I'm baaaack! Again! And need your help... please.

pic from jollyoldengland.blogspot.com

OK, I know I'm pants to the max. There has been some serious blog-neglection on my part, and I'm not proud of it. Over the summer I was just hardly ever home thanks to travels and internships (hard life, I know) so could barely ever get to my blog. And then when everything started to calm down I didn't know where to re-start. In fact, I still don't. I'm starting uni in a week and a bit (which is both super exciting and somewhat daunting), my birthday's on Friday and have decided that I'm going to try and be a much better blogger. Promise! A little comment from one of my Twitter followers today (you know who you are!) has reminded me that lots of lovely people are actually still reading my posts (and hopefully finding them interesting!), and has prompted me to get the ball rolling again.

I've got about a kajillion things I want to tell you about, but quite frankly don't know where to start or which ones to blog about. So, dear readers, why don't you let me know from the list below what you'd most like to hear about. That way, I can skip the things that will bore you to tears, and tell you what you really want to know.

1. My first-hand travel guides (Paris, North Norfolk, the Algarve...)
2. My experience interning at a fashion PR company.
3. My experience interning at a weekly celeb mag (where my first ever article was published! *squeal*)
4. Thoughts on A-Level results and preparing for uni.
5. Recipes: from unbelievably easy sweet 'n' sour chicken to white chocolate cupcakes
6. My latest high-street picks!
7. How much I love being an English country girl in Autumn, and why.
8. More daily micropleasures.



Any excuse for a pic of this lot! And I know I'm a good 5 years older than their average fan. Meh. Who's your fave? We all have one...

9. My new found One Direction obsession - don't be ashamed if this is what you most want me to blog about, now...

And you know what there's probably loads more that will come to me when I'm lying in bed struggling to get to sleep, but that's all I can think of for now. So please, get in touch! Let me know what you really want to read about, lovelies - drop me a comment below, or tweet me @rachel_hosie. As a blogger, we want readers to get in touch. And thank to those of you who've stuck with stellarstudentstyle over my shameful absence.

Peace and love. x

2011's Daily Micropleasures - installment 10

Carrying on my daily little joys - the things we so often forget (especially amidst these awful, shocking riots) - that should make you smile. It's another biggie, as I haven't had time to write these up to my blog for aaaaagees. Here goes:

29th June - Playing childhood games. Hopscotch anyone?

She's clearly feeling pretty pleased with herself.

30th June - Cycling somewhere in the sunshine. And then feeling smug for being so eco-friendly.
1st July - A dog lying on your foot.
2nd July - When something isn't as bad as you'd thought it would be.
3rd July - Making plans with your friends.

4th July - Pampering yourself. Sing it with me: "I feel pretty! Oh so pretty..."
5th July - Being made to feel at home somewhere that's, well, not home.
6th July - When nail varnish comes off quickly and easily with remover. But hasn't chipped at all. Yes!
7th July - Unexpected free samples. Definite student win.
8th July - When you guess something in an exam then find out it was right.
9th July - When people appreciate all your effort.
10th July - Not being in a rush to get somewhere. I find this somewhat rare, to be honest.

so preeetty.

11th July - When you've made something neat and organised. And preferably colour-coded and in alphabetical order :)
12th July - Deleting enough emails so your inbox isn't nearly full. And you stop getting those annoying reminders!
13th July - Putting on fresh pyjamas.
14th July - Having your hair brushed.
15th July - Having the house to yourself. And thus the option to do a Phoebe (from Friends... who else?) and walk round naked if so desired.

Impressive indeed.

16th July - The first bite into a piece of chewing gum.
17th July - The "night before going on holiday" feeling.
18th July - Walking into an air-conditioned shop when it's hot.

19th July - Being really into a book.
20th July - Swimming in the sea. So much more fun than a pool, am I right?
21st July - When something lives up to its hype.

22nd July - Jumping into a pool on a hot day.

