SkinnyDip London Wishlist August 2020

During lockdown I have saved so much money, mostly from not buying clothes! This time has made me realise I don't need to buy so much stuff I don't really need. However, as I'm venturing out of the house a bit more now, I do want some new clothes to wear.

SkinnyDip is such a cute brand, I own so many items from there, in fact I have a post up on my blog of my SkinnyDip bag collection, and it's already grown since I posted it! I have to have some self control on there website because otherwise I'd be skint from everything on there. 

- Disney X SkinnyDip Marie Jumper

Marie is one of my favourite Disney characters and this jumper would be great for wearing on a cooler summer day (it's not exactly a heatwave in the UK.) It would also transition into Autumn/Winter nicely. 

- Disney X SkinnyDip Thumper Makeup Bag

With not leaving the house much in lockdown I've got used to not wearing much lockdown. However, since I've gone back to work I've been wearing more makeup and in need of a new makeup bag. I love holographic material and this has such a gorgeous design.

- Talk To The Palm Cushion

I have a very cosy vibe in my bedroom and can't get enough cushions. I love the print and the quirky style of this cushion.

- Petrol Sequin Halter Top

Although parties are cancelled for while, (especially in greater Manchester where I live.)  This would be such a cute top to put away for a future occasion. Roll on summer 2021!

- Sparkle Mini Skirt

So as you can probably tell, I really, really like sequins. Only trouble is, you lose quite a lot of them on the dance floor on a night out. I think this will be another item that will sadly not get an outing until next summer. But it is so dreamy!

- Rainbow Makeup Brush Set

With wearing makeup more often, I need a full kit of brushes too. I love glitter so this kit looks perfect for me!

How To Stay Sane During Social Distancing

Picture credit: @sophierosebrampton
Hello. I am, like many other people am feeling very anxious at the moment due to the outbreak of Covid-19. We have no idea how bad this virus is going to get and it's normal to feel worried. It is also making people feel lonely and isolated. Festivals, concerts, holidays and sports are being cancelled. Although it may seem difficult, it is hugely important right now to practice social distancing to stop to spread of the virus.

- Channel your creative energy
I personally am going to be throwing myself into blogging, as it is a creative outlet and a portfolio of my writing. Some other ideas are scrapbooking, painting and sewing. What you make doesn't have to be amazing, as long as you enjoy it.

- Spend time with a pet
Pet owners on average have lower stress levels, plus dogs and cats can't catch or spread the coronavirus so you can spend as much time with them as you like!

- Clean your room
This isn't the most fun thing on this list, I won't lie, however cleaning can be very therapeutic. A tidy space equals a tidy mind. To make it less overwhelming try breaking up the different small tasks, e.g, making your bed, sorting out your wardrobe, cleaning make up brushes, hoovering etc.

- Read books
I've been trying to read more and social distancing is the perfect excuse. Books can provide escapism and can get you away from constantly looking at screens.

- Have a social media break
Reading too much on social media can cause a lot of stress and anxiety. It's easy to feel overwhelmed, especially with a lot of false and misleading information around. The news about the virus is everywhere, it can feel difficult to escape from it. However, staying off social media for a couple of hours each day can ease the anxiety.

- Make a to do list
This can make you feel productive, even if you aren't actually being that productive.

- Talk to friends/family (digitally)
Reach out to someone if your feeling lonely, especially elderly family members and family members you don't see very often.

- Think about the exciting things you can do when this is all over
Things may not be great now, but hopefully soon, things will be back to normal. We will go on nights out again, festivals will happen again. Football will be back, weddings will happen, we will go out freely. Things that we used to take for granted before.

Stay safe everyone,

For advice on the coronavirus from the NHS, follow this link.

2020 Blogging Bucket List

Recently I have fallen back in love with blogging. As we start a new year, and a whole new decade, there a few things I would really like to achieve.

REACH 1,000+ FOLLOWERS ON INSTAGRAM
This is quite an ambitious goal, considering I've got a very long way to go (972, to be exact) but you've got to start start somewhere!

