What's in my summer handbag

After seeing Zoella and SprinkleOfGlitter's 'Summer Essentials' video about a month ago, it became my main priority in life to track down this neon yellow bag and to buy it! Although it's originally from Zara, they had completely sold out, so I spent days looking for similar ones online and hours walking round town trying to hunt one down. I had no luck until I checked ebay for the 1000000th time that week and the bag was finally on there! Of course, I ordered the bag straight away and have now had it for a few weeks. So before it is completely full of receipts, food wrappers and useless items (like all my other handbags) I thought I'd do a 'what's in my summer handbag.'

~ Bag - Zara (the colour is a lot brighter in real life) ~

It's only a small bag so not much can fit in it (which is good as I normally take half my bedroom with me wherever I go) From left to right, I have a small perfume from Victoria's Secret's PINK - it's my second bottle and I absolutely love the smell! It also seems to last forever, I've had the same bottle since November and sprayed it multiple times a day, yet it's still practically full!
Next, I have my Fiorelli purse which takes up about 90% of the bag! I have so many small purses but I just prefer using one large one that will fit everything in.
Of course, I have my keys in my bag which are attached to a fluffy blue pom pom type thing which speeds up the 'I can't find my keys' process that I seem to go through daily as it means you just have to feel around in your bag for something furry. My keys are also attached to a 'Keep Calm and Love Nathan Sykes' keyring that I got for my birthday because I am slightly (very, extremely, like insanely) in love with Nathan Sykes (from The Wanted)
The only makeup that's always in my bag is my Collection 2000 powder. I keep one at home and one in my bag all the time cause its just a useful item to carry around with you!
I also have some hand sanitizer which I like to keep because you never know when you're gonna need it!
My ipod comes with me almost everywhere, along with some earphones. It's a nano 5th generation that I've had for nearly 4 years now and you probably can't see in the picture but it's completely destroyed - covered in scratches and marks and the camera has fallen off and the click wheel always falls out. But as long as it stills plays music, that's all that matters! Plus, getting a new one and having to sort out itunes and syncing all the music seems like way too much hassle.
As I appear to be in the 1% of human beings who dislike chewing gum, I carry polo mints everywhere instead. It used to be tic tacs but they rattle in your bag and I used to feel very self conscious walking along with a rattling handbag so I've converted to the silent polo mints instead.
I keep a little mirror that has the Eiffel Tower on and says 'Paris' on it, although I actually bought it from Mont St Michel - a little island next to France with a cathedral on top. And when I say little, I mean little - as in an area of less than 1km - so yeah, if you're in France anytime soon...definitely go there! But anyway, I have been to Paris too, so I'm not cheating with the Paris mirror ok!
Next, I have my Oyster card as I go to London a lot and I don't want to lose it so just take it with me everywhere. And lastly, my small makeup bag which I just put whatever makeup I might need to reapply throughout the day in.

So that's everything that I keep in my little summery handbag/satchel type thing - I think it's known as a messenger bag? I'm going to Cyprus next week and will definitely be taking this bag with me. Just as Zoella said in her video, it's so useful having a small bag as it makes you actually think about what you really NEED to take with you and prevents it from being stuffed with useless items!
I hope you've enjoyed reading and please follow me on bloglovin if you've enjoyed this or any of my other posts! Also, let me know in the comments what your essentials are for your summer handbag and leave links to your blogs as I'd love to read them!

Zoe x

Oxford Street Haul / Matilda

 On Thursday, I went to see 'Matilda' in the West End with my mum and as we didn't feel like travelling home at 10pm, we decided to stay overnight in a hotel in Leicester Square. If you don't know London, Leicester Square is a ten minute walk from Oxford Street (one of the world's best shopping destinations!) and of course, we followed the motto 'when one is presented with a shopping opportunity, one must take this opportunity.' So we did; and here's what I bought...

I had to force myself to minimise the amount of items I bought in Topshop - there were so many more I tried on and wanted to buy, but I chose my favourites and ran out the shop before the tempation of more clothes took over me. (That makes it sound as though I didn't pay for the clothes - I did!)

~ Topshop - £22 ~

This shirt looks slightly 'nurse uniform' but I do really like it and think it will go well with high waisted shorts/jeans.

~ Topshop - £25 ~

I've been desperate for some new sunglasses for ages as the only ones I ever seem to find that suit me are those huge bug-eye ones. But in Topshop I found so many non-bug-eye pairs that actually suited my face and was forced to choose. I settled on this pair in the end, then spent another half an hour choosing the case I wanted.

~ Topshop - £10 (for sunglasses and case together) ~

Next up was Urban Outfitters which is conveniently situated next door to Topshop, so we rushed straight in there and again, I entered the changing rooms struggling under the weight of all the clothes I had to try on, but left with as little as possible! In the end, I settled on just this top, basically cause it has daisies on and nothing else I tried on did - anything with daisies on, I will buy!

