Playlist for the Week #16 {05/08 - 11/08}

MONDAY: Breaking The Girl - Red Hot Chili Peppers
I've been listening to RHCP's greatest hits album quite a lot recently and there were a few songs I wasn't really familiar with (until I'd overplayed the album to oblivion) and this one was one of them, but it definitely caught my attention. Now it's turned into one of my favourite Chilis songs.

TUESDAY: Conspiracy - Paramore
I know I include Paramore quite a lot in the playlists, but I've never actually included a song off their first album (or at least I don't think I have) so here we go. This has always been my favourite song of theirs from their first album so I hope you enjoy. :)

WEDNESDAY: Ohioisonfire - Of Mice & Men
This is one of my favourite songs by Of Mice & Men and I think one of the best bits of the song is at about 1:09 when Austin does the thing with his voice that sounds really awesome. I also haven't listened to Of Mice & Men in ages, and I credit my friend Evie for reminding me of this song.

THURSDAY: Reptilia - The Strokes
My friend Ruby recommended this song to me and although I already know the song (I first heard it on a DS version of Guitar Hero) I haven't listened to it in so long and now I remember how much I like the song. The Strokes are amazing and I think I should listen to them a lot more.

FRIDAY: Whenever, Wherever - Shakira
I reintroduced myself to this song after my love for football reignited, when I took an interest in FC Barcelona and realised one of their defenders, Gerard Piqué, is engaged to Shakira. Then I remembered how much I liked her when I was younger, so I started listening to her again.

SATURDAY: Umbrella - Rihanna
My secret (well, not so secret anymore) love for Rihanna is still going strong and I still remember when this song first came out and how it shot straight to the top of the charts. At the time I liked it because it was catchy, but now I realise it's actually a damn good song in how it's written.

SUNDAY: Mardy Bum - Arctic Monkeys
Ruby also gave me inspiration to use this song because she is literally the biggest Arctic Monkeys and Alex Turner fan I have ever known. Ever. So I dedicate this song to her since it is Arctic Monkeys and it is one of my favourite songs by them. This one's for you, Ruby. :D

A little update...

I am really excited because today my mother phoned me to say I had a letter come through* and it's an interview for St Mary's Stadium, Southampton's home ground! This has made me so happy because you may know Southampton are my favourite football team and I, of course, adore football. This has been my short-term dream job since I did the stewarding course in February so this is a very exciting time for me. I have my interview next week, so we'll see how that goes and hopefully it'll be good news! If I'm successful, my induction game will be the first home game of the season, yay! This is also my first ever job interview, and to get it for the job I wanted most is amazing.

Secondly, I am finally in the process of getting a new laptop. I've felt so lost without one for so long now, even if I am using my mum's laptop for the time being! My dad found a lovely white Acer laptop for £280 and I think he said he's going to order it soon so this is great. However, the only two downfalls are that it has Windows 8 which I do not like the look of at all (technology is advancing too soon and too fast) and it doesn't have a DVD drive. However, I've managed fine without one before so it should be alright!

Well... that's all I can really think of for now asides from the fact I'm going to Winchester tomorrow to sort out student finance but that's not very interesting really, although Winchester is a very pretty city.

Bye for now! :) x

*she accidentally opened it not realising it was mine, oops

Tag: I ♥ Summer

My good friend and fellow blogger, Kirsten, tagged me to do this, and in turn I tag each and every one of you to do this too. Leave me a link in the comments to yours! Here's how mine turned out...

#1: What's your favourite summer nail varnish?

At the moment it would have to be Claire's Accessories mint coloured matte varnish, and although it's not the best varnish I've ever had it's definitely my favourite colour especially for summer. I've been trying to find some more accessories to match it as I love matching my nail varnish to my accessories.

#2: What is your favourite lip colour this summer?

If I'm completely honest, I'm not much of a lipstick person during the summer! So I suppose I should answer with this: au natural. I do, however, make sure I keep my lips in top condition with Chapstick, my personal preference being cherry. If I had to pick a colour, it would definitely be a nude colour.

#3: Show us your favourite summer dress.

Unfortunately I had to take this picture from off the Topshop website (with a little help from Polyvore) - I should have prepared beforehand and made sure I had a decent picture of myself in the dress! It cost me £34.00 which is more than I'm usually willing to pay but I couldn't resist; I adore the lace detailing.

#4: What is your favourite summer accessory?

It has to either be my floral earrings I got from Claire's (which I showed you guys in a post not so long ago) or my Isle of Wight wristband! Not too sure if it counts as an accessory but I guess it's classed as a bracelet and I'm not taking it off for a while yet, especially not during summer!

#5: What summer trends are you most excited about this year?

I'm not really one to keep up with trends, but I have noticed that frills and fringing on swimwear seem to be in fashion. I love these - I recently bought a white bikini that had a frill detailing around the edges. So I guess this is the trend I'm most excited about this year!

#6: What is your favourite summer song?

I would have to say... Waka Waka (This Time For Africa) by Shakira. It was the official song for the last World Cup (2010), and the music video features many footballers I love. It's also got me excited for summer next year, seeing as it will be time for the World Cup again!

#7: What is your favourite body spray or perfume?

For summer, it would definitely have to be Avon's Tahitian Holiday. It isn't your typical perfume, as it smells purely of coconuts and reminds me of beaches. I'd say it is more of a body spray than a perfume, but it is in a perfume bottle. I'm not too sure if they stock it anymore, though!

#8: What is the weather like where you live in the summer?
Well... it really depends! This year we're experiencing a heatwave, which I am enjoying (asides from at night, the perks of living in Britain with no air conditioning), but usually it is quite rainy. Like last year. Pretty sure we only had a few days' worth of nice weather! I'm just enjoying this weather whilst it lasts.

#9: What is your favourite thing about the summer?

Definitely being able to relax, no stress of college. Also going to the beach, relaxing in the garden with an occasional dip in the pool (don't get too excited, it's just a 10ft wide, 3ft deep inflatable thing, nothing fancy). I always mean to work on my tan, but I never get much darker than I naturally am...

#10: What are your plans for the summer holidays?

Not much if I'm honest! Beach... pub... garden. We are going to the zoo this weekend though, and we may be going to London to watch a show which is pretty exciting. We're not going on holiday anywhere this summer, so there's nothing overly interesting planned for this summer!

Playlist for the Week #15 {22/07 - 28/07}

I unfortunately missed a week so you'll have to bear with me! I still haven't managed to get a new laptop yet, and I don't really get much access to the computer so apologies for the blog running so slowly... I'll try and update as much as I can!

MONDAY: Hail To The King - Avenged Sevenfold

Avenged are one of my favourite bands and they released a new song the other day after previously releasing a snippet from it, and I have to say I am very impressed. Their sound has definitely changed but I expected that, and I really like the direction they've gone in. Bring on the new album!

TUESDAY: Mind Your Manners - Pearl Jam

I really need to include the grunge gods in my playlists more often as they are another of my favourite bands. Coincidentally enough, this is also a new song by them - it sounds like their older stuff which I really like, and has a really punky vibe. This song wouldn't be out of place on a Tony Hawk soundtrack!

WEDNESDAY: Someplace - Jake Bugg

I haven't included Jake in my playlists for a while (or rather I haven't been blogging enough, whoops) so I thought it'd be a good idea to include him this week. I am seeing him in November and it's only 90 days away now, woohoooo! Although I only saw him last month, I cannot wait to see him again.

