20150927

Sunday Post #5 | New Beginnings, Wanderlust & More


It's been another month when it feels like so much has happened in my life! There's been so much change that every time I do one of these posts I'm in a completely different place.

Life


I started the month with two weeks off, as I thought I needed a bit of time out before starting my new job. The first week I spent with my boyfriend, whereas for the second week I spent a lot of time blogging and catching up with friends before life starts getting too crazy. It was really nice to have a little bit of time to dedicate to personal pursuits like my writing and having a good old tidy up.

I went away partway through the month for my graduate scheme induction week. It was a lot of hard work and a lot of fun; sort of like fresher's week all over again! So that's why I've been a little MIA on social media and in the blogging community the past week  or so (for the induction we were literally doing 8:30am - 7pm followed by dinner and drinks and there was no signal) as I had a lot of sleep to catch up with over the weekend before starting in the office on the Monday. It's really feeling like things are starting to fall into place for me and so many of my friends. I'm so excited about my new role and I really haven't felt like that about a job before! Hopefully this is the start of new and exciting things.

I have learnt a lot about myself this month and one of them is that, sad as it sounds, sometimes I do like to be alone in my fluffy dressing gown reading in bed at 9pm. However it's also taught me I can be a lot more relaxed about working on my blog and being more spontaneous.

Film & TV


I haven't really got into one TV series this month, but I think I'm going to try Suits when I have a bit of time. However I've watched a couple of films this month (for the first time in ages) and a few one-off dramas I've enjoyed.

First I saw Straight Outta Compton. This was definitely the best film I've seen in cinemas this year so far (not that that's saying much) and it stayed with me for a long time afterwards. It's the story of NWA (focussing mainly on Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and Eazy-E, naturally) from their difficult upbringings to their success with the group and beyond. It was a reality check to see what NWA had to deal with growing up and how it shaped their music. Everything kept me hooked from seeing the relationships and conflict within the group, to the little cameos to the devastating ending (I'm sure anyone with even a passing interest in the West Coast scene will know what happens). This was so much better than I was expecting it to be and I would recommend it to any music fan.

A very different kind of gangster film I saw was Legend, a biopic of the Kray twins starring Tom Hardy as both Ronnie and Reggie. I think Tom Hardy's performance definitely carried the film and made it worth watching as there were definitely aspects that could've been better. I'm not sure if it was the structure or the script but the story itself didn't quite work, however I'd still sat this  is a must-see film for Tom Hardy's acting (and face).

On TV, the BBC recently did an adaptation of the infamous novel Lady Chatterley's Lover. It's really not that explicit, the reason the book got in trouble was for printing fruity language. It tells the story of Lady Chatterley, whose husband returns from war paralysed and unable to do certain things... They hire a working-class former solider (who served under Lady Chatterley's husband in the war) as a game-keeper and sparks soon begin to fly between him and Lady Chatterley. This is shot beautifully and I really loved Holliday Grainger and Richard Madden in their roles, however whilst there were moments of brilliance, something was missing for me. I think perhaps the 90-minute running time was to the story's detriment; the characters and stories didn't seem to have room to breathe so things sometimes felt a little shallow and rushed.

The BBC really have a thing for raunchy period dramas at the moment, it seems, as the Scandalous Lady W was also on recently. This is really different in tone to Lady Chatterley's Lover and is set in the 18th Century. I really like Natalie Dormer as the main character and there was something quite fun about the Scandalous Lady W. The story starts with Lady Seymour Worsley running away with her lover. We rewind to the start of her marriage and her husband's *ahem* unorthodox preferences and the lengths she goes to in order to try and get out of the loveless relationship in a time where a woman was considered her husband's property. It definitely could have been better but all in all this was enjoyable enough and worth catching on iPlayer.

Shopping & Eating


One good side of having so little free time is that I've barely had time to shop or spend any money so I've saved quite a lot! I'm really loving ASOS and River Island for work clothes, so picked up a few bits at the start of the month that I've hardly stopped wearing. 


I've also been loving H&M Home. Annoyingly they don't stock it in stores outside London and there's no Click and Collect service but they have the most gorgeous affordable pieces. If you're after the blogger cliches of copper and marble then this is where you need to go! I also went to Tiger for the first time, as you can't order their products online and they don't seem to have any stores outside the South East but I seriously cannot believe how affordable everything is. Again, I bought all the copper things...


