It's a cliché but..

... as a girl, I love shoes!
and an advert I saw today revealed this little treasure of a website to me www.shoesofprey.com 

This is a brilliant idea for a website (and business) and I can't believe no one has thought of it before!
-Being able to design the style, fabric, colour and pattern of your dream shoe is amazing! 
- The website is really easy to use as well, pretty straight forward, 
1) you choose the style and size heel you want,
2) you can then alter the back of the shoe, the toe, the heel and any extra decoration with the tabs at the top of the screen,
3) then try all the different colours and fabrics for each section of the shoe- like the main body, the platform, heel and the sole, 
4) then when it is all complete, you send off your order and they are then individually handmade. (It's even free shipping worldwide)

There are even vegan friendly fabrics to choose from!
I am 100% impressed!

These are my first go on the design option - fully vegan friendly!

I love that the heel and platform can be different materials and colours
Go one have a go 

Dream home - for now anyway

We all have a dream life, mine just so happens to be a swanky 2 bedroom flat in the heart of Chester – well for now anyway.

The apartments available at the HQ building in Chester fit the dream; they are absolutely stunning and perfectly modern,
fully fitted and with all the up to date features and some added extra’s just for style.

Overlooking the stunning Chester Racecourse (which is famous for its races, however possibly more well known for the venue of the annual weekend musical event Chester Rocks) – how is this not the perfect view?

I can’t think of anything more beautiful and perfect than a home here, even if it’s only for my cool 20’s – and before any sprogs come along.

Birds eye view of the HQ building 

Downstairs - (Bars and Restaurants)

Location 

Inside the swanky apartment

Photo's downloaded from - http://www.hqchester.com/index.php

Better get saving! 

Beauty on a Budget feature one!

I'm always happy to take someone else's tips on board and give things a go, and if I can save money while doing it well then what a bonus!
As a second year undergraduate student money is a bit tight, I have to be smart with what I buy.
The Channel 4 program Superscrimpers is amazing for this, I started watching it due to curiosity (as to what exactly they could tell me I didn't already know) but now I'm a regular viewer, because honestly their ideas are amazing! 

Here are my tips!

Beautiful Strong Nails
Want beautifully strong nails without the price tag?
A simple recipe of Milk, eggs & Honey can save your cuticles and your pennies! 

You will need: 2 egg yolks beaten, 1/4 cup of milk and 1 tbs of honey!

- Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and and soak your finger tips for 7-10 minutes!
(The science- the protein in the eggs and milk will harden your nails) BRILLIANT!

Giving it a go - pretty nails 
One of the most recent episodes of Superscrimpers had master classes in it, and one of them was a master class in nail painting - in striped style. 

(1) You will need: 2 nail varnish colours, Sticky tape and a pair of scissors 

(2) Paint your nails with the colour you want as the base - I chose pink (One coat), Once the first coat is dry, Cut the sticky tape into strips and apply to nails. (arrange so that the areas NOT covered by the tape will pick up the second layer of colour)

(3) Paint the second colour over the nails - I chose purple (don't worry about going over the tape will protect the bottom layer)

(4) Remove the strips of tape (no need to wait till they dry) and enjoy your stripey nails! 

Top Tip;
You can alternate the stripes from vertical to horizontal - you could even make many other patterns using the same principle!

Go on, Give it a go!

a family party

family is very important to me, and it just so happens that I have a great one!
Full of absolute weirdo's and I adore every one of them. 

This weekend we celebrate my Uncle Roland's 50th!
As the brother of my mother and the only male sibling on that side of the family he has had it hard with four sisters and consequently five nieces, but he loves it!

family parties have changed a lot over the years, gone from pass the parcel and jelly, to jelly shots and drinking games but one thing has never changed, just how much fun we all have together, closer than most families I know and we love it!

The outfit I managed to bring together very last minute (due to not being able to get my hands on any disco pants *sigh*) I think actually works quite well, and now may become one of my favourites. 

Cardi - old one from primark in the wardrobe
Crop Top - Topshop
Skirt - Vintage 

You have all the weapons you need, Now fight!!

I am obsessed with movies, I will watch pretty much anything and recently I’ve been broadening my horizons more than ever, watching action films that I would never have dreamt of even picking up off the shelf before.

