Wednesday 31 December 2014

2015!

I've been horrendous with blogging over the last half of the year - it's been a mix of heavy workloads, getting used to uni life and just having no motivation or decent things to blog about. I have idea but when I come to write them I just don't know how to write it. I have about 4 posts that are in my drafts folder that I've been working on - some aren't even relevant anymore so will need to be deleted!

You may also notice that I've changed the title and description on my blog - I re-read them and found them rather embarrassing so I decided to change them a little instead!

It's the end of another year so I thought I had to at least post something now - it's always good to look back at the year and think about what I want to change and improve on. Last year I posted a 2013 vs. 2014 review which I obviously can't just add to as there's quite a lot of difference I feel! 

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Confidence
This year I feel like I've come to understand myself a lot better as a person and have consequently become a lot more confident than I was this time last year. The fact that I managed to get into University helped this fact I feel as it made me realise I was good enough and could achieve the things I wanted to if I tried hard enough. I didn't actually get the grades I needed for my course but because of the extra things I'd done outside of my A levels to do with Archaeology and Ancient History, they saw my passion and accepted me anyway! Due to this, I also ended up realising that just because you aren't the best at one type of education, it doesn't mean you won't be good at another so don't be put off if you aren't very good at A levels like I wasn't - I'm now doing well at Uni because the teaching style and the way you're graded works a lot better for me! Asking for help to make sure you get all the help you need for exams is also useful - I probably annoyed my teachers last year by how much I asked them for help! However, this is another thing I learned this year - don't be afraid to ask for help because the teachers want you to succeed and if you show willingness to improve, they will try and support you so you can get the results that you want.

Another thing I've noticed over this year is that I've also become more confident in my body. I'm not a size 8, 6 ft tall model with long, flowing hair but I'm happy with my body in its entirety as I'm the only one that has to live with it so why live hating it? I wear things that look good on my body shape and wear make up because it makes me feel happy and prettier. I already did a post earlier in the year about how I feel about lipstick and how it boosts my confidence! Of course there are things I wouldn't mind changing but for now, I'm happy with myself. 

Work and independence 
Last year, I said I needed to focus on my work but I may have taken that a little too far during the last few months as I've been known to not leave the flat for a couple of days and not sleeping until 3 to make sure I could finish essays on time! I think this year I need to prioritise better as I'm now living more or less independently so I need to balance work and looking after myself as well as remembering to save some time to see friends. 

I also need to organise my work so I have time to do more background reading as I didn't get a lot of chance to this term. This also needs to include planning essays in advance so I don't have a mad rush at the end of term like I did in the last week of this term. It will be a lot better for me if I do little bits along the way instead of huge amounts at the end that get me overly stressed and run down.

Health
I want to try and get a bit healthier in 2015 as I know I could vastly improve what I eat - I think I'm going to try and post recipes when I find ones that are healthy but still nice! I'm already trying to cut down the amount of snacking I'm doing and the amount of sweets/chocolates I'm eating. 

I need to start going to bed earlier which links with my organisation goal - if I do more work earlier in the day then I'll be able to sleep earlier which would be a lot better for me - hopefully I'll be able to get a proper sleeping pattern sorted by the end of this term if I can work properly!

One last thing I need to do is to learn how to take breaks from work and just wind down sometimes. I am constantly working at uni so if by organising my work and life better I can add in break every so often, that would be incredibly helpful!

What are your goals for the upcoming year?
I hope you all have a wonderful New Years!
Jess xx

Friday 12 December 2014

Bring On Christmas!

I've finished my first term of University. It feels very odd to say that as it still doesn't seem completely real that I'm doing this! 
Since my last post, things have got a lot better as I've written 2 assessment essays, done a quiz that counted for my final grade, written three coursework essays and got all but 2 coursework marks back! I'm working at 2:1 and even got a first in my first assessment essay I got back which makes me really happy as that's the equivalent of Bs and As - my previous doubts about being good enough have diminished quite a lot luckily. It makes me realise how messed up A levels are as I was at B/C level for those but I'm getting better grades in a higher level of study?! I think I suit independent working a lot more as I like using a lot of books and finding my information from them which is exactly what is needed for University essays!
Even though I seem to be doing well in my work, it's taking its toll as it means that I'm up quite late at night finishing my essays off and I'm not able to see my friends or even my flatmates that much! I'm starting to feel a bit distanced from them which isn't too fun. Luckily I get to see my old friends in my month off so I get back into a good social environment with a much needed break from working, it will be a nice change! 

