CARNIVAL FOR SOULS

I've been craving some summer sunshine and that anticipation when spring comes along for longer nights, birghter days and warmer weather got me motivated (whilst procratinating at uni) to go through some summer snaps from my previous trip to cyprus. Looking through these is making me so excited to start saving for another gataway or two this year. We're planning to go to cyprus again for a couple of weeks and then possible somewhere else in september, who knows though - we might find ourselves somewhere completely new!

What have you got planned for the summer?

Laura x

(Sources on my Pinterest)

Sometimes we need a little pick me up and for me these quotes have been helping me deal with stress and motivation to get my degree finished. I hope for whatever you're doing in your life that requires motivation, these wonderful quotes will provide the same positive mindset!

Laura x

With March nearing an end and the blossoming of Springtime, i thought i'd talk about some of my recent favourites.

1. Frends Taylor Headphones
Nothing beats a good jamming session to your favourite tunes whilst on the go or doing your daily activities. I've been using my Rose Gold Taylor headphones whilst studying for my last year at university, they're great for blocking out sound as they're nice and big but they also produce great quality sound. I've found it easy to sling them in my bag as they also come with a hand carry case!

2. How to Get Dressed by Alison Freer
How to get dressed was one of those books i saw on offer online and thought, why not? i've never really taken too much interested in self help fashion books as i've preferred to experiment with my wardrobe on my own. HOWEVER, this book is a little bit of a life saver. It's full of tips and tricks into making the most of your wardrobe and how to solve problems if they arise. From tailoring to tucking and everything in between, this book is worth a read.

3. Rimmel 60 Seconds - Mary Mary Quite Contrary
A gorgeous sing shade if you want to wear white polish but it doesn't suit you. White polish has never looked good on me because of my skin tone so i've had to find alternatives. This shade is a very light lavender colour that looks an almost off white/grey colour. Whats also good about this polish is it dries so quickly if you're a little impatient and prone to smudging like me.

4. Quay Australia
Quay has become quite the bloggers hype over the last year and i have fallen into the trap of falling in love with a lot of their sunnies. Although i love them its taken me this long to find my perfect pair but i'm so glad i waited. The shades i picked up are called Cherry Bomb. They're a Rose Gold frame with Rose Gold and Rose tint reflective lenses. They go with every outfit in my wardrobe and so they've become my go-to.

5. Dark red lips
Although spring is coming i'm finding myself drawn to dark reds to contrast my lighter spring outfits. The shade I've been wearing a lot recently is Earthy Plum by Avon Cosmetics but really i have a real mix of dark shades, some are more 90s vamp even!

6. Clinique Long last Glosswear SPF 15 - Air Kiss
When i'm not into wearing lipstick and am wanting something a little more toned down i've been drawn to subtle lip gloss. This shade by Clinique is a very light peachy pink colour that gives you a subtle boost in the lip department.

7. Radley London
I've known about Radley for quite some time however its only recently though i've found that they've upped their game big time and have been releasing gorgeous handbags. I stopped in for a little browse easter weekend and found myself drawn to this lovely tope-y grey shoulder bag, as a student i'm very careful with my pennies so i was about to walk out the door when my boyfriend started dragging me to the till and kindly purchased it for me as a pre early birthday gift. I can't wait to rock this throughout the Spring summer season. Its big enough to fit all of my essentials in but small and compact which is perfect for when you just want to pop out the door in the warmer weather.

What've you been loving this month?

Laura x

Whilst putting this post together i was collecting photographed moments from my trip to Austria. As i was sorting through there was something i noticed. Whilst i were away i had been capturing some gorgeous sights through the car window. This is something i rarely do as a passenger at home. The reason? I'm too damn connected to my phone. Instead of looking out for pretty sights i'm too busy looking at pretty things others have captured and posted on Instagram; or reading other people's social updates.

Now i'm not saying that staying connected is a bad thing, but I've realised i'm much more aware when i take a break from the screen of my device, and with that comes being much more appreciative of my surroundings.

After all theres nothing better than sitting in the back seat with my favourite artists making music in my ear whilst i stare out the window contemplating life.

My internet access was limited whilst i were there as data roaming costs an arm and a leg and Wifi isn't available on the road and up on the mountain tops. It was honestly nice to have a break during the day and to occupy myself with other things like walking, skiing, people watching and exploring. You don't realise that sometimes that a sight like the Instagram photograph that you're musing over could be right in front of you, if you just put your phone down for a second and look around.

