Smorgasburg Markets: Williamsburg

One of the best things about New York is definitely the food! All of our plans seem to revolve around where we want to eat that day. Yesterday we decided to try the Smorgasburg food market in Williamsburg. I had already been to the one in Prospect Park so fancied checking this one out to see how it compared.

Smorgasburg is on every Saturday and Sunday. It takes place outdoors during the summer, then moves to an indoor location in the winter months, which means you can visit any time of the year. It would definitely be one of the things I'd recommend to someone if they were only here for a week. And with so much to choose from, it's perfect even if you've got a few fussy eaters in your group. I treated myself to a beef brisket sandwich and gooey butter cake. Both were amazing! 

I personally preferred the Williamsburg location because of the amazing Manhattan views by the waterfront. Despite it being a bit chilly, we couldn't resist sitting on the rocks and tucking in to our food with the view of the skyline behind us. I'm amazed I didn't spill any food on my white trousers!

While you're in the area it's also worth checking out the Artist & Fleas market just up the road which stocks loads of amazing, independent creations like handmade jewellery, phone cases and candles. Another one of our favourite food places, Vinnie's, is just around the corner. This pizza take out place has fast become one of our favourites because of the huge selection of flavours and also the option for vegan cheese (one of the girls is lactose intolerant). If only there were more meals in a day! 

Aderyn x

Photo credit: smorgasburg.com & myself

OOTD: Lunch In Brooklyn

I recently got this amazing jumpsuit as a birthday gift from my sister. I love how baggy it is and it's perfect for layering! The weather was surprisingly nice this weekend so I opted just for a t-shirt and Converse, but with winter round the corner I know this will look just as fabulous with a turtleneck jumper and a pair of boots.

What was meant to be brunch, turned in to lunch (we're never on time for things). We headed to a bar/restaurant in Greenpoint that we stumbled across in our first couple of weeks of being in NYC but were yet to try called Northern Territory. Having been blessed with a bit of sunshine we headed upstairs to enjoy the amazing views from the rooftop area, along with some catchy old school tunes blasting out of the speakers. You wouldn't have thought we were in the depths of October. The french toast was definitely tempting, but I couldn't turn down a juicy steak with PROPER chips!

After our lovely lunch we headed back in to Manhattan for a Sprinkles cupcake and a spot of shopping. I decided it was time for me to invest in some proper underwear so went to get fitted at Victoria Secrets with the intention of treating myself. After spending about two hours in the store I still walked out empty handed, however, I do intend to go back this weekend and finally make my purchase. I just needed some time to think about spending $100 on two bras, although I've been convinced that it'll be totally worth it! My opinion of Victoria Secrets has definitely changed; I originally had it pinned it down as a tad 'basic'. I am not the kind of girl to walk around wearing a hot pink push up bra and that's all I thought Victoria Secret's had to offer, but I was wrong! I had such a lovely experience with the amazing staff and actually found a bunch of more subtle, sophisticated underwear that I can certainly see myself in. I can't wait to go and spend my birthday money!

Jumpsuit - ASOS
T-shirt - Urban Outfitters
Shoes - Converse
Sunglasses - Primark

Aderyn x

My Birthday Weekend in New York

Last weekend I became a 'proper' adult; I turned 21! I wanted to share with all of you what I got up to on my birthday as it was certainly a weekend I'll never forget.

My birthday was on the Sunday, so to kick off the weekend we went to the cinema to watch Girl On The Train on Friday night. I hadn't read the book so I had no idea what to expect from the film which I think made it even better. This film is right up there with Gone Girl and Before I Go To Sleep - all amazing! I'd never seen Emily Blunt (who I love) portray a role like this before which made it all the more interesting to watch. I love a film that keeps me on the edge of my seat!

