Goodbye 2015!

Today is the last day of 2015! To celebrate, I have found a list of the offical Top 20 of 2015 (by number of copies downloaded off i Tunes) and have compared it to my Top 20 favourites from the past year. Use them as your party playlist for tonight or to remind you of your year.

No.      i Tunes Top 20                                                        My Top 20
1.         Hello                                     Adele                          Hold Back The River          James Bay
2.         Love Youself                        Justin Bieber              Cheerleader                          OMI        
3.         Sorry                                     Justin Bieber               Photograph                          Ed Sheeran
4.         Stiches                                  Shawn Mendes           See You Again                    Wiz Khalifa
5.         Same Old Love                     Selena Gomez            Black Magic                        Little Mix
6.         What Do You Mean?            Justin Bieber              I Wasn't Expecting That     Jamie Lawson
7.         Here                                      Alessia Cara               Like I Can                           Sam Smith
8.         Like I'm Gonna Lose You    Meghan Trainor         Shut Up And Dance            Walk The Moon
9.         Confident                              Demi Lovato              Up                                       Olly Murs Ft DM
10.       Stand By You                        Rachel Platten            Night Changes                   One Direction
11.       Hide Away                            Daya                           Bloodstream                       Ed Sheeran
12.       Perfect                                   One Direction             Hello                                  Adele
13.       I Know What You                 Shawn Mendes &      When The Beat                   Marlon Roudlette
            Did Last Summer                  Camila Cabello           Drops Out
14.       On My Mind                         Ellie Goulding            Sugar                                  Maroon 5
15.       Wildest Dreams                    Taylor Swift                Bills                                    Lunchmoney Lewis
16.       Hands To Myself                  Selena Gomez             Dear Future Husband         Meghan Trainor
17.       When We Were Young        Adele                           Waiting For Love               Avichii
18.       Drag Me Down                     One Direction              Wake Up                            Vamps
19.       Cake By The Ocean              DNCE                          Love Me Like You            Little Mix
20.       Fight Song                             Rachel Platten             Someone New                    Hozier

I would also like to give a special mention to Up Town Funk and Thinking Out Loud as they were in the Charts for many weeks this year but were released in 2014 so can't be on this list.
Happy New Year!

My Christmas

Sorry I haven't posted for a few days, but I have been busy with Christmas. I got lots of fab presents including sparkly earrings, a new phone and Dan and Phil's new book, more on that another time. my funniest/weirdest present was a magazine about looking after chickens! We went to my Gran's, who had more different puddings than people eating and seriously does not understand charades, as she kept speaking instead of miming. I also got to see my dad's family, including my cousin's 3 year old son. He is sooo sweet! What did you get for Christmas?

I have mentioned before that I love the Big Bang Theory. One of the presents we got my mum was a Big Bang Theory trivial pursuit game. We all played it together yesterday and it is great, but some of the questions are really hard. Like most trivial pursuits games it took forever but eventually I won.

Now Christmas is over, school is looming closer but we still have almost a week left. I will use that time to post lots of blogs to make up for the last week, so watch this space!

Christmas Eve

One more sleep to go! Christmas Eve is a weird day, you've done all your Christmas prep, there is nothing good on TV as it is not actually Christmas yet and all that is left to do is wait, really. Still, only 7 hours left to go.

I probably won't be posting for the next couple of days as I will be busy doing family stuff. We usually spend Christmas morning at home and go to my Grans in the Evening. On Boxing day we go to my Grandma's, then we travel up to Somerset a couple of days later to see my cousins. What do you do at Christmas?

Christmas Jumpers

Tomorrow is your last chance to buy yourself a suitably embarrassing jumper for Christmas day. I have a red one from peacocks with a reindeer on the front, complete with fluffy body and real bells on the antlers. I have searched the internet for my new favourites.


