Summer by the Sea

If someone asks me what first comes into my mind when mentioning the word "Holiday", without a shadow of a doubt I will always say "The Seaside". Over the years, I have spent many holidays with my family down on the English Coast, yet I had never once visited Dorset. Many people have said to me what a beautiful place it is, and they couldn't be more right!

Last week I visited the beautiful New Forest and Dorset for a short break away with my boyfriend. On the first night we camped in a tent in the New Forest. I know what you are all thinking... what could be worse? I used to say the same, however I did have a great time. There's nothing better than sitting down, surrounded by dense woodland and wild horses, whilst sipping a glass of Wine. It was so peaceful during the evening and at night, but bursting with life during the day!

Waking up to the birds singing, we cooked some bacon and eggs which was extremely delicious! Once we had enjoyed our breakfast and folded away the tent, we got in the car on the way to our next location! On our first day we visited Swanage, which is a quaint seaside town. We took some pictures of Swanage bay and then ventured on to Old Harry Rocks, a popular tourist and geography trip destination. The weather wasn't perfect but we managed to steer clear of the rain and take some great photos! That evening, we got to our hotel for that night and ate the biggest and most expensive plate of Fish and Chips I had ever seen! After filling up our tummies, we got into bed and  went out like a light. 

The next morning we had another cooked breakfast and took some pictures of the view overlooking Corfe Castle. We decided we would go to Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove, photographer hotspots, and places I have been meaning to visit ever since getting my DSLR camera... nearly 3 years ago! Arriving there, I was eager to get going and start snapping some pictures... little did I realise we had to climb a very steep hill! After breaking a sweat, we finally got to Durdle Door and the sun was shining, allowing us to take some beautiful pictures. We strolled back the way we came to Lulworth Cove and then sat down to rest with a bowl of chips in hand. That evening we arrived at a new campsite, popped up our tent and got plenty of rest for the journey home the next day. 

I had such an amazing short break away, and we are planning on going back in the very near future! Where are you going on holiday this year? - I would love to know! 

Ami xoxo

"Penny for your thoughts?" - Girl Online Book Review

 

Well, can I just say... High five to me for coming up with a title which is a quote from the book and relevant to today's post? Yes you guessed it... It's a review! 

 As you can probably have guessed, I have just recently read Zoe Suggs' (aka Zoella's ) book, Girl Online. The book itself was an easy read, and not too heavy when you just want to relax after a long, tiring day. But the story line is so addictive and exciting, I couldn't put it down! When getting towards the end of the book, I really didn't want to finish it because I didn't want it to end! 

I hope I am not giving too much away for those of you that haven't read it yet (and if not why not?!), but Penny the main character is adorable. I love how Zoe has given Penny a slice of her own life. Such as having a blog and living in brighton. It just makes the book much more personal. 

I also love how Zoe inludes common issues such as anxiety and bullying online, which are very close to her. I personally suffer with a degree of anxiety as I really lack confidence in every aspect of my life. Therefore, it was nice to see this brought up in the book.

Overall I believe this book is well worth a read and I can't wait for Zoe's second book to be published! If there is one thing I have learnt from this book it is this: I need to face my fears and do more of what makes me happy. I need to stop worrying about what everyone else thinks and just be myself.

 Thank you all for reading, I hope you found this review helpful! If you have read the book already, then I hope that you agree with me, and comment down below what you thought of the book! 

Ami xx

Reflections and Resolutions

Happy New year everyone, I can't quite believe that it is 2015 - how time fly's! 2014 went by so quickly, it almost felt as if it never happened. As it is the beginning of the year, I decided that my post should be on reflections from last year and resolutions for this year. 

Not a lot really happened to me in 2014 but there are a few significant events that happened: 

1. I completed my AS Levels 

Admittedly my first year of college wasn't that great as I was finding the work too hard and I felt like I was getting no where.  It was definitely tough, but I did manage to get a few qualifications with it! 

2. Starting Childcare 

Leading on from my first year of college I decided to start over and join a 2 year Childcare course, as working with children is what I have always wanted to do. So far I am loving it, and the style of the course being only coursework, suits me much better. I even managed to get an A for my first unit... Only 14 more units to go! After this course I am not quite sure what I want to do. I have always wanted to be a primary teacher, but the idea of going to university doesn't particularly entice me... or I would like to be a teaching assistant too! So I certainly have a lot to think about over the next 2 years!

