Revenge Friday- Celebrations, Pampering and Podcasts I have been Listening

 Hello darlings, 

This is sort of going to be a boring post. I hope you are well. I had my graduation on Friday and then the day after I went to our family friends civil partnership, so yeah it was really lovely.

Midweek Karma Shopping and Pampering

I had to get my outfits all sorted for the graduation and civil partnership. I got my dresses, one I got from a charity shop and the other was from a boutique on the highstreet.

Then I got some heels from M&S, I tried these on on a whim not really loving them at first and then I ended up really liking them. I love the ankle straps and the snout (the pointed toe)- they're so revenge. Then for the handbag I borrowed my mum's Mulberry. I wore a different dress but recycled the accessories because of the environment- the turtles and all that. My mum gifted me the bee bracelet as a gift to match the bee necklace I have. 

I got these really cute hairclips from a vintage market a few weeks ago. I was going to wear them for the Civil Partnership but ended up wearing an alice band and my sister wore these- they looked really cute. 

I went to the highstreet before the graduation to get my hair, brows and tootsies done. The last haircut I got was chaotic (it was a hack job, it was actually a bit of an ordeal), so I am glad its a bit more neat now. Brows are looking great. So yeah I was feeling pampered and beautified. 

Graduation

I did not expect to actually enjoy myself at the graduation because I lowkey thought it was naff. However, I actually thought it was really fun. It was actually quite inspiring too.

All the photos I am squinting in.

I got a graduation ticket for my sister too so we picked her up from the airport the day before because she was also coming to the Civil Partnership. Yeah it was a really lovely day. Although as of the date this is being posted I still have not got my marks back... 

The Civil Partnership the next day was so much fun. There were loads of people I hadn't seen since before Covid so it was lovely to see them again. I can't wait for the photos to come back. Ugh I love a weddings.

Podcasts I have been listening to 

The Retrievals (Serial Production Podcast)- This is a podcast is about an incident that took place in a fertility clinic where women who were having egg retrievals, which they were meant to be given quite a strong painkiller for, were in absolute agony. Basically the painkiller had been stolen and replaced with salt water. But it took like a few months for the clinic to work out what happened. It is actually such a dark story, like the fact someone could just steal painkillers knowing it would result in pain for someone else. I am on episode three but I am finding it quite interesting. 

Today in Focus (The Guardian Podcast)- I listened to a few episodes from this series. One of the episodes I did listen to was about shoplifting and discussing why it might be on the rise. I was recently in M&S with my sister and about three people shoplifted while I was there and the security guard was actually so resigned, he just couldn't even be bothered; I heard him say to a colleague 'the problem is by the time I get outside I have forgotten what they look like'... I don't think he should have been in that job lol. The podcast mentioned people are stealing like meat and then selling it to restaurants- my sis and I actually saw one of the shoplifters take like a backpack and arms full of like steaks or something. There was another podcast episode where it spoke about Whales capsizing yachts which was interesting too.

Unreal: A Critical History of Reality TV (BBC Podcast)- I listened to this podcast series months ago and found it really interesting but I am not sure if I ever mentioned it on here. This podcast looks at the like various forms of reality TV (e.g. talent shows, social experiments such as Big Brother, Make Over Shows, Scripted Reality) and sort of goes into how the shows started and the sort of dark stories behind it- like controversial moments from the shows. 

Girl Taken (BBC Podcast)- You may remember a few years ago now, there was a case of a man called Rob Lawrie, who had been volunteering at the Calais Jungle and had attempted to smuggle a little girl back to the UK. Rob had bonded with the girl and her father while volunteering but it transpired, after the smuggling attempt, that the story the father initially told Rob was sort of a lie. So it is a bit of a twist. So the podcast follows Rob and the journalist/podcast presenter as they try and track down the father and girl. Its sort of interesting because their investigation is sort of mirrored by Rob's own personal family issues. Rob is quite an interesting character. I read a review of Girl Taken in the Guardian and they described this podcast as a story about two men who think they know best, which is an interesting way of looking at it. It is a gripping podcast and defo like asks questions.

Revenge Quote

Revenge is a dish best served cold. 

lots of love, 

Happy Hippo x

Revenge Friday #11

 Hey Darlings x

I am sorry for my lack of blogpost, it gets very busy with university sometimes. I am now finished my course though. Ugh the last few weeks were actually so bad, I was living like a literal vampire. My sleep schedule was sleep at 10-11am wake up at 7-8pm. The reason it got so bad was because I just couldn't switch off and then there was a submission which was due midday and I had worked on it through the night- I had finished the day before but I just couldn't stop tweaking it. But yeah I managed over a week with that sleep schedule. It got really bad though because I was waking up really confused, I was forgetting what time of day it was. Yeah it was quite bad tbh. 

What I have been watching

I have watched some really good things lately. So many recommendations. I watched the Triangle of Sadness with my parents, I was interested when it was in summers but it got quite mixed reviews. We watched it because we were a fan of another of the directors films about an avalanche (Force Majeure)- that was great. Anyway Triangle of Sadness is a satire and its set on a luxury yacht, its funny, slightly dark and yeah quite weird in places. Defo recommend watching. I want to watch The Square by the same director because apparently that is meant to be good.

Then another film I watched with my family was Aftersun which I really loved- you have to watch this film. It follows a young father and his 11 year old daughter as they go to a Turkish beech resort. But yeah during the film you start to realise that the father is totally on the edge. It is heart-breaking but also sweet in places. I want to watch both these films again they were just so good. 

