twentyeighteen trending

hi its abi yea im alive!

sooooo for the first blog post in 4 eva i have a pretty wavey round up of trend predictions for 2018!!


scrunchies will replace dad caps as the iconic throwback acessories
balenciaga may have actually done one good thing (forget about the triple S trainer flop) this year, and it was to feature scrunchies in their resort 2018 collection. already scrunchies are reappearing, and by 2018 looking like a mid 2000s primary schooler is what we'll all wanna be. if you want the look, try here from sportsgirl for $7.95, or if you want the real deal, here for $225 from balenciaga (this one comes with free shipping tho so...).

red (and hopefully purple) will replace orange as the "clout colour"
orange was the freshhh colour of 2017 but it won't last through 2018. red is already emerging in many streetwear brands (i can't find links but yall know) and i really hope purple gets a run too this year. purple hasn't been a big deal for a while now, and is getting slept on by literally every brand evER! @supreme make a royal purple collection pls. everyone imagine a purple camo bogo ... hire me already supreme

luxury (or at least high end) brands will make throwback collections
at least thats what everyone of us who didn't cop the LV murakimi bags of 2003. the 2000s are back- just look around at the glossy lips, huge hoops and velour floating around. the early noughties had some of the most iconic high fashion collections ever. this year, urban outfitters collaborated with juicy couture to create a collection which was a bit of a flop. the problem with it was it didn't have the throwback pieces people wanted- they tried too hard to reinvent themselves. don't do this. stick to the reason your brand was famous. a great example of iconic fashion staying relevant for decades is adidas originals. love or hate the superstars and stan smiths, we all know you own a pair.

the nike air max 97s are not just for the lads
in 2018, the nike air max 97s will hopefully break away from being the eshay shoe and become more wearable for those of us who aren't dripping in ralph lauren and swearing at our mums. the 97s are an iconic shoe- recognisable and unique, they will also add some kinda *eDGynEssS* to your outfit. while they are making a break out of parra station, i haven't purchased them yet, and wouldn't recommend getting them in white. INCASE YOU FEEL THE NIKE TN'S ARE READY TO LEAVE THE BUS STOP STABBING SCENE U ARE WRONG JUST A PSA

denim? gotta b new
if you're still wearing denim in 2018- lets hope its something new. i myself am a lover of denim, and am slightly depressed to say that levi's are not gonna be the most swanky look of '18. new(ish) brands like ksubi and neuw (NEUW iS MY FAVOURITE THEY'VE RUINED ME) are the future of denim. some of us are rejecting denim completely. toopoor (<3 u layla) has multiple pics of her clad in camo cargo pants. shame we cant all do that without looking like a suburban dad :/

gloss gloss gloss
we already see it... gloss is the new matte. glossy lips are an amazing look on anyone (peep fenty beauty) and tbh kylie is cancelled 2018- lip kits ain't cute. but hopefully the gloss won't stop at lips. glossy eyes are cute (not sure about comfortable and convenient, but cute). lancome has re-released a ton of their juicy shakers (retailing for about $38) and NARS has always had the iconic lipglosses.

soundcloud more like soundclout
thats right, and you already know it. gothboiclique (r.i.p peep) merch will make you the most hectic lookin around, but if you're more of an indie kid (go back to 2015), great bands like son lux, cigarettes after sex and even the one and only mac de marco are all still a solid aesthetic to obtain. maybe even make your own remixes of madonna and ice cube (u heard it here first xoxo).

i have nothing left to write but off the shoulder tops are OVER, a combination of music and art is hot (peep everything tyler the creator has ever done and chance the rappers album art) and statement sunnies that aren't clout goggles? y33t!

basically... if it looks like it would go on a cheeto packet... wear it

this was mostly a joke... i hope.

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It Feels Like Christmas Now

There are certain things that make it feel like Christmas, and with only a few days to go it is certainly the festive season! Here is my list of 15 things that make it feel like Christmas!