Since coming home I've done little things like turn off all the notifications on my phone to stop distractions. That way i'll be more in control of my phone and my phone a little less in control of distracting me. I've come to the conclusion that this year i'm going to start decluttering my technology addicted self and cut down on the amount of time i'm spending looking at the screen whilst I'm out and about. I don't want to risk missing something amazing for the device in my pocket.

Thus the rest if this post brings some of the gorgeous little moments I'm so grateful i didn't miss, the possibilities and the opportunities i had to see something a heck of a lot more special than my screen.

Just before christmas i joined my family for a road trip away to our favourite little town in the Austrian Alps for a week skiing. As you can probably recall we had a very mild December and so there was only a little snow to allow us to put our skis on. For that reason we split up our days and took many little trips around the surrounding areas to see some other sights. We were an hour from The Germany-Austria boarder and an hour and a half from Königssee so we decided to visit. I am so so glad we did, it was one of the most gorgeous sights i have seen in quite a while and its a shame we didn't have more time as i would have loved to trek the mountain trails or take a boat trip across the water (maybe next time!). The lake was as flat as glass and had a lovely deep blue hue to it that was absolutely dreamy. The sun was shining low through the trees illuminating the remaining leaves a lovely burnt orange. It really was a sight i have trouble describing. It was one of those places that makes the pit of your tummy tingle with happiness and was truly breathtaking to me. I hope these photographs do this wonderful place justice and that maybe it gives you some inspiration to visit. Bavaria really is a stunning part of Germany and there are many places there that make my eyes shine with inspiration.

My beautiful mum & I

A couple of weeks ago I took a trip to the lovely city of Paris with my Nana (my mums mum) to explore galleries and exhibits. We're both Art fanatics in our own right, my Nana a painter and myself a photographer. We had the pleasure of visiting the Lourve, Palais De Tokyo, the Sacre-Coeur, Artist quarters and Paris Photo. The trip was lovely and I really enjoyed myself so I wanted to share some snaps from my iPhone.

When I look back I like to look back on the first two days as unfortunaly we were there when the awful Paris events unfolded, out of respect I felt I couldn't post photographs of the great time we had straight away as i wanted to respect the families who's loved ones didn't make it back from their holidays and night out without a scratch like I did. I also had my brand new iPhone stolen (thank goodness for iCloud and VSCO sync) on my way back to the airport by an awful human being who was still pinching people's possessions while many were in sorrow. I had to file a police report with an interpretator in between all of the caos that was happening around me and found myself (don't read the rest of this sentence if you're squeamish) spewing into a bag in a bus full of people; a mix of stress, the flu and travel sickness. I didn't get back until midnight as our flight was delayed at Gatwick due to the threat in the airport at home too. I had to remind myself that no matter the burden I was alive and well, a humbling experience.

My last night, the Friday, and the Saturday going back to the airport really made me think about what is important to me and slightly changed my perspective. It really does make you realise how we should appreciate the little things like watching the Eiffel sparkle at around 10.15pm as 11 police cars wiz past while you're blissfully walking along the river by the Lourve. Like the phone calls and messages we received from loved ones who were concerned whilst I was walking back to the hotel' moments before moaning about the pains in my feet from the long day of walking (still unaware of everything unfolding around me).

I am Truly grateful for being in the right place at the right time, for the little things like falling asleep and waking up the next day. So I guess what I'm trying to say is love and live every moment. This trip taught me about Art and Culture, but also about my gratefulness and love for life.

Another thing I noticed, the news stations on the telly were so focussed on the sorrow, on reporting that the streets were quiet and people were hiding back at home on that Saturday morning (before national mourning was announced). What I saw was something quite different, I saw strength, I saw people getting up and out on the streets showing those terrorisers out there that nothing they do can strike them down, I saw a United city with flags at half mast out of respect. Although these Parisians were most certainly worried (I would be and I was worried on that day) they never showed an ounce of weakness. Instead kindness, strength and the ability to go on and push through fear. Something that I completely respect.

After Christmas I'll share the rest of the snaps from my short trip away, once I've shuffled through them. For this post I really wanted to talk about the trip separately as not to dampen the mood of the first two lovely days of the trip. It ended up as probably the worst weekend I've experienced but also a beautiful trip spending quality time with one of my relatives.

It's kind of Bittersweet to look back on, or I guess the other way around if you think about it. This isn't a sad post but rather a reflection of thoughts, a bit like a diary entry and also a celebration of all the goodness that good people, smart people and things like art and architecture bring to make a city beautiful throughout terrible times.

I hope you'll come back for my next Paris post, I'll be sharing all the things I loved and appreciated whilst there!

Laura x