Saturday, 1 March 2014

Spring/Summer Dresses

Being a typical Brit, I'm getting over excited for Spring and Summer. I can't wait for the warm pfft yeah right weather and barbecues. I've been slowly building up my wardrobe with dresses suitable for both warm and cold weather and thought I'd share them with you!

**Excuse some of the facial expressions in the pictures, my camera kept cutting out for some reason and I was starting to get frustrated with it!**









With living in student accommodation, I have the smallest wardrobe for my clothes with limited space for hanging my dresses.










                                                         1) Missguided Playsuit.
 I absolutely love this playsuit, the bird patterns on it make it so flattering. The material is soft and and doesn't crease. Its the perfect playsuit to dress up for meals or just wear to a BBQ or beach. For winter it can also be paired with some thick tights and a baggy jumper.


                                                     2) Topshop Daisy Dress

This is one of my favourite dresses. Its so versatile! Its flattering, with a slightly elasticated waist that nips you in and makes your waist look smaller than it is. Again, having a pattern on the dress hides any obvious lumps and bumps you don't want to see! It has two little slits at the front and two on the shoulder (on the collar bone) which gives it a girly edge. Pair it with a blazer and summer wedges and its the perfect summer day dress for a party. 


3) Boohoo Aztec Dress


I bought this dress last summer, when aztec print was very in. I never got round to wearing it as it has a very open back and I couldn't find a bra that still fit right whilst not being on show at the back and I wasn't keen on a stick on bra. Lovely pattern and super soft material! The skater skirt part falls quite nice over larger hips.


4) River Island Polka Dot Dungaree's (Sale)


Not the most flattering outfit or pictures but I bought these dungarees in the Christmas sale as I thought they'd be perfect for festivals! I need to be a bit more in shape to pull it off as from the sides it does show a lot of midriff but for those of you who are slim, it is a great, fun outfit.


5) Missguided Maxi Dress

So I couldn't take a good picture of this dress as the lighting made it blend in with the carpet and against the door it looked really odd. However, I promise you its a nice dress =) It has a layer top which covers your midriff and hugs the hips in a flattering way. The colour is a dark navy blue and would look great on someone with a tan (I definitely need to fake bake to pull it off!). Its not too long for those of you who come in small packages either!


6) Missguided Paisley 




I bought this dress after seeing a blogger called Kayleigh wearing it last summer. It looked super nice on her and thought it would be great for a festival. It is quite short so I need to put something underneath it incase of sudden gusts of wind. Don't want to do a Marilyn Monroe. I absolutely love the pattern. Paisley is one of my favourite designs and the colour would suit any complexion.


                                              7) Forever 21 Dress and Missguided Kimono





I bought this dress when I was in Las Vegas last year as it was so flattering. Its so floaty and cooling, making it perfect for days when the temperature is just a little too much. I like pairing it with this Missguided Kimono as well. It gives the outfit a bit more of an edge and can turn a day dress into an evening outfit. The rose patterns on the back keep it girly whilst giving it an oriental feel.

So thats the bulk of my spring/summer dress collection so far!

I hope you liked it!

I'd really appreciate it if you could follow me. I'm just starting up so need all the help I can get =)

Hope your having a great day/night and speak to you soon.

Love,
Pippa x


Starting a Youtube Channel and need your help!

Hi Guys,

So I'm wanting to start a youtube channel but I'm unsure what videos to do. I would really appreciate your opinions on the following topics;

Makeup and Fashion things - I'm a tad reluctant to do these types of videos as I know that youtube is already heavily saturated with these types of videos and by people far better at makeup and more fashionable than me. However, I am very passionate about both makeup and fashion so I still feel its an option.

Book Club/Reviews - I really enjoy reading and talking about books with other people so was thinking it would be something a bit different to do! What do you guys think?

Other Reviews - Music, Films, Magazines, TV Series etc

Vlogs on Uni - or just general chit chats about different aspects of student life. I could write a post on some things and if anyone has any questions I could answer them in a video on my channel.