There are some other things I watched recently that were good. I watched the Last of Us with my friend and we binged it in a few days. It is good, it is very bleak. I also watched a French film called La Nuit du 12 at the cinema, it was a drama about a police case investigating a women's violent death and it is based on a true case. It was very gripping. 

Night in Cardiff

I found that it is good to take a break from my studies rather than really like non-stop working type thing. Anyway so I dragged my friend to try out a wine bar in Cardiff, called Nighthawks- I love the name. It was nice, they had some good wines on the menu actually and I had a really good cheese toasted sandwich is was gorgeous. I defo recommend going, the staff were really nice and yeah it had a relaxing ambience. Anyway we had a couple of glasses of red. 

I also went out for a walk with my friend at lunchtime one day and we got a bubble teas but mine had a fly in it and we were too far from the bubble tea place to go back. It would have been quite petty to go back- right? But yeah I managed to get the fly out and it was actually still alive I think. 

I love having a picnic in the park on my own, getting a MacDonalds and taking it to Bute park is my guilty pleasure.

Beauty Purchases

I made some beauty purchases because well I wanted to get some bits in Sephora in Nice and then I realised I actually couldn't because what I wanted was above 100ml, so anyway I ended up purchasing what I wanted when I got back to London. I tried this Amika curl enhancer and it actually instantly worked, I liked it because its anti frizz and you can use it on dry or wet hair which gives you options. I also picked up some brazillian bum bum butter, because my sister loves this range and she smells so good when she wears it and I was getting envious.

After exam plans

This is a weird one but someone has asked me to upholster their vintage car... I am begging them to go to a specialist because I don't want anything to do with this lol (it is going to be a disaster) but if I MUST then I am quite looking forward to the challenge. 

But yeah I really fancy sewing some things, I want to do something challenging like jeans or a coat.

I cannot wait to show you some of my makes <3

Also, I really want to do something nice for my birthday. I am not really a celebrating type person however I want a birthday to remember (and not remember it because it was awful lol). I was sort of talking about this with my friend a few weeks ago but we were sort of saying, how hard it is to know how to spend your birthday. It is quite depressing but I am not sure what makes me happy. But I am going to have a think. I just looked and it is in two weeks- stress. I think I want to go to Sketch London for afternoon tea but I also cant justify the price ngl. Sushi is always a shout too, so I may do sushi.  

I have booked a trip to France to visit my sister, I am gonna have a google of restaurants I want to visit. I know I only went like a month ago but I don't think I'll go in the summer because I do not like hot weather- it is just awful to me. 

Recenge Friday

Soo it was the day after my last submissions and I went into town. I wanted to have a productive day because I am a bit superstitious (maybe superstitious isn't the right word) but for me the first day has to be perfect because its a reflection of how all the other days will go. I remember my first seminar at University and my timetable said the wrong time and so I missed it and they apologised and stuff but in my head I was like 'this is such a bad omen'.

So I walked into town and got some fruit from Tesco to eat in the park. I had a look round some boutiques picked up a few bits from the health food shop (Beanfreaks)- I got a tea that I am obsessed with Dragonfly Mint Garden Digestif and some liquorice.

I have also been quite interested in trying a bit of calligraphy. I did some Chinese calligraphy last year and I really enjoyed it- I was also actually decent at it. So anyway I went to a stationary shop, picked up some planner inserts and I also had a look at their calligraphy and brush pens ect. I picked up a very basic pen just to dip my toe in. 

I then went to a wine and seafood bar called Jacksons, which opened a couple of months ago. I went for the happy hour which is like 2 oysters and a glass of sparkling wine. I also got some mackeral pate and bread. It was lovely and the staff were friendly. Very relaxing. The menu is quite paired back but it is a nice selection. 

Then I went home and tried doing a bit of calligraphy. I was doing sort of gothic style. Yeah I am just gonna relax this evening, I am very sleepy so think I might pop to bed soon. I think I might watch 28 Day Later. Not sure yet.

Revenge Quote and Ballet Flat

'Revenge is a dish best served cold'

Source: MiuMiu

These shoes are adorable, I get cute aggression with these. These are what I would wear if I was meeting my boyfriends parents. 

See you soon

Happy Hippo xx

Revenge Friday: you look like a person who likes a potato salad

 Hi darlings xx

I am quite a good judge of character but in the most useless way. I have actually been quite sick for a week and I am going to be on antibiotics over Christmas which is not fun. Anyway, I have been listening to a really good podcast at the moment called ‘Things Fell Apart’ (BBC) by Jon Ronson and it is described as 'strange and unexpected, human stories from the history of the culture wars'. It is fascinating and I would defo recommend.

Revenge Friday (16th)

On revenge Friday I went into town to do some shopping, I was trying to find a Christmas present for my sister, and I also needed some Christmas cards. Bit random but I saw Himalayan Salt shot glasses in Lidl and my friend absolutely loves his barware; I ran it through him first and he was like quite obsessed with them. So, anyway I popped to Lidl and got them for him. I’ll probably grab him some tequila or some spirit that would be cute in these.

I went home and relaxed for a bit. I think I had a nap. Then I went over to a friends house for a curry and a glass of wine. Then I cracked on with my essays in the evening. So yeah really relaxing and chill.

