ClassicGrl has moved!

Hello my lovelies!

Guess what?!

ClassicGrl has moved! I have my very own website with a completely new look so please come and follow me over at www.classicgrl.com

Other places you can find me:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/classicgrl

Twitter: www.twitter.com/theclassicgrl

Instagram: www.instagram.com/theclassicgrl

Bloglovin: www.bloglovin.com/blog/13016169

My blog here on Blogger will be deleted soon and I'd love to stay in touch with you so come and visit me!

Much love 

xxx

Adventures in Alnwick

A few weeks after I arrived in the UK, my boyfriend took me to see Alnwick castle. For anyone who doesn't know, it is a castle in the town of Alnwick, Northumberland.  You may have seen parts of it in the Harry Potter films (it was used as a stand in for the interior and exterior of Hogwarts).

If anyone is planning to visit Northumberland or lives in the area and hasn't been to Alnwick Castle, I would highly recommend paying it a visit. Luckily for us, we went on a beautiful, sunny summer day.** The castle is surrounded by miles and miles of green. There's trees and grass and shrubs and there's a little river (River Aln) that runs near it. Standing in the castle grounds looking out over the fields feels so magical. 

So pretty!

The Duke and Duchess of Northumberland still live in the castle, although I've heard they don't live there during the summer months so they can avoid the crowds of tourists. The state rooms (the area of the castle that they live in) are...incredible. I honestly can't find the words to describe it. Unfortunately they don't allow you to take photos in there but it took me back about 8 years to when I was exploring all the beautiful churches in Italy. The designs and layout of everything in the state rooms are so intricate yet delicate, they are so lovely. I would definitely recommend taking your time going through there, it's absolutely breathtaking.

It was so interesting to read about the history of the castle as we walked through it. There are some museums mentioned as you walk throughout the castle that contain some old artefacts so I added those museums to my ever-growing list of places to visit in the UK. (If anyone has any suggestions of places to go please let me know!)

Do these lights remind anyone else of Harry Potter?

It would be amazing to see the castle all lit up at night.

Events are always being held at the castle, such as a Historical Grounds Tour, a State Room Tour and Broomstick Training. They offer free admission for these events which is fab! Check out the Alnwick Castle website to keep up to date with what's on.

The price of the tickets is only about £13 for an adult which is well worth it - considering you can get it validated for 12 months & get free admission. I'm fairly sure you have to request this - they don't just offer it to you unless you ask about it (well, we did because we read about it on their website and didn't want to miss out). We will definitely be going back soon.

My monkey man ❤︎

If anyone else has been to Alnwick Castle, what do you like about it and why? I'm DYING to  visit the Gardens there too but I haven't gotten around to it yet. I'll definitely be taking loads of photos when I do though, I've wanted to go there since the last time I was in the UK visiting my boyfriend in 2011. If anyone has been there, what is it like? Let me know!

Much love!

xx

**UPDATE: After doing some research I discovered that the castle is only open to the public during the summer, so I wouldn't recommend going any other time of year because they probably won't let you in ;)

Invincible

There have been times in my life when I have come across people who I honestly thought were invincible. People that seem so strong and so sure of themselves that it almost seems as if nothing can touch them. It may not necessarily be someone I've met in person - it could be someone who has written one of my favourite books or blogs, or perhaps someone who has been in more movies than I can count that I grew up watching.

People like Robin Williams.

I never imagined he wouldn't be around at any point in my lifetime. He was someone who was a secure and constant presence in my life. I thought he'd always be there. And although I never met him, he was always there. He was there when I laughed watching Flubber and Mrs Doubtfire, and he was there when I cried watching Aladdin. 

He always seemed so happy and full of joy. He lived a rather quiet life, I never would have guessed he was battling substance addiction or depression. And for me, that's the scariest thing thing. I'm not going to lie, I don't have a perfect life. I have severe depression too. As much as I try to fight it, it's always there. It's something that I believe I'll always have so I just have to get used to living with it. When someone like Robin Williams can't fight it off, how can I? 

