Sunday 29 September 2013

Halloween costume ideas!!

Okay I know halloween isn't for a month or so but I'm stuck for ideas fo posts and thought this would be a fun post! I love halloween and I'm hoping someone has a party this year so I can dress up!! However I'll be ill as I'll have just had my tonsils out which is sad so I may just be dressed up at home in bed on loads of pain killers...
Anyway, these are my 3 easy costume ideas! I don't go to many parties (any to be honest...) but when I do go to fancy dress ones the first two are what I usually wear, and they're very simple!

me aged 9 lollllll

Outfit 1- Native American costume
Now I'm a little concerned posting this that I may be appropriating culture so sorry if this is like offensive to anyone!! My parents made the dress for me when I was 9 and a girl in my class had an Indian party (like cowboys and indians) and we stayed in a teepee and it was really fun!! My parents are not creative and we made it purely because it was so simple and buying a good costume usually costs about £30. To recreate this either wear a brown dress, preferably with some fringing or if you're making it we got a large piece of suede material, folded it in half and cut a head hole (be careful with this as my mum cut it way too big) then sew up the sides. You could even safety pin to be honest.  Buy some edging (we got ours in haberdashery) and sew it around the top. We did all the sewing by hand and I'd guess in total it took a couple of hours and cost around £8. We then bought a headdress from a 'party store' near my house for around £4, though you could make your own using tutorials like this.
To complete the look I drew 3 lines across my cheeks, wore sandals (or heels if you prefer) and attached these plaits which I also got in the party store, though you can just plait your hair! I attached a piece of cord around my waist to tighten it too.




 I included this last photo to show how short my dress is! To make this more age/weather appropriate just add tights :-)
I think this is such an easy and effective costume and you can make it cheaply!

Outfit 2: Ballerina.
 This is so simple and I think it looks great. I bought the leotard over 3 years ago from primark as part of a costume for a gym and dance competition at school. I think it was £4, and you can still buy them in loads of shops now (if you dance you could just wear one you dance in).
Next to make the tutu I used this tutorial on rookie. i bought a lot less of the netting than it said- i think i bought a metre squared for around £6 however if you want a thicker one just buy more. And i bought the ribbon in the fabric shop for £1. I'd suggest buying an extra piece for your hair.
The tutorial is very easy to follow but time consuming! I think it took 2 hours but it's definitely worth it.
please excuse my face in these, i didn't think my head would be in them

profesh ballet pose lol


me on new year's ever looking... interesting. no wonder no one kissed me at midnight lols
To completely the look I would wear simple, girly make up and tie hair in a bun. I have a pair of shoes which look like ballet shoes and one time i wore this I tied ribbon up my leg. However any pink or light coloured shoes would work.

Outfit 3: Cat.
 Okay I will explain now that I intended to do this outfit when I found out I've lost my leotard. In the ballerina photos I just wore a black vest top so I can't take photos of the cat one :-(
 Now I expect some people would consider this 'slutty' and inappropriate and I guess if you're going to like a family party this isn't the best look, but I think with thick tights it's not revealing at all and yanno it is halloween!! To do this I would use the leotard previous look and a pair of thick tights, though you could use more than one pair if you prefer. To get a tail I would use a safety pin to attach a piece of black fabric to the back of the leotard, though I'm hoping to get something fluffier!
To make the headband I will use this tutorial, however I might swap the craft wire for a pipe cleaner. If you dont fancy making one you could easily get one in a fancy dress shop or even some shops like topshop had them for a while.
To complete the look I think make up is key. I'll use thick black eyeliner, mascara and then paint my nose black and draw whiskers using the eyeliner. Finally add black heels or any black shoes would work. If you aren't comfortable wearing just a leotard you could wear a skirt or shorts, like my friends did to a new year's ever party.
okay you can't see her outfit, but mollie was a cat on new year's ever!
 This is a lot more casual so if it's not strict fancy dress I'd definitely do this- don't want a Mean Girls moment


Outfit 4: Little Red Riding Hood.
I wore this on my last day of year 11 after a lot of debating, and I think it turned out pretty well! I look awful in the photos from that day though, I was tired and urgh just not attractive! I wore a school dress which my mum bought in Asda for £3.99, it's literally one of the ones people wear to primary school haha. We bought a little apron in a haberdashery for £4 and I borrowed some velvet from a friend and a basket from my grandma. I wore brogues and white socks!




I hope you enjoyed this post and if you have any suggestions for future posts or how to improve these costumes or anything really please comment!
Laura x

Wednesday 11 September 2013

How to survive school

I really like reading back to school style posts even though I don't enjoy school so I thought I'd do some tips and basically talk you through my school routine. This post is somewhat cringey okay so sorry for that! This has been perfected over the last 5 years and I think it's realistic and achievable (as opposed to my idealistic ideas of waking up at 4 and jogging while watching the sunrise then meditating in the garden.. not so likely).

