Style diary | Germany

Outfit 1 

Shirt/top - Primark

Jeans - Topshop

Shoes - Topshop

Necklace - New Look

Scarf - Primark 

Outfit 2

Top - New Look

Cardigan - Topshop

Poncho - H&M

Jeans - Topshop

Shoes - Adidas

Outfit 3

Top - Topshop

Cardigan - Topshop

Skirt - Topshop

Tights - H&M

Boots - Topshop

Coat - Purchased in Germany 

I only had three full days in Germany; these are the outfits that I put together. As you may have noticed, I'm not a massive fan of too much colour so I tried to incorporate a burst of colour into each outfit: the scarf from outfit one, the poncho from outfit two and the skirt from outfit three. I really enjoy styling outfits and had fun putting together this post for you. If you have any more fashion related posts in mind, which you would like me to do, please feel free to comment or contact me on Twitter. 

What was your favourite outfit of the three?

xox

CTGT: My Germany trip + haul

Last Tuesday, I was lucky enough to fly to Dortmund with my parents and grandparents for a special holiday. Over 40 years ago, my grandparents lived in Gütersloh, a town about an hour away from Dortmund, so the short break was mainly them showing me where they used to live and where my mum and uncle grew up! This was such a lovely experience - it was one of my favourite ever holidays!  

Day 1

On Wednesday, we took a drive around Gütersloh and my Grandparents showed me where they used to live/work. The first photo was taken in the football stadium car park; we were allowed to quickly walk around the stadium and stand on the pitch. My Grandpa used to play for the SVA Gütersloh team so it was definitely a flash from the past for him. It was lovely to hear his football stories. After that, we found a park which was really pretty! There was a café in the botanical gardens. This is where the cake (pictured above) was bought from, and ordering it gave me an opportunity to practice my german. Although I don't have any photos to show, we then walked around the town and we popped into some shops. The day ended with a meal in an Italian restaurant - number 1 on Trip Advisor according to my dad - and it was great!

Day 2 

This was our busiest/longest day. To start the morning off, we travelled to the British Forces hospital in Rinteln where my mum was born. I don't have any photos of this but the memory will stay firm in my mind. It was somewhat emotional to see and I heard many more stories about it from my Grandparents. My Grandpa started talking to a nurse in the hospital and he really enjoyed learning about how it has changed and the plans for its future. I was certainly impressed with Grandpa's German skills! After visiting the hospital, we drove to Hamelin. I had, obviously, heard about the place through the 'Pied Piper of Hamelin' story but had never realised how beautiful the town was - above are a few photos that I took. Throughout our time there, my Grandma and Dad were joking with each other and it was very entertaining to watch - what a pair! Next, my Grandparents drove back to the hotel whereas we journeyed to a nearby town and did some more shopping! 

Day 3 

On our last full day, the weather was very kind to us - there were clear skies all day! We all got into the car again and travelled to the Möhne Dam (where the Dambusters bombed). The journey was relatively long so I was definitely glad to get out of the car! I took lots of photos and learned about the history of the Möhne Dam from my family. Then, we were on the homeward bound back to Gütersloh where we visited the house that my grandparents used to lived in. This was so special and they both had a photo in front of it! To end our Germany experience, we all went out to dinner that evening to a Greek restaurant nearby. The food was amazing (sorry I didn't take any photos) and I had a lovely conversation with my Mum and Grandma. I think, on trips like this, the conversations you have and the stories you hear are the most important bits - well, they certainly are to me! I thoroughly enjoyed visiting Germany and I would go back in a heart beat. 

Haul 

On the way to Dortmund, I looked in Duty free and this is always a bad idea because I was tempted by everything! There was a MAC in the airport so I bought an eyeshadow in Coppering that I had been lusting over for ages - I'm sure there will many posts to come on it! Also, my parents kindly bought me 'Girl meets Pearl' by Benefit which is stunning! 

In Gütersloh, there was a H&M so I popped in, actually looking for a black coat but I couldn't find one that I wanted. I ended up coming out with a gorgeous poncho which is my first poncho since being little; I'm excited to put some outfits together with it as the key piece. 

My parents were so generous and bought me a black coat from a shop in Bielefield. This will definitely last me many years and it is my first ever woollen coat. I absolutely adore it; it's so warm to wear! 

Lastly, I bought a necklace from H&M, on a different day to the poncho, and is very dainty and pretty. I have been looking for an everyday necklace and I can see myself wearing this a lot! 

I loved my time in Germany - it was such an amazing trip!! Have you ever been?

xox

How I style | Cigarette trousers

Top - Forever 21 

Trousers - Topshop

Shoes - Office

The first outfit is more outgoing than the second one because of the patterned trousers. However, I love how they look on. I try to make sure I wear them with something relatively plain. This top, which I paired the trousers with, has a lovely scalloped detail at the bottom and is all black and the shoes are black suede flats that are so comfy to wear! Obviously as it starts to get colder, I will have to layer up more, most likely by wearing a black cardigan. 

Shirt - Topshop

Trousers - Topshop

Shoes - Adidas 

I feel like this outfit is quite formal with the black trousers and white shirt but paired with the trainers, it looks more casual. My favourite item is the shirt from Topshop because it has a bohemian style to it and I like how it ties up at the front. These Cigarette trousers are definitely more plain than the patterned ones but I find it easier to wear them as they go with more things. I think that these will be a staple in my wardrobe for a long time!

What did you think of these outfits? Do you have any other 'How I style' posts in mind that you'd like me to do?

xox

Autumn Primark and Superdrug haul!

