3 months on.

It's been a very very very long time since I have posted and this is all due to exams but today, my summer holidays have officially begun so be prepared for some new posts!

Thank you all for being so patient while I was so M.I.A!


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I hope you're having a great holiday so far!
Kayla x

wedding ootd // and she will be loved.

 asos mint dress by The Style - £16.50

So it was my cousin's wedding today and this is the dress that I wore! It was a bargain for only £16.50 and free delivery from ASOS. I absolutely adore it, especially the details on the chest.

Kayla x

10 spring essentials.

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1. sun lotion

2. sandals/flip flops

3. shorts - denim shorts are always a classic

4. skirts - my favourite is a denim circle/skater skirt

5. thin coat/cardigan

6. thin shirts - chiffon shirts will keep you cool

7. dresses

8. sunglasses - my favourite ones are Raybans but there are cheaper options
9. nail polish - show off your nails with bright spring colours
10. playsuits - great alternative to dresses

Kayla x

ootd // gracious goes the ghost of you.

black top: primark

sleeveless shirt: h&m conscious collection

jeans: topshop

Since it's that really awkward transition in England between cold and warm-ish weather, I decided to layer this long sleeve top under the semi sheer shirt. I think in warmer weather the long sleeves could be switched for a cami/sleeveless top underneath as the shirt itself is quite sheer.

I'm off to meet a few of my friends, I hope you have a good day!

Kayla x

how to revise/study efficiently.

It's no secret that we all get somewhat distracted when revising (phones, music, and ultimately, THE INTERNET!) But here are some tips to get revision done well and efficiently:

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1. Put away the iPod - leave your loud music behind and swap it for relaxing, instrumental music which has been proven to help aid studying. Several music playlists can be found all over YouTube and this one is my favourite.

2. Clear all the clutter - it's much easier to revise in a clean environment than one which is messy so before you sit down to study, clean up!

3. Get everything ready - don't keep getting up and pausing from revision to get all your bits: be prepared before you sit down!

4. Maximize time - work out when you will study each subject at each time slot. You could even use the Calendar app on your phone or others suited for revision but watch out, don't be distracted by your phone. If you are likely to be sucked in by the wonders of a phone, put it on Do Not Disturb setting if you have an iPhone or a similar alternative setting for other phones.

5. Be realistic about time - let's be realistic, there is no chance we could revise one subject for 2 hours straight without getting up. It has been proven that our minds can only concentrate fully for 20 minutes so organise subjects into 20 minute slots with a 5 minute break. Again, you can use a timer app on your phone or watch. Just remember to vary what you do in each break. Spread out the time you will eat and drink. Also, don't forget to put in a time slot for breakfast, lunch, dinner and other meals.

6. Enforce your own habits - do what works best for you. If writing out notes works best for you, then do it. However, don't be pulled into the social convention that is highlighting. If highlighting and using different colours in your work doesn't aid you, then don't waste time doing it! This applies to other things such as mindmaps and streams and streams of notes. Make sure your revision works best in a way that suits and aids you.

7. Keep hydrated - keep a glass of water by your desk at all times, you don't want to keep having to get up.

I hope this helps! And if you are reading this and are procrastinating, go do some work!

Remember: 'you get what you give' so study hard and it will pay off one day, I promise.

Kayla x

march favourites.

After what seemed like months, I am back for hopefully good! I know I always say that each month goes by super quick but I'm pretty sure that March went by so slow!

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~ Ben Howard - This month I've suddenly fallen in love with Ben and his music, especially his song, 'Gracious' which you can listen to on YouTube here. I'm a definite sucker for a guy with an acoustic guitar and well, Ben Howard fits the role incredibly.

~ Shane Koyczan - This guy is amazing, literally. He is a poet but expresses his poetry through spoken word. When it comes to music, I'm a lyric kind of person as opposed to rhythm. And I think this is reflected in Shane's poetry because if you pay attention to the words he says, it's oh so beautiful. I recommend his poem 'To This Day' which has a central focus on bullying. You can listen to it here on YouTube.

