Walk to the Woods

So me at Serena over at Serena's Life took a cute little walk into the woods. This is Ruff Woods which is about a 2 minute walk from our flat and it's so pretty. It's extremely peaceful as it's away from all the traffic and city life, just with the occasional dog walker wandering past. Most of these pictures are taken by Serena but I just thought I'd show you how pretty it is.

My outfit consists of my cherished Miss Guided duster coat, New Look boots and a hat that's actually from eBay for only £5! I'm all about those bargains.

I also filmed my Autumn Lookbook in these woods and loved it so will definitely be filming more here when the weather is a bit warmer!

Hope you like this post,

Stay Happy

Sarah

John Green Madness!!

Recently I got a gift card for WHSmith for £15 and its bad how excited I got that I could buy new books. I had loads to choose from but when I got there I saw that all John Green books were on offer as buy one get one free so I knew I had to get them. I also had a £5 off your next shop for there too so in the end I only paid £4 of my own money for all four of these books.

I'd wanted these books for ages and so now I finally have them to read.

The first one is An Abundance Of Katherines and this is the blurb:

When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton's type is girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washed-up child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight Judge Judy - loving best friend riding shotgun - but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl.

I think this book will be interesting because I've never heard anything like this before and I think it's a different story. Also it's written from a guys point of view which is different to my usual reading genre.

Next is Looking For Alaska:

“In the dark beside me, she smelled of sweat and sunshine and vanilla and on that thin-mooned night I could see little more than her silhouette, but even in the dark, I could see her eyes – fierce emeralds. And not just beautiful, but hot too.”

BEFORE. Miles Halter’s whole life has been one big non-event until he starts at anything-but-boring Culver Creek Boarding School and meets Alaska Young. Gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, screwed up and utterly fascinating she pulls Miles into her world, launches him into a new life, and steals his heart. But when tragedy strikes, and Miles comes face-to-face with death he discovers the value of living and loving unconditionally.

AFTER: Nothing will ever be the same.

I think the fact that it says 'when tragedy strikes' makes me want to read this book because I want to know what happens. A good sign of a cliffhanger. 

Next is Will Grayson, Will Grayson:

One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, Will Grayson crosses paths with . . . Will Grayson. Two guys with the same name, running in two very different circles, suddenly find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, and culminating in epic turns-of-heart and the most fabulous musical ever to grace the high-school stage.

I think this is one of the books I'm most excited for. I'm not sure why but I just think it's a good idea for a story and can't wait to read it.

And lastly is Paper Towns:

Quentin Jacobsen has always loved Margo Roth Spiegelman, for Margo (and her adventures) are the stuff of legend at their high school. So when she one day climbs through his window and summons him on an all-night road trip of revenge he cannot help but follow.

But the next day Margo doesn't come to school and a week later she is still missing. Q soon learns that there are clues in her disappearance . . . and they are for him. But as he gets deeper into the mystery - culminating in another awesome road trip across America - he becomes less sure of who and what he is looking for.

The reason I got this one was because I knew that they were turning it into a film with Cara Delevigne and Nat Wolff and I'm so excited for the film so I wanted to read the book first. I've started reading this and I'm really enjoying it already.

I'm really excited to get through all of these books because I loved the Fault In Our Stars and I love John Green's writing style. 

Let me know if you've read any of his books but obviously don't tell me any spoilers because I haven't read them yet!!

Stay Happy

Sarah

Boohoo Haul!

I've been very naughty lately and did a huge Boohoo Haul with my christmas money. But I did get a lot of bargains in the process!

I did a video here where I show you what all the clothes look like on and I'll explain them here in this blog post!

Boohoo Haul

The first dress is the Hannah Printed Off The shoulder Dress. I love the fact that this is off the shoulder, a few of the clothes in this haul are. I also usually buy just simply plain black clothes but this time I wanted to go for something different so I chose this patterned one. It was also only £8 instead of £15 so it was a good purchase.

The next was another off the shoulder dress, the Rita Off The Shoulder Bodycon Dress. It's similar to the first dress but it's a lot tighter on the body instead, making it a less casual dress. I also got it in black because that's pretty much all I wear! This was only £10 but I think it's a great staple piece to have in your wardrobe.

