31 December 2013

My 2013

This year has definitely had its ups and downs - to say the least!  From going to Kefalonia to my sister's 21st birthday to starting University to the sad passing of my amazing Gran, it's definitely been a rollercoaster of emotions.

Last year I did a "My Year in Pictures" type post (http://ktcrossthwaite.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/my-year.html) and it honestly brought back so many amazing memories of the past year and so I thought I would do another one this year.

I can't even begin to explain my 2013 and some of the amazing people I have met.  I've started a whole new life in Nottingham and met some amazing life long friends, I went to Kos with my best friend (our first holiday) which I would do anything to have again, in May I celebrated my 19th birthday with a trip to the Ice Bar in London and I finally saw the Rolling Stones in August.

There is not enough space on my blog to go through every lasting memory I've had so to sum it up it's been incredible.  I want to take this opportunity to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone that has made this year amazing - my best friends, my family, my new best friends and uni flat family - everyone.  You've made it immense, I love you all.

So here we go....my 2013 in pictures!!  Oh, and here's to an even more amazing 2014 - Happy New Year everyone!

(P.s. These are not really in order - I tried to get them in order as much as possible but it was pretty tricky)

Newcastle - Gran and Grandad's 60th Wedding Anniversary - Sister's 21st - Kefalonia - Kos

One Direction - Rolling Stones (Including me meeting King Charles and Cara Delevingne) - Summer - Latitude Festival - Suffolk - Tea with the Grandparents - Tea at Fortnum & Mason's - Tea at the Atheneum - Spitalfields - Lake District

First Term at Uni (Including me with Jameela Jamil, Freshers Ball, Halloween and other dress ups)

First Term at Uni - Selfridges - Burger&Lobster - Christmas Day - Harry Potter Studio Tour

Obviously I couldn't include every single photo from this year so I have tried my best to give an overview and I can't say a big enough THANK YOU to you all.

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27 December 2013

Recents

Well there's been a lot going on recently so sadly, my blog has had to take a back seat.  But I was looking through my Instagram and realised I had not done a Recents post in sooooo long!  So this one is going to be a mission to get through!

Again I've split my Recents into different sections just to make it easier for you all to see :) enjoy!

15 December 2013

Motel Rocks!


Roll up, roll up!  Get your 20% off Motel products here!

23 November 2013

Recents

As some of you may know, being at university means that you spend a lot of time either working, eating or sleeping (probably more of the latter two) but that means that I have kind of neglected my blogging a bit.  As I'm getting nearer the end of term, deadlines are approaching and there will be a lot of going out, so I may be a bit M.I.A but I will try my hardest to keep up with my posts!

Anyway, that out of the way, even though I haven't been blogging a lot, I have been instagramming (http://instagram.com/katiecrossthwaite) quiiiite a bit so I thought what better way to get back into blogging than by doing another Recents post...so here you go!

28 October 2013

Recents

So I thought that I had done a more recent Recents post...turns out I hadn't so sorry for the delay!

I have been such a busy bee at uni in the past couple of weeks and so I haven't really had much time to think about my blog as I've been trying to focus on my work and lectures....and sleep obviously.

So, here are some of my recent posts from my Instagram of what I've been wearing/loving recently!

Make up for a night out at Forum
(Ring from Dolly Bow Bow, Top from Topshop)


21 October 2013

Beauty Product Review: Schwarzkopf Got2B Beach Matt Texturizing Salt Spray

Now I'm one of those that is always looking for new products for my hair, especially since I've been trying to leave it dry naturally - so not to damage it even more than it already is!

I've always wanted to get a salt texturizing spray because I've heard so many good reviews about how they make your hair naturally textured and give you that beachy feel without the stiffness.

So, after a lot of research as to what other bloggers and magazines recommended, I finally chose the Schwarzkopf Got2B Beach Matt Texturizing Salt Spray which I can safely say, I am very very happy with.