Cool Girl Christmas (don't read if you are my sister)

I prepared a 'fondu' for my friend. We had it with veggie sausages, toast and cornichons. I never used to like cornichons, until like a year ago when I had them in a side salad in a café but they were quartered lengthways and I genuinely think that improved the taste and they look really cute like that. So yeah I quartered the cornichons. I want a proper fondu at some point this winter.

My sister said I looked really cute in this picture. My parents sent me a hat because, they get very worried about me getting cold, not sure I pull it off.

I got my friend a cocktail recipe book. I got my sis the cool girl Sam McKnight hairspray. I wanted to get her like a nice hair product and she requested this. I also got her the aperitif recipe book which I think is very her, and then some beauty products.

Also why did I dance round my boudoir with the wrapping paper roll for about 10 minutes?

Anyway, I might attempt to do another blogpost before Christmas. but if not Merry Christmas and let me know what blogposts you want for New Year because 2023 is going to be my revenge year. Also it is going to be 7 years of Happy Hippo and so I want to celebrate.

Happy Hippo x

Revenge Friday #5 Regrets and an all you can eat buffet

 Hello sweeties,

I did not have a very exciting Revenge Friday this week, I have a lot of work to do so if I do disappear for a week, I will be back. Also, please recommend TV shows and Films for me to watch over Christmas, Netflix is slightly uninspiring at the moment. Comment them below pls. I have been watching more BBC iPlayer recently, I have watched some interesting documentaries one was called 'final account' which interviews people who were involved with the Third Reich and it was very thought-provking. The other one was called 'on the morning you wake up' which was quite a unique (poetic maybe?) documentary about people in Hawaii that had a false notification on their phone saying a missile was going to hit. I also watched 'Apocalypse Now' which is also on BBC Iplayer. Not much light watching this week lol. 

Revenge Friday (2nd December)

On Friday I just had a study day. I helped with some admin in the morning. Anyway, in the morning I was talking with my colleague about revision techniques, anyway I was suggesting the Pomadoro technique but I had never tried it myself. For those who don't know the pomodoro method of working is when you work 25 minutes and then 5 minute break (that is a pomadoro) then when you have done four pomodoros you take a longer break (20-25 mins). It is quite effective for like focus. They have timers on youtube, this one is my preferred one. The key to the success is to not be on any screen when you take the break. But yeah this has been going well for me.

Stress Free Christmas

I purchased a Christmas Good Housekeeping mag and it has like lots of recipes that I am excited to cook over the festive period. I also saw on Instagram a Santa Clausmopolitan recipe which I want to try because that pun is great. Unfortunately, I think I will be spending Christmas alone because I am totally in over my head with uni work. I am scared but it is a very productive fear. But yeah it is looking like its going to be very tight with my essays which are unfortunately all due on the same day. But yeah there are a few Christmas activities I would like to do. I need to send some Christmas cards, I have loads of stamps and a they are going out of date at the end of Jan, so I am trying to use as many as I can up before then. 

Saturday

I was doing work in the morning. I went out to an all you can eat buffet in the evening with my friend... it wasn't great. I think because we are both veggies we weren't getting much value for money. We then went to Turtle Bay because they do good cocktails and their 2-4-1 happy hour is a really convenient time. It was a really cute evening though.

It looks so grim lol. Over our food we started talking about regrets (I think this was brought on by the regret of going to Cosmo) and if we could start over in our lives what we would do differently. I have a lot of regrets. One of my many regrets: I regret that I am not a more jovial person- I am the antithesis of jovial. I admire people who are jovial; I am not cynical about happiness. Could have I steered my life in a direction that lead me to be jovial? I sort of think like jovial people were born jovial. 

Shoe and Quote

These are slightly cheugy now. Just to clue everyone up on what cheugy is its like a word coined to describe things that are sort of out of trend or like things that were popular in the 2010's, pumpkin spice late, Starbucks, live laugh love, skinny jeans, girl boss. Anyway, I still think these are really chic, I think they are a classic.

Source: Valentino

I went to like a spiritual talk thing like a months ago about the difference between character and reputation it was inspiring. I think 'character' is going to be the revenge word for 2023.

Sorry this post is sort of boring and late, it is just so busy with exams ect. I will be back soonish. Send me revenge quotes because the ones I find are cringe- I love when my blog is collaborative. I hope you have a good week!

Love Happyhippo  xx

Revenge Friday #4

 Hello Darlings x

I hope you have had a good week and I also hope you are enjoying this blog series. It has been fun writing it.

Revenge Friday and the salad that got revenge :(

So, I actually had quite a fun time doing admin in the morning and I am improving which is exciting. After, I went home, had some lunch and then I headed into town to look for some jeans. I was actually quite conflicted I was either going to stay local and browse charity shops and like go to some smaller Food & Wine type shops to stock up my pantry or I was going to go into town in search of jeans and then go to M&S. Anyway, I decided on the latter and then next week I will do a charity shop day.

Anyway, I looked everywhere for jeans and it just isn't happening. When I went to Nice a few weeks ago we had a shopping day and I ripped three pairs of jeans while trying them on, it was quite unfortunate. I know what I want, I want straight leg that isn't a wide leg, maybe slightly flared not tapered at the bottom, mid or low waist and flattering on my butt and not cropped.

This is what I want but these were slightly odd actually, like they were quite thin and so thin they looked more like trousers than jeans if that makes sense. Also, they had fake pockets. 

I picked up some food from M&S because they have some things I cannot get from Lidl. Anyway, I had no luck with jeans and it was so busy in town because it was black friday. Did anyone pick up anything good in the sales? 