Bright, cheerful and fun.
Debenhams, £26.99

Simple but effective
New Look £17.99

I love the cute robins!
New Look, £14.99

Perfect for dog lovers!
Was £16, now £10

Strictly Final

Last weekend, we had the Strictly Final. The amazing Jay and Aliona won the glitterball on Saturday night, managing to beat Kelly's two 40's. I wanted either Jay or Georgia to win, so I am very happy. I think Jay is a better dancer overall, but Georgia did a much better show dance. Her blind dancing was amazing! However, that was down to the routine which is down to the professionals not the dancers.

Some people have been saying that Jay and Aliona are a couple. They are definitely close, and I think he really likes her, but does she like him too? I'm not sure, she is married. She has also decided to leave Strictly, which is a shame as I really like her. She is a lovely woman and an an amazing dancer, proved by the fact she has one twice. I hope all this press attention has not affected her.

Are you pleased with the Strictly result?

Cats at Christmas

I have mentioned before on this blog that I have a badly behaved cat called Bumble. He can be a bit of a problem at Christmas because he does not like our decorations.We put them up yesterday (yes, I know, we are a bit slow) and he has already been causing problems. So far, he has already tried to eat the branches countless times and also enjoys undecorating it. He has already pulled 2 decorations off. He even scratched my mum for rescuing a bauble!

So you can understand why we do not put our tree up that early. We are not the only people who have cat trouble at Christmas, one family were really worried that their kitten would knock over their tree, so they tried a new solution. We are not quite that desperate yet though!

Christmas Nail Art

I noticed the other day that one of my most popular posts of all time was Nail Art, so I decided to do a festive version. Christmas is the time of year for a little extra glamour, and as we are off school we have plenty of time to try something new. My Christmas nails are quite simple this year: bright red with silver glitter, but if you want to try something more fancy, have ago at one of the designs below. If you are struggling with the finer detail, you can get cheap specialist nail art tool from AVON. They have a ball at one end and a fine brush at the other. They can be dipped into any colour polish, meaning you don't have to buy nail art pens in lots of different colours.

Elf Yourself

This year, I have been experimenting with a cool Christmas app called Elf Yourself. This can be downloaded to your phone or accessed via the internet on a computer. You can transform photos of your friends by turning them into elves and making them complete fun festive dance routines! Those of you who have seen my X Factor hip hop dance video will know what I am talking about. If you missed it, click on the link to see them in action!

http://elfyourself.com/?mId=66748231.2

Have ago at your own! Elf Yourself and share it with your friends or chose celebrities and post your video link in the comments.

X Factor Final!

Last night saw Louisa crowned as this year's X Factor winner. I had really liked her all through the live shows and am really glad she won. I like Reggie and Bollie, but although they are a lot of fun, they are not good enough singers to pull off the winners single. If the prize was 10 nights performing at the O2, they would be perfect as I think they could probably sell more concert tickets than Louisa. The problem is that it is a record deal, and they might be great entertainers, but they simply do not sound anywhere as near as good as Louisa. She is an amazing singer and definitely deserves this.

I am still glad Reggie and Bollie were in the final though because they made it so much fun! I especially loved their version of What Makes You Beautiful, it was much more fun than 1D's! I really liked how they used the cheerleader music in the background as I love that song. If you missed it, click here to watch them.

1D were one of the  performers on the Sunday show. They are having a break now and wanted their last performance to be on the X Factor stage as that was where it all began. I never loved 1D, but they did a few good songs and they will definitely be missed. They are definitely due a break though!

Now X Factor is over, the judges have been getting ready for Christmas. Here is them practising their dancing ready for their Christmas party! Click here to watch their hilarious hip hop routine!

Did you watch the X Factor? Did you want Louisa to win?

Top 10 Christmas Films

As we reach the second weekend in December, it is definitely time for a Christmas film or two. Not sure what to watch? Here is my top 10 festive films.

1. The Polar Express                       - great for all ages
2. Love Actually                             - a more grown up but still festive film
3. Home Alone                               - quite possibly the funniest Christmas film ever
4. Elf                                               - it's so sweet
5. The Holiday                                - another grown up film but this ones much funnier
6. The Muppet Christmas Carol     - a modern family version of a classic
7. Bad Santa                                   - a great alternative to the traditional films
8. Home Alone 2                            - not quite as good as the first, but still good
9. The Santa Clause                       - it could happen to any of us
10. Jack Frost                                 - sad, but good

Any more suggestions? Post them in the comments.