~ Witch Blemish Stick - I have been using this like crazy this month. It is really great at treating spots and a few weeks ago, I put it on a spot in the morning and by the evening of the same day, you could barely tell that I had a spot!

~ The Mindy Project - I managed to watch the whole of season 1 of this show and what can I say, it is incredibly hilarious. If you enjoy shows like New Girl and How I Met Your Mother, this has a similar kind of humour.

Kayla x

ootd // feeling black and blue.

trousers: pull&bear

shirt: h&m

cardigan: zara*

bracelet: ed sheeran jewellery*

Today is a bit of a drab day thanks to London weather. With the thin layer of snow coating the roads, I have a strange urge to go shopping. So knowing me, I'll either be back with a huge haul or a couple or things.

Kayla x

haircut.

So my curly locks have gone through quite a journey. I got my hair cut last week and it now looks like this

So it's just below my shoulders which means I cut off a good 4 inches. This is what it looked like before:

Maybe not the most drastic change ever but since my hair is shorter, it has gone a lot curlier as before the weight of my hair had weighed down the curls, turning them into waves.

This was a quite random post but I thought I should keep you guys updated as some of you seem to like my hair!

Kayla x

the precious seconds of life.

Time is money? And life is short? Well, why are we wasting time and life? I've sat here and wrote this and well, you're reading this. The number of minutes you spend reading this (and me writing this) is time gone. Vanished and you will never get it back. Those are minutes shredded off your life, however long it may be.

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I know a lot of us don't like talking about death, it's a scary thought but let this be an exception. I see so many people thinking life is just school, work and jobs. It's a factor but we can't let our lives be overruled by a factor that won't stop us from dying. It won't prolong our lives and it won't shorten it, hopefully. Life is more than the grades we achieve, more than the dead-end jobs we have and more than the sleepless nights after school. The meaning of life is to give your life of meaning. If that's achieving your dream job, well great but if it's achieving your dream job yet you're stuck in a job you hate, don't give up. Don't let it stay like that, strive for better because as it once said in an episode of New Girl, "the sun's gotta be shining somewhere". 

So go. Get off the computer. Leave the house and do something worthwhile. Do something that you can look back on in 10 years and smile because you lived in the moment. All we do is waste the present by worrying about the future and trying to fix the past. We're not going to live forever and statistics show that our generation will die before our parents. Don't be a product of society and don't have an exact plan for your future (school, then college, then university, then a job, then marriage and then kids). Because if you died next week, would you be able to say you lived for more than education/a job?

Kayla x

m.i.a

Hey guys, I have some bad news. I'll be M.I.A (away from my blog) for a week or two. You may have noticed I haven't updated this blog in a week and it's for personal reasons as well as being extremely busy. Sadly, I'll remain quite busy for a week or two and again, won't be able to post anything. I apologise for this and I'm so so sorry! However, when I come back, I'll definitely have a few more posts than usual!

Kayla x

collective haul - march 2013.

So I've done a little bit of shopping again over the last two weeks and I thought I should let you guys see what I got!

Vogue (March 2013) - £4.10 from Tesco

Gardening (Feb - March 2013) - £1.95 from Tesco

So I got these two magazines for inspiration for my Art GCSE which I'm basing on nature, hence the gardening magazine. However, since it's Spring, I thought there could be some nature-inspired fashion in Vogue. I haven't finished reading it yet so I have no clue!

Gold Monsoon Kitten Heels - £21.00 (not on website)

I'm going to my cousin's wedding in two weeks and needed a pair of gold shoes. I'm not a fan of heels, at all. I'm more of a trainer/boots kind of girl and since it's a special occasion, I decided a pair of kitten heels will do. These were actually in the kids section, I'm size 4 so it's all the same to me, and I think it's a total bargain as I will wear them for more weddings to come!

Witch Blemish Stick - £2.89 from boots

Clean and Clear Advantage Spot Treatment Gel - £4.59 from boots

I got these two spot treatments because currently, spots seems to be having a party of my face, especially in my T-zone. I think they both work pretty well but I didn't realise they both had alcohol in it so that has put me off a little.