(Emetophobia warning) When I got home I sort of just chilled out actually. I made myself an inconspicuous salad. I was going to go out that evening but 5 mins after eating the salad I was running to my garden, I chundered four times consecutively out my garden door. I am still shocked. Anyway, I was quite badly sick and was feeling dehydrated, so I decided to stay home and get my fluids up.

It looks so nice right? I don't understand what happened.

I did go for small plates and cocktails with my friend the next evening which was really lovely.

Christmas (don't read if you are my sister!)

I think Christmas is not happening for me this year. My Christmas plans are up in the air because I am not sure how I can get home and also do my university work, plus my Grandma's house has no wifi. Potentially I think I will be spending Christmas in Cardiff. I did pick my sister up some gifts from Glossier in the black friday sale because she said she wanted to try glossier products. I love buying my sister them sort of aesthetic beauty products. I will probably get her some other revenge gifts as well. Let me know if there is a Christmas blogpost you want to read. Leave a comment.

I hope she likes what I have picked x

What else have I got planned

Can anyone remember Cosmo in Croydon? I begged my mum to take me for like 6 years but she never did. If you don't know, cosmo is like a world food all you can eat buffet chain, I think it goes by a different name now. But yeah my friend has booked for us to go this Saturday and I am sooo excited. I am not quite sure my strategy in terms of what cuisine I am going for and I am not sure how veggie friendly it is.

It is also my friend's birthday soon and they wanted to go to the Ice Bar at Winter Wonderland- it is not normally my thing, but I was looking at pictures online and it actually looks quite fun. So yeah I booked that for him. I am so excited I think it will be so much fun. 

Revenge Shoe and Quote

My sister and I think these are so cool. They are very revenge.

Source

Source: Pinterest

I need to read more books so I can find better quotes.

Thank you for reading!

Love, Happy hippo x

Revenge Friday #3

Hello darlings, 

I hope you have had a good week!

Revenge Friday (18th Nov)

For revenge Friday I went to the hairdressers for a haircut. I heard something once that was like -never write something on your to-do list that takes under 2 minutes, do it immediately- which is actually quite helpful. To explain: sometimes it is the small tasks such as booking a hairdressers appointment or responding to an email, that make you feel like so productive- the quick wins add up. Anyway, my hair looked so cute, the hairdresser styled it like Jennifer Aniston's hair and I am now tempted to get hair straighteners.

On a similar sentiment I also booked a trip to Berlin after Christmas. I would love to be someone that travels but like I am quite indecisive (I think it is a Gemini thing) about where I want to go. I never know what date I want to go and when I do decide, it is so last minute the prices for flights are through the roof. I tried to plan an itinerary (I wanted to go to Nepal) for traveling when I finished sixth form and it was so tricky coordinating it, cannot make up my bloody mind, the overwhelm got like too much and I did not book anything. But anyway, I have decided to go to Berlin on my own, I have been there a few times but going on my own I think will be really fun. I am building myself up and at some point, I will do a complicated trip. 

I've been doing a bit of running which is going quite well, I am making progress although it is like freezing outside so I might be not running as much over winter. 

Agenda Page

It is really good motivation to like write down your successes. So, I have a page in my planner that I jot down any sort of things I have achieved in 2022. They don't have to be really big they could be smaller things or anything where you stepped out of your comfort zone. It definitely boosts confidence. I made this page in my planner a few months ago and on the other side are some pointers for things I want to achieve that year. It is quite nice to look at every so often.

Film Festival

I went to a film festival at the weekend because my lecturer was an interviewer for a Q&A about a documentary. It was really interesting. So, the documentary made by Mariam Ghani, was about five unfinished films (filmed 1978-1992) from the Afgan Films archive that were thought to have been burnt or destroyed in 1996 by the Taliban. Yeah, it was really interesting watching the documentary and hearing about how the documentary came about; very impressive venture.

I need to do more culture things at the weekend and on revenge friday.

Revenge Shoe and Quote

I am not one for like novelty things but I saw these heels on my feed and I thought they were pretty adorable. Juts picture a romantic restaurant and you're wearing a plunging neckline LBD and on your feet you have these. 

Source

Source

It is quite hard to find like inspiring quotes that aren't cringy. Anyway, I quite like this.

Lots of love

Happy Hippo x

Revenge Friday #2

 Hello darlings, 

So, this is my second Revenge Friday post. It is a bit of a boring one but hope you enjoy. I hoping to bring much more like motivation and revenge etc in my next few posts. I have been on hols last week but this is before I went on hols. I might do like a Revenge Friday French edition or I may not.

What I got up to on Revenge Friday (4th November)

I didn't get up to anything lol. No, I went to do admin for two hours for work. I went to get lunch after because I had a friend working at Snack Shack and they wanted me to keep them company- I had quite a grim potato. I came home and was a bit exhausted honestly. I binged Young Royals- if any of you have watched that on Netflix. The show is Swedish and it is about a young prince who goes to a school and he falls in love with his like school mate. It's like a teen show and it is quite cute actually.

Pre-revenge Friday

The day before Revenge Friday I went to the cinema. I saw The Banshees of Inisherin it was quite a weird film actually, but I enjoyed it. This wouldn't be what I normally go and see but it got really good reviews. It was nice to get a break from my studies.

