How to Style: Floral Pumps...

Quote of the week #6

Hi everyone,

So today I'm back with a new post for you all but before I begin I thought I'd share my new posting schedule which starts from the beginning of next week. So there will be three posts per week going up on the blog from Monday to Friday. These all revolving around fashion make up and healthy habits posts. Then there will also be one extra post on the weekend on the quote of the week or a challenge that I am going to be setting myself.
So onto the quote for this week. As I have mentioned all too often in recent posts I have been going through a lot of personal problems of late to do with members of my family being ill, an friendships and trust being broken by people who were very close to me.

During this time I saw this following quote and it made me realise. Although 'shit happens' and people turn out to break your trust and use you in life, your true friends and more importantly your family are always there to remind you if the good that is still there in the world and that you can do whatever you want. You should never be put of trusting everyone because one person broke your trust and it made you lose confidence. Instead you should take time to re-evaluate who is really there for you when you need them-which might surprise you!- and then eventually just move on because the only person who will be suffering from being down is you, the person who caused the harm feels nothing.
Also I know that my situation wasn't revolving around a boyfriend so some of you may question the relevance in general of this but I think the same sentiment applies to all of the people who could cause you pain by their actions, you just need one person, like a father in this case, to show you that not everyone is the same.

xx

Face of the Day: 18th March 2013...

Foundation: Illamasqua Skin Base
Eye Shadow: Urban Decay Naked Basics
Bronzer: Nars Laguna
Mascara: L'Oreal Extra-Volume Collagen Waterproof
Lipstick: Rimmel London Kate in shade 001

Healthy Habits: Eating Clean...

(image from pinterest)

Hi everyone, 

So as my last post regarding diet got such a positive response I thought I'd give my personal opinion on the whole 'eat clean' diet. Before I start I would like to say that I am not a professional, this is just my opinion and wouldn't recommend drastically changing your diet overnight. 

My personal idea of eat clean is that you should avoid processed foods, white carbohydrates, chemically enhanced foods, artificial ingredients. The way that I look at my diet at the moment is first of all, it's not a diet. I feel that eat clean is a lifestyle change rather than a temporary fad. I have been eating clean for a few months now and I have seen changes in the number of breakouts in my skin, and the general glow of my skin as well as a reduction in sickness and an improvement in my injury repair time, seeing as I get a fair few injuries from the amount of tennis I am doing.
Although I have loved eating clean an will continue to do so I would say that if you are looking for a quick fad this isn't the way to go. You have to remember that results will come if you stick to a clean and healthy diet but you can't cheat the diet otherwise there will not be any change. In other words you have to be committed to becoming a cleaner, happier, healthier you!
So overall, yes I do love eating clean and although I am all too aware thanks to my friends that the diet really isn't for everyone, for me it works great a it means for the majority of the time I feel great and am eating well so when I really want to treat myself I can in a controlled way that won't completely ruin all my hard work.

What do you guys think about eating clean?
Xx

Healthy Habits: Banana Chai Smoothie Recipe...

Hi everyone, 

Today I thought I'd share a smoothie that I have been loving over the past few weeks to have before I workout on a Sunday to give me a good energy boost. This recipe has been popular with everyone in my house including the boys who aren't exactly into their health foods, so I would give it a try if you aren't into the greens taste etc. Also I would add that I know there is a lot of Stevia in the recipe for sweetness which isn't the best for you but if that bothers you, you could just leave out the sweetener or sugar all together, which is what I do myself. Now onto the recipe...

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup unsweetened original Almond milk (or milk of choice)
• 1 Ripe frozen Banana
• 1 Chai Tea Bag
• 1/4 Cup hot water
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 Cup of ice (depending on your preferred consistency)
• 1/8 cup of stevia (or cane sugar)

How to make this smoothie recipe:

1. Pour boiling water over tea bag and let sit til cool
2. When you remove the tea bag from the water gently press all the water out of the tea bag for full flavor
3. In a blender combine all ingredients and blend to desired consistency
4. Pour in glass and enjoy

Nutritional content for 1 Serving

•   Calories: 241.6
•   Total Fat 3.6 g
•   Cholesterol 0.0 mg
•   Sodium 181.3 mg
•   Potassium 658.9 mg
•   Total Carbohydrate 53.8 g
•   Dietary Fiber 3.8 g
•   Sugars 38.7 g
•   Protein 2.2 g
•   Vitamin A 11.9 %
•   Vitamin B-6 34.1 %
•   Vitamin C 17.9 %
•   Vitamin D 25.0 %
•   Vitamin E 51.6 %
•   Calcium 45.7 %

How To Style: a floral dress...

