SIX WAYS TO HAPPINESS.

This past year has taught me a lot about myself and has made me grow massively as a person. Things have been far from easy, but one thing for sure is that I have really learnt to appreciate the things that matter most in life. Simple pleasures rather than the bigger, more materialistic things that deep down we all want to get our hands on…but do they actually make you truly happy? When I first moved to London, I couldn’t wait to get involved in everything the city had to offer, to eat out in all the fancy restaurants, go out partying every night and of course, being obsessed with fashion I wanted to buy EVERYTHING the magical world of Oxford Street had to offer. The reality was a little different, money has been ridiculously tight and I have had to find happiness elsewhere.

When you are living on a shoestring, settling in to a new environment, missing friends and family from home, battling fatigue and putting up with the stresses of a job, it can be hard to stay positive (there have been many tears along the way). So I have come up with a list of a few things that have kept me feeling happy through my journey over the last 12 months, take a read if you will, you never know maybe they will inspire you to change the way you think too.

1. Probably a little obvious, but family and friends are everything. I have always been a family girl, but this year especially I have truly valued the constant love and support from the people that know me best. Picking up the phone and having a chat with a special relative can turn a bad day in to a good’un or a cuddle with your boyfriend whilst watching rubbish t.v…these are the moments that are special. I have learnt a lot about people recently and feel like I know exactly who my true friends are. Stop caring about what people think, especially if they clearly don’t care about you…this was (and maybe still is) one of my biggest hang ups; but knowing who you can rely on makes everything easier.

2. Eating Healthy and staying fit. I have really taken pride in making sure to look after my body this year, a lot of things that happen in day-to-day life are out of our direct control, but looking after yourself is something that we can all easily be in charge of. I have religiously been going to the gym, working out and eating a balanced healthy diet for a long while now and I can honestly say I have never felt better. Exercise gives me a chance to empty my mind of London stresses and to just focus on myself, when you start to see the difference; not only physically but mentally too…it becomes seriously addictive.

3. Find something you love doing and do it as often as you can. This kind of ties in with the above, but since moving to Watford I wanted to find a way of getting to know new people and I happened to try out a Zumba class. I was instantly in love…I haven’t been this obsessed with something since I had to stop dancing and since that first class, it has been the highlight of my week, every week. Not only do I get to express myself through movement once more, but also I have made some fantastic new friends, who without Zumba our paths would never have crossed. Zumba is without doubt my happy space and if you can find something similar, I promise you it will only lead to positive vibes.

4. Laugh. Now I have always been a bit of a smiler, but this year has definitely tested my strength and I am sure if you were to ask my boyfriend he would tell you of all the stress and tears. But I like to think I have still maintained my lighthearted nature, both in work and in my spare time. Laughter really is the best medicine, not only does it release endorphins that will naturally make you feel good, but there is nothing better than sharing a moment of laughter with someone; being able to laugh at myself is something I pride myself on. Life is too short to take yourself seriously, embrace your own stupidity and not only will it make others laugh but I guarantee you will feel good too.

5. Find happiness through other peoples happiness. I know this sounds a bit cheesy, but not being able to get that materialistic happiness boost from purchasing a new pair of shoes, has made me appreciate ACTUAL happiness. I love nothing more than doing small gestures of good will to brighten someone’s day, whether it be just wishing a stranger a good day or buying your friend a bar of chocolate, making other people smile is a super easy way to feel positive.

6. Leave your work at the front door! Something that I am still learning, but it is definitely the most important point of all. No matter how stressful your day has been or how long your to-do list is (mine is honestly never ending), as soon as you leave the office and get off the train FORGET ABOUT IT (until the next morning at least) and focus on relaxing. Clearing your mind of work and having some time to just be "you" is the easiest way to keep a positive mentality…easier said than done, but work on it and everything will seem better.

So there you have it, 6 small pointers that have kept me feeling happy and positive over the last year. Not everything revolves around how much money you have, finding “a happy place” through your day to day actions will show you how strong a person you really are. Have a positive week everyone and remember to spread the love!

Create Your Perfect Pastel Palette.

It’s been a long while, a very long while. For the past year I have been completely sucked up in to the whirlwind that is my new life in London. When people said that starting out in the city was hard…they weren’t lying. No money, temptation everywhere you look, ridiculously long hours in the office (I’m considering setting up camp) and not to forget the dreaded commute. But here I am putting pen to paper (well fingers to keyboard) and writing again, because quite frankly I miss it…a lot.

I could write about all the crazy things that have happened in the last 12 months, because trust me – a lot has happened, but instead I want to share with you a trend that has caught my eye and get back to what inspired me to start writing in the first place, all those years ago.

