THE BEST PLACES TO EAT IN RHODES

If you follow me on Instagram you just might know I've been away to Rhodes this past week and if I am being perfectly honest my favourite part was the food because oh my god it was so damn good. 

My initial top tip which I hope you all know already is if there is someone outside the front simply hired to get you to go in shouting 'all the English love it here! We have burgers! We have pizza!' for god sake do not go in. I'm not saying the food will be gross and not edible but just please have a little look for the hidden gems first. 

My one true love when looking for little gems amongst the crap was Trip Advisor - of course it doesn't ensure a lovely meal but it sure does help you navigate through the endless amount of restaurants. So let's get into it - my top 2 places you need to go to in Rhodes.

1. Tamam

This restaurant is at the top of the list on Trip Advisor and my god there is a reason. If the delicious food isn't enough then it is the incredible service. With it being a family run restaurant - the dad and daughter out front and the mum cooking in the kitchen - you will not get this service elsewhere easily. Every night it becomes queued up with people waiting for a table in which you are greeted with a free glass of wine while you wait - BIG YES. I don't want to spoil the experience for anyone by doing a full run down - as personally I liked experiencing it for myself and not expecting anything. But yes this restaurant is incredible - so incredible we went there twice. So I really do urge you to go if you can.

2. Hosteria dei Cavalieri 

When I tell you this - again this restaurant is one where the owner is front of house serving - is up there for some of the best food I've ever eaten - I am not exaggerating. Just thinking about it makes me starving. The service here is very fitting to the environment of the small quaint courtyard in which we dined - with the owner being attentive to each table and ensuring the menu is explained. Again myself and my boyfriend went here twice because it was just the best food ever so please if you go here search out this little gem as it is divine.

The list could go on but I wanted to keep it short and sweet. But I'm not lying or exaggerating these really are the two best places we went to in Rhodes and I'm sure many others would agree!

Sophie xx

TIPS FOR GETTING THROUGH THAT THIRD AND FINAL UNI YEAR OF UNIVERSITY

September is here yet again, and for the first time in three years, it's the first time I won't be going back to any sort of education and most importantly, university. 

I know this post is titled 'tips for getting through that third and final year' but this is also relatable to those few hard working freshers or the people who have suddenly realised year two actually partly counts towards your final grade.

Whilst university really wasn't the hardest time of my life. With year one and two being filled with drinking, having fun and socialising. The workload side of it really can be daunting and not so fun. Naturally though...drinking your weight in beer is going to be a lot more fun than drinking your weight in tea at the library.

Now that I'm some sort of survivor of uni and soon to be graduating I feel have a few little tips to share.

TIP ONE - JUST DO IT. No, I'm not talking about Nike, but they do have a point, just do it. Just open up your laptop and a word document and type. I spent far too long worrying that what I first put onto a page had to perfection, which just made me not type at all. SO, just do it, type away and get into the assignment and communicate with your tutor. This is the only way your word count is going to go down. *I know this sounds ridiculous*. But honestly, getting started is the hardest part so JUST DO IT.

TIP TWO - FIND YOUR PLACE. The best way to get some serious work done is to find your place, the place that you work the best and most. You learn the hard way with this one and with experience you will know if working in your room with a TV, iPad etc. surrounding you is the best or if going to the library away from so many distractions is for you. For me it was the library, so I went pretty much everyday and I am so thankful for it (reality check: at the time I hated it).

TIP THREE - PRIORITISE AND PLAN. I'm a bit of an organiser, I like to know what I'm doing when so when the workload was a little bit full on I would simply prioritise and plan. My priorities in my third year was learning from past mistakes when it came to my work (*COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR TUTORS ALL. THE. TIME. EVEN IF YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING IT RIGHT*) and working hard to get a First Class. With this, my social life pretty much died I will admit but I look back and my first and second year were incredible so I had my share of fun *no regrets*. The library was my second home. When it came to planning, I think it's so important to figure out your word count and get organised so you have goals and targets to reach every day and week. E.G. write 600 words today. Simple as that. In every notebook of mine scribbles of goals and word counts would be all over the place and that is really what motivated me.

So there we have it, my top three tips for getting through that third and final year. A little bonus tip for you all is to also remember to have FUN. Although for me uni work was my upmost priority it's still so important to let off steam once in a while, have a few days of when needed etc and to not feel guilty for doing that as trust me, you deserve it.

