It's not only me that has felt the Winter wind already, surely.

I believe it is time for the leather jackets, boots and the essentail for Autumn 09... the Mac.



This one from TOPSHOP is define. The frill on the cuffs add a perfect girly touch.

Pri-mani!

I haven't been shopping for exactly a month. A month, girls how did I cope! The last time was when I was last home, so the excitement I experienced when searching for new summer wear was immense!

To be honest though the first trip was disappointing. We love Topshop but I found it has turned florescent and gone back to the 80's, this I am not a fan of. When I think of the summer, I think girly, pretty and flowy, Topshop have other ideas. However H a friend of a friend showed me a beautiful dress that covered all my essentials for the summer and where was it from. Yes that's right Topshop. Perhaps I didn't look to the depths of all corners. How I must try harder

My shopping trip got more exciting on the third trip and would you guess where I brought a stripped shirt dress, a lime green jersey dress and a floral boob tube from... Primark! Yes the cheap slightly tacky retail store produced my favourite pieces of my summer wardrobe. Not only was Primark the best place but the prices off all my pieces were no more then £10 perfect student prices!

Some others brilliant pieces from Primark for summer 09.
What do you think?

There's no place like home!

I am home!Yippee!

I hadn't been back in Stourport for a whole month, considering I cried everyday for the first month of University, a month without home was huge. I never ever thought that you could actually feel like you are home but as soon as I got into Birmingham it felt like home.

My Mum is a God send as she has the week off to spend with me over Easter and so far we have been shopping three times and out for food four times I got back Thursday night and it is now Tuesday. How I love my mummy!

Other pulses is seeing my friends, those friends that know everything about you and you don't have to try or explain what you mean when you say it. If you go to Uni you will know what I mean. If you don't then my advice is to appreciate you friends because making new ones is so much effort it's untrue.

Of course seeing my boyfriend everyday is a massive plus and he would kill me for putting him last!:)

I am going to enjoy my week at home more then I ever have and appreciate every second with the people I love most in the world because I'll soon be sat back in my room at Uni all alone once more. :(

What are you doing to help save the planet?

As energy costs spiral out of control and more carbon emissions shoot into the atmosphere everything we do is a greater importance every year. I have asked the people of Sheffield what they are doing to help save the planet's resources to see ongoing efforts of the city to be environmentally responsible.


Paul Mitchell, 45, Policeman, Treetown Crescent, Rotherham, S60.
"Our house re-washes plastic bags and basically recycles. I have a gas car (it’s 5 times cleaner) and I try not to break whilst driving as well as this we grow our own vegetables and give all our food scraps to our chickens. I hope this helps to save the planet."



Mark Billson, 27, Unemployed, Hill top Close, Rotherham, S60.
“Why would I help the planet, when it has done nothing for me? I have no one to look for in the future when I’m not around so what’s the point. So to answer you question, I do nothing to save the planet.”





Rita Boyce, 75, retired, 190 St. Phillips Rd, Sheffield, S3 7JY.
“We recycle all our papers, plastics; anything you can recycle really. I also have stuff in my loft…no my walls, that’s right my walls are insulated. I don’t use transport just walk about on my little old legs. I have a water meter too…no that saves me money not energy.”


Fiona Koomah, 21, Student, Norfolk Park Avenue, Sheffield, S2.
“At university; I turn off the lights and I don’t drive. Sheffield doesn’t have the recycle system like at home. I have bins to recycle paper, cans and glass at home. I don’t use a lot of hairspray I hope that’s helping to save our wonderful planet."






Malcolm Hobson, 59, Teacher, Wheatley Grove, Sheffield, S13.
“I ride my bike only-no cars and as a result, I guess I look better. I have replaced light bulbs in my house with low energy ones and I compost at home and school. We try to recycle fifty percent of garbage and use boxes instead of plastic at the supermarket."







Christiana Grels, 17, Cashier, Neville Close, S3.
“I’m sick of the rain; all it does is rain in Sheffield. I’m not doing much, I don’t recycle leave that to my Mum and Step dad. I walk because I can’t get a car, stuff the planet if I could get a car though!"




Tell me what you are doing to help save OUR planet by taking the poll to the right of the blog.

Bohemian Rhapsody!

With summer slowly approaching (hallelujah) the excitement of opening our dusty summer wardrobes is upon us. Of course with the thrill comes the stress of what to wear this season.

My favourite style of the summer is bohemian. It's brilliantly beautiful as well as gorgeously 'girly' both factors I believe are essentials to summer wear. and knee high boots, no, get the 'flowy', fabulous bohemian dresses out girls.

We all know Nicole Richie is the Queen Bee when it comes to the fashion of bohemian.




