January || Catch Up!

I'm sitting here sipping tea and reflecting on this month.

I had a nice little New Year at work with some of my favourite colleagues which meant this wasn't another year spent at home, in bed on the computer, or outside a pub arguing with my other half like New Year '14.

January is the month I put on the most weight I ever have, but I don't even care. It's not like me to not care about the way I look but I'm nineteen now, I'm in education and working part time plus blogging and a social life, I've got a lot of juggling going on and I know I'm not going to have time to put a face full of make up on everyday and I'm ok with that.

January is the month that my style turned a little crazy, big chunky boots and a leather jacket is what I'm seen in most days, paired with a pair of black jeans and a top. In contrast when I go out to Cardiff or for meals I tend to go the total opposite and wear swing dresses and my favourite knee high boots.

I've been a social butterfly this month spending lots of time with my wonderful work friends, school friends and Charlotte. I've been to watch Woman in Black, I've been clubbing in Cardiff, had lunch at Waterloo Tea Rooms and been clubbing in my 'home town'. I'm hoping to keep close relationships like this with my friends through out the year.

As a family we visited Bluestone on the 19th of January where we spent some quality time with one another, my grandparents got a change of scenery, my sister and my dad got a chance to learn archery, me and mum had a wonderful massage in the spa.

I joined the Bloggers Love Hub book club! I used to be a massive bookworm. I'd sit and read a book for hours and hours until I finished it but when school and college became about exams and grades I stopped enjoying it as much so I'm hoping joining in with this book club will help! The first book on the list is #GirlBoss which I'm really excited to read.

And last (I debated about putting this in) I went to a pantomime. Yes, me....watching a pantomime. I'll just let you get your head around that for a second before I give you the biggest surprise of your life.....I actually enjoyed it, like seriously I was chanting, dancing, shouting and cheering. I'm pretty sure I enjoyed it more than the kids did.

So all in all, January wasn't actually that bad...I just couldn't remember the good bits before I wrote this post. hmm hmmm.

Other things I enjoyed in January:

Meghan Trainor: Title (Music)
If you didn't know already, I actually really like Meghan Trainor so was excited for the release of her album at the end of January, and boy was I in for a treat. The album is even better than expected, the first one I listened to on Spotify was the version including the track commentary where Meghan explains why she wrote the song/what it's about and you really get a sense of what she's like. However, she's definitely targeting a young audience with this album with a couple of songs about drunk texts and the walk of shame but that didn't put me off. This is one of those albums where I can sit back and listen to all the songs - not skipping any (very rare for me).

Gossip Girl (TV)
I started watching Gossip Girl at the beginning of the month but stopped mid January when I realised that I was 5 seasons from the end (plus my free trial ran out) but when exams are over I'm definitely going to commit to watching the whole series. I think what I find intriguing about Gossip Girl is the fact that I met similar people of that class in America and spent some time with them, which makes it more believable.

Lemon-anything (Food)
Lemon meringue pie, lemon cheese cake, lemon cake. I've developed this curious taste for lemon flavoured food, in fact I actually ate a whole lemon cheesecake to myself in the space of two days (yeah, I know I'm disgusting, but it tasted so good). This could be the reason I've put on so much weight......que Cheryl Cole - I don't care....''And I don't CAREEEEE, and it feels sooooo *flippin* good to say I swear''

Over the knee boots (Fashion)
In December I bought a set of over the knee boots which I was way to scared to wear because a) I didn't want to resemble Cat Slater from EastEnders and b) their like 30miles out of my comfort zone but I saw them on InTheFrow and HAD to buy them (I couldn't stop thinking about them). I really like pairing my over the knee boots with a swing dress, it's like the perfect match.

