A Re-Introduction

My last blog post on here was in 2015, which is unbelievable considering how much I used to post!

The truth is that I completely lost inspiration for this blog and I wasn't the same person as the girl who started this blog way back in 2012. As I started getting more into my University course, I had less and less time to update here, and it completely fell by the wayside.

I have now graduated with a degree and I'm trying to embark on adult life, so I decided to start an all-new blog which I will keep up as my creative outlet. I feel that this blog was perfect for my teenage years, but it is a totally different part of me that I don't see fully as myself anymore.

 I'm proud of this blog so I'm leaving it up to give myself a little laugh now and then, but I won't be posting here any more. I'd love it if you followed me over to my new venture, it's less make up reviews and more things I actually care about but I'm hoping you'll enjoy it!

https://passportsandpolkadots.com

Thanks for sticking with me over the last 5 years,

Jess x

Yet Another Catch-Up

Whilst second year has been incredible so far, the amount of work I've had to do has at least doubled compared to last year. It has been incredibly stressful but it's paying off as I'm getting really good grades (1sts and 2:1s) compared to last year!

Me and the boyfriend broke up a month ago (though it was essentially over a month before that...not a good break up at all) which was honestly quite a good thing for me. I stopped feeling guilty for not putting someone that wasn't myself first and I've realised that I am actually a lot happier now. I've been able to concentrate on what is important to me - first and foremost my education and the fact that I began to feel pressured and guilty about not seeing him due to my work load increasing and the fact that he didn't understand this despite being a masters student definitely didn't help the situation. 

This term has been so packed that I've had no time for blogging or reading for pleasure which is disappointing! Hopefully over the Christmas break I'll get chance to do more of what I love in between the assessments. 

I hope I do end up actually writing some more this holiday - I shall have to think of some posts! I've been lacking some inspiration recently as well which hasn't helped the lack of blogging recent.

Jess.

University Take Two.

I've now been back at University a week and a half and so far I'm completely loving it! The first week was freshers where all of the first years get settled in, get to know the Uni and their courses and get horribly drunk every night! It was nice being able to spend the week catching up with friends, making multiple trips to the pub/bar and doing some work to prepare for lectures!

This week marked the beginning of lectures and so far I'm loving every module I've picked! You get a lot more choice in second year and I'm really excited to see what the rest of my modules will be like. I've had three lectures so far (Artefacts, Greek Comedy and Peoples and Societies of the Ancient Near East) and I'm set to still have a few this week, introducing me to the rest of my modules (Greek History: Archaic to Alexander, Prospects for Ancient Historians and Egypt and the Greco-Roman World) which will be great! Most of the modules I picked this year with an ancient history side are Greek focused which is easily my favourite period and I'm glad I've been able to specialise that side of my degree that far already as I feel it will give me a good start for doing well this year!

For my Artefacts module, I had to choose 2 of 6 options to focus on. I've picked Pottery and Archaeological drawing with Small finds and coins as back up so I'm incredibly excited to start, no matter which combination of those three I get, as they all look amazing! I think it's awesome how we get to try completely new things like technical drawing as it'll be useful in the long run if I decide to go into Archaeology as a career (most likely!). 

My lectures are a lot more fun this year already because I know so many more people thanks to the dig this summer - I now know the names of most of the people in my lectures compared to maybe 5-10 last year which is really nice! I feel like I've also got a pretty solid friend group now so I'm already feeling like this year is going to be amazing!

This year I've become a student mentor for 12 first year students. The aim is to help them feel more settled and to be able to ask questions to someone has gone through what they're going through. I'm really enjoying being able to help the people who have emailed me with questions and who I've met up with for a chat! It's a really rewarding feeling as I know that a lot of people struggle to settle properly at Uni for a while.

I've moved into private halls this year and so far it's been pretty good - there have been a few problems with doors and radiators but nothing that's too problematic! My room is really lovely with more than enough space and the kitchen is gorgeous with a breakfast bar! It's about half an hour's walk from campus but it will really help me become fitter having to actually travel instead of just rolling out of bed like last year! 

I don't know how much I'm going to be able to post as I have a lot of work to do this year compared to last year...I'll post if and when I can! 

Jess xx

New Beginnings.

I start my second year of Uni on the 29th September, but a lot of people are beginning a new chapter of their lives and starting their first year of University! I'm in no way an expert but I thought it would be useful for some people to share some pointers and advice for the next year of Freshers!

