Changes I Want To Make || Blogging

Blogging has been a part of my life for quite a while now; my first official post went live in 2014 making this blog nearly 4 years old. Even I didn't think I've been going for that long! This year I decided to up my game & try to turn my hobby into something more. 

I've only made small changes like purchasing a domain, a fresh layout & rebranding but I want to keep moving forward. I want to understand the blogging world more so here's a few aims I have for 2018 when it comes to ByBusby. 

Unashamed Wedding Obession || Lifestyle

Here currently sits a 24 year old female who is in a relationship, without a ring on her finger excitedly ripping open her Rock n roll bride issues. And you know what?? I am happy to say I have an obsession with all things bridal. I may not be engaged & I may not be planning a wedding anytime soon but why should I be ashamed to say I love all things bridal??

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly || Blogging

When you think of a blogger; what do you picture? Maybe someone in pajamas sitting in bed with a Mac book on their lap & a cuppa to one side. Maybe you picture a savvy dressed girl boss who's invited to a bunch of swanky events. 

Well you could be correct because there are days when I'm sat in bed at home just like now writing up blog posts with my Mac on my lap & yes there are some fabulous ladies who dress to kill at blogger events. That is one side of the reality of blogging but trust me there are many more that sit alongside that!

Finding My Perfect Skincare Routine || Beauty

I have to let you guys into a secret; until a short while ago I really didn't know what skincare was suited to me nor what skin type I really had. Shocker right? Well we all know that I can be pretty lazy & other than a daily moisturiser & make-up removal I never really bothered with a skincare routine. I can finally say that I've upped my skincare & I'm loving the results, so here's a few things I've collected. 

Bloggers Who Help Bloggers || Lifestyle

I don't know about you but I love clicking on a blog & seeing a "blog tips" page. I just love reading posts for bloggers created by bloggers. They are usually the best posts for learning new aspects of blogging & well we all need a bit of help now & again. I've been using bloggers's post for a good while now & I've found a good few that have really helped me up my game. That is what inspired me to write this post; so here's me sharing a few bloggers who are really great at sharing their knowledge.

A Very Vegan Birthday || Lifestyle

I haven't spoken about my vegan transition on ByBusby for a while but after visiting Vegfest for my birthday I thought why not. It's been about two months since I started cutting out animal products from my diet & I wanted to share how it's been. Don't worry I'm not here to preach to you but ByBusby is all about sharing my life story & this is a key point. Plus there's tonnes of non dairy treats to oogle at below so why stop here?

Feel Stress Free With Thrive || Review

I'm no stranger when it comes to talking about mental health on ByBusby; I've been very open with my experiences & progress so when I was saw a new app emerging to help battle these problems I thought why not give it a go. I've teamed up with the creators of Thrive to test out their new app & share my thoughts with you. I was super excited because I've never come across an app targeted at mental health (I haven't really looked to much!!) & since it was focused on helping with stressors it is well suited to me. For the past month I've been using it when I feel the need & here's my feedback.

Blogoween || 5 Favourite Things

Never guess who jumped on the pumpkin picking bandwagon?? Yes that is me but in my defence I love halloween & I think pumpkin picking is a must do activity for this time of year. On another note I didn't realise how close local farms were to my house & now I've got an excuse to go pick my veggies. 

Anyhow shall we get on with the post? Here's my five favourite things about halloween ... 

Blogoween || Tattoo Talk

The internet is a strange place when it comes to tattoos; there's way too many artists who are okay with tracing other people's designs that it puts you off sharing so publicly. Even though I tend to avoid close ups these days, as you can tell I have quite a few & it just so happens that many edge towards a halloween theme. It's not really on purpose but the designs I like tend to have a spookier & darker edge to them so why not share my "halloween" art. 

Blogoween OOTD || Ghosts & Ghouls

This outfit is for the teenage me who would have loved it but been too scared to wear it. Well teen Shelley; you're 24 now & couldn't give a damn what people think! Plus it's halloween & why shouldn't I be wearing something a little bit spooky?

