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Tuesday, 30 January 2018

HOME DECOR 101 - Photowall Sweden (+ discount code)

Hello my lovelies and welcome back to my blog!

If you follow my blog regularly, then you'll be more than familiar with the fact that i have a bit of a soft spot for pretty home decor. I love clean lines, uncluttered styling and minimal fussy details. It's always been my go-to style and i'm pretty certain that it always will be. Even while being away at uni in Southampton and not being able to style my room how i would like to, i still think i manage to keep my little space looking simple and put together.

As of summer 2018 i'll officially be packing up my belongings and leaving my favourite student city to move back to the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside, which leaves me with free reign to decorate my new place however i want to!

This got me all kinds of excited, so obviously i took to social media to grab myself some inspo...

One of the things i found on my home decor journey is an incredible piece from Photowall and i just had to share it with you- which, if you're also a fan of minimalistic home styling, it's definitely something you'll be lusting over. I'm a complete sucker for monochrome and it's rare that i venture out of my comfort zone, however this little turquoise number really stood out to me.

Photowall is a Swedish company with a passion for design and quality. Their wall murals and canvas prints are environmentally friendly, fire-retardant in accordance with Swedish standards and do not fade in sunlight.

The website has a huge range of beautiful wall murals and canvas prints on offer, with designs and styles to suit all tastes. One of my absolute favourite things about the brand is that you can upload your own photos or images and have them transformed into gorgeous wall art. The process is so quick and easy, and you can tailor the print size to any that require. It's also super handy that the website generates a price as you're creating your mural/canvas- meaning you have full control over the price point and size.

I chose a large rectangular canvas print, which arrived with a few days, even though it was during the busy Christmas period. It came with a DIY frame which is really simple to put together (and i'm no DIY queen). The instructions are clear and show a step-by-step guide on how to put it all together- it doesn't require the use of any tools, which was fab as i don't own a single one. Altogether putting it together took me less than ten minutes and absolutely no tears were shed, now to me, that's a result!

Photowall also offers free UK delivery which to me was absolutely fab. I'm one of those people who will spend a lot of money buying things online, but then get put off by the price of the postage (i know i'm not alone in that).

To get your own print, and with a generous discount of 20% you can use my discount code TashAdeleCampaign2018 which is valid until February 25th 2018.

To take advantage of the discount, visit the Photowall website.

Also make sure to check out the Photowall Instagram account for the latest news, decor trends and designs.

* I was very kindly sent this item by Photowall, however this does not affect my views and opinions stated in this post.

Monday, 18 December 2017

TESTING IN PROGRESS - KISS LASHES

Tasha-Adele 22:20:00 0 Comments

Hola lovelies!

OMG can you believe it? I'm back to posting regular content! I promise i am getting better at this whole posting on time thing (even though this post is evidently late oops). I won't even try to make an excuse for this one like i have with the others, i just generally wasn't feeling like this post was ready to go live just yet.

So i kinda hyped up that this post would be a little bit different and it is! I'm actually testing this product as i'm typing...okay so i'm not literally typing and sticking on lashes at the same time but you get the idea, it's like a trying it whilst writing this kind of situation. Before i start this mini non-youtube tutorial though, i would just like to mention that KISS is a company that i haven't tried before. I've never used any of their products and if i'm being honest, prior to picking up these lashes i had no idea who they were. They're also not sponsoring this post and i bought the products with my own money before anyone says anything.

And because i am completely new to the brand i thought it would be the perfect opportunity to try and test them and share my thoughts on them with you all!

So first things first, the packaging. Now i am an absolute sucker for nice packaging and i think i can speak for a lot of other girls when i say that cute, pretty & quirky packaging is definitely something that sways us into purchasing certain things, lashes included.

I wasn't blown away by this design but i do love the fact that it's pink and pretty and shows how and why their product is unique in comparison to other lashes on the market. On the box it states that KISS lashes have a tapered end as opposed to other lashes which are often cut off straight, often leaving the user with a less natural effect. I personally really like that they put that on the box and it's actually one of the main reasons that i decided to buy a few different styles of these lashes. I mean, no one wants false lashes that look, well...false?

Lashes in the style 'Iconic'

Lashes in the style 'Lily'

Now let me tell you one thing...These lashes are super SUPER soft and lightweight. The band on them is clear and really thin which is probably my favourite thing when it comes to lashes. Hate is a strong word, but i can honestly say that there is nothing worse than putting on a pair of falsies and for the thick band to be digging into my inner corner all night, you feel me?

I literally just stopped typing this post so that i could glue the little suckers to me eyes and o m g they feel so comfortable. I can't even tell that i've got lashes on right now and i'm so happy about it. Considering how long they are and how many lash hairs there are, i'm really surprised at just how lightweight they feel. Another thing, the lash band is very flexible and sits perfectly on the eye. YASSSSS.