Video Game Reviews/Play throughs - I'm not a massive 'gamer girl' but I do enjoy the xbox games I have.

Learn to cook with me - I enjoy cooking but I'm not very good at it so perhaps a vlog type video of me trying out new recipes and the disastrous results!

Challenges - I'm always up for a good challenge and dare so that would be fun! You guys could come up with the challenges for me!

Get fit with me - Another progress topic that could help motivate me and any of you guys looking to get fit to! Maybe if you see me embarrass myself on youtube failing at exercise it'll inspire you to make sure you're not like me ;) I could review exercises or just talk about new fitness classes or tips I've learnt about.

So thats quite a few ideas to start with! What do you guys think of them? Are there any other types of videos you wish you saw more of on youtube. If so, let me know and it might be something I'm interested in and could be fun!

Thanks!

Love,
Pippa

15 Things I Want To Do

For today's blog post I thought I'd tell you guys 15 things I want to either do or do more of this year.

1) Go Travelling - I finish uni this May and so want to do some travelling before I start a full time job and have to many commitments.

2) Steward at more festivals - I've been stewarding at festivals with a charity for 2 years now and I've enjoyed every minute of it. I've booked to steward at Leeds and Boardmasters this summer. Exciting!!

3) Do more exercise - I'm sure this is on everyones to do list. I say it every new years eve and regret not doing it every summer. 1000's times a charm?

4) Do more things I don't want to do - Seems a strange one right? But I am a very shy and anxious person at times so I want to say yes to more activities that are out of my comfort zone! Throw me in at the deep end!

5) Read more - I used to love reading. I'd buy at least 5 books from the charity shop each month and have them all read in time to go out and buy more. However, being at uni has meant I've not had the time, or at least felt I haven't, to just sit down each night and read a little. Its a great way to learn and relax so is definately high priority for this year.

6) Meditate - I've been practicing mediating for the past couple of weeks now and have noticed a huge difference in how I've felt during the day. I am more calm and carefree. Its such a relaxing hobby to have and can even be done in the comfort of your own home.

7) Start a Youtube Channel - It's something I've wanted to do for ages now, however I'm not sure what I would video yet so I'm going to wait till something unique comes to mind!

8) Eat healthier - Another one on everyones to do list! I've got very bored of eating unhealthy stuff now and whenever I have good fresh food in I enjoy cooking a lot more than just shoving chips and chicken in the oven! The food tastes better,  my body is healthier and I feel happier... what could be better?

9) To make more of an effort with people - Again another one to help get me out of this shy rut I'm currently in. I've already put this into action and have enjoyed all of it. Being shy can make you very lonely and miss out on a lot of things. My new mottos are 'Live life to the full' and 'If someone doesn't like you, its their problem not yours'. I need to start remembering that people are allowed to not like you and if they don't its not because your in the wrong... you just don't mesh and thats okay.

10) Tidy my room more - My room looks like a bombs hit it and then been burgled. No more needs to be said.

11) Get a tattoo - I've been wanting one for a few years now and feel that if I've been thinking about it for so long it is definitely something worth pursuing.

12) Just live life without worrying - Being carefree but grounded is definitely the right mentality to live by.

13) Do more for charity - I love doing stuff for charity, not only is it rewarding but its so fun and you can meet some many nice people.

14) See my family more - Being at uni meant I hardly saw my family unless I came home for the weekend every so often. Once I finish uni I can't wait to see them on a regular basis!

15) Get back on the road - I miss being able to drive and the independence that comes with it so getting insured is high priority!

These are my main goals for this year and I'm determined to stick to as many of them as possible. What are your goals for the year? Have you completed any of your new years resolutions yet?