~ Urban Outfitters - £28 ~

River Island is definately my favourite place for summer shopping but being July - the middle of a heatwave when everyone wants summery clothes - shops are conveniently full of their autumn stock now, so sadly I found no clothes in there at all. But to cheer me up, I did find this cute anklet instead (anklets are another obsession of mine)

~ River Island - £3 ~

Inbetween shopping, we took a quick break at a small restaurant called 'My Old Dutch' which is one of my mum's favourite places that shes wanted to take me to for ages! There are three of these in London, so if you ever go there my advice is to only order one thing and not the potato wedges! One portion of potato wedges comes in a large pyrex bowl and should belong on a buffet table to serve a large party, not as a starter in a restaurant for one person! By the time my pancake arrived, I was way too full so ended up eating about two bites of it and taking the rest home to eat later - it tasted amazing though!

~ 'My Old Dutch' / Potato Wedges / Pancakes ~

On the way back from My Old Dutch, we stopped off in Waterstones where they had a buy one get one half price offer on John Green books, so I bought two that I don't yet have and another book called 'Girl, Interrupted' which I have also wanted for a while. I've been reading a lot recently - I'm in the middle of the Hunger Games trilogy at the moment - and need more books for when I go on holiday, so am looking forward to reading these!

~ Waterstones - An Abundance of Katherines / Girl, Interrupted / Paper Towns ~

By this time I was running out of money and American Apparel definitely isn't a great place to shop when you're low on money, but it's known for being sweatshop free which is why the prices are so high and if theres one thing I learnt from GCSE Geography it's that sweatshops are not good! Because of this, I always feel as though I should support shops like American Apparel for not taking advantage of workers in poorer countries and ended up spending £14 on a bandeau top which is insane!! But it had daisies on, I couldn't not buy it!

~ American Apparel - £14 ~

I'd spent all day looking for midi rings as I think they look so beautiful and aren't as scary as normal rings because they don't get stuck on your finger or cut off your circulation so when we went into the final shop of the day and found this pack of three, I had to stop myself screaming with joy - I think they're sooo pretty! And here they are, being expertly modelled by my not so attractive fingers...

~ Miss Selfridge - £6.50 (pack of three) ~

So that's everything I bought on my quick trip to London. I had such a good time and am already planning my next trip where I'll probably go to Westfield (I tend to shop in Oxford Street/Covent Garden in the warmer months and Westfield when it's cold outside!)

Matilda is also an amazing show to go and see so if you're planning a trip to London soon, then definitely book some tickets! It's so different from the film which is good as you don't know what's going to happen and aswell as being a musical, theres also a lot of comedy in it! It's been in the West End for a long time now so I'm not sure how much longer it will be around, but I've heard that it will soon be on Broadway too!
I tweeted about the show afterwards and two members of the cast favourited me which was pretty awesome too! Liza Minnelli was also there on the same evening as us (I didn't know who she was but my mum had a mini fangirl moment when she found out)

Finally, here's the pictures I took in Leicester Square! I meant to take pictures in Oxford Street but became too absorbed in the shopping, so completely forgot!

~ Leicester Square ~

Local Festival OOTD

Where I live, we have a small 2 day festival every year in the park with lots of live music, dancing, fairground rides and overpriced food, so here is what I wore on those two days at the festival, both evening and daytime.

~ Top - River Island / Shorts - Forever21 / Sandals - Select / Bag - Zara ~

~ Sunglasses - Mango / Half asleep cat (Fred) ~

~ Real Techniques stippling brush / Loreal True Match foundation (Shade - C1 Rose Ivory) / Maybelline Falsies waterproof mascara / Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer / Burt's Bees lip balm

On day one, I went in the evening/night so the outfit was more suited to this time of day. I went with a group of friends and we had a really good evening listening to the large variety of music and watching a suprisingly large number of fights break out between overly drunk people. I always love the atmosphere at concerts/gigs/festivals so I really enjoyed Saturday evening when everyone was really getting into it and just having a good time!

~ Top - American Apparel / Shorts - Topshop / Bag - Zara / Vans - Office ~

~ Lauren Thalia - one of the acts we went to see on day two ~

On day two, I went with just a few friends in the early afternoon to see Lauren Thalia who made it to the Britain's Got Talent semi finals last year. She comes from the same town as me and is super talented, so definately check out her youtube here or her Britain's Got Talent semi final performance here.

~ Maybelline Falsies waterproof mascara / Real Techniques stippling brush / Loreal true match foundation / Rimmel wake me up concealer / Burt's Bees lip balm / Rimmel exaggerate eye liner ~

~ Chloe, me and Dani at the fairground / Dani and me eating ice cream ~

I hope you've enjoyed my outfit of the day and it may have given you inspiration for what to wear! (If you've read a few of my blog posts, you may have noticed by now that all I really wear is high waisted shorts and a baggy top!) Leave links to your blogs in the comments as I love reading new blogs, or let me know what you'd wear to a local festival; remember to follow me on bloglovin if you've enjoyed this or any of my other posts (button link in the sidebar)

Zoe x

Barcelona!

