January snow

One of the things I don't understand and will never understand is people who don't like snow. Okay sure, if you were older person whose mobility was was dependent on dry pavements or even if you just don't like being in a blizzard and getting soaked. I can understand that. But as far as just disliking snow because it is 'messy', what? It is like a gorgeous, big, shimmering blanket covering everything ugly and grey about a place. I love it. I sometimes could easily just sit and stare at it falling for hours on end. Snow could gets it's timing a little more accurate though. How much more obvious can we make it that we all want a white Christmas? But no. You wait all December long and then as soon as January comes, BAM. We have a blizzard. So when this annual annoyance came about this year, me and Shona made the most of it. Also welcome to my new favourite coat. It was a gift from mother santa this year and I think it ties up any wintery outfit nicely. A gorgeous winter coat(s) is a staple for any wardrobe.

 Coat- Warehouse    Jumper- t.k Maxx   Jeans- River Island

 xo

Val-d'Isère

Last week I was lucky enough to get to spend in the beautiful mountain village of Val-d'Isere. It is a Ski resort by Winter and hiking destination and general 'breath-taking scenery' spot by Summer. For those of you who do ski (or snowboard) I would highly recommend it. The people are friendly, the food is great and the skiing is amazing. The town, however, is a trip in itself. These pictures by no means do it justice. It almost looks like a drawing- all the snow peaked log cabins, snow sculptures, cosy looking Inns serving 'chocolat chaud'. It almost made me giddy how festive it looks, and this was in the middle of January. I found myself walking around this pretty town marveling at the people in it. There is the skiied-all-my-life-will-die-skiing types with their weathered faces and perma-tans, and there is the skii bunny women who only go to the alpes to show off the furs and moonboots they can afford. It is hilarious really. Not in a mean way. I left the Alpes hoping to one day come out here and work for/with these people. Val-d'Isere has that influence on you. 

Photo from here

Photo from here

          Enough said.


xo

25 Facts About Me

I realise that while this is my blog and I'm the one who produces it, it doesn't really say too much about me. Obviously if you look at every post individually and take notes or something (please don't) you would be able to figure out a few things about me. But it is often the silly and quirky things about a person that makes them who they are and are most fun to read about. These random things often go completely unknown. I have seen this done a lot lately on blogs, youtube etc and really enjoy reading and learning more about some of my favourite bloggers. So (you didn't see this one coming) I thought I would write a '25 Facts About Me' Post of my own. Enjoy!

P.S I would love to read any other of these posts if you have a blog and have done one. So link it in the comments box below and I will be sure to check it out.


1.  I love cats. I know this seems pretty mainstream at the moment, but since before I can remember I have had them and adored them.

2. When I was much younger I was a 'vegetarian plus ham'. Whenever a waiter came over they would have to verify that the dish met my strict dietary needs.

3. I used to seriously want to be a professional Ballet dancer up until a couple of years ago. I would dance around the house in pointe shoes claiming that I was 'in training'.

4. I have a very unknown and slightly embarrassing obsession with the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit at the moment and I have no idea where it came from.

5. I am a complete fail when it comes to texting and social media. My friends know that if they need to get a hold of me, text someone I'm with.

6. My nickname at school was 'Hermione' for a while. It really annoyed me until I realized this is Emma Watson we are talking about.

7. However I have no other nicknames. My name is rather hard to shorten.

8. I have played violin since I was about 6, but still am of a beginner level.

9. I would kill for any accent other than my own.

10. Popcorn is a really bad weakness of mine. If it is in front of me, I cannot stop eating it until it is gone or taken away from me.

11. I really enjoy skiing and hope to one day be a chalet girl for a while (this has nothing to do with Ed Westwick I swear...)

12. I am 5'8" and have been for a while. I stopped growing pretty early.

13. I am really bad with violence in films. I have to turn away otherwise I feel horrible.

14. Once I met James Franco at a music camp in America. It was one of the most
random things ever.

15. I think I prefer savory food to sweet food. But then again chocolate...

16. Cold weather is my favourite, I really can't handle extreme heat.

17. I know I have mentioned this multiple times before but I AM GOING TO SEE TAYLOR SWIFT IN 2 WEEKS AND I AM SO EXCITED.

18. Which leads me on to say that I am a massive fan of Miss Swift. As are my friends. We are kind of like an embarrassing group of fan girls whenever her name gets popped into conversation.

19. I probably drink about 4 cups of tea a day on average. I am a bit of a granny in that sense.

20. Spelling is not my strong point. Spell check is my bff.

21. I love murder mysteries. Both reading them and watching them, with tea and a cat on my lap of course.

22. This is fact number 22. So this fact must be dedicated to Taylor. I know all the lyrics to all her songs. Except from Sad Beautiful Tragic. That song is too sad.

23. Actually I know the lyrics to a lot of songs. I pick them up pretty fast.

24. I hope to be able to speak pretty fluent french one day but aaah that involves learning it...

25. I found it pretty hard to write this post. Turns out coming up with interesting things about myself is harder than I thought!



xo

Just a quick note to say...

Opps! I have had a timing/ schedule fail. Last week I was away on a skiing holiday and didn't anticipate how late I would get back on Sunday and didn't manage to post. My work load at school has also drastically increased :( so I will only be able to post (or create posts) on weekends. It is unlike me to go for over a week without posting, so I thought I ought to fill you in. As the weeks go on, I will no doubt get myself into more of a routine, where blogging will fit nicely in. I promise to upload one this weekend for sure. Sorry again for the lack of posting and my general fail at being a blogger for the past two weeks. Alternatively, this picture of a cat made my life. So I felt like putting on here was necessary.

xo

Looking after curly hair

'You're so lucky', 'I love your hair' 'omg is that it natural?'. Really? It just feels like a sheep on my head to me. It's a pain to look after, constantly gets tangled and the second it comes into contact with humidity... BOOM! You have an afro. But we're stuck with it, and may as well make the most of it. So to all you curly haired ladies (and men?) out there, you are most certainly not alone. I have scoured boots the country for products that not only tame, but make the most of natural curls. I have also picked up a few handy tips to, and plan on revealing my secrets to you.

                                                     Leave-in Conditioner

It goes without saying that a wash-out conditioner is an essential for those with curly, or even just dry hair. But leave-in conditioners are often over looked. I find that nothing keeps my hair soft and keeps my curls relaxed like they do. Specifically 'it's a 10'. This product took the beauty world by a storm last year and when I was in the states this year I had to pick it up. Never have I looked back. I think they now stock these in some chemists here, but if not then they are surely available online.

Curl Cream

Whenever I go to the hairdressers, they always straighten my hair. Nice as it is, it would also be nice to see how a professional dealt with my curly mop. On the odd occasion that one did, he put me on to this product. Moroccanoil Intense Curl Cream is an intense moisturiser for you curls. It hydrates them within an inch of there life leaving your curls bouncy and shiny. This product means I can wear my hair natural a lot of the time. Thumbs up.

Hair Oil

This is a good must have for all hair types. Hair oil, keeps hair looking shiny and prevents dreaded fluffiness. I like it in curly hair as it adds shine to the curls making them stand out. I also find that my hair is quite dry, so oil keeps it looking healthy too. Definitely avoid this if you are prone to greasy hair though, it will only accentuate natural oils.

Tips

1. Don't brush! Use your fingers to comb through your hair instead. Brushing + curls = FRIZZ.

2. Use an old t-shirt to dry your hair rather than a towel. Using a towel will damage hair ends.

3. Stop straightening. Be proud of your natural curls. Straighteners only make your hair naturally more curly and frizzy anyway.

xo