I'm not a big halloween person at all but I'm actually going to a little party this weekend for the first time since... forever?! I don't want to paint my face white or anything like that so I think I shall simply go as Morticia Addams. These simple lace dresses from New Look are perfect for Halloween as you can always wear them again.. for anything! I absolutely love the tight pencil like fit of the first dress but love the choker neck detailing of the other dress... very Addams like if you ask me!
What with the festive period fast upon us, I haven't been shopping in ages but New Look's range of dresses are really tempting me. After all, I do need a nice sparkly dress for Christmas Day. Excuses, 'ay?
What is everyone doing tonight? We haven't even got a pumpkin this year :( sob. Have a fab Halloween :)
A xo
Book - from ebay here
This book has been an absolute god send over the past couple of weeks. Charlotte recommended it to me and it's one of them things I would totally recommend to any girl. Whether you're in a relationship, just got out of one or single; it's a must read.
Why should you be the only one who puts effort into a relationship? Why be the only one who respects the relationship? Why give someone your complete all when you're just an option to them? We all have expectations but at times it's hard to communicate these expectations to men because quite frankly; they're clueless! I feel like I'm way mature than any guy my age. I feel like I have so much love to give someone but haven't found the right person yet. However, I then forget I am only twenty and there's thousands of good guys out there.
These past few weeks may have been tough but I'm doing just fine on my own. I've had my cry and I've had my few days of eating junk and feeling sorry for myself; but now I'm over that and I'm positively looking to the future. This book teaches you to not depend on any one but yourself; whether you're a man or woman. It's seriously bizzare how much I could relate to it. There's mistakes I have made which I didn't think were mistakes at the time; but now I know not to repeat these in the future. I don't want to give too much away but seriously go buy it. You will finish the book with a brand new outlook on life, relationships and feelings. I feel like I have learnt SO much!
These past few weeks may have been tough but I'm doing just fine on my own. I've had my cry and I've had my few days of eating junk and feeling sorry for myself; but now I'm over that and I'm positively looking to the future. This book teaches you to not depend on any one but yourself; whether you're a man or woman. It's seriously bizzare how much I could relate to it. There's mistakes I have made which I didn't think were mistakes at the time; but now I know not to repeat these in the future. I don't want to give too much away but seriously go buy it. You will finish the book with a brand new outlook on life, relationships and feelings. I feel like I have learnt SO much!
A xo
Thursday night, I attended the Ax Paris #AXParty hosted by the blogger network e-tail webstores. I went along to the one in April which was amazing but this topped that by far! It was a limited guest list so I feel so lucky to have been invited!
I finally met the babes Islay and Sam at Tower Hill Station and then we walked to the venue which was Proud Cabaret; luckily only a five minute walk. We bumped into Lauren and had a little catch up whilst meeting Rhea and finally after years of reading her blog; Kayla! Upon entering the venue we was told to take the staircase going down until we reached the seductive, smokey and dark room where it all went on. The first thing we all saw was little waitresses walking around in french knickers and stockings. Quite the shocker! As soon as we all entered we was given a cocktail which was lovely and fruity! And then me Lauren & Islay got our photo taken :)
The atmosphere was so surreal. We knew we was being treated to a Burlesque show at some point so the interior was 1920-1930's inspired with a little bit of the 40's thrown in too. Long purple draped curtains, gold fairy tale like mirrors and sultry lamps hung everywhere really added to the excitement of it all.
We got to see the collection of dresses by AX Paris which are for their A/W collection. Most are on the website! I actually wore the snake print smock dress* pictured above which a girl from the team at AX Paris noticed! I noticed a lot of the dresses were lace and some were super sparkly; perfect for the festive period upon us! We then got to see the new TV advert which is yet to be aired so keep an eye out for it! The lovely Jade Thompson who won Britain's Next Top Model is the girl who models everything. She was there and gave us a little talk and was even about for a chat and photos.
We was then treated to the burlesque show we had all been waiting for! I didn't get many pictures due to the lighting but it was all very sexy. Nipple tassels and bootaaaaaay shaking on a mid week night was certainly something!
We OBVIOUSLY took full advantage of the photobooth as did everyone. So funny! There was a pic and mix station aswell which offered milk bottles and chocolate mice - my absolute favourites! As the event whirled to an end, we all received a goodie bag full of treats from the likes of: Dr Organic, Barry M, Collection and Dr Lipp.
It was a fantastic night all in all and I'm now going to pop open my zeo drink. Huge thanks to AX Paris for a great night and for e-tail for inviting me. I can't wait for the next one!
A xo
I've avoided letting you all know in hope things would change and everything would be okay. However, if there's anything I've learnt from being hurt in the past; it's choosing the right time to walk away.
Me and Andrew decided to go our separate ways a few weeks ago. If something isn't allowing you to grow as a person anymore, it's time to face your fears of being alone and walk away in order to find happiness. Time is the best healer as they say and I respected that. I wasn't the one who initially walked away as it seemed like I was the only one fighting towards the end. I just hoped things would change. I have been so happy this year and I will never forget the memories I have with him but that's all they are; just memories which made me incredibly happy at the time.
