Fashionably Late

1. Your beauty is not defined by the number of 'likes' on a selfie
2. It's OK to say no sometimes and miss out on a night out. Sometimes rest and recuperation is vital.
3. Friends will come and go in life, but a few will always stick by you. Make sure you always stick by them.
4. Shit happens. You've just got to remember to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get on with things.
5. But still know that big girls do cry, and crying is definitely OK from time to time.
6. Always try and learn new things and try to expand your horizons. It will make you more interesting and help you meet new people.
7. Find something you are passionate about. Fully immerse yourself in it.
8. Know that when you feel inadequate or anxious, everyone you compare yourself to has those feelings too.
9. But do try not to compare yourself to anyone else. You are living your own story and creating your own timeline.
10. When you feel stuck in a rut, try doing something new or creative, it will help you vent your frustrations and give you a fresh outlook on things.
11. Don't take yourself too seriously, let your hair down and have a laugh once in a while.
12. If you don't know what to wear a little black dress will never let you down.
13. Don't worry about what other people think of you, most people you stress about probably don't give you a second thought anyway.
14. Nothing feels better than fresh sheets, a bubble bath and a scented candle.
15. If it's been a really bad day add wine to the above.
16. You've got lots of time to get your shit together, but if something urgent comes up don't bury your head in the sand.
17. Your 20's are for experimenting, travelling and having fun. Use this decade to achieve your dreams.
18. Don't settle for something you aren't fully happy with. Be that a relationship, a job or just your current living situation, it's never too late to let go and change direction.
19. Say yes to life. Your comfort zone quickly becomes boring and stepping out of it is easier than it seems. 
20. It's better to try and fail and something than to regret never trying it.

Sometimes, life is going amazingly, swimmingly well and the plans for the future that you've spent your entire life perfecting is 100% on track, but it only takes one little thing to make the whole house of cards come crashing down around you.

Whether its your job, family, or a relationship, things can literally change in an instant throwing the entire plan out of the window.

Well I'm here to say, Fuck the life plan.

As much as we like to believe the opposite, it is not possible to control your destiny. Many things come into play to get your life to where it is going, and the only things we can do to influence them is to give our all to everything, and to say yes to whatever opportunities come our way.
It might seem like a lovely idea to have a step by step plan consisting of which age you want to meet 'The One', get married, buy a house, have kids etc, but all of this just puts so much unnecessary pressure on you to get things done that sometimes we compromise our happiness and parts of ourselves to do what seems right, when really you should be doing what is right for you and no-one else.

Personally, I believe that your 20's is a time for finding yourself, loving yourself and enjoying yourself, but if you spend all of your time trying to get your shit together then you'll be unable to fully enjoy the experience your 20's should be.

Whether you want to spend your Saturday nights drinking wine with the girls and dancing all night, or curled up on the sofa with your other half watching reality telly, that's your perogative, but you should decide this based solely on what feels right for you and not what you think you're supposed to be doing. Everyone gets FOMO and I can guarantee that no-one is having as amazing of a time as their insta feed leads you to believe, so if you're ever having a down day, as all of us do, switch off your social media, take a break and re-evaluate what's important in life. Remember that even if someone else's life looks like it has a plan, chances are they've had bumps in the road to get there and they've had to readjust accordingly.

So just keep your head up, try your best and do what makes you happy, don't put up with other peoples bullshit and don't get hard on yourself for struggling sometimes, because it is your life, nobody else's and as long as you get where you're supposed to be then it doesn't matter what path you take to get there.

Fashion blogs are a great way to keep up with fashion news, trends and even with events in your area, but with so many blogs out there it can be hard to tell which ones are worth a follow and which are just worth a brief look. (Apart from this one obvs!) I mainly read UK based blogs as it means I don't fall in love with items I can't get my hands on, but some others have made their way onto the list too. These aren't the only blogs I read, just my personal top ten faves!

1. Niamh Kelly
This Northern Irish blogger has a really keen eye for high street style, and unlike other bloggers, her outfits are totally wearable for everyday life. She attends Belfast based events and tweets and instagrams them in a way which makes you feel like you're a part of it. Speaking of Instagram hers is one to be envied, and will leave you feeling as though yours needs a bit of TLC. Also lets be honest, her name is pretty good too!

2. Cupcakes and Cashmere
If aesthetically pleasing pics are your thing, then this is the site for you. Full of some of the most beautiful photography I've ever seen, Emily is one of the most organised stylish people on the internet and between her blog and her book of the same name, you will have serious life envy.