THURSDAY: Moonchild - Iron Maiden

I can't believe I've only included the mighty Maiden twice before in the playlists, so I am including them for a third time as they are a band who I take a lot of inspiration from. Also... I think this week needs a little more metal, so here we go. Enjoy a little slice of Iron Maiden. :)

FRIDAY: Coeur D'Alene - Alter Bridge

I love Alter Bridge so much and I always get little shivers every time I listen to them because they are just so good. I'm gutted that I'm missing out on them (again) in October but hopefully I will see them one day. They are currently working on their fourth album and I can't wait!

SATURDAY: That's What You Get - Paramore

...and of course, I can't not include my current favourite band! It's only 66 days until I see these guys and I've finally got everything sorted for when the day comes (I think I already told you guys this but oh well). Here's a slightly more classic song by them, not as classic as the ones off All We Know Is Falling but y'know.

SUNDAY: End Over End - Foo Fighters

I thought I should end the playlist with a bit of Foo Fighters this week, although I think I may have included them for quite a few weeks in a row now. Oops. Ahh well. Foo Fighters are a band I've loved for a very long time so I suppose this means I can get away with including them all the time. :D

Look at this stuff, isn't it neat?

...wouldn't you think my collection's complete?

No... unfortunately, no it is not. The reason why? I have just found some fabulous Ariel (The Little Mermaid) inspired pieces and they are honestly a couple of the most amazing clothing items I have ever found. Ever. As you may or may not know, I have a massive love for Ariel, being that she's my all-time favourite Disney Princess - she always has been, still is, and always will be, and I am even dyeing my hair red to fulfill one of my childhood wishes. I always wanted hair like Ariel's, so I will have hair like Ariel's (about time!!).

Anyway... here are the items that I have found.

Green High Waist Mermaid Bikini Bottom, AliciaZenobia @ Etsy, £26.86-£35.58 (+ £10.07 shipping costs)

I think my heart may have broken a little. Altogether it would cost me £36.83 to own these cutesy bikini bottoms. If I had any idea how to make my own, I would! Maybe one day I'll allow myself to splurge out on these.

Urban Mermaid Crop Top, Adorkable Apparel, £18.21 (+ £9.76 shipping costs)

This beautiful crop top (also available in a t-shirt) was created by Traci Hines, who I have been a fan of on YouTube for quite some time now. I think she perfectly encaptures each Disney Princess she imitates (especially Ariel!) and I think she's excellent. As soon as I am able to, I am going to buy this top because I adore it! However, it would cost me £27.97... a little more than I would usually be willing to pay, but I can't resist this.

I guess I'll just have to wait a little while before I can be Ariel, but watch this space - I should hopefully be dyeing my hair as soon as I've had my hair cut, which should be very soon!

Just a heads up ~

As you may have noticed, I'm not going to be posting much until I get my new laptop. Hopefully that won't be too long, seeing as I may be ordering it this Thursday! I'll post what I can, including the weekly playlist and little snippets that may be going on in my life. But for now, I guess I'll see you guys again properly when I have my personal access to the internet again :')

Much love x

Playlist for the Week #14 {08/07 - 14/07}

I've decided to go for a pretty upbeat and happy playlist this week, seeing as the weather is b-e-a-utiful!

MONDAY: Siberian Breaks - MGMT
One of the longest songs I have ever heard. It's like three or four songs in one. It's so chilled out and definitely a lot different from MGMT's most popular stuff. I like the direction in which they went with their most recent album, and I'm anticipating the next one quite a damn lot!

TUESDAY: Shake The Ground - Cherri Bomb
This is a song I've been learning to play on guitar (along with numerous other Cherri Bomb songs) and it frustrates me because I can't quite get the hammer ons/pull offs during the main riff! However, listening to the song makes me happy anyway because I can still sing along to it.

WEDNESDAY: Junk of the Heart (Happy) - The Kooks
...because a happy and summery playlist would not be the same without The Kooks. They're a band I've loved for a long time (did I ever tell you about how my dad met them before they were famous? I don't think I have) and their music makes me so happy and smiley, yay.

THURSDAY: Scar Tissue - Red Hot Chili Peppers
I really hope I get to see the Chilis sometime soon. Isle of Wight or Reading next year would be nice, please. They're also a band I've loved for many years, in fact one of the ones I listened to growing up. I can't remember a time when I didn't like RCHP. I hope they carry on for as long as they can.

FRIDAY: Interlude: Holiday - Paramore
Their interludes on the new album are so adorable! I love all three of them and this is the first that springs to mind when I think of summer and happiness. I have also sorted out the dilemma of what to do in terms of getting there and back, now the only thing left to do is put the plan in place!

SATURDAY: Radio - Lana Del Rey
Lana's music is (mostly) really happy and feel-good, and of course she is a wonderful person who fills me with happiness too. Okay... that was really cheesy, but it's true. I love Lana and I love her music, so this is why I have included her in this week's playlist.

SUNDAY: No Way Back - Foo Fighters
And of course, I couldn't not include my all-time favourite band. The band who are the most feel-good for me. Oh, and Chris Shiflett (one of the guitarists) followed me on Twitter. That is an awesome claim to fame right there, right? So here's a bit of the almighty Foos, fronted by Jesus himself (Grohl).

(A very) Mini-haul #4

So, yesterday I went shopping with my sister as she needed more summery clothes and even though I wasn't planning on buying anything, I still bought these earrings for £4.50 from Claire's Accessories. I'd seen them a couple of months ago and have been putting off buying them until now, and I'm glad I've finally bought them! They match perfectly with my favourite nail varnish - always a bonus!

P.S. I'm having to write this from my phone, my laptop broke earlier today :( Pretty gutted.

Fashion Friday #12

So, this weekend us lucky lot in the UK have been predicted a heatwave, with the longest sunny spell in 7 years... exciting stuff! So of course, this week's outfit has very summer vibes.

Of course, I had to promote healthy skin care seeing as the weather is going to be so hot. Always remember to wear sun cream when you're out in the sun, I don't want any of you getting burnt (or maybe even worse)!

Today's outfit is mostly based around the shorts, although I did have the top in mind to begin with before even creating this set. I think little tied tops are adorable. Sandals are a must for being down the beach - although saying that I barely ever wear sandals myself!

Things I recommend.

1.) Balconi cakes - I've had them every so often in the past, but recently both my parents have bought them because they're really delicious and also cheap. You can get a 10-pack for around £1 from Asda! They're cute little Italian snack cakes (and they also do tiramisu, which I have yet to try...)

2.) Vanilla and honey tea - You can pick up vanilla teabags almost anywhere; it's a delicious twist on the standard tea. Pretty much all I do is make the tea how I usually would, but add a dollop of honey in the bottom before I pour the water in. I have this one without milk (but still with three sugars of course)!

3.) McDonald's Iced Mocha Frappé - Trust me on this when I say their iced mocha is better than Costa's. And it's a lot cheaper, too. And you get whipped cream and chocolate sauce on the top. And they do a caramel version too. And they also have smoothies. (And Burger King brought out the same thing.)

4.) Palmer's Cocoa Butter - It may be a tad expensive, but it does work. I use it on my face mostly, since I get pretty bad dry skin, but this sorts it out immediately. I find it evens out my skin tone as well. You can also use it all over - it firms, smoothes and tones. I think it also helps fade stretch marks and scars too.