As spring is finally creeping up on us I have been starting to change out some of the items in my wardrobe in the hope that the English weather will finally start to become nice again.
So I decided to start up a series of style how to's where i would show you how I am styling these items for the spring/ summer.

I thought I'd start with the basic...floral dress. For me when it comes to spring and summer I like my style to be easy and low key but with a 'I tried but not too hard' sort of vibe. To do this I teamed the floral dress with a casual denim shirt, which I would wear with the sleeves rolled up probably, just to give it a more seasonal feel.

I then went for pretty neutral accessories, with a combination of different bangles as well as some black and rose gold coloured rings, which give the look a little more depth.

To finish I chose nude flats, which I know will be making a very regular appearance in my posts because for me they are just the easiest things to slip on in a hurry, and are comfortable for the whole day which is just what you need during summer.

So this is how I would style my floral dress, what would you guys do? 

xx

St.Patrick's Day Outfit Idea...

Hi All,
So, St.Patrick's day is fast approaching and I thought I'd give you a little inspiration for an outfit if you are planning on going out to a party or dinner to celebrate like me.
So, I started with a nice green dress which has a flattering v-neck and flares out below the waist, both so it is flattering but also so it is easy to dance in! And of course in green to keep the theme of the holiday running through. With this I teamed mainly black extras, just so that the green isn't overdone, which is all too easy to do! I chose a nice fitted black biker jacket and a pair of black suede peep toe heels, to make your legs stand out and look amazing!
To finish I chose a black clutch purse with some green detailing, which I think carries through the theme really nicely without overdoing it, and some green and silver bangles to finish.

What are you doing for St.Patrick's Day? What will you be wearing?
xx

How to Style Monochrome...

Quote of the week #5...

Hi all, 

So after a long period of being a rubbish blogger I am finally back for good. Apologies to you all whilst I was dealing with some personal things, which I know is an overused excuse but thankfully there shouldn't be a long break for a very long time. At the moment I am planning to get back into doing about 4 posts for you all per week, just to keep the posts more regular. 

Anyway onto the quote. So as I have said I have been dealing with a lot of personal things over the past  few months, and very close friends of mine have been helping me deal with the repercussions of this. But at times I felt like if I told people how I was really feeling all the time, then they would loose interest in me as a person and leave me to deal with my problems myself. It is because of this that the people who mean the most to me still don't know the full extent of my pain and problems over the past few months and years. 

But it wasn't until I was speaking to a friend of mine that I realised I never gave the full picture of my pain, and in reality is the reason it took me so long to deal with what I was feeling. It was then that she told me, everyone has imperfections, if you go and change yourself to meet someones ideal you will never truly be able to bond with that person. You will never be able to be truly happy in their presence and if they really care for you as much as you care for their opinion, then let them in because they will have secrets too. 

So to any of you out there I say the same, although it took me a long time to let go and be honest about how I was feeling I wasn't able to make a proper recovery until I let it out and talked it through with some people who really cared for my best interest and my happiness. And the truth, the people who are really there for you will surprise you, and so too will the amount of change in your mood once you share what's bothering you. 

xx

Quote of the week #4...

So, I am starting this post with a little apology. I have taken a little time off to deal with a family crisis which happened whilst I was away skiing. I hope you understand and I know that this is probably getting annoying for those of you who read my blog regularly but from now I am not going to let anything get in the way of my blogging.

Anyway, with that said this is really why this quote in particular has really spoken to me lately as I've realised that sometimes it is okay to have a little moment when not everything is under your control and you just let life guide you. I have also seen that this is hard for people to understand but when everything eventually works itself out you will feel so much better that you gave yourself time to deal with your problems, and come to terms with what they mean.

hope this helps some of you out there

xx