MUSIC MEMORIES | Moments in Photo

One of the reasons I find myself very poor a week after pay-day is because I always find a Gig or Festival to go to (I've come to find that tickets for such events go on sale the same day I get paid... Coincidence?!) ! I wish I'd have been able to write about my gig memories as and when I've been to them, but instead I'll leave you with some snaps of my favourite music memories!

* Two Door Cinema Club's Alex Trimble * Brandon Flowers (AKA Future husband) KILLING it * Meeting Sleeping with Sirens * Bastille Dan staring out my camera eeep * Zayn Malik * Selfie with 1D! * Imagine Dragons * Matt Healy looking fineeee! * Shoulder ride during Calvin Harris at V Fest 2013 * Matt Healy taking selfies with the crowd *

I have one music memory that I absolutely love and I'm pretty sure it cannot be beaten. When I went to see You Me At Six for the first time, me and my best friend waited outside the arena for 5 hours to see them. It was worth the long wait as we were the first 300 people to get in, which meant that we were going to be involved in a video for the final song and we had no idea about it! We had our photo taken holding lyrics to this final song and the image was projected onto the stage during the band playing it live! Bad quality but yes, that is me and my friend on screen, and yes that is Josh Franceschi in the corner!!! I almost died, best moment ever!

These are just a few of my favourite photos taken when I've been out gallivanting, its great to look back and reminisce over these times! Do you have any super epic music memories?!

Francesca.  

Room Tour

I love looking at room tour posts because they give me lots of inspiration in terms of storage and decorating! Whilst my room is sparkling clean (a rare occasion!) I thought I'd do my own room tour post for all of you to see! Happy reading :)

Panoramic view of my room! (If anybody would like to know, my white standing mirror is from Argos, as I don't have another picture on this post to talk about it!)

My favourite storage item is most definitely my dresser. This used to be in our downstairs hallway but after redecorating, it came into my hands! I'm unsure where this dresser is from as it used to be my grandmas. It has such a vintage feel to it, I just love it! 

The top of my dresser is home to my mirror, makeup bag, my laptop, perfumes I'm currently loving and my jewellery stand. I also have a few little decorative boxes/tins with hair clips and other bits and pieces in them. My FAVOURITE Yankee Candle at the moment, Fluffy Towels, also lives here!

Inside my dresser draws and cupboards I keep my underwear, socks, pyjamas and clothes. There is quite a large space underneath the dresser which is handy for storage, so I just keep shoe boxes and such here! 

As you've probably already guessed from my first image, I absolutely love fairy lights! I just love how cosy they make a room feel at night! I have fluorescent blue lights above my bed head and hanging over my curtain frame, and I then have little red lights covering the other side of my room! I do have pink fairy lights hanging from my shelf which don't work at the moment, but they look super cute so I had to keep them up!

I have a vintage floral throw and two matching pillows that go over the top of my bedspread. I got this set from BHS because I absolutely love the dainty floral patterns within the throw! I have two little teddies on my bed that I can' bear to part with; my dog Jakey, and a little rabbit with big fluffy ears that used to be my grandmas.

Above my bed are my two most prize possessions; signed Sleeping with Sirens and You Me at Six posters!!! I got my SWS poster when I met them at a gig, and my YMAS poster came as part of a special deal with their newest album, Caviler Youth. I'm yet to meet YMAS, but it's going to happen one day!   

The shelf above my bed holds personal items like photos, birthday and Christmas cards. These cards are hanging off a piece of string that is pinned to my walls. On my shelf I currently have some bath products I received for Christmas, Yankee Candles (YAY), and a few other decorative pieces such as my little bird bowl and my money box. Another favourite is a little driftwood "F" letter piece that my mum bought me from a local garden center! 

I think my favourite thing on this shelf is my previous-cake-stand-now-lush-holder! I have a few pretty candles on here and some lush cosmetics! I currently have the Baked Alaska soap and the Snow Fairy Shimmer bar on here! They both smell incredible and I never want to use them ha ha!

