thank u, next.

The release of Ariana Grande's smash hit 'thank u, next' which I've had on repeat ever since it's come out has recently got me thinking on a monday night at 10 to 12, standard.
First off all if you haven't heard the song then are you living under a rock? or if not you should definitely give it a listen as this song is so powerful, strong and meaningful as instead of slamming and shaming her ex boyfriends she sings about what they've taught her in life and what she can learn from that. Ariana references a new relationship with herself and how she's going to come out stronger and have some self love and be a strong independent woman.

This song couldn't have come at any better time than now for me as it's been a couple of months now I've been back at uni and just got out of a toxic relationship it's empowered me to be a better me and put all that negativity behind me and think about myself and the future.

Coming out of a long term relationship is hard but you always need to put yourself first and think about what is right for you despite how you might make the other person feel, this can be said for any circumstance, a family situation or a work related situation, put yourself first as selfish as it sounds.

Now, I especially know that it is a lot easier said that done having always gone through life putting people before myself and letting them walk all over me where I get to the point I am no longer happy and getting myself down because I'm adhering to everyone else but, if you never learn to say no then your life will always be that way.

I went through the majority of my school life not feeling like I belonged with a certain friendship group, now don't get me wrong I had a lovely group of friends but I never felt like I fitted in and that was no ones fault but I stuck with those friends being unhappy and feeling different because back then I didn't like to party or talk to boys that I'd feel odd but since growing up and having moved away to Uni which has changed my life in a completely different way I can honestly say you do truly find yourself when you move away from your hometown,  don't get me wrong I love my hometown, it's not the best town but the people there make it and I couldn't imagine havin' grown up anywhere else but it's like a breath of fresh air moving away and starting again meeting new people, being in a new environment it's great. I know it's not as easy to just pack your bags and move away but if you get the chance jump on it with full force as you never know what opportunities are out there for you.

I recently just came out of a long term relationship which started to get toxic on both ends I still tried my best for things to work even though it was clear nothing was going to but I was too busy thinking about the 'what ifs' and 'buts' to this relationship ending instead of thinking about what was best for me in the long run and since my breakup I've been so unbelievably happy not having constant worry and/or crying but instead spending more quality time with friends and family and just enjoying my life at 19 years old. I have learnt many things from past friendships and relationships and can say thank u, next in moving on to a happier and healthy lifestyle which I can say so far so good.

I've been having such a positive week despite the overload of uni deadlines and thought it was important for you all to remember to give yourself some self loving and realise your worth, that if you are down then believe that things do get better if you allow them too and moving on is a possibility even though at sometimes it might not feel like it.

Hope this little bit of motivation helped at least one of you today!

Thank you for reading
See you soon,

Katie x

Cute cafes & coffee stains

Living away from home and in a new town comes with a lot of new experiences one of them being finding cute and quirky cafes and restaurants that you wouldn't find anywhere else.

My friend, Abbie who is vegan found it online when searching for vegan cafes near us and was firstly intrigued by their name 'Om is where the heart is' this also had me intrigued as I was firstly thinking it's called this because when you eat you chew like 'om nom nom' but in fact I was wrong and it is called this because it is a vegan cafe with a yoga studio up stairs and apparently the word 'om' is associated with yoga when you are working out, very good 

marketing if you ask me!

We didn't actually get to see the yoga studio as we were too hungry to even think about taking a look and instead got seated and read through the very lengthy menu!
After we had all looked through the 181787 pages that were filled with scrumptious sounding vegan and non-vegan foods we took in the surroundings which were so niche and different! They had flowers hanging on the wall in milk jars and a feature wall which is very Instagramable hint hint, check out my Instagram to see more pictures.

The place was rather small with only a couple of seating available but this is usually typical of cafes and made the atmosphere very warm and homely.

After taking what we thought was enough pictures our food arrived and I was literally drooling when the waiter put it down on the table, it looked delicious.