On Saturday we took a trip to the Cooper Hewitt museum, my favourite museum in New York! I find the work here to be much more interesting and meaningful than a lot of other places, and there are always some interactive elements. It turned out to be free on the day we went, so if you don't want to spend a lot of money, definitely try and head there on a Saturday. We finished the evening with a trip to our favourite cupcake place, Sprinkles! I treated myself to my usual triple cinnamon cupcake as it is one of my few favourites that is still available at that time of night - I'm lucky that a lot of people hate cinnamon.

For my actual birthday on Sunday I managed to convince the girls to go rock climbing with me at Dumbo boulders. Some of the walls were very hard and sloped back on themselves which is something my amount of upper body strength cannot handle! I still did pretty well at the easier climbs. To reward our hard work on the boulders, we popped over the road to check out the Brooklyn Flea Market which luckily was in Dumbo that day. I picked a super messy salted caramel doughnut for my 'lunch'. It was definitely worth the chocolate marks all over my chin. 

Finally the evening came around and it was time for what we'd all been waiting for - a meal at the swanky Beauty & Essex! We spent ages getting ready together and dancing to some cheesy tunes. Just before we left the girls surprised me with lots of balloons and presents, as they sang happy birthday to me holding a tub of ice cream with big two one candles in. They'd obviously caught on to my frozen obsession! Of course this resulted in many happy tears from myself as I was so touched they'd gone to all this effort for me. We opted to take a taxi to the restaurant because we didn't fancy tackling the subway in heels. Best decision ever! Driving over the bridge in to Manhattan and seeing the skyline all lit up made me feel like I was in a movie. 

The restaurant itself was amazing. You enter through a normal looking door in to a room disguised as a pawn shop. At the back of the entrance was another door that led you in to the actual restaurant. The place was full of people and the atmosphere was incredible. We sat down and got straight in to ordering lots of food and cocktails. We were in there for a good four hours, drinking and chatting away. We racked up quite a large bill but it was definitely worth it! The evening turned out to be just as amazing as I'd hoped and will definitely remain as one of my highlights of my time here. 

We finished the night back home in a big giggly mess, dreading another week of classes ahead of us. I think we all just wanted to stay at Beauty & Essex forever! It was definitely the best 21st I could have asked for.

Aderyn x

Celebrity Turned Designer - Zayn Malik & Versace

With the recent news that Zayn Malik is taking the role of creative director for his collaboration with the fashion house Versace, I wanted to discuss the way celebrity culture is dominating the fashion industry.

With all these celebrities creating their own lines or collaborating with existing designers, it makes it harder for fresh talent to gain success. Celebrities are taking the jobs away from the up-and-coming designers, models and writers, who probably have more skill in these areas then the celebrity that has been chosen in place of them.

Most of the creators of our current big fashion brands have probably been in a similar position to today’s graduates. By collaborating with celebrities on their lines, they are taking these opportunities away from the real talent. This degrades the job of a fashion designer, as most of the celebrities involved in today's fashion collaborations are likely to have no previous experience in the field. The actual involvement of celebrities in such collaborations is often very low, and in some cases the celebrity is just licensing their name to the line in order to make a bit of extra cash.

Those who are just starting their own lines are unlikely to have the funds required to make a collection, let alone get their name out there once they have product. Especially for those who have just graduated from university with huge debts, the idea of starting your own line can seem nearly impossible. Rather than brands signing huge deals with big names, their money would be better spent in supporting fresh talent.

Zayn Malik has just announced his fashion line in collaboration with Versace. The singer has gained a lot of popularity since leaving One Direction due to his solo career and his relationship with supermodel Gigi Hadid, making him very popular right now. This will significantly help the sales of the collaboration as his fan base are so committed. While Zayn has shown an interest in fashion, Versace most likely wanted to collaborate with someone of his status as it would create a buzz around the brand and bring in more money through sales, rather than collaborate with someone because of their talent.