5.) Fantasy by Britney Spears - This is my all-time favourite perfume and I've used it for god knows how long. My dad's fiancée got it for me for Christmas one time, and I fell in love with it immediately. Then my mum got me another bottle once I've used up the first. It's very floral and sweet.

6.) Spare phone battery - If you're going to be out for a long time and won't have access to a plug socket to charge your phone, it's always useful to have a spare battery. Just make sure it's charged up! I found this useful when I went to Isle of Wight festival, and it'll come in handy for when I see Paramore.

That is all I can think of right now, but if you have any things you recommend, tell me and I may just make a post of them!

Playlist for the Week #13 {01/07 - 07/07}

MONDAY: Figure 8 - Ellie Goulding
Skins came back today, and Ellie wrote a song to be specially used in Effy's story. I did want to include it, but I couldn't find it on YouTube, so Figure 8 will have to substitute. Not only do I really really love Skins, but I also have an increasing soft spot for Ellie too which makes this more awesome.

TUESDAY: Pokémon Theme Song - Pokémon
Okay, this isn't exactly a serious song but hey! I have been spending a lot of time recently on Minecraft, most specifically recreating Pokémon (I am considering posting pictures once I've done more). Therefore, I found it very fitting to include the Pokémon theme song especially as I'll probably be creating again tomorrow.

WEDNESDAY: All Apologies - Nirvana
I don't recall ever featuring Nirvana. This makes me sad, seeing as they are one of the greatest bands to ever grace the earth. And I claim to be a fan of grunge, yet don't feature the most famous and most recognised grunge band. So much logic. This ends NOW. Have some Nirvana, yay!

THURSDAY: Some Might Say - Oasis
So... I've been hearing a lot of rumours lately that Oasis are considering reforming. If they do, I swear I will be one of the first to buy tickets as they are a band I've grown up listening to and c'mon, it's Oasis, man! One of the most influential bands of all time. This is a song that reminds me of my childhood.

FRIDAY: Made Of Stone - The Stone Roses
...and here's the band that greatly influenced Oasis. Hell, why don't I just include influential bands for the rest of the playlist? It's like a little blast from the past. I already included my favourite Stone Roses song the last time I featured them, so here's my second favourite.

SATURDAY: For A Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic - Paramore
Okay, so Paramore aren't quite influential yet. They are starting to be, but the actual reason why I included them here is because Saturday marks 12 weeks until I see them, meaning if I really wanted to I could book a train right now. That reminds me, I really need to figure out how I'm going to get back...

SUNDAY: Dani California - Red Hot Chili Peppers
This just came on my iPod and I decided it'd be cool to include the Chilis. Now we're back on the 'influential' track. To be honest, I'd say Flea (the bassist) is one of my main influences because he's just so funky cool and different. If I could ever play bass like he can, my life would be complete.

~ PrettyLittleThing.com

After browsing through my mother's magazines, I came across this clothing store called Pretty Little Thing and was intrigued so decided to check it out. I found that it was modern, fashionable and best of all, very affordable! Here's my pick of the range...

L-R: Pink Blog Off Tee, Denim Aztec Panel Shirt, Louisa Denim Front Button Skater Dress, Rayleigh Hi-Lo Lace Nude Dress

The 'Blog Off' tee caught my eye instantly, for (probably) obvious reasons! It's such a cute little motif and also made me giggle. The denim aztec shirt is adorable and very spring/summery, however I'd probably wear it on cooler days. It would be great for a festival, however. I love the detailing on the denim dress and it's practical as well as pretty. Finally, the lace dress would be perfect for going out in, or even going to more formal occasions, for example a wedding (if worn with the right accessories!).

L-R: Evan Neon Fade Aztec Print Hotpants, Cade Floral Bleached Denim Shorts,  Kristie Denim Shorts With Gold Print, Shellie Yellow Tie Dye Jeans, Destiny Black & White YingYang Jeans, Denim Buttoned Skater Skirt

If you couldn't tell already, I may have fallen a little in love with aztec print. I think these shorts are amazing and again, would look awesome at a festival (specifically Isle of Wight or Glastonbury!). The floral bleached shorts just scream "beach" to me, or at least they would if shorts could scream. Asides from being really eye-catching and unique, another thing I liked about the gold printed shorts was that the full product name almost has my name in it. Kristie... Kirstie... same difference. Some people even misspell my name that way sometimes, so I guess they are truly my shorts, right? As well as loving aztec, I also love tie dye, and these yellow and pink dyed jeans are really funky and I'd love to wear them and have fun creating different outfits using them. I could also say the same for the ying & yang jeans. You don't really see jeans like those that often. Last but not least, the denim skirt. I actually saw one like this on the Drop Dead Clothing website once, however there were a few slight changes I would have liked to have made to the skirt; one being the price, and at £16 this skirt is just a mere fraction! And I prefer it a lot more (sorry, Oli!).

L-R, top to bottom: Tayla Purple Patent Lace Up Boot, Kennedy Silver Spike Wedge, Eleanor Black Bow Platform Heels, Honor Black Smiley Face Fold Up Glasses, Black Mesh Cat Sunglasses 

Alright, so they're a little more than slightly Dr Martens rip-offs, but I can't resist these purple patent boots. Especially as they are much cheaper than their proper counterparts. The silver studded wedges are a little glitzy and glam, but if worn with the right outfit could look amazing (and I have always had a love for shiny, sparkly things). The black platform shoes are quite simple, but with the ankle strap and bow detail they have an adorable vintage feel to them and I love them, and I want them (though I don't want them in a basket, but I do want little bow ties because they come on the shoes). I thought the smiley face sunglasses were quite quirky and different; I saw quite a few novelty fold up sunglasses at Isle of Wight and let's just say these are quite 'normal' in comparison! The second pair of sunglasses take 'cat eye sunglasses' to a whole new level seeing as they are, almost very literally, cat sunglasses in which they have pointy little cat ears on the tops of the lenses which I just found incredibly cutesy.

L-R: Betsy Beige Skull Rucksack, Holly Blue Neon Satchel Rucksack

Unfortunately these are the last two items I am going to show you today! I'm not much of a bag fanatic, which is why I've narrowed my choices down to two. The rucksack has a sort of western feel, and although a very neutral and warm colour, the winged skull and studs add a little more edge to the bag. The neon satchel caught my eye; there are many other varieties of colour! However, the blue one appealed to me most. It is a very modern twist on the classic, vintage schoolboy satchel.

Overall, I'd say PrettyLittleThing is a very good website for beautiful items at affordable prices. The only negative I have to say is that there aren't too many stand-out pieces to me; I had to search deep into the website to find the collection I put together. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing - it makes it more fun to find the hidden gems! P.S. - you get a 30% off discount if you enter WOW30 at the checkout so be sure to take advantage of this offer if you see anything you like!

Fashion Friday #11

So... it seems I may have missed out a week. Oops.

This week's Fashion Friday has a twist... this time, I'm not basing the set around a fashion item. I'm basing the fashion around something you can't wear, but rather, something you can drink. A pretty looking coffee from the ultimate hipster hangout, Starbucks!