Christmas is easily my favourite time of the year so getting nearly the whole of December and the beginning of January off from Uni is so exciting! The fact that I'm going to have 2 weeks of nothing means I'm going to have loads of spare time to get presents and cards for people which is great! Hopefully I'll also be able to work more so I'll earn money that I can save up and spend later on next year! The time off also means I'm going to have loads of time to blog and read again so be prepared for more posts (I mean it this time!) - I intend to get back into the swing of things again as I haven't had any inspiration over the last couple of months as nothing very exciting has happened! I do however have a few things to catch you up on! 

Jess xx

Tuesday 4 November 2014

The last month and a half.

I've now been at University a month and a half now and it's honestly flown by so quickly. 
I have some great friends and I love my course but I still can't shake the feeling that I'm somehow not meant to be here and that I don't deserve to be here because I didn't get the grades I needed. I handed in my first assignment last Thursday and I stayed up quite late Wednesday night finishing it as I just couldn't figure out how to write the essay properly - I found it a real struggle to get back into proper academic work as I haven't written anything since exams in June and I've never written a University level piece of work which terrified me. I've always been a perfectionist and I like being given a push in the right direction so the independent learning is completely new to me and it's difficult as I have to figure out if what I'm doing is right or not by myself. 
I know as I go on, this will get easier and I'll learn the style Uni looks for, just like I did for A level, but I still don't feel good enough. 
I need to work out how to manage my time better, especially as I have this week free of lectures so I have 1 and a half more days to work solidly on my next assignment if I plan it right. I guess it's just part of the learning experience and the gaining of independence and it'll come to me in a bizarre 'Eureka' moment (at least I'm hoping it will...) so for now I'm going to read a lot, make a lot of notes and ask a lot of questions in the hopes that it'll be enough to get me through this year successfully.
Jess xx

Thursday 16 October 2014

Long time no speak!

My last blog post was over a month ago but I've been so busy that I've had no time at all to write one! 
The last four weeks at University have been so amazingly great but I've been constantly on the go working, studying or socialising - it's hectic! I thought it would be a good time to show you my room and give you a little update on how life is going so far as I've settled in and I have a spare couple of hours in between my seminars to actually write a post for once! 

The first two weeks here were freshers so we went out most nights and got to know people better over 1am pizza! We bonded pretty quickly as a flat (thanks Facebook chat before we got here!) and then met the flat above as someone in ours knew someone in the flat above before which means we have a big group of us which is really lovely. 

Some of G.3 and 1.3! 
Me, Lucy and Jack. 
Geek night! (cue me blinking...)
Me and my flatmate Alex at Zoo night!
I didn't think I would like going out to clubs but with this group, it's a lot of fun! The one thing I don't like is that I didn't listen to music I like for 2 weeks straight because it was all club and chart music!
We obviously aren't going out as much now freshers is over and work has started properly but it's still fun to go out once or twice a week to get away from the studying.

In the second week of freshers, we also started lectures which was really exciting - I'm loving all of my classes so far minus one which has a rather boring lecturer but it's mostly a lot of fun! My A levels are helping a lot as some of the material in 5th Century Athens is the same as my old course! I had to buy quite a few books for my course which got expensive as they were £20-£30 each! Luckily they will be helpful/interesting for me after this year so it wasn't a waste. Books from my A levels have also been useful/will be useful so I'm quite lucky in that aspect!

Most of my course books.
I love my flat and room - I have a 4 ft bed which is pretty much a double. Compared to my bed and room at home it's quite big which is great! I'm surprised at how clean I've kept my room so far as I'm usually a really messy person but I love how organised it looks and I want to keep it that way for as long as possible! 

I love my desk so much, it's huge and the chair is really comfy with my cushions!
My make up storage shelf.
I have far too many odds and ends on my desk.
Bed covers are from John Lewis - I love them so much!
Fun fact: it smells like marzipan in front of the shelves!
Cute Edward Monkton illustrations above my bed!
My wardrobe - most dresses, skirts and shirts are hung up,
everything else is in the boxes!
My roof tile bookends I took from the spoil heap at Silchester!
Organisers.
Cute anchor details on my towel in my ensuite.
I love these storage jars, so pretty!
I brought quite a lot of my stuff from home with me so it looks like it's messy on my desk but in reality, there's just quite a lot of stuff! It feels really homely and nice - it's just the right size so I can work and live in it at the same time!

I hope you enjoyed this update and tour of my room!
I have a couple of assessments due at the end of October so I don't know when I'll be able to post again in the next couple of weeks. 
Jess xx

Sunday 14 September 2014

Bucket List.

