Revenge Friday- Hols, Zara boycott comes to an end and results x

 Hello darlings x

I came back from my holiday to France on Tuesday afternoon and I have been home relaxing. I got my university results and I achieved a... 2:1. I am happy.

I hope you have had a lovely week and you have been loving the summer x

Revenge Holiday Continued…

It is obviously really warm and busy in the south of France at the moment, so it was sort of difficult to get out and about. I just sort of relaxed at the beech and went for ice cream and browsed the old town most days.

I did a bit of shopping on Sunday. I wanted to get a bra because it’s so hot in Nice and I did not bring enough bras. Like not to be tmi, but it’s the sort of temperature where you can only wear items once before having to wash them. 

Anyway I got some underwear from Etam. If you are in France, Etam is a great place to treat yourself to underwear for a French Girl Glow Up. I also like Princesse Tam Tam- I have a lovely bikini from there. My sis and I also like Tezenis (technically it’s Italian) and Undiz. I will do a big list of all my fave boutiques and places to go in Nice- or just send me a message on Instagram if you want recommendations.

I also met my sisters dog, Azar. He’s so sweet; he has such a lovely nature.

Zara Boycott over:

I have mentioned this before on my blog but I had been boycotting Zara for the last five years (if my memory is correct it had been over 5 years since I had purchased something from Zara). Long story short, a member of staff was rude to me. 

However Zara is my sisters favourite place to shop and so I do get dragged in but I always resisted buying anything- it felt too soon lol. However, on Sunday, after over 5 years, I felt different like I actually felt ready to forgive. I brought myself a really chic dress and I am going to wear it in my new era of forgiveness. 

This isn’t the most flattering photo tbh. With ballet flats or heels or sandals, it looks nice.

New purchase

I got this Fiorucci tracksuit second hand… I am hoping it’s legit. I got it because it’s been sort of shit weather this summer and I have been wearing the same grey hoodie, so I just sort of fancied an upgrade. I love Fiorucci; we love an Italian vibe. This sweatshirt came with adorable matching shorts.

I feel a bit cute. It just needs a wash with a bit of fabric softener.

What I am watching

Ultimate Wedding Planners- Let me preface this by saying I do not recommend this, I just want to complain about it. I don’t normally watch shows like this but I tuned into the first episode one evening when I didn't have anything to watch and I have been watching it ever since. Basically there are like several contestants who work in the wedding industry (in some form of another) but would like to make it like big and to turn it into their career. They have to work together to organise a wedding and they have like a couple of days to do it and £10,000. This show is awful. The first episode it is shocking how horrible they were to each other- it’s actually like bullying. But the show is a bit addictive because its so tense and I am a bit gripped.

DIVA

My mum kindly invited me to join her and her friends to the V&A, I actually felt bad for intruding. We went to the exhibition Diva. I loved the concept of this exhibition at the V&A but it just fell short for me. I can’t stand the exhibition space it’s in; I will get so hyped for a V&A exhibition and then I find out it’s in that space and my heart actually sinks. The exhibition explored the history of the Diva, it’s a goddess but the word also comes from Opera. They had some very famous dresses such as the stunning Swarovski dress Rihanna wore for CFDA 2014, a few Cher outfits and a little black dress worn by Edith Piaf. But it’s on till next year April if you want to go. It was a really lovely day and we all had a chit chat in the cafe after.

Whose wellies are these?

Have a lovely week!

Love 

Happy hippo x

New Clothes Purchases Demure Vibes

 Hey darlings, 

So I was going on hols to Berlin and I decided to refresh my wardrobe and make some purchases on vinted because they are very like edgy and cool in Berlin. 

I purchased two black long sleeve tops off vinted. The first is like a really cute cotton blouse which has like spots on it, it has like a bow at the front. Ignore the fact I put zero effort into doing the bow, it does look nice when its properly done up. I have also since got a black vest to wear underneath.

Then I got a really cute velvet top, this is so witchy and cute. I love the vibe this has and it has a really cute slit in the back and like a lace panel. Ignore that I'm in my pyjama bottoms, I am so lazy when it comes to taking photos. Yeah I am really pleased with both of these, they're both wardrobe staples.

I also got a black skirt off vinted, it is like jacquard with a lace bit at the bottom. This wasn't so successful because I can't always zip it up totally. It is slightly too small but actually it is still wearable.

This is my new black skirt which I have paired with my velvet top. I think its a cute outfit.

I also got a black leather blazer. I see a few people wear these leather coats and I always think they look really cool. My friend wore one when I met up with her a while ago and she really inspired me. I purchased this off vinted and it is quite fitted but I am actually quite relieved because I wasn't sure if it was going to be like oversized which isn't my vibe. I love this, I think it is so chic. 