1. Gingerbread in the oven

2. Christmas music

3. Lights on the Christmas tree

4. Most of the doors on the Advent calendar open. 

5. The Christmas pudding is made

6. The shops are full of people!

7. The house smells like spice.

8.Christmas movies are on every night.

9. There is a wreath on the door

10. Presents under the tree

11. Lights decorate the city

12. Fruit mince pies from the bakery.

13. Wrapping presents

14. Family arriving

15. Choosing a Christmas Day outfit.

What makes it feel like Christmas for you?

xxxPoppy

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Gingerbread

Nothing makes the house smell like Christmas more than gingerbread, I am writing this post with a batch of gingerbread in the oven, my sister's Christmas music in the background and the tree sparkling in the living room.

We only have 6 days to go, presents are wrapped, last minute shopping is all that is left. The family is arriving, Christmas day plans being confirmed. We shops are packed, there is an hour wait for a Santa photo. The carols were on TV, and now there is a Christmas movie every night.

Anyway, back to gingerbread. The mix of sugar and spice, cooking in the oven fills the house with a warm smell, one that makes everyone think of Christmas. Then the icing comes out, the bench gets covered, almost more than on the cookies! But the cookies look and taste amazing (not as good as the pictures, but we aren't all professionals).

I don't normally share recipes on here, but I feel like I have to share this gingerbread recipe, adapted from the Thermomix Festive Flavour cookbook.

Ingredients:
gingerbread:
- 1tsp ground ginger
- 1tsp mixed spice
- 1tsp bicarb-soda
- 380g flour
- 100g brown sugar
-150g golden syrup
-150g butter
-1/4tsp vanilla (I add vanilla to everything!)
- 1 egg yolk (save the white for the icing)
icing:
-140g icing sugar
-1 tsp vanilla
- food colouring (I used green for trees)
- 1 egg white.

Method:
Mix all the gingerbread ingredients in a bowl.
When well combined, turn onto a floured bench and knead with your hands.
Once kneaded, place in the fridge for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees (c), and cover 2-3 trays with baking paper.
Roll half the chilled dough between two sheets of baking paper until about 1cm thick.
Cut with your favourite cookie cutters.
Bake for 8 minutes, leave to cool for 5 and then transfer to a cooling rack to ice.
Repeat with remaining dough.

Meanwhile, make the icing by combining all ingredients.
You can use a piping bag, but it never works for me, so I just use a knife and cover the cookies.


Enjoy your gingerbread, 
xxxPoppy

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Updated//Experiments in Black and White

"When you photograph people in colour,

you photograph their clothes. 

When you photograph someone in black and white,

you photograph their souls."

-Ted Grant

What do you think of when you see something in black and white? For a lot of people, it is a nostalgia, memories. There is something about the honesty of a black and white photo, it changes everything. Colour is no longer the main focus of the image, suddenly the lines, shapes and patterns become much more noticeable. What you think about when you see the image changes.

Personally, I love black and white photos, they are so beautiful and it's almost like two completely different images when comparing a black and white image to a colour one. Today I want to share some photos I have taken, most of them a while ago, and edited to be black and white.

"What I love about black and white photographs, is that they are more like reading the book than seeing the movie."

xxxPoppy

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'Tis the Season

The school year has finished, the tree is up. Christmas presents can be found under the tree. Almost half the Advent calendar is gone. It is Christmas Time.

xxxPoppy

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Places to Find Inspiration

"Great things never come in comfort zones"

Finding the inspiration to be the person you want to be, or to write that book you want to write or to do whatever it is that you want to do. Here are four places where I find inspiration.

1. Pinterest
I find that looking at photos or quotes on Pinterest can motivate and inspire you. Sometimes you can find a different way of thinking, that can totally change the way you think and motivate you.
2. Books
I find that books can be really inspirational, they can make you think and give you so many ideas.
3. In people around you.
Friends and family can teach you a lot, show you different ways of thinking and give you some ideas.
4. On blogs
 Reading about other people's blogs is something I do when I need some inspiration, and I often find a new project to try out.

Where do you find information?
xxxPoppy

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Setting up the Christmas Tree

I love the start of December! It is such an exciting time of the year with the end of school, the start of summer and of course...Christmas!

