2015; Highs, Lows and a Look Back

This year has been a strange one, from completing a placement year to travelling with my best friend and then having to head back to university. I have experienced pretty much every type of emotion and gained a better understanding of who I am as a person along the way so I decided a look back at the largest events this year was in order.

0

Last Minute Christmas Presents for Her

Christmas gift buying has got to be one of my favourite parts of the holiday season. There is nothing better than finding your friends and loved ones the perfect gift to put a smile on their face.

Girls are never easy to buy for and so I thought I would throw a little inspiration your way if you're still struggling and want to grab your last minute bits and bobs! 

0

OOTD; The Best Culottes Around

Recently university has been crazy busy and so sadly, my blog has had to take a little bit of a back seat for what feels like FOREVER, I just have had a whirl wind month with becoming part of the Leeds RAG Fashion Show Committee, joining a new sports team (lacrosse) and meeting lots of new people. If you're in Leeds save the 11th Feb in your diary, the LRFS will take place then and it's going to be an amazing night for incredible causes if you're near the area!

Now that I feel like I finally have a little time, I'm going to try and pick up where I left off in September! HOW ARE WE ALREADY IN NOVEMBER!

So a one of my favourite autumn OOTD to begin.

0

Top Tips For The Garden Route, South Africa

The garden route is a route I would recommend that everyone do at least once in their lives. It is a lot more commercial than the wild coast from Durban to Port Elizabeth but that doesn't mean their isn't some amazing places to visit and things to do. If I could do my trip all over again all I would want is to have another 3 days at each place so I could really explore.

I have spoke a little about my trip so far but I felt I should highlight the best things I did in each area!

First stop of course is Jeffreys Bay (where my last post was about, find out about it here).

0

OOTD; Luxemme Co-ords

So I haven't written a fashion post in a while and after being sent this beautiful outfit from Luxemme I had to share it with you!

0

South Africa; Jeffrey's and Plettenburg Bay

So, if you haven't gathered from my last two posts I have been to South Africa and have been up to some crazy things. This post is the one I couldn't wait to write, mainly because I did stuff I would never dream off and created some amazing amazing memories.

0

South Africa; Chintsa and Addo Elephant Park

If you haven't seen my first part of my trip to South Africa have a read here. We had an amazing time, and so I really wanted to tell you about some of the places we stopped off.

First stop after Durban was Chintsa.

0

My Freshers Guide to Starting University

Heading to University has to be one of the most daunting experiences I have ever had to do. Saying goodbye to all my life long friends and heading to a city where I had only visited a handful of times, live with people I didn't know and study a course which I hoped would allow me to work towards the career that I want was a scary prospect and so this year, now that I have started over 4 times becacuse of my placements I thought I would share my top tips for starting University.

0

Trip to South Africa- The Beginning; Johannesburg & Durban

Hello, hello, hello! So firstly can I just do a big big apology that I haven't been blogging for the past 5 weeks. I somehow thought that I would be able to fit in writing about my trip in whilst travelling but boy was I so, so wrong.

0

Healthy Eating- My Favourite Meals

So last month I tried to do be really healthy! I tried out a lot of recipes, some were flops others were incredible. I fell in love with Madeleine Shaw's 'Get the Glow' book and I have treated it like my bible ever since. The internet has been my friend too where I have found so many brilliant recipes and food ideas. So if you're wanting some food porn, here are my favourite dishes from this month.

Rice Flour Pancakes with Blackberry and Plum Compote; Online here

0

My Top Ten Travel Tips for Planning an Adventure

Hello, so today I thought that I should share with you my top tips for planning a big trip or adventure. I have been through these steps a few times whether that was booking a holiday and just staying in a hotel or heading off and moving around constantly (like my trip to South Africa, that I'm currently on the plane to!)

0

My Top Things To Do In London This Summer

Everyone loves London but lots of people don't always know what to do when they are there. Visiting recently I can completely relate and so I have compiled a list of the favourite things I found on my visits.

0

Urban Decay Dupe- W7 'In The Buff' Lightly Toasted Review

So I haven't done a beauty post in quite a long time (not to sure why) and whilst thinking about this I suddenly remembered that I never published my post on this palette which has to be my favourite thing in affordable eye shadows this year.

0

Personal Post; Finding your own way in the world; Travelling alone

Hello hello. So today's post is a personal post and something that I have wanted to write about for a while, especially because in the past year my own experiences have given me food for thought.

Now I have never been an individual that was afraid of exploring, I know some people are true home birds (I would say I home in on where the important people in my life are) and may have never been out of the country or Europe. I was very lucky when I was younger because my mum travelled a lot for work and so she wanted me to see at least some of the world that she had experienced and that travel bug has only grown more and more. That being said though, having the travel bug doesn't mean going out and finding my way in the world was an easy thing. In high school I would always try and fit in with what my friends liked and not always what I liked. I would lack the confidence to stand up for myself and was a real push over. 