I have a mirror hanging on my wall in the center of my room. Again, I'm really sorry but I'm not sure where this is from as my Aunty bought it for me as a Christmas gift a few years back! It's just a simple square, silver-tinted mirror and I feel it goes just perfectly with the things in my room! Below my mirror I've decided to stick my gig and festival tickets up! I plan to have so many more up there over the course of this year! I currently have V Fest tickets from 2013 & 2014, my T in the Park 2014 ticket, The Killers, You Me at Six, Imagine Dragons, Bastille, Two Door Cinema Club, The 1975 and my signed Sleeping with Sirens tickets up there! 

Finally, the last picture I have of my room is funnily enough a picture of lots of other little pictures and keepsakes of places that I have been to! I really like having lots of memories around me in my room as it makes me happy looking back at good times! I keep meaning to update this part of my wall as I instead want little Polaroid images here! What do you think?

I really hope you have enjoyed reading this post and if you would like to know where anything in my room is from that I haven't mentioned, please just ask! :)

Do you have any good ideas or tips for making a room feel personal and cosy?! If you have a room tour post on your blog link it below, I'd love to read them! :)

Francesca.

Anticipated Albums of 2015

Anybody that knows me well will know that I have a little obsession with all things music related and sometimes, bands make me that excited, I cry. Yes, okay, I am a HUGE fan girl. I thought it'd be a cool idea to share with you the albums I'm very excited for that are due to be released in 2015.

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

Noelly G and the High Flying Birds are back on the scene and I am incredibly excited for the release of his new album, "Chasing Yesterday" in March. I really love his previous album (named Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds) so I have big expectations for Chasing Yesterday. After the release of his first single off the new album, "In the heat of the moment", I already know its going to be fantastic! Such a great song, roll on March!

Imagine Dragons

This band. Oh my god. Night Visions is one of my all time favourite albums and when I found out they were working on a new 2015 album, I freaked! It's titled "Smoke and Mirrors" and if its anything like Night Visions I'm going to have a heart attack I swear! So excited to hear some news on this upcoming album!

Brandon Flowers

The Killers are currently on hiatus (cry cry) and Mr Flowers has recently been working on a solo album. The album name and release date is still to be confirmed. I have a little obsession with The Killers and I absolutely adore Brandon's vocal range so I am super excited to hear what he's been creating after a 5 year break since his previous solo album "Flamingo". 

Bring Me The Horizon

I've not always been a BMTH fan, but ever since I've discovered Sempiternal I've begun to really love this band. I first found out about Sempiternal after hearing "Can You Feel My Heart" on the radio and ever since I've been obsessed with the album, which is why I'm super excited to see what 2015 will bring for this band! They've released a new single titled "Drown" and I absolutely love this song. It's not as heavy as I was expecting and from reading up I've heard lots of different opinions based on this, but nonetheless I really bloody love this song and fair play to the band for trying out something different! I also know they've released a single named "Don't Look Down" and ok, I'm going to admit when the song first kicked in I wasn't sure if I liked it, but after listening to it more times its grown on me!

I hope you enjoyed reading this post! Are there any particular albums you're excited about this year?!

Francesca.

HAIR CARE | Pink Lady!

Ever since I was very little I've always had light blonde hair and I've never really experimented with changing it's colour, but when I have, its been a similar light blonde shade in a semi permanent hair dye mix. 

Mid-2014, I went through a phase of really, really, REALLY wanting a crazy hair colour and in August I finally plucked up the courage and asked my hairdresser to turn me into a pink lady! When I first saw the finished results, I hated it ha ha, but because I'd been light for so long it was weird seeing such a drastic change! When I got home and started playing with and styling my new locks, I started to like it, and after about a week I fell in love with the colour! I'm so glad I was brave as I've not missed my blonde hair once! 

MAINTAINING THE PINK

I'm not going to lie, having pink hair requires an awful lot of maintenance to keep it vibrant and glossy. Luckily, because naturally my hair is very light, the pink took well to my hair, meaning that it doesn't fade to a lighter, pastel shade of pink.  