It’s not that I go to the cinema all the time and keep up with the latest buzz, don’t be crazy I’m a student I couldn’t afford that, even if I likes going to the cinema, which actually I hate.

What I like to do is buy dvd’s/blurays and watch them from home, of course this makes it more difficult to watch new films as I have to wait months after everyone else has seen it before the dvd is released (which is what happened with the new addition to the Twilight Saga) and even then I can’t always afford to buy them straight away, but eventually I get round to it and usual it is worth the wait.

I couldn’t even tell you my favourite film, I think it changes from week to week, and it’s not always what you expect it would be for a 20 year old woman.

My recent favourite is Sucker Punch, a devastatingly wonderful adaptation of the animation Sucker Punch. The story of 20 year old Baby Doll and her traumatic life and means of escapism, by the director of 300 and staring Emily Browning as Baby Doll, and the group of fabulous women; Abbie Cornish as Sweet Pea, Jena Malone as Rocket, Vanessa Hudgens as Blondie and Jamie Chung as Amber.
Without saying anything that will spoil the plot, this really is a haunting tail, one that leaves you shook up and with the most twisted idea of a happy ending I have ever seen.

The title of this post is a repetitive quote throughout the film and it sounds silly out of context, but If you have seen the film/read the comics or intend to go and watch it now it holds so much importance to the theme of the movie and actually is a heart breaking concept.

I probably say this about every film I watch, but I would recommend this to everyone!, it’s not an easy view, it’s traumatic, and incredibly sad but it is wonderfully creative and honest!

a boyfriends jumper ...

A boyfriends jumper can be an amazing thing, it is so much more than a piece of cloth.

That may sound a tad soppy, really think about it, it’s never just a jumper is it?
It always feels so much more special than that, does it ever really feel the same as a jumper of your own?

No is the answer to that, it smells like the person you love, it feels the same as when you hug him and you may convince yourself you wear it so much because it’s baggier than yours,
or comfier than yours,
nicer than yours?
No it’s because it’s not yours. 

my boyfriends jumper 

Art is my passion ....

Art is my passion, I’ve always loved art, from as far back as I can remember I’ve had a paintbrush in hand. One of my favourite pieces was a finger painting of Monet ‘s 'Water lilies' I made for my mum when I was six and had framed for her mother’s day present.

Art has importance in almost every culture across the globe, to me art is culture, it is as important as music and traditions. Nearly every member of my family is artistic or creative in some way, whether it’s painting or drawing, or making clothes like my younger sister. Even as far as my brother who is a chef, which may not sound like art, but think about it, it’s nothing but creative.

 My uncle is probably my inspiration for art, seeing the things he used to create from years before I was even a twinkle in my mother’s eye has always influenced my own love for creative things.

I’m no Da Vinci, I’m not particularly gifted or have a natural flair for painting or drawing or sculpting but I love to do all these things, and that’s all that matters.

One of my favourite quotes is one I was told by my Educational Studies lecturer, which sounds completely out of context, but hold on
“all children are born artists, the problem is how to remain an artist when we grow up"

Makes sense doesn’t it?....

Xx

Monet - Water Lilies 

My 'Nationalism' piece 

A favourite 

Begin again ...

......beginning an entirely new 'blog', with a new theme, new look and about my new outlook on life.
I'm not the most accomplished 'blogger', but I do have an internal monologue that likes to narrate my daily life, which sometimes throws out little nuggets of wisdom or truth that are worth sharing.
I could make it easier for myself and write about things that most girls know about and want to read about like make-up nails and fashion (and don't get me wrong I love those things too! and I'll probably throw in a few posts like that now and then) but I want to 'blog' about things that I care about. 
About books, and movies, about family and my life, about things I see, people I know the experiences I have about my passion, which is creating art, my new found interest, which is the environment, or my true love which is learning and writing about history. These things that make up my existence, and in all honesty make the world I exist in a lot more beautiful. 
I've had a go at this 'blog' thing before, and I don't feel it went too well, I may never write anything interesting to anyone else, I may never get one view, but I'm trying, and I will continue to try. 
It's not about how many people read what I say, or like it, but as long as I like what I say, well surely that's enough. 

the title of this post just so happens to be the title of a song that I adore by Taylor Swift, she may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I like her voice and I believe her music is honest, what more is there too it?

xx