Playing Dress Up Never gets Old

As you may have noticed my blogs have taken a little detour down Fashion Avenue recently. This is because after 9 months my soul simply cannot take strictly office attire for five days a week! I never thought that these word would leave my mouth but I actually miss working in Retail! Wow... there it is, those words that I vowed never to say. But to hell with it, the truth is what it is.

Although working set times every day is great because you know exactly what time it is when the clock strikes 5 every day, or the fact that you don't have to deal with some arsey customer with ridiculous expectations, or with that floor manager that takes their job WAY too seriously, or being greeted by the occasional little pleasant little surprise in the fitting room i.e shit, piss or spunk! (yes there some down right nasty mother suckers in this world who do this shit!). Even though working in retail requires thick skin and a lot more physical work than being sat behind a desk 35 hours a week I can't help but miss it.

I've always enjoyed meeting new people and retail was the perfect place for this, I met all kinds of people, I met beautiful people, smelly people, demanding people and friendly people I even met Amy Winehouse back in her good days when she wasn't slurring about the place, and I built up relationships with regular shoppers which always made work pleasant on bad days, even if there were a little crazy.

By not being in this environment I've realised how much it used to inspire me! Everyone had a story and everyone had a style and on top of that I got to admire and touch beautiful clothes all day. I used to be the Joke of the Accessories team or as we liked to call ourselves... The A team! I used to reserve so much clothes, but it always started as one item and each and every time I would explain what jeans, skirt, top, shoes and accessories would go with that one item! I didn't even realise I did this until they told me! What can I say I always saw the vision.

So now not working in this environment I often feel uninspired in so many areas of my life as I'm lacking variety. I go shopping all the time but it's no use as I end up buying killer heels and clothes that are way to casual or special for the office, so they end up sitting in my wardrobe, on my wardrobe doors, on the back of my door and hidden in my Dads room because I have little time to wear them and little space to keep them.

But today I have been going out of my mind with boredom as I am sick and house-bound! So I decided to play dress up! and who knew that a 24 year old girl would have so much fun doing so!

It brought back memories of my sister and I when we were little playing dress up in my moms old clothes and shoes that she used to keep in a lovely wicker basket for us both to play with. I remember dressing up all the time in my sisters room and wearing my moms amazing 80's pink and purple leather pointed stilettos, but I think I grew a bit wary of the Purple pair as I remember barley being 4 years old and attempting the stairs in a size 5 pair of stilettos, with my dolly in my arms which of course resulted in me taking a tumble down the stairs which my mom found absolutely hilarious and could barley comfort me through her laughter! I have no shame in saying that I strongly disliked her for a while after that because I remember thinking "if my Daddy was here he would never have laughed at me!".

But let's get back to today. As I said dressing up was so much fun and really got my creative juices flowing, you see I have a Hen party to go to next week with a killer theme (which I'm not sure if I can reveal at this stage.. But don't worry I will report back, maybe not everything but I shall be reporting something!) Anywho it's funny how the things that you do as kids are still so much fun when you grow up but can also work out to to become a career, hobby or the odd project here and there.

After my stylish afternoon I no longer feel bad about all the clothes that I have and all the space that they take up, I could dress a whole female sports team with the clothes that I own and I take great pleasure in knowing that they would look damn good too.

I still miss retail but not as much as I did before playing dress up! although it was a fun and inspiring environment to work in, it isn't one that I necessarily need to go back into to feel inspired .

If you're anything like me and sometimes feel uninspired, I suggest you try doing something that you enjoyed doing as a kid, no matter how silly it may be, you'll never know what you get from it, after all kids do have the best imaginations, so get in touch with you inner child and get inspired maties!


Image: Sourced from Goolge

Love Sara (A Little lady who STILL loves playing dress up!) xxxx

Happy Father's Day Dadio!

For the past couple of weeks we have constantly been reminded that Father's Day is upon us by the constant gift reminders of cheesy Father's Day compilation CD's or fragrances that all Dads should wear. But here is a priceless gift for all deserving fathers around the world... Love, Respect and Appreciation.

I feel that in today's world, society are too quick to focus on the absent fathers of the lost and found youth, to focus mother's who raise their children single handedly with out a daddy in the home. But what about the Father's that raise their kids without a mommy in the home?
Believe it or not there are men out there who do this and do it well!

In this world we tend to believe that because a woman has all the right parts to carry her babies for nine months at a time and bring them into the world that this automatically makes her a fantastic mother that cannot and will not fail, but the reality of it she can and sometimes she does. As sad as it is... it happens the same as it does with males.

