FROM hit singer and BGT judge to voice-over queen, is there no end to Alesha Dixon’s talents? Our writer meets the entertainer with the magical laugh.
Sunday 21 February 2016
BGT judge Alesha Dixon: Life is short and I want to make the most of it
FROM hit singer and BGT judge to voice-over queen, is there no end to Alesha Dixon’s talents? Our writer meets the entertainer with the magical laugh.
Goosebumps star Jack Black: I’m a total softie and a scaredy cat
AS A comedian, actor, rock star and producer, Jack Black has always played it for laughs.
New home new friends: Retirement villages offer more than you think
RETIREMENT villages offer much more than just luxury flats and a garden.
Citroen's new Crossback gets a lift
WITH THE arrival of the facelifted DS3 this spring, the final split between Citroen and its more upmarket DS brand is finally complete.
River Island, Asos and Zara: Outfit ideas for the London Fashion Week
GET ahead of the pack with bright ideas from the capital’s vibrant fashion week.
Actor Lee Mead: My greatest weakness is women
WEST End star and TV actor Lee, 34, has a four-year-old daughter with his ex-wife Denise van Outen and lives in Southend-on-Sea, Essex.
Paperchase, Next and Jaeger: The best accessories we want this week
THERE'S something for every budget in this week's must-haves.
Miss Selfridge, Asos and Kurt Geiger: The best stilettos for spring
STEP up to the mark in spring’s statement stilettos.
Boy losing his father to cancer: My parents never tried to hide Dad’s illness from me
LUKE Waddon was 13 when his father died and his whole world imploded. Now 20, Luke is helping other children cope with losing a parent.
See change: Top tips to beat menopause
WANT to beat the menopause? The answer’s on a plate.
In the closet with TV presenter Laura Whitmore
IN bright colours, modern designs and skyscraper heels, the TV presenter is the height of fashion.
My lover is very secretive: Agony aunt answers your questions
OUR agony aunt gets to the heart of your relationship problems.
Saturday 20 February 2016
The Big Freeze
CELINE trousers
LOEWE sunglasses
Woah, what the hell did I just experience? NYC served some pretty brutal degrees but I should not be complaining since I just wrote about the -28 a few weeks back. Either way, it’s different when you are committed to wear new spring collections, which I did most of the week, as we took on the big freeze with Pinko. Layering is the secret to everything, right? I’ve truly taken that to the extreme during the last week.
The pictures below were taken just a few hours before the ones above, just after the Tommy Hilfiger show. A lunch later and it felt like we travelled back a few months. The hopes of spring continues to look promising in London this week, as we tackle another inspiring injection of LFW.
Street images by Vincenzo Grillo
In collaboration with Pinko
Surface Book review: Microsoft's first laptop is NOT the ultimate laptop
MICROSOFT’S first in-house laptop is a beautiful and ambitious device with a stellar touchscreen display, awesome keyboard and stylus. Unfortunately, the Surface Book is not the ultimate laptop Microsoft claims it is – as a number of niggling flaws stop it from attaining greatness.
Why dont you blog anymore?
I've been sitting on this question for a while while I get my head around the ins and outs of why I so rarely post on this site anymore. It's not for lack of love or ideas... I just feel so overly focused on my Youtube channel the spare moments between editing and shooting videos leaves very little time for me to do this. It's silly because I could easily knock a post together within a few hours and it be done, but I'd much rather spend that time thinking about my next video or finding a stupid meme to post over on my Twitter.
I do want to start off with saying I do love blogging, It is after all where my whole online journey started. As someone who has been blogging for over 7 years now (full time for 4) I knew near the end of 2015 I needed to challenge myself again. I became complacent with my place in the blogging world and go back to making content I wanted to see.
I've never faked myself online. While I obviously censor a lot of my life, especially a lot of my personal life (purely because I don't feel it's something I want to share with strangers). I've always been that girl with the messy hair, swears like a fishwife and drinks too much at the weekend. Im 25 for gods sake and even though I have those granny days and days where I want to do nothing but cry I think that my life is whatever I want it to be. I have so much freedom as an adult that I don't know why I worried so much about what I looked like online.
7 years on and I've gone back and captured some of that feelings I had as teenager I was when I started. I still love music and art, way more I'll ever love fashion and beauty but that doesn't mean it's not a huge part of whats shaped me as a person in the last couple of years. I never wanted to work in the fashion and beauty industry, I get so many emails asking how to get into the beauty and fashion industry but I dont consider myself part of it at all. Social media, sharing and creating has always been my focus when being a blogger. Not the writing part or the freebs or the money - I've always used being online to share photographs and imagery that reflect me.
I can't recall a catalyst of me deciding that I was fed up with trying to keep up with everyone else and trying to do what they do online. The blogging life doesn't interest me so I decided to move away from London and focus on the part of blogging I enjoyed - the creating part.