The last time I had my hair done at a Salon was at the start of October, which is quite a long time to wait considering how much maintenance my hair requires, but I've found some ways of keeping the colour lasting for longer;

• When I had blonde hair I washed it every day because it'd get greasy very easily - and you could tell! Now my hair is a darker shade, I don't have to wash my hair every day which as well as being easier for me, it means that my roots won't come through as quickly. 

• I've found that my roots start to come though after about a week and a half, so to hide them, I purchase a semi permanent hair dye mix from the Crazy Color range in the shade "Cyclamen". After putting the base colour on, my hair dresser would also use this Crazy Color dye to add to the vibrancy. She told me to use it whenever I felt that my hair colour was fading (as well as when my roots started to come through).

• If I didn't have this little pick me up (which is also at a reasonable price of £4 a bottle on the official Crazy Colour website) I don't think I'd be able to keep up with maintaining my hair at home. It covers my roots so well, and even though it comes out after a few washes - meaning that I have to dye my hair around once a week when my roots start to show - it just makes my hair look and feel so vibrant and glossy again! I've also found that a bottle of dye lasts quite a long time!

Before I decided to have my hair such a bright colour I didn't realize how much care and upkeep it would require, but I love the colour so much and for me, it's worth it! 

Have you ever dyed your hair a vibrant colour?! If so, do you have any tips and tricks I could use to keep my colour lasting longer? They'd be really appreciated!

Francesca.

PIN-BOARD 1 | Troll's Tongue, Norway

So, I thought it'd be a cool idea to share with you places around the World that I've discovered and found really interesting! Someday, whether it be this year - or in my case, 10 years time (Once i've actually learn't the meaning of saving money) - I'd like to visit these places. I'm really obsessed with the thought of travelling so I want to build up a collection of places around the World I can go to!

My inspiration behind this first type of post is an odd shaped overhanging Cliff named Troll's Tongue, situated in Norway. I came across this place on Twitter and whilst reading up about it I found out that if you were to trip and fall off the edge of Troll's Tongue, you'd fall 2300 feet. Scary? Just a little! If I ever make it there I'll be sure to have a guide rope.

How beautiful does this place look?! Absolutely breath taking. I'd so love to be walking around this place very, very soon!
If you've ever visited this jaw dropping Cliff or somewhere similar, let me know of your experiences!

Francesca.

WARDROBE 1 | The Sparkle Edition

If I know anything, it's that I absolutely love getting dressed up ready to go out! And what better way is there to dress up than with sparkles and glitter?!  
Today, I'd like to share with you my top 3 favourite dresses that have been jazzed up with sparkles, sequins, and sparkling sequinney (not even sure if that's a word, but it is now!) patterns!  

                     DRESS 1                                        DRESS 2                                         DRESS 3

Dress 1 - Topshop

I purchased this bodycon silver glitter dress for £30 in the January sales. When I first saw it on the hanger I wasn't sure if I would like it on, but I was very wrong! Its so comfortable and fits perfectly. The dress is quite simple but with the addition of sparkles and the cutting detail at the bottom, I feel that not much more is needed! It is very short so I do have to be careful when bending over, but other than that I'm really pleased with this little bargain.

Dress 2 - ASOS 

This dress is one of my absolute favourites! My sister bought me this dress as a Christmas gift in 2013. Its COVERED in red sequins and is perfect for the Christmas season!

 The skater style is so flattering; it sits in at the waist and flows out at towards the bottom. I don't usually like skater style dresses as I have quite big hips and I just feel its not as flattering, but I take it back with this dress! 

This dress has a scooped back meaning that a bra will be seen if worn, but because it fits so well around the chest area (not too tight, not too loose) I can get away with not wearing one! 

Dress 3 - Topshop

I bought this dress my Works Christmas do in 2013 and I've loved it and worn it many times ever since! Its a bodycon dress - a style I tend to wear a lot of as I feel its most flattering towards my body shape - and it has the most beautiful pattern printed all over it. It's very much like a leaf pattern and has the colours red, pink and gold that merge together, and of course it has glitter all over it too!