20 October 2013

Autumn/Winter 2013 Favourites - Clothes and Shoes

Beauty and Accessories for this season are now covered, why not treat you to my Autumn/Winter 2013 favourite clothes and shoes?

Now anyone that knows me, knows that I am OBSESSED with jumpers - I have about a billion - and I will wear them even if it is sunny.  So Autumn and Winter are my perfect seasons, purely because I have a valid reason to be wearing a jumper - it's cold!

A couple of the pieces that are included in this post I have blogged about before but that's exactly why they're in my Favourites post :)
As I said in my previous post, my favourite colours for Autumn and Winter are burgundy and navy and just dark colours in general, however, I think by adding just one bright item to your outfit - be it a jumper, scarf or lipstick - it really does complete it.

So, enough waffling, here are my Favourites for Autumn/Winter 2013 - Part 2!

16 October 2013

Autumn/Winter 2013 Favourites - Beauty and Accessories

As we slowly approach the darker and colder mornings and the need to stay in bed just that little bit longer, I thought it was about time I did a Favourites post.
I always say that Autumn is my favourite time of the year because I love wrapping up in jumpers and scarves and having that snug feeling (however I am not a fan of waking up and it still being dark outside)!

As I can foresee this being a ridiculously long post, I am going to split it into Beauty and Accessories and then do another post focussing on clothes!

So here are some of my favourite beauty products and accessories for this time of the year, as well as what I think the main colour trends are going to be...enjoy!

7 October 2013

Freshers Ball

So last night was the Nottingham Trent University Freshers Ball at the Students Union.  We all got dressed up smart, popped some bubbly and headed on over to a night filled with performances from Matt Edmonson and Wretch 32.

It was nice to finally get all dressed up and wear heels and a dress (even though my feet are taking a beating today), even if it was a bit of a drag having to get up for lectures at 9am this morning!

Here's what I wore!

30 September 2013

Uni

So, the reason I haven't blogged in what seems like forever is because I have just moved to Nottingham Trent University and therefore I have been so super busy with moving in, freshers and figuring out where and what my lectures are.  As my freshers week is now over and I'm settled in I thought now was the time to pick up my blog again and share with you what I've been up to.
So this post is just going to be filled with pictures from my freshers nights out and what I've been getting up to!

18 September 2013

London Fashion Week

So, here is my third and final instalment of my favourite pieces from some collections at London Fashion Week.
I am so determined to go next year - we have to hope!

Milan Fashion Week has now started but I won't be doing posts like I have for LFW but if I see any collections that I'm like "oh my gosh need to blog that NOW", I'll do a few :)

pictures: vogue.co.uk

17 September 2013

London Fashion Week

Here goes my second instalment of my favourite pieces from some collections at London Fashion Week and I am still not over the fact that I have not been able to go this year!

Also, as I am writing this, my older sister (who doesn't have a blog and is studying Law) is on her way to a LFW after party and drinks - HOW IS THIS FAIR?!

Anyway..here goes!

pictures: vogue.co.uk

13 September 2013

London Fashion Week

So, New York Fashion Week is all over and now it's time to bring it all home and kick start London Fashion Week!
I am so jealous of everyone who gets to go to it and one day I will be one of them...watch this space!
So here are a few of my favourite pieces from some collections.  As it has only just started, this won't be a long post but I'll keep them coming as the week progresses!

pictures: vogue.co.uk

New York Fashion Week

Here is the second instalment of my favourite pieces from my favourite collections from New York Fashion Week!

pictures: vogue.co.uk

Jenny Packham

Naeem Khan

Sass & Bide

Narciso Rodriguez

Ralph Lauren

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10 September 2013

New York Fashion Week

Normally, for London Fashion Week, I do a post for each of my favourite designers or collections.  I don't normally cover New York, Paris or Milan fashion week but I've recently seen snippets of some of the collections shown at NYFW and I just couldn't resist doing a post.

