University Homeware Haul

It is now a little over a week before I, and many students my age, leave home for the first time to move into University accommodation or other similar arrangements. I have found it a little overwhelming to know what to buy. Having spent a lot of time watching YouTube videos and reading blogposts and articles to attempt to navigate what I need, I decided to put together my own post to widen the resources and advice out there for Students like myself. 

 I will be doing a separate University Necessities haul to filter it down to what you absolutely must have to move into accommodation; however, this post is for inspiration regarding making your small room in halls feel a little more like home. This post comes with a little naivety, I haven't yet moved in or know whether all of these items where practical etc. but I wanted to write this anyway to give ideas to anyone still doing some last minute university shopping.

 There are still many ideas I have for my room and little pieces I want to get hold of, but I hope this gives you some ideas as to making your new home feel homely. 

 I used this as the perfect opportunity to explore Primark's new homeware range. They have some lovely pieces at the wonderful, budget friendly Primark price range we all know and love. 

 My first purchase was some bedding. By bed at home is a double whereas my bed in my uni room will be a single. I wanted to leave all of the bedding and cosies I had bought for my room at home behind so that when I am staying at home, it will all still be ready for me. So I purchased this simplistic set from the new Primark range which I hope to cosy up with a lovely throw and scatter cushion combo. The single duvet cover and pillow set was £15 and I picked up a sheet and spare pillow covers for under £10. I wanted to keep my bedsheets minimalistic so that I can have accessories in my bedroom without everything looking too overwhelming. 



 I also picked up these two storage containers in a lovely rose gold finish for £5 each. I thought these would sit nicely underneath a desk; one containing notebooks and desk stationary and the other holding by bath and shower products. They are fairly small and so will tuck away easily without the need to clog up the little desk space I will have. 

 I also picked up this necklace display, again with a rose gold theme. Jewellery can be one of the hardest things to store at home, I have a necklace hanger that screws into the wall. Obviously when renting university accommodation, you cannot drill into the walls and so this was a vital find for me which can just sit on my desk and hold all of my necklaces. 

 When standing in line to pay I grabbed a set of pink/rose gold hangers for £4 because you can never have too many! This in itself may not be enough but I didn't want to over buy before I know exactly how much wardrobe space I will have. 

 The Primark shop only crossed a few things off my list and so I kept my eye out in ASDA when doing my kitchen necessities shop. I grabbed this lovely set of butterfly coasters because I love my coffee in the morning... and evening... and anywhere in between! I also don't want to be staining my desk or doing anything else to harm the return of my deposit at the end of the year. 

 I am also a self confessed mug hoarder and despite already having a couple that I couldn't possibly leave behind, I couldn't resist these two. The first is a lovely baby pink with a gold feature at the bottom, the second is an actual unicorn shaped around a mug. Nothing starts off the day better than a fun cup of coffee! 






















This next buy is probably going to be a life saver for everyone! I knew I needed something to store my shoes and none of the provided storage seemed like it would fit the bill. In Asda, this laundry hamper caught my eye, not for dirty washing, but due to its deepness yet dainty size, it would be perfect to store my many pairs of shoes without taking up too much floor space. Sat at the end of the bed or next to the desk, you can get away with having one of these and not being too cluttered! I bought this for £8 so if you're stuck with what to use for shoes, grab yourself one of these.

And that rounds up my homeware collection for university so far. I still have a few things in mind for finishing touches, but these will probably come later on once my room is mostly put together! I hope this has helped inspire you with how to store certain things or just how to cosy up your space. I will be back later on in the week with my University Stationary Haul!

I'm Off to Uni

Hi Friends. 

 I took the majority of August off blogging to gain some perspective. I have loved blogging every week and I plan to continue; however, over the summer, as my routine shifted, I found myself scrabbling for something to write about. My content became forced and unauthentic. If I am uploading weekly, I want the quality to remain consistent; I took a break to do some key planning and also to gain some inspiration. I have some awesome posts planned for you guys including another Look Book which is a massive project for me; hence why I haven't done one in about 18 months. I also have a whole bunch of Uni posts lined up for you so I thought I'd get started on that today. 

 I wanted to chat to you today about how I picked my University and my course in order to help anyone who is in the same position as I was last year. 

