Acropolis of Athens

Well, it's certainly been a while, hasn't it! Apologies for the lack of posts over the last few weeks, but I've been so busy! I was in Athens for a week, then the day after I got home, I was off to Bolton to visit family, and I'm currently on my ONE day at home before heading to Sheffield for Mr T's sister's wedding! To be honest, I'm getting pretty sick of travelling!

I have some pretty exciting things coming up on this blog (stay tuned!), but until then, I wanted to share with you one of my favourite things about visiting Athens.

On my last day there, I decided to venture out into the city on my own, and climb the famous Acropolis hill to see the Parthenon and the ruins. I was told that the climb was torture, but I didn't find that at all!

I got lost on my way there, but found some of the cutest Greek streets and the most beautiful views. And I couldn't stop snapping pictures the entire climb; it was so breathtaking!

For those of you who are unaware of the Acropolis, this is it both during the day and night! Beautiful, right?

Once you reach the top, you can look at the ancient ruins, the most famous being the Parthenon. I had to take a selfie. 

But my favourite part about the Acropolis, was the astounding views I got to take in! I've never felt so calm and in awe of anything so much before. 

Who wouldn't be blown away by this? 

Things That Make Me Smile

 1. Thunderstorms - It calms me to watch the chaos from my window...
 2. Binge watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S. - No matter how many times I watch it, it never gets old.
 3. Little kisses in public - Just a little PDA goes a long way with me.
 4. Summer - Skirts, shorts, dresses, sunbathing, beaches.
 5. Coming home for the holidays - It's nice to come back to my childhood home and just relax.
 6. Cake - One of the greatest creations, ever.
 7. Books - Escaping into another world and falling in love with the characters.
 8. Watching Mr. T. cook - He's a chef, and it totally fascinates me to see him in his element.
 9. Fireworks - The prettiest explosions in the sky.
10. Playing with dogs - Their energy translates through me. So adorable!
11. Painting my nails - I love changing the colour depending on my mood.
12. Singing in the car - And annoying the driver in the process!
13. Locking eyes with Mr. T. - When I can see the way he feels through his eyes...
14. Beaches - The sand in my toes, the sea, the sun...
15. Disney films - Never fail to make me smile.
16. Looking through old pictures - Makes me all nostalgic.
17. Unexpected cute texts - Feelings texts, out of the blue, makes me so so happy!
18. Christmas - The decorations, the lights, the excitement... My favourite time of the year!
19. Doughnuts - This needs no explanation.
20. Kisses on the forehead - The cutest form of affection in the world.
21. Coloured pens - Makes notes so much more exciting!
22. Long walks - There's something therapeutic about walks.
23. Cocktails - The only way to make alcohol taste good!
24. Back rubs - The perfect way to unwind (props to Mr. T's back rubs. They're awesome!)
25. Fairy lights - Makes the room so much more relaxing.
26. Bubble baths - LUSH baths are just the best.
27. Watching the sun set/rise - Finishing work at 5am has its perks sometimes.
28. Cuddles - I can't get enough cuddles.
29. Baking - Tasting the end result is the best part.
30. Pyjama days - Complete comfort and relaxation.
31. Mushy conversations - They don't come often, but it's great when Mr. T. says how he feels.
32. Matching underwear - Is there any better way to make us girls feel confident?
33. Mummy hugs - Sometimes this is all it takes to make you feel better.
34. Comfortable silences - Being able to enjoy someone's company, without having to speak...
35. Holding hands - The simplest way to show your affection.
36. Cats - I blame Mr. T. and his cat for this one. There's something calming about stroking a cat...
37. Getting ready for nights out - The hair, the makeup, the outift... I love the whole process!
38. Scented candles - Anything with a sweet smell and I'm sold!
39. Writing letters - Actual letters, with an actual pen and paper! I miss that.
40. Tight hugs - I can't even describe how happy these make me.
41. Tapas - Lots of mini portions of lots of types of food? *salivates*
42. Wearing Mr. T's hoody/t-shirt - There's just something comforting about it.
43. Being close to my brother/sister - Knowing that I can talk to them about anything.
44. Snow - When watching it fall from the sky, it can be so beautiful.
45. Catch-ups with old friends - As if no time has passed since the last time you met up.
46. Mr. T's smile - As disgusting as it sounds, his smile makes me smile right back.
47. Peeling dead skin - So satisfying! I even do it to Mr. T, despite him finding me revolting for it ;)
48. Starbucks frappucinos - The perfect blend of coffee and sweetness!