Next is one of my favourites, the Kendall Cage Sleeve Detail Dress. I would never normally buy a long sleeved dress but I love the cut outs on the sleeves. It's not a tight dress which I like too because it makes it more casual. This was only £15 too and I'd wanted it for ages so I finally bought it for myself.

The next is very different from my usual taste. I'm never one for bold prints because my hair is quite fussy so I thought it wouldn't suit but I took a chance. The love the fact that it has open sleeves too because it just makes the dress more interesting. This is the Callie Open Shoulder Floral Shift Dress and it's only £6 instead of £15 which is a big bargain.

This is also a very different pattern again for the same reason as it being too fussy but I really like this one. I love the mesh detail on the sides of the shorts and the tie around the waist because I think it gives me more shape. It's quite low down which is something I'd never usually buy but I thought I'd give it a chance and it doesn't look too bad. This playsuit is the Elissia Neon Floral Mesh Insert Tie Waist Playsuit and it was a huge bargain at only £5!

This playsuit is one of my favourite purchases of this haul. It's so plain and simple but I love it. The shorts are flippy and the cut of the playsuit is really flattering. It's the Ashleigh Turtle Neck Cap Sleeved Playsuit and it was only £8. I also decided to choose the berry colour for a change instead of the normal black.

This is dress was just for casual nights out as it's plain but still a bodycon. It's just a simple black dress but with a curved hem line which I think makes it just that little bit more interesting. It's the Taylor Curved Hem Roll Sleeved T-Shirt Dress and it was only £12. It comes in different colours but as always I chose black!

This dress is so out of my comfort zone it's unreal! For one, again it's patterned which I usually steer clear from but I just loved the shape of this dress. I must've been in a summer mood as I wouldn't wear this in the cold weather yet. I've fallen in love with this maxi dress though, which is a button down and also has huge splits up the sides. I can't wait to wear this dress in Spring/Summer. It's the Terri Paisley Button Through Maxi Dress.

The first pair of shorts I got were also something I'd never usually get. They're high waisted with kind of a geometric pattern on them. They're such a nice material and sit really well on my hips. They also fit in with my normal black and white theme. They are the Gail Grid Print Chiffon Skater Short and they were only £10 which I think is a bargain.

Lastly is this pair of flippy shorts that I think are quite casual so I've been wearing them to my lectures with tights alot but you could also wear them with a cropped top on a night out. They're also that lovely berry colour. They're the Ruby Plain Flippy Culottes and they were only £6 which I think is a massive bargain, I might even get more in the future in different colours.

So I hope you enjoyed this haul of Boohoo clothes. I don't think I'll be buying much now, my student loan is dwindling significantly. Thanks for watching/reading and don't forget to check the video out for this post!

Stay Happy

Sarah

I GOT A TATTOO!

So it's been a while but quick update, I got a tattoo!

For anyone that knows me well knows that I've wanted a tattoo for ages but just not known what to get. At one point I wanted a dreamcatcher or something to do with travelling but I never put my mind to it. But I soon found a design that I fell in love with and they're called Mandala's. Wikipedia describes them as a spiritual and ritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism, representing the Universe and I do love that explanation. To be honest I just loved the designs but from doing research I've found loads of different meanings to them.

Here are some examples I looked at:

I absolutely fell in love with these designs. I think they're really pretty and I love the symmetry of them all. The last one was my favourite and I'd decided that I wanted it on my forearm. I wasn't sure how it would look though because I have super skinny arms so didn't know if it would look too thick or stupid but I tried anyways. 

I got my friend to draw up what I wanted, with elements from all the different pictures that I liked and this is what she came up with.

I absolutely fell in love with it straight away. She then proceeded to draw it on my arm so that I knew what it would like... in pen... that didn't come off for days.

Obviously it wasn't the perfect drawing but I decided that that was what I wanted to get. So my friend drew it up again and that was what I sent to the tattoo artist.

I went to Two Dogs in Earlstown because two of my friends had been there and highly recommended it. So I messaged them and asked when the earliest I could get an appointment for and luckily they fit me in about 10 days later on the 31st Jan. They said it would take 2 hours and cost me £100 which I thought was very reasonable for the detail going into it. So I agreed and asked them to redraw it properly, just without the thick line around the outside and then waited until it was time. 