I'm not going to bombard my blog with like six posts a day so I thought I would just take a few photos from my favourite collections and put them all on one post (or a couple as it's still ongoing).

Below are some of my favourite pieces from some collections shown at NYFW...enjoy!

pictures: vogue.co.uk

7 September 2013

Recents

Here is another instalment of my fortnightly (ish) of my recent outfits/purchases from my Instagram page!

Make up for dinner in the Lake District
Face: Foundation (Benefit You Rebel Lite), Concealer (Benefit Boing), Powder (Benefit Hello Flawless), Bronzer (Benefit Hoola), Blusher (NARS Orgasm)
Eyebrows: Benefit Brow Zings
Eyes: Eyeshadow (Urban Decay NAKED2), Eyeliner (Rimmel Kohl), Mascara (Benefit They're Real)
Lips: Balm (Balmi Mint), Lipstick (L'Oreal Rouge Caresse in Aphrodite Scarlett)

New Essie Nail Polish (Cocktail Bling)

New T Shirt from a pub/inn in the Lake District - The Drunken Duck

Night Out in Hertford
Skirt: Miss Selfridge
Top: Topshop
Necklace: Topshop
Shoes: Office

Afternoon Tea at The Athenaeum
Jeans: Topshop
Shirt: Topshop
Shoes: Topshop

Dinner at the Sow & Pig
Jeans: Topshop
Top: Next
Shoes: New Look
Jewellery: Thomas Sabo, Swarovski, Pandora

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The Lake District

On Saturday 31st August, I went to the Lake District with my parents and grandparents for a short holiday.  I've been going to the Lakes for as long as I can remember and I absolutely love it there - it's the most relaxing and beautiful place.
I won't bore you with my hundreds of pictures of mountains and lakes but I will show you the outfits that I wore (I thought this would be more appropriate on this blog :)) so here they are!

Left - Right
Shirt: Miss Selfridge, Jeans: Topshop
Blouse: Topshop, Jeans: Topshop
Jumper: Topshop, Jeans: Topshop
Top: Topshop, Cardigan: Forever 21, Jeans: Topshop

Shoes: New Look, Bracelets: Thomas Sabo & Pandora, Necklace: Topshop, Earrings: Shipton&Co.

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29 August 2013

Favourite Bloggers

At the moment I'm really getting into reading other people's blogs and not just those about fashion - blogs about almost anything.  So I thought I would share with you some of my favourites and why I'm finding them interesting and I hope that you guys go and read them as well!

Zoella (http://www.zoella.co.uk/)

Zoella is a fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog that was set up and is run by Zoe Sugg.  It covers areas from her purchases to the products she likes and now, since her following has grown hugely, she covers what she has been up to and who she meets (recently One Direction - jealous!)
She has since broadened her social platform to Youtube and is a fashion and beauty "guru" on that (http://www.youtube.com/user/zoella280390).

I love Zoe's blog and Youtube channel purely because it's so easy to carried away reading it and before you know it you're back to 2011 seeing what she bought then!
Zoe is a keen blogger and Youtuber and someday I hope this blog is as big as hers!

what-katiesays (http://www.what-katiesays.com/)

what-katiesays is a blog set up and run by Katie Tudor (who is a flat mate of mine at Nottingham Trent University) and again, it's a fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog that simply follows what she does and what she wears/purchases!
Katie is similar to me as in we're both relatively new to the blogging world and we're crazy about everything fashion!
Katie has been lucky enough to go to various blogger events that have been held, including events by Harvey Nichols and Benefit and kindly bought us along (via what-katiesays) to get an insight.
Starting at Nottingham in September, we have promised to help each other out with our blogs and hopefully, what-katiesays.com will shoot off - it's definitely worth a read!

