A month in Instagram - August

 

I'm not usually a massive fan of summer due my lack of ability to handle the heat (my pale skin literally feels like it's burning up even though I never tan or burn...) as I don't sweat much I just seem to feel excessively hot instead. But I've actually enjoyed this summer more than I expected to. I've spent a lot of time with friends and really concentrated on enjoying myself more than I usually would. The first half of the month I got some postcards from Poland from my boyfriend, took my dog for many walks along the river and took my mama to Birdland for her birthday. I also indulged in a Starbucks and some ice-cream to cool down in the hot weather.

During the second half of the month I spent time with my boyfriend for his birthday and went on even more walks with the dog. (Might as well enjoy the nice sunset views whilst the weather is decent at that time). I attended a jewellery workshop and found more pleasant places to walk along; I've realised that where I live is a very instagrammable place... As well as that my insta-addiction is unlikely to wane any time soon, I think it's a great way to explore someone's life visually, as for me it's like a diary of where I've been or who I'm with at one time. I'm looking forward to September as Autumn is my favourite season and spending more time enjoying life with friends.

 

Monthly Reflections

 

As the months begin to change from summer into autumn, I start to think that almost another year is gone and I still don't feel like anything much has been achieved. Looking back, this year on paper doesn't look like I've achieved much at all in comparison to last year. This time last year, I got promoted at work and graduated (albeit not with a grade that I was happy with) from university. This year I've achieved... Well, I'm in the same job and literally so poor that it hurts to look at my bank account, but then money isn't the most important thing in life.

I'm actually far more happy now than I thought I ever would be. I really disliked university with a passion, although I don't regret going, I wish I'd changed courses or universities, but what's done is done and I survived, which is actually an important point and one that I need to remember. I'm in a relationship with the most supportive person, who listens and never judges and I'm so grateful for that, because when you have mental health issues it's really important to be able to talk to someone about everything and let out any negative thoughts as well as any positive thoughts.

As I get older, I'm definitely more aware of the importance of having a good group of friends and also the importance of maintaining friendships. I always used to think that the more friends you had made you happier, but now I would rather settle for less friends that mean more to me. It's bizarre how much you learn as you grow. One of the most important things that I've learnt this year is that the journey to happiness is never easy; sometimes you have to feel like utter shit to realise what makes you happy. Keeping up relationships with friends and family is definitely key to having a more positive outlook towards life, and as the month draws nearer to a close I'm beginning to find happiness is more within my reach this month than it was last month. Small steps make a massive difference and I need to keep reminding myself that everyone in this world fights their own personal demons everyday; I am not alone.

Finding Tranquility

 

One the things that I truly love to do is go for a walk along the riverside. Part of me wishes that I lived by the sea, as there is something so calming about hearing the waves crashing along the seafront and feeling sand pressed underneath your feet. However, back to reality; I live within 5 minutes of a river, so it's the closest to the sea I will get whilst living in London!

I enjoy walking my puppy along the river, hearing the water crash and fall against the barriers and watch her tony self love life, running along and investigating anything she sees. I also like to walk alone sometimes as well, stumbling alone and reassessing my life. I always worry that I forget to think about myself, or take the time to simply evaluate what's going on in my life. I guess we all have a tendency to forgot about ourselves and concentrate on other people. I've realised that I'm constantly tired and so I need to make an effort to take some time out for myself, and spend more time with friends. Walking along the river puts me in an incredibly positive mood and makes me have more energy.

The definition of tranquility is the quality or state of being calm, and is synonymous with other word such as peaceful, restful and serenity. Walking around and seeing a mix of natural and man made sights is relaxing and definitely brings me to the tranquil state I crave. Sometimes I find that putting in headphones and listening to gentle music helps me to relax more and feel more at peace with myself, especially if I have a lot of decisions to make as decisions are never easy. Sorry for a slightly random post; I suppose what I was trying to say was always ensure you give some love to yourself in order to find some happiness as the journey to happiness is almost always a complicated one. Until next time :)

Favourite Instagrammers - August

Hello again! As I said last month, I'm definitely addicted to Instagram; I love the simplicity of it, how you can express yourself visually and just explore it. It's a really easy way to connect with people that you don't know and also find topics that you're interested in. I'm always scrolling through Instagram without even thinking about it, but there are always some people who I look at more than others and these ladies have lovely feeds. Please note that all of these images belong to them and were found using a simple Google search. 

