The Class of MKB

   Saturday 14th July marked the last UK show Swedish House Mafia are to perform and I don't think one person from the 60,000 strong crowd went home disappointed, maybe devastated at the loss of such an incredible and iconic trio, but certainly not disappointed.

    This took place at Milton Keynes Bowl situated an hour outside of London. Past performers include everyone from David Bowie, to Blazin' Squad, to Foo Fighters and, apparently, the first to grace there were Desmond Dekker (ska/ reggae singer) and Geno Washington (rhythm and blues) in 1979.


    The ex-clay pit turned amphitheatre was a perfect location for the last big celebration of SHM's performing days. Despite the amount of people there, you had a good view from everywhere on the grassland. Now, despite the panic I had the night before of not being able to find my  camera charger (which resulted in me making a makeshift one from a blackberry plug and camera lead) I actually only ended up taking 4 photos. I am usually keen to photograph every second of such massive events, as the 176 photos from Download shows, but I can blame this on nothing but being highly intoxicated and having way too much fun. I can, however, promise that the lighting and stage craft was just as perfect as the performers themselves.


    As the poster above shows, alongside Swedish House Mafia themselves were sets from Example, Calvin Harris, Madeon, Pete Tong, Alesso and no_id (who don't appear on the poster for some reason?). It definitely was 2012's biggest dancefloor as well, the atmosphere was unreal and the energy continued for the full 9 hours and beyond. 

    My experience involved a 6am alarm, 3 hour coach from Leeds and failed attempt to find who I'd arranged to meet when I got there! Despite the traumas everyone's phones were having due to being drained by the low signal, we all had an incredible time. I stayed with people from my coach - Danielle and Ashley (what a great name ;)!). So the beauty of this is that I didn't just have the best day experiencing SHM for the first time but I also left with friends I hope to keep in touch with for a long time :) The moment I remember most is the first play of their new song 'Don't Worry Child'. Here's a clip of it from youtube...

    I couldn't recommend seeing any of these acts more but unfortunately if you want to see the main 3 themselves, you're going to have to move fast. 


Go. Rave. Love.


Here's a collection of photo's from their twitter. (none of these images are my own)

University

   So, I've just found out my timetable for the coming year and I have to say it is a students nightmare! Tuesday's I'm in longer than Dolly Parton had time to sing about (9am - 6PM!) with two other 9am starts on top of this. But, despite my melodrama over how this is a near impossible task, I am so excited to start afresh on a course I am thrilled to be on.

    I feel like I am officially starting University. Sure, technically I've already been there a year but after a whopping THREE degree choice changes, I'm going to cross the past year off as my unofficial gap year. To some, it may seem both a waste of money and time that I'm now restarting on a new course but despite the debt and despite the heartache it's taken to get here; I wouldn't change much of the past year at all. I'm a firm believer in everything happening for a reason in a Butterfly Effect type way - nothing in the past can or shall be tampered with so it's forever onwards and upwards!

   So, let me introduce you to the degree: JOURNALISM BA (Hons). We've been through plan B, C, D and possibly EFG and now it's back to plan A. Why I ever moved so far down the alphabet I will never know when, actually, the right decision was staring me right in the face! But, from a philosophical point of view, without making wrong decisions you would never know when you were making a right one. Just as you wouldn't appreciate being happy if you didn't sometimes feel the complete opposite. If the past year has taught me anything, it's definitely that.

   Journalist in the making. Watch this space! xxx

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:)

MANCHESTER FASHION WEEK

So I realise this is a delayed post but after setting off at 6.30am and not being home till around 10pm for those 5 days, there really weren't enough hours in the day to write anything earlier!

So this was Manchester's inaugural Fashion Week which couldn't have come sooner if you ask me! It's about time the often called 'capital of the North' secured itself on the fashion map and hopefully great things will come from this!

I was lucky enough to be a back of house intern for the 5 days the shows were running - doing everything from helping dress the models to taping the bottom of shoes (prevents the models slipping/ the shoes scuffing - trade secret ;)). I had a brilliant time and met some amazing people; roll on #MCRFW 2013!

