"Were Off To See The Wizard..."

Yesterday I achieved a goal of mine that I've wanted to do for over 4 years, I finally saw the musical Wicked :D

I don't own this image nor do I claim to, I got it off Google Images just for use in this post

Ever since I first heard about this incredible story, I've been eager to see this stunning performance for myself. I was given the opportunity to see it after my friend Natalie got her Mum to book tickets for herself, Natalie, me, Kitty and Jess in the Grand Tier of the Palace Theatre in Manchester. Until now, the show was only performed in London in the UK, and because I don't live anywhere near London, I've never had the chance to see it :(

This amazing musical was (is currently) being performed at the Manchester Palace Theatre, as at the moment, the show is touring the UK and Ireland. Natalie's Mum picked us all up at around midday so that we could get to the 14:00 performance. We managed to arrive with a bit of spare time so picked up some lunch and then made our way to the Palace Theatre :D I got so excited as the whole street was lined with signs and posters like these :D

Sorry for the bad quality! They were taken on my iphone whilst walking :L

Unsurprisingly, the merchandise stands were overwhelmed when we arrived, so I just bought a program (I needed something to remember it by!) and decided with the others to have a better look after the show. Once sat down we waited for it to begin :D As you can imagine, at this point I was in complete awe and simply couldn't believe I was about to see Wicked :D

Wicked Selfie haha :D

By the interval we were all left speechless (me and Jess especially, Defying Gravity had us almost crying). The acting was flawless and their voices/singing was even better ;D The special effects were as promised and spectacular! You could really tell how much effort had gone in to this production and I can't recommend enough you go and see it :D

Do you think I look excited? ;)

Wicked is phenomenal. Simply phenomenal. Everything about it worked and I don't think you could ever watch "The Wizard Of Oz" again without remembering the untold twists shown in Wicked ;D I would absolutely love to go and see it again but sadly my Dad and Brother are really tall and since I felt uncomfortable with the little leg room, I'm sure they wouldn't even be able to get in :( Blogger meet up to see Wicked anyone? You can see the trailer here!

Like I said before, if you can go and see it please do! It is such a fun thing to go and see, and it's something the whole family (or anyone) can have a good time watching :) Oh! I almost forgot about the merchandise! In the end I didn't get anything else, although I really wanted a jumper but they were £35 and even though I could afford one, the queues were huge and I felt bad making the others wait. I was also tempted to get the album but they were £16 whereas I could order it off Amazon for £6. Again, blogger meet up to see it? (I need a jumper haha :D)

Have you ever seen Wicked? What did you think? Have you been to see any other musicals?

Please leave me a comment below, I always reply and I'd love to hear from you :) Please follow me on my social media accounts (buttons at the side) and please follow me on GFC (at the side).

Thanks for reading this post  :)

James

Designer Wishlist!

Hello All!

With LFW recently taking place, my desire for designer has only grown stronger :( Personally, I would never want to wear head to toe designer, I think having style isn't about just wearing labels. But anyone who says they wouldn't like to own a few designer things is telling porkies (that's my English-ness coming through :D). Having nice things is something people enjoy, and fashion is no exception...

*I don't own any of these images and have only used them for this post*

1. Topman Cropped Jacket & Trousers- I know Topman isn't classed as designer, but the brand did have it's own show at LFW and created quite a bit of hype about it. I absolutely love, this white cropped jacket :D I think it's stunning, and the trousers were featured consistently throughout the show (I loved them in every outfit) :) I don't know whether I'd be able to pull these off, but I just think they're fantastic. :D

2. Burberry Spotted Snood- These were in their LFW S/S 14 Menswear show and I want one soooo much! This one in particular actually! I love snoods and Burberry's spotted version looks fab, plus the contrasting blue and green looks great. Perfect for any season, weather or occasion :D

3. Mulberry Chocolate Hand Rolled Messenger Bag- I saw this on their website quite a while ago, and I still really want it :D I think it's gorgeous and the "creased grain effect" from hand rolling it works really well  :) Also, a three postman lock has been added which gives the bag the classic Mulberry look . What else can you ask for?

