How I Will Survive This Winter

Often when you're trying to maintain a conversation between yourself and an acquaintance, the debate over whether winter or summer is a better season will come up. As stupid as it is, when the time does come around for the season to change to winter, spring, summer or autumn, our moods can also alter in reaction to it, meaning we might have to add things into our life that can make the change of season, that little bit better. Personally, I love both winter and summer with an equal passion, however, there are particular things that I find are of need during each season. So, for today's post, I will list the few things I will most definitely be needing this winter in order to survive (not really, i'd be fine without them, if i'm honest).

1. A Good TV show

Now, I am one of those people who will embarrassingly re-watch TV shows over, and over again because I simply do not get sick of them. If I find a show I love, I will shamelessly re-watch the entire series because it is what makes me happy. TV shows I have been known to watch over, and over again is Australian Big Brother (the 2013 season to be precise), Made in Chelsea and Gossip Girl. Considering all of these TV series' have so many episodes and seasons, it's hard to remember how every single episode goes, so to me, re-watching those shows over, and over again doesn't seem so weird. The show I will be re-watching this winter, again shamelessly, is Made in Chelsea. I recently introduced this show to one of my friends and she became OBSESSED. If you want to know how terribly good the show is, let's just say I have a piece of show merchandise and we will leave it at that (it's a great t-shirt for bedtime).

2. A Good Turtleneck

Last year I got a simple black turtleneck from Country Road that I wore practically the entirety of winter, and will probably do the same this winter. If you find yourself getting dressed one morning and do not know what to wear, this black turtleneck would literally save you. Any great turtleneck whether it be a simple black one like mine, or a colourful statement one, will keep you looking put together and "trendy", but also incredibly warm (just like the beautiful black and blue woollen turtleneck I got the other day). 

3. A Load of Blankets

It may seem stupidly obvious to NEED blankets during winter, but I almost feel like blankets are becoming a thing of the past with the creation of heat pumps and all. During the winter it is essential that I have layers of blankets on top of my duvet as the temperature tends to drops to disgusting lows. Now, whether or not you need these blankets to fit the particular aesthetic of bedroom, I would find as many blankets, aesthetically pleasing or not, and layer them on top of your duvet to make those early school morning starts that little bit easier. 

4. A Good Skincare Routine

You, yourself, may have already discovered the perfect skincare routine that works the way you intend it to throughout the entire year, but for some of us, that skincare routine is something we just can't perfect with the constant change in weather and temperature. I know that I have and still do experience terribly bad skin days which inevitably knocks my self esteem down, but this can change! Throughout the summer my skin was amazing and the best it had been for months. Now, with the drop in temperature and more time spent inside than out, my skin has gradually gotten worse. Because of this, recently I have been trying out different products to see what actually works well on my skin during winter, and what doesn't. Although I can not be sure yet as to whether or not the products I am currently using are working, I can feel that something good is happening. My advice to you is to trial different products, particularly ones with good reviews to see if those results can happen for you as it is almost important to have a good skincare routine throughout winter. Work within your personal budget, and experiment with confidence because an amazing result is not always guaranteed. 

5. Becoming a Winter Morning Person

Everybody knows that those early winter morning starts are appalling, but if you alter your mindset you could easily become more of a morning person and conquer the world from 7am onwards. I believe becoming a winter morning person is something close to an art, something we all wish we could be but can never quite be bothered being. A few things I will be doing to try and become a morning person is saying to myself "if you're lying in bed, you're sleeping", waking up and getting dressed straight away rather than lounging around in my pyjamas all day (something I am guilty of doing today), and enforcing the fact that I am lucky enough to be waking up where I am everyday. Fingers crossed this works!

Now that I have provided you with a couple of ways in which I will be facing the cold months, I hope you can take my advice and survive these wintery months along with me.

Pros & Cons of Places I Have Travelled To

I wouldn't say I have travelled A LOT, but I will say I've had my fair share of wonderful trips to some of the most amazing places around the world. Yet, although every trip I have been on so far has been outstanding, along with the pros, come the cons. Here are some of the pros and cons I have experienced whilst hanging around a couple pretty cool places within our little world. 

