"Living in Hythe is like Training to be Old."

Cecil Beaton's iconic 1934 'Hat Box'.

"Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace or the slaves of the ordinary!" (CECIL BEATON). In simple words, don't be afraid to be brave.

As Beaton had a great interest in fashion photography, i can only believe that this aspiring message was directed to style and how the world should embrace individuality and unconventionality in dress, rather than being hesitant to contradict the generalisations in fashion. I am very much a fashion enthusiast; i love reading about it, learning about it, looking at it, buying into it..the list goes on. However, there have been many occasions when i visit a store and i rule off certain outfits due to their outlandish appearance. I truly admire the people who flaunt their fashion extravagance with no concern if others dislike or sneer at the unusual style, although I'm not sure that my little home-town would be ready for 'underwear as outerwear' or see-through fabrics! With a town oozing with OAPs, tearooms and charity shops, walking down the high-street in a maxi dress may cause multiple strokes! I was recently enjoying a nice hot chocolate and a pot of tea with a few friends, the conversation lead onto the excitement of Hythe. Jon gave the perfect definition to our stale home-town: "Living in Hythe is like training to be old." That quote has stuck in my mind ever since. I might as well hobble down the high-street in a woolly jumper and beige flats!

However, as i have quite a quirky and girlish dress sense, i feel i can avoid appearing too flamboyant and inordinate whilst walking past all the Betty's and Albert's shuffling through town. However, recently i have had a desire to delve into the delicious land of jumpsuits! Although I'm only 5'3 and not exactly model height for this unlikely new trend, i can't resist the urge to splurge! There are so many colours and styles that i simply adore, but there is that one fraction that keeps the purse glued inside my satchel...Hythe. I can only dream that one day I'll live in an area like London or Brighton, where the excitement in fashion is far from hidden and is in-fact celebrated. Hythe is camouflaging my passion for fashion! So to take note of Beaton's wise words, screw all the Betty's and Albert's, if we want to strut down the high-street in a cheeky jumpsuit and some delectable brogues..we shall!! No longer will we play it safe; Coco Channel stated: "In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different." So Hythe, get ready for bras over tees and high waisted hot pants.. :)

Soccer Vs Speidi..

As the world cup kicks off and is in full swing, i thought I'd tune in to the celebratory opening; but after watching hours of African dancing and colourful parades, i decided to divert my attention to a programme of far more importance than the footy!! And that is of course..The Hills :)

The series that follows the drama-injected lives of fabulously superficial Americans has never been so gripping. With Stephanie Pratt's jail sentence for drink driving, Kristin Cavallari's alleged drug problems, Spencer Pratt's obsession with his 'psychic' crystals, Audrina Partridge's constant love affairs, and of course not forgetting Heidi Pratt's outrageous surgery addiction. However, i then began to wonder if your place of residence truly does have a significant impact on the person we become; such as the clothes we purchase or the personalities we adopt.

In the very first few seasons of The Hills, i would go as far as to say that Heidi was a rather normal being! I feel that her once grounded personality simply must have been a reflection of her childhood up-bringing and home-town; the snowy, isolated land of Colorado, as it is far removed from the suffocating world of plastic pressures. Therefore, Heidi was a confident and happy young women, but as she moved to LA the temptations arose as she began to mold her body into society's version of 'perfection.' Watching the rapid deterioration of these characters mental health seems a tad wrong, but the voyeuristic incentives to watch the show is a guilty pleasure that i simply can't resist!

However, regarding the infamous World Cup, i have to confess that i do adore the way in which Britain suddenly turns immensely passionate and patriotic throughout the period. So to show my support for the England boys, i will be momentarily forgetting the lives of Audrina and Speidi as i cheer on the lads! But as soon as the season has come to a conclusion..i can't wait to snatch the remote and escape into the frivolous lives of the Hollywood theatricals that is of course The Hills!!

Brogue Bliss :)

Since last summer i have desperately wanted a pair of tan coloured brogue shoes, but with their high price tag it was always something that i simply couldn't justify; consequently, i have not found the suited pair just yet. Therefore, i have come to the conclusion that 2010 is the year i will bag a brogue!

However, after combing through an array of internet shopping sites, i am yet to conquer the search for the perfect pair of feet friends! Although, hours later i am still glued to my laptop foraging through each brogue shoe; my tired eyes, collapsing into their sockets have began to blur my excitement for this spending splash. So i have decided to put the task to rest and i will hope to achieve brogue bliss tomorrow.