For those of you that know me well enough, you will know that in the colour spectrum black to white, I will always veer towards the darker shades. Despite loving a bold pattern (when looking at my wardrobe from a far, it looks like a unicorn has thrown up on it) black is my go to colour, a trustworthy fashion favourite that can really make an outfit pop; but this Spring something has changed. White is EVERYWHERE and dare I say it, it’s sucked me right in; I don’t think I will ever fully make the transition to the Brightside, but for now, consider me converted.

With this in mind, as the new season stock enters the high street ready for the Summer months, a trend that has already caught my eye goes by the name of “Mixed Pastels”. I know, I know, I am sure you are thinking sickly sweet ice cream shades…been there, done that, but this year it’s a little different and certainly more grown up. This trend is not your average Cornetto but more an expensive Italian Gelato, trust me, it works.

For SS15 it is all about subtly mixing your favourite pastels and off setting them with a hint of “tan”. No I don’t mean you actually need to get a tan (good job, as for me that’s looking almost impossible this year) but instead picture your favourite sugary shades – think mint greens, powder pinks and sky blues, contrasted with tan suede shorts…maybe even some wooden platforms. Dare I say it, but it almost has a Scandinavian vibe. Why the fear surrounding the Scandi word I hear you ask? This trend has been thrown around the Urban office for what feels like forever, so much so that we are all sick of it – It’s like word vomit. But no matter how hard we try to escape it, we are all guilty of falling back in to the minimalistic trap and just keep coming back for more. I am sure you will agree it is undeniably beautiful.

Chloe SS15 Pastel Collecion 

Anyway, back to the point. If you are looking for an ultra feminine Spring transitional trend, then look no further. Sugary shades are combined with flowing fabrics, texture and layers to provide you with a refreshingly grown up, holiday style. I am especially in love with Chloe’s Spring/Summer collection and can’t get enough of their delicate lace work. Sheer fabrics and cut out silhouettes give this otherwise youthful trend a strictly “18+” rating, catapulting the new Pastel palette from Girlie to Lady-like.

For a slightly edgier look, try introducing fancy finishes to your outfit in the form of tassel’s and fringing. There has been a DEFINITE obsession with the Wild West in almost all high street stores recently and I for one am a huge fan…certainly something that I want to try and get more of in to my own wardrobe and this seems to be the perfect excuse. If like me you have a fear of looking TOO feminine (is that a thing? I dunno) give your pastels and frills a little kick by throwing in some Cowboy winged sleeves, maybe even the boots to match if you are feeling brave enough. The only rule is that it must be tan…for once, no black is allowed.

Other than that, the pastel world is your oyster or should I say Ice Cream Parlour. Remember to mix your shades, the more the merrier and to over exaggerate your textures…when and IF I ever come in to some money, I will be encouraging myself to explore this sugar coated world and who knows maybe even ditch the black skinnies for good (yer right!).

Happy Pastel mixing everyone!

Back In The Game.

Oh wow, hello strangers. I’m finally putting pen to paper (I hand write all my articles before typing them up…call me old fashioned) and getting to grips again with my own blog. It’s been so long, that I have almost forgotten how to talk about myself. Almost.

Where have I been hiding? I hear you ask. And the honest answer is nowhere particularly exciting, these past few months I have spent getting to grips with the fact that I currently work full time within retail, I am officially a slave to H&M, trying desperately hard to save enough money to move comfortably to London (or somewhere around there), where hopefully I will be living the dream that I have spent SO long fantasising about.

I must admit, there have been times where it seems out of reach, but thanks to a pep talk from a certain special Afro, I am feeling more motivated than ever and am finally ready to get the ball rolling.

OBSERVATION NO.1: Flats are bloody expensive in the big city.

First Day Nerves

I last left off telling you all about an internship I was soon to be doing at LOOK Magazine…I know I am a little late, but I feel it only right to share a few snippits of my experience with everyone.

Firstly, I must point out and strongly emphasise that my time with the mag was the highlight of my 2013. There has been a lot of negative press recently surrounding placements and the fact that they are often unpaid. I fully agree that this is an unrealistic expectation money wise for most (working for free in the most expensive area of the UK is certainly a challenge), not only this but often companies want you to work (unpaid) for extensive periods of time which again, unless you are a millionaire, isn’t feasible. It would be more reassuring if it was confirmed that after serving your time as an intern, a job within the industry was yours for the taking; but the truth of the matter is that you could essentially be a slave to fashion for years before getting hired.

