Here Comes the Sun
31 August 2016
Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden
I don’t consider myself a big nature outdoor-sy person, I’m
the first to run from the sight of a bee and cry if there’s a spider in my
eyeline – but I really enjoyed the Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Gardens.
From watching swans fly across the lake, to purchasing the best ice cream cone
I’ve ever had, to walking through the river and trying not to fall; there’s
something for everyone. People of all ages can walk around, and there’s dogs
everywhere! The highlight of the day was definitely seeing deer close-up, as
well as spending a great day in the sun.
What did you get up to over the bank holiday?
My Summer Bling Wishlist with Gemporia
26 August 2016
Baildon, UK
I can be really weird when it comes to jewellery. Sometimes
I forget I own it, sometimes I completely drench myself in diamonds and
sometimes I like that one staple piece that blows an outfit out of the water.
Either way, I love anything that sparkles, and have a soft spot for the super
shiny and any pendant pieces. Since we’re still technically in summer and I’m
slowly becoming obsessed with accessories (I’m even thinking of creating a
Pinterest board dedicated to them), I thought I would create a wishlist just
for my favourite bling bling. Gemporia
recently contacted me about their line and I was very pleasantly surprised
at the quantity of stunning pieces available from their website. I was
expecting a fairly simple site with a few pieces that I would obsesses over,
but there are pages of stunning jewellery items that I adore!
One thing I love about Gemporia is that they ensure their business has a positive impact on the people and environments around it. As you know, charity work is very close to my heart so you can read more about Gemporia's work here. They believe that beautiful jewellery shouldn’t cost the earth, nor should it be massed produced or run of the mill. This is why they go direct to the source to bring customers the finest gemstones Mother Nature has to offer, from some of the world’s most remote locations! I began this
wishlist with just ten items, and ended up with over thirty. Then I decided
that may be a little too much for one blog post, so I got it down to an easy eighteen,
but trust me – it was not easy. Everything is just so pretty!
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18
What’s your favourite item? Let me know below!
This post is in collaboration with Gemporia.
Annika Nail Polish | Review
24 August 2016
Otley, UK
Since I stopped wearing acrylics, it’s my duty to now hunt
down as many nail polishes as I can. So far I’ve been doing pretty well, but I
do occasionally struggle with polishes that won’t chip within the first two
hours, like most I’ve tried. There are plenty of brands out there that provide luxurious
quality varnish… that costs more than a bottle of champagne. Barry M and Rimmel
are two of my favourite brands from nail polish, but I recently tried the Annika
Nail Polish line* by The Edge Nails it’s not just the name I’m obsessed
with.
I’m always open to trying new products, especially from
brands I’ve never heard of or bought from. When I received the Annika Nail
Polishes I was absolutely thrilled to try them out, and finally get some colour
on my bare nails. The line includes 30 different colours, from jet black to
bright yellow and I received Bella Ballerina, Pretty Pixie and Beauty Queen.
My first impressions of the colours was that they were
brighter than I expected and would look great on my nails as long as the formula
is strong enough. It’s really common to find nail varnish that’s a stunning
colour, but is almost like water when painted on the nails – major
disappointment. I get that quite a lot with glitter nail polishes, and hate
applying layers on layers, as I’m impatient and it takes too long to dry. With
the first layer of Bella Ballerina, the lightest shade, I was actually quite
surprised at how visible it was, despite the colour.
Regarding the formula of the Annika Polishes, it’s thick and
light without being too watery. The polish is easy to take off and doesn’t
stain my nails which is a big yes in
my book. I’ve also found that the varnish dries very quickly and doesn’t pool
on my nails. I don’t have the biggest and best nailbeds (hence why they’re not
splashed all over this post), so to have a polish that takes well to my nails
is a colossal advantage.
Luckily, the colours also dry the same shade when they dry,
and most importantly – they don’t chip. Overall, I would say Annika varnishes
have a lasting power of 7 to 10 days. I usually apply two layers, because the
colour is bright and pigmented enough for just two; plus I often find that
whenever I put on more than two solid layers on my nails the varnish struggles
to dry and ends up getting smudged no matter how long I wait. I wouldn’t go as
far as saying Annika Nail Polishes are chip-proof, but they last long enough
for me, as I get bored of the same colour quickly.
If I had to pick a favourite colour, it would be Pretty
Pixie, simply because I think I could wear it in almost every season and get
away with it. Beauty Queen is definitely more wintery, and Bella Ballerina is certainly
more summery – whereas Pretty Pixie is a happy medium for me. Overall, I would
totally recommend this nail line to anyone who is looking for an affordable line
of colourful polishes that are a great quality and so pretty! Plus, I absolutely love the name ;)
*The three Annika Nail Polishes pictures above were gifted to
me by The Edge Nails.
Totally Thrifted
21 August 2016
Alton, UK
I recently spent a whole day at Alton Towers, also known as my favourite place on Earth, and I always want to wear something comfortable but inexpensive as I'm the one girl that loses a jacket (or a shoe) whenever I go anywhere. I managed to put together an entire outfit (minus the accessories) from thrift shopping and I have to talk about how much I'm falling in love with it.
