Presenting the 'here and now'

As a notorious over thinker i spend too much time worrying about the past or dreaming of the future, and not enough time living in the present. I resent that drunken comment which i made last Saturday night, and worry about what to wear this Friday night. Knowing full well i will find the perfect outfit and the drunken comment has been long forgotten, along with the number of tequila slammers i lined up that night.
In order to get the most out of life we are told to 'seize the day'. So why do so many of us have trouble living in the now? We are constantly distracted by mental thoughts of being somewhere else, whether that's tucked up in bed, out with friends or on holiday. We are dreaming of the perfect place and how happy we will be when we get there. Whereas in reality, happiness is achieved by putting 100% focus on our immediate needs.
I am about to step into my first ever long distance relationship this is my ultimate test of living in the here and now. Weekends together will be short and far between. So this is my vow to make every minute we spend together count. I will not dream of perfect weekends spent picnicing because it will only end up raining or get angry that my train was delayed and we missed drinks with friends.
I will remember there is no better time than the present, and if not i always have my summer holiday to look forward too.

What do you See...

"Sometimes it's hard to walk in a single girls shoes that's why we need really special ones to make the walk more fun."

See by Chloe Shoes

I'm in the shirt...and love it!

I seem to be growing quite a collection of shirts in an array of colours and i don't intend to stop any time soon.

The thing with a shirt is, no matter what the occasion, how your feeling or what the weather, it will make you look and feel great, and your instantly ready to take on any task.

Shirts are the easiest way to do the silk/sheer texture trend, and adding a lace bralette underneath layering becomes easy peasy. The only thing i want to know is how to keep the creases away!

A shirt will be my go-to item for the summer. Brights for colour blocking, buttoned up for preppy and floral and billowing for 70's.

moving forward or going back

When someone comes back into your life, uunexpected and completely out of the blue - do you take it for what it is, complete coincidence and get back on with each other's separate lives or is this fate at work? Could this be a sign to start a fresh with them or to close that door and lock it behind you?

According to Sex and the City's Samantha men are there for women to enjoy them and set them free - a theory me and my best friend swear by for boys who generally don't stick around and run an mile when you mention swapping numbers.

But what if i have had enough of this theory. For once i would like someone to stick around for a little bit longer - at least for bacon butties the next day.

Now after four distant years all the un-answered questions have been answered and i am left wondering whether to walk away for the second time or admit to my curiosity.

3 ways to wear....a gilet

Country classic. The heritage look i couldn't help indulge in. Camel, elbow patches, and a dark green gilet. You've got to look asif you own a horse, earn a fortune and eat a Sunday lunch at the local pub. City urban gilet. More relaxed and by far my favourite. This is less posh Barbour girl. The gilet is all about mixing layers up, here i have put an American apparel hoodie underneath and added my hobo style hat for that rough boyish edge. Lastly is the chunky knit which as been huge this season. With such thick layers i belted it up, i guess I've got to be feminine sometimes.

Your so vain

This weeks Shortlist looks at how the British male grooming has grown.

Have you noticed how the everyday man we pass on the street is now making the most of himself?  With so much on offer on the shelves of Boots, and the media saying it is OK to moisturise and smell good, men are more aware of the ever growing range of grooming products available and, are more open about using them.
This is, not as we might think, influenced by the modern 'metrosexual' man but by money and status in the work place. In a survery by L'Oreal, 47% of men said thier well-managed appearence helped them climb the business ladder. Men have recognised that looking and feeling well groomed will have a postitive impact on how they feel about themselves and how they perform in other areas of their life.

Admittingly there is nothing more appealing than a man who knows how to take care of himself. I'm not only talking about being well groomed but rather of everyday well being and house keeping. I say this because a boy-friend of mine recently stayed for a few nights in my house, a house which i share with 2 girls so is, generally, a pretty clean one. After a long day at work I came home from work to find he had not only tidied my room, and made my bed, but also hoovered the house. Yes, i nearly fell over in shock too!!

I will always like men for being just that - a man, and being far less vain than any girl i know. Because however good these well groomed men may be looking, it is unacceptable for a man to spend the same amount of time as me in front of a mirror. That is why the R-patz and Johnny depp hobo style will always win me over, prefereing the rugged over the pampered - and their smelly unwashed ways haven't affected their world famous careers.
And in the end if you can make me cry with laughter, even if your slightly un-kept and don't moisturise every night, then your better groomed than any product Boots can offer.

Spot the difference..

"New Yorkers are better groomed, but Londoners make up for their chipped nail varnish and un-whitened teeth with very cool clothes."