Where Else Can You Find Me?

What a weird blog post you're thinking (I know I know I didn't know what else to call it). Now hear me out, I do have reasons.

I am currently a busy writing bee, writing for 3 blogs in total. This blog is my own where I freely write about anything I fancy, full of random posts of absolutely anything and everything. VeryBecca developed when I finished my first year of university in an attempt to help my writing progress over the summer and fortunately have carried it on almost a year later *pat on the back*. 

However, I have recently been required to write a blog for my university course that must be related to the upcoming General Election in May. Now, this is not my main topic of interest, nor is it in the interest of many young people like myself, but the aim of this blog is to direct people into understanding their government and their policies. Mainly looking at tuition fees as a foundation for the blog, I aim to deliver a jargon-free account of the student life in 2015 and how it could potentially change depending on who we vote for. If you wish to find out more click here to direct you to my other blog. 

Also, out of interest rather than my degree, I write fortnightly for TheDailyTouch- an online publication for students. You can find my posts under my name on the site for all my ski season and student-related posts. It lets my sarcasm and wit thrive in all it's glory! (Not entirely sure why my photo isn't showing in the below picture but imagine a beautiful, gorgeous Victoria Secret model). 

Thanks!

Durdle Door

In my opinion, March is the worst month of the year. I apologise if your birthday is in March but for me it is so dreary and full of nothing. Luckily my housemates agreed with me that we need to venture out of the Bournemouth bubble and make something happen in March. We packed up the car with some Haribo and sunglasses (necessities) and ventured to Durdle Door in West Lulworth, Dorset for some fun that involves taking a lot of Instagram-worthy pictures. 

Despite the parking being rather pricey (£3 for 2 hours!), we managed to park at the top of the cliff at a holiday park quite quickly. The drive there was beautiful with lots of windy roads and cottages that seemed so quaint and peaceful that I wanted to escape there for the rest of the weekend. To think this has been right on my doorstop for the last couple of years is baffling. If it has taught me anything, it's that I need to get out of Bournemouth a lot more, even if that involves paying pounds rather than pennies to park the car in a field. 

The Durdle Door experience isn't one for the indoorsy kind of people. It didn't really register to us at the beginning that we need to walk down the cliff and even worse so, walk back up. It couldn't have been a better day with the weather resembling a British summer rather than a mere, dreary Spring. It was so picturesque. I probably took about 50+ photos of the sea at about 3 different angles but hey ho, I was loving this amazing view and fresh air. Maybe I was just high off the country air and seaside breeze...

After being so overwhelmed with the breathtaking scenery, we decided to go right down to the bottom, onto the gravelly beach and frolick in the sunshine (one of our favourite pastimes). 

The peace and tranquility of it all had to end at some point though so we began our walk up the cliff and back to the car. Bearing in mind it took us 20 minutes to take pictures, walk down to the beach, and sit down- it took us 20 minutes to walk back up. It felt like I had been for a run but it was so worth it! After reminding ourselves that we aren't as fit as we think we are and whilst feeling very proud of our hiking skills, we thought we would head to a country pub on the way home for some well-deserved food. 

We kept our eyes out for the best pub on the way there so we settled for the most English looking one that served food. The Weld Arms is in East Lulworth is a 10 minute drive away from West Lulworth. It was quiet for a Saturday so we were rather intrigued whether it was open or not. Luckily it was open and sat at a table in a quiet area where the ceilings were low and the interior was all vintage and country. We kept on saying how cute it all was and that we wanted to take so many pictures to pop on Pinterest. Have a look at the pictures and understand what we meant!

We all had a passionfruit Redkorderlig (the best thing on a sunny day!) and I chose a beetroot risotto with vegetable crisps on top. It was so good. In fact, we were all so impressed with it all we are already planning to go back with our other housemates, but maybe next time we can sit in the garden without being too cold!

Ticked Durdle Door off the list, now where's next?

10 Steps of Organisation...

We all want to be more organised in life. It is sometimes the simplest things that make us feel ten times better, whether that's new stationary or writing a to-do list. I am a fan of the latter, making endless lists containing even the tiniest tasks that weigh a ton on my shoulders. Organisation makes life so much easier, but for some can be daunting and time-consuming. Truth is, it isn't. If it is, you are doing it wrong. Organising your life, your social life and work life, makes your week a whole lot better, finding you will have more time to have fun and relax which I'm sure we all need. Oh life, why are you so tough?! 

Most people say I'm a pretty organised person so I'm here to share with you the tricks of the trade that work well for me. It may not work well for you but hey, it's worth a try...

