Before I dive into my inspirational '2017 is gonna' be my year' speech (I'm not actually going to do this.... unless you want me to....?), I thought I'd take a trip back to where I left off back in October. You may or may not already know that I am a HUGE fan of all things music and could honestly spend every waking moment attending a concert/festival, and 2016 was finally the year I got to see my absolute favourite, Justin Bieber (haters can leave... now). I'd never been to a concert at the Barclaycard Arena and so was unsure as to where exactly the accessible seating was located, but, although I couldn't exactly describe our seats as close to the stage, the atmosphere was tangible. All that mattered to me on this occasion was that I'd finally made it to see my idol - but on second thoughts, if Barclaycard Arena could do something about the hand rail that was determined to remain in my line of sight, despite my rising chair, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Having suffered, yet again, from a severe vertigo attack just one week before the concert, I wasn't sure how my fragile head was going to deal with the immense vibrations from the speakers and the piercing screams of thousands of adoring fans, but thankfully, the vertigo cleared and I was able to enjoy the moment I'd dreamt of for so long.
I currently have my Purpose Tour playlist on shuffle, decorated with the odd festive tune, and I'm counting down the days until I can relive the Bieber experience in April - and what an adventure that will be! See you in Punta Cana Justin!
In 2016, my family and I were lucky enough to have some out-of-this-world holidays, ranging from sunning ourselves in Dominican paradise to road-tripping through Southern California, so naturally, it was now the turn of our little pooch to have a special week away with us. North Wales is the perfect spot for a short getaway, and the whole experience of a holiday park just suits us perfectly. This year's experience was slightly different to those of previous years, simply because my sister was swapped for my fantastic PA, Jaz. Candice was obviously away at university still for the half-term, and so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to take along someone else to give a helping hand and be my personal hairdresser, makeup artist and shopping buddy (that mostly). Despite not venturing down onto the beach all too often since the day a darling child at my high school pointed at my all-terrain chair and asked "Whose is that pram?", nothing beats those seaside vibes.
I know it's not the beach, but you get the picture
And here she is, my little baby Lexi xxxx
Going back to the beach wheelchair thing ever so quickly, when on our Caribbean holiday, I use a simple, yet supportive mannual wheelchair to access the beach bar and party. Clearly it's not the best for dragging through the sand, but it's light enough for a couple of fit guys to carry me and it across a short distance (how awful for me), and it simply means that if there's a party to be had, I and the people with me will not be the ones missing it. Accessing the beach is yet another factor contributing towards my LA university goal - those boardwalks were just made for me!
Beach Chair also doubles up as Airport Chair...
But this is the dream
As much as I love and appreciate the historic, oldy-worldy style, it really wasn't designed back in 1660 with me and my four wheels in mind - shock-horror - and despite great attempts to achieve access for all, cobbles and I are never going to be best friends. This equates to yet another reason why the LA lifestyle and university set-up is where I need to be - just the right combination of tradition and modern innovation.
You may have gathered from the name of my blog, I love shoes. I also have a passion for fashion and beauty, and so The Clothes Show for me is exactly how I envisage heaven. In addition to the excitement of being in amongst such beautiful clothes and huge names in the industry, I was also a little nervous about the day as it was my first time travelling by train, just me and my PA. It sounds pathetic, I know, but the logistics of me getting onboard the train alone takes some organising, nevermind getting off at the other end without being unintentionally whisked away to London because the man on the platform couldn't/wouldn't retrieve the ramp in time. All in all, train travel is potentially a rather stressful experience, but all went well (besides a slight mishap on the return journey) and we both made it to Birmingham and back in one piece.
As well as the beauty bargains and stunning catwalks, the celeb paparazzi pen was filled throughout the day with the likes of Joey Essex and fashion blogger, Sarah Ashcroft, but the person who stood out for me was Mark Wright, and no, this wasn't solely due to his jaw-droppingly good looks. He took the time to chat with us about Caudwell Children and their annual Butterfly Ball, which he has previously been a part of, and I just found it so touching to see how he'd been touched so greatly by Caudwell Children's mission.
The Clothes Show, for me, now signifies the beginning of Christmas, and from that day until now, our days have been overflowing with all things festive. Helping Santa while dressed as an elf for Rudyard Sailability was a personal highlight of mine....
Write soon,
Tilly,xoxox
Twitter/Insta: @ItsMeTillyG