SIDE NOTE: Be careful when removing them from the packaging. Due to them being so lightweight and having such a thin band, they are hella fragile and need handling delicately. But other than that, i ain't complaining.

The glue that they come with is also pretty good. I usually stick to using my duo glue, however if i didn't have that to hand then i would not be opposed to using the glue supplied.

I'd never heard of 'multi-angle technology' when referring to a pair of false eyelashes, but from now on- i'm deffo going to be looking for lashes that have it. It definitely makes a difference to how natural they look, but without compromising the length or how dramatic they are.

Overall i'd give these an easy 9/10, with the only thing that i dislike a little being how easily they can be broken when removing them from the packaging.

For a price of £5.99 though, they're 100% approved by me. Below is what the lashes look like once applied.

I hope you enjoyed this post as much as i loved writing it,
Tash x

Thursday, 30 November 2017

Everything that happens during the last few days before a uni deadline

Tasha-Adele 21:07:00 1 Comments

There are two types of student: those who spend the last few days before a deadline chilling out and sleeping peacefully because everything’s already finished and handed-in, and those who spend them doing the following…

Three days before the deadline.

‘’Okay,” you think to yourself. “I’ve got loads of time before I need this finished, I don’t even need to think about panicking yet.’’

You’re wrong. You know you’re wrong. But it’s the same story every time.
Three days to write a several-thousand-word essay is not ‘loads of time’. Even for the sanest of people, attempting to write a (half decent) piece of academic of writing in just 72 hours is likely to end up with the perpetrator on the floor surrounded by a puddle of tears and countless chocolate wrappers.

But let’s face it, if you don’t leave the most important things until the very last minute, are you even a student?

Typically, three days before a deadline you’re not even close to meeting, every morning, day and night should be spent in the library, reading through books and frantically looking for a member of staff to show you where the leaflets on how to reference are.
Realistically though, this is how you spend your time:

Sitting in the kitchen with friends, moaning about your deadline rather than taking any steps to meet it.

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Making food to eat in your room for when you eventually start working.

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Eating said food in the kitchen with friends to further avoid doing said work.

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Crying into the food because you STILL haven’t started working and you also don’t have clue how to reference properly.

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Ringing up your mum just to let her know that your work is going ‘really well’ when in fact you’ll be lucky if you leave uni with a 2:2.

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Wondering if dropping out is allowed at this point in the semester.

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Two days before the deadline.

Reaching the 48 hour mark, if you weren’t panicking before, you are now. You’re no longer sure why you thought leaving it this late would be a good idea, and can now only hope that you actually do work better under pressure.
Spoiler: you don’t.

Two days before a deadline should find you confidently, albeit hectically, trying to make up for lost time, fuelled by caffeine and sheer desperation.
Instead, two days before a deadline actually finds you…

Trying to find a quiet space in the library to set up your laptop because every computer is already taken by another student who looks equally as stressed.

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Realising that nowhere in the library is quiet because everyone is either confiding in their mate because they’re ‘going to fail’ or they’re muttering to themselves trying to stay sane.

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Not knowing where any of the books you might need will be.

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Not actually knowing which books you need, for that matter.

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Finding some books that look vaguely helpful, but then not knowing where to start with them.

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Drinking allllll the RedBull and ending up with the caffeine shakes and not being able to read or type properly anyway.

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Going home feeling defeated and no closer to finishing the essay.

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One day before the deadline.

It’s looming and it’s not going away. (WHY isn’t it going away?!)
The stress is now real. You can’t go back in time and force yourself to start earlier, and it’s too late to drop out. You have no choice but to lie in the bed you’ve made for yourself (ah, to be able to lie in a bed and not think about this deadline), and accept that this isn’t going to be your best work.
While those students who finished days, weeks, maybe even months ago have already forgotten about this essay as if it’s last week’s Hollyoaks episode, you can be found…

Making sure the word count is correct, +/- 10%. Mainly -10% though, because who wants to write more than is required?

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Crying. Lots of crying.

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Binge eating, because food helps with the pain.

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More tears. This time with a mouthful of snacks, crumbs flying everywhere.

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Asking all your course mates if they’ve finished their essays in a desperate bid to find someone in a worse position than you.

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Writing words without having even the slightest clue what you’re writing about.

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Not sleeping because THERE’S NO TIME TO SLEEP.

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The day of the deadline.It’s here. It’s time to submit your work, ready or not.
Regretting all your life choices, the day of the deadline goes something like this for you…

Re-reading your work for the billionth time and finding another typo every time.

