Turning Twenty... a reflection

I'm turning twenty on September 4th and I honestly cannot believe how quickly I've grown up. It only seems like yesterday that I was at Primary School and now I'm off to University!? Where did the time go? In the twenty one years that I've been walking this earth, I've learnt an awful lot. An awful lot about myself and an awful lot about who I want to be. It's only now that I'm actually coming to terms with who I am and what I want to do with my life and I couldn't be happier with how things are falling into place...

My proudest achievements...

I turn twenty in a matter of days, I'm off to University in a matter of weeks and I'm only a matter of years away from fulfilling my dream to become a journalist. It's crazy to think that only 4 years ago I wasn't in High School, I had no qualifications and I had no idea what I was going to do with my life. I have always dreamt big and I never wanted to be a failure but I didn't ever dream of going to university, let alone taking a somewhat academic subject. I can remember my nan banging on about University when I was younger - I had no interest, not an ounce, of heading to uni. Why? Because I couldn't stand school and I couldn't think of anything worse than staying in education that long. But since then I've grown, I've matured and I believe that education is one of the greatest gifts we receive (even if I will be £50k or more in debt) but it's worth it and the money doesn't bother me at all.

Aside from university - I recently left college with the highest possible grade, D*D*D*, in Media (the equivalent to 3 A*s at A-Level!). Never did I ever think I could achieve such an amazing grade, but I did! This didn't just land on my lap though - not at all. I had to work hard to get the grade I got - I took pages and books full of notes and then I'd get home and write them out two or three times to drill the facts into my mind; I typed and typed away to ensure my essays and reports were top-notch and I was passionate about every single aspect of my course - passion helps you achieve big, without passion, you'll get nowhere!

My little 'ole blog and why I'm glad I started it...

I achieved my media grade all while still running and growing my little space on the internet, yeah - this little old thing you're reading... MY BLOG! I started my blog when I was sixteen - that's almost four years ago! I was clueless, I had no clue what I was doing but I rolled with it. Throughout doing my GCSEs at college I rolled with it and throughout achieving big in media I rolled with it. My blog is such a brilliant door opener for me - it bagged me a place on my media course with minimal GCSEs and it helped me get into my University too. Starting a blog was one of the best things I have ever done. Why? It proves you're committed; it proves that you're passionate; it proves that you have the capability to grow; and it proves you have ability in all sorts of areas - social media, marketing, journalism, writing, photography... the list is endless!

My journey to body image acceptance...

Another thing that I'm proud of now I'm approaching my twenties is how far I've come with my body image acceptance. I've never been a skinny mini and I doubt I ever will be. Partly down to health issues and medication I can't seem to shift as much as I would like, but I'm coming to terms with this. For years my weight and size worried me, bothered me and made me feel less worthy; but in the past few years I'm accepting myself, my curves and my softness more and more. We're brought up in a world and in a society that seems to frown upon curvier women (even though the average dress size of the average British woman is a size 16) and I honestly feel that the stigma surrounding excess fat should stop... full stop. I think that my body image acceptance has been difficult and distorted due to slender models, celebrities and other influential women being forced upon us thanks to mainstream women - but thanks to the ever-growing body posi world on social media, I can now finally begin to accept my curves, chub, excess fat and thick thighs. 

Steal Mollie's Style!

A little more about the outfit I'm sporting... 

How gorgeous is my new faux suede biker jacket? From Primark for a mere £25 this biker jacket is both chic and edgy! Perfect for any season, with any outfit (with a touch of pink of course), this jacket is an investment! Size up to fit a cozy jumper beneath it for the chiller winter months and for extra breathing space in the warmer weeks of summer.

I teamed this super chic biker jacket with a vintage style blouse from M&S, currently not in stock but bought for around £25, this gorgeous blouse is lightweight and has gorgeous hues that work beautifully with the jacket! I wore the blouse with some gorgeous new white ripped jeans from River Island, these were £45 and again, are sadly currently out of stock (similar options are available from either River Island, Topshop or Primark).

It's good to accessorise and I done so with just a few must-have pieces. Firstly my gorgeous Ray-Ban 3016 Clubmaster Flash Mirror Lenses - these are such a recognisable frame and a frame that's widely associated with retro fashion - perfect for the look I was pulling off in this outfit. The sunglasses are beautifully suited to my face shape and sit beautifully on my face, another plus is that they go with literally any outfit. The Ray-Ban 3016 Clubmaster Sunglasses are definitely a must-have accessory for me!

I also accessorised with my gorgeous Juno Camilla Mocha Croc print cross-body bag. This bag is absolutely stunning. Beautifully made with the most amazing attention-to-detail my Camilla Mocha Croc print cross-body bag from Juno is perfect for everyday use and finishes my look off perfectly! I tied one of my gorgeous new silk scarves to the bag to give the outfit even more of a retro/vintage vibe. My new vintage Laura Ashely raw silk scarf was an early twentieth birthday present from my mum - isn't it beautiful!? How could I not feature this early gift in my 'turning twenty' post?

I'm just a little bit obsessed with watches - I adore them to bits and have done for many years in-fact. I don't think any outfit is complete without a stunning timepiece, and this outfit certainly was not complete without my gorgeous Elie Beaumont Kew timepiece in Lavender! Seeing as I was sticking with the cult favourite pastel look, how could I not inject a classy timepiece in Lavender into my outfit!? The Kew timepiece by Elie Beaumont in Lavender Nappa Leather is stunning, utterly stunning in fact and definitely a firm favourite of mine. It contrasts with my blouse and jacket so well - which causes it to stand out and look so very stunning!

Another early birthday present - my gorgeous suede frilly deck style shoes! These are a pastel lovers dream... honestly they are! Gorgeous, super comfy and perfect teamed with an outfit like this, these gorgeous deck style shoes are perfect for everyday wear.

I simply cannot believe that I'm now approaching my twenties! I am extremely excited to see what the future holds for me....

Oh and just a shoutout to my marvellous mother for bringing me into this world and for bringing me up to be as bloody amazing I am - for without her, I wouldn't be me.... love you Mummy Quirk!!!