Blogoween || Home Decor

Holder | Yellow | Red | Orange

October is the time to get all festive & spooky. From pumpkin carving to a good old dress up it can really give you the chance to let your hair down & let out your inner child. I love Halloween & all the festivities that come with it, plus it's a great excuse to go interior shopping. Even if you're on a small budget or living in a small space there are a few items that can easily transform your home ready for Halloween. 

Grab Your Melons || Birchbox Edition

It's time for a new Birchbox post which hasn't been a regular occurrence on By Busby but I was excited to see them team up with Coppafeel. It's really nice to see a subscription box be part of an important campaign so I wanted to share my boob story & help promote the message. 

Getting To Grips With Pinterest || Blogging

I have to break it to you guys; I wasn't one of the people who jumped on the Pinterest hype when it first rolled around. I just didn't need another social media account taking over my online life (which we all know Pinterest is capable of!!). I spent a good while avoiding the grasp of Pinterest but after one too many times clicking on an image to be met with the sign up page I decided to delve in. 

Twenty boards & a hell of a lot of pins later I think I've got to grips with the Pinterest basics (as if!!) I've now made the decision to utilise it for blogging. It seems to be such a good site to drive traffic to your blog so it's an easy decision to make the transition. So what am I doing to make that leap? 

Vegan Skincare || Babylon Tree Review

Time for a new review, which I feel I haven't done in forever. Since moving to cruelty free & vegan beauty I luckily haven't had to change many of my current items. I'm still working towards changing a few of my make-up items but as I have sensitive & highly allergic skin I already own a lot of all natural products. 

However I haven't tested out a new soap in a long time so when I saw Babylon tree looking for people to test their products I jumped at the chance. I'm always looking to support local businesses who strive to produce quality items & have a strong message to share. 

Thriller Spree || Book Reviews

It's a bit of a crazy story (my work place burnt down & I moved branches!!) but as of recent I've got back into reading; it's been a long time coming & well I kind of went on a thriller spree so I thought why not share some honest thoughts with you. Turns out working away from home means lunch breaks get pretty boring so I finally dug out a book which I had started months ago & finished it in a week which lead to many more thrillers!! I do miss wandering home in my lunch breaks, chucking on  pyjamas & snacking to my hearts content but I'm glad I've got my reading bug back. Anyhow enough rambling & time for some reviews. 

Exploring Krakow || Walking Tour

The final instalment to the exploring Krakow series is a combination of the final two days so prepare yourself for lots of photos!! Thursday was our free day to do as we pleased. After all our tours we were thinking of doing a relaxing day but we decided to book a walking tour through the jewish quarter of Krakow. It was really easy to book through SeeKrakow recommended by our hotel. We found a local booking office on the Wednesday & on the day we ventured to breakfast, then over to the main square to our meeting point.

Exploring Krakow || Salt Mine Visit

Our second day of tours began on Wednesday afternoon so we had the morning to wander around & explore the local markets (we ended up buying some spices of course) & grabbing a spot of lunch. Once again we had booked via escape to Poland; this time being picked up at a local hotel. This time we travelled a bit further in our tiny mini bus to the Wieliczka salt mine but we also knew some of the other tourist; clearly great minds think alike!! 

Exploring Krakow || Auschwitz Tour

Following on from our day of exploring freely; on Tuesday we had booked our first guided tour. When travelling to Krakow it's inevitable that you'll visit Auschwitz as it's the only a short drive away. It's not the most fun trip to plan but we all have to revisit history at times to learn from past human mistakes. In the words of George Santayana "The one who does not remember history is bound to live through it again" 

Exploring Krakow || Typical Tourist

I'm officially back in England & the weather isn't so bad but the holiday blues have definitely set in. Last week we were venturing around Krakow working our little legs & racking up tonnes of steps. Now I'm sat in bed attempting to organise & edit the gazillion photos we both took, so I can write up these Poland diaries!! Time to end the rambling & kick off the first post; the airport annoyances & the day of being a typical tourist!