I was initially going to go on my own but then my friend decided that they needed a break from uni work so yeah, he decided to join. We went for a few cocktails at Peppermint which weren't amazing- I have had a few cocktails from peppermint that have felt quite offensive. It is a shame because I actually like the vibe of the bar but yeah, I have had some very dodgy cocktails. We then took the train to Cardiff Bay to the cinema. It was a fun evening.

I also had a study day too with my friend which was really fun actually. I have never really studied with someone before, but I sort of liked it. It was nice just to be able to chit chat every so often. We went for breakfast in the morning so it felt really productive.

 Podcasts

Can I tell you a secret?: This is a really interesting story. The podcast is by The Guardian and it sort of investigates a man, Mathew Hardy, who was a cyberstalker. He was really awful, doing things like spreading lies, impersonating people and stalking women. It is quite a thought-provoking story.

The Missing: This is a podcast about missing people. I know I said I have stopped listening to true crime podcasts but this one is really well done and the narration is good. I particularly found the episode about trafficking really interesting. 

That Girl on a Budget

So, I used to be quite into running and I would run quite regularly, almost everyday. However, I was always very disheartened because I wasn't making any progress (I was actually like getting worse lol) and I was very anaemic at the time so like I was getting really faint. Basically, I had to stop.

Anyway, I decided that I would like to get back into running because I am no longer very anaemic, and it feels like a nice thing to start doing. So, I decided to get some second-hand running stuff online. I got a sports bra, running shorts and some asics (you shouldn't buy your trainers second hand but I saw a listing and I thought they looked quite decent). I want to be ''that girl'' but I am also on a budget.

Revenge Quote and Shoe

I thought every revenge Friday I could share either a revenge shoe or a revenge quote to inspire.

This is sort of sweet. I should actually apply this to my life a bit more. 

This is the epitome of a revenge shoe. I have been looking for an excuse to buy these (or something similar) for a while because they are so coool and stripper vibes. They are YSL. 

Image Source

Anyway, hope you have a great week. Sorry this week was a bit boring but the next post is going to be interesting.

Intro to Revenge Friday, Bathroom Improving and Podcasts Revenge Friday #1

Hi darlings, 

I hope you are well! So, this year I have a day off every Fri as I have no lectures or seminars. So, I thought I would make Friday 'revenge Friday' and that I could blog about it. It will be a mixture of like what I have got up to in the week (what I have been watching, reading, podcast ect), then like what self-improvement I got up to on revenge Friday and then like advice maybe. I hope that sort of explains. Unfortunately, posting on a Friday isn't convenient (I normally go out in the evening) and so I won't actually post the blogpost then but like I will try and post it as close to the Friday as possible.

What to do if love doesn't work out

When I am in love, it is quite undignified. Something however, that has always brought comfort to me when I was feeling lovesick was to write a list- what I am going to do if love doesn't work out. It sort of has to list things that you can only do if love doesn't work out. If love doesn't work out for me, I am just going to become like very bouji or like if love doesn't work out maybe I can finally address my phone addiction because I won't have someone to check up on. It helps me to feel more in control of my life. I have written this type of note so many times, I never refer back to it because it is the process of writing it that brings solace.

What I have watched

Marie Antoinette (2006): This film is on Netflix and I defo recommend watching. It is sort of about Marie Antoinette's life, not too sure how like close it is to her life. It is sort of deep how they like beheaded her, just seems a bit unnecessary. But yeah, sort of a fun film. Kirsten Dunst is pretty <3

Love is Blind: I watched series two of love is blind when my friend came to stay with me about a fortnight ago and I watched it in a few days. I have very fond memories of watchign series one with a friend of mine. Series two was just sort of depressing. Series three I have been watching because my sister is, and she messaged me 'there is a literal psychopath on it'. So, I have been watching the third series, none of them seem like actually happily coupled up so far.

Smile: Ugh I went to see this with my friend. We weren't even keen on going from the start but like we didn't have anything else to do because we do not have many friends and it was a Friday night. I really didn't want to see Don't Worry Darling because it just looked from the trailer, I don't know how to explain it, but it seemed sort of boring. The film thinks it is cleverer than it is, but I have watched Stepford Wives and I can guarantee that its probs a better film that Don't Worry Darling.

Black Mirror: I watched these many years ago, I think when they first came out. Anyway, the other day I was with my friend and we couldn't think what to watch and they had not watched it so I thought it would be great to put on. So, I have been re-watching more of the episodes and yeah they were really great. I have had some nice evenings watching these with a glass of wine.

What I haven't watched

I haven't and will not watch the Dahmer Netflix show. I am sort of over true crime shows; some are just a bit tasteless. Also, the stories are so sad that I am not sure how healthy it is to watch too many true crime documentaries. I watched a Jeffrey Dahmer TV show or film, I think it was 'My Friend Dahmer' many years ago. I know the story and I am sure most people also do; it wouldn't be informative to me so, watching it would be slightly messed up. Do you see what I am saying? 

My lecturer actually is the most monotone man ever but he like actually lit up when he was talking about Dahmer.

What Podcasts have I listened to

I say I am not into true crime anymore and now I am about to list the true crime podcasts I have listened to recently, but the difference is these are more like investigative. They also aren't all true crime.

Transfer: The Emiliano Sala Story:

This was sooo interesting. The podcast surrounds the death of Emilliano Sala who was a footballer who died in a plane crash. The podcast investigates the totally dodgy circumstances that lead to his death. Some of the information is just like wtf. Really interesting podcast. Such a sad story too.