Love,
Pippa

Tuesday, 18 February 2014

Quote of the Week - Dalai Lama





Kindness is a virtue people seem to lack nowadays. Everyday you see in the news that someone has killed/hit/robbed/taken/hurt someone for an absurd reason. The act of evil I saw today in the news was about a man beheading his girlfriends disabled son whilst she was out. He seems to feel no remorse for his actions and no doubt will get a sentence to small for the crime he committed. Why is it that nowadays people seem to be less kind? I know a lot of it is to do with the media and how they thrive on bad stories even though there are plenty of heart felt good deeds out there. But I do feel it is getting worse, unkindness that is.

I have always been brought up to be kind and respectful to everyone and even if I hadn't, I think I still would have developed the caring nature I have today. Being nasty just feels... well... wrong! What would I gain from being nasty? I mean, I know I probably have hurt people in the past, and I'm sure on some occasions I probably knew what I was doing but on the whole I'd like to think I am a kind person.

This quote, along with most other Dalai Lama quotes, sums up my thinking entirely. The Dalai Lama seems to be a very happy, kind man. If being kind has anything to do with this holistic happiness then surely it is hard to argue against.

But is it really that easy to be kind? There are times where maybe being kind is the unkind thing to do. For example, if a friend is really upset about a breakup but it has been going on for far to long and is starting to have a permanant negative impact on her life then surely a stern (and to her 'unkind') word is whats needed for her to get back on track and start living her life again. But it is possible to just be kind. Which would you choose?

I think for me 'being kind whenever possible' is a definite. 'Always being kind' is something I will continue to strive for and fall from. But I am OK with that.

Pippa

Choosing a career

At college a lot of my close friends knew exactly what they wanted to do and what needed to be done to get there. Some had their career path set out by their parents, some had experience in their chosen field either through summer jobs or volunteering and for others their personalities just ...fit... a certain profession. Then there is me. Up until I was 15 I had always had my heart set on joining the police force. Whether it was tv shows such as The Bill and Brit Cops or films such as Police Academy or just the sheer fact I know I wouldn't enjoy a desk job something swayed my mind towards this career path.

After some careful thinking and a lot of pushing from staff at the private college I attended I decided a degree was something I needed. I 'latched' out of the ocean of unappealing subjects somethings that I was moderately interested in and wasn't failing. Psychology. It seemed to be the subject I was most interested in and had a lot of career paths. I applied for the course I am currently studying which included education, counselling and psychology as its three major topics. A lot of choice means more chance of finding a career path I want right? Wrong. I found myself surrounded by course mates who were in the same position. They thought they wanted to do a certain job, but even one lecture easily swayed them in another direction. I found myself swaying back and forth with them for 2 years. Counsellor, teacher, psychologist, psychotherapist, counsellor, teacher, psychologist, psychotherapist. Until one day I decided to stop. I sat down with a careers advisor and whittled out what I couldn't be and what seemed to fit my personality least. I then went home with more questions than answers and spent a good few days researching and taking tests and googling and reading blogs until I stumbled across a rather big and obvious choice for a career. Something that both incorporated my now growing fondness of psychology and my passion for the criminal justice system. Forensic Psychology.

I have now applied for both a masters degree in Forensic Psychology at a learning university in the field and also a psychological studies conversion course to gain accredited status as a psychologist.

After reflecting upon my course, now that it is coming to a close, I have learnt that although coming to university without having a concrete career plan can be a detrimental mistake, it can also open up opportunities and career paths you never even thought about. Not only does it help make you a more independent person socially, it also gives you the independence and courage to say no. "NO. that is not the career I want to follow" "NO. I don't want to live a life with a career I am unhappy in" and "No, I know I can get the job I have worked so hard for".

If you're contemplating going to university or are unsure what career path to follow in general I hope this helps a little by showing that the vast majority of people are in the same position as you. Although choosing whether to go to university or not is a big deal, it isn't the end of the world if you feel your choice has turned out the be the wrong one. University will always be there for those who chose not to apply and it also teaches a lot of other skills to those who do go.

Pippa



I would really appreciate your feedback of this blog. I know I am not a very good writer both for academic work and as a blogger but its something I have promised myself I will try and improve on. So any tips or critiques are really appreciated!

And thanks for reading =)