It's a really weird thing not seeing someone in the evenings, not spending lazy days with someone, not going for food and not cuddling up to someone at night. I don't have anyone to laugh at the tv with, tickle or share an ice-cream with. We had hard times like any other couple but we had some of the best times aswell. I wish I could thank him for helping me to have faith in another guy again.
It's now October; four weeks away from being our one year anniversary sadly. I will happily admit with no embarrassment that I fell head over heels very quickly with Andrew. I never imagined I would be with him (EVER).. especially as I had known him a couple of years but never really spoke to him. It went from a hi, to a full blown conversation to a relationship and I am grateful for that.
If there's anything I've learnt from the time I spent with him; it's to take risks, ignore outsiders and fight for what you want. It's really sad things didn't work out between us but I guess we all go through this at one point (or a few!) times in our lives and we eventually learn to let go.
Post your favourite motivational/uplifting quote below! I'd love to read them.
A XO
h&m jumper
asos boots* (sold out)
asos watch*
Bit of a late post today but never mind! I'm wearing one of my all time favourite dresses today. I won a voucher quite a while ago and had been eyeing the dress up for ages so it was a good excuse to finally buy it! I also splurged on the boots which are so warm so they will definitely be my 'go to winter boots'. They've sold out now but I have another brand new pair size 6 if anyone's interested in buying them!
Had a tough start to the week but taking a break away from everything really does put the perspective into problems. Today I popped into London originally to go to Fashion Fest at the V&A Museum (#fashfest2013), but sooo many people went so there was no chance of me getting in! Instead, I did a bit of shopping and finally got a few jumpers for Paris in three weeks! Also went to the Photographers' Gallery. I haven't actually been there since they did some refurbishment agessss ago. It was really good though. Not sure on any of the photographer's names but a lot of the work was about fertility. Some really touching stuff.
me & my sister :)
Hope you're all having a lovely weekend!
Don't forget to follow via Bloglovin again as I lost all my previous followers!
- A XO
I'm a bit of a chicken when it comes to the subject of tattoos. I'm indecisive and really wouldn't want to regret a tattoo the day after getting it done! Temporary tattoos are a god send so huge thanks to the guys at Fickle sending me some. The quote "Sleep Solves Most Things" has a personal relevance to me so I can't wait to apply that one. I tried out the seagull one today and love it. It's not really my style but I think the heart in the anchor adds some cuteness to it!
I've tried temporary tattoos before and have messed them up when they don't fully transfer onto the skin but this one transfered without any complications.. thank you!
What do you think of tattoos? I'd love to hear what tattoos you have if you have any!
A XO
75ml tube- £12.75 | feel unique
I follow a handful of beauty blogs who I literally rely on. It soon dawned on me that Philip Kingsley's infamous Elasticizer is featured positively on every single beauty blog I follow. My hair is quite thick and gets knotted extremely quickly which after a 15 minute session with my trusty Tangle Teezer; I am good to go. However, my hair is bleached about 5 inches up from the bottom so I have to wash my hair every other day to prevent it looking like a frizzy candy floss mess. I have been using L'Oreal's hair oil which has really helped the ends of my hair to even out its frizziness and make it shiny and looking a lot healthier.
Philip Kingsley's Elasticizer is a pre-shampoo treatment. I've never used one before so was a little unsure how to use it and if would actually work for me. It's designed to "add elasticity, manageability, bounce and shine" and I can't agree more. I'm now actually having to rely on this to make my hair look like hair and not a knotted, matted mess. It makes my hair a lot sleeker and soft to touch instead of that horrible dry/straw like feeling that bleached hair has.
The Elasticizer is not cheap which is the one drawback that stopped me from buying this sooner. Due to the length and thickness of my hair, I need around a walnut size amount of product. I went for the 75ml tube (the smallest one which is £12.75 (free UK delivery with feel unique too!). Using it 2/3 times a week has seen this lasting me around 5/6 weeks. It will obviously last longer if you have thinner or shorter hair or simply use it a lot less! I have around three more uses out of this before it sadly runs out but I would definitely buy this again. I think I'll go for a bigger one!
Have you tried this? What are your thoughts?
As you may know, I am currently interning as part of a Uni module. I study Photography but I don't necessarily want to be "a photographer" so I decided to look for a placement in a field of work I want a career in. It's a scary thought to think that in 8 months time, I will be finished with Uni for good and looking around for a job!
I am currently interning at a fashion PR agency in London which is awesome! My internship for Iconemesis is working from home so this is very different as I am actually working in a busy PR office in London which means a weekly travel pass and actually dressing up every day! At the weekend, I sorted through all of my clothes and decided to work old pieces back into my wardrobe. I've organised myself for the next two weeks so all of my outfits are planned. I really don't want to be stressed each morning! I didn't know whether to go for smart or true to my style but due to running around for the most part of the day, I've decided to go for a bit of both; from my favourite Indian elephant print dress to lycra leggings and trainers!
