Entering 2018 Confidently.

Hey boos,

What a busy end of the year I had and definitely one year to put behind me. 2017 was a rollercoaster that by the end I was contemplating just jumping off before it finished it's course. But after 2 weeks off to relax at home with my family celebrating a very delayed Christmas, things are definitely beginning to look up. I've cut ties with anything toxic jeopardising my happiness, my progression in my job is just about to start and my best friend is one step close to moving up and working alongside me in the very near future. Let's just pray this level of positivity remains eh?

Along with positivity is confidence and 2018 is the time where I'm putting this into practice alot more and bringing back the Katie Pook that at 21 thought she could conquer the world. In 2 weeks I'm turning 23 and it's perfect opportunity to adjust back into that mindset and set myself up for the future. There's no better time than the present!

First things first I want to feel more comfortable in my own skin. I aim to take more selfies and post to Instagram daily. It may came across self-obsessed and vain and appearance isn't the key to confidence but it's 2018, social media is at it's prime and yes, I may be completely hung up on it but I'm only human and honestly It has (so far) made a difference.

Completely contrasting the heavily filtered, fake reality of Instagram, I have also taken a break from the gruelling chore of make-up and allowing my skin to breathe. Now, in the past the thought of channeling my bare-face in public without a hint of concealer freaked me out however, in a roundabout way it is evidently improving my skin with the help of moisturiser to keep my face hydrated. Again, this may not seem a big deal to many but after suffering from chickenpox 22 years late last year, noticable scars were left and my confidence plummeted, but just like everything else, it is part of who I am and it's my chance to embrace it.

Anyway enough self-love for one day. Let's make 2018 a year to remember, who's with me??

First Post Of 2016 | Bedroom Tour

Hello my loves, and welcome to my first post of 2016! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and a Happy New Year and like me, ate and drank that little bit too much!

I never mentioned this in My Goals for 2016 post but the one thing I've had my heart set on for years now, is to have a bedroom I am actually proud of. See over the years, I've always drawn the short straw, I live in a flat with my parents and I either shared with my sister or had the box room so my brother could have the bigger room, leaving no room for a space of my own but in just under a year I've finally achieved that and I wanted to share it with you!

Let's start from the beginning, the very first thing I did was plan the walls. After years of having posters plastered all over my room I finally decided it was time to grow up. (sad face!) Anyway, I love feature walls but I'm not a fan of patterns too "in your face" and extravagant, after all I do have to sleep in here! So, in the end I went for this gorgeous, cream wallpaper with roses on, it's so understated but definitely adds that little bit of character to the room.

Next up is my bed, oh I do love being single and having a double bed! No duvet hogging and overheating in the night just me, myself and I .. well ... and the cats when they break in my room 5 in the morning! Clever little buggers! The best thing about this bed is the leather headboard, I don't know why but I'm so inlove with the way it looks and it was literally the reason I chose this bed but its so comfy!

I never intended on the cream and brown theme, before I had pink bedding but since my mum bought me this duvet set for Christmas I've really grown to love it and I've bought curtains in Chocolate brown and now I'm on the search for the perfect lampshade! (I do get very OCD about these things!)

Now for where the magic happens .. my make-up table, that is actually my chest of drawers, which is actually for storage.

A quick little run through on whats on it because I know some people are nosey and like to know this stuff; 

Ari by Ariana Grande perfume which I got for Christmas, Impulse spray in Romantic Spark, Vaseline underarm deodorant, Cath Kidston make-up bag I got for Secret Santa this year which contains my everyday make-up essentials, Minnie Mouse wash bag from Primark which contains everything else from eyeshadows to nails, The Vintage Cosmetic Company tweezers in floral, Avon Care hand cream in Royal Jelly, two travel size tubes of La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo + cream which I was recommended by a girl on Twitter for my annoying breakouts, simply amazing! Avon Care Face Cream in Royal Jelly, Garnier Micellar Water, Make-up Wipes, Cotton pads, Tresemme Heat Protect spray and my Nicky Clarke Hair Dryer!

Whilst we're at in let's throw in my dodgy mirror above! This is what you get when parents try to do DIY together and clash ...

My cute clock that my mum literally give me about an hour ago that she thought would look cute and it's cute! How cute of her!

Here's my cute quote that, after having for about 6 months I finally decided to put up. This means an awful lot to me because if I'm ever having a bad day or a tough time, it reminds me of how many good times I've actually had in my life and the special people that I've met along the way. It just makes me smile. I've also had these colour-changing flower lights for a long time which I've only just put up too just to make it look a bit pretty and colourful.

