A Good Monday

Monday marked the first day back at University for me which meant the first day of doing something that didn't involve tv and pjs in a month. 

Most people seem to hate mondays because it's the start of the week and it means getting back to work but mine was surprisingly good this week! 

I thought it would be good to actually say why incase any of you think you can incorporate any of these points into your lives too and make your days better!

1. I gave myself time to get ready.

I usually find myself rushing in the mornings but I found that I had loads of time by waking up half an hour earlier than I usually would and just taking my time over everything. It made a great change and I started the day off happy and not already tired from having to walk fast to my lecture!

2. I only had one lecture.

This obviously helped, but it was also really interesting (beginning of my Augustan Rome module - yay!) so it was exciting to relearn A level content and new material as well! The lecture was held in a theatre room as well so there weren't any desks to lean on which made it feel quite informal which helped with the relaxed feel from the morning!

3. I got extra work done.

I decided to write up my notes from last semester's modules on my laptop so I have them saved somewhere else and it's helpful going over the work I did again with the handouts. I managed to get through about 4 lectures which was great!

4. I took a break when I got too tired

Instead of pushing myself to exhaustion, I had a nap or watched a bit of a film when I got too tired or distracted, meaning that when I worked, I was paying my full attention and the work got done faster and went in better than it would if I was falling asleep.

5. I snacked healthily

I'm usually the one who goes for the sweets and chocolate but as I'm actually trying to stick to my goals this year, I decided to have a healthier lunch and snacks. I ended up having a small handful of pistachios, garden peas and an apple, then some grapes later on when I got peckish again. I actually didn't feel as sluggish and my blood sugar was better controlled so it's good all round! 

6. I dressed comfily

I find it easier to work if I'm comfortable with my outfit - it was comfy but not lazy which is perfect! It was also warm which is good seeing as it's still freezing and wet at the moment! If I'm dressed up like I sometimes decide to, I find it harder to work well as I'm not as comfortable physically so I don't sit around a lot. 

7. I had good conversations with people

I have a tendency to just sit in my room and work constantly but I made sure I went into the kitchen and spoke to whoever was in there and it made me feel better in general!

8. I didn't work right up until I went to bed

Usually I go to bed straight after turning the laptop off which means my brain is still fired up when I'm trying to sleep - I found it helpful to read a bit before as it made me feel a bit more tired.

I hope I can continue some of these every day as it really made a big improvement to my usual routine! What do you guys do to make your days better?
Jess xx

Life in letters tag!

All the way back in February, I was tagged by Amy from Blending Beauty to do this tag! I didn't have time to do it as work started piling up around the time I was tagged so now I have time, I'm doing it! 

A - Archaeology. I'm hopefully studying this subject at University come September/October and it's so interesting!

B - Books. I'm an avid reader and spend quite a lot of my spare time reading when I'm not blogging!

C - Clothes. I love fashion and always try to look my best when I leave the house no matter where I am!

D - Diabetic. I have diabetes and have lived with it since I was 11. It's pretty much become a part of every day life now instead of a big problem but I still hope they find a cure eventually as it can be really annoying and hard to deal with at some points!

E - Eyes. My favourite part of my body. They're a really lovely bright green that sometimes look different depending on lighting which is awesome!

F - Food. I'm such a big eater and I love food, not always the healthy options either! I hope to improve what I eat once I get to Uni though!

G - Greek. I want to learn Ancient Greek when I'm at Uni and I've already started trying to get familiar with the alphabet!

H - History. My favourite subject of all time. Ancient History is easily my favourite and I'm hoping to study it as a joint degree with Archaeology next year!

I - Inspiration. I find it everywhere in quotes, books, nature, people around me and loads of other things I see!

J - Jessica. My name! 

K - Kip. I struggled the most with this one...I do love a good nap though! Got to love British slang for creating words like kip!

L - Lipstick. I have a huge collection (over 50...) and I love them all! I love the way a bold colour can bring life to an outfit and add something special to it. I wrote about how I feel about lipstick here!

M - Music. I honestly couldn't live without music. It's such a great way for people to connect and concerts bring people together because of their shared love for a band/artist which I find amazing!

N - Nail Polish. Another thing I have tonnes of. I love the look of nail polish and I find that it's actually a good way to relax as you can't have a shaking hand at all when you are applying - it was a really good calming technique for me during exams!

O - Optimist. I try to be positive and look at things in a good light for the most part!

