Why Are Smock Dresses Your Friend?

Hey readers,

I hope you're doing well. So, today's post is based on quite possibly my new favourite thing ; smock dresses. For those of you that don't know, a smock dress is a shapeless dress which flows and doesn't show off curves at all. Some of you might be gasping in horror, silently yelling at me for proposing such a ludicrous idea - but hear me out.
  I totally get that sometimes you do want to flaunt your figure, but that doesn't mean there aren't  times when you just want to walk out in what I call potato sack couture. For example, if you are someone that bloats easily after a meal (it's nothing to be ashamed of, I happen to be a prime suspect myself,) then a smock dress is just perfect. You can eat to your hearts content, whilst still maintaining a sleek, stylish look and not a miniture food baby (though, who knows? Maybe one day it'll be a trend,).
  For me, smock dresses are my ultimate 'BFF' whenever I enter a buffet. I'm a self confessed foodie, and when I see food, I eat it. Unless it's spinach. I will not eat spinach. Okay, that's a lie - let me rephrase that. I will not eat spinach, unless my mother is around, because jeez that woman can be forceful *shudders*. I digress. What i'm trying to say is that i'm one of those people that literally go to town when I enter a resturaunt. My motto is something along the lines of 'eat as much as possible so you don't regret not eating something in the morning' and also 'make the most of not eating you mother's cooking'. Oops, let's just wait for my mum to come raging from downstairs, shall we? I'm joking, she's great at cooking - but baking is another story. However, my first motto is 100% true.
  It is for that reason that I am known for stuffing myself at any chance I get at a resturaunt but this is often paired with a problem I mentioned earlier ; food babies. With the joy of eating, comes the fear of that tiny little bloat. The dress that fit you perfectly when you left the house is now stretched to reveal an obvious bloat. Yet this can be avoided with the trusty smock dress. If you know that you're going to be eating a jolly good amount, and you are cursed with the quick bloating - then try one of these beauties. Trust me, it's a life saver.

You can buy smock dresses from pretty much anywhere. My ultimate favourite smock dress (which I sadly don't have a picture of) was from River Island.

Anyway, that's all for now -I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you have any cute pictures of smock dresses, feel free to send them!

Bye :)

p.s They are also GREAT for twirling around like a princess. 10/10.

Holiday Haul ; Topshop, New Look , H&M... ASDA

Hey guys!