The Notion Of Independence || OOTD

It's time to talk about being independent which these days it seems to be a defining feature of someone's character. Is it really that important to be independent & are we ever fully independent anyway? Is it okay to judge someone because they aren't completely reliant on themselves? In my mind no!! Everyone is independent at times & sometimes we just need to rely on someone else.

Giving Youtube A Go || Lifestyle

Over the past few months I've attempted to delve into the world of youtube & see if I can enjoy making videos alongside my blogging. I thought it was a perfect time to give it a go since I was having my breast augmentation & it's quite a good topic to make videos about. I actually managed to complete my videos from pre to post-op so now it's time for a spot of reflection. 

OOTD || Made Of Bricks

Here's yet another outfit I wasn't meaning to shoot but did! Well to be honest I did love this outfit from the moment I put it on. I felt all old school tumblr & it just made me feel sassy for the day. I think this is my most bloggery outfit shoot ever; completely on a whim & ohh so public. It's safe to say I love these photos & they make me feel fabulous!!!

Time For A Pamper || Soap & Glory Review

This is kind of a spare of a moment idea but trust me it's not just a filler post. If you follow me on instagram (hello & thank you for trying to keep insta alive!!) then you would have experienced my glorious pamper morning on Friday. Those lucky few got to see me look oh so beautiful with a bright pink face mask on & since it did a fabulous job of helping my skin I thought it deserved a feature. 

August Mermaid || Birchbox Review

When I finally had a completely free weekend I decided to do a big old blog shoot. I'm not one for a lot of flatlays & such mainly because I live in a house with no useable backgrounds. However I got a few shots including these so while you read this review you can picture me laying in my very uncomfortable driveway taking photos. My neighbours probably think I'm crazy`& it was hella uncomfy but hey the photos look good right!!?? 

Living On The Veg || Kerb Food Fest

Sticking with the Vegan theme this week here is the promised food festival post!! I had a really lovely afternoon sampling all the tasters on offer & got to discover a bunch of great places to try again. It was a super busy event with lots to see & just had an amazing atmosphere. It was lovely to be surrounded by a bunch of people all in the same mindset enjoying each others company.

Time For Change || Lifestyle

It's safe to say I'm good at making excuses; I'm rather lazy & stuck in my ways so I'm not always great at making changes. However I have finally given myself a kick up the bottom & started moving towards a healthier. I've been watching multiple documentaries & educating myself on topics which have made me realise that I have to quit the excuses & put my health first. I've hit a point when I can't continue to put of changing my lifestyle. Don't panic I'm not here to lecture you; I'm just sharing my new outlook.  

FriendsFest Cardiff || Lifestyle

I've been a rather busy bee recently; travelling to & from Wales like no tomorrow but on one of these trips we popped into Friendsfest for a spot of exploring. As you can guess from the name it's a "festival" based on the TV series Friends which I'm a huge fan of so we thought we see what it was all about!! 

Offline Memories || The Start Of A New Hobby

I'm a hoarder!! Yes I said it; I can't help but keep hold of things. Luckily it's not junk but usually things that hold memories or are from important people. I am trying to minimise my hoarding & in general reduce my storage & waste but memories are precious so I've found an alternative. We can all tell I love taking photos so I decided to treat myself to a Polaroid camera & order some prints. This of course led to scrap booking!!

OOTD || Full Bloom

Are you even a blogger if you see a flower wall & don't take a picture? Covent garden was the perfect place to get some quick outfit photos on our latest London trip. I really love that London puts on seasonal features & I couldn't resist this opportunity to get some cute snaps.