We all got some form of avocado incorporated into our  meal but I got an avacado and bacon sandwich on sourdough bread with cheesy fries, which I know totally defeats the purpose of going to a vegan cafe but I did think the sandwich would be a little to plain for my liking so opted to get bacon with it.

Abbie, is in fact the only one out of the three of us who is vegan so went for a veggie wrap which was a wrap loaded with veggies (obviously) and hummus!

They cater to everyone's needs offering gluten free bread for anyone who needs/wants it.

After we had all filled our bellies until we couldn't fill them anymore and drank our lattes or in my case poured half of it on my self, typical Katie, we headed out into the little town of Slaithwaite to do some exploring and see what the town had to offer.

It was a rather chilly day and none of us dressed appropriately so we didn't go too deep into the streets and stuck to the main road and ended up going into a few charity shops for a bit of a gander but in my case ended up doing a photo shoot with the beautiful scenes we had the chance to admire.

After our little walk burning off all those calories we had just eaten we were shattered and decided it was time to head back home for a nap.

It was such a fun day spending time with friends and doing something different we wouldn't usually do!

Also, I believe it is really important to support local businesses such as this one and help people succeed in doing what they love. Local coffee shops are run by people in your community and care about it's people. The owners of the cafe were so kind and made us feel at home catering to our every need. I know it wasn't a lot but when my friend asked if it was possible to have cheese on her fries there was no questions about it she could have cheese on her fries, in other chain restaurants they'd have to double check with the chefs first and even then they could possibly say no! So help a friend and support independent companies you won't regret it.

Thank you for reading.
See you soon.

Katie x

Samba Rose Adidas Platform trainers

I've recently seen a lot more footwear having platform bottoms in the past couple of months more regularly and I am loving it! Any excuse to give myself that little bit more of a height I will take it! despite this I also love the style of them I think they are a lot more edgy and make the trainers stand out a bit more as well they are obviously a lot bigger than regular soles of shoes.

I've seen many brands floating around adding platform soles to their shoes such as Vans, Puma and Fila but the ones that instantly caught my eye were Adidas Samba in rose! I love Adidas trainers they're so comfy and very stylish but sporty which is the look I love in trainers as you can easily dress them up or down.

I was lucky enough to receive the Samba Rose Adidas trainers for my birthday in August from my parents and I've been wearing them non stop. 

They're a beautiful pale pink, nude, beige colour which I don't have anything like so are different from my typical white or black trainers! I also love the beige platform as beige and tan is very in this autumn!

Even though they are a little awkward to style as personally I feel like they don't look right when tights which I love wearing in autumn with a cute dress or skirt so I usually pair them with jeans or some basic patterned pants and a neutral coloured top or jumper.

Here are two looks I have been loving when wearing these shoes. They both have different vibes with one being a more everyday and the other being one you can dress up or down depending on your style.

White ripped crop top - I Saw it First.com

Leopard print culottes - New Look

Gold pendant necklace - New Look
Beige coat - TopShop

White cable knit jumper - ASOS

Checked tight fitted cigarette pants - H&M

Tortise shell Sunglasses - River Island

Samba Rose Adidas Platform trainers - JD

If these outfits dont scream Autumn vibes then I don't know what will! I love the way there are so many different shades of neutral beige and nudes incorporated and how the patterned pants just add a bit more of a wow factor especially with the shoes tying the outfit altogether with the matching platform soles to the colour of the coat and checked pants.

I know this post was shorter and less long winded than my usual one but i'm enjoying writing these little fashion update/style/trending posts showing you what I'm loving and how I'm wearing them!

What do you guys think? Do you enjoy them or prefer something more in depth?

Thank you for reading.

See you soon.

Katie x

The Great British Gin Festival

Yesterday I attended The Great British Gin festival in Chester as one of my gifts for my friends' birthday! Even though I didn't know anything about the festival or what it would be like I still thought it was something different and knew my friend would love it as she is an absolute gin obsess!

