Paris is always a good idea.

Bonjour mes amis,

Not too long ago I hopped off to Paris with my dearest mama and papa. Oh my days. I didn't know I could fall in love with a place so fast. My heart skipped a beat as soon as I stepped off of the Eurostar (surprisingly...a very nice journey. I do recommend.) onto the platform-in the pouring rain, may I add, but Paris is most beautiful in the rain. A huge virtual thumbs up there is your recognise which film I just quoted! 

With the help of a very nice American man, we found our way through the winding streets to our hotel. We stopped in an aparthotel called Cosy's which is, quite simply, a hotel where you get a room with a kitchen. It was very very nice and the staff were also lovely. Although I would have loved to stay in a quaint, traditionally Parisian room, it was nice to have a little extra space. The hotel was located near Montmartre so it was in a very artsy and vibrant area with lots of little shops and cafes everywhere. What pleased me especially was the fact that I could walk one foot either side of the hotel to find a crepe shop- HEAVEN! 

After a short 10 minute stroll away from the hotel we would find our selves in the very centre of Paris, surrounded by all the posh shops and fancy buildings. Oh how I could have cried with the joy I felt parading down the tree line streets. I don't mean to sound too touristy but the Champs-Elysees was really stunning. With the Arc de Triumph peaking out the end, it seamed very surreal; it was as though I was standing in a painting. Now. How could I do a Paris post without mentioning La Tour Eiffel (or the Eiffel Tower to you an me)? Wow that thing is tall. I didn't attempt climbing to the top as I'm not the greatest with heights. However, I was perfectly happy nibbling on a crepe whilst kneeling on the slightly waterlogged grass in the surrounding gardens. 

The Sacre-Coeur at night

I have to say I think my favourite Paris experience was watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle from the top of the Sacre-Coeur. It was our last night and we were on our way back to the hotel after a lovely meal in the centre of Montmartre. My mum decided that we would just hang around for a little longer to watch the fire shows, listen to the string quartets on the street corners and have a little mooch around the quaint antique shops. Then, when the clocks struck 10 the Eiffel tower began to sparkle. It was a really breathtaking view. It just beats the first time I saw Cinderella's Castle at Walt Disney World- yes I cried. I was only seven. Do not judge me. 

Ohhhhh there is so much more I would like to talk about; my first French macaroon, the shopping, the crazy thunderstorm where we resorted to huddling under a bridge. However, I'm afraid if I continue I will never stop. 

 Thanks for stopping by and please pop round again.

Lauren xx

What's in my school bag?

Hello there.

As many of you will know the dreaded back to school season is upon us. The thoughts of dragging my feet back through the school gates and being thrown into year 11 are enough to make my stomach churn. However, something I don't mind about the back to school season is buying new stationary and getting a little more organised. I'm thinking about doing a little back to school series over the next couple of days in hope of giving you guys a few last minute tips.

So to begin this mini series I'm going to show what's in my school bag.

1. Firstly we have my school bag; the Earnshaw backpack in grey floral from Jack Wills. I decided upon this bag because, quite simply, I thought it looked nice. However, when it arrived I realised I had paid for so much more than its lovely appearance. The size, quality, shape and material are all perfect, allowing this bag to easily become the best one I have ever purchased. Although it is on the pricey side I would definitely recommend it because it has everything I would ever need and hope for in a school bag. Plus, its very comfortable on the shoulders as well which I think is difficult to find in a backpack.
2. This is my weekly planner. It was an old notebook from Sainsburies but I sprinkled some DIY magic, instead of forking out for a new planner. 
3. I'm going to take this A4 wallet from Paperchase for any spare pieces of paper I gather over the year.
4. This is a little zipped bag I got from a store called Mademoiselle Fragonade in Paris. 
5. Next, I have my blogging notebook (an old WHSmiths notebook that I again decorated). I try to make a habit of taking my blogging notebook with me everywhere just in case I get an idea for a post. 
6. The second notebook is just for general note taking. I picked it up in Galleries Lafayette whilst in Paris.
7. Nothing special here really-just my calculator.
8. Lastly, I have my pencil case. Personally I think a pencil case is vital as it keeps all your stationary organised and in one place.

Here's the inside of my little zipped bag. I think its good to keep something like this inside your school bag for those "Darn...I wish I had a..." and "Oh no..." moments.

1. Illustrated with the Parisian land marks, every time I look at this bag I just want to go back. 
2. My house keys.
3. A mirror which came with the bag. 
4. My Babylips lip balm from Maybelline. A good lip balm is always a necessity especially as we are now approaching the colder months.
5. Hand sanitizer is another important. This is the mango cleansing gel from The Body Shop which I looooove. It smells amazing. 
6. You never know when your gonna need a booby in or a hair tie and if you don't, someone else will. This purse has three compartments which I separate bobby pins, hair ties and those little elasticy things into.
7. A nail file. A broken nail is just the worst, isn't it?

Lastly my pencil case.

1. Another Jack Wills special. I like how its on the smaller size as it prevents me from over filling and taking too much with me. I am quite the stationary hoarder.
2. A simple pencil sharpener from Sainsburies. It's one of the bucket ones that catch all the nasty bits so I can avoid walking up to the front of the classroom just to sharpen my pencil. Oh the humiliation.
3. The Papermate Inkjoy pens. My personal favourite. They're a good writer.
4. I had never tried these Bic Evolution pencils. But they are 50% recycled and apparently they have  a super strong lead so I thought why not?
5. A couple of coloured pens here for underlining and note taking.
6. A highlighter. Another useful tool for note taking.
7. A rubber...not much to say here.
8. A protractor from Maped's Twist 'n Flex range. I have always gone for the boring see-through ones. But they always cracked and were pretty boring so I thought I would try something new. Its got pretty patterns on it soooo  I can't really go wrong.
9. A compass-pretty standard really.
10. A ruler which matches the protractor because I'm THAT fancy.

Thank you for stopping by.

Lauren xx

                                                                                                                                                                           

Aloha Internet

Aloha Internetty people,

Yes, this is my desk. Its my most favourite part of my room and I didn't know what to use as a picture. Hehe.

Welcome to ‘Flower Crowns and Cupcakes’; my new corner of the Internet where I ramble on about the daily happenings of my life and maybe entertain one or two of you. 

For the eagle-eyed amongst you, you will notice that I just mentioned how this is my second blog. I previously wrote a blog called Lollipops and Dewdrops but I allowed it to fall into disrepair due to the crazy amounts of homework and revision my teachers gave me towards the end of the last school year. So I had a thought. To rejuvenate my excitement for blogging again, instead of desperately trying to rebuild something I no longer loved, I would create a new blog to give me a new project to work on. Henceforth, ‘Flower Crowns and Cupcakes’ was born. (Did I use 'henceforth' right there? I only want to impress you. Hehehe)

Although I would love to vow that 100% of my time and effort would be thrown into this little space, the upcoming school year is my final GCSE year so I'm gonna be busy. However, I do promise to improve my time management so I can create some *hopefully* interesting content every week for any of you who wish to return here.

Thanks a bunch for stopping bye and be sure to pop your head round my (virtual) door again.

Have a brilliant day.

Lauren xx 

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