Sophie xx

THE PRESSURE OF TIME

The pressure we put into a change of year, season or even day is fascinating, for what is wrong with now? With the idea of time and how we idolise it in order to achieve so much is something I've never really put much thought into. Until now...

It wasn't till the other day when I saw a tweet basically saying they can't wait for summer to be over, as with a new season comes a new vibe etc. they're going to be happier. Now firstly, upon us is autumn...that cold weather isn't making me feel any vibe anyhow, this tweet really made me think and realise how much pressure as humans we put on a change in time.

You'd be lying if you havent said 'I'll start the diet on Monday' and it's just Tuesday. This outlook and attitude to how a new week can bring a positive attitude and motivation is intriguing, for I personally believe socially we have accustomed to expecting a lot from a new week, year or even season. I just can't help but wonder why not now? How have we become so accustomed to waiting for a new day, week, year or season to change our ways.

Don't get me wrong I feel the same sort of newness a new season, year, day etc. brings, with the idea of starting from fresh. Is this outlook in fact negative? As why are we always waiting when we have now?

This pressure on time won't be changing anytime as I think it's in our blood to say 'the diet will start Monday'. Personally I'm going to be trying to stop myself saying it and just instead live now, and not in a weeks time or till the new year hits. 

Sophie xx

LIFE | MY TRIP TO MALLORCA & SO MUCH MORE

Hello! Safe to say long time no see, which is a recurring theme? Let's try and change that. Anyhow, I hope you are all as well as I am. Since going AWOL - yet again...I've been to Mallorca as you can see. But anyway, more importantly to the & SO MUCH MORE. I want to come back to blogging by reviewing my last post, LIFE | 2018 as we're now over half way through the year, it'll be interesting to see what I've actually achieved.

1. Better friend - now this is still an ongoing improvement. I do make a ton more plans now than previously, with finishing uni and actually having some time for me. However, I could still be less lazy with my phone and pick it up to make some more plans. 

2. Graduate. Well I sure have gone and finished university but I don't graduate till October. However my final grade is in and I will be graduating with a first class honours so GO ME!

3. Be happier. Without consciously realising I am definitely happier than I was this time last year. And I am certainly not as moody or grumpy as before, with focusing on the positives in life more than the negatives (Reality check: I am still a sucker for a grump here and there - lets be real).

Here's a little explanation of my whereabouts (for those few possibly interested). My final year at university was stressful so I had to take a step away from blogging so I actually did my university work which, in the long run, paid off seeing as I'm now graduating with a First. After uni, I went into working full time hours and found every excuse under the sun not to get my arse into gear and start posting again. But here I am. Another more controversial and topical reason for why I took a step back will be in my next blog post!

So yeah, I'm back. Keep your eyes peeled!

Sophie xx

LIFE | 2018

Hello, it's me, I'm back. Again. And as if it's 2018?! I'm pretty sure it was 2016 like two weeks ago.

Sooooo, this year I think instead of resolutions I'm going to instead look at how I can improve myself generally and not just focus on one specific thing.

1. First up, I'm going to try and be a better friend. Now don't get me wrong I'm not a bad friend. BUT I find myself very easily consumed into day to day life and not make plans till plans are way overdue. SO, one way I'm going to better myself is actually make plans with my besties.

2. This second one is a tad daunting to even think about but...it is officially the year I graduate. With that, I really want to finish with the best grade I can and wether I go onto to do a Masters or get a job, just do my best to do well in whatever I chose to do.

3. The final one is that cliche one you can't help but hope for when a new year comes but I really want to be happier, 2017 brought a few new low points for me and I really want to spend more energy on positivity than negativity, which I've been guilty of not doing in the past. SO, I strongly believe 2018 although being the year in which I'll no longer be living with my two besties *crys* can and will be a bloody gooden'.

So there we have it my three ways and wishes that'll make 2018 better than the last.

Whats your guy's new year new you mottos?

Sophie xx

LIFE | HOW BLOGGING HAS CHANGED

Hello all!

Today's post is going to be a bit different. For a while now I've wanted to expand from my normal style of posts as I  want to do more 'talking point' posts. As whilst I enjoy doing my usual style, to be able to have a platform which I can ramble my thoughts isn't so bad (and I hope some people can relate).

The 'talking point' of today? Change.