And Sapphire Too (http://andsapphiretoo.lilyandmay.co.uk/)

And Sapphire Too is a blog that covers fashion, lifestyle and, most importantly, Floristry.  It is run by Sapphire Bates (who I went to college with) who is passionate about vintage styles, floristry and events.  Sapphire is a trainee florist at Lily and May (http://www.lilyandmay.co.uk/) and definitely enjoys what she does.
And Sapphire Too is such an easy blog to read and covers almost everything there is to do with vintage and her work and I know for a fact that she is so dedicated to this blog so I would definitely recommend it.

The Affair by Natalie and Rachel (http://natalieandrachel.wordpress.com/)

The Affair is a blog set up by Natalie and Rachel (I couldn't find their last names) who study and live in Melbourne, Australia.  The Affair is a fashion blog and covers mainly the upcoming trends and what fashion lines are out their at the moment.
Their blog posts are fairly short but the pictures they include definitely make up for it and you can tell that they clearly spend a lot of time working on making sure their pictures are perfect.
The Affair has a huge following, fans and press, and this year was mentioned as Bloglovin's Number 11 Up and Coming Fashion Blogs in Australia so I would definitely head on over to check them out!

Bronzed Sundaze (http://bronzedsundaze.blogspot.co.uk/)

Bronzed Sundaze is a blog run by Alex Gens and is a fashion blog that covers her favourite products, her personal style and anything that she likes about the fashion industry at the moment.
I found out about Bronzed Sundaze through Independent Fashion Bloggers and I'm so glad I did because it is such a good read and you can tell that so much thought goes into each post.
Alex lives in Florida and is studying to become a physician and one of the main reasons I really like her blog is the fact that she promotes positive self image and I think that this is a really important factor when it comes to blogging and fashion so definitely go and check out Bronzed Sundaze.


I hope that this has given you an insight into what I like to spend my time reading and maybe in a few months or so I'll do an updated version with any new blogs I've sniffed out!

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28 August 2013

Detox Water

I was at a friend's house last week when she went to her fridge and bought out some home-made detox water.  I asked her about it and she said that she had found loads of posts on Pinterest (www.pinterest.com) about different recipes and decided to try it.

So, copying her, that's what I did.  I Googled different recipes that used different ingredients to give you a different outcome and thought I would try one.

I read that detox water is meant to flush out any impurities in the body and therefore making your body more healthy as a whole and I'm always trying out different things to make me more healthy - I've tried drinking litres of water, exercising, yoga, meditation, vitamins and cutting out parts of my diet such as chocolate (that did not last long) - and so this is another one of my attempts!

Lemon is also a major part of trying to keep healthy as it helps digestion, increases the immune system, helps keep the skin healthy and, of course, acts as a natural detox.

Below is the recipe that I used (I kind of made one up and based it on my friends one) but there are so many out on the internet that I really want to try and so I'm going to link them below!


My Detox Water

Ingredients: Raspberries, Lemon, Fresh Mint, Water

- Fill up a large jug with cold drinking water
- Wash the raspberries and add to the water (the amount depends on preference, I added the whole punnet)
- Slice the lemon into thin slices and into chunks to give more flavour and add to the water (again, the amount depends on preference, I used about 3/4 of a lemon)
- Break off a couple of handfuls of fresh mint and rinse under water and add this to the water (amount depends on preference)
- Then mix all the ingredients, trying not to break any up and store in the fridge
- It is best to leave the jug in the fridge overnight so that all the ingredients diffuse into the water
- Top up the jug every time water is taken from it - this will keep it fresh

- I will probably change the ingredients after a week or so, depending on if they're fresh or not!

My water tastes more lemony and minty rather than like the raspberries but I wouldn't change the amount of ingredients I put in - it's so nice and fresh!

And so far so good.  I'm trying to not drink as many fizzy drinks and only drink water, the detox water, tea and green tea!

Here are some more recipes that I want to try in the future!