I know, I know. It's been awhile, but alas I have picked up my laptop once more and i'm back with... you guessed it (let's hope, as it is in the title of today's post,)... A HAUL! Yup, i've gone shopping recently, and when do I ever go clothes shopping without blogging about it? I'm going on holiday next week, to the lovely place such as Cornwall. As a self proclaimed shopaholic, I saw this as the perfect time to perhaps bring out the £20 note i'd saved from Christmas (though, i'll admit - my mum did buy a couple of these clothes for me, but let's forget about that for now,) and to spend it on some new wardrobe goodies! 
  The first thing I bought was this really pretty sun hat from H&M for £9.99. I've really wanted a floppy sun hat for ages now and I thought it'd be really useful for the holiday (that an the urge to splurge!) due to the lovely weather that we've been recieving recently. I chose a rather neutral colour instead of the other black hat, as I felt it looked more summery and went with more of the clothes I owned. It just looked alot brighter and happier, though i'd definitely consider wearing the black one in Winter. I've always thought that adding a hat (fedora , floppy etc.) to an outfit makes it look so much more stylish, no matter what you're wearing - and now I can say that i'm an owner of one!
  The next thing I bought from H&M, for £14.99, was a black swimsuit (or anything really, romper etc...) throwover. I know the photos don't reveal much when it comes to this piece, but it's so hard trying to take a snap of an item of clothing when you're not wearing it, so I hope you all understand. For now, i'll do my best to describe it. The throw over was yet another type of clothing that i'd wanted for awhile, but i'd never had an excuse to buy one - until now! It's a simple piece, that's plain black. The details at the hem of the sleeves and the ends of the fabric are beautiful, and give a real... 'Coachella' feel to it. I got this is the large size, just because i'm a sucker for oversized things and I thought it's nice to just throw over any summer outfit/swimsuit and isn't one of those clothes that needs to fit you to the T (and i'm fairly tall, so it wouldn't swallow me up as I know it would do to some others, so whatever you feel comfy with)
  Next up, was this lovely dress from New Look. Now, here's a small confession. Whilst I absolutely adore dresses, i'm incredibly picky when it comes to them. The first stage of choosing is to actually like the piece, and can I just shoutout New Look right now? They have some pretty awesome dresses in stock right now, so if you're free do go check them out! The second stage is liking how it looks on me. And i'll be honest with you (as we're already in the midst of a confession) i've hit a bit of a low in terms of self confidence recently, so this has heightened my pickiness when it comes to dresses. This dress was so pretty, but I was so scared of not being able to pull it off - but I was actually really happy with how it looked, It was £24 - but I love it an awful lot, and feel reallt good wearing it.
  We're nearing the end of this haul now, and the next thing up is this gorgeous swimsuit from... Asda. Yes, I know - not as fancy as some of the other shops, but by no means does that weaken my love for this buy. I needed a new swimsuit, as my old one had gone a bit awol. I didn't really expect to find anything in Asda. We'd gone to do the food shopping, but I thought 'Why not?' and was really happy with the outcome. The swimsuit is very simple, with lovely patterns on it - but not in a clustered way. I think it's super cute and feminine with it's little ruffled 'skirt' below the waist, and I just really love it. I believe it was £14, which is a total bargain (considering River Island were selling ones far more expensive). Really pleased with this purchase.
  Finally, we have my prized purchase. The one that I have highly anticipated to write about. My new Topshop jeans! These feature the ever so popular embroidered design, which I am so in love with. Funny story, actually (false alarm, it's not that funny), but i'd fallen in love with this 'embriodered craze' way before it became one. I know, I sound like i'm trying to justify myself for joining the band wagon - but i'm being serious. I'd seen a pair of jeans like this (they have the design of jackets, skirts etc.) and instantly knew I wanted one. Soon enough, they were the new trend - and I was yet to get myself a pair. However, going into Topshop I saw this lovely speciman of jeans and my mum (being the gem that she is) said she'd buy them for me as a treat! And so, here comes the hard bit... breaking the price out to you all. The jeans were a whopping £65, which is insane , but I know i'll wear them often so I consider it as a good investment. I'll admit, initially I was really skeptical over the tassles - but they've sort of grown on me. 
  So, that's it everybody. That's my Cornwall Holiday Haul! I hope you enjoyed reading, and feel free to let me know any other cute holiday pieces you've bought over the years. 

Byeeee :)
  

  

Primark Pyjama Haul (Disney Edition)

Hello! 

So it's me again (well duh , who else would it be ?) and i'm back with something very exciting. It's a ....PRIMARK HAUL! And not just any old Primark haul (though those are lovely too!) , this one is specifically catered to the beauties that are pyjamas. I think it's a well known fact that Primark do great when it comes to jammies and today I did a cheeky, little splurge . To some of you , this may barely scrape up to your idea of a haul - and to others this could be plenty, but I simply bought a few things that I liked the look of and I am now sharing them with you :)

 Okay , so first up I bought this super cute Bambi pyjama top which was selling for £6. Personally , I thought this was a right bargain - the fabric is super soft and I love love love the design - who doesn't love Bambi? When I went into the shop , and then sped over to the pyjama section- this instantly caught my eye and i'm so glad I made this purchase. I know that they're matching pyjama bottoms - but I couldn't spot them , and I think because of the simplistic colour it could go with most designs (though , I am known for mixing and matching when it comes to sleepwear!)

 The next thing I bought was this 'Little Mermaid' pyjama set , selling for £10, - which again, I really really love (but I suppose you'd have to if you buy it?). 'Ariel' is my favourite classic disney princess and I just love everything about this pyjama set , because yes - I am a mermaid , and now everyone can know it. I also love how the pyjama bottoms are scales - because (and i'm not sure whether this is purposefully made decision in the design department) it makes you look as if you have a mermaid tale! Also it has a bow , and who doesnt love a good bow?