23rd July - Freshly squeezed orange juice. So. Good.
24th July - Forgetting the "real world" while on holiday.
25th July - Showering after coming back from the beach. Bye bye sand, hello clean.
26th July - Hair lightening in the sun.  And then being asked by everyone if you've dyed it and triumphantly stating it's natural.
27th July - When a good parking space frees up just as you arrive.
28th July - A cooling breeze on a hot day.

29th July - Making contact with friends after ages.
30th July - Coming home after a holiday. Hello, pink fluffy dressing gown of comfort.
31st July - When people notice your tan.
1st August - When you hear a passer-by say they like something you're wearing. My hot pink jeans, to be specific.
2nd August - Finding a cheap deal.
3rd August - When people are interested and ask about you.
4th August - Getting on well with a new person.

Do I hear a nom-diddly-nom?

5th August - Keeping up little traditions. I ALWAYS go out for Thai whenever I see one of my friends. And ALWAYS have the Pad Thai.
6th August - A catch-up with your friends over lunch. And feeling very civilised doing so.
7th August - Finally having the time to do something.
8th August - Wearing new make-up for the first time.
9th August - Clearing out old things. As hard as it is to let them go... *sniff*

And that, dear readers, brings us up to today! I hope that's cheered you up even just a little bit, and if you like it, why not check out my last lot of micropleasures here. Oh, and do comment with micropleasures of your own... I'd love to hear them :)

Finishing my fabulous fashion work experience at more! magazine

My epic card-making skills.

Working at more! has been such a fab insight. Today I got a peek in the beauty cupboard - oh god, I wish I had my own one at home – it’s full of pretty sparkly things, all lined up in colour order! Ahhhh… But geez I’ve been ready for bed – mentally and physically – by about 9pm every evening. It’s. So. Exhausting. How these ladies do it every day (and avoid looking like zombies) is beyond me. Nuff respect.

Sure, sometimes it can feel like as a fashion work experiencee you’re doing more tea runs, tidying and photocopying than anything fashiony or journalism-y… but then one of the fab ladies calls you an “assistant supremo” and you realize your free labour is appreciated, and you remember just how lucky you are to have this opportunity.

And as I sit here (yes, actually at a desk, as opposed to under an avalanche of clothes in the fashion returns corner!) in the office, I feel really positive about the past two weeks. I can’t deny that it’s been hard work, always desperately trying not to mess up but to make the best impression possible, but I’ve met some lovely, interesting people, and feel grateful for the whole experience. I’m sad to leave more!, but with experience and advice that money can’t buy as a result of my time here, I’m now uber excited about the future and what it might bring. Watch this space :)

[This blog was written by me but copied from more!'s tumblr page.]

Week two of fashion work experience at more! mag: fashion shoots!

Outifts laid out by moi for a shoot!

The rest of my first week here unfortunately has featured fewer celebs (after the excitement of last week’s Big Kiss!), but consisted predominantly of – you guessed it – fashion returns. However, these were interspersed with price checking, liaising with PRs (and getting a kick out of saying “Hello this is Rachel from more!”), tidying the crazy fashion cupboards (a mammoth task), packing clothes, unpacking clothes, getting deliveries and hanging up clothes. After my first week, I could have sworn that if I ever saw another clothes hanger I would cry. Needless to say, I have since encountered such hangers, and don’t panic, I held back the tears.

It’s brilliant working with the ladies whose fashion wisdom I read every week, but I’m struggling to keep up with the constant stream of freelancers, part-timers and interns coming and going. I didn’t realise quite how many people were involved with the mag, but I guess that’s what work experience is all about – learning what really goes on. I’m definitely learning a lot while at more!, one of the major new experiences I’ve had being assisting on a fashion shoot. Well two, actually. When I found out that I’d get to go on one I may have let out a little squeal. Getting to see the stunning models (making me feel like an ogre in comparison) transformed by such skilled hair and make-up artists, watching the photographers do their thing, and learning how to use a steamer (I now really want one myself!) has been invaluable. With out Diet Cokes in hand on set, I felt like I was on an ASOS advert… and was loving it.