 My first piece of advice is something I followed right when I was picking my GCSE subjects when I was 14. I believe that unless you are following a specific career path such as Law or Medicine, it really doesn't matter what subjects you take. My advice is to pick what you enjoy. When choosing my university course especially this was crucial to me. I knew I'd need the motivation to read huge amounts on this subject, I'd have to stay up late some nights writing essays, I'd need to research in my own time. To be quite frank, I probably could have done well doing Law or Politics, but I know for a fact that I wouldn't have been interested enough to put my heart and soul into it. 

 When it came to picking my A Levels, it was fairly easy for me. The subjects I had done best in were the ones I loved because that's how my motivation correlates. 

 It was the same for picking my degree. I knew I loved History. But I also knew I was struggling a lot. I just couldn't get my head around how I was meant to write and my grades didn't match my love for the subject. It was quite hard to kiss history goodbye. It had always been one of my best subjects but I knew at that point that I was an English student. 

 My passion had always been in books. 

 So I researched Literature degrees and decided to include Creative Writing in there to give me a career prospect aside from teaching. 

 I didn't have a career in mind when I chose my degree but I don't think that matters too much these days. The reality of the world at the minute is that jobs for post graduates are few and far between... my priority was having the best three years possible in order to end up with the best mark in my degree. 

 I have since thought more about the jobs I would be qualified for and realised I would love to work in publishing. This, I think, proves that if you follow the path you enjoy most, you'll be qualified for a job you'll enjoy whether or not you know what that job is at the beginning of the process. 

 When I began looking at universities I was sure I'd stay at home to save money. It was always incredibly important to me to go to university, primarily because I grew up believing we were too poor to go to uni. I kept this misconception with me when visiting university websites because I misunderstood the financial aid and processes in place. I believed I couldn't afford to live away from home. 

 So I picked a local uni that I loved at planned to stay home for the next three years.

 My only regret in this whole process is that I didn't shop around the country more for a uni. Since the atmosphere at my home has shifted, I have decided to live at uni and I couldn't be more excited. But because I went through most of this process alone, I didn't feel like I had the option to change my mind and look into a university across the country. There are so many areas of the UK that interest me: Bath, Brighton etc. I wish I had had the knowledge and understanding this time last year to know that it was possible for me to be financially able to go to any uni I wanted to. 

 Despite this I am so excited to go to Uni in a few weeks time. I have picked a University that suits me. I'm not a massive nights out person. I picked a university that is relatively small but expanding quickly which I truly believe will suit me more and allow me to focus my attention in the right places. 

 When choosing a university research is so crucial. If, like me, you don't have a family that really know much about uni and you're left to your own devices, make sure you research everything. Try not to limit yourself. Anything and everything is possible when it comes to university no matter your financial background or what degree you choose. 

 Good luck to any of you off to uni in the next few weeks or to those of you completing your A Levels. I hope this helps you plan your research process a little more efficiently. 

 I am aiming to get back into my regular Sunday blogging schedule over the next few weeks!

July Book Haul

It feels like years since I wrote one of these. It's been so lovely to finally be able to submerge myself in books again. I have started a new job, so I haven't been able to read as much as I'd like... but I think I've completed a pretty interesting collection this past month. 

 My blog posts have been all over the place, I apologise for that. Leaving college and starting a new job has completely messed up my sense of routine and so Sundays tend to creep up on me a little bit. Nonetheless, I will aim to continue to post weekly, as close to Sunday as possible, until I fall back into a 'normal' weekly routine. 

 This first book, The Sense of an Ending, I began at the end of June but completed on the 1st of July. It's a very quirky story. It reminded me a lot of Alan Bennett's The History Boys but as a sort of 40 years later type sequel. The story line is remotely quite sad. A lonely, retired man explores his thoughts and letters to discover what led to his best friend's death. It's a quick read, an easy read and one that will stay with you once you've finished the last page. I was drawn to the cover which has an elderly dandelion scattering through the air which, one completed, you realise reflects the book rather well. It's definitely worth picking up if you need something to read over a weekend or on holiday. 