Okay, so it's not an actual Starbucks coffee, but a beautifully created piece of artwork which looks almost realistic enough to drink. I tried to keep the outfit colour co-ordinated with the coffee, and came across this gorgeous dress which I have just discovered is £26 from New Look, so I may have to buy it! (No Kirstie, you've already spent too much money on clothes. But Kirstie, it's so pretty!)

So now it appears I am at war with myself.

So, this is the end...

...well, not quite.

I finished college today. Officially. I finished all my work, and got it all signed off. I even had my "interview" for next year, which is why it isn't quite the end. However... it is the end of an amazing two years I've had with wonderful people who I wouldn't change for the world. Although I am staying on at college for next year doing the HNC, it doesn't mean everyone else is - in fact, I'm the only one in my year actually doing it! Everyone's moving on to other things, mostly university, but also working etc. I'm going to miss everyone, but I'm going to try my best to stay in contact with them.

Also, I have some exciting news. I passed my grade 6 bass exam! I am really, really happy as the last few weeks leading up to the exam I was completely racked with nerves, thinking 'how am I going to pull this off?' but I got a couple of very last minute practises in and managed to glide through it easily. I don't know what exact grade I got, whether it was a distinction, merit or just a pass, but I do know I have passed at the very least. However... this means grade 8 next year lord help me!

Either way, it's still not completely 100% the end. We've arranged to go out for celebratory drinks on the 11th July and that's probably when we'll say our final goodbyes and probably get pretty emotional too! I hope everyone has success in whatever they go onto do in the future.

That is all.

Playlist for the Week #12 (24/06 - 30/06}

MONDAY: Semaphores On The Lawn - Little Comets
I haven't included Little Comets in a playlist for a while and this is only the third time so here you go. I'm currently listening to them right now, and I feel like I should listen to them a lot more because they are incredibly talented, different and so feelgood!

TUESDAY: Them Bones - Alice in Chains
I'm starting up a new band (finally) and I had a very brief jamming session with a guitarist I've been talking to for a week or so, and although we actually spent most of the time talking, we did decide on our first cover, being Them Bones. I thought it made sense to include it in this week's playlist.

WEDNESDAY: Taste It - Jake Bugg
You'll probably see a lot of Jake in the playlists seeing as I have a new obsession love for the guy. He's incredibly talented and a massive inspiration to me already seeing as he's only a year older than me, and me being an aspiring musician I feel like he's a good inspiration to have.

THURSDAY: Balaclava - Arctic Monkeys
I can't believe I haven't included Arctic Monkeys in a playlist since the very first one. They're an incredible band and they announced their new album is coming out in September, yessss! I can't wait to see what awesome music they've written this time round. I have high expectations.

FRIDAY: Gunslinger - Avenged Sevenfold
One of my favourite songs by a band that used to be my #1 favourite (but unfortunately I've been neglecting them quite a bit and they've been replaced). I'm hoping they'll announce news about their album, or put out a new single, because they're being too secretive about it all now!

SATURDAY: Aces High - Iron Maiden
I've listened to Iron Maiden nearly every time they've come on my iPod lately. I'm still sad that I missed out on Download but I don't regret going to Isle of Wight instead either. However, I'm happy because I still get to listen to Maiden, and here's one of my favourite songs by them.

SUNDAY: Darling Buds of May - Viva Brother
I don't think I've ever included these guys in a playlist before. They split up last April, and I'm still gutted because they were supposed to have another album out! However, here's their most popular song (or at least I think it is) and I hope you like it as much as I do.

Musical Instrument Set #4

For this set I have based it around a Telecaster guitar - specifically Graham Coxon's signature. However, this holds no major significance to the set as I just found the guitar and really liked it, so decided to use it.

Most of these items I just found whilst browsing through Polyvore, but I specifically searched for a Stone Roses tee... I think my love for them is just going to continue to grow after Friday's events!

- Kirstie x

Playlist for the Week #11 {17/06 - 23/06}

MONDAY: Someone Told Me - Jake Bugg
I saw Jake Bugg on Friday as you may or may not know, so I've been listening to him quite a bit since then. I was listening to his album through last night and when this song came on it caught my attention. I just listened to the lyrics really carefully and it almost made me cry... which is a rare thing!

TUESDAY: Come Back - Foo Fighters
This song literally just came on my iPod so I decided to add this into the playlist. I love Foo Fighters a little bit too much and I listen to them quite a lot - safe to say they are one of my favourite bands, or even my number one favourite. Dave Grohl is God. And Jesus. And the devil. All rolled into one.

WEDNESDAY: Would? - Alice in Chains
I think this is their most famous song. I'm gutted that I couldn't go to Download on the Saturday as they were playing that day and they were one of the bands I was most looking forward to when I was planning on going as they are one of my favourite bands. Here's a little bit of grunge in this week's playlist!

THURSDAY: Electric Feel - MGMT
This has always been one of my favourite songs by MGMT. I still haven't listened to them properly in a while after going through a massive phase of being borderline obsessed with them. They're touring the UK in October, but I doubt I'll be able to go because it's in London and I'll be skint from Paramore :(

FRIDAY: Schoolin' - Everything Everything
I saw these guys on Friday also. This was a song we used for our final performing arts show back when I was a little year 10 put up to year 11. I always thought it was a pretty weird song, but it definitely grew on me. I was so happy when they played this, maann!!

SATURDAY: Slaves & Bulldozers - Soundgarden
This song has been stuck in my head most of the day and I feel like Soundgarden haven't been in the weekly playlist for a while now. So here's a double dose of grunge! I keep forgetting I've seen these guys and I can't wait until I'm able to see them again, wooo! (hurry up and tour guys)

SUNDAY: Show Me A Sign - Alter Bridge
I haven't really included Alter Bridge as much as I've wanted to, and since they've been a band I've absolutely adored since when I was a young'un back in school I suppose I should really show you them more. I once saw Myles Kennedy (the singer) with Slash. It was brilliant.

My Isle of Wight adventure.

We left around 11:45pm on Thursday night to get to the ferry for half 12 early Friday morning. Our ferry was due to leave at 1am and we got there and got across on the ferry with no problems. We were set to stay in my nan's friend Sheila's cottage for the night and also for the night after IOW finished on the Friday, however things quickly turned awful as we realised Sheila had accidentally given us the wrong set of keys. We decided there was no other option but to sleep in the car for the night, so we drove around for a bit and found a free parking lot to park in and tried to get some sleep. My sister, Amber, and my dad's fiancée Sue's granddaughter Taya (who I was sandwiched in between) managed to get some sleep, however me, my dad and Sue didn't manage to get any. So at 4:30am once the sun had risen we drove around trying to find somewhere we could have a shower; we found a little holiday park but it didn't open until 9am.

We went to McDonalds for breakfast (if you're interested I had a sausage and egg McMuffin plus a hash brown yay) and then went back to the car. My dad looked at a little information booth and found a number for a leisure centre that was open; we'd found one earlier but unfortunately it was closed due to the festival ground being right next to it! However, this one was open and they were offering a service for £1 each meaning we could have a shower and get ready there. So all was not lost and things were okay again! After we'd finished getting ready, we went back to the car and sorted out some things before leaving.