     

So after a rather hectic morning we arrived at Chester and at the festival which was right outside the station (thankfully as the heavens had just started to open).

It was held at the Carriage Shed, an outside venue which is partially covered with conservatory like windows which was needed for a day like yesterday.

Once we were inside and given our free 'Great British Gin' gin glass and programme with a list of 100 gins they had for us to taste (which included a chocolate flavoured gin which I am saddened to say I didn't try however, I can't imagine it being very nice anyway).

We were then directed to the merchandise stand where we deiced to get four gins between us for £20 so £5 for one big glass of gin and tonic is not too shabby in my opinion. And then of to the gin tasting we went!

After having a quick gander in the programme we quickly decided on what to get. I got Pink grapefruit with tonic which I wouldn't usually get as a mixer as I despise the stuff but I was an idiot and didn't realise that you could in fact get lemonade as an alternative but, it was actually still really enjoyable and tasty! My friend, Aimee decided to go for peach and hibiscus which was very aesthetically pleasing having a red/pink colouring to it and tasting very nice too!

We then walked around the venue which was rather small with very little seating so we ended up standing up the whole day trying to juggle holding a big gin glass, taking those pictures for the gram and reading through the list of gins, it was a struggle. But, besides that we had a bit of a boogie to the entertainment who sang acoustic songs of popular songs such as Bon Jovis - Livin' on a prayer which was in both of our heads for the rest of the day! We then had a search down the many rows of gins to see what our next and final gin choice of the day would be! But before we did this we decided to try a few of the gins that were out for samples. We firstly tried raspberry gin which was gorgeous! And then Aimee had a sip of her favourite gin, Rhubarb and ginger so she could feel at home still!

The last gin I decided to get was Blackcurrant and ginger and luckily this time I realised you could get it with lemonade so I did and it was really sweet but I love sweet things especially the parma violets gin so it was right up my street. Aimee decided to go for the strawberry gin which was probably my favourite gin of the day as I love strawberries, the taste, the smell everything, it wasn't too sweet as sometimes strawberry flavoured things can be and that can ruin it, but it was just right!

    

So, after about an hour of getting legless (not quite but) we decided to head into town, we didn't expect to be at the festival for much longer as it was starting to get rather crowded and other than drinking, which we had done enough of by this point, there wasn't much else to do so we decided to do something else we know and love which is eating food.

We went to this very cute and edgy tapas and Mexican restaurant called 'Fiesta Havana ' and decided to go all out and get a starter and a main! For starters we shared pork scratchings which if I'm honest weren't the best but we still devoured them as we were starving and then for mains we both got quesadilla, but I got chorizo filled ones and Aimee got chicken, which were much more pleasing than the starters!

Once our bellies were filled to the brim and we decided we could actually walk again we decided to head back to the station to head home after a long but very fun day!

The Great British Gin Festival is definitely something I would recommend to people, especially gin lovers as it is something different than an ordinary day out just going for a meal somewhere and can lose an hour or two from your day without having to spend too much money, so make sure to keep an eye out for when they're touring near you!

If you happen to be curious about my outfit and where things are from I have left details down below:

    

Camel Jacket - Topshop

Black chunky boots - BooHoo

Dress - Miss Selfridge

Black T-shirt - Matalan

Gold pendant necklace - New look

Black over the shoulder bag - TKMaxx

Thank you for reading, 

see you soon.

Katie x

Expectations.

Having nearly completed my first year at uni I can tell that year 2 is going to be even more difficult and that the expectations are high.

From the beginning of secondary school right up until now, I have gone through education with expectations form my peers and teachers to do well.

Now, I'm not saying I'm a smarty pants and consecutively receive straight A's and firsts but I do like to think I do pretty well and people shouldn't make me feel ashamed for saying that even when I receive a B instead of an A or a 2:2 instead of a first as everyone has something they struggle with and to have still passed that is and achievement for me even if it isn't good and up to your standards and expectations of me.