IT'S CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Well nearly. What I mean is I am now officially on my Christmas holidays! So I am definitely going to listen to Slade and "look to the future now, cause it's only just begun". Saying that, we have had plenty of fun already at school today. We started off with the formalities, first the end of year assembly and then the carol service. For obvious reasons most people did not enjoy these much but I quite liked them as my house won and I love singing, so enjoyed the choir's performance at the service.

Then the festivities really started with the Christmas lunch. We were given those long noisy balloons to fire at each other and I hit my headmistress on the head! 100 points! Later on, we had a staff panto of Peter Pan which was hilarious. There is nothing funnier than having your History teacher dressed up as Nursy the Dog being dragged away by the caretakers shouting "If this is about the poo on the school field, that was a fox, not me!"

Overall, it was a great day, the best way to end the term and start Christmas. If you do go to the same school as me, please comment telling me what was your favourite part of today. If you don't, tell me when you brake up and what Christmas celebrations you have enjoyed/ plan to have.

PS. You may also notice that my blog has had a Christmas makeover! Comment if you like it!

Paper Towns

I have now finished Paper Towns and I love it even more now! The ending is great and ties everything up nicely, although it is not the best bit of the book. I prefer the beginning.

Paper Towns is set in Florida and is about the geeky, boring Quentin and the popular, unpredictable girl next door Margo, who he is in love with. Margo is not the girl people think she is. She is not satisfied with her life of High School, Boys and Clothes. She feels it is fake, like the whole of Florida are living fake, paper lives and spending so much time planning for the future that they don't live today. So, she decides to leave, and goes out on an all night road trip of revenge with Quentin to deal with her enemies before walking out on her life.

However, she has left a trail for Quentin to follow. To decipher it, he must first work out- Who is the real Margo? This book is about him fully discovering the girl he has known but never really understood for as long as he can remember. It makes you think about life's big questions as well as thinking about your own life. Meanwhile, it will also make you laugh out loud, as Q's friends are really funny.

I recommend it to any teen, boy or girl, especially ones who are questioning what they are doing with their life.

Celebrity Jungle Final!

All the big TV shows are having their big finale, Doctor Who yesterday, X Factor next weekend and Strictly after that. Tonight, after weeks of celebrity torture, Ant and Dec will be crowning the king of the jungle. Will it be Vicky, Fern or George? I love Vicky and want her to win, I think she is funny, strong, clever and confident. However, I really like the other two so I will be happy whatever, safe in the knowledge the horrible Lady C can't win!

Last night, they took part in the annual celebrity cyclone. It was so funny when Ant got soaked, I think they did it on purpose. And then Dec congratulated them for it afterwards! The show would not be anywhere near as funny if they weren't on it.

Will you be watching tonight? Who do you want to win?

Festive Accessories

Another way to get into the Christmas spirit is with festive accessories. These are perfect if you don't want anything as big as a Christmas jumper or as silly as a hat, but still want to get in the mood. If their subtle enough, you can even wear them to school! Here is my selection of fun Christmas accessories from around the web. I haven't seen as many as previous years, it is mostly hats and jumpers in the shops at the moment, not hair accessories and badges.



These snowmen are really cute! I love their little gilttery red hats!
Claire's, Were £4.50 now £3.15

I love these Christmas tree earrings! They are quite grown up
as they have a simple design. Perfect for Christmas parties or the big day.
Claire's, Were £4.50, now £3.15

These reindeer would make a great Christmas present as well
as a treat for yourself.
They even have antlers!
Accessorize, £5

I love these colourful bracelets. Wear them together or individually.
Accessorize, £6

Top 10 Christmas Songs

Now we are only a few weeks away from Christmas, I think it is time to get in the Christmas spirit with some festive tunes. Here is my Top 10 Christmas playlist to get get you in the mood.

