30 DAY CHALLENGE

Hey there!

A tag I've seen flying around the Internet a lot recently is the 30 Day Challenge. As a lazy blogger, lacking in inspiration and creativity, this was perfect for me! I was first introduced to this via Alice's blog and was so excited to write mini posts on these topics, updating  and sharing with you personal bits of my life. I thought this would be a real challenge to get stuck into and so decided that this will become a series of posts that I will be uploading to my blog!

(WARNING: prepare yourself for some proper cheese!)

                                    

Day 01 - Your Current Relationship

The transformation between being a young girl and becoming a teenager made me realise that relationships have never been for me - full of responsibilities, commitments and stress! I would find myself in them when I was younger thinking I looked cool with the rest of the group, but it never felt right - I just wasn't interested. I often got caught up with the wrong crowds and never found the right boy for me, just a few 'young love' moments. It all seemed like a bit of fun at the time, nothing too serious, but as time passed and the 'relationship' moved on, that soon changed and it got a bit scary! Luckily, I managed to escape them without it getting too crazy - saving myself from any pressure and fear. However, despite this, I can't say all of my relationships finished perfectly, there were some tough break-ups and harsh endings. It was all of this that knocked my confidence, lost my trust in others and held me back from becoming close with anyone!

However, over the last year I have been talking to a good friend called Lewis. He was nothing more than a friend and we were never really close. Last month, I felt like it was the right time to meet this mystery guy. At first I felt cautious - I hadn't been in a proper relationship in a while and I wasn't completely comfortable with it. However, I decided to take a new approach towards him! We found ourselves in deep conversation for endless hours each evening - messing about, flirting and just getting to know one another. There was never a dull moment, he made me feel so comfortable and always made sure that I slept well. As time moved on, we grew to trust one another and learnt to confide and share our emotions and experiences. It was then that I realised he was like no other guy I had been with before - such a hopeless romantic with a warm heart and a beaming smile, a soppy guy with a fragile ego, but his cheeky personality always shines through.

For anyone that's interested, we've been together a little over a week now. I know it hasn't been all that long, but I feel we've definitely connected well together. This is just the beginning and I feel there are many more months ahead of us!

Bye for now! Xxx

LUSH Cosmetics Bluewater VIP Event - 17/08/14

Hey there!

Apologies for taking so long to write this post, but I've just been super busy with a whole bunch of things for the past few weeks, that I have barely had any time for myself! 

I'm sure you all know, after reading my many blog posts and watching my YouTube channel that I have a huge obsession with the shop LUSH - known for their amazing 'fresh handmade' bath products. As an avid blogger, I jumped at the opportunity when I was informed of an announcement on their social media page. So you can imagine how excited I was to finally be selected to take part in the first ever Bloggers Event in Bluewater at LUSH. Infact, we were all looking forward to it, especially the staff, who were eager to meet us and hold their first event!

WARNING: we were encouraged to take as many pictures as possible during the event, so this may become a picture heavy post!

I was lucky enough to be accompanied by one of my friends, who's post can be found here! We were treated to some refreshing cocktails to welcome us into the event, along with a tray of tropical fruits, which tasted sensational. 

As an icebreaker, the staff encouraged us to mingle together, allowing us to discuss blogging styles, before introducing us to the agenda, sharing with us some secrets about the tasty drinks we'd been given on our arrival. The previous evening, we were sent a sneak peek video hinting at the hands-on activities we were getting involved in, which started the hype! I was thrilled when the ingredients were set in-front of us, ready for bath bomb making - the smells overwhelmed us all, filling the shop with sensational scents. This was what I had been excited for the previous evening, so I couldn't wait to get my hands stuck in! It was a great experience and my bath bomb turned out amazing!

We were introduced to the new range of sunblock products, which smelt incredible! The girls briefly talked about each one, offering us tips and a demonstration on how to use them. We were then given the opportunity to take turns massaging the products into our friend's arm. This was a fun task, which left our arms feeling smooth and protected from the sun. Not only had I walked into the event dazzled by the scents of LUSH, but I left smelling of it too!

We were lucky enough after this fun-filled event, to be handed a free goodie bag on the way out, full of a whole range of products from the LUSH store - my favourite being the Grass shower gel. This product has such a strong, autumnal scent - perfect for these couple of months. I love how it feels on the skin and I would strongly recommend it!

Finally, for all my avid followers, you should know how hard it is for me to walk away from the store without any purchases. So. in addition to all of my other lovely free samples, I also treated myself to 'The Godmother' soap - a sweet, smelling, heavenly LUSH soap! 

If you would like to see what we got up to, you can find a link to my video here:

Over the next couple of months, I will be updating my blog with a bunch of reviews on these products so make sure you keep your eyes pealed. So if you're a blogger and live local then keep looking out for the next one - I would totally recommend it! 

Disclaimer: all pictures and footage for the vlog were taken by myself. However, I am not part of the company and am not helping promote it, just simply showing you clips of the event.

JULY ROUNDUP...

Hey there!

