My 2015 Achievements & 2016 Goals

Happy New Year! Bonne Année! Feliz Año Nuevo!

I hope you had a fabulous New Year's Eve - whether it was a quiet night in, a wild night sending you to bed at the wee hours of this morning or a little bougie after a few too many glasses of Prosecco, it is all a good way to enter 2016. I had a lovely dinner at home with Lewis, joined some friends for drinks at their apartment, watched the fireworks at the beach and then was in bed by 2am after wandering through Barcelona's buzzing streets. Perfect.

I am not generally one for setting new year's resolutions but I have found it really useful to look back on the past year - which has had some extreme highs and extreme lows - and recognise my own achievements and set some realistic (and big dreamer) goals for 2016.


MY 2015 ACHIEVEMENTS

1. I changed my blog look and bought my own domain name.
This is something that I had wanted to do for a long time but, typical me, I put it off. Finally in September I got round to it and I feel that this has given my blog and I a new confidence boost!

2. I moved from Paris to Barcelona and started learning Spanish.
This was a pretty big deal for me. I had been putting off and putting off leaving Paris for over a year because it really is just my favourite place in the world. I am glad I made the change and I am proud of settling into a new city and picking up Spanish so quickly. My heart still does lie in Paris and with French though!

3. I worked with some amazing bloggers and brands.
The big one for me this year was continuing my relationship with Motel Rocks and being able to represent them at Paris Fashion Week twice this year.

4. I travelled a lot as well as spending the year living abroad.
After years of wanting to go, I finally went to Sweden this year and loved it! So my kind of place and gave me the Scandi-bug! I also explored France more including Brittany and Lyon, which was lovely.

5. My relationship is still going strong after nearly eight years together.
He is my rock and the one thing that makes me truly happy.

MY 2016 GOALS

1. Continue to work hard on my blog content and social media channels.
I want to improve my quality and quantity of content, including having some (but not exclusively) regular set times of posting so you guys know when to check back here for new posts. I hope to improve my photography to have cleaner and brighter imagery.

2. Increase my blog readership and work towards the goal of full time blogging.
I know that blogging is not all about numbers but when you are working so hard on content, you want it to get seen! Blogging full time is a BIG goal but a girl has got to dream eh?

3. Get a job in an industry I am passionate about.
I am done with working shitty customer service jobs and I want to find my calling this year. Wish me luck!

4. Get to a decent level in Spanish.
I love learning languages so I need to knuckle down and do some serious self-study. I am not being just another Brit living in Spain who cannot speak the language!

5. T R A V E L! And also move to Canada/Berlin/London/back to Bristol.
Travel is my big passion (other than fashion) and I want to see new places this year. I am actually going to do a 2016 Travel Bucketlist next week so look out for that. As for moving, Barcelona is great but we are not staying long. A couple of months ago we managed to get Canadian visas so moving to Canada is a real once-in-a-lifetime possibility! Otherwise I would love to live in Berlin or settle back in the UK in London and Bristol and finally get a cat. We will see!

6. Live more in the moment, stop worrying and take some god damn risks.
I have not spoken a lot about this but I am the world's biggest worrier and have the occasional severe anxiety episodes. I want to live for the now, not worry about the future and push myself in 2016.

7. Go on a yoga retreat.
I love yoga. It is my therapy from all my worries and I had already started working extremely hard on my practice towards the end of 2015. I want to keep learning and I would love to go on a yoga retreat away from technology and worries.

8. Start a YouTube channel?
Having dabbled in YouTube for my job in Paris, I think this year might be the year that I take the plunge and start my own channel. Hell, I may even shoot my first video today! I feel that YouTube is a lot more personal and I would like to connect more with you guys!

So there you have it! My 2015 achievements and 2016 goals! What do you think of them and are any of yours similar!

Izzie x

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Best of Christmas

Hello! I hope you have all had a very merry Christmas! I have had an absolutely lovely time at home and have been spoilt to some amazing presents! Here are my best of Christmas presents and some more photos from the festive few days.

Polaroid camera, DANIEL WELLINGTON watch, Fashion Et Moi BLOGGERS PLANNER, ASOS choker, TOPSHOP pompom, #GIRLBOSS book, ASOS pyjamas

Top - second hand, Jeans - MONKI, Boots - ASOS, Socks - CALZEDONIA

My sister gave me the most perfect and thoughtful present - especially as a traveller and blogger! She traced and painted this gorgeous map! 

Sisters got watches! Mine is a lovely DANIEL WELLINGTON and Jess adds a second OLIVIA BURTON to her collection. 

So as you can see - it has been a Christmas filled with lovely presents, lots of cracking food and the most beautiful people. It all goes too fast though doesn't it? Already I am heading back to Barcelona later today and even though I know I'll be fine once I'm back there, being in Bristol does make me want to just stay in Bristol. 

Anyway, onwards and upwards! The new year is coming with lots of exciting possibilities and decisions to be made! But before all of that, look out for my final post of the year - blogging outtakes - in a couple of days time. 

Izzie x

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Iris Cantabri Pre-Fall 2015

I was so pleased to be invited to view Iris Cantabri's Pre-Fall collection, having discovered this young French brand last season and totally loving it (check out my review of SS15 here). Continuing the 'create your own look' theme, this collection includes tops and skirts made from a mix of wool, polyester and paper for warmth during colder months. 

Of course, thanks to the cleverly thought out zip system, you can mix and match the SS15 and AW15 collections to create, seemingly, an unlimited number of looks.

Artistic director and founder of the brand Guillaume Michel was kind of enough to talk me through the collection, his influences and inspirations. I was particularly taken by how he had translated his study of African masks to his designs and the result is both entertaining and beautiful. 

If this is just the pre-fall collection, I am dying to see what this amazing young fashion house will produce for AW15 in a couple of months!

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J'étais trop contente d'être invité de voir la collection "pré-fall" d'Iris Cantabri, une jeune maison française que j'ai découvert la saison dernière et que je kiffe. En continuant l'idée de "Prêt à Personaliser", cette collection inclus des hauts et des jupes fabriqués d'un mélange de la laine, du polyester et du papier pour donner chaud pendant les mois d'hiver. Grace au système de fermeture bien planifié, vous pouvez mélanger les collections printemps-été 15 et pré-fall 15 pour créer, apparemment, un nombre de looks illimités. 

Le directeur artistique et fondateur de la maison Guillaume Michel m'a parlé de la collection, ses influences et inspirations. J'étais impressionnée comment il a utilisé ses études de masques africains dans la collection et le résultat est à la fois divertissant et beau. 

C'est juste la collection "pre-fall", du coup j'ai trop hâte de voir ce que cette jeune maison de mode produira pour automne-hiver 15 dans deux mois!

Izzie x