 I moved on to one of the novels I had decided to save for this Summer, Agatha Christie's Crooked House. Determined to read more Christie after finishing Murder on the Orient Express before last Christmas, I have found myself jotting down random titles of hers to add to my trying collection. This was one that I put on my Christmas list without really knowing much about it. The story line was gripping. I did guess the culprit at an early stage and was correct, but it still left me even more curious about her writing. Proclaimed to be one of Agatha's favourites, Crooked House reflects an immense level of planning and thought. It is evident when you read this book that these characters were with her for a long while before pen touched paper. A true work of art. 

 I wrote an in depth review of Into the Water a few weeks ago, so I will keep this paragraph short. In my opinion, this is the best of Hawkins' work so far. I loved it. The story line was everything I want in a modern thriller. It was exciting, emotional and heartbreaking and I can see it becoming a very successful TV series in the future. 

 I'm Travelling Alone had been on my To-Be-Read list for a very long time. It came up in a Creative Writing lesson and as I always did, I jotted down the title to look into at a later date. I didn't rush to buy it. I happened upon it in a supermarket for £3 and decided to just pick it up rather than order it online for a higher price months later. I have told myself I have to read all of my unread books before I can buy anymore on my list so I found myself picking this up to read simply to get through my shelf. It's a very gripping story and the writing is just wonderful. The conclusion doesn't tie up all of the loose ends; however, what's left can be left much to the imagination. As much as I loved the story line, it left me feeling kind of empty. Often with thrillers, you find the impossible happening to give it a happy ending, but stories about serial killers aren't happy. The featured detective manages to save his granddaughter from the killer despite every other victim being killed. I guess once you've fallen in love with Game of Thrones, those kind of happy endings don't satisfy you anymore. 

 Murakami is another writer who's works I want to explore much more in depth. I was drawn to After the Quake after a little synopsis at the end of Norwegian Wood which I read last year. It's a swift, sweet collection of short stories that explore people's reactions to an earthquake. It ends up being quite an abstract piece, the kind of story you would read to a child to convey a life lesson or moral message. It wasn't what I was expecting. I'm not sure what I was expecting but it was fun and, as always, extremely well written. 

 I then moved on to my current read, The Essex Serpant. People have obviously raved about this and I can see why. There is something so poetic about the writing. Again, I was drawn to the beautiful cover and the quality of words does not let that down. However, I have been kind of stuck on it. I just can't seem to get through it. I love the concept and I love how beautiful each sentence is but the craftsmanship of words seems to distract me from what is actually going on it the story. I've been reading this for about 10 days now and I'm only halfway through which is so unlike me. It's a shame because I really wanted to love this book! Perhaps once I have managed to finish I will see it in a different light. 

 I'd love to know what you've been reading! Let me know in the comments what your favourite read of the Summer has been so far. 

Huge Summer Clothing Haul

Having spent the last few years saving the majority of my wages for car insurance and my new guitar, it had been quite a while since I'd been able to do a big clothes shop and at least 8 months since I had bought any new clothes at all. Coming towards the end of my time at college, I felt as though I needed to give my wardrobe and my general style a bit of a refresh. 

 I was in desperate need of new jeans. I've worn nothing much other than black jeans for the last 2 years and my few pairs were looking pretty faded and sorry for themselves. But I also felt like I needed to try something new, I wanted to look different. I owned 2 jackets, my khaki coat and a black leather jacket and that was it. It really seemed as though my style needed to get it's mojo back ready for Uni in a couple of months time. 

 It took me a little while to save once I'd started at my new job; I decided to do something I hadn't done in a few years: splurge completely on myself.

 I took a trip into Cheltenham with my boyfriend with a few week's wages and I went a little crazy. It felt good and made me feel so good! I am a great believer in retail therapy. I feel it's really beneficial to your mental health to throw out old clothes and replace them with bright, new alternatives. 

 This blog post is going to be mainly pictures; I hope the blogger.com formula accommodates 
this well. 

 Our first stop was my absolute favourite clothing shop; New Look. In my opinion, it's one of the most affordable high street fashion stores that keeps up with runway styles and fashions. I knew that new jeans had to be my priority. Jeans shopping is probably the most stressful form of clothes shopping because your money never seems to go very far and it can be very tricky to get the perfect fit. I have experienced this to extremes. Before I filled out a little over the last year or so, I was so slim and short legged that the only high street brand of jeans I could fit into properly were Top Shop's pricey rage at £40-50 per pair. I knew that if I wanted to kit out my wardrobe fully, I'd have no money left at all so I gave New Look jeans another try.

