January Was The Greatest Trial Run

Outfit: Dress - Pretty Lavish / Boots - New Look / Bag - Gucci (old)

Hello my lovelies! It's been a minute and honestly, I haven't had a minute to even sit here and pour my heart out to you in my regular way. 

We're in February, arguably one of my favourite months because I'm an Aquarius and I just celebrated my birthday this weekend, which I will get into later. But before we get into that, we need to recap what happened in January.

I started my year in one island, then made my way to another. Watching the fireworks over Galle Face in Colombo was such a beautiful experience. And soon enough, I was on a plane (well two) back to London. Why did I return to London you ask? Well, 2022 is definitely a big new chapter for me.  

On 17th of January, I graduated with my Master's degree in Media & Communications from City, University of London - a mega achievement. I've probably mentioned it already before but doing a degree during the pandemic was the best decision. Not only did I get the degree, the whole cap and gown hoo-ha, but I also got to meet some of my new favourite people for the first time in the flesh. So it was definitely a big day.

Since then I've spent time with new friends and old, got to watch one of my best friend's absolutely slay it as the lead in a pantomime, took a friend on her first trip to Primark (which you can watch here) and just roamed around London as if I was a tourist again. 

I've been able to fall in love with this city again, I'm in awe of it every day. I thought I'd have to relearn my way around but it was like I fell right into place again, walking everywhere, navigating everything, loving every moment. I pretty much want to spend all my time exploring.

And with all this, I've pretty much dropped off the content creation planet... even though I've bee wearing cute outfits and having adventures. But I've just become more present and in the moment, less on my phone and creating memories. 

See my January Recap on TikTok!

Even on my birthday last Friday (4th), I didn't take enough photos! Shock horror! I mean we were just having too much fun. Even though I vlogged and captured a few moments, I was truly enjoying the moment. Turning 26 was the most fun birthday I've had in a while, with our wonderful Italian meal at Sergio's followed by karaoke at Lucky Voice, surrounded by some of my favourite people. And not forgetting the absolutely beautiful cake my Mum sent me because we must never have a birthday without cake. I've seriously been utterly spoilt. 

But really, January (and the beginning of February) has been such an incredible start to 2022. There's so much more I have to tell you, but when the time is right, you will find out... And I'm so excited to share a very big thing.

Now I must promise to bring you more content. Time to start planning.

Lots of Love, 

Emily xx

WHAT TO WEAR FOR A SPECIAL OCCASION THIS SUMMER

It's the season of events. Most likely, we all have something important to attend whether it be a wedding, a graduation, a christening, a big birthday. Weddings are definitely a big one this time of year. Once you get your invite in the post, you have to plan a look. Well at least I do. I plan looks so far in advance, it's really an issue. But sometimes that's a good thing because you don't want to end up stuck at the last minute. 

For certain events, there are rules or courtesies that you have to respect. For weddings, it's probably best to stay away from white (or ivory and creams) because you don't want to clash with the lady of the hour. If there's a theme, you should stick to it because it's most likely the bridal party have their reasons - for example, Pia Muelhenbeck & Kane Vato got married back in December and had an all nude/neutral dress code so that everyone fit the vibe of the wedding and so that the pictures look nice, a big plus. 

There's a lot to think about with big events, whether it's yours (like a graduation) or someone else's. So, I decided it would probably be best to round up some ideal looks for any big Summer events you have coming up. 

My ideal outfits would a beautiful midi dress that isn't too in your face, a two piece suit in a bold colour that compliments you or a killer jumpsuit. Styles that I've seen lately that I believe would be perfect are the Max Mara suit that I've seen Lydia Millen-Gordon in (which Zara have a dupe for!) and this Cult Gaia maxi dress that Selena Gomez wore to a wedding recently. 

Here's my picks for those formal events this season, from head to toe. 

Outfits

    

   

    

     

For your footwear, go for strappy sandals this season. It's all the rage and you'll find plenty of them. Or go for a classic pair of court shoes in a height that suits you. Just make sure that you've got comfy shoes on because you'll most likely be on your feet for most of the event. A mid-high heel is probably your best bet!