Exploring London || Exhibition Hunt

The cactus house - Hignell Gallery

We all know a day out in London can get rather expensive. There's so much to do all year round & yes some of those things can definitely mean spending but there's also a lot of free places to visit. If you can cover the cost of a travel card & you're willing to do a fair bit of walking; London can be a great place to explore on the cheap. Jacob & I put this to the test by planning a cheap day out exploring the local exhibitions. 

The Importance Of Mental Health Days

I kicked my day off with a bath bomb & a cuppa. I'm currently writing this on split screen with Dear John playing because I fancy a soppy movie this morning. I've usually done a bunch of things in work  by now & I'm waiting on a delivery to keep my busy till lunch. Today however I'm taking a mental health day. I need it & luckily my manager actually cares about his staff to offer me the day off.

OOTD || Faux Playsuit

I remember back when I used to blog outfits I felt so under pressure to only show new items & be current. I always felt I had to be two steps ahead & shoot then post as soon as just incase that item sold out. How silly; now I just blog in my own time with what ever clothes I wear & have at the time. I still shop & I still like to shoot new clothes, but its more for me & less for fashion. If I like an outfit & wanna share it with you who cares when I got the clothes or if there are repeats!!

Travel Lust List || Lifestyle

I'm at that stage of the year when I'm jealous of all those people enjoying their holidays & those travelling. It's super warm in the UK & i'm loving it but it's not killing my travel bug. I've hit a stage of life where I want to let go of the reins & just go exploring. Obviously that's not something you can do on a whim so I have plans in motion for that side of life but I thought I'd share a few places that I would love to visit. 

OOTD || Beach Days

Who else is excited that the sun has finally made an appearance? Apart from the fact I am melting in work & I was burnt to a crisp at download I am enjoying the longer summer days. Not only is the blogger in me excited about the fact I can shoot pretty much all day but in general I just enjoy summer more. How cliche of me!!

Let's Talk Blogging || Blogger Apps

I love reading blogger help posts so I thought I'd share my own mini one!! I'm not planning a series because hey I'm learning here too but why not share a few things I've worked out over the years; starting with my blogger apps. I keep everything really simple because I have limited time to devote on blogging but these apps have helped me along the way. 

The Self Care Overhaul || Beauty

I'm turning 24 this year & even though I may still get ID'd I think it's time to crack down on my self care routine. I am completely rubbish with skin care mainly because I'm lazy & that has to change. Luckily I haven't got the worst skin but I'm not blessed with blemish free skin so it's time to take care of it for once. Plus over the past few weeks I've been purchasing bits & bobs which I thought I'll do a little haul with.  

OOTD || Distressed Knit

I can't be the only blogger who sometimes gets those moments when they feel like they are in full on blog mode? Well this was one of them!! I threw on this outfit from the bits I had packed for a weekend & really loved it but when I went to shoot it, the weather decided to be utterly terrible. From then on I knew which location I wanted & was determined to revisit on my next trip.

5 Reasons Why I blog || Lifestyle

I've been blogging via this page since 2014 which is kind of crazy. Even I didn't realise it's been that long till I did a huge overhaul of my blog. In that time the blogging world has changed a lot & I didn't even enter this world till a lot later. My blogs changed a bunch of times; from my branding, layout to my content & through that time I've learnt a lot. I'm still not an expert & I've got loads to learn but I wanted to share the reasons I've kept blogging so here's a few.

Let's Talk Blogging || Is There Room For New Bloggers?

It's time to talk about the blogging world! In the past week I've seen a lot of negativity towards the blogging world from "bloggers" themselves which has been brought to the forefront by Sarah Ashcroft's Cosmopolitan interview. Now this isn't a personal attack on Sarah; I don't know her & I can only see what she decides to share with her followers. However I think the interview has left a lot of people feeling disheartened & angry which I think needs to be discussed. 