Having said all this and resigning myself to the fact that getting to where I want to be isn’t going to be easy, my time at LOOK Magazine proved to be more beneficial than I ever imagined.

My FIRST ever published advertorial!

The fashion team were incredible and really made you feel like a valued member of the magazine. Naturally, doing the typical intern job of “returns” was involved, which I actually grew to really enjoy, as it was a chance to nose at the latest high street must haves (and dance to the radio with the other interns). But there were also many rewarding highlights, such as assisting on photoshoots…a definite fave for me, as you got to help and observe the stylists putting the outfits together, whilst also getting stuck in to dressing the models and essentially putting a hand to any job that would make the shoot run smoothly. One of my shoots involved blowing up MASSIVE helium balloons and ensuring that they were well behaved during the shoot – there was a lot of chasing and jumping involved. Also, I must point out that there is ALWAYS an array of food on offer; the rumour that models don’t eat certainly didn’t apply here…sweets and cakes galore!

Spot my name in the credits

New Look Photoshoot

During my time at LOOK my name, as well as the other interns names were featured in the credits AND on relevant shoots, which made us all feel really rather official; I have kept every issue and if I were allowed, probably would frame them too! The team did inform us that the novelty wears off after a while…

We also got the chance to feature in a “Street style Ad, for New Look”, where we were given outfits by the stylists and were thrown in front of the camera. It’s fair to say that posing is not for me, I look more like a rabbit caught in the headlights, rather than resembling any sort of natural beauty, but it was fun to see myself in the magazine.

The icing on top of the cake however, was working as the Junior Assistant Debbie’s right hand man on the Fashion desk, I got to be really involved with the production process and even got to write my very first published advertorial. An amazing end to the best month ever.

Cake Friday with Charlotte

Intern Team Doodles

On top of this, I fell in love with Charlotte and Isobel (the other interns), they were both beauts and made my experience so much fun, singing to the radio, many a comical lunch break and Cake Friday to name just a few. I was also reunited with my oldest and “bestest” friend Emma, who was kind enough to put me up on a very extravagant air bed for the month – special mention to her partner Terry who had to put up with our antics.

I also turned 23, graduated with a First Class Honours (finally!) and spent quality time with Matt.

It’s fair to say that November was the best and most memorable month EVER!

You’ll be pleased to know that my rambling is coming to an end (for now) but I would like to leave you with a new blog to check out… www.CraveGreenVelvet.blogspot.com My lovely friend Charlotte is an incredible stylist!

(Feel free to nose at my Fashion feature writing too… http://hailstyle.com)

Over and out.

One Month To Go.

This weekend in four weeks time, I will be heading to the big smoke for a month. Not only will I be interning at LOOK Magazine (hugely excited) but it will also be the first time that I get a proper taste of what it’s like to live and work in the city. Luckily I have a few special friends and a lovely boyfriend near by to make my stay less daunting; but I really can’t wait for the experience to begin and for a whole month of fashion fun!

Enjoying my new boots, perhaps a little too much, £29,99 H&M

The last few weeks have been a bit of a bumpy ride in terms of my future. It’s been really hard to weigh out the importance of staying in H&M earning money, in comparison to heading to London for three months of unpaid, fashion related experience (I definitely know which one I would prefer). As I previously mentioned I was offered an internship with I.D magazine (which I sadly turned down), a few days later I was offered another three month placement with Stylist; a magazine that I really admire. Again, my head out won my gut instinct and I had to say no…I hate the importance of money at times!

BUT, through all my frustration, I am so thrilled to have even been selected by the companies at all; it is giving me hope that if I continue to work hard, good things will happen to those who wait! Making me even more excited and determined to make this fast approaching, month in London count and I have recently set a goal of early Spring, to be my target for moving near the capital for good!

H&M is going well, the people are awesome and I am picking up plenty of extra hours…although, I am having to fight hard not to blow it all on new clothes;  trust me, they have some AMAZING things coming in for Winter. I’m also working on getting a transfer to one of the London branches for next year…meaning I can guarantee initial income; always a good thing!

Black Maxi Sheer Maxi Skirt, £9.99, H&M

Speaking of new clothes, I recently invested in this gorgeous sheer maxi skirt, only £9.99 FULL PRICE! It fits me perfectly and I LOVE everything about it, but I'm really struggling what to wear it with…any suggestions welcome!

With the Winter months creeping up on us (not that you would know it, we are having a BBQ tonight…in October!) finding a staple pair of boots is a must. I have already found mine, H&M (£29.99)…surprise surprise. Next mission is a Winter coat.

Gah, I love dressing for the cold weather! Happy Sunday lovely people.