A LITTLE 2018 REFLECTION

As today is our last day of 2018 (who can actually believe it) I thought I would look back on the year and reflect. I feel like this year has been probably one of the busiest years for me in terms of I haven’t stopped. I went from going to college in London and working part time to having the best summer ever to working full time non stop, in addition to my every day life.

So here are just a few of my 2018 memories with the people I love the most…

JANUARY:

Budapest…

February:

Rome…

Milan…

My very first London Fashion Week…

MARCH:

My 21st Birthday…

Cut my hair (major change)…

APRIL:

Got my first tattoo…

Barcelona with my bestie…

MAY:

Got my second tattoo:

WE R Festival…

JUNE:

Parklife Festival…

Strawberries and Cream Festival…

Nice and Monte Carlo…

JULY:

Graduation…

Got my third tattoo…

Wireless Festival…

Mum’s 50th Birthday…

AUGUST:

Guadeloupe…

Maz’s 21st Birthday…

SEPTEMBER:

Got another tattoo…

Took my boyfriend for a weekend away in London…

OCTOBER:

Got a new princess from a rescue charity… (her name is Martha/Martha Moo)

NOVEMBER: (Was boring lol)

DECEMBER:

Christmas…

And that was my 2018!!! I had such a fun year but 2019 is the year I get my life together (possibly, hopefully, fingers crossed).

HAVE THE BEST NIGHT TONIGHT AND STAY SAFE, see you next year x

AND SHE’S BACK!!!

Hey guys, long time no see (that’s my bad, oops)!

To be honest with you I don’t have much of an excuse as to why I’ve been gone nearly 3 months… But surprise surprise as New Year is fast approaching I need to act quickly if I want to do the whole “new year, new me” blah blah blah and stick to at least one resolution.

The main reason that I’ve been so MIA on the blog is that if I’m being 100% honest I ran out of idea’s… after only 8 blogs (TRAGIC, I know).

I started this blog to mainly post fashion related things or little getaway trips but there’s only so many clothes I can buy a month and places to go. Also I don’t know about you but when I read other bloggers post or watch Youtube channels I love seeing just the plain jane normal stuff that they get up to as well along with the makeup tips, OOTD’s and skin care routines. So I thought I would jump back on here for just a quick post and ask ever so kindly for YOUR help.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO READ?

If anyone could give me ANY suggestions at all that would honestly be fabulous! Obviously I love to write for myself but I would feel great if I was actually maybe helping someone out and have them enjoy reading what I have to say.

Any way that’s it for this post (short but sweet) and I will speak to you all very soon, PROMISE! x

HAVE A LITTLE FEEL ONCE A MONTH – PLEASE!

*Disclaimer – this is going to be a lengthier blog post than normal, kind of like a story time!

As it is breast cancer awareness month I thought this would be the perfect time to finally speak in the open about what has been constantly on the back of my mind so much recently. I’ve been back and fourth debating whether to post this or not as it is quite a hard blog to share because 1) it’s very personal and 2) I’m scared as to whether people will judge me for posting it just to get ‘attention’ or ‘sympathy’. THS IS NOT what I want as I’ve had amazing support already from my closest friends and family and I am 100% ok and healthy. This is simply for AWARENESS!

For a little while I hadn’t been feeling 100% at all, constantly exhausted (going to bed at 9pm every night), hot flushes, migraines more often than normal and what felt like a cold coming on yet I thought nothing of it. Then about a month ago I got back from a night out after having a few too many drinks and was attempting to get ready for bed at a stupid hour of the morning! (We’ve all been here don’t lie)! As I was trying to somehow unhook my bra my hand got caught and I felt something on on my left breast which caused some pain and discomfort. I started to have a feel about and I felt what was to me a lump which I had never noticed before. I went to bed with that on the back of my mind thinking I was to book a doctors appointment asap.