Hola! (I don't know any other spanish)
In April, I was lucky enough to visit Barcelona on an art trip with my (ex)school where we had 4 packed days of non-stop things to do, places to visit and lots of shopping/eating unhealthily. So here is a quick summary of those 4 days...

It just so happened that the school had been kind enough to book a 7am flight on a Monday morning, meaning getting out of bed at 2am. A group of 20 teenagers running on little to no sleep was not ideal so the Barcelona trip did not get off to a great start with everyone feeling too tired to function. We also had to wear these rather unflattering, neon hoodies for most of the trip and although everyone pretended to hate them, I think we all secretly loved them as they were sooo comfy!

~ Me and Jessie waiting to leave - not looking our best after a 2am start and dressed in lime green hoodies ~

Before we'd even had time to unpack, we were whisked off to the first place on the very long 'to do' list, which was Parc Guell. This was a beautiful place which - much to my delight - was full of palm trees. Unfortunately, I was very tired and hungry so spent a while in the cafe and didn't have a lot of walking around time. Here are some of the photos I did manage to take whilst there though...

~ Parc Guell ~

With Parc Guell now ticked off the list, our tour guide took us on a long detour around Barcelona before eventually arriving at the Picasso museum. We weren't allowed cameras so I have no photos although I do recommend this museum as it was very interesting to see how his work changes from ordinary paintings to his famous cubist style.
Much to our delight, after a long day of walking, we could finally check into the hostel we were going to stay at. The delight soon faded though as we found out our rooms would be on the 5th floor and the lift just happened to be broken. Five flights of stairs later, I collapsed straight into bed and went to sleep.

~ Our dorm room so happened to be on floor 5 - of course ~

Everyone started day two in high spirits after a full night's sleep and it was just our luck that the sun shone all day, allowing us to spend a few hours on the beach. No one had dressed for the occasion though, we were all in jeans - but that didn't stop us enjoying the sea!And the hoodies finally came in useful - as blankets to sit on!

~ Barcelona beach/Chocolate waffle I bought at the beach/Jessie and I on the beach ~

Another highlight of day two was the cable car we took from the top of a hill to the beach. The view we got over Barcelona was incredible and the sea looked such a beautiful colour in the sunlight. As the cable car goes over the docks, we also had a view of the top decks of some luxury cruise ships, making us all feel very jealous!

~ Views from the (slightly terrifying) cable car ~

Day two was definately my favourite day because as well as the beach, the cable car and the weather, we also visited a palace called Montjuic which was one of the most beautiful and surreal places I've ever been. I remember turning in a circle and everywhere you looked you'd have an incredible view of either the palace, it's gardens or a view over the whole of Barcelona! It was definately one of the best places I have ever been!

~ Montjuic palace ~

~ Family photo outside Montjuic - the green hoody gang ~

We also had a walk around the gardens which were beautiful and there were many chances for taking arty photos - although arty photos are difficult when you're in a group of over 20 people; someone always gets in the way!

~ Montjuic gardens ~

Just down the road from Montjuic was an amazing shopping centre which had been converted from an old bull fighting ring. We took the outdoor glass lift up to the roof then spent ages walking around and taking in the views. For once, the shops weren't my favourite part!

~ The view from the shopping centre roof/Leana, me, Celine and Jessie on the rooftop! ~

If only I could speak spanish, I'd be determined to go to Barcelona uni

~ Barcelona university - another beautiful place ~

And finally, no beach day is complete without a sunset photo and lots of pretty lights. This was actually taken just as a thunderstorm began, making our half an hour walk back to the hostel a lot more scary!

~ Dusk at Barcelona beach ~

Onwards to day three which began with a visit to a secret place that I'm not allowed to tell you about. *Somewhere* in Barcelona are a block of flats which have been built around the remains of an old roman temple. It was one of the most unusual places I've ever been with the contrast of such old and modern buildings. But, if you can find it, definately a place worth visiting!

~ The secret roman temple ruins/Celine, Jessie, myself and Leana ~

Day 3 also gave us the oppurtunity to visit La Boqueria market which was a lovely place, but we were distracted by the 'Dunkin' Donuts' next door to it and ended up spending most our money in there instead. There was also a lot of waiting around for entry to museums so I have many photos of us just standing/sitting not doing much.