 

lottiepearce

I actually found Lottie's Instagram after she liked one of my photos; I literally looked at her feed out of curiosity and followed her. As she's a similar skin tone to me I love her make-up posts as I know that the majority of the products will suit my skin tone. She also posts a lot of outfits and her photos are simply stunning, they're so detailed and rich in colour and focus.

 

megsays

After seeing a YouTube video by Meg, I noticed she had an Instagram account as well and followed her almost immediately. Her photos are always beautifully taken and look amazing, but also she often posts photos of her enjoying herself with friends alongside her more standard blogger beauty photos.

 

superlativelylj

Laura is an incredibly inspiring woman and has a definite power about her posts, often encouraging other women to love themselves regardless of their size, age or intelligence level. I also really want to read the book she's written as she seems to have a level headed approach to every aspect of life.

 

fireflyfiphie

Sophie's Instagram is definitely more related to my love of the arts, as she's an illustrator and poet. Her feed is full of her journals and how she fills them with thoughts, words and visual feelings. I like how she mixed words and poetry with visual imagery across the page, as well as how her style is so clear; always in pen and mostly black lines. 

 

rosietheginger

After seeing one of her photos on the 'explore' page of Instagram, I scrolled through her feed and instantly liked it. Often posting beautifully arranged photos of food, her cat and herself, she also makes the most ordinary things seem extraordinary, such as having a milkshake. It's her enthusiasm for life that makes her enjoyable to follow.

August Playlist!

 

1. I Don't Care - Fall Out Boy

2. Payphone - Maroon 5 (feat. Wiz Khalifa)

3. Locked Away - R. City (feat. Adam Levine)

4. Build God, Then We'll Talk - Panic! At The Disco

5. So What! - P!nk

6. Helena - My Chemical Romance

7. Almost Easy - Avenged Sevenfold

8. Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) - Beyoncé 

9. L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. - Noah And The Whale

10. Still Into You - Paramore

My music taste is as bizarre as it ever was, as you can no doubt see from the eclectic mix of 14 year old emo child nostalgia (thank you, MCR!) to sixth form queen bey loving indie kid... This month was all about reminiscing and listening to songs that hadn't listened to in a really long time, alongside revisiting bands that I thought wouldn't be to my taste anymore, but I've realised that I still love, such as Avenged Sevenfold. What music are you into this month? Let me know :)

Favourite blogs! - August

Hi everyone, after enjoying writing a similar post to this back in June, I decided I would do an updated version. All of these (soon to be listed below) blogs are blogs that I've recently discovered but have literally been binge reading many of their posts to catch up, haha. Please note that all of the images have been taken from a simple google image search of their usernames so I'm not saying that they're my own, they're all owned by the blog owners listed below.

 

katiesnooks.com

I actually started watching Katie on YouTube a while ago, but I haven't been reading her blog for very long. I like the way her blog is primarily beauty based, but also personal at the same time, for example she uploads product reviews alongside life updates, where she details where she is in her life and how she feels about everything in it. As she's a similar skin and hair tone to me, I like reading her products reviews as many of the products would work well on my complexion as well.

 

sianvictoria.com

 Another new find, her blog is both personal and professional; she posts a lot about travelling, where she's been and where next she'd like to discover. Her travel posts are very organised and detailed, there are often two or three posts for each place she visits, almost with their own categories. Aside from her regular travel posts, she also posts about food and music that she loves and some more serious topics such as mental health.

 

elesaurus.com

I've actually read Ellie's blog for some time, since before she revamped it and made it look all pretty! Definitely more of an all round blogger, as she frequently posts about a mixture of topics including fashion, beauty and lifestyle. I enjoy her beauty posts the most, as she's very detailed and always shows the make-up she's bought on her face rather than simply her hand, which I find helpful.

 

http://blog.wonderful--you.com

Megan has a very well established blog and YouTube channel, and I originally began reading her blog after watching several of her YouTube videos. She writes mostly to do with fashion and beauty, as well as her travels and journeys with a bit of lifestyle mixed in. My preferred posts are her lifestyle chats, where she comes across as really down to earth and you feel like you're getting to know her.

 

heldtogetherbypins 

I've been reading Paige's blog for absolutely ages, after following her on Instagram. From her posts you can definitely see her passion for fashion, and recently her blog has been completely revamped and looks so so good. She also posts craft and DIYs, for example how to make copper accessories for a bedroom and jewellery like Pom Pom earrings. I like her posts are varied but always great quality.

That's all the blog recommendations for this month, I'm thinking about making this a monthly feature... What do you think? See you soon, Rachel x