Kanye is another celebrity that has come from a career in music and made the move in to fashion. Kanye’s line Yeezy is now in its fourth season, producing clothing which look very similar to all of his previous collections. Due to his fame in the music business, Kanye already had a lot of money to launch his fashion line, a luxury which many new designers do not have. I don't think Yeezy would be as popular as it is if it wasn’t for the name behind it.

The Council of Fashion Designers of America set up the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund to award up-and-coming designers with the funding and business expertise required to launch their line and make a name for themselves in the business. This is giving new designers the financial boost that celebrities don’t require, therefore evening out the playing field a little.

As a fashion student myself (although not a designer), it bothers me that celebrities who already have fame and fortune are seeking to further this by extending their careers in to the fashion industry, at the expense of those who are probably much more talented. I know how tough and competitive this industry is, and how hard I am willing to work to get myself there. However, many of these celebrities, once they have reached a high level of status, are handed opportunities that should go to much more deserving creatives.

I look forward to collaborating with others like myself in an effort to support one another in this crazy industry. If I ever reach a point of great influence in my career, I hope that I would base my decisions on raw talent rather than the financial factor that comes with a big name.

Aderyn x

Photo Credit: Pop Sugar

It's My Birthday: The Big Two One

I was going to put up one of my usual posts today, but figured since it's my birthday I should write something to celebrate my 21 years of being me! Here's a little Amy Poehler style memoir (read her book - it's fab) about my little life so far...

 Happy me on the steps of The Met.

 Halloween has always been my favourite holiday!

 Preparing for my days as a surfing granny.

 My favourite girls ft. parallel posing.

All the New York girls!

This 21st birthday is a little different than how I expected it to be when I was younger. I always imagined that I'd hire out a big venue at home, put on a fancy frock and invite all my friends and family. Thinking back, this was never going to happen. I've always known I was going to go to university and organising things when you live between two cities isn't the easiest job! Much to my surprise, I'm spending my 21st birthday in New York of all places. It's been a tough one not being able to drink here so far, and my 21st certainly won't be as wild as my previous birthdays. Instead we've opted to go for a classy meal downtown, where I'll definitely be treating myself to a few delicious cocktails. I'm not sure how much of the New York nightlife I'll be able to sample now that I'm 21 as all the girls are younger than me - but I will find a way!

Coming to New York is one of the craziest/bravest things I've ever done. I consider myself a very independent and strong willed person, but this experience has pushed me more than I could have imagined. I now feel like I can move anywhere in the world and take on anything! 

I can't wait to get back and see my lovely friends at home in Manchester, and at university in Nottingham. I am so blessed to be living between two fabulous cities. Everyone knows that Manchester is the one; it's full of amazing bars, restaurants and of course the style! But Nottingham has seriously impressed me. The city is much more compact than what I'm used to at home, but this makes getting everywhere so much easier. There's a bunch of cool independent stores and restaurants that remind me of home, and the nightlife is my favourite. The city is dominated by students which means enjoying all of the fun university antics that comes along with it. Nothing fills me with more pleasure than walking the streets of Nottingham on a Wednesday night and seeing all the students running around in their Ocean Wednesday costumes, shouting one of our university chants. Everyone is so proud to be a Trent student - including me!

I always pictured myself at a London university because everyone tells you that's where you need to be for fashion. While I inevitably see myself moving to London, I am happy that I'm out of the capital for my university years. Nottingham Trent is a great school for fashion, and I love the sense of community that I don't think you would get in London. Whenever I walk around campus I always feel like I'm part of something. And who can afford London anyway?

I'm super grateful for all the friends I have made so far. Anyone who knows me will know that I think doing Art Foundation was the best decision I have ever made and I encourage everyone to give it a go. I constantly ramble on about how much I love the girls I met during this year, but I really do feel so honoured to have such a positive and amazingly talented group of friends who I know will be there to support me for the rest of my life. As I've gotten older (yes, I know 21 isn't that old), I've began to realise that it's really all about who you surround yourself with. As long as you have a great group of friends behind you, everything will be fine!

