Happy New Year!..

*crawls out of hiding* um.. Hi...

Okay I have no excuses, I haven't made a blog post in 2 months. For that I am very sorry but at least now I'm back with some new ideas.

I won't stop or babble for any longer, let's get down to business. So, here's what I'm thinking:

1. Once a month I'll do a favourites post including my favourite beauty, skincare and hair products along with my favourite book of the month, DVD and random object/ food.

2. Once a month I'll do a baking post. I bake quite frequently and am always on the lookout for new things to make, so why not share the excitement? (although sadly you can't eat it with me too)

3. Once a month I'll post a DIY or Top Tips segment which may include some simple ways to make your room look or smell nice, how to make a statement necklace, how to create an inexpensive gift etc etc

4. Once a month I'll do a mini lookbook with things I've been wearing a lot in the month. I may also interchange this with photoshoots I occasionally do with my friends to build up my portfolio and include a lookbook for different body shapes and sizes.

I know these are only a few starting points and of course you know how terrible I am with posting on a regular basis, so don't hold me to it. This is what I'd like to achieve but obviously with my ACTUAL GCSEs (small cry of terror) looming on the horizon, it's going to be a hectic few months.

Incase anyone is wondering what I'm up to next year, I've applied to do photography at college and I'm planning to do evening classes in both hairdressing and photography makeup. I'll probably do a foundation in art or photography afterwards to enable me to get into a top university, but I'd love to study fashion photography, and who knows what that could lead to.

So yeah. There's a little, tiny, smidge of an update. I'll hopefully find some time with half term approaching to sit down and pre plan some posts properly (what a mouthful).

But for now I'll say goodbye!

Jen x

Christmas tag!

Sorry for not posting in forever, I've been super busy and I'll tell you all about it in due course. Thanks to Jenny May for tagging me! 
http://origin-of-style.blogspot.com

1. What is your favourite Christmas Movie/s?

Elf all the way!

2. Do you open your presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?

Christmas morning with cranberry and cinnamon muffins for breakfast:)

3. Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?

Every year since I was about 7, I've done a Christmas Eve crib service at the cathedral near my house, and the first year I remember everyone got jelly babies from the guy who organised it.

4. Favourite festive food?

It's so hard to choose but probably Turkey and cranberry sandwiches on Christmas Day evening (well that's a mouthful)

5. Favourite Christmas gift?

The other day I found my old video camera, it was basically a black box with a camera in with a stop, record and play button on. I always used to walk round the house documenting things- I think I filmed the whole of our extension being built and the conservatory being knocked down. 

6. Favourite Christmas scent?

Cranberry or mixed spice. It probably stems from the fact that my mum has always bought the Christmas Eve scented candle from Yankee candle ever since I can remember.

7. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?

Yes:) every year I do the crib service as I mentioned before which is filled with carols and solo songs from our choir, and then we go home and we have a huge ham that we put on before we go. We have it with fresh bread and gherkins and chutneys and cheeses and crackers and oh god it's te best thing ever.

8. What tops your tree?

We have a fairy, plain and simple

9. As a kid what was the one (crazy, wild, extravagant) gift you always asked for but never received?

This isn't so my a gift as a wish, I always wanted to fly. Every time someone told me to make a wish I wished I could fly.

10. What's the best part about Christmas for you?

Seeing my family an watching all the Christmas TV!

I would like to tag:

http://asocalledbeautyblog.com Jessica

http://lifewithrossy.wordpress.com Rossye

http://www.thewonderforest.com Dana

http://www.simplymblog.com Manpreet

Merry Christmas!

Jen 🎄🎅🎁

Liebster Award Nomination!

Hello again!

Firstly I'd like to thank Sophie Perry for nominating me for the liebster award! Go check her blog out: itsveryperry.blogspot.co.uk

So now onto my Q&A's...

The Rules: 

- Answer the questions sent to you

- Nominate 5-11 bloggers who have under 200 followers on Twitter

- Ask them 11 questions of your choice

- You must let your nominees know that they have been nominated 

1. Do you own any pets?

No I don't:( I've been pestering my parents to let me get a dog for years but they haven't given in yet:(

2. Who is your favourite band or musician? 

Ahhhh I don't know, it's so hard to choose a single artist. At the moment I'm having a serious problem with David Bowie, so that's my current answer. I also love Bon Iver and Daughter...

