010: my new do!

THE HAIR CUT MY DAD DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE!

this ladies (and gentlemen?) this the hair cut my dad didn't even notice! neither did a lot of people as a matter of fact. anyway! it's been a good while since i last showed my face on this little blog and a lot of you probably didn't see what my hair was like before i had it cut so here is a picture pre chop. whenever i have a hair cut i always end up going for something i had when i was considerably younger rocking teal green glittery jelly shoes - but hey, i think it kinda works, what do you think? i felt like summer finn getting my hair all chopped off, someone queue hall and oates? 

 «currently in the record player: first aid kit drunken trees»

lots of love,

lily 

009: how and why i became a uni drop out

THE BASICS

what course?:
fashion promotion and imaging
where?: 
the university for the creative arts (the epsom campus)
why did i choose uca originally?:
• i loved the diversity of the course as i was so excited about learning and exploring the industry that i thought it was perfect.
• it's also a £6.55 train fare away (including underground ticket!) from london, instead of the
£50 fare from home to london. 
• and lastly, i loved the vibe, on the open day it felt so creative and homely.

THE NITTY GRITTY DETAILS

why did i leave?:
• i was hardly in, for someone that loves working hard and finishing things i felt like i rarely did anything (whilst this isn't saying we didn't get set any work!). we had two scheduled days off and on the other days i was timetabled to do something i would be in for 2 hours tops. this wouldn't have bothered me at all if we weren't told on the open day and even on the time tables we were given it said we'd be in 10am-4pm. i know friends that are hardly in as well but, it would have been nice to have had a more realistic timetable in the beginning - plus they aren't somewhere as quiet as epsom. 
• this leads me on nicely to the fact that it just wasn't worth the money. now clearly there are very few courses (if any!) that are worth £9,000 a year but i just felt like this barely came close to the figure.
• i had an unbelievable amount of free time and went home almost every thursday. which doesn't sound like too much i guess but, home was 2 1/2-3 hours away and a £30+ journey away every time.
• which add ups and leads on to the point where i had a little bit of an awakening- the day i hit £0.00. i had spend a lot (and i mean a lot) of money keeping myself occupied and knew i couldn't go on spending so much just so i wasn't bored in my room for weeks on end. 
• going back to the point where i said i was only in 2 hours tops, i also felt really uninterested by the lecture sessions. however, i don't for a second think i choose the wrong course because i was so excited about learning. i found sitting for two hours listening to someone talk about their life or watching a film really quite boring. especially when we were close to deadlines and were told to attend film viewings i thought it was a little bit silly and like they were trying fill in time.
• another factor was my facebook news feed - it was full of my friends enjoying themselves at university and it made me realised how much i wasn't enjoying it. uni should be an experience, not just a degree at the end of 3 years and a debt. i especially think this relates with creative courses because it's the work experience and contacts that gets you places in the industry. 
• as well as all of this home just made a lot more sense. i mean there is a good university here, i'm closer to my family, my friends and alex, plus i'd have my car back.

how do i feel about leaving?:
• honestly i feel like a failure, university is something i've been working towards for so many years and it's just not worked out. i've wasted a lot of my own and my families money and time and there really isn't much i can do about it.
• but, i am also happy that i am happy and back at home. it made me a very grumpy bunny and as soon as i stepped off the train and on the epsom platform my stomach just sank and i felt like crying. so for now, home is good (central london would be better, but home is good).

• i do feel like i've leant a lot about myself i have to say (without sounding like a cliché!) and i've cemented how i want to learn and explore the industry of advertising, marketing and fashion. 

what is next?:
• well firstly, i'm working on getting a job as this was something i missed so much - and something i am in desperate need in!
• i'm also working on some really interesting work experience/shadowing with a marketing agency at home that i'm really excited about.

in the future?:
• living at home and going to the university of gloucestershire - which ironically was the first plan before uca. i'll be starting in september as a year one student as i have got two unconditional offers and i'm a very happy bunny.
• once i have a job (and saved a lot!) alex and i have made tiny weeny plans to move in together.

please note: i'm not trying to troll on the university as i'm sure many people enjoy it there, but personally it was a disappointment  - as i think university in general is too! a lot of people asked for a post about this topic so i thought i would write one. i would also love to hear your experiences with university as well!

lots of love, 

lily

008: i got some snazzy white shoes!