One of my most favourite things about the start of December is setting up the Christmas Tree. I enjoy everything about it, and it is something I really look forward to.

Don't you think there is something about the Christmas tree that sets the atmosphere for the rest of the month? It makes the room it's in so much brighter, and happier.

xxx Poppy 

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Repost- Being a Quiet Person

I first wrote this post over a year ago, and it is still something that really resonates with me and I think that still needs a lot of attention....and this is why I am reposting it today.

Every semester (that's twice a year) I receive a school report and must go and meet with all my teachers to discuss my learning. The feedback is almost always good. I am doing my work, achieving well in my assessments and I do most of the things that the teachers ask. But the one thing I hear from almost all my teachers is that I need to speak up and participate in class more. Sometimes every single one of my teachers will tell my parents and me that I can get better grades, especially for application to studies, if I participated in class discussions and shared my ideas with the rest of the class.

Honestly, it makes me annoyed that I am expected to be willing to share my ideas with the rest of the class all the time, even if that is not who I am or what I want to do. Often it is overlooked that I do all my classwork and go up to ask the teachers questions when I need to. I am told that because I do not put my hand up in class discussions very often I am not participating in classes. I am always told that one of my goals could be contributing to class discussions more, and to a point, that is a good goal. But my point is that it is not fair to expect me, or anyone else to be someone who they are not and do things they do not what to do simply to be participating.

I am an observer. I don't like jumping into things that I don't know anything about. I will listen and think and form an opinion and idea and then, if I want, I will share it. I am not the sort of person who puts their hand up every single time the teacher asks a question or just shouts out the answers. If I know the answer I will occasionally offer a response. But I don't want to be called upon all the time when I am perfectly happy to write my thoughts down and share when I have something meaningful to say.

I am tired of being overlooked or told that what I am doing is not what they want. Especially when it comes to class participation. It is not taken into consideration that I take the time to carefully formulate my ideas before sharing them. No, it just isn't good enough that I am rarely sharing my ideas and answers. I am expected to adapt and fit in with all the noisy students in the class who shout out and are perfectly happy to share meaningless responses with the rest of the world. I am generally not allowed to learn in the way I prefer, quiet.

I believe that we, as a society, need to learn that it is important to value everyone how they are...not make them change to suit to circumstances all the time. I understand that I need to learn to adapt sometimes, but I do not think that it is fair to expect me to change all the time when there are some students who meet all the requirements, simply because they are vocal with their ideas- all the time! I find it difficult, especially since starting high-school last year, to be comfortable enough to speak up in my classes when the people I am around are constantly changing. Eventually, usually around this time of year, I am comfortable enough to start regularly contributing my ideas. But even then, I find it hard to keep up with the pace at which the discussion moves- I barely have any time to think of a response. I think that it is vital that we learn in include everyone, and give everyone equal opportunities to succeed and have a go- regardless of what type of learner they are.

There are ways around this problem. One of my teachers uses discussion-based] programs that give everyone a chance to properly think of a response before sharing it and seeing what others have done. Some teachers mark class participation on more than just speaking up, they take into consideration class work that you complete and completing the required activities. But some people don't seem to understand that not everyone wants to share, some people participate in different ways. There is one class in which I often get ignored because the teacher is too distracted by people yelling out to them.

I understand that I need to learn to work with others and share my ideas. But I don't believe that it should be this way all the time. The class needs to be suited to all different types of students not just those who work best bouncing their ideas off others. Or, at least, if we must do group work and share our ideas with everyone else at least the students pick people they are comfortable with talking to. Knowing one person in a group of 5 makes all the difference for me, yet no one seems to understand this. I am constantly being overshadowed by more vocal students.

Our world is increasingly becoming one for vocal and extroverted people. People who want to share and work in loud and stimulating environments. Everyone needs to be reminded that there are people who are not like this, people who mightn't work best in loud and stimulating environments. Yet no consideration is taken for these types of people. Everything is tailored towards more confident, out-going and extroverted people. We need to remember that our world is a balance of different people and just because someone doesn't speak up doesn't mean they don't have a valid opinion and something to share.