P - Piano. I played since I was about 6 up until 2 years ago when GCSEs forced me to quit. I hope I can take it back up again some day as I loved it!

Q - Quizzes. I'm obsessed with doing the online quizzes that come up on Facebook!

R - Reading. The University I'm hopefully going to next year!

S - Sweets. I have such a sweet tooth and love to try sweets from different places! English with probably always be my favourite, though the Haribo options in different countries are amazing and always so good, it makes me jealous!

T - Travelling. I love going to new places and I hope that choosing a career in Archaeology leads to visiting lots of historical sights all around the country and world!

U - University. Where I hope to be going in September. I really want to go and I honestly have no idea what I'm going to do if I don't get in - I'll know on 14th August which is terrifying!

V - Volkswagen Up. My car! I passed my test on 5th March and I love driving it!

W - Winter. One of my favourite seasons apart from Autumn!

X - Xmas. There aren't many X words that I like...but Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year!

Y - YouTube. I love being able to find whatever song I want and then be able to watch a stupid cat video 2 seconds later if I feel like it, Youtube is great!

Z - Zodiac. I love looking at astrology stuff as I find it really interesting. I don't believe it, I just like seeing what sort of things the websites say about each different sign and why!

I don't think I'm going to tag anyone in particular this time, but if you want to do this for fun then I say go for it and I tag you! Hope you have fun doing your own!
Jess xx

High End vs. High Street.

2014 Blogger Challenge post time! The topic this time is in the title - High End vs. High Street! 

I'm not really sure what counts as 'High Street' and 'High End' as where I live, there are pretty expensive shops but they aren't to the standards of brands like Gucci or Prada. 

Clothes

I think, as a student and having no income (yay for having no time for a job...), I would have to say High Street is my favourite out of the two as they're more affordable and last quite a long time if you choose wisely. Some of my favourites are probably New Look, H! for Henry Holland and Red Herring in Debenhams, Next, Banana Republic and Crew. 

I own a lot of clothes from Crew because there are yearly factory/warehouse sales which are great for buying their clothing cheaper. The quality is amazing and even at full price, spending the money is worth it as the styles aren't seasonal and can be worn for however long you want! 

New Look is great for vest tops and ballet flats as they last for ages and are super cheap for the basics. I'm not a big fan of most of their clothes but when they have pieces I do like, they last for ages and fit me perfectly. 

Debenhams are perfect. Red Herring do some of my favourite pieces of clothing that I wear and will go back to over and over again and my two all time favourite dresses come from H! by Henry Holland. They both fit perfectly, have cute, fun designs that still look good and are made of great quality material. They're also not outrageously expensive. 

Next are the only place I'll buy jeans from. I have quite big legs which makes it a problem for me to buy jeans from designer places but Next make jeans of great quality that last for ages and look good too! There are also loads of styles and not just drainpipe skinny which is helpful for me as I suit straight leg better. 

I discovered Banana Republic when I went to Covent Garden a little while ago and I fell in love. This goes at the more expensive end of High Street with Crew because they go on the same sorts of prices. They have a perfect mix of classy and casual pieces that are amazing and I would happily buy most of their shop if I could afford it. I rarely say that about anywhere so they must be pretty awesome! I wish I could go there more often because the two tops I have from there are both perfect and look great!

I'm not sure how many of these really count as High Street but they're mostly affordable so I think that's how I would class them!

I'm not really sure how to class High End because different people class them as different things. I'm going to say that my favourite (and only) High End brand is naturally Kate Spade though. Their prices are completely ridiculous and a lot of their pieces are very hit and miss with me but when I find something I do like, I fall in love with it and then cry about the price tag. I was over the moon when I found out that there was a Kate Spade shop in London and I was even happier when I bought my first ever piece from there, my stripy bow top. I also have a ring, scarf, purse, bracelet and mug from there and I love them all. The quality is second to none for the clothes and while the jewellery has minor problems (magnetically held bracelets are NOT easy to wear in daily college life), I still love them. I try to go there when sales are on as the price drops are crazily good and make everything vaguely affordable but they're still more expensive than most of theHigh Street brands I previously mentioned! I think if their prices were lower I would be so much happier but I think I'll just have to put up with just staring at the pretty pieces over the internet for a little while longer (or forever unless I get a REALLY good job). 

Make Up

I love pretty much every piece of make up I have ever bought so this is a tough one. 

