Questions

• 1. Are you easy to get along with?
• I hope so
• 2. Are you outgoing or shy?
• A bit of both, i'm rather confident but then I can be incredibly timid
• 3. What kind of people are you attracted to?
• Hot ones 
• 4. Do you think you’ll be in a relationship two months from now?
• Who knows, i'm not too fussed about it 
• 5. Does talking about sex make you uncomfortable?
• No
• 6. What are your 5 favorite songs right now?
• - I'm a mess - Ed Sheeran
• - please, please, please let me get what I want - The Smiths
• - Asleep - The Smiths
• - Come on Eileen - Dexy's midnight runners 
• - The whole TFIOS album 
• 7. Do you have trust issues?
• sort of
• 8. Would you rather live without TV or music?
• TV, don't know how i'd live without music 
• 9. Describe your dream girl/guy?
• Francisco Lachowski. 
• 10. What are your favorite stores to shop in?
• Well NZ has bad shopping but, Country Road is my main then maybe Glassons?
• 11. If your being extremely quiet what does it mean?
• I'm sad, frustrated, worried, day dreaming or just thinking
• 12. One thing you wish you could change about yourself?
• I wish i didn't worry and overthink so much 
• 13. Favourite blog?
• Too many
• 14. Favourite colour?
• Orange, because black is a shade 
• 16. Mac or Pc and why?
• Mac because i just prefer the way it looks
• 15. Been arrested? For what?
• Never
• 17. Favourite food?
• HARDEST QUESTIONS burgers. 
• 18. How many pillows do you sleep with?
• I have a double bed so 1 on either side of the bed
• 19. Favourite video game/games?
• Just dance 
• 20. Favourite movie/movies?
• Too many, but Devil Wears Prada, Titanic, Confessions of a shopaholic, The Holiday, Tangled, Hunger Games, Divergent, TFIOS and The Avengers 
• 21. What colour shirt are you wearing?
• Grey
• 22. Is something irritating you right now?
• Not really, well i washed my hair and it's still really wet thats a but annoying 
• 23. Do you have trust issues?
• Haven't we answered this already?
• 24. Favourite book?
• Don't have one? I like so many
• 25. How tall are you?
• 5.10 1/2
• 26. Tea or Coffee?
• COFFEE
• 27. Where would you like to visit?
• New York, Greece, Paris (again), Vienna, London
• 29. Have you ever turned someone down?
• I don't think so..?
• 30. Favourite T.V. show/shows?
• Pretty Little Liars, Miranda, Big Bang Theory 
• 31. Do feel strongly about any issues, if so what?
• gay rights, I believe people should be able to love whoever the want 
• 32. Which fictional characters would you like to meet the most?
• So many, this question is very stressful but many of the princes from the disney movies like from tangled and the little mermaid 
• 33. Are you hard to get along with?
• Hope not
• 34. Do you want to get married?
• Yeah
• 35. What is your dream Job?
• Working at  fashion magazine in New York 
• 36. What kind of music do you like?
• A lot of kinds 
• 37. What are some things that scare you?
• I have a fear of pain, of the unknown and of natural disasters like tsunamis and also not being needed 
• 38. Who has influenced you the most?
• A lot of people, especially my friend Indy and my friend Matt
• 39. What are your favourite websites?
• Tumblr, Polyvore, Asos
• 40. What is the first thing you do in the morning?
• Wake up?
• 41. Do you prefer to talk or text?
• Talk of course 
• 42. What is your biggest turnoff?
• Piercings in certain places possibly? Or just being a general asshole i guess 
• 43. What is your biggest turnon?
• Look at Francisco lachowski - all that 
• 44. Do you ski or snowboard?
• Ski
• 45. What is your favourite kind of dog?
• Dalmatian 
• 46. What is your greatest skill?
• Dance? Or finding the best in people 
• 47. If you could change your whole name what would it be?
• I like my name, apart from my last name 
• 48. If you could have one superpower what would it be?
• TOO STRESSFUL I want to be invisible, then i want to fly and then i want to read minds I CAN'T DECIDE 
• 49. What is the weirdest thing you find attractive in a person?
• For a guy, big hands? Feel protective I guess. But personality wise, someone who loves food. 
• 50. What are you in university for?
• Not there yet my friend
• 
  
• Have a lovely week
• - Soph x

You Are The Writer Of Your Story

I believe that life is like a book. Each and every one of us have chapters that make up our lives, some longer than others, some joyous and others sad, but all other these chapters collate to make one book. If you imagine, the first chapter will be the creation of you, then the baby, then the toddler then chapter by chapter it will build up to this chapter, the chapter you are currently living. Now, we all regret things, there are always things we would like to forget but a writer doesn't write a book then tear out a few individual pages? Then the story would not make sense. You see all those hardships, all those times of embarrassment, sadness, loneliness are important, they lead to other moments, great moments, they help make the rest of your story, a quote from The Fault In Our Stars -  “Without pain, how could we know joy?". 

