I am one of the most stubborn people in the world when it comes to getting myself out of a rut. Continue reading “How To Find Inspiration Without Travelling the World”
Tag Archives: lifestyle blogging
A Day in the Life of a Marketing Apprentice
So it’s been six months since the start of my apprenticeship. For those that have known me for many years, no one could have ever expected me to take such a route in life (I mean it’s only a year long, but it could well shape my life as I know it), and honestly I even surprised myself. Continue reading “A Day in the Life of a Marketing Apprentice”
20 Things To Do Before I’m 20
So, last week, I turned nineteen. It was a great day. I spent the morning with Connor and his family, relaxing, before coming home to spend the afternoon with mum and pampering myself before holding a surprise birthday party for my mum, which went better than I could have expected. I ended the night by going from the party to a club in town and then forgetting my door key when I got home.
And it was great.
But really, in all honesty I’m excited about being this age. When I was a kid all I wanted was to be older, and now that I am older and I can literally do… anything I want. It’s almost debilitating. I can do anything. So.. to counter that… I do nothing.
So, to celebrate the next year of my life, I’ve come up with a list of somewhat realistic, and somewhat ridiculous, things that I’d like to do by this time next year…
1. Stop being afraid of of making phone calls
And actually learn how to make a phone call in a busy office… no one is listening, and I need to remember that.
2. Save over £1000
Which I am well on the way of achieving! Result!
3. Go on a city break
Another one. Athens and Prague in 2016 were some of the best experiences I’ve ever had, and having the independence to be wandering the world without adult supervision is something that I can’t wait to experience more.
4. Go on a relaxing sun holiday
When I was younger I got bored doing the same thing on sun holidays, but now that I’m working full-time, and rarely see the sun when it rears its head in Britain, I feel the much-needed warmth on my face and a cocktail in my hand…
5. Take part in a blogging opportunity
Whether thats a sponsored post, a collaboration, going to an event… I want to start working with more people. (If you want to hit me up my gmail is jallen7137@gmail.com!!)
6. Reach 1000 Twitter followers
Currently on 800+ so I think we got this. Might sound silly to some, but it would be cool.
7. Reach 200 WordPess followers
8. Host a giveaway
Keep your eyes peeled for this one… coming soon!
9. Start giving away books and clearing out
I’m hoping to start the practice of re-reading a book and then giving it away to someone, or to a charity shop, so that im not hoarding them any more. I have way too many books…
10. Actually start my scrap book
It’s been about 4 years since I was gifted this gorgeous Paperchase scrapbook from my mum, and I have a huge box full of souvenirs from the past 10 years of my life to fill it up with. I just… never had the chance.
11. Go to the beach
I haven’t been on a beach day in my actual home town in a long, long time. It’s something I want to do every summer but never have the chance to, and this year I can drive, so bring it on!
12. Solo trip
I want to go somewhere new, completely alone. For a day, a weekend, wherever.
13. Buy a high-end makeup product
Like… really high-end. Not just something expensive from Boots. I wanna be reckless and buy something that my face absolutely does not need, but it wants. (Send me suggestions of what my first high-end product should be in the comments).
14. Eat better
I’ve fallen back into some horrifically unhealthy eating patterns and maybe that’s why I’m not feeling so great recently… time to crack out the veggies.
15. Go vegetarian for a week
I’ve tried incorporating vegetarian meals into my daily life, so a meat-free hot lunch at work, and Quorn products for dinner, but I’d love to start making a real difference to my diet and consumption.
16. Go for a massage
I’ve only ever been for a professional massage once before and, as someone who loves getting pampered, it was like my idea of heaven. Definitely treating myself when I get stressed soon.
17. Get into an exercise routine
What I’ve been working with recently…
18. Go on a Colour Run
19. Play Lazer Tag
20. Get another tattoo
And there you go, my 20 Before 20. I will hopefully, this time next year, be checking back in with these to make sure I’ve done all I wanted to do, which would be awesome.
Until then, what do you want to do before you’re 20? Or 30? Should I make these into a series? Let me know!
Jess
The 5 Unexpected Benefits of Having Trichotillomania // A Beginner’s Guide to a Trichy Life
For about the past decade, I’ve suffered with a disorder called Trichotillomania. Here’s the NHS definition if you want to know more about it, and here and here are my past posts about the subject, if you want to know more from the horse’s mouth (or mine. whichever).
I’m not going to spend time explaining the whole thing again, so if you don’t already know, then do some learnin’, then come back to me. If you have any questions about Trich, mental health, or just want to chat, send me a comment.
Until then, here are the Five Unexpected Benefits of Having Trichotillomania…
50 Things I Did In 2016 // Photo Diary
- Went to London on Valentines Day
- Went to the Natural History Museum for the first time
- Went to Prague
- Turned 18
- Went clubbing
- Got a tattoo
- Was a Sandwich Artist
- Read.. a lot
- Blogged a lot
- Went to Athens
- Bought a car
- Learnt to drive
- Passed my driving test!