Earlier in summer I did a Summer Bucket List which got me thinking of general things I want to do. I've been writing this list for a while and thought it would be fun to share it with you as I've run out of ideas!

1. Visit New York


This is probably on the list on all teenagers everywhere but I still stand by it! I love busy atmospheres and cities, plus the shops look so amazing! I want to do this before I'm 30 in an ideal world! I would also love to visit the museums there!

2. See the northern lights


They're so beautiful and I would love to actually see them in person.

3. Go to a fashion week event (London, Paris or New York)


I think going to a show like Orla Kiely, Tory Burch or Kate Spade would be amazing as their clothes are gorgeous and quirky!

4. Have a best friend by the time I'm 20

I haven't had a proper best friend as such for a few years now as my secondary school friendship group was a big group of close friends, but I've never been closer to one person than everyone else - I would love to have that sort of thing with someone!

5. Work in a museum


Museums are one of my favourite places in the world - there's so much history under one roof and it's great being able to look at it all. Being able to work with it all would be amazing - I love learning and being surrounded by history, a museum would be a perfect for me.

6. Visit Paris


It looks like such a pretty city, it would be amazing to visit one day!

7. Get a 'usual' somewhere

It would be quite fun to go somewhere so much that the servers know what I have!

8. Go to Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park



It looks like so much fun but I've never been able to go because I've never had anyone to go with! Hopefully I'll be able to go this year!

9. Have longer hair

My hair has been above my shoulders for the last 7 years and I've been trying to grow it longer again - hopefully in the next year it'll be below my shoulders properly instead of mid way like it is now!

What are some of your guys' bucket list items?
Jess xx

Sunday 7 September 2014

New Beginnings.

Topic 16 of the Blogger Challenge was to write about new beginnings. As I'm moving to University in 13 days (eek!) and I started my first job yesterday, it's a perfect topic!

I've been wanting a job pretty much since I started A levels 2 years ago but could never find anywhere to hire me as I had no experience and wasn't 18. During A2 exam time, I applied for a few jobs for over the summer and heard back from Marks and Spencer and Waitrose. The Marks and Spencer job didn't work out (luckily as it wasn't particularly nice in that one!) but I got an interview and job offer from Waitrose which I was really surprised about! I did my first shift there yesterday and really enjoyed it, I love getting to talk to the friendlier customers! My co-workers are also really friendly so I know I'm going to love it there!

I've started talking to a few people from my course and everyone is so lovely - it's making me really excited to start at Reading! I was a bit hesitant originally as it's so close to home but the more I think of the pros vs cons, the only con is the distance so it's an overall winner really! The course is fantastic, the campus is gorgeous, the people are amazing and the lecturers are enthusiastic about their subjects so I can live with not moving away from somewhere I know.

I'll keep you guys updated with my Uni stuff as it happens - not long now!
Jess xx

Thursday 28 August 2014

I have a job?!

Over exam time, I thought it would be a good idea to procrastinate and apply for jobs, just incase my exams didn't turn out as I'd hoped and I needed to work instead of go to Uni. 
I had an interview with Marks and Spencer the day before my last exam but didn't get that job because I apparently wasn't right for it and I was given an interview by Waitrose a little bit after exams. I didn't hear from waitrose for about 3 weeks but when I was at Silchester a couple of weeks ago, I was contacted by a member of the waitrose team and was offered a different job but I couldn't accept until I had my results as I didn't know where I was going to be. Today I got sent an email to accept the offer so it's official - I have a job for university! It apparently finishes in December so it's only a short contract, but I'm happy that I'm going to have extra money available if I need it. 
I start at the beginning of September so I'm super excited, I've never had a job before so it's going to be good having a new start for Uni and a job - I feel like I'm actually growing up!
Jess xx

Wednesday 27 August 2014

A day out in Portsmouth!

On Saturday, my family and I went to Gunwharf Quays shopping outlet in Portsmouth to have a look around and to see what it's like compared to Bicester. There were so many amazing shops there and a really good mix of high street and high end brands which was good to look around. The actual place was big and nicely spaced out so it wasn't too crowded and busy which was one of the problems with Bicester when we went there - this was nice though! 
I ended up buying a shirt from Ralph Lauren and one from Joules which I've been wanting for ages so I was super happy with that! The Ralph Lauren shirt was an amazing deal as it was £25 down from £80! It's such a great quality piece as well, I can't wait to wear it!

Joules on the left, Ralph Lauren on the right! 
There was also a Cadbury's shop that had loads of discounted sweets and Roses pick n' mix which was amazing, just a shame that I couldn't buy a lot of it as I'm allergic to nuts!
Overall, it was a really fun day and if you can, it's such a good place to go for a day out as there are shops there for everyone with any budget!
Jess xx

Tuesday 26 August 2014

Medea at the National Theatre.