The Tuesday after I booked my appointment and went to the doctors quite calm as I didn’t think much of it. After I explained to the doctor my symptoms and the lump, he asked if he could have a feel. After having an initial feel he brought the nurse in as he felt like he needed to do a full examination as something didn’t feel quite right. He then sat me down and because of my symptoms he immediately referred me to the breast cancer clinic. He told me to keep checking everyday that it hadn’t grown but to not worry as we were going to get everything checked.

After what felt like the longest week of my life the day of my appointment arrived and I had never felt more scared or worried about anything! It was at the Breast Cancer clinic in Addenbrookes and walking into the reception was the most overwhelming thing ever. I was by far the youngest woman there.

I had a doctor do another initial ‘examination’ and straight away he said that what I had was a Fibroadenoma lump in the side of my left breast and that the ultra scan I was about to have would confirm that and I could then go home after. I felt a massive weight off my shoulders walking out of that room.

I felt calm walking in to have my ultra scan as I just thought this was going to confirm what I had been told. The doctor was having a feel and a look round for about 5 minutes before replaying the scan and having a zoom in and out of the pictures. I could tell by her face that something didn’t seem right and she got the other nurse to come and double check. After looking back and forth she turned and said that she wanted to conduct a biopsy there and then as the lump looked very lumpy to be a Fibroadenoma. Now for anyone who knows me knows I absolutely HATE the hospital, needles, just everything about them petrifies me and for her to suddenly tell me she had to perform that after being told I was ok was the worst.

Anyway after she gave me a local anaesthetic in the side of my breast I can confirm, having a biopsy really isn’t as scary as it sounds!!!!!! They were amazing with me, making conversation making sure my head was always looking the other way and keeping me distracted. It only took around 10 minutes as well! After that I was stitched up and told that I would get my results the following Monday and was sent home.

Fast forward to now and thank fully I am all well and the lump was just a very lumpy Fibroadenoma which is something woman (and some men) can get generally from the age of 15-30 years old. It doesn’t need to be surgically removed and will hopefully go on its own in the next 18-24 months. But I have to keep checking it to see whether anything changes (bigger, more painful).

Like I said at the beginning this post is all about awareness and CHECKING YOUR BOOBS ON A REGULAR BASIS!!! Before this experience I had never checked as I didn’t actually know what I was looking for but I can’t stress enough the importance of having a feel and getting to know your body, looking out for any changes that might occur and whether it’s the smallest little change, GO TO YOUR DOCTORS! I live by the motto ‘better to be safe than sorry’ and this was exactly the case!

Here are some pictures and links to pages that can help you know what you’re looking for and what to do.

News article on lumps may not be the only sign

Video on how to check your breasts

Here is an amazing fashion show being held in the grande arcade in Cambridge supporting breast cancer UK

Again, I’m sorry for the lengthy post but I just wanted to get my story out and bring awareness to checking as I know most of my readers are probably my age and may feel like we don’t need to worry about stuff like this.

If anyone has any questions about anything please feel free to ask and I can happily answer them all!

Thank you so so so much for reading and I really hope this helps some people think about checking more often it is so important x

We all need a Mini Vaccay

As I sit here planning content on a Wednesday afternoon I can’t help but wish I was planning my next little getaway. This year I have been very fortunate when it came to getting away for a few days and seeing different parts of Europe.

So here are just a few of my holibob pics and memories from my time away throughout this year.

BUDAPEST:

Me and one of my best friends wanted to do a long weekend away in the new year and we both thought of Budapest. We walked for what felt like 100 miles a day, saw the famous sights, ate amazing food and partied in castle ruins. It is hands down one of my most favourite places I have ever been to and I would 100% recommend!

ROME:

I was lucky enough to have my boyfriend take me to Rome as my Christmas present for Valentines day. It was freezing cold but that didn’t stop us from seeing the Colosseum, the Vatican and the Trevi fountain. We also ate the best pizza ever.

