Hello Again!

Hello guys!

I’m definitely not so self obsessed to think that anyone (that’s if anyone is even reading this, haha) has wondered where I disappeared to over the past few months, but regardless this post is my step back into blogging! It feels like forever since I’ve actually sat down and written a blog post... Most probably because it has been absolutely ages; as in... At least a few of months, oops. In all honesty, it was an unintentional break in that I just found that I was loving life, travelling, reading lots and spending time not worrying about social media or living life through a camera lens. As much as I was still taking lots of photographs and updating my goodreads account, I felt like for once in my life I didn’t feel like I needed a distraction from my life.

Over the past couple of years my mental health hasn’t been excellent, however at the moment I’m so fortunate that I’m in a fantastic place mentally. That’s something that I will never take for granted as although I’m so happy there are still tough days and it’s important not to downplay that but overall I’m very grateful. 2018 was a good year for me and 2019 so far has been great too; I've already visited Hungary and Wales, as well as having many more trips planned. In 2018 I travelled to four countries; the Netherlands, Spain, Czechia and Poland, which was such an incredible experience and as a result I can state with certainty that I have caught the travel bug; I’m forever dreaming about my next trip these days! So far in 2019 I’ve travelled to Hungary, which I’m planning to write a blog post on very soon, which I’m excited to share with you all.

2019 is going to be a busy year for me overall; there have been some pleasant surprises, such as my boyfriend picking out some city breaks for us (my favourite kind of holiday) and I’ve also started at the university of my choice to start a postgraduate degree, so I’m super excited to see how my life is going. Busy does mean less leisure time, so ultimately that is the main reason that this post has taken so long to get written out and posted, which as sad as this is to admit (for once upon a time I was a very regular blogger) at the end of the day I will soon be balancing a full time job and part time university so blogging has definitely been pushed to the back of my mind. However, I’m going to continue blogging and shall try and plan my life to the point that I can start posting regularly on social media once again.

Lots of love & hoping that you’re all well, Rachel xx

Monthly Playlist: September

Hello again guys; it feels to be blogging again, today I spent some time taking photos for some upcoming blog posts and I feel like I’ll definitely try to get back into the swing of it but this month has taken a lot out of me, for some reason. Mental health isn’t an easy thing, it’s not something that’s magically fixed and I feel very lucky to say that my life is going well at the moment so there’s no particular reason for why I’ve felt like shit, but it is what it is. I like to be honest with you, so here it is; life is hard and it’s a struggle. That said, soon there’s a new month which is always a good excuse to be more positive in general. I’m sorry that I’m posting this so late in the month, but it’s better late than never in a way. My music is strange as always, with a mix of artists, genres and styles all muddled in somehow. One of things that I love about using an iPod is that I can put my phone away, press shuffle on the iPod and just fall into the music and forgetting about using social media or anything like that. It’s a great way to disconnect and chill out a little bit. It’s starting to get a bit colder now and even though it’s far away, I can’t wait for Christmas time as it’s a great excuse to bring out the cheesiest music there is. Is it just me that loves a good bit of cheese? I hope you’re all well and I’ll see you again very soon! :)

1. One Thing - One Direction

2. Black Magic - Little Mix

3. Swim - Douglas Dare

4. Battlefield - Jordin Sparks 

5. Live or Die - Noah Cyrus & Lil Xan

6. Se Vuelve Loca - CNCO

7. Best Song Ever - One Direction

8. In the Name of Love - Martin Garrix & Bebe Rexha

9. Mi Mala - Mau y Ricky & Karol G

10. What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger) - Kelly Clarkson

11. Say Amen (Saturday Night) - Panic! At the Disco

12. Ghost - Ella Henderson

13. Like I Did - Leadley

14. Chantaje - Shakira 

15. High Hopes - Panic! At the Disco

Favourite YouTubers #9

Hello again guys; I can’t believe how far into October it is already! Like it’s actually amazing how quickly this year is flying past, before I know it it’ll be new year at this rate... One thing that I do enjoy about October is watching vlogs on YouTube during that month. I love getting nice and cozy in bed and snuggling up to watch various Vlogtober series’. There are a few YouTubers that I watch every year and genuinely enjoy seeing life through their eyes for a month. I love the behind the scenes, no filter, all honesty videos and blogs at a fantastic way to get to know a person, rather than a planned 15  minute video. Aside from vlogs, I do also like watching book bloggers at the moment; I like seeing what other people are reading and what they recommend.