With the latest sock and shoe trend hitting the high street, i have decided that i simply NEED to indulge; a lovely pair of frilly socks are the ideal companion for my future shoes :) I have fallen deeply in love with the geek feet fashion, as i have always been a prominent follower and zealous fan of quirky clothing; therefore this sock and shoe trend is the icing on the cake (the cake being a delicious new pair of brogues!) Now i just cannot wait to hunt and scour through Topshop for their adorable selection of ankle socks; grey, white, black, red..the world is my oyster!

In relation to this recent fashion necessity, it has become apparent that the trend has a very similar resemblance to the uniforms we used to sport at primary school. Thinking about other popular trends of 2010's spring season, hair accessories couldn't help but spring to mind! As i have mentioned a fair few times, i am partial to a cheeky floral headband or an adorable bow clip. However is does remind me of being a young girl, as my mum would place these little treats in my hair just to make me look sweet and innocent (although I'm not sure it quite did the trick!) So are the trends of 2010 rewinding our more mature sense of dress and reversing it back to our childhood days? With socks peeking out of our sandals and flowers tying our locks into french braids..we've now captured an excuse to be immature! We can now act the age we dress!! I say everyone should forget the monotonous routines of adult life and venture to the playground...let the pressures of work or studies float away with one spin on the merry-go-round or a bounce on the sea-saw. Fashion is not just clothes...its what those clothes encourage us to do that make them important :)

Olives, Cheese and Maccy D's...

A few weeks ago, i decided to plan a surprise trip to my home town in Kent; as my friends and family were under the impression that i wouldn't be back until the beginning of June, i felt that this surprise would be a definite shocker :) On my farewell night in Southampton, it's safe to say it was messy, which is all you can hope for when on the chaotic club crawl 'Carnage'. Unfortunately, after a few too many bevvies i was a tad tipsy (lets just say) and managed to lose the battery out of my mobile...the hangover the following day was horrendous.

After lugging two large holdalls, as well as my intoxicated self on the long journey of public transport, the struggle to keep down my jacket potato was a success (thank god), and i eagerly awaited to open the door to see my mum's excited expression. However, she was not in...typical.

Well, when she finally arrived home later that evening, i managed to achieve my goal, as the bewilderment in my mothers face appeared very shocked that i was back. Then Monday came, so i decided to make a few cheeky phone calls to all the girls and encourage them to venture to Soap in Canterbury that night. As i was home for summer, i thought this was a well deserved reason to go out on the razz! My friends were still rather unsure of my exact whereabouts and didn't quite believe that i was back in town..well this was until they turned up to my door ready for a night of pissed up antics!!

As per, Monday was one of those very memorable nights that in fact you cant remember..a classic adventure filled with vodka redbulls, cheesy tunes and many tumbling heels. Perfection. In my enthusiastic state when we eventually climbed into bed, i did not sleep for too long, and was glad to learn that my friend Amy had also woken..the hunt for food had begun. But as we had all camped at a house in Canterbury, the chance for anything edible was scarce; although i did manage to chomp on a few naughty slices of cheese and several green olives. As the rest of the troops rose from their drunken coma, we decided to venture to Maccy D's for that desperately needed quarter-pounder! The nasty stodge was just the thing everyone yearned for; an attempt to raise us from hanging like a gorilla. All in all it was one hell of a night and was great to be back :)

After being home for over a week now, i have enjoyed the relaxation and have successfully diminished the constant hangover that freshers year had delightfully donated to me; however, after my many countless baths and home-cooked meals, i have to confess i am missing the wild lifestyle that uni entails. So i will aim to drag the girls out for a many more crazy nights of flowing drinks and constant dancing..just to keep life interesting :) And they call me a wino...why ??? ;)

Diana...Johnson??

I have recently been told several times, by a number of different people, that i remind them of / look a little like the X Factor runner up, Diana Vickers (you know...the one with the hands!) I'm guessing it's only due to the fact that my curly bees-nest barnet is quite alike her wild tresses; other than that, i can't see the comparason myself. However, i have always admired her style, therefore i feel rather chuffed to even be slightly compared to her. From the very first auditions, i have always hoped that Diana would have won the competition; i simply loved her unique voice and quirky fashion sense..so i voted for her a fair few times (however dorky that makes me sound!) So i was gutted when she lost the battle of the votes in the final weeks.

Nevertheless, after these recent observations regarding my 'similarities' with the 'Once' singer, i was eager to take a brief glimpse at her recent fashion choices. I am a great fan of celebrity trends; people like Alexa Chung, Sienna Miller, Lily Cole and of course Diana Vickers, never fail to inspire my own style and chosen purchases. I adore the boho/romantic look that such female stars parade; hence the many floral dresses, summery jackets and tanned shoes that float about my wardrobe.