MILAN:

Milan was a trip I went on with college as part of our studies. I went to fashion exhibitions, saw all the sights and and spent god knows how long in the biggest Zara store I’ve ever been in!

BARCELONA:

My best friend and I decided to do a little getaway in Spring as we weren’t going on a summer holiday together and we both knew Barcelona would be a lot of fun! We were very lucky with the weather and I drunk the best Sangria and ate THE BEST paellas EVER! Barcelona is one of those places where no matter how many times you return you always have the best time.

MONTE CARLO/MONACO:

After graduating from college and my sister finishing her GCSE’s my mum took us to Monte Carlo. I can’t even begin to describe what it is like out there, it is a whole different world to what i know filled with lavish, shops, cars, restaurants, hotels, casino’s and more. It is definitely an experience which I would recommend but it is also a beautiful place to visit and sight see!

I hope you enjoyed finding out about where I’ve travelled too this year and I am defo looking for somewhere else to go on my next adventure. If everyone has any suggestions then please let me know! x

A/W ’18 CLOTHING HAUL

Fashion wise, Autumn is 100% my favourite time of the year. The big knits come out, roll necks and teddy coats are what I live in. Here is just the beginning of my A/W ’18 clothing collection with definitely more to come as the months go on.

(p.s – Sorry in advance, I wear the same jeans in majority of my outfits, they’re only £15 from Primark and are by far my fav pair!)

A/W ’18 HAUL:

Teddy Coat – New Look

Mom Jeans – Primark

Bodysuit – Missguided

Shoes – River Island (last season)

Knitted Jumper – Zara

Jeans – Primark

Boots – Public Desire

Blouse – River Island

Jeans – Primark (you get the gist)

Heels – New Look

Jacket – Zara

Trousers – Topshop (last season)

Cropped Jumper – Missguided

Joggers – Missguided

Blouse – Ruby Rooms

Earrings – Topshop

Loafers – TK MAXX

Just as I was finishing up this post I did another online shop (surprise surprise) so expect to see more!

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed x

THE MEANING BEHIND MY TATTOO’S

I have always quite liked the thought of having a tattoo but 1) never knew what I wanted (and I would only get one if it meant something to me) and 2) it involves needles. Now for anyone who knows me knows I don’t do well with needles, the thought of them literally sends shivers down my spine. But within the last five months I have gone from having 0 ink across my body to four tattoo’s all with personal meanings behind them.

My first tattoo came about by my best friend tagging me in one of our local tattoo parlours insta pages as they had a weekend special going on to have a tattoo for a discounted price. We both knew we wanted something small and discreet which was perfect as we really had to big each other up and hold each others hand when it came to actually having it.

My second tattoo is very special to me as it is my little sister’s name. When I decided I wanted to get a tattoo the first thing I knew I wanted was my sister’s name. It’s one of those one’s where I would never get anyone else’s name inked on me but my sister felt different. I showed the artist what type of font I wanted and in my eyes he got it perfect, it’s just so delicate!

My third tattoo is my biggest and possibly my favourite! So I have become slightly obsessed with scrolling through tattoo pages on Instagram and came across a lot of rose designs which I thought looked amazing! The meaning behind my specific rose is ‘to new beginnings and hope’. This was perfect as I had just graduated from college and was in the works of starting this blog.

My fourth and most recent tattoo again was one I knew that if I was to ever get one I needed to have something to do with my dog. I am OBSESSED with her she is honestly the princess in the family so had to be on me somewhere. I thought behind my ear was a perfect location to have her paw tattooed as it’s small but has such a personal meaning behind it.

(straight after I had it done)

So there are all my tattoos (for now, much to my mum’s horror) and the personal meanings behind them.

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed x

THE FASHION RETAIL ACADEMY

So as a new school year is beginning I thought this would be the perfect time to talk about where I studied for the last 2 years before graduating this summer with a Merit and a diploma from The Fashion Retail Academy.

