Guess Who's Back... And 21!
5 May 2017
Eldwick, UK
Happy May! Anika May is officially back in business. If you follow my blog on Bloglovin', you may have noticed a distinct gap in between my posts. In fact, my last post was December 2016! At the end of last year, I fell out of love with blogging. I started to change the way I posted on my blog, worrying about how my outfits look and stressing out if I didn't look fashionable enough. I started to compete with other bloggers, who had no idea I was competing with them. Comparison got the best of me and it started to get me down. Before long, every aspect of blogging before something negative or a chore.
Well today I turn 21 and I’ve been reflecting on the past year of my life. There’s been massive ups and enormous downs, but overall, there’s a hole in my life that used to be occupied by my blog. Since taking a break from the big digital world, I’ve been able to figure out exactly the type of person I want to be, the type of career I want, the type of blog I’d like to own. Now that I’m a whole year older, I want to fall back in love with blogging. I remembered the reason I started blogging, because I thought it was cool to have my own little corner of the internet, and write about everything and anything. I absolutely adore photography and travelling, so why not incorporate that in the way I publish content!
It's a little late for the whole "new year, new me" vibe, so how about new age, new me. I want to give this dream career of mine another shot, and I’m more motivated than ever.
I have missed blogging more than anything in the world, and I can't wait to share more and more online. I want to alter my mind-set to being more positive, and then spread that online. I’m learning as I grow, and documenting each step of the way will be a lot of fun. I know turning 21 isn't really a big deal, but I’m back to blogging, and I couldn't be more ready.
Hurray!
Burgundy Beanie Magic
26 December 2016
West Yorkshire, UK
As the rest of the look is pretty dark, I wanted a little bit more colour to be featured, which is where the magic beanie comes in. It’s a basic cotton hat, that is probably from the men’s department but I bought it from ASOS anyway. I really like how it brightens up this look, even though it’s not an illuminous colour. I occasionally call it the magic beanie because it’s so easy to put with any look! Casual jeans and a tee, a skater dress, or even a jumper with leggings – the beanie always works.
Faux Leather Lovin'
23 December 2016
West Yorkshire, UK
I remember being a child, and loving tops that looked like two
pieces but were one. If that says a lot about me, ah well. I just thought there
was something super cool about having a deceiving piece of clothing and I haven’t
grown out of it… ah well.
Today, I don’t wear tops that say “purrrrfect”, but I love a
good knitted jumper. I picked up this awesome top from Next a few years back
and always thought it was too formal to wear with casual outfits. However,
since trying to organise my wardrobe, I found this little gem and fell back in
love with it. The top is a cotton/wool knit on the top, with a polyester bottom
that’s super soft and silky. I love the contrast between the two fabrics. Monochrome
is one of my favourite styles, so this top also looks really classy with a pair
of jet black jeans.
Another little gem I adore is my faux leather jacket, a
must-have for the colder seasons. I never like to splash out on leather
jackets, as I usually find the affordable ones are just as good as some of the
high-fashion brands, if not better. The fur neckline is also so cosy! Anything
to keep me warm as I’m always a little chilly J
She My Nap Queen
20 December 2016
West Yorkshire, UK
I'm like hey, wassup,
hello…. There’s something about cosy sweatshirts that just makes me unbelievably
happy. Comfort is key when it comes to my fashion sense, I don’t think looking
good is worth it if you’re in pain. Luckily, with my latest buy, I can look
great and feel better.
Sweatshirts give me a really weird memory of primary school,
because I’d always wear one over a polo shirt and it was my pride and joy. I
had them in secondary school too, but I didn’t enjoy those years as much as my
childhood ones. Coconut Lane is one of my
favourite stores for sassy sayings and bad-ass-ness. So when I found out they
were selling clothing, of course I got the first thing I fell in love with. It
was actually really hard for me to choose, because I secretly wanted all of
them. In the end, I chose the Nap Queen sweatshirt, because Trap Queen was
basically my anthem when it was released
and we all know I could sleep for the country. The amount of times I’ve said “I’m
super lazy” on my blog is just embarrassing, but I finally found a shirt to
suit me.
Now that winter’s in full swing, I basically sleep in a full
outfit, so this sweatshirt has become key for me. It’s so cosy and warm, the
lining is almost like being wrapped in a blanket! The jumper is mainly cotton,
which is where most of the warmth comes from. It’s a natural fibre that is a must for winter. I definitely won’t be
wearing this jumper just to head to bed, I’ll be wearing this around the house,
with my favourite skinny jeans and probably on a night out! I love the cool
phrases featured on most of Coconut Lane’s products (check out my post on their
wall art here) and find it hard to refrain from buying basically everything on
their site. There are quite a few blogger-themed prints, notebooks, sweatshirts
and more. Plus, big bonus: I have a discount code to share! Yaaaaaaaaaaaasssss.
Make sure to use ‘ANIKAMAY20’ at the
check out to receive 20% off your order – and let me know what you get!
5 Ways to Unwind After Work
18 December 2016
Work life is a hectic life. You enter the building stressed
and often leave stressed, which makes it a lot more difficult to relax in the
evening, and get other tasks done. For me, it’s really important to unwind
after work, as shake off that office feeling before the night sets in. So, here
are five ways to unwind after a long day!
Write down your worries, and ignore them until tomorrow
I wouldn’t live without my journal. I write down a lot of
things in there, from blog post ideas to goals for the New Year, but one thing
I do to unwind is note down every worry or stress from the day, to be forgotten
about until tomorrow. It’s one of those “cross-the-bridge-when-we-get-to-it”
things, but never procrastination. I hate coming home, and still thinking about
stuff to do for work, so if I note them down, I feel less guilty about
unwinding at home.
Grab a colouring book
I was actually very critical of adult colour books when they
first became a huge trend. It’s just, how can colouring possibly calm someone
down? Well, they do. They really do. I bought a super simple one from
Waterstones (out of fear that the complex ones would stress me out more), and
also downloaded the Recolor
app for when I’m on the go. Colouring books are so much more relaxing than I
ever expected, and I look forward to getting home and just chilling with my
pencils!
Lay down somewhere comfy and cosy
I’m an incredibly lazy person, there’s no doubt about it. So
any chance I get to lay down, is one I’ll take. Usually my sofa is the go-to,
but I’ve started heading straight to my bed and just getting cosy for a few
minutes while I chill, rather than the living room. The reason behind this, is
because I try to avoid screens for the first hour or so when I get home, just
to really unwind. There’s no television in my room, so I’m not tempted to lay
down, watch TV and stay there for the rest of the night.
Give yourself a mini massage
I’m not the best at massaging others, but I can give myself
a mini shoulder rub to chillax after work. Giving yourself a mini massage with
two hands or tools is really relieving, mentally and physically. I found this
awesome article with some of the best
self-massage tools to buy, and they’re so affordable! Making a mini-spa in
my own home is one of my favourite ways to wind down as I can’t help but feel
more relaxed than usual J
Change the environment or atmosphere
There’s one thing I know for sure, when I leave work, I don’t
want to think about work. I love my job, but I don’t want to be in it 24/7. Once
autumn hits, it’s no secret that literally
everyone becomes obsessed with candles and I’m no different. It’s almost instinctual
to grab a lighter and light up everything in sight. Music is also a big yes,
because it can change any atmosphere in an instant – oh how I love Spotify. There
are thousands of playlists, and the acoustic-based ones have to be my
favourite, they set a really nice ambience for a relaxed evening.
How do you like to unwind after a long day at work? Have a great Sunday!
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