The Cruelty- A Child Unclaimed:

So, this podcast the presenter investigates the death and identity of a child who was found of a beach in Tayport, Scotland. In the process of investigating the journalist highlights the cruel treatment towards the traveller community by the authorities- so removing children from their parents' care. This is a really interesting story and quite sad.

The Missing Crypto Queen:

 I haven't quite finished the series yet but I am finding it interesting. So basically, the podcast is about a woman who was associated with a Crypto Currency called OneCoin and she persuaded thousands of people to purchase it, but it was sort of like not legitimate. Anyway, she disappeared, and the podcast is sort of investigating where she went. I look forward to listening to the rest of the series.

Life Changing (BBC 4):

I have listened to a few of these podcast episodes. Each episode a person who has gone through an event that changed their life is interviewed and they talk about what their life was like before vs after. One episode was about why someone was up for adoption and the reason is quite devastating. Then I also listened to one where a man believed he was in a zombie apocalypse and then it turns out it was a reality TV show (quite a wild story) and he just sort of discussed how it changed him for the better. I am looking forward to listening to more.

Death by Conspiracy?

This is a podcast on BBC Sounds about a man who like became interested in conspiracy theories during the pandemic and how that eventually resulted in his death from Covid 19. I must admit because I normally listen to podcasts at night I sort of fell asleep through most of the episodes so I cannot remember much about the podcast but like I recall it being interesting.

Halloween

I went out with some friends the Wednesday before Halloween to go to a Student Union club night but like it was all a bit of a disaster because we were in the queue from like 9 till like 11:30 and we didn't even get in. We did go somewhere else in the end which was quite fun.

Unfortunately, I didn't dress up because my bunny ears I ordered arrived late.

I had to go back to their house after because there was like a really tense argument going on and my other friend and I felt like we had to mediate. 

Then again, I went out on the Saturday to a club with a friend, it was just like the two of us which was fun. 

What I got up to on Revenge Friday

Every Friday I volunteer doing a bit of admin. It is convenient because it actually gets me out of bed whereas it would normally be tempting to have a lie in on a fri because I do not have any university on that day. I want to be a PA in the future so it feels like good practice. 

I then went into town after because my friends were coming to stay at the weekend and my bathroom in my uni house is soo grim. So, I picked up some linen for my bathroom, two handtowels and a bathmat. I also picked up six wine glasses for my house to share, I am not like sentimental over them like, I am not expecting all six back at the end of the year. I also brought some ink and pages for my filofax- there is such a nice stationary shop in Cardiff that does all the fave stationary bits. I then stopped by Weatherspoon's for some dinner on my way home.

Anyway, I thought I would be totally boring and share the steps I took to improve my bathroom

Step 1 So I tried to like chuck out any products I was not using because like it takes up space. I then removed any bits of rubbish or like any cups that had just been left in the bathroom.

Step 2 I purchased some handtowels and a bathmat. + washed my other linen.

Step 3 Someone in my flat brought some mould killer and it was really effective. The bathroom has really improved.

Step 4 Bled the radiators so the room feels warmer- there is nothing more grim than getting out of a shower to like a freezing bathroom.

Step 5 Place a room diffuser for a bit of luxury

I hope you enjoyed this blogpost. See you again soon.

Love, 

happy hippo x

How I prepare myself to return University after summer hols

 Hello darlings,

So, I posted a blogpost on how I return to university in terms of like academic work but as promised this is the blogpost focused on like how I prepare myself. It is good to return to university after the summer with confidence, good health and vivaciousness. So, I thought I would share what I did this year.

Girl’s Girl

Back in June, my relationship had broken down in a nightclub in Italy, I had woken up on some uni students sofa and I had an epiphany that I needed to improve my life by being a Girl’s Girl. A girl’s girl sort of means that you are someone who supports other women, and you value female friendship. So yeah, it is sort of like my key word for this term. I don't know just sometimes I put up a wall because I do not want to be hurt and that stops me making friends. Not sometimes, I think I always have a wall up, but I want to change.

 Nonetheless trying to be a Girl's Girl meant that I have met up with my friends more this summer while last year (and probably all the other summers) I was sort of awol. Anyway, we have done some fun things, mostly just like going for drinks or going for a walk in the park. I did go shopping with my friend the other day to London, we went Glossier, Brandy, we had a hot chocy, we went to Whole Foods and then we also went to Tortilla for lunch. Yeah, it was a really cute day out.

Image Source

The Glossier shop in Covent Garden is soo cool. I brought a skincare set and yeah after we made our purchases, we had to collect our shopping bags from a conveyer belt thing. Amazing.

My very cluttered but sort of adorable dressing table- with my glossier products I have yet to even open. I can do a blogpost on my boudoir decoration if you want x

Vision board

So, I decided to refresh my vision board for this term. There are a few places I want to go now there is no lockdown. I wouldn't mind going skiing, I went when I was fourteen and I was awful. It has honestly pained me for years how bad I was that I want to try again.

It is sort of fun to choose a word or phrase to focus on- so for me this year's is 'girl's girl'. Make it come organically though.

Revenge Fieldtrips

When I was younger, before school started again in September, my mum would always make sure my sis and I went on a day trip with her to do something cultural. It was always something a little special for example; like going on a visit to parliament or like a palace or something. 

On happyhippo we call this a revenge fieldtrip. So, I would recommend if like you are getting to the end of summer and maybe you have done fuck all during the hols or like maybe your summer was a bit of a disaster, just plan one nice day out.