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24 August 2013

Recents

A lot of the time, I post my recent outfits onto my Instagram page (www.instagram.com/katiecrossthwaite) and then completely forget about them!  So I'm going to start a new regular post on my blog showcasing my recent outfits or purchases using the posts from my Instagram page and I will try and do this at least once a fortnight (depending on if I remember/if I've worn or bought anything especially nice)...so here is my first "Recents" post!

Tea at Fortnum and Mason in London
Playsuit - Miss Selfridge
Chelsea Boots - Topshop
Bracelets - Thomas Sabo, Pandora
Earrings - Spitalfields Market

Tea at Tewinbury Farm in Hertfordshire
Jeans - Topshop
Top - Topshop
Necklace - Miss Selfridge
Shoes - New Look
Bracelet - Thomas Sabo

I finally bought the infamous Zara mini skort which I have wanted for so long now!
It is in this season's collection but they are very scarce as they are extremely popular but you can get them from here: http://www.zara.com/uk/en/-/mini-skort-c469005p1295913.html for £25.99

I got this bracelet as a present for getting my grades to get into University from my parents.
It is a single woven leather bracelet in purple (http://www.pandora.net/en-gb/explore/products/bracelets#!590705CPE-S) with a little dress pendant charm (as I'm studying fashion ) (http://www.pandora.net/en-gb/explore/products/charms/791031) and then two decorative clips either side (http://www.pandora.net/en-gb/explore/products/charms/791031#!790446/subcat/13
With the leather bracelets, it's best to get the clips either side as the charm always swivels round.  Also, when you get the clips, you have to get little rubber inserts, so make sure you ask for these as well!

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22 August 2013

Spitalfields Market

On Sunday 18th August, me and my sister took my mum and dad to Spitalfields Market and Brick Lane in London.  Spitalfields is one of my favourite places as it has almost everything you can think of - clothes, jewellery, artwork, photography, food, drinks - everything!
It has also been my dad's life long dream to have a curry on Brick Lane (as it's famous for its curry houses) and so we thought we would take him there.
If you ever have the chance to go to Spitalfields and Brick Lane, I highly recommend it!
Below are just a few of the snaps I took whilst in London!



And here's what I bought!!

Bob Dylan top - Tory Burch earrings - Henna tattoo


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Favourite Pieces

Searching the high street in order to find nice new clothes and accessories can be quite a challenge, believe it or not and for some of us, it can get very tedious so I thought I would share with you some of my favourite current pieces that are on the high street as I write this! (This should also give your Autumn/Winter wardrobe a kick start)

www.asos.com



Mango Structured T-Shirt (available at Asos) - £27.99 (also available in white) / ASOS Blouse with Frill Trim Collar in Floral Sport Print - £32

Whistles Katlin Blouse in Heart Print (available at Asos) - £125 / ASOS Midi Smock Dress in Nepi - £28 (also available in blue and khaki)


ASOS Formal Parka with Fir Trim Hood - £90 (ONE OF MY FAVOURITES) / Only Jersey Maxi Skirt - £9 (also available in grey and black)














ASOS Faux Fur Pom Beanie - £12 / ASOS Grainy SHopper with Front Metal Plate - £28


ASOS Mini Hair Brooch - £6 / ASOS Hoxton Heeled Sandals - £42


Topshop













Tall Crepe Tee Shift Dress - £42 / Petite Aztec Crop Cami - £10












Knitted Angora Cable Jumper - £46 / Off Shoulder Crop by Annie Greenabelle - £17


 



Gold Bubble Link Chain Necklace - £10 / Vintage Stone Brooch - £10














Stripe Bunny Scrunchie - £4 / Chunky Preppy Sungalsses - £18


Miss Selfridge













 Chiffon Yoke Solid Tee - £22 / Square Texture Jacket - £34













Black Rip Knee Jean - £38 / Ochre Waffle Jumper - £32












Handheld Boxy Bag - £29 / Posh Black Buckle Platform - £70


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