Unfortunately, one of the other work experience girls had to leave half way through last week, but now her place had already been filled by a newbie – it seems it’s not hard to find fellow ambitious girls willing to work for free to get a foot in, leg up or kick start in their careers. Just makes me realise how much I need to make the most of this opportunity really… I wonder what the rest of this week will bring!

[This blog was written by me, but I have copied it from more!'s tumblr page].

more! mag fashion work experience - celebs, kissing and freebies!

L-R: just chillin with Frances and Fredrik from Made In Chelsea.

It would seem I’m very lucky with the week I’m here, because it was “More!’s Big Kiss” today! Apparently this sort of fun event isn’t a weekly occurrence (not that every day at more! isn’t a ball, I'm sure) so I was super excited, even if I didn’t really understand what the “Big Kiss” was, and was slightly scared about being made to kiss the face off some random stranger… However, there were free donuts, awesome T-shirts, and (minor) celebs – most of us work experiencees had a bit of a fit when we eventually got up the courage to talk to Made In Chelsea’s Fredrik and Frances! And we got a cheeky pic to make all our friends very jealous (mwah ha ha!)

Goodie bags!

Male models and Mickey Mouse. Standard.

Ballooons!

[This blog was written by me, but I have copied it from more!'s tumblr page].

more! mag fashion work experience - it begins!

I don’t need to remind you all of how difficult it is to get any job these days (the papers seem to be chock-a-block with new depressing stories of youth unemployment, day in day out – snooze) let alone in the media and fashion industries, so when this ambitious young thing found out months ago that she’d bagged a two week slot of work experience in the fashion department at more! mag (which I read every week without fail), I was unsurprisingly over the moon. Fast forward through a casual few weeks of finishing school (A-levels, shmay-levels, eh?), and Monday 4^th July had finally arrived.

After an early start to get the train down to London from the Midlands, a stressful tube journey and a sprint through Covent Garden (managing to resist getting distracted by the amazing shops nearby) with an awkward-sized (but very cute – pink polka dots!) suitcase, I arrived at more!’s offices, stomach full of butterflies. As I waited in the reception, mindlessly flicking through the new mag (the issue that hadn’t even gone on sale yet, whoop whoop!), two other stylish young ladies arrived and sat down next to me. I took the plunge and asked if they were here for work experience too, and they were. I hadn’t known whether to expect to be the only work experiencee, but it turns out there’s sort of a constant stream of us coming and going.

The more! offices have a lovely atmosphere, with lots of stylish ladies (and two lucky guys) beavering away at their desks. There’s also a communal food table in the corridor, which apparently is usually full of tempting cakes, chocolates and other random yummies, which I know I’ll fail to resist every time I walk past. I have no idea where all this food comes from (there were a load of random Danone Activias!), but if I worked here full time, I imagine I’d be obese within a matter of weeks. No joke.

Fashion returns, anyone?

After a quick tour, we were told to jump into our main job: the dreaded fashion returns (dun dun DUN!) I’m not going to sugar-coat it – fashion returns are tedious and not-exactly-interesting, but hey, we can’t complain. I know that everyone starts at the bottom, and all the fashion ladies that I majorly admire have done their fair share of fashion returns, so you just get on with it. And get on with it we did…

And that was day one! Exhausting, exciting and interesting… I can’t wait for day two!

[This blog was written by me, but I have copied it from more!'s tumblr page.]

Sorry I've been away... but here's what I've been working on!

I know I've been somewhat absent on the blog front for the past few weeks (and am reeeaaally sorry about it), but I've just been super duper busy working hard on my internships (and working less hard on holiday in Portugal! Well, I did work hard on my tan... that's for sure.)

My first work placement this Summer was in the fashion department at more! mag, and I was really excited that after reading this lil blog and my tweets, one of the senior ladies there asked me to write a a blog for their new tumblr page about my work experience, with the hope of making it a regular feature of their interns. I thought this was a fab idea, and was chuffed to be asked! I mean, who doesn't want to know what goes on behind the scenes at glossy mags?!

