H E A R T A U T U M N

As much as I love a basic white tee, I would have to say it's band tee's that are the real staple in my wardrobe. I always love the style of them, they're effortless and ~cool~ and just transform the way an outfit looks don't they! Plus, I mean, who doesn't want to wear their favourite band/singer on their chest for the world to see, huh? But often, I find myself just grabbing for a band tee and a pair of skinny jeans, not really doing much styling wise. So I thought in pushing myself to style them up a bit more, it made the perfect opportunity for a blog post. 
I picked this Rolling Stones tee up from Urban Outfitters when I walked in and fell in love, basically! It's my ideal oversized fit; perfect for tucking, tying or lounging. AND they're the best band in the world, so what is not to love?

The Statement Trousers


The 'statement trousers' in this instance are actually a jumpsuit (as seen in this post) so I guess really that's another way to wear the tee isn't it! But statement trousers are maybe my favourite way to wear a band tee. Whether it's pinstripe skinny trousers a la pinterest, a cropped polka dot plise or a bright and bold yellow, they just make your outfit into a true ~lewk. I opted for the yellow because I've also been trying to find more ways to wear the jumpsuit and get my moneys worth so it was an ideal opportunity tbh! But the colour ties in well with the muted tones of the t-shirt and I'm so here for that. Teamed with some heels (because I'm too short for these trousers if not), a cute little bag and shades, it makes a great 'summery but not too summery' look.

















Out Out

Maybe 'out out' isn't the right one, but I'm definitely getting more 'out to the bar' evening kinda vibes from this outfit; probably the leopard print mini skirt! I kinda just wanted to show that band tee's can be dressed up a bit. I didn't go all out, still kept things a bit casual and ~me~, but it works. The contrasting styles of the t-shirt and the skirt work and that's what I'm all about in an outfit: dressing down a smart piece or dressing up casual pieces.
















Rockin'

The most common kind of outfit with a band tee: skinny jeans and a leather jacket. It is definitely a go-to, fail-safe look of mine and these jeans just add a little more. Throw on some red sunglasses and a red lip to pull out the colour in the t-shirt and what's not to love? A perfect everyday look, no?


Wearing:


T-shirt, Urban Outfitters


Jeans, Topshop (similar)


Jacket, River Island (similar)


Sandals, Superga 


Sunglasses, Primark (similar)

So I've been feeling quite down lately, lonely and not having much confidence in myself, and it's actually due to the weather being good. Which is the opposite to most people, I know, but bear with me. I don't have a lot of friends, being shy and having social anxiety make it quite difficult to make friends. Those I do have I value a lot, but my anxiety has found me distancing myself from them over the past couple of years. But when the weathers miserable, it's rainy and cold, I don't feel bad about sitting at home watching netflix, blogging and looking after myself. However when it's gloriously sunny and everyone's out with friends in parks and beer gardens, having trips to the beach and 'making the most of it' I, quite frankly, feel like shit. Because I haven't had any of that and I couldn't see myself having it in the near future. Feeling less than confident in ~summer clothing~ doesn't help but I wrote about this last week if you're interested!

When I decided to write about this it was with a more 'negative' spin that now. Because it's amazing what a little text from a friend reaching out can do for your mood! It got me thinking how, actually, it's quite easy to make changes sometimes, to reach out to friends and make plans, to do something about the things that make you miserable. I'm never gonna be a social butterfly with a calendar chock full of exciting plans, but that doesn't mean I have to be at home, alone and moping so much does it?!



Pick up the phone
This should be the easiest thing given that I spend so much time on my phone, but I struggle UNBELIEVABLY so with reaching out to people. Even if it's just to confirm plans that have already been made, I hate sending that first message (and you'll for sure never receive a phone call from me) because what if they've changed their mind? What if they don't actually like me but were being polite? I'm forever convincing myself that people don't actually like me but then I speak to them or see them and everything's bloody fine. Anxiety's real fun guys! 
But I need to push myself a little. And I need to start replying in group chats even if I feel like nobody notices when I don't, because then I know that I've put the effort in and I might actually enjoy myself, y'know? It shouldn't be hard to text someone who you used to spend everyday with or who you've been on holiday with, but it is for me. So I'm gonna try and ease myself back into being more sociable. I don't need to be making plans every day of the week, but every now and again would be fabulous.



