Ten Days in Turkey

As a lot of you probably don't know, I'm going to Turkey tomorrow and I thought it would be a good idea to update you guys daily with a journal post on VSCO. I've recently gotten quite into the app and I thought it very clever that you could use it as a photo journal, a way to document your life quite nicely. They layout is clean and simple which I love. Sadly , my WiFi will be limited but I will try as hard as I can to keep you guys posted on my daily travels in Turkey! Keep an eye out here on my blog and also my Twitter for other little things I may upload also :) I'll attempt to stick to a certain time range as well but I guess we'll just have to see how it goes...

Find my VSCO at: withinthecity.vsco.co!



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A little taste of Korea

I love food. I mean, honestly I'm up to try anything; cuisines of all sorts intrigue me to no end and I'm always excited to get the opportunity to try something new. Luckily for me the chance arose recently when my friend decided she was taking us out to a Korean restaurant for her birthday. My knowledge of the Korean cuisine went as far a kimchi, a pickled cabbage spicy side dish that I'd heard plenty about but had yet to try. I was excited to finally see what the hype was all about and also to get the opportunity to delve into other Korean meals. Fast forward, and I was face to face with Gogi- a pretty little Korean restaurant. Our party of nine took our seats and we began to order what I can honesty say was some of the best food that had ever graced my taste buds. The first thing we ordered (to my excitement) was the famous kimchi, I'd revised how to use my chopsticks correctly- although I was a little bit shaky- and the taste test began. Kimchi. is. AMAZING. It's got the perfect amount of spice, it's refreshing and it's just plain delicious! After that Korea had my complete faith and I was ready to eat some more, we finished off our starters and moved on to a selection of mains. This, consisted of various barbecued meats, plenty of colourful salad and little rice pots and sauce dishes. I tried everything, and enjoyed everything; the food was so flavourful and fragrant yet remained light and healthy. I personally accompanied my meal with some hot green tea, however my friend chose an iced plum tea which she wouldn't stop banging on about. We all decided then to order our own round of this 'amazing' drink and once again I was not disappointed. We sat around our table wondering how any beverage could taste so good, vowing to return purely for the plum tea (we weren't joking either). Finally the bill was paid and we decided that our outing should not end there, we made a little trek to the park and relaxed, playing a hilarious game of charades as well. 

As the late afternoon approached we decided it was time to go home, still slightly full from our 'banquet' but satisfied all the same.











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Prom 2k15

Well it's practically been an eternity since I last posted but I'd like to think exam season is a valid excuse to stay hidden away for a little bit. My exams are over now and to conclude my time at school we celebrated with prom. Anyone who knows a girl knows that prep for these large events can start months in advance; and I'm no different sadly. I got my dress back in April and after that everything just fell into place. Fast forward to Friday 12th June and I started my day at the hairdressers, I was pinned prepped and partially prom ready! Next I went up to my local Bobbi Brown store to have my makeup done by Lauren who was so lovely and did my makeup amazingly. Before I knew it I was stepping into my dress, doing a few final touches and getting into the car on my way to the venue. When I got there I was full of nervous excitement I met up with my friends and thus began what I like to call 'The Papparazi Parents'. Picture after picture after picture which I really can't complain about because they were really good. We went inside and the party began. A brief speech and prayer on the teachers' part, compliments were thrown back and forth, a meal was eaten and then we made our way to the dance floor. I honestly cannot say I've ever danced more in my life, I just let go and had the night of my life! However a good night is never truly good without the feeling of your feet losing circulation with every. step. you. take. After every song I'd find someone to rip my heels off my feet and hobble to the toilet where I'd rest a little before slipping the 'feet coffins' back on and dancing another round. All in all the night was amazing, it was brilliant to see all my favourite teachers having a drink and enjoying themselves and also my peers having an amazing night celebrating the end of exams and the end of an era together. As the night drew to a close, we said our final goodbyes knowing a lot of us wouldn't see each other again and me and a few friends made our way back to my house for a sleepover. Upon getting home we were knackered, pjs on and makeup off we played cards against humanity for a little while before retiring in my living room which had been turned into one massive floor bed. Morning came, a full English breakfast was had and we set about chilling for the day, we watched Case 39 and relaxed; reminiscing over the night before. As the day drew to a close everyone went home and I was left to think over the last five years I'd had with some of the nicest people I've met and the best memories I could possibly take with me. Amidst my complaints about my school I've really grown to love it and wouldn't have had the last five years any other way :)







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Healthy isn't always boring

New year and you decide maybe it's time to finally go on that diet you've been putting on hold for five maybe six years? Let's face it, you look at all that salad and your tummy groans in despair, how are you going to survive on a carrot? We've all been there, backed out on a diet after trying for half a day to stay away from the cookies, the cakes and the chocolate. Honestly even now as I write this I should be trying to 'diet' but I prefer the term "loosely perfecting my eating habits" because to be quite frank, diets are hard and unless you are totally motivated and maybe also out of school sometimes you might get stuck for ideas on how to improve the way you eat. In this post I've decided to leave a 3 recipes/ snacks that are really healthy and that you can incorporate into your diet in order to slightly improve what you're taking in without the full commitment of a diet.

1) Health drink smoothie-type thing
I have no idea what it's exact name is but all I know is that it tastes delicious and is super quick, easy and cheap. All you need is fruits like apples, pears, grapes, berries of any kind and then carrots, cucumber and some kale and you're ready to go! Just chop them up and stick it into a juicer/ blender with a table spoon of honey and half a lemon or so until smooth. You can mix and match as well, sometimes leaving out the kale or the berries for a different flavour or maybe even trying some more exotic fruits! It takes no effort at all and is a really nice detox-y type drink that you can have at any point in the day and counts for a large portion of your five a day!