So, it is the time of year when Primark starts to bring out all things Christmas related. I get really excited around this time of year because everything looks so warm and cosy. If I'm honest, I'm surprised that I didn't buy more things - I was very tempted by some really snuggly socks but I knew I had too many pairs already. The slippers on the left were £4 and are so fluffy and cute; I'm slightly worried that my dog will try to eat the pompom but I'll face that problem if it gets to it! I decided to get a pair of long sleeve pyjamas as I don't actually think I own any and it will start to get cold very soon! These pyjamas cost £8 for both the top and the bottoms.

As most people will know, I'm obsessed with candles! I always seem to be burning them so I run out very quickly. Virtually every time I visit Primark, I pick up another one because they smell so good and are really cheap - this one was a £1. The scent is very sweet and autumnal, if you aren't keen on sweet smells, this might not be for you but I love it! 

I picked up this shirt because I'm going on a trip to Germany soon and wanted something a bit warmer to wear. The colour is so pretty and I don't own anything like it. I think this will look nice with some jeans and a pair of boots when I am walking around the towns. It cost £10 which is alright for a shirt and it feels like it's good quality. 

I popped into Superdrug after Primark because I needed some concealer and mascara as I had ran out. I've used all of these products before and I love them all, especially the Lash Sensational mascara! It gives amazing volume and length - it also doesn't run down your face during the day! These three products are staples in my makeup collection. 

Have you bought anything new recently!? Let me know!

xox

How I develop from the negatives

So, this is the only part of the saying (that the title of my blog is inspired by) that I haven't included in a post! If you are new, you might want to read my 'About' page to understand more of what I mean. Honestly, I have been putting off this post type as I didn't know how to write something on the topic. I have been lucky enough in my life so far to not have had to deal with a great sadness. I know that many people may have and the style of this post will be mainly focusing on short-term negatives instead of the long-term negatives. 

Set backs in life can be hard to deal with. I can remember countless of times where I have just thought that there was no point carrying on when times get tough. I'm in no means perfect and I'm not saying this is how you have to act but these are my ways of developing from the negatives...

Recognise the problem 

When something has gone wrong for me, I used to put it to the back of my mind and try my hardest to ignore the issue. I've learnt that I can deal with the problem so much more if I tell myself that, yes, something has gone but it won't be like that way forever. Sometimes I find that actually letting in all out and maybe having a good cry can help me a lot. However, I try to, in all of this, not to continue to do this for a long period of time as it then tends to make the problem seem bigger. Just speaking to someone else about it for a while and then thinking that I'm not the only person who knows about the issue can also be therapeutic. By doing these things, the problem is then recognised as a negative and I can endeavour to improve the situation afterwards. 

Learn how to deal with the negative

Depending on the what the negative is, I can learn how to cope with it - whether that be a problem which will be apparent for a while or something that I can go and sort out almost straight away. Again, speaking to someone about what the right thing to do can help. I always try to remember to be rational in my decision making and I am calm when deciding on my next step. 

Look towards the future 

I tend to assess the negative and usually come to the conclusion that in the grand scheme of things, it isn't the end of the world. Of course, at the time, the negative is very important and it feels like everything is against you. However, I try to remember all of the cliché sayings such as, 'Life goes on' and 'It's not the be all and end all'. Basically, if I'm dealing with a negative, I try to look forward to all of the positives in the future. It, honestly, does work out in the end. 

These 3 ways are how I develop from the negatives that I have experienced. If you have any other way of dealing with negatives, please share them below! 

xox

September favourites

Primark | Sweet Vanilla and Coconut Candle 

I have loved burning this candle as it is one of my favourite scents and it leaves my room smelling lovely for hours. During the month of September, I have burnt up all of the candle so I might have to grab another one sometime soon. 

Mac lipstick | Velvet Teddy 

I've written a whole blog post about this lipstick (My first Mac lipstick) and ever since buying this, I have worn it virtually everyday! It's such a great nude shade and the lipstick has amazing staying power. From looking at what's left, I may need to repurchase this soon because I've used so much of it! 

Maybelline  | Lash Sensational Mascara 

It seems like everyone always raves about this mascara; most claim it is a great dupe for the Roller Lash but don't own that in my collection so I can't agree or disagree. However, genuinely, it is the best mascara that I've ever tried! The brush gives so much volume and length to my lashes. If you haven't used it for yourself, give it a go because it works so well! 

Soap and Glory | Brow Archery 

I've only have one other brow product in my collection but it gets somewhat neglected because this is so easy and is a great product! I use the wax side to fill in my brows and then, sometimes, I outline my eyebrows with the pen end. The staying power for this product is so good, my brows look like how they do after just applying the product all day long! Definitely, when I run out, I will repurchase this. 

  

Earrings 

I'm usually really bad at wearing earrings because I forget to take them out and then I end up wearing the same pair for weeks on end. However, this past month, I have enjoyed choosing what pairs to put in and have made more of an effort with them. 

Random favourites:

Fabulous Hannah on Youtube

During the month of september, I discovered Hannah's channel and I fell in love with her bubbly personality and videos. She uploads every thursday night at 5pm but as well as that, I have been binge watching her older videos because they are all so good! I especially love her room/desk tour and all of her hauls as even in those, her personality and sense of humour still shine through. Honestly, she has quickly become one of my favourite Youtubers so if you haven't checked out her channel, you definitely should! 

Orphan Black

I've included this programme in another monthly favourites a while back but recently I have discovered that it has season three on BBC 3 catch up/iplayer. When I found this out, I was so excited as I was considering whether to buy the box set of season three because I couldn't find anywhere to watch it online but in the end I didn't have to. This programme is honestly amazing and it has such a gripping storyline. If you are into anything Sci-Fi related, you'd really enjoy this. 

Music favourites:

• Don't be so hard on yourself - Jess Glynne
• Fight song - Rachel Platten
• Peanut Butter Jelly - Galantis

So these were all of my monthly favourites! What were yours? I'd love to know!

xox