 Speaking of bows , the next pyjama set I purchased was none other than a Minnie Mouse themed one , and we all know that this lil' mouse is the QUEEN of bows. I really liked the colour scheme of this set and I thought it just looked really cute in general. They look super duper comfy , and like the others - they are INSANELY soft. These were selling for £10 too , and I think they were definitely worth the money.

Finally , I have - quite possibly- my favourite purchase out of all these pyjamas. I'm not sure if you can tell from the picture - but these jammies are FLUFFY. Sorry , I felt the need to caps lock that , since it is very important.The minute I picked these up , I wanted to change into them - my gosh are these soft , fuzzy/fluffy. It's like a lamb and a teddy bear had a baby together and named them Primark Thumper pyjamas.It was a challenge (well , not a challenge - but not as easy as picking one at random) getting one in the size I preferred. I say size I prefer , since whilst I may fit into a small set , I like to get my pyjamas extra baggy so they're super comfy and snugly. At least that's what I tell myself.  These were £11 , and once again - they are SO worth it. That's only £1 more than the pyjama sets - and it's literally a fluffy princess. The top is long sleeved , so I think these are PERFECT for cold winter nights (like tonight , actually. Hee hee,)

I hope you all enjoyed this post , and if you go pyjama shopping in Primark anytime soon - send me a pic of what you purchased , we could be long distance pyjama buds ! Also , Merry Christmas ! I hope you all have a lovely one :)

Bye!

The Need To Knows On Exams (The Musical Kind!)

Hey!

Yes, I'm posting on a day that isn't months after my last - shocker. Well , my reason is that I had something that I really wanted to share with you all , in hope of possibly helping some of you.

Yesterday , I had my Grade 4 Musical Theatre exam - and I was terrified. I had to sing 2 songs , act out a monologue & then perform a 'movement piece' (basically just dancing!).

For starters , i'd never sung on my own in front of anyone (apart from my parents)  , and it was something I had vowed to never do. It just seemed so intimidaing - and when I first got news of this exam , I nearly quit my stage school , for fear of having to sing alone!

You must be wondering why I went to a stage school if I can't even sing on my own , and honestly I don't know myself! My parents knew I loved acting , and dancing etc. and so they sent me there , in hope that it would build up my confidence. And it did , I became far more carefree and confident - I definitely went out of my comfort zone !

Yet , I still couldn't bring myself to sing in front of an audience. I always hid behind other people & avoided solos like they were the flu!

I'm being serious when I say that I nearly quit - I was absolutely horrified at the prospect of having to finally sing alone. But , after weeks of thorough consideration - I decided to stay , and to face my fears. I'm so glad that  did . I already feel far more confident , and everybody that's heard me sing have all said that I had nothing to be so scared about & that they wondered why I had hidden my voice for so long.

But then my exam came , and along came the jittery nerves. I mean, I was facing a huge fear of mine - and then being assessed on it. People couldn't say the ol' 'At least no one is judging you,' saying , because they were !

After rehearsing my exam , and feeling slightly more assured of myself (despite  realising that they'd cut a whole chunk out of one of my songs and then having to quickly re-adjust) , it was time for me to go in.

I think , more than the actual performing aspect, I was nervous about the introductions and questions. They're the things that you simply can't practice. I had been told different things from all of the instructors and I felt incredibly flustered , but I went in - and the examiner was lovely.

Turns out , I didn't really have to introduce anything (or I did , and I just didn't - but I really hope it was the first thing!). The examiner asked me what my first song was , and I replied with an awkward ,
''Diamonds Are A Girls' Best Friend .'' ,

And then  I was left wondering whether I should add in the production it was from , and the date etc. for another two minutes! She then asked me for my next song , 'movement piece' music , and what I was acting.

So, I started singing my first song. Everything was going smoothly and I was slowly slipping into the whole 'enjoyment factor' of perfroming . And then it all stopped.

Halfway through the song , the track stopped and switched to some other random upbeat song , and I literally froze. I had no clue what to do , the person in charge of playing the music quickly put it back , and after a few moments of trying to find my place back in the music , I continued .

After a few more lines of singing , the track changed again - and this time , when the guy tried to change it back , it said it was a corrupted file. I was mortified. I wanted to burst into tears and just run out of the room.

But instead , the examiner asked if i'd like to do my next song , and I continued.