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Doing multiple plagiarism checks, and deciding you’re going to jail.

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Wondering if it would actually be better to submit nothing.

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Stressing because you can’t find a free computer from which to print your work.

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Stressing even more because when you do finally find a computer you discover you don’t have enough printing credits.

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Considering leaving an apology to your lecturer on the hand-in sheet.

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Considering leaving university.

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Go to uni they said, it’ll be fun they said…

Wednesday, 27 September 2017

The Ramblings Of A Third Year: A Little Bit Of Everything

Tasha-Adele 15:52:00 0 Comments

Happy Wednesday, we're finally mid week and i couldn't be more please about it!

So i've got a bit of a long one for you today, it's more for me though really. Do you ever just sit down at your laptop and not know what you're going to write about, you just know that you want to write something? My fingers are literally itching to get blog posts done, but the creativity and ideas just aren't there so i've kind of started thinking about my future (eeek scary i know).

I've been thinking a lot lately about what i want to do when i finish university in a little over 8 months and the one thing that is always in the back of my mind is travel. When I say travel, I don't mean the kind of travelling you'd do during a gap year, but the kind where you move quickly from city to city, embracing the culture and the people that make that place what it is. I want to experience new places and fully immerse myself in them. Tokyo is my dream destination. Whenever i think of Tokyo i always imagine myself sat in a super high up apartment writing features for some crazy exciting magazine, literally living the dream. But simultaneously, travelling and being away from home also scares the shit out of me. You see my dilemma?

Anyhow, while i gather my thoughts and attempt to figure out where my place is in this world i thought i'd share a piece of writing with you that was published in VIVID Magazine that you might have not read yet. The reason i even thought of sharing this is because it was during this time that i realised i want to visit more places and see new things. If you don't know what VIVID is then it's a travel magazine that i created last year with four other talented people. The issue covered a variety of topics however they were all based on the town of Camden. It was such a fun experience and taught me so much and it's something that i am really proud of. This particular feature is a travel diary that i wrote whilst visiting London back in April of this year.

I hope you enjoy it, let know what you think.

Have a wonderful rest of your day! x

Camden Travel Diary 14/04/2017

Camden town screams quirkiness. From elaborate graffiti, to stores covered in statues of angels and dragons. This area of London is without a doubt a real feast for the eyes. It buzzes with the voices of intrigued tourists who want to grab themselves a piece of iconic culture from the market stalls that gave Camden it’s name.

When I stepped off the tube I was greeted by a familiar sight that I can only describe using three words. Old, busy and beautiful. You can still feel the punk roots in the atmosphere and with Evil from The Needle sitting happily on the high street 30 years on, the strong 80’s vibe is almost impossible to ignore. The authenticity of the town continues through the live music scene, and as spring has started to make an appearance the canal banks are always teeming with eager visitors who have found the perfect spot to soak up the bitter but invigorating sun. I myself am a sucker for a pint, especially if it involves a view of historic scenery and having a cheeky cigarette or two.

When you’re a country girl born and bred there is no better place to escape to than the city. Hours pass by like minutes in the concrete jungle, side streets reveal hidden gems and quirky cafes lurk around every corner. It’s no wonder that the likes of Ronnie Corbett and Amy Winehouse decided that they wanted to call Camden ‘home’. On the topic of the late singer, this was the first time that I had seen the bronze statue of her that is located in The Stables Market. It is honestly beautiful, the designers did an amazing job of making the memorial look life-like and true to size. Walking through the 200 year old stables reminded me why it is that I love Camden so much. The area is populated not only by colourful restaurants and stalls, but by the most amazing collection of huge bronze horse sculptures and wall friezes.

Fun fact: The first buildings were little more than one and a half storeys high. But with the development of the nearby railway, two and three storey brick buildings were built, leaving us with what is now, some of the best industrial stabling left in England.

Wandering about the markets usually comes to an abrupt end when the word ‘food’ is mentioned, but deciding where to grab lunch from is always the tricky part. The Grand Union bar has become somewhat of a stomping ground for me, I can only count on one hand the amount of times I’ve visited London and not stopped off at this effortlessly trendy boozer. Usually I’d make an appearance mid-evening, when the place is buzzing with people from all walks of life, however this time I enjoyed a bite to eat just before 1 o’clock and chilled out in the fashionable, relaxed diner. There really is just something about the place that makes me want to go back for more.

Also on my list of places to visit was the forever popular cronut stand. With it’s classic white and red bunting, rustic feel and shelves packed to almost bursting point with sugary goodness, I couldn’t fight the temptation to pick up a couple. If you’ve never had or heard of a cronut, it’s the hybrid of a doughnut and a croissant and I have never tasted anything like it before. After at least ten minutes of deliberation I eventually left the stand with a ‘Coffee Glazed’, ‘Stuffed Bavarian Cream’ and a ‘Dark Choc & Rasp’. Best decision ever, and I didn’t even mind that my already too tight skinny jeans were almost bursting at the seams afterwards.

