Wise advice from some older owls.

I recently discovered a post titled 'advice from some old people'. I'm a sucker for this kind of thing so thought i'd pass the post on and share it with anyone who reads this. Enjoy... and Happy New Year!

1. The most important person in your life is the person who agreed to share their life with you. Treat them as such. 2. You might live a long life, or you might live a short one — who knows. But either way, trust me when I say that you’re going to wish you took better care of yourself in your youth. 3. Stuff is just stuff. Don’t hold onto material objects, hold onto time and experiences instead. 4. Jealousy destroys relationships. Trust your significant other, because who else are you supposed to trust? 5. People always say, ’’Make sure you get a job doing what you love!’’ But that isn’t the best advice. The right job is the job you love some days, can tolerate most days, and still pays the bills. Almost nobody has a job they love every day. 6. If you’re getting overwhelmed by life, just return to the immediate present moment and savour all that is beautiful and comforting. Take a deep breath, relax. 7. Years go by in the blink of an eye. Don’t marry young. Live your life. Go places. Do things. If you have the means or not. Pack a bag and go wherever you can afford to go. While you have no dependents, don’t buy stuff. Any stuff. See the world. Look through travel magazines and pick a spot. GO! 8. Don’t take life so seriously. Even if things seem dark and hopeless, try to laugh at how ridiculous life is. 9. A true friend will come running if you call them at 2am. Everyone else is just an acquaintance. 10. Children grow up way too fast. Make the most of the time you have with them. 11. Nobody ever dies wishing they had worked more. Work hard, but don’t prioritize work over family, friends, or even yourself. 12. Eat and exercise like you’re a diabetic heart patient with a stroke — so you never actually become one. 13. Maybe this one isn’t as profound as the others, but I think it’s important… Floss regularly, dental problems are awful. 14. Don’t take anyone else’s advice as gospel. You can ask for advice from someone you respect, then take your situation into consideration and make your own decision. Essentially, take your own advice is my advice… 15. The joints you damage today will get their revenge later. Even if you think they’ve recovered completely. TRUST ME! 16. We have one time on this earth. Don’t wake up and realize that you are 60 years old and haven’t done the things you dreamed about. 17. Appreciate the small things and to be present in the moment. What do I mean? Well, it seems today like younger people are all about immediate gratification. Instead, why not appreciate every small moment? We don’t get to stay on this crazy/wonderful planet forever and the greatest pleasure can be found in the most mundane of activities. Instead of sending a text, pick up the phone and call someone. Call your mother, have a conversation about nothing in particular. Those are the moments to hold onto. 18. Pay your bills and stay the hell out of debt. If I could have paid myself all the money I’ve paid out in interest over the years, I’d be retired already. 19. If you have a dream of being or doing something that seems impossible, try for it anyway. It will only become more impossible as you age and become responsible for other people. 20. When you meet someone for the first time, stop and realize that you really know nothing about them. You see race, gender, age, clothes. Forget it all. You know nothing. Those biased assumptions that pop into your head because of the way your brain likes categories, are limiting your life, and other people’s lives.

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My city apartment dreams

After a late night conversation with a good friend of mine, with laughter flowing and wine glasses in hand, we got onto the topic of working after graduation and whereabout we think we will be in the world. I'd really like to live in London for a bit after graduating and so does Lizzie, so immediately we clinked glasses and began to gush about how we could live together, make eachother dinner and decorate our flat. All well and good until you take into account Londons extortionate housing market. 

Spirits not dampened, I began to lust over some gorgeous apartments on pinterest and came accross some absolute honeys. I'm imagining pot plants galore, woven colourful rugs and an assortment of prints framed in an eclectic manor. A large open space with a living area and kitchen, white walls to be docorated and old wooden floor, then a mezzanine overlooking the space where I'll create my zen den. I'd have music echoing through the space as I dance barefoot in a flowing dress, eating delicious veggie food before going out to rooftop parties and getting my groove on until the early hours of the morning or chilling out and going to a yoga class in a funky venue and visiting exhibitions with my gal pals. 

Sound good? It does to me. 

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Personality types: It all clicks.

Hey there amigos, 

I've taken a little holiday from writing on this blog in the past few months. I did this for a few reasons but I'm back and plan to move onwards and upwards with it to the groovy place it can be. 

In the past 6 months, I've done a whole lot of feeling. I've felt such a whirlwind of emotions, some incredible highs and also some very burdensome lows. I'm usually a happy ball of boogying smiles, an optimist and an enthusiast, so when I feel a bit down, it really bugs me. It's been so easy to feel quite lost within myself, as if I'd lost my mojo. It would reach a point where I felt like I was trying to climb the walls of my mind to escape whatever rut I was in. I didn't get it, one moment I'd be boogying in my room and smiling from ear to ear, and the next I'd be sinking to the floor with tears cascading down my puffy cheeks. It's a feeling I can't really describe but I finally feel like I'm emerging out the other side and feel more balanced every day. I always think to myself, all you can do is trust that the journey is exactly as it needs to be. I believe everything happens for a reason and even if that's not true, it's sure nice to believe that all the small acts that you do, every path you choose is part of a bigger picture. 