 

 Outfit: Dress - Custom // Heels - Charles & Keith // Bag - Next (old) // Earrings - H&M (similar)

When it comes to your accessories, I think it really all depends on what you're wearing in terms of style and colour. If you're going bold, don't be afraid to bolder if you're up to it. If your outfit has a pattern, I'd suggest going for simple jewellery that uplifts your look without overpowering it - simple dainty jewellery is gorgeous. If you're wearing a bold coloured suit, go for a contrasting clutch and shoes, then a big pair of statement earrings or a ring will do the trick. If you're wearing light colours, compliment them with pearls - it's so classy. Don't worry about being monochromatic either! Basically, go where the wind takes you as long as you are comfortable. Make your own individual statement. 

I'd love to know what you steer towards for special occasions! Is there a specific look or brand that you know will always have what you're after? I'd love to know. Happy shopping and I hope you have a wonderful time whatever you're doing!

Lots of Love, 

Emily xx

Officially Graduated

On Wednesday 19th July 2017, I finally graduated. A Bachelor's Degree in Journalism.

I actually did it. 3 years of university completed, already. The time when so fast and now the majority of my educational life is done. I never imagined the day would come if I'm really honest with you. I always knew I would go to university and study but I never knew what I would study. 

I remember when I sat down around 4 years ago to fill out my applications for university and hit a blank when it said "area of study". I think it took days, weeks,  for me to decide what I wanted. There were options; music, graphic design. Who knows what else was going through my mind. Originally music was at the forefront, it's one of my biggest passions but I never wanted to study it as such. Music is something that comes from my soul and I just wanted to write and produce in my own way. 

So how did I get to journalism? Well, it's something that's always been running in the background. I always  been a writer, in any of the forms I could be it. I started being a bit of a presenter during high school and I was the editor of our school yearbook. Those little things that I did added up and I don't know who it was or what was said, but someone gave me the idea that journalism would be good. 

I contemplated it for a while and thought why not. As a journalist, I'd be able to discover the world in a new way and actually be able to give people information that would impact their lives. I'd be able to make somewhat of a difference to a world. I think I realised a lot of this during my time at university, rather than before, and it gave my choice more purpose. 

Going to university was really important to me. It was always my dream of mine to go. I always had ideas of where I wanted to apply, but never knew what I was going to study. When it came to actually choosing, I did my research. Some of my dream places didn't offer journalism, but then I came across City (where I ended up going) and that became my dream. 

I worked hard and made it into City. That was probably one of the greatest moments of my life, actually receiving that confirmation that I was going to my first choice university and would be making my Mum proud. It was always her dream for me to go to university as well. No one in our family has gone before, so for me to have studied and successfully graduated makes me really proud that I could do that not just for myself but for my family. But especially my mum. 

The past three years has taught me a lot about myself. What I can do and achieve, what I want out of life, how hard I have to work to get to where I want to be. But I think most of all it's taught me about my independence and strength. Like everyone else, I had this journey going on with many other things coming at me from all sides and juggling those hurdles along the way showed me that I can get passed it. There were days when I wanted to give up, believe me. Even the commute everyday got to me at times. But pushing through and getting to the other side was more rewarding than giving into the lows. 

The reason I wrote this post is purely for me to reflect on what has happened this week. I've come to a day that I never imagined I'd get to. Life is literally flashing before my eyes without me realising. The last 3 years have gone so quickly and now I have to decide what my next move is. In October, this blog will be 3 years old and I know I haven't been the best blogger of all time, but I hope to work harder on that and take time to do things that I love like blogging and music. 

My outfit: Dress - U By Upeksha Hager (custom) / Shoes - Christian Louboutin

Mum's outfit: Dress - J by Jasper Conran / Shoes - Aldo

Before I stop typing away, I wanted to take a moment to just talk about my outfit for the day. The dress that you can see me wearing above is a custom dress by a wonderful Sri Lankan design, Upeksha Hager. Upeksha is a good friend of my mum's and I've watched her designs be presented a various Sri Lankan fashion weeks. I absolutely love her work, plus my mum and I have worn a few of her pieces before. She designed this piece for me based off of an idea that I gave her and she perfectly executed it. It's a silk like fabric in a gorgeous golden ivory with a few flower appliqués to the top fold and my favourite addition, pockets. I paired these with my brand new Christian Louboutin Irizas in 100mm. I was so surprised to find them actually comfortable. Louboutin is known for sometimes being uncomfortable, but I found that the Irizas were actually comfortable enough. They are stunning and I will probably try to keep them in pristine condition for as long as I possibly can.  

Now I'm done with my long post. I just wanted to take this moment to say thank you for being here, reading my posts and supporting me through my journey - even if you didn't know it was happening. 

Lots of love, 

Emily xx