The classic baggy garments hang perfectly around her body emphasising the hippy feel. The red dress I particularly love has a sexy chic feel by finishing just above the knee with the white detail making the dress aborigine. The dress above the red, is perfect for this summer as the floral was shown on the catwalk which we can all add to our wardrobes.





Mischa Barton and Alexa Chung are other celebrities that hold the messy yet sleek style on their trim bodies. By adding a military jacket the two have made the style more wearable, it is also a must have this summer>(see Must Haves right hand of blog).

Hair is key to the bohemian way, whatever you do the hair can not and must not be perfect. It must be. Soft, gentle and natural is what to aim for, whether that be with loose curls, a loose bun or serum through ‘just washed’ hair, all work when wore with the beauty of bohemian.

To create your bohemian look ASOS is the best place to shop>(follow link in More fashion fixes, right side of blog).

If bohemian is your favourite style voted for it>right hand of blog!

Eyes down it's quiz time!

1. What is an RSS link?

RSS (an abbreviation for Really Simple Syndication) is a family of web feeds formats used to publish frequently updated works—such as blogs entries, news headlines, audio, and video—in a standardized format.

2. Name three BBC journalists whose blog sites cover economics, arts and sport.

Stephanie Flanders runs an economics blog as she is the economics editor.
Razia Iqbal is the BBC's arts correspondant and has an art and culture blog.
There isn't a specific blogger for sports, it's a collaborated effort by the editors.

3. Which social networking sites have recently signed up to an EU code of practice on Child Safety?

There are seven in total including:
Facebook
Bebo
My Space

4. Which campaign's successful use of social networking has won it PR Week's campaign of the year award?

Barack Obama's campaign.

5. What is a podcast?

An audio programme in a compressed digital format, delivered via an RSS feed over the Internet to a subscriber and designed for playback.

6. Define 'Twitter' in no more than 140 characters.

Twitter is a social networking and micro-blogging service that allows users to send and read other users' updates.

7. What four letter work could you use to describe how most web users read copy online?

Scan

8. What is social bookmarking?

A method for Internet users to store, organize, search, and manage bookmarks of web pages on the internet.

9. Name five of the most popular sites.

Digg, Reddit, Blinklist, Wikink, Scuttle.

10. What is Plain English? Describe in no more than 50 words.

Basically means plain language that is simple and easy for others to understand.

11. Find an original example of a sentence or paragraph in gobbledygook. Then transform using the principles of Plain English.

Gobbledygook example=
It is a tricky problem to find the particular calibration in timing that would be appropriate to stem the acceleration in risk premiums created by falling incomes without prematurely aborting the decline in the inflation-generated risk premiums.

Plain English=
It is a problem to find the right timing that is suitable to stop the speed up risk created by falling wages without quickly stopping the fall in price rises generated by risk of first-rates.

12. Name three recent international news stories 'broken' by twitter users?

The Hudson River plane crash
Earthquake 2008
Schiphol Plane crash.

How good is your Campaign?

Week 9- Campaign task.

Greenpeace website. (international)http://www.greenpeace.org/international/

The page exists to give the world a voice. The campaign is to change peoples attitudes towards to the world in which they live in. They promote people to protect the planet by showing them in detail what they can do to change the ways in which they live to benefit, protect and conserve the planet. It does not funding from governments, corporations or political parties but solely on what is donated voluntary. The work that is produced is done to stop climate change, protect ancient forest, oceans, stop genetic engineering and demands peace on the earth.

Good points=

• Extremely easy to navigate.
• Everything you can look at is on your right and the contents fixed in the centre (simple and clear)-on the home page and the news articles.
• Emotive language throughout, pulling at heart-strings of 'green' believers-very effective.
• The use of the colour green is very well used reflecting the message in the contents.
• Tells the reader everything they need to know about Greenpeace. i.e. History, present, future, what the campaign does and how they do it.
• All of the photography used are natural, painting the image of the effective work the campaign are doing.

Bad points=

• News articles don't have a clear date of when they were written.
• The overall look of the campaign page is slightly trivial as the florescent green makes it look slightly childlike. Not appealing to all ages.

Change4life Website.http://www.nhs.uk/Change4Life/Pages/default.aspx

This campaign is put across from the NHS to change peoples way of life to a healthier way. Its message is to make people (especially children) more active in the new age of life containing huge amounts of television, computer games etc. Obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer are used to shock viewers into changing their life to eat better, move more and live longer. This isn't a donating site and is just purely to the health of the people.

Good points=

• Florescent colour reinforces the message of health. Yellow represents sun/happiness.
• Easy reading that is easy to follow.
• The use of graphics are fun and well used-do not take away from contents.
• Graphics add impact.

Bad points=

• Home page extremely simple-not much content on what campaign is about.
• Viewers are expected to use top of site to navigate way around-this is not clear.
• No persuasive language pretty black and white i.e. Join or don't not really emphasising the meaning of the site.

