Forevermissvanity - A UK Lifestyle Blogger

A Few of My Favourite Things

Shopping is my vice. Every weekend I'm in town or looking online trying to get my next fix and more times than not I end up impulse buying. Impulse buying is probably the worst type of shopping because you end up buying products that you don't need and often have very little use for. My wardrobe is full of clothes still with the tags on from long emotionally driven shopping sessions and half of these clothes I doubt I will ever wear. However, every now and then I do manage to pick up a few things from impulse buying that I actually love wearing. This post is dedicated to a few of my favourite things that I've picked up recently.

First on the list are these gorgeous Clarks sandals. I recently wrote about Clarks shoes and how much my recent store visit shocked me. I often associated Clarks with school shoes and nothing more, but when I visited my local store a few weeks ago I was pleasantly surprised by their offering. These sandals grabbed my attention straight away because of their vintage-esque style. These sandals are great for the summer and with their padded soles, they are not only trendy, but comfy as well.

Since coming back from my Ibiza Honeymoon I have been obsessed with floral headbands. I bought one at a small market near the beach and didn't take it off all holiday - even when I went swimming. I have been looking for one since I got back for my next few holidays this summer and picked this one up from Primark in Liverpool for £2.50. Primark never disappoints when you're in need of affordable accessories and they had so many floral headbands with so many different designs, it was hard to choose.

Lying beneath the shoes, headphones and headband is yet another new maxi dress I recently bought from Forever 21. Those who regularly follow my blog will know that I've had an obsession with Forever 21 recently and I have fallen in love with so many of these clothes. This maxi dress has a simple, understated design and fits my petite 5ft2 figure perfectly.

My final item on my favourite things list are these Bassbuds Candy earphones* that I have been recently sent to review. These Bassbuds earphones are bright pink, made from precision cut aluminium and are delicately finished with a stunning Swarovski crystal. I've had a lot of problems in the past trying to find earphones that help block out noise, stay in my ears and look trendy and these Bassbuds solve all my problems. I've never had a pair of earphones that fit so perfectly and for those who like their music loud, they sound great at high volumes. Unlike some headphones/earphones that get 'tingy' the louder they are. These are perfect for my commute to work and at the gym and I'm sure I'll get a lot of use out of them on my flight to Thailand.

What are you loving right now?

This image has been sourced from here

Writing and travel are both things that I have been very passionate about from a young age. Despite my parents not having much money when I was younger, we always tried to make every weekend an adventure and by the age of ten I had seen so many places in the UK and parts of Europe. Being the daughter of a sailor meant that I spent a lot of my weekends at sea, particularly in Wales. By the time I had reached 14 years old I had seen more wild dolphins within three feet from me than I can count on my hands, which is something incredibly magical and I had probably spent nearly every weekend of the summer somewhere other than England. These days a lot of children's first adventures are to America or Australia, but I was happy being able to see the natural beauty in my own country and believed that one day I will eventually be able to travel further afield.

I began writing at a very young age and my grandma often told me that I was destined to be a writer. Words always fascinated me and I had such a creative imagination. I would spend hours sat on my aunties lap after school writing stories - most of them themed on travel and adventure. It came as no surprise to my family that a decade later I would go to study Journalism at University. I loved being around such talented writers and learning from people that had years of experience writing for such big publications. I told myself that one day I hope I will be able to put my own journalism skills to good use and currently they are being used on this blog.

My blog has brought me so many amazing opportunities over the years, so many things that I never thought I would be able to experience. It has been hard work, but definitely worth it. My blog often surprises me.

My biggest surprise in my blogging career so far has to be the email that landed in my mail box only four weeks ago. I have been contacted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and asked if I would like to go on a press trip to Thailand with them. As a girl that has dreamed of travelling, but never had the opportunity it was like a dream come true and I accepted straight away.

From April 17 - 24 the Tourism Authority of Thailand are celebrating Discover Thainess 2015 and have invited press to discover Thainess through Thai arts, crafts and textiles. The trip will showcase these hidden gem cities in Thailand that are often undiscovered and will give the people attending a chance to explore the local way of life as well as the local fashion industry. Thailand has always been top of my bucket list as I love their way of life and of course Thai food. It has been an incredible honour being invited on this trip and i'm looking so forward to it - I really can't wait to tell you all about my journey. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter to keep updated.

Have you been to Thailand before?

* This trip will be fully hosted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

For further information check out their social media channels:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/fanclubthailand

Twitter: @fanclubthailand

Instagram: @fanclubthailand

It is strange to think how fast time flies. This time last year wasn't the best for me. I was on the verge of sadly losing someone I cared dearly about to cancer, I was finally diagnosed with my rheumatoid arthritis and on top of all that, I had my dissertation to hand in. The only thing that got me through was the support of my wonderful friends and the fact that my birthday was right in the middle of it - giving me a chance to have a day of celebration and forget my worries. Fast forward to this year and I'm in a job I love, I'm flying out to Thailand in a few weeks, I'm feeling fitter and healthier than I have been in a while and for the first time in a year or two, I'm really looking forward to my birthday next week.