ExtraSunbeamsJess

Jessie is a YouTuber who I admire for her honesty; I love that YouTube comes second to her studies and so I do enjoy her vlogtober series every year as although she doesn’t seem to do much other than study, it’s realistic and I find her vlogs calming. Jess comes across as very chilled but also very dedicated to her work; I wish I had been as dedicated to my studies, oops. I also like how her vlogs include little titbits like outfits of the day, room tours and talks about what books she’s currently reading and if she likes the content and writing style. At the moment she’s got a lot of montages of her day with not massive amounts of talking or activities other than studying, but I like the realism of seeing her days so simply.

MandevilleVlogs

I’d previously been enjoying the MandevWeekly series that they had on their main channel, but actually I’m enjoying their daily vlogging channel more. I like how they’re mixed in more than other daily vlogging channels as they each vlog their day so every other day you get to see a different sister, with a different life and a different editing style. Grace is definitely the sister with the very cool home and cooking shots, whereas Amelia tends to vlog going out to clubs and pubs with friends but both of them are equally interesting. Where the sisters are currently partaking in daily vlogging, I doubt they’ll be doing vlogtober or vlogmas as they seem dedicated to keeping up the consistent uploads and I’m enjoying seeing their different personalities, lives and friendships.

RhiannonAshleeVlogs

I’ve mentioned Rhiannon so often in my monthly YouTuber favourites, but honestly I do really love her vlogs. Personally, I really enjoy seeing how other people choose to live their lives and as someone who is childless, I never thought that I would find a family vlogger interesting, but I do. I subscribed to her vlogging channel back when she was known as Fashionrocksmysocks and obviously a lot has changed since then. I’m addicted to her vlogtober videos at the moment; it’s so relaxing to watch her and she seems so down to earth and determined to be an excellent mother. Her daughter is so sweet, especially now she’s starting to develop her own little personality and talking! Here’s hoping that she partakes in vlogmas with her lovely family.

LostInGringotts

I originally found Morgan through her range of Harry Potter related videos and I instantly liked her videos. She seems so lovely and down to earth; this month I’ve been binge watching her channel and I’ve watched a lot of content that really appeals to me. She’s a book, beauty, lifestyle and fashion based YouTuber, but my favourite content is the Harry Potter content, with videos including ‘how to make a butterbeer milkshake’, ‘huge Harry Potter book collection’ and ‘Ravenclaw merchandise collection’ to name a few that are not only interesting but also original. She also vlogs occasionally, although she’s not participating in vlogtober, it does look likely that she’ll be creating content for vlogmas which I look forward to.

Book Review: Small Great Things

I'm not one for only reading 'Bestsellers' but at the moment it does seem like that's all I'm reading; Jodi Picoult is a very established author and so I decided to read this book due to the interesting summary on the back cover. The summary doesn't come anywhere close to revealing the intensity of the plot, which is a good thing as this book is an absolute page-turner. This was a novel of multiple narratives, but ultimately it was centred around a widowed nurse named Ruth. During her duties she was racially abused and then accused of murder and her employers (who she previously had regarded as friends) more or less refuse to defend her, even if she is a highly skilled and trained labour and delivery nurse with over twenty years of experience. The other two narrators are Turk, the racist/white supremacist father of the dead child and Kennedy, a public defender who is determined to do her best for Ruth.

In all honesty, this novel is not one for the faint of heart. I usually read fairly quickly, but this is a book that you have to almost force yourself to read because the content is incredibly distressing. The plot definitely focuses on the idea that everyday racism exists, whether it is obvious or not. For all of the questions that were answered, another set of questions seemed to appear; it becomes a truly compelling read extremely quickly. There are so many themes touched upon in this novel, including race, discrimination, prejudice and injustice to name only a few; Picoult has a lovely writing style, both brutally honest and full of spectacular descriptive prose. Having multiple narrators is an excellent ways to understand every perspective, even if you don't personally agree with every narrator. On the surface, Ruth is undoubtedly the victim; after years of service and an excellent understanding of her job role, as well as her own skills. All of us have to defend ourselves from time to time, but in this context it was clearly due to the colour of her skin. The main issue I had was the behaviour of her colleagues toward her; the situation that they left her in really wasn't acceptable, especially as they had previously been friends.

The narrator who seemed to really help me understand the seriousness of the accusations against Ruth was Kennedy; perhaps because Kennedy is a white female (as am I) therefore a lot of questions that I had myself were asked and answered through her narrative. For example, when she describes her irritation at how Ruth is treated by friends and colleagues alongside the general public I understood exactly how she felt, because I felt the same way. Kennedy was determined to do what she could and deliberately took a step back from representing Ruth simply because of her race; instead she represented Ruth as a human being, a woman with thoughts, feelings and ultimately a highly educated, trained and competent nurse. Perhaps unsurprisingly, my least favourite parts of the narrative were the elements of the story told from Turk's point of view; clearly designed to shock. There were many reasons for why I found his perspective both offensive and horrifying, all of which because of the certainty of his foul belief system. I'd be lying if I didn't feel some sympathy toward him; his child died and he obviously doesn't know any better, but his parts were definitely the most difficult to read.