The night before

The more you get done now, the better. It might seem depressing to do school related things when you've just returned, but seriously, you'll be thankful in the morning.
  • First off: homework. Don't put it off. Some of my friends seem to leave homework until Sunday evening and I do not understand how. During the week try to do as much as you can on the day it's set, meaning when you finish you can actually relax instead of having that horrible feeling that you have more to do. It might not be fun or interesting, so reward yourself with snacks and tv afterwards.
  • Next, pack your bag for tomorrow. I genuinely do not understand how people don't do this. Why would you want the hassle in the morning?! Check your timetable, put your books in, folders next to your bag, all that. Now if you can't find a textbook or something you have time to prepare (aka turn room upside down searching for it). This is also why it's good to do all your homework first; you can put your books in now without having to get them out again. Also now's a great time to realise you've forgotten to take out your lunchbox or stock up on tissues and stuff, just give yourself plenty of time for these mini emergencies.
  • Now you can do whatever you want. Watch some tv, climb a mountain if you really want to. But you can relax for a while. After dinner, or whatever you're doing around 7 ish, I think is a good time to make your lunch for tomorrow. I'm not sure why, this is just when I like to make it. It's good to do this the night before because it just means you can get up later the next day. If you're lucky enough to have parents who'll make it for you then that's fab but I don't. For years I didn't eat lunch whilst at school and if you do that then it's stupid!! Take lunch. You need energy and also lunch is great. Once you've made it, fill up your water bottle and put them together in the fridge, this way when you come to get them out, they're together and neither get forgotten (forgetting your lunch is so sad).

how cute is my lunch box?!


  • I'd also recommend having your bath/shower the night before. I always have baths, and although a shower may be a great way to wake yourself up, it's just another task to face in the morning. Also, a lovely relaxing bubble bath is the perfect way to unwind in the evening. This is optional of course and if you always shower in the morning then that's cool, but just try this because I think the more sleep the better.
  • Get your clothes ready for tomorrow. If you wear uniform I find it useful to lay it out in the right order, even with underwear, tights, etc. Just to make things simple. You also have time to discover if your jumper/skirt/shoes are missing. I've had many mornings stood in blouse and tights digging through my wardrobe for a skirt and it is not fun. If you don't have uniform you might want to plan your outfit now, I don't at the moment as the weather's so changeable but I think I will later on in the year.
  • Have an early night. I guess it depends how much sleep you need and how early you have to wake up, but if I'm not in bed by 10 every night I get seriously tired. For some people this may seem ridiculously early but it works for me. I think 9.30 is like my best time for going to sleep because after a few days I don't feel too tired when I wake up. If you have trouble sleeping try drinking a calming tea (it honestly helps), coming off the computer/your phone about half an hour before bed and try reading in bed with low lighting.
  • Set an achievable alarm. Don't set 4 or 5 or hit the snooze button. Tell yourself when you're going to wake up and stick to it. It's much easier and you know how much time you have so there's no need to rush. I leave the house just after 7.30 so my alarm's set for 6.48, but you'll know how much time you need.

The next morning

  • You're now awake and it probably feels far too early. If anyone has tips for waking up when it's dark outside then please help because I find that so depressing. Most of the time though I like to sleepily wander downstairs in my pyjamas and turn on the kettle before even beginning to think. 
my bed is the comfiest thing in the world omg
  • If you have to check your phone (I always hope I'll have a text saying school's been cancelled) just turn it on now, and leave it. When you come back upstairs check for any urgent texts but if not just leave it and reply on the way to school. Don't let yourself get distracted by social networks and suddenly it's time to go and you're in your pyjamas- speaking from experience here!
  • Get your lunch out of the fridge and put it by your shoes or in your bag. This was you'll see it and won't forget it! You'll also see it in the fridge when you're getting your breakfast, perfect.
  • I like to have tea and toast or crunchy nut for breakfast, porridge in the winter, but have whatever you want. Don't skip breakfast!! For a couple of years I never had breakfast because I just saw it as an easy meal to skip and this was stupid. It's very hard to concentrate when you haven't eaten and makes you more hungry throughout the day. Go for something with carbs which slowly release energy as opposed to loads of sugar as it realises it quickly, and if you're tired maybe tea or coffee as they contain caffeine. I like to settle down in front of the tv with my breakfast and munch away whilst watching Arthur (not a joke) but if this slows you down then just eat. 
  • Now I like to wash my face. This wakes you up definitely. I use hot water on a face cloth, pat my face dry then cleanse and moisturise. Pretty simple but effective. 
  •  After this I choose my outfit and get changed. This is probably a weird tip but if you use roll on deodrant while it's drying I start to brush my hair. Is this just me or is it awful putting on something with tight underarms when the deodrant hasn't quite dried- ew. So yeah I like to do that.
  • Next I do my hair. To be honest I tend to just brush it but I'll occasionally do something more elaborate. Be sure you're checking the clock all this time too!  If you wear make up to school I'd put it on now. I tend not to, but if I'm wearing a bit of concealer/ curling my eyelashes I would do it now, so that you've got all the important stuff done and if you had to skip a stage it would be this one.
  • Finally, I go downstairs and put my lunch in my bag, put my shoes on, pick up my bus money and leave. I don't like waking up early but I really do think this makes it bearable! If you have any tips feel free to share and I hope this helps someone :-)!
Laura x

Wednesday 4 September 2013

Summer is over

I meant to post this yesterday but forgot. Summer is over for me now as I started sixth form today (though the weather doesn't seem to agree as it's boiling) and so I made this video summing up my summer.
I actually did some lovely things and completed all but 1 of my summer bucketlist (i didn't go for a bike ride which is silly because i could esaily have done)
Here's a list of some of the things I did do then I'd love for you to watch the video :-)!

-Went on a lovely holiday with one of my best friends and my parents
-Went to my first music festival
-Stayed with Beth
-Had a movie day
-Slept loads
-Watched lots of tv
-Went to London twice
-Went camping with my friends
-Went to Bath
-Went for a day out in a little seaside town
-Worked and earned money
-Exercised quite a bit
-Had some lovely barbecues at the beach
-Went for some cute little picnics
-Watched the fireworks on the beach
-Got my GCSE results
-Saw 14 meteors

Enjoy, from Laura x