Refill Pads x 3 - £2.99 or 3 for £6.99 from WhSmith

Oh the joys of revision. Every student knows that a notebook or refill pad is essential for school/college/uni. I got three of these refill pads from WhSmith and they are an absolute bargain - 1200 pages for £6.99!

Kayla x

workouts for beginners.

Whether you're just starting to workout and finding it difficult or if you want a way to ease into working out, these plans are great for you and you can tailor them to fit your needs!

This one is probably my favourite because most of them take less than 10 minutes so you can fit it in a busy day. It's also good if you want to try out different exercises and these aren't going to be a throbbing pain the next morning.

This is great if you're an at home workout kind of person (like me) and 1 set of this only takes 15 minutes so again, you can fit it into a busy schedule. 

Honestly, I love squats. I'm only on day 4 of this so far but it's pretty fun even though it kills at first! I like to alternate between normal squats and jumping/pile squats when doing this, just to keep it interesting.

I hope you enjoyed this and comment below if you have anymore workouts!

Kayla x

february favourites.

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~ Original Source Vanilla Milk and Raspberry Shower Gel - I'm literally in love with this. I only just recently bought it but it smells so nice. I have no idea what vanilla milk smells like but this smells so sweet and sugary and it reminds me of a sweet I used to eat when I was younger (can't remember the name but it was tasty I assume!). 

~ The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - I read this about a year ago but I decided to re-read it again this month. Although I knew what was going to happen, it felt just like the first time. I definitely recommend this to absolutely everyone and I'll be sure to do a review of this soon.

~ Witch Blemish Stick - Okay, I'll be honest. I've only had this for probably a week so it hasn't exactly been a whole monthly favourite but oh my, it's amazing. It's in a stick form, a bit like a Chapstick but wider, and you dab it on your skin. I've found that when it dries on your skin, it becomes flaky so to avoid this, I just use my finger to 'blend and mix' into my skin further.

As usual, this post is super short. I'm starting to find that as I write these posts I actually start to forget what I've been loving, oops!

Kayla x

current haircare routine: updated.

My last haircare routine was back in September last year (here is the post) and I thought it was time to update it. My hair is still quite curly but if you compare the picture in the previous haircare routine post and this picture below, it has become less curlier. This is mainly because my hair has grown quite a lot so the total weight of it has caused the curls to become more wavy rather than ringlets. 

I wash my hair every 3/4 days still and only ever do rough blowdrying to hair and properly blowdry my fringe. My hair is mid-length to me (just in the middle of my shoulder and elbow) but I'm sure if I straightened it, which I hardly ever do, that it will be much longer.

Shampoo:

Naked Clear Anti-Dandruff Shampoo - I have no idea why I'm suddenly getting a flaky scalp but I'm sure it's a mix between my bad food choices lately and the sudden change in temperature here in England. So this shampoo is kinda good at getting rid of it but I find it doesn't clear it up completely.

Dove Intensive Repair Shampoo - I just bought this a couple of days ago but I haven't tried it out. I've tried the Dove Damage Repair shampoo and it made my hair feel incredible so I'm sure this will be just as good.

Conditioner:

Tresemme Moisture Rich Conditioner - I have the super big salon sized bottle so I still have it and I know it was in my last haircare routine. I'm desperately trying to finish it. I find it is no longer that moisturising and it would be better for fine hair as it doesn't weigh down my hair. However, I do have thick hair and I find it doesn't work too well.

Extras/treatments:

Boots Coconut and Almond Leave-in Conditioner - this doesn't really make a difference to my hair but again, I'm still trying to finish it and I don't like to be wasteful. I think it is better as a detangler than a leave-in conditioner as it isn't hydrating or conditioning.

Charles Worthington Frizz Free Serum - a serum is vital for me, especially for my fringe. I use a small pump for my fringe and about 2/3 pumps for the bottom half of my hair. It's great for when you're blowdrying your hair as it minimises frizz.

This is actually really similar to my last haircare routine and I've only really changed a few items. 

Kayla x

mini fashion and beauty haul - february 2013.