1. Make to-do lists

I make many. I put them on my whiteboard which I bought for a mere £2 from Asda. I draw bullet points as hearts and fill them in once I've completed the task and trust me, the colouring in of that little heart is an amazing feeling. 

2. Buy storage

Now storage comes in many shapes and forms and for pretty much everything. I even have a storage tray for my lipsticks as girls, we all know that lipsticks grow legs and escape from our bags. Storage allows things to not go missing, meaning you can save a lot of valuable time instead of frantically rushing to find things. It also allows you to categorise your belongings, from uni work to your toiletries. You will find you will become a much tidier and less stressed person.

3. Setting your clocks/watch 5 minutes early

Time is valuable so do everything 5 minutes before you were meant to. This is a hard one as you have to tell yourself that your watch is on time, but if you are an organisation pro you will just assume that your watch is correct. Imagine never being late for things, seems ideal doesn't it?

4. Begin a project as soon as you can

Even just laying out the foundations or an idea will gain your project some momentum. Obviously some projects can't start too soon, but start it as soon as you can. This will mean that you don't panic about what your doing and you will have more confidence in what you are doing, which will ultimately reflect in the outcome. 

5. End your mailing list woes

We all get emails from companies and shops that we no longer are loyal to. Simply scroll to the bottom of the email and click on the button that tells you to unsubscribe. Waking up to no annoying emails is a wonderful thing.

6. Make plans

Your social life tends to take the backseat in your list of the priorities so scheduling that time to go out and see your friends makes you become more organised to get things done as you'll have something to look forward to. Some would say this takes the fun out of it, but it only does if you make it. I always find this makes my week a lot more exciting. 

7. Get a family planner

I live in a house of 4 girls. We are not technically a family but sometimes it feels as if we are. So what else to make our family more like a real family than getting a family planner to document our whereabouts over the month. We were so excited about getting this that we began to question ourselves. Not only does this assist point number 6, it makes our life easier by knowing where each other is rather than sending out multiple texts if they haven't been home in a few days.

8. Bulk buy/Use the deals

Not that this is an excuse to shop more (it kind of is), buy the things you need whilst they are on offer. If your deodorant is reduced then stock up; you will never have to go through that annoying process of going deodorant-free whilst popping to your nearest supermarket/drugstore to grab one. It does save money in the long-term.

9. Take a trip to Paperchase

Sometimes the fancy stationary is the answer to making us more organised. I mean.. it's just so pretty...

10. Use folders

I use folders for pretty much every bit of paper I own. For my uni work, I have a different colour folder for each unit and for important documents, I have another. If I ever lose something, I look here first and 99% of the time it will be in one of these folders. As you can imagine, this saves time and stress as having to find the information elsewhere is a pain. Don't you ever just wish you could receive an email back-up for every bit of paperwork you get?!

I hope this helps you in some way.

I am most definitely open to more organisational tips... 

Mad Cucumber: Bournemouth's Vegan Lounge

As I have previously mentioned, I am a newly-complicated eater, meaning I don't eat any dairy, egg, or gluten. Eating out can be an ordeal so when I discover eateries where I don't have to worry about what's on the menu or ask someone what is in the dish, I become a bit like a kid in a sweet shop. So overwhelmingly excitable and happy. There are no words. 

I stumbled upon Bournemouth's 'Mad Cucumber': a self-described vegan lounge. Even though I am still very much a carnivore, the prospect of eating out is just easier if I call myself a vegan. I know I'm not and I'm sorry to all those loyal vegans but my word, it makes life easier. People just understand your diet difficulties a lot better. Besides, I love healthy food, vegetables and all that so vegan food suits me pretty well. 'Mad Cucumber' has a delightful food and drinks menu that almost makes you question how on earth it is all vegan. Quiche, cakes, brownies (which I did take some home and they were amazing)- it is baffling how this all vegan. I even saw someone have a rather extravagant hot drink with whipped cream on top. I now live in my regret for not asking what the cream was made from- cashews? Suppose that's another reason for me to return...

I love eating out and the interior is just as cool as the food. The lounge had a very hippie and casual feel about it- lots of reused furniture and mismatching accessories. The walls were covered in lots of interesting... erm... nick nacks (?!) which made us look around the cafe like a couple of tourists. 

I get the idea that the menu changes quite a bit. We decided to opt for the 'Greek Style Beans' with rice and a Quiche with salad and neither disappointed. The price was reasonable, with my bean lunch being only £3.95. There was also a long list of juices which I aim to try them all out. We had banana, apple, ginger and cinnamon, which to be honest, would have been better without the cinnamon. It would best suit a cold winters day. Maybe that's because I associate cinnamon with Christmas. 