We then drove to the festival ground and parked in the car park at 9am before walking into Newport to have a little look around. My sister realised she'd picked up tights that were too small for her, so wanted to buy something new to wear instead of the skirt she was wearing so we looked round a few shops before she found some jeans she liked in TK Maxx. We then decided to go to the pub and have a pint before walking back up to the festival ground. I got a mixed berry and lime Bulmers, my dad and Sue had beers (I think) and Amber & Taya had fun with their Coca Colas (they are only 13 and 12 bless them). Me & Amber had chips and Taya had a jacket potato. After this we left about 1:15pm to get up to the festival for just past 1:30. The gates opened at 2 and we chilled out for a bit beneath some trees before looking around the little market stalls that were around the festival. At around 4, we headed back to the main stage.

Flags near the market stalls

Palma Violets were first on the main stage and since there weren't many people around at that point, me and my sister got pretty up close to watch them. After a couple of songs though, we got quite bored so we walked back to find everyone else. Didn't really rate Palma Violets very highly but they were good as a main stage opener. After they had finished, me and my dad got pints of cider from the bar and the woman who served me had to get someone to check my ID to make sure it was definitely me in the photo. The guy who came over was messing with me saying "nope I think it's fake, that's not you" but he made it obvious that he was joking and after a couple of minutes the woman came to the conclusion that it was me; the guy said "of course it's her, look at the nose!" I even tried to recreate the silly mugshot.

When I sat down with my pint, I texted my friend Harry who was also at the festival to see if he was there yet. After a little while of texting him we met up by the big wheel and by that point he was already quite drunk, which was rather funny. We went back to the main stage and watched Everything Everything who are quite a strange band but very musically talented. They played Schoolin', one of the only songs I know by them, and it brought back memories from year 10 in school when we had our final show in performing arts (I was put up a year so technically that was year 11, but I was the age of a year 10 so I ended up doing year 11 twice).

The big wheel at night (taken just before The Stone Roses)

After they'd finished we went to the Hipshaker Tent for a little bit before going back to watch Jake Bugg who was incredible. Jake changed guitars for every song apart from one where he'd done two acoustic songs in a row meaning he used the same guitar for those. Also, Harry said "imagine if he was your boyfriend" so I think he might ship me and Jake, hahaha. I must admit I do have a massive, growing love for the man(boy) so I'm not going to complain about that! I filmed part of Lightning Bolt (I did want the whole song but my phone decided otherwise) however it is rubbish quality, but I will still show you it here. I also got a couple of photos during his set so here you go!

Jake on the screen (left) and the main stage (right). The arrow points to him :)

Sorry it cuts off so soon! At least it cut off at the end of a verse.

After this we went our separate ways, Harry went to find his dad and I stood in a queue for the toilets for at least 10 minutes. Not fun. After I came out, whilst I was walking by the bar I spotted my dad which was really funny, talk about being in the right place at the right time! We went to find the others and then went to watch fun. in the Big Top. This however, was fun. Pun intentional. We stood outside the tent for most of it though as tall people stood in front of us; let's just say I am the tallest in the group asides from my dad and I couldn't see a thing. Not even the screens. :( However, we did get a better view from outside the tent and Nate Ruess bouncing around the stage was really funny and somewhat cute to watch. I'm not a fan of fun. but they looked like they would have been really awesome to see if I was a fan.

Near the end of their set, I went to get a burger from a stand because I was rather hungry by that point, and I took my sister along with me so I wouldn't be lonely (and she also wanted to check her bank balance). After that though, we had to stand in yet another loo queue for about 10 minutes, and during that time Paul Weller had started so we went to find my dad who was stood on his own with his bag and Sue's bag - Sue and Taya had gone off somewhere and my dad said he'd stay there, but they didn't see him so had gone to sit on the seats by the coffee bar. When we finally met up with them again, my dad was pretty annoyed but he calmed down quickly as we went off to watch Paul Weller. 

Paul's set was incredible, and he played Start! (a song by The Jam; you may know he was the lead singer) which made me so happy and brought back so many memories. It was one of the first songs ever that I learned to play on bass, but I got a little too enthusiastic with my dancing and accidentally knocked a pint out of this dude's hands! Seeing as they're £4.30 each I felt terrible and apologised many times, offering to buy him another, but he was totally cool about it and was like "it's fine, it's good enough that you were dancing to Paul Weller, don't worry about it". I'm glad he was someone like that rather than someone who rages at people for that sort of thing! I didn't know an awful lot of Paul Weller's stuff, but it was still great fun to watch him and my dad dancing is rather funny to watch. That's entertainment. ;) (I hope at least one person got that pun)

The mighty Paul Weller. Was quite far back for him but still a decent view.

After he'd finished, we went back to find the others and sorted out what we were going to do. Sue and Taya were going to head back to the car early, but Amber wanted to stay with me and my dad to watch The Stone Roses. Unfortunately, she didn't feel too good so we stayed pretty far back, but then because we didn't have such a good view I asked my dad if he was alright with me going further forward on my own. He said that was fine and that he would take Amber back to the coffee seats. There were loads of gaps between people so I managed to get really far forward but more to the side, but I still had an amazing view. I kept going for a little while longer, and I'm so glad I did because then I found Harry again. Watching a band is so much more fun when you're not alone! The Stone Roses were unreal, a few times they dragged out songs for major instrumental solos. I have a feeling most of the solos were improvised which was even more impressive! Not only were they brilliant, but they are now even more brilliant than they've ever been. I didn't even think that was possible seeing as they are insanely incredible. Meanwhile, here's a few photos of me walking down to near the front...

Photo 1: Near the back. Still with my dad and sister.
Photo 2: Walking a little further forward on my own, to the side now.
Photo 3: This was when I'd just found Harry. You can't really tell, but we had an amazing view.

Unfortunately, we had another spot of bad luck. Amber wasn't feeling any better so my dad texted me telling me this. I asked him if I should leave early, and he said yes so I had to leave a couple of songs before The Stone Roses finished. When I got back to them, my poor little sister was sick and shivering really badly so we decided the best thing would be to take her to the first aid tent to get her checked out. Luckily she was fine, it was most likely a combination of lack of sleep, being out in the sun too much and too many doughnuts (tut tut!). However, in the time it took us trying to find the first aid tent and getting Amber seen to, The Stone Roses finished and luckily I could still hear them perfectly clearly. It wasn't all so bad, and Amber felt better immediately after getting everything out of her system. It was starting to rain though so we layered her up in four hoodies and jackets. :')

Finally, we left to walk back to the car. It took us about half an hour but then we drove back to the ferry to go home. I was really tired and grouchy by this point and there were loads of people up on the deck we went to, so I got kind of annoyed with the noise as I just wanted some peace and quiet. Apparently there was someone famous across the other side of the deck and I said "I bet it's someone from a reality show, it always seems to be someone like that in that situation." but then me and my dad walked over to see what the commotion was and it was only Ian fudging Brown!!! I immediately took what I thought and said back as this was a lot better than I could have hoped for. At first I thought it was only him on the ferry, but when they were getting off the ferry the rest of The Stone Roses made an appearance. Before they did though, me and my dad went to talk to Ian and my dad filmed for a little bit. He introduced me to Ian as 'the newest Stone Roses fan' and I can't really remember what Ian said but he said something alone the lines of "nice one" and smiled at me so I smiled back. Totally starstruck, as the dude's a legend! He's incredibly down to earth though. I was going to ask for a photo but he was with his family so I thought it wouldn't really be the right time to ask for one. My dad, however, took a photo of him at least so here it is.

