7 Things You Need to Watch On Netflix This Autumn

Over the last couple of days I've been getting major Autumnal vibes. The clocks have gone back, it's got noticeably colder, and Costa's Christmas hot chocolates come out in 2 days! The heating is currently on and yesterday I walked home from uni in the dark; it's a little saddening but I'm all for the cosy nights in.

If, like me, you find yourself wrapped up in your teddy bear blanket (Dunelm I'm looking at you) with a nice big mug of hot chocolate - with added marshmallows might i add, then here is a list of my favourite films and series that you need to watch.

Gilmore Girls
I feel like whatever you read about the best things to watch on Netflix, Gilmore Girls is always going to be on the list. From the cute little town of Stars Hollow, to Lorelai's obsession with snow, this show screams Fall. In between my weekly instalments of the Kardashians and Riverdale, and watching Stranger Things 2, I've been re-watching this from the start, because Lorelai and Rory become almost like your best friends. It's just like a big autumnal hug. If you have no idea what I am talking about, Gilmore Girls, in a nutshell, is about the life of single mum Lorelai and her daughter Rory who are more best friends than mother-daughter. Through the 7 seasons, you see Rory grow up into an adult, dealing with private school, college and relationships, with Lorelai supporting and adapting to the different situations in which they both face. If you love witty humour and a good binge this is definitely the show for you.

Gilmore Girls - A Year In The Life
If you're now watching the original Gilmore Girls series' then you're probably addicted and you will probably be thirsty for more when you come to the finale in series 7. Good news, Netflix made a sequel. Gilmore Girls - A Year In The Life is a 4-part series, set 9 years later from the original. The four parts cover each season, starting with 'Winter'. Each episode is about 90 minutes long, so still binge-worthy, and the finale is 100% a cliffhanger. Just you wait.

Clueless
I actually only watched Clueless about a month ago. Omg. I know, I'm ashamed of myself too. If you like Mean Girls and you like a classic 90's film, you are going to love this. Cher, is a rich, 'daddy's little girl', Beverley Hills kid who "gives more than she bargains for when she gives a fashion-challenged student a makeover" (Netflix). Don't like the sound of it? AS IF.

Two Night Stand
This is another film I watched not that long ago and I'm not obsessed with. I'd say that this film is more of a cult/independent rom-com, and the narrative is simple, but very good if you're looking for an unlikely love story. It stars Miles Teller of Divergent and Analeigh Tipton, who I'd never seen before but was apparently in Lucy and Warm Bodies, so definitely two up and coming actors. If only it snowed like that in the UK...

What's Your Number?
In the way that Two Night Stand is a very unlikely love story and maybe not such a mainstream film, What's Your Number? is very similar. In the highly likely chance that you've watched Friends and haven't been living under a rock, you will definitely know Anna Faris - she was the biological mother of Monica and Chandler's twins and has recently split up with Chris Pratt. This film is funny, an easy watch, and another film you will be telling all of your friends to watch.

Jane The Virgin
Despite having more Summery vibes, Jane The Virgin is definitely a series you can binge and obsess over, and have a giggle at. A modern Ugly Betty, Jane is accidentally inseminated with the doctor's brother's sperm. Very dramatic, very unrealistic, but SO GOOD.

Eddie The Eagle
The last of my cosy-watched, and an unlikely choice, but it's so bad it's good. Taron Egerton is amazing in this true story about Eddie Edwards who, in 1988, became Britain's first ski-jumper since 1929. It's one of those feel good films that you can sit and have a cup of tea or a hot chocolate with, because it's British so it's kind of relatable.


There are so many more things I could list, but we'd be here all day! When it comes to Netflix, there is no time like the present! *she says as she looks at the long to-do list of uni work*

What are your favourite things to watch this time of year?

Georgia.xo

Stressing in Style

Jumper / H&M / similar here
Trousers / Zara
Adidas Gazelles / Soletrader

This coming Friday is presentation day for our creative research outcomes. Agh stress. But if you're going to be stressing about something, you might as well do it in style. Right?

I brought this pair of Zara chino trousers in London a couple of weeks back. It's so exciting wearing them, because compared to my uniform of black skinny jeans, they're kind of outside my comfort zone and I've been struggling with what to style them with. I was originally going to wear them with a white vest top with a pom pom trim, which looked super cute, but this mustard jumper brings a pop of colour to the outfit. A pop of positivity. 

I've had a surge of motivation, and it couldn't come at a better time. I was up last night with my brain whirring around at 10,000 mph with ideas and ways to get out of the indecisive slump I've been in for the last few weeks. I'm still undecided about whether I want to drop out/take a break from uni, but blogging is the one thing that I really enjoy, so I'm going to try and really focus on that, whatever the outcome.

