Faded Spring

    How Unbound Taught Me To Be Body Positive

    When it comes to self-perception of body image I suck, I am constantly berating myself for not having that enviable hourglass figure that society seems to covet and often look at my body as comparable to an eight year old boy's. I am flat chested, slim and nothing like the image of a busty, curvaceous woman that is upheld as the feminine ideal, projected by media, institutions and even through peer pressure. In short I have no curves to speak of and looking at myself naked in the mirror often leaves me in floods of tears because I am afraid of being different. But one day everything changed and I realized something truly beautiful. There is no ideal body shape; short, tall, thin, curvy or ... read more

    It’s Ok To Talk About Sex

    Throughout the ages us Britons have had a love/hate relationship with the word sex; from the rowdy Romans who sought to bring pleasure and fine entertainment to our intimate rooms to the overt gentility and regressive Victorian attitudes towards sex in the 19th century, its clear that sex is a cultural taboo. In many cultures, including those stemmed in religious belief sex outside of marriage is frowned upon while the sexual revolution of the 1960's saw Modern Britain develop more lax attitudes towards sex. Sex was often seen as a deed designed to 'church' a family instead of an act of pleasure or intimacy and the liberalism shown towards sex in the 1960's helped eradicate age old archaic ... read more

    Capture My Heart With Chavin

    No other symbol but a heart could be more synonymous with who I am as a person right now; touched by loss my heartstrings have been tugged and pulled more times than I can imagine. But then my heart has overflowed with love for all the support my fellow bloggers and friends have given out to me, offering me countless salves to soothe my wounded heart. They say loss changes you and they are right but not in the way you think, I always kept my emotions in check because I didn't want people to know that I had worn my heart on my sleeve, that at heart I was secretly a softie. I wanted people to know me as the one who had her friends back and could withstand any storm that life threw at me but I ... read more

    The Benefits Of A Digital Detox

    Rewind to the 14th June and the news I had been dreading most had hit the airwaves; two deaths that I was left to mourn in the space of a few hours. I crumbled and fell but held my head high, riding above the waves of despair as the tributes came pouring in. I saw the last memories of my friend and grandma replay in my mind, social media plastered with statuses and photos to commemorate their lives. But I found it too hard to cope and went offline, hoping that not being confronted with their deaths 24/7 would help me move on and accept their loss. Since I began blogging last August I have only had one other digital detox- two months ago- and although I felt refreshed it made getting into ... read more

    My Floral Fantasy With ILWF

    Where would my floral fantasy take place? On a desert island surrounded by intricate floral wreaths woven with seashells, watching the waves lap the shore or in an urban city, watching the world go past as I strut in my towering platforms, bringing colour and joy into peoples ordanairy mundane lives; wherever my fantasy takes place, there is no denying that florals are the ultimate symbol of vitality. They bring us hope when we are low and bring us joy in our happiest moments, flowers commemorate special moments in our lives and can signal the loss of loved ones. Whatever the occasion flowers or floral prints will be there to signify the start of something new. For as long as I can remember ... read more

    A Letter To My Angels

    The 15th of June will be a date that I will never forget, the moment that I was left gasping for air as the news of your death reached me. I crumbled and fell, one young the other old, both deaths out of the blue and left me feeling broken. There is an emptiness inside me and I feel broken beyond repair, I wonder through life sleepless and afraid of what life will bring me next. I will never forget you, Grandma and friend for bringing colour and joy into my life. Shante, you were full of colour and life, never afraid to challenge social convention and be the life and soul of the party; Grandma you were quiet and serene, always watchful, forever present in my heart. You both died fighting for ... read more

    Learning To Express Gratitude

    Learning to express gratitude when you are surrounded by your own s**t is easier said than done and sometimes I want to pull the covers over my head and pretend that the world doesn't exist. The voices in my head spread poisonous thoughts into my subconscious and convince me that my misfortune is all my fault. Sometimes I believe them, convinced that I am a failure and that everything I try to do right always goes tits up. It’s hard to break out of the negative thought cycle and most days I am wading through a pile of my own issues, struggling to come up for air. But then I think to myself, no matter how bad things are (which believe me it is at an all-time low) remember to always express ... read more

    Apricot S/S 16 Lookbook

    Established in 2007, Apricot was created with familial ties in mind; curating a collection that appealed to both a teenage and adult/mother market was no easy feat but allowed Apricot to step outside rival discount retailer Primark's shadow. Featuring staple fabrics with this seasons stand out print 'paisley' in neutral tones for the busy mother and fresh, innovative florals in classic silhouettes for the teen with a dream, Apricot's family friendly initiative has attracted female consumers in their droves. With a large emphasis on the 18-24 and 35+ dual markets, although Apricot has not managed to break into the Top 10 UK Retailers List ( Officiated by Real Business Net), the gradual ... read more

    Toxic Waste

    As people close one door I burst into tears, convulsions running through my chest as I weep out my agony. They seem indifferent to my pain, preferring to ignore my red rimmed eyes and my swollen cheeks. Every breath feels like a knife to my lungs and I am gasping for air. I am caught in a dense tide, a chain shackled to my ankles, slowly drowning in a well of my own despair. Everytime I think that I am happy, a new wave forms forcing melancholic thoughts into my overcrowded head. I don't know which way to turn when the vipers are following my other move and I know god damn well that they don't offer consolidation. I am going through a big change at the moment and at every turn things seem to ... read more

    You Are What You Wear

    ' The troops assemble, line by line, crossing the fold into anonymity,Dressed in drab colours they remain nameless, a number destined to be forgotten,Emotionless they raise the flags in patriotic regard, chained to a cause they do not support, Like puppets every move is controlled, mannequins of an Totalitarian regime, The capitalists march forward banning all colour, raising their grimy finger towards the offender,Swathed in orange, purple and green the human is awash with forbidden colours,The troops charge forward guns a'blazing to erase one mans bravery,Resolve weakens and the troops tremble, the offenders aura begins to intoxicate,Suddenly they are men with names again, no longer a ... read more