A Goodbye...

Hello!

When this blog first started two years ago, the day I got home after my last GCSE exam, I did not ever think I'd be writing this post. Heck, it wasn't until this summer that I really thought it may be time. Don't get me wrong, I have thoroughly enjoyed being part of this incredible blogging community. We have created a place on the internet where a bunch of people with a common interest can come together, from the comfort of their own homes to be in an environment where there is no judgement. Here we can all just be friends, support each other and be happy.

After that little ramble about only some of the many incredible benefits of being part of this lovely community, it does sound kind of stupid to even be thinking of leaving. Yet, the time has come for me to step away from the blog, as I don't believe I will have enough time to truly give it my all (with uni starting in a few weeks). I will, of course, still be present on social media (i.e. Twitter).

BerryBloomXO has been an incredibly fun project to work on, becoming committed to post a few times a week, and having wonderful opportunities like attending events, working with brands, interacting with people and reading such lovely comments are things that I will always remember. I hope you have enjoyed all that BBXO has had to offer.

Thank you for making my time as a blogger incredibly rewarding (we surpassed 100,000 views last month!), fun, and a great experience. Who knows? Maybe I won't be able to stay away for too long - haha! Either way, just remember I am beyond grateful of your support throughout this journey.

Farewell.

A Vitamin Infused Lip Balm - Proceeds go to CHARITY

Hello!

"with every lip balm bought, donations are given to CLAPA"

A little different of a post to normal, I'm talking about giving. Giving? You ask. Well, yes, giving. Yo may have noticed the new button the nav bar called 'Shop'. This leads to a link on Etsy selling a Lip Balm. The lip balm is 100% Organic. It's made of natural ingredients, is infused with Vitamin E and is part of a social enterprise that's been funded by Unltd to aim for creating a lip balm with little unnecessary chemicals to ensure you get the best quality.

Now, where in the world does the GIVING part come into that? Well, the lip balm is not only incredible for your lips, but with every lip balm bought, donations are given to CLAPA. CLAPA is a charity that helps those with a cleft lip build their confidence, and give opportunities to them for a brighter future.

"a charity that helps those with a cleft lip build their confidence, and give opportunities to them for a brighter future"

There are all these talks about rising each other up, bringing up confidence and not beating people down - making the world a better place. Buying this lip balm will not only give you confidence as your lips are looking lovely, but also children and adults around the world affected by cleft (which is surprisingly common) to feel confident through workshops and treatments CLAPA offers.

So, buying a BlushLips lip balm will not only benefit you, but also benefit more people than you can imagine. That's the power of giving.

Get the Lip Balm HERE: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/246115858/vitamin-infused-organic-lip-balm 

Also, share this, spread the word and help out all those that CLAPA can benefit by just the simple action of getting a lip balm.

5 Accessories I'm Loving This Autumn | GUEST POST

September has just about arrived. Although it still feels a little early, we're already seeing countless exhibitions of autumn style. A lot of the focus this time of year tends to surround extensive lists of clothing items and ideas for totally transformed wardrobes. But if you're like me, you don't actually go out and revamp your entire closet every time the temperature changes! A few new clothing items here and there will suffice for keeping up with the trends. What I really enjoy instead is making sure I'm up on the latest accessories. These are the smaller, more affordable pieces that can bring a look together, and which tend to change more from season to season anyway!

With that said, here are some of the accessories I'm loving for the autumn of 2015.

Sculptural Jewellery

I wasn't entirely sure what the term "sculptural jewellery" referred to until I started seeing it mentioned among the season's trends, and now I can't get enough of it. Style.com has a number of examples of this type of jewellery from designers including Kenzo, Eddie Borgo, and others. The basic idea is that each item is like a piece of art, generally featuring bent and shaped metals that resemble small, wearable sculptures.