Overall, this novel was incredibly compelling whilst being extremely difficult to absorb. I have to admit that whilst I was completely satisfied with the portrayal of the trial, the characterisation across all areas of the novel and the range of backgrounds across the characters. However I was completely dissatisfied with the epilogue. It seemed far too contrived and definitely too good to be true, but the novel as a whole was too good to be entirely let down by a few pages. What I enjoyed about this book is Picoult's ability to make you think; however much of a difficult and uncomfortable topic racial discrimination is, it was handled well and also encouraged the reader to think outside of the box. I felt the need to constantly question any situation, for example although none of the characters were solely responsible for the turn of events, ultimately they all played their parts in the (eventually life changing) end result. I would definitely recommend reading this book as its a complete eye opener in many ways; I wouldn't say that I enjoyed it, but it is definitely one to remember and learn from.

Favourite Blogs #12

Hello again guys; every month there are a few posts that I always try and find the time to post, although obviously if I don't feel my best then I take a break from blogging in general. This month I've discovered several new blogs through various social medias and so this post is a kind of celebration between blogs that I love, whether I've just discovered them or if I've been reading them for a while now. I like to read a range of blogs, including beauty, lifestyle and mental health, however my preferred blogs are always those with a dash of positivity. I'm currently loving reading blogs compared to magazines as I feel like they're written by people like me, for people like me which is refreshing. There's a feeling of authenticity that comes from blogs, which is why I enjoy reading them so much.

http://rosetintedpics.co.uk/

I found Amelia's blog fairly recently, after following her on instagram for a while, but once I saw her blog I instantly fell in love. There's something lovely in the simplicity of her photographic style. With a mix of beauty, baking and lifestyle her posts offer something for everyone, although I prefer the beauty posts generally. As a huge mascara lover myself I do love a good review and she regularly reviews mascaras by various brands in detail, which are super helpful as she even talks about packaging and longevity and the reviews do feel honest; I trust her opinions as she seems very down to earth and passionate about whatever she writes about.

http://www.asyouwishuk.com/

I actually found Georgie's blog through her twitter page and haven't looked back since. Her sense of wanderlust and thirst for adventure is pretty catching; as in her travel photography is enough to make you want to quit your job and travel the world, discovering the beauty of life. However the travels are mixed in with a range of lifestyle and beauty posts too, which is also great. There are some really useful posts, for example what products to take in a make up bag (or generally in a bag!) for various holiday destinations and I also like her '10 things that made me happy this month' posts for a dash of positivity. 

https://palegirlrambling.wordpress.com/

Another twitter find, I absolutely adore her blog and other social media; this blog is definitely one for the beauty and stationary lover and the photography is simply fabulous a they're so much going on. Overall, she's definitely more of a beauty blogger and I do love how that also includes skin and nail care in this instance as I'm fairly lazy about those kinds of things so it's great to read reviews that coax me into making more of an effort! There's also a healthy mix of high end and drugstore beauty products so whether you want to lust after beautiful things or break your bank, this is the perfect blog to read if you want to spend some hard earned money as you'll want it all.

https://nospaceformilk.com/

I've been following Rachel on various social media and reading her blog for about year (maybe more) now and I love how her posts incorporate a range of themes including mental health, wellbeing and lifestyle. As a mental health nursing student, it's amazing to see mental health from another perspective and I really admire her creative ways of tackling mental health and the stigma surrounding it. Honestly is really important to me whenever I read a blog and Rachel's blog is a true insight into her life, for example when writes about the tough times as well as the good times and that's so refreshing for someone like me, who wants to see real life.

https://www.jasmineprecious.co.uk/

The final blog that I've been loving this month I found very recently, through another blogger. Jasmine has a lovely blog, I like how she's taken so much time with it to the extent that she even built her own site to blog on. Her posts are mix of lifestyle and beauty and I love how down to earth and honest she is; her recent post on why she avoided university was great as it was a completely different perspective to my own but it also tackled an important topic that most people don't really talk about. The other posts that I like to read are favourites posts as well as budgeting posts as they're always a good way of working out if you want to spend some money. Jasmine's blog is definitely one for the hard working as she details some really important stuff and I loved her explanation about spending and bank accounts so much!