So I'm going to copy my blog for you from their tumblr to stellarstudentstyle... and you can check it out with all its pics on their page here. Enjoy, and let me know what you think :)

My iPhone broke, and I can't live without it!

Rest in peace, old friend.

Last weekend my iPhone broke. It just broke. I mean what is that!? I was pretty distraught to say the least. How was I going to survive without being able to Tweet, check Facebook and Instagram on the go? And how would I function without the use of the map, or my Tube travel app or *gasp* my "to do" list! Deep breaths...

"OK, don't panic", I told myself. I called my local Apple shop, and got an appointment for the following evening. "Phew... they'll replace it and everything will be back to normal. You can breathe again." Except it didn't go exactly to plan. Everyone I dealt with at Apple was charming, helpful and lovely... but that doesn't take away my disappointment from the result. The guy fully opened up my iPhone and checked the insides: everything's fine, apparently. He couldn't understand what was wrong. Basically, my iPhone no longer turns on - it just flashes up the apple sign for a few seconds, then goes off again. Not ideal, to say the least. I had gone in desperately hoping they'd just replace it for me for free... and maybe even get a cheeky upgrade. (Mine is the old 3G model, which, let's face it, is a bit passé). How wrong I was. Because mine is so old (I got it in January 2010), and it's waaaay past it's warranty, they can't just replace it... I have to pay £139. WHAT!? Not. Cool. I tried my best at charming the guy and made the most of  my poor student status, but alas, it was to no avail.

So that's basically my pants situation. I can't afford to pay £139 - I mean c'mon... a girl's gotta save for a Mulberry! Fortunately, I've only got a few months of my contract left until I'll be eligible for an upgrade (which I still may have to pay for), but until then, I'm stuck with this:

It's my dad's old phone. The screen is completely cracked. There is no internet access. It makes stupid noises. And after a week, I'm not happy. I know, I know... I shuld be glad that I have a phone at all. But once you're used to a smartphone, you can't go back to a normal phone! I didn't realise quite how much I relied on my iPhone before *sob* it left me. This week, I've had to use actual maps. As in on paper. Who does that?

So if anyone has a spare iPhone they'd like to throw my way, this poor poor student/unpaid intern would much appreciate it. :) Has anyone else had similar phone troubles? How will I survive!?

Fashion Work Experience at a London Based Women's Weekly Mag!

I may or may not have assisted at a fashion photoshoot...

Well this post pretty much does what it says on the tin... or what the title says anyway. I'm currently mid-way through two weeks of work experience in the fashion department of a certain weekly mag - which mag this is, I am not allowed to name. Oooh mysterious, eh...?

Anyway, I basically just wanted to let y'all know that because I have been super busy working my arse off doing super exciting fashiony things (along with some super tedious things, but hey, I can't complain) and commuting here, there and everywhere round London, I haven't had much time for blogging. I also may or may not have met the stars of a certain British reality TV show (and acted like a crazed fan, thus embarrassing moi-meme greatly). Sorry, dear readers. Bit pants, I know.

However, if people are interested, I'm sure I could post a wee blog all about said work experience at some point after I've finished... any takers?

Pic from here

K-Middy, Catherine Middleton, The Duchess of Cornwall: MY IDOL

What's not to love!?

Yes, whatever name you may use to refer to Prince William's new wife (personally, I prefer the friendly "Kate"... we're on first-name terms like that, you see), nothing can take away from her awesomeness. It's hard to put a finger on exactly what it is about Kate that makes her such a good role model for girls and women around the world, but the fact that she is such a good role model makes me love her even more. I'm going to have a peruse of what it is that I love most about Kate (seriously, Wills had better watch out!):

