OOTD | Silver Skirt and Fur Jacket

Well London, you've certainly got me in a wintery, festive mood! I don't think there's any better time to live here, everything about it is putting me in the best mood, minus the hordes of tourists making Oxford Street grind to a standstill obvs. The lights, the markets, the general happy mood permeating the air (or is that just mulled wine...?), all contributes to me falling deeper in love with London.

I had a wander around Shoreditch with my bestie the other day to shoot this outfit, and it reminded me of just how big and varied this city is! However it's also incredibly chilly at the moment, which is why this outfit is perfect for the festive period!

Hair | Sam McKnight

Kate Moss. Princess Diana. Cara Delevingne.

What have all these iconic ladies got in common?

They've all worked with the incredible hair stylist Sam McKnight, whose exhibition at Somerset House I visited this week. And oh maaaaan was I impressed.

What I Wore For My Internship

After the most amazing, hectic and full on four weeks, my time as a fashion intern at Look has come to an end *cue sadness/amazement at all this newfound free time*

I've enjoyed pretty much every minute (minus the time we were asked to tidy up a huuuuge pile of hangers, prompting flashbacks to that time Rachel in Friends opened up a cupboard to find a load of hangers at work). 

But one of my favourite things has been having the opportunity to see and try out different fashion styles I wouldn't normally have thought about. So here's a round up of some of my favourite looks and trends from the last month, hopefully giving some new outfit inspo!

And bonus, everything is high street woo!

The Midi Dress

Picture Diary | Paris

A few weeks ago I went to Paris for the weekend to visit of my friends who lived there, and although I've been there before, this time I completely fell in love with the city.

It had the most relaxed, cool vibe, and was somewhere I wanted to stay for months so I could truly get to know it. But it's probably better for my waistline I was only there for the weekend, because oh my days I could eat those incredible croissants all day long...

How I Got My Dream Fashion Internship

Well blogging it's been a while... But for the best reasons I could think of, as for the last three weeks I've been one of Look magazine's fashion interns, and it's been one of the most incredible experiences.

I've always loved writing, and journalism has been a career I've considered for absolutely ages, but it's only been after reading people's blogs and starting this one that I've seriously considered it as a career.

I knew I wanted to get some experience in this field to see if it was for me, so last month I wrote to a few of my favourite magazines to see if they needed interns.

Travel Spotlight | Peru

I have honestly never fallen in love with a country the way I have done with Peru. I was there for less than two weeks, but it was the best experience of my life, and a memory forever etched onto my heart.

I'm already planning returning soon, because it's a country with a staggering amount of culture, history, natural beauty and excitement to offer- not somewhere I'll forget any day soon.

How To Style | Slip Dress

Yay velvet is apparently back in for A/W 16 and I actually couldn't be happier about that, like please give me all the velvet clothing in my wardrobe thank you.

Tbh it was never out in my world and I've built up quite a collection but hey a girl can never have enough clothes especially when it's this hot piece of gorgeousness from Zara.

Holiday Snapshots | A Mini Guide

Ah England, you were doing so well with the weather, and now you're back your glorious, soggy, unpredictable self. I won't become one of those British stereotypes and moan too much, but real talk, weather if you could make your mind up and be consistent that would be fab okay?

It's been two weeks since I got back from holiday, and I've been pleasantly surprised by how much I've enjoyed being home, I've felt like my holiday's been extended. I've been outside topping up my tan, having BBQs, going to a pirate themed mini golf (the little kid in me was jumping for joy), exploring London some more, and just generally making the most of my surroundings.

But the wanderlust in me is strong, and to curb it somewhat I've put together my highlights of a few places I've visited, to relive some experiences.

Cannes

Best Of British Summers

I don't know about you, but this weather has got me walking around with a permanent smile on my face. The sun really shows England at its best, and it's given me a renewed love for my surroundings, and an appreciation for summer at home.

I was scrolling through my pictures of the summer so far, and thought I'd round up some of my highlights, hopefully inspiring you to make the most of what's on your doorstep!

BBQs/Eating Outside

OOTD and Valencia

Ah Valencia. Where do I begin?

Before leaving for the cruise, all I knew about Valencia was that there were oranges there and that it was in Spain. Yay for my geography skills and general knowledge. 

But oh hot damn this city is way more than oranges, it quickly became my favourite place we'd visited.

OOTD | Culottes

I have post holiday blues, siiiigh. I've been on a cruise around the Mediterranean and just damn it was basically the perfect few weeks. Good food, company, travel and weather... what more could a girl want?

So rather than lounge around on my bed staring at my tan lines (you can actually see where my watch was, when I saw it I was genuinely excited and I know that's pathetic but hey- freckles over here will take whatever she can get), I thought I'd reminsce at pictures and post some outfit inspo. Might actually be relevant with this lil heat wave in England which has got everyone going nuts.