WHO CAN RESIST CHAD MICHAEL MURRAY?

i've been a lover of converse ever since hilary duff was pictured wearing a pink pair on the cover of a cinderella story (who can resist chad michael murray?). eventually chose these beautiful and oh so shiny white ones - which are now on sale too! i haven't worn them as much in the winter because i'm not too sure how they look with tights so i would love your opinions but over the summer they didn't leave my feet!

lots of love, 

lily 

007: behind the scenes of my fashion photography and styling project at uca

I'LL BE FIRST IN LINE FOR ANY SMOCK RHI MAKES

just before leaving uca epsom in september i handed in my fashion photography and styling project - which whilst i enjoyed i just did not feel like was for me anymore. i unintentionally took some behind the scenes photographs and so i thought i would share them. the white pepper kindly lent me some of their beautiful shoes and a two piece (which i was in love with!). and i also worked on some smock designs with the wonderful rhi from vintage style me, which you can see in the first two photographs - aren't they adorable!? i can't wait for them to be released come spring/summer time, i'll be first in line for any smock rhi makes. we had a lot of fun creating the images that i ended up calling 'bopiscle' a mixture between bopping and a popsicle as we listened to one direction and chewed bubblegum i thought it was appropriate.  
this was my first proper university project, and my last at the university for the creative arts as the university of my dreams has really disappointed me. i'm tempted to do a little post about it because it's nice to know that some people are in the same butt (nemo reference i feel like i have to point out!).

lots of love, lily

p.s hi mum!  

006: the orla kiely scent review

IF LOLA, DAISY, HONEY AND DOT HAD A LOVE CHILD

'a charming fragrance of light floral notes, with natural extracts of rose, geranium and bergamot, subtly balance with fresh fig and a hint of chocolate.' - orla kiely website 

if you watched my youtube haul that was live for all of 5 minutes you might have had a chance to see the absolute steal of a price i got on this orla kiely perfume in tkmaxx. so i thought i'd pop a review up and let you know where you can get it for a reduced price as well. its currently 05:29am and i'm led in bed with the orla kiely perfume practically stuck up my nose trying to think what it smells like.

a few hours later, i think i've come to the conclusion that if marc jacobs lola, daisy, honey and dot had a love child (which would be impossible but hey) it would be the scent that is 'orla kiely'. i'm a sucker for names of products and anything that has a really strong image to it, so whilst the packaging is completely beautiful i do wish they had been a little more inventive with the name. however, it's time for me to attempt this beauty blogger stuff and describe the smell… it's fresh like dot but dark like lola with the sweetness of honey and a drop of daisy and it's own floral rose and geranium notes. and if that didn't make you want it then this video on the orla kiely perfume website will most definitely.

overall: price £15.99 (reduced from £55 on amazon for 100ml!) • notes: floral and fresh • out of 10: 7/10

lots of love, 

lily 

004: my a parcel from my favourite illustrator

ALL SORTS OF PRETTY CREATIONS

i've been in love with natasha's illustrations for as long as i can remember and recently-ish i placed an order with her from her etsy site velvet wolves. it's full of all sorts of pretty creations natasha has drawn and i'm always in totally awe of it and her talent. i bought some lana del rey and marie antoinette stickers that are so totally beautiful i want to stick them everywhere. whilst i've just pinned up this parcel on my new pin board for this post, i cannot wait to pin up my huge hoard of natasha's illustrations. i wish natasha could illustrate everything, i think the world would definitely be a prettier and pinker place. 
p.s i've also just noticed this amazing illustrated mean girls quote. 
p.p.s what do you think of the new post layout? i'm trying to get over the phobia of having portrait photographs on my blog.

lots of love, 

lily 

003: my most favourite christmas present

AND SO THE CHRISTMAS LIST BEGAN

you know when you buy someone a present and you really love it for yourself and the 'perhaps i'll just keep it' thought creeps in well…  oops… i'm just joking! i'm not that mean, but close! after a summer of visiting friends and making memories to dusty records, alex fell for vinyl players. so for his birthday i spent forever trying to find the perfect one which i got off trusty amazon. however, whilst on the search i discovered the dream that is this crosley (for myself!) but, it was sold out on amazon and was a fraction of the urban outfitters price. after seeing this floral dream i fell for the charm of vinyl players and had to have one, and so the christmas list began. i ended up getting a really simple black one, off amazon that was super cheap until the cutie patootie that is the blue crosley gets back in stock. 

whilst everything is charming in a vinyl format my favourites to listen to have been jake bugg (the first album), the great gatsby soundtrack and nothing is more enchanting than the completely gorgeous alex turner singing 'you're so dark' on a 7''. i have a long list of records and songs that i'm currently coveting including sidney bechet's si tu vois ma mère (from woody allen's midnight in paris!) and billie holiday's i'll be seeing you (from the notebook, hi ryan). 

p.s, happy new year!

lots of love,

 lily