• Her classic, effortless elegance: Kate always looks classy and well put-together, and never EVER has a hair out of place. Most women will agree that this is a marvelous feat in itself. I genuinely think Cheryl Cole's role as L'Oreal lady could be under threat... although, Kate would never endorse a product, I'm sure. Whatever Kate wears sells out instantly, and I love the way she wears high-street pieces, then rewears them *gasp*, and champions British designers too. I'm particularly looking forward to seeing some snaps of Kate on her North America trip - she and Wills left for Canada today, and Kate's taken at least 30 possible outfits, so I hope we're in for some treats! She's a powerful lady, and could really help out British designers a lot by wearing their pieces abroad. Kate boarded the plane today boasting this Mulberry Polly Push Lock Tote in Midnight Shiny Grain (which will set you back a casual £895!), and je l'adore! (My Mulberry fund is a work-in-progress... Le sigh) And doesn't she look so chic!? Who doesn't want to be Kate right now!?
  

Kate with her Mulberry today

Another of my style icons is Gossip Girl's Blair Waldorf (oh, to be able to scheme like that!) and so I love the fact that she and Kate both wore this same Jenny Packham dress. Ironically, Blair wore said dress in an episode when she was about to become a Princess. Kate left hers in the original longer length than Blair did, and wore it to the Ark Charity Gala on 9th June this year. I love both ladies, but in my view, our Duchess wears it better!

Blair Waldorf and Kate both wearing Jenny Packham. What a waist!

• Kate is always composed: It's true that we haven't heard her say very much, but in a way that adds to her aura. It creates intrigue, and puts her on an altogether higher, angel-like level above us mere minions. Whenever Kate does make public trips, she is always charming and keen to get involved with everything. She and Wills just seem like such nice people! Am I the only one who kinda feels like they're my cousins!? Just look at how sweet Kate was when she met this seven-year old little girl on the recent Armed Forces Day! According to the Daily Mail, the little girl's mother said: "It was really daunting but Kate completely put [her] at ease". Awwww. Anyone else totally jealous?

Kate on Armed Forces Day

• Kate is "one of us": Except she's not, is she? Not in the slightest. But still, it's nice to think that Kate is "the people's princess", having slightly more modest roots than the rest of the royal posse - her mum used to be an air hostess. What's more, the Middleton family seem quite nice and normal to me. I feel lots of middle class families can somewhat relate to them. I also love anything to do with James and Pippa, but I guess Pippa in herself is a whole other blog post (what the hell is the big deal with her arse!? I've seen way better in my time. Don't get it...)

I'm now realising that it is EXTREMELY difficile to pinpoint exact reasons as to why I - and most of the world - love Kate so much. She just seems so lovely! Yes, that's it. She's utterly lovely, in every way. Can anyone think of another actual reason!?

Daily micropleasures of 2011 - installment 9

So we're about half way through 2011, and I'm definitely not running out of little micropleasures in my daily life. Here's the next installment to cheer you up:

3rd June - The taste of the milk at the end of a bowl of cereal.
4th June - When your biro writes extra smoothly having been in the sun.

90210's Shenae Grimes rocks it.

5th June - Doing the perfect topknot. Usually when you're not even trying, I find.
6th June -  When something you ordered online arrives. It's like being given a present... from yourself...
7th June - A chilled drink on a hot day.
8th June - Catching up with old friends.
9th June - When your family and friends are all supporting you.
10th June - Excitement after applying for something.

I think this women thinks she's an angel in heaven.

11th June - Getting into bed with enough time for a long read. And the subsequent dilemma: mag or book?
12th June - When a song comes on that completely reflects your mood.

Some of my granny's old jewellery.

13th June - Wearing something that used to belong to a relative. My late granny's vintage jewellery, for example.
14th June - The post-exam feeling. Wahoooooooo!
15th June - Getting a whiff of a nice smell as someone walks past.
16th June - When it's warm enough to walk home at night.

yum!

17th June - When fruit comes away from the stone easily. Like with a nectarine or a peach type of thing. It's rare, I find.
18th June - The first sip of a drink you love. Banana milkshake, anyone?
19th June - When the car you're overtaking slows down. Later, slowcoach!
20th June - Finding something you'd lost. Especially if it's one half of a pair!
21st June - When there's nothing hanging over you that you actually have to do.