Favourite YouTubers #7

Hello again guys; I've had one of those funny weeks so all of my blog posts have been slightly random, although that's actually how I like blogging, if I'm completely honest. It feels real and it's a genuine reflection of what what I'm like in life. This month I've been watching a lot of Harry Potter related videos, in preparation for visiting the Studio Tour myself next month! Alongside that, I've been getting into vlogs, homeware and beauty videos. I like to watch YouTube when I'm in bed, before I go to sleep so that if I don't fully remember what I've watched, there's always the option to watch it again. YouTube is definitely something that I would be too shy and awkward to talk so confidently to a camera, so I admire those you do. Every month I watch different kinds of videos, rather than the same people or the same kind of video and I think that's what keeps it interesting.

Cherry Wallis

Through searching for the 'Harry Potter Tag', I found Cherry's channel and instantly fell in love with her magically inclined videos; a fabulous range of homeware and lifestyle, whether that's Primark (Harry Potter) clothing, a room tour, beauty hauls and Harry Potter videos including which (replica) horcruxes she owns, her wand collection and an overall Harry Potter collection amongst many others. I like how she collaborates with other Potterheads on occasion and also uploads regular videos such as peeks into her bag and make up tutorials. 

Tessa Netting

Another Potterhead on YouTube, I found Tessa's channel from one of the many Potterhead collaborations in the online world and was hooked fairly quickly; she's best described as both quirky and cool with a little bit of geek (which is not a bad thing at all!) I've been enjoying her hauls and unboxing videos and does post some fantastic reviews, for example the Cursed Child review was not only descriptive, but also fairly neutral; it felt honest and real, a genuine reflection of her feelings about the play. She collaborates with other YouTubers fairly regularly and definitely does her part of charity with her #Luna4Lumos live feeds, so she's one the more selfless people around in this world!

ThoseRosieDays

I have been suscribed to Rosie for a couple of years now and I love how down to earth she is; from baking and make up tutorials, to just general lifestyle and testing videos, she is always a pleasure to watch. She's very bubbly and it feels like she's literally talking to you (as a viewer) like a friend and she does seem really honest; not all of her reviews are positive, which is nice to see. Out of all of her uploads, my personal favourites are definitely her travel vlogs as she visited so many beautiful places and the vlogs literally mad me so desperate to travel the world as soon as possible!

RhiannonAshlee - RhiannonAshleeVlogs

I've been watching Rhiannon's videos for around 5 years or so; she was the first person I ever subscribed and I've loved watching her little family grow. Her vlogs are hugely relaxing and I feel like they're a true representation of her actual life; its not all glitz, glamour and parties. She doesn't edit out a bad day and I like that, its refreshing to see that she's a normal girl. Her little girl is very cute, but I have to admit I can't believe I watched her pregnancy vlogs and now there is a one year old to watch as well as beauty and fashion videos.

JustJodes - JustMoreJodes

I only recently discovered her channel, but Jodie is another YouTuber who I always feel gives anhonest opinion; her videos are quite creative as they're a mix of everything, including beauty, fashion, testing various products and many other avenues. Recently I've been enjoying her vlogs and her homeware hauls, particularly her recent room tour; basically I'm a bit nosy and like getting an intimate look into how other people live. One of the reasons I watch Jodie so often now is because she comes across as super friendly, as well as honest so I feel like I'm not gonna to end up wanting to spend thousands of pounds that I don't have, she's literally so normal and I love that.

Favourite YouTubers #6

Hello again; I guess you could call this post one of my standard monthly favourites posts, because I have to admit... I do like having my posts nicely ordered into catagories. I'm not a YouTuber, I would say I'm far too awkward to be as I prefer just sitting and writing instead (explains why I blog haha). However, I don't know what I would do without YouTube in the sense that my make up techniques have improved so much since I started watching YouTube more regularly. Below are a list of four (quite different!) channels that I've been loving throughout June for various reasons that I'll be explaining in more detail. Let me know if you enjoy these kinds of posts, as I enjoy writing them (and reading similar posts). Feel free to pop a comment below and see you again soon!

 

Jazzybum

I actually subscribed to Jasmin's channel this month, when she filmed some videos in collaboration with sophielouisebeauty and sophdoesnails whose channels I really enjoy. One of the reasons that I decided to subscribe is that I like that she doesn't take herself too seriously; many of her videos are testing or DIYs with hilarious results, for example making slime, unicorn frappuccinos and other foodie/baking tests. Jazz comes across as really down to earth, with Primark and BooHoo hauls, baking tutorials and wishlists for birthdays and Christmas. I'll admit, I've been binge watching her channel every since I discovered it; her voice is so unusual and she sounds so nice to listen to, regardless of what she's talking about. Her tag videos, such as the boyfriend tag and juicy Q&As are fairly eye opening and fun to watch - they're quite addictive!