Before I left I grabbed a couple of takeaway desserts. For someone who has such a sweet tooth, the world of puddings, desserts, and chocolates is a world I can no longer enter *sobs* so having a large array of loveliness to chose from made my week! I decided on the chocolate brownie and the raw lime cheesecake to takeaway to enjoy over the weekend as I simply didn't want my vegan experience to end. 

Now, whenever I pop into Bournemouth's town centre I will have to go and stock up on vegan cakes and puddings. It is an ideal lunch spot, or even a drinks break when you fancy somewhere else other than Starbucks. With no queues, overpriced goods, and unnecessarily unhealthy foods, 'Mad Cucumber' is my number one choice. Even though my non-vegan friend loved it, I now have to persuade the rest of them!

Where else is good to eat out as a vegan/gluten-free? 

Liz Earle: My New Skincare Regime

So, if you are like me, you hit your 20s and realise you have been doing the same skincare regime since you first discovered make up at like, 13. That trusty face wipe that occasionally made a team with the odd moisturiser that you nicked from your mum is no longer satisfying your ageing skin (harsh but true). There's this saying floating around that the way you treat your skin now will become more visible the older you get. I never really believed this, finding that any skincare product never really matched my oily skin. Most products made my skin more oily and acne-prone. 

When I was 14, my mum took me into a Clinique store in Florida and we left with a facial cleanser, a toner, and a moisturiser but being the commitment-phobe I was back then, I couldn't fully commit to a skincare regime. I think I stuck with it for a week and found it a lot of effort. What I would tell myself back then is that my skin hadn't really developed itself fully. I was still yet to go through a series of spot-induced times in my life that would not have been helped really by some fancy, expensive products. 

Now, verging on 21, I have bought the most revolutionary products known to man. Extreme I know, but I really believe that after years of heading to the doctors to cure my acne, Liz Earle's skincare really does keep the spots at bay. Full of natural ingredients for problem-prone skin (hiya!), it feels absolutely incredible on the skin and isn't too pricey. I would literally recommend Liz Earle's products to anyone who has been through some really tough times with their skin and is in need of gaining an easy beauty routine. After reading reviews online, which were all pretty amazing, I put the kit on my Christmas list and the rest was history. 

I use the Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Facial Cleanser religiously both morning and night, followed by a spritz of the Instant Boost Skin Tonic Spritzer and at night time only, the Skin Repair Light Moisturiser for Combination/Oily Skin. I know some experts will say to apply moisturiser before applying your make-up but I find my oily skin plus the moisturiser will make the make up slide off a lot more. I find my skin doesn't need double the amount of moisturiser in the day, so I just apply it generously at night. 

Every other morning I apply the Gentle Facial Exfoliator and every other evening I apply the Deep Cleansing Mask- finding that they don't need to be applied everyday. I wouldn't have the time everyday! These really give the skin a boost by brightening the skin, smoothing the skin and eliminating any problem areas in terms of redness and spots. 

As you can gather, I have been so pleased with the results Liz Earle products have had on my skin. Coming from someone who has tried a lot of beauty products and has been so unsatisfied until now, these products are shockingly amazing. I understand they can be quite pricey but I find the products do last a long time, especially the Hot Cloth Cleanser which I use twice a day and has lasted me 2 months. And if that isn't enough, when you purchase a 100ml bottle of the Hot Cloth Cleanser, you get a 30ml bottle of cleanser free. 

You can buy Liz Earle products from the online store, the stores in London, Isle of Wight, Leeds and Guildford, or in selected Boots stores. Now I'm on my last legs of it, I need to order some more... 

Have you used Liz Earle products?

The Copper Interior Trend

It is no secret that I love Pinterest and interior design. The two pretty much go hand and hand and it's the go-to place for some much-needed inspiration. Currently, I am going through a slight obsession with the copper-trend, especially when teamed with monochrome, geometric prints and typography. I just love how the metallic pieces stand out against the muted and simplistic backgrounds. Yet again, Pinterest is the blame for my wish to re-decorate and go homeware shopping. I mean, you know when you are getting old when you get excited about a pretty copper floor lamp. 

I have spent my mornings roaming the internet on my favourite homeware online stores and everything is just so pretty. I have put together the best interior pieces to really boost a space into a stylish one. One that I kind of wish was mine... (one day Becca, one day...)

Shop the Trend:

Click on the description for direct links.