The schedule was as follows-

Monday

Private White, River Island and Nadine Merabi

Tuesday

Missguided

Wednesday

Alex Christopher, Each to their Own, Manchester Met University students, House of Herlihy and Masato

Thursday

Brooks Brothers, All Saints, Ted Baker, Flannels and Mulberry

Friday

ByCaprice, Bjorn Borg, Calum Best.

 

(I have linked the shows I got photos from to my Flickr to prevent posting a reaaally long, overloaded post on here)

I was lucky enough to watch a lot of the shows and this was the first time I'd ever been able to do this so it was nice to see the transition from backstage preparation to catwalk performance!

My favourite collection of the week had to be the final year MMU students' creations! I wasn't able to watch or photograph this (due helping my model with 5 outfit changes and working on the two following shows as well!) but here is a link to the fantastic photographer Imogen Wastell who was there all week. The album I have linked you to shows a few of the MMU outfits - incredible work!

I would recommend interning to anyone and I am already looking into gaining more experience over summer and even thinking of saving up to work in New York next year (I can dream!).

Did you go to Manchester Fashion Week? What did you think? :)

What a week!

I have had the most manic yet brilliant past 7 days!
It all kicked off with a panicky, semi-last minute decision to buy tickets to the hyped Tomorrowland Festival which takes place in the aptly named Boom, Belgium. Got giddy watching this

 promo video for it and eventually just went for it! My flatmate Katy and I were lucky enough to get through after using 6 laptops between us and managed to get the ticket, camping and return travel from Newcastle for around the £430 mark! (Equally as excited for the ferry over there thanks to As You Like It Holidays!) Can't even express how excited I am to experience not only a festival in another country but also one that is such a hyped gathering with a line up of completely different music to my usual Leeds Fest. Aside from the music, the visuals look incredible! Last years took an Alice in Wonderland theme, can't wait to see what they do this year, it will definitely be a week to cherish!  

I then followed this exciting new summer development with a house party with a bunch of my closest friends. Had such a lovely time :)

HOWEVER. The main event of this past week has been working back of house at Manchester's first Fashion Week (!!!) I have had so much fun getting an insight into the manic preparation behind the curtain to watching the professional, calm attitude once the models reach the catwalk! It also gave me my first experience of commuting, leaving my house at 6.30am to catch two trains and not returning till around 10pm - tiring stuff! I have met a group of amazing people through this too who I will definitely be keeping in contact with and I think I've got the intern bug now! Want to do it allll over again.

Here's a group of photos from the 5 brilliant days:

fallen in love with this £3,500 Mulberry bag :(, taping the bottom of shoes to prevent them getting scuffed, Mulberry's collection, cutesy model couple at Ted Baker, anti-fur protesters who jumped onstage after the Flannels show..., love this jacket, Rebecca - the model I was helping for the Mulberry show, ByCaprice underwear/swimwear show, models in a bed for the Calum Best show, pillow fight on a catwalk, me and Gabby with Calum Best!

THEN today, hungover Sunday, I found out that I'd won £60 worth of clothes courtesy of Naked Bones simply for reblogging one of their posts on Tumblr! So happy!

What a week!

Recent purchase

Got a huge backlog of 'recent purchase' posts waiting to be published but thought I would start with this amazing Maybelline primer I picked up in Boots the other day.




At £9.99 for 7ml, it's not the cheapest on the market but I had £60 worth of vouchers to use and Boots were offering their 3 for 2 deal on top of that!

I know it says 'Anti-age' so it's probably quite unlikely for someone of my age to have this in their makeup bag but it smooths out the skin so well! Probably smooths it out better due to being specified for an 'anti-ageing' effect! Despite only 7ml being in the pot, a small amount of this goes a long way and it's a perfect base to apply foundation on.

I also purchased a new Aztec print dipped hem vest and some snakeskin print hot pants from New Look with these vouchers so I did quite well - even though I did go out with the intention to find a clutch bag! I'll post about these later but right now I need to work on getting through my to-do list before I spend Monday - Friday next week volunteering at Manchester Fashion Week! So excited!

Oops, so it's over a week since I last posted... not doing well with my attempt at being consistent!

I've been busy sorting a lot of Uni stuff out this week, which is finally now on the way to being resolved, as well as enjoying this beautiful weather we've been having! Aside from important paper work, my days have been spent in the park and nights have been spent turning my finances into vodka... Bruised and broken today after some sort of Hangover-esque night everyone seemed to have last night - walking home shoeless, losing my phone and such like. Blah blah blah, classic hungover tales of a first year!

