Good Things in 2016

Whilst it may be easy to look back at all the negative things that happened in 2016, I'd prefer to focus on the positives and think about all the great things in my 2016; the events that I hope will continue into 2017.

I've accepted that my mum is my best friend this year because we spend so much time together and, quite frankly, I get along better with her than with anyone else. Don't get me wrong, I love my friends and school mates, but my mum outranks everybody as we are just two peas in a pod.

Money was definitely a focus of 2016, in a good way: I'm a good saver and have saved a lot this year, and shopped wisely, in order to have a good chunk of money to spend travelling in 2017.

Whilst my mum is my BFF, my other chums have been amazing this year and I love them all to pieces - we've had midnight movie campouts and Proms on the school field, and every memory I treasure.

Something we all experienced together was results day; perhaps my best day due to the intense emotions and absolute relief upon opening that envelope, running upstairs and telling my mum my scores - I was over the moon with my results and they proved that working hard pays off.

2016 was definitely the year of 'not giving a f**k' about what people think and my friends helped with that so much - who cares if the people who think they're 'popular' aren't exactly my cup of tea, or that writing a blog is lame; I love it, and that's all that matters.

2016: the year of self love. I've learnt to accept my body, my mind and everything in between, and to love it all. I'm not a skinny girl, or a plus-size one either, but I'm happy being somewhere in between.

I love interiors and have finally been able to begin redecorating my bedroom space so it's exactly where I want it to be; calm, homely but also quite minimal and chic.

Travel is always important to me and this year I travelled to Sicily, Birmingham and Mykonos, all of which I loved, however, strangely, Birmingham was my favourite, and I plan on venturing to at least 3 new cities this year (especially because it's Uni-visiting season!).

What are your favourite memories from 2016?

Christmas Goodies 2016

Goodmorning everyone; I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and are now nursing potato and mince pie-filled food babies! I, for one, have had a lovely lazy few days and am now just about back to revision timetables and busy schedules, but for now, here are a few of my wonderful Christmas gifts that I just had to share!

My stocking contained a few little bits that Santa knew I had been wanting for a while, including some interestingly shaped paperclips, handbag tassel charm and Pilot V Pens. My grandparents kindly bought me this cream beanie from H&M that had been on my list as the only bobble hat that I had found that fit my head (which is apparently abnormally small?). My mum also treated me to a couple of Zoeva brushes, one of which is the cult Silk Finish Brush, and the Nuxe Reve de Miel lipbalm.

It's become a bit of a tradition for my parents to gift me a handbag for Christmas, so this year I received this black leather one from Accessorize which is quite gorgeous. They were also kind enough to gift me the Caudalie Beauty Elixir and some beautiful bobby pins that were similar to some extortionately priced ones in Anthropologie that I had lusted over.

My grandmother also gifted me this amazing Vintage-inspired ring from M&S that is similar to the one she gave me for my birthday that I LOVE, and these super glitzy Primark earrings that I cannot wait to wear for NYE!

Finally: the books. I'd asked for a lot of books this year, and was very excited to unwrap so many of them! First up, the ever-so-amusing 'The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving A F**k' which I cannot wait to read, a Dream Journal as, although it may seem stupid to some, I have been having some obscure dreams recently that I think would be interesting to delve into, and finally in non-fiction, the constantly out-of-stock 'GirlBoss' which I am so so so looking forward to reading, as it has been on wishlists for the past few years!

In terms of the imaginary, 'The Secret History' is another Donna Tartt for me to get my teeth into, as I read 'The Goldfinch' in a matter of days. One of my favourite movies is 'Trainspotting' so I know I am going to obsess over the book, and then 'The Virgin Suicides' is a film I've wanted to watch, but only after I've read the book!

Again, Merry Christmas to you all, and I hope I'll be less of an inconsistent blogger for 2017!

Favourite Beauty Discoveries of 2016

Good evening blog - I hope everyone's had a fabulous summer! Apologies for being so sporadic in posting recently, I've just had writer's block, and I'm trying to shape this blog into something I'm proud of, and at the moment I'm just not there yet. I'm hoping to be more on-it with this whole blogging malarkey in the new year once I'm settled in Sixth Form.

So - Sixth Form. I'm staying on at my same school as the sixth form here is really good, and I know that I'm already happy and relaxed there. However, I'm a little nervous to start A-level courses and take another hoard of exams in just 8-9 months! For those wondering, my GCSE results were very good - I was the most surprised out of anyone - and I did treat myself to a few new Essie colours, and a whole collection of essies will be coming at some point!

I'm also planning another treat of a purchase in a month or so; I've been lusting after a new camera for ages now, and I've finally decided on the Olympus Pen EPL-7, the 'blogger camera', as it's often nicknamed. My parents have kindly said that they will contribute to it as a way of congratulating me on my exam results. I cannot wait to pop into my local John Lewis and pick out the colour I want - I haven't quite decided yet!

How have your summers been? Mine was absolutely fantastic, as I spent a lot of it with family, which I am always glad of, and saw a few new places, such as Arundel Castle, which was just beautiful and I would definitely recommend visiting - the clocks and mirrors inside the castle have completely inspired me! A few of my friends celebrated 16th birthdays this summer too, and my favourite 'party' was my bestie Cecilia's - she had an outdoor cinema at her house (16 Candles, of course), and her parents fed us to the brim! I also ate at The Real Greek loads, and their £8.95 lunch menu is a great deal as it's such yummy, easy food!

Greek food will be making another appearance in October/November time as I'm travelling back to Greece - Mykonos this time, so look out for travel diaries, restaurant recommendations and outfit posts. I'll try to be better at my travel posts this time!

I think Autumn will bring a few more posts too, because Autumn fashion is just so more me - in Summer I feel so uninspired and not stylish at all, as I'm not a shorts or vest wearer, and plus British summertime is so short and unpredictable I don't see the point in spending too much on a Summery wardrobe when it's just not me at all. However, I also have a whole Sixth Form wardrobe to share which should be helpful if you're looking for more corporate/smart workwear inspiration as my school dropped the bomb that we had to wear suits this year (three days before we go back, thanks!). I am looking forward to embracing my slightly kookier individual style whilst still adhering to school rules (I'm looking for bright pink and printed suits, if anyone knows any affordable options!).

I cannot wait to see what this year will bring, and I'll be sure to share my adventures with you.

Best wishes, x ESP