What I did in Barcelona.

I have a ridiculously big post for you today, showing you about a million photos of Barcelona, and telling you all about what I did. Because it's so picture heavy (still only about a 20th of what I took), just click on the jump to view the rest of the post! 

In short, I had an amazing time. I've been to some really amazing cities, but Barcelona is easily the most beautiful. I've never been so tired either - we only went for 4 days, and felt as though we needed to cram in as much as possible! There's so much to do, and I'm already planning another trip. We stayed in Hotel Peninsular, which is just a small, very basic hotel right in the centre. The location was fab, couldn't have asked for more, and we got breakfast so it did the job nicely. I'd recommend going for something a little fancier if you can afford it, but if you're on a tight budget it's really fine!

We arrived at Barcelona airport sort of mid-afternoon, so we had time for a bit of exploring. We wandered round the market, which is absolutely AMAZING. So many incredible fruits and vegetables, about 5 times the size of anything Sainsbury's offered. Seafood and meat and spices I've never even seen before, and don't get me started on the chocolate stalls, I could have stayed there for hours. 

Just look at these amazing ice lollies! I didn't get any because it was cooooold, but they were only €2. How tempting does that mojito one look?

3 things #7.

1) I swear tights like this were in fashion years ago. I don't care, I need some again.

2) Oh Dita, you beautiful, wise lady.

3) Cookie dough truffles. I've made these before, there is nothing better. You can even cheat and use a boxed mix, just roll them in melted chocolate.

Top 10 fashion rules you should blatantly ignore - part 1.

I don't like fashion rules. Fashion's about self expression, and how on earth are you meant to do that with a load of different rules to try and abide by? As far as I'm concerned, you should intentionally try and break them, because most of the time they're a load of rubbish. Here are my top 10 which should be ignored at all times. Read the first 5 here, the next 5 will be up in a week!

1) Don't wear black with brown or navy.

I'm really surprised that even now, people won't wear black and navy, or even black and brown together. This is a particularly old fashioned rule. Would you avoid using your expensive tan leather handbag just because you're wearing a black dress? Or not wear a black top because you're wearing - shock, horror - dark blue jeans? Thought not. Black and brown are both neutrals so they go together, fact. And black makes navy look modern.

2) Don't wear horizontal stripes if you don't want to look fat.

Er. Someone needs to tell this girl that horizontal stripes make you look fat. I'm KIDDING, guys. They don't. Yes, they draw the eye across the body rather than up and down, but that doesn't make you look fat - eyes aren't stupid. The style of clothing matters a lot more than the stripes - if you're wearing a tight fitting dress or top which highlights any lumps and bumps, and it happens to have stripes, I'll give you one guess which part is making you look bigger. A good fitting, flattering piece of clothing will look great regardless of the pattern.

3) Never wear double denim.

Don't try telling me double denim doesn't work because I won't listen. It's like saying you can't wear a cotton skirt with a cotton top. There are so many different colours, weights and styles of denim that it's easy to make this look great - your main trick is to make sure you use two different colours, and then it's simple to go from there. Accessorise with contrasting shoes, and try a belt to break it up a little.

4) Pink and green should never be seen.

I just bought a dark green satin dress, and I fully intend on wearing it with fuchsia court shoes and a matching flower in my hair. And there's no denying mint green and pastel pink look brilliant in the summer. If watermelons can pull it off and look ridiculously appealing, so can you.

5) Don't show your bra straps.

Why should good lingerie be restricted to the bedroom? Answer: it shouldn't. A cheeky flash of bra strap - as long as it's not your manky, long overdue a wash nude t-shirt bra - is harmless, so don't shy away from it. Especially if it's a pretty bra strap. Mimi Holliday's current range is gorgeous but expensive, or try New Look for something cheaper, they have some really pretty bits and bobs.

Hang around for a week, and you'll get to see part 2. Even better, follow me.

3 things #6.

I'm in Barcelona. Have I mentioned that? Thought I'd schedule up a nice little themed post for you, I'm nice like that.

