Goodbye 2012

So it's New Year's Eve - that time of the year when everybody reflects on the year that's passed and makes resolutions for the coming year.
For me, 2012 was the year that I:

Turned 19

Had my year 13 prom

 

Completed my A levels and left sixth form

Started volunteering for Time to Change

Started University

Was a bridesmaid at my cousin's wedding

 



The year has, in all honesty, been a constantly fluctuating mixture of ups and downs. Uni hasn't gone entirely to plan, and I have found other personal things quite difficult to deal with. However, despite not everything being perfect and going according to plan, I realize that I am blessed in many ways, and that even though I haven't achieved everything that I want to achieve, I've survived. I'm going to be 20 next year, which is pretty scary. Time is limited, but this doesn't mean that I don't have time to achieve what I want to.

This year has taught me that:
Family are incredibly valuable
It's not always possible to be the best, and that's okay.

So - my resolutions for 2013? Most of the time I completely fail to stick to my resolutions. My running resolution of 'stop biting my nails' has never yet succeeded for more than a week, nor has keeping a diary! Maybe this year I will make plans alongside each goal to help me succeed. The resolutions are to:
Improve my fitness
Adventure! There are so many places I want to visit - this year I want to make a trip to at least one of the places on my list (the list includes Ireland, Scotland, New York, Amsterdan, Berlin, Stockholm and Barcelona.)
Find myself. This last one is going to be really hard, but it's about time.

Eva x

Shine Bright

Hey guys, hope everyone is having a lovely winter holidays :)
Ever since I saw the Acne neon yellow jumper I've been lusting after one, but have never been able to find the right shade anywhere else, until I walked into Asda the other day to do the Christmas grocery shopping with the family. This jumper is from the Graduate Fashion range and was £16. It's really toasty and such a bright colour! I think it's one of those pieces where you kind of revel in it's hideousness...I don't know if anyone else ever experiences this but sometimes I am attracted to rather unattractive colours, such as mustard and lime green, but there is something kind of captivating and endearing about them. I definitely found this to be the case with this jumper. It has a hi-low effect, with the back covering your bottom and the front reaching your mid hip-bones. The jumpers are also available in a neon blue and pink, but of course the yellow is the best :)
Happy Christmas everyone!
Eva x

Winterlicious Tag

Question One: Favourite winter nail polish

I don't have a particular favourite winter nail product, rather, anything with glitter goes! I like layering different glittery nail polishes to create different finishes. Barry M are my favourite this season for glittery nail polishes.

Question Two: Favourite winter lip product

It would have to be Barry M lip lacquer crayon in Cherry Red! I absolutely adore it, and have had so many compliments on it. It's really shiny and glittery and makes your lips really stand out...and it's only £4.99!

 

Question Three: Most worn winter clothing piece

It's not particularly wintery, but I've barely taken this long white jumper off this winter! It's from Primark and I love the suede patch detail on the sleeves. Super comfy :)

 

Question Four: Most worn winter accessory

This gorgeous necklace from FCUK. I picked it up from a jewellery sale at the Clothes Show Live, bagging it for £8 when it should have been £45. Massive chunky necklace layered under collars always add a distinct pop to an outfit.

Question Five: Favourite winter scent or candle

I got some free samples of Lady Gaga's 'Fame' perfume and I've been wearing that an awful lot recently, but other than that you can't beat smells like cinnamon, sandlewood and vanilla.

Question six: favourite winter beverage

 

Rekorderlig's apple and cinnamon winter cider always gets me excited at Christmas, and it's sooo lovely warm with a wedge of orange in it.

Question seven: all time favourite Christmas/holiday movie

Hands down, The Nightmare Before Christmas. Haha, this fits both criteria too as I always watch the film at Halloween too :)

Question eight: favourite Christmas/holiday song

I actually really like hymns at Christmas. After listening to songs like 'All I want for Christmas' for the 100 time in the holiday season, you get a bit sick of the chart Christmas songs.

Question nine: Favourite holiday food or treat

Sprouts! Smelly vegetables all year round pretty much...

 

Question ten: Favourite Christmas decoration

We've had this glass angel for years and it always looks so pretty when you position it so that the Christmas tree lights are shining through it. My Dad also has an obsession with those creepy bearded little nutcracker men, and insists on hanging them on the tree still despite half of them having only one leg/arm!

Question Eleven: Top of Christmas list

I've been after a nice blingy watch that's a bit unsual, and I decided that I really like rose gold watches. This one is from Michael Kors, but of course they are ridiculously expensive, so I've asked for one similar but not by Michael!

Question 12: What are you plans for the holiday this year

I don't actually have any plans - I like to have lots of plans and really get into the Christmas spirit but the general plan this year seems to be stay at home.