Summer Staples

I was recently contacted by Raise.com and was asked to write a fashion post about my summer wardrobe. I've been meaning to write more fashion posts over the past few months, so this was the perfect opportunity to do so!

Raise.com is an online marketplace, where you can sell unwanted gift cards and buy them back at a discounted rate. I loved the concept of this, as it means you can buy a gift card for yourself or as a gift, for cheaper than the price of the actual gift card! There's a ton of reputable brands included (some of my favourites being Target, Sephora, Bath & Body Works, SO many!), and it makes me wish I lived in the US so I could take full advantage of the site (although I've been told that they're looking to expand into other countries soon!). So without further ado, here are my favourite summer fashion items!

Bikinis

Living in the UK, the weather's always pretty unpredictable. But when summer rolls around, it's holiday time, and I love shopping for the perfect bikinis to wear at the beach. All three of these are from Primark, paired with a pair of sandals. 

Shorts

I love wearing shorts all year round, but it's great to be able to wear them without a pair of tights underneath! I love floral print, and this pair from Forever 21 flatter my body shape perfectly. I like to pair these with a simple plain top so I don't over-do it, and these little heels from New Look.  

The second pair of shorts are from Topshop, and are high-waisted, paired with this half cropped top, half laced top from Primark. I love that this can be dressed up or down with the right pair of shoes!

Dresses

As mentioned before, I love the floral print during summer, and this dress from Forever 21 is perfect!

I love wearing maxi dresses during summer! They're light enough to be worn during the day without working up a sweat, and perfect to wear in the evening!

This one is from Primark. I was drawn to the aztec print, and thought it'd be perfect to wear for my holiday in Greece. 

I bought this from New Look last year for my uni's summer ball, and again, it's versatile enough to be work during the day, or in the evening. 

This last one is from Primark, and I was drawn to its classiness. It would look great if I were to wear it out for cocktails with the girls, or a nice dinner with Mr. T. 

So there you are! My top summer staples! I hope you enjoyed it, and be sure to check out Raise.com! 

My degree choice

When we got given the topic of film for the #2014BloggerChallenge, I was immediately drawn to writing about my chosen university degree. For those of you who don't know, I do Film Studies at the University of Kent, a decision that I do not regret in the slightest! But even though I love my course, whenever I mention it, I still get sniggers from people who state that it's not a "real degree".

Sure, Film may not be as standard a degree as say, a science or Maths degree, but why does that make it any less valid? Of course a Maths or Science degree would be necessary to get into a career in that industry, but I've never had any interest in that field, so why would I choose to intensely study something for 3 years that I absolutely hate?

I was never 100% certain of what career path I wanted to go into. All I knew was that I had a passion for the creative subjects like English, Media and Film (all of which ended up being my 3 A-Level subjects!). Teaching was always a career option for me (that I'm choosing to pursue currently), but I only needed to do a PGCE (Post-Grad Certificate of Education - a year-long course, half spent studying, half placed in a school) after I had completed an undergraduate degree. So really, I could have picked any degree that I wanted, as long as I would be able to provide a suitable explanation for my choice when applying for PGCE courses.

I'm a firm believer of doing what you love, not what you think you should do. University has such a big effect of your life, it would be stupid to spend it doing something you hate, surely? For me, Film was something I loved to explore; analysing the meanings behind them, in some cases comparing them to the books they were adapted from, even creating my own film projects. It's something I really enjoy, so why should I be belittled because of that? If I'm going to pay a ridiculous amount of money for a degree, you can be damn sure I'm gonna enjoy it!