Wednesday 26 March 2014

seventeen candles

Las Iguanas | Kingston-upon-Thames, London

Empanadas: smoky turkey & cheese with spicy cranberry salsa
the Full Enchilada with spicy chicken, pepper, onion & cheese
the South American Dream
passport holder and luggage tag - Cath Kidston
burgundy boots - New Look

It's official. I'm less than a year away from becoming an adult. In reality I'm not sure how I feel about this - mmhmm, yeah, it would be nice to get out of secondary education (15 months away, not that I'm counting) and dive into la vie adulte but  I don't think a year is enough for me to say goodbye to my childhood. I am sure as hell excited to a) apply for the 3659342749 magazine/newspaper work experience programs that require you to be 18 and b) go to the Holi Festival of Colour in London next year - boo hoo England, in India there are no age restrictions. 

My seventeenth birthday weekend was a seriously good one - Friday was spent partying with friends (i.e. watching them fall in love with my Mum and take a few too many selfies with her) and munching on mini pizzas. On Saturday 22nd, my actual birthday, my family and I popped into Kingston to visit Las Iguanas, the exact same place we found ourselves on my birthday last year. Dad and I shared a burger and an enchilada, with neither of us finishing every scrap. We just couldn't, despite how much we wanted to.  The service didn't quite meet the excellent standards they lay last year but the visit was great nonetheless. Since taking my friend Nadine to the Stratford branch in January I have made sure to always order the empanadas - they remind me so much of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The food in South America is outstanding and Las Iguanas works well as a substitute in England - it's the perfect choice if you're wanting to fill the Latin American-shaped hole in your heart (I know the feeling, seriously). Las Iguanas have branches all around the country, including 5 in my birthplace of Central London. If you're not a Londoner don't fret, you can check if there's a branch near you by clicking here.

Sunday was a combination of relaxing, Gossip Girl-ing and writing a 1,400 word French essay which I will in the next 6 weeks learn off by heart for my oral exam in early May. The weekend was concluded with an order from my long-time friend Mr Domino's, and I must say, it was magical.

So right now I'm either in Liverpool/North Wales/somewhere between the two aforementioned places on a Geography field trip, so this post was scheduled in order to publish this sometime before August. I come back on Sunday evening so if, shock horror, my tenth installment of my weekly Sunday review doesn't go up this week, don't you worry. If it doesn't go up next week, you can worry. I may have fallen off the summit of Snowdon or something. 

Thalia
xxx

p.s -This post wasn't sponsored by Las Iguanas, I just seriously like their food! I doubt they know of my existence but if you are a friend of theirs please send them in my direction, hehe...
p.p.s - I'm not sure if you'll be able to tell but oh my gosh the photo quality has improved big time thanks to my wonderful rents getting me a camera upgrade!! You guys are the best and you know it (and yes, I know you'll read this).
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Sunday 23 March 2014

the sunday review 09

So this week was quite eventful with my seventeenth birthday falling on a non-school day for what feels like the first time in decades (correction: 4 years). I celebrated with my friends on Friday night who were both brilliant and incredibly generous - honestly, I'm so grateful. During my party they also took the opportunity to become best mates with my mum - photo evidence of that here. More on how my birthday went down later though - I have a post planned on that due to be published ASAP.

Earlier on in the week I went to a UCAS convention with school and left with so many options crammed into my brain, from studying at an international university in the UK (a pretty confusing concept at first) to studying a course far different from what I'd originally planned. Right now I'm pretty concentrated on going into Media & Communications/Journalism but I don't apply for another 6 months or so, so until then there are no guarantees whatsoever. I've just got the odd 17 prospectuses taking up space in my room for now...

I hope you all had a lovely week - and a big wave to everyone from the United States who have stumbled upon my blog in this past week. I've noticed a surge of almost unexplainable views on here this week, so thank you for that I guess. The USA took over the UK for the first time ever on here also...what can I say, #teamUSA?!