Spray-On Boots

This is the term Marie Claire used to define what looks to be a pretty popular trend for the coming autumn and winter seasons: skin-tight, thigh-high boots. Versace, Christian Dior, and others were mentioned in conjunction with the movement, which includes various colours and designs printed onto boots that almost double as leggings. It may not be the most comfortable accessory idea for 2015, but it's a fun look.

Ladies' Loafers

Sticking with footwear, and moving to a more comfortable option, I can't get enough of the ladies' loafers that seem so prominent on the runways this year. Lyst called them "the chosen flats for fall" and it's no wonder they're taking over given the various ways in which we're seeing them dressed up and down. More casual versions include simple boat shoe-style loafers that work like sandal alternatives, and for dressing up we're even seeing heeled ladies' loafers making the rounds.

Opera Gloves

This is another trend pointed out by Marie Claire, and it is essentially the upper-body version of the spray-on boot idea. Opera-length gloves have been spotted on various runways from a slew of different designers this season. While they can appear almost costume-like, there's something undeniably fun about them for the autumn. Given that these gloves tend to be fairly light and thin, they're also a perfect option for comfort as the weather cools but isn't necessarily "cold."

Collar Bows

There have been a lot of bows and ribbons tied around collars on the AW runways, and I love the way Popsugar defined the trend: "a hint of femininity in your workplace wardrobe." Moving from the carefree, fun styles of summer into the stiffer and colder looks that so often arrive with autumn, it's easy to end up with outfits that look slightly uptight. Any sort of ribbon or bow tied around a collar is a great way to keep things fun and feminine.

With these five enjoyable and affordable accessory ideas, you can liven up your autumn wardrobe without even getting into new garments. Have fun putting together some new looks!

Day out at Sea Life London - DoMoreWithAvios | LIFE

Hello!

"see them being fed, swim under the sea, float near us and waddle about!"

I hope you're enjoying the bank holiday! Of course it has to rain (in London, anyway) on the day we have off! Luckily, there are so many things to do inside, including going to the Aquarium! I popped down to London's Sea Life Aquarium this weekend and had a blast! Oh, and to add to that, you could go for FREE. That's right, free tickets to anything is great, so read on to find out how. 

The thing with London is that there is always something to do, I'm talking the Shrek Attraction, London Dungeons AND the London Aquarium being neighbours to each other, so you can only imagine the other things you can see in London besides that street, let alone other things around the world!

We saw so many fishes including spotting tiger sharks swimming right past us, and every time we see a tank of fishies, my nephew would say 'Nemo, Nemo, Nemo!' - although ironically, when we got to the actual clown fishes and 'Nemo', he didn't utter the word! His and my favourite part of the aquarium? The penguins!! We got to see them being fed, swim under the sea, float near us and waddle about! I ended up buying a cute pink pearl bracelet with a penguin on it for memories (which I'm currently wearing as an Anklet FYI ;) )!

In terms of how you can get a free ticket, just do your groceries, go on holidays and adventures as you would normally and you can earn points with Avios, which you can then spend those points on more holidays, days out and even a chance to upgrade your economy ticket to business class! You can join and collect points via Avios Travel Rewards programme or British Airways Executive Club.

What I'd do next? Maybe take a trip to New York, or even go to a nice Afternoon Tea (Read: Afternoon Tea in London). Luckily, you can invite a friend to share the points with you, so you're not left doing it alone! Check out Do More With Avios for more!

Tell me, do you have a favourite Sea Life Animal? 

5 Emojis I Loathe | LIFE

Hello!

"[if you] have used them in the last week... don't talk to me - just kidding :)."

We all know there's that one emoji that makes you a little annoyed. Well, is it completely out of the ordinary to have 5 of those? That's right. 5 stinking emoji's I don't like when they're used. Don't get me wrong, use them sarcastically and I'm lol-ling with you, but actually mean it and I get a little irritated. 

"that one emoji that makes you a little annoyed"

There's always that one person that uses every single one of these, and I'm just gritting my teeth trying not to swear at them for being such Negative Nellies! Maybe it's because I try to not use them, as I don't want to feel as though the world is terrible, and everything bad is happening and think all these negative thoughts putting me in a negative place (Read: Stay Positive).