 I'm so glad I did. I seem to have finally grown into myself so I could fill the fabric properly without there being meters of shriveled fabric around my ankles.

 I picked up a pair of holy grail black jeans, but then found myself being drawn to lighter fabrics. I found a really comfy pair of dark blue denim jeans for only £7.99! As well as a more pricey pair of gorgeous light blue jeans with this beautiful floral embroidery. I got 4 new pairs of jeans in total and my wardrobe already looks much brighter and I spent half as much on them as I was expecting. 

 I also felt my wardrobe was pretty limited on jackets. New Look's lovely range of rain coats had caught my eye on previous trips out and I managed to find my dream coat in the sale reduced by about £13. This lovely crisp white rain mac with blue and white stripe detail has me so excited for the autumn time. I have come to terms with the fact that I am just not a Summer person. I can imagine me walking through the University campus in this lovely jacket with a coffee in one hand and a lovely bright bag in the other. Nothing makes me happier than being able to look forward to next term. 

 I also wanted to try out a denim jacket. I haven't worn a denim jacket since I was really little. I have seen them being worn recently on other people and they just look like the perfect layer for early autumn and spring time. I knew if I invested in one now it would last so I picked up this oversize jacket. It is a few sizes too big for me, but I loved the way it looked regardless. It would look lovely over a play suit or T shirt dress as well as over my range of Jersey trousers I have collected. I'm excited to start styling this, I think it will bring something really new to my look.

 I also looked through the mid season sale in New Look and found a few lovely pieces. I knew my wardrobe lacked in some casual items such as T shirts and jumpers. I firstly stumbled upon this blue and white striped T shirt which I had at home in black. It was reduced to only £4, so I thought it was worth picking up because I absolutely love my other one. I also found this jumper in khaki green. It was 2 sizes too big in a 10, but I cannot resist the colour khaki. Although it will be big, it is so soft and I think it will be really comfy and cuddly in the coming winter months when I'm away from home.

 I also picked up these lovely floral pattern shoes in a slip on, converse style. The neutral colours make them so easy to style with any outfit and, seeing as my collection is made up of mostly heeled ankle boots, comfy flat shoes are always welcome! 

 Lastly, I couldn't resist adding a couple more mugs to my collection: this lovely cat mug to match my other and a sparkly one that reads, 'born to be a unicorn.' They were both so cute and I do love my coffee in a pretty mug in the morning!

When it comes to refreshing my style, I always want to add a few more jewelry pieces to my collection. My absolute favourite high street shop is accessorize. I have a wide range of accessorize jewelry already yet they always manage to have something new and exciting to catch my eye. I was firstly drawn to this rose gold necklace and the matching earrings. This combination will be perfect to glam up one of my simpler outfits. 

 I also managed to find my dream set of earrings. I've been trying to get old of some miniature hoop earrings for ages. I see people wearing them but I've never been able to find any nice ones in shops. When I saw this set, I couldn't resist picking them up. They come in several colours which is ideal for matching them with outfits and they're so classically simple! I'm super excited to wear these.


 Lastly, I wanted to pick up a set of rings. When I was 15, I would wear rings all the time despite not really being allowed to at school. I wanted to try and get back into wearing rings. When I saw this quirky geometric, rose gold set; I knew it was perfect for me. I don't often splurge on jewelry and it felt good to treat myself! 

 Rose Gold is definitely a trend that has stolen my heart.

Our next stop after a beautiful lunch at Bills was H&M. I absolutely love H&M for casual, comfy clothes on a budget. I managed to pick up almost as much as I did in New Look for a third of the price. 

 Firstly, I wanted some big comfy T Shirts to pair with my patterned trousers at home. I picked up one in grey and one in Khaki. These feel like such lovely quality for such a low price, I can see myself picking up a lot more once I'm living in the city! 