Anyway, I had a few nice days out this summer. The other day I went to the Tate Britain to see Cornelia Parker. It was really good actually.

My parents and I also went to a Q&A at the Royal Festival hall for Edward Enninful who was being interviewed by Michaela Coel. Yeah, that was a really nice evening; he was very inspiring.

So yeah, definitely make sure you book in a revenge fieldtrip before you return to university.

My last blogpost was 6 autumnal outfits I have been wearing. I might be back with another style blogpost soon because I have really found my sense of style in the last few years, it is not a good sense of style but it is me. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this blogpost. Writing on Happy Hippo (such a stupid name tho) is so comforting to me and so I hope people reading it feel good vibes too.

Love, 

happy hippo x

Autumnal Winter Outfits 2022

 Hello sweeties, 

Today I thought I would share some Autumnal outfits that I have been wearing. This year I have totally nailed my autumnal wardrobe if I do say so myself. I also think I have nailed a capsule wardrobe this year as all my clothes are like mix and match. It is very cohesive. I never have situations anymore where I have nothing to wear. So I hope this inspires you to construct a nice wardrobe.

But yeah, these are just a few outfits, and I probably could do a second post, so if you like this post let me know and I can rustle some more outfits together. Let's begin x 

Look 1

This is sort of boring but I thought I would start with this look as it is comprised of our fave basics: the flares, the ballet flats and a Longchamp bag. Totally Parisienne. I paired this outfit with a black long sleeve top that I purchased from New Look, it has the cute lettuce hem detail. 

Also excuse the sort of ugly pic, I had just got changed and my hair was still like damp.

Flares; DKNY TKMaxx

Black Top: New Look

Ballet Flats: M&S purchased from Ebay

Bag: Longchamp purchased from charity shop

Look 2

I was given this floral broderie anglais skort by my sister who had purchased it from a second hand shop. I wore this a lot in the summer, but I realised if I paired it with a long sleeve top it can also be brought into early autumn. The skort is so adorable with the ruffles, it is even more puffy in person- so voluminous around the butt. 

They often say that the shoes and bag should match, and I do actually agree with that. They don't have to match match but the vibe has to be the same. It definitely helps when building a capsule wardrobe. My bags all sort of goes with my shoes.

Alice Band: H&M

Baguette: Coach

Skirt: Gifted by my sister purchased second hand

Look 3

This outfit it really cute. This isn't a good pic of the outfit because you cannot see but I am wearing a pair of pink ballet flats that tie the outfit together because they match the bag. This is very woman on the go.

Bag: Vintage Coach

Jumper: Uniqlo hand me down

Camisole: Primark hand me down

Look 4

Jumper: H&M

I wear this outfit a lot but I do think that the jeans and the jumper together there is not enough contrast. The jumper also looks cute with a pair of leggings and ballet flats. I have paired this outfit with a red lisptick. This is just a cute look to wear to the library. The jumper is so cute awell, you cant really see the sleeves are quite 70's.

I actually so wish I could knit. I have tried in the past to learn but I just do not get the hang of it.

Look 5

I brought this padded alice band from Accessorize and I love the burberry vibes. I paired it with a check skirt and I sort of love the way the patterns are different but also go sort of cute together. This is such a preppy look, perfect for attending university.

Skirt: New Look hand me down

Alice Band: Accessorize

Look 6

This is not even for autumn, but I did buy this dress from the charity shop last week. It was £6 and the brand is French Connection. I love the monochrome floral pattern on the dress. It fits so nicely and yeah I think look a bit adorable in it. The scoop neck and empire waste makes it look very classic. I cannot wait to wear this on a date with bunny.

Look 7

This is a bit of a throwback outfit. I love this skirt; it was my mums, which she made from an old sundress, and then I just made it shorter. But yeah, with black tights and a black top I think it looks really chic. I would probably pair this with the brown handbag otherwise it is a bit too much black going on. I look so unapproachable in all these photos lol. 

I really hope you enjoyed reading this blogpost. I am like writing this in the midst of one of them predicaments where it feels like it could only happen to me. I am sure everyone's life is like this, but I just find myself in the weirdest situations sometimes. I have like really good problem-solving skills though because of my bad luck.

Anyway, I am just rambling now. I'll see you soon.

Love you xx

How I prepare for returning to university as an English Literature Student

 Hi darlings x

So, I thought I would make this into a blogpost of two parts the first being this one which will be more academic and then I will post one next week which is like more focused on like generally preparing yourself (the more fun self-improvement type thing x). I do warn you now, this is going to be quite boring, but I thought it might help inspire some of you. 

Emailing Subject Leaders

So, the first thing I did earlier this summer was to email my subject leaders asking for the reading list. For the last few years, I received the finalised reading list soo late that I have not had much time to read before the term started. But yeah, this year I managed to get them earlier (by emailing the subject leaders) and yeah it meant I could start reading. So yeah, that worked out well. 

Watching Films

Some of the texts on the reading lists for my modules were film and I learnt last year that I would never get round to watching the films or at least not watching them and focusing. Like I would always start the films at like 11pm on a Sunday (because in theory it is like an easy task, right? so I would save it till last) and I would never be paying attention. So yeah, this summer I decided I would start watching the films beforehand just so that I actually dedicate time, I am not watching them while tired and I will actually be writing notes.