Silent Witness (TV)
Silent Witness is BACK and better than ever, this series is really gripping. I can't stress how much I enjoy a good murder mystery (Murder, She Wrote, Midsummer Murders, Rosemary & Thyme, Broadchurch) but Silent Witness does murder mystery from a completely different angle. Another thing I love about Silent Witness is although it's two parts it's not dragged out over a long period, part one is on Monday and part two is on Tuesday (just enough time to try and work it out).

January posts: Goals For 2015 || A Guy's Perspective - Talking on the Internet || Bloggers to Watch || A Day Out in Cardiff || A Guy's Perspective - The Use of Fake Products ||

What good things happened to you this January?

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The Use Of 'Fake' Products - A Guy's Perspective

Hello again you lovely lot, Ffion has asked me back for another discussion with you all from a male perspective on a certain topic. Firstly I wanted to say thank you all for the support from the last discussion I had and the feedback was great, you guys are awesome! So, who’s ready for round 2? I hope all of you are ready. Let’s go!

So, Ffion and I were discussing about topics for this segment of her blog and this subject came about that struck me as quite an interesting one from a male perspective. I want to talk to you girls about the use of fake tans/eyelashes/nails etc. The reason is because I see it more often now from girls to be wearing or using ‘fake’ products. Whether that be fake tan, eyelashes, nails or extensions for hair, to me it’s frustrating to see a lot of women enjoying and using these products. Hear me out on this one ladies.

Now I understand why girls buy these sorts of products, but I don’t know why they think it’ll make them look prettier or make them feel more comfortable when they go out. I know most girls wear these to make their eyelashes look bigger or because they don’t like their nails, but it’s called fake for a reason ladies.

I’m using all this from past experience (not for myself) with my ex-girlfriend whom at some point in our year and a half relationship used these products. It got me quite upset to think she had to buy fake products in order to make herself look prettier when she looked gorgeous in the first place. I never told her to buy them, I just told her that she didn’t need them because she looked pretty as a natural woman.

When we first started dating, I didn’t know she was using extensions for her hair and when she took the extensions out it felt like a bit of a disappointment to me. Not because she was using them, but the fact that it wasn’t her natural self. As if she had to buy something to have longer hair and that made me think that she wasn’t happy with her hair when she should’ve been. The same goes for fake nails and tans, to me they just make it seem like you girls aren’t happy with the way you look to impress guys. You’ll know when you’ve met the right guy is when he likes you just the way you are. It was the same for me with my ex, I loved her just the way she was, but was always wanting to use these products.

Me personally, I can’t stand fake tan. Why would you want to use it in the first place for a browner look that lasts a mere few days at most? Quite a lot of them wash off in the shower anyway, I’m referring this again to my ex when we went on holiday. It just looked so rough, eventually after the second day she had patches of her natural skin and her ‘fake’ skin and I wish she didn’t bother in the first place. It’s a little harsh for me to say, but it just looks like a lot of hassle for not a lot of difference.

I think you girls just need to leave the fake products alone and just be proud for who you are. Even if you don’t like the way your skin is pale, or that your lashes don’t work the way you want them to. It’s not the end of the world and me personally, I would much prefer a girl who is okay with what she’s got and how she looks. Using this products means you’re presenting a fake look that isn’t yourself and that can be disappointing to some guys. Especially myself, it just seems like you’re presenting a fake you and I’m against that.

I hope you all understand where I’m coming from and all these points that I have made. If you have a different view on these products then let me know in the comments or talk to me on Twitter (I’m on it 24/7). I hope you enjoyed this little post and I’m sure I’ll be back soon.

Thank you very much for reading and until next time.

Lewis

Day Out || Cardiff

On the tenth of January I met up with Charlotte in Cardiff for lunch at Waterloo Tea and what a wonderful lunch it was.

I ordered some orange juice and took a look at the menu, one thing I love about Waterloo Tea is the amazing variety of healthy options. I've been to an event here before #CoffeWithCurrys where I tasted a variety of the food.

  Charlotte opted for the  Smoked Salmon and Crème Fraiche sandwich with salad.

