Welcome! I'm back with another edition of 'Bookmarks' for some instant cheer you up, inspirational pages on the web that I definitely turn to when I'm feeling low or when I'm in a grumpy mood. If you're having a crappy day, this one's for you!

(Slip Top - Dorothy Perkins ( on sale now) | White Tshirt - Old, Similar HERE | Knee Ripped Jeans - New Look , Similar HERE | Ballet Flats - Forever 21, Similar HERE | Mini Backpack - Forever 21)

Hey guys!

Have you ever looked at an outfit online/on the mannequin and thought damn, that looks good ? After you actually try it on, it never ends up looking just as good. I'm sure it has happened to you at some point and happens to me on the regular. Every store is full of 90s trends that I love and adore but I am a little skeptical if they'd look just as good on me. Like a metallic slip dress on a tshirt with some knee high boots..I have been lusting after that look for a while now only to realize even if I ever bought it, it would never see the light of day. So here's how I tackled being trendy but still keeping it wearable so that it confirms to my personal style.

I knew I had to get this slip top from Dorothy Perkins the minute I spotted it because my life's mantra is "Everything gingham needs to get in my closet" more often than not. I loved the fact that it is a slip top so I could finally try out the slip top on tshirt trend and the peplum was just a bonus! I paired these with some ripped jeans, replaced the knee high boots with my trusty black ballet flats and accessorized with my new favourite, mini backpack from Forever 21.

I came across this idea for a post when I was having a crappy day and was frantically looking for something to cheer me up. I have always had this little folder of rescue bookmarks as I like to keep them in my browser where I periodically store inspirational or funny sayings and links. Basically anything that really uplifts my mood and motivates me to go back to whatever I was doing. I figured I'll share a few things with you all as well so that you can check back if you're having a bad day yourself. These range from semi-serious to quite random and silly links because I find that's what works for me and I hope you will like seeing them as well. 

#1 "Harry Potter and Me", A &E Biography, November 2002.

This is the excerpt from J.K Rowling's interview for BBC years ago. Although the actual video can be found on youtube but, I love reading it rather than watching. I don't know maybe it's because I like reading way more and the video's editing was not so on fleek (Haha) considering all the stuff people do now. She talks about how she put in little details of her life into her books and everything she had to overcome to get where she was in 2002(and is now). I mean, yeah I'm sure all of us already know her story too well but reading this really gives me hope when I'm feeling down. She's a source of pure inspiration to me!

#2 French Cake Decorating from Tumblr
There's something so satisfying about watching cake icing videos and this one is 1:48 minutes of pure pleasure. Everything in it looks so so delicious and it's can be an absolute enemy on days when you're hungry or trying to eat healthy but I always love watching it. The first time I saw it I actually replayed a few too many times.

#3 Instagram : Doughmestichousewife
Carrying on the theme of icing and sugary goodness, here's an instagram account I've recently followed and become obsessed with. She basically does cookie decoration and icing and they are some of the prettiest pieces of art I've ever seen. I love her videos particularly showing how she ices them and again the satisfaction of watching those is something I cannot describe. So go have a look at her page. I binge watch her video bits a lot.

#4 18 Photos that will make any 90s stationary geek's heart soar
I'm a huge stationary geek and I actually distinctly remember every cool piece of stationary I used to own as a child and I am still secretly ( not so much anymore) collecting bits and pieces whenever I can (as you can notice in my stationary haul). I spotted this little nostalgia list on Comedy Central's Snapchat and it was so cool to see all these amazing things I owned and treasured as a kid.  My favourite item would have to be these "every colour" pens. I loved buying a ton of them and keeping them safe in my pencil case because they used to be stolen like.. all the time!