I haven't bought too many things from thrift shops in the past because I never grew up shopping in them, and would always go on shopping trips to the enormous centres in the nearest city, which usually don't include local charity and thrift shops. I actually live in a tiny village in West Yorkshire, and there are charity shops everywhere; and as you know, charities are my life. Literally. I hear a lot of bloggers talk about thrifting and I decided it's time to really make the plunge, digging around in those shops is a lot like shopping in TK Maxx, it takes time and real dedication - there's so much stuff!
Alton is pretty far from where I live, so number one thing was a comfy outfit. To get there I had to set off at 06:00, not my favourite time of the day, but as a new-found morning person it's not the worst. I knew I would sleep in the car because heat + nice tunes + rocking motion = Anika asleep. I wanted to wear jeans on the trip because I absolutely loathe leggings and cropped or really short tops and I had already fallen in love with this poppy-printed cotton tank top I'm wearing. Black jeans are my new go-to, so of course, I looked in twelve thrift and charity shops until I found some! The ones I got were some vintage super-stretch jeans (sadly the label is faded) but I'm so glad the colour is still there! For me, that shows the great quality.
My hoodie was a little too big, but that's ideal for me as oversized clothing is my total weakness. Comfort is number one for rollercoasters so a cosy grey number is perfect! The weather always varies, we're in the UK, what else is going to happen? So I needed something I could tie around my waist or stuff in my bag when the sun decided to appear. Luckily it did make a small appearance and brightened the day. There's only one water ride left at Alton Towers (BOO!) and it's still likely you end up drenched. Although there's always that one person who never gets wet and I need to figure out their method because I'm the complete opposite. Anyway, I knew a cotton zip-up would dry off quickly, especially if the sun is out, and it happens to pair with the rest of my outfit pretty well!
Overall, I'm loving thrift shopping, it could be my new thing! Have you every thrifted? What did you get?
Why I Quit My Job | Journal
18 August 2016
Leeds, UK
This post is going to be reeeeaaaaaaallllly long. The minute I left school, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Work in a standard nine-to-five and continue my passion for blogging while earning a steady wage. Well, after a year of that life; I decided to give it up.
I remember the moment I applied, it was December 2014, and by January 2015, I was a Customer Service Advisor in the Head Office for one of the biggest building societies in the country. The job seems ideal at first, but I found it very difficult to fit in. After a month, I figured the team and managers are like this with all the newbies, eventually they'll be my good friends and going to work will feel like The Office. I was wrong. As my time there progressed, I began to realise I really don't fit in with this team and the managers have made it very clear they don't appreciate my work. But, this is common in workplaces so I continued working.
When I was hired, I was a temporary member of staff for three months. To my leaving date, I never finished as a temp, my contract was just "extended" every so often, even though I didn't receive anything in writing to confirm this. In my view, as long as I'm getting paid, I'm happy to work. As ISA season rolled in, the workloads became unnaturally heavy and it was obvious the entire investments department didn't have a clue what was going on. After having the most successful ISA of 2015, this particular company didn't plan work thousands of pieces of work to flood in, which resulted in more temps being hired and staff moved all over the place.
I was treated like a slave and workout from 7am to 6pm, with one break and plenty to do. Others didn't do as much as I did but they still one achievement awards. I was denied holidays and opportunities because my manager didn't like me or appreciate my skill. After a while, I sensed this isn't right. I approached HR and they did absolutely NOTHING.
It was hard to handle the harsh reality of the nine-to-five, and the even harsh reality of dirty and unprofessional businesses. During the summer, there was no work - as in I would sit and stare at my lock screen all day. During the winter and spring, work would flood in and it seems to startle the managers every year even though it's a building society... of course ISA season will be busy. No one was ever prepared, and the department was incredibly corrupt. Managers had favourites, seniors were inappropriate with temps and the entire team would argue and gossip all day. How it still stands today is beyond me, thank goodness I never opened my own account with them.
My mood was greatly affected by work, and friends and family began to notice. It started with headaches, and they were never subtle. The headaches were from the moment I woke up until the second I fell asleep. Nothing could shift the pain, and doctors put this down to stress and tension. In general, I was never in a good mood and unenthusiastic about everything - even Chris Evans. I never looked forward to the day and each moment was a countdown to 5pm. I'm a strong believer in happiness and doing whatever makes you smile. This job is the one thing that stopped me from smiling. Joking about an evil boss and nosey coworkers is fine, but dreading everything about employment is not normal.
In many situations, quitting a job isn't an option, and this is something I considered all the time. "I bet there are loads of people that hate their job" was my reasoning and stopped me from crying at my desk every morning. However, I slowly realised, I have the option to leave this place and if it makes me so unhappy, why don't I take it? It's silly for me to feel guilty (even though I still do) about the circumstances of other people when there's nothing I could do to change them.
After a long chat and plenty of tea, my mum and I constructed my resignation letter and I handed it in the next day. I can tell you, the moment I handed that letter in, my mood lifted. Towards the end of my notice period, the headaches went away. Even though my boss started to act nicely towards me because she knew the one employee who banks millions a day, would be gone.
I now work with my mum, helping her to build her two amazing charities, Clothing Solutions & Beaneezy - please give their Facebook pages a like if you can, it would really help us! I've never been happier and can not blog basically all the time, and avoid the tension headaches and 6am trains to Leeds.
Have you ever quit a job?
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