A Long Weekend In Photos

A Trip to London - That brickwork though | The V&A | Poppies at the Tower of London

A Day in Birmingham - English skies always amaze me | A lil CT action | Wagamamas p0rn

At Lizzie's House - A gorgeous rainy morning | Salted toffee cupcake | An old station

July Lifestyle Favourites

What a great time of the month this one is! I love me some favourites, I really freakin' do. Let us check out what I have been loving:

On TV: The Honourable Woman - Maggie Gyllenhaal is my new spirit animal.
On Youtube: The amazing Emily Diana Ruth has had me hooked on her Letters To July series; just beautiful.
On my iPod: I have listened to Kygo's remix of Brother by Matt Corby endlessly since hearing it in this lookbook by the fabulous Sarah Hawkinson.
On my bedside table: I have been reading Abhorsen by Garth Nix and I will be finished any minute now!
On Bloglovin': It's been all about A Girl And A Beauty Blog, That Grace Girl and Citron and Guavaberry this month and brilliant they each are!

And on my end, I loved filming and editing my 7 Days of Makeup and 3 Things To Do This Weekend, and my Trying Some Style Classics post was one of my faves I've done ever!

I hope you enjoyed guys, and that your July was as wonderful as mine. Take care and see you tomorrow for an exciting blog project!

Why I Love Lost In Translation

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There are few films I love more than Lost in Translation (2003).

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I love its grungy vibe.

I love its soundtrack.

I love how it encapsulates alienation in a foreign culture.

I love just about every shot could be a work of art.

I love how it represents a quarter and midlife crisis.

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If you haven't seen it, you should, then come tell me how much you loved it.

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This Month's Finest... June Lifestyle Favourites

GOOD GOD it is July already... I couldn't feel any less emotionally prepared.  As before, this post may be a longer one (aren't they always though?! AREN'T THEY ALWAYS??)... but without further ado, Imma break down what I've been loving in the month of June yo.

I promise there will be no further efforts to be G from here on out.

To Do List #1

1. Follow more photography blogs and take more photos. Not to become a hardcore photographer wannabe: simply because I like taking photos and want to be more creative with the ones I do take, be they personal or blog-related.
2. Get into my social media. I've recently joined Twitter and Pinterest; the former I am thoroughly enjoying, the latter I have yet to get my head around effectively. 
3. Read more. And, in doing so,
4. Spend less empty time on the internet.
5. Save some money, then spend it on the right things - trips to visit friends I've not spent quality time with since before my YA started last year being the main example.
6. Get used to an earlier bedtime.
7. See more of my favourite people. I think I am getting better (and this will improve as my friends graduate and move home, or return from foreign lands) but I tend to get myself wrapped up in a little bubble of "it's my day off, let's do basically nothing" and not reach out to be more sociable.

Hangover Survival Guide

I've done a lot of preparation for this post - as in, I went out last night and consumed many spirits - so I feel extremely qualified for briefing you on how to survive what the French call a guele de bois; so elegant sounding in French, the literal translation for their word for hangover being "gob of wood" or something similar.

1. Get some aqua in ya. An ocean's worth if you can. Your body is mentally dehydrated and water is what it is needing my friend.
2. SHOWER. YOU SMELL DISGUSTING. EVERYTHING SMELLS DISGUSTING. WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO YOURSELF AGAIN?!
3. Relax. Deeeeep. You are not going to be productive today my friend. Anything you make yourself do, you'll probably have to redo the next day, or whenever it is you start feeling human again. So, get a box set, or some crappy films, your favourite comfy clothes (I, as your temporary advice giving sister, will let you have a pyjama day if this is what is needed. Just make sure they're clean ones.)
4. If you're feeling seriously rough, eat some bland food that you won't mind chucking back up again. We're talking bread, rice, paper... I am joshing about the paper but stick to all things dull and you will thank me from your slumped stance across the toilet bowl later.
5. Get enough sleep. For me, this is legit the only real cure. A lot of the reason you're feeling crappy is not because you stayed up drinking till 4am, it's simply because you stayed up till 4am. Get some rest my babe.
6. Put on your hangover jam. For me it's listening to the albums Jenny Llewellyn or Sophrosyne (all about 80s pop elements in my chill tunes) by WMD. So deliciously mellow. Bon Iver is also a nice shout.
7. Bond with whoever you were out with. Hangovers are best served with company and chances are you are all in a similar state of disrepair. Let your hangover gel you together, growing in experience but probably not in wisdom because your brain cells aren't capable of learning anything just yet.