4. Alexander McQueen God Save McQueen Scarf- I can't get over how amazing this scarf is! Seriously, I love the British flag alone, but if you add Alexander McQueen to it= Wow. Sadly though it's price is £445 on Mr Porter :(

5. Alexander McQueen Wool and Cashmere Blend Peacoat- I love peacoats :) I really want one, and this Alexander McQueen version really stood out for me :D The colour is magnificent (big word there) and I love the contrast between the colour of the buttons and the colour of the coat.

What designer items do you really want? :)

Please leave me a comment as I love, love, love talking to readers and I always reply :)

Thanks for reading :)

James

P.S Please follow me on GFC (Sidebar), Twitter, Instagram & Bloglovin ;)

What's In My School Bag!

Hello All!

If you follow me on Twitter then you'll know that earlier today I was reading a few blogs where they wrote apologies for not having the time to post much. I completely understood how they were feeling as school (and I'm sure work as well) is so stressful and busy :( I wasn't planning on posting this today but I'm determined to blog more regularly. Blogging makes me so happy, and I love talking to readers and bloggers :) I'm already meeting new people through blogging who have been nothing but kind to me and I really hope this blog and myself can continue to grow with your support :)

Now, on with the post! A while ago, @Itsjayly replied to my rather desperate tweet asking for blog post ideas :L I do have lots of ideas for posts but I'm always anxious that my readers won't like them :L Luckily however, Jaouaher suggested one I've really wanted to do for a while now! :D A 'What's in my school bag' post :) I love watching and reading YouTubers and Bloggers 'What's in my bag' videos :D I think they're so interesting and they always manage to inspire me (and add a few things to my shopping list!)

Firstly, the bag. for school, I use my 15" Batchel from The Cambridge Satchel Company. I think the colour is currently called vintage but I'm sure it was just called classic when I bought it (confused face). I first heard about this amazing brand through watching the (often repetitive) Google chrome advert. The advert depicts the companies rise to fame, from her daughter suggesting her mum should start making leather satchels, to clips of these stunning bags at fashion shows and on elle.com. After seeing the advert consistently for a while I visited their website and fell in love. All of their designs are gorgeous, and each bag is made from fine English leather :) I love everything about this company, and I can't recommend enough that you check out their website/shop (just click on their name above). They also have a YouTube Channel where you can see videos about how the bags are made, and how the brand became such a success. I'm already rambling again ;D

My Mum and Dad very kindly gave me this...last Christmas? I still love it so so much, and I'd love to get another one (I'm obsessed with the Classic 15" Oxblood, I need it haha ;D). 15" is the biggest size you can get, so I thought for school, the bigger the better! It has a small pocket on the front of the bag which is ideal for keeping keys, phone, wallet, mirror, all that kind of stuff. The inside of the bag is just a large compartment, which you fill with whatever you want. This bag is perfect for any use really and as well as using it for school, I frequently wear it on shopping trips to places like Liverpool and Manchester.

Finally, whats in the bag. (I'm sorry if I'm rambling too much).

The basics- These are what I keep in the front pocket: Keys, M&S Lip Balm (I get really dry lips), Mirror, Comb ('s), Anti-Bacterial Hand Gel (You'd be amazed at the amount of chewing gum under school desks).

Body Sprays- I could not imagine coming to school without some sort of body or deodorant spray. After P.E or even if it's just super hot, I like to smell nice :) I usually get this out of my bag a few times a day to top up as my school uniform consists of shirts, blazers, black trousers, ties etc. and they are all clothes which make me both uncomfortably warm, and stop me from cooling down reasonably quickly. These sprays tend to change quite a bit as I don't have certain shops where I live so I can't buy my favourites all the time, but I am currently using (perhaps) my absolute favourite spray ever! I recently went to Liverpool for a shopping trip (here's my post about it) and whilst there, purchased these Hollister Manhattan sprays. I love them so much! Their scent is so fresh, and they smell completely natural.