Thalia
xxx
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Monday 17 March 2014

#BlogTour - my writing process

So my lovely friend Clem, who I've met here and caught up with here, recently answered some questions on the #BlogTour, before nominating me to continue the tour. It's about the process we go through when writing, something I find really interesting and a good chance to have a sneak-peak into the lives of others (because, well...I'm a lil' bit nosy). I'd definitely recommend you read her post on the #BlogTour - you can find it by simply clicking the conveniently placed link here.

DIY floral stationery jars - post here

What am I working on?
Writing for my blog is an ongoing process and has been for the past two and a bit years, and it's something I love coming back to. Other than this, I contribute for London Beauty Queen once/twice a month (you can see my contributions here) and the experience has allowed me to match the content I produce for another audience as well as practice and improve other things, such as photography. I'm also in the early stages of writing articles for a fashion website, something that allows me to do research on high fashion and designers, something I have not done much of in the past. As an A-Level Student, I have a couple of essays on the go at any one time so I always dedicate some time to tackle work my way around those.

How does my work differ from others in my genre?
When it comes to blogging, I make sure I always include something that shows a hint of my voice, not only as a writer but personality that shines through rather than just stating what a photograph contains or the items of clothing I'm wearing in so-and-so outfit post. I like to give a personal tone, one that enables me to ramble on about the most unnecessary things if that's what is on my mind at the moment, as I don't like to restrict myself to sticking to one topic. I'll leave that stuff for the essays!

Rome - post here

Why do I write what I do?
I write primarily about high street fashion as it is what interests me the most, and it has been that way for a number of years. Every month come payday I have a mental list of things I want to buy, and the tales of how I wear them (and quite frankly, interact with them) give me something to write about, so I have a bit of a ramble and give it a press of the 'publish' button. I adore writing and it is incredibly important to me that I write about something that is truthful, that I believe in and that interests me, and I guess fashion was just that 'thing'. Travel is high up there too, and I've ended up focusing my beauty-related posts for when I contribute to London Beauty Queen.

How does my writing process go?
My writing process all depends on what it is exactly I'm doing - if it's an extensive, detailed article I will bullet point my introduction, paragraph content and conclusion on lined paper beforehand in order for me to have something to follow and stick to, ensuring I don't go too off-topic. For the majority of blog posts I will have the photos done in advance, so I load them and then basically pour type my thoughts out onto the page. The process can take anything from 15 minutes, if I'm feeling productive and inspired, up to an hour and a half for long'uns and ones that require deep thought. Before publishing I will preview the post a good 3-5 times, checking for any spelling/grammar mistakes as I really detest finding them after I publish. My Rome post is probably the one that required most planning, and took me a good four hours to write.

That's all from me today - I hope you found this interesting! I've nominated my favourite bloggers as of late, Ashleigh and Stephanie from the tall and the short of it, who should publish their thoughts as part of the #BlogTour next Monday. Look out for it - but in the time being, you can stalk their blog here.

Thalia
xxx
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Sunday 16 March 2014

the sunday review 08.

photo from an upcoming outfit post, to be published soon

There really is nothing better than being with family. I mentioned last week that I don't get to see my family often as we're a collection of people placed kind of everywhere so seeing them in person is a rarity, albeit a very pleasant one. Monday saw my family and I head to our local Carvery (which, to anyone not in the UK, is a pub-like food place serving lots of meat, Yorkshire puddings and veggies, traditional Brit style). I have been craving one for goodness knows how long so taking Aussie relatives there was awesome. They loved it, I mean... as they should. The carvery is a place of Gods. The rest of the school week was pretty average, with lots of deadlines coming into place as of late and my mind finally getting the 'you should really get your revising on' vibes. I've got just under two months until my exams and I'm just so glad I have 6 fewer subjects than I had this time last year, exam season in year eleven simply sucked. If you're in year 11 right now - best of luck to you! You lucky lot have an incredible summer waiting for you at the end of it all.

