End Of Summer Sales

As we get closer to Autumn, the shops are full of end of summer sales. Whether it is to stock up for next year or get some cool stuff for the first few weeks of college, the end of summer sales are not to be missed. Here is the best of the end of season summer sales from around the web.

I love the bright colour of this unusual asymmetric top.
New Look, Was £12.99, Now £9

This summer beach dress is perfect if you are
going on a tropical holiday this Winter.
New Look, Was £22.99, Now £10

This top is perfect for Autumn nights out.
New Look, Was £17.99, Now £11

These sparkly sandals are simple but pretty.
Peacocks, Was £12, Now £6

This cool top is perfect for college.
Peacocks, Was £10, Now £7

These jeans have some ripped areas, but are not too extreme.
H&M, Was £19.99, Now £7.99

This denim skirt is perfect for a college girl.
It could be worn with thick tights for the Autumn.
H&M, Was £24.99, Now £16.99

I love the patterned pocket on this T-shirt.
Animal, Was £30, Now £15

This cool dress is also perfect for the start of college,
or for spending the last of summer on the beach.
Animal,  Was £40, Now £28

Lorde's New Release

Lorde has released her new single Perfect Places and I love it. It is one of the songs off her brilliant second album melodrama, which features the hit Green Light. While Green Light is more upbeat than the songs on her first album, Perfect Places has the same style as her earlier music. It is one of my new favourites. Have a listen.

Do you like Lorde's new album?

Adventures In Cornwall

Last week, I was on holiday in Cornwall with my parents. Like when I went to Wales last year, I have been a bit adventurous. On our first night we went for a walk along a river estuary, which was very quiet compared to where I live! Then the next day, we hit the beach to do some body boarding. I had done a little bit of body boarding before, but this was the first time I went out far enough from the shore to catch some bigger waves. I stayed in the water for 2 hours, and loved it! There were a lot of other teens doing it too. The perfect activity to escape your parents and do something exciting when on holiday!

The next day, we explored the town of Falmouth and did a bit of shopping. I bought a pink cord bracelet, a pair of earrings and a semi precious stone that is supposed to enhance your creative energy. I also had a go at some photography, as I am studying that as an A-level from September. The last morning, we explored some coves and coastal paths, which were beautiful, so different from the stony beaches back home!

Have you had an adventurous summer?

Where Has The Summer Gone?

Looking out my window right now, I am finding it hard to believe it is the middle of August. Based on the amount of rain we have had today, you would think it was January. It is too cold to wear any of my new clothes I have bought this holiday, and too rainy to risk wearing my new shoes anywhere. I am hoping it will cheer up soon!

Meanwhile, I have plenty of time to read the books for my A level English Literature class. As we have to study several texts, we have been given a list of the ones we are doing in year 1 to have a look at over the holidays. So far I have read A Thousand Splendid Suns, and I am part way through the Poetry anthology. As these are both modern texts, I have actually liked reading them. However, I am not so sure I will find the Victorian novel so easy to get though! I might leave that one until I have a teacher to help me understand it. My 4th text, a play called a Street Car Named Desire looks good though, and is very short, so I should be able to read that one easy enough.

College is approaching far to quickly for my liking. As my other two A levels are art subjects, I have not been given any work for those, but some of my friends who study sciences have been given actual homework. Between college work and the rain, it is hard to believe this is the summer holidays!
Have you been given any college work over the summer?

Bizarre But Brilliant

Whether it is a song, a TV show or a book, sometimes you like something for it's strangeness. It might be a song with lyrics that make no sense, or the weirdest book you ever read, but you still find yourself watching or listening to them again and again! Here is my list of Bizarre But Brilliant favourites.

Songs
Starfish And Coffee - Prince
Boneheads Bank Holiday - Oasis
Na Na Na - My Chemical Romance

TV
Black Books -
Comedy set in a book shop with a very eccentric owner. His assistant Manny is also strange, and the two of them together create some very funny situations. Available as a box set on All 4, which I am currently watching.
The IT Crowd -
Comedy set in a dysfunctional IT department. It is total chaos in the office, which is what makes it so very funny. Available as a box set on All 4, which I am currently watching.
Green Wing -
Comedy set in a hospital. It has some very bizarre characters, including some badly behaved doctors. Available as a box set on All 4.

Books
Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy-
A book that makes little sense and has such a mad plot is hard to get your head around it. I love it!
The Catalogue Of The Universe-
This one is strange because of the way it is written. It has both fast paced action and long philosophical meaning.