His death has honestly shaken me to the core. He was such a genuinely beautiful soul and he will be sorely missed by millions of people. But the memory of him will live forever in the movies of my childhood, and I'll watch them over and over for years to come. Hopefully they'll give me the strength to get through the darkest times in my life as I get older, and the strength to hold others up in their times of need. If I can help even one person feel like they're not alone in my lifetime, that will be the thing that keeps me going. I want to help other people through the hard times and watch them soar in their best times when they come out the other side.

Just A Quick Update

Hello my lovelies!

So I've been super busy trying to stay on top of uni work and assignments recently, but now (thankfully) I've got no assignments due for a few weeks. I have a few things I'd like to blog about...

♥ I have a backlog of 3 MONTHS worth of Birchbox packages to review

♥ I am absolutely loving The Body Shop at the moment so I'm going to share a few of my favourite products with you

♥ While trying to stay on top of uni, I've been trying to take some time out and do things for myself. I've been reading a lot in my spare time and doing some knitting & crocheting here and there - so I'd love to share some of my creations and favourite things with you

...so watch this space!

Much love

xx

Percy Pig

I have been OBSESSED with Percy Pigs ever since I came to the UK for a holiday & to visit my boyfriend in 2011 when we were in a long-distance relationship. My cousin gave me a bag of them as a farewell present the day before I left and I absolutely loved them. I honestly don't know how I ever lived without them. I was always asking my boyfriend to send me more when I went back to Australia, but he never did *sigh*. 

So to cure my everlasting craving for them, I decided to move to the UK so I could have them whenever I want (and also to be with my boyfriend, but as you can imagine I was jaded for years because he never sent me any ;) ). 

What I want to know is this...

WHY DID NO ONE EVER TELL ME THERE WAS SO MANY??!?!!?

Granted if I knew I would have gone on a Percy Pig rampage through M&S before I left in 2011 and filled an entire suitcase with them, but that would have been acceptable, right?

There are so many and it makes me so happy, I feel like a little girl again. I'm going to try them all even if it takes me the rest of my life.

♥

Walking on Sunshine

Just wanted to share some photos that I took a few days after arriving in England. My boyfriend and I went for a walk along the river near our house and saw loads of swans. It's so pretty and green here and I'm so happy.

I've decided to start a pine cone collection.
I collect one every time we go for a walk
(I do have a plan for them - but it's a secret) 

♥

Trend Alert: Popbasic

Lately I keep thinking to myself "it's so hard to afford a nice wardrobe". I get up every day and try to pick an outfit, and every day it's such a struggle. I have maybe one or two things that I really love, but they don't go with anything. Does this happen to anyone else? I'm always wanting to buy new clothes but I'm so picky and it's just so damn expensive.

A few weeks ago, as I was laying in bed in the early hours of the morning trying to plan an outfit for the day in my head (does anyone else do this?) when I stumbled upon this wonderful internet haven: Popbasic. 

Some gorgeous girls have teamed up and created Popbasic. They design basic and "pop" items. Each month they release a micro collection with three items to add to your wardrobe. The collection range from about $50-$100 (USD) with free shipping. This seemed like a lot to me at first, but the quality of everything is amazing. And I really like the idea of having something I can style with anything, and getting new things that become a staple. It's different to a subscription service because you are not locked into anything - so if you just want to get a collection once in a while, you can. Also, if you're not sure of how to style something in your micro collection, each parcel comes with a Style Guide to give you some ideas. 

To top off such a great service, the gals & guys are so lovely. They are always so friendly and super quick to answer any questions you might have. And they are always up for a chat. It so refreshing to see a company that is genuinely interested in getting to know you. 

So if you haven't tried Popbasic before and you think it's a wonderful idea like me, what are you waiting for?

Photo courtesy of the Popbasic team

Photo courtesy of the Popbasic team

Photo courtesy of the Popbasic team

Photo courtesy of the Popbasic team

Check out Popbasic here! 
(If you sign up using the links in this post, you'll get $15 credit FREE - how cool is that?!)

(All images in this post are from the Popbasic Team - check out their Facebook page -
Thanks Maddie & Co!) 