I opted for the Smoked Haddock rarebit with salad and chutney. I got to taste Charlottes which was delicious but mine was out of this world. Our meals were both under £10 and we were throughly impressed. Staff are super friendly and helpful, especially when you don't know what some items on the menu are.

We then took a trip to e.l.f where I bought a huge range of things from powder to false lashes. I've booked in on the 5th of Febuary for the Contour Masterclass and was supposed to be paying my deposit but got chatting to the girls and completely forgot. 

Right now e.l.f store in Cardiff are offering you a complimentary #GoToGlam Makeover! Why not take advantage? You can find the girls on Twitter here and Facebook here.

After spending a small fortune in e.l.f Charlotte needed some photos for her photography project so we found somewhere reasonably green.

I then had to go and try something from the new Cookie Dough stall....

I had a milk chocolate one with ice cream but failed to take a photo because I was so excited to eat it. I cannot wait to go again. By then I'd spent 5 hours in Cardiff and had to get home because that evening I went back down to Cardiff for a night out. I actually had a really good time....

I hit Weatherspoons, Walkabout and Glam and by then it was 2am and time to head back home to bed.

What even am I doing?

What have you been up to?
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2015 || Bloggers to watch

Meet Frankie from CrazyBlondeGal. Frankie is literally the nicest girl ever, I can always count on Frankie for her opinions and for her help but what drew me to Frankie in the first place was Frankie's blog. Frankie covers a wide range of topics including beauty and lifestyle. She's a very intelligent lady who's a bit of a computer whizz and she owns a hedgehog, what more so you want?
You can find Frankie on Twitter here.

Meet Charley, she's beautiful and she's got a kick ass YouTube channel which you can take a look at here. If I had a blogger I'd like to be most like in a couple of years time it would be Charley. She's professional but personal and she's eager to improve all the time even though her blog is fabulous as it is. Charley's blog Ramblings of a Beauty Blogger is bursting with personal style and fashion posts. She's also got lot's of tips and tricks for bloggers on photography.
You can find Charley on Twitter here.

Say hello again to Charlotte who was featured in a lot of my lifestyle posts in 2014. Charlotte is someone I know in real life but we became friends through twitter first. Our story is a bit like a love story and we behave like an old married couple, or so we've been told many a times. Charlotte writes A Fashion Oddity she claims she's Fashion but she's beginning to look like a little bit of everything. She loves clothes and make up and also has a YouTube channel here.
You can find Charlotte on Twitter here.

Meet Dee who writes for Prompts by Dee, she's a twenty something inspiration! Another amazing lady I've met through twitter. Dee writes about theatre and lifestyle and I enjoy reading her lifestyle posts because she really shows a personal side of her life. Her writing is clear, her photography is on point and it's a pleasure to spend half and hour scrolling through her blog. She writes things I think anyone would be interested in reading, I particularly liked her review on The Theory of Everything.
You can find Dee on Twitter here.

Meet Lewis, you may recognise him from my A Guy's Perspective posts, if you don't go check out his first post here. He writes a music blog Love Life Music, after having a little browse and being persuaded by Lewis to listen to some music I'd never thought of listening to before I decided to become a regular reader. Lewis is such a nice guy even if you're not into music then just have a chat to him on twitter, you can find him here.

So go check out these five amazing bloggers but don't forget to follow me too.

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Talking on the Internet – A Guy’s Perspective

Hello, my name is Lewis Fisher and I am a friend of Ffion’s who has very kindly asked me to write a guest post for her blog. I myself am I blogger for a blog called ‘Love Life, Love Music’, I write reviews and I have been doing so since March 2014 and have enjoyed writing many reviews for so many great artists. I am very humbled to have been asked to write for Ffion’s blog and we have nailed a specific topic I wanted to talk about to all you lovely people.