Fragrance- Again, this changes quite a lot. I am currently using DKNY Men, as my Mum very kindly bought me this on an amazing deal on Escentual. I love the brand DKNY. The clothes are so bright and colourful, and everything about the brand screams New York. The description of the fragrance made me want it even more by stating "Take the energy and spirit of the streets of New York. Combine with the freshest, cleanest elements on earth. The result is Urban Clean. Masculine. Full of Life.". The description also includes "DKNY Men is the perfect complement to it's female counterpart, DKNY Women". This made me want it even more because my Mum had recently bought the women's version (a few weeks before I got the men's version) and it smelt incredible! The Men's and Women's smell gorgeous and if you'd like to check them out this is the men's (although this gift-set is better, as the whole gift set which includes a 50 ml fragrance and body wash costs less than 1 50 ml fragrance, see the price difference and you'll be amazed), and this is the women's.

School Essentials- These are all pretty basic for school: Pencil Case (got it from Blott, such a cool/creative store for stationary!), Maths Set, and Scientific Calculator.

Umbrella- I was kindly given this among other things (like a Gucci Notebook!) when I finished my work experience at Boots (This is my post about it). The umbrella is by/from Joop and I try to take it with me everywhere (rainy England ;D). It opens and closes by pressing a button!



Hair Styling- I've only recently started taking this to school so that if my hair goes a bit odd or if it's windy then I can attempt to fix it, apart from that there's not much else to say :)

Soap&Glory Hand Food- This is the brands famous hand cream :D I know of soooo many bloggers and YouTubers who use (and adore) Soap and Glory. It's a fantastic brand and the packaging is always so fun and vintage. I use this because as it says on the packaging, its non-greasy. I've used so many hand creams that just make my hands look greasy and oily, but this one makes my hands look healthy and moisturised :) Another great thing about this product (I don't know how it does it), is that if I've got quite oily hands at the time when I use it, I've found it actually makes my hands look matte?! I don't know how that works but it's amazing :)

The rest is just stuff like Coursework, Exam Stuff, Lunch and Water :) I really hope you've enjoyed this post! Please let me know If I have rambled in the comment section below (I really hope I haven't!) and if you've enjoyed this post and/or like my blog, please follow me on Twitter, Bloglovin and Instagram (there's buttons in the sidebar). It would also mean an incredible amount to me if you would follow me on GFC (its in the sidebar).

Thanks for reading :)

James

Shopping Haul & Deafened By A Stranger...

Hello All!

On Saturday I went to Liverpool with three of my friends for a day of shopping, and if you follow me on Twitter then you'll know how stressed I am with the amount of work to do. Even though I'm in high school, I've just started my final year and have been plunged right into the deep end with coursework and exam revision.

I always heard people moan about how stressful Year 11 was for them, but because I had never experienced it I didn't think there would be so much work...that was a shock. But! It's something everyone has to go through and I'm sure it will all be worth it in the end :)

Usually my friends and I go to Manchester to shop at the Arndale Center, but during the summer I had my first shopping trip in Liverpool which was fantastic. I think there's so much more on offer as the high street seems endless and that's without mentioning Liverpool One! I've been there twice now and still haven't seen most of it! My friends mum told me that she liked Liverpool because of how there was so much to see, and boy was she right.

To kickstart my recount of the day, I'll start with the fun experience we had at the train station.

One of my friends arrived a bit late and got to the train station minutes, before the train was scheduled to leave. Those of us who were there had already bought our tickets and agreed that me and my friend Lucy should go and find the right platform. The short version is that after much breathless running, we ended up on multiple wrong platforms. My other friend then rang me to ask where on the train we were, I panicked. Turns out, after all of the platforms we'd been on, none were right! By the time we got to the right one, they were on the other side of the doors and the doors were locked...oh dear.