I would have to say though that as my favourite foundation (Max factor), lipstick (Rimmel), blusher (Ruby and Millie) and nail polish (Essie) are all High Street brands, I'm starting to lean that way.

However, my favourite mascara (Benefit), eyeshadow (Urban Decay) and eyeliner (Eyeko) are High End, so it does even itself out quite well. 

I think that because I use my High Street products more as I don't have a problem with replacing them due to their cheap prices, I can say that I prefer them. I also have fairly good High Street options for mascaras and eyeliners to choose from as replacements for my High End versions. Urban Decay will never be beaten on the eyeshadow (or primer!) front though - I'm definitely willing to spend out for them as they're so good and last for so long! They're also cruelty free which is a nice addition!

I would happily use more high end brands for make up because they are good quality, but the high street ones aren't that much worse and the quality difference doesn't compensate spending another £10/£20 essentially just for a name plastered on the side. Yes, the packaging is prettier, but the product in the tube is what counts really!

I do love both, but for affordability purposes, High Street wins hands down here for me! 

Jess xx

Challenge post three.

The Liebster Award #2!

The lovely Amée has nominated me for the Liebster Award again! It was only a month since I did my last post so it's nice to have another set of questions to answer! Thank you Amée!

The Rules

You need to link back to the nominator 

State 11 Facts about yourself

Answer the 11 questions given to you 

Nominate 11 new bloggers with less than 200 followers 

And give those nominated 11 new questions

11 facts about me

1. I absolutely love driving and I have my test on 5th March so hopefully it goes well!

2. I wish I could wear heels more, I love the look of them but my college is really hilly so I can't wear them a lot!

3. I love learning new things and will go out of my way to read new books about topics I find interesting!

4. I'm currently reading the Sherlock Holmes collection and it's amazing - book reviews to come shortly!

5. I love sleep. I will happily sleep for 12 hours if I can!

6. When I do homework, I will always get into my lounge trousers because they're so comfy!

7. I love Classical literature (Roman and Greek) and I really want to buy more, not just the books I do in Classic Civilisation!

8. I prefer sweets over chocolate.

9. However, I do still love chocolate and dark chocolate is my favourite.

10. I actually like Shakespeare unlike most people my age. 

11. I love History and aside from ancient Roman and Greek, the Tudor, Victorian and Medieval periods are my favourites.

My questions from Amée.

What is your favourite make and shade of Lipstick?
A firm blogger favourite - Rimmel Kate Matte Lipstick in 107 is my favourite lipstick by far but I really love my two MAC lipsticks; Viva Glam IV and Dark Deed.

If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?
If I had the money to spend, either New York or Paris.

What is the worst beauty product you have ever tried out?
I don't think I've ever bought anything that I've really disliked...the Body Collection maxi lipstick in Vixen wasn't great though as it was an odd shade.

Who are your favourite bloggers?
Carly
Lauren
Kerry
Jemma
Hannah
Sophie

What one item of clothing could you never live without?
I love all of my clothes...but currently it would be my panda dress from H! by Henry Holland or my burgundy slouchy, chunky knit jumper from Crew.

What is your favourite candle scent?
I'm not allowed candles at home as mum doesn't like the scent, but when I go to the Yankee candle shop in Reading, I always love the spiced christmas scents, vanilla and fruity smells.  

Twitter or Instagram?
Instagram. Twitter is good for saying when I've written a new blog post and talking to some people but Instagram is a bit more fun and personal as you see people's lives which I love! Pictures are so much fun!

What is your all time favourite song?
I don't really have a favourite song, but when I read the question, the first to pop in my head was Eet by Regina Spektor so I'll go with that! The music video is also one of the most brilliant things ever. I love typewriters so it's perfect.

If you were a superhero what powers would you want?
Teleportation without a doubt. Free travel is hard to come by these days and going overseas would be so much easier, you could pop home every day and sleep in your own bed, you would only have to spend money on shopping!

What is your favourite accent?
I've always loved Irish accents!

What shop are the majority of your clothes from?
I would have to say Crew I think. I have lots from other shops, but I own the most from Crew easily. Factory/Warehouse sales are the best things known to man and they do some cracking ones!

I was also nominated by the gorgeous Olivia so here are her questions!