1. Merry Christmas Everyone
2. I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday
3. All I Want For Christmas Is You
4. Let It Snow
5. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
6. Last Christmas
7. One More Sleep
8. Do They Know it's Christmas
9. Simply Having A Wonderful Christmas Time
10. Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree

I went to see my Schools Infant Nativity today! They did it outside with live animals! There was a really cute donkey and a badly behaved goat that kept trying to eat the children! They had to be rescued by their teachers. Are you doing anything Christmassy?

My Current Addiction

You may have noticed that I am not blogging everyday at the moment. This is because I am completely addicted to Paper Towns (by John Green) and often find myself reading it when I am supposed to be blogging! I have just got to the climax of the book this evening, and I am totally hooked.

I will do a proper book review when I have finished it, but for now I will just say this. It is brilliant. It makes you see life and death in new ways in one line, and laugh out loud with the next. But what ever you do, don't start reading it when you are busy. You won't get much done for that couple of weeks!

Are you addicted to any good books at the moment? Or are you hooked on a TV series?

Christmas Party Outfits

The season of the Christmas party is upon us, so I have searched the web for the best party pieces on the high street. Comment and tell me which are your favourites. I went to my first party of the season last Friday night. I went to the SNAP Christmas party and it was fab. More about that later. Happy partying!

I love this dress! It has sleeves and is not too short so you won't be cold.
However, the off the shoulder look means you are not too covered up!
Wear it with thick black tights for extra warmth.
£14.99, New Look

This cool jacket will also keep you warm as well as making a statement.
I like the fur!
£34.99, New Look

This dark red dress has a lacy bodice and skater skirt.
It also comes in black.
£19.99, New Look

These sparkly shoes are perfect for completing any party outfit-
providing you can walk in them.
They come in silver and gold.
£34.99, New Look

This jumper will add some sparkle to your jeans.
It has a V at the back as well as the front.
£14, Peacocks

This LBD is simple but fab. It features a wrap skirt.
You will need either a mild night or a very warm jacket
 to wear it without freezing though!
£19.99, New Look

These cool black skinnies can be paired with any evening top.
£14, Peacocks

I love this simple sparkly clutch.
It would look great with the silver sparkly heels above.
£10, Peacocks

#OursToLose

Climate change- a big problem. A world wide problem, in fact. And so it makes sense that individuals, especially teens often feel a little powerless to help. We also may feel as if it is a problem that's far from home, that won't effect us. But neither of those are true. Climate change will effect everyone of us if we allow it to happen, which is why leaders from over 190 countries are meeting from the 30th of November to the 11th of December. They are trying to create a global legally binding climate treaty. To find out more click here to see this video.

So where is our say in this? Well, there are several ways ordinary people are getting involved to tell the government that we want them to agree on action. Over 3 million people have already signed a petition to say that they want to keep global warming below a 2 degree increase by switching to 100% green energy by 2050. Click here to sign it. Tomorrow, many Greenpeace activists are marching in London and other parts of the country to show how much people care about the environment.

Will you be showing your support for everything that is #OursToLose?

Russell Brand

Russell Brand- TV presenter, comedian, actor, columnist, radio presenter, writer, YouTuber and public activist. Bit of an all rounder really. Originally, he was just an entertainer, but in the last 6 years he has been focusing more on politics and writing. From his questionable children's books to his campaigns against various political leaders, he is very controversial, with most people seeming to love or hate him. He is also famous for his drug problems, and now supports various schemes to help them.

Mostly I like him because he is pushing for change and won't give up on what he believes in. However, I disagree completely with what is perhaps his most famous campaign. He said not voting in elections will bring about a political revolution. The thing is, for that to happen (assuming that it could happen at all!), a huge % of the population would have to not vote. That would take years of campaigning to happen and in the mean time we would have no control over who ran the country. Even if you don't believe any of them are any good, surely you can still vote for the least worst. Even he must have realised how mad he was though, as just before the last election, he gave up on the idea completely and told everyone to vote Labour.