Do you have any things you find bizarre but brilliant?

5 Surprises About The Summer After My GCSEs!

This summer is my longest one ever, as I have finished my GCSEs but do not have to start college until September. However, it came with a few surprises. Here are 5 things I did not know about this summer.

1. No matter how long it is, it still goes quicker than you expect. I am already over half way through my holiday and it does not feel like it!

2. I have not been able to see my friends as often as I wanted, due to them being on family holidays and adventure camps. I thought that a longer holiday would mean they were at home more, but it just meant most of them went away more!

3. Although school is finished, the looming of results day and the fact that everyone keeps asking how you think you did in your exams means you can't quite forget about it.

4. Although you don't have any homework to do, there is still reading for college and the sorting out of new college stuff.

5. Everyone seemed to think I would be bored with 10 weeks off, but between doing things with friends and family, reading, music, doing arty stuff, enjoying the weather and writing this blog, I have not been bored at all. If anything I haven't had enough time to do want I wanted! Good job I still have another 4 weeks off!

Even if it hasn't turned out quite how I expected it to, I am still having a great summer. How is your summer going?

Blind Date With A Book

A little while ago, I spotted these brown paper wrapped books on the shelves of Waitrose. They had no title, author or picture, just 5 words or phases to help you decide whether or not you want to buy the book. There were several books with different clues, and they intrigued me. My mum saw me looking at these and has bought me this one.

The book inside turned out to be "Britt-Marie Was Here", a book that I would not normally choose, but then I guess that is kind of the point! It looks interesting though. I will tell you more about it when I have read it!

On the 9th of August, it is Book Lovers Day, when many local libraries are holding events. Perhaps this is the perfect day to go on a blind date with a book? Have you every tried one?

My Tattoo Fascination

I have always been intrigued by tattoos. I love them partly just as artwork, but also because of how personal and meaningful they can be. I love the idea that they are a little a piece of artwork you can carry around on your skin, a little bit of your personality that is on display. I like the small and delicate ones best, as they are often very pretty and don't cover too much skin.

If I get a tattoo when I get older, I think I would want a sea shell like the one on the right, as I have grown up by the sea. I also like shells because they are small but have lots of intricate detail. Other tattoos I like are feathers and little bird silhouettes.

I think I would want to get it on the back of my shoulder, as that is a place that can be easily covered, but that people will still see in many tops and dresses. Also, it is apparently one of the least painful places to have it!

I also love watching Tattoo fixers and Tattoo artist of the year, as they create amazing designs that I could never draw on paper, let alone ink on skin. Some of them are very big though, I would never want a big one!

Do you want a tattoo?

Surprising Myths and Truths About Facebook

I put off joining Facebook for a long time, and part of that was because of various myths that turned out not to be true. Equally, I also had a few nasty surprises when I did eventually join. So, for those few who haven't joined Facebook yet, or anyone who wants to know how I am getting on with my adventures in social media, I have made a list of the myths and truths I have discovered about Facebook.

Myths
I heard lots of stories of arguments and fallings out, but so far have seen/ been part of none. However, this could be because I have left school.
I had been warned it was hard to keep photos private, but the privacy settings have been better than I expected.

Truths
Your news feed is not just full of your friends posts. It also contains posts by friends of friends, adverts and random stuff on popular pages, which when you just want to see what your friends are doing is very annoying.
Even with a relatively small number of friends, I still have a lot of stuff on my newsfeed, so I have to either check it several times a day or wade through lots of stuff each time I go on.
I joined Facebook to see what people are up to. Most people's posts seem to be more about things they have seen on the internet than what they are doing, apart from holiday photos.

Overall, I am pleased I joined Facebook, but would not have wanted to have done it any earlier and am not loving it as much as some of my friends do.

Animal's Graphic Tees

One of the things I love about Animal is their ornate T-shirt designs. From detailed dream catchers to drawings of flowers and shells, they are all eye catching and unusual. As an art student, they are perfect for college and may even give me inspiration for my future designs! Here are some of my favourites form their web page.


These two T-Shirts are some of their most eye catching, with designs that cover almost all of the top. I love the detail in the Eagle and the bold lines of the geometric design.


These two tops are slightly more toned down, with only one or two colours and smaller designs. They are both the sort of design you might find on a tattoo. The floral skull design is my personal favourite.

The dress is from Animal's kids department, but it is sold in sizes 11-12 and 13-14, so it is perfect for younger teens. The T-shirt is from the men's department. I love the Big Cats!

Do like graphic T-Shirts from Animal?