The next train was 20 mins later so we waited and when it was scheduled to arrive, a man who worked there started shouting that everyone who wanted a train to Liverpool had to go to platform 12 - it had changed again. After reminding myself that there's more than one train station in Liverpool, I decided to ask the man whether it was to Lime St station. The man then bore down on me and bellowed "LIVERPOOL", and so after being deafened by a stranger me and Lucy did finally get on the right train. 

To worsen things, there was football match going on and the train was filled with men who were either severely drunk, or on their way to be. They were all shouting and swearing and all me and Lucy could do was look down and play Candy Crush. Finally reunited with our friends and with the sun shining, we all set off for the high street.

Hollister

I'm not a fan of hollister clothing and I only own one item of clothing from there which is a jumper that I bought ages ago. But their deodorants don't compare to any others. They smell incredible (my favourite is Manhattan Beach)! Their usually £12 each (so expensive!) but their always on a 3 for £24 deal= 1 free!

P.S I just have to say that the guy serving us at the till thought me and my friends were all University students and I'm only 15!

Primark

I've mentioned on twitter and my blog (I think) that I've been to Primark in 2 different cities multiple times and haven't found anything I liked. This time however, I did find 2 items I liked. Last time I had gone to Primark was a few weeks ago in Manchester and again, couldn't find anything. But I did see this Anchor Jumper on a mannequin and it looked great! Even though I loved how it looked I didn't buy it in Manchester, but after seeing them in Liverpool in the Autumn fashion section I had to get it. I also bought this T-Shirt as it was the first thing I saw and it's got a British flag on it - thats probably the main reason I bought it actually ;)

Topman

If you read my Birthday Post then you'll know I was kindly given a gift-card for Topman by my friend Kitty (Thank you kitty!). I ended up only spending a bit of the gift card, and getting these two things as most of the Jewelry was on sale for £1! I've seen lot's of collar tips online and am so glad I finally have a pair! I also love this bracelet - each 'token' (if you like) has an image of either a ship, anchor, lighthouse or what me and my mum think is a porthole. If you're near a Topman then definitely take a look!

I hope you've enjoyed reading this post and I really hope I haven't rambled too much! Please let me know what you thought of this post in the comments as I love hearing from readers and I'll always reply :) Also please follow me on GFC, it really means a lot :) And please follow me on all of my other social media sites (there's buttons beneath my picture), Thank you :)

Where do you like going shopping? Have you ever been to Liverpool?

James

My Autumn Wishlist!

Hello All!

It feels like I haven't blogged in ages! Which is ridiculous as I just published a new post! I recently went back to school to begin my final year (actually about 7 months :D) of high school. Since I've been back (for a couple of days) I've already been bombarded with coursework and essays/assessments :'( These next 7 months are gonna be reallllyyyyy stressful so I apologise if I don't blog as much. I will  post at least once a week, although I will aim to post 2-3 times a week if possible :) So please keep reading/checking my blog, I promise I've not stopped!

Anyway, I'm going off the subject. It's AUTUMN!!!! :D Actually I don't think it is yet...is it? I read somewhere that it starts in mid-October or something? I hope that isn't true. Autumn is my favourite season (check out my About Me page to find out why!), and I am soooo excited for it! I've read a lot of other bloggers posts and like me, they're excited for the wardrobe changes! We all love some sun and the warmth, but this past Summer in England has been scorching! I can't wait for the colder weather (Coats, Snoods, Scarves, Boots....ahhhhh) and I am seriously craving some new items.