GET A DECENT CAMERA (+ LIGHT)
Although I believe writing is everything when it comes to blogging, you can't have an amazing, successful blog without decent photography. I'm also hoping to get a soft box, an affordable one of course.

BECOME SELF HOSTED
I'm planning to make the jump from blogger to wordpress (Sorry blogger, it's not you, it's me, it's time to move on) It makes me so happy to be the owner of thefashionfemmeblog.com, so becoming self hosted is something I am working on, it will defintely be worth it! Also if anyone has any advice for doing this it would be very appreciated.

SHOW OTHER BLOGGERS SOME MORE LOVE
I read a LOT of blog posts, however, remembering to leave a comment is something that I find quite hard. Plus when you show other bloggers some love, they are way more likely to return the favour, which is lovely for everyone!

GROW MY FOLLOWING ON PINTEREST
I LOVE pinterest. I spend wayy too much of my free time on there. It's great- you can find anything on there. But in 2020 I'm planning to spend a little less time pinning ideas for my dream home and a little more time promoting my little blog.

POST EVERY WEEK
Ok, I know I did say that I wasn't going to promise weekly blog posts, as I don't want to make promises I can't keep. However, I've had a change of heart. When I think about it at the end of 2020 if I've written and published 52 high quality blog posts (or even more) I'd be hugely proud of myself.

WORK WITH A BRAND I LOVE
Working with brands is a huge dream of mine, studying fashion business at university has given me an interest in doing this.

HAVE MORE CONSISTENT BRANDING
As I've mentioned before, I study fashion, this has made me realise the importance of having good branding. Having a consistent colour palette, using the same fonts and having a clear aesthetic is crucial for businesses, so this is something that I want to work towards.

Goodbye 2019, Hello 2020

From @LittleMix on instagram; Manchester Arena concert 14/11/19. I was there !!!

2019... I'm not going to lie, I'm so glad to see the back of this year. Not a lot went my way this year, some of it out of my control and some of it not so much. I thought I would write a blog post about my feelings because I've got a lot of them. Looking back at my 2019 goals I came across these wonderful and accurate lines;

Oh honey, you've got a big storm coming.

But you know what, I just need to pick myself up and keep going. I think sometimes I forget that 21 is actually very young, I've got plenty of time and it's never too late.

A new year is a fresh start, I know some people absolutely hate that saying but it's a positive way of looking at the new year.

2020 feels like a fresh white page in a new sketchbook.

I've struggled with stress and anxiety and it's really held me back. I need to stop comparing myself to my peers and wondering why I'm not doing everything they are doing. Does anyone else feel the same way? Comparison really is the thief of joy. I don't think that certain things in life, like graduating from university, getting a good job, travelling the world, have time or age restrictions. You can do everything in your own time, as long as you are doing your own personal best. Going forward into 2020, I'm going to be doing what's best for me, I'm not going to worry too much about what other people think.

Something amazing did happen this year though- I met my lovely girlfriend who has made me the happiest I've been in a long while. She's called Abbie and she's a really good egg!

As I'm trying to focus on the positives, I'm going to write a bucket list for the coming year. I'm not setting new year resolutions any more cause it's just not gonna happen. I also think it's quite negative; if you break a resolution, you feel bad about yourself. I do really want to improve my mental health but there's no pressure, like I say, I don't want to put time limits on myself.

1) Start a scrapbook - good way to channel my creative energy and it's also quite an easy way to ease myself back into making art.

2) Start an etsy shop - my mum has always said I should do this, and that I'm good at making things. If your mum supports you, well at least that's a good start. I may as well try!

3) Make a new CV and linked in account- 2020 is the year of being a very boring adult, I'm already so excited.

After all these years of blogging I've realised I can't promise regular blog posts but I do have some quite good content planned so please try and stick around for that.

See you soon. Hopefully 2020 isn't the worst?