I'm on Bloglovin

I'm jumping on the bandwagon (better late than never, right?)
Please follow me on Bloglovin!

xx

Let's Catch Up

Hello!

So I've been in the UK for a month now. Wow. A whole month. I honestly can't believe it's been that long, the time has absolutely flown. I feel like I arrived only yesterday. I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, but I'm still living out of my suitcases. Of course there is space in the house for me to put things, but I just haven't been able to bring myself to do it yet. I guess that's partly because I'm worried something will go horrifically wrong and I'll have to fly back to Australia. The other reason I haven't done it yet is because I really just can't be bothered. I'm seriously lacking motivation to do anything at the moment, so unpacking suitcases and organising things is the last thing I want to do (even though I know I'll feel a lot better for it). I haven't even done any study for about a week now, which is very bad *slaps wrist*. I guess I need to stop making excuses for myself and just get things done.

So many things have happened in the last few weeks, I don't even know where to begin. I want to blog about a few things individually but I thought it would be a good idea to mention everything in one post and expand on different things later on. So, here goes...

♥ Every day since I got here has felt like an adventure, but a few days after I arrived (after I had recovered from the jet lag) I went on a long walk along the river with my sweetheart. It was absolutely magical. (Individual post and photos to come!)

♥ I've spent a lot of time with Naomi, Joel's sister, since I got here (except for this week because I've been working, so I'm missing her!). Shopping, eating loads of delicious food, splurging on chocolate and sweets and making plans to see musicals together. Could it get any better?!

♥ I decided before I left Australia that while I'm here I'll try to push myself to do things I wouldn't normally do. From trying different foods (like Black Pudding) to experiencing new things (like going on scary rides - which I've done and will write a separate post on!). I'm trying to make the most of every day, no matter how scary it is sometimes.

♥ About a week after I got here, we got two adorable little Guinea Pigs! They are so cute and fluffy and I absolutely adore them.

♥ The house is still needs a bit of work done on it (we don't have a floor in the kitchen) and there are a lot of things we need (or I do at least) to make it feel more like a home. So it's been fun to look at house things and buy a few little things here and there. If anyone can suggest where to look for furniture that is decent and won't leave a hole in my purse, please let me know.

♥ The best thing about being here is just being around Joel. I'll admit it has been difficult to adjust - we've gone from being in a long-distance relationship for four and a half years to living together. To say it's been a bit of a shock to the system would be an understatement. But it has been amazing and I've never been happier.

That's just a few things that have made me happy over the last four weeks. There is so much I want to write about, and I'm so excited to put it all down on paper (so to speak).

I'm being very cheeky blogging at work, so I'd best be off.

Catch you soon!

xx

♥

Arriving In The UK

I arrived in the UK on Saturday afternoon around midday. Everything that has happened so far has been an absolute whirlwind, it's all gone by so quickly. 

I left the airport in Melbourne at 9:25pm on Friday night. The flight from Melbourne to Dubai was 14 hours and unfortunately it was very uncomfortable. I took a sleeping pill when I got on the plane and was ready to fall asleep very soon after the plane took off. There was a man sitting behind me who was so tall that I couldn't even put my seat back. So I had to sit upright for the entire flight. I kept getting to the point where I was just about to fall asleep and then I would jolt awake suddenly when I felt my head falling forwards. I had a window seat so the only position I could get into that was even remotely comfortable was curled up against the window. I somehow managed to get 3 hours sleep during the flight, but was in a lot of pain by the end of it.

I had a stopover in Dubai for an hour and a half - which was just enough time to get through security and go to the boarding gate. I felt so anxious because the airport was full of people and I wasn't sure where to go. I managed to find the gate with about half an hour to spare and there was a mother and baby sitting next to me and a sweet little family of three to keep me occupied while I waited to board the 8 hour flight to Newcastle. My mum and my little sister gave me a card just before I left Melbourne, and I don't know why but I decided to read them while I was in Dubai. My heart ached  for them and I bawled my eyes out. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful, loving family who support me with everything I do (no matter how hard it is on them). My decision to move to the UK has been one of the most difficult decisions I'll ever have to make in my life, and despite the fact I spent a lot of time planning for it and thinking about it, I didn't realise just how difficult it would be until I hopped on the plane.