Aside from this, I also saw my favourite band you me at six again on Sunday :) I usually attend their shows with my best friend so it was very strange going with some people from Uni, felt like half of me was missing! Both these and Enter Shikari seem to be getting a lot of notice this year, so happy to see my favourite bands get the recognition they deserve! You Me At Six played a lovely show, so nice to hear some favourites from their older material mixed in with their new single The Swarm which I've had on repeat recently! I will always give the most biased review of their shows though, complete faves!

:)

I'm currently avoiding packing for going home on Friday (ahhh!) then it's 3 weeks of picnics, meet ups and house parties hopefully! Also making it my aim to find a job I can return to at summer, major earning is needed!

Leeds Festival 2012

So the anticipated 2012 Reading and Leeds line up has finally been announced...

What does everybody think?!

I was personally debating breaking my tradition and going to Creamfields this year after releasing it was like £100 cheaper with an incredible line up, but after Foo's being confirmed once and for all, along with You Me At Six and Enter Shikari, I couldn't refuse this!

So glad they've introduced the 4 installments payment package! It's like they knew I was going to be a skint student this year...

2009 / 2010 / 2011

Roll on 2012 !!!

Feeling very run down and tired today so I think I'm going to transfer over posts from my old blog soon (which I abandoned because I hated the theme I created for it and it just generally lacked continuity).

Despite feeling as rubbish as I do, I managed to drag myself out of bed to go buy some essentials I've been meaning to purchase for weeks now! I was in desperate need of some nail varnish remover and now I wish I'd splashed out a few extra pounds for the Cutex version as the fumes from the cheap and cheerful one I came home with have already irritated my eyes! Speaking of cheap and cheerful products, I did also stock up on St Moriz so I can prepare for Kims birthday night out tomorrow! I will never go back to the ridiculously overpriced likes of St Tropez after realising I can buy around 6 instant tans for the same price!

I initially went for the 'Medium' strength but took the plunge and went for the darker version after a while. I apply this before bed so I can leave it to develop overnight and wash off the base coat in the morning to prevent any streaks or transfer onto clothes if I were to wear it through the day. Not only is the £2.99 price tag a massive bonus but it also has a very weak tell-tale 'biscuit' scent in comparison to other tanning products I have used. It's also easy to apply due to it being an instant tan - you know where you've applied straight away.

I also bought some new tweezers and my all time favourite Barry M nail varnish in 308 - Berry after losing both of these! I will no doubt find them when I properly search my room for my student card later however...

Today is also quite an exciting day in my calendar as the Leeds Festival line up is officially announced in around 25 minutes(!!!) No more hype over leaked circulations after that haha! Even though this is the first time in 3 years I haven't either pre-bought my ticket or been preparing for the mad rush of purchasing it tonight, I still feel quite jittery! 

From this -

To this - 

Organisation is key!

So, already broken the pact I made to myself that I'd post on here at least once every two days...
I've managed to keep myself pretty busy doing nothing these past few days yet it's time like this I really wish (even more) that I had an iPhone so I could document my lazy life through Instagram! Anyway, crying over, I have spent a lot of time in Jesmond (proper student area of Newcastle) for the first time so I'm already getting excited to move there come September!

001) This is me with the 4 beautiful girls I'll be living with next year
002) and this is our gorgeous, detached 2nd year home!


In other news, I definitely think I'm en route to having a cold so I'm sat listening to Man Overboard and avoiding the endless reams of really important stuff I need to get done... "I'll do it tomorrow"

Intro

I am currently a student  at Northumbria University in Newcastle, originally from Near Skipton, West Yorkshire. I am loving splitting my time between a bustling City and the serene countryside. As I was discussing with my friend the other day, I now refer to Newcastle as my home and Yorkshire and my 'home home'. Bit of pointless information for everyone there!

The purpose of this blog is to document areas that interest me and to gain inspiration from those I will follow. Since starting University, we have had 'NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK!' drilled into us and I have to say, that really was sound advice.

Oh, and this is one of the more acceptable photos I have of me with my new hair cut :)

(couldn't recommend  Nicholas Mark hairdressing more, for those living in Newcastle!)