Ian Brown!!! Yeees. He's a bit old now but he hasn't changed too much since the 80s.

Harry was also on the same ferry as us which was really funny as I'd literally just text him saying Ian Brown was on the same ferry as me (this was, again, before the rest of the band made an appearance). His phone had died though so I re-told him that Ian Brown was sat over the other side, and he seemed slightly disbelieving so I showed him where he was. Whilst we were over there, Mani (the bassist) appeared and asked Sue how he gets to the top deck so he could smoke; when she'd told him where to go, he said "cheers love". I wish I was there to see it, but Sue re-telling the story was funny enough! Anyway... it was an amazing way to end an incredibly weird day. For the first half of the day, my dad was singing "it's the best day everrrrr" (as in, the song off Spongebob) sarcastically. This time though, he sung it again in a serious way as The Stone Roses are his favourite band and for him to meet the singer and bassist is pretty unreal! 

Finally, the ferry got back to Portsmouth and we drove home. We got back about 3am and by this point I was just completely exhausted and I had never been so happy to finally be in a bed, in my whole life. I don't quite know what happened but for some reason I didn't actually get to bed until just before 4. After 40 hours of not sleeping at all, I was finally able to sleep and it was beautiful.

This is not coming off for a while. No way.

Overall, I had an amazing time at the festival, there were a few ups and downs but it was definitely worth it! So incredible to say I've seen the artists I saw yesterday.

- Kirstie x
(P.S. pretend I posted this Saturday instead of today)

Fashion Friday #10

I was going to queue this post so it would post yesterday, but just as I'd finished making the set my dad knocked on the door and we had to leave for Isle of Wight Festival. I did want this outfit to be similar to the one I wore for the festival yesterday, but unfortunately I couldn't find the top I wore so I decided to base it around the denim-look dress I bought from Topshop the other day. This is still inspired by Isle of Wight (and I will be writing a post shortly detailing everything that happened!!) so I hope you like this!

Unfortunately, Topshop still don't have the dress listed on their website, but it is £34 and I have seen it in all Topshop stores I've been in recently!

- Kirstie x

Mini-haul #3

Actually... this time it's a not-so-mini haul. I went shopping twice, yesterday and today, and bought more than I usually do since I am a very fussy shopper and rarely find anything I really want to buy. However, this time I have bought quite a few items...

From L-R: Denim Tunic Dress £34 Topshop; Yin & Yang/Peace Sign Vest £7.99 H&M, Denim Skater Skirt £8 Primark, Bandeau Bikini Set (underneath) £3 Primark; Leather and Suede Tassel Bag £8 Primark

Unfortunately, I can't find the dress or top online, and Primark don't have an online store! The necklace you may or may not have spotted in the first photo, I bought from a little market stall in Brighton one year for £12. You could probably find a necklace like this in high street shops or even eBay or Amazon.

I also bought hair flowers... apologies that I am only showing the actual accessory rather than me wearing it, I look rather rough today so I'd rather not post a picture of myself that I'm unhappy with (slight moment of vanity whoops).

Floral Head Band £2.50 Primark - I feel like Lana Del Rey in these. 

I find that shopping is very therapeutic, even more so when you find things you absolutely adore! I got so lucky this time that I found everything I wanted. I set out to buy a new outfit for Isle Of Wight (as you may remember me mentioning yesterday; I am wearing the top and bikini with some shorts I already have, plus the bag and possibly the headband - also with my Dr Martens and a leather jacket for when it's the evening), and also a new dress. As you can see, everything is here!

- Kirstie x

Playlist for the Week #10 {09/06 -15/06}

MONDAY: Since I've Been Loving You - Led Zeppelin
I had a mini Led Zeppelin party in my room last night and this was the first song I listened to today so I figured the #1 legends of rock music deserved a spot in the first playlist in a little while. This is a rather depressing song but it is incredibly brilliant.

TUESDAY: Could You Be Loved - Bob Marley
After my Led Zeppelin party, I had a Bob Marley party until I got tired and decided to sleep. This is one of my favourite songs by the Marley. Everything by him is so chilled out and relaxed and lovely to listen to, so here's your little fix of Bob. You're welcome. ;)

WEDNESDAY: If It's Lovin' That You Want - Rihanna
I will admit this now. I have been listening to Rihanna a lot the past couple of days and I have no regrets. I have rekindled my love for her older music from when I was quite a bit younger, around 11 I'd guess. This particular song came on in River Island the other day. One of my favourites.

THURSDAY: Love/Hate Heartbreak - Halestorm
I felt like including Halestorm as I have recently set the gorgeous and talented Lzzy Hale as my phone background. Not going to lie, I have a massive crush on her and I'm not sure if it's limited to just the 'girl crush' stage. I saw Halestorm a year ago yesterday. Time flies!

FRIDAY: I Wanna Be Adored - The Stone Roses
As you may or may not have seen from my last post, I am going to see The Stone Roses this Friday! They are headlining Isle Of Wight and they are my dad's favourite band so he's not missing out on this chance. Here's my favourite so far of the songs I've listened to by them.

SATURDAY: Have It All - Foo Fighters
On the way to Whiteley Village shopping outlet on Saturday this came on my dad's phone (he plugs it into the stereo) so we were grooving down the motorway listening to Foo Fighters. Super sweeeet. This was also the same day the Rihanna song came on in River Island.

SUNDAY: Paper Doll - Cherri Bomb
I don't really have a reason why I chose this song, I just felt like including Cherri Bomb again. I've been wanting to learn this song on guitar for a while now, I can play the main riff so far but that's it! When I finally find a band I'd love to cover this song.

So... It's been a while.

I have been rather neglectful of my blog, and I am very sorry! I only meant to take a few days' break but this has now turned into more than two weeks (16 days in total!). Now I am back, so here's some updates on the goings-on in my life...

...first off, some bad news. I had my university audition this past Thursday and unfortunately me being the nervous wreck I am when it comes to solo performance, almost completely messed it up, thus not getting a place at Solent University. I had to perform a solo piece and I kept making mistakes. I was not ready at all. Then, I had to read and perform a short piece of notated music, which I cannot do as I have not learnt to read music as it is usually written (I learn from tablature and by ear). However, there are two silver linings to this cloud, the first being that the third task I had to do for my audition was improvisation and I managed that pretty well so at least it wasn't so bad. The second silver lining is that I am carrying on at Fareham College doing the HNC (Higher National Certificate) and someone I like an incredible amount will be in my class next year. And he thinks I'm cute. :D

So yes... that is also another update. My love life is existent again, apparently! However, I'm going to take things as they come and not rush into anything. I've made a few mistakes in the past when it's come to boys so I can take these and learn from them. I will however keep you updated if you would so care to hear about this!

Thirdly, I am seeing The Stone Roses on Friday along with Paul Weller, Jake Bugg, Everything Everything and others, depending on who I end up seeing! Bring it on! I went shopping today for a new outfit to wear to the festival (Isle Of Wight to be precise) and as soon as I have a photo I will upload one. I am currently waiting for the skirt to dry though, as I accidentally spilt some iced mocha on it not so long after buying it so it had to go straight in the washing machine as soon as I got home. I also need to take back a bikini if I'm able to, as the top is really rather small which confused me quite a bit as it is a size 10 - funnily enough a dress I got the other day is too big for me, and it is also a size 10! Places really need to sort their sizes out.