So, I guess I have some serious explaining to do! It has become a real issue that I have completely abandoned this blog recently and I'm sorry if I have let a few of you down. Over the past few months, I have become extremely busy - meeting deadlines, finishing school and embracing the sunshine by spending some quality time with my friends and family. 

I'm sure you can agree, blogging isn't as easy as everyone seems to think it is. Being a perfectionist, I worry that my content isn't good enough and often rewrite my drafts over and over before posting online. I felt myself becoming increasingly addicted to the Internet - completely glued to the screen for endless hours, every evening. However, I realised I was missing out on a lot of the gorgeous weather and so decided to unplug for a while. As a result of this, I decided to give up blogging for Devise. I didn't want to let it go so soon, but I was struggling to meet deadlines and I didn't want to disappoint any more people. 

After an extremely detailed introduction, I think it's time to share my adventures in another monthly round up: 

(left to right: Final Term of School/ Work/ Cousin's Christening/ Family BBQ/ Lightning & Football/ Embracing the Sun/ London/ Friendly Gathering/ Movie Night) 

As you can see from above, this month certainly was a busy one - probably one of my favourites! Summer has always been one of my favourite seasons and I love catching a tan, meeting friends and just generally having fun outdoors! 

Bye now! Xxx

JUNE ROUNDUP...

Hey there!

It's that time again - yet another month has come and gone. June welcomed in the warmer weather - perfect for a nice tan and cute, floral clothing. You may be aware if you're an avid reader of mine, that I have been lacking in posts. It's fair to say I've been extremely busy, as mentioned in my last post - enjoying life to the fullest, meeting new people and embracing the sunshine!

(left to right) Embracing the Sun/ First ever Loom Band/ Thorpe Park/ Father's Day/ Back to School/ Brighton Meetup/ Sunbathing/ 2 Months with Shane/ London Picnic

This month was certainly a busy one, such a great welcoming to the start of Summer! The weather was absolutely beautiful and some great memories were made. 

Bye for now! Xxx

Life Update: EXCITING NEWS!

Hey there!

Sorry for not posting sooner, my life has been pretty hectic recently - so much drama, so much stress and a lot of time away from the Internet!

If you've been following my blog for a while now, you should be well aware that I have made a Twitter account for this little slice of the Internet, to keep you all updated with my upcoming posts and vlogs, exciting announcements and my general thoughts of the day! 

For any late comers, you can follow this at:

@nessiehere - (shameless promo right there!)

Since then, I've been participating in countless group discussions, posting lifestyle/witty updates and generally interacting with some lovely ladies. A few weeks ago, I was approached via Twitter by a blogger's website called Devise - an upcoming site, who were recruiting active bloggers to help run it. I was absolutely ecstatic, when they informed me I'd been selected and could not believe I'd been given such an exciting opportunity! I jumped at the chance of participating in this, to improve my writing skills and become better at what I love to do. Since then, I've contributed to this site and have posted a couple of times, which can be read here: 

DeviseBlog

In other news, I finally got the confidence to start my own YouTube channel. This was something I'd been waiting almost a lifetime to do, but was too afraid of sharing my face with the Internet. Though I may come across as being a confident, bubbly teenager, I have huge anxieties weighing me down that stop me from taking up great opportunities - some of which, I regret missing out on! After joining the YouTube adventure, I've been dedicating a lot of my time to creating videos, (mainly vlogs,) editing footage and uploading them to my channel for others to enjoy- wow, I've been busy! It was here that my confidence grew and I absolutely love it!

You can watch my latest video below, and if you want to see more of me then give my channel a cheeky subscribe! 

Lastly, if all that wasn't enough for you, I've also been busy outside of the Internet - filling out job applications, updating my CV, answering telephone calls and uniform hunting, until I struck lucky! After attending my first EVER job interview, I was given the opportunity to start work ASAP! Of course, I jumped at the chance and I start work in a few weeks, so I can finally announce, I'll soon be an employee at Primark - my favourite shop, a dream come true!

Bye for now! Xxx

AMAZON HAUL

Hey there! 

I'll admit now, when it comes to parting with my money, I am very stingy about it! I mean, we'd all be shopping on a daily basis, without a care in the world, throwing anything and everything into our shopping baskets - back breaking amounts even, if we could still keep everything in our bank! As a result of this, I rarely ever spend my money on anything other than necessities during the exam period. So I thought it was time to browse the Internet for some goodies and treat myself as I was due a much needed spend up! 

Starting with these lovely lip products! Over the past couple of months, I have been browsing the shops, online and off-line, for some new beauty items to replace my old ones - as a result of a good clear-out. Recently, my lips have been under the weather and severely dry, so were in need of some attention. No amount of Vaseline could save my poor, chapped lips! I'm not one to jump the bandwagon and follow the hype. I like to explore new and upcoming brands or quite often, stick to my old favourites! 

However, I do regret not giving in to these beauties. I was seriously in love with both of these products! They apply smoothly, hydrate my lips really well and last throughout the day, with minimal top-ups. I'm especially pleased with the Baby Lips balm: not only does it give a slight tint to your lips, it also keeps you well protected from the sun - bonus!