So, I wanted to talk to you all about guys on the internet and how we’re all seemed to be portrayed on the internet. It’s quite a stressful topic to talk about because I see it time and time again when girls just get screwed over by guys by just asking for one thing. For someone like myself this is really frustrating because I love getting to know new people, it’s actually one of my goals for 2015. I’m talking to a lot of bloggers at the moment and loving each conversation I have with them. Each one is different and it’s great to be part of this little bloggers world now.

Now, before I jump into this, I’m not saying I’m perfect or a saint and I’ve never done that, but I’m 21 now, that was years ago and I’m a mature guy who just wants to make friends and contacts to better my life! Especially since I am currently single too, making new friends is the perfect way to really find that special someone.

I have tried online dating, but I barely get any replies or hellos and I don’t know what I’m doing wrong by just saying “hello, how’s your day been” etc. I’ve come to realise that talking to girls on the internet is a lot harder and difficult to get their attention because of guys who want one thing.

To me I just feel like girls these days just get asked so much that they can’t be bothered to be putting the time and effort in for guys online. I don’t blame you! If I was asked to flash every time I spoke to someone new I wouldn’t have any faith either!

Though when I have talked to the lucky few who have seen past this model that has been sculpted for us guys, they have a really nice time and so do I! I’ve found out so much about all these lovely and wonderful people and I don’t understand why there are so few guys who don’t want to know girls like I do. It’s so much fun getting to know someone from either a different country or part of the UK. Well, take me and Ffion for example, I’m from Brighton and she lives in the land of South Wales!

I wanted to write this post because there are guys who do actually want to have a lovely chat with girls. To me, that’s more important than any 5 minute conversation I’ll have in the middle of the night discussing what you’re up to. It’s made me think what makes guys think it’s right? It’s become a very frustrating trend that I would love to stop, but we’re in a different world to when we were even 2 - 3 years ago and unfortunately one person can’t change that.

What I can do, is do what I’m doing right now and just speaking to girls in the way they should be spoken to. I’ve seen how much more interested you girls become in guys who just want a chat. Even if you’re heading out in half an hour and just have time for a quick 5 minute chat, I’ve seen that it makes the world of a difference!

Well, I think that’s my time for now, but I think Ffion want’s me back for a few more topics to talk about, but if you did enjoy this and have any opinions on it then leave a good ol’ comment and tell me what your thoughts are on this topic. If you wouldn’t mind checking out my blog too, I would be very grateful! You never know what artist you might stumble across that you may like! I have tons of artists from different genres, so go have a gander!

Take care everyone

Lewis J 

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Goals for 2015

I guess I didn't really start living in 2014 until June when I jetted of to America but when I did eventually start living my life and enjoying myself 2014 turned out to be a cracking year for me. I learnt that being on your own doesn't mean being lonely and I learnt that I'm actually quiet a strong young lady. (yes I said lady, let's not make a fuss) So here's to 2015 and my goals for making it equally as fabulous as 2014.

Attend the London Dinner Party

The gossip girl themed one in February! 

I'm so excited to meet Charley and Frankie

Return to America

I'm currently in the application process of going back, probably left it 

a bit late again but fingers crossed! 

Visit Paris

Who doesn't want to spend a few days in Paris.

Spend more time with family

My family doesn't look like it'll be increasing any time soon

so I'd like to spend as much time with my grand parents and parents as possible.

We're headed to Bluestone in January! 

Stay single

This is really important to me. I've realised that being on my own

 leads me to accomplish more and I actually enjoy it a lot more.

I nail life.

Achieve my predicted grades

As much as I love it blogging will never be my full time job

so I do need to achieve my grades as a pathway to university.

Start university

Provided I accomplish the above goal this one will be easy to follow.

Continue to maintain friendships

I can make friends no problem, it's maintaining friendships I struggle with

so this goal should be interesting to review.

Save up for a new phone/laptop

I may be leaving the Apple family and opting for a Samsung.

Straighten my teeth

I need to do something to my teeth. End of story.

What are your goals for 2015?

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