~ Jessie and me in Dunkin' Donuts/me, Celine and Jessie doing not a lot ~

As it was an art trip, day 3 became our hardcore art day where we visited 3 museums in a row. MACBA was my favourite of the three and here's me and Jessie destroying one of Leana's many 'artsy shots'

~ Me and Jessie photobombing in MACBA ~

Sad times as we arrive at the final day in Barcelona. The weather also took a turn for the worse, as if preparing us for going back to rainy England in the evening.
One of the artists we'd looked at throughout the trip was Gaudi and on day 4 we had the chance to get very up-close and personal with him as we visited the actual house he designed and lived in around 100 years ago (Casa Battlo). Gaudi's design and architecture is influenced by religion and nature and every single detail in his house resembles this, from the lights to the corridors.

~ The main stairwell (designed to give the sensation of being underwater)/The house from the outside ~

After our stop off at Gaudi's house, we visited the Arc De Triomf.

~ Another family photo - in front of the Arc De Triomf ~

We then visited a park next to the Arc. I'm not sure of it's name, I just remember it had a very large statue of an elepant and many important looking buildings, as well as a hut which sold my favourite flavour of crisps - always a bonus

~ Me and Leana with our new best friend/Jessie, Leana, me and Celine in the park ~

As a farewell to Barcelona, we visited one of the most incredible places on earth - the Sagrada Familia (you must say Sagrada Familia in the voice of the man who announces contestants on the x factor). Quick history lesson - another building designed by Gaudi which began being built in 1882 and has been under continuous construction since then. It's now just over half way being built.
I couldn't believe it had taken so long to build but when you're close up, you can tell why it's taken so long! There are so many small details everywhere and it's incredible looking around. The pictures I took whilst inside don't do the place justice so I haven't included them, however if you're visiting Barcelona anytime soon, this is the place to go!

~ Me, Leana, Celine and Jessie outside Sagrada Familia/Sagrada Familia - still under construction! ~

Of course I had to include the four outfits I wore in Barcelona so here they are!

~ Day One: Top - Topshop, Leggings - Topshop, Vans - Office, Necklace - Bijou Bridgette ~
~ Day Two: Top - Urban Outfitters, Jeans - Topshop (Joni), Vans - Office, Necklace - Bijou Bridgette ~
~ Day Three: Top - American Apparel, Shorts - New Look, Converse - Schuh, Necklace - Bijou Bridgette ~
~ Day Four: Top - River Island, Jeans - Topshop (Leigh), Vans - Office, Necklace - Bijou Bridgette ~

I also had a recent city break in New York with my aunt and my mum, so let me know if you enjoyed this as I would love to write about my time in New York too! (although it was mostly shopping)
Thanks for reading and comment below if you've been/are going to Barcelona and where your favourite places are! Also, leave links to any of your holiday blog posts as I love reading them and getting inspiration for places to visit next! At the moment, Rome is next on my list for places to go!

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Zoe x

Clothes Wishlist - July 2013

1) Dress - River Island - £30
With 3 months off school, I've been attending many parties and there's plenty more still planned. I'm  quickly running out of things to wear so I've been on the lookout for a dress which can be dressed up for parties but also worn casually on sunny days. This dress is perfect for this and the turquoise colour is also beautiful! Unfortunately it's out of stock in my local store and I've had bad experiences with River Island's delivery service so I'm slightly wary about ordering this.

2) Cambridge Satchel - Asos - £115
 It's my dream to own a mint green satchel and I'm in love with this one! Sadly, it's an item I can only dream about owning due to it's price, but it's my birthday in 2 months so perhaps if I beg my family enough?

3) Shorts - American Apparel - £54
Yet another item I can probably only dream about owning. It doesn't seem worth it to spend so much on a pair of very summery shorts when I live in England, but I love these so much; so watch out...they may be in a future haul!

4) Joni Jeans - Topshop - £36
Once you buy a pair of topshop jeans, it's impossible to go back to any other make of jeans! Although I already own a pair of their Joni jeans, I have been on the lookout for some acid wash jeans and these are by far my favourite ones!

5) Striped Blouse - Asos - £28
This is an item I've had my eye on for ages, but I'm worried about not having anything to wear with it, so still haven't bought it! I love everything mint green so for me, this blouse is just perfect!

6) Lace Crop Top - River Island - £18
I think this top would be perfect to wear on a summer holiday with some high waisted shorts and it's only a month till I go to Cyprus, so I really want to buy this. However, again it's River Island's delivery service that I'm not a big fan of which is stopping me from ordering.

7) Trousers - Urban Outfitters - £45
These trousers are nothing like what I'd usually wear but I love them and I think they're so summery! The shopping centre where I live is lacking an urban outfitters and ordering something online that's very different to my usual style scares me, so I'll just have to hope I can pluck up the courage to go for it and order them!

I hope you've enjoyed reading my wishlist and you can leave comments below saying which are your favourite items, or what is on your July wishlist! Please follow me on bloglovin if you've liked this or any of my other posts (button to do so is in sidebar)

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Zoe x