1. Aspen

Pros: Aspen was the first place I went to overseas to ski, and it was glorious. The town was small, wintery (a given), and glamorous in a somewhat discrete way. Everywhere you looked was beautiful. Snow covered every inch of the mountain and gorgeous fairy lights wrapped around almost every lamp post. Largely, the atmosphere was brilliant and inhabited a comforting, winter aura, something I loved. 

Cons: Firstly, before I delve into the negative aspects of Aspen, I will state that I loved Aspen and would happily go back to Aspen in a flash. However, there were a few aspects of Aspen that added an unpleasant nature to the small town. One minor and extremely uncontrollable aspect of Aspen I despised was the slippery, icy footpaths (someone shovel them!). Yet, a second aspect of Aspen I deeply despised were some of the people also visiting Aspen alongside me and my family. Some of them were truly awful, but for reasons that are so hard to explain without writing an entire essay. Yet, just like everywhere else in the world, these types of people are ones you will encounter no matter what... But that doesn't mean we should condone their behaviour!

2. New York

Pros: Shortly after my family and I arrived in New York we got in a taxi and drove to our apartment. In that drive we drove through Times Square, which was one of the most surreal things I think I have ever experienced. After seeing Times Square in plenty of movies, driving through there felt the same as when you met a celebrity; I couldn't believe it. New York was so cool, and thats probably one of the best words I could use to describe it. The architecture within New York was beautiful, and the greenery in Central Park was extremely refreshing. The shopping was brilliant, and I definitely enjoyed a great meal at Shake Shack, which I think I can say was my favourite restaurant. New York, I love you.

Cons: The smell. New York, you smelt a wee bit bad. 

3. Telluride

Pros: Similar to Aspen, Telluride was a cute, wintery town down in between the mountains of Colorado. Telluride was the second place I travelled to overseas to go skiing, which had an atmosphere quite different to Aspen. Telluride, being a ski town for more experienced, skilled skiers had a much more relaxed vibe in comparison to Aspen. Aspen was extremely glamorous and is often the place celebrities who think they can ski, go to ski. However, Telluride is much more of a ski town for skiers who dont want to go skiing on a field full of inexperienced lunatics. Now, I am not one of them! In fact, I still consider myself a novice despite the fact that in reality, I'm really not. 

Cons: Sometimes I found the atmosphere created by those experienced, skilled skiers intimidating, but that didn't really stop me from enjoying the trip. 

4. London

Pros: London was and still is the best place I have ever travelled to! I loved London. London, being one of the first major cities I travelled to was always going to amaze me, but I can't believe how after travelling to other cities, London has maintained it's position at the top! Maybe it was London's atmosphere which seemed to be very similar to Wellington, or just it's amazing history and architecture... I don't know! But what I do know, is that I want to go back.

Cons: Nothing. Seriously. 

5. Los Angeles

Pros: One of the best things about travelling to L.A. is being able to see my lovely second cousin and her husband! A second is the shopping, which was good to an extent, but also the beach in Santa Monica which was awesome! Another amazing factor of L.A. is the ability to spot celebrities at almost any time. Within two days I saw Lorde, Pixie Geldof, Rita Ora, Calvin Harris and Rita Wilson (aka Tom Hanks' Wife). Let's just say it was amazing!

Cons: Los Angeles was far too big. I thought half of L.A. was not what it is talked up to be, and I also thought it had a sleazy nature, unlike any other place I have been to. I think it might take a few more trips to L.A. for my opinion to change about the city, but for now, I guess I'm just going to have to say it's not my favourite city!

So as you have gathered from this post, I have been to a few places within our little galaxy (some of which I haven't listed), and largely enjoyed spending time in them. I hope that in the future, when I'm slightly older, I will have travelled to double or even triple the amount of places I have travelled to, to this day. So, it's time to start wishing...

Why Stanley Tucci is the Ultimate Film Wingman

If for every film I have watched where Stanley Tucci plays a leading role I earned $1, I don't think I would be very rich. A couple of weeks ago my sister said to me "have you ever realised that Stanley Tucci has hardly ever played in a leading role", and after that I began to think about the fact that Stanley Tucci is quite literally the ultimate film wingman. 

'The Devil Wears Prada', 'Julie & Julia', 'The Hunger Games', 'Easy A' and more are all films where, yes you guessed it, Stanley Tucci plays in either a supporting role or minor character role. Why is it that Stanley Tucci has largely, only played in roles where his character is of support to the main characters within a film? Maybe it is his extraordinary ability to transform into any character, or maybe it is just because he suits that kind of role (which I think is very much apparent considering he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in 'The Lovely Bones'). But, despite all that, almost every time Stanley Tucci is in a film playing in a supporting role, his performance and presence completes a film and gives it that little "Tucci Touch" I think every film needs. 

