What's in my travel bag? - A week at home

Ever wondered how to fit an entire week's clothing in a carry on suitcase when you're going to a familiar place? Maybe you're visiting a friend abroad who is willing to lend you a towel and some toothpaste so you don't have to pay the extra luggage fee? As my family lives abroad, I have had more than enough practice in how to put together a decent mixture of clothes to be able to survive a week! So don't worry, it's not impossible!

First things first, you'll want to make sure you have all the essentials for the plane: passport, purse, your phone (and charger!), headphones, sunglasses and whatever else makes you feel comfortable on a flight. Thankfully most airlines let you take a carry on and your personal bag on board, so you have some extra space to play with here.

Secondly, don't forget that you can use some of the clothes you're wearing on the plane later as well. I always like to opt for the most comfortable pieces to wear on the plane, but you might want to consider wearing your thicker pieces that would take up more space in your suitcase. For example, if you're going on a summer holiday, make sure you wear your "emergency warm clothes" on the plane, so you can save some space in your carry on.

Versatile pieces are lifesavers when you travel with a carry on. I normally like to stick to my monochromes, this way I know that I can play mix and match with my clothes and I will never have to wear the same outfit on the holiday! And don't forget that throwing on a pair of sunglasses or changing up your accessories can convert your entire look. Endless possibilities!

I don't like to go too crazy in the shoe department as they tend to take up the most space and they are also the heaviest in your suitcase. If you have a pair of comfortable sneakers and a pair that makes your outfit a little bit less casual, you're covered for the whole week!

The best advise I could give you though is: the simpler, the better! You are on holiday and you won't want to feel uncomfortable in your own clothes, so make sure you opt for something that lets you make the most of your time away! Oh... and leave some room for shopping!

Birthday Wishes

So this is going to be a bit more of a personal post. I have been nominated for the Liebster award by the lovely Bet from LifeAccordingtoBet and a Blogger Recognition Award by Nicole from WhatNikkiDid. I have to be honest, I haven't heard of these kind of awards before, since I only started blogging about six weeks ago, but I find the idea of it really appealing. These awards pretty much go from blogger to blogger, and it really helps small bloggers gain some recognition within the blogging community.

First things first, a massive thanks to Bet, Nikki and to anyone who stumbles on my little corner of the internet. I find it so amazing that I can get to know so many interesting people though writing about what I love. Sounds like a dream. THANK YOU, YOU ARE WONDERFUL! And you made me this happy!

Secondly, I'm going to go around the rules here a little bit and just tell you 11 random things to you about myself. So without further ado...

1. I was born and raised in Hungary, and did a year abroad in England when I was at uni. I liked it so much that I moved back for three month after my writing my dissertation but I had to go home to take my last exams at uni. I then very irresponsibly decided to move to England full time, without a job, with £500 in my pocket and nowhere to live. Didn't really think it through!

2. I didn't really wear make up until I was about 20, and my mum never understood why. (Clearly she saw the bags under my eyes more than I did).

3. Growing up, I just wanted to be Rory Gilmore from Gilmore Girls. I wanted to be a journalist, I forced myself to read a lot and I even wanted to apply to Yale, but my parents didn’t want me to move to America.

4. I have a major love-hate relationship with my fringe. When I grow it out, I instantly want to cut it, but when I have one, it annoys me to hell and back!

5. I could give you great lifestyle advice, but I'm rubbish at taking them myself!

6. I have a Youtube channel. Although I haven't uploaded anything for about 3 years now, and it’s not what you would think. I used to play music so I recorded some of my stuff.

7. My boyfriend is a major nerd. The one that has a Lego collection, pre-orders video games and wears the geekiest T-shirts ever invented. Well. Used to. He’s been through extensive fashion training.

8. I have found it quite hard to make new friends after leaving university. It seems like everyone it competing with each other, instead of genuinely supporting each other. I just don’t like the politics of adulthood!

9. I have a major girl crush on Amanda Seyfried and Emma Stone. They're such babes!

10. I have a 19 year old sister and a 29 year old brother, both in different countries, I speak to them a lot, but I miss them every day!

11. Tomorrow is my 25th birthday.

And what I'm hoping for this year? I hope that my loved ones and me stay healthy and happy. I hope my career takes a turn, and I'll no longer feel like I'm just working to earn money. I hope I'll finally have the strength and patience in me to live a healthier lifestyle. I hope I get to see my family a bit more often than last year. And I hope I get to carry on writing about things I love.