This dress also has a scooped back, but slightly higher up compared to Dress 2. 

3 different styled dresses all made up with glitter and sparkles! Which one is your favourite?! Do you have a dress in your wardrobe that makes you feel like a diamond when you wear it?!

Francesca.

    

GET TO KNOW ME | 25 Questions Tag

Happy New Year everyone!

I hope you all had a wonderful time over the festive period with family and friends. 

Seeing as were finally into 2015 and I'm a new blogger, I thought it would be a nice idea for you to find out a bit more about me! Therefore, I introduce to you the 25 Questions Tag!

What is your middle name? 

My middle name is Helen.

What was your favorite subject at School? 

I really loved Art and Design Technology in school, the creative subjects were definitely what I thrived more in!

What is your favourite drink? 

I have a really big obsession with Cranberry Juice, I could drink cartons and cartons in just one day!

What is your favourite song at the moment? 

In the heat of the moment by Noel Gallagher. This single was released last year, I'm highly anticipating his new album this year!

What is your favourite food? 

I love curry dishes, the hotter the better!

What is the last thing you bought? 

A beautiful over-sized cream and leather coat from Topshop in the January Sales.

Favourite book of all time?
A while back I read the Twilight Saga books and they were all brilliant! I couldn't pick a favourite between them.

Favourite colour?
Dark Purple and Turquoise.

Do you have any pets?

Yes, I have a cat called Poppy. Shes a little black cat with spots of ginger in her fur. She also  doesn't have a tail as she was unfortunately involved in a car accident, but luckily she's okay and just as healthy and she was before!

Favourite Perfume?

Daisy Eau so Fresh by Marc Jacobs. For Christmas I got La Vie Est Belle by LANCOME which I am also really liking at the moment.

Favourite Holiday?

When I was little myself and my family used to go to Suffolk every year in the Summer to see our family. Its so peaceful and tranquil in Suffolk, there's hardly any street lights around the Countryside so at night the Stars shone so bright! We still try and go to Suffolk but not every year. By far my favourite holiday, so many good memories.

Are you married?
No.

Have you been out of the country, if so how many times?
Yes I have. I live right on the boarder between England and Wales so I couldn't tell you the exact amount of times! The furthest I've been out of my country was to Paris on a school trip when I was in High School.

Do you speak any other language?
Not fluently, no. I learnt French and Welsh in School but what I can remember is very little.

How many siblings do you have?
2. I have a younger brother who is 15, and an older sister. She is 28.

What is your favourite shop?
Topshop all the way, I practically live there. I also LOVE the bath and cosmetics shop LUSH.

Favourite Restaurant?
I think my favourite place to eat is Chiquitos. I love most of the food they serve, I have been there quite a lot over the past few months.

When was the last time you cried?
Yesterday, please don't laugh at the reason why! On Saturday and the early hours of Sunday morning, I had been watching the first two Hobbit films as I was seeing the final film on the Sunday afternoon. The last film was so sad in some parts, I may have shed a few tears... Yes, I will admit I get very emotional at sad films!

Favourite Blog?
I love Amy Valentine's blog. 

Favourite Movie?
It's so hard to choose so I'll list a few! The Harry Potter films are incredible as well as the Twilight Saga, Transformers: Age of Extinction, the Home Alone Films, Hook, Django Unchained , and many, many more!

Favourite TV Show?
I'm OBSESSED with The Big Bang Theory! Best TV Show out there in my opinion!

PC or Mac?
I've always been used to using PC's but when I was studying Art and Design in college I used a Mac computer and I loved it. I've recently invested in a Mac Book and its winning me over very quickly.

What phone do you have?
I have a white iPhone 5g.

How tall are you?
5 ft 10".

Can you cook?
I can cook, but whether or not I can cook very well is a different story!

I hope you enjoyed reading my first ever post and finding out a little bit about me! I'd like to tag anybody reading this to do the 25 Questions Tag, I'd love to know about some of your favourite things!

Francesca.