1. You don't have to go out all the time

Before I got to Uni, I had never been clubbing or had many drinks, unlike most of the people I met! It got really tiring trying to go out every day for two weeks straight so I decided to go out a few days a week during freshers and nobody minded! It slows down a lot as you get into the year and start having more work so don't worry about keeping up with the insane pace of the first part of the year. However, although there is a lot of clubbing, there are also plenty of societies and activities for non-drinkers - at my Uni there is a society for non drinkers and movie nights are organised by others!

2. It's okay if you don't make friends with everyone

I tried to be friendly to everybody I met last year in an attempt to make new friends but the reality is that you won't get along with everyone and that's perfectly okay. There are so many people at university that you'll rarely have to see them anyway, even if you live in the same building!

3. Be open minded

University is a huge clash of cultures and backgrounds so it's a great time to learn and try new things, but to also be open minded and do things in a different way to you're used to. It's a great time to reinvent yourself or just shape who you are already. You could join a society that is different to what you would usually go for or choose a module you think sounds interesting but challenging. 

4. If you need to, ask for help

There are plenty of people at University to give you support and advice so if you need them, don't be afraid to ask for help or advice, it's what they do best and they'll do it sensitively and confidentially.

5. Make sure you meet your tutor

They're there to help you throughout the three years you're at University so start off with a good relationship and meet with them soon after you arrive - they're there to help you with academic and personal matters so being able to feel like you can trust them is important!

6. Everyone takes their own time to settle

Don't worry if you get homesick when others seem perfectly fine, people adapt to new situations at their own pace. New situations can be scary but eventually it'll become the new normal and I'm sure you'll love it!

I hope those of you moving back to Uni soon (be it your first or third year) enjoy it and make the most of it!

Jess xx

Portugal travels!

Last week I went straight from work to Gatwick airport and hopped on plane to Faro in Portugal! 

The boyfriend has a house out near Burgau and I was invited to stay with him and his family! As I've already taken a lot of time out with my Athens trip and my dig at Pewsey, I only went out from Saturday to Tuesday. 

Despite it only being a short trip, I got to explore quite a few different places which was great as I've never been to Portugal before! We ended up going to Sagres, Burgau, Lagos and quite a few beaches between!
I got to see a Medieval fort, a Roman fort, small villages and towns which gave me a great whistle stop tour of the country and I'm very grateful for being invited to go out there!
I love travelling so being able to tick off another place that I've seen is great!

There were a few people parachute gliding off the top of the cliffs!
I would love to try it one day!

A strange fog that covered both ends of the beach on the West Coast!

The slate cliffs were incredible!

The view from the Roman fort near Joe's house.

Sunset on the beach near Joe's.

The flora in Portugal is incredible - fennel, olives, almonds and figs
 were growing in abundance all along the roads!

The beach 10 minutes walk from Joe's house! 

The water had some strange greenish foam in it...
It's really satisfying to watch the sea come in and make half of your legs disappear! 

I didn't get a lot of photos of the food but everything there was so nice and I wish I got to try more! 

Apparently  I can't go anywhere without having some form of pastry!
The best chocolate croissant that I've had.

Seriously yummy chorizo, ham and bacon pizza and my favourite cider I only had in Athens!
I was rather excited when I found it again in the shops!

I'll end with a couple photos of me and Joe! 

Sorry about the photo spam, I can't really do the place justice with words, it was amazing and gorgeous! 

It was such an amazing trip and I will aim to go there again to explore further! 

Jess xx

A Year of University.

A year ago today I received my A level results, also meaning that University has been a part of my life for an entire year. It's absolutely flown by, it feels like I've been at uni for years though! 

I thought it would be a good time to do a massive look back at all of the major parts of this year. I stopped blogging in January after hitting a major creative block and therefore you guys have missed out on hearing about the last 6 and a half months of my uni experience (basically 2/3 of the academic year...) 

Got a room for second year, February. 

I was originally going to go into a flat with my old roommate Lucy but I wasn't given a place so I decided to go into a private halls and try out a completely new group of people! I'm quite glad that I'm going into halls again as I don't need to worry about paying bills due to it being an all inclusive contract! I just hope that my flatmates are nice and I get on with them better this year (it ended up that I was only truly friends with Lucy, the others were bearable to live with but I wouldn't have out of choice again). Me and some of my course mates have already decided to live together in third year so I'm excited to see what that will be like! 

Went to Athens, March. 