I've definitely been shopping too much lately though and have been going a bit mad ordering things online. So, I'm imposing a spending ban from now until Black Friday - wish me luck!

I did attempt a bit of an economy drive earlier in the month but I've still done a little bit of eating out. I've really liked Giraffe lately, as it's so affordable but the global menu means there's pretty much something for everyone there and a great vegetarian selection. I've also ordered a couple of times from Yo Thai so, on the off chance that you're in the East Manchester area, I really recommend it!

The Future


I'm still really itching to go away, and although I know it's a rip-off, I quite fancy getting away for a few days around New Year. I was thinking maybe Prague, but if you know any reasonably-priced city breaks in Europe you think would be good for NYE then I'd love to hear! I also thought I should let you know that my blog is going to have to take a bit of a back seat. Not only have I started my graduate scheme in these sense that I'm probably going to be working more than 9-5 but I'm going to be completing an Advanced CII qualification in two years hopefully! It's going to be a lot of exams and coursework and pretty time-consuming and so I hope you understand if I'm not as on it with putting out new content and interacting with everyone as I have been in the past.

Have you seen anything good on TV or at the cinema lately? Where would you recommend I go for New Year's Eve?

 



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47 comments

  1. So many exciting things are happening in your life right now, Jasmine! Congratulations! It seems like you're doing great in this 'adult' life :) Good luck with your new job and the course! And as much as I love seeing your new posts in my Bloglovin feed is completely understandable that your blog needs to take a step back :) x

    Mummy’s Beauty Corner

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    1. Thank you :) this is such a lovely comment! xx

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  2. I can't believe how well your photography skills are! Im loving the rose gold look on your photos and I love reading your blog. Good luck with your new job hope it all goes well. =)
    http://thebeautygirll.blogspot.co.uk

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  3. Lots of exciting things going on! Good luck with your new job! You will be fine!
    Fix Me In Forty Five - A Beauty & Lifestyle Blog
    Blog Lovin' // Instagram
    xx

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  4. Good luck Jasmine, you'll do great! I'm heading to Amsterdam this year for NYE and though it worked out a lot more expensive than we budgeted for we can't wait!

    Danielle's Beauty Blog

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    1. Thank you :) and Amsterdam will be amazing, I'm sure! xx

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  5. Congrats on a new job! That's exciting, I'm one of those weird people who actually likes starting a new job, not that I've had to do it in about 10 years.
    Suits! Do it, fabulous show and Harvey is pretty easy on the eye x
    The Beauty Bloss

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    1. Thank you and there's something exciting about it for sure haha xx

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  6. Prague is perfect around New Year's eve. It has special atmosphere :)

    Or you are invited to my capital city - Ljubljana, which is so amazing during winter :)

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  7. H&M Home have so many amazing pieces at the moment! x
    Emma | Emmys Beauty Cave

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  8. With so many exciting things going on in your life it's understandable that your blog would take a back seat slightly. Best of luck with everything! I spent last New Years and Christmas in Florida which was incredible but for a couple of days in Europe I think Prague sounds like a great idea! I've just got back in to American Horror Story on TV at the moment, I want to watch it all before the new season starts. X

    Megan | http://www.meganjean.co.uk

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    1. Thank you so much! I need to catch up too, I never got round to watching last year's! xx

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  9. I've been loving H&M homeware too - I wish there was a store near me! x

    Heather | Of Beauty & Nothingness x

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  10. Sounds like it's been a month where you've hardly had time to catch your breath! I write a monthly update post too and I've had a similarly busy/crazy month where I'm looking back at the previous post and thinking, God, so much has changed in just thirty days! Really enjoyed reading this. Best of luck with everything you have coming up and also, of course we understand your blog taking a back seat!
    Rebecca | The Two Twenty Somethings
    Xx

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    1. It really has been - it feels like I've hardly been home! And thank you lovely :) xx

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  11. I love this time of the year for TV cos that's when all your favourite series start up again....I'm thinking Arrow and Empire. Can't wait x

    franklyflawless.com

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  12. I know what you mean about getting away for New Year, I'd really like to do that too. Perhaps somewhere like Amsterdam? I know that's supposed to be cheap to get to!

    Congratulations on your graduation scheme! Best of luck!