I have been browsing a lot online and smock dresses are becoming a favourite cult of mine. I came across the Peter Hahn brand not too long ago. Although primarily aimed at the mature woman, I couldn't help but create a fantasy wishlist of some of my favourite items. My favourite is definitely the red dress above. A lovely mixture of smart meets comfortable and stylish. Oh bank balance, I apologise in advance for any naughty purchases made this weekend.
My first week interning was great and I am really enjoying it. It's super busy every single day leading up to press week showcasing SS/14 collections but I do prefer to have a lot of work to do! Are you interning anywhere?
I am currently interning at a fashion PR agency in London which is awesome! My internship for Iconemesis is working from home so this is very different as I am actually working in a busy PR office in London which means a weekly travel pass and actually dressing up every day! At the weekend, I sorted through all of my clothes and decided to work old pieces back into my wardrobe. I've organised myself for the next two weeks so all of my outfits are planned. I really don't want to be stressed each morning! I didn't know whether to go for smart or true to my style but due to running around for the most part of the day, I've decided to go for a bit of both; from my favourite Indian elephant print dress to lycra leggings and trainers!
I have been browsing a lot online and smock dresses are becoming a favourite cult of mine. I came across the Peter Hahn brand not too long ago. Although primarily aimed at the mature woman, I couldn't help but create a fantasy wishlist of some of my favourite items. My favourite is definitely the red dress above. A lovely mixture of smart meets comfortable and stylish. Oh bank balance, I apologise in advance for any naughty purchases made this weekend.
My first week interning was great and I am really enjoying it. It's super busy every single day leading up to press week showcasing SS/14 collections but I do prefer to have a lot of work to do! Are you interning anywhere?
- A XO
Finally, after over a month of not blogging properly, I am back and feeling happier about my blog! After losing my old domain and realising it probably happened around the right time, it was a choice of trying something new or giving up. Blogging is my biggest passion in life after doing it on different platforms since the tender age of just 15. I feel like my blog changed a lot and went a tad down hill since the beginning of the year. I set myself so many goals like trying to do regular outfit posts which just didn't go to plan but then again I have achieved a few things this year. I managed to reach over half a million page views and have attended some events.
I decided to look around for someone to design my blog due to not really having it in my heart anymore to design it myself let alone the time or patience which would have meant I would have stopped blogging completely. Can I get a thumbs down and a BOO!? I came across Grace who has a little design shop. After seeing Michelle's new design, I placed an order straight away and have waited just over a month for my design. Super duper gr8! I am so happy with it and I cannot thank Grace enough!
I have a brand new illustration by the lovely Ashley Craggs. I am so unbelievably happy with it and I love how everything around me is associated with me in one way or another. Ashley was so easy to work with and she understood what I wanted straight away not to mention she's super speedy at coming up with drafts and the final outcome itself. What do you think of it?
NOTE:
If you followed my blog on Bloglovin' you need to re-follow it as I lost 700+ followers whilst my domain changed. If you don't re-follow, no new posts will be updated for you to see! Click the button below and then hit FOLLOW.
- A XO
DAY ONE:
Today was my first day interning at a PR agency in London. I was super excited but the nerves got the better of me this morning. I ended up getting ready like normal, walking to the end of my road and coming back. I know it's a very touchy subject but I am incredibly anxious and have been since I was a young teenager. I have passed up on so many amazing opportunites from job interviews, to blog events to internship interviews because of being that six letter word; scared.
However, after returning home and calming down with some marmalade on toast and a bit of Jeremy Kyle, I decided to change my clothes and start again! Yippee! That's what the above quote is about. I keep thinking about how scary opportunities are but today I pushed myself and did it and I'm so glad I did. Sometimes you really do have to ignore that horrible devil inside your head telling you you're not stable or brave enough to do what you want to do and go do it anyway!
Today has basically been super busy as the agency are prepping for a press day over two days next week showcasing SS/14 collections from the likes of Vans, Puma, Oakley and lots more. I have basically been shadowing a few other interns returning samples from magazines, sending out new samples and sorting out the collections from a few brands ready for the press days. It's been really fun learning how a super busy fashion PR office work but at the same knackering! No idea what's in store for tomorrow but we shall see!
P.S:
Just to let you know my new blog design is launching either tomorrow night or Thursday. Everything is changing and I am so happy with it. I also have a brand new illustration to launch which I will blog about in more detail soon. Finally, you may have already noticed that my domain has changed as part of my blog re-brand/new launch. Www.beingashleigh is now my new blog URL and hopefully my permanent one! Anyone trying to access my blog via ashllyd.blogspot.com will hopefully be re-directed to my new URL. I hope you're as excited as me! :)
XO love, Ashleigh x
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