If I were to think about who are some of my favourite actors, I most definitely think Stanley Tucci is up there. His quirky nature, impeccable ability to adapt into any role and fun personality are all incredible, but I think what I like about him most is that it is not his role that puts him into the spotlight, but his genuinely quite amazing acting abilities, which is why I think he is the ultimate film wingman. If I were a main character in a film, and Stanley Tucci was playing my sidekick, father, brother, or best friend, I would almost feel threatened because despite the fact I am the main character in whatever the film maybe, I would know that Stanley Tucci's flawless reputation would definitely be reciprocated in this film and his performance would most likely be outstanding and therefore, outshine mine. Although this may contradict the idea that Stanley Tucci is the ultimate film wingman because he would quite literally steal the show, I believe his overall work ethic would not allow for this to happen, but benefit the entire movie and achieve the ratings and reviews they were after. 

But overall, Stanley Tucci, despite the fact he does not often play in leading roles, is an actor who always focuses on the present. When working in a role, Stanley Tucci is so focused on the moment and the emotion it requires which seamlessly achieves convincing and realistic results. Stanley Tucci is a wonderful actor and entices people through his ability to stir emotion and connect to the audience, which is something I think we should treasure in the film industry. He provides his fellow actors with everything, connects with them and achieves such convincing performances that no matter what role he is in, he is always the star of the show. Stanley Tucci is the ultimate film wingman, and I actually think I am quite right in saying that.

In 2015...

2015 was an exciting, busy, intense and fulfilling year, yet it was also a year in which I took a very long and over-extended break from this blog, one I never intended to occur. The last time I posted on this blog was on the 19th of December 2014, which, in itself, sounds like a million years ago and emphasises the reality that is, I have neglected this blog and not provided my "readers", that is if they still exist, with a weekly dose of my feelings towards fashion. Although the fact that not posting on this blog since late 2014 is terribly appalling and highlights how terribly inconsistent I am as a blogger, this break has given me time to focus on my studies and work towards the best results in my school life, which according to my NCEA Lvl 1 and 2 results, has definitely paid off (excellence ring-a-ding-ding). 2015 was a difficult year, not only in studies but in other aspects of my life, and although it was a strange and somewhat undesired decision to stop posting on my blog, it has definitely provided me with more time to focus on other things in my life that required my attention more. Yet, as cliche as it sounds, there was a light at the end of this 2015 tunnel which shined positive and incredibly rewarding results into my life, such as achieving NCEA Lvl 2 with excellence. I think I can speak for everyone who sat through Lvl 2 NCEA last year when I say the workload was tough and a huge step up from Lvl 1, but hopefully, everybody's results were as rewarding as mine were to me. 

Now, I hope that paragraph has not made my life sound overly dramatic, because largely last year was amazing. I traveled to the United States with my family for the third time, places in particular being Telluride and L.A (which I must say were both fantastic), I went to my very first school Ball, I met lots of new people and overall had an extremely successful year. I also thought 2015 was definitely a year in which, strangely, there were particular moments within pop culture (to put it generally) that I loved, which is what this post is about. 

One fashion show I loved in particular, which could be considered a bit cliche and obvious, was the Dior Resort 2016 show. Dior's chosen location, La Palais Bulles, perfectly resonated with the collection itself and was visually spectacular as the beautiful collection designed by Raf Simons, who I regret to inform (as if you don't already know) has stepped down as creative director of Dior, floated against the location. I loved the choice of colour palette throughout this collection. Simon's choice of muted, pink hues, olive greens, soft purples, oranges, and contrasting black perfectly resonated with the desert-y vibe of  La Palais Bulles. The collection was expressed through soft forms and beautiful textures which completed one of Simons' last collections with Dior. 

An Instagram account I particularly loved throughout 2015 was that of Michel Gaubert's. Michel Gaubert is the French DJ behind the music of the catwalks for Chanel, Dior and Louis Vuitton who alongside that, runs his very own Instagram under the username @michelgaubert. Gaubert humorously commentates on current happenings in pop culture, fashion or even politics as he selects images from the past and present that (merely) relate to the topic he is referring to. The images Michel Gaubert selects to post on his Instagram are generally both quirky and humorous and always succeed to provide me with a laugh. "Check it out" is pretty much what I am trying to say.