And that's it my darlings. If you are after some product recommendations that I like for when I am a bit worse for wear, do shout and I'll pop them in a separate post for you. Excuse me while I lie down with Parks and Rec and down this litre of water.

Thoughtful Present Giving Made Easy

Celebrating other people's birthdays is genuinely something I look forward to above celebrating my own (though let's be real, I do still love my bday - I'm not that selfless). Sometimes giving really is better than receiving. (Minds out the gutter, come on.) Since starting uni, I've found that I love giving presents even more, as Lizzie and I always made a formidably thoughtful gift-giving team. My mum and twin are also exceptional present givers, so it's nice to keep it in the family.

The reason why I thought this post may be a useful one is that I wasn't always so confident in my gift giving abilities, and hopefully this may give you some ideas for the future.

This Month's Finest... May Lifestyle Favourites

So I've been thinking - unusual stuff I know - and I reckon I may start posting my monthly lifestyle favourites on my blog instead of onto Youtube as I just feel it will work better format-wise. Plus it comes with the benefit of me being able to do bloggy/Youtube stuff when I'm feeling run down... why am I coming down with a cold yet again??? Not fair.

Anyway, on to brighter things. I hope you're sitting comfortably as this may be a long one!

Music Recommendations

I do feel rather like I'm hitting you hard and heavy with favourites at the moment (at the time of writing I haven't even got to beauty ones yet, strewth almighty) but as finding background music is one of the jobs that I enjoy most but mention least about Youtube, I thought I'd share the musicians I have found since I started my channel.

I haven't featured all of these in my channel, but if I had my way I would use all their tracks! I just prefer to ask for permission as much as I can.

(Also can we have a brief aside to moan about everyone using the same music on Youtube?! PLEASE STOP, I can't be the only person that is fed up with it!)

WMD was one of the first artists that I came across during my many hours spent on Bandcamp, and he remains one of my favourites. He uses electro elements to create chilled but quirky tunes - I had no idea till now how much I suck at describing music I swear - and I love putting on his album Sophrosyne and just letting it do its stuff while I get on with mine. My most played track is "You Love Someone Else". It just does things to me man. His latest release, Jenny Llewellyn, is just as brilliant.

I have talked about Tycho before but I have to recommend them to your ears again. I used the track "Coastal Brake" in my Year In France Montage, and I think it's fair to say this is definitely my favourite song. That said, the album Dive is just fantastic and one that I have forced others to listen to as I just think every song rocks. The latest album, Awake, also features some goodies and continues the chill, delicious sound of the previous album. You will be hooked.

I also love the generally short but oh so sweet melodies from Cloudkicker/Ben Sharp: the album Let Yourself Be Huge is gorgeous and feature almost entirely instrumentals that really are instrumentally good.
That pun was not my best.
My most played track of his is actually one from his Soundcloud: Manchester is a song that I seem to be able to listen to and love over and over.

Last of all is Tom Day, one the first Bandcamp artists I came across and definitely the first I downloaded. I love his music so much I even use his track Going Home as my intro on my Youtube videos. He uses orchestral elements to perfection, but also nails it with more electronic-based tracks too: his latest EP, Without Words, is very much proof of this. He was also the nicest artist to chat to when I asked permission to ask his music, which I still find cool now.

So, those are my musical loves, I hope you enjoyed and I encourage you to get listening and downloading!

If you do one thing this month... Go for a walk

So since I got back from France, Momma and I have got into the habit of going for a walk every other day or so which I have been loving.

In France I did on occasion make myself walk a longer way home just to stretch my legs a bit and I wish I had made the effort to get out there more.

Even if it's colder out, wrapping up warm and getting out there really does the mind and body good and I suggest you get out and get some fresh air, especially of you're stuck to your keyboard like I am at the moment!

(Written before I finished my essay!)

Essay Survival Advice

Now I'm going to preface this by saying that, in all honesty, listening to my advice on essay writing is kind of like asking a walrus's advice for baking.

Essays and I do not get on, and this guidance really isn't focused on the academic side as I just don't have any kind of strategy when writing essays, but as for the keeping-going-and-doing-it I have learnt some things (I just suck at putting my own advice into practice).