I challenge each of you bloggers reading this to share 11 random things about you! I think this is such a fun way to get to know each other a little bit better, and I'd like to read all of your random things, so if you decide to do a similar post, make sure to let me know in the comments below! Much love xx

The Kitchen Edit

When you live in a rented flat and you can’t change up furniture, large appliances or even the colour of the walls, small accessories play a key role in making the space feel yours. Let’s face it, the kitchen is not the most exciting room to decorate, but we use it every day and some objects are even displayed to our guests. It is especially important to pay some attention to decorating a kitchen if you live in an open plan house and you can’t close the door to hide the mess.

Tableware

I think one of the most important thing to upgrade in your kitchen is your tableware. This is something you use everyday and it will also show up in your dining room, living room and even your bedroom if you had a cheeky breakfast (or dinner!) in bed. Not to mention you can't throw a dinner party without some cool tableware!

One of my favourite kitchenware purchases are these mason jars from Lakeland. They look adorable displayed on a mug tree and they quite quirky with the gold stripy straws, that I got from Tiger. Love love love!

Small Appliances

Movie night? Film Marathon? What better to make the night complete than your own popcorn maker. Little quirky appliances like this will definitely impress your guests, not to mention popcorn is a great choice of snacks! Other appliances that would make your guests jaws drop? Chocolate fountain, ice cream maker, juicer, waffle maker, pancake maker and I've also come across a snow cone maker! I have to admit, I want them all!

The MOST useful appliance in the kitchen (at least for me) is the coffee machine. I mean. It's a life saver in the morning and a beautiful treat in the afternoon. This particular machine was a pricy little bugger, but it was so worth it. It's called the Barista Express made by a company called Sage by Heston Blumenthal and I believe it retails for around £550. I know, I know... A Nespresso is much cheaper and it does all the work for you. I'm not exactly a barista, but I'm slowly learning to make different drinks and it's just so satisfying (and delicious!) to make your own coffee.

Storage

One of the most important things in a kitchen is good storage. You will want to hide the cans, the bags and the boxes, but some edible things actually look awesome displayed. Get some handy little Kilner jars and fill them with sweets, rice, tea and coffee or even pasta! Both handy and decorative!

Decoration

Decoration-wise I like to keep it simple. You don't want a lot of clutter in your kitchen, otherwise you won't have the space to work. I only like to decorate here with stuff I actually use, like cute mugs, a chalkboard, maybe a fruit bowl. Saying that I do have a couple of small cacti living in the kitchen and I will never say no to lighting a candle. And of course, if you can decorate your walls, you will have more options to chose from.

Until next time! xx

My Spring Wishlist

Out with the old, in with the new!

I'm in the middle of cleaning out my wardrobe and updating my make up collection in preparation for springtime. As I'm getting rid of anything I don't wear and packing away winter clothes, I needed to come up with an organised way of thinking through what I actually need to (want to really) buy this season. And what better way there is than writing a list, right?

Fashion

This season I would really like to aim for a well thought out and put together wardrobe. I normally tend to buy things I like, not things I need, so I end up with a bunch of jumpers but no jeans or trousers. Classic! Living in the UK also means that I can carry on wearing some of my winter jumpers pretty much until July, so I only have to get a few extra additions. Let's see the list!

From the top left:

MOTO Vintage Daisy Shorts, Topshop, £24

Zipped Backpack, Mango, £39.99

Lightweight Textured Truster Coat, Topshop, £79

Plimsolls with Laces, Zara, £25.99

Lace Applique Dress, Mango, £35.99

Quilted Bomber Jacket, Zara, £39.99

ASOS Boyfriend Sweat with Hey Sweetie Print, ASOS.com, £22

Relax Fit Ripped Jeans, Zara, £25.99

Printed Blouse, Zara, £25.99

As you can see I'm very much into my whites this spring and my wardrobe will be quite monochrome as per usual. It will be interesting to see if I actually get all these items, as I will have to try on most of them. This is where I normally cry a bit in the changing room and then put them back on the shelves.

Beauty

Make up shopping, however, never makes me feel fat! Let's see all the items that will make my purse empty this spring!

From the top left:

Eyes to Mesmerise Cream Eyeshadow in Bette, Charlotte Tilbury, £22

Diorblush Sculpt in Pink Shape, Dior, £32

Art Stick in Sunset Orange, Bobbi Brown, £20

Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dolce Vita, Nars £19

Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara, Marc Jacobs £20

Light Wonder Foundation, Charlotte Tilbury, £32

Accessories

Accessories-wise I'm still in love with my Michael Kors rosegold watch and my Pandora Rose necklace, but I would like to expand my happy rosegold family with this beauty:

Rose Gold- Tone Rose Quartz Cuff, Michael Kors, $115 (I haven't managed to find it on a UK website as of yet...)

I'm also desperately looking for some rosegold rings, so if you have seen some that would tie in with this style, please do let me know in the comments!

This is all I'm really planning to purchase this spring, although my planning may not be so realistic. Let's see how it goes!