Anyway. That is all...

- Kirstie x
P.S. think it's time for a Playlist for the Week... watch this space.

Nasty Gal: The clothing brand.

Earlier today whilst making the latest set for the Fashion Friday segment, I stumbled upon an advert for a clothing brand I had never heard of, Nasty Gal. Intrigued, I clicked on the advert and took a little while to browse through their website. Unfortunately, this brand seems to be targeted at UK size 6-8/US size 2-4 skinny minnies with small boobs and long legs - my figure is mostly opposite. It is not curvier-girl friendly at all, but the clothes are still rather nice to look at (although the price tags make me want to run and hide under my duvet for the rest of my life). However, there are many unique, modern and interesting pieces, and here's my pick of the best!

The pink dress was the first item I saw that I immediately fell in love with. I loved the design; the neckline is something I have not really seen before and is definitely the kind of dress I'd want to buy if I was going out clubbing (or something along those lines). The blue dress reminded me of Cinderella's which attracted me to the dress straight away. I love the laced up bodice, it gives a sort of medieval feel but the whole dress is still up-to-date and modern. Finally, I couldn't not include an LBD in this - I love the one-armed mesh detail and the fact the whole dress is rather abstract. It is definitely a dress I would look into buying (if I ever had the money!).

The cat leggings are the cutest! As I was scrolling through the leggings section, they were definitely the first to catch my eye and that is why they earned a spot in this blog post. If they were Siamese cats, they'd definitely remind me of the cats out of Lady and the Tramp (yet another Disney reference whoops). These galaxy shorts are amazing, although very pricey. Call me a hipster but I love galaxy print things, although I don't own anything myself. The pastel rainbow jeans kind of match with my background! They would completely, if I didn't edit the background to be a little bit darker. I have never seen jeans like this before; one of the many unique items Nasty Gal has to offer.

I adore dip-dye at the moment, so this colourful top stood out to me straight away. It's so cute and spring/summery and would look excellent with cut-off shorts. The blue fade shirt is super cool, although I would prefer if it wasn't mesh - I'm not too keen on see-through shirts as it means I have to buy a suitable top to wear underneath it too. Now, I have a little bone to pick with Nasty Gal - Judas Priest and Slayer, as you may or may not know, are heavy metal bands prominently famous in the 80s. Obviously, this sort of music isn't so popular nowadays although they do still have a large fanbase made up of people from all age groups. However, shirts with classic metal bands' logos emblazoned on the front being sold on modern womens' clothing websites (meaning merchandising stores are not included in this right now) are usually bought by people who do not actually like this music, and who just want to look 'cool', 'edgy' and 'grunge'*. Ugh. Right. Okay. I only included these shirts in this picture to be able to add in that rant, and the rant is over. If you are interested, here is the Judas Priest shirt and here is the Slayer shirt (although you are much better off buying a similar shirt from an official licensed merch store and cutting it up yourself - it will cost a lot less).

Anyway... back to being nice to Nasty Gal because after all, their original pieces are adorable.

Behold... light up trainers! If you're old enough, you'll probably remember when you were considered cool if you had trainers that lit up as you ran/walked/stomped on the ground to make them light up. I remember having a pair, and they were my favourite shoes in the world at the time. So these trainers make me feel nostalgic and I almost forgot how cool they were! Secondly, these amazing platform wedges were the first shoes I saw (or at least the first that stood out to me). I love the studded spike detail on the back and they'd be something I'd want to wear whilst performing onstage. Thirdly, the round, black, pearl detail sunglasses are very aptly named 'Audrey Circle Shades' - at first glance they definitely reminded me of Audrey Hepburn. They aren't really sunglasses I'd wear, but I still wanted to include them in this post. Finally, and the last item I will be showing you today, the purple and blue sunglasses. They're quite strangely shaped, which makes me like them even more, and the fact the purple and blue fade into each other give it a softer effect to balance out the obvious edginess from the frame.

Thank you for reading this post, I hope you enjoyed it! Overall, I think Nasty Gal's clothes are very beautiful, well designed and incredibly unique, however I don't think I'll be buying anything from there any time soon due to the high price of all the items (the perks of being a student, eh?).

- Kirstie x

*GRUNGE IS A GENRE NOT A STYLE AND THESE BANDS ARE MOST CERTAINLY NOT GRUNGE!

Fashion Friday #9

As I was browsing through the Topshop website at college the other week looking for ideas and inspiration for my final gig outfit (which I have now decided on), my friend pointed out to me these amazing leggings with giraffes on. So... today's (or should I say yesterday's) set is based around these same leggings.

I think the background detracts from the actual outfit... oops.

I have tried to keep the rest of the outfit as simple as possible as the outfit would be overpowered if there were two key pieces. I think the little print on the tee is quite fitting to the leggings!

You can buy these leggings from Topshop here for £25.

- Kirstie x

University updates and Minecraft.

So... I have some very, very, very good news on the university front - I have been offered an audition at Southampton Solent University, my first choice! I got the letter through yesterday and my audition is on the 6th June at 10am. Unfortunately, because travelling there includes a two hour bus journey (plus extra time waiting for buses etc.), I have to get up at 6:30am. Which I never have to do. But I guess that won't be too much a price to pay if I get a full offer from Solent at the end of this all! For the audition, I have to prepare a 2-5 minute long song of my choice to play on bass, read an excerpt of sheet music (oh lawdy Jesus I am not good with that kind of thing) and finally, improvise over a backing track which will be given to me on the day. Luckily, I've been doing a lot of improvisation work this year at college, so hopefully that will be a piece of cake! Anyhoo, wish me luck because I am sure it will come in handy! :)

Onto my second topic of this post. MINECRAFT. My sister has been home ill from school this past week, and since I have Mondays and Tuesdays off anyway I stayed home with her (I stayed home Wednesday too because I really could not be bothered to go in). We have the Minecraft demo on Xbox, so we decided to give that a little go. 'A little go' turned into 'we spent a very long time on it' and honestly, I can say I am totally addicted and cannot wait to get the full version! Amber also found a version for phones/iPods/etc. so I have installed the demo version of that too and I can't get enough of Minecraft. Seriously, if you haven't tried it out yet, GO AND TRY IT OUT NOW (or whenever you have time to). It is honestly so addictive and cute! According to a lot of people, it is better on the computer because of modding and such, but according to my friend today, there may be a modding kit coming to Xbox too so... watch this space.

- Kirstie x

Beauty Review #1: Solait Gradual Tan Lotion {Part 2}

So, I finally got round to applying the medium/dark lotion again and of course, I post this late. Procrastination at it's best, right? I procrastinate even the things I enjoy doing (e.g. writing for this blog).

I applied the lotion Monday night and again, immediately saw a glow and slight change in my skin tone. I still wasn't expecting big results as it is gradual tan lotion after all. On Tuesday morning, I noticed a definite change in my skin tone and I definitely had a tan line where I hadn't applied the lotion, which made me very happy! I think the trick with this lotion is you have to keep applying it until you get the results you like. I am going to apply it for the third time tonight and then hopefully I will see even better results!

