Disclaimer: This blog post has been sponsored by Paperclip, however all words and views are my own.

There are a lot of things to love about university, and freshers’ fairs are one of them. When I was at uni, I attended the freshers’ fairs so that I could nab discounts, goodies, and (most importantly) free pizza from Domino’s. This year, it’s highly unlikely that many freshers’ fairs will go ahead. Not only will this mean you’re missing out on a huge uni event, but you’re also missing out on a load of amazing discounts that will get you through learning to budget and actually provide for yourself.

Luckily, Paperclip have created an amazing virtual freshers’ fair in the form of a Digital Welcome Pack filled with £3000 (yes, you read that right. £3k!) worth of discounts. Not only is this going to be a fantastic offer for those whose freshers’ fair has been cancelled, but it’s also amazing for those who suffer from anxiety or simply don’t want to go to the physical event to be on the safe side.

The goodies from the Digital Welcome Pack include discounts on Ola taxis (which, let’s be honest, we all need when heading back from Maccies), UberEats, Amazon Prime and so much more.
 
Not only are there a load of discounts, but there are also prizes! From holidays (when we can actually go, lol) to cash to iPads… what’s even better, more than 1 in 10 students win! It is honestly a no brainer.

PS - Don't forget that I'm hosting a raffle for Black Lives Matter which ends next week, have you entered yet?

Last week I shared what you could do to support the case of George Floyd and Black Lives Matter. I will never hop off the Black Lives Matter movement, and neither should you, and I truly hope the protests we’re attending, petitions we’re signing and donations we’re making are going to make a difference – we’ve seen that they have so far.

But the fight isn't over yet.

Keep signing the petitions. Whether it’s to reopen a case, raise a degree or make changes to the education system so that racial slurs in books aren’t allowed to be read aloud and black history is taught in schools correctly.
 
It’s free to sign a petition and takes seconds, if that. There’s really no excuse for not doing this.

Can’t afford to make a donation? No judgement from me. But what you CAN do is have a click around on the ads on my blog – my ad revenue for June will be donated to Black Minds Matter UK alongside any income from sponsored posts and affiliate links. There are also YouTube videos doing the same thing, why not have these on a muted loop in the background while you’re on your computer?
 
Two blogger friends, the wonderful Eleanor and Emmanuela, and I have teamed up to host a raffle with all proceeds going to Black Lives Matter. There are some amazing prizes, all donated by small businesses and artists, from custom fashion pieces to beautiful jewellery to educational books regarding race to incredible artwork. We had SO many donations that there will actually be three winners, each one winning their own bundle of goodies.

I understand that given the current circumstances this isn’t easy to do. That said, if you are in a position to attend protests and you know you can be safe, sensible and socially distanced then I wholeheartedly encourage you to attend. 

It’s often uncomfortable discussing racial issues. It seems such a taboo subject but discussing people’s human rights really is not a matter of opinion. Use your voice to educate and empower, no matter how tough the conversation is.
 
Keep sharing resources and using your online voice, too. If you’re not black, be sure to listen and amplify black voices rather than overpower them with your own, but use your voice when you need to speak out on these injustices.

Innocent black people are killed by the US police force regularly. Heartbreakingly nothing seems to change. Due to this, America is painted as the horror story that it is. ​

We cannot ignore that similar things happen in the UK. In our hospitals, black women are more likely to die during childbirth; of our frontline NHS workers, people of colour are more likely to die from Coronavirus than a white colleague; Belly Mujinga died from Coronavirus only weeks ago after being spat on while at work - the British Transport Police have not taken this case further; as I write this post I’ve just seen a video of a black British male being violently wrestled to the ground by two policemen, while his friend pleads them to stop.

After writing this post, a few blogger friends and I came together and decided to host a raffle with all profits being donated to Black Lives Matter. At the time of writing, we are reaching out to small businesses to see if they can donate anything. If you are a small business or know someone who runs a small business who is willing to donate, please get in touch. I will link to the raffle once it has been organised.

Update: Ad revenue and income from sponsored posts and affiliate links throughout the month of June will be donated to Black Lives Matter US and UK. If you personally can't donate, clicking on my ads will act as a donation. 