    Musings & More

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    1. Thank you lovely :) and Amsterdam is definitely somewhere I want to look into xx

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  13. Lovely post! I seems like you had a great month! xx

    Brunette-ish

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  14. Good luck with your new job and qualification! Hope you will like your new job. When there's a lot going on in your life, it is understandable that you're kinda away from your blog. I heard Prague is great for New Year xx

    www.elabellaworld.com

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  15. Aw I’m so glad you are excited about your new job hun :) I really want to check out H&M Home and I agree it’s so annoying they don’t stock in stores outside London :(

    Charlee XO | CharmedCharlee

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  16. Totally agree about being in a dressing gown by 9pm - I've had that preference since I was 18! I've been thinking about seeing Legend though I've heard mixed things, I don't think you can really go wrong with Tom Hardy, right? xx

    alicered.co.uk

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  17. I'm glad lots of exciting things are happening for you! I loved Straight Outta Compton too, I'm a huge Dr. Dre fan and thought the movie was one of the best I've ever seen!


    xo, Liz
    http://lipstickandconfetti.com

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    1. It was so much better than I'd expected! Very glad I saw it at the cinema xx

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  18. So many exciting changes and I wish you the best with it all, I'm sure you will be amazing at what you do. As for the blog I would say just blog when you can and when it suits you, as long as you are not putting too much pressure on yourself (as they say it's quality that matters most). I love Suits, you definitely need to start watching it x

    Beauty with charm

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    1. Aw thank you so much! And after all these comments I think I really do :) xx

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  19. I have been wanting to watch Suits too! I just need the time. It sounds like you have a bunch of exciting things about to happen. Congatulations! You were smart to take the time off, sometimes you need a recharge before entering into a new phase. :)
    http://www.lipstickisalife.com/

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    1. Thank you lovely and I'm really glad I did! xx

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  20. So many exciting things happening in your life! Congratulations! I haven't watched Suits yet, we're watching The Killing at the moment & really enjoying it. Maybe Suits will be next! xx

    Beautylymin

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    1. Thank you :) and I've heard amazing things about the Killing :) xx

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  21. I've only been to Prague once in the dead of winter but it was beautiful, gingerbread everywhere and snow capped houses with the scent of cinnamon in the air from mulled cider- it was as close to a fairytalr as I've ever gotten!

    www.thesundaymode.blogspot.com.au

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  22. This was such a good read, I love your writing style Jasmine! <3
    Oh my goodness, I too LOVED straight outta compton, such a great movie and even though it was fairly long I wanted it to carry on and on, so many classic songs too that I couldn't help rapping along too (in a terribly awful way haha). Also I loved the way they made lady charterleys lover! She was such a fantastic actress and I was rooting for them through and through, I'm so glad she had the courage to confront her husband. At first I felt a little sorry for him, but when he refused to try and make her happy and then tried to slyly get her to sleep with someone of s worthy class...blugh lost all empathy for him -_-
    Iqra |The Blushing Giraffe x

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    1. Yeah SOC really didn't feel as long as it was! And Lady Chatterley was shot beautifully! xx

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  23. All the best of luck in your new job; it sounds pretty daunting but very exciting! As for TV shows, Suits is a good one, great characters. I've just finished Prison Break and The Walking Dead, having a break before diving into another lol. I think Prague at New Year would be beautiful, I'd love to go there too :) best wishes x
    Nicole | ...What Nikki Did...

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    1. Thank you and definitely a good mix of the two haha. I loved Prison Break :) xx

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  24. Love your blog! You always take such good photos xx

    www.brandobeauty.uk

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  25. I really want to see Straight Out of Compton I've hear only good things!

    http://www.abigailalicex.com

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  26. Thank you for all the kind, supportive comments <3 :) xx

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  27. Great post! Congrats on the graduate scheme! Straight out of Compton sounds so good, I really want to see it! xo

    http://www.samanthasbeautyloves.com

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  28. ah everything sounds so exciting for you right now! good luck in your new job, I hope you love it! I've not been to the cinema in ages :( but I think I've managed to persuade my boyfriend to see Paranormal Activity on Halloween so hopefully that'll be good.
    Sarah xx
    simplysarahlou.blogspot.com

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    1. Thank you lovely :) and hope you enjoy the film! xx

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