That's the thing with me, I think so much and I feel so much all at once. My mind is like a burning supernova that lights up and has bursts of enthusiasm, creativity and passion but also contradicting emotions. I guess it's all part of being a sensitive being, and I'd rather be completely emotionally available and in touch with my feelings than block them out completely. I think it's sometimes healthy to go through these little life questioning moments, it's not easy, it's actually pretty scary but it's all been a process of trusting in my heart and my feelings, embracing change and just flowing with the winding, unpredictable yet beautiful thing we call life.

I'm still growing, constantly learning new things about myself and forever striving for self-improvement. I have a long way to go but I'm happy with where I am at the moment. I recently completed a personality test which turned out to be freakishly accurate. It made me feel suddenly grounded and at peace. That it's okay to feel things at 100% all of the time, it's okay to be a little weird and it's okay to take some time out for myself when I need to recharge. I would often find it really interesting how people react to different situations and couldn't understand why some people lash out at others or seemed to have such a pessimistic outlook on life. This test just opened my eyes up to the fact that I am who I am. Obviously, everyone is unique, we all have things that make our eyes light up and our hearts beat a little faster, just like we have things that make us a little pissed and on edge but it's nice to know that you're not the only one in the world that thinks in the  way that you do. If you'd like to take the personality test, click here!

My personality type was ENFP-A 'The Campaigner'. 

'The ENFP personality is a true free spirit. They are often the life of the party, but unlike Explorers, they are less interested in the sheer excitement and pleasure of the moment than they are in enjoying the social and emotional connections they make with others. Charming, independent, energetic and compassionate, the 7% of the population that they comprise can certainly be felt in any crowd. Few personality types are as creative and charismatic as ENFPs. Known for their idealism and enthusiasm, ENFPs are good at dealing with unexpected challenges and brightening the lives of those around them. ENFPs' imagination is invaluable in many areas, including their own personal growth.'

I got really into it, and read the whole article, as well as doing some further research, all the while feeling an excitement in my heart like it was telling me 'yes Lex, this is it, this is you! You go girl.'  I found some images that were linked to my personality type and suddenly I knew why I could connect with them so much. 

- I think I've always been pretty good at 'letting shit go', I dont tend to hold grudges and tend to go with the 'ah well, it's not the end of the world' philospohy. 

 - This was at the top of the description for ENFP personality types and I can connect with it so much. Small talk is fine but when I get to know someone, I crave a deeper connection, I want to know what makes them tick, what makes their eyes light up, whether they're happy with where they are at in their lives and whether or not they are willing to change it. 

 - I always follow my gut and my heart. My brain sometimes tries to talk me out of some decisions but I think it's now given up due to my stubbornness in beleiving that everything happens for a reason. 

- I love getting to know people. I love it when you have a friendship which makes you smile even thinking about it. ENFP's are the least extroverted out of the group so although I like being social and with people, I really value solo time and genuinely enjoy my own company, solo boogying and building a little den of happiness in my room. 

- 'You're always haunted by the idea that you're wasting your life'. I feel so grateful to live the life I lead and be gifted with some of the opportunities and friendships that I have. I want to be able to lead a life that I'm truly happy with, I want to be able to enrich other people's lives and make them smile. I chose to follow a creative route as I knew that when I was creating I was in my happy place. I need to trust that I'm on the right path and to always be true to myself. I don;t want to go into a job just because of the money, I would a hundred times over rather do something I'm in love with for a little less money than do something I loathe for more. I think it's importatn to know the difference between living to work and working to live. 

- Apparently Anne Frank also had an ENFP personality, which is pretty interesting. I'm a happy person, an optimist, an enthusiast, a free spirit, a dreamer, a sensitive soul, independent to a fault, a sometimes overthinker, an occasional procrastinator, an attention span drifter and great boogier. I have a relatively clear idea of who I am, but I'm always searching for a deeper meaning in that, and that's okay, I'm still learning. 

So I guess the point of this is to just embrace who you are. These 'types' don't define you at all, but sometimes it's nice to know that what you're feeling is completely natural. That's not saying you should be mean to someone and blame it on your personality type, that's not okay. I think everyone should always strive to be the best version of themselves. Really, it's to make you embrace every emotion that's running through you and to maybe help you in working out why you're feeling it and if needs be, how to feel a little more groovy and a little less gloomy. 