At the age of eight my parents separated, but instead of taking the whole court room route they decided to sit both my sister and I down and ask us who we wanted to live with and without a split second of hesitation we both said "Dad!!" Now a lot older and wiser I now have a greater understanding of how heart breaking this must have been for my mom to experience her only two children choose to live with their daddy and not the person who brought them in to this world. Only now sixteen years later I can understand that magnitude of my decision, but I can proudly and confidently say that I have no regrets.

You see I always have been and I always will be a 'Daddies Girl'. It's because of the the love, support, respect and encouragement of my papa that I have become the young woman that I am today and have learnt to never settle for less than what I deserve in life or love!

Sure it was hard growing up without a woman in the house 24/7 but my dad did the best he could do and played both mom and dad all day everyday, always making sure that we never went without, even when that meant him going without.

I think it's safe to say that Dad you've done alright! I might have a bit of a potty mouth but other than that me and our kid ain't half bad!

So here's to you Dadio and all you other super Dad's out there who truly would give your whole world to make sure that your kiddie winks feel your love!

Happy Father's Day Dadio!xx

Day Dreaming All Summer Long

As our British summer is more than likely already over after those one and a half glorious bank holidays that weekends we had back at the end of April, I've had no choice but to allow my mind to drift to destinations all over the world where I would love to spend my 2011 summer.

There is nothing in this world that I love to do more than travel and admire great style! Seriously, this year is extremely depressing for me as the only holiday I have booked so far is to Lisbon to re-kindle a past love affair that we once had. Not that I'm not looking forward to it or anything but I was there twice last year and although I know I'll have a blast, I can't but help wanting to experience some place new.

The summer months of July and August will be the hardest months of the 2011 for me as I will have to watch two of my best friends jet off to sunny Jamaica, NYC and the Bahamas, and watch my Dad and most of my family jet off to Thailand where they will shop till the fucking drop, eat to die for food and visit breath taking beaches. Although I've been to Thailand twice already a third time round would’ve been just as good. But this year I've decided that I should be a responsible adult. You see, I'm currently on a temporary work contract that's due to end around the same time that I would've been jetting off to Thailand on mi familia vacation, and if I had decided to go I know for a huge fact I would've spent all my survival savings on an great holiday and an overweight case full of denim and leathergoods and would've most likely retuned to the UK jobless. Although to me that sounds like a little piece of heaven (the suitcase part) I have to be realistic. Yes life is for living and great experiences that you can one day share with your grandkids, but at some point in your life you have to focus on your path and how to get there.

On more than one occasion I have saved up lump-sums of money travelled for a couple months and come back to no financial resources. To some people I sound like a complete brat! And to some extent maybe I am because each time I come home I have a loving family that always support me and make sure that I have a roof over my head and dinner on the table, but I try to be a responsible brat and it is for that exact reason that this so called responsible brat will not be going on the Augustus family vacay this year.
Instead I have decided to sacrifice the opportunity of travel this summer to sort myself out and figure out where in life I really want to be, and a part of that process is saving my ass off like there is no tomorrow so that when the penny drops, my train will be moving full steam ahead.
So as I will not be going on any luxurious holidays this summer, (Sad times or should I say hard times), here are just a few places that I shall be temporarily visiting in my mind!

Grand Canyon
Ever since 1997 when I first watched the film 'Fools Rush In' with the beautiful Salma Hayek and Friends Funny man Matthew Perry aka Chandler Bing, I begged my Papa-Bear to take me there as I was beyond fascinated and thought that I had to be one of the most peaceful places on the earth. Now a bit older I can imagine it's one of the touristy places on the earth! But I still plan to go there all the same.

Viva 'Las Vegas'
I believe that everyone has the birth right to get wild once in their life and if that means asking the big 'G' to close his or her eyes for a hot minute while you get down and dirty in Vegas then so be it!!
Growing up I never thought that one day I would want to go to Las Vegas as it always just looked like way too much electricity! But I have to say that before I kick the bucket I sure as hell will be getting down and dirty in Sin City! And what happens in Vegas will not stay in Vegas! What's the point if you can't share your most un-classy moments with your closet friends and familia!



Malaysia
When I was 15 years old I went to Thailand for the first time. As it would’ve been pure torture to do a direct flight form the UK we changed over at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Airport. As I only found out where I was going when we checked in at Manchester Airport I barely knew anything about of what part of the world I was going to and had no clue what to expect, so you can imagine that when we stopped off in Kuala Lumpur Airport and there was a flipping rain forest in the middle of it, that I knew I was on my way to some place special. Since then I have always wondered what lies beyond one of the most fabulous if not the most fabulous airport I have ever been in. so fast forward almost 10 years (Lord I'm getting old) and thanks to Gordon Ramsey Malaysia is right up there on my destination wish list.
The food looks amazing and the people seem as though they have an interesting humour that I could get down with, and on top of that I can have the best of both worlds! I could bring out my inner city side when having fun in Kuala Lumpur (Leaving my Ms. Jones side at home, because like Abu Dhabi Malaysia is not the place for my inner Samantha Jones to come out to play)




And then I can bring out my inner Mermaid when I want to switch it up and chill by the aqua waters of Pulau Perhentian Besar and Pulau Perhentian Kecil islands.