Make the most of opportunities
In April, I had the busiest blogging month I've ever had because I finally said YES to some event invitations. Before then, I'd always blamed work, they had been weekday events that would've been a bit of an inconvenience tbf, but I know I could've made it work with a bit of effort. I decided it was time to start meeting more bloggers, making new friends and opening myself up to more exciting opportunities. And I have done! I've met some lovely new bloggers and had a great time at each event, so the next time an invite lands in my inbox I'll be THERE.
But it's not just about waiting for events to meet new bloggers, but arranging your own meet ups! I've got plans to meet up with 2 lovely girls who I know through instagram now, and although one blogger I used to meet up with turned out to be a total bitch, I'm not gonna let that stop me meeting others. There's always gonna be a few bad eggs but you've got to not let them ruin it for everyone else! 



There's nothing wrong with a bit of solo travel
I'm really trying to build my confidence up to go on a trip alone but it ain't gonna be happening anytime soon. I don't want to be waiting around for a travel buddy, I hate relying on other people, but anxiety! So I want to make some more day trips throughout the summer and see parts of the country that I haven't before. I want to go back to London because I haven't actually been for a few years; I want to go back to Manchester because it's possibly my favourite city; I want to go a beach and I want to fall in love with travelling on my own and grow in confidence! So if you've any recommendations for where I need to go, hit me up guys.

Wearing:


T-Shirt, Daisy Street via ASOS


Trousers, Topshop


Boots, Zara (similar)


Sunglasses, River Island



Photography by Matt McCormick

















I might not have exciting plans to fill the summer but I'm still determined to make it a fun summer.

The age old dilemma: do I be sensible and save for a mortgage and other ~adult~ things or do I be a bit more frivolous, treat myself and have a good time?
Well last month I went to an event with GiffGaff GamePlan focused all around money management, played their very own board game 'spend or save' and heard all about their plans to launch a banking app to help you keep better control of your money. (Side note: the event was at Cuckoo and if you're in the Leeds area it is definitely somewhere worth checking out. I didn't know it existed before then, but it's a very good little spot for cocktails and pizza. Very colourful and instragrammable too which is also a bonus!)

I've been doing very well with my saving lately; I opened a new savings account last year and transfer what's left from the previous month on the day that I get paid. On top of this, as I've spoken about before, I've started being more ~considerate~ with my purchases. I'm not hauling as many clothes just because I can and I'm not buying food consistently while I'm out and about or at work. It's the little things that make a difference! But also (well, I've got a post going up about this in more detail on Monday) my issue with the 'treat yourself' mentality is that, for me, it tends to be materialistic things. And there's nothing wrong with that, because it makes me happy! But I wish it was more hopping on a plane and making memories. I just can't do that right now, so sensible and saving it is!

The Game
The 'Spend or Save' board game made for a very fun evening making new friends. It's all about spending your money wisely, saving as much as you can and realising that there's sometimes external factors that affect this. Hello to the triplets I suddenly became pregnant with and had to spend a lot of money on. Hello also to the pesky stock market crash which lost me my house that I had saved up for ages to buy!
You start out as a 20 year old with £1,000; around the board are various incomings and outgoings and each round of the board you age up 5 years. There's a selection of life goals you can work towards, whether that be saving in an ISA, getting married, buying a house or more! They have varying rewards at the end of the game, and as I mentioned, there are external factors if anyone lands on a 'pick a card' spot which can help or (very badly) hinder your path to achieving these goals. The starting point of the board is your pay day each round, and if you're out of money then you're out of the game!

The Product
So I'll be honest, I'd not heard of GiffGaff much past being a mobile network, but turns out they're a babe of a brand who put all of their focus on their customers; what they want, how they want it and the best way to go about it. They LISTEN! They're far more than just a mobile network and describe their brand as "a philosophy of mutual giving and savviness" which they wanted to extend into other aspects of life: hence the break into finance! It's essential to manage your finances in life isn't it? And lets be honest, with traditional banking we don't monitor what's going out and how to best reduce that very well. So they offer a free credit report service now, because knowing your credit report is important for making any of those ~big life decisions~. And they're building said banking app which will make it easy for you to monitor your numbers and learn how to save your money in the best way.



Being totally honest, this was only the 3rd event I have ever been to. (Too nervous to say yes before now!) But it was easily the best one yet. The location, the company, the pizza, the game; it was all rather wonderful and I had more laughs than I've had in ages. Companies that put time, effort and money into their customers are companies that I have a lot of time for. So I'm definitely looking forward to giving their new services a go and saving even more dolla!


Photos courtesy of GiffGaffGamePlan