1) Las Ramblas - the main street which our hotel is on. We're right near the southern end, which is where all the prostitutes like to chill.

2) The thing I'm most excited about: TAPAS! (On a slight side note, if you sign up for/already have a La Tasca loyalty card, you get 40% all your meals this month. You're welcome.)

3) Okay I don't think I'll find any of this one in particular, but it's Sangria and I plan on drinking a lot of Sangria. This particular beauty can be found here: it's lemon and strawberry. Oh my god.

How to travel in style.

So, I'm off to Barcelona tomorrow, with my uni course. I'm a little excited, not going to lie. I plan to cram the 5 days full of as much tapas, seafood, fresh fruit, sightseeing and Sangria as possible. Led by my stomach, me? Never ...

I have a list of things I want to do - I've not been to Barcelona and I want to make the most of it in case I don't go again. My list consists mainly of taking photos of various bits of architecture including the Sagrada Familia, and visiting La Boqueria food market. Every day. Fortunately the hotel we're staying in is right near the market, so I can gorge myself as much as I like. We're also going to be visiting all the Zaras and H&Ms in sight, and I think a trip to the Bershka head office will be in order too. I foresee me spending far too much money.

But, in order to get to Spain, we're going to have to take a 2 and a half hour flight. I love airports (hello, duty free?), but I can't be bothered with flying - it's boring and uncomfortable, and drags no matter how long the flight is. And then airports are like a fashion parade, you undoubtedly get the odd person strutting around in heels looking ridiculously stylish, like they've just swaggered off the catwalk in Milan. I can't be doing with that, I need to be comfortable. But that's a little bit difficult when you need to take into account so many different things. The climate of the country you're leaving from. So, er, England. Can anyone predict the weather in England? The BBC certainly can't. The climate of the country you're heading to. Is it going to be a lot hotter or colder than where you've left from? The temperature of the plane. Bet you £50 it's sweltering when you get on, then freezing cold an hour into the journey. The length of the journey. If you're flying overnight and are going to want to sleep, pyjamas are ideal. Right? Your stingy little hand luggage allowance. Want to take a change of clothes? Don't pack anything heavy.

Anyway enough rambling - here are my best tips for how to stay comfortable but still look like your normal, fabulous self when you're travelling.

1) Thin, stretchy layers are your best bet. I usually wear a couple of thin layers with some form of knitwear/hoody over the top, then you're nice and warm but can cool down quickly if you need to.

2) Wear a pashmina - they're thin but keep you nice and warm when you wear them as a scarf, and you can use them as a blanket too. Get one in a nice bright colour! Ebay do them for about 2 quid.

3) When it comes to shoes, you should go for ballet flats. They're comfy enough to plod around in all day and they're easy to take off if you need to remove your shoes in security, or if you want to curl up and sleep on the plane (good luck with that).

4) Don't wear jeans! I don't care if they're Leighs or Mollys, they're just so uncomfortable. They'll come down at the back and expose your bum to the world every time you shift in your seat a bit, and the button at the front will dig into your stomach. Stick to trusty leggings. I also like tights, as long as they're not too small for you they won't fall down and they won't restrict any movement or comfort.

5) Jazz up your outfit with a statement piece of jewellery. I tend to just wear a nice necklace - it makes it look pretty but it's easy to remove for security if you need to, and if you get uncomfortable you can easily cram it into your handbag.

6) No belts! Uncomfortable, and the buckle will only set the alarms off. And despite any of your best intentions, you won't be felt up by an attractive male member of security.

7) Take some thick, cosy socks in your handbag. The plane will get cold, you'll be thankful for them! Having warm feet makes a big difference.

8) Overall, keep it nice and simple.

I'll be wearing black tights, ballet flats, a simple skater dress, a cardigan, leather jacket and a scarf. It's warm, functional and still looks good. Or at least, I think it does (don't dispute me, a lot of effort went into this outfit planning!).

Colour of the year - Emerald.