I love these Edward Monkton designs.

22nd June - A "good luck" card. The little things that show people care.
23rd June - Booking holiday travel.
24th June - When you look at something and remember the story of when you got it.

Some beauties from my garden.

25th June - The smell of roses on a rosebush. It's just not the same once they're picked...
26th June -  A dog barking in its sleep. Never fails to amuse me.

Big-eared dogs are so cute!

27th June - A dog's ears flapping as it runs. My dog is like Dumbo - I imagine she'll take off into the air one day.

Awww

28th June - A dog chasing its tail. Mine is such an idiot, bless her.

And that brings us up-to-date, folks. As you can probably tell, I was thinking about my hilarious dogs towards the end there. Do your pets have any funny little traits you often take for granted? I hope that's brought a smile to your face, and don't forget to check out the last installment if you missed it.

Bridesmaids mini film review: JUST SEE IT!

Today I went to see Bridesmaids. It is simply the best film I have seen in my recent memory. That is not hyperbole, dear readers, I am being genuine. I know that everywhere you look there are rave reviews - from both critics and us normal folk - so I'm not going to tell you what it's about or bang on in detail... you know all that already. But I just want to reiterate that all the hype is justified.

I think the sign of a reeeaaally good film is one that goes down a storm with both critics and the public. Usually, I'm not put off by bad reviews because to be honest, I like films that make me feel good, have fun, and relax. I'm not ashamed of liking your classic cringey, unrealistic, clichéd romcom, despite the fact that critics slate them. Sue me.

Bridesmaids, on the other hand, is just all round super. My friend and I laughed our pants off... along with the rest of the cinema (which was albeit rather empty as it was 10.25am on a Monday - I didn't know that tickets are cheaper before 11am either! A definite student win there). What I especially loved was how the film seemed real (yes, as everyone has said), what with the girls having chipped nail varnish, for example. Oh, and I also loved the puppies in pink berets. Well, who wouldn't?

So go! Just go. Step away from your computer and run to the cinema. Well, actually, maybe check the times on your computer first so you're not waiting for hours for a showing, but then go! And let me know your thoughts too :)

Preparing for prom - the perfect, dress, shoes, jewelley, clutch, hair, makeup...

Classic and flowy... and similar to mine!

Actually, mine isn't technically a "prom", it's a "leavers' ball", I'll have you know. But potayto, potahto eh? Whatever it is, it's suddenly sprung up on us school leavers after seeming like a distant dream for years. The ball is a very big deal, trust me. Some girls genuinely had their dresses over half a year ago (which then proceeded to stress me out, having not even thought about what dress I wanted). Afterall, it's all about the dress really. A lot of my friends knew exactly what they wanted, whether that's a certain colour, backless, with a slit, embellished... you get the picture. I, on the other hand, was uncharacteristically low maintenance... that's to say I didn't have anything in particular in mind. But I sure knew what "feel" I wanted. Ah yes... the "feel". It's sort of like "The X Factor" really... you can't word what it is, but some people - or dresses - just have it. At our school, everyone wears full length dresses. It's tradition. Mum said to me, "But your legs are your best asset! Why don't you show them off in a shorter dress?" But I was pretty adamant not to. It wasn't that I was being a sheep and just following the crowd, I just really wanted more of a ball dress. You see, we've been in little cocktail dresses for years, but the ball is a chance to dress up like a bit of a princess for a night, and in my eyes, that means something long and flowy. NOT Big-Fat-Gypsy-Wedding-style-pouffy. got that? Good.