The flight from Dubai to Newcastle was much more comfortable (thankfully!) - I don't think I could have tolerated another uncomfortable flight. I was sitting at the very back of the plane in an aisle seat next to an older man. We didn't talk at all throughout the fight, only when we were just about to land because the pilot made an announcement saying for the cabin crew to prepare for take off - and had to correct himself to say prepare for landing! I nearly died and was almost in tears, ha ha. I was able to relax and put my seat all the way back which was wonderful although I didn't manage to get any sleep. I watched Two Broke Girls during the last few hours on the plane which made me think of my best friend Sophia and miss her immensely (I usually watch it with her).

I had so many mixed emotions when we finally landed. I was excited, anxious, happy, relieved, sad and scared all at the same time. I went straight into the bathroom to freshen up and brush my teeth before I went through passport control which took a while. I then went to collect my suitcases. I waited for a while looking for my bags before realising there was a second conveyor belt and they were the only bags left on there (I felt a bit silly because I was waiting at the wrong one for about ten minutes before I realised). To top it off they were about 15 kilos over the weight limit which I knew, but I was so tired and I wasn't prepared for how heavy they were. They have 4 wheels on the bottom which makes it easy to wheel them around, but it was still a struggle to lug them through the airport. Once I got my bags, there were two men standing near the doorway to get through to the exit who I discovered were customs. At first I avoided eye contact and hoped they wouldn't notice me (even though I was in plain sight and I was the only person even remotely close by). When I got closer I asked them if I was able to just go straight through. They asked me where I'd come from and when I said Australia, they waved me through without hesitation. I was soooo relieved. When I walked through the automatic doors and stepped onto English soil, I could have cried. It felt so amazing to feel the fresh air on my face and I was so happy to see Naomi's smiling face the second I stepped out (Naomi is Joel's wonderful older sister who I adore). She hugged me tightly (even though I was gross and probably smelly) and she was absolutely beaming which was wonderful for me because I couldn't stop smiling. She took one of my suitcases despite how heavy it was - for which I am eternally grateful and we started walking to her car.

At this point I was trying to stay composed but I was panicking a little internally. I has spent the last 23 hours on the plane going over thousands of different scenarios in my head about how I was going to surprise Joel and I still hadn't decided how I was going to do it. Would I just turn up on his doorstep? Would I ring him and ask him to check on the doorstep for a gift I'd sent him? Should I text him and tell him I just got off a plane in Newcastle and was on my way to see him? I'd told him I had the flu just before I left and he seemed to believe me so I was convinced he has no idea I was coming (except for the fact he was expecting me to fly over in a few weeks). We got to the car and Naomi was unlocking the boot to put my suitcases in...when Joel jumped out from in front of the car! I was completely shocked. I didn't know what to say and was just frozen where I was standing. It was the last thing in the world I was expecting. He came over to me and handed me a beautiful bunch of red, white and blue flowers, and I was just standing there with my heart about to jump straight out my chest! He hugged me so tightly and I was standing there in his arms shaking and crying. Eventually he got my suitcases and managed to throw them into the boot and we got into the car. Naomi's son Theo - the most beautiful 20-month old little boy you'll ever see was fast asleep in the back seat of the car. Joel got in the back next to him and I got in the front with my gorgeous flowers. I was shaking the whole way to what is my new home in the car because I was still in shock (in a good way!). Naomi dropped us off and Joel ran me a nice hot bath the moment we got in the door which was absolute bliss. And I haven't stopped smiling since.

- Sorry for the lengh of this post, and I have to apologise in advance because it certainly won't be the last lenthy blog post about my new life in England. Hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it.

I look forward to updating you with some of my adventures in England very soon. Have you had any big suprises lately or suprised someone? What adventures have you had? I'm trying to make every day of my life an adventure and I hope you do too.

xxx

♥

A Surprise Visit

I have been in a long-distance relationship with my boyfriend for nearly 4 and a half years now. He lives in the UK and I live in Australia. We have both travelled to see each other at different times, but I haven't seen him since February 2012. We text and talk on the phone nearly every day, sometimes twice a day if we have the time. It is hard even at the best of times. But I honestly believe that he is my soulmate, I've never met anyone with such a kind heart. Even after all this time, I still can't believe he loves me back.

