Sunday 30 October 2016

10 Coffee Shops in London You Should Know About...


London does pretty fantastic coffee, there’s always a new artisan coffee bar opening up round the corner. Being in London all week, I'm discovering a new cafĂ© I want to try almost every day. While it's safe to say my list of 'to-trys' is pretty extensive, today I've rounded up just ten of the best independent coffee shops you'll find in London. A few I have tried and tested, but others I am dying to visit since hearing rave reviews. Hopefully this will save you from having to drink very-unoriginal Starbucks coffee in the future!
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Thursday 27 October 2016

Six Years Ago Today...


Exactly six years ago today I began writing this blog.

But I would like to begin this post by first of all apologising for a few things. My blog is my hobby so I am never usually too concerned with scheduling, but I am so sorry that I haven't posted at all this week! I have been incredibly busy with university work and, of course, that takes priority. Moreover, I'm sorry for how rubbish a post this is! My blog's birthday crept up on me quicker than I could blink and before I knew it I had nothing planned, not even an idea for a celebratory blog post. So, this is about as good as it gets.

That being said, I have so many post ideas to share with you all - expect a lot of London recommendations, more ootd's and autumnal styling tips. Yet, for now, I'll leave you with six things I have learnt from six years of blogging (I know...how creative!).

Six things I have learnt from six years of blogging:

  1. It takes time to grow. Be patient.
  2. Don't take it too seriously.
  3. It is so much fun! I have interacted with so many amazing people through my blog and I love the community blogging has thrusted me in to. I adore creating blog posts, thinking of ideas and tweaking the design. It genuinely is so much fun.
  4. Don't follow blogging rules or conventions. Be your own boss.
  5. It is a struggle to juggle with other priorities such as work/ school, so beware.
  6. Have passion and enjoyment at your heart's main interest.
Happy birthday ATF! Thank you so much to everyone who reads this blog - it genuinely means so much to me. Cheers to many more years ahead!
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Monday 24 October 2016

November Style Notes...

All photos taken from Pinterest
It's only a week until November officially begins and I'm already seeking sartorial inspiration for the coming month ahead. The chillier the days get, the only more excited I become since layers bundle up, coats get cosier and the never-ending excuse to buy more coffee to "warm up your hands" increases. As a result of this excitement, I've been pinning away on my Style Notes board (who am I kidding...I'm always frivolously pinning) and have assembled quite the collection of autumnal fashion inspiration. So without further ado, here are your November style notes...
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Thursday 20 October 2016

What's In My University Handbag:


This is such a classic lifestyle blogger post, and although I tend to steer clear of things like Get Ready With Me and general product reviews, I couldn’t help myself with this one – I love seeing what’s in other people’s handbags. It’s just so fun and nosey, isn’t it? So since I've just begun university, I thought it would be fun to take you guys on a rummage around the handbag I take everyday with me to LCF. In all honesty, this isn't edited at all as I'm usually quite OCD when it comes to old receipts or food wrappers lying around - so the cleanliness you see is totally genuine. Without further ado, let's dive in...

Handbag: Accessorize

  1. A4 Project Book with dividers - This is a great pad for holding all of my university notes. It's pretty large and chunky I'll admit, but I'm sure I'll use every page come the end of term. The dividers allow me to organise my notes into my different lectures and seminars too.
  2. Reporter's Pad - An essential for a journalism student, this is where I write all my shorthand Teeline notes in class.
  3. A book for the commute - I mostly listen to music on my headphones on the Tube, but often I find myself wanting a break from noise and reaching for a book to read. Currently I'm reading a recommended book my lecturers, Writing For Journalists by Wynford Hicks, which is very insightful and interesting.
  4. Headphones - Music means so much to me so any chance to listen to a good playlist and I'm there (here's what I'm listening to this month). I'll usually listen to music on my walk to and from stations, and often actually on the Tube too. I love these ones from Urbanears. The sound quality is amazing and they fold up super small making them handbag friendly.
  5. Oyster card - Without it, I would be nowhere.
  6. Purse - For all them coffees to get me through 9am lectures.
  7. Pencil case - I love this one from Cath Kidston. Not only is it in a beautiful print, but it fits just a couple of pens which is all I need.
  8. Essentials wallet - Not its official name, but I had no idea what to call this! This purse is also from Cath Kidston and it basically carries all my little essentials for the day - from hand sanitizer, to tissues to lipstick. In the front pocket, I also have my USB and my house keys. It's lightweight, compact and small enough to just chuck in any handbag in a rush.
  9. A water bottle - I am one of those people that are permanently thirsty, so a bottle of water at hand is always much needed.
  10. Academic diary - I often bring this in my bag but I don't tend to if my bag is super heavy. I keep this diary for jotting down my timetable, keeping on top of independent study/ homework and so on. On days I don't bring it, I quickly type whatever I need to on the notes in my phone.
And then I may often bring along my laptop with me (I have a beautiful case from here), my camera, umbrella (hey...it's London) and lunch.