What are your thoughts? Do you agree? Do you face a similar problem?
xxxPoppy 

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TED Talk- Learning

I watched this video the other day and found it really interesting. What are your thoughts?

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Pink and Green

I love the colours in the garden at the moment, there is so much green everywhere! Enjoy these photos!

xxxPoppy

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How I Study for Exams

It's that time of the year again! No, not Christmas time, not yet. Exam Time.

I can't wait for my exams to be over, and to finally be on summer holidays - then it's almost Christmas time! Tomorrow I have my final exam, for music, and today I want to share with you how I study for exams.

14 (or more) days before the exam
1. Gather all the information you have, class notes, sheets, typed notes, powerpoints, activities. Everything.

2. Compile it all. I use Microsoft OneNote to compile all my notes into one document, I scan worksheets, "insert" powerpoints and copy + past class notes. If I don't take my notes on my laptop I will type them again, or scan them in.

10-12 days before the exam
Once you've gathered all your notes.
1. Find a copy of my course outline, and find out if the exam is on the whole semester or only a small section.

2. Write out all the things you were supposed to have covered in the semester (or the headings for what your exam is on)

8-10 days before the exam
1. Start using the notes you compiled to fill in each heading, try and keep it only to the things you have done with your teacher or under their direction so that you don't memorise a whole lot of useless stuff.

7 days before the exam
1. Print out the notes you've made and keep them somewhere safe.

2. using a set of index cards, re-write the notes onto the cards.

3. Revise the cards as often as you can.

4 days before the exam

1. Complete any revision sheets you have been given. 

2. Using your index cards write out a set of questions + answers, copy these onto more index cards so the answer is on the back. 

3. Revise using these cards and the original ones you've made. 

2-3 days before the exam

1. Ask someone to quiz you, and work on what you get wrong. 

Day of the Exam

Go over your note cards before the exam. 

This is an ideal schedule for me, but realistically it often does not work that way. For example, my music exam tomorrow I only got a chance to start studying for on Saturday. But I compress this schedule so that I still get through all the steps. 

Good luck with any of your exams 

xxxPoppy

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Beautiful words

I found this beautiful poem/quote on pinterest the other day, and I think it is something that I really need to remember. 

"someone once told me to always live for the little things in life. 

live for 5am sunrises and 5pm sunsets

where you'll see colours in the sky that 

don't usually belong. 

Live for road trips and bike rides

with music in your ears and

the wind in your hair.

Live for days when you're surrounded 

by your favourite people who make you realise

that the world is not a 

cold, harsh place.

Live for the little things because

they will make you realise that 

this is what life is all about,

this is what it means to be alive."

(a.y)

What do you think?

xxxPoppy

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San Francisco Part 2

I love the excitement of exploring somewhere new. Everything is different, and everything is new. There is always something exciting to look forward to and something new to learn. Every Monday for the last month and a bit I have shared a post about my amazing journey in America in September. Today the journey is coming to an end, this is the last part of the story.

Day 3
Our third day in San Fransisco was amazing! Friends picked us up again, and this time we drove around the city (to be honest, my legs were still a bit sore from yesterday). Our first stop was the Painted Ladies, a picture-perfect row of houses.

A few blocks up was the house from the TV show full house, which my sister loves. We stopped outside so she could get a photo. 

The next hour was spent driving through the beautiful streets of the city, there is so much colour and character in the houses. Each one is unique, and so beautifully detailed. 

Our next stop was the Golden Gate bridge. It is such a picturesque bridge, and photographer's dream.

On the far side of the bridge, we walked along a short track and got some amazing views of the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco. 

For lunch, we went into the Mission District. There were so many beautiful murals on the walls, and I could have spent hours photographing them. 

Day 4: Jelly Belly Factory

Our last day, luckily our flight wasn't until late at night. 

We started the day with some shopping, walking around the union square area. Exploring some of the city. We even found the ice-cream museum, which was booked solid until next February. 

