long time no speak.

(taken via weheartit)

I have been a bad blogger to you all these past few days (or has it been weeks?!). I am bogged down with University work, which must be finished by the 15th of Dec, and I have also been ill! Last week I seemed to have 5 things wrong with me, and when one symptom or illness went, another started. I think it's my body's way of telling me off for not going to gym, ha. Due to this, I've been lacking on outfit posts too, as I've ever stayed in wearing 'slob' clothes (you know the sort - tracksuit bottoms, vests, jumpers), been in work uniform, or been going to Uni looking awful - like a 14 year old who has no sense of style yet.

With inspiration from Rani and her blog Cupcake Couture, I've decided to do a monthly rundown.

I've been buying: Christmas presents! I'm going to be completely skint afterwards, but it will all be worth it. I'm so excited to give everyone their gifts!
I've been eating: Nando's and Kettles crisps. I am seriously addicted to both of them : once I had Nando's 5 times in the space of 6 days. Crazy.
I've been reading: Asides from novels for my course, I recently purchased the prettiest version of Oscar Wilde's, The Picture of Dorian Gray. I'm going to start on it tonight, eek!
I've been listening to: All of Magnetic Mans album, Katy B and some Benga!
What I've been watching: X factor, as always. I was out both Saturday and Sunday night, and I was actually having withdrawal symptoms not knowing who was good/rubbish/went home. It's my guilty pleasure :-( I also went and saw the new Harry Potter film which I shall do a review on in my next post!
What I'm looking forward to: Christmas and time off (from work and uni). I can't wait for days of laying snuggled up, with food, films, and J to cuddle. I'm also looking forward to stuffing my face through Christmas, as it's 'allowed'. I can be a porker and it will be acceptable, hurrah.
What I'm not looking forward to: a) having no money till Christmas eve. b) trying to purchase Jamiroquai tickets on Friday c) finding a new dress for my Christmas party as the French Connection one from this post looks awful on me. Could have cried when I tried it on!
What I've been wishing I could buy: General pretty clothes and dresses and shoes. I shall do a full down in my wish list in a few days. I hate not having money to treat myself to things!



I don't have much more to say right now, so i shall leave you this photo for lols:

baby it's cold outside.

Brrrrr, when did it get so cold?! I've had to result in buying a new think chunky scarf (Primark, £8; it's amazing!), my gloves, the lot! This is not a good thing, as I hate having to wear gloves; I'm a girl who loves her food and her phone, and I seem to be incapable of doing anything involving these two when I wear gloves. I should probably invest in some mitten/fingerless gloves or something... hmmm.

I am going to sound like everyone else on blogger, but ohmygod at X Factor this weekend! I'll admit, I am not a massive Aiden fan (unlike my best friend who now refuses to watch the rest of X Factor due to his departure), but to keep Katie in over him? Really? Urgh. However saying that, as long as my darling Matt wins stays in, I don't care about anyone else. Secondly, did anyone think Cheryl's hair had a resemblance to Bram Stokers Dracula?

???!?!?

I am also so excited to see that American store Forever 21 has opened it's first UK store in Birmingham (too far for me *sob*), and you can purchase items on their UK website, yaaaaay. I have seen so much I would like already, and it's not as expensive as I thought it may be either! After Christmas I may take a trip up to their store, as I've wanted to go to the Bullring for a long time now also. Yipee!

I am very poor till after Christmas now, so I'm depressing myself with looking at things I wish to purchase but can't... Some bit's i am currently lusting after at the moment are;

Aviator Jacket - £70 (normally £120) via ASOS

 Boots - £160 via Kurt Geiger

Velvet Dress - £50 via Miss Selfridge

Sequin Dress - £160 via French Connection

(I need this dress in my life)

Drape Dress - £55 via Topshop

Burberry Lace-up Boots - £550 via Net-A-Porter

I would be eternally grateful if someone bought me some things off of this list for Christmas? Please? *flutter*

winter wonderland.