1. What are 3 things on your wishlist for this month?
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman, a replacement BadGal Lash mascara from Benefit as I think mine is running out and some more time to relax/get my english coursework finished!
2. What is your favourite social media?
Blogger if that counts? To be honest, I love them all but I use them for different reason - Tumblr is generally great, Instagram is fun to scroll through, Facebook is good for chatting, Twitter is good for news and Pinterest is good for outfit ideas and recipes!
3. Have you broken one of your New Years' resolutions? If so, which one?
I actually haven't for once! I haven't started revising yet technically, but I wasn't going to anyway so that doesn't count.
4. On which site do you do the most of your online shopping?
I don't shop online as I don't have a card of any sort!
5. What beauty product can you not live without?
Mascara and Lipstick. I also really need moisturiser to keep my face looking as good as it can without covering up my red patches!
6. What is your best quality?
I'm good at understanding when my friends need space and I'm good at giving advice. I guess I'm quite sympathetic and empathetic!
7. What is your dream job?
An Archaeologist, museum worker, journalist, blogger or a mix of them all!
8. If you had a time machine, would you travel to the past or the future?
The past - I love History and going back to see events in real life would be extraordinary. I would definitely have to pinch some dresses from the 50s!
9. You're at a dinner party with 5 of your chosen celebs (dead or alive). Who is there?
Oh gosh...Marilyn Monroe (she was great and has an amazing story), Jennifer Lawrence, Emma Watson, Tom Hiddleston and Benedict Cumberbatch. All perfect and amazing! 
10. If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Already answered above!
11. Why did you start blogging?
I love writing and Adorkable by Sarra Manning inspired me enough to start a blog! I'm so glad I did because it's definitely become a part of me now! 

Thank you for these questions! 

My nominees
Barbs
Alexi
Lucy
Emily
Rhiannon
Otilia
Menna
Kristen

My questions!
1. Which is your favourite season?
2. What do you want to accomplish this year?
3. What topic do you like to blog about the most?
4. Favourite social media?
5. Would you rather visit a museum/art gallery or go to a gig/concert?
6. What book are you enjoying lately?
7. What do you love about blogging?
8. What are your top 3 TV shows?
9. What is your favourite album?
10. Which post are you the most proud of?
11. One thing you couldn't live without?

Jess xx

Merry Christmas!

I'm a little late but haven't had time between eating, sleeping and playing games to get on my phone and snap some pictures of my lovely gifts! I hope you all had a fantastic day, got what you wanted and spent lots of time having fun with your families!

I thought I'd share some (most) of my presents with you and you guys could share what you got too! I knew a few of my presents this year for various reasons and I was so excited to be able to actually use them!
This post is very picture heavy so I apologise for that, I'll try and add in some writing here and there!

As some of you may know, I have an unhealthy obsession with Kate Spade so I was so happy when I received this in my stocking (pillowcase...) this year! I've used it every day so far - the handle is the perfect size and the writing is perfect for me! Such a great gift!

John Green is another favourite, I'm super happy to have his books in physical form now instead of a couple of them on my kindle!

Speaking of Kindles, I got this in my stocking too - a Kindle case! I love it so much, it's so cute and is a hard case so it protects my kindle!

This jumper from Crew is probably one of my favourite presents, I've worn it so much already; it's so soft and comfy, I would happily live in it!

I chose the Naked palette when me and mum went shopping the other month so I was super excited to actually get it! I got the eyeliners from Father Christmas and I love them - they go on so smoothly and seem to stay put forever! 

I also chose the MAC Viva Glam IV lipstick (Left hand pink cased lipstick) on the same shopping trip and was given the rest in my stocking! The lipstick, lip liner and gloss came with the gorgeous bag and the mascara was separate. I'm in love with all of them and the lipstick is the one I'm wearing in the picture of my jumper - I've probably been wearing it as much!

These were from my Auntie and Uncle, I'm so happy to have some more make up brushes because I've been using the same brush for my foundation and blush which has been quite annoying!

Left to right: Ballet Slippers, Mademoiselle, Muchi Muchi

Left to right: To Buy or Not to Buy, Orange it's Obvious, Mojito Madness

I also have an obsession with Essie...

My old snow boots have been completely worn out now so mum managed to find a new pair which I'm so happy about as they're super comfy and warm! I wear them when it's cold, not just when it's snowy!

Lots of chocolate! I'm a complete sucker for rose an violet creams and Godiva chocolate pearls so this was a good lot for me! My grandma got me quite a lot of Betty's chocolate which is probably my favourite overall, it's so lovely and the animals they create are just the sweetest, sometimes it's hard to actually eat them!