3. Frassy
Audrey has a beautiful way with words, and some of her posts are so relatable, that you will feel like she is your new BFF. Her instagram is full of beautiful outfit posts, with both high street and high end pieces thrown into the mix, meaning that her look is easier to emulate.

4. LLYMLRS
Lily's blog was one of the first I ever discovered and it was part of the reason I started one of my own. Her fashion posts are original but still very wearable, and the way she writes sucks you in as reading it does seem like chatting with your friend. Her youtube channel is full of brilliant beauty vids too.

5. Talking About M
Megans beauty knowledge is second to none, and her eyeliner flicks are genuine goals. If you struggle with deciding which beauty products to buy, Megans blog holds the answers alongside some seriously beautiful photographs.

6. The Love Cats Inc.
This is one of my more recent discoveries, but one I am so glad I stumbled upon. I've never seen another blog that does flatlays as good as this one. Also Helen is likely to give you serious hair envy.

7. Thunder and Threads
Irish blogger Leanne is well known for her grungy style, but even if her look is not quite your style, her writing is a really good reason to stay. Her lifestyle posts come from her heart, and she uses her blog as a platform to discuss amazing things, such as body image, her past surgeries on her jaw and the impact they've had on her life. Really amazing stuff all interspersed with great fashion and beauty discussions too.

8. What Olivia Did
Beautifully retro styling and pictures give a different edge to Olivia's blog and make it standout from the others. Through her social media channels she keeps you up to date with new releases in both fashion and beauty, and gives you an insight into events she attends. 

9. London Beauty Queen
If you want to learn more about the science behind the products you put on your face, then Hayleys blog is where you need to look. She knows her stuff and has even written an ebook on the subject. You'll also discover loads of new beauty brands along the way.

10. The Girl in The Bowler Hat
Outfit posts you can copy, Check. Hats you'll wish you could pull off, Check. Beautiful backdrops of Newcastle in her Pics, Check. This girls blog has got it all and it's paying off big time. Amy will give you a good idea of what to buy from the high street and show you how to put it all together.


What are your favourite blogs? Let me know below if I've missed any brilliant sites I need to know about. 

I had one of those periods where I didn't read as much as I would've liked to, due to a busy schedule and a lot of life changes. However, I made a real effort to start reading again, and I utilised my hour-long lunch breaks and works proximity to my local waterstones to get through a pile of books, that frankly surpassed my expectations.

I'm was apparently really into thrillers and mysteries this last while, picking up three different books from the genre as my fallout from an addiction to Gone Girl last summer, and of course the obligatory easy beach reading makes an appearance too. I've not been disappointed by any of the books I've picked up yet, but I intend to keep doing these types of posts, so I promise to be brutally honest if I hate any I read from now on.

1. The Year I Met You- Cecilia Ahern
I bought this for holidays, and I grabbed it as some easy beach reading, but I did misjudge it, as it was a much better story than I'm used to for holiday reads. It sucked me in and I was left wanting more after a few days. I hadn't read one of Cecilia Aherns books for ages, but this has encouraged me to pick up some new ones.

2. The Husband's Secret- Liane Moriarty
I found this book lying round our house one Sunday and decided to give it a go, and it was one if those books that had me instantly hooked. I read it in 3 days, and that says as much about the book as it does about my social life. One of those stories with a major twist around each corner, just when I thought I'd figured the mystery out, the story threw me a curveball and I was left trying to guess all over again.

3. Us- David Nicholls
This is the third one of David Nicholls' books I've read, starting with One Day, then The Understudy and now US. I highly recommend all three if enjoy books about relationships and human interaction that are the farthest thing from soppy.

4. The Other Me- Saskia Sarginson
This is not the kind of book I usually go for, but trying to fill the void left by Gone Girl, I reached for it in the shop one day and now I honestly can't stop reading thrillers. It gets a bit dark in places, but honestly it is well worth the read.

5. The Girl On The Train- Paula Hawkins
I'm a little late to the game with this one as I'm sure you've all heard about it by now. This book sucks you in and gets you addicted, and I seriously advise that you book a few days off work before reading it.

6. Love, Tanya- Tanya Burr
This ones a little different, as it's not a novel like the others, It's a total mixture of things, from Tanya's life story, to makeup tips. a lovely insight into how she became so successful from making youtube videos.