2016 - My New Years Resolutions

Well I can't believe we are already two weeks into the New Year. 2015 flew by so quickly and at this rate, 2016 is too! 

I had some many amazing experiences in 2015. Starting the year in Australia spending sometime with family and friends. Knuckling down for those final year University exams in January. Signing up to my first ever Half Marathon in February. March came and off I popped to New York City only to have my best friend pop the question. Celebrated my 21st birthday in May with a surprise party. Then it all got quite boring until July came around and I was leaving Newcastle and coming back home, to a beautifully decorated mint and white bedroom (Hutch is a keeper!) I must add. I started work life and before I knew it the end of September came and I (luckily) completed my half marathon and finished exhausted, starving but in one piece. We brought Frank the pup home in October and then Christmas began I guess. But wow, it's been a truly an awesome year. So thank you to everyone who has made it so special. I'm hoping 2016 will be even better. 

So here are this years resolutions I'm hoping will give me the best year ever:

Stay organised. This is a repeat every year I think. When I have so many types of diary I really don't have any excuses. This means keeping track of birthdays and anniversaries. Keeping on top of my increasing wash load. Packing my lunch the night before, so I can't make bad choices.

Blog more. I really do love taking pictures and writing for my blog. I have posts lined up all the time but don't frequently take time out to sit down and blog away. To be able to accomplish this I must be more organised (see point one).

Take a photography or make up class. This is something I almost did this week. I just need to work out when will work best for me. I'd love to be able to take better quality photos, I just need to know how to work with my camera. As for makeup, I'd love to have a different creative outlet and a bit more confidence, so that I could do what I love best for friends and family. They're always asking me to make them up!

Stress less. Something I do without even realising. I just know this winds everyone I know up! I must make a habit to calm down, step back and really think before getting worked up about something. Is it the end of the world? No, then carry on and don't make a big deal.

Keep on track. For some many years I've had the resolution 'loose weight' as I'm sure is on most people's minds the minute January the 1st rolls around. As I decided to start Weight Watchers again a couple of months ago, my resolution is just to keep on with what I have been doing and to not loose hope. I've made good progress so far and I want it to continue!

Be active and improve my fitness. I'm not giving myself a goal like: Go to the gym 5 days a week. Just because I know it's a lot of pressure and life happens, you can't always make it that many times. I'd end up feeling guilty and bingeing for the hell of it. But by setting myself a goal like being more active, I can achieve this by parking my car further away from my destination and climbing the stairs more times a day. I just want to be in better shape for when I do the Great North Run again (maybe!) this year and generally get a bit more upper body strength. 

Have more time for me. I'm one of these people where there truly isn't enough hours in the day. If I could survive, I would stay up till 1 or 2am and get up for work at 7 just so I could squeeze more in to the day. Some things I never feel like I have chance to do, like: take baths to relax, paint my nails. Just generally taking care of myself and my mind. Maybe this year I'll get around to taking up yoga like I've always wanted to.

Well there we have it. Let's see just how many of these I manage to keep up for the whole year. I'll have to do a post at the end of 2016 to see what I have achieved.

Let me know some of your 2016 resolutions in the comments. I would love to read them and add to my ever growing list! I'd love it if you could go follow my blog on BlogLovin

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Libi

xx

The Wishlist: June + July

Any one that knows me will know that I'm currently in the early stages of an obsession with anything copper.

Now that I've moved in with Hutch, I am living within one of the most beautiful florists and gift shops of all time - The Hedgerow. Wendy sells so many beautiful gifts such as copper bowls and frames, with some similar to the one I've linked below and I basically want/need everything! Also moving in to a new home means I want to buy lots of homeware in general, even if I already have heart shaped furnishings coming out of my ears ha. 

Check out a few of the homeware bits I've been lusting after and the more pricier items I want to buy once I start my new job, below:

1. University Graduation Print | Not on the High Street
2. Canon EOS M | Amazon
3. Ray-Ban Round Folding Flash Lenses Sunglasses in Copper Flash | Ray-Ban
4. Hanging Copper Frame | H&M Home
5. Jo Malone English Pear and Freesia Fragrance | Jo Malone
6. Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm | Feelunique
7. Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Aria | Feelunique

Saying goodbye to university

I'm currently sat at home after having left my little uni house 3 days ago. Let's just say it feels weird. Having being used to a full house consisting of 5 other girls and myself for the last three years, I'm now living at my fiancé's house with his family and it feels quite quiet all of a sudden.

University has been the best 3 years of my life. Although being in a long distance relationship through those 3 years has been difficult, being only 2 and half hours a way from home has made it that little bit easier. I've made such fantastic friendships at university that will last forever and my flat mates being the best of that bunch. So when exams came to a close we decided we wanted to spend as much time together as possible before we left our little house. We compiled a list of all the things we had wanted to do in Newcastle, places we wanted to visit, restaurants we wanted to eat at but had never got around to and then we got straight to work.

I have to say, most of the things on the list were completed. Some were not. However I know I'll be back up to the Toon very soon as I have my graduation on the 14th of July and to round off my time in Newcastle, The Great North Run, all 13.1 miles of it.

Two trips where I happened to take my camera along, were to the seaside at Tynemouth Beach and to the Angel of the North. Where the latter consisted of taking a bottle of prosecco and conducting a small photo shoot. Finally the last picture is one together in front of our door for the last time. I just think these were some great photographs and wanted to share them.

Hope you enjoy!

Libi xx

NEW YORK IN PICTURES

Warning: Picture heavy post!

So it's crazy to think I jetted of to New York City 2 weeks ago today! Oh how time flies. After having the urge to get away, particularly to go to the US. I haven't been since I was 13 and Hutch has never been before. We decided to book a trip in early January for 4 days away in the city that never sleeps at a bargain price and the countdown was on! It seemed to come around ever so quickly. So on the 14th the journey began.

An afternoon drive to Manchester Airport, a flight to Heathrow, food and some duty free shopping and we were ready to board our American Airlines flight to JFK. The flight was fine, not being able to sit next to each other was not great but didn't ruin the journey too much.  I watched a film, had a nap and it was time to land. After arriving at JFK we were guided towards the transfer bus I had booked beforehand. First things first, New York driving is crazy. Drivers weave in and out of each other, I felt lucky to arrive in one piece. After an hour and a half journey in the crazy traffic and another hour and half waiting to check in to our hotel, it was time to get in some beauty sleep for the next day.

Our first day - Sunday the 15th was an early start at 7am. Being a Sunday the streets were so quiet compared to weekdays! We started with a trip to Grand Central grabbing some breakfast there. Then headed to the Chelsea markets, which were lovely. Grabbing a coffee on route from my favourite place Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, we walked along the high line. The high line was nice, although I can see how beautiful it would be in the summer. We then browsed around some shops for the afternoon and I took a trip to Sephora and Walgreens (Post coming soon). We then strolled back to the hotel to get ready to go out to dinner, we decided on Red Lobster as it looked pretty busy.We were not disappointed! I tried lobster for the first time which was delicious and the service was excellent! With full tummies we headed to the Empire State building. I wanted to see the view at night as I had heard it was beautiful. We were kindly given two free tickets by some girls in the lobby which made it even better (apart from the almost 2 hour long queue to the top!). It was freezing at the top and we stayed up there for about 15 minutes before deciding to leave and get some sleep.

On Monday I knew the mister had plans for the day so let him take control. After some lovely breakfast of pancakes and bacon at Tick Tock diner we headed north up to Central Park. After taking some pictures and having a look at this lovely little hut called the Cop Cot, I turned around to find he was down on one knee with a beautiful ring! Without letting him speak I gave him a huge hug and said yes! We then looked down the hill to see a little huddle of people at the bottom of the hill clapping. It was so lovely. We rushed to the nearest Starbucks to tell all our family and friends. Only to later realise how much time had passed and how much we needed to do! We headed to the Metropolitan Museum (The Met), so I could fulfil my need to sit and have some lunch on the steps like Serena and Blair in Gossip Girl. Then for a browse round some shops: The apple store, FAO Shwartz, Tiffany's to name a few. After some recommendations we walked down 5th avenue to Rockefeller and went to the Top of the Rock, a beautiful view that I think I prefer over the Empire State, as you can see it captured in the distance! Afterwards we went for a walk down 5th avenue back to the hotel to have a little nap before our dinner reservation in the the evening. At 9pm I flagged down a taxi (Go me!) and we headed up broadway to Ouest as a special engagement treat. Hutch informed me the restaurant was in a scene in P.S I Love You! It was a lovely atmosphere and I ordered Grilled maple glazed pork chop, it was huge and I think Hutch had a case of food envy! After a champagne celebration we headed home for the evening.

After a late night on Monday, Tuesday saw us have a lie-in, only leaving the hotel at 9! After having such a lovely breakfast the day before we headed back to Tick Tock diner. We then had the pleasure of watching the St Patricks Day parade march up 5th avenue and everyone was dressed for the occasion! Afterwards wandering down south to Union Square and then on to the 9/11 memorial and museum. The museum was really interesting and emotional as you would imagine, but I would definitely recommend it. After a couple of hours there we wandered down to the tip of Manhattan to see the Statue of Liberty, then to Wall Street, ending our day with a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge and sitting in Brooklyn for a while admiring the view.

Our last day in the city was a chilled one. Checking out of the Pennsylvania Hotel (not so great rooms, great location), enjoying an american style breakfast one last time and indulging in some more retail therapy before jumping in a cab and heading back to JFK for our plane(s) home!

This trip will always hold special memories for me now, however it hasn't diminished my need to travel around the US, I just want go even more now!

Thanks for reading the end of this, sorry it has been so long but I hope it gives you some travel inspiration and if you are heading to NYC in the future: some idea of things to do.

Libi xx