What do you think of Russell Brand? Do you love him or hate him?

Goodbye Clara Oswald

Warning- massive spoiler alert for Doctor Who fans who have not watched last Saturday's episode.

This Doctor Who episode was the sadest yet this series as Clara Oswald died. Although she was not my favourite assistant, I still really liked her. I liked the fact she worked in a school, as it made her more relatable to teens and I loved her storyline with Danny Pink. I also liked the fact she was clever and had a really good dynamic with the previous doctor. I don't think the new doctor is as good as Matt Smith, he is not as funny or kind and is too old to have any sort of romance with Clara.

This leaves one big question: who is the new assistant going to be. Although the rumors say it will be Maisie Williams, who plays the character Me, I don't think it can be. The Doctor was so angry with her at the end of the last episode I don't think he will ever take her travelling. So if it is not her, who is it? What do you think?

Christmas is Coming - Debenhams

Here is the next instalment of my Christmas gift guide. With only 5 weeks to go (ahhh....panic!) we are looking at Debenhams.

``

This adorable pup can be heated up in the microwave
 to keep little siblings warm.
He is so cute!
Was £15, now £9

Suduko puzzle cube- to challenge even the most
annoyingly clever relative.
£5

I love this hot chocolate set: such a simple idea,
but perfect when the weather is as freezing as it is today.
£8.50

This mini bath is a less conventional gift set.
£6

Two lattes that you can enjoy at home-
perfect for a coffee loving parent.
£16.50

No room for a full size table? Buy them the mini version.
Was £25 now £15

Performing

I have loved performing almost all my life. From singing in choir, to drama school shows, I have spent quite bit of time on stage. I think my favourite role was Lady Jane Seymour, as I got to wear a queen's dress and sing solo! That was for a school show, but I also went to a drama club out of school. There we had annual shows as well as entering local competitions. I have also played St George and another time I was a cat. I am currently in the school choir.

I think the reason I love singing so much is because there is always a moment when you hear the sound you or your group are making and you think "that sounds pretty good". And then you think "we're making that sound". It just feels great.

Are you a performer?

I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here

Another year brings another season of Ant and Dec's celebrity torture show. This year, the line up includes Hollyoaks star Georgia, fashion expert Susannah and, arriving on yesterday's show, Made in Chelsea's idiotic Spencer. So far, we have already had tantrums from Lady C, aeroplane drops and flirting from Georgia and George.

I especially love the comments from Ant and Dec, they are soooo funny when they take the mick out of each other and the contestants. My favourite part though was when they were trying to explain to the Australian crew about phones, apps and internet but the crew thought they were magic talking boxes! ITV could never do the show without them. With many more days in the Jungle to come anything could happen. Will you be watching?

Fallout 4

After my Animal Lovers post, I have had several requests at school to write about particular topics and dedicate my posts to people. The most popular request was for something on computer games. I have already done a post on computer games a few months ago. Click here to read it.

One of my most avid readers said he wanted me to talk about Fallout 4, which is currently the 2nd most popular X-box 1 game. I have never actually played this, but I have been finding out about it today. One of the things that I hate about some games is that the character seems to be killing for sport. I think this is crazy, as I don't see how that could be a fun activity.

In fallout 4, your character is just trying to survive in this dystopian post-apocalyptic future. With dystopian teen fiction such as the Hunger Games at an all time high, it is not surprising that it is such a popular game. It's still rated 18 though, so perhaps not the best topic for a teenage blog. But then it is no secret now that many teens and even younger kids play 18 games.

Are you a fan of the Fallout series?

Fake Tattoos

As we are under 18, we can't get tattoos yet. Also, there are very few things that I would want on me for the rest of my life. Fake or non permanent ones mean you can get the same effect without worrying. I think the transfer ones are best. They last longest and look really realistic. Sometimes they can last for up to 2 weeks, whereas the glitter ones only last a few days. Also, they don't look like real tattoos at all! I have tried the pens as well, but they wash off very easily. Henna is a much better alternative. These are some cool ones I found on the internet.



