2015 Bucket List

As 2014 draws to an end this Thursday, 2015 opens up new windows and opportunities for a re-start. 2014 has been one of the most challenging years in my 16 years on this earth, from GCSE's, starting college, working life and battling my darkest demons of anxiety and grief, however I feel personally I have accomplished much more than I beckoned for this time last year. I have grown within myself, my ambition's have increased and I now seize the chance to do whatever comes my way. 

I have learnt the value of friendship and family as well as accepting that 'shit happens', I hope you all have learnt something valuable this year whether it's how to cook your favourite meal or something deeper. Roll on 2015!

1. Firstly I want to join a sports club. Growing up I always was included in sports whether it was dance, swimming or netball and now I feel it's time I stepped out of the house, away from my laptop for a few hours a week and start netball again! 

2. Learn and instrument. In my house we have a concoction of musical instruments which are collecting dust, piano, drum kit,guitar, violin and ukulele. So why not learn to play one? For Christmas my brother very kindly took upon my future hobby and brought me a ukulele starter book with strings and a tuner so there are no excuses for me not to start now! 

3. Meet old school friends every month. It's hard when you are so used to seeing your close friends daily at school and as soon as you leave college, things change. However me and my friends have remained our close friendship as we have met up monthly ever since we left school back in June. Whether it's a film night too shopping or a meal out, we all have promised to carry on our efforts in the new year. 

4. Eat healthier. Over the past few months my food source has mainly been chips, coke and chocolate, the three c's I like too call them. At college I will no longer have chips and chilli crisps every day but instead choose a healthier option whilst eating more fruit. I will drink more water as it helps your skin also, let's hope it works!

5. Finally I will keep a 1 year diary. I did this a few year's back and it's sooo interesting to see what I got up too in my early teen years and the comparison in writing now. I feel a diary is a great way of expressing how you feel when things get too much, which in college, can happen a lot. 

Hope everyone has a great New Years Eve and good luck for another year! 

Stay positive, focused and grateful for the little things in life! 

Love Amy x

What makes winter, winter

As the skies are turning darker in the day and the leaves have fully vanished from the tree's, it's starting to feel like winter. Winter is my favourite season, Christmas, new years eve and generally I tend to see more family and friends throughout these months. I'm about to share with you some of what makes winter, winter, n my eyes. 

1. The weather

Often I hear people complaining about the cold UK weather, the high winds, rains and cloudy days, however I LOVE it. It's something about a damp and blustery day that makes me feel cosier and more relaxed than having the sun blaring in! I am however ' dreaming of a white Christmas', which is highly unlikely as snow only appears when the Christmas cheer has ended in January. 

2. The fashion

Okay, as much as I like wearing cute little dresses and skirts, I much prefer wrapping up in big scarves, coats and hats, especially wooly jumpers, too feel that extra bit more comfortable. I love the fashion at the moment, the over sized clothing to the tartan blanket scarves and I have seen lots of glittery dresses ready to be brought the NYE.

3. The food

Obviously food had to make an appearance in my blog post! From costa hot chocolates too thick stews in the evening, really does make me feel winter is on it's way. Of course I can not forget the Christmas dinner, lots of gravy with turkey and all the trimmings is a firm favourite throughout my house hold! 

4. Day/ Nights out

I feel winter becomes a more sociable time for me, because there just seems a lot more things to do around Cheshire than in summer! Going for Christmas meals, markets, shopping and even just chilling at home with a typical rom com with my girls. I am planning on going to the Manchester Markets this year for Christmas in December as I have heard there are lots of cute dainty stalls, perfect for presents. 

5. Boxing Day

As much as I love Christmas and spending the day with my family, eating good food and watching Home Alone, I do love boxing day. On boxing day it feels relaxed and chilled, just lazing around with new gifts, eating the Christmas left overs and seeing more family. 

What makes winter, winter for you?

Sneak Peak| Travel Bag

Throughout the October half term I was constantly on the go to Leicester, Plymouth and endless days out with old school friends, therefore I literally used my bag from Jasper Conran constantly.

This bag is perfect for on the go, with the complimenting tan colour alongside the sterdy handles and zipped detail. There are three separate compartments, two with metal clasps and the center zipped. 

When on the road for hours it's always handy to have a good piece of entertainment, for me it's books, these two which are both war related are great reads and you can easily get lost in them for hours. 

There need's to be space for every day items such as my glasses from Tommy Hilfger and my inhaler ( sigh to asthma). However I also packed mascara, concealer and a nude lippy to freshen up my look throughout the day.

I am positive I'm not the only one who loves listening to a great playlist whilst riding the roads! 

This cream is a new item for me as I usually have greasy skin, however around my cheeks they have been 

A trip too Plymouth

Firstly I just want to apologize for the lack of posts this month, it's been busy at college with assignments and work placement! On Saturday my family and I went on a 4 hour car journey to Plymouth to visit my cousin in her new home.

We stayed in an old building which once was an army base, it was a modernized apartment with stone walls and fresh interior, located by the harbor with lots of restaurants to choose from!

The Bedroom 

The Bedroom

The living room

The living room

After a mooch around the area we went to visit my cousin, who lives on the outskirts of Cornwall to see her beautiful dog Layla and new home. We went for an AMAZING meal at the local Chinese where I had duck wraps followed by chicken balls. 

The following day we explored more into Plymouth, visiting the harbors, beach and war memorial. 