3. Do you prefer high street or high-end fashion and beauty? Why?

I'm not sure, being 15 and from a working class background, I've never really had the privileges of high end fashion or beauty, although more recently I've been interested and bought a few pieces of makeup from high end shops and I now own 2 pairs of Dr Martens (that's highish end right?). I've never had anything from anywhere like Chanel or Dior apart from perfumes, so I'll say high street, but if I had an endless supply of money I'd be surrounded by luxurious clothing and makeup believe me:)

4. What is your favourite book?

Again, this is so hard, I've barely been reading lately so I'm trying to remember books I've previously read. I remember reading a great book which made me cry a ridiculous amount when I was about 12, and it's always stuck with me. It's called Afterwards and it's by Rosamund Lupton, I loved this book and if I still remember it now then surely it must have been good. It's about a women and her daughter recovering from illnesses after being caught in a fire. It's from their POV as they are both having out of body experiences. They can freely walk around the hospital but they can't leave, they are both in comas but the daughter, Jenny, has a small chance of living if she doesn't find a heart donor. Her mother, Grace, is in a coma and unlikely to ever wake up. I won't tell you anymore, but honestly, give it a chance.

5. What is your favourite thing to blog about?

I like to blog about life. Vague I know, but I like to answer questions and share my opinions. I might do a film review soon, not sure. I just like sharing things with people I may never meet because I feel like I'm letting you have a piece of me.

6. What is your dream holiday destination?

Everywhere. I want to travel everywhere, seeing extraordinary things. I'd love to go to India, or Italy ( I would spend so long in restaurants and galleries).

7. Do you have any interesting hobbies other than blogging?

I love art, music and baking. I absolutely love watching films and coming up with my own short film ideas. I love to write songs aswell, which you'll probably know by now.

8. What has been your biggest achievement in life, so far?

Getting through school, only a few months left of Y11 now.

9. If you could meet anyone in the world, who would it be?

I'd love to meet Myles (itsamemyleo) because I know I'd always be laughing or thinking very deeply about life, and Gabrielle Aplin because she's unbelievably cute and her music is amazing. If I could meet someone who's dead, it would be Audrey Hepburn or Marilyn Monroe because they both seemed like wonderful women.

10. What is your dream job?

I'd love to be a musician or something creative, I'm just not sure what yet. Ever since I was born I've loved music and been obsessed with writing it, performing it and dreaming of making it a career. I've been a bit unsure over the last few years though, I feel like everyone expects me to do amazing things and sometimes that pressure gets a bit too much. I nearly burnt all my song books once. Glad I didn't.

11. What/who inspires you?

So many people. My friend Aimee because she's fab but she hates me talking about her so I'll move on swiftly.

David Bowie always confuses and excites me. He was so radical with his ideas and created a pathway for a new kind of image and music and I love how much of an impact an individual can have, that's kind of the same with the Beatles. They basically changed music, I love them.

I'm inspired by a lot of music if you couldn't tell, it's such an expressive medium, as is art. Everything can be art if it prolongs a feeling or idea - punching someone isn't art, but punching someone and capturing the effect and emotion either in a photograph, in words, or as a painting etc is art (Joe I win). I love how you can portray emotions through sounds and words and that people can actually relate to it. It makes you feel less alone. 

Sorry if that got a little too deep, I really like answering questions like this,

I'd like to nominate: 

Amanda http://amandafwright.com/

Nins http://itsmehninss.blogspot.co.uk/

Jessica http://asocalledbeautyblog.com/

Carla http://thatcarlagirl.blogspot.co.uk/

Jenny http://origin-of-style.blogspot.com/

My questions for you are:

1. Where do you go when you feel sad?

2. What's your favourite skincare product and why?

3. What's your favourite film?

4. Who/ what inspires you?

5. What are your top 3 songs at the moment?

6. What's your ultimate goal in life?

7. Who is the one person that has made an impact on your life?

8. What's your favourite comfort food?

9. What's your favourite thing to do when you're alone?

10. Why did you start blogging?

11. Where would you like to travel the most?

Have fun!;)

Jen x

TMI Tag

Well this is certainly a good time to be catching up on posts. I've finished watching 'Hercules' and now I'm curled up on the sofa watching 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' with a glass of Pepsi max and a huge slab of chocolate brownie. It feels like an age since I last posted but I feel like it's only really been a week. I know I said there would be huge amounts of posts over this half term but I think I over estimated how much I could achieve in a week. 

So anyway, I've recently been tagged in a few things, the first one being the TMI tag which I was nominated for by Jenny May (originofstyle.blogspot.co.uk).

So without further adieu, here we go!

1: What are you wearing?

Black leggings from Primark and a pink T-shirt form Zara.