Monaco
A while back I had the most crazy dream, you know the one's where you’re in a familiar place that in reality is just not familiar?! Anywho in this wild dream of mine, my best amiga and I were living abroad and basically got kicked out of our apartment by our fat, sweaty naked landlord!...I have weird dreams, please don't judge me. So naturally we went on the hunt of a new place to stay (at this point in my dream I had no idea where we were, but as dreamers do... I just rolled with it). After roaming the streets of this un-familiar city we stumbled upon a little Harry Potter-esq shop and spent the whole night talking to the shop assistant. After a while my friend fell asleep and I ended up kissing this shop assistant who was quite a hottie might I add, when I suddenly thought "he's hot...I wonder where he's from?" and just like that, clear as day this beautiful banner appeared that read .... Monaco!!!

PURSUE YOUR ‘DREAMS’!

Love Sara (A little lady with a travellers dreams) xxx

Crisis of the Mid 20's!

At the age of 24 I am having a Mid life crisis or as I like to call it a 'Mid 20's Crisis'!! All the 'real' grown ups around me, i.e those aged 50 and above are always telling me "You're 24! You're still a baby!!" and I don't disagree, I have still have shit loads to learn in life and although life can be rough at times, dare I say I'm actually looking forward to it. But although I am excited to see what my future has in store for me, I have to admit that it's the present that I'm having trouble getting to grips with.

Everyone always tell you that your 20's are the best years, your young, fit, you have no responsibilities (Applicable to those who don't) and your tits and arse are still north of the hotness boarder, so you should be out there living life, having fun and having loads of hot sex with loads of hot guys! But here's the thing, you're 20's are also the first stage in you life where you experience the first drastic changes to your adult life!

Think about it you leave school and go on to higher education or start a career, at this stage in your life you're having a great time with your amigos, and making new ones along the way, you've had your first few doss jobs that have provided you with a little pocket money here and there for you to buy a new outfit for every Saturday night on the tiles, so by now you've started to get a taste of life as a young adult with control over your own future. Then as always time flies and before you know it you've graduated from uni and suddenly things begin to change, and the life that you lived simultaneously with your friends begins to diffuse as each of your life dynamics begin to alter. Everything all of a sudden becomes all serious, some of you get your first career break and get all Sex and the City for work, some of you fall in love, some of you have children and start a family, some of you get married and some of you move away. But then there's always that one little Duckling that wakes up one morning thinking 'what the fuck am I doing with MY life?!' Yes that little duckling is me!

As much as I hate to, I consider myself to be some what of a control Freak and for the past 5 months of my life I have had zero control!
Bottom line is.... 'My name is Sara and I am a Control Freak'..... and probably so are you!

No one likes it when their life takes a turn in the wrong direction. Sometimes these unfamiliar routes are exciting and fun, but some can also be quite dark and daunting and believe me no matter how tough you are, or how figured out you may be, you will most definitely feel yourself losing control as your life takes a turn down 'What The Fuck Ally'!!

Even if your only on 'What The Fuck Ally' for a short time it can often feel like a lifetime!
It's so hard to see past what your in while your in it. When you're happy it doesn't matter seeing past the moment that you're in because it feels so good right? But when your in a place that doesn't feel so good, you will knock at any and every door praying the that someone will open and let you back into 'normality' (whatever that may be).

After being lost on 'WTF Ally' for the past 5 months I asked my Dad the other day 'Does life ever get better than this?' he simply answered 'I remember feeling the way that you do, and things do get better, but you have to learn to enjoy all the other bits in between because you never know how long it'll last'.

So now that I'm starting to find my way back out of this Ally here's what I've learnt...

1. For the first time in a long time I have no idea what the hell I am going to do with my life! But instead of being terrified by this I'm learning to become excited by this! I have a blank canvas and a the whole world that contains a wealth of knowledge, cultures and beauty waiting to become elements of the vision that I will paint.

2. There's no point in trying to control things that you have no control over, let nature takes its course and understand that everything happens for a reason.

3. Change is a natural process of life, but change is also something that you can implement by your damn self! If you don't like something... do something about!

4. People are not always who or what they seem.

5. Love is Pain and Pain is Love.... Enjoy it!

6. Forgiveness is a must for the soul!

7. It's better to have a a few amazing friendships then to have a bunch of pointless friendships.

8. And Finally..... You never know what the future holds! (Cheesy but true)



Love Sara (A little lady with ???? dreams). xxxx