I purchased some adidas trainers which I think look really cute. I thought I would get a colour since everything I tend to purchase is in black. These with legwarmers are gonna be a look.

This isn't a purchase, just something I have acquired. My sister gave me back a jacket that has been in her possession for the last three years. I loved this jacket and I wore it none stop but decided to let it go for a few years because I was just wearing it none stop and wanted a change. I am so glad I have it back.

I also got a pinstripe blazer from a second hand shop in Berlin. I have style it with a LBD and I think this would look really cute to go out with for a date or to go to a club. I think I am going out this Friday, so I will wear this outfit. Maybe it is a bit too formal.

I got this dress from the charity shop, for a wedding that is in June. It didn't cost much, so I can splurge on the shoes and bag. I am thinking blue or black strappy heels maybe with a thin alice band. However, if another dress grabs me a lot before June I can just purchase that and wear this in the summer. I love the floral pattern it is really pretty with the slightly subdue colours.

I have also purchased another dress off vinted but it hasn't arrived yet. I am going to a clubnight with a society and you have to dress as a fairytale character. I am going as tinkerbell which isn't very original. I am so not sure about doing things like this but, I think it will be fun. This actually jogged my memory, I watched a YouTube video where a man was like obsessed with Peter Pan and he was like old and danced around in tights. It was peculiar. 

I saw a picture of Bella Hadid wearing some trousers with like pelvis cut outs and I actually think I could pull them off, so I am sort of searching for something like that. Anyway I should hopefully be back soon with a new blogpost.

Love,

Happy Hippo x

Day Out in St John's Wood

 Hello x

So today I went to St John's Wood. Yesterday I went to the V&A with my mum to visit the Menswear exhibition. The exhibition was really good actually, very interesting. They had loads of interesting things on display and loads of paintings as well which were really interesting. Anyway, it was while I was in charity shop on Kensington Highstreet yesterday that I had the idea to go to St John's Wood today. St John's Wood is a really nice area to brows the boutiques and charity shops and grab some lunch.

I picked up Kate Atkinson's Case Histories in Oxfam. I was looking for it in my house this morning but could not find it and just concluded that we had given the book away, so yeah it was lucky I picked it up in the charity shop because I wanted to read it next.

Then I browsed another charity shop and tried on a dress but was not quite sure because I thought it made me look quite pale. Anyway I thought about it over lunch (ice coffee and a feta and spinach pastry from a deli) and decided t buy it. I also picked up some really cute crystal bowls in the shape of flowers, I only picked up two but there were twelve there and I really regret not picking up more than two because it turns out my mum actually collects these bowls. I did think I recognised them.

The bowls are 1960's Dartington and I paid actually a good price I paid £3 for each but yeah I should have got four because they are really cute. The dress is really gorgeous it is a silk slip with lace. I paid more than I like to admit for the dress (£24) but to put it into perspective one might pay that on like a bad quality fast fashion dress. I know I will wear this.

Then I went to Regents Park where I had some raspberries and a drink. Yeah it was really chill. I walked down to Marylebone where there are more charity shops. I was soo tired by that point I was sort of done with charity shopping.

I then headed down to oxford street because my sister wanted me to look for a particular dress for her at Urban however I couldn't find it. Honestly it was so chaotic in there and soo warm.

I also popped to a haberdashery because I wanted to look for some bias binding. So I was making a top out of some fabric last week when I realised that I would have a lot of fabric left over, so therefore I decided to make two tops but as a result I wouldn't have enough fabric to make the bias binding. Therefore, I was looking for some bias binding in a solid colour but somehow I managed to leave the house without my fabric swatch and yeah I just could not find a colour that would match. I will go back again with the fabric swatch and hopefully there will be a match. It was a really lovely haberdashery, although I felt a bit intimidated because there were lots of studenty, fashiony people looking at fabric.

I apologise for that boring explanation. Here is a picture of my very nearly completed tops- they do not have the straps which is made from the bias binding. They look really adorable, one is for myself and one is for my sister if she wants it. I am planning to make a few more things this summer (weirdly all tops) so if you would like to see a blogpost of my sewing plans and/or my completed garments, let me know. 

Anyway, yeah I had a really lovely weekend. I definitely enjoy doing that charity shop route (St John's Wood to Marylebone) if there is an occasion I need to buy a dress for- you can pick up something for a good price and the likelihood is it has only been worn once before (there have been surveys on Christmas Party Outifts and statistically most outfits are only worn once).

See you later x

My Revenge Week and what is a revenge life? + Book Haul

 hey guys x

I just thought would have a little chit chat about what I have been up to on my revenge week.

What is a revenge life?