Georgia.xo

It's Okay

I think that mental health is one of those topics, which people are slowly becoming more and more aware of - World Mental Health day is a thing and thank god for it. It enables people around the world to stand up and admit that they too have their demons. And in an age where we practically survive on social media by depicting ourselves in the best way possible, it's encouraging to know that you're not the only one who has to deal with mental health problems. But what about every other day of the year when it does feel like you're the only one? Unfortunately there is still a stigma around it. 

I am definitely someone who can put my hand up and say that I have my issues with mental health. Every now and then my anxieties do get the better of me and it does set me back.

Like the past few days, for instance. I'm in a situation where I feel like I've come to terms with the fact that uni isn't particularly "for me". Last year I was so excited about my course, but now I'm just not engaged at all. I know that if I quit I'll regret it; I don't want to change course because I'm not 100% sure about what I want to actually do, but I also don't want to take a break for a year because I won't be able to save up enough money in a year to go travelling or do anything worthy of a break. It's conflicting, and it's messing with my head.

Therefore, every now and then I need to take a step back and have what I call a mental health day. After I've had my breakdown, I'll take the day off. I don't sit in bed all day wallowing about how shit life is, I just clean my room, or go to the gym, or watch a film or two, and I try to talk to someone. It gives me the chance to recharge my batteries and get it out of my system.

And don't worry about letting people down. It can be hard when you think that your peers, whether that be your boss, lecturers or friends, won't understand, but honestly people are way more understanding than you realise. You just have to be honest. Today, I thought that I was letting my group at uni down, but they've been amazing.

If we don't give ourselves the time to recuperate it's just a downwards spiral. A snowball effect and before you know it too much damage is done.

Just remember it's okay.

Georgia.xo

The Generator

Hello, it's been a while.

This past week I've been back at uni, trying to settle back in to a routine, and chasing up maintenance to come and finish my room for what feels like every five minutes (that's a story for another time). But, whilst all of this has been going on, I went to London on an FCP night for a couple of days, and we stayed at The Generator in Kings Cross.

When I first think of the word 'hostel', I instantly think some cheap, run down building, with dated wallpaper and rusty bunk beds. With The Generator that is not the case. Being FCP students we obviously have to do style on a budget, which is totally what The Generator is. It's decor is very artistic and visually attractive, with bright colours, different materials, funky typography and lots of illustration.

The atmosphere is brilliant, because it's full of like minded people who want to stay somewhere nice, but can't necessarily pay mega bucks. People who are creatively minded. People who aren't settling down for a while.

However, being a hostel there are some down sides to the small price tag. For example, you do still get bunk beds, which isn't a problem in itself, but the mattresses aren't particularly comfy to say the least. And breakfast is nothing to write home about. Nevertheless, I had a full nights sleep and I was fed, which you can't really complain about considering we paid less than £30 for the night.

The Generator is a chain of hostels, so they also have hostels in most major European cities, including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome and Stockholm. It looks like there is going to be on in Miami very soon!

If you're exploring accommodation options across the continent I would definitely recommend having a look at their website.


Georgia.xo

Cows & Cream

Over the past few months, I've been working on my summer brief, whereby I had to choose a topic and research it in depth, in preparation for Year 2.

The topic I chose was ice cream. You may be puzzled. And when I saw what everyone was else was doing (e.g. athleisure, illustration, gender neutral, etc), I was puzzled about why I chose ice cream too. 

BUT over the summer I was working full time on a farm, selling ice cream from a vintage ice cream bike, and that's where the idea came from. I was originally thinking of looking at symbolism and how different images and icons can connote different things. For example, how ice cream is a symbol for summer and fun and happiness. However, after thinking about it, I realised that ice cream can be an umbrella topic in itself. I could look at the different colour palettes that you can associate with ice cream and dessert parlours, and I could also look at consumer behaviours and trends, and that's how I could link it to FCP. 

I wasn't sure where to begin at the start. I compiled a list of questions that I could ask different ice cream parlours for primary research, but whoever I emailed never responded and when I actually visited one they told me they were too busy. 

But over time, I collected quite a bit more information that I was expecting and it even turned out that ice cream had somewhat influenced the last fashion week! That, plus the Museum of Ice Cream being such a success, proved to me that ice cream really was culturally relevant. 

To complete my project, I created a mini digital zine, which briefly covers what I've been doing and what I found out. I will leave the link for that just here... 

https://cowsandcream.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/cows-and-cream.pdf

Georgia.xo