I'm so lucky that this year my birthday falls on the Bank Holiday weekend which gives me plenty of time to do some birthday shopping, have my hair and nails done and also take a relaxing break from work. To celebrate my upcoming birthday, I have decided to put a wishlist of items together that I'd like to buy. I'm turning 24 this time so I don't expect to be receiving that many presents, instead these will be gifts to myself and things I'd like to purchase over the next month.

The first item on my wish list is this beautiful yellow shift dress that I saw whilst shopping at my local Mango concession in House of Fraser. I'm a big fan of yellow, especially in the summer and I love draped detail and v-neckline on this dress. I would love to team this dress up with this Marc by Marc Jacobs Sally watch. I usually go for big, bulky rose gold watches, but as I'm growing older I'd like something a little bit more delicate on my wrist. This watch would go with almost anything.

This year I intend on doing a lot of travelling and I have my first trip planned to Thailand really soon. To keep me occupied on the plane I would love to read the new Mary Portas Shop girl. Mary Portas Shop Girl is the memoir of one of the worlds most iconic retail consultants. Mary Portas is known for her works with many prestigious department stores including Harrods and Harvey Nichols. Finally, to keep me organised during my travels I would love to purchase this Aspinal of London travel wallet. I've had my eye on this for a few months now, but everytime I go to buy it it is either out of stock in my favourite colours or out of my price range at that particular time. I probably won't have the chance to purchase this before Thailand, but hopefully I will be able to buy it for the other trips I have planned this year.

Are you doing anything over the bank holiday weekend?

One thing I often get asked about being a blogger is how I started getting invited to cool events. Well the truth is at least half of the events I attend are in-store events that are open to the public! In store events are often a fantastic way to learn more about your favourite brands and benefit from the added promotional material they usually have on offer. Most in-store events will often discounts on the day or evening, goodie bags and have fun activities for you and your friends to experience whilst shopping.

If you're looking to attend one of these events, then look no further than the upcoming 'Urban Garden Parties' hosted by Warehouse to celebrate their new occasion wear. The events will take place in select flagship stores Saturday, 28 March in London, Manchester and Liverpool and Saturday 25 April in Dublin, Belfast and Leeds.

Participating Warehouse stores will be transformed into urban gardens with limited edition illustrations by Lo Parkin featured in exclusively designed windows. There will also be an abundance of lush plants which customers spending over £70 on the day can take home as gift and customers will also be given the chance to head to the personalisation station where they can make their own bespoke accessories to complement their chosen look. Of course, an outfit isn't complete without perfectly coiffed hair so Toni & Guy will be on hand to offer hair styling tips to ensure perfection from head to toe.

Check out the Warehouse website to register your interest and receive up to 20% off on the day.

Have you been to many in-store events?

I can remember the first day I ever started blogging. Everything from picking my name to typing my first ever blog post. Pressing publish was a really overwhelming experience and I sat there eagerly awaiting comments for none to even appear. I went through days of self doubt looking at my work and wondering whether anyone would read it, to days of feeling ecstatic as I gained a new follower. My blog wasn't an overnight success and it still isn't what most people would call a success today, but to me it was my little haven and will always be something that I'm proud of.

I started blogging five and a half years ago when I was nineteen years old, when sticking to something other than obsessing over boys seemed impossible. I flittered through different courses at college and every time I joined a club or tried to start a hobby, I would instantly get bored. Blogging was relatively unheard of back then. It wasn't unknown, but not many people knew what blogging was and there was no-one like Zoella acting as our kind of mascot. The most popular vlogger/blogger I remember at the time was Panacea81 or as most people know her today - Lauren Luke. She was the one that really inspired me.

My blog was primarily beauty focused when I started, but over the years it has developed more niches and I have expanded my writing style. The reason for this was due to the fact that I'm not the same person today as I was five and a half years ago. Although my blog name has the word 'vanity' in the title, I'm nowhere near vain - yes the nineteen year old me did care a lot about makeup and looking the best I can be, but the 24 year old me is now saying live for the moment. I have matured as a person and along the way my blog has matured with me.

Due to this reason, I have decided to shift some of the focus of my blog. My passions have changed since that nineteen year old girl first put the digital pen to the digital paper - I want to travel the world, delve into culture, explore different cuisines and try to dress impeccably on the way. Forever Miss Vanity I'm hoping will now take on a more lifestyle persona writing about fashion, food and travel. Of course I'm not going to shy away from beauty - makeup is still something I love, but it's not going to be the focal point of my blog anymore. I want my blog to be the diary of my life and inspire others - so here's to new beginnings.

Have you ever felt like you have outgrown something?

A Few of My Favourite Things

Exciting News - I'm going to Thailand!

My Birthday Wish List

Warehouse Urban Garden Party

The Maturing Blogger