Give yourself a break.

Hello everyone! I hope you're all very well! Let's dive straight into today's post. I'll always use my blog as an outlet to share my thoughts and to write about topics which I know others are experiencing too. I love to share my thoughts on here, and I know I'm not alone in my thinking, as I often receive lovely messages from women who are experiencing similar situations as myself. So, without further ado, here's what has been on my mind lately...

I've talked before about my post-university blues and quite frankly, I'm not ashamed to admit that entering the world of work had initially been a huge culture shock. Well, one year on from graduating, I have certainly learnt a few lessons about working life. One thing I've noticed on social media is the huge amount of inspirational quotes I see telling me to 'live my best life'. Have you actually typed the term 'girl boss' into google? Sometimes I feel bombarded with these inspirational quotes, and I'm often left feeling guilty about not giving myself enough time to work on my side hustles, such as my blog or my Instagram page. As much as I love writing, creating content and shooting outfits, I would rather spend time with my family and friends. Must I always 'wake up and grind' and 'build my empire'?Millennial burn-out is real. Having a perfect work-life-balance is pretty unattainable. As much as I want to shoot new content for my Instagram page, and post more often on my blog, sometimes I just can't. be. bothered. And that is okay, I know I'm not being lazy because I also realise that I deserve a break. Prioritising our mental health is important. Sometimes these inspiring messages social media messages do the complete opposite and leave you feeling, well, pretty crappy.

I always remind myself of the quote - "Time you enjoyed wasting, was not wasted."

I honestly believe it does you the world of good to simply chill out. However you relax - do that. Curl up in bed, have a duvet day, go on a walk, binge watch your favourite series and spend time with your family and friends. Do not feel guilty for not being 'productive' on your days off - because sometimes that's all you need. Taking time away from work often leaves you feeling more creative, as you've given yourself time to relax and recharge. There's more to life than work.

My favourite place to visit when I'm feeling uninspired or stressed, is the beach. I'm lucky enough to live close to the coast. Walking along the beach with my Mam & Dad is one of my favourite things to do. The beach is always the first place I go, whatever my mood. Rain or shine, the sound of the crashing waves and fresh sea air always helps to clear my mind and allows me to forget the reason why I came down in the first place- at least for a little while! Having a long walk is such a great way to take yourself out of a situation, and once you return, you'll often feel a lot better and more creative than you did previously.

Let's talk fashion. My Fedora is from Brixton, borrowed from my brother's amazing hat collection (thank you for letting me steal it if you're reading this)! My slip dress is from All Saints. As you can tell, I'm still not over leopard print. This slip is such a simple design, yet looks so effortlessly cool. I love the V-shaped neckline, it's so flattering and really draws attention to my layered necklaces. It's a silky lightweight material which is perfect for summer. This dress is so easy to style, its classic design allows it to be accessorised in so many ways, to suit all occasions.

I'm wearing my Zara military boots (again)! I wear these boots so much, they're my ultimate favourites, I bought them two years ago in the Zara sale and they're now my go-to boots. I just love their clunky androgynous style. As this pair have become such a firm favourite of mine, I'm actually going to invest in a pair of Doc Martens this Autumn, as the soles of these boots are practically falling apart!

I also just wanted to mention how much I am loving Glossier's Boy Brow! For a thin-browed girl such as myself, this product has been an absolute god send! Boy Brow gives the brows thickness and texture - which I love! I'm wearing the shade brown and I would 100% recommend if you're a fan of a bushy brow.

Hard work pays off - but what's the point in working if you don't give yourself time to enjoy the rewards?

S x

NYC Highlights.

Hello lovelies! The holiday blues have well and truly kicked in! I thought I'd reminisce about my trip to the big apple, in the form of a blog post - to help ease my post-vaycay blues! If you follow me on Instagram, you may already know that I have just recently visited one of my favourite cities in the entire world - New York! I really do love everything about the city, from the lush green inner city spaces, to the towering mile-high city skyscrapers. It's a city overflowing with culture and creativity, New York really does have something for everyone. I spent six days in the city with my boyfriend (who had never visited before) so I was really eager for him to experience all of the iconic attractions, alongside a few quirkier places! On average, we walked around fourteen miles each day, we saw so much and visited so many sights and areas, I found it hard to compile everything into one post! I thought I would spare you every detail of my trip, and so I've curated my very best NYC highlights into one blog post...

My boyfriend and I began our holiday in Manchester. Our pre-holiday evening was fuelled with lots of food - we thought we should begin our holiday the way in which we mean to go on! Whilst down in Manchester, we paid a visit to our favourite pizzeria in town - Rudy's! The next morning we stopped off at Ezra and Gil for breakfast, before heading to Piccadilly Station to catch a train to the airport...

Once we had landed in JFK we grabbed our bags, flagged down an iconic NY yellow taxi and headed to our hotel. We stayed at The Night Hotel Theatre District. With Times Square only a short walk away, the hotel is ideally located in Midtown, making it a great central location. Although we did not spend much time around this particular area, it was a great central point to start each day at.