Source

1

COMO Shambhala Yoga in Hyde Park with lululemon athletica; London

A few weeks ago I headed to London to watch Ed Sheeran but before the concert I first got my fitness kick in Hyde Park.

COMO Shambhala Yoga, a company based all over the world with retreats in very dreamy places and classes run in lots of cities were running the free event and the class had a huge turn out.

0

Wish List- July

I can't believe we are already a third of the way though July, where is this month going? I swear I must find 100s of new products to try and things I want to get ( I blame all the blogs and magazines I read). I decided this month to share with you the things I would most like to get my hands on. My chosen items are a bit of a mish mash but I hope you like some of them too.

4

The new denim shorts, OOTD

I am, and always have been a girl who doesn't like to have too much flesh on show. I have been brought up with the rule, it's either legs or boobs never both and so I have always had a mixed view on shorts. I hate short shorts, where their is nothing left to the imagination but sometimes it really does feel like there is nothing else available.

0

Visiting London; Markets, The West End and Knitsbridge

I love London and after searching the internet high and low I came across a hotel called The Hoxton. They have two sites in London but we chose to stay in the Shorditch hotel.

0

Visiting London; Clapham & Rooftop bars

So, last weekend my boyfriend came down to see me and we met up in London for what turned into a very busy few days. It was a lovely weekend with some friends and I got to see parts of London I never really had before which is always a bonus!

I travelled into London on Saturday evening after work and after dropping of my bags at our friends we headed straight out for a meal. We started off our evening in Clapham and ate at a restaurant called the Cornish Tiger which offer an amazing deal of 3 courses for £11.95 if you are there before 7pm which is such a bargain in London.

0

Healthy July- Simple Rules to Help You Stay Healthy

Hello, I can't believe July is already here! How fast is this year going?

A while ago I did a blog post about body image and I had some lovely comments back about it so I thought that today I would do an official fitness post.

0

June Favourites

I can't believe how fast this year is going. The fact that it is July tomorrow is a little scary, but, that does mean that I can write my monthly favourites, which, for some reason I have never done on my blog before!

1

Glamour Summer Beauty Edit- Item Review

I love glamour magazine (if you didn't notice from my instagram @erinkaywilliams) and so when ever they have produced a beauty box in partnership with latestinbeauty.com I have been sure to snap it up. Normally I would just say what products are in the box but this time, I decided to have a go using some of them to give you a mini review as we go along.

2

A Trip to Brighton- 64 Degrees Restaurant Review

Hello hello, I hope you are all enjoying your weekend. Last Monday I went to see my best friend, Alice, in Brighton. Whilst we were there, we did a fair amount of shopping and relaxing at Coalition (a bar on the beach), but we decided that we wanted to head out for a nice meal in the evening.

1

Clarins Ever Matte Foundation Review

So, today I wish to talk about a recent foundation gem I've discovered. I have been using Clarins foundation ever since I stole a little from a friend for a night out 2 years ago. The fact that it smelt like cucumber and was really fresh on my face made me wonder why I was wasting my time with any other foundations!

0

ASOS Festival Picks

 As ASOS are have put all their festival wear in one place I thought this was a perfect time to share my top picks to help you get into the fast approaching festival season!

I love festival season and am so sad that I wont be attending any this summer ( I'm travelling around South Africa instead so watch this space!) but to all of you that are, I hope I can help you find some bargins.

2

A New Skin Care Routine- Dermalogica Review

Hello, I hope you're all enjoying your weekend! As it's Sunday, I felt like it was a good day to talk about my new skin routine, because Sundays are the day where lounge pants, baggy jumpers and bare faces are present in every household.

For the past few months I have been really struggling with an oily forehead and T- zone and no matter how many times I used my Clinique 3 skin routine nothing seemed to work.

3

Mary Kate and Ashley Style Inspiration

After my post the other day talking about Mary Kate and Ashley being award Womenswear Designers of the Year and how they have inspired me in so many ways, I felt I should do a little post about their style and how to get the look.

1

CFDA Awards- The Row

Mary Kate and Ashley have been inspiring me through out my life, whether that be where I wish to go on holiday ( I have been to Luna Park and I will go to Atlantis!), how exploring the world is a must or in fashion. So last night when the pair scooped the most sought after award,  Womenswear Designer of the Year at the CFDAs, I felt it was only fair to pick out my favourite pieces from their collection, The Row.

The Spring Collection

0

Jo Malone Experience

Everyone always raves about Jo Malone and so when I was offered the oppertunity to try out their new limited edition range I couldn't refuse.

When we arrived we were given a lovely glass of bubbles along with a little bag of rose flavoured popcorn which is somehow incredibly tasty.

