My New Year's Resolutions

A new year is here and with it, an opportunity to make and break an array of well-intentioned promises to oneself... I'm big into To Do lists of any kind so naturally I had to share my 2015 resolutions with you guys!

1. I intend to work hard at uni, and get a grade I am proud of.
2. I hope to take part in our pole school's yearly competition and showcase (majorly motivating, as I am very very unfit at the moment!)
3. I will continue blogging, taking a little more time and care to perfect each post, and only share the posts I am 100% proud of and happy to put out into the world
4. I will continue my Project365 (still a private endeavour as my last year at uni has limited my beautiful photo taking opportunities big time)
5. I plan on taking steps outside my comfort zone rather than saying no to the things that scare me.
6. I will enjoy my last semester at uni.* 
7. I want to knit myself something more advanced than a scarf (though let's not bash that idea too much as scarves are legit)
8. I will prioritise spending on experiences over spending on things
9. I hope to finally declutter my mess, sorry, bedroom at home
10. I will work to remember how lucky I really am... I am the queen of BUT I AM NOT PERFECT THEREFORE I HAVE FAILED rather than accepting I have it good

What do you guys think of my resolutions? Do you have any of your own for this year? Feel free to share any down below of course!

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*sobs, broken, into a pillow... DON'T MAKE ME LEAVE

Instagram of the Month: _Kimberlyr

It's that time again folks! I love sharing my Instagram Spotlight with you - it's genuinely one of my favourite posts to write each month.  This month my spotlight is being shined on the loveliness that is _kimberlyr.

In case you didn't know, I've been trapped inside for the six weeks or so, battling with a deluge of essays and Kimberly's photos are pure escapism for me. She hails from Canada (Vancouver, BC, to be more precise) and her photos really highlight the beauty of her surroundings. Seriously, I would love it live there too!

If you too would like to be transported, Kimberly's Instagram is for you. Follow her here and watch the magic unfold below!

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My First Film Roll

It was with great, great excitement that I collected my first set of prints from my film camera this month. I've talked about my camera more in this post, in case you are interested!

Never having used an analog camera before meant that shooting became a bizarre experience - I knew what shots I'd taken but had no idea how well they'd come out. I was pleased to see that the majority were in focus and straight - I had been expecting far less for my first attempt!

These photos are from mine and the girls' trip to Winchester for the Christmas market and mine and Josie's day in Oxford, so they are filled with lovely memories too!

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The Perfect Christmas

The magic of Christmas has changed as I grow older, but never lost its sparkle. As a child I looked forward to the chocolate coins and ripping the paper off carefully wrapped toys; as a teen, it was all about that MAC gift set hype; as an adult, it's about seeing family (especially precious after my Year Abroad) and of course chowing down on chocolate coins (some things never change).

Today's post is all about the things I love most about Christmas... I hope you enjoy!

1. Waking up to the buzz of "It's today! It's actually today!"
2. Mum refusing to let us into the living room, insisting Santa didn't make it
3. Being let in and unwrapping our stocking presents (they are always incredible)
4. Enjoying a chocolate-based breakfast
5. Getting ready for Church, the one time in the year we go
6. Feeling festive with familiar faces
7. Singing to Chris Rea in the car
8. Heading to our fave restaurant for Christmas dinner
9. CRACKERS
10. Feeling so full I am convinced I need never eat again
11. Heading home for present opening
12. Dem presents do
13. Putting on my new pyjamas
14. Watching a Christmas film with the fam
15. Surprising myself by managing to nibble a dinner of yes, you guessed it, chocolate coins

Have a lovely day guys, and thank you for making this year so enjoyable. Whatever you are up to today, I hope you are safe and happy!

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A Drugstore Trio

Whenever there's a 3 for 2 offer on makeup, you can be sure that I'll be there, weighing up my will against my wallet, before taking the plunge because "it's on 3 for 2, it would be rude not to."

I'm sure I'm not unique in this by any means, but a spendy sesh in the local supermarket resulted in some very happy purchases.

I was clearly on a bit of a bronze cream shadow kick on this particular spree, as I purchased not one but two very similar products  (I am honestly not sure as to why). I'm sure you've heard of Maybelline's Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze - or Bad to the Bronze as I believe it's known stateside - and I'm here today to simply tell you it's great. At £4.99 you are getting a complete steal, great as a base and delicious on its own... C'est l'amour.

The second bronze and creamy purchase was the Max Factor Wild Shadow Pencil in 05. I was intrigued by its claim to be a 2 in 1 shadow and liner - more bang for your buck as they say. Shade-wise it is slightly darker and cooler than my Maybelline offering, and it's also slightly less sheeny. You definitely don't need both. As this is the more expensive of the two, I'd urge you to go for the Maybelline shade.

Last of all is a nail polish with a formula that was the most long lasting of this year (until I tried another... more on that soon!) and it's the Maybelline Super Stay 7 Day Gel Polish in Midnight Red. Erm. Wow. A formula that rocks, though perhaps not for the 7 days promised, and a gorgeous shade that dries super fast. Clinique Black Honey, eat your heart out. As KathleenLights would say, I highly recommend.

So that's it for my mini haul... are there any drugstore beauties that you feel I need? Let me know down below!

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VIDEO: Vlogmas Week 3

The third instalment of Vlogmas is here! This week was a super chill one, with time spent at home, surrounded by cats. Basically living the dream. I hope you enjoy!

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Photography Inspiration

I am literally obsessed with finding amazing photographers that inspire me online... Taking photos has become one of my favourite pastimes; I shared my photography "kit" with you earlier this month and figured it was a good idea to share some ways to get inspired for your photos too!

Flickr

Not a site I frequented before this year, I have now become obsessed... For the totally uninitiated, Flickr is a place for posting purely photos, where you can follow those that interest you like many other social media sites. I adore Flickr over other photography-only websites as it has recently introduced a feature that tells you what digital camera and lens were used, plus a load of other stats too... Perfect for anyone who's curious about that kind of thing!
Accounts You Will Love: Amethyst**, devantelle, Hello I'm Wild!, Gabriela Tulian

Tumblr

Not just for gifs of Benedict Cumberbatch (though saying that, feel free to look at this one), Tumblr is also chocka with great accounts that are perfect for getting you inspired. Another cool option is to search for a specific lens or camera in the search bar, to get an idea of what results you can get from any equipment you feel like buying.
Accounts You Will Love: Ollivanderlious, Westerus, Jamstains, Peone, Flugunfaehig

Project 365

Not a site per se, but still worth looking into, is the Project365s... As you may have guessed, this is a challenge where you endeavour to take a photo every day for a year. This is something I would urge you to try too - I'm all of a few weeks into mine but so far I am loving it, if only as a great chance to grow and to push myself!
Accounts You Will Love: M. Klasan, Ines Perkovic - plus try this guide to get you started!

Bloggers

I'm sure I don't need to tell you that there are a buttload of crazy talented bloggers that take stunning photos... Head to my Blog Roll for a few that I've mentioned to you already, or stay put for some that are completely new to me!
Bloggers You Will Love: This Girl Loooves, Bless The Weather, Sincerely, Kinsey, A Girl Named Leney



And there you have it! I hope you enjoyed this post crew -  feel free to leave any photography folk you think deserve some recognition in the comments and I will be sure to check them out!

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