That said, I have written a bloody load of essays so here is what I have learnt:

1. If you, like me, can't get off Facebook/Youtube/Tumblr/Instagram - I swear I'm obsessed with a different site every time - get ye some Self Control. Nope, not the mental kind, I'm talking about the Mac application that has changed my life. You have the option to write either a blacklist of all the sites you don't want to waste time on, or a whitelist of the only sites you want to use, and I use the blacklist to make sure I can still access all the online articles I need. Genius.
2. Find your bubble. By bubble I mean that world-excluding environment that means you are as focused and distraction free as possible. Personally mine involves being sat in the kitchen as for some reason kitchens really motivate me more than my bedroom - lying in my bed is just too tempting - and putting on my headphones and listening to either a song or a playlist over and over again at deafening volume. Not for everyone I know but this is my bubble and it keeps me awake, focused and on my game. Experiment a little - if your home is too distracting, a library may work better (I am not a library worker at all but I know plenty of people who are).
3. HYDRATE YOURSELF. I read somewhere that doing an exam is as physically demanding as going for a run and if this the case, essay writing for me is as draining as a two or three day long exam. This means your bod needs water, water, water. Obvious but easily forgotten when you're feeling sluggish mid afternoon.
4. If you're taking a break, don't take a break with a screen. It can take 15 minutes for your brain to return to work mode after even the briefest browse of your Facebook, and unless you're from the 1890's and your essays are for some reason needed to be handwritten, chances are you've been sat in front of a screen for at least an hour and your eyes and brain will be in need of a break. Make a snack, have a chat, go for a run or a walk, just don't chill on your phone's Instagram or watch an episode of Friends.
5. Get in some soup. I am pretty dependent on soup anyway, but it is especially useful when you are short on time and energy as it is super easy to chuck in the microwave and chow down on at  short notice. Ditto cereal. Also get some fruit in you.
6. If possible, get some cheerleaders. My bestest cheerleader is always my best bro and part time girlfriend Lizzie, who was wonderfully supportive and also doing a different course to me, meaning that our deadlines/essays were never the same and there was none of that Oh Shit You've Nearly Finished feeling you are at risk of with coursemates. Even now we're not living together, we are all over the Word Count Snapchat game and she is a great person to call when I need egging on. Find your Lizzie. (Good advice for life really but I won't bang on about that in this post). And, related to this,
7. Celebrate dem Word Count victories; let them motivate you, and even time yourself to see how quickly you can get your next 100 words/page done.
8. And this is my golden advice: DO NOT WAIT TILL YOU ARE IN THE MOOD. I am saying this to myself as much as you guys. You are never going to be in the mood to write 6000 words in French (what I am meant to have mostly done by now. Not going well.) The secret is to just get the ball rolling - close some unhelpful tabs, get your documents open, and write just a sentence, and just keep going. You will end up in the mood just by making yourself work. This will save you from having most of the work left at the last minute. Not that I know anyone that would do that. COUGH.

And that is all my advice for you angels. Above all else, keep going, you are going to get it done, and you are not alone. And if all else fails, just make a mahoosive mental list of all the things you are going to do to celebrate the fact the essay is done!

Last Week Vlog

Hello again gang, this here is my vlog of the last week I had in France and a jolly lovely one it was too. I hope you enjoy it!

Anna xxx

Living for the Weekend: Week One

It's about time I got a weekly post up on here and so this is my first post in a series all about one of my favourite things: the weekend. By the time this guy goes up I'll be in Marseilles (that sounds very exciting) but for today it's a nostalgic look back at last weekend; I do hope you will indulge me.


Saturday

Saturday's face and nails

Mad but delicious French "salad" | A lush fountain! | Testing out some bendy curlers | The finished result :)

The Great British Sewing Bee really is so great | Cookie Porn | Oh God | M Dizzle in the house

Sunday

A tasty breakfast | More Sewing Bee, I was in stitches, ha, ha, ha | Countin' off them days | One splendid lunch though I say so myself

And that concludes the first ever Living for the Weekend, goodbye for now!

Goals Week: Life Goals

It’s the big one.

It really does feel like the Oscars for some reason… What a nana! But these are my goals I would like to achieve by the end of 2014:

1. Become a tidier person, remembering to tidy up every day and hoover once a week. TMI for some of you I am sure but for me, I feel more and more like an adult and I just don’t want to live in clutter forever.
2. Stretch myself academically. Actually feel proud of an essay. Hit 70% more regularly and try for an 80.
3. See more of my friends and loved ones, spending less on makeup and clothes (sorry guys) and making the effort to see them instead.
4. Get back into pole. I would like to be doing new, advanced moves by the end of the year, and ideally going three times a week as I was before.
5. Get more savvy on my mental health. I have had a surprisingly tough Year Abroad, and I would like to know that I am doing all I can to prevent burn outs where possible.

I hope you all enjoyed this series – things will be more beauty based next week I am sure, but for now I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and that this has given you food for thought for what your goals may be!