Chelsea Market.

First up on my NYC highlights is Chelsea Market. We headed straight down to Tribeca and Chelsea on our first day, it's by far one of my favourite areas in New York. Alongside its more well-known attraction, The High Line, Chelsea is also home to Chelsea Market. The area is filled with independent stores and has a huge variety of beautiful restaurants, bars and cafes. It's primarily known for its wide-range of eateries and unique retailers. My favourite part of the market has to be the 'Makers & Flea' area. It's filled with indie jewellery and handmade pieces!

Find out more here.

The Standard, High Line.

In my opinion, this is one of the coolest bars in NYC. If chilled-out drinks are your thing, you need to visit The Standard. Since The Standard is located on the very westside of the island, you're able to get some pretty amazing views over the Hudson River, as well as over the westside of Manhattan. If you really look closely over the river, you can even see The Statue Of Liberty!

Find out more here.

Rockefeller Centre.

This is one of the more 'tourist-ie' highlights of my trip, but I cannot recommend visiting The Rockefeller's The Top Of The Rock viewpoint enough! You're able to get such an amazing view over the city. I would certainly suggest visiting at sunset, watching the sun set over the city is simply stunning.

Find out more here.

Bryant Park.

Believe it or not, a simple park has made its way into my NYC highlights. This green oasis is a bustling square of activity. I really recommend paying a visit to the Bryant Park Cafe / Grill! It's set slightly higher up - giving you a great view over the park, perfect for people watching! The park is open to New Yorkers all year round, the park often holds events, whilst I was their I was lucky enough to see a Latin Dance Festival, they also have events such as open air movie cinemas and mass yoga sessions! We started our holiday in Bryant Park, and also ended it there too. We began our last day with a take-out breakfast, whilst we sat in the park and enjoyed the beautiful New York sunshine, it was such a simple, but lovely way to end our busy holiday.

Check it out here.

Bubby's Cafe.

Bubby's first opened in 1990, it's a rather 'Instagrammable' spot, one in which I was dying to visit. It's known for its super-sized pancakes and American homestyle food. I can't think of a better way to begin your day then with an oversized stack of blueberry pancakes, can you? They now have have two cafes in the city, the original being in Tribeca and the other near the high line!

Check it out here.

My boyfriend and I are already planning our next trip to Manhattan! We're really keen to branch out and explore more of Brooklyn, alongside other areas outside of Manhattan. If you have any recommendations of places to visit - please send them my way!

S x

Reflecting On 2019 So Far.

We're four months into 2019 and to say this year has been comfortable would be a monumental understatement. Right up until 2019, I've lived my life with a plan in my mind. I've always known what my next step was going to be. My life has been planned out ever since I left school at the age of sixteen . I knew once I left, I would go on to attend college... and then university. After graduating last summer, I planned to get myself a job - which is what I did. Fortunately for me, that job just didn't work out. As of January this year, I have been working part time, whilst blogging, creating content and working on my freelance hustle.

For a chronic over-thinker such as myself, not having structure in my life, sounded like my worst nightmare. However much to my own surprise -for the most part- I've enjoyed simply living in the moment. I'll be totally honest, after leaving a full-time job I had a mini breakdown over what I was going to do with my life. I felt as if I'd lost all direction and I just didn't know what I wanted anymore. To be honest I still don't know what I want to do, but I'm okay with that. I'm enjoying the journey of finding myself and discovering my passions.

This post is dedicated to the lessons I've learned so far in 2019...

Lesson One: Overthinking will not solve anything - but hard-work will.

I'm such a worrier and I always will be. However the most important lesson I've learned this year is to stop overthinking, and to start doing. It really does you no good to bury your head under the covers, conjure up imaginary scenarios and worry about how things which will / won't work out. Occasionally we all need a day in bed to escape our worries, but don't let this turn into a habit. Worrying does not solve problems, only working hard to change the situation will.

Lesson Two: Limit everything which does not bring you happiness.

I've always believed that the universe will not give you more than you can handle. Situations and people will test you - that's life. But I'm talking about limiting and putting a stop to things which really bring you down, simply limit your exposure to them, or cut them out completely. This year I'm being selfish. I spent six months of my life in a job I didn't enjoy, I'm not wasting any more time. I still feel pressure to find a 'proper job' but I'm beginning to realise, that in 2019, the career landscape has changed and so has the definition of a 'proper job'. I'm enjoying every minute of my journey and if I find a secure job which I enjoy - great. If I don't, that's fine too.

Lesson Three: Learning to enjoy my own company.

I've always been okay with spending time alone, but I've never enjoyed being alone - until this year. Simple things such as being alone in my flat or going out for coffee by myself, would fill me with dread as I love sharing my experiences with others. However one lesson I've learned throughout my journey in 2019, is to simply enjoy my own company.

My lifestyle certainly does not provide me with any sense of stability, but weirdly for the first time in my life, I'm enjoying just winging it.

A huge thank you to Bartek for these capturing these amazing portraits!

Check out his Instagram page and his website here.

S x