The last day we ventured around the shops, primark is a win-win, before driving back home. 

Halloween| Grease- Sandy

Hello everyone! Halloween is on it's way in a few week's and I'm sure a lot of you are planning on attending parties or just knocking on doors for sweets! Over the next week I'll be posting a few of my favorite Halloween outfits which are affordable and has items you can wear daily, so money well spent! Today is Sandy from GREASE, so lets go...

Top| H&M £3.99
Jacket| Forever new £66
Leggings| H&M £25
Shoes| Heels.com £31
Belt| 6pm.com £19

Bronzer| NARS £23
Foundation| Benefit £22
Eyeliner| Sephora £19
Mascara| NARS £15
Lipstick| MAC £16
Eyeshadow| Gio Minerals £48

Mental Health Awareness Day

Today marks the day of ' Mental Health Awareness Day', where people all over the globe help to get the public aware of what some people actually go through, which can be over looked in every day life. Each year the scheme chooses a Mental Health topic to focus on like last year was Mental Health in older adults, this year is Schizophrenia, which affects about 1 in 100 people. 

 

Symptoms 

• See and hear things that are not there
• Appear to act strange by responding to hallucinations 
• Delusions
• Muddled thoughts
• Change in behaviorism 

There are at least 26 million people in the world living with Schizophrenia which means the general public needs to be more aware of how the sufferers are feeling. According to online resources a Schizophrenia episode can last to up to 6 weeks, which means 6 weeks of ill judgment, delusions and detach from reality. Although the causes are unknown, it has been said that it happens through changes of chemicals in the brain and also can be related to stressful experiences or drug abuse. 

Support our work

'Every year, our work changes thousands of lives but we can only make a difference because of the generosity and kindness of people like you. Whether you make a single or regular donation, leave a gift in your Will, or set up a tribute fund you will be making a greatly appreciated contribution to continue our vital work. Your donations enable us to carry out research, develop services and campaign against the stigma that surrounds mental health and learning disabilities.'

Become aware of the people surrounding you. Mental Illness isn't a cry for help or has structured reasoning, it's simply a mind battle. Whether it's anxiety, depression or schizophrenia, we as a population should reach a better perspective over our mental health. So help and support the Mental Health Foundation, because you never know, it could be focusing on someone you know. 

A//W Fashion Trends

I woke up this morning greated by thick fog and the freezing air, defiantly time to reach for them woollies and coats! Autumn and winter fashion is defiantly my favorite, dark mellow colours, different textures and lets face it, feeling cosy. Here are three outfits that I LOVE, however I've done my research to find more affordable items to recreate this look. If you like this style of blog, be sure to let me know, hope you enjoy!

Casual Chic

I personally love this style of outfit, whether you're wearing it to lunch, shopping or just college it's simple but girly. The colours compliment each other and instantly make me think of Autumn as they are rather dark tones.

Jumper| Newlook £15
Skirt| Newlook £9.99
Bag| Lipsy £69
Boots| PSYCHE £ 109

A Spot of Love

This outfit is seriously cute! Turning something so simple like a spotty skater dress into a chick outfit is right up my street. I love the cute collaring which sits perfectly on the cable knit jumper, because lets face it we all need added warmth anyway in England! 

Dress| House of Fraser £25
Jumper| NELLY £75
Boots| SPERRYTOPS £81 £32
Bag| Topshop £42

Tartan Vibe

Tartan I feel has become increasingly popular and not just the Scottish trade mark, however it's now a fashion staple for many. I adore how this outfit is really simple and black however the pop of red and green adds colour as well as warmth, perfect for them chilly nights out! 

Coat| Forever new £44
Jeans| HM £25
Scarf| River Island £18
Bag| Zara £50 

Skin Routine
A//W Wish List
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Skin Care Routine

Hello, hope you all are well! Today I'm sharing you my 'skin care routine', because during this time of year, when the weather is cooler, my skin feels and looks blah. Hopefully I'm not the only one! 

So here is my Skin Care Routine. 

1. Firstly using Johnsons facial wipes, remove any makeup from the face using a circular pattern. 

Johnson's Face Care Makeup Wipes

2. Next wet your face with warm water before applying one pump of Neutrogena facial wash. This is great if you have oily skin and large pores as it deep cleans them. Rinse using cold water, this is to close the pores up to stop further dirt creeping in! Pat gently with a clean towel/ flannel, don't rub otherwise it will irritate your skin and cause red blotches. 

Neutrogena Pore & Shine daily wash

3. After that, if you really want to clean out the badness,wet your face where larger pores are, usually on the t-zone. Apply either the face or nose strip from Boire by pulling off the strip from the plastic and place over the troubled area, sticky side facing down. Leave for 10 minutes until the strip is dry, before pulling of gently, must stress GENTLY otherwise it will hurt! These strips are good as they pull out the dirt, literally, from your pores. However only use once in three days! 

Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips

4. Next apply sudocrem. Sudocrem is really good if you have red blemishes as it helps sooth them using an antiseptic. Apply using either your finger or a clean concealer brush directly onto your blemishes and leave on over night. You'll wake up in the morning with cleaner looking skin! 

Sudocrem 

5. Your skin can feel dry around the t-zone so I always apply some moisturizer like this one from Avon, around the base of the nose and lips. 

Avon Rich Moisture Cream

A//W Wish list

5 ways to be happy 

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