2: Ever been in love?

Hmmm

3: Ever had a terrible breakup?

Nope

4: How tall are you?

5'3 :(

5: How much do you weigh?

That's for me to know😏

6: Any tattoos?

No, but I'd like some

7: Any piercings?

Not yet, but I'm hopefully going to get my ears pierced within the next 2 weeks :) 

 8: OTP?

Oh godddddd don't ask me this! There are too many!

 9: Favorite Show?

Sither New Girl or Glue at the moment

10: Favorite bands?

I like a lot of different music, I will always love Lorde, Lana Del Rey, David Bowie and Marina and the Diamonds, but lately I've been loving George Ezra and Daughter, and I've been listening to a lot of Wolf Alice too.

11: Something you miss? 

Writing songs, I barely get the time to just sit down and write now 

12: Favorite song?

No oh god...as of today it's either Breakaway by George Ezra or Blush by Wolf Alice (although Ride by Lana Del Rey will always hold a special place in my heart)

13: How old are you?

15

14: Zodiac sign?

Pices

15: Quality you look for in a partner?

 Funny/ sarcastic, great hair, confident and caring

16: Favorite Quote?

“And in the end, we were all just humans.. drunk on the idea that love, only love, could heal our brokenness.” - F. Scott Fitzgerald

17: Favorite actor?
Hannah Murray or Kaya Scodelario, I'm a big 'Skins' fan

18: Favorite color?
I love monochrome and pastels

19: Loud music or soft?

Depends on my mood, I'll usually go for soft music played loudly to block everything out

20: Where do you go when you’re sad?

My bedroom so I can be alone and listen to music/ write about things.

21: How long does it take you to shower?
It takes around 10 minutes on a daily basis

22: How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?

About an hour

23: Ever been in a physical fight?

No, I think I'd die or run away

24: Turn on?

If you make me genuinely laugh I'm yours 

25: Turn off?

Trying to impress everyone, or acting differently around other people

26: The reason I started blogging?

I wanted somewhere to write down my thoughts and share things with people that are like me

27: Fears?

Sometimes heights, disappointing people, failure, being sick, being trapped in small spaces

28: Last thing that made you cry?

Lots of little things that just kept building up, the tipping point was that I'm so confused about what I want to do with my life and I feel pressured into choosing something other people want me to do (for my A levels). That broke me, I snapped like a twig.

29: Last time you said you loved someone?

Earlier today to myself (it sounds vain but it makes me feel better when I'm suffering badly with anxiety or feel like I'm about to have a panic attack, I just say 'I love you, you're okay', and if I say it enough it calms me down and let's me focus).

30: Meaning behind your Blog Name?

I'm quite pale, my favourite fabric is velvet (it's so soft and it feels soo good), and my last name is Rose.

31: Last book you read?

I read Blood Brothers (it's a play but that counts, right?) 

32: The book you’re currently reading?

None at the moment, I've ordered a lot though so I'll do a book haul at some point:)

33: Last show you watched?

Choccywoccydoodah, I love it a lot!

34: Last person you talked to?

My Mum

35: The relationship between you and the person you last texted?

My sister

36: Favorite food?

I love this lentil and tuna thing I make, I HAVE to put a recipe up, I love it so much (fun fact my favourite spice is paprika, I have it in everything savoury I make)

37: Place you want to visit?

Everywhere, I want to travel the world! I really want to go to Brighton soon.

38: Last place you were?

The kitchen, making chocolate biscuits

39: Do you have a crush?
Both in real life and celebrity, well YouTube (I rarely watch TV anymore whoops)...yes ok it's Jack Howard and Myles (itsamemyleo), they're hilarious.

41: Last time you were insulted?

Probably today, I'm used to ignoring it now

42: Favourite flavour of sweet?

Hmm, orange or strawberry

43: What instruments do you play??

I've played violin, recorder, piano, keyboard, guitar ,and ukulele, and I sing too. Now I play ukulele, piano, sometimes guitar and I sing, although I only have singing lessons now.

44: Favourite piece of jewellery?

I don't really wear it, I like layering necklaces though (a choker and a longer necklace is my fave combo at the moment)

45: Last sport you played?

 I went on the dance mats at school, so dance I guess

46: Last song you sang?

Maybe I Like It This Way - The Wild Party (Andrew Lippa)

47: Favourite chat up line?

I lost my phone number, can I borrow yours

48: Have you ever used it?

No, don't think I ever will

49: Last time you hung out with anyone?

Today, we had rehearsals for We Will Rock You at school

50: Who should answer these questions next?