Some bits and bobs from my stocking! I love these little presents, they're always adorable! I'm really glad I got a new pair of headphones as mine are probably going to break soon knowing my luck!

I LOVE these. Purple leather heeled boots?! Yes please. 

This top is from my grandma and it's so gorgeous! 

I chose this from Zara a few weeks ago and I'm completely in love - it's sheer so something needs to be worn underneath but it looks amazing on!

My grandma also got me these, they've been making me laugh rather a lot, I'm just waiting to see something I've said in a test!

My other Auntie and Uncle bought me my first ever Lush products! The snowman is vanilla scented which is gorgeous and  the one on the left is cinnamon and apparently has popping candy in it! I can't wait to try them!

The aftermath of me & my brother's present unwrapping.

I also had a Kate Spade scarf but it had holes in so we took it back, a post to come about what I bought in exchange!

I feel so incredibly lucky to have family that know me so well and that I got to spend time with them over this holiday (some of them at least)!

Leave me links to your present posts and I'll check them out, or comment with your favourite gifts this year! 

Jess xx

Things I've had my eye on recently!

I haven't had the money to buy anything recently but I've been keeping my eye on a few things that I really like!

Make Up

Rimmel Kate Matte Lipstick in 107.

I love this lipstick, it's such an Autumn/Winter colour! I've heard really good things about this lipstick and when I found it in Boots, I tested the colour and it was a really deep pink-purple which looks amazing. It's £5.49 from Boots (link below).

Picture from here.

L'Oreal Nude Magique Eau De Teint.

I don't wear foundation much but I tested it at it's such a perfect match to my skin, I was so impressed! I have some nasty dry patches around my nose so I hope that this foundation doesn't stick to them like my current one!

I hope I can get this eventually!

Clothes

H! by Henry Holland Navy Belted Panda Dress.

I've had my eye on this dress pretty much since the current line was released. I need to save up so I can buy it because this dress is so me - animal print (actual animals, not things like leopard print!), navy and a skater style skirt! The long sleeves would also be great for winter as they add a little bit of warmth!

I love this dress so much.

H! by Henry Holland Navy Fox Knit Tunic Dress

Henry Holland is my favourite designer that is featured in Debenhams and I own a dress and a pair of shoes that are both gorgeous - this dress is amazing, who doesn't love a Fox?! I've seen this in the shops and it's such a soft material, I love it!

Who doesn't love a fox jumper?!

Books

Audrey the 60s

I found this book in the bookshop by college a few weeks ago and in my frees I sometimes go back to have a quick flick through it. It's a gorgeous big hardback with gorgeous pictures, some never seen before. I think this is a really great coffee table book and I really hope that I'll be able to own it one day!

I really want this book!

This is all I can think of at the moment and hopefully I can at least buy some of these over the next few months!
Jess xx

Polyvore.

As you many have realised over the last few days, I have a new internet obsession...Polyvore. It's a website where you can create collages based on fashion, beauty, interior design or art. It's really quick and simple to make loads of collages which is quite dangerous for me as it's also quite addictive! I really love creating different outfits - mostly ones that I would love to own myself but could never afford! 

It might not seem like your thing but you should try it out, it's actually a lot of fun! 

Jess xx

My Clothes Wish List.

My clothing style has changed so much in the last couple of years and I've been creating a list of items that I think are 'essential' or 'staple' and will go with everything I own and make simple but cute and classy outfits. I also have a wish list of shoes and accessories that I want that I will put in a separate post.

1. White shirt

Pretty much the perfect casual outfit!

An obvious staple item that can be paired with anything! I love the idea of having a simple outfit of white shirt, jeans and some cute shoes in a bright colour. It's something that can be easily thrown on in the morning put looks really put together and classy

2. Pink shirt and Light Blue shirt

One of these in light blue too, please!

There's no point in putting these two separately really. It's pretty much the same idea as above but with a bit of added colour to the clothes, not just the accessories.

3. Black cardigan

Almost perfect!

It's a bit odd that I don't actually own one of these...the amount of times that I've wished that I had one is way too many to count now so it's probably time I bought one! I just need to find one that I automatically love.

4. Red cardigan

It would be perfect for Christmas!

There's a pattern forming of the same items in different colours...but I also find myself wishing I owned one like with the black cardigan.

5. Crew knitted cable V neck jumpers

I love the colour of this one so much!