So, according to Pantone, the colour bigwigs, the colour of the year is Emerald. I like this colour, so that's cool with me. Last year the colour was tangerine, and that never seemed to make it to fashion - I'm hoping this will be different because I want to wear it! Eyeliner, clothes and nail polish, I am so on that.

Pantone say about their choice: ''Emerald, a vivid verdant green, enhances our sense of well-being further by inspiring insight as well as promoting balance and harmony. Most often associated with brilliant, precious gemstones, the perception of Emerald is sophisticated and luxurious ... Also the color of growth, renewal and prosperity, no other color conveys regeneration more than green. For centuries, many countries have chosen green to represent healing and unity.'' I just like it because it's pretty, and it looks good with my hair. At the minute, I'm loving deep green so this will be a nice summer update. Also, I once read that after black, medium green is the most slimming colour. If that's not motivation enough, I don't know what is.

I have decided that for the Summer (for some bizarre reason, I've been daydreaming about Summer clothes. I don't even like Summer clothes) I need a floaty, emerald midi skirt like this little Modcloth number, and a nail polish. And a cardigan. And some jeans. And maybe a Cambridge Satchel - I feel the need to own a Cambridge satchel, despite the fact it would be nowhere near big enough for all the rubbish I carry around with me. So please cross your fingers for me that Topshop, New Look and ASOS listen up and start stocking some green!

3 things #5.

Sorry I didn't post this yesterday guys, I was going to do it in the evening but ended up going for some impromtu 'casual drinks' at my boyfriend's friend's house. Dear god, those casual drinks did not end well. I think I killed a couple of people pouring out the vodka and orange for beer pong (our team won, just saying).

But anyway, I digress. Here it is.

1) I really like this whole outfit, it's very much something I'd wear. I want her dress.

2) I got some Yankee Candle tealights for Christmas, should I do this with them? Yes. They're Christmas Cookie if you're interested: it's fine, I still have my Christmas tree up too.

3) Taupe and sparkly pink. Need myself some butter London.

Simple dot NOTD.

It's unusual, but I actually really like this. Even though it's something a bit different, it still manages to look quite classic? I don't know, I'm very tired and I don't think I'm making a lot of sense.

I'll probably try it in brighter, contrasting colours next time - maybe bright purple and metallic turquoise? Love me some eyecatching nails. The nude is one I got free with Cosmo about two years ago, it's quite nice but in real life it looks a little darker. I have my eye on a Maybelline one for next time, I don't have enough nudes! The black is Maybelline too and it's fab, better than my Barry M (high praise).

Make up I need but can't afford list.

Okay, so it's just been Christmas. You'd think I would have asked for all these things for Christmas. But you see, that would have taken some common sense, and it would appear I was lacking in that area around Christmas time (my priority then is to cram as much of the special, only-released-in-December food in my mouth as I possibly can before it disappears and we're stuck with boring, non-black forest hot chocolates in Costa). In my defense, I did ask for the MAC lipstick, and as a result I have enough Christmas money left over from my lovely grandma to buy that. The rest of my list is totally unattainable because it's all so damn expensive. I don't care, I'll attain it somehow.

1) Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch Primer.

Number one in my 'Make up I need but can't afford' list, is the Clarins primer - Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch. This was recommended by a friend who has a particular penchant for expensive make up. Of course, I couldn't just go out and buy this, because it costs about £25.Instead, I trotted down to House of Fraser to nab some of the little sample sachets. Then I trotted down to Boots and got more (if only there was a Debenhams here, too). I've been using the samples for about a week now, and this stuff is fab. It's really thick and creates a lovely base for your make up, and there's a very noticeable difference in how the foundation looks when it's applied and how long it continues to look fresh throughout the day. The samples are lasting me ages because you need to use so little of this stuff, and this has convinced me that I need a full sized tub. NEED.

2) NARS Loose Powder

I've decided I need a good powder. I use Bareminerals foundation and I adore it, but I have oily skin so I do need something to set it. I've been using 17 pressed powder for as long as I can remember, but it tends to go quite cakey and oxidise, which I can't be doing with any more. I want grown up make up. The NARS Loose powder gets cracking reviews on Make up Alley, and comes in a variety of shades so there's bound to be one light enough for my ridiculous pale skin. Supposedly, it's good for suppressing oil without looking cakey, so I have high hopes. It does cost £27 so it better be good.