If you want to read more about ENFP types, click here! Or to take the test, click here!

Let me know what you are, I'd love to know. 

Peace out,

Lex. 

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10 things #3

Hello ladies and gents,

How are we all? Dandy I hope. I've been feeling pretty ill recently and although it's so easy to get down and grumpy when ya body aint feeling prime, I always think it best to look to the little things in life to cheer you up and realise that things aren't so and after all! So without further a do, here are 10 things that I've been mc'loving recently. 

1. SPRING IS HERE! Can I get a hallelujah?! I love love love spring, waking up in the morning to actual rays of sunshine streaming through my blind, magical! 

2. Videos like THIS. Could watch it all day long, nice music + amazing animals = I lavs it. 

3. Asos Trend: Prairie: click here.  'Head to the Great Plains, where ditsy floral dresses and oh-so-pretty blouses meet snake-print and fierce lace-up detailing. Add tough-girl layers of denim and leather, then complete the look with fringing details'. I literally want everything in this selection. Must stop. Must think ethically. 

4. Passion Fruit. The goddamn best tasting fruit in the freakin world. How can so much flavour come from something so frog spawny. 

5. Getting pumped for festival season. Mc'lovin the edit done for Wilderness festival, check it here. 

6. Bldg25 remains one of my all time favourite blogs. Its made by the superb folks at Free People and gives me a chunk of inspiration and positive thoughts each and every day. This is one of my favourite posts this past week. Showing and sharing love every day. 

7. I'm a bit of a horoscope luva. No I don't follow them line for line but I do really like reading them and feeling a little guidance in my life. I believe everything happens for a reason so it's kind of a nice thought to think that something so magical and real like the solar system has a little plan for a little bean like me.  I always read mine on Bldg25. 

8. This beautifully embroiled tapestry from Urban Outfitters. U make my heart flutter. Look at it! 

9.  The new Lynx advert, genuinely love seeing adverts like this. All about loving yourself! Check it out.

10. I've got this obsession with street art at the moment, i think its since I went to Berlin (post on that coming soon) I just have this crazy new appreciation and fascination for it. Especially huge wall murals. I love love love colour and really think that when done right, these can bring a place to life. I've been following instagram accounts like @wall_of_street_art which supply my head daily with a few bursts of colour. Even the #wallmural has loads. Have a peek. 

Hope you all have a fab day!

See you all soon for some more special lists. 

Lex

xo

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Travel Diaries: Amsterdam

In the Summer, some of my best gal friends planned a trip to Amsterdam as a little get away. Amsterdam is really easy place to visit from the UK and you can grab flights for less than £100 sometimes, which is always a bonus. I didn't really know what to expect as I've never visited before so I packed my bags with eagerness and excitement knowing that at least the company I was with would be mc'fabulous. Throughout the few days we spent there, I began to fall in love with the City, the cobbled streets, the huge windows, the tall slim houses and the flower beds draped alongside every canal. There's a relaxing vibe to Amsterdam, it all feels very authentic and eco with people using their bicycles to get from one place to another, I love that! We got lost and wandered the streets, laughing as we went. It was blissful, relaxing in my best friends company and feeling completely happy. Here are a few pictures from our little trip. 

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Boogying into January: A Playlist

Holaaaaaa chickaaaaas!

HAPPY FREAKIN 2016!

Long time no see, all my fault I know. I don't really have an explanation for what got in the way from posting other than... LIFE! I kept thinking throughout the past few months, 'oh I'll share that on the blog' but weirdly never really got round to doing it. Time out has been nice but I'm now ready and rearing to get my fingers a' typing and my head thinking! Time off has kicked me into cooking up loads of funky ideas to share with yewwwwwww!

To get the ball rolling, I thought I'd share with you a little playlist, full of tracks that I've been movin' and groovin' into the New Year with. 

Enjoy lil ladies n' gents!

Stay funky. 

Lex

January Groovin' from alexasimagination on 8tracks Radio.

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Smoothie Bowl: Morning Energy

Hello my loves,

How is everybody? Fantabulous I hope.

This morning I made an absolute goddess of a smoothie bowl, seriously this thing was fricken luscious so I thought I'd share it with you all. 

Ingredients:

2 Bananas

1 handful of frozen mango

1 handful of oats

A dash of almond milk

I began by blending all of the above together until it was smooth and thick then poured this into a bowl. I made sure only to use a little bit of almond milk as I wanted it to be really thick, if you just fancy the above as a morning smoothie on its own then add a bit more milk. 

I topped the bowl with 2 passionfruit (my weakness), a handful of pumpkin seeds, a sprinkling of chia seeds and half a cup of granola. Then I just gobbled it up to my little hearts content and IT WAS AMAZING!

Try it for yourself and let me know what you thought!

Peace out

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