I have the Bright Pink and Teal versions (colours no longer available) of this already and I love them so much! They're so soft and warm, they're my go to when I want to look put together but can't be bothered to actually think about my outfit that day. I think they're great and look so nice, all of the colours are amazing, I just want them all! The fit so well and look amazing, these are my favourite jumpers ever!

6. Red jeans

These are gorgeous!

I think a pair of bright jeans should be staple in every girl's wardrobe and I would love a red, orange or teal coloured pair. They're another item that you can put a plain top over on a lazy day and it will automatically look great.

7. Black Blazer

Something almost identical to this would be great!

Another item that I have wished I had on numerous occasions. I almost bought one from New Look about a month ago but it didn't look just right so I didn't buy it!

8. Grey Blazer

I also love the top on this.

My current clothes would go perfectly with a grey blazer! Again, I just need to find one that is the perfect mix between casual and formal.

9. White jeans

Can I have these please?

I was craving a pair all summer. I felt like normal jeans were getting really boring and I had so many outfit ideas that could include white jeans but I never had the opportunity to buy any!

10. White slouchy t shirt

I wish I could find something like this when I'm out shopping!

This would go perfect under one of my current blazers or jackets and would look great with my recently bought boyfriend jeans. It's odd that I don't actually own a plain white t shirt as it's one of the most basic staple pieces out there!

Hope you guys enjoyed this little post and it might have given you some ideas of what you want to buy in the future!
Jess xx

My favourite things - comforts.

I love writing lists of things, whether it's about books or songs I want to remember, or a list of things I want to buy. 

There are loads of little things in life that I love!

 1. Movie days
 2. Spending all day in my pjs
3. Good books that make me feel anything
4. Long train journeys
5. Big jumpers/cardigans
6. Spending time with my older (secondary school) friends
7. People saying they still read my blog after telling them about it ages ago
8. Watching Disney films wrapped up in my duvet
9. Reading magazines before going to bed
10. Getting into my lounge trousers after a day at college
11. Writing blog posts that I'm completely happy with
12. Listening to Ingrid Michaelson and Lisa Hannigan
13. Chocolate chip cookies
14. Shopping without looking for something specific
15. Watching my favourite TV shows
16. Scarves
17. Getting my nails painted
18. New stationery
19. Learning new things
20. Finding a new singer/songwriter who is really talented
21. Mint choc chip and cookie dough ice cream

Hope you guys enjoy! I might have to do some more lists because I liked writing this!
Jess xx

My Morning Routine

As I returned to college today, I thought it would be a nice idea to do a little post about how I actually wake up at stupid o'clock (6/6.30 am) each morning!

• Nearly every day without fail, when both my alarms have gone off (one to wake me up, one to tell me 5 minutes later to move), I check my emails, my blog views from the previous day, The College Prepster's blog, any other new posts by other bloggers and Instagram. I follow a lot of people from America so there is always something new in the morning that was posted while I was asleep so I like seeing what's new when I wake up. It also makes me feel more awake so I feel off until I've done this. I find that reading something light and enjoyable is a good way to get my brain moving so I like doing this before I've actually got out of bed so when I do actually get up, I feel a bit more awake. If I'm running late, I have to do my internetting on the way to the train station. 
• I then have breakfast (something quick like a yoghurt and a glass of juice or squash), shower and clean my teeth.
• I decided what I'm going to wear that day while I leave my hair to dry in the towel (it goes really frizzy if dried straight away, letting it dry naturally for as long as possible helps it grow less big and more curly which I like!)
• I then do a quick blow dry of my hair and get dressed. If I have time I sometimes put on some mascara and a lipstick/gloss but this isn't a regular thing as I don't tend to wear a lot of makeup.
• I'm out of the door by about 7.30 (sometimes 7.45...oops.) and on the way to the train station! 

I know this is a bit of a rubbish post but it's fun to just write about things that you feel like instead of feeling like you have to write something that'll be super interesting but who knows, some of you might actually enjoy this and like seeing how I go about my morning! If I don't do things in the order I always do them, I'm bound to forget something which is never fun!

What sort of things do you do in the morning that's different? Let me know!

Jess xx

Life is Art.

"I think everything in life is art. What you do. How you dress, how you love someone, and how you talk. Your smile and your personality. What you believe in, and all your dreams. The way you drink your tea. How you decorate your home. Or party. Your grocery list. The food you make. How your writing looks. And the way you feel. Life is art. - Anonymous.