After lunch, it was time for the Jelly Bean Factory.

I am not a huge fan of Jelly Beans, but I loved the factory all the same.

It was about a 40-minute drive, and when we arrived we went straight on the factory tour. They gave us these Jelly Bean hats to wear on the tour.

We walked through the factory, learning all about how Jelly Beans are made (did you know it takes 2 weeks to make a batch of Jelly Beans!). 

I also discovered that the vomit jelly bean is made of acid and pepperoni! Gross!

After the enlightening factory tour, we found the sample bar! I have a new favourite Jelly Bean, French Vanilla. It's a shame that we can't get them here (just like the caramel MnMs from New York). 

After our fill of Jelly Beans, we drove back into San Francisco. A quick trip down Lombard Street (the World's most crooked street), and then we headed to the airport, where we had In n Out burger for dinner.

And all too soon our adventure was coming to an end, only a 15-hour flight left. I would love to have seen more of San Francisco and could have easily spent weeks more in New York and Washington.

xxPoppy

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Turtles All the Way Down

"If a book is well written, I always find it too short."

-Jane Austen

I saw this quote on Pinterest, and it was so realistic! This is exactly how I feel, especially about John Green's latest book, Turtles All the Way Down.

 This book was amazing! One of the best ones I've read in a really long time. It followed the story of 16yr old Aza, a billionaire's son and the mystery that joined them together.

+The title
When I first heard this book was coming out, I looked at the title and kind of when "what?". And for the first part of the story I was still a bit confused, but like all of John Green's books- the meaning behind the title came later in the story. And I loved it. Having finished the book I think the title is perfect.

+It felt real
The characters, the plot, the problems. John Green made it feel so real. Like I was watching it happen to someone near me. It was the kind of story you believe, the kind that is so realistic it could be a recount.

+The plot
Right, this is pretty much just saying that I loved the whole book, but the storyline was interesting. The kind of book that you can't put down. I literally started the book the day before yesterday and finished it last night. I am a quick reader, but not usually that quick.

I loved this book, it was interesting and sad and made me feel so many things. It was deep and realistic and just so interesting. It made me think and question and go on a real journey with Aza.

I cannot tell you to read it enough, apart from paper towns it might just be my favourite book of all time!
xxxPoppy

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San Francisco Part 1

The final part of our America adventure was in San Francisco.
We arrived late on a Friday night, so we went straight to our hotel. Once we'd checked in we all crashed on our pillows as soon as our head hit them.

Day 1: Tour
On our first day, we walked to Union Square to get on our tour bus. Once we finally got seats on a bus, we set out exploring the city.

Our guide taught us all about the different neighbourhoods and history of San Francisco.

We went over the Golden Gate Bridge, and it was windy! My new hat almost blew off!

And then we went on a trolley tour of the small neighbourhood across the bay, Sausalito. I wish we'd had more time to explore- it looked like such a beautiful place.

After Sausalito, we went to Fisherman's Wharf, and Pier 39. It was crazy busy, but such an amazing place! We got some delicious crepes for lunch and then went for a walk around the pier.

We had an early dinner, at boudin bakery. The food here was really good, and quick! I had the tomato sauce bowl, takeaway. If I went back I would get the eat in version because it actually comes in a bowl of sourdough.


After early dinner, we went on the night tour. This tour took us over Bay Bridge and to Treasure Island, for some beautiful views of the city skyline.

Day 2: Coit Tower, Chinatown, Lombard Street, Ghiradelli Square.
On our second day, we met some friends, and they took us on a walking tour. First up was a walk through Chinatown.

Then we walked up, and up, and up. Up a lot of hills and stairs to get to Coit Tower. (The view was worth it)

And then we walked slowly down through North Beach (with a lot of Italian restaurants) to Ghiradelli chocolate square. The chocolate was amazing, I should've brought more home!

When we were walking back towards the hotel, someone had drawn this heart in the sky with a plane. 

We all loved the parts of San Francisco we had seen so far!
I can't wait to share the final part of our journey next Monday!
xxxPoppy

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