The rest of the exam went along without a hitch , but the whole way through I kept thinking of that musical disaster.

I just felt so unbelievably disappointed , and I felt that I had ruined everything. I thought that they'd mark me down since I had only sung half of the song , so I hadn't met the full requirement. I thought of how awkward I felt finding my place in the music , and whether I had sung the right things. I wondered whether i'd still get the Distinction that I wanted really badly. It was just an overall , really bad feeling and I wanted to have a good old sob , right there.

When the questions came , I answered them all confidently - and I don't think , had you been there , you would've realised that i'd had a technical problem earlier. However , the little issue had made all my exam anxieties sky rocket , and I kept over thinking everything I said.

After the exam was over , the guy in charge of the music apologised - and I did my utmost to assure him that it was fine , without crying.

I then went downstairs , and after getting one glimpse of my mum - and her asking how it went , I cracked. I started sobbing , and telling her everything in those broken sentences that you tend to speak in when you're upset.

I ran into one of my friends who had just done her exam , and she was so lovely and was really concerned - but I said that everything was alright and that it was just a little technical issue. It was so upsetting and I really didn't want to cry - and everyone in the room was staring at me with pitiful looks and I just wanted to run away.

Upon reaching home , my parents comforted me and told me that the examiner wouldn't mark me down since the incident wasn't my fault. They said that if anything , I'd score higher - since I continued and the rest of my exam went smoothly.

When my stage school friends asked how my exam went , over the Whatsapp chat we'd made , I confessed and told them everything and that I felt extremely disheartened. All their replies were so comforting and I now feel alot better about how it went.

They seemed to care more than my close school friends , who just blatantly changed the topic to one of their crush dilemmas - but oh well. I'm sure it wasnt intentional (aha , bit of passive aggression there , teehee!)

And so , here I am. Having survived the horror that was my Grade 4 Musical Theatre exam , and i'm okay.

I realised that I wanted to share this , since I know that exams can be petrifying - especially if you're facing one of your fears whilst you're at it. And I know that sometimes it can be beyond frustrating when your venting out your nerves and pacing etc. and the only response you get is 'You'll be fine,'.

You simply want to scream , 'What if i'm not , huh?!' .

The truth is , once you step in the exam room - you have no control over the technical things. You have no control over the examiner's inner emotions. But you do have control over your performance , and the way you deal with all these obstacles thrown at you. And as long as you go in , with a confident smile and you've practiced to your heart's content , you'll be absolutely , postively smashing (because we hate the 'fine' word!)

                                         

My Trip To Rome : Sights/Recommendations

Holaaa ! (yes , i'm aware that 'Hola' is Spanish , not Italian)

So , i've recently been to Rome (half term holidays , say what?) I've actaully attached some photos , so you can all skim through those before I go into all the 'Rome-y details'. And also , I've realised that i've uploaded 3 posts today (including this one) - so consider it as an apology for going on a random hiatus.

Trevi Fountain

Vendi , a lovely ice-cream/crepe place.

Chocolate fountain in Vendi.

Part of the Hotel we stayed in. This is where we had breakfast/tea.

Inside St. John Lateran Cathedral.

Outside of St. John Lateran Cathedral.

Area near our Hotel.

Random pic of the streets of Rome.

Okay , so let's start from the top( not of the photos , but the holiday). So , the hotel I stayed in was called Hotel Madrid. Yes , it's an odd name for a Hotel in Rome - but that's what it was called & I really loved it. The room was clean and over looked the streets in Rome ( you can actually see the view in one the pictures above , guess which one!). It was such a rustic-ly perfect hotel , and despite it being slap bang in the middle of Rome - it wasn't overly crowded. I don't how to explain it ? You could walk to tour bus stops , and there were loads of shops here and there. 

Let me think - the area we were staying was surronded by resturaunts and small , quaint shops and when you kept walking - you'd eventually come out of the quiet bubble and go into the crowded part of the city which was crammed with high end shops like Dior , or Gucci. In the pictures above there are 2 pics of this ice-cream/crepe place called Vendi. It was insanely crowded - but the crepes + ice-cream were DELISH. The picture just above this chunk of text is a pic of the busy streets (though it doesn't look as busy as it was!).