After completing my GCSE’s I went to a sixth form college in Cambridge where apart from meeting some of my closest friends I pretty much wasted 2 years as I came out with zero A-levels. I was then back to square one not knowing what I wanted to do whether I wanted to carry on studying or go and find a full time job and if so in what? But I knew 100% uni was a big big no no for me!

My mum knew I had always been interested in fashion and came across the ‘FRA’ – The Fashion Retail Academy. As soon as I read through the prospectus I knew this college would be perfect for me and I applied straight away.

The FRA offer not just Fashion Design courses but the retail and business side to things which is what I ended up studying. The exact course I studied was ‘Level 3 Fashion Retail’ and this was a 2 year course including Visual Merchandising, Contextual Studies, The Supply Chain, Fashion Marketing, Buying, Retail Management and more.

The Level 3 Fashion Retail course consists of 13 units, all coursework, consisting of…

Creating blogs and websites on sustainable fashion
Building your very own 3D shop including what your windows will look like
Creating and designing your own 10 piece range plan
Conducting a comp shop
Writing and shooting for your own magazine
Running your very own pop up shop raising money for charity.

So if you’re more of a creative minded course than it would honestly be perfect for you!

What also makes the FRA so special and unique are the teachers. All the teachers there have had years of experience in their chosen teaching field and can tell you personal stories, tips and tricks from their time in the industry. They also spend a lot of time planning industry talks (where people from the industry come in and give a talk), industry job fairs and industry projects (so working for a brand e.g. I worked with Topshop and the magazine ASBO on different projects).

To help support all of your primary research and final pieces of work the college take you on lots of trips to different exhibitions and museums to help give you inspiration and ideas for yourself. Some of the places we went included…

Burberry Exhibition – Makers House London

Balenciaga Exhibition – Victoria and Albert Museum

IMG_0713-1

London Fashion Week

Milan

So whether you’re looking to do just a short course, 2 year diploma or a uni degree in either Fashion Design or Fashion Retail I couldn’t recommend The Fashion Retail Academy more. They were honestly (apart from the occasional stress when deadlines were looming, but who doesn’t want to rip their hair out when deadlines are around the corner) the most fun 2 years I have ever had studying!

To check out the FRA page and how to apply click this link

Sorry this was a little more lengthy than usual, but trying to explain what I’ve done for the past 2 years was difficult to chop down, and tbh I could have gone on and on and on!

Anyways thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed! x

SUMMER HOLIDAY ’18

Guadeloupe – The most beautiful French Caribbean Island

After having our traditional summer holidays in Spain for the last however long I can remember I finally got to travel to the other side of the world to the beautiful French Caribbean Island of Guadeloupe.

We were lucky enough to stay in the only way I can describe it….. the Love Island Villa. It honestly looked a spitting image, with the word ‘love’ in pink plastered across the wall and an infinity pool over looking the most amazing type forest.

When I say pictures do not do this place justice, I mean PICTURES DO NOT DO THIS PLACE JUSTICE! It’s one of those locations you can find on the front of a postcard or in a holiday brochure. The most clear water, the soft white sand of the beach, the breath taking picturesque views and of course not forgetting the most amazing insta backgrounds. (I think by the end of the holiday my family and boyfriend were fed of me saying ‘ooo can you just get a quick photo’ , ‘and another, and another, and another).

There are two days that stick out to me as being my favourite’s from the whole holiday. The first one was a boat trip out to the tiny, deserted island of Terre-de-haut. It was a 35/40 min boat trip from the main island of Guadeloupe where we were staying to this tiny little island which you could walk one side to the other in just 20 minutes. Here we did snorkelling where I swam with the most colourful (and hugeeee) fishes I’ve ever seen and the cutest little turtle, canoeing and petting the islands iguanas whilst trying to eat lunch.