 I also stumbled upon a couple of midi dresses; this one blue and white striped T Shirt dress and then a more classic black bodycon dress. I loved both of these because you could easily wear them quite casually, but add heals and the right jewelry/makeup combination and you can dress them up quite a bit! 









This wasn't a planned purchase; this lovely bright striped shirt caught my eye and, although it was on the pricier side, I couldn't resist picking it up! It's quite over sized on me, but the simplicity of it is so lovely and I've never owned anything like it before. I think it would pair up really nicely with my floral jeans from New Look. 

 





















 I also picked up a couple of boxes of tights which are always handy and this set of stud earrings. You can never have too many pairs of pastel colour studs! 





 Before we headed home, we popped into WHSmiths so that I could grab Louise Pentland's debut novel and a quick Chai Latte from the Soho Coffee upstairs. As a bookstagrammer, I was a little skeptical about reading Louise's novel, having been disappointed by YouTuber books in the past. However, after reading such lovely reviews, I decided to give it a try. I also picked up The Secret History by Donna Tartt which has been on my To Be Read list for a while, and I Capture The Castle which was a random selection to fill a BOGOHP offer. 

 I always pick up a few books when I go shopping!

 I hope this post may have inspired you to refresh your look a little for the autumn time. I always feel like autumn is a kind of fresh start in a way. It feels like the beginning of a new year for me and I love to go into it with new ideas and inspiration, a new set of clothes is a lovely way to start! Enjoy the rest of your Summer and I'll be back next week with a July Book Haul!

So The Doctor is a Woman

So what?






 I'd love to leave this post like that but as you've probably guessed, I have a few things to say.

 Firstly, I can completely understand why some people might be a little apprehensive about this, because if I'm honest, I was too when this was first announced.

 My concern was with the motives behind the choice to cast a female to play the traditionally male role. My initial thoughts were as follows: providing that this plot decision and casting choice was made because that was what they believed to be best for the show, I think it could really be great; however, if they have done it simply to make a political message, it could backfire. Firstly because, if that was their motive, the quality of the show could change and suffer which would create a negative response from viewers towards this new 'female doctor.' However, if they have chosen to cast this fantastic actress because her audition was the best and the quality of the show remains at a high standard, this could be really awesome. I hope they see that nothing has to change when writing these stories. A female lead is no different to a male lead surely?

 I see why people have a problem with it because it seems so sudden and strategic. Obviously, going into the science of the show, at any point in history the Doctor could have regenerated into a woman. However, the fact that we have had 13 regenerations and never had a female makes this one stand out oddly. I think it's brilliant; but with the recent story lines involving Missy and the Master, it all seems very deliberate and unauthentic. So I can see why people who grew up with the show and hold it dear in their hearts would be a little unsure about it. But I have only one thing to say to those people...

 Get over it. 

 My problem is not with people's uncertainties, I completely get it. My problem is the way people have made such misogynistic assumptions of what the show is going to be.

 On This Morning today, 17 July 2017, they opened the show with a Dalek repeating 'exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate.' What a load of shit, for want of a better word. 

 The Doctor isn't going to be running around reapplying lipstick or fluffing her hair. Please leave in the comments any lead female roles in TV or Film where this has been the case? Katniss Everdeen? Miss Marple? Hermione Granger? 

 People have gone as far as to say that they will never watch the show again. They wont even give the female lead a chance. 

 Over the years Doctor Who has slowly escape its subtly sexist formula of having a male lead and a female counterpart as a dependent love interest and with companions such as Donner and Bill, women have become a stronger and stronger part of the show. But suddenly, if the roles are switched, people don't like that. I am struggling to understand why. 

 We have had 12 white males play the Doctor. Let someone else have a chance.

 I hope that the writers do this change justice and give us a powerful female lead and good story lines to support it. I'm glad that there's a completely new dynamic to work with. 

 I just pray that the misogynists with a problem don't ruin it for Jodie. She will always be the First Female Doctor, give her a chance and give this a chance to be something great rather that tearing it down before it's even started. 

 This next season might flop, it could be one of the worst Doctor Who seasons. But lets consider the fact that we have a new writer, the views have been dropping for years, there will be a new companion this season. So many factors are changing. If the next season is unsuccessful, there will be more to it than the fact that the new Doctor is female. If you ask me, a Doctor with a female body is the least substantial threat the show has currently. 