Fathers 4 justice.http://www.fathers-4-justice.org/f4j/

A campaign is for what it says on the tin. It is for single fathers or separated fathers to gain justice on how their children are dealt with. They along with Greenpeace don't accept any donations from government as this would compromise the integrity of the campaign.

Good points=

• Home page good layout can see everything on offer visually straight away.
• Pictures are all very real and hit home to the viewer that they are all real fathers.
• Great that when use sight only the middle context changes so don't have to re-navigate around sight.
• Well written content, use of intellectual language.
• Tells you what your money will do for the campaign.

Bad points=

• Not sure if news article on home page is the newest or best or most read- very unclear.
• Short writing leaving the reader to sometimes want more.
• Design of Web page is boring-minimal colour and same writing style and font.
• Too many links, don't necessary need all the information.

Bicycle wheels, umbrella hats, would you wear these?

The capital of romance and chic mystery capitulates the art of fashion this week as Paris fashion week begins! Yet does everyone agree with the creativity of this years Autumn/ winter 09.

Antonio Berardi emphasised his creativity with the 'extended shoulder' updating the 80's silhouette. Australian designer, Collette Dinnigan also used over emphasised angles imitating an Edwardian style both designers incorporated a feminine flow with shift dresses that easily flow.

The madness and fantasy dressings were nothing but in your face on the runway of Alexander Mcqueen and Manish Arora's autumn/ winter collections. Junk surrounded the usual simplicity of the catwalk in the Palais Omnisport, yes junk; car parts, bicycle wheels anything and everything that doesn't belong right where it was.

The designs followed the madness through amazing angles that would take out four rugby players if wore. The colour dominating the show was the colour of love and danger a clever factor i believe, red for the romance of Paris and danger to reflect the extravagant art.

Telegraph

The itv lunchtime show loose women (http://www.itv.com/Lifestyle/LooseWomen/default.html), if you don't know it where have you been, is a panel of women who discuss burning issues of the day.

The question of whether the above designers and their collections were a push to far for fashion. Carol Mcgiffen, ex Radio Broadcaster, expressed her views to dismantle any care of the collections showed and believed them to be "highly outrageous" and would never be worn by anyone "normal" and asked why we should even care. "Who in god's name would wear an umbrella on there head!"

Her co-presenter, Lesley Garrett, soprano singer, argued that the show is 'a show' "it's fun, lively and no one takes it so seriously". She said that she would wear some of the items "toned down obviously" and believes that fashion is a big part of every ones life.

I agree with the soprano and think that fashion whether some would like to admit it shapes society. What we wear all comes from the catwalks of these fabulous designers just re-created to believe that they are not.

For instant cashmere cardigans were first known on the runway of the 70's as the newest thing, now everyone owns a cardy and thinks it's a part of their staple wardrobe with no art involved where as they were created with a pencil and a sketch pad just like the rest of the collections.

Keep on bringing us fabulous fashion, after all it's something to talk about if not to love.

I want to know, what you have to say Sheffield!

pho-Tony's photostream

After asking myself what it is like to be a student in Sheffield I wondered what others', new and old to the life of laziness and poorness had to say. I went to the entrance of a busy student building and stood in the cold with my little journo notebook and asked anyone who would talk...

...Whats the best thing about being a Student in Sheffield?

Annabelle Wilson 19, Business and Marketing, Leadmill road, Sheffield.

"The best thing for me is the netball team. I love playing a match every Wednesday and going out with all the girls after. We all get on so well and have ridiculous nights out in fancy dress... it's by far the best thing for me. Come on Hallam Netball!"



Katy Loweridge, 21, Psychology, Thompson road, Sheffield.

"Ohhhhhhhh the clubs baby! A night in Sheffield is never the same as the next is pure brilliance! I've been to many different Uni's visiting friends and no where has been as abnormal, unusual, exciting and funny as a night in Sheffield."

Adam Little, 22 Product design, Denham road, Sheffield.

"Being in a city. It's best thing for me as a student because it has taught me so much. I came from a really small village in Wales where I had to go miles to get anything i wanted. In Sheffield everything is near and there is always something going on. One day there was a fun fair in the middle of town, I have never been to a fun fair so to see one in the middle of the day in town was very weird."



Sarah Reeves, 20, English and History, Arundel Street, Sheffield.

"The social aspects of living with friends is the best thing about being a student. There is never a dull moment in our halls. Everyone mingles popping in and out of different flats making life very sociable. You can never do this at home as friends usually live further away then up or down two flights of stairs."

Well to be blunt I was extremely jealous of Sarah, her life in halls seem heaven on Earth compares to my quiet side of life.

Annabelle has to just right, as joining a team is in my opinion the best thing about being a student in Sheffield it's social as well as participating in something you love.
I adore Adams comments, he seemed so confident it was a shock he came from such a rural background, he showed me that Uni life changes people in different ways and it was a pleasure to meet him.