I couldn't talk about my 21 years without mentioning my disastrous dating life. But guys, you've gotta do it! Go out there, go out dates, meet new people. You'll really learn so much about yourself. It's definitely one of the scariest things you can do, but if nothing else, it'll make for some funny stories for your friends! It's interesting to get to know different people, learn about what they want to do and where they're heading. And of course have someone listen to you ramble about your life for a little bit! I'm a big believer that you can't commit yourself to a person until you're fully confident being on your own, because no one should hold that amount of power over your own happiness. Don't be expecting grandkids any time soon, mum! 

My rough plan for my next 21 years include living in Manchester for a little bit after graudating to lap up all the northern-ness before I head down to London which is where I see myself really getting my career going. I'd love to work abroad for a year or so, but the language barrier might hold me back on that one. My plans are pretty 'take it as it comes' after that, until, of course, I retire to Devon and become a surfing granny. You're never too old! 

Until next time,

Aderyn x

New York Romantic

No matter where I go in New York, I always seem to find spots that would make the perfect date night destinations. Hiding amongst the hustle and bustle of the city are so many romantic settings that need to be visited! There's nothing else like watching the sun set over the Manhattan skyline to make you feel all mushy inside. 

Getting ready is sometimes the most fun part of going out, so I've put together three different looks for all of my favourite date spots in New York City.

Shirt, Topshop; Jeans, H&M; Trainers, Converse; Necklace, H&M; Underwear, Adore Me

LOOK 1 - SMORGASBURG MARKET

Smorgasburg is a food market in Brooklyn that has some of the most delicious treats in the city! This would make for a wonderful date spot, getting to know each other over The Good Batch ice cream sandwiches. The market takes place during the day so it's a great excuse to wear your trainers on a date. I paired them with some casual girlfriend jeans and my favourite trend this season - the pyjama style blouse! The semi-sheer material of the shirt is perfect for showing off your cute triangle bras - I love this Parker set from Adore Me.

Top, Zara; Trousers, New Look; Boots, Urban Outfitters; Necklace, Forever 21; Knickers, Adore Me

LOOK 2 - ANGELIKA FILM CENTER

I recently went to this independent theatre to watch White Girl and the interior was beautiful. This cinema stocks fancy cakes and pastries, making it a little more special than your usual cinema date. For a top as strappy as this, I always opt for no bra. This means wearing some seriously sassy knickers as you don't have to worry about a matching bra/pants combo. Adore Me offer a huge range of styles at 3 for $30. I paired this look with these Urban Outfitters boots that I have been lusting over  for weeks!

Dress, Topshop; Heels, Forever 21; Bag, ASOS; Rings, H&M; Underwear, Adore Me

LOOK 3 - BEAUTY AND ESSEX

This restaurant was highly recommended to me by a friend, and I'll be making a visit for my 21st birthday! It's meant to be quite a fancy place known for being popular amongst a few celebrities. For a date here I would opt for a slip dress with a statement shoe and bag. Delicate straps like these can't be ruined by visible bra straps, so for this look I would recommend the Fee Fee push-up multiway bra. No more nude granny underwear - this strapless bra brings together functionality and fashion!

If your underwear is on point then you'll always feel great! Browse the huge range of lingerie available at Adore Me here.

Aderyn x

Why Poland Shouldn't Make Abortion Illegal

It came out earlier this week that Poland had gone back on their plans to make abortion illegal after large protests broke out across the country. I personally couldn't be more pleased for the women of Poland.

I understand that the choice to terminate a pregnancy is a big one and should not be taken lightly, but it's a choice that I believe women should be able to make. Carrying a child in your womb for nine months, going through the pain inducing process of child birth, then dedicating your life and money in to raising a child you didn't ask for is not a decision any one else should be able to make for you.

