Update time: ice hockey, cake and more cake

Hey everyone, I hope you are doing well! :) 

Today has been a bit of a rubbish day because I woke up with a really sore throat, a cough and a massive headache, which meant that I had to cancel going to a football match that I had tickets for. So I thought I'd cheer myself up by writing a short blog post. I hope you enjoy :)

DISCLAIMER: this post is once again going to be an update post. I have another post planned on how to turn bad days into good ones, so stay tuned for that! 

there was a proper lighting show going on
right before the match. Doesn't it look cool?!

The past weeks have been exciting, eventful, exhausting, stressful, amazing, incredible - all at once. Here are some of my highlights:

1) Seeing an ice hockey match - last Friday, I went to see an ice hockey match with my flatmates and some friends I've made at uni. The tickets were free for students and it was so much fun. To be honest, I don't know anything about ice hockey and half of the time I had absolutely no idea what was going on (apart from the fact that it's quite violent), but I loved the atmosphere. 

2) Seeing The Maze Runner 2 with my flatmates - I've heard a lot of people say that the second film isn't as good as the first one. I can't comment on that because I haven't seen the first one, but I enjoyed all the action going on! 

3) Cake - Since moving in, there hasn't been a single day that I haven't had cake. For some reason, there is ALWAYS cake in the kitchen. Yesterday, we decided to be "healthy" and have fruit instead, when one of our neighbors asked for a measuring jug and - as a thank you - gave us some cake she just baked. She needed her plate back, so obviously we couldn't not eat it. Then today, a giant parcel arrived filled with chocolate, honey, cookies...and - who would have guessed - an entire cake that my mum had baked. 

I'm not complaining. 

But seriously, this flat is turning into cake central. 


I've also been clubbing and actually really enjoyed myself (although I still prefer being able to talk to people as opposed to shouting at them). 

What have you been up to? Let me know in the comments. 

Have a lovely weekend xx

Hello Cologne :)

Hey everyone, I hope you are doing well :)

Sorry that I haven't been posting much lately (I've missed this space), but I moved to Cologne into uni accommodation last week, so I've been pretty busy packing/moving in/settling in. Today's post is going to be a recap/update of what has been going on and how Cologne uni life is treating me so far. Hope you enjoy.

My parents helped me move, so on Saturday evening we had dinner
in this lovely restaurant right by the river Rhein. 

1. Flatmates

Since it's student accommodation, I had no idea who I was going to live with before moving in. I was really really nervous, actually, and opening the flat door for the very first time was probably the most terrifying thing I'd done all summer, but I really shouldn't have worried that much. I'm living with two guys and one girl (who is moving in later today), and the past week living with the guys was probably the best first week I could have ever wished for. One of them is really into shopping, baking, drinking tea (perfect, if you ask me), and the other one loves football and swimming (awesome as well), so for me, being quite girly but loving football and formula 1, it's the best mix! We cooked together, spent hours chatting in the kitchen, eating cake and chocolate, so what more is there to ask for, really?

2. My room

Compared to my room in London, this one is absolutely massive. It has a tiny balcony (by tiny I do mean tiny - just about enough space to stand, but I love being able to step outside first thing in the morning), and it faces some trees and grass, so there's even wild rabbits hopping around. (yay nature)

3. University

There wasn't too much going on last week in terms of uni apart from two introduction days. I've met some nice people, but I think it will just take more time to make proper friends. Next week is going to be the first full week - introduction lectures mainly - and then proper lectures and tutorials start the week after. What I will have to get used to is how big the uni is. I know where the main building is, but that's pretty much it, so I'll have to work on that a bit haha.

4. Going out

The first few days in a new environment were quite overwhelming, so I decided that I would explore the city and university during the day, and then come back to the flat at about 7/8pm just to settle in first. I then went to a student bar opening on Thursday with one of my flatmates and this guy I met at uni, and it was pretty fun. 

Overall, I've been so so lucky with my flat. It's the university and people on my course that are still quite unfamiliar, but uni hasn't even properly started yet, so that'll be fine. 

Hope you have had a lovely week, do let me know in the comments what you've been up to xx

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

A little bit of a room tour...

Hey everyone, I hope you are doing well!

Recently, I've been really getting into room decorating. I'm not even too sure why, but there is something really fulfilling about adding a few new things here and there or even just moving stuff around a bit! 

So today I thought I would share a little bit of my room and show you the bits and pieces that I'm proudest of :)

I got the little Arsenal pin when I went to see Arsenal vs Everton in March. It was the first ever football match I went to and such a special day for me since I've loved watching football with my dad ever since I was tiny. 

The music metal sign is from Covent Garden - when I saw it, I just had to get it. I listen to music pretty much 24/7 and the little quotes really speak to me. 

And another metal sign - clearly, I have a bit of an obsession haha. This is actually a calendar (which I always forget to keep up to date) and I bought it in a random German shop. The mirror is from a small homeware shop somewhere near Bath and I painted it grey myself because I preferred it that way. The little plant pots that I'm using to keep some of my make up in are from IKEA, I believe. 

I fell in love with this clock the moment I saw it. Again, it's from a random German shop, but I've seen very similar ones pretty much everywhere - both in Germany and in England. I love the old fashioned, used look and of course the fact that it says 'London' on it ;)

Is there anything in your room that you are particularly proud of? Let me know what you think down in the comments xx

Styling grass & short update

Hey everyone, I hope you are doing well :)

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you will know that I recently purchased a DIY grass head called Mr Sprout (thanks again to Rainbow for coming up with that lovely name). 

Today the grass had finally grown long enough to do some cutting and styling so here's how that went... 

as you can see, there was even some nose hair going on
(which I did trim)

I was pretty impressed with my hair styling skills at this point

and here we go! hairstyle complete

I have to say that I'm pretty happy with the result. It literally took no time at all (about 5 minutes max) and was surprisingly easy. 

UPDATE TIME

1) I have FINALLY found a place to live! I got the news yesterday and was so so relieved. I will be living in a 4 people flat in student accommodation, so keep your fingers crossed for nice flatmates :) 

2) From tomorrow until next Wednesday, I will be taking a break from the Internet. This is because one of my best friends from uni is coming to visit me, which I'm so excited about. We won't see each other much next year because she'll be at uni in Paris and I'll be in Cologne, so I can't wait to properly hang out with her before we're both going off to new places! 

I will however try to schedule a post to go up this weekend, but I've never done this before, so it may or may not happen depending on how tech savvy I turn out to be haha. 

I hope you have a lovely week and as always, feel free to leave a comment down below xx