3) Real Techniques Powder Brush

Well, if I want a new powder it would just be rude not to get a powder brush to go with it. Right? I've not tried any of the RT brushes, but I've only heard good things about them so I want to hop on the bandwagon and try them out. This one looks huge, so it'll do the job nicely. Previously I've been a die-hard Body Shop make up brush fan (they're amazing, seriously) but they don't seem to do one big enough for what I want. This retails for about £10, so I can stretch to that.

4) Illamasqua S.O.P.H.I.E. Blusher

My reasons for wanting this are threefold. Firstly, it's a nice colour. It's a warm, coral-y pink with a bit of gold shimmer running through it. It has good reviews: it's supposedly extremely pigmented, and it's cheaper than NARS blushers. Secondly, I just want something Illamasqua. Such a cool brand name. And thirdly, it helps to raise awareness for The Sophie Lancaster Foundation: read more here. Sells for £18, but it's for a good cause so it'd be a crime not to get it...

5) MAC Lipstick in Rebel

I don't own a MAC lipstick. I know. Where have I been? Don't worry, this will change as soon as possible - I feel a trip to Leeds Harvey Nicks is on the cards. I've decided on Rebel because I don't have anything like it already - I was tempted by a more wearable pink, but I have so many of them there's really no point. On the bullet this looks so dark and scary, but in swatches I've looked at it's such a gorgeous, deep, bright, purple toned raspberry. Need it need it need it.

So like I said, the lipstick is sorted. If anyone else wants to donate me the funds to buy all the others, it would be very much appreciated. Debenhams have 500 points for every £35 you spend on beauty at the minute, I'm avoiding the site like the plague though ...

3 things #4.

1) I don't know what it is about this nail design, but I'm oddly drawn to it. I shall attempt, and report back.

2) I've banned myself from eating jacket potatoes, because the amount of cheese and butter I load onto them is enough to make me put on a stone just by looking at them. Here's my new alternative.

3) DO IT. It's amazing how much better you feel, wearing a bit of red lipstick. No better way to cheer you up in the most miserable month of the year (well, maybe cocktails are better. And holidays. And chocolate, but that's banned too).

How to style Midi Dresses.

I love midi dresses. Love love love them. Don't get me wrong, I still love a good old short skirt, but since the summer I've been lusting after so many midis. It's just such a flattering length - you don't have to worry about faffing around with fake tan  and making sure you're not flashing your bum to the world when you bend over, and you don't to spend your life on wind-watch, making sure your skirt doesn't blow up around your head. Happened to me far too many times for me to be comfortable with.

This winter, there are loads of bodycon midis around, which is a nice change from all the loose fitting ones that have been in stores over the summer and autumn. They're easier to style without looking frumpy but they can be tricky in their own little way - can you wear flats with them? What about belts? And what jackets look good?! My answers are yes, yes and most. I dunno about everyone else, but in my head things never seem to work, then you try them on or see them on someone else and they look fab. One thing about these dresses, is that they don't really need accessorising that much. Unless it's a really basic one, they're quite a statement piece of clothing anyway, so relax on the post-getting dressed necklace-bracelets-rings-scarves-earrings-headbands-gloves-belts-anklets-whateverelseyoucanthinkof panic. One or two bits is fine, trust me.

For daytime, keep it casual. Midi dresses are naturally quite dressy a lot of the time, so dress them down with soft knitwear and simple shoes. Monochrome's going to be massive in the Spring (which according to the shops is, er, now) so try a stripy black and white jumper over the top, or give a big cosy cardigan a go - chances are you already have one in your wardrobe. They don't need a belt, but look quite nice with a really skinny one belted around the waist, try one with details on, or in a contrasting colour. A leather jacket or big slouchy denim shirt would look good over the top, and for jewellery try a statement necklace. Shoe-wise, just stick on the same ankle boots you've been wearing all winter, your comfy converse, or some basic ballet flats.