Foodie Loves | The Breakfast Club

After not posting anything food related for aaaaages I'm suddenly hitting you with two in a row.

But hey ho I don't care gimme all the food.

My photos album on my phone from the last few weeks is basically a 50-50 split of food/drink pictures and drunken selfies. And whilst the later might be more amusing for you to see, I think the former are more aesthetically pleasing.

Because lets be honest, I'm not going to be worrying about lighting or angles or making something look pretty when oooh free prosecco I need to put that on my snapchat story.

Birthday Trip | Galvin at Windows

When it comes to birthdays, I'm literally such a little kid. Like I've been looking forward to it for weeeeks, anyone who's met me is fully aware that yes it is my birthday and yes I will be 19 and yes I am super excited about it.

And boy it has been a good few days. Why have a birthday when you can have multiple days? I like doing things with all my groups of friends so that yay more celebrations and excuses to eat cake and drink too much prosecco and dance like no ones watching because HEY DID YOU KNOW IT'S MY BIRTHDAY.

How To Style | Printed Bomber Jacket

The first time I wore a bomber jacket was when I was about 12 and was going through a stage where I desperately wanted to be a fighter pilot. Me and my brother were obsessed with everything Top Gun, and ended up sharing a khaki jacket which we sewed RAF badges onto.

Man I was so cool.

It's The Little Things In Life

So many things that make people happy are really personal to them, and although holidays, days out and grand gestures are all amazing and lovely and should never be overstated, today I stopped to think about how it's the small things that really brighten my day.

I thought I'd compile a list of things that made me smile, in the hopes that it might make you realise how wonderful every day can be, even if it's not something huge and out of the ordinary.

(Lol I sound so optimistic and like I live in happy clappy land, but in reality two hours ago I was on FaceTime moaning to my best friend about how shit I felt. And it was after I hung up on her, and had spoken to my mum that I realised I felt a million times better, and that it's the people I love which make my life, and how I don't appreciate them enough.)

So without further ado, or inane ramblings which I wouldn't blame you for skim reading over, here is my list of things which make me smile.

1. Visiting or calling to a best friend or family member

The Perfect Girl's Weekend

Since September, I've been meaning to go up to Manchester to visit my best friend, but we've never found the right timing. Luckily, the bank holiday weekend happened to be two days after I finished my last exam, so what better way to celebrate than a few days of brunch, baking and bestie?!

The first day I was there we were both so exhausted we were in our pyjamas by 2pm, but a weekend definitely needs some proper relaxation time.

OOTD | Nautical Inspired

Recently, I'm not sure why my work wages bother going into my bank account, they honestly might as well just go straight to Zara... 

I'm just loving their summer collection so much- more than anywhere else on the high street at the moment. I recently went to Oxford Street having just been paid to try and update my summer wardrobe, but the only place I bought anything from was Zara. (Oh, and Topshop, but that was for new underwear and I think my mum would disown me if I ever blogged that.)

A Slight Lifestyle Change | Plus Avocado Brownie Recipe

I can hardly believe how long it's been since I last uploaded, two months is ridiculous!

In this time, my life seems to have changed so much in so many ways. I've got a job, found a house in London, lost and gained friends, finished my first year of university... It's crazy how everything seems to happen at once!

I lost a bit of motivation to blog, and have been so busy with revision that by the time I finished working, the idea of writing another word seemed impossible. But recently I've got into a whole new productive and positive outlook, and I'm so ready to be updating my blog regularly. The prospect of a summer in London, and travelling is super exciting, and I finally have a new camera to document it all properly.

What to do with 48 hours in Copenhagen

I can practically see the tumbleweed rolling across my blog, I know... it's been far too long once more since I've done a post. This one has turned out to be both picture and word heavy, so hopefully evens it out a bit. (Pls) Uni has been so manic recently, but I've finished lectures for the year which is just the strangest feeling. Cue manic revision time but also more chances for blogging yay!

Of course it hasn't been all work and no play, apart from making the most of what London has to offer, I've also been checking out another European city, the beautiful Copenhagen.

The Music To Watch For 2016

Festival season is approaching and omg I am So. Excited. They combine two of my favourite things, summer and music, and please can someone give me all the money so I can just tour Europe going to every single one? 

No takers? Damn.

I realised the other day that probably the only time I don't have music playing is when I'm asleep, and for someone as obsessed with music as I am, I don't have nearly enough posts about it.

I've gone through such an indie phase recently (I know, I'm so hipster lol), and have found some amazing bands I have playing on repeat. It's so bad, but whenever I find an artist I like they're on basically every day until I find something else. But hey, if it ever see them live or it starts playing on the radio I'll be see that super cool kid who knows all the words right?!