Kate Spade

As I said in a previous blog, I've had a bit of an obsession with Kate Spade for just under a year or so. I find their designs so cute and quirky but still sophisticated which I completely love. The bright colours and pretty designs and patterns for their clothes, bags and accessories are just amazing!
I've been wanting to see one of their shops since I saw pictures on The College Prepster's blog and I finally got to! It was only a little shop in Covent Garden, London but it was so amazing and lived up to the expectations that the American shops set!
The layout and displays reflected the brand's cute quirkiness perfectly, I wish I could have bought the whole shop!

I really want something similar in my house/apartment when I move out!

The window displays were amazing! I love all of the outfits! 

The light of the camera actually flashes!

The little popcorn tub is actually a bag!! I love the movies so this is an amazing line at the moment! 

I love the bird cages!

Book stacking always looks so awesome and the colour of the bag is my favourite! 

This is just by the stairs and the changing rooms, so simple but so cute! 

I will definitely be revisiting this shop when I have more money so I can buy some of their amazing stuff!
Jess xx

A Day out in London

Mark came up to see me straight after I got back from Sicily and we went to London for the day which was amazing! He stayed over 3 nights which was lovely! We just stayed in on Thursday which was nice and relaxed `very good after walking around for a week straight!)
On Friday we decided to go in to London which was super exciting because I haven't been for ages! I love London so it was really nice to go to loads of different places (thank you travel card!) and see parts of London I haven't properly seen before. We went to Covent Garden first and looked around a few shops which was nice; I really like it there and I really want to go back again! I finally got to go to a Kate Spade shop! It was honestly so amazing. The shop was so cute and quirky and the displays were adorable! I'll do an extra blog about it with pictures of the shop because it was so amazing! I found an absolutely gorgeous top down from £105 to £42 and Mark was just incredible and bought it for me because he's completely perfect! It has stripes and bows on it; two of my favourite things so how could I resist?!
We then went to Portobello road/Notting Hill to have a look at the market and it was so nice! It wasn't too busy so we got to look around the stalls properly! We also stumbled across the Hummingbird bakery, which I'd heard about before from Carrie Hope Fletcher (ItsWayPastMyBedTime on YouTube!) so it made me really happy to be able to try them! I got a red velvet cupcake because I've heard so much about them! The cakes were quite expensive but so worth it, mine was really tasty! It was a really pretty shop and the cakes were pretty too!

How cute are these cupcakes?!

I loved this picture on the wall!

We returned to Covent Garden because we had seen all of the market and we stumbled across a sweet shop called SugarSin that was the cutest thing ever! We got some little pots of sweets that are really nice! I got fruit chews, got my brother berry chews and Mark got Banoffee jelly beans! I'll put the pictures on the same blog post as the Kate Spade shop pictures because it was equally cute!

Kate Spade top, Hummingbird bakery cupcakes (red velvet and chocolate caramel),
Fruit sweets from SugarSin and a Hummingbird bakery brownie
- from Instagram

Jess xx

Sunshine Blogger Award

So my friend Kate has nominated me for the Sunshine Blogger award which has made me so happy today! Apparently people are nominated for their blog if someone thinks that it "positively and creatively inspires others in the blogosphere" (had to nick that from you, Kate, I haven't seen anything else about this award apart from this!). I feel really happy and proud that she thinks that my blog is good enough to qualify for that!!
Another part of the award is that the nominator sets the nominee 10 questions, so here are mine!