Lucy :http://thenortherngirl94.blogspot.co.uk

Sophie :http://itsveryperry.blogspot.co.uk

Manpreet :http://www.simplymblog.com

Emma :http://everyonewantstosmile.blogspot.co.uk

I really enjoyed answering these, make sure to go check out the blogs above and I'll chat to you soon!

Jen x

Intro to palevelvetrose

Hi!
So, here's a quick message to say Hi and tell you a bit about myself. My name is Jenny Rose, and I come from a small city in Staffordshire called Lichfield. I've lived here all my life and its safe to say it's not the most exciting place ever. Of course, it is very picturesque in parts and there are a lot of events going on, but I'm outgrowing it now.

I'm currently 15 years old, my birthday being 19th March (1999). I have a sister called Liz and she's amazing, I don't know what I'd do without her. We do fight a lot though, mainly on who gets the TV to watch the next episode of 'American Horror Story' (AHS) or 'Orange Is The New Black' (OITNB).

I'm just about to go into Year 11. Exam Year. I'm not looking forward to it one bit, I don't cope well under pressure. This is hopefully going to be a bit of a release from school life.

I don't want to brand my blog, there's not a specific genre of blog this will fall under. I want to include fashion, beauty, lifestyle and discussions. By discussions I mean talking about life- how to cope with stress, mental illness, physical illness, feminism, war, body image, confidence etc. Everyday issues really as i think they're important to discuss and to share opinions on.

I decided to start this blog for a few reasons. Let's make this easier in a list form:

1. I LOVE writing. It's one of those things that I've always done but never really told anyone about. I love knowing that you're thoughts are so unique and writing them down means they are permanent. It's a way of expression and, having most of that stripped from me in school, I generally like to take all the opportunities I'm given.

2. I have this friend called Sarah. She lives in the states and I've never met her, but we met on tumblr. Tumblr is like the first step to a proper blog. I say a proper blog because on Tumblr all I do is hit the reblog button so I feel like I'm not blogging properly. God I love it though, I can spend hours and hours on there- it's just so relatable. Anyway, back to Sarah. I've talked to her about making a blog and YouTube videos for so long and she's always supported my dreams (cheesy but true). She's always been there for me and I trust her more than any of my friends I know in person. She's one of the best things that has happened to me so I wanted to kind of make note of that by making a blog that she can see and be proud of. She inspired to write more too. Thanks Sarah.

3. I like sharing ideas. It's as simple (or complicated?) as that. I want to share my ideas, thoughts and interests with other people who feel the same way as me. I want to teach people things, help people, inspire people and make something of myself. I don't want to be stuck in an office wasting away in a mediocre job never living my life. I want to travel, explore, and enjoy my life. I want to be different and unique and not have any regrets when I'm dying. I want to meet so many people and share things with the world and hopefully this blog will help me do that. I don't expect to become an amazing and successful blogger, of course that would be lovely but this is a place for me to express myself and rant and share my thoughts. It's my own thing, no-one elses. I like the thought of that. This is mine.

4. Photography. I'm obsessed with the idea of giving someone a radical makeup look and expressing my ideas through photography and art. I have so many good ideas (at least I think they're good) that I want to develop. I'll hopefully be able to share these with you as time goes on. In fact I'm going to try and reel my friends in to do some modelling as I try and improve my skills as an artist and in makeup application. I don't want an average job, I want this. At least I think I do, I'm only 15, I have the rest of my life to decide. Who knows which direction I'll take.

5. Expression, Passion. This is a huge part of this blog for me. If I can't express myself or the passions I have then what's the point? I read somewhere 'passion is the key to life'. That quote is the center of my thoughts explained in words. If you don't have a passion for something it doesn't matter. Of course in school you have to do what you're told, get the qualifications even if its hard and you hate it. The stress isn't worth it. Exam results don't define who you are, I'm not saying don't try, they're important for a lot of people but just because you don't do well in exams it doesn't mean you can't do what you aspire to. Anything is possible (unless you want to be a doctor and you get all D's, you're pretty much screwed then).

I know there are probably more reasons that aren't coming to me right now. Those are just a few reasons and thoughts about my life and choices. I hope you read it all if you somehow find me. It means a lot to think that people might be reading this post, and who knows this may be the start of something amazing. Or it might just be another one of my dreams that won't ever come to life, who knows. I'll hopefully post something every Sunday, we'll see how that one goes.

Stay in touch, Jen x

P.S - If you want to contact me for any strange reason then e-mail me: palevelvet1903@gmail.com x