I'll admit, these past couple of months I haven't been all that interested in reading. I've been so desperately wanting to get into the habit of finishing an evening with a good book, but the half term and busy exam period has kept me so busy, I just haven't found the time! 

Recently, I've been talking to my lovely blogger friend, Eleanor, who I've become extremely close with. Luckily for me, she is an avid bookworm and has a great taste in books! She made me realise that my break from reading had to stop, so I picked up an old favourite of mine from the shelf, 'One Day by David Nicholls,' (for anyone that's interested,) and I was absolutely hooked and could not put it down. I feel like I couldn't have picked a better novel to spark my love for reading again - it was so light hearted and just so intriguing! 

Browsing through my abandoned bookshelf, I noticed the majority of my collection was either outdated or well read - so it was definitely time for a make-over! The Book Thief was a no-brainer - a book I'd been lusting over for a long while and a strong recommendation by Eleanor. The Rosie Project was an easy pick too and decided this time the hype was not worth missing out on!  

I'm so happy with all of my purchases and would recommend these to everyone - so worth it and cheap too!

Bye for now! Xxx

Liebster Award!

Hey there!

Wow, my blog has been busy this last couple of months! I never thought I'd be announcing that  my blog has won an award, let alone 2 in the past 2 months. Thanks to Anna I've been nominated for the Liebster Award. Such a great girl and I've been luck to have the privilege of talking with her - so you should all go check her out!

The Rules

1. Thank the blogger who has nominated you for the award 
2. Answer the 11 questions that they have written for you
3. Give 11 random facts about yourself
4. Nominate other bloggers with less than 200 followers who you believe deserve the award
5. Post 11 questions for your nominees to answer and be sure to let them know they've been selected!

Anna's Questions

1. What's the best gift you'd love to receive? - I know this is a bit lame, but I'd love a year's supply of Starbucks coffee - I live for it!
2. What's your biggest dream? - I've mentioned this before in one of my first posts, but I adore travelling and exploring new places so my biggest dream is to experience the Northern Lights 
3. Any hobbies? - I am a filmaholic - I love everything from horror to comedy, I love to read, swim and sing, especially in the shower. I have also been intrigued in vlogging and started my channel, which you can see here!
4. Favourite artists? - I'm not a massive fan of artwork, so not too familiar with artists. I guess my favourite would be Picasso, I love his work - just so quirky! 
5. What movie would you watch over and over? - I would have to say the Inbetweener's or Insidious movie, I'm sure there are plenty more, but these are definitely my most watched ones in my DVD collection! 
6. If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you go? - This may be cheesy, but I'd probably go straight to Barcelona - to enjoy the beautiful sunshine, explore the country, admire the people, but more importantly to say thank you to Anna!
7. Have you got anything you're looking forward to this year? - Nothing strikes me as exciting at the moment. I guess I'm looking forward to introducing my boyfriend to my family, seeing my cousin get christened, meeting my new baby cousin, family BBQ's and embracing the summer weather! 
8. Meaning behind your blog name? - Nothing too exciting, my name is Vanessa and I blog here - wow, original. 
9. If you could have 3 wishes, what would you wish for? - I would wish for world peace, a plane ticket for absolutely anywhere and everywhere in the world and a life supply of hugs for when I'm not feeling my best. 
10. If you could meet anyone dead or alive, who would you meet? - I know this sounds silly, but I would love to have met my younger self, to prevent her from making the mistakes she did and to prepare her for the future. 
11. Do you have a celebrity icon? (If so, who?) - I think Demi Lovato is my favourite, she's been through so much in her years and is just so inspirational!

11 Random Facts

1. I have a huge passion for travelling and have started my journey with Italy, Belgium and France.
2. I am extremely lazy and procrastinate to the max - sometimes I forget to take my make-up off before I sleep, but shh!
3. I am extremely inspired by Zoella and her fellow YouTube friends.
4. I gave up a while, but I can honestly say that I am now obsessed with reading and spend every spare moment doing it!
5. I fall in love so quickly and become so easily attached....oops!
6. I've always been a natrually anxious person and am nervous about too many things to list. I am also extremely shy, especially around new people. 
7. I cannot live without music - it just isn't possible! I'm so passionate about it and you'll never catch me without my earphones in!
8. I was bullied for a total of 5 years when I was younger, which shattered my confidence. 
9. I love to take touristy photographs wherever I go - especially in London!
10. I've been vegetarian for 2 months now. 
11. I used to know how to play the trumpet, but I've always wanted to learn how to play the guitar! 

Questions for Nominees 

1. Who's your biggest inspiration - celebrity or not?
2. What animal best resembles you?
3. Which is your most loved outfit in your wardrobe?
4. Any phobias?
5. What was your favourite hobby as a child?
6. Where would you like to see yourself in 10 years time?
7. Meaning behind your blog name?
8. If you could swap bodies with anyone in the world, who would it be?
9. Who are your favourite bloggers?
10. What do you think is your best feature? 
11. Reason for starting blogging?

I Nominate...

Kelly - AlongCameKelly 

Chloe - chloesthoughts

Lisa - lovefrom-lisa

Amy - theamy-grace

Bye for now! Xxx