 

RhiannonAshleeVlogs

I know I've mentioned Rhiannon fairly regularly in this catagory, but there's just something lovely about watching her family develop. It's so strange to see someone the same age as me with a child, but I feel like she's quite honest about how difficult motherhood can be, as well as how challenging it is to adapt to a new time in your life. Her last vlog was actually so useful; I actually downloaded the period tracking app that she recommended and it's been fantastic; that's what I really love about social media, it can genuinely benefit your life in lots of little ways. As a woman, this app is a lifesaver! Her blogs aren't necessarily the most eventful, but I like that; it's so interesting watching another persons day to day life. I've been watching Rhiannon for about 4 years and it's amazing seeing how much she's matured since starting her family. Delilah is also very cute to watch!

 

EmmasRectangle

I began watching Emma because of her many collaborations with sophdoesnails; I'm surprised that she doesn't have more subscribers as she's got some out of the box ideas, such as YouTube made me buy it (fashion edition), GRMW (various looks), Makeup under £5 and some amazing 'Doppelgänger' for  various celebrities, such as Alicia Silverstone. The main reason why I've been watching so many of her videos this month is that her make up tutorials are super easy to follow and most drugstore brands, which I like because I am on a budget 99% of the time. Her opinions come across as honest regardless of how much the make up products cost and she doesn't shout at the camera, it's like listening to a friend.

 

KaitlinEmma

First of all, I adore her accent! It reminds me of a relative who lives in a similar area, so I automatically liked her videos as her voice is so relaxing for me. For someone who studies at university alongside YouTube, she posts regularly; her videos often include clothing and make up hauls, skin and make up routines, GRWM (make up and fashion) and also lots of little tips for every day, such as different hairstyles and life advice. It's nice to see a YouTuber that encourages younger audiences to study and Kaitlin has a variety of study tip related videos. I actually subscribed because I really like her make up techniques and her travel diaries; she always looks flawless regardless of the weather!

 

Happy Things #25 // Life Update

 

Every Monday, I try to start the week off by listing five things (however small) that are positive and will make my mental health keep upwards, rather than downwards. For literally 24 weeks, I've done a post like this every single week and on the whole, it has really kept my mind in perspective. The issue with having mental health issues is that you're constantly in recovery, there's no magic wand that means that everything is forgotten and you'll never have to worry again; I've definitely learnt that the hard way.

For the past couple of weeks I've definitely been struggling more than I have for a while. I'm telling myself that this is ok, that I can work my way back up. I want to discover my life more, I want to keep on my happy plane and focus on myself, what I want to achieve, but ultimately it's hard to be positive all of the time. I need to motivate myself to keep getting better. I need to remember that finding five happy things every Monday keeps me sane and ready to fight the world.

- - - - -

1. This week I have a lovely weekend planned, as well as the Saturday and the Sunday off from work. I'm going to spend time with Piotr and enjoy the long summer days, maybe sit in a pub garden, eat good food and enjoy simply watching time pass with my favourite person.

2. Blogging has become a part of my life in so many ways now, I have so many post ideas and things that I want to achieve. So far, June has been my most successful month in terms of blogging; views, engaging with other bloggers and my content.

3. Piotr bought me these roses the other day and I love watching them bloom. He buys me flowers often, but each time I always feel so happy whenever I see them in their vase around the house. There's something beautiful about receiving flowers as a gift and I'm lucky to have a boyfriend who knows how much I love them and spoils me with various bouquets.

4. This time last year was probably my lowest in terms of mental health and I can't quite believe how far I've come; I'm so excited to see how well I'll be this time next year. By taking on the world a week at a time, I've found a way of keeping in control of my health and finding myself again. I need to remind myself of how strong I can be.

5. June is actually one of my favourite months of the year now, thanks to Piotr changing my outlook on life; I hadn't realised how quickly this month and actually this year is disappearing right under my nose. I'm learning to embrace change, to embrace time passing and most of all, embrace life.

 

 

Happy Things #24

 

1. I had a fantastic weekend with my best friend on the Saturday evening and I spent the day with my boyfriend on Sunday, which was a nice surprise. After a good weekend, I'm all ready for the long day that is Monday (Monday shifts aren't my favourite haha). Although I'm not a huge fan of hot weather, I'm loving the longer evenings; it's nice to go on a walk at 10pm without needing street lamps.

2. So I decided to take a massive risk and dye my hair pink. I've always wanted to have a cool hair colour over the past couple of years but I was never really brave enough. But over the past year, I've really grown in confidence so I decided to do it! I actually like it, so I'll be doing it again I think. Eek.

3. If I'm being 100% honest with myself, I'm not feeling amazingly positive at the moment. I try my absolute best to be, but sometimes it can be hard. Blogging is a huge part of my life now, it definitely helps to keep my mind positive, especially through sitting and working out what is positive at the start of each week. I would recommend to anyone, just sit and take some time out to remind yourself of what is good about your life. 