Last but not least, my shoe rack ... and I don't even think this is all of them! Here's a picturesque version with my quote above it ...

and here's reality! 

Hey I'm not perfect!

So I hope you've enjoyed my little room tour, literally my room is tiny but like I said, I am finally happy with it .. for now. It's a cosy little space I can call all mine!

So Adios amigos, love from Katie and Phillip xxx

My Goals for 2016

So we've survived it people, 2015 comes to an end tomorrow to make room for the madness that will soon hit us in 2016. A lot of me is so sad to see this year end I've had great memories; see my photo album post. Although it didn't start off great (I was unemployed for a while and was ill for 3 weeks after my 20th birthday) I started my new job in April and I've never felt happier in a place of work, we are all like a family. I've had ups and downs with my friends which has just made us realise how genuine our friendships are and I've met some incredible people along the way. I've had my heartbroken, I've had a fair share of breakdowns but the main thing I remind myself of is I'm alive. I'm here. Life is actually pretty great.

I didn't want this to be too lengthy but I have a feeling it will so if you want to stop reading just look at the picture above. This post is about my goals for 2016. Not resolutions because they are so easily broken and cliche. I wanted to make a list that will excite me when I tick off each one and won't get boring to do. So here goes;

Happiness

An easy, straightforward and ongoing goal. Well, I say easy it can be pretty difficult. Some days nobody can drag me down (NOBODY, NOBODY!)(sorry one direction moment) I'm happy and giggly and if i say so myself, funny. I actually light up other people's day but then I get dark days, I get anxiety, I worry, I get paranoid to the point where I argue with loved ones. But I just want that to change. I'm going to cleanse my mind and my surroundings so I just have positive vibes in this often dreary world we live in and appreciate what I have. As I said before; Life is pretty great.

To Celebrate My Best Friends' 21st

So myself and my two closest friends from school all have our birthdays within 2 weeks of eachother. One is 20th Jan, the other is 28th and then mine is 3rd February so we all tend to celebrate together, however my goal (see below) is to go away for my 21st and Becky is having a party so I'm going to ensure we all party that little bit too hard in honour of the 3 of us. We're all growing up, we've seen eachother's triumphs and losses and I'm hoping this stays for life.

To Go Somewhere Beautiful For My 21st

I always see people visit some amazing places for their birthday and this year I am determined to do this myself. My heart is set on a few days in Prague or Rome, somewhere with substance and history with the most amazing picturesque views. I have the week off, why not spoil myself ey?

Confidence

Over the years, my confidence has grown mountains but I still have a long way to go when it comes to believing in myself. But I want to put myself out there more, set my mind on something and achieve it, no setbacks, no doubts. That would be my proudest moment.

To Be More Healthy

A bit of a cliche, boring goal for you. I often look at the stuff I eat and it makes me want to go out and buy a bucket load of salad, fruit anf veg but no matter what, the motivation goes. And the word Gym? It's foreign to me and I honestly don't see how people have the energy or time to do it. It's not even to lose weight, to just have a bit of a detox to see if it re-energises me a bit. Small realistic changes.

To Visit My Best Friends Up and Down The Country

Because of the wonderful invention of the internet, I have been lucky enough to 'meet' some beautiful, amazing people I'm comfortable to call best friends. So I'd love to just go and spend some time with them this year. I have Sam from Middlesbrough, Jay from Southampton along with a few in London I've met at shows and meet-ups and even Soph from Dublin. Some quality time with my girls and boys in person instead of over the phone would literally be amazing.

To Do A Good Deed Everyday

Whether it's just a smile to make someone's morning, I think giving back to people is the best trait someone can have.

To Go To A Festival

As you know, I love music but I've never been to Glastonbury, V, Leeds, Download, Reading, nothing like that and I reckon the experience would be like no other. Although the lack of hygiene does panic me ever so slightly!

To Invest More Time With Friends And Family

It's not until it gets to Christmas that I realise I feel like I neglect my family and friends because of work or just because I don't text them once a day. So spending some more thought on them wont go a miss.

To Improve My Blog

Everyone has room for improvement so I want to make some personal goals for myself, because I enjoy blogging, I want others to enjoy my blogging too! New equipment, fresh ideas, collaborations with different companies, I just can't wait.

I hope you all have an amazing New Year, and I'll see you in 2016!!

Lots of love

Katie x