The argument that by engaging in sexual intercourse means you should be prepared for pregnancy makes about as much sense to me as the argument that by wearing revealing clothing you should be prepared for sexist catcalling. Of course, when you have sex you should always be aware of the consequences and take the necessary precautions. But women shouldn't be punished for having sex for pleasure by being told that if they do become pregnant then they have to keep it, while the male in the situation could get away with just paying some child support every month.

This decision should not be made for us by anyone else; by men who will never know the panic of being late on your period, or by those who have enough money to raise a child if they ever needed to. Everyone's circumstances are different. In an ideal world there wouldn't be any need for abortions. Our contraception would always work. Women wouldn't get raped. Young girls wouldn't have sex before they were too young to understand the consequences. No one wants an abortion, but no one wants to be told they're pregnant if they're not ready to raise a child. 

These are just my personal views on abortion and I by no means want to offend anyone or dictate what people should think. The news that Poland planned to ban abortion even further encouraged me to share my feelings towards the situation because, as a woman, this is something I feel very strongly about and I wanted to voice my support for Polish women. Of course, since the news broke, the government have announced that they are rejecting the plans but, nonetheless, I wanted share my thoughts. 

This post is more serious than what you would usually find on my blog, but I hope to use this is a personal platform for me to express my interests and opinions, and encourage conversation about these important topics. 

Aderyn x

Photo Credit: Los Angeles Times

Primark Haul

Over the weekend the girls and I took a trip out of the big city and in to Philadelphia. We started our morning very early and dragged ourselves to the coach station. Two hours and many rounds of the Fresh Prince theme tune later and we arrived at our destination. I, surprisingly, successfully lead us to a big mall in Philadelphia via bus, which had a Primark inside (omg!). Everything in New York is crazy expensive so it was a dream walking in to the store and seeing candles for 90c and $4 t-shirts! I picked up so much stuff that my arms could hardly carry everything. After trying on about eighteen different items, I walked away with these four pieces.

Long Sleeved Stripe Top - $6. I already own way more striped items than I would care to count, but this is one print I can never get enough of. This long sleeve top will be a great layering piece, as well as looking super cute paired with my mom jeans and Converse on lazier days. 

Stripe Frill Sleeve Top - $9. The frills on this top are so cute! I had to buy it in a size 16 because the elastic on the arms was so tight, but it turns out I preferred the oversized fit anyway.

Pyjama Shirt - $10. This might be my favourite purchase. I've been looking for a blouse in this style for so long, but could never find exactly what I was after. Admittedly, this shirt is actually from the nightwear section and is supposed to be worn to bed (they have matching pyjama bottoms too) but you can bet I'll be wearing this one out and about. Who can tell the difference anyway?

Black Lace Dress - $7. I was drawn to this number because I've always been a fan of the slip dress style, and I thought it would be perfect to wear for my upcoming 21st birthday meal. The lace inserts made the neckline appear higher which is a much more flattering look on me. The lace did flop down a bit when I tried it on, but hopefully I can iron it straight. This dress was actually meant to be $16, which I wasn't sure about paying due to some makeup/deodorant marks on the side of the dress. When I enquired to see if they had any more in stock, they told me it was the last one, but it was actually in the sale and reduced to $7. Bargain!

Sometimes you have to do a bit of hunting in Primark, but there is always some gems hiding amongst the piles of clothing.

Aderyn x

Coping With Homesickness

Being away from home has never really caused me any problems. Aside from the odd fuss when I was younger, homesickness isn't an issue for me.

In the lead up to me moving to university, lots of people were asking me if I'd miss home and how often I would come back for the weekend. No one believed me when I said I'd be fine, saying it would hit me once I'd left. Admittedly, I did feel a little upset when my family eventually left me in my student halls with a bunch of strangers I was about to live with for a year, but any emotion soon vanished when I started getting ready for our first night out. There were times when I struggled with uncertainties about making friends, but time proved I was worried over nothing and now I have a wonderful group of girls that I love being with.

