It's ok to not be ok

So I'd like to write about something that's very close to my heart. Something that has always been a very hush, hush topic particularly here in the UK. However this is changing and I for one couldn't be more pleased.

I'm talking about mental health. For those that aren't aware, mental health affects 1 in 4 people at any given point in a year and 1 in 10 young people, so chances are you know someone or have been in contact with someone who has experienced mental health issues. It is the number 1 killer in men and recent reports suggest that the incidence is actually much higher than 1 in 4, but not every sufferer will be oficially diagnosed due to fears of how this may affect them.

More shockingly 9 out of 10 people experience stigma and discrimination because of their mental health and 3 ouf of 4 people fear the reactions of others when confiding in them. Ok so enough with the figures. The message is simple: so many more people than we realise suffer with some form of mental health and yet sadly we are too afraid to talk about it openly.

What really bugs me (I can feel a rant coming on here) is that anyone who is diagnosed with a physical illness or an injury such as a broken leg, is of course still seen as the same person. People treat them as normally as they would anyway and those around them most likely offer their sympathy and support 'oh poor you it must be awful having a broken leg/diabetes/coeliac disease.' We quickly feel the need to be good people and 'do the right thing' by being there in their time of need or distress.

However, disclose to someone that your illness is mental and not physical and it's like you just turned round and admitted that all this time you've secretly been an alien. SILENCE. Staring. More silence. Now don't get me wrong, not every person will react in this way. However there does seem to be a big majority of people who simply do not know how to react and after finding out that their friend/family/collegue is suffering with mental health, appear to change the way they behave around this person. Unfortunately some go as far as completely abandoning and disowning the individual; they are no longer deemed good enough or are seen as an extra nuisance in an already hectic life.

Nothing infuriates me more than this sense of opinion. Why is it ok and justifiable to be physically ill but not ok to be mentally unwell? Why does any form of physical injury have people bending over backwards to help out, but when it's the mind that is poorly, people back away or think it's just the individual being weak and pathetic, or moping about feeling sorry for themself? It's ok to be a diabetic but not ok to be for example, a bipolar disorder sufferer. It is wrong and it's time that this consensus changed. It is not shameful to admit you have suffered from mental health - just look at the sheer amount of celebrities who have admitted their own demons such as Catherine Zeta-Jones who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Frank Bruno with major depression, Mary-Kate Olsen with an eating disorder -the list is endless. Out of my own personal circle of friends, I can think of at least 5 different individuals who have suffered with some form of mental health illness.

Suffering with a mental health condition does not change who the real person is underneath. Of course it can affect their behaviour on the outside such as becoming withdrawn and finding things difficult to cope with, so it can seem like the person has become unrecognisable but deep own they are still there; it's just the illness that's masking the real them, the fun-loving, outgoing character that they really are. Don't give up on anyone you know who suffers with mental health. I know it can be so hard and awkard not knowing what to say to them, but just offer to be there when they need to talk, just be someone they cansimply phone up and cry to. Be someone who can provide them with distractions such as going out for a coffee or brwsing the shops. Just being there is quite simply the best thing any person can do when supporting someone.

Time To Change is a fantastic campaign in association with Mind and Rethink - 2 leading mental health charities in the UK, that is campaiging for people, for us to talk openly about mental health. The more we talk about it and the more open we are, the more we are fighting back at the shameful stigma and horrendos discrimination that associates this awful illness. It's ok to talk and it's ok to admit if you have mental health problems - it is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength, as it is those who try to be too strong all the time that end up suffering. So I joined the Time To Change website and made my pledge to talk about mental health - now it's time to make yours and get the message out that it's ok to not be ok. http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/home

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Working Girl

Working Girl by elizabetheast featuring oversized cat eye sunglasses

 

Fed up of wearing the same old thing to work? Need a killer outfit for that interview? Well here is my 'Working Girl' spread which I designed on Polyvore (my new favourite website - trust me go visit it NOW...after finishing my post of course!) I have created an outfit that in my opinion not only will have heads turning and compliments flying your way, but also includes THE key trends due to hit this Autumn/Winter 2012.

 

White Shirt with applique collar - £49.99 - Zara: A classic white shirt with one essential detail - the studded collar. Set to be huge this season whether it be pearls, studs or sequins, if it adorns the collar or neckline, then it's got the fashion approval. All the attention should fall on this area so avoid wearing a necklace and keep other jewellery to a minimum.

 

Prnt Trousers - £25.99 - Zara: A bargain for a pair of stylish, cropped trousers. Print isn't going anyway this season as was proved by the super, big designers Prada, Miu Miu and Chanel who all showcased prints on their catwalks. The black, white and grey colour scheme keeps the tone neutral which is particulrly good for those who have a strict dress policy at work.

 

Red Blazer - £385 - Flannels: A tad too painful for my purse, but there are great versions from Zara, Topshop and Oasis. The blazer gives you that formal, I-mean-business style which is a key trend (as this months ELLE reminds us). It's all about the masculinity with its structured shoulders. The red colour also breaks up the white and black theme and will make you stand out more (that girl in the red blazer).

 

Brown Heels - Pilot Fashion: Click clack, click, clack across the floor -one sure sign to tell people you're on your way. What I love about these heels is that they're perfect for going straight from the office to after-work drinks. Not a fan of sore, blistered feet for work? A par of beige or brown, laced loafers will work just as well and keep that masculine tone.

 

Tan Tote Bag - £50 - Zara: I am so 'totes' in love with this bag! Probably my favourite piece of this outfit along with the appliqued shirt. And the blazer. And trousers...and shoes!! Big enough to fit in all our necessary 'junk' (if you're anything like me then you need enough room to fit in your entire bedroom), AND a beauiful colour match with the shoes. This provides a change to the usual black bag, black shoes, black trousers, black black black black!!! It breaks up the colour and makes it more eye-poppig as well as looking gorgeous against the red blazer.

 

Black geek glasses - £10 - boohoo.com: If you want to go all the way and don't actually wear glasses, (that's me then) nothing says office chic geek mre than these frames do. A great accessory to the outfit AND it makes you look smarter; win, win.

 

 

 

 

Dotty for DOT

This last week I've been a little off colour - nothing serious, just a cold, but enough to make me want to stay under the duvet for eternity; alone with my coughing and spluttering. Lovely image I know. So my very thoughtful parents who could clearly see the misery in my face, surprised me with the newest Marc Jacobs scent to grace our perfume shelves. O.M.G!! I simply love Marc Jacobs not only as a designer but for his gorgeous perfumes. I already own Lola and after seeing Dot advertised, desperately wanted to add it to my collection along with Diasy. This is THE perfume of the year, if not for the scent then for its cuteness.

So here is my opinion on the cute DOT.

Packaging: 10/10 - quite possibly the best packaging of a product I've ever seen. I thought Lola and Diasy were cute but Dot just takes the biscuit. The picture on the right shows the beautful, little gift bag that th perfume comes with. It's so adorable! I love the combination of the black background with red polka dots, complimented by the gold frame. This bottle is 30ml so comes with a cute version of the extravagent lid that adorns the larger bottle. It's just so eye-catching I can't help but keep staring at it!

Scent: 9/10 - I always find it difficult to describe a smell as what might smell 'musty' to one person might smell completely different to someone else. In my personal opinion, I find the scent really girly and light so it doesn't make my eyes water and my throat tighten when I first spray it (you can picture the scene, you spray just a tad to much of deodrant and perfume and suddenly you're choking!). It has a floral hint to it and it's extremely pleasent.

Longevity: 6/10 - The only slight complaint I have about DOT is the length of time it lasts. I currently leave the house at 