Clockwise from top left: 

'It Is What It Is' Print

'The most wasted of all days is one without laughter' Print

'Non je ne regrette rien' Print

Alphabet Rose Gold Print

Clockwise from top left:

Geometric Cushions

Copper Desk Lamp

Grey Geometric Bedding

Monochrome Throw

Clockwise from top left: 

Grey Geometric Rug

Copper Wired Shelf

Pink Magazine Wall Rack

Copper Floor Lamp

Here's to hoping my next post is a bedroom haul of all things copper and geometric...

Vegan & Gluten-Free Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Since I am now a very complicated eater, meaning I cannot eat a lot of the everyday foods like dairy, eggs, or gluten, I have become a bit more experimental in cooking and baking. Creating the luxuries like cakes and biscuits using wholefood ingredients has had some pretty surprising results. After all, I will not let these intolerances stop me from having an indulgent pudding/snack every now and then. Behold the vegan and gluten-free peanut butter and chocolate chip cookie bars! These wonderful, cakey delights are made with chickpeas- not your average pudding ingredient some would say. The outcome of these cookie bars has a gooey texture that makes you wonder whether you are actually eating chickpeas as a sweet snack. Yes, it is true. Chickpeas have provided something quite revolutionary in the healthy cooking world. 

I found this recipe on Pinterest (my favourite website ever) but I have adapted it to make it a little better (sorry original recipe). It uses only a few ingredients and are so easy to make that I read over the recipe twice before I put it in the oven just to make sure that I did everything. It only took 5 minutes! All you need is:

1x can of 400g chickpeas

1/2 cup of peanut butter

3/4 cup of maple syrup

tsp of baking powder

tsp of vanilla essence

2oz of gluten-free flour

1/2 cup of dark chocolate buttons

(sunflower margarine for greasing)

And all you need to do is:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180 celsius

2. Blend everything together (minus the chocolate buttons) with a hand blender (or food processor) until it is lovely and smooth

3. Stir in the buttons to give it some chocolate lovin'

4. Put it in a fairly deep baking tray and sprinkle some more chocolate buttons on top so it looks delightful when it comes out of the oven

5. Bake for 12-15 minutes

6. When the knife comes out clean, it is ready! Allow it to cool for 30 minutes before cutting it into squares

What I love about this recipe (besides the taste), is that it is so simple and does not use ingredients that are expensive, which is common in healthy, vegan recipes. Being a student, my bank account would not allow it but 80p for a can of chickpeas is more like it! 

These cookie bars are perfect for a snack or warm with some ice cream (my favourite is Booja Booja). Now that my first batch has run out, I think it's time to make some more mmm... 

How To: Easy Up-Do...

I'm currently going through a bit of an experimental stage with my hair since it has got to the length where I feel I can do most hairstyles with it. After many hours (sadly) on Pinterest, I have found various incredible up-dos that seem near-on impossible. I did however, find one which seemed pretty achievable. This hairstyle is perfect for long to mid-length hair, and can be adapted easily for straight or curly hair- in fact curly hair will be perfect for this up-do (think of all the time you can save on curling it!). My hair is naturally quite straight so I needed to wash it the night before so it wasn't too silky to fall out the grips. You need this to be as secure as possible so it lasts all day/night. Here's the easiest guide for this hairstyle that I can scrape together:

You will need:

- Lots of kirby grips

- One hairband

- Hairspray

- Curling tongs/straighteners

- Dry Shampoo

1. Brush through your hair. Knots will only make you regret not doing this (think, a birds nest). I spray Batiste Dark and Deep Brown dry shampoo to my roots to get some volume so my hair is full of secrets (please appreciate the Mean Girls quote…).

2. Separate your hair into two and clip the top half so you can forget about it for the moment. This doesn't have to be neat because you'll be covering the wonky parting with your luscious curls. Mmm.

3. Secure the bottom half with a bobble in a low ponytail so it is tight to your head. The more securely this is fastened, the less time you'll be worrying about your hair falling out. Not literally- just the style. 

4. Now, backcomb the ponytail. If you think you are finished, you probably aren't. Backcomb until you feel your arms are falling off or until your hair resembles that of blonde/brown cotton wool. You will thank yourselves later.

5. This is where the hairstyle starts to take shape. Twist the ponytail upwards and curl it into a large bun- using your fingers to hold it into place. Then, clip this with kirby grips onto your head, making sure its secure. Spray it with hairspray so you don't get any stubborn fly-away hairs. 

6. Release the top half of your hair and use curling tongs to give it some lovely curls. The size of these curls is up to you. I tend to do them quite small, then brush through them to get a nice wave. To get even more volume once you're done curling, backcomb the roots as it's your last chance to all night! Your hair at this stage will look very strange like a doll, but don't worry, the next bit will make it all come into place…

7. Using kirby grips, bring your curls over the backcombed bun and pin into place underneath, on top and on the sides. Don't worry about making this look perfect, it's meant to look quite messy and boho. To complete, spray hairspray all over so your head feels invincible.