0

Dreaming of Shoes- My wishlist

 I love shoes, I already own far too many pairs but I felt that gave me even more of an excuse to share with you the shoes I am dreaming of at the moment. I always find narrowing the list down is hard but these are my top 9 pairs available online at the moment

4

My Summer Clothing Wishlist

I can't believe summer has come around so fast! With the sun shinning I felt like it was finally time to find my summer favourites that are brilliant to take to paradise with you. So here are some of my top picks from the web...

1

New York Reminising

Last August I went to New York City for my 21st. We met up with one of my oldest friends who moved back to America when we were 9 and so getting to have a girly weekend with out parents was amazing.

Whilst recovering in bed a few weeks ago I suddenly realised that I never did the blog post about my trip as I went of to Africa so quickly after and so, here is a little snip of my time there. I remember being determined to go back again as soon as I left, so hopefully it wont be to long until I return to the city that never sleeps.

3

Personal Post-Endometriosis

Today I am going to share with you a painful journey that I have been on for what must be nearly 6 years now. A few weeks ago I had an operation which was the last piece in the puzzle to confirming my diagnosis that had been suspected but first I want to tell you about my journey to today, because I expect, there are so many girls and women that put up with their symptoms and try and ignore them, just as I did for a while. I hope that if you are one of those people that maybe you consider going to see someone after reading this.

0

Liebster Award

So, I was nominated by the beautiful @helimac1, (her blog is here) for ‘The Liebster Award’ …

0

What to wear to a wedding? OOTD

Last week I went to my first (and only) wedding of the year and so I wanted to share with you what I wore to the lovely occasion in the Lake District.

0

Cochella Festival Style; Boho Trousers and Fringe Bag OOTD

So today I decided to right my first festival fashion post as I was dreaming about attending Cochella. With so many of the bohemian trends being in style this year I think festival season is going to be its best yet!

0

Back to the 90s; Suede Skirt OOTD

When I was younger I loved floaty tops, suede trousers and skirts and so when I found a suede skirt in H&M I told my self that I would only get it if I could find the top to match.

Unfortunately for my bank balance I did, and so here I am telling you about my new favourite spring outfit.

3

Have you heard of Lavish Alice?

I have been keeping an eye on the clothes make Lavish Alice for a good few years now after first discovering them through ASOS and own a few pieces of there collections from the past.

This year though, I feel like they have upped there game with amazing pieces that are stunning and individual in every way, so much so, that I spent a small fortune on their website last week, and expect that if the pieces fit as nice as they look then my bank balance will be suffering in the new season.

I have selected my favourite pieces across the shop just to give you an example of what they have but you need to check them out yourselves, I guarantee you wont regret it!

This stunning dress that will make all the jaws drop, available here for £48

0

My Top ASOS picks this April

I have been crazy busy having an operation recently (I will explain all in another post) but I decided whilst in recovery that the least I could do is share with you my new favourite pieces on ASOS. Trying to narrow down this list has been tricky especially as I have shopping for an outfit to my cousins wedding but here we go.

0

A Day Out in Chester

As I have been living in Chester recently, I felt like it was the perfect opportunity to do a post about what I got up to when I spent a day in the city doing all of the touristy things.

Chester is a beautiful city with picturesque buildings, lovely shops and plenty of nooks and crannies to explore.

0

Your Weekend Travel Companion

Ever wanted a book to tell you what to do in each city of Europe if your going for a weekend? Well I have just that for you!

I got this book for Christmas and not only does it look beautiful sat on my shelf it is filled with the most amazing tips and things to do in cities all over Europe.

2

Mariylin Hair Mask by Lush- Review

Since returning from Africa my hair has been in need of a deep condition and when I saw this mask in Lush I thought why not give it a try. The women in the shop was raving about it too.

So here I am now telling you all about the product.

0

Barry M Genie Lipstick and Maybelline Great Lash Mascara - Review

So i decided to write a double review this week, mainly because the products go so well with each other but also because they are a perfect addition to your going out bag.

2

Liz Earlie Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser- Review

This face cleanser is not like anything I have ever really experienced, I am a clinique girl through and through normally with their 3 step routine but after receiving this I thought, maybe its time for a change.

2

Positive Body Image

I don't normally do a personal post, but as International Women's Day, I felt like I wanted to talk about something that is important to me, positive body image.

Through out my life I have always had a positive image with regards to my body. I don't know whether this is due to my amazing family who have always made me feel loved, and thus that I should love me too, or because I have always been so athletic that my body was always up for the task I demanded from it and so it made me love it more, that I do not know. 

What I do know though is that so many people every day stare in the mirror and find at least 10 things they don't like. I know this because for some reason recently I have been doing the same! I don't like how my shoulders are now so big and muscly it makes me look like a man, I don't like the colour of my hair, I don't like how I feel that I could probably loose a few pounds, or that my face appears rounder that it did last year. Trust me, I could probably go on for a while and all I keep wondering is why has it happened now? 

0