I went shopping yesterday in Pull & Bear and got a few tops from their sale. Usually, their clothes are pretty overpriced but in the sale you can get them at a bargain! And then today, I just popped out to Sainsbury's and got a couple of beauty stuff.

red peplum top: was £17.99, now £5.99

grey heart fringed top: was £17.99, now £5.99

black beaded shoulder top: was £19.99, now £9.99

Apart from the black top, these clothes had been reduced several times. The red one was reduced from £17.99 to £9.99 and then to £7.99 and finally to £5.99 so it was a huge bargain! All of these tops are still in the shop but in different sizes as most of them were in large-extra large but I managed to grab these in size small even though they are still slightly baggy on me.

Then I went to Sainsbury's today to get some shampoo but I got a couple of other stuff in offer.

dove intensive repair shampoo: £1.54 (on offer - save 1/3)

original source vanilla milk and raspberry shower gel: on offer - 2 for £3 

original source lemon and tea tree shower gel: on offer - 2 for £3

I really only needed shampoo but since Original Source was on offer, I decided, hey why not? I'm excited to try all 3 of these out as I've only ever tried the Dove Daily Care shampoo and the Original Source Lime Shower Gel (review here).

Kayla x

original source lime shower gel review.

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Original Source Lime Shower Gel - £2.30 (boots)

This shower gel had been lurking at the back of the cabinet in the bathroom for ages now and only in December had I reached back and began to use it again. I had no clue why I stopped using it but I've fallen in love with it all over again. It has a very refreshing and zingy smell and for it's price (£2.30), it's an absolute bargain!

As with all Original Source products, it smells and feels good. It makes your skin feel soft and smell great. Despite being quite zingy when you squeeze it out, after you come out of the shower, it smells a lot more subtle which is great if you don't want to be a walking lime.

I'll definitely be repurchasing this but I want to try out some other scents. What are you favourites?

Kayla x

ootd // plagued by pain in their heart.

shirt: primark

top: i heart ny* - a present from when my cousin visited new york

trousers: pull&bear

Happy Valentine's Day or how I like to call it: Thursday. I'm so lazy today that I'll be lounging around with my best friend, Luke, who totally wanted a shoutout on my blog haha. I would show you guys his picture but he's so shy that he won't let me :(

Anyways, we're going to watch films all day so this is basically my casual outfit even though I didn't show it in my Valentine's Day last minute outfit ideas post here. We've already watched 'A Lot Like Love' with the amazing Ashton Kutcher but now we're about to watch the 'American Pie' films which I hear are hilarious!

I hope you've all been having a great day, 

Kayla x

valentine's day last minute outfit ideas.

I know I know, Valentine's Day is tomorrow and well frankly I've waited too long to put this up but hey, better late then never as they say?

Going out/dressy

dress: boohoo 

 This gorgeous red maxi dress from Boohoo is perfect for going out with your significant other or just with your friends. It was in the sale (no longer on the website) and was knocked down from £20 to only £15! It has a rose gold metal necklace attached to the top of the dress giving it a class look but I must say that when I wear it, it's a pain to put on as the necklace gets in the way.

Dressy/casual

dress: red herring at debenhams (old)

This skater dress is still quite dressy but casual too. It can be dressed up by pairing it with a blazer or dressed down by pairing it with trainers, like converses or vans. 

Ultra casual and laidback

top: hollister (old)

shorts: debenhams (old)

This is the ultra casual look, perfect if you're spending Valentine's Day alone or just lounging around with friends. Pair some shorts with a top and trainers and you're good to go! 

Going out for lunch

top: zara (old)

skirt: primark

This is still quite casual but it's perfect if you're going out for lunch with friends or having a casual date with your significant other. You can dress this up by adding a blazer and some heels.

I actually forgot to add shoes in my pictures but if you want to go for a casual look, add some trainers or flats. If you want to go for a dressy look, add some heels and finally, if you're looking for something inbetween casual and dressy, add a pair of heels but with a medium sized heel.

Kayla x

my favourite films for valentine's day.

Whether you're going to be alone this Valentine's Day (like me) or you're going to spend it with your significant other, there are loads of films to get you in the mood.

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~ No Strings Attached - a film starring Ashton Kutcher about two friends that decide to have sex without being in a relationship but things take a different turn...

