Faded Spring

    8 Ways To Make Your Blog Stand Out From The Crowd

    With over 152 million bloggers worldwide circa 2017, making your blog stand out from the crowd can seem like an impossible task. After all no matter how 'original' you may think your blog is, chances are another blogger has an identical site to yours, so the question is how on earth can you create an 'authentic, creatively original' enterprise when there are so many other bloggers with the 'exact same ideas'? The truth is, even after two years in the blogging industry and a month full time, I am still learning how I too can make my blog gain more traction and despite ' a unique aesthetic' and personable approach to blogging, there is more to 'branding' than meets the eye. As bloggers get ... read more

    4 Ways To Style A Swimsuit This Summer

    Tis the season to splash around and have a whale of a time, for the summer taxi of 'fun' is here to take us on a ride to FUN Central. And what does fun central entail I hear you ask? Well does swimming on the beach count, or how about a good ol' trip to the secret beaches that only exist in my imagination? Your probably confused and that's ok, regular readers know I like a good ol' chinwag (translation talk a load of s**t LOL), but the point I am trying to make is this; I like to play make believe because secretely I am still a kid at heart and those who know me understand my obsession with all things summer. Despite living in the world's most tempremental country- how can it be rainy one ... read more

    8 Ways To Win At Life As A Freelancer

    Freelancing is no easy feat; since quitting my job a month ago I have ripped my hair out, cried, laughed and smiled, all in the space of one day! It takes real guts to be able to live out your dreams and I can promise you, while its never an easy ride, freelancing is 'rewarding' as much as it is hard work. I never thought I would create my own business never mind be able to call myself an 'entrepreneur' and the fact that I am sitting here today, in creative control of my own enterprise is a beautiful surprise to behold. When I was a young girl, I dreamed of becoming an actress, later a teacher and it was at uni that I realized that writing was my true passion. By second year I knew that I ... read more

    5 Ways To Wear Lace This Summer

    While lace might have originated in the 16th Century, for me it represents a time period that is a little closer to home- the 90's. Although the 90's is more commonly associated with 'chokers' , 'slip dresses' and double or triple denim, 'lacing' was a common theme throughout 90's fashion. Velvet dresses were often trimmed with Chantilly, while chokers-the most popular 90's accessory- was adorned with latticed lace.  Accessories were an integral part of 90's style identity but it is now during 2017, that the expansion and mainstream exposure of lace(s) has become evident. Even royals like Kate Middleton, love wearing royally modest lace, proving lace is a fashion trend that is firmly on the ... read more

    I Was Catfished Before MTV Even Made It A Thing

    Online dating can be freaking scary, in fact before I tried online dating myself, I was convinced that it was for people who were 'desperate' but I soon realized that wasn't the case. There is this huge stigma around online dating and how we are conditioned into becoming people that we are 'not' all for the sake of preserving normality in the face of others. Which is why when you meet someone in person, you can become disappointed, as we paint visual realities in our heads that don't quite match the person that turns up on your date. Which is maybe why I am still single, but then again I think its more a case of guys being intimidated by my defense wall but that is a story for another ... read more

    Faded Spring Talks Business Travel In Singapore

    I have always admired bloggers who travel the world and have left their normal lives to go backpacking. While I would imagine myself as being more of a 'tourist' rather than a 'nomad' , I am nevertheless looking forward to travelling to as many countries as possible. I mentioned in previous posts that I would be going to Spain and Tuscany but I have always been fascinated by 'Asian Countries' like Malaysia, specifically Singapore which is a global financial hub, boasts a tropical climate and has a multicultural population that is not too dissimilar to London. My fascination with Asia stemmed from childhood where unlike the peers around me who loved 'British cuisine' I was far more interested ... read more

    Why 2017 Is My Year To Travel

    2017 is destined to be my year; in September and October alone I am set to travel to Tuscany and Spain and I cannot wait. After a 'travel dry spell of 5 years, my wild spirit is back in action and I am look forward to seeing where my blog takes me next. You see 5 years ago I traveled to Madeira (where my parents are from) only to discover that it would be the last time I would see my grandma again, as she sadly passed away after. It broke my heart but I knew that she was not in pain anymore but that was not the sole reason why I stopped travelling. I was stuck in a time period of depression and anxiety, while working, studying for an intense degree in English Literature, English Language and ... read more

    10 Reasons Why You Should Visit Madeira This Summer

    I am blessed to have biological heritage that originates from the 'paradise on earth' that they call 'Madeira'. Despite growing up in an English family aged ten, I was also aware of my Portuguese roots and throughout my childhood years had traveled to Madeira until my passport was destroyed by my stepmother, but that's a half a decade battle for 'citizen status' that I wont go into right now.Still I digress; it might not be a 'ravers haven' and you're more likely to go 'hiking' than partying but for someone like myself who prefers swimming in the sea or long mountain hikes to getting rat arse drunk, it's little wonder that I have so much love for my parents homeland. One of the best places ... read more

    Spa Seekers Event At The Mayfair Hotel

    After quitting my job to blog full time I was scared but strangely exhilarated. Despite the large dent in my bank account and impending rent and bills looming over my head, I relished the challenges that each day brought. No longer were my days confined by routine and instead I could be free to make each moment different to the next; in short full time blogging meant that no two days were the same. We often question, when it comes to making large decisions whether we made the right choice but the truth is we are scared of the unknown and that's ok. Leaving the security of a full time job can be frightening but it is something I would recommend to anyone who is in a job that does not ... read more

    How Childhood Abuse Turned Me Into A Warrior

    I was a young girl, torn apart from her parents and plunged into the realm of the unknown. Born into a broken home, I found myself constantly searching for a home to call my own, afraid to mark somewhere as mine, when so many things had been taken from me. I was raised by a single dad aged 2 (and a half), childminded until I was 4, abused by my dads wife E until I was 10 and raised in care until I was 18. Is it little wonder then that in the space of 5 years I have moved 8 times, in search of my forever home, only to find my dream had never existed in the first place. You see I saw my life through numbers; my age was not a milestone but a memory of what life once was. But do I regret the ... read more