The weekend was pretty average -I took a day off work today to go to the QS World University Tour in London only to find out that Melbourne Uni weren't there (despite being confirmed online) and encountered quite the number of rude people whilst trying to find answers. Finally a representative did arrive but it turns out my research was slightly more...extensive than theirs. Oh well. Mum and I grabbed a Subway afterwards (mine a toasted hearty Italian meatball marinara with extra cheese, as always) so that cheered up my mood quite significantly. The weather has stayed beautiful all week, which I'm incredibly grateful for. It's pretty outrageous stuff really, matching 'sunshine' and 'London' in the same sentence. Fingers crossed it stays this lovely because the upcoming week is my birthday week - yipeeee!

Post this week: goodness gracious


Thalia
xxx

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Wednesday 12 March 2014

goodness gracious

burgundy marl t-shirt new look (teens) / purple biker jacket new look (teens) / petite joni jeans in 'vintage' topshop (link) / black faux leather bag with zips dorothy perkins (link) / black hightop trainers new look / earrings claire's

location: Barnes Common, South West London
 
The days are becoming longer, sunnier and generally more enjoyable and I'm on a quest to make the most of it. As I mentioned in my Sunday review post, last weekend saw me drag my Dad to Barnes Common to have a daddy/daughter chat and it was an enjoyable experience indeed. It's a bit of rarity, you know, when the weather is actually 'nice' in England. So yeah - making the most of it I am. Wishing I was elsewhere? Of course, that's a given. The travel bug hit me hard at a young age and the side-effects are yet to ease off.
 
As for the outfit: the plum biker has been practically glued to me for the past year, being an all-time favourite transitional piece in a gorgeous colour. The vintage Joni's are a new purchase and damn, I'm in love. Comfort, style and a nice tone is a seriously rare find. I'd been after an everyday black bag for what felt like eons, so finding this in Dorothy Perkins was a real treat. Being my usual frugal cheapskate self I waited until I had a voucher and snapped it up for £14, so if you're after it I'd say patience is a virtue, as is student discount. NUS card, galore.
 
Thalia
xxx
 
now playing: ellie goulding - goodness gracious

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Sunday 9 March 2014

the sunday review 07

selfie with daddy galaxies xo // Barnes Common, SW London

So another week has passed and the 'theme' of this one has been family. I don't live near any family at all, with my closest aunts and uncles living in Exeter and Nottingham, so I always enjoy it when family members make their way into London. I also dragged brought my Dad along to Barnes Common to have a bit of a father daughter chat, walk and take some outfit photos so you can expect them on here ASAP. This week also saw me chat to the lovely Ash + Steph of the tall and the short of it, a fab blog that I've been raving about loads lately. They've been a huge help recently answering many questions of mine so a massive cheers to them for that! The beautiful sunshine and warmth has also been celebrated, I wish it could stay forever. London in the spring warmth reminds me why I love home so much.


Song on replay: james arthur - get down

Thalia
xxx
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Saturday 8 March 2014

my London Fashion Week experience

I've mentioned in a couple of Sunday review posts that last month I went to LFW, and it was an incredible experience. Now the first attempt (Saturday) didn't go too well, however on Monday things looked up and I had a wonderful time at Zeynep Tosun's show at Freemason's Hall, just a short walk from Holborn tube station.
I went on behalf of The Glass Pineapple, taking photos and writing a short write-up of the show. The write-up wasn't used in the end so here it is on FGXO. 