4. So far, I've been quite good at changing my diet for the better. I've been making small steps by eating more salads, yoghurt and crisp breads. I'm trying to not force myself to eat less, or feel like I crave food. I'm slowly learning that everything needs to be done in moderation, including diet. Fingers crossed, I'll keep it up throughout this week.

5. This week, I'm planning to read a lot and hopefully spent a lot of time on my blog. I want to take some blog photographs and start really planning out my content a little more, by scheduling posts and having a set schedule throughout the week, rather than simply posting whenever I feel like it.

 

Happy Things #22

 

1. The first day of this week is a bank holiday Monday, so naturally I'm super happy about that as it means a day off for me; I'm still getting my head around getting them off now as I never have done before. I've got no plans, but sometimes it's nice to just chill out and recharge your batteries.

2. To start off a good week I've had a cheeky plate of pancakes for brunch, which has completely broken my attempt at a diet but that's ok. Pancakes always make me feel happy and a bank holiday is the best excuse to have a bit of a day off the diet (which isn't going that well anyway).

3. I've got a long week at work this week, but I'm planning to get through it by reading and blogging to empty my mind of any stress that will inevitably come out of me towards the end of the week. 

4. Although I'm not the biggest fan of the hot weather as the heat makes me feel a bit overwhelmed, but I do like the sunnier, longer days that come with summer. During the week I'm going to try and go on several walks down by the river as it really calms me down and empties my mind of any stress. It's so important to take some time out and have some me time every so often.

5. My mental health is definitely doing fairly well at the moment, actually much better than it's been for several years. I think I've finally found some ways to try and combat the bad thoughts with little rituals that really work for me. Taking life a step at a time has really helped and I'm looking forward to enjoying the rest of the year now.

 

Favourite Instagrammers #11

Hello again! If you're a regular reader of this blog, then you'll know just how much of an instagram fan I am. In all honestly, the app has begun to irritate me a little recently, the follow/unfollow game is giving me a headache. However, I do really like how it's a super visual platform; I've recently started liking Pinterest for the same reasons, but I find instagram easier to use overall. Instagram is one of the apps on my phone that i use more or less every single day as I do love seeing others posts, as well as posting myself. I'm not bothered about if an instagram feed has a theme or not; personally I don't stick to a theme as I use it as a way of documenting my life and promote my blog. I'm really interested in following more bloggers, let me know your usernames in the comments and I'll give you a follow! :)

 

katy_who

I've been in love with Katy's instagram feed for a few months now; there's something addictively beautiful about her ethereal, floral forest photograph collection. Her wild mane of hair really fits the forest, wild theme; her photographs are very influenced by nature and the seasons, for example at the moment she's capturing the blooms of spring. Alongside the nature photographs there are books, architecture, outfits for days and stationary. Her creative flair is obvious throughout the whole feed and although there is an obvious theme it's beautifully done. Her feed is perfect or those who love travel and nature as each photograph fits into that mold. Even with a theme, each image feels personal and there's always a lovely caption that makes you feel as though you're getting to know the person behind the feed.

 

sirenandrose

I've been following Megan on instagram ever since I stumbled across her then blog, thebriarrose a couple of years back. Her feed is mostly food, pastels, Disney and cosplay characters. I really like how each photograph has a story to it, she always writes a detailed caption of how the image makes her feel; it's like you really get to know Megan, her likes and dislikes. Overall she's a girly girl, but I don't feel overwhelmed with pastels and pink. Her photographs of the Cornish coast, of the city of Bath in the full bloom of spring are simply gorgeous. On a side note, she has the loveliest crockery too; all flowers and delicate prints.

 

parlezvousparisien

I found Abby's blog and instagram page very recently, through a twitter blogger chat and instantly fell in love! It's really interesting to see Paris from another Londoners point of view, even though I'm not a fan of Paris. That said, Abby captures Paris in a way that I've never seen; all beautiful architecture, secret cobbled streets and of course, some of the world famous monuments such as the Eiffel Tower and The Cathedrale de Notre Dame. I like the snippets of French culture in the form of food, drink and general lifestyle. I do like to travel, so I enjoy seeing the world through other people's eyes; even the grittier side of the Parisian streets are photographed and shared, it's nice to see all sides of the city, not just the tourist areas.