- Stayed home alone for a week
- Went to Thorpe Park
- Went to FriendsFest
- Got better at makeup
- Visited my Nan and Auntie’s graves
- Passed my A Levels
- Worked in Primark
- Started a savings account
- Started an apprenticeship
- Went to a big client meeting
- Went on a night out with work people
- Went to an industry party
- Met new friends
- Attempted blogmas
- Got rid of the crap in my room
- Had our 5th anniversary
- Bought alcohol
- Took care of the cat on my own
- Went to an engagement party
- Saw The Maine live again
- Saw All Time Low live again
- Saw Twenty One Pilots live
- Cut ties once and for all
- Was the bigger person
- Read all of Harry Potter… twice
- Stopped smoking
- Saw Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
- Saw Doctor Strange
- Saw Batman Vs Superman
- Saw Suicide Squad
- Saw Captain America: Civil War
- Celebrated New Years Eve in bed, watching How I Met Your Mother
- Watched Friends all the way through about 4 times
- Drove to see my grandparents after not visiting for about 3 years
- Went Christmas shopping with Connor
- Read comic books for the first time
- Tried Quorn mince… and liked it
Blogger Gift Swap Present 2016! // Blogmas Day 17
It happened! I took part in my first collaborative blogger event thing, and it worked! I did it! I’m so proud. Continue reading “Blogger Gift Swap Present 2016! // Blogmas Day 17”
Winter Night-time Routine // Blogmas Day 15
After two days of awful and shocking filler content that I wish I’d had time to perfect (or even proof-read), we’re back with the previously scheduled (ish) girly stuff that was promised! Continue reading “Winter Night-time Routine // Blogmas Day 15”
Changes // Blogmas Day 13
I was about to start quoting Bowie but then I got sad… So I’m gonna get right into the post to avoid all the emotions…Continue reading “Changes // Blogmas Day 13”
“Is My Content OK?” // Blogmas Day 7
Happy blogmas day 7, guys! How has your December been so far? Good? Awesome. Continue reading ““Is My Content OK?” // Blogmas Day 7″
Autumn OOTD: A Day at the Office
And we’ve made it, guys. We’ve made it to that point where I, yes I, am posting an Outfit of the Day. I know, try not to die of shock. It’s just as incredible to me.
Actually, you can all thank Nicole Aejay Flora for this. Nicole is an awesome fellow blogger, who contacted me through Instagram to see if I wanted to have my first ever blogger’s collab. So (obviously) I said yes!
Nicole is a mishmash lifestyle blogger like myself, but with way more style and photography skills (which, let’s be honest, isn’t difficult). Her Instagram is full of aesthetic, and her blog posts are just as awesome. Go check out her blog here, and here’s her Instagram account if you’re looking for a fancy new feed to follow. She has also posted an OOTD on her blog, with the theme of Night Out, so go check out the post here, and here’s a pic of her gorgeous OOTN:
And here goes, my first ever OOTD…
My theme for this post was going to be A Day at the Office, considering that this kind of outfit is what I wear on the regular after starting full-time work. When I first knew I’d be getting this job, I instantly went on a bit of a spending spree for work clothes that my bank account really didn’t appreciate…
For this particular day (it was actually a Sunday and I didn’t have work but let’s just pRETEND SHALL WE?) I went for my usual dark colours, but added in a splash of baby pink, which I’ve been really loving recently.
I’m absolutely in love with this coat. I bought it a couple of weeks ago, thanks to my mum and her bargaining ways. It’s a Dorothy Perkins petite, and it’s amazing. It’s so super soft, a camel coat that I bought a size up to look slightly boyfriend-y, with grey accents on the sleeve and under the collar. It was originally £55, but with my mum’s uncanny way of getting a deal, I managed to get it online for £41. All the links to each item of clothing will be listed at the end!
As for the real meat of the outfit, I went for this sheer powder pink crepe blouse from H&M, which I love because it can be dressed up for work or nights out with a black skirt or trousers, but also dressed down with leggings, as it’s pretty long and covers all the wobbly bits! And over the top, this cheap-as-chips dark grey cardigan from Primark (where else?). I’ve actually considered buying this cardigans in bulk, due to them being so damn cheap and comfortable for winter, especially for work where giant fluffy jumpers aren’t quite acceptable. Which is a damn shame, really.
Unfortunately, I can no longer find the skirt, but it was a pure luck buy from New Look in their end-of-summer sale at only £4! It’s been perfect for work as it looks smart and adds a touch of colour, but is also super soft and comfortable (and a respectable length, obviously. What do you take me for?). Paired with simple black tights, I’ve found in the recent weeks that anything can be turned into office wear if you try hard enough!
Now, I know what you’re thinking. Yes, I gave in and I bought a winter hat. Sue me. It had to be done. I never thought I suited the bobble-hat, but I’ve found that you’ve got to bobble it at some point in life, haven’t you? Life’s too short, like.
And now I get to talk about my favourite part of the whole outfit. Yes, that’s right. SHOES.
I wanted a pair of black Chelsea boots for so long, and I actually bought a few pairs from various places, but never found anything that 1. fitted quite right, or 2. looked quite right. But it turns out a new shopping contender brought the game up to a new level…
I downloaded Depop on a whim to look for people selling cameras, and thought I’d see what boots I could find. Turns out, I found the perfect pair. By the seller VictoriaKaye97 (click here to check out her other items), who was selling these gorgeous Linzi boots for just £10! The biggest bargain of the season, I have to say. And it will be well worth it, because I know I’ll be wearing these every day for months on end…
And there you have it! My very first OOTD blog post! I hope you enjoyed it (somehow I managed to make a story out of this? I really need to work on my waffling) and look out for a new blog post every Wednesday and Sunday!
Have a fab week,
Jess
Shop my style!
Dorothy Perkins Petite Camel Coat – £55
H&M Powder Pink Crepe Blouse – £12.99
H&M Cable-knit Woolly Hat – reduced to £3