KURAMATHI | MALDIVES 2014

Spending 10 glorious days on Kuramathi Island in the Maldives with my Mum is something I am honestly never going to forget. Not only did the island offer your typical luxury brochure lifestyle, but it also came complete with dense tropical gardens, a sandbank and some of the loveliest staff I have met.

After a 4 hour car journey to Gatwick Airport, a 10 hour flight to Male (Maldivian capital), an hour's wait and then a 15 minute sea plane to the island, I couldn't be more relieved to finally reach the resort. We were greeted with cold flannels and fruit drinks, where we relaxed in the huge, airy reception and were introduced to the island by the staff.

We stayed in a beach villa, complete with an outdoor shower and air conditioning (always a must-have in a hot climate). On the island alone there were 9 restaurants, 3 buffet and and 6 dining restaurants, each with their own theme and speciality; The Island Barbeque - Meat, The Reef - Seafood, The Palm - Italian, The Siam Garden - Thai, The Tandoor Mahal - Indian... you get the idea!  I came to know the friendliest staff members and enjoyed the truly delicious food.

I never felt bored, which is usually something that occurs halfway through the holiday, because there was so much to do; swimming, snorkelling, sunbathing, adventuring into the depths of the luscious gardens with lizards scuttling past your toes and walking to the end of the sandbank, where riptides from the lagoon and the ocean met. It was utterly spectacular, so amazing in fact I think I am going to run out of adjectives by the end of this post! I was even lucky enough to go to the Kuramathi Spa and have a couple of hennas done, which really added to my desired Maldivian/Indian appearance.

On the last day we snorkelled with schools of fish and ate our last dinner at The Island Barbeque, soon finding myself struggling to hold back tears because I realised how much I loved the atmosphere and the positive vibes I'd felt since the day we arrived. It was hard saying goodbye to people I'd formed friendships with and to leave such a breathtaking paradise. I really hope to return someday.

PROM NIGHT

Dress - Mori Lee
Clutch - Krasceva
Bracelet - Accessorize

Apologies for the poor quality photos, but when the photos appear amateur you know it's a cherished memory rather than a photoshoot (if that makes sense). Last night's prom was certainly one of the best parties I've been to. Seeing everyone so beautifully dressed and sharing photos, conversations and dance moves was something I wish wasn't a once in a lifetime event.

Our prom was a 007 James Bond theme, held at St.Mellion, an international golf course in Cornwall. My friends and I arrived there in a dark flamingo-pink limo, which was a fantastic way to build our excitement and the atmosphere. At the venue they'd set up a large room full of circular tables scattered with glitter and crystals, with James Bond balloons in the centre (although by the end of the night most of the helium was mysteriously sucked out of them...)

The night was spent chatting, complimenting, buying drinks at the bar, photo taking and dancing with friends and teachers, the music and lights creating a dream-like atmosphere. The night lasted for a good five hours and it is definitely a night I'll treasure in my memories.

I am flying off to the Maldives tomorrow for ten days which I am super excited about, so when I come back be prepared for plenty of photos!

SUMMER LOOK BOOK

(In order) 
Outfit 1: 

kimono sleeve romper - Primark, studded denim rucksack - Topshop, hat - Accessorize, sunglasses - Urban Outfitters, sandals - Dune.

Outfit 2:

black off the shoulder ribbed crop - Boohoo, white scuba skater skirt - boohoo, hat - Topshop, bag - Zara, boots - Office.

Outfit 3:

blue jungle leaf crop top - Topshop, daisy kimono - Boohoo, denim shorts - Zara, gold triangle and turquoise stone necklace - Boohoo, bag - Accessorize.

Outfit 4:

aztec bandeau playsuit - Missguided, batwing wool cardigan - Boohoo.

Outfit 5:

lilac scuba boxy crop sweat - Missguided, mint skater skirt - Topshop, bag - Forever 21, Trainers - Nike, flower crown - Primark.

Hello! It's good to be finally blogging after over a month! Due to GCSEs, end of year events and totally redesigning my blog I have been too busy to post. But now with two and a half months of free summertime I hope to be blogging a lot more frequently. Some of the events I am looking forward to sharing with all of you are Prom and my holiday to the Maldives.

Here is this year's Summer Look Book. Over the time I've been unable to blog I have purchased quite a few new items and thought this was the perfect opportunity to put them into action. I've been quite into the festival theme lately...can you tell?

Also in other news, my blog is now called Out Of The Urban. I've been trying to think of a blog name for ages, and the other day I sat down and brainstormed all the possibilities. I wanted it to be memorable, more like a phrase rather than a name and in relation to me somehow. As I have grown up surrounded by spectacular countryside my whole life, I thought this new name fitted my blog quite well!

DESK AND DESIGN

Over the past couple of months, my Dad and I have been designing a desk for my room which would be suitable for my requirements and the beginning of A-Levels next year. Now he has finished making it, and I couldn't be more grateful and in love with the outcome.

It's great to have something which is practical and stylish at the same time. I had great fun designing the layout and choosing the items to give it that unique touch (most desk items such as jars, flowers, mousemat, straws etc are from Amazon). Not only does my room feel more adult but it feels more homely with everything I need at my fingertips, where working becomes more enjoyable and blogging becomes more tempting.

So how can you make your desk/work area more special to you? Well, I find working in a tidy and clean environment a lot more relaxing than if it is cluttered and dusty. A clear space is easier for laying out your work and not losing anything. Organising files and equipment is not only easier when you need to find things, but gives the overall appearance a more professional feel. If you want to get into the more arty side of things, I suggest a colour scheme (mine is white, pink and blue). It makes the desk more personal to you and adds to the stylishness.

I hope you fabulous people enjoyed this post, and sadly I'm unlikely to be posting for the next few weeks as my GCSE exams have finally arrived *cries*. See you soon!

EASTER FLARES

Crop tee - Boohoo

Skater skirt - Topshop

Sunglasses - Urban Outfitters

Sandals - Dune

Hat - Accessorize

Floral band - Primark

Watch - Michael Kors

Happy Easter! Hope you all have a lovely celebratory Sunday. Here's a flarey Spring outfit I put together the other day, encouraged by last week's gorgeous weather.

APRIL FASHION HAUL

Dungaree/playsuit and crochet belly top - Hollister

Batwing cardigan and white tee - Boohoo

Shopper bag and denim shorts - Zara

Bikini (in Arizona Sunset) - Triangl

Sandals - Dune

Sunglasses and daisy necklace - Urban Outfitters

Apologies for not posting in a while,  rapidly approaching my GCSE exams and sadly revision is a priority. So here are a few bits and bobs and I have gratefully received or purchased this April. Summer is fast approaching and this haul clearly shows it!