So I found my dress about 4 weeks ago, and I LOVE IT! It's simple and classic, and mum and I decided that was the way to go. It's a Coast dress, so not too pricey - and even better: we got it at Bicester Outlet Village, so was extra bargainlicious. (Mama said this meant we could spend more on other aspects of my look. Huzzah!) I have to admit though, my heart lurched as I tried on what seemed like hundreds of ridiculously gorgeous (ridiculously expensive!) designer dresses while we were there. But hey, I'm a student. There's plenty of time yet. It's funny... some of the girls are showing everyone pictures and describing their dresses, whereas others are keeping their dresses top secret. It's sure gonna be interesting on the night. I predict there'll be a huge range of styles - from wannabe WAGs to overly tacky fairy-a-likes, but that makes it all the more fun!

Now a lot of you may be thinking (guys, mainly) that after getting the dress ticked off, that's that. Done and dusted. Oh but how wrong you would be! The dress is only the beginning. The next task is to complete the look with shoes, jewellery and accessories. I've gone for a silver and (fake) diamond theme - fakes look the same as real, I swear. These are my shoes:

A rather fabby Dorothy Perkins find, and they were only around £30! Sweeeet! Sure, they squeeze my feet ever so slightly, but they're so pretty and such a good price that it's worth it, right gals? My dress isn't a floor-scraper either, so these beauts will be on show to all the world. Naturally, being the freakishly organised person that I am, I've been wearing them in around the house for the past few weeks, usually combined ever so stylishly with chunky socks and a dressing gown (I've been stuck at home revising, don't judge!)

Next up, jewellery. I was - and still am - so over the moon with the earrings I found in my local vintage shop (it's where all the best finds usually are). Regardez:

How awesome are these!? So different to anything I've ever seen. AND they were doubly awesome at a mere £5.40 (well, £6 minus a 10% student discount. Yay!) My dress is strapless, so I'd been planning on finding some little studs and wearing a statement necklace, but now I feel these earrings make statement enough. Don't wanna overdo it now, do we? What did the legend Coco Chanel say?

"Before you leave the house, always take off your last piece of jewellery."

Or something along those lines anyway. One to take note of, girlios. Chanel was one smart lady (in both senses of the word.)

Today I also hit up Accessorize, where I found this rather blingin ring:

Pretty lush, if I do say so myself. Only £8, dear readers - and if you're a cheeky student, don't forget to ask for your discount! Seriously, I ask everywhere... it's SO worth it.

Now, at a ball, I figured you need a clutch. Step forward another Accessorize find:

Now this was a bit of a splurge at £30, but having been so thrifty with the rest of my look, I feel it's justified. And hey, mum and the sis will get lots of use out of it too, I'm sure. Sharing is caring, guys... I love being a smiliar size to them both!

And then there's hair and make-up. Always tricky. Hair-wise, I'm leaving it to the professionals, so I can have something special. Hopefully something along the lines of this:

Classy, but not too harsh. Up so it's not in the way, but with enough loose bits to frame the face. Make-upwise, I'm somewhat left to my own devices, so shall be studying smokey eye tutorials online (such is the beauty of Youtube. Geddit? Beauty? Oh dear...) I have limited resources, so wish me luck! A lot of my friends are getting professional spray tans done, but I'm not. Firstly, because I've never had one and am afraid it'll go wrong. "Why not get a practice one beforehand?" I hear you ask. Well that's because secondly, the costs really do start to mount up. So I'm sticking with my trusty Clinique, which has never failed me... so far. *touches wood* I started gradually building up the colour a couple of weeks before the ball, so fingers crossed I should have a healthy I've-just-spent-two-weeks-in-the-Algarve glow. On my finger nails, I'm upping the sparkle with this Nails Inc polish:

And that's where I'm at. Pretty chuffed with it all, and cannot wait to get all glammed up and princessified. Let's face it, the getting ready is half the fun! Sure, it would be nice to have a delicate, diamond tennis bracelet round my wrist, but I don't have one, and unless someone exceedingly generous decides to give me one this week, I'm not going to. I make do with what I have, and it should be a sparkly, spiffing evening. Has anyone else had proms or balls? It could just be very emotional for us all, to be honest. I'd love to hear your tips, advice and stories. What do you think of everything I've got?