Also in 2015, the"70s" trend dominated runways and completely took over what seemed to be the entire fashion industry's aesthetic. But, like most people, I think now being in the year 2016 and all, I feel as if the 70s trend has had it's moment. And if I am entirely honest, I am relieved to say that the 70s will not be making an appearance on the runway anytime soon. The trend has had a good run, and within a lot of successful and beautiful collections designed by designers in 2015 the 70s was a huge influence. But for now, I feel as if the fashion industry should say arrivederci to the 70s.

Throughout 2015 I also fell deeply passionate with music. One of my favourite albums of 2015 was one surprisingly not released in 2015, but 2013. Now in saying this, I am probably really late in jumping on the Rhye bandwagon, but this Canadian/Danish duo's album 'Woman' is one of the greatest albums I have ever listened to. It's mellow, rhythm and blues sound is relaxing and beautiful and was/still is the album I gravitate towards to in times where my ears crave something to listen to. I remember at the start of 2015, shortly after I discovered Rhye, I was getting people to listen to it thinking "oh my god, this is amazing. Everyone needs to listen to Rhye"; however to my surprise, a lot of my friends and family weren't that into it, which is the type of scenario I have got used to in my life with a lot of things such as music and also fashion. However, although I know I have not successfully introduced Rhye to any friends or family yet, I know there will be at least one person reading this post who once they reach this point will be eternally grateful as I would have helped them discover a music artist who they might genuinely love. 

Two other albums I was absolutely obsessed with during 2015 was that of Tame Impala's 'Currents', and Adele's '25'. When you compare the two albums together, they sit within two completely different genres; however, both albums succeed in enforcing the same emotion on myself every time I listen to them, that emotion of course being happiness. Although both Adele and Tame Impala may not have intended to enforce that kind of emotion on their audience, the general sound of their music simply causes me to feel that emotion. In November of 2015, I was lucky enough to go to Tame Impala's concert which was incredible. Standing in the centre front row, right below Kevin Parker felt like a dream and is one I think a lot of Tame Impala fans wish would come true for themselves. I find it amazing to think that visually, such a simple, low-key concert can have such a powerful presence that's ultimately created through their sound...if that even made any sense. Anyway, to sum this up, '25' and 'Currents' both earn a 5 star review from me.

OK, this "thing" that I loved in 2015 was something I was definitely slow at hooking onto. Gossip Girl. I have never felt more obsessed and attached to characters within a TV Show than I have with the characters in Gossip Girl. The deeper I got into the series, the more I felt as if I was apart of their twisted, wealthy and extravagant lifestyle obsessed world. Although, a lot of the time Gossip Girl drew my attention away from my studies, and I probably used it as a way to procrastinate, nothing can compare to Chuck and Blair.  

Strangely and embarrassingly, another "thing" I loved throughout 2015 were the ever-changing hair colours of Kylie Jenner. I'm not entirely sure why I liked it, but all I know is that I found it exciting every time she changed her hair colour, especially when she wore that black fringed wig and dyed her hair green, I thought they were both pretty cool looks. 

This last "thing" couldn't be any more different to Kylie Jenner, but I absolutely loved (I think my brother would be proud to know that this is included in this post) Star Wars: The Force Awakens. When Star Wars: The Force Awakens came out on the 17th of December 2015, my brother and I went and watched it at the Embassy theatre. I loved it. I think the first thing I said to my brother after we walked out of the theatre was something along the lines of "Rey is one of the best characters in a film I have ever seen"; whereas his comment was "ah the ending makes me so mad, I can't wait 2 years for the next film". Obviously the film was my favourite part of seeing Star Wars as a whole, however one aspect of watching the film on its release date was being able to see passionate fans walk out of the screenings before ours, amazed with how well the creators of the film stayed true to the originals. It felt like a joyous time! Almost like a new King had been crowned or something. All I can say is that after I watched it for the second time with the entirety of my family, I told my Dad I wanted to be in Star Wars, somehow...

As you can see 2015 was a year of discovery and triumph, but I don't want to drag this "conclusion" part out so all I want to say is, 2015, you were great.