Things I'm Proud Of From 2017

So, my previous post on life lessons from 2017 dipped into the lows of 2017 a little more heavily than the highs. 

Which although that was a pretty fair reflection of the year,  it seemed unfair to neglect to mention some of the most exciting things from the year and work that I'm really rather proud of and would love to share with you and look back upon.

1, not eating meat

I became a full-on, super committed pescitarian last Christmas. Whilst I didn't really eat much meat previous to this completely cutting meat out has been totally fine and something I've not missed in any way whatsoever. I still prepare meals containing meat for Tyler and haven't missed eating it in the slightest. Actually. To be wholly honest with you though, there was just one occasion this summer at our friend Jess & Rob's wedding where they had the most spectacular selection of sausage rolls which truly looked like heaven. They were organic, handmade rolls fresh out the oven which tempted me like nothing else had up to that point, or has since. I had a tiny blip and had a bite of Tyler's. I was horrendously sick once we returned to our dreamy airbnb that night - which I wholly deserved. 364 days without meat is pretty good though.

I always get asked why I don't eat meat and what prompted me to stop and the most concise answer is that (as mentioned) I didn't really eat much of it before and then after my parents owned chickens and ducks for a few years I saw first hand how clever and charismatic they are and couldn't bear to consume one more.

2, saying yes to all travel opportunities

My passport was used more last year than in the three years before then. I flew on my own for the first time in February last year, before going onto take several flights on my own. 

I visited Italy for the first time ever driving around Turin in a Ford Vignale (you can watch the road trip here) and truffle hunting with the same dogs as Bey and JayZ, flying to Marseille to participate in Roxy's #RoxyFitness event, seeing Craig David with Boohoo, dancing to Little Mix with Arcadia at the o2 (travelling south of the river counts, no?), getting covered in body glitter for the first time ever and dancing with Nokia in Ibiza. 

3, working with awesome brands

In 2017 I collaborated with Debenhams and Joules on projects and created content for Marks & Spencer, Boohoo and Warehouse. I 'modelled' the H&M x Erdem collaboration for a feature in LOOK and supported Jeans for Jeans. I was lucky enough to attend the Burghley Horse Trials with Joules. Taking my oldest friend Hollie with me was such a treat and a really special memory from the year: I worked with them again styling their SS18 press day which was an incredible opportunity. Presenting has always been something I've been so intrigued and passionate about so I was beyond thrilled to step out of my comfort zone when I was invited to host an in-store event for Timberland: interviewing Maya Jama and Tia Ward. A real highlight of the year for me was filming a Facebook Live with Fearne Cotton and Liv Purvis for Cath Kidston. Presenting/speaking and hosting events is something I'm looking to do more of in 2018: it gives me a thrill quite like nothing else (seeing Fearne do her thing was beyond inspiring).

4, learning a lot of random things

I realised this week that I learnt a vast amount of peculiar knowledge last year. I now know that it's more expensive to be cremated than it is buried amongst a real mix of utterly random bits and bobs. Like you can buy biodegradable glitter and, if you fall asleep in your sheet mask on a long haul flight you'll probably wake up to an entirely dried out sheet mask which'll (on a v.small scale) blow your mind. 

5, that it's okay to ask for more/what you want

When I joined Look Magazine it was to shoot a feature that was cut before the stories I'd styled and shot even went to print due to a budget reshuffle. That could have been it for me and, Sarah from 2016 wouldn't have asked for more. I did, I asked to style and shoot their weekly style feature and my editor at the time said yes. Asking for and getting what I wanted was a really defining moment for me and enabled me to style, coordinate and manage more shoots than ever before.