 As a girl who grew up watching Doctor Who, my inner 7 year old watching David Tennant and playing with action figure monsters is so excited that a girl could play the Doctor. Let us enjoy it. I wish I hadn't had to write this at all, I wish a woman could be cast and that be celebrated rather than threatened. I guess there's still a long way to go. 

 I'll end this by asking you to just watch Jodie's first episode, and if you hate it fine. But don't rule the show out simply because 'she's a woman,' 

 We deserve better than that.

Into The Water by Paula Hawkins // Review

It is a rare thing for me to dedicate an entire week's blog post to one book. Usually I would wait until the end of a month and do a monthly round-up, but this one needed it's own post. 

 When you read as much as I do, it's hard to narrow down your favourite books. The ones I have loved the most have ended up as blog titles: All The Light We Cannot See and The Night Circus for example. Having recently finished Into the Water, I knew this was going to be one of those books. 

 I fell in love with Paula Hawkins' writing last summer when I completed The Girl on the Train in a couple of days. Into the Woods not only followed in its footsteps, but exceeded my expectations dramatically. 

 It ticks all the boxes. 

 The story line is captivating. I couldn't put the book down and that's such a cliche, but it's true. I sometimes struggle to read for hours at a time; I end up falling asleep or drifting off in some other way. Not with this book. I just wanted to know what happened the entire time. Every single page of this book has vital information for the ending and thus is demands your attention in the most wonderful way. 

 I loved the story. It was everything I could want in a book; history, mystery, thrills. Not only that but the writing style is so magically crafted. 

You follow the perspectives of several different characters and with that comes a massive struggle for a writer; that is to make the narrative voice for each character different to provide some contrast. The reader needs to be able to distinguish the difference in characters. In this novel, Hawkins defeats this challenge in a very ambitious way. She explores every single person: first, second and third. Also, she shifts between past tense by giving insight into the dead characters writing project and thus, you hear the dead girl's voice as well. 

 As a writer, this book has really inspired me to test myself. 

 This book is very different to The Girl on the Train which can fall into the generic plot of a thriller. Into the Water is like nothing I have read before or probably will again. It's one of those books that will leave you stumped as to what to read next because it was just too good. 

 Please take the time to read it if you can, you'll love it! 

 See you next week. 

I Wasn't Sure What To Write About This Week

Isn't it funny how we tend to jinx ourselves by looking forward to things? It's life's cruelest sense of irony that excitement ultimately leads to disappointment. We build things up in our minds to such levels of perfection that reality's result can only be inadequate. 

 I think I've done this to myself in every aspect of my life at the minute. 

Our new house was meant to be this wonderful palace of freedom and contentment. Instead I feel trapped in this tiny village, excluded from my friends and forgotten. I'm pushed into a box room of self reflection without much good to reflect on. 

My post A Level summer was meant to be memorable and full of amazing experiences. I was going to have a lovely holiday, hang out with friends, read so many books. Instead I have no money, I cannot travel to see any friends, I cannot pay for a day out let alone a holiday. So instead I'll sit at home alone and look at everyone else's amazing summer on Instagram.

I was going to save so much money over the next three years by studying at home in my awesome, quirky new room that was going to be decorated with my favourite quotes and aspirations. Instead I cannot stand my home so much that I'm going to be thrust into whatever student halls they have left over-

 I am running out of things to write about because, honestly, there's not a lot going on at the moment. I am not sure why the handful of you read this blog, but I can only apologise for this week's lack of optimism. Things just haven't gone the way I planned. 

 I'm a little lonely, I don't really have any girlfriends I can hangout with. In fact I don't remember the last time I had any proper girl time. I haven't even got a sufficient job to go to yet, although I hopefully will start one tomorrow. Without much to do, there isn't much to stimulate thought.

 I'm currently reading another Agatha Christie and I have loads more books to get through but, right now, even reading can't make this sense of nothing go away. 

 I've been very aware the last few years of how much 'teenager stuff' I have missed out on due to the fact I struggle with socialising. I feel like this summer will be the pinnacle of missed opportunities so I hope you can forgive me for being ultimately miserable. 

 I'll try and find a good book to review for next week.