Think about it, what would be the name of this chapter of your life? The best days? The worst days? The day it all went wrong? The day I felt happy?  This chapter isn't the end of your book. You still have more chapters to go, you can't just end the story here. You have to turn the page, create a new chapter, create new moments and learn new things. Because all of these good and bad moments will make up a great book, and who doesn't want to look back on that book and be thankful that they didn't stop at a chapter half way through. 

You are the writer of your story. You make the choices. Make the most of this chapter and strive to make a new chapter. 

Okay?

Confessions Of A Shopaholic

Hello,

My name is Sophia and I am a shopaholic. 

I have been labeled a spender, I can't seem to walk into a store without coming out with something. 

"A man will never love you or treat you as well as a store. If a man doesn't fit, you can't exchange him seven days later for a gorgeous cashmere sweater. And a store always smells good. A store can awaken a lust for things you never even knew you needed. And when your fingers first grasp those shiny, new bags... oh yes... oh yes." - Rebecca Bloomwood in Confessions of a shopaholic

When I walk into a store and run my hands along those garments, I feel calm and collected. "That moment. That instant when your fingers curl round the handles of a shiny, uncreased bag—and all the gorgeous new things inside it become yours. What’s it like? It’s like going hungry for days, then cramming your mouth full of warm buttered toast. It’s like waking up and realizing it’s the weekend.  Everything else is blocked out of your mind. It’s pure, selfish pleasure" - confessions of a shopaholic 

You turn your head and you feel your heart melting, racing, an intense feeling of happiness rushes through you - that's the feeling most people get from a boyfriend or girlfriend or just a certain person they're in love with - me that's what I get when I see clothes, I don't have to go through the heart ache of being in love with 'someone' when i'm in love with 'something'.

Shopping is how I make myself feel better. When I'm upset or frustrated all I want to do is shop. And we're meant to do what makes up happy right? 

Shopping gives me a sense of control in a world full of chaos

And that's why I'm a shopaholic 

- Soph x 

Style Inspiration

I feel as though it is time for another style inspiration as I have been lacking in ideas for what to wear at the moment, here in NZ it is starting to get rather cold but we still have mostly sunny days, so here are some good ideas for May into June

I'm loving these skirts this season - i have one from H&M

A classic outfit, good for spring/autumn and winter 

Stripes never go out of style 

Brighten up an outfit with a colorful clutch

- Soph x 

Be The Better You

1. If you like someone, wait.
2. Give lots of compliments, even if you’re shy. Everyone else is too.
3. Change. Get a haircut, try new perfume, get new sheets. Become better than you were before.
4. Eat healthier. Learn to cook something fancy.
5. Get up earlier and watch the sun come up.
6. Wear soft clothes, take a bath, drink something warm.
7. Meet someone new, even just a friend.
8. Become closer with your friends and your family. Call your mother. Cry with your best friend. Tell everyone how much you appreciate them.
9. Keep your room clean. Buy some candles. Let the natural light in. 
10. Make a list of reasons why you’ll be better off without them. Believe they are true, because they are. 
11. Listen to new music. 
12. Write everything you’re thinking and feeling. Write letters. Write happy letters, sad letters, and angry letters, even if you’re never going to send them.
13. It’s okay to be sad, but not forever. Sadness is not as beautiful as music makes it seem. Lack of sleep makes your eyes droopy, not deep. Wake up every morning and tell yourself you’re going to have a good day.
14. Go to the library. Don’t forget to look in the music section. 
15. Remove them from your life. Get rid of the things they gave you if they make you sad. They’re not worth it. You will never be happy if you continue to hold on to the things that make you sad.
16. Make new memories.
17. Try to find something to appreciate in everything you do or experience.
18. Being alone is okay, you don’t have to surround yourself with people. 
19. Become your own best friend. Buy yourself coffee and drink it alone in a cafe. Take your time. 
20. Learn to love every bit of yourself.

*source: http://skinnyknees.tumblr.com/

I really hope you all have a great week, email me if you need anything, 
you beautiful, talented, kind people
- Soph x 

Self Flattery

I myself can be quite an un-modest person when it comes to flattering ones self. But, it's really not that bad of a quality to have. It's not healthy to never compliment or flatter yourself.

If you're wearing a really nice outfit, with some nice makeup you should look in the mirror and say "well hello there, what's your name" "you look so good" "looking fab" "dayummm". If you're really good at something you should say "hell yes I'm good at this".