~ Friends with Benefits - very similar to No Strings Attached but more recent and with a more famous cast, aka Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis.

~ How to Lose a Guy in 10 days - a good film but slightly predictable. It has a good storyline though: a guy has a sort of bet that he can make a girl fall in love with him in 10 days but the same girl has to make a guy ditch her after 10 days so she can write a magazine article.

~ 10 Things I hate about you - an amazing film with Heath Ledger (I'm just in love with him) and it's an old teen comedy but an absolutely classic.

~ (500) Days of Summer - I absolutely love this film. It has Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in it and it's about a guy who falls in love with a girl but they remain platonic friends.

~ He's Just Not That Into You - I adore this film really because it shows how oblivious we are to other people's feelings. It's pretty self-explanatory but a great film.

~ Maid in Manhattan - With Jennifer Lopez, this film is about a maid who falls in love with a politician.

~ The Proposal - I love this film, mainly because Ryan Reynolds is in it. It's about a guy who's forced to marry his boss so she doesn't get deported.

~ 27 Dresses - James Marsden is perfect in this, end of. It's about a girl who is obsessed with being other people's bridesmaids and she becomes friends with a newspaper/magazine columnist. 

~ Definitely, Maybe - this film reminds me of a shortened version of How I Met Your Mother as it's a father telling his daughter the story of how he met her mother but there are different women in the story and she has to figure out who is her mother.

So if you're spending the night alone or with your significant other, just remember that life isn't a film and it's much much better!

Kayla x

blog book and clothes sale.

NEW ITEMS JUST ADDED!

The Silk Sisters Series - All 3 books included (15.50, incl P&P)

Monsoon Cropped Cardigan (Children) 10 - 12 years (£10.00, free delivery, NOW £9.00, FREE P&P)

High School Musical (1 & 2) Books (£5.20, incl. P&P)

Marks & Spencers Limited Girls Grey Skirt - 13 years (£8.00, FREE P&P) 

Marks & Spencer Black Boys Suit - Size 11 years (£27.00, NOW £25.00 FREE P&P)

I Am Number Four - £5.00 incl. P&P)

I'm selling these old books and clothes just to clear up some space. Click on the links below the pictures to be directed to eBay/amazon. 

Thank you!

Kayla x

i support marriage equality..do you?

Since Valentines Day is fast approaching and marriage equality is now finally legal in the UK, I felt I need to write this post. Not to suddenly change someone's views but to just preach my own. I know this is not the kind of post you would expect on my beauty/fashion blog but hey, change is good.

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It's ironic isn't it, how for years we've been campaigning for equality for women in the workplace and in daily life but we've never thought to campaign for marriage equality. "Gay" and "lesbian" are words thrown around easily. Ever since I was young, "you're gay" was a common insult and now we all see it as a habit. But, what's wrong with being gay? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. 

I don't see how we should have ever even pass a law that allows same-sex marriage. Why did we even have to think about it? It's the 21st Century. Most of us expected hoverboards or telekinesis by now, but no, we've only just allowed same-sex marriage. Just like none of us have the right to chose when a person dies, none of us should be able to decide who gets married to who.

Same Love - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

People think it's a lifestyle choice. People think it's something you sign up for. People think it's something you can change in the blink of an eye. Yes, back in the day it was frowned upon but this is the modern day, why can't we accept everyone? There will always be racism, discrimination and hate but can we ever accept?

I understand this is controversial and many religious people believe it is wrong. But which God would hate one of their children? I'm sure any God or Supreme Being would accept each child no matter their sexual orientation.

Now it's legal in the UK, in 18% (9 in 50) of America's states and other countries, such as Iceland and Denmark. But how long will it be until the whole world can accept it?

We all label it as "gay marriage", but do you know what I call it? Marriage.

It's a basic human right. Don't hate, appreciate.

Kayla x

silver linings playbook by matthew quick // book review.

After watching the film of this book, I was quite interested as I had heard the book was much better and so when I received the book as a christmas present from a friend, I was overjoyed!

Silver Linings Playbook*: £5.59

I'll be honest, this book was slightly disappointing for me. After watching the film, I knew what was coming up and even though a lot of the book didn't make it to the film and the story line was altered, I found it to be slightly boring.