The finished result! 

x

Pinterest-Inspired Bedroom Decor

Whenever I need some design inspiration, Pinterest is my go-to website. Even though some of the stuff (okay, most) are rather on the extreme and luxurious scale, it's sometimes doesn't hurt to have a look and wish that I owned it. I like to think of it as setting myself a goal! 

Recently, my bedroom has needed a bit of TLC. I came back from university and had a bit of a crisis as I realise I'm going to be entering a new decade with the same pictures on my wall as of when I left school. Also, with being a student and on a low-budget, I couldn't really afford to re-do my room entirely, just say- a bit of an 'uplift'.  I'm a lover of soft-furnishings, whether that be cushions, throws etc. and of photographs, so these were all essential items in improving my room. These items are also important as you can change them as fashion changes- making your room evolve as you do. 

I began to change my room by starting with the bed. As my room is quite small, I can only fit a single bed in there, so I dress it up with loads of cushions and a staple, floral bed set to give the room a bit of vibrancy. I got these cushions from Primark and Wilkinsons and they were no more than £8 each and the bedding is from Debenhams. I always feel that as long as they don't look cheap, you shouldn't break the bank on interior pieces as you can then change it whenever you want and still get your moneys worth. I chose a mixture of blue-grey and pale grey soft cushions, and fluffy pale grey cushions. I then finished it off with a fuchsia fluffy cushion. By having a accent pillow, you can really accentuate the main colour in the room which finalises the rooms theme. This colour highlights the fuchsia fairy lights, the plum lamp and curtains, and the pink in the duvet cover. I also have a light grey throw which isn't pictured. I love replacing the generic white and creams with a pale grey as it has the softness and brightness required in preventing the room feeling too dark and crowded. I also have a similar taupe colour on the walls. I find it makes the room feel more homely and cosy than a pure white, which can in some cases be quite harsh and cold. 

I love having my photos on my wall like this as it reminds me of a scrapbook collage. I feel this really brightens the room and makes your bedroom feel more personal yet authentic. These photos are printed by photobox, and were sent in the post so quickly! What I love about photobox is that they allow you to connect to your Instagram and Facebook when ordering photos so you can go through and select the ones you want. If your like me and have most of your recent photos not saved on your computer, this process of doing it is amazing, let alone so fast. Photobox also tell you the quality of the photo before they print it, so you can then make any necessary adjustments to the image before ordering. I stuck these to my wall with blu-tac, which I know, is bad for the paint but who will see it with a photo on top of it anyway? The jewellery holder is nailed to the wall and some of the photos are held onto the wall by just slotting the photo behind it. I got this holder as a gift but you can get them online for only £10. They are perfect for necklaces as no-one wants tangled chains and broken clasps, and wasting time looking for that one necklace that goes with the outfit your wearing. If you don't have one of these, what are you doing with your jewellery? How are your necklaces coping?!

Some tips when decorating/makeover-ing your bedroom:

1. Think of it as an outfit- you wouldn't pair your running trainers with a patterned cocktail dress. Have one 'main' pattern in your room and then highlight the colours in this pattern with block colours in your soft furnishing and accessories. Or, if you are really interior-savvy, team patterns that fit under one theme such as geometric, floral, stripes, or paisley. If you are really brave, you can always join themes together if they completely colour-cordinated. You can be lazy too. Just walk into a shop and buy the entire bedroom display show. But if you're like me, do the cheaper option and don't do that. 

2. Less is more- you don't want to overwhelm any visitors with an explosion of patterns and colours. Stick to a colour palette of 4 compatible colours. My colours are fuchsia, pale grey, blue-grey, and a small amount of navy (in the duvet). Same rule applies to your stuff. I hate clutter. I know its your room, but just think if you really need it. If you have a lot of stuff, then look at storage as there are loads of different, discreet ways you can hide your stuff away whilst still looking good. Trust me, the organisation of it all will make such a difference!

3. Cheap is not necessarily bad- as I have said before, cheap interior accessories are cheap because people's style changes rapidly and so does fashion. The key to buying interior accessories is questioning if it looks how much it is. If it does, put it down, but if it doesn't and looks expensive then you should get it as who doesn't like a bargain? I know I love the home wear in John Lewis and Zara home but I'll save myself money and wait till I'm on a salary rather than my student loan. 

The next step is doing my uni bedroom. Come September, I will have a room triple the size of this one and a double bed (hooray). So expect a blog post around then!