1. What was the best day of your life? The first day I think of when people ask that is Prom. It was so amazing and it was spent with some of my favourite people in the world! 
2. Your favourite thing about your bedroom? I love my room but I can't choose anything that I like the best! Probably my bed though...it's a good bed. 
3. Your proudest achievement to date? I'm not sure if I have a proudest moment! I would probably say when I got my GCSE results back because I had proof that all of my hard work had payed off! 
4. Favourite TV show? I love a lot of TV shows, including Sherlock, Merlin, Bones, House and Doctor Who, but my ultimate favourite is NCIS. It's so funny and has amazing, constant story lines, plus it's had 10 seasons now which is awesome, season 11 will begin filming in September so I'm super excited! 
5. Something you're addicted to? (or practically addicted to!) American sweets, internet window shopping, Starbucks and sleep are probably the biggest ones! 
6. Who's your celebrity crush? I don't really have a celebrity crush...I have people I think are awesome (Hugh Laurie, Robert Downy Jr, Matt Smith...hello? All awesome and funny!) but no one I have a crush on!
7. Where do you hope to be in 10 years time? As my friends like to say; "digging a hole in the ground somewhere!"... Yeah... Something to do with archaeology hopefully so if that's fieldwork or museums, I don't mind as long as I'm enjoying it!
8. Your favourite ever smell? Oooh.....I really like the smell of coffee shops, bakeries, orange, scented candles (most Yankee candles smell sooo nice...I spend so long in their shop smelling each candle until I feel like I have to leave due to the cashier giving me evils...) and my favourite perfume ever, L'elixir by Nina Ricci. It even comes in an Apple shaped bottle! 
9. Something you own more than twenty of? Scarves. Or shoes. I have so many, I swear I have a problem....
10. If you had to pick one song to start the 'soundtrack to your life', what would it be? Oh gosh, that's such a hard question! Umm.....I don't know! Definitely something by Ingrid Michaelson, Regina Spektor, Gabrielle Aplin, Hudson Taylor, Orla Gartland or Lauren Aquilina... Maybe King by Lauren Aquilina, it's such a nice song!

Hope you guys enjoyed this! I have no one to actually tag or nominate which is slightly rubbish! 

Go and check out Kate's blog because she is awesome and is so lovely. If I had to nominate someone, I'd nominate her again but I wouldn't want her to have to do even more questions so yeah! 

Jess xx

Pinterest!

I have a new website love!
Pinterest is a bit like tumblr without all of the crazy fandom stuff. If you find a picture you like, you 'pin' in to one of the boards you have created on your wall (not sure what it's officially called but you put boards on your wall, right?) and you can re-pin other people's pictures, add your own and then others can re-pin those! It's rather addictive though and all of the pictures on there are so pretty...it's like my nice wish tumblr filled with the things I wish my blog looked like if it wasn't a multi-fandom mess!
I find loads of recipes, quotes, famous pieces of art, unknown art, doodles, clothes, room designs and loads more on there so it's just fantastic!
If you don't have Pinterest, get it! If you do, follow me at TheAdorableDork as per usual!
Jess xx

P.S. Sorry about it taking so long to upload a new post, I have crazy amounts of work and revision. Expect the next post Friday at the earliest!
P.P.S. I also found out that I get my January exam results back on Thursday - EEP. I'm so unbelievably nervous, I'm certain I failed biology.

Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes...

Today I was inspired by Sweet Lemon and their talk about fashion and just everything from clothes to arts to business!
I've decided to make a series of posts (One of each word in the title) dedicated to the clothes I wear! It's a bit of a spur-of-the-moment idea but if it goes right I think this will not only be really fun but actually quite entertaining! Plus it gives me a topic for 4 days in a row for my blog!! I don't know if its just me that finds this a cool idea but hopefully you guys will enjoy it!
It sounds a bit weird at the moment but hopefully it'll make a bit more sense tomorrow when I do the first post!
It's the first time I've tried to do anything like this so it's going to be a bit of fun! Crossed fingers it works out okay!
Jess xx

6 months!

So I've been running this blog for 6 months now! How crazy is that?! I can't believe it, it feels so much longer than that!
Sorry I haven't been blogging a lot recently, I've had rather a lot of work so it's been quite hectic! Sadly, it's now half term and I have a lot of work to do still so I won't be able to post very often, maybe every other day if I'm lucky.
Yesterday night I went to an end of exams party with my friends from my secondary school, held by their sixth form. It was amazing!! I got to spend time with my old friends, and people that had moved to my old school that I'd known before which was amazing to see so many familiar faces! I love my college and my friends there, but I'll always be a part of my friend group from secondary school, we just work together. I also get to see them on Tuesday because my half term is the week before theirs so I'm visiting them when they're still in school! I'm so excited!
I also saw the Autumn line for Kate Spade on instagram earlier, their clothes are so beautiful! I just wish their clothes were cheaper and more readily available in the UK instead of having to go all the way to London to get them! I'm actually in love with some of the pieces being released! It looks like they've made a yellow ballet shoe that has a taxi sign on it, they're adorable! I need more money desperately!
I have to read Jane Eyre for English lit, it's such a good book! It's taking me a while to get through it but I've read over 100 pages today which I'm pretty happy with! I need to read it by the end of half term so hopefully I'll get it done.
Hopefully I'll write again soon!
Jess xx