Who doesn’t love a bit of people watching? I know that I do. From the colourful characters on the streets to the friendly faces behind the market stalls, everyone in Camden seems to emit this sense of community making you feel like you’re never on your own. After consuming one too many of my cronuts I grabbed a coffee, sat by the lock and just watched the world go by for a little bit. It’s easy to get overwhelmed in such a chaotic part of London so taking some time out to write in my diary and reflect on my trip was well needed and took me away from the hustle and bustle of what was about to be rush hour. I like to call between 5pm and 7pm ‘The human stampede’. It doesn’t matter where about in London you are between these times, you are just surrounded by almost zombie-like people headed for the underground after their day of making a living. It’s quite an extraordinary thing when you’re an outsider, but for them this is just a part of life.

It’s always sad leaving London because I’m never quite sure of when I’ll be back. What I am sure of though is the coach always seems quieter than on the way, maybe it’s because I’d adjusted myself to the buzz of the city, it’s almost eerie. The long trip back home is always perfect for flicking through the snaps taken throughout the day and I’ve got to admit it’s one of my favourite parts. Every photo is filled with colour, life and the culture that is deep within Camden Town. It’s one of those places that you have to experience for yourself and definitely a place to add to the bucket list if you haven’t been yet already. It’s somewhere that strangely makes you feel at home and connected to people you’ve never seen in your life. I think that’s one of the great joys of Camden, it has a huge sense of community and I don’t think that will ever disappear.

The images below are the final layout of the feature in VIVID Magazine. If you want to check out the full publication online the link is here: https://goo.gl/bCW6C1

Tuesday, 26 September 2017

FOLLOW ME TO: AMSTERDAM - PHOTO BLOG POST

Tasha-Adele 15:44:00 0 Comments

Hi my loves, i hope you're all doing super well!

I can't even believe how late this post is. So if you follow me over at @tashadele on IG then you might have noticed that my feed has literally been filled with photographs of Amsterdam, and if you assumed that, that is where i've been then you wouldn't be wrong. Me and Jamie finally went on our first holiday together (aside from weekends away in the UK) after being together for over two years. I know right, about bloody time we went abroad! & honestly, i couldn't have had any better of a time. I think it's pretty safe to say that i have fallen in love with the city and can definitely see myself being back there (hopefully) very soon.

As an Amsterdam virgin, i had absolutely no idea what to expect- especially with it's kinda crazy reputation and maze of canals that weave their way through the centre of it.

Before anything else though, i'd just like to address the fact that i am legit the worst person on an aeroplane. I'm the girl who's sat their practically crying from the moment the plane takes off, until the moment it's back on the ground. For me, there is nothing more terrifying than flying, and ngl i am bloody proud of myself (even though it was only a 45 minute flight). Does anyone else really struggle with flying or have any ways of dealing with a fear of flying? I'd love to hear your suggestions in the comments.

One of the first things i realised was actually just how small Amsterdam is. Me and Jamie walked literally EVERYWHERE, until the very last day when we decided to be brave and actually use the tram. I'm so glad we did use our legs to get around for the majority of the trip though, because i feel like otherwise we would have missed out on seeing so many interesting places that are tucked away down tiny side-streets. My Fitbit was pretty pleased about it too with us walking over 20,000 steps each day.

Don't let the size of the city fool you though, there is a ton of cool stuff to do in Dam and we definitely didn't manage to get around to doing it all in the 5 days that we spent there.

Amsterdam is full of interesting sights and fun activities & i've complied a small list of some of what i think are the best.

Canal Cruise: Going on a canal cruise is one of the best ways to get a feel for the layout of the city. By taking one of the boat tours we found it so much easier to navigate around Amsterdam without our feet falling off!

Van Gogh Museum: If you love art then the Van Gogh Museum will most definitely be right up your street. Word of warning though, book tickets in advance to avoid the hours and hours of queues!!

Cycle Amsterdam-Noord: Rent a bike and take the free ferry across to Amsterdam-Noord to spend the day cycling around. There are cute villages to be explored and pretty scenes to be admired.

Heineken Experience: BEST THING EVER. Now this is coming from a beer lover but honestly this tour really was worth every single Euro. From the beer tasting to watching the process of how it's produced, this is 10/10 day out.

& of course it goes without saying that you'll definitely need to visit the Red Light District. If you didn't see at least one naked women, did you even go to Amsterdam?