This is a photo from our 2 year anniversary when
my handsome man came to visit me in Australia

For the last few months, we have been making arrangements for me to move to the UK to live with him. He is expecting me to fly over at the end of May. What he doesn't know is that I've booked my flight. I'm leaving Melbourne this Friday night and will be arriving in the UK on Saturday around midday in the UK - just in time for his birthday on Sunday. His older sister Naomi has very kindly agreed to pick me up from the airport. But I haven't worked out the finer details of how I'm going to surprise him. Should I just knock on the door? Or arrange to have a meal out somewhere with his family and randomly turn up there? My best friend Sophia suggested I text him to say I've sent him a gift and ask him to check if it's on his doorstep, and then I would just be there when he opened the door. 

I have to say the stress of moving hasn't been easy to deal with on my own. I'm not used to not being able to talk to him - I'm so used to talking to him about everything. It has been so strange not being able talk about my concerns with flying and about how excited I am to just fall into his arms and never leave them again. I've still got quite a bit of packing to do in my room before I leave, so I had better be off for now. 

Wish me luck!

xoxox

♥

Materialism or Life Experience?

I had a very eye-opening experience when I was on my lunch break on Friday. I went to a local cafe to buy my lunch (which I hardly ever do, I usually bring food from home).  I placed my order and everything was fine. I sometimes get coffee from the same place, so the lady that served me is usually pretty chatty when I go in. She took my order, and I paid for it. As I was paying, I caught her looking at the jewellery I was wearing. I don't really wear much jewellery, but I have been wearing two rings quite a bit recently. She has complimented me on one of them before but she was looking at my new ring with a strange expression on her face.

As I said, I don't wear much jewellery, and I certainly don't buy expensive jewellery. The most expensive piece of jewellery I own is worth no more than about $150. Most of the jewellery I wear is sterling silver, or sterling silver with cubic zirconia. The waitress was looking at my ring and said "You should buy real rings, you know..." I was shocked by this. Usually I wouldn't say anything back when someone makes a comment like that, but I replied, "I'm saving up for a trip overseas." thinking to myself that was was a perfectly reasonable thing to say, and a perfectly good explanation for not buying expensive jewellery with real diamonds. She looked at me, bewildered, and said, "Why would you do that? I like to spend my money on things that I can actually have...to keep, you know? It's just a matter of personal taste, I guess." I was completely shocked, I honestly didn't know what to say. So I just left.

I understand that some people prefer to spend money on material things. But I was horrified that anyone could be so judgemental, especially over something like that. I buy things because I like them, not because they are expensive or because I want other people to envy them. If I love something, I'll buy it. I personally think that travelling is invaluable. I have been overseas twice before and I have come back each time a completely different person. It is such an amazing feeling to meet new people and make new friends, to see different cultures and how people live. I love seeing how different nature is when I'm halfway across the world. The grass is greener. And I love the cold. I love seeing how different the architecture is as well. Melbourne is known for the transport, dining out, nightlife, parks and gardens and for sport. The city is beautiful but I feel that there isn't much in the way of historical building. I love Italy for the old churches and ruins. I love England for the quaint little houses. I honestly don't know why anyone would think twice about travelling. If you have the opportunity, do it.

I thought the woman in this cafe was extremely rude and judgemental and I certainly won't be going back there. I don't want to be brought down by people who aren't going to support my goals, no matter who they are. I would love to hear what you think, do you prefer to buy expensive clothes/jewellery/bag/shoes etc. or do you prefer to use your money to create experiences and memories that will last a lifetime?

 

♥

A New Beginning

This is the beginning of a space... 

Where I will share a little piece of my life with you. I will share with you things about the people I love, the places that I remember and the experiences that have shaped my life. These are the memories that will stay with me forever.

 

 ♥