On the day I was so nervous because I didn't know how I would react to getting a tattoo. They welcomed me with open arms and made me comfortable before they started. She transferred it onto my arm and then made sure I was fine with starting. I'm not going to lie but it did really hurt (I didn't cry) and obviously some lines hurt more than others, but it was so worth it. It did take just under two hours but the time flew by.

And she also put white ink in the middle dots so that they stood out more. 

She then wrapped it up and I didn't touch it for a few hours. 

I also made sure I had some cream for it as I had to clean it with warm soapy water and then out cream on it. We bought Bepanthen which is just for nappy care because it was recommended. 

So I cleaned it and then put the cream on but it wasn't too sore, just when I touched it. Didn't stop me going out either!

Here is a picture of me with a funny arm because I was trying to show it off. The dress is new from Boohoo (haul coming soon) and the boots are from New Look.

So this is the finished look

I love the detail of it so much and I've had nothing but compliments off my friends and family, even my grandparents who weren't too keen in me having a tattoo in the first place. 

I found this picture on Pinterest that describes what a Mandala means to me and I know that when I look down at it, it's what I'll see.

I think the first three are more relevant to me than the others but that's what I'll think everytime I look down at it. And it's also unbelievably pretty!

Hope you all like this post, never really seen one like this before so I thought it would be interesting. 

Also hope you guys love my tattoo as much as me because I'm hoping to get more in the future, addicted maybe?

Thanks for reading,

Stay Happy

Sarah

Yummy Smoothies!

So part of my new years resolutions this year was to eat healthier and I thought a good change to my diet would be smoothies instead of snacking on crisps and biscuits instead. 

So me and a flatmate scoured through the January sales to find a blender we could use at university. We found this one just for £14.99, the Duronic BL3. It comes with the body that doesn't need cleaning every time you use it , and two cups.

So I thought I would give an example of a smoothie I've been making a lot recently.

Firstly what you'll need is:

Yeo Valley Natural Yoghurt

Small punnet of strawberries

Mango chunks

Frozen raspberries (they're cheaper)

1 banana

and some milk and ice.

This is the body

I poured about half of the tub of yoghurt in the bottom of one of the cups.

I then cut my banana into pieces and cut my strawberries into halves and put them in the cup.

Then I added a few chunks of mango.

And a handful of frozen raspberries.

Then I added some milk to make it thinner.

And some ice.

Then I put the lid on the cup with the blades on and secured it tightly.

You then twist the bottle into the base and hold it whilst it starts to blend. You can then decide whether you want it thicker or thinner and keep blending until it's all done.

And there you have a finished healthy smoothie.

These taste so good and because you make it yourself it's easy to swap and change any of the ingredients to suit yourself. I'm really excited to try loads of different tastes and smoothies.

Hope you enjoy, hopefully I'll post more like this in the future.

Stay Happy

Sarah

Take the Pledge!

So this is the fifth and final post about The Natural High Project. I've met some great people and learnt some interesting things.

Join me and pledge to live naturally high, just like me! Don't let the pressure of drugs and alcohol effect your dreams and life.

Taking the pledge is easy. Go to naturalhigh.org and click on Pledge to live drug free and fill out the form, it's that simple. This could change your life for the better!

I've had a great few days and hope at the very least I changed one persons mind on artificial highs.

I want to thank the amazing bloggers I've joined in with these past few days! Check out their blogs by clicking on their names.

Courtney, Mallory and Christopher!

As always join us at Natural High or keep up to date with our social media sites by using the tag #TheNaturalHighProject.

And remember to Stay Happy

Sarah

Finding your Natural High

Today's theme is finding your natural high. 

I think this is quite easy but does need a lot of motivation. 

All it takes to find your natural high is simply to do something that you love. If you love playing music then go and rock out in your room or if you love playing football then go and play with your mates and have a laugh. All of these could give you a natural euphoric feeling. 

Or if you don't have something you love to do, don't stop looking. Go out and try new things everyday because you will find something you enjoy, everyone loves doing something. 

I think this is the most effective part, is to seek your own natural high. Sometimes they'll just happen with things you might never expected it to or sometimes you might seek it in different places. So go and meet new people, travel to different places, try different hobbies and just enjoy yourself. This isn't supposed to be stressful so don't let it. Take your time and be yourself and you'll find what you're looking for! 

Don't forget to follow the hashtag #thenaturalhighproject on all social media to keep up to date. 

And as always Stay Happy

Sarah