Now for anyone who knows me well knows how much of a geek I am when it comes to the BBC drama series Death in Paradise. Well…….. my dreams came true and I got to explore the set where it is all filmed, including the police station, the bar where they all go for a drink after finding the killer and I even got to walk around Detective Richard Poole’s shack on the beach! (Yes I did try out the hammock). We even saw them filming in the police station which I may or may not have fan girled over slightly.

But honestly what a better way to end the holiday then by bumping into the commissioner himself at the Guadeloupe airport…. (Yes we did ask for a photo).

So that was my fun-filled 2 weeks on the island of Guadeloupe and for anyone wanting a new holiday destination that isn’t your typical Bali or Thailand then I would 100% recommend this place.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed all my holiday pics! x

OUTFITS

When it comes to outfits I always spend WAY too much time thinking about what I’m going to wear. Here are some of my favourite outfits that I have worn and where they are from for anyone asking….

Top – Prettylittlething

Trousers – Missguided

Trainers – Air Force

Sunglasses – H&M

Belt – Gucci

Dress – Zara

Heels – River Island

Sunglasses – Topshop

Watch – Michael Kors

Purse – Louis Vuitton

Dress – Pretttlittlething

Top – Primark

Trouser – Prettylittlething

Shoes – Topshop

Earrings – Topshop

Two -piece – Prettylitlething

Shoes – Topshop

Sunglasses – Topshop

Bag – Zara

Jumper – Zara

Bag – Louis Vuitton

Sock boots – Zara

Bodysuit – Zara

Trousers – Zara

Shoes – Topshop

Bag – Louis Vuitton

Off the shoulder jumper – Missguided

Joggers – Missguided

Sunglasses – Topshop

Bag – Louis Vuitton

Earrings – Topshop

Dress – Prettylittlething

Heels – New Look

Belt – Gucci

Bag – Louis Vuitton

Playsuit – Zara

Shoes – New Look

Bag – Louis Vuitton

Bodysuit – Zara

Trousers – Topshop

Shoes – Topshop

WELCOME!

Phew ok here it goes…….. Hello and thanks for joining!

I’m Anais and I’m a 21 year old fashion fanatic from Cambridge. I have always wanted to start a blog but never EVER had the guts to as I have always been afraid of what people thought and whether or not I would be judged but here we are and most importantly WHO CARES!!!

Instagram – @anaisdumez

This is me. A girl who spends too much money on clothes and too much time scrolling through different bloggers accounts on Instagram wishing I was them living their lifestyle. As this is my first blog post I thought I would keep it short and sweet by giving you a little insight into who I am and what I do, so here are 10 facts about me….. Enjoy!

1. Like I have said I am 21 years old but infact look about 16 (tragic, I know)

2. I have lived in Cambridge my whole life (but would love to move to London and then New York)

3. I have possibly the cutest dog in the world (Insert one of the 1000’s of photos I have of her)

4. I am a graduate from the FRA – ‘Fashion Retail Academy’ in London just off Oxford Street. I studied Level 3 Fashion Retail for 2 years and graduated this year.

5. I am actually half French, yet never ask me to speak on the spot as it will never happen.

6. From the age of 3 to when I was 16 years old I danced and trained at Bodywork dance company and my dream was always to become a professional dancer.

7. Zara is possibly my favourite brand when it comes to winter time as for those who know me know ALLLLLL of my knitwear comes from there. I live in them and spend at least half my wage a month on cosy jumpers.

8. I am always, always, always cold. Anything under 25 degrees and I’m moaning.

9. I am a skin care lover. Day and night I will drown my skin in face masks, creams, face peels and more.

And finally

10. My biggest aspiration is to set up my own fashion brand and styling blog/service. To help girls get killer outfits for any occasions whilst feeling as confident and cute as can be.

Well then, there you have it my very first blog post. I hope you enjoyed reading and will return. Please comment/ DM me any questions you have and anything you would potentially want to read about. Thank you and welcome to OMG.OhMyGarmz.