These simple chain tattoos are perfect to wear round
your wrist or ankle.
Top Shop, £8

These tattoos are also designed to look like jewellery.
I love the metallic look.
River Island, £5

These elaborate tattoos are really pretty.
Claire's, Was £4.50, now £3

These tattoos are more realistic as they are
coloured pictures. I love the roses.
Claire's, was £4.50, now £3

Difficult Decisions

Some of you may remember that about 6 months ago, I blogged about the difficulties teens can have when choosing our options. Now, as I am well into my GCSE courses, I am thinking about college.

As your A-levels and other qualifications at that level directly effect what uni courses you can do and what jobs you can get, I think they are piling to much on us at this age. Although I have some idea of what I want to be when I am older, I don't know what uni courses I want to do or even if I want to go to uni. Some of my friends have no idea. Yet we are expected to decide the 4 subjects that we want to continue with in just a years time.

Also, it can be hard to know what college you want to go to. I have been to an open evening recently, and it all looked really good, but I have nothing to compare that to yet as I have only been to one. Only a few colleges do the subjects I am looking at, so that is making my decision easier. Still, it can be very daunting as you will probably be there for 2 years of your life, and there are many more options than when you are looking at senior schools as you can travel further. I think I would rather go to a college nearer to me though. I also want to go to a college not a sixth form as I don't want to feel like I am still at school.

Are you looking at collegs yet?

The Apprentice

16 contestants, 2 teams, 1 boardroom. And 1 Lord Sugar looking for his new business partner. All you need for a great series of the apprentice. So far, the challenges have included a shopping spree in France and a pet show selling opportunity. With the girls bickering and their lack of planning, the boys seem to be on track to win. Recently, they have been in mixed teams but the girls are still being sent home. I want to support them, but they are a bit rubbish this year.

This year, we have Claude replacing Nick as one of Lord Sugar's advisers, which has certainly made things more interesting. He used to be the person they were all scared of during the interviews, and now they are all scared of what he will say in the boardroom. My favourite part of the show is the boardroom, when Lord Sugar tells them all what they did wrong. He can often be quite funny. The honest subtitles clips (found on BBC I player) are even funnier. They show you what the people are really thinking in the challenges.

Do you watch the apprentice?

Calling All Animal Lovers

I am doing this blog because it was spiecally requested by an animal loving friend of mine. I hope you all like it as much as I know she will!

As some of you already know, I am a major animal lover! I have already blogged about my cat called Bumble, who is very badly behaved but still lovely. If you haven't already read it, click here. Although cats are my favourite pets, I also like dogs, as well as most other animals. Tigers are my favourite animal.

At my school, we have 7 guinea pigs and 2 chickens and I help look after these. I am head of the chicken society and the friend who requested this blog is head of the guinea pig team. I love the fact we have animals in school, as I think it is great for people who don't have any pets. Also, the chickens are good for people like me who don't have the land for chickens but still really like them.
I also support animal welfare via organisations like Greenpeace and only eat free range eggs.

Are you an animal lover? Do you have animals at your school?

Why Shakespeare?

Many people believe, rightly or wrongly, that Shakespeare was the greatest writer that ever lived. So naturally, we study him at school. A LOT. Although I do have several friends who really like Shakespeare, many teenagers just don't feel the love for him. I think I have worked out why.

There simply isn't anything teens can relate to in Shakespearean plays. We have never experienced any medieval battles, we are unlikely to have killed a man and we don't know any Kings. Even the love stories aren't relevant because in most western countries in today's world we are free to marry who we choose. That and the complicated language means it is very hard for us to engage with the story.

Other more modern classics, such as Great Expectations and Lord Of The Flies are more understandable. We are all experiencing the challenges of growing up and will soon have to decide if we want to stay with our parents or move on to uni or else where like Pip in Great Expectations. The unreturned love he has for Estella and some of the difficulties Pip has because of his class are also still possible today. Lord Of The Flies is scarily relevant as it is quite possible that the same thing could happen to us if we were all stranded on an island or a school trip.