I also inserted a picture of part of the hotel where we ate. Now , I think it only served breakfast and tea - but i'm not entirely sure - my family and I only stayed for breakfast. The first time we entered , it was 'Tea time' , so we ate then - but apart from that it was just breakfast.

It was such a cute area - I absolutely loved it. It was always bright and felt so cozy! The breakfast served were many types of croissants and fruit. They also served egg , sausages etc. but they all had an Italian twist to them. I usually stuck to the pana chocolate - and they were incredible! They also served hot drinks and juice. I always got the hot chocolate & they'd put a smiley face on the top !

Sights that we went to see were the Pantheon , Colosseum , St. John Lateran Church + Vatican City. I also went on this tour bus around most of Rome - and took loads of pics (but I didn't want to overly spam you all!). My dad bought something called the 'Omni Pass' which despite being really expensive (100 euros each!) , it let us cut across all of the queues to the main attractions which proved to be insanely helpful! Especially if you're only there for a few days. 

Trevi Fountain was a walkable distance from the hotel , as well as the Spanish Steps (again, why are they called Spanish Steps?). Both were marvellous - and we actaully saw someone getting married at the Spanish Steps , she looked beautiful & my mum wanted to take a picture - but I had to hold her back. Gosh , mums these days - am I right? Trevi Fountain was amazing too - and it was in the evening , it looked so beautiful & my mum actually took this really cute candid of me looking at the fountain :)

The resturaunts that we went to were all splendid - the pizza in the first place we went to ( something called Osteria Della Vite) served the most delicious pizza - making Dominoes look bad (I know , that's near to impossible) Like I mentioned before , there were loads of resturaunts local to the hotel (Osteria Della Vite was one of them -  El Ristoraunte 34 was also fantastic!). My advice would be to try as much native food as you can (if you are going to Rome!) . It's not everyday you're in a place surrounded by lovely food and culture - make the most of it!

One thing i'd like to say about Rome is that it is notorious for pick pockets. In fact , when we were at the Colosseum - there was a chase for some wallet theft. We got to speak to the wife of the person who it had been stolen from (her daughter and him were chasing after it) and she was saying how it's happened before etc. Very dramatic .

If you are going to Rome soon , do be careful , and keep all your valuables safe- and next to you at all times. Even in the hotel , keep them hidden. We didn't have any problems with the staff , they were lovely - but don't take your chances!

I hope you enjoyed this brief re-cap of my holiday in Rome - I truly enjoyed it. My friend actually went at the same time as me - and we some how managed to bump into each other ! She was heading to the Pantheon , and since our hotel was close by - we were passing it etc.

If any of you have been to Rome before or if you are going - leave a quick comment telling me about it! I'd love to hear about all your experiences ;)

Ciao xx

Moving House : The In's & Out's :)

Hey,

I'm so sorry for being irritatingly inactive - I have a bunch of exams coming up and i've been non-stop studying. I hope you can forgive me :)

Recently , I moved house and it was really hard to say goodbye to my old one - considering that i'd lived in the other one for a good 4 years and made many of my core memories there. I had my first period in that house , I got accepted into the school I really wanted to go to - in that house. I've had some of the best sleepovers ever in that house. But now I don't live there anymore :/

I know moving house is a universally tough challenge. Some people don't mid it , but others (like myself ) do.

Facts about the new house :

• It has a conservatory- my old house didn't.
• I get my own personal bathroom.
• There is a mini shed in the garden for me to make into a future clubhouse.
• I'm getting a loft bed.
• The showers are a bit dodgy at the moment.

Most of those things are good - and they do make me excited for this new move , and I think it's important to have those things when you're moving. Little things to look forward to. I'm going to be decorating my room to what I consider ' comfy , cozy and cute' perfection . 

I think that's the main exciting thing about this - redecorating. It's something I really love doing , and i'm excited for eventually showing my friends.

However , there is alot to get used to. For starters , transport to school and extra curricular clubs. My room has down sized too - so I need new places for my things etc. 

Initially I wasn't too pleased about the size of my room, but I decided to look on the positive side and make it more cozy. I'll have my own work space & won't have to study in the cramped study room with papers spilling out from almost every nook & cranny!