The plot says:

"Pat Peoples knows that life doesn't always go according to plan, but he’s determined to get his back on track. After a stint in a psychiatric hospital, Pat is staying with his parents and trying to live according to his new philosophy: get fit, be nice and always look for the silver lining. Most importantly, Pat is determined to be reconciled with his wife Nikki. Pat’s parents just want to protect him so he can get back on his feet, but when Pat befriends the mysterious Tiffany, the secrets they've been keeping from him threaten to come out..."

I found the main character, Pat, to be extremely naive and almost childish which annoyed me. However, I did find the story line a lot better than in the film and I wish I didn't watch the film first as I know I would've found it more interesting as I wouldn't anticipate what was coming up next.

Honestly, nearly every book I've read since I had a sudden rush to read all of John Green's books haven't been all that good for me. For me, no author will ever top John Green and I hate to compare, but this book in comparison is quite dull. The language is pretty simplistic, the story line is predictable but quite interesting.

Throughout the book, I felt annoyed at Pat for not understanding simple things but I also felt sympathy for his childlike attitude.

I think this book is great if you like a romantic love story with a twist and don't mind it being borderline predictable.

Kayla x

ootd // i could spend my life staring at the sky.

Firstly I'm so so sorry for being so M.I.A lately but I've been so stressed out with exams so now they are nearly over, I'm back!

top: hollister (old)

shirt: primark (old

trousers: pull & bear

I went to my cousin's house yesterday and went for a bit of a casual look. This shirt over my hollister top is a change as if you've seen my other OOTDs, I'm usually wearing a cardigan. I definitely need to buy some more checked/plaid shirts as they are my absolutely favourites!

Kayla x

january favourites.

It's crazy how the year has just started and January is pretty much over!

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~ How I Met Your Mother (TV Show) - This is a bit odd to put in a favourites post, but oh well. I've been loving this show and in 2012, I started watching it in chronological order from Season 1 and now I'm finally on Season 8, hooray! This show is absolutely hilarious and Barney is definitely the best character of all.

~ Converse Mono Black Hi Tops - I've done an unboxing post here and a 'how I style' post on these shoes here. I love these shoes and they are super comfy but like all the other hi tops, they are an absolute pain to put on and take off but it's totally worth it. I also think these shoes go with absolutely anything and they are really different to the usual typical converses.

~ St Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub - I've done a short review here. This scrub is a holy grail of mine as it makes my skin so soft and smooth, it's incredible!

Kayla x

the art of serendipity.

A lot of you may not know this but ever since I was really young, my dream has always been to become a writer really. When I was young-ish, I entered a lot of competitions ranging from poetry to mini sagas, and I've won a few awards, nothing huge though.

Anyways, I've decided that I want to start at least writing stories, you know to get in the style and things. So on Wattpad, I've started writing a short story called 'The Art of Serendipity' and this is the plot:

"Serendipity. It's a strange notion, a sort of a "happy accident". Adam and Eva are very two different type of people. Eva is a famous dancer and Adam works at a local supermarket, stacking shelves. When they cross paths, big decisions have to be made."

As this is the first story I am writing, hopefully the first of many, I would really appreciate it if you read it and left me feedback to help me improve! I've done an introduction and 2 short chapters so far but more will be on their way, I promise!

To read my story, 'The Art of Serendipity', click here.

Thank you!

Kayla x

how i style: converse black mono hi tops.

I recently bought Converse mono hi tops in black, I did an unboxing post here. I promised I would do a how I style post, so here it is!

parka: primark (old)

top: tee and cake at topshop

shorts: red herring at debenhams (old)

dress: red herring at debenhams (old)

military jacket: asos (old)

sweater: h&m (old)

collared top: primark

shorts: red herring at debenhams (old)

skull bracelet: claire's*

teal bracelet: h&m

top: new look (old)

skirt: primark

cardigan: h&m

pearl and dimante bracelet (bottom two): accessorize*

silver friendship bracelet with butterfly charm: m&s*

I hope you liked this!

Kayla x