Once i had dabbled on her fashion blog, i discovered a world of clothing treats to feast my eyes upon. I especially liked an outfit that she had sported on an X Factor live performance; it was a sparkly white fringed dress, complimented by a matching beret. Although this outfit is a tad excessive for your usual Saturday night bender, I'm sure there is a cheeky little equivalent somewhere on London Oxford Street...the land of fashion opportunities!

So on my visit to London tomorrow, as i cruise in and out of the alluring shops, i will hunt for a dazzling fringed dress, courtesy of Miss Vickers. Urban Outfitters here i come!! Fingers crossed.... :)

To Clog..or Not to Clog??

After flicking through the pages of a recent Elle issue, i came across an unusual entity in the 'fashion latest' feature. Forget gladiator sandals, brogues or over the knee boots..this summer, the ultimate accessory for your feet is...(apparently)...CLOGS!!

Of course the designs have been updated to correspond with the savvy shoppers of today's society; however, i still can't help but visualize clogs as a childhood novelty. You know, the ones that young girls would tiptoe around on with their fluffy pink handbags and baby dolls. Therefore, imagining the wooden shoe clip-clopping down the runway seems far too conflicting on the feet of a tall, beautiful model. I feel the look is slightly humorous; as the clumpy and frumpish trend would challenge to compliment any outfit. However, although i am currently satirizing this trend, it is highly possible that i will be eating my words very soon; as July creeps in and the summer footwear transpires, i can just see myself striding to the beach in a floral dress swaying over some charming clogs!

In order to delve further into this surprising comeback, i have gazed over a few fashion sites to embrace their own designs of the unusual fashion. After peeking on ASOS' collection, none of the timbered cheekys stood out to me..which resulted in my further lack of interest in this recent clog craze. However, i then researched more on the trend, and discovered a pair that might just succeed in hauling me back into the dark side of strange footwear! It was love at first sight when i ogled at the screen; I'm not sure what it was about this pair that encouraged me to change my views, but i just adored their tan brushed colour and thick chunky heel. They are the only soles that i can imagine actually wearing myself, as they would look great with navy skinnies, or a floaty summer dress. Although, according to the site they are not currently up for sale just yet..but on the day of their release you can be sure that i will be first in line for this alluring pair of wooden lovelies!

So it has become apparent that i am no longer a true hater of this season's foot friend; thankfully i am now, in fact, a self-confessed clog fanatic! Congrats to Topshop once again for showing me the light...watch this space :)

Shrunken Knickers and Charcoal Sausages :)

As freshers year is coming to an end, and i will soon be forced to empty my beautifully cluttered bedroom at halls, i have been feasting my eyes on all things furniture. As i peer at the pretty delights glimmering over Urban Outfitters 'gifts at home' pages, I am already envisioning my new bedroom at 59 Wilton Avenue :)

However, even though i am already grieving the abandonment of our adorable cook flat, i have decided to focus on all the positive attributes that second year holds; which is mainly the excitement of renting a REAL house. But the thought of actually living somewhere without my parents, or any other forms of supervision (such as the pestering security guards of Lucia Foster), just sounds enormously grown up! Although i am turning 20 this September, i am far from the mature young woman that i was expecting to be at this 'ancient' age. I still cook all my meals in the microwave, spend all my money on useless rubbish, get excited by the antics of hide and seek, and continue to dodge the punishing price of an adult bus ticket, as i pay the meagre sum of £2.50 for a child explorer.

So the thought of moving into our new house makes me feel like a kid in a candy store! I simply can't wait to make it our own with the combination of our homely touches. I can just imagine picture frames of our fresher adventures scattered around the living room, silky pillows circling the wooden coffee table (ready for pre-lash shenanigans), plus colourful biscuit tins and an array of fridge magnets animating our kitchen. There's obviously only one place that entraps such endless decorative possibilities, and that is of course, IKEA. I'm now incredibly eager to splash my unearned dollar on everything from cutlery to beanbags!

So as first year comes to a conclusion and we now edge nearer to the world of 'adulthood', i have decided that this is the year that i will attempt to mature...which doesn't mean i won't stop giggling at the word penis, or put away my childhood bear, but i will aim to successfully overcome my fears of the washing machine and conquer the conundrums of the cooker! Good luck to my housemates; watch out for shrunken knickers and charcoal sausages...