For the evening, midi dresses are really easy to style. Like I've said (about a million times) they don't need much, so try adding smart accessories in a bright colour, like a cobalt blazer, bright blue stilettos - platforms are so 2012 - or an emerald green envelope clutch (which, for the record, I need). I like how they look with a big, huuuuge necklace, but if you're a fan of other jewellery go for an embellished chunky cuff, or some statement earrings. Keep your make up nice and vampy - it's still cold enough outside to warrant it - with a deep red lipstick and sparkly black nails.

Images, as always. This midi in question is just £12.99 from New Look - also available with long sleeves, for an extra 2 quid. Bargain of the century.

Daytime

Try teaming your midi with really casual jackets and accessories to stop it from looking too dressy in the daytime. One statement piece of jewellery is plenty.

Night time

Big bold heels and a smart jacket - if you need a jacket - is the best thing for dressing them up. One massive piece of jewellery and some dark lippy and you're done.

Topshop, New Look and River Island are best for these sort of dresses at the minute, I've found. There are loads in depending on your budget, style and occasion, so give one a go! Here are my favourites. Top row L - R: New Look, £15 New Look, £17, New Look, £17, New Look, £15, Cameo Rose at New Look, £15, New Look, £15, River Island, £25. Bottom row L - R: River Island, £25, River Island, £35, River Island, £25, Topshop, £29, Topshop, £45, Topshop, £32, Topshop, £32.

And finally - I know, I know, the end's in sight - here's a few of my favourites from Lookbook.nu.

Welcome to 2013.

Happy new year, and sorry it's a few days late! I've been at home with the boyfriend for the past few days, it's lovely to see my dogs and my parents again (and to get all my food cooked for me, not going to lie). So, it's 2013. I'm not one of those people to jump straight into a green juice detox whilst treadmilling 27 times a week as soon as we hit January 1st - I still have a load of Christmas chocolate left, for a start - but at the same time I see nothing wrong with seeing the new year as a fresh new start. There's no doubting that it's easier to diet when you're surrounded by gym offers and the media bullying you into it, than when Christmas is coming up and it's practically law to overindulge. However, rather than make myself some new year's resolutions, which I'm doomed to fail at instantly, I've decided to follow suit with a load of other bloggers and make myself a list of 13 things to achieve in 2013. Some slightly silly, some deadly serious, but I'm determined to complete them all. Wish me luck ...

1) Complete the C25K running program.
Okay, so this will be my fourth attempt. Apparently I'm not very good at sticking to things. If you've not heard of it, C25K (also known as Couch to 5K) is a running program which aims to get you from absolute beginner runner status, to being able to run 5 kilometres without a break. It's bloody hard work for someone as unfit as me, but it definitely does work. I stopped last time because my gym membership ran out (I think. It was either that or I just got lazy) but I got about halfway through, and ran for 20 minutes without a break. It hurt like hell, but at the start of the program I would NEVER have been able to do that! This time I'm determined to complete it, continue running afterwards, and be able to call myself an actual runner.

2) Visit a new country.
One of my big aims in life is to travel a lot. Or, er, to go on a lot of holidays. I've been lucky enough to go on some fab holidays thanks to my parents, but now I'm a poor grown up student I don't know how much longer I can keep relying on them to drag me along too! I'm going to meet some friends in Belfast in February so that'll be this one ticked off the list- hopefully I'll get to visit somewhere else too. I'm thinking Tunisia, Greece or Italy, if I can persuade the boyfriend/fund it?

3) Go on more nights out.
Slightly controversial one here, but I want to go out more, and I want to get drunk more. I'm a student and I live 2 minutes away from one of the main clubs, yet I only go out once a month or so. I have no excuse! I enjoy it when I go - I like getting dressed up, doing my make up nicely, gossiping with my friends before we go out, then getting nicely drunk and dancing til my feet hurt and I have to stagger drunkenly home to the boyfriend who will likely come and get a burger with me. It's fun.