Sometimes when someone compliments you, saying something like "you look stunning" don't deny it, reply with "i know". Flattering yourself isn't being selfish, it isn't boasting, it's appreciating the beautiful, amazing person that you are?

- Soph x

Study Tips

So, i'm not sure about you but for me I have my mid-year exams coming up in a couple of weeks and it's study time again. If you're anything like me, you may be constantly distracted, find it hard to focus and have 100 other things going on, so I think I may be able to help myself at the same time as helping you (I hope). I've been thinking over study tips and here's some of what I came up with, but before I write anything you may do things differently to me, i'm not a study expert.

Gather Resources 
First things first, you need to collect the resources you need. Here's what I propose, write up a table like the one below,

For each subject write what the exam is on, then in the next column write what resources you need, then in brakets write what you need to do in order to get those resources. I think that this really helps you feel well organized and you don't have to waste time printing etc..

Create A Study Timetable 
Before I began studying I went to Kiki K and got a 'weekly planner' to use as my study timetable, for each day I have written what subjects i'll be studying, the length of time and what i'll be studying for that subject, as well as writing in other commitments like dance, running, social things. I think a study timetable is sort of essential to studying, even if you change things, for example I had it down to do a half hour of business, but I ended up needing about 50 minutes.

This is my study timetable, as you can see i've circled my other commitments in green and bullet pointed study things in pink and the orange arrows are breaks.

Good Study Environment 
Everyone is different, you may prefer to study in your room rather than a study or at the dinner table rather than your room but there are some things that are the same. Be somewhere with little to no distractions, if there are lots of people and noise you won't be able to focus similar to if there is a TV on or if you have facebook or instagram open. Personally, I study downstairs at a desk in the kitchen/lounge area, my family is down here but they tend to leave me be or keep quiet when I study.

Sleep
So I always used to be the sort of go on my laptop until 11.00 pm sort of a person, until i went to France for 3 weeks and went straight to bed every night and got out of the habit and I can tell you - it helps so much. Getting to sleep before 10.30 makes me feel so awake and generally more positive throughout the day so getting an earlier night is beneficial overall as well as for studying, taking in and memorizing information.

Eating
Don't starve yourself when it's study time, don't go on a no carb, no sugar, no protein diet because you need all of that in order to firstly sustain a healthy diet unless you've got all the facts, but you need it in order to learn and study properly. To start of the day eat a healthy but more satisfying breakfast, followed by snacks at break times, a fulling lunch and an afternoon snack followed by dinner. You should be eating 5 meals a day when it's study time. Here's some suggestions:
Breakfast:
- Muesli + fruit + yogurt
- Egg + toast 
- Wholegrain toast + penut butter 
- Smoothie (make sure you have banana and protein powder in there) 
Lunch:
- Roll/sandwich/wrap + protein + vegetables 
- Pasta 
- Salad + protein 
- Hummus + pita + vege sticks 
Snacks:
- Fruit/fruit salad/fruit platter 
- Vege sticks + hummus
- Muesli bar
- Mixed nuts + dried fruit 
- Dark chocolate 
- Popcorn 
- vita-weak crackers
- Slices of cheese 

Water
Stay hydrated you can't function properly without water, you need to drink at least 2 bottles a day, I possibly drink a bottle a class - possibly because i'm sicks. A nice thing to add to your water if you're not so fond of drinking a lot of it is a fresh squeeze of lemon or lime.

Exercise 
I don't know about you, but I can't sit down for 5 hours and do solid study, I have to get up and move around for a bit. Either put on some very loud music and do a bit of dancing around the house, go to the gym, do some yoga inside or outside, go for a run or walk, just do something other than study a few minutes or even an hour. This will refresh you a little bit and allow you to stretch your limbs, making it easier to get into the next task - I would suggest not watching TV or a movie because you may just get drawn in and not feel like continuing to study.

Ask
If you come across something you have no idea about or are unsure of, don't just sit there or leave it, go ask or email your teacher and continue asking until you finally understand, because I bet that thing will come up in the exam/test? Friends are also good to ask, and if you're asked, do your best to answer because it will also help you thorough your understanding

Stay Positive  
Panicing and having a nervous break down is not the best option, if you're very stressed, are drowning in your study or are very confused, you need to take a deep breath, get some fresh air and either look at it again or get help. If you think you're going to fail or you're not going to get it, you most probably won't, so stay positive and as cheesy as it is, believe in yourself.

So there are some study tips, I'm sorry I haven't posted a lot but i've been incredibly busy, I still have an April favorites to post! But if any one is stressed or is lost, or just needs someone to talk to, you can always email my, it's confidential if you want, just type 'confidential' in the subject bar
sophrosed@gmail.com 

Happy studying!

- Soph x