3. 2 years anniversary with my boyfriend!

I am so happy to have such a wonderful boyfriend, I couldn't ask for anything more. He makes me so happy and I feel really comfortable around him too. He is the best thing that has happened to me and I hope there are many more years to come! 

Those are just a few significant things that happened in 2014... now onto my resolutions for 2015:

1. Save money

When it comes to saving money, I can be quite bad. I always go shopping and end up buying a number of things that I "love" but really don't need. This year I would love to go on holiday with my boyfriend, so therefore I need to save... A LOT! I know deep down that I can do it... I just need to stop visiting New Look every week. By saving for a holiday, hopefully it will help with my saving habits for the long term.

2. Be more confident 

I am not the most outgoing person you could ever meet, as I can get very anxious about practically everything. I have always been shy, never putting my hand up in class or leading a conversation, but I am slowly getting better. This year I want to challenge myself, and do things I have never done before. 

3. Learn to drive

Leading on from becoming more confident, I have been a bit too anxious about getting in a car and driving it. I turned 17 last year, and loads of people I know have already passed their test. Seeing everyone else doing it makes me want to do it even more, but it's just nerves stopping me! Therefore I am hoping to kill 2 birds with one stone here, and become more confident by learning to drive. I may not pass my test this year, but taking some lessons is a start! 

There you have it, my New Years resolutions, so wish me luck! What are yours? 

Ami xx

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Winter Beauty Favourites

In today's post I will be talking to you about my favourite beauty products to use during the Winter months, both new and old. I'm not a massive fan of this time of year when the days get shorter and colder, but when it comes to beauty I know for certain there will be something that I love. The deep berry shades, and shimmery eyeshadow's are just beautiful, and I can't get enough of them! 

When it come's to Nail Polish there are 3 shades that really stick out to me when I am choosing from my huge  collection. The 3 that I have chosen all happen to be from Barry M, and that is because they do some amazing colours, and also they are very long lasting! The first nail polish I chose was 'Raspberry' and it is the loveliest shade of deep pink, but does look slightly red too. I believe you can never go wrong with red nails, personally! The next one I chose was 'Plum' and it is a very deep purple. I chose this one because my favourite colour is purple, and I do believe it is considered the new black? The last nail polish is called 'Cappuccino' and it is the most beautiful brown shade but with a purple undertone. I would never usually go for a brown nail polish, but this one is very flattering and is not muddy like other brown shades. I also love the name because it reminds me of a cold, wintry day and you are curled up on the sofa drinking a hot drink! 

Moving onto lips... I am never normally brave when it comes to wearing dark lipsticks, but when it gets to this time of they year, I think i can get away with it. The first lipstick I chose was the Moisture Renew from Rimmel in 'Glam Plum Fulham' and I got this last year when it was very popular! From the swatches I did above, it is the top one and it comes out quite red when its on, which I love because personally I don't suit bright red lips! The next lipstick I chose was from Revlon and its called 'Black Cherry' and it is a very dark plum colour, perfect for night's out. However I do find the formula quite drying, so I would normally put lip balm on before I apply this. The final lip product I love is the Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer  in 'Celestial' and it is a beautiful dusty pink shade, which is perfect to wear during the day. 

My final beauty product is something that I ordered quite recently, and I have to say I am impressed! It is from the brand 'Makeup Revolution' which I had never heard of until a month ago! I found this 32 eye shadow palette called 'Flawless' and I have to say the name really suits it. The palette includes a whole range of neutral shades that can create loads of different looks and the best thing about it? IT WAS ONLY £8! I suggest you go and buy this now, because I promise you won't be able to live with out it! 

Here's the details of everything I bought including links to the website: 

• Barry M Gelly Nail Paint - £3.99
• Barry M Original Nail Paint - £2.99
• Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick - £7.49
• Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer - £6.49
• Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick - £6.49
• Makeup Revolution Ultra 32 Eyeshadow Palette - £8

I hope you enjoyed this post and that I may have given you a little bit of inspiration or help with what to put in your make-up bag this winter! 

Love you all xx