Currently listening to: Frank Hamilton

As you read this I will be on a plane off on my jolly holidays! I haven't been abroad since before I started university so I cannot wait for some sun and a pool! You've always got to have a song that makes you ready for a holiday, one that makes you excited whilst you pack and that you can't stop singing on the plane. I still remember certain holidays when I hear some songs, they hold such sentimental value for me. I don't know what our summer song will be yet, but the song usually chooses you not the other around, so I'll have to wait and see.

I've been listening to 'Summer' by Frank Hamilton a lot lately and it has this lovely summer feel. I know that sounds stupid considering the title, but there's something about it that gives me a slightly nostalgic summer feel, like I can remember the smell of grass and barbeques and the feel of the sun on skin when I hear it. 

Holiday checklist

I am a big fan of lists, checklists, to do lists, shopping lists... I always find they help me organise my thoughts and get everything done. So naturally I've made many lists in preparation for my holiday this week, in the hope of leaving nothing behind. So I thought I would make them into a blog post ..

The first thing on the list is always sun cream! I burn quickly and to be honest even when I do tan I hate the tan lines left by my bikini. I've learnt to just go straight in there with the high SPF. I use separate sun cream for my face as normal sun creams feel so heavy on my skin and usually make me break out too. Lips are always easily forgotten but burn lips look and feel horrible so I picked up this Nivea lip balm, it's the highest SPF lip balm that I could find in the drugstore. This Charles Worthington hairspray is amazing, it protects your hair and scalp from the sun, doesn't make your hair look greasy and it smells gorgeous.

Am I the only one that thinks that travel size products are adorable? They're also perfect for saving on space and weight if you'e only going away for a short time. I picked all of these up from Superdrug where they're selling 3 travel-sized products for £3 at the moment and they have loads of different products to choose from so it was ideal.

Passport: not to be forgotten!! My favourite sunnies and my Fuji Instax to take lots of pictures.

Lastly there's a beach towel, a couple of bikinis and a book for by the pool and I'm good to go!

Of course there's also my make-up and outfits to go in my suitcase. I'm going to post my favourite outfits when I get back and I might do a post on my make-up but I'm not sure yet. Well now I'd better go and pack all of this and get ready for tomorrow! I have a few posts scheduled for whilst I'm away but I'll see you next week!

Paris: 2014

The sign before the Channel tunnel .. just in case you weren't sure where you were going

On the first night we had to go and see the Eiffel tower and it was looking pretty beautiful at sunset, so we decided to come back the next day so we could go up it in time to see the sunset from the top.

The Moulin Rouge was the first stop the next morning (after Sacré-Cœur, but  I forgot to take pictures whilst we were there, fail!)
I loved walking through Montmartre and seeing all the quirky little shops (although there were A LOT of sex shops too, city of lovers indeed)

We had to go to Notre Dame and check in at Quasimodo's house (we are cool kids). Notre Dame is such a beautiful building and each time I see it I am in awe at how much work must have gone into creating it. I feel like now I understand how this building could have inspired Victor Hugo to write his novel 'Notre Dame de Paris'.

Obligatory selfie

OOTD: Dress, sunglasses Primark / Plimsolls George @ Asda

Selfies by the Seine

I am always distracted bythe architecture in Paris, the buildings are so beautiful. I could literally walk around it all day just to look at them all. 

After a beautiful sunny day it would cloud over when I get my camera out to take this picture.

Eiffel tower selfie! (We really are not the selfie types, you can probably tell by our faces in all of these pictures!)

We did manage to get our sunset from the top of the Eiffel tower though and it was as beautiful as we'd hoped for. Whilst we sat and watch the sun go down we listened to a tour guide nearby who was telling the group that if you want to propose on the Eiffel tower, you can do it at scheduled times in the evening where they start the light show and turn on the Trocadéro fountains simultaneously. I'm not usually one for extravagant proposals, but that does sound pretty darn spectacular.

I experimented with my Fuji Instax camera to see what the sunset would look like and it turned out better than I had hoped, I quite like it.

Before we headed back to the station we walked by the Trocadéro and I couldn't resist a few last photos of the Eiffel tower in the light of dusk.

This was meant to have the Eiffel tower in the background but I forgot to turn the flash off, so here's yet another selfie.

Here's a few of the photos that my friend Lauren and I took when we went to Paris a couple of weeks ago. We decided to go after we'd finished our dissertations to celebrate our freedom. We just used our phones and my Fuji instax camera so the quality is a bit lacking, but I wanted to share them anyway because it was such an amazing trip. I adore Paris, everything from the Métro to the architecture, to the language and the food (and the wine!). Wandering the streets of one of my favourite cities with one of my favourite people was amazing and the perfect way to celebrate the end of our degree.

And for once I got to live up to my blog name and we ran away to Paris.