#5 Youtube : It's Alright by Charity Vance
She is a singer songwriter on youtube and one of my biggest inspirations. She used to always remind me of Taylor Swift(the old one) because of the style of her songs and her voice. I have been a huge fan of her songs and this particular one is such a happy song. The video is of her with her girlfriends having a girly day together. It honestly makes me smile and reminds me of high school. It's sweet, girly pop and it'll be one of my favourite songs forever although she also has some other incredible songs as well. You may have heard a couple on other beauty youtuber's videos.
(I was absolutely heartbroken when I went to look for the link for the video.Charity has deleted all her youtube vidoes, twitter, instagram etc and she hasn't said anything to her fans yet. She had stopped uploading songs for a couple of months now but she was still active on social media. Thankfully, I was able to find a link to the original video which was re-uploaded by another user but I seriously hope she's fine and she will make music again.)

#6 The Graham Norton Show Compilations
I love the Graham Norton show and I do follow all seasons quite regularly but my favourite episodes are the season compilations where they put the funniest and cutest moments from every episode into a montage including the best "red chair" story. I love these episodes because they are a constant laugh riot and instantly lifts my mood up, I like having a marathon of the compilations too sometimes because they are usually so well edited and I also get to see something from any episodes that I've missed. I do tend to forget to watch it on TV so I usually catch up online or on youtube(where they also share specific moments).
I am thinking of making this a series on the blog if it's something that will interest people :) I have tons of stuff to share!

Let's be honest, a lot of us girls have a shopping problem. But who's to blame? The new arrivals at the stores, the changing seasons or the trends we love to catch up too. I am one of them and I do this thing called as a "Spending Ban" (Nope, it's not an urban legend) once in a blue moon while it should be made a more frequent occurrence (being a blogger makes it really difficult). However, I have a few little tips on how to successfully go on a spending ban without completely giving up the very next day.( Been there, done that!) Whether you're trying to save up some money for summer or just simply don't have any more room in your wardrobe to keep more stuff, keep on reading.

1. Start Small:

Starting with a week at a time is a very practical way of going about a spending ban. It's a lot like exercise. We need to progress slowly and steadily but what's important is to 'Start'! I have personally never been able to do well with a month long ban or anything longer but a week's ban is a good way to get used to living life without obsessively clicking on the Buy Now button.

2. Unsubscribe from Website Emails:

This is a particularly great idea because every time you receive a new email from your favourite website saying they have restocked it, is an instant invitation to an impulsive purchase. I agree if you love reading their newsletters and knowing about styles, it would be a bummer to not receive them for a while. You can unsubscribe to their emails for the duration of your spending ban and then re-subscribe again or a better thing to do would be to divert all these emails to a different e-mail address which you don't check that often.

3. Setting Goals:

Try setting goals in your life like healthy eating/exercising 5 times a week/getting a good Gpa or anything really and reward yourself with that dress or those shoes once you've achieved them. The difficulty level of these goals can correspond with the price of the items. If you set yourself a difficult goal, it's only going to take a little more work and a little more time and you'll be able to sustain your spending ban that much longer.

4.Keep Records:

Keep track of everything you've been buying in a month - makeup, beauty, clothes, shoes, books etc and keep a little chart or even if it's a corner of your planner to constantly remind you of how much you're buying and keep you in check.

5.Buy Collectively:

Placing a collective order at the end of your spending ban/ end of the month is going to be so much more satisfying than impulsively buying some items and never getting much use out of them. You also get that little bit of extra time to think about the items you're buying and analyse the whole "Do I really need another phone case right now?" question before placing an order.

6. Avoid Midnight Shopping:

We all have heard the terrible horror stories about midnight internet impulse buys and waking up to an empty bank account. Don't do it! If you are bored and can't sleep, try Netflix instead. A much safer option sometimes.

7. Set a Spending Limit on your Card:

This one's for you if your spirit animal is Rebecca from Confessions of a Shopaholic. I know many Card companies give you the option to choose and it's always an option to consider. Less limit means less debt right? It's only going to make you richer.

8.Steer Clear of Flash Sales:

Flash sales can be tricky. They make you buy a huge pile of stuff, half of which you probably didn't need. Try to steer clear of them while you're on a ban but if one of your 'goal' dresses are on sale and won't be in a week then by all means go ahead and get it! Don't forget to extend your spending ban by another week though.

That would be all of my tips for successfully having a spending ban! I hope you find it helpful if you plan on going on a ban yourself.