1. Knit Jumpers- That picture is of my own jumper (which I love!) and cannot stop wearing :D Autumn is the time for knit jumpers, for both men and women. I got this one from George for about £10 earlier this year, and I reallllyyyyyy want some more like this! I can't seem to find any like this one though :( These are ideal for practicality and looking stylish. They're really on trend and are great for keeping you warm for long walks (Again, my About Me page describes my love of Autumn walks). If anyone can help me with finding jumpers like this one, please leave me a comment or tweet me :)

2. Boots- Boots are super on trend this Autumn (have they ever not been?) and I'm desperate for some new ones! I've used these Dr. Martens as an example, as I can't put in to words how much I want these Tattoo boots :( My only problem is that they're £120 and I'm a 15 year old without a job...however, I do have some birthday money and with a bit of saving I might be able to afford them, hmphhhh :L I'm not sure whether to get more jumpers, or these shoes? Please leave me a comment saying which you think!

3. I know weather is a bit of a weird thing to put on a wishlist, but I really want this kind of Autumn weather. When the air is chilly (but it's still sunny) and the floor is covered in leaves with warm golden shades. My ideal thing to do this Autumn (or fall, depending where you're from) is to have a long walk in a park with lots of big trees and leaves everywhere :D I know it sounds so cliche, but it's perfect to me :) There's a large area near where I live that's huge and its filled with a lake and trees.....ahhhhh. If I do go for a walk there (which I'm determined to do), I'll definitely be posting some photos!

I know that was a short wishlist, but I thought it would be nice to post about it anyway :) I hope you've enjoyed reading this post! Please follow me on twitter and Join This Site at the side :)

James

Birthday Meal With Friends...

Last Sunday I invited my friends over to my house for a birthday meal/celebration (Party doesn't sound like the right word!). Usually for our birthdays, we go out to restaurants like Frankie & Bennys. But last year and this year I've had my birthday meal at my house :) My friends and I go out for meals for nearly all of our birthdays and for 15 year olds without jobs that can put a strain on our pockets (as well as our parents!), meaning an in-expensive night like this was both helpful and fantastic :) We had a really nice time and ate a lot of food :D

Whilst everyone was arriving we spent time on the trampoline as well as talking and catching up with each other :) Afterwards we all sat down for a barbecue, followed my roasting marshmallows on a fire, chocolate fondue with fruit and marshmallows, Eat & Mess (Meringue, Strawberry's & Cream) and finished with a chocolate birthday cake! (thanks Mum & Dad!). It's safe to say we were all extremely full (and tired) by the end of the night :D 

My friends were so kind and gave me birthday presents, all of which are pictured below (I also received some money but I thought it was pointless photographing it). I have used photo editing to make the pictures brighter and to make the colours stronger!

I'm still in awe that I was given this as a birthday present! :D Two of my friends recently went to London to attend Summer In The City! It's an annual event in the UK where YouTubers can meet their fans/subscribers. I am a massive fan of quite a few YouTubers so I really wanted to go! Sadly though, I didn't manage to book tickets in time :'( However! My friend Josh managed to get me an autograph from (possibly) the first ever YouTuber I started watching...Jim Chapman! Josh has his own blog and YouTube Channel so please check those out! Also click here & here to go to Jim's different YouTube channels!

Thank You so much Lucy!!!!! I was so excited to get this as I've wanted it ever since I saw it in Tanya Burrs YouTube video :D

I thought this gift-set was so cool :D

I got this from my friend Jessica haha :D 

All these pics below are of how my garden looked for that night :) They weren't taken on the night as there was so much to do and it was just manic!

Please excuse how odd I look haha :D The collar suits me don't cha' think? ;D

I am incredibly lucky to have such an amazing group of friends and I want to say thank you to:

Niki

Kayy

Jess

Kitty

Trisha (Sophia)

Lydia

Anna

Josh

Lucy

Emma

for coming on Sunday and for anything else I've forgotten to thank you for :)

I hope you liked this post! Please leave me a comment, Join This Site (at the side) and follow me on Twitter :) I really hope everyone has had a nice summer, and I hope everyone is having a good time back at school, college or University :)

James