But anyway , have any of you guys moved house recently? I know this wasn't really a helpful post - more of a life update , but maybe i'll do a post in the futrue of decorating? I already have made this cute 'Chanel' (the logo printed on paper and stuck to a glass wine bottle) vase with this fake , pastel flower placed inside. It looks cute ;) 

Anyway , Ciao !

   Bye xx

10 Things That Will Make You : Smile/Giggle/Roll On The Floor Laughing #Mission Positivity

Hey!

This post has a really long title , but I felt that this post was long title worthy so that is why the long title is staying ! Recently , i've been feeling a bit down . I guess it's down to alot of things really , such as friendships , family , self-esteem etc. I feel everybody has those kind of days , when they don't want  to wake up , instead they just want to sleep and eat food and to forget about their problems completely (actually i'm guilty for wishing for that all the time !) However , that's not an option , and I know how it feels to have to survive an awful day and pretend that everything's fine , even when that one girl who you absolutely despise keeps getting in the way of things , or you have to go through an hour of your least favourite lesson & you're just there like 'why!?' So , as a little present for you all - here's a post to make you :

a) Smile
b)Giggle
c)Roll On The Floor Laughing ( if you are prone to this , I advise you to not sit on a chair )

*Yes I totally just spammed ya'll with happy photos*

And yes , i've added a sneaky '#' into the title , and even though 'Mission Positivity' is probably the least original/interesting name ever , it'll have to do . So , let the random facts + stories begin ...

1. Cute Quote ( because what positive post doesn't start with one of these ?!) : 'It's alright to be a glowstick - sometimes you have to break before you shine '
2. Grandma Joke ; 

Me : What do you call a cow that plays a musical instrument ?

You: I don't know ...

Me: A MOO- SICIAN ! *bursts into hysterics/yes I laugh at my own jokes - ha*

You: *insert your reaction*

3. Have you seen that video of the baby panda sneezing? If you haven't - go watch it , and if you have - just watch it again !

4. Pamper evenings. So , i'm the worst at these , there is always something that goes wrong - but oh my lord are they the best. Treat yourself to a lil' bit of Lush - lounge around in your fluffy onesie and binge watch some Disney classics. Do anything that makes you forget about those 'urgh' problems.

5. Jam sessions. No , I don't mean stuffing yourself with strawberry jam or nutella (though that does work too). I mean playing some feel good music out loud and just dancing. For me , I love jamming to Taylor Swift - but 'Hey Mickey' is also a go to one. Sometimes just playing that Christmas album hiding at the back of your shelves does the trick too!

6. Remember , there are SO many other people going through what you're feeling too. I know loads of people say this - but I don't think many people truly acknowledge it x

7. If things ever feel like too much , look through old photo albums. Nostalgia is good for you , and whilst you're in this mini pamper bubble - it's alright to have those reminiscing moments :)

8. Watch re-runs of your fav. T.V show , or just that next episode which you've been waiting to watch but never had the time. I always find watching other people - whether it's things the Great British Bake Off/The Apprentice or some Disney Channel show (like the Lodge - season finale next week , Am I right !?)- really soothing , because you're forgetting your life for a bit and going into their's :)

9. De- clutter your room! Personally , I love a bit of re-decorating. I have a scrap book just for new ideas and i'm an avid Pinterest user.

10. Finally , i'd say baking. Baking is one of my biggest stress reliefs. I got into it by doing some citizenship award & it has really stuck for me :) I know Taylor Swift bakes alot too , and she's my utmost idol. Sometimes , I like watching other people bake. On youtube my top recommends would be : Rosanna Pansino (she's so lovely , and the cakes she makes are so beautiful!) , How To Cook That (again , her cakes just look WOW!) , Zoella (she's just so lovely , and has a real 'feel good' vibe to her videos) , and finally - Tanya Burr. I know Tanya loves baking, and I love that she always talks about anything in her videos - so you literally feel that you're in the room with her. She's purr-fect !

There you go guys , I hope you enjoyed this. And if you are having a bad day , always remember that a good one will come around soon. It may not seem like it , but one day it will seem SO insignificant - you won't even remember it.

Love you guys ,

         Bye !