On Friday, me and my friend Liv went to London for the day before going to see the National Theatre's production of Medea!
We went to Covent Garden (surprise surprise) and looked around there for a while as we both love it as it's a great place to window shop!
We looked around Kate Spade and I fell in love with this display, the bag is so cute and the flowers look so pretty!

Kate Spade displays are so pretty!
We also went to Laduree so I could get my usual rose, orange blossom and strawberry macarons, and the window display here also caught my eye; it's so pretty!

Yum.
We also had a look around a few other shops including Chanel - it's fun to dream! We went to a sweet shop to stock up for the theatre later and I got so many different flavoured gummy bears, they're all so nice!

We then made our way up to Oxford Street and went to Selfridges which was fun, I love looking around at the stuff I'd never be able to afford! It's Magnum's 25 year anniversary so they have a section in the shop where you can create your own magnum which looked amazing! Sadly there were too many people in the queue to actually get one but hopefully I'll be able to go back and buy one at some point before it stops!

So pretty.
I bought a couple of macarons from Pierre Marcolini in Selfridges too just to see what they're like as there were some really yummy sounding flavours! I got a passionfruit flavoured one and one that had cinnamon, nutmeg and a few other spices in it. Both tested amazing and I would probably say that they were better than Laduree macarons! They do different flavours though so I'll have to switch between the two! 

So so good!
For food, we went to Ed's Easy Diner in Mayfair which was lovely as it was quite small and just off Oxford Street but not particularly busy! I love the soundtrack they have there as well as the whole look, it also does brilliant food which is always good! 

I love their wall designs!
We then went down to Southbank to watch Medea. I was a bit nervous as I'd read that it was quite scary and I don't handle horror very well but it ended up being a brilliant performance by Helen McCrory (Narcissa Malfoy from Harry Potter!) and the rest of the cast. It's a disturbing story to begin with and the performance created a chilling and gripping atmosphere which I felt was perfect for such a story - I'm pretty sure I held my breath through some of it! It was heartbreaking and genius - the setting, music, characters, costumes and everything else were completely on point - I may have to go and watch it again when it's shown in the cinema just to relive it! 
It didn't have a specific time period that it was set in but the costumes suggested that it was a relatively modern setting, meaning that some of the original story had to be changed which ended up actually working rather well! 
After studying it as part of my Classical Civilisation A level, actually seeing a production of it in a modern setting was really interesting as I got to see the impact of the whole play from beginning to end instead of just analysing section by section. It gave me a better understanding of it and I'm really glad I got the opportunity to see it!
The rest of the tickets are sold out but if you have the opportunity to see it in cinemas on 4th September than I wholeheartedly recommend that you do as it's a fantastic production.

Amazing.
Jess xx

Thursday 21 August 2014

The Perfect Pair!

Topic 15 of the 2014 Blogger Challenge was to write about a pair that we think works perfectly together. The first thing that came into my mind was my favourite colour combination - navy and white! It's classy, pretty and suits me really well, plus there are so many pattern combinations that it's just perfect! Navy is basically a neutral so it also means that make up colours I can use isn't restricted!

I've decided to bring together my favourite outfits featuring navy and white that I found online as inspiration.

1. Casual chic.
Picture from here
I love this outfit, it's so casual and chic, I'd happily wear this out to meet up with friends. I also really love the mint colour trainers, they're so pretty! I'm also a sucker for a good scarf so this is just an all round great outfit!

2. Classy casual.
Picture from here
This outfit is more classy and dressed up and something I'd be more likely to wear out and about. I love the riding boots and the stripes!

3. Pop of colour.
Picture from here
I love that this outfit is nearly all navy and white apart from the lipstick and shoes - it gives the outfit another dimension and it's gorgeous! 

4. Just add a blazer!
Picture from here
This outfit is everything I love - blazer, navy, white, polka dots, heels and pretty coloured jeans. Yes please. 

I love all of these outfits and I wish I had everything to create them as I'd wear them all! 
Jess xx

Wednesday 20 August 2014

Instagram love!

I love Instagram and would probably say it's my favourite social media to casually browse as there's such a wide range of people and pictures to look through!
I thought I would share some of my favourite Instagrammers with you today and show you how pretty their photos are! I love how professional their photos always look while still giving a small glimpse into the finer and fancier details of their lives!






















stylewithinreach

Hope you guys enjoyed looking through these as I do!
Jess xx