So, stick to :) and :D and ;) , stay positive and if you're using the above 5 for a laugh, go for it, but if you actually mean it and have used them more than 3 times in the last week... don't talk to me - just kidding :).

I'll sort of create this as a tag, so if you're a blogger/youtuber that wants to do this tag, I TAG YOU.

What is your most hated emoji? 

Cool for the Summer, Tattoo, Poison + Wings | MUSIC MONDAY

Hello!

source, 1, 2, 3, 4
Well, Birdy has gone and done it again.

Every so often I feel there's like a sudden burst of great music released into the world. Obviously, this isn't the case and music is released in no particular order, but right now it definitely feels like there's been that burst! Additionally, you haven't seen a Music Monday for a while on BBXO (Read: Summer Playlist), so this post comes at a good time for us!

New TV Shows, GBBO is Back, Candles + Meeting Olympians | BERRYWEEKLY

Hello!

"their show stopper bakes are very much 'on point'! ;)"

What a week it is been! I feel like after results day I have said the word 'uni' a billion times. Not only has results day come and gone, but The Great British Bake Off has also begun! Having also recently gone to an event to meet some pretty famous Olympians and those that help behind the scenes, I can say it's been a good time!

"the scent is not very strong but is surprisingly quite fresh"

As for a brand new TV Show, Scandal has been my go-to. There's something about the drama and the gorgeous Olivia Pope fixing everything that makes the show quite interesting. Although every episode they always end up fixing the problem, it's a show that is great to have running in the background.

As for The Great British Bake Off, if anything it's a tradition (Read: Last Years GBBO post). They have some pretty interesting contestants this year, and their show stopper bakes are very much 'on point'! ;)

"the melted wax look like it's, almost, glowing!"

Hydrangeas are my new favourite flower to decorate my room with. We have about 4 huge hydrangea plants so they're readily available! I also picked up a 3-wick candle in the scent Champagne Cassis. I like that the scent is not very strong but is surprisingly quite fresh.

As for the quote, I saw it somewhere and ended up saving it on my phone (Read: Phone Wallpapers). I think it's a lovely quote to remind you to keep on going, and make everyday something special (Read: Cherish the Moment).

"if we see things as an opportunity and have a positive outlook, we are more likely to just do it"

This is actually a photo I stuck up on my Instagram (Link Here) a little while ago. Doesn't it look really cool?! I put the candle on my desk which has glass on top. This made the melted wax look like it's, almost, glowing!

This week, I've also been loving this shirt. I have a thing for lace and flowy/chevron blouses and think this is such a lovely one for summer! The bright colour is super fun, and you know what's better? The super good price tag! You can get it at 10dollarmall.com - yes everything is $10 or less!

"The showers and lockers and all were super nice and high quality"

On August the 5th this year, it marked one year before the 2016 olympics! Fitness First had a few bloggers over and we were given three 15 minute sessions on various parts of olympic training. By that, I mean we had a session on working out, a session on nutrition and a session on psychology. Surprisingly, there's a lot to how the brain works, and the fact that if we see things as a threat we are more likely to make excuses, whereas if we see things as an opportunity and have a positive outlook (Read: Positive Thoughts), we are more likely to just do it. 

"it marked one year before the 2016 olympics"

Not only did we hear great tips and learn so many things, but we (obviously) got to see the beautiful place that Fitness First have. We went to the one in Bishopsgate, and as it's in central London, I thought it'd be pretty small and that it'd be super cramped. Well, let me tell you, it was super spacious and they used the space quite well. You had 2 flights of stairs, and in between the first and second flight you had the spin room and the ladies changing room. The showers and lockers and all were super nice and high quality, as well as the cleanliness being a high standard!

All in all, a lovely week! 
What did you get up to this week? Oh, and are you looking forward to the Olympics? 

***I was able to attend the event for free, but was not told I had to write about Fitness First or the Olympics.