Okay, when I saw this top I was like OMG. That is a bit of me. I ordered the White Mesh Organza Sleeve Bardot Crop Top in a 12 and it fits SO beautifully. I don’t even need to wear a bra and it supports the girlies. It’s so flattering too and I love the length, it’s the perfect crop in my opinion.

Don’t even get me started on the organza sleeves!! I’m loving these mesh sleeves at the moment and they’re what drew me to the top in the first place. HOW cute are they! When I first put it on the cuffs at the top of my arm were a lil tight but they stretched super easily and now fit absolutely perfectly.

I’ve tried this organza sleeve crop top with jeans, cargo pants and shorts and it literally looks beautiful with everything. You’re definitely going to be seeing me in this bad boy once we can head back to the pubs.

I just looove lilac, so this Milkmaid Bardot Bodycon Mini Dress was calling my name. Purple has always been one of my favourite colours and I even have a lilac pair of Vans (to add to my ridiculous Vans collection).

​Once again I got this in a 12. I was hoping it was going to be a little looser so that I could wear it in the daytime and evening but unfortunately the quarantine chub is telling me this is a nighttime dress for now. That said, once I head back to the gym this will be the perfect daytime attire, probably teamed with said lilac Vans.

I’m so in love with the neckline of the milkmaid dress and once again I don’t need to wear a bra – this is honestly a miracle in itself so for both items to not need a bra is saying something! You can tie the front as tight or as loose as you want and the whole neckline detailing and sleeves are so comfy and stretchy. This Milkmaid Bardot Bodycon Mini Dress is 100% a LOOK.

I actually ordered four pieces from Femme Luxe Finery but unfortunately two didn’t fit me. I ordered one of their famous Lace Fishnet Side Stripe Strappy Bodysuits in the style Tris in neon orange and while it was STUNNING on my body, my boobs were a lil big for it. If you’re not big busted like me I would 100000% recommend, it's made so well.

I also ordered a pair of Animal Crocodile Cigarette Trousers in the style Kim in Stone, which were once again too small.
 
Both of these I ordered in a large and that’s the biggest size they had, which is a little disappointing. That said, I’m super impressed with the quality of all of the clothes I ordered and the bodysuit was made SO well, I’m so gutted I couldn’t fit the girls in!

Well it’s been a hot minute, hasn’t it? I haven’t updated my blog in over a year (my last post was a uni room tour... very funny). I've been thinking about returning to my blog for a while, and with some free time on my hands I thought I'd better get cracking.

  A lot can happen in a year. My mental health was terrible last April and when I came home I focused on that and getting back to 'me' again over the summer.

I went back to uni for second year in September and made it a whole three weeks before throwing in the towel. 

In October I felt like a huge failure that hadn’t tried, but six months on I can see that I’d already endured a year of horrific mental health. When I returned to uni after an amazing, almost anxiety-free, summer, my mental health hit me like a tonne of bricks and I just knew it wasn’t worth it anymore. There will be a more in depth post on this so keep your eyes peeled.

  I landed a job the week after I dropped out. I didn’t start until December which gave me some time to get myself back on track. 

I love my job. I can’t quite put into words how much I love it. I’m almost halfway through a Digital Marketing apprenticeship at a local PR firm and it is everything I wanted in a career. From creating social media and blog content for a variety of industries to SEO improvement to making infographics on Canva, I kind of do a bit of everything. 

Of course, there’s the elephant in the room that’s the Coronavirus. I’m still working from home which is a (selfish) relief for me because it means I’m still keeping myself busy. I hope you’re all staying safe too and are in the best position you can be in. With that said, if you’re not please remember that all storms will pass. 

I think I’ve rambled enough. I’ve really missed my blog but I had an amazing, hectic summer with little time to write and after I dropped out of uni I had to make myself number one priority for a while. 

I intend to post as often as I can but I’m not too sure whether a routine will be on the cards. 

For the time being, if you want to keep up with me you can find me on Instagram and Twitter. 

Stay safe, 
Soph x