I am one of those people who starts work straight away as soon as they get it so I have chance to edit it when needs be and check over it 545 times but it also gives me that comfort to know that I have it finished in plenty of time and to not rush at the last minute. I often get laughed at by my friends for doing this because they are very last minute people and that's totally fine, do what suits you best!

But remember, by me potentially getting it done and finishing it before you doesn't necessarily mean I found it much easier and that I am expected to get a better grade. This infuriates me loads when peers say this as it makes you feel 100x worse when you look at your mark and you receive a 2:1. Not because a 2:1 is bad, because it definitely isn't, but because of the pressure that was put on me and the expectations people had of me to receive a high mark and to be honest makes you feel really shitty about yourself as you think to yourself that they are laughing at you as if to say "well I started mine yesterday and I got 1 mark higher" or "what happened you usually receive firsts" I am happy for you, I really am, I want you to be proud of your success, I don't want you not to tell people and not show it of because you should be proud of yourself, but don't then make other people feel bad for not doing as well just because of the expectations you have of them for having received two firsts in previous assignments and maybe have found them easier but still going wrong somewhere to have not gained full marks and that's totally fine.

This was very common in sixth form with bitchy people who would always talk about their success but never be proud of you, and rub it in your face when they got higher. I was never like that I was always for praising others instead of myself as I know what a bit of praise can feel like when you've done a good piece of work, but I'm glad to now say that I've found a good group of friends who are all different for when it comes to work ethic, but we are never for putting people down or acting surprised when they didn't receive that first they definitely should have got because they knew the answer in class but worded it wrong in the test and it just feels so much nicer and welcoming to have friends like that.

I also believe that I put more weight on my shoulders when I put the expectation on myself by not wanting to let people down especially teachers who go the extra mile to help you but you still don't receive top marks which they had faith that you could and are probably disheartened for you but that just makes you feel worse because you weren't just doing it for yourself you were doing it for them too. This is something I worried about when taking my theory and practical car test as I know my driving instructor was so confident in me but I wasn't and when I took my test I was determined to do it for her more than I was to do it for myself.

I know a lot of people who have high expectations put on them from their family members which can be challenging for them and upsetting when, even though they tried their hardest they didn't get full marks and get nervous to tell their parents, I sometimes get like that when I involve people in my work and they commit their time to help me possibly receive a better grade especially when it is something I was struggling with, but my parents have always been those "you tried your best and that's all you can do" type and I'm so thankful that they are but I still have that mindset that I wan't to do well to make my parents proud and even though I know they'll be proud of me no matter what grade I get and that it's only my little brain piling more stress on me to think about and the expectations to achieve.

I'd love to see what your thoughts on this are and see if you also feel the same way I do or if you don't feel the need to please anyone but yourself which is great! Let me know in the comments below.

Thank you for reading,
see you soon
Katie x

7 things I learnt in 2017

Hello everyone and happy new year (5 days late, I know) hope you all had a wonderful new year celebrating it with friends and family!

I decided to take the time for today's post to reflect a little bit on 2017 as it was a rather big year for me! I turned 18, passed my driving test, did my A-levels succeeded and got into my first choice university studying my dream career, but it was also a year of lose and regrets that even though I don't want to be reminded of they will forever remain a big part of my 2017.

I feel like a grew a lot more as a person in 2017 and learnt a lot more valuable lessons (like finally using the washing machine by myself for the first time) and for that I have 2017 to thank. It's had it's up and downs but over all I feel like towards the end of 2017 I have become a lot more of a happier and healthier person and that's only the start to an even better year in 2018.