4) Create more baking recipes.
Three of my absolute favourite and most used recipes are ones I've created myself from scratch through an awful lot of reading and research online. And if I do say so myself, they are damn good cakes. I want to develop some more of my own recipes, so I can be extremely proud and smug when I get complimented on my baked goods.

5) Take more photos.
I have no desire at all to become a cracking photographer with a brilliant camera. I don't have the time or the patience (that's a lie, I just don't have the patience) to spend hours setting up the perfect photo, with impeccable lighting and angles and blah blah blah. Nor do I want to end up living my life through a camera lense, rather than viewing things for myself. I fully respect those that do love serious photography, but it's just not for me. I do have a pretty decent camera on my phone - a HTC One X - though, so using that I really just want to take more casual photos to document my daily life. My phone has 1256 photos on it - about 600 of them are my recent trip to Florida, and I bet another 500 are of my dogs. No joke.

6) Eat at a Michelin starred restaurant.
I like food. I like food a lot. And I like eating out - who doesn't? I've eaten at a few pretty fancy restaurants, but never one with a Michelin star. I follow a lot of food blogs, and I get so ridiculously jealous of all the yummy looking, gourmet food served so I've decided this year, it'll be me. I'll start saving up now ...

7) Learn more French.
I did French at GCSE and kind of hated it at the time. Then I completed it, ended up with a good solid A and realised it wasn't actually that bad, and really I was okay at it. I go to France a fair bit, and I'd really like to be able to speak more of the language.

8) Use my sewing machine more.
This year, I want to complete more little sewing projects. Don't get me wrong, I do use my sewing machine - last summer I made a cracking little apron for myself, and for Christmas I made some of The Londoner's Heat Up Brown Owls for a few of my family and friends. But this year I want to use it more - I plan on making myself a few pretty cotton summer dresses, and expanding my skills a bit.

9) Develop a healthier relationship with money.
This is a biggie. I need to start budgeting, and spending less of my money on Costa and cheap make up. I'm not happy with my overdraft, and I want to try and get it sorted out. I'm going to start totting up what I spend on little bits and bobs each week, and stick to a solid budget. I will hopefully get a paid placement this year, which will help me out a lot, but I don't want to fall into the trap of just spending more when I get more income.

10) Cook more healthy and exciting meals.
The past couple of months I have gotten sooooo lazy. We have been living off chicken dippers because we've been too lazy to cook - my mealtimes consist of me lusting after beautiful, healthy looking meals on Pinterest whilst I shovel crisps and Lindor truffles into my mouth. As of now, I will pick 3-4 meals a week which I definitely want to try, and the rest of the week will be decent salads, jacket potatoes, the odd Weightwatchers ready meal (they're quite nice, and I don't feel guilty about then) and maybe, maybe (definitely) a takeaway every so often.

11) Make more of an effort with my appearance.
We've all done it - we get into a rut with our hair and make up. My aim this year is to follow the advice of the countless magazines I read and try all the new beauty trends. Same goes for my clothes - I want to make more exciting choices, and have less of the typical dress-cardigan-scarf-pumps-tights combo which I seem to live in.

12) Snack less.
This was originally 'get down to 9 stone'. But to be quite honest, I'd rather not be weighing myself all the time, I don't know how I'd look at 9 stone or even if I'd be happy with it, and I just can't be bothered with all the hassle. So I've changed it to 'snack less'. Snacking is my absolute downfall - I do it when I'm bored, i.e. all the time - so I'm going to try and break the habit. Even though I'm only a size 10 so hardly obese, I've still been bothered by my weight and how I look around my stomach for years and years, and I just think 'well why should I have to get so unhappy about something I can change?' So hopefully this, combined with numbers 1 and 10 should all help me become a little bit fitter, slimmer, and all round happier with my body.

13) Continue with this little blog.
And hopefully by this time next year, it won't be such a little blog.

3 things #3.

1) Housewarming present! A baby lime tree, and bottles of Corona. Genius.

2) Cake decoration: sifting icing sugar over lace.

3) Full tulle and capped stilettos. Oh yes please.