Meanwhile, this will be the end of the review. Just a friendly reminder this is vegetarian/vegan friendly, the product has not been tested on animals. I would definitely buy this product again, it is great value for money and from what I can tell, rivals even the bigger brands of fake tan! This shade of gradual tan is best for those who want a noticeable but still subtle change in skin tone, rather than a very subtle one. I'd say this kind of tan is only for making it look very, very natural rather than having the full on bronzed effect that you'd get with instant tanners. I rate this product a 4/5 as it is not everything I'd hoped for, but still very, very good and very lovely on the skin (it moisturises!).

- Kirstie x

Playlist for the Week #9 {20/05 - 26/05}

Maybe I'll just make this a Monday thing now seeing as I have failed, for the third week in a row, to post this on Sunday...

MONDAY: Brand New Start - Alter Bridge
I was looking for a song that could sort of go with the fact that the football season is over and now I'm sad. However, this song has a happy vibe to it because it reminds me the season will start again soon and it'll be a new start for Southampton to (hopefully) work their way up the league!

TUESDAY: Almost Easy - Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged's Wembley date sold out within half an hour of the tickets being put on sale, so the line "come back again, it's almost easy" is me singing to the tickets to come back so I can buy one and see Avenged. This is the third time I've missed out on them, raaageeeee!!

WEDNESDAY: Next Year - Foo Fighters
As some of you may know, I'm planning on going to university in September and if things go my way, I'll be living there. However, accommodation is only available for the first year of uni so I'll most likely be living at home again. As in, "I'll be coming home next year".

THURSDAY: It's Not You - Halestorm
If you listen to the lyrics, this is a sort of "screw you" to the last guy I was with. I'll let you in on a little secret - I always liked his best friend better. ;) I also saw this song live at Download last year, which was incredible as I have a massive thing for the lead singer, Lzzy Hale. She is so awesome.

FRIDAY: Heartbreaker - Pat Benatar
This is another one of the songs we're learning for our final gig. Although this song is technically 70s (it was released at the very end of '79) we're still doing it as our argument is that Pat would've toured with the song during the 80s, and was also more successful during that decade.

SATURDAY: Weekend Wars - MGMT
I haven't listened to MGMT in a while and this has always been one of my favourite songs by them so that's why I decided to include this song in this week's playlist. Also because it has the word 'weekend' in the title, and of course, Saturday is the first full day of the weekend.

SUNDAY: Hysteria - Muse
Dude, the bassline is so amazing. I have never, ever, ever been able to play it, it's just so tricky but as soon as I get the hang of it, it'll literally be the only thing I ever play on bass in my free time! Also, the song is pretty damn decent too. Here's your occasional (and first) fix of Muse on my blog.

P.S. I still never put the tanning lotion on, so the post is delayed again, until tomorrow. I am rubbish, I know.

A strange end to the season, to say the least..

..the football season, that is! Look away now if you're really not interested in football - I'm going to ramble on for a fair bit about the last couple of weeks!

First of all, there was an insanely massive surprise last Saturday, as Wigan Athletic took on Manchester City in the FA Cup final and ACTUALLY WON. 1-0, in extra time! This disappointed me as I am a Man City fan and for the goal to just be out of Joe Hart's reach above him dug the wound deeper. However, what makes this situation even more surprising is three days later, Wigan confirmed their relegation from the Premier League to the Championship after losing 4-1 to Arsenal (and also confirmed my main men Southampton a spot in the Prem next season!). A disappointing setback for City, but they really weren't trying their hardest that day and for Wigan, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (whereas City win things a lot more often) so I do believe Wigan were the more deserving winners. Congratulations to them, and I wish they were able to push on and stay up in the league but maybe we'll see them again in a couple seasons' time!

Secondly, an amazing win happened on Wednesday - Chelsea beat Benfica 2-1 to win the Europa League, to have the amazing achievement of holding both European titles at the same time seeing as they won the Champions League last year*! I am immensely proud of the guys as they are a team I have liked for a very long time. It was a very well deserved win, with amazing goals from Fernando Torres and Branislav Ivanović (seeing as he is a defender, this was amazing! Also his first goal for the club).

Also, FC Barcelona won La Liga last week! No surprise there really, but what was really amazing was that they never moved from the #1 spot in the league table, all throughout the season. Go Barça!

Today was the last day of the Premier League season (and probably the last day for most other leagues too). It was both a sad and happy day - a few footballers have retired this season; Michael Owen, Paul Scholes and Jamie Carragher all played their last games today and one of the most famous footballers ever, David Beckham, played his last match yesterday. It's another signal to the end of my childhood, as all four of these English legends I grew up watching play for our national team. Total respect and congratulations to these guys, as they have all had amazing careers and contributed heavily to English football as we know it. However, Michael and David have both contributed to overseas teams too, playing for Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and LA Galaxy between them.

A few managers have either left, retired or been fired which is always a sad moment in football. Football legend Sir Alex Ferguson announced his retirement from being a manager a couple of weeks ago - as most people know, he has been the manager for Manchester United for over 25 years. Most clubs get rid of their managers after one or two seasons, so for Sir Alex to have been a consistent manager for so long is an amazing achievement. There is no denying he is one of, if not the greatest manager to grace football. Congratulations to him, as he is a great credit to football. David Moyes announced he was leaving his managerial position at Everton the same day Sir Alex announced his retirement; funnily enough, it was confirmed he is to become United's new manager only a few hours later! Rafael Benitez had been set to leave Chelsea at the end of this season for a while now, and there's major speculation that my favourite past Chelsea manager, José Mourinho, is set to replace him. I am really hoping he is coming back, as he was Chelsea's manager when I first started supporting them and I've always thought he was an amazing manager, pretty much level with Sir Alex (they were even rivals when José was managing Chelsea). Finally, we received the sad news that Roberto Mancini had been fired from his managerial position at Manchester City, the day after they lost the FA Cup to Wigan - also a year to the day he guided City to win the Premier League title. Guess we'll have to wait and see who becomes City's next manager...

Today, the final games of the season were played (obviously). I think the most interesting game was the 5-5 draw between West Bromwich Albion and Manchester United - it must have been a very well played, interesting and tense game. There has never been a 5-5 draw in the Premier League, so they also made history! The rest of the results were:
Chelsea 2-1 Everton
Liverpool 1-0 Queens Park Rangers
Newcastle 0-1 Arsenal
West Ham 4-2 Reading
Southampton 1-1 Stoke City
Swansea City 0-3 Fulham
Wigan Athletic 2-2 Aston Villa
Manchester City 2-3 Norwich City
Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Sunderland
I don't think many people were expecting Man City and Swansea to lose! This was slightly disappointing as it affected Southampton's overall finishing spot, as did many of the other fixtures including their own seeing as they walked away with only one point rather than three (which they would have got if Rickie Lambert's goal in the first minute wasn't disallowed as he was ruled offside). However, I wouldn't have wanted Michael Owen to lose his last ever game, so I'm not too upset. It doesn't really matter too much where we finish, as we are still going to be in the Premier League next season and hopefully finish in the top 6, if Morgan Schneiderlin's prediction is right! Let's just say this won't be the first time he's proved people wrong...

P.S. hopefully my next post regarding football will be my announcement of getting a job at St Mary's Stadium! Not getting my hopes up because they usually end up being crushed

- Kirstie x
*note for those who may be confused - the Championship and the Champions League are two different things. The Championship is the second tier of the English football league system, whereas the Champions League is the biggest European competition between non-national teams.