 I ordered a truffle pizza and had a glass of red, I took some notes and yeah really enjoyed the film; it was so spooky and I cannot wait to study it. 

I watched like five so far... the others I am not even sure how to find because they are quite old. 

Buying and Reading the Books

So, I brought the books but before I did, I made like a grid of all the texts I had to read. It is also encouraging to see visually how much you have done already.

Going Through Past Marks

So, I also went through last autumn and spring's feedback and marks of assessed work I did. I sort of just wrote it down on a grid with like 'good' and 'improvements'. Then I colour coded it based off of the assessment criteria just so I can spot any trends and it makes it easier to refer back to. This seems like a pointless activity you do when you do not want to do actual work but like it was helpful otherwise, I probably would not have even looked at my feedback in detail.

Stationary Buying and Desk

This is the fun part although I was quite restraint this year. I just wanted to keep it minimal, I have like a Pentel mechanical pencil that I got in Switzerland, I have a Lamy fountain pen and then I have some highlighters Mildliner by Zebra.

I did go to Sainsburys a while ago for some food and this smiley face folder caught my eye. It is so cute right?

This is my little stationary organiser which I brought from Miniso. I purchased that block of post it notes for my graphic memoir module as they are like the perfect size for annotation- smaller than the conventional square post-it note.

Planner

I know people really enjoy planners (I am one of them people) and so I thought I would show off my planner. I have a filofax pocket Finsbury and the set up I use is the week on two pages. It is an old planner belonging to my dad. I do not know what else to say haha. If you want to watch a really good video on like a filofax set up, I really enjoyed watching this lady's video. I love the aesthetic of her planner unfortunately mine is very boring in comparison. I follow a Filofax community blog and they are asking for people to guest post- I am tempted but inspiration has not hit yet about what to write a post on.

I think it is important to enjoy your summer, but I also think it is worth just going through the curriculum for next term and choosing a few light activities in preparation. This was quite a boring blogpost. I think the second part to this blogpost will be more fun because I love a bit of self-improvement. 

Best of wishes for next term!

Lots of love

happy hippo x

Btw this blogpost was written a while ago but I did not get round to editing because the WIFI got turned off in my house. Anyway, after about 3 weeks it is back on but now I have got round to editing this blogpost it is not really topical because we are now at least a week into term. Nonetheless I will post the second one soonish x

Lots of love x

Revenge Wardrobe- French Edition

Honn xx

You may have read my last my blogpost- so heartbroken. I am currently in Nice, France for a bit just processing what happened. Anyway, since I am in Nice my sister gave me a few birthday presents: some clothes she picked up in the charity shop and a small gift- and they are just perfect for a revenge wardrobe. I have written a previous blogpost about revenge life and I have put the revenge terminology at the bottom of the blogpost. A revenge wardrobe is a wardrobe you curate in order to get revenge, it should be flattering, maybe a bit sexy and should just make you feel confident. Btw this is not literal revenge because the best revenge is self improvement. speaking about revenge life, I recently did really well in my essays for university (I got a first in one of them 🎈🎈🎈) and that makes me sooo happy. The one I did less well in, I got good feedback and they said my work was very promising.

On my first day in Nice I was dragged out of bed to buy some new sandals as the ones I came to Nice wearing were so knackered- I had trekked pretty far in them.

 I got these really cute strappy ones in gold and my previous ones were gold so I knew it was a good choice. Gold is a neutral and will take you from day to evening. As my sister pointed out, the straps strategically hides my large ankles :/

My sister brought me a cute headband. It’s ivory with gold embellishments. My friend used to call headbands like this tiaras which always melted my heart. Also, one of my sisters friends said I looked very regal in my crown.

Anyway I styled it with this Zara playsuit I got many years ago and something interesting is that this was like the last thing I ever brought from Zara (I think) because I have been boycotting them in the last few years. When I purchased this playsuit the woman THREW the change at me. It was a mixture of coins and notes. Like actually threw it at me so yeah I have not really wanted to shop there since. Anyway, I love this playsuit it’s very cute.

Second outfit is this tarot print skirt. So my sister lent this to me and we have been swapping it back and forth for the last few years but currently it is in my possession. I styled the skirt with this H&M bodysuit that I brought a few days ago. I think this bodysuit is so cute. Very sexy neckline. My sister brought one too in black and orange. 

My sister purchased this skirt for me from the charity shop. It has a really cute French Provençal pattern. I think this looks really french chic. So nice. And again I have styled it with the new bodysuit from H&M. Ignore the fact my legs look really pale compared to the rest of my body.

I’ve no idea what I’m doing.

This is the look I wore to go for aperol spritz. A velour black dress and the tiara.

This is a cardigan my sister also picked out from a vintage shop. This crochet style cardigans have been popular for the past few years and this is a really lovely trend piece because it’s very classic. Also, I think it might be handmade because there is no label in it. When I took this photo there was a pigeon flying about the apartment and so I look very shook. I had locked myself in a room and waited for my sister to rescue me because I am terrified of birds. Anyway I love cardigans like this, it looks a bit hippy and a bit witchy.

I’m so scared. Also it has shitted on the halloumi. 

Anyway guys,

I will probably chat with you soon. I’m going back to Cardiff shortly.

Love you lots x

Revenge Terminology

Revenge Wardrobe: This is a wardrobe you create for yourself to get revenge. It is characterised by stylish and confident outfits that are very 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  the holiday to becoming more cultured, reading books and indulging (shopping, eating and pampering).