Blossoms

Spending An Afternoon Alone in London

I know, the title looks all cue the violins and sad music, but I've recently started spending time exploring on my own and have so enjoyed finding some hidden gems. 

Before, I'd be reluctant to go and do something by myself, but I've found it's a great opportunity to sort out thoughts and have some quality me time. Plus, there's so many free things to do here, I only spent £2.70 on my afternoon outing.

I'm not counting the 60p on a creme egg, because that's obviously a necessity right?

My usual walk to university is across Waterloo Bridge, and on a crisp sunny day the views are just gorgeous. It definitely got me in the mood to find some equally picturesque sights, so armed with my camera I headed to Monument.

(Guess who realised they hadn't charged their camera until too late... Excuse the iPhone quality pictures pls.)

OOTD | Camouflage Jacket

Everyone's got their fashion weak spot; and for me I'm a sucker for shoes and jackets. I think it's the fact that an eye catching shoe or a colour pop jacket can instantly elevate an outfit. 

When I was packing to come to uni in September, I was texting a friend about how many pairs of shoes she was bringing. 'Probably about 8, definitely no more than ten.' 

*cue me sitting on my suitcase to try and cram my 20 odd pairs of trainers, heels, boots, sandals...* 

Hey, there's got to be some advantages to being the same size/height since I was 13ish, means those once pristine boots are not artfully distressed, plus 5 years old is basically vintage right?

Monthly Misses | January

I approached January with the attitude of simply getting through it, since everyone knows it's probably the least exciting month of the year. But I've been so pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable it's actually been I thought I'd do a round up of all I'm going to miss about it. I'm thinking about doing this every month- hopefully not another resolution I'll end up breaking!

(Genuinely don't think I've ever made it more than a few weeks into my resolutions- I'm blaming early Easter for the abundance of Creme Eggs screwing with my healthy eating...)

1. Brunch at The Black Penny

Investment Piece | OOTD

Without a doubt, my favourite Christmas present this year was an All Saints leather jacket from my mum, and oh. my. gosh. I never want to take it off. Gig? Born for this. Lectures? Why not. Going out? How practical. Lunch date with friends? Well it goes with everything.

Now these are definitely not a student friendly purchase, but my mum got this with a pretty substantial discount. Although expensive, All Saints do the best sales, 20-30% off makes all the difference when it comes to an investment piece like this. (I haven't even been sponsored to do this post I just love it too much!)

What I like most about this jacket is how versatile it is- I've been wearing it in all weather, for a variety of occasions, and with so many different outfits, but it never fails to nail the effortless cool vibe. Literally you can just throw it on with a shirt and jeans and boom. Cue sassy strutting down the street. (I wish I was joking).

Beat Those January Blues

I've seen quite a few posts about tips on how to banish the post- Christmas slump so I'd thought I'd add some of mine that never fail to boost my mood. I've just got back to uni and despite the yellow walls in my accommodation it's so lovely to be back. Just seeing my friends and being back in London has put me in the best mood, there's no place quite like it. 

Listen to your comfort music, and find something new

Last night I was snuggled up in my duvet, room pitch black apart from laptop glare, massive good quality headphones on and had a steady stream of music. Until a frankly stupid time of around 5am my friend and I sent music recommendations on youtube, and there's something so exciting about discovering a new artist you love. Plus, with no other light or sound, all you focus on is the music and I've found it's such a therapeutic way of forgetting all your troubles, even if just for a short time.

Tips for a Successful Dinner Party

I can hardly believe how long it's been since I've posted, the Christmas party season has definitely been occupying a lot of my time! But my favourite kind of parties are the ones where you can actually sit down and have a good catch up with old friends, rather than screaming "SO HOW'S UNI" in a crowded club.

I held my first dinner party before Christmas and it was such a lovely evening I thought I'd share some tips and maybe some inspiration of you're thinking of holding a get together!

Decorating

Since I held it during the festive season, some of the decorations won't be relevant all year, but most of them work all year round!

1.) My essential for brightening up a table (quite literally!) is candles. Lots and lots of candles. They can transform your setting from drab to magical, and create a soft, magical glow in the room. Get cute jam jars, tea light holders or lanterns, the more mismatched the better, and dot them around the table and the room.

2.) To add some interest on the table I put a small amount of confetti and some Quality Street, which added a nice pop of colour against my charcoal tablecloth.

3.) Get the nicest glasses, cutlery and crockery you have out! I'm a sucker for these, and there's some really beautiful designs out. Since it likely won't be a crazy party, there's less anxiety about things getting broken, and they really look special on the table.

4.) I put place names on the table and these are something you can definitely play around with! I'm not the most creative person but it's fun finding your place and seeing who you're next to.