I used to consider myself "good" at blogging. I loved photography and creating imagery and then being able to share my thoughts freely with like minded people. I enjoyed it and in turn the love that I put into my website and then the love I got back made me feel like I was doing well. I've never been a strong writer but I always felt that I was able to visually get my point across. When blogging when commercial I felt like it was something I was never going to keep up with. Call me a little bit anti- establishment but I hate editorial style blogs, they just ooze glossy which while I know some people live like that my like is a teetering mess between being my flat looking like it's been hit by a bomb and wearing matching underwear. I'm a proper hippy at heart who grew up with very little boundaries which I am very thankful for. Fitting in was never my main priority growing up but why as a twenty something was I so hell bent on fitting into a cookie cutter blogger mold.
I was so uninspired by blogging and everything it was offering me I decided to stop focusing on it and do me the best way I could. I actually very rarely read blogs anymore unless I'm looking for information on a product or a bit of light relief. I adore blogs that have a point to them or a story, ones that make me laugh or make me nod along thinking yup, I so agree. The rise of Instagram cut out the what I wore today bridge of outfit posts and now I consume most of my imagery over on Instagram and Twitter means I'm constantly updated with pics of whatever exotic location someone has jetted off to. Theres just so many options out there these days for curating your own content I always ponder if there is even a need for a platform like blogging. I do think it has it's place but I dont know what that is really.
I'm always a firm believer that if you want to do something then you make time to do it. There's no if's and buts, if you want to do something you will no matter how hard it takes.
I switched to making three videos a week early this year and it's been one of the most fulfilling experiences I've had in a long time. I find it a challenge to think and create on the spot within a very short time frame. I love seeing my views go up each month as well as that little sub count growing and growing. Mainly because I feel like I'm earning it again. I feel like I'm creating something I love and in turn people love that. Nothing compares to the buzz of your blog, channel or Instagram growing at a steady consistent rate. To me that's more fulfilling than anything I've experienced in a long time.
I'm so behind on the YT game compared to others, and to be honest I feel like I've only just started out on the platform, despite having 197k subs. I thought I used to care how I was doing in comparison to others but now I'm so happy just focusing on me and my stuff. Making videos that I love and want to watch rather than trying to get praise and love off other bloggers who's videos I probably didn't enjoy in the first place.
I think the point is I stopped finding blogging challenging and in some part as engaging as I used to that's why it's cooled down over on these parts and I've been more active on social media and Youtube.
I find it sad so many people out there don't take the time to learn new skills and improve their videos or blog posts creatively. I know that it's hard learning new things, especially as an adult but no one ever woke up and was a photoshop wizard! Taking a hour or so a day to learn a new editing technique or photography skill can take your creativity from 0 to 100 real quick. Plus is so rewarding knowing how to do something new!
Everyday when I'm editing a video or filming something I learn something new and exciting to further myself creatively and be able to produce content that I think is the absolute best it can be.
I've kinda just word vomited here so I hope it makes sense. The point is I've cooled off blogging a bit because I'm enjoying making videos more than I am blogging. I have a backlog of outfit posts, tons of half written ideas and thoughts that I do want to work on at some point but who knows when I will. I've not stopped blogging I just haven't really figured out what I want to post on here yet and I'd rather post something half decent compared to something quick and half arsed.
Regardless, Like I said, I make videos over on my Youtube three times a week and I focus a lot on curating my twitter feed like a micro blog. I do want to get back into consistently posting on here but when that will be I dont know. Im still working on that area. So if you stick around cool, if not then I'm glad you subbed to this blog in the first place. Youre all awesome no matter what. Peace.
Hello, Cabo! The Esperanza Experience in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Cabo San Lucas is, well, it's a place where the rich and famous like to go for a good party. It's also a place where Spring Breakers run wild. My advice? Avoid spring break and do like the LAers do, go anytime of year when you need that extra bit of sun and a strong margarita. And if you're going to stay in a place where relaxation is the name of the game and a room with a view is an absolute essential, there's one place you're going to want to check out - Esperanza.
Last month I was in the midst of pretending to be an LA local, and naturally, when in Rome, you must do as the locals do. So Cabo became a destination. Sure, it was midweek, but I find this is the best time to take a break that counts. You are away from the weekenders and find yourself experiencing a more relaxing clientele, looking to break from the hustle and bustle, rather than causing a commotion with twelve shots of tequila and an agenda to go skinnydipping. Well, each to their own anyway.
The Esperanza in Cabo San Lucas was, quite simply put, breathtaking. You could have locked me in my room for the whole week and I would have been happy as a clam. In our suite alone we had a balcony that received full sun and a jacuzzi that had the most dreamy view of the oceanfront. Each morning coffee was taken in the sun while the jacuzzi beckoned. It almost seemed like someone was having to twist my arm to get me out of the room. But once down by the pool, I found myself pretty content. From the loungers that sit in the water to the beds on the beach, there are at least 30 different ways to find sun here at the Esperanza. And don't worry about lifting a finger while you are there. Waiters seem to anticipate your every demand, from soft tacos to refreshing diet cokes (yes, it's clearly obvious I indulged in both... seaside).
In a nutshell, this paradise was nearly impossible to break free from. Even now I find my thoughts wondering back to moments of pure bliss with my body in the sun and my toes in the sand. Oh, bring me back to Mexico!
The TERRIFYING moment ‘dead’ woman comes back to life inside BODYBAG
A WOMAN who was declared dead after being mowed down by a police car gave officers the shock of their lives when she started MOVING inside the bodybag.
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