Sorry I've been so delayed on blogging recently; University & work is taking over my life. If I'm not at University, then I seem to be at work, and if I'm not at work I seem to be doing work for University. It's a vicious cycle! I've been keeping an eye on all your posts, and commenting when I remember, so I haven't forgot about you all!

(taken via Flickr)

I started my Christmas shopping on Wednesday with my Mum, and although it is resorting into me having to go open an overdraft, I'm excited that I'm nearly finished! I just need to finish getting some presents for the family and J's - I feel so organised! Christmas is only six weeks away also! Six! Crazy. I've been shopping with my Mum to pick my presents, and I can't wait to recieve these!

(these look so much nicer in real life)

I was planning on doing a post with more things, but I can't find anything online! Typical *huff* I am still debating what to do with my hair also, I'm so bored of it and need to do something new with it! Any ideas would be most welcome :-)

I'll do some more outfit/portrait posts this week or next too ; I haven't picked my camera up in a while, but I'll start making more of an effort!

play that funky music.

(taken from here!)

Gigs. Festivals. Concerts. What do you prefer? What have been your favorite ones?! Without sounding like a typical student, I do love my music and my festivals / gigs. I love that moment, when you're standing around with friends, laughing and drinking whilst some music plays, then it all goes dark, the music stops, and you know your favorite band are about to start.. it always gives me goosebumps, and it is arguably one of the best feelings in the world. 

I tried something new tonight though... i got J tickets to see Magnetic Man at Heaven in London, and he took me with him. Don't get me wrong, they are an amazing band (i use the term 'band' lightly here) but I had never been to a small gig like this... "what do I wear?" "Does everyone go crazy? Or stand back and chill with a beer or something?" As you can tell, i was being typical girly and having a major dilemma. 

Magnetic Man are made up of three DJs, known as, Benga, Skream, and Artwork. They use a laptop each to synchronize their music, with "one playing drum samples, one playing basses and the third playing leads and samples"* Together they produce their songs released as a group, as well as some of their individual work remixed into each other.

The venue itself was unlike anything I'd been to before - it was underground, and not very big (in comparison to somewhere such as Brixton Academy), and was made up of small arches - some used as passageways in between the bar and, what i can only describe, as a hall..., and some closed off and used for seating. Slightly surreal to say the least.

Like most concerts and gigs, they had a warm up act, who was actually Katy B, a young woman who sings on a few of their tracks (it was their song 'Katy on a mission' that got them mainstream). She definitely got the crowed going, despite only singing about five songs, due to not having recorded much solo stuff yet.
Thankfully, once she had finished it wasn't long until Magnetic Man started. Most concerts these days seem to have a warm up act, then leave you waiting for the main act for a good half hour or so, so this made a pleasant change!

They came on the (tiny!) stage like any other act, and after some screaming from the crowd, they were ready to go. They played various songs off of their album such as 'Ping Pong', 'Mad' and 'Karma Crazy', making the atmosphere seem as if you were in some type of underground club. The bass was heavy, the crowd were crazy, and everyone was singing and dancing like there was no tomorrow. Ms Dynamite was a special guest, and appeared to perform their song 'Fire' (although for some reason she wasn't around to perform her and Katy B's song 'Lights On'...) and Katy B also performed 'Katy on a mission', which is actually a remix of Benga's, 'Benga on a mission'' - just with much better vocals and beat!
The whole gig finished with 'Perfect Stranger', another well known song performed with Miss Katy B. It was then that the bass got heavier, the volume turned up, and it was to the near point of deafening. However, it was amazing, and they definitely succeeded with going out with a bang - although i think i can speak for everyone there, in saying that our poor ears were pounding once we had left the venue!

I found out afterwards, that this gig had actually sold out of tickets, and it shocked me slightly. Although it has been around for quite some while (back to around the '90s), Dubstep is only just starting to get mainstream. Made up of between 138 and 142 beats per minute, most Dubstep songs consist of heavy bass lines, with drum samples, some vocals (although not always), and various other samples.