The only time I went home during my first year at university was for the holidays. Even during the two weeks my course had off for 'reading week', I opted to stay while every single one of my friends headed home. I just love the independence of being at uni, I love being in a city and I love being surrounded by friends. One of the worst things about being at home is that my closest friend is at least 15 minute walk away, and every fun thing to do requires some form of transportation. I know that it could be worse, but going from having your best friend living three rooms away from you makes any distance seem like miles. 

Then I decided to come to New York to study for four whole months. While homesickness wasn't a huge concern of mine, anyone who knows me knows I seriously suffer with FOMO (fear of missing out). When I moved to university this wasn't an issue. If anything, staying at home would've caused my FOMO to flair up even more seeing all my friends move to uni and start new lives while I continued doing the same thing. However this situation was different. My friends weren't going anywhere, but I was. They'd continue leading the life I enjoyed so much being a part of, just without me, and this is what I've struggled with.

Everyone thinks I'm crazy. 'But you're in New York!' they say. Yes, New York is amazing and this opportunity is amazing and I am so grateful for those who got me here. But what people don't seem to realise is that you could be anywhere in the world, but if your best friends aren't there to share it with you, you can't help but want to be wherever they are. Even if it is little Nottingham.

One of the toughest things about coming here was being thrown in to a very unfamiliar situation with five strangers. Moving to New York wasn't the same as moving to Nottingham. Everyone there was in the same boat. Here, us Brits are sailing on our own (excuse the pun). What if we didn't get along? It's not like at university at home where if you don't like your flatmates you can just make friends off your course or with the flat next door. To everyone else at FIT, this is where they're going to spend the next four years of their lives. For us, it's just four months. Of course, that's not to say I don't want to make friends with the students here, but knowing they're going to be in a completely different continent to me after Christmas makes me think my efforts would be wasted, putting even more pressure on my shoulders to bond with the girls I came with. Thankfully they've all proved to be super lovely!

A lot of my concerns stemmed from the fear of not making friends and missing out on what was going on at home. I thought I would share with you all three things that made everything a little easier for me.

1. KEEP YOURSELF BUSY

I felt my worst when I wasn't doing much, or I was doing something away from the girls. My FOMO would kick in and convince me they were all rapidly becoming best friends in my absence and I was completely missing out. Being on your own also gives you more time to worry over what your friends are doing at home. I felt much better after my jam packed weekend which you can read about here, because I was having too much fun to worry about anything else. Keeping yourself busy can seriously get rid of a lot of anxieties.

2. EVERYONE IS IN THE SAME BOAT

Anything you're worrying about, another person probably is too. In situations like this it's helpful to remember that you're all in the same position. Just chat to other people about it. I wasn't aware that a lot of the girls felt the exact same way as I did, but now I feel so much better knowing that I'm not on my own. It is difficult doing something as daunting as this with people you have only just met. Coming from a close knit group of friends, it's hard suddenly not having the same level of comfort and support that only comes with long term friendships. But everyone is away from their friends, so they'll probably be very happy to make some new ones.

3. FACETIME YOUR FRIENDS

I thought that this might make me feel worse. What if they had been doing amazing things while I wasn't there? In reality, it just reassured me that things probably aren't as spectacular as they appear to be on social media, and they're having just as many down days as I might be. It also helps having someone you feel comfortable with to chat to about all these things. My friends were great at reassuring me that I was doing the right thing, and anything I felt like I'd missed out on we could just do again once I got back.

A lot of people stress that you need to enjoy yourself because time will fly by, abut this only adds to the pressure. I feel like I HAVE to be enjoying myself at ALL times just because I'm in New York. This goes the same for university. I always felt guilty for having down days because apparently these are 'the best years of my life' and if I'm not enjoying myself all the time then it's a waste of an experience. But having down days and learning to deal with them only adds to the experience and makes you come out of it a more matured person than when you started.

Aderyn x