There you have it! I hope you enjoyed something a little different today and having a nosey around my bag. Cheers to the almost-weekend!
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Tuesday 18 October 2016

Lunch at No 197 Chiswick Fire Station


Post-Hally's and wandering around beautiful Parson's Green, my sister and I found ourselves wanting more food (naturally). Another place we both had on our bucket-list of 'to-trys' was No.197 Chiswick Fire Station. Adorned with pink velvet sofas, various botanicals and cacti, and pink neon lighting, this is the ultimate blogger's paradise. And a foodie's too - the menu is second to none. But before we popped on the train to Chiswick, we quickly snooped around the incredible houses around Fulham (partly to wander off our rather full tummies from this cake).
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Sunday 16 October 2016

Hally's, Fulham


When my sister and I both realised we had the same day off work, we knew we had to make the most of it. So, yesterday we paid Hally's in Parson's Green, Fulham a visit and finally ticked it off of our bucketlist of places to try. We had both heard rave reviews (and seen some incredible Instagram snaps) of Hally's and had been dying to devour their offerings for a little while. It lived up to its expectations and more to say the least...
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Friday 14 October 2016

The Autumn Layering Trick


As much as I love autumn, it can be a hard season to master sartorially. It can often be freezing in the morning and evening, but somewhat warm or muggy during the day. What's more, one minute it can be beautiful blue skies, the next pouring with rain with gusts of wind. Whatever do you do? Of course, there are larger worldly worries at stake in today's society, but if you're anything like me and often find yourself staring blankly into your wardrobe wondering what to wear on a typically autumnal day, then this may just be your answer. That my friend, is the 90's vest-over-tee look.
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Tuesday 11 October 2016

Five Things I Didn't Expect From My First Week of Uni


It's been a week since I officially started university. For those of you who don't know, I'm studying BA Hons Fashion Journalism at The London College of Fashion - something I had dreamt of for so many years. Yet, my first week was a little different to what I had anticipated. I had quite a few presumptions of what it all would be like, though I was never too sure on what to expect. So, if you're thinking about university for 2017 or just interested in how I got on, then give below a read...

  1. I got very tired, very quickly - I know, I too dislike it when people incessantly complain about how tired they are. But university definitely wore me out. Perhaps it was the fact that since finishing school, I had not been so busy all day everyday, or the early starts and hour-long commutes, either way I collapsed onto the bed on Friday evening, somewhat thankful for the week to be over.
  2. There is a lot of guidance - I assumed at university you would be left to your own devices quite a bit; left to figure it all out on your own with no one to help you. Though, I was pleasantly surprised to be guided and helped so well by my lecturers. They are incredibly kind and constantly reminded us to ask questions, talk to them or drop an email. 
  3. The timetable is jam-packed - My expectation of univeristy life was that I would only have to be there a few times a week for a few hours per day. However, apart from Monday, I am in every day, and on Tuesday's I am there from 9:30-5:00 with no break in between lectures. Though I can't complain too much; apart from Tuesday, I only have to go in for just the morning or the afternoon, meaning more time to explore beautiful London (ahem...studying, of course!).
  4. Everyone is insanely friendly - Full of prejudice (I apologise), I imagined that being at a fashion school, I would be surrounded by somewhat pretentious beings. I know, horrible thing to say, but let's admit, it's true, no? I am incredibly happy to report however that so far, everyone is very friendly and lovely. I have already made some wonderful friends and am eager to get to know some more. I love meeting and interacting with new, interesting people and uni life has allowed me to fulfill that.
  5. There is a lot of confusing computer software - This is not so much of a surprise as of course I knew we would be interacting with software none of us had used before, but I didn't imagine how many websites or programs had to be learnt, though obviously, it depends on what course you're taking. My course requires me to learn and navigate myself around so many different websites, and I'm already finding it very confusing. There has been many talks from IT technicians to guide us through it but I still feel a little flustered with it all. Though I don't doubt that after a few weeks of using it, I'll be a pro (she says with a slightly nervous smile).

Overall, I'm loving being a university student. It feels great to be learning again after a very long, fun-filled summer and to be studying something I genuinely love. If you have any questions about my first-week experience, about my course at LCF, then feel free to drop a comment in the box below or email me.
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Sunday 9 October 2016

Flowers and Florals, Notting Hill



After a morning of university lectures, my friend Sarah and I hopped on the tube to my favourite London neighbourhood, Notting Hill. After being stuck inside all morning, we were itching to get outside into the crisp autumnal air. And boy, it was a chilly and windy one this day, but alas this did not stop us gazing at the beautiful flora on display at the Wild At Heart Florist. Every flower was either in a roaring shade of red or burnt orange - it was an incredible, vibrant sight.
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Thursday 6 October 2016

The Fashion Blogger Must-Have: Olympus Pen EPL-7


I think it's about time I owed you all this blog post. I've had my new photography edition, the Olympus Pen EPL-7, for over a month now, but this has allowed me the right amount of time to decipher the pros and cons. Of course, you can already perhaps postulate that there are very few cons to this incredible camera, yet everything has it's slight downfalls. So, let us begin by understanding a little more about this much-hyped camera...
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Sunday 2 October 2016

The Velvet Floral Bomber


There's nothing too classic about this recent purchase of mine - a velvet, floral embroidered bomber jacket from Topshop. Yet, I know it will be in my wardrobe for a very long time, thus in my definition a classic, albeit one that I won't endlessly re-purchase season after season in varying forms.

I spotted this fun little gem nestled away in the corner of my local store, and knew instantly it belonged in my wardrobe. That said, perhaps it was the luxe, soft-to-the-touch velvet that persuaded me, or even the intricate mirrored floral embroidery that caught my eye, but I cannot deny that I love virtually every jacket/ coat out there (you should all know my obsession by now). So of course it was meant to be!

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