Zeynep Tosun toyed with the contrast of chunky knits and coats with oversized cotton/linen boyfriend fit shirts underneath. The prominent colours within the AW14 collection were beige, sienna, chocolate and grey with some ice blue on the other end of the spectrum. Texture was a key focus, with leather finding its way into each outfit, whether it be in the chunky chocolate heels or an edgy jacket. The music the models walked along to was upbeat and exciting, and featured a remix of London Grammar's 'Hey Now'. To top it all of, each outfit was capped by a chunky knit beanie, fit with a bobble on top to add some playfulness into the collection. 
On our walk towards Covent Garden my Mum and I passed SugarSin, a modern sweet shop with pick a mix filling the walls. It's an Instagrammer's dream and one for all sweet lovers to visit.
Next we haded to Bella Italia, one of my favourite restaurants. I never hide the fact that when it comes to food, I think the Italians do it best (I wrote a lot about Italian food in my Rome post from last year) and we both settled with their famous Spaghetti Bolognese. You can't miss it, really.
Renli Su // www.renlisu.com

Later on in the day I met up with my blogger bestie Sophie, who conveniently was in London all week due to her work PR placement. (If you're interested in finding out more about that, she wrote a post on it here). We popped into the Renli Su exhibition, which I found very interesting - the contrasting traditional Chinese-inspired clothing meeting the sporty trainers was an ambitious move and I think it paid off. For more photos of Su's collection you can just click here!
Sarah Ryan // www.sarahryan.co.uk 
George Styler // www.georgestyler.com 

So that's all from me today - I had a brilliant time at LFW and I'm so glad I fulfilled one of my 2014 goals by February. I'm not sure whether I will do next season as it runs during school time and by then I will be in my last year of school ever (!) and le focus will have to be on my education. However, by no means am I dismissing the idea - it does run on the Saturday, so you'll never know...

- to see my outfit post (featuring mummy galaxies xo) from the day just click here -

Thalia
xxx
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Tuesday 4 March 2014

pancake day dreaming

Now I don't know about you, but Pancake Day is one of my favourite days of the whole year.
Honestly though, it has had a firm spot in my diary for a while now...
You put in the first blob serving of batter. Everything is looking up. 
 "paws off my pancake!"
You watch in awe as family members squeeze syrup onto their pancakes. You consolidate your love for Maple Syrup and remember why, deep in your heart, you love Canada.
You take advantage of how photogenic you think the pancake/syrup/plate/cutlery looks, and proceed to photograph it all, before devouring the lot.
And then you saviour the last one until it's gone.

February 17th 2015, I am already excited for you.

Thalia
xxx
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Sunday 2 March 2014

the sunday review 06

what up to the guy behind me evidently rushing through Sloane Square

It's so weird how my weeks can range from being on-the-verge-of-death boring to so-jam-packed-I-need-time-to-breathe. Needless to say my week was primarily the former, so I'll keep this week's review short and snappy.

The school week was rather slow, with the exception of Tuesday, when I found myself home and in bed at 2.15pm thanks to my timetable permitting an early finish - one of not enough, I must say. Saturday was spent shopping, shopping and then shopping, after doing a bit of online shopping post-payday glory on Friday. I'm already almost crying at my bank balance (as per usual, I mean it has been a whole two days since I've been paid) but I picked up lots of things that make me happy. I haven't been physically out to the shops in what feels like forever, and it is good exercise, right?! My justification: shopping is my cardio. To make things even better, I picked up another pair of Topshop Joni's after toying with the idea for a seriously long time and I settled with these babies. Beautiful. Work today wasn't half bad either - an extra hour of work meant I had a half hour lunch break, which I celebrated by devouring two Sainsbury's cheesy rolls, as one does. 

I'm seriously looking forward to the rest of this month, it's going to be an eventful one. I have a fun uni lecture, a uni visit with school, various relatives coming to visit (some from Scotland, some from Perth - multicultural families represent), my birthday, 3 weeks off work and a Geography trip to Snowdonia which isn't too exciting now that I think about it. However, my Mum and I went on a bit of a Primark spree yesterday to tick things off the 'to bring list' and things are now looking more optimistic!

I hope you all had a fab week,

Thalia
xx


Song on replay: the 1975 - girls (the knocks remix) - so good you seriously have to listen to it go go go!

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P.S - a huge thanks for 100 followers on Bloglovin, you're all rather cool.
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