Eva x

The Clothes Show Live - Saturday 8th December

Hey guys, hope everyone is okay :)
On Saturday 8th December I went to The Clothes Show Live with my Mum at the NEC in Birmingham. It was a fantastic, lively and incredibly busy event, and it left me with a horrified feeling of 'I can't believe I've missed the shows from previous years!' This year was quite different to any of the past shows, as the event teamed up with Britain and Ireland's Next Top Model Live to offer two fantastic catwalk shows - The Suzuki Fashion Theatre and the BINTM Live catwalk show.
The Suzuki Fashion Theatre took place in a MASSIVE auditorium, and was a 45 minute long fusion of fashion, dance and insane outfits. It was hosted by Henry Holland (the man behind House of Holland and Debenhams' H! Range, as well as the presenter of Styled to Rock and T4's Frock Me) and Grace Woodward (stylist and judge for BINTM live.) Sadly, the seats my Mum and I were allocated were as far away from the stage as the auditorium allowed, but I still managed to get some okay-ish snaps!
Other highlights of the day included meeting the BINTM live models and getting some really fantastic buys. The BINTM live show was really fantastic, and the setting of it was much more informal without allocated seats, so I took the opportunity to crouch at the end of the runway and blind the poor models with my camera flash haha. Meeting the models was a really great experience - they were all really friendly and didn't seem too phased by my creepy fan-girl blathering! They all agreed that the worst photoshoot was the tarantula one, that some iof the criticism such as Emma having 'no personality' was really hard to take and that Roxanne found being away from her daughter very hard. Penelope told me that she was originally from Leeds, which ended up in an excited conversation (well, from my side anyway!) about how I was at York, to which she told me that she had been at York studying Writing, Directing and Performing. Small world!
Anyway, if this has made you interested here are a selection of photos from the event! I hope you like them :)
Eva x

Meeting the models!

 

BINTM Live catwalk show

The winner: Laetitia

Emma, Risikat and Laetitia, all looking wonderfully glamorous

Lisa wearing Oasis

Penelope

Laetitia and Risikat taking the catwalk by storm

Anita

Suzuki Fashion Theatre

Feathery dress!

Nelly.com lusts

French Connection UK Necklace - should have been £45 but I got it for £8!

Barry M makeup bag, £10 for this and all of the makeup products pictured

Barry M goody bag selection

Barry M goody bag selection

Oasis bracelet, should have been £20 and was £8

Meeting the models: Emma, Roxanne, me, Kelly and Lisa

Oasis Necklace - should have been £28 but was £8

Jeffrey Campbell style spiked wedge heels, £25

Nelly.com lusts

Week in pictures

I've never done a 'Week in pictures' post before, but I always like noseying at other people's, so I thought I'd give it a go! Sadly I haven't got any fancy apps to organize them into a nice neat collage, so this will just have to do :)



1

 

2

3

 

4

5

6

7

1) Halifax bar crawl with the housemates, ending up in Tokyo (a club in York)

2 and 3) Leeds with my Mum and sister for catch-ups and Christmas shopping

4) Starbucks skinny gingerbread latte, much needed!

5) OOTD - Velvet unicorn. My Mum knitted me the cardie!

6) Christmas swan from Paperchase. Loveee.

7) The only thing getting me through this essay.

 

Eva x

 

Velvet Dreaming

I don't know about anybody else, but I am loving velvet this season! I picked up this claret velvet skirt from ebay for about £12 as opposed to buying one from Toppers or Miss Selfridge. I guess there's advantages and disadvantages on opting for a cheaper version; although I love the colour and the quality isn't bad, the elastication on the waistband isn't amazing, and the skirt is a little too long for my liking (I've rolled it up a bit in the picture). Although from looking at it you can't tell the difference terribly, I suppose I'd rather pay more for a better quality skirt with a more comfortable fit.

 

The top is from Topshop, the jacket from Daisy Street and the shoes from Daisy Street. I love these shoes, the cat face is so cute, and they make your feet look tiny - even my horrendously wide ones!

If you like this skirt, you can get this similar though undoubtedly better quality one from Hearts & Bows at Ark. Ark are actually doing 24% off for today only so it's definitely worth a look:

(http://www.ark.co.uk/Hearts_and_Bows_Burgundy_Harlem_Velvet_Skater_Skirt2_from_search_page_2.html)

 

These velvet beauties are also on my lust list:

£29.53 Romwe

£45, Mink Pink @ Asos

Hearts & Bows @ Ark http://www.ark.co.uk/Hearts_and_Bows_Emerald_Delaware_Velvet_Cut_Out_Skater_Dress8_from_search.html
I bought this a few days ago and love it to bits!

£59.99, Zara

£24, Matalan

£40, River Island

£95, Sister Jane @ Asos

£35, Topshop

£68, Mink Pink @ Asos
 

Back view



 Will you be wearing velvet this season?
Eva x