The bright, bubbly and out-going exterior Katy portrayed in her comments matched perfectly with the way she looked. Dressed in a yellow dress and red boots to match her fluorescence red hair perfectly coincided with the comments of un-usual-ness.

Carrying out this vox-pop helped me feel content with knowing that every ones experience with University is different and that as well as these students best bits I am almost certain there are their worse bits about it too.

What's it like to be a Student in Sheffield?

Back to me and my life...

What's it like to be a Student in Sheffield?
That is probably the question that I am most often asked when meeting new people so, I have finally decided to ask myself after continuously answering "ummmm, yeah it's good thanks". I am pretty certain I have a lot more to say then this!

My first few weeks being a student were probably the most difficult and loneliest weeks of my entire life. I had no idea how much of a culture shock it would be. I went from having the most loving and brilliant home life to spending everyday pretty much on my own. I came to University thinking everyone is the same; loves to drink; go out have a good time; sleeps till noon and eats their way into next week, but I was taken by surprise when the only people who followed the same pattern were the lads across my hall, fun, but a girl needs some gossip and hardcore dancing with some other girls-right>?!

Well I suppose the only time I felt I had truly meet my match was when i got through trials of Netball and found Wednesday Night socials are where all the hidden beasts come out to play! Everyone I meet from Netball made me feel so comfortable and I felt I was able to enjoy my time more and more. They showed me and most other freshers how a night in Sheffield is really done. For our initiation (below) we had to put a condom over our head, down a shot every time we swore, have black paint smothered across our face, steal a sock from an innocent member of the public and if any of the set rules were not done to a certain standard, a roley poley had to be done then and there! throughout the night of course, alcohol was consumed every five seconds.
The Netball girls not only showed me the way of alcoholism but they some how became my friends and without them lets say life as a Student in Sheffield would suck for me.




As i started to think about this question and the difficulty I had settling in I realise the biggest thing affecting me was living in a small flat. The flat I live in only has four rooms and one of them had no one move in to begin with, so it was me, another girl and a boy. Getting along with the girl was no problem and has grown to be a good friend the boy however stays in his room all the time. Now I know that you are thinking, he can't stay in there all the time, but he does...really! So in reality I was living in a flat of two. Living with just one other person was strange and at times very isolating because understandably you want time to yourself and sit in your room, but by doing so the other person is on there own. After a while of getting use to my quiet surroundings my course mate decided she would like to move in to our spare room. This was brilliant news and I enjoyed being a little threesome with the girls and when ever one of us wondered to our room there would be another sitting by our side. Happiness in flat 28 didn't last for long though as my original flat mate decided to drop out and leave me back to a two, so adjustment back to a two was and I suppose is stilling occurring. I wouldn't change the people I lived with as they are really nice people. The thing that gets me is not having people 'just being around'.

After thinking over my answer to what's it like to be a Student in Sheffield, I believe I will still answer the same. Sheffield is a wonderful City that i always feel safe in and can always have a good night. My problems are not with Sheffield but with being a Student. The lifestyle change is easily adaptable for some people I just guess I'm not one of them. And do you know what, after wanting to be one of those people so much, I think I'm now alright with not being.

Voice your opinion on University life vote in the poll to the right of the blog.

Who out styled who?

Well unfortunately London Fashion week is all over, with no end of highlights, drama and over the top couture, but who stood out and stomped down the runway this year?

Issa show demonstrated a pretty feminine collection, with swaying mid-length skirts and cropped in waist to highlight the most elegant female features. A nice rarity from the edgy, over the top creatively (clothes that are almost designed just for the shock) that is almost forced down the throats of the front row. The beautiful femaleness (shown below) was decorated in the show by the beautiful and classic makeup that filled the models faces with spark and colour again highlighting check bones and creating subtle but noticeable big eyes, again emphasising a 'womenful' features.

This, for me placed Issa the most wearable collection for winter/autumn 2009 outside fashion mania. I think this is a much missed essential at London's Fashion week as fashion fans, including myself, enjoy the creativity and art of couture madness but at the end of the day we can't go home and put on the same Edwardian inspired puff dress as Christian Dior now can we!

Hello fashion firends!

Growing up I can remember always being fascinated with what others were wearing and always wishing I could wear such fabulous clothes.

Then I grew up and still I always want to wear what others are and continuously fascinated with others style. Then I realised that is what i am! I am a fashion lover not a fashion wearer. No matter how much I try I will always be intrigued by others style and want to create my own version!

I have created this blog to do just that; give voice on what I think is fabulous and not so. Why haven't I ever thought about this before!

As I am a student, I will also give you a little insight into my world, my interests, complaints, work, and mates.

Please give me as much feedback as you like as all will be welcomed, except the bad things of course :)

IMMENSE!