 

perksofbeingsharna

Sharna's feed is definitely that of a beauty blogger; with her Pinterest worthy interiors, millions of make up products and on trend accessories spread across many of the images. Quirky desk accessories, such as patterned cats, candles and plants are frequently featured in her photographs. I like how she comes across as supe positive, writing captions that describe how much she loves a specific mascara, or hand cream for example. A lot of her photos are pretty in pink, it I feel like they're not doused in pink; although she's a girly girl, you don't feel overwhelmed by the girlyness. She's honest about what make up uses and rates how good it is, which is always useful when you want to buy some make up; reviews from others always persuades me a little bit more!

 

chloerebeccablog

Although Chloe doesn't have millions of followers, she come across as super relatable, especially because she doesn't have a theme. Focussing on lifestyle, fashion and beauty, there are many images of her travels in various cities, in the UK, Hungary and Italy to name a few. She seems super positive and often engages with her followers in the comments. Definitely a summer lover, with lots of photographs of beers in the sun and general enjoyment of the longer days and better weather that we're having in the UK at the moment. I haven't followed her for that long, but I instantly liked her feed as she's keep it real; there's more to enjoy than an instagram theme.

 

Book Review: The Girl On The Train

 

Initially I wanted to read this book out of curiosity; there was a ridiculous amount of hype surrounding it and it seemed to be top of the book charts for months. For a new author, Paula Hawkins reached the writers dream pretty quickly; sadly I found the writing style to be incredibly irritating. The use of three narrators worked well, I actually do like seeing a situation from different perspectives but I wasn't keen on the fact that every narrator was female and completely unreliable. As a reader we're introduced to Rachel, an alcoholic; Megan, a cheat and Anna, a liar. As a woman myself, I found myself hating that each of these women were solely dependant on the male characters, who were portrayed as strong and capable. The male and female dynamics really focussed on the males being the dominant and the females being submissive. Only one female seemed to have her head screwed on, which was Rachel's landlady and friend, Cathy; but even she was reliant on her boyfriend so there was no real strong female lead, which disappointed me from a female author. I feel like I was expecting more from the book, given all of the hype surrounding it. 

All of the characters were majorly unlikeable; probably the most bearable was Rachel as although her reasoning was a little off, she did at least try to do the right things, even if she went about it in the wrong way. However, I feel like her narrative was fairly unbelieveable; yes, I understand that using an unreliable narrator is a fantastic literary technique (when used correctly) but with Rachel it was a bit strange that at the start of the novel she apparently couldn't remember anything when she had been drinking to suddenly towards the end of the novel she could remember everything. Actually, Rachel's drinking is the key to most of the novel; whenever she drinks she's a different person. She's definitely braver when drunk, but ultimately her mental health isn't the best due to her alcoholism. For much of the novel I was frustrated due to her lack of realisation for what drinking cost her; a husband, a job. Alcohol makes her a liar too, pretending to her landlady that she goes to work everyday by getting the same two trains in and out of London that she did when she had a job and a routine.

From the train window she watches her ex-husband with his new wife and family, as well as a couple whose lives she imagines inside her head in their houses. On the surface, Rachel has massive mental health issues, spurred on from her drinking. When you realise that the house she watches was once he own home, you can understand why she feels so pained but strangely obsessed with peering in. She's clearly still grieving for her old life. There are several twists and turns in this novel, but overall it's very slow to gather any momentum. I was actually relieved when the novel started to fully shape, although it was fairly predictable throughout. It was fairly interesting to view the novel from Megan's perspective due to her involvement within the murder; a serial adulteress with no inhibitions about lying and cheating to her own husband so she's equally as unreliable as Rachel is to the reader. Even worse, Megan lives a few doors down from Anna, the third narrator. Married to Rachel's ex-husband, she is also a liar and a cheat as she made her way from mistress to wife and mother. Most of the novel focusses on the feud between Rachel and Anna over their shared love of Tom.

The three person narrative was carried out smoothly and worked well, but the three characters were so similar at times that they almost morphed into the same person, making it difficult to distinguish between them. At times the phrases and descriptions of the same event were almost identical; I found the characters irritating, making the book difficult to read. I feel like Hawkins used the idea of the broken woman to keep interest open in the novel; I enjoyed it more towards the end of the book, once it had picked up the pace a little and I was actually surprised in the end. I thought it was predictable but I was very wrong in terms of who actually committed the murder; early on, I assumed I knew the whole story straightaway and I was pleasantly surprised to have been wrong. If you plan to read this book, try and read it with an open mind, rather than following a 'whodunnit' set of theories. My main issue with the book is how women and men are represented, they're shallow and lacking any real substance. Likewise, alcoholism is a genuine issue mentioned regularly throughout the book, but it's also skimmed over in a sense; Rachel just suddenly ceases drinking, which in reality, seems completely unbelievable for someone so reliant on it. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it. It didn't live up to the hype or my expectations, which was a shame.

