Autumn Outfit of the Day

Hey everyone, I hope you are doing well :)

Autumn has officially arrived - I can confirm this since I spent a good few hours stacking wood for our fireplace the other day. So colder days are definitely on the horizon.

I like this time of year for many reasons: I absolutely love being all snuggled up and cosy, with a hot drink and some chocolate chip cookies, when it's truly grey and gloomy outside. But there's also something very special about autumn in terms of fashion. It's cold enough for you to put on a nice coat and a jumper, but you won't have to worry about it being absolutely freezing just yet. 

So today I have something a little bit different for you: an outfit of the day - autumn edition. 

Both the grey jumper dress and the coat are from boohoo, and the shoes are from a brand called Sioux, but I bought them in TK Maxx, which means that I got them for a lot cheaper than they originally were! 

What I love most about this outfit is how comfy it is. Neither the dress nor the coat are a tight fit (in fact they are both a bit oversized, and the coat has this gorgeous O-shape which makes it just that little bit cooler). It feels very casual and perfect for taking long autumn walks! 

In terms of shoes, I was torn between these and plain black Chelsea boots. Both would go, but for me, the Sioux shoes just break it up a little bit more. I feel like the purple shoe laces and stitching really add to the entire outfit and make it more fun, and I just love the colour combination of grey, black, dark red and purple! 

I usually pair this outfit with black leggings or thick black tights, but you could definitely go for a nice grey as well, or even for something more colourful if you're feeling adventurous :)

Let me know what you think of this slightly different post, and whether you'd like to see more OOTDs in the future (as I would for sure love to do more of them!). Leave your thoughts down in the comments. 

Other than that, have a lovely week and I'll speak to you soon xx

So you're feeling homesick…?

Hey everyone, I hope you're doing well :) 

We're almost halfway through September (only 3,5 months until Christmas…there, I said it), which also means that a lot of people are about to start or go back to university. Now - there are SO many things to talk about and I could very easily write the longest blog post on that topic, but instead, I thought I would focus on what is quite close to my heart: how to cope with feeling homesick.

Any guesses on where this was taken? 100 points if you guess it ;) 

1. Keep yourself busy: Especially when you've just moved in and everything is unfamiliar to you, it's best not to sit in your room by yourself thinking about how much nicer it would be at home. However, 'keeping yourself busy' doesn't necessarily have to mean going out clubbing all night - I'm the kind of person who always needs to feel comfortable and somewhat settled first, so for me, going out with a bunch of people I don't really know yet would just make me feel more homesick. 
You might be completely different, but certainly don't worry if you do feel like simply staying in, chatting to people in the kitchen and getting to know them. That's fine, too.

2. Make yourself feel 'at home': This can mean SO many things - from decorating your room nicely to having a cup of tea every evening. When you feel overwhelmed by everything, then never feel like you shouldn't do something just because of what other people may think. If you feel like being on the phone to your mum for an hour, then go for it. If it helps you to cuddle your stuffed animal - absolutely nothing wrong with that either. Do whatever makes you feel more at ease.

3. Don't be afraid to talk about it: Especially when you've only just started to get to know people, it can be really hard to be yourself sometimes. But don't pretend. If you are feeling homesick and someone asks how you are, don't tell him/her that you've never felt better. Be honest - say that you are missing home. Chances are they will or have gone through the same thing and if they do judge you, then they aren't worth your time. 

4. Feeling homesick isn't just something you 'grow out' of: And I mean that in a good way. I've heard so many people say that once you hit a certain age, you won't feel homesick anymore. If you then still do, then that can make you feel like you're not normal, and that there's something wrong with you. 
Feeling homesick is normal, no matter how old you are. This will be the fourth year in a row that I'll be leaving home again after the summer and I know that I will probably feel homesick at some point. Especially after spending a long time at home, or even in the middle of term when you're ill or stressed, it's normal to miss your family. Every time I call my mum saying that I miss home, she tells me that it simply shows how much home means to me. Her saying that always really helps me - it makes me realise that there's a silver lining in most things. 

Remember that feeling homesick isn't like learning how to cycle. You don't just learn it one day and are fine ever after. Instead, you slowly learn how to cope with it - a little bit better every single time. 


Let me know if you found this post helpful and if you have any other tips about moving away from home and coping with feeling homesick. xx

Small things in life appreciation post #2

Hey everyone, I hope you are doing well :)

Before I start, I just want to say that I've had a lovely few days off the Internet (the weather has now started to feel quite autumnal so I feel like I've truly made the most of the last days of sun and summer). Thank you SO much to everyone who has commented on and read my blog posts whilst I was away - it was so nice to log onto blogger again and read your thoughts and feedback! 

A few months ago, when I was right in the middle of taking my university exams, I posted about appreciating the small things in life. I was honestly blown away by the lovely response - it got so many page views and lovely comments and also made my blog gain quite a lot of new followers. It is a post that I re read regularly because it never fails to put me straight back into that appreciative and happy mindset that I was in that evening. 

So since I loved writing that post and you seemed to have liked reading it, why not have a small things in life appreciation post #2 :)

1. The sea - I could very easily spend hours and hours watching the waves crash and seagulls fly around trying to steal some poor person's food. What I appreciate even more about the sea though is that most people you see are happy. Truly refreshing actually when usually, everyone is rushing past, shoving others out of the way just to get that earlier train. 

2. The moon - this will sounds very very cheesy, but staring into the sky and seeing the moon always feels very calming to me. It makes me realise how massive the universe is, and any worries I might have suddenly seem insignificant. It has always been this way, ever since I was little - there is this homemade video of me (aged about 2) accidentally head butting the sofa (clumsy since Day 1 hahah). Naturally, I started crying - my mum then picked me up and walked over to the window. As soon as I saw the moon, I pointed at it, whispered 'moon' and started smiling again. 

3. Falling into bed after a long day - I've kind of touched on this in my last appreciation post, but there is honestly nothing better than falling into bed after a day of walking, with a cup of tea on the bedside table (ginger tea, preferably - anyone else obsessed with ginger tea at the moment?) and falling asleep with a smile on your face because you've had a good day. 


Is there anything you've really appreciated recently (or maybe ever since you were little)? Feel free to leave a comment below, and also let me know if you'd like these appreciation posts to be a more regular feature on my blog. I'd love to know what you guys think.

Have a lovely day xx