Many clubs are starting to hold 'Dubstep nights', and there seems to more and more artists producing Dubstep, or Dubstep sounding songs these days. It is the next generation of music perhaps? We've had the 'club classics', r 'n' b, drum and bass, dance... is this what will come next?

Radio stations such as BBC Radio 1 are starting to play more of this music too, and not just on the late evening shows. As said earlier, 'Katy On A Mission', is what made Magnetic Man heard of, and got them mainstream. It was being played all over the radio, even on stations such as Capital FM, who normally only play songs in the charts.

Will 2011 be the year Dubstep artists get their name? Start getting bigger and better? Part of me hopes that yes, yes they do. Most music we hear these days is the same, so I think we need something new to mix things up. It would make a change to turn on the radio, and instead of hearing artists such as Tinchy Stryder and N-Dubz, to hear acts such as NERO, Modestep, The Prototypes, Flux Pavilion and Bar 9 (to say a few...).

Who knows, perhaps next year will be the year....

*source: http://www.benga.co.uk/info/magnetic-man.html (Bengas Official Website)

hair today, gone tomorrow.

So i got up nice and early to come into University today to attempt/finish/start an essay for Poetry & Drama. Its 10:58am and I'm already procrastinating, always a good sign!

I am so unbelievably bored of my hair at the moment... due to this, i have had many different hair cuts/colours/style, and it's not in the greatest condition! For thos that don't know, about 50% of my hair isn't real - after years of having clip-in extensions, I decided to go the whole way and have a weave. Don't get me wrong, i love having it, but now I'm just so... bored with it. Again. Sigh.

Instead of having my mop chopped, I'm thinking about changing the colour instead... the problem is, to what? Before Cheryl Cole decided to dye hers that red browny colour, I was going to go back to red (I even bought the dye!), but now I'm not so sure.... However, i am wondering whether to take the plunge and do 'Ombre' hair, after seeing Zoe's and Lily's DIY tutorials. I'm just awfully scared it will look horrid on me!

Thoughts Help?!

pretty things & witty things.

winter blues.

(taken from my flickr)

I have been feeling very under the weather recently, hence the very long delay since my last post! Last week I thought I was coming down with flu, as my whole body was aching for days. All I wanted to do was sleep and stay in bed! I'm feeling slightly better now, but not 100%, boo.

The clocks went back yesterday (the 'good one'), which meant an extra hour sleep, yay. However, I am definitely not a fan of waking up in the morning when it's pitch black, then traveling to University/work in it. I wish that Scientists could come up with an explanation as to why humans need to hibernate in the Winter. Sleep and staying indoors for months? That would be ideal! I think when I die I am destined to come back as a Cat; I'd be living a life of luxury for sure.

How was everyone's Halloween? I was a major bore and stayed in watching X factor and doing very little. My excuse reason was that I am a poor student who needs to put money aside for Christmas presents.... and that I can't be bothered dressing up for a fancy dress party. 

However!! I did go out for one of my best friends birthdays on Saturday with J & some other mutual friends of ours. We went to the Ice Bar off of Regents St to start off with... it is...., interesting, but once you've been there once, it's not really worth ever going again. Without sounding like an absolute idiot, I was bloody freezing, despite having my cape on, and another padded cape + gloves. Brrrr. 

We then headed to Chiquitos for cocktails and amazing Mexican food, and then a couple of bars, before having another meal in a cafe, then heading home for a good sleep. My god was I tired the next day! I had to literally force my eyelids open, otherwise I think I would have slept the whole day. I feel like I'm getting too old for this where I don't go 'out-out' anymore... how depressing!

I feel like doing a picture post of pretty and cute things I currently love (how girlie of me!), so I shall leave you lovely people with a photo from Saturday :

The birthday girl and I.