 

Favourite YouTubers #5

Hello again; I love watching YouTube videos before I go to sleep when I'm tucked up in bed. I really admire the confidence it must take to literally put yourself out there, as YouTube seems to really attract hate of all kinds. I picked the YouTubers below based on how much I've been watching them recently, I'm not fussed by subscriber amounts as that doesn't necessarily result in good content. I would never be a YouTubers myself, but I love the tips and tricks that I've picked up since watching YouTube more. For me, I love the make up tutorials available as they help me learn how to apply make up but also is a good way to find new bits and pieces that I like, especially if a YouTube has ghostly skin like I do. I would love to follow some lesser known YouTubers, so feel free to recommend some in the comments!

 

Just Jodes

I started watching Jodie fairly recently and I warmed to her really quickly; she comes across as super down to earth and genuine. One of the reasons why I subscribed to her was that she regularly thanks her followers and always seems so inclusive in her videos, almost like a friend. Her make up tutorials are fairly easy to follow and she uses a range of make up that suits different budgets which is also nice because as a viewer you can choose which brands you can afford and then watch those specific videos. Her videos are super chatty and chilled out, plus her collaborations with other YouTubers are always interesting to watch as she often introduces you to smaller YouTubers, encouraging them to be more active in the online community. I like her favourites videos as they often feature products from all budgets and they don't feel like a brag.

 

Ebony Day

I found her channel not long ago, but I liked the mix of music and lifestyle videos available. Her voice is simply stunning, but I like her music videos because they're mostly acoustics, filmed in her house; I feel like that shows her raw talent, especially as she plays the instruments herself. I've found her voice to be both powerful and soft, it's almost ethereal in its tone. Aside from the music videos, I like her collaborations with other YouTubers and the glimpses into her and her fiancés life; you witness them getting engaged, baking together and just generally spending time together. Ebony also talks about some serious topics, like her health problem and how she deals with it on an everyday basis. Also, she has a really unusual but amazing accent! I really like how she speaks, weird as that sounds, haha.

 

Meg Says

I've been watching Meg for quite a while and follow her on a couple of other platforms too. I like how she often mentions how she gets inspiration from other YouTubers; it makes her seem more relatable, as well as honest. Her favourites videos are always interesting to watch as she has lovely taste and suits a range of budgets in her choices. As she's very pale skinned like me, I really like her testing different make up videos as I can usually guarantee that if something suits her, it will likely suit me too (which is useful as it meant I don't waste too much money). Her make up tutorials are super easy to follow and the make up products used are generally pretty affordable for anyone.

 

Eve Bennett

She's quite a new subscribe for me, and I have to admit that not all of her videos appeal to me, probably because she's doing her A-Levels and so the study guide aren't really relevant for me (although I wish something similar had existed for me when I was younger). One of the reasons I do like her is that she's acad,epically ambitious, which is nice to see in someone as young as her. She posts a lot of haul and make up videos using a range of price points; both high end and drugstore or high street. Eve seems fairly grounded, as she often shows her family in her videos and is quite vocal about how some YouTubers behave at events or in private. Her make up tutorials are quite easy to follow and her recommended app video was great as I'm always looking for more useful apps.

 

Jade Billington

I subscribed to Jade after watching her in some collaboration videos with some of the other YouTubers that I subscribe to. She doesn't have millions of subs, but her videos are great quality; there are some high street hauls from places like Primark, Topshop and Boots as well as some classics like 'what's in my bag?'; I like how she's honest about her anxiety, talking about how finding a wedding dress was a nightmare experience. It's good to see comparisons of high end make up to drugstore and whether or not they are worth the money. Jade comes across as really sweet and uploads fairly regularly too, which is fab.

 

May Moodboard

Hello again! I'm actually excited that it's May (already?!) as for me, the month of may means the start of nicer weather and the obvious fact that summer is just around the corner. I like the days being longer and seeing the sun more reguarly than in April; last month I started a new blog series of moodboards, inspired by the blogger Rebecca from aclotheshorse - I would fully recommend taking a peek at her blog as it is flawless! This month I'm loving images of cameras, girly fashion, pretty shoes, gorgeous hair and lovely landscape views. Quick little disclaimer; I'm not in any way suggesting that any of these images are mine. They were all found from a google image search using keywords, for example 'lbloggers', 'fbloggers', 'flowing hair' (I'm sure you've go the idea!) and represent the kind of images that with time, I would like to create for my own blog. I love the idea of creating these monthly moodboards as it makes me feel as though I have a focus; if I know what I like to see, why not emulate this style of photography? My blog is definitely random, it covers a lot of topics and so by laying out the kind of things I like it's encouraging me to improve my photographic and blogging styles. Are any of you finding inspiration from other bloggers and the world around us? Let me know in the comments!