots of super cute snacks ( cupcakes mainly). My mum really is amazing for letting us take over her house for a few hours, although she doesn't seem to mind, unless of course spillages occur and then i foresee everyone swiftly vacating the premises. Following that, as if it wasn't enough, we're heading off to digital for a night of getting a little crazy- but not too crazy. Though can you ever be too crazy? I'm eighteen for goodness sake!

I plan on waking up on saturday a shell of my former seventeen year old self, before recovering and blossoming in time to jet off to New York and live like the sex in the city girls for five days with my fabulous mum. 

Soooo excited! 

xox

I always want to fully master the art of beautiful flicks on your eyes, a kind of sixties chic which I love, and yet never seem to be able to pull off. This picture seems perfect, I can only hope that I can attempt to  follow its instructions in order to perfect my sixties flicks. I work with a girl who always has the most beautiful eye make up, and even when she goes for a more 'natural' look she still includes these flicks with a nude eyeshadow. It always adds a glamourous edge to her look and i always ask her how she does it, managing to not only make her flicks perfect and smudge free, but also manages to have both eyes even. Honestly I think the art of movie star worthy makeup is something I'm never going to perfect!