So does this mean we should study less Shakespeare? He is still an amazing writer and many young people do enjoy his work. I personally like A Midsummer's Night Dream and Romeo and Juliet, but not his other plays. However, I do think we should study things that are relevant to us as well.

Christmas Is Coming - Boots

For my third instalment of this Christmas gift guide, I will be looking at present idea's from Boots. They have lots of great gifts on 3 for 2 at this time of year. Here are some of my favourites.

This seriously cool Paul Frank pencil case is the
 perfect present for any teen.
£10

This tin contains 3 Sanctuary spa products.
It could be given to a mum, aunt or gran.
£8

Sisters or friends might love this cool hair kit.
£8
 

I think these novelty pencils are great. A really fun
Christmas present suitable for musical friends or relatives.
£5

These touch screen snowflake gloves are great for
gadget lovers this season.
£6.50

This cool VO5 set is perfect for brothers or friends
this Christmas.
£7

Halloween Games

On google's home page at the moment is a link to their new Halloween inspired game, the 2015 Global Candy Cup. After choosing which colour team you are on, you have to fly on your witch's broomstick and collect candy for your team, while trying to avoid the ghosts, crows and bats. Your points are added to the team's total along with player's points from all over the world. I am in yellow team, and they are winning at the moment. This game is a quick and easy way to get in the Halloween mood. I like the fact you are working together with people from all over the world.

Happy Halloween!

Jamie Lawson

Ed Sheeran (my favourite singer) has recently created his own record label, Gingerbread man records. The first person he signed was Jamie Lawson, an amazing folk singer. Although most people in England had never heard of him a month ago, he actually released his first album 12 years ago. He was really successful in Ireland but not in England. He met Ed Sheeran before he became famous but they hadn't spoken for years before he signed him up.

His current song, I Wasn't Expecting That was actually released 4 years ago in Ireland, but like his other music was never successful elsewhere until now. I love that song, I think it is really beautiful and clever even though it is so sad at the end. I am really looking forward to seeing what he releases in future. Do you like Jamie Lawson?

Ankle Boots

Ankle boots are great this time of year. Warm, yet they look good. I bought a pair 2 weeks ago from New Look and I love them! These are my first pair below, before I have only had knee high boots.
I struggled to find a pair I liked as I wanted some that were very simple. Most of the pairs in New Look were too fussy, with tassels and laces or really high heels, but I loved these as soon as I put them on.

Although I didn't like many of the styles in New Look, we all wear different things, so I have included a variety of the non-freakish ones here.

 

 

           £27.99                          £29.99                          £24.99                           £24.99



Tracking Teens

There are many apps out at the moment that parents can use to track their teens. From apps to check our location by our phones, methods of seeing the websites we have accessed and even tools that let them read our texts. These all allow them to guarantee our safety. However, don't they give the impression that they don't trust us? Used in moderation, they are probably very helpful, but if our parents feel the need to check up on us every minute of the day, how can we ever learn to make responsible choices on our own? How can we have any privacy if they read every message we send and monitor every move we make.

My parents don't use anything like that, because they trust me to make sensible decisions. The need for safety and trust needs to be balanced to please both teens and their parents. I think these apps are not always bad, but they need to be used very carefully if you want to maintain this balance. Do your parents use anything like this? Would they tell you if they did? What do you think of it?

Halloween Costumes

If you are dressing up this weekend, it can be difficult to know what to wear as most of the best costumes are designed for younger kids. Here, I have compiled 2 affordable, grown up looks that combine normal clothes and Halloween pieces. Perfect for parties.

Look 1:Dress (New Look)- £22.99, Devil horns (Claire's) - £1.50,
Total: £24.49


Look 2: Tights (New Look) - £4.99, Skirt (New Look) - £3.99, Top (Peacocks)-£6, Cape (Claire's) £8, Hat (Peacocks) - £4
Total- £26.98