This trip was incredible. Athens was always on my list of places to go so I jumped at the opportunity to go with the Archaeology society in the Easter holiday! I became closer with people in my year and the years above as well as making some new friends which is always a good thing! I got to see so many of the famous sites such as the Parthenon, Hephestaion, the Agora and some of the many museums dotted around the city. As I studied the Greeks in A level and 5th Century Athens this year, being able to see these places and things in person was almost surreal. The statues in the museums were far more beautiful in person than on paper and I throughly recommend a visit if you can afford it! If not, the British Museum houses some good examples of Greek sculpture which begins to scratch the surface of their beauty. 

A picture post of this trip will be posted soon as it's such a gorgeous place!

Passed first year, June. 

I ended up with 2 modules in the 50s and 4 in the 60s, giving me an overall mark of a 2:1 which I'm incredibly pleased with. I could have tried harder this year but as its a year for learning and understanding how university works, I'm happy I got to see what learning methods work for me, the best ways I write essays and how I revise the most efficiently. I've been given a reading list this year for some of my Autumn term modules so I'm trying to do as much of that as possible whilst writing notes down that I can look back on whilst I'm working during the year. 

Last September I was unsure whether I was good enough for uni and if I really deserved to be there so it's refreshing to know that the work I put in has proved that I am capable! It's a relief to know that I do suit University and academic life!

Boyfriend, June. 

You guys have seen how useless I am at keeping relationships and the one I was in when I was last writing fizzled out sometime around February. Before we were official, my current guy and I dated for a month and a half or so before to get to know each other and get comfortable around each other. It seemed to have worked well as we've been together about a month and a half (roughly since May overall!) and I'm joining his family out in Portugal for a few days of relaxation between work shifts at the end of the month which is exciting! This is going really well and I'm really happy with him so fingers crossed it stays this way!

Dug for 3 weeks in the Vale of Pewsey, June/July. 

The dig is a second year module but is also open to the public to volunteer and join. For the last 4 years I volunteered at the old Reading University field school which closed in 2014. This year was a new dig which obviously brought excitement and nerves as it was unfamiliar to me. Luckily it was equally as fun as the previous year's and I've gained several close friendships with people in my year from it which I'm grateful for. I love my friends in other years but expanding my friends in my own year is always good as I'm with them for the next two years! A Neolithic human burial was also found in one of the trenches which was incredible to see and just highlights the reason I love my degree - the thrill of not knowing what will be found is the best feeling when it comes to digging! The BBC also covered it and you can read more about it here.

This academic year has been challenging and at some points difficult, but I've really enjoyed myself and it's obviously paid off! I'm excited to see what next year brings for me and I hope it goes as well as this year!

Also, congratulations to everyone who received their results yesterday! I hope you all got what you wanted and are successful in doing what you want come September! 

Jess xx

First week back!

The first week back was a mix of introductory lectures for my new modules this term and getting grades back from last term's modules!

I ended up getting a 1st in 5th Century Athens and a 2:1 in Ancient Song which I was really happy about because the lecturer was terrible for it so getting a 2:1 basically off my own back makes me feel incredibly proud. I also got a 2:1 in Practicing Archaeology but I was given that grade last term. I'm happy with those as my first grades of university!

I look back at my posts from last term and I already feel like this term will be better as I've proved to myself that I can do university and I can do it well! A levels obviously just didn't suit me and University does luckily! I just hope the exams go the same way! 

I feel so much more optimistic and I'm going to push myself to do more of the reading as I slacked a lot last term - I only really did the work necessary to pass and didn't do a lot of background reading which will give me a better understanding of the topics. I think it also helped that I'd done the Athens module at A level so I knew the information I needed to get the grades - this term I don't have that help so I'm going to need to work a lot harder to get the same level of grades! I just hope I do it as they're all really interesting subjects!

I'm having to balance University, work and various medical appointments whilst not becoming a complete recluse so it could be difficult to do as much as I want over the next few weeks but hopefully after that, I'll be able to really crack on with working!

I also applied again for halls next year so I'm going to actually have somewhere to live which is exciting! I'm going to be sharing with one of my flatmates from this year which is nice as we get on really well.

Jess xx

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

A 2014 overview!

Last year was pretty amazing overall. There were obviously some ups and downs as there always are but the good definitely outweighed the bad. 

This year I...

- I passed my driving test (March)

- I turned 18 (March)

- Met Lewis Watson (July)

- I passed my exams (August)

- I got into University (August) 

- Saw Medea in the theatre (August)

- I got my first job (September)

- I got a boyfriend who is completely amazing (November)

I hope this year goes just as well because I already have some amazing things lined up! 

Jess xx

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! 

~~~~~~~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Topic 14

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!

nicholerapuano

agirlastyle

collegeprepster

sarahkjp

wishwishwish

passingwhimsies

katespadeny

amy_stone

stylewithinreach

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