2) Cous-cous
This is a great meal as it can be enjoyed hot or cold with plenty of salad or pesto and lovely spices. Whether you have a pre-made pack or you want to start from scratch, cous cous can easily be made to your preference! Instructions are simple and are on the back of the packaging so you're ready to go!
*tip: use baby leaf spinach and peppers in your salad with the cous cous! They taste great together*

3) Honey roasted nuts, raisins and banana chips
The only recipe here is for the nuts: all you need is assorted nuts and some honey. Place the nuts on grease proof paper and cover evenly with the honey and put them in the oven on a medium heat for 5-10 minutes! (Toss them around a bit after 5 minutes so they're evenly golden brown and add anymore honey if need be). Take them out when they look ready and leave them to cool. After just put them in a jar with the raisins and banana chips and enjoy! These are a great replacement for chocolate and crisps at snack time!
*tip: you can skip out on the rasins and banana chips if you like or even replace them with other things!*


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Valentine's Day without a Valentine

Valentines Day has just gone and I hope you all had a lovely day whether it be with family, friends or a loved one. I for one spent the day shopping with friends, typical girls day out? Not this time... Me and a group of friends had been planning to fix up my other friend's wardrobe, make it more current, 'pimp it out' if you would like. We picked a day and stuck to it, determined to play out our own version of 'Clueless' and give my friend the makeover he desperately needed.

Shopping with girls is never ever ever never easy (try saying that five times fast) and with the boy girl ratio at 2:5, it was needless to say we spent hours trying to design a stylish guy friend. We stuck to the typical skinny jeans, checked shirt and zip hoodie however we did venture out a little and chose a fashionable jumper with some classy desert boots. I was glowing with pride as I looked upon the successful experiment we had conducted, he looked great and we were fulfilled. 

Of course I couldn't leave empty handed, I bought a pair of New Balance trainers and an outfit from Zara. But as contempt as I was, starvation lingered. I hadn't eaten lunch in my hurry to get dressed, do my hair and make-up and meet my friends in time to get the train so at four o'clock I don't think it was out of line to be desperate for a little bite to eat. We all bought our separate lunches at Waitrose and the quest to find a space to eat began.

We walked... And walked... And walked for ages on end- or at least it felt like it- looking for empty benches or even a large floor area to sit on (we were that desperate). After an eternity of walking- ten minutes to be exact- we found an empty table at the food court and ate like we'd never eaten before; honestly sushi had never tasted so good!

 By this time the day was coming to a close, we hopped on a train homeward bound, satisfied with how the day went. 

So Valentine's Day without a valentine can in fact be just as good as Valentine's Day with one!




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Is there a right way to revise?

January can be a pain. Let's face it. It's freezing cold, Christmas is over and in my case school resumes. The only perk seems to be the beginning of my seven month countdown to summer. In terms of school, January tends to be the 'hit the ground running exams exams exams!!' term where we are told the last three months were the honeymoon stage and now we have to buckle down and work hard for the future. Revision classes commence, mocks return and with that comes a mountainous load of revision. 

So I pose the question, what is the best way to revise? 

I will also answer the question: I have absolutely no idea!

Revision is personal, we all revise in different ways and only we know ourselves enough to do what suits us. Whether it's spider diagrams, bullet points; perfectly executed notes or quickfire questions you always have to do what's best for you! Personally, I prefer written revision and practice test papers as I can just sit by myself and get stuck in. I like to have some snacks at arms reach (which results in me gaining some weight whoops) and a little background noise just so my environment is a bit more casual. Probably not the best idea but I also revise in my bed, I like being comfy! One thing that I really do think is key for revision (yes I know I just wrote a paragraph saying you should choose the way you revise and now I'm telling you how to but I promise this is revision gold) is colour coding, it's honestly so beneficial as you can associate certain topics with the colours and it's great for separating the sections you're revising! Another thing is to treat yourself,- it sounds strange I know- have some sort of reward set for after revision so you feel motivated to get through the one hour (or seven) of studying. Lastly, set goals for the future. What do you want to be when you're older? What are you aspiring to? Have a 'steps to success' 'maybe?

If you're at that stage where revision is melting your brain, try out a few new things to find a comfortable revision tactic.


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Doc lovin'

Happy New Year everyone!!! Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and a nice rest for all of you who got time off. I'm sad to say I spent the majority of the holiday revising however as procrastination is an inevitable side effect of stu(dying), I did end up watching the entire Harry Potter series too...

More importantly I also did a spot of shopping; I was on the hunt for the perfect pair of shoes! I had a few brands in mind but ultimately the famous black Dr Martens in the classic 1460 won my heart as I'd had them on my wish list for a while. They did arrive late (it was only a day though) but it was worth the wait! My Docs arrived on New Year's Eve and I wore them for the entire evening in an attempt to break them in- I would say it's a good idea to wear them around the house for a bit because they are so stiff when you first buy them! Needless to say I am in love with my new shoes as they go with everything and are super comfortable once your wear them in for a bit! They are a bit pricey but they look so durable honestly I think it's worth splashing a little cash.
The jeans in this picture are from Urban Outfitters and are the most comfortable jeans I have ever worn! They are the only jeans I have that are skinny right to the bottom and fit well at the waist, they are super light and have a really nice blue colour. Highly recommend!!
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