OOTD || London Comfort

I recently had a rather busy weekend packed full of activities I was planning to shoot, but I decided to put my camera to one side & enjoy!! Anyone else feel like sometimes they are missing out just trying to get great shots for that instagram photo? I did however get a few outfit snaps while we were in London before my camera decided it was time to sleep (guess who forgot to check the charge level!!). I love London but I always try to opt for a comfy outfit because all that walking does that a toll. 

The Instagram Bug || Lifestyle

Love it or hate it; we're stuck with it. We're all addicted to this simple app that refuses to stop changing. If like me you probably joined back in the early days when it started to take off & now it feels like your life has been documented in tiny snippet picture posts. I'm not going to lie & say I hate it because I don't & it's been such a useful tool to me over the years. On the other hand I think we're all slowly getting tired of the pointless updates.

It's Time To Say Thank You || Mental Health

It's that time of the year again when we dedicate a year to focusing on mental health. This year I don't want to focus on the negatives because there's no need to dwell but instead say thank you to the people who have helped me on a daily basis. There's so many people to thank from my past & present. There's probably some who don't realise they helped me but I have been blessed with amazing people throughout the years. Too many have helped me through bad days & to develop the coping mechanisms I use everyday, however I don't want to make this a long winded post so here's a thank you to my partner Jacob.

The Lust List || Summer Fashion

I'm all into saving at the moment (I'm trying to do this adulting properly for once!!) but that doesn't stop me lusting over beautiful clothing. Anyone who has instagram knows that the save post option just becomes a wishlist, or is that just me?

Living With High Functional Mental Health Issues

I haven't made a direct mental health post in a good while, but since I wrote my BPD story I've felt much more open on my blog. I've since written a few post focused on my disorder & each have always received such a good response. Recently my mental health has gotten to probably what I would consider it's most stable stage in my life & it's made me reflect on how people cope differently. I'm not expert; yes I spent a year or two studying psychology but trust me I have no clue just like the majority of us. All I can talk about is my experience with my own mental health & those around me. But hey ho let's have a natter bout functioning mental health shall we? 

OOTD || Smart Causal

One plus sides of living back in Surrey is being so close to the Thames; super easy to just take a wander when you aren't feeling a proper day out. Plus it's a great place to get some outfit snaps, even if we do look like crazy people to the locals!! 

Netflix Got Me Thinking || 13 Reasons Why

By now I think most people have seen or heard about the new Netflix series 13 reasons why. I first discovered it through a Facebook thread prior to its release & was really eager to watch it. Little did I know what the show was truly about & once I started watching it really opened my eyes. I haven't read the book & I'm not going to pretend that I knew about the book prior to the series but I think Netflix made a good choice in creating this series. It's reached a whole new audience & has really got people thinking about mental health.

OOTD || Spring Ready

Even though I strayed more into the lifestyle blogger path I can't help but share a good outfit!! Spring is back & the warmer weather just makes me want to put more effort into my outfits. I'm really not a winter girl; I'm all layers & no style (in my opinion anyhow) so when the weather perks up I feel like I come back to life. Plus when you buy a comfy outfit that also look fab you really can't go wrong. 

Kat Von D Beauty || Review

I recently posted two hauls featuring my Kat Von D purchases; which I have been testing over the past few months. It's about time I featured them separately & give my honest opinion. I'm no beauty expert  or make-up artist but I do love trying out new products so here goes. 

Let's Talk Boobs (Post-Op) || Lifestyle

It's been done!! I kept my nerves together, went through the operation & now I'm nearly three weeks post-op. It's been a crazy ride but I wouldn't change a thing. I can't believe I've managed to organise myself enough to be able to afford cosmetic surgery or had the guts to do it. I even vlogged my recovery period, which was definitely a new experience for me. 

Westfield London Haul

Now I've bounced back from my operation, I've been able to get up to a lot more. Which of course lead to more shopping!! After my post-op appointment (vlog coming soon) Jacob took me to Westfield's which isn't very far from the Riverside hospital. It's safe to say we shopped till we dropped & here's my little collection of goodies from the day.