A revenge life is when you create a life for yourself in revenge for people mistreating you. This is what you create for yourself after a break up, bullying or just like people doubting you. My revenge life is sort of in reaction to teachers who thought I was stupid. Have you ever just thought, 'if only they could see me now'? It is not about getting literal revenge, it is about proving people wrong and improving yourself. I starting thinking about revenge life after watching the Khloe Kardashian show 'revenge body'. At the end of this blogpost I have also left some other revenge terminology.

Self-Improvement

This blogpost was sort of meant to be better but I had a really busy week. I did manage to squeeze some self-improvement activities in though. I got my haircut, admittedly it is not quite what I asked for because the hairdresser had a bit of a crisis of confidence but it does actually look really cute and I love the way she styled it. She advised me that I should get a curling wand, so I have just purchased one online and I am so excited for it to arrive. I did have a curling wand but I gave it back to my sister because it was too chunky for like my short hair. So yeah I purchased a slimmer one. Ahh I am so excited. I feel like I hardly ever treat myself to girly things like make up and hair products.

I picked up this adorable Calvin set. I love the pretty red flower design, so cute. I got it in the sale at House of Fraser. It is so flattering on. 

This week I also went to a meditation and talk for heartbreak at the Hare Krishna centre. Yeah I went through a bit of heartbreak at the start of the week but luckily I have bounced back quite quickly. The man who hosted the talk was a very funny German man, really reminded me of my sisters German friends- so so funny. But yeah it was kind of fun to do something a bit random. Yeah they were so friendly.

My friend gave me a late Christmas gifts. Some sweets in the shape of sushi and also a beeswax candle making kit. We made the candles and yeah they looked really good. Unfortunately during the night it was so cold that they all just broke like snapped, cracked, they just broke. So yeah I need to fix them, they did look really good though. I did actually get another gift that I didn't get a photo of, it was like a ball that you put in your tea and it expands to look like a flower but it just kind of didn't. It looked kind of alien. I will snap a picture when I next have one. Such fun gifts. 

Book Haul

I do not know if we like the books hauls I do on my blog, but no one ever speak up and tells me. Also, I have something to say about a few of them. Anyway from left to right

The Artist's Way (1992)- This is a self-help book/ course for creativity. I read it over two years ago and despite not finishing it at the time it left a big impression and lasting impact on me. It gave me the encouragement to blog. The book is a guided course to recover your inner artist and just be more confident in your creativity. You do not have to have a medium to gain something from this book. I am reading it for a second time to complete it this time. I have two on my shelf because one is a late Christmas present for someone.

The Catcher in the Rye (1951)- I loved this book when I was a child. I think its a very youthful and spirited text. Anyway, I got this book for the same person I got the previous, I thought this was a really pretty version of it (my one is really ugly). 

Franny and Zoey (1961)- J D Salinger was someone I was really trying to channel during lockdown because apparently he was a recluse, but I think the media always say that. Anyway I thought I would pick up this book as I saw on Instagram a glowing review of it. It looks a short read as well which is good.

The Strange Case of Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde (1886)- I have to read this and the next two for my course but yeah I am really excited. I think I said ages ago that I went to a performance of this with my uni and I fell asleep. So I am not exactly looking forward to reading this. I had no idea what was going on in the play.

The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890)- I am so excited to read this. I did The Importance of Being Earnest at Alevel and its very fun. So yeah totally excited to read this book. 

Wuthering Heights(1847)- I am not totally looking forward to reading this because I did attempt to read this a very long time ago and I found it sooo difficult to read like I had not a clue what was going on. Ugh such a drag.

The Death of Marco Pantani (2006)- I watched a documentary about him years ago and totally fell in love with his energy. Pantani is a man I am channelling in 2022. Pantani was a cyclist who won the Tour De France in 1998. He was a drug cheat but he was so effervescent. So yeah I am going to give this book a try but according to my sister it is actually a really difficult read.

Revenge Terminology

Revenge Wardrobe: This is a wardrobe you create for yourself to get revenge on people. It is characterised by stylish, confident and outfits that are you. 

Revenge Weekend/ Week: This is a weekend or week dedicated to self improvement activities. This could be building your revenge wardrobe or meeting up with friends. The most important thing is that your week is fun!

Revenge Field Trip: A Revenge Field Trip is a normally a trip you take to become more cultured. Maybe you go to an art gallery or museum. Maybe you visit a new place for the day. The focus is becoming more cultured and gaining info for your new revenge life. 

Revenge Holiday: This is normally a holiday taken in solitude. You might be taking a revenge holiday to process a break up of a relationship or friendship. Normally you will dedicate to becoming more cultured, reading books and indulging (shopping, eating and pampering). 

what else? basically just put 'revenge' in front of anything and it will work because this is about having fun. Just to emphasis it is not about literal revenge pls don't get literal revenge. Obviously you have the 'revenge dress' which does not need an explanation.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this blogpost! I definitely want to do like self-improvement blogposts. 

au revoir x