I've been back in the blogging game for a little while now and it's been a while since I last actually gave it 'proper' go and a LOT is different. When I started back up I'd noticed the change, and just accepted it and it wasn't till I read a post by Sophie who runs Fashion Slave which can be read here. That I had a real eye opener on just how much it's 'adapted' and I wanted to have a lil ramble about my thoughts on it all.

I think for anyone starting out from scratch to even me returning can agree that blogging this day and age can be slightly intimidating. I remember in 2013/14 all you had to do to gain a following was get some (in hindsight) crappy pictures of your favourite products on your dresser, a picture of your outfit in your garden or room and it just seemed whatever anyone could do would do. 

Now? photos have to look professional for every post and simply taking a picture of that favourite lip product on the dresser won't do, for now you need it perfectly positioned amongst pretty flowers and rings you never really wear otherwise known as blog props.

It's safe to say a lot has changed, and ever since reading Sophie's post on Fashion Slave it made me wonder what I actually think of the change.

One part of me thinks quite negatively of the change, with it putting pressure on bloggers who just want a fighting chance of being successful, as they feel they have to match the professional standard popular blogs roll out. For me personally, it initially and sometimes still is quite uninspiring for with being a student with next to no budget to put money into getting blog props, or that top of the range lens for my camera, it can all feel very overwhelming and a little impossible. 

Another rather intimidating factor is the difference in the need for your Instagram (and Twitter etc) to be as impressive as your blog, to have the likeable flat lays and the perfect outfit to match the perfect location. For me I've been obsessed with how my Instagram looks for a while so that hasn't changed but I just partly live for 2013 where my Instagram wasn't even connected to my blog and I didn't know what hashtags were. 

However, with negatives there's always positives. 

Although there are times when browsing all the incredible blogs can seem quite uninspiring, it can also actually be a motivator. As for me, I'd love for my blog to consistently be at the standards others are, and to work out how to do that on a budget can be seen as a challenge. As well as that, it just challenges each of us as people, and tests how much we want to blog, for me I love it so trying to keep up with the professional standard that now dictates the blogging world is worth it.

So to round things up on this lengthy post, I embrace the change the blogging 'world' has seen, and hope that with more and more practice my blog will only get better.

Thanks for reading xx

P.s feel free to let me know your opinions in the comments!

STYLE | HOW ACCESSORIES CAN ADD TO A CASUAL LOOK

Hello all, 

This outfit is one of my favourites, the blouse I'm wearing is actually yet another item of clothing I've stolen from my mum and it has fast become one of my favourite blouses to pair with every pair of jeans I own,  and it looks great with them all. Which leads me onto a pair of jeans I really didn't see myself buying, I went from being a 16 year old Joni Jeans fan to a 20 year old I don't know why I bought hundreds of pairs of those, Jamie jeans are much better kinda gal. So when I randomly decided to try these on I was surprised that I actually liked them even without them feeling like an actual pair of jeans, and using the excuse I don't own a grey pair of jeans I got them (funny fact - went home to realise I actually do own a grey pair of mom jeans...oh...).

HOW TO | GET THE PERFECT FOUNDATION SHADE

Hello lovelies, 

This post is something I think pretty much every single pale person can relate to, seeing as for me no foundation shade is ever perfect and therefore can easily turn out with my face being a different shade to my neck...

LIFE | GET TO KNOW ME

1. Are you named after anyone? 

No, just me, myself and I. 

2. Do you use sarcasm a lot? 

ALL THE TIME. Sarcasm is basically my sense of humour so if you don't get sarcasm we got issues. 

3. What's the first thing you notice about people? 

I haven't actually thought about this before but it's probably what they're wearing. 

4. Scary movie or happy ending? 

Happy ending every time, I never watch scary movies as they are literally the worst. 

5. Do you have any pets? 

Two Cairn terriers Monty and Rommy (who are the cutest little things but also the naughtiest). Not having them at uni with me is legit the worst thing about it. 

6. One thing you've been meaning to do? 

Cut my hair shorter but part of me is terrified but I will do it soon! 

8. A bad habit you have? 

Eating sweets, I have such a sweet tooth its unreal. My dentist hates me. 

9. What's unique about you? 
I think the most obvious thing is my birthmark on my right arm, which I was obviously born with...I don't ever notice it but I suppose people who don't know me do. So yeah the red patches on my arm? only a port wine stain don't be alarmed.  

So there we have it, some really useless facts about me but nonetheless I hope you enjoyed! 

xx