Here are 7 important life lessons I learnt in 2017:

1. Not everyone you lose is a loss

Obviously going off to uni and being nearly a 3 hour drive away from my friends who I went though school with we are going to gradually lose contact and drift apart, it was a given. Now I'm not one of those people who would stick around if I was the only one to be putting effort into the friendship, nope, it has to be a two way effort or that's it, as brutal as it sounds. And that was happening with a few friends who I went through school with and even though it does make me sad to thing that we could have this whole life ahead of us doing amazing things knowing we had grown up together but things happen people move on and that can't be helped, you've always got to put yourself first so feeling guilty because you've moved away to uni and have drifted from childhood friends isn't a bad thing especially if they aren't putting in as much as effort as you to stay in touch.

2. It's OK to say NO

It's OK to say NO in regards to saying no to going out drinking or doing certain things with your friends who ask if you want to join maybe because you just feel like staying in and getting that extra bit of revision or staying in to save money for summer activities! I've often felt bad for saying no as I'm letting people down who want to go out and enjoy themselves but they can't because I'm not going or something along those lines but always think about yourself first and that if you want to say no to not going out then so be it, you shouldn't be made to felt guilty.

3. There is always better days

Since moving to University in September and as stated before being a 3 hour drive away from family and loved ones it has been extremely difficult being in a long distance relationship, now I know it's only been a couple of months and we are still in the same country and people have it a lot worse but it doesn't discount the fact that it is still difficult and I've often spent my nights getting myself all worked up and stressed because I can't just drive down to my boyfriends or friends house and give them a cuddle or something but it doesn't always have to end up in tearful nights, I've realised that being in a long distance relationship makes us both grow us a couple and when we see each other after months it is a lot more worth while so there is always better days.

4. It's okay to grieve 

I've had a lot of sad moments in 2017, losing two people who meant so much to do me made months really tough for me, as well as dealing with family issues that I wish would never happen and being the person I am I often try and hold back my tears as I don't like making a scene or people asking me whats wrong? Now I know they are just trying to be nice and comfort me when I'm down but I don't know if this is just me, but it makes me cry even more! But anyway, I've realised through all the shit 2017 has thrown at me that I'm allowed to grieve and cry, death isn't easy to come to terms with so letting it all out is all you can do.

5. There is no point holding grudges

In regard to the shitty things 2017 has thrown at me I've decided that I'm not longer going to hold grudges against people! I've always been a person to hold grudges against someone for doing me wrong but I've realised that you never know whats round the corner as unkind and nasty as it sounds you never know when it's going to be someones last day so why end on bad terms? I understand that some things can't be fixed in terms of fallouts, but I'm going to go into 2018 giving everyone a second chance, I am a firm believer that everyone can change but only if they want to so for that deserve a second chance.

6. You never know unless you try

I was so excited for 2017 knowing that I would turn 18 and have a lot more opportunities but It was only when it came to it when I had those opportunities I would always try and talk myself out of it! For example learning to drive I thought I never be able to do this and every time I thought of trying my anxiety levels would go through the roof and I'd often get upset and get myself really down because I had so little confidence in myself and the things I could achieve if I just tried! This can also be said with venturing off to Uni, I thought I'd never be able to make any friends and I'd just hate every aspect of uni but I thought up the courage for them both and I moved to Uni meeting a bunch of new people who I can now call my best friends and know they will be for a long time as well as passing my driving test only taking me 6 months, so never think you can't because you can!

7. You can only ever give 100%

I was recently at an awards ceremony for my sixth form college and the guest speaker was discussing how you can only ever give 100% you can never give 110% and as long as you know you have given 100% then you know you have done your best. He also talked in relation to criticism and that it is always a good thing and you should always take it as a good thing! I thought these were very wise words and inspirational to someone like me who often sees criticism as a bad thing and like I've done badly but it's actually just guidance to how you can improve and should always take it into account.

Well there are 7 important things I learnt in 2017 that I intend to take into 2018 and continue to learn and grow as a person!

I can't wait to see what 2018 has in store for me, fingers crossed it's a good year for us all

Thank you for reading, see you soon.

Katie x