Caroline Walker - artist

Earlier this month at the Spring Fair I came across an artist called Caroline Walker who makes beautiful paintings of farm animals which she then prints onto home wear and gifts. 

The paintings themselves are quite big and are very detailed with colour and some metallic flecks throughout. After seeing these stunning paintings I went home and had a quick look online. She sells her products to the public through her own website which is http://www.caroline-walker.co.uk and she is based in Cornwall. All of her products are made of high quality materials including fine bone china and 100% cotton fabrics. 

I think that her work is amazing and if I had the money spare I would definitely want to buy one of her paintings with 3 cow heads that I saw at the show. It is clear from being able to look at her work up close that she spends a lot of time creating each piece. I did get to meet Caroline herself at the show and I have to say that she is one of the nicest people that I have ever met. She was very friendly and welcoming and it was clear that she loved her work. 

Spring fair 16

I visited the Spring Fair trade show on Wednesday so that I could find out what trade shows are actually like. There are thousands of companies selling everything from home wear, to gifts and fashion accessories.

There is also a fashion catwalk in order for some companies to showcase their accessories to potential buyers. 

The whole event was much bigger than I expected and unfortunately I didn't have time to look round everything as there is simply too much to see in just one day. But I did get to see some beautiful companies that I had never heard of before. 

One of my favourites was a company called Melli Mello which is a Dutch brand who sell gorgeous patterned bedding and home accessories. 

Another favourite of mine was a company called Fallen Fruit who sell these stunning pouffe's which would be a lovely statement piece for any room. 

After researching these when I got home I found that some of them are also available to the public to buy at notonthehighstreet.com. 

This chair was probably my favourite piece of the day as its so unique to anything that I've seen before.

All in all it was a lovely day out and I'd definitely visit another trade show again, especially if I got the chance in a business situation in the future. 

My January favourites

January is almost over now and 2016 well under way so I thought I'd share with you some of my favourite things from this month.

1. Netflix series: I started watching Pretty Little Liars last year and I have to admit I did become a little obsessed. So when the new season came out I was excited to say the least. If you haven't watched it before and have some spare time on your hands then I'd definitely recommend you giving it a go. It's complicated and time consuming but once you start watching it, its hard to stop.

I have also got into the Once Upon a Time series and have just finished season 3. This is another one that I'd recommend especially if you, like me, love a fairytale story every now and then.

2. Pastel and Grey hair: Everywhere you look now a days there seems to be photos of girls with this coloured hair. I know that some people hate this and others love it, but I'm starting to warm to this trend and am tempted to try it myself.

 



3. Lazy girl hairstyles: I am the laziest person when it comes to doing my hair each day. About 90% of the time I either have a messy bun or a high pony tail as I just purely don't have the effort to spend hours each morning perfecting my hairstyle. However sometimes I like to mix up how I create my bun or pony tail and I have found a few videos by Zoella and Fancy Hair which have given me ideas on how to do this.

4. Plus size models: I have never been and probably never will be skinny, so I am loving the fact that larger size models are starting to be more common on clothing sites and some catwalk shows.The average size for women in the UK is a 14 so I think that this should definitely highlighted more by the clothing and fashion industry as being a size 4 is not a reality for the majority of girls. Although many of these models tend to have a flatter stomach than everyday women, they are definitely promoting a healthier body shape. I follow Iskra Lawrence on Instagram and seeing her photos definitely inspires me to get fitter without wanting to starve myself to achieve her figure.

5. Jumper dresses and thigh boots: Although I don't actually own either of these items, I absolutely adore the outfits that I see on Instagram and other sites. Both of these dresses are from the Lasula website.

 

6. Topshop Jamie jeans: I used to buy Topshop's Joni jeans as I like my jeans to have a little stretch in them so that they fit me comfortably. However I had to buy a new pair every 2 months or so because the inside of the thighs would wear out from where my thighs touch. After about a year of wearing these, I found Topshop's Jamie jeans which are slightly thicker but are still as comfortable to wear. These jeans are officially a god send. I have bought three different pairs now and they are all still in pretty much perfect condition. They have not worn out like the Joni ones used to and I wear them pretty much everyday. Definitely try these if you are looking for a new pair and like a slightly high waisted style that are lovely to wear.

 
(Disclaimer: None of these photos are my own)

Get fit 2016

Now I know it's repetitive when the new year comes and it's suddenly everyone's resolution to lose weight and become more healthy. But this year I'm really going to try and become happy with my body, not for other people, but for myself. I have set myself the goal of running in the colour obstacle rush in Milton Keynes next June and I've downloaded a plan which will hopefully help me achieve this and stay on track. It's a 5k run which includes 20 obstacles and 8 colour stations so it makes it a little more interesting than just a standard run. 

Where I'm living at uni there is a Pure gym which is only 2 minutes walk away so I've transferred my previous membership from home to the gym near me. I'm planning on going at least 2 times a week at the moment and as I get closer to June I will go more often. This plan also fits in with the fact that I'm going on holiday to Spain in July and I want to finally be able to wear a bikini or shorts without being self conscious about who can see me.  

I'll be keeping track of my progress between now and summer and hopefully I'll see some results soon! 

My life in 2015

2015 has been a year full of highs and lows that seems have gone on and on. I started the year of 2015 really trying to focus on my A levels and getting to where I wanted to be. This meant sacrificing my social life slightly. However it is through doing this and pushing myself that I have got to university and am now doing a course which I love.

During 2015 I have given blood, finished school, started uni, had 5 different jobs, been on my first holiday with my boyfriend, had 2 tattoos, had micro ring hair extensions and even tried kickboxing for a little while. 

Overall it has been a very positive year and I feel like I've grown up a lot during this time. I'm now starting to realise just how lucky I am to have such a wonderful family, boyfriend and set of friends around me because they support me no matter what. This has partly been due to moving out and having to do everything for myself now!

I can't wait to see 2016 brings because I am planning to take every opportunity that comes my way to improve my skill set and gain as much experience as possible. 

Here are a few of the things I'd like to achieve in 2016: 

1. Be happy with my body and appearance 

2. Pass my first year of university 

3. Gain more work experience for my course and decide what I want to do for my placement year 

4. Be more positive about everything I do

5. Be more spontaneous 

5 festive things I've done in December

Usually I get excited for Christmas but never really do anything to celebrate until closer to the actual day. But this year I am LOVING December. So much has happened already this month to get me into the Christmas spirit. Have a read at why I'm basically Father Christmas this year.

1. Thorntons advent calendar - One of the best things about Christmas is the abundance of chocolate that appears and tends to last until February. This year I treated myself to a Thorntons continental advent calendar which is slightly more pricey but definitely worth it.

2. Bought a real Christmas tree - this year is the first year that I've bought a real tree. We've put it in our living room at the flat but it's potted with its roots so I'll take it and replant it in the garden when I go back home for Christmas. 

(Excuse Kayleigh's grumpy face haha)

3. Early Christmas dinner - last Sunday we decided to have a Christmas meal in our flat which grace and I cooked with all the trimmings. Everything went perfect until we spilt chicken juice everywhere but all in all it was a lovely day. 

4. Mulled wine at the Christmas market - Northampton's Christmas lights were turned on in November so as a flat we all went into town and walked round the Christmas market together. Of course no Christmas season is complete without mulled wine and this was my first one of the year. 

5. Christmas night out - as it was our last weekend all together we went out in town and had a Christmas themed night. My friend from home came to visit and it was such a good weekend. 

Girls house

We are in the middle of finalising the paperwork for our house next year and I am excited to say the least. I'll be sharing the house with 4 other girls from uni who are all lovely. We have had a few problems in our flat this year due to a few flat mates having friends over and items dissapearing etc so I'm looking forward to living in a house where I trust everyone who lives there. 

We've visited the house twice now and have decided on who is having which bedroom already. I think it used to be an old bake house but it only got renovated 2 years ago so everything is nice and new inside.  

We have one big kitchen/living room which is technically in the basement but part of the ceiling is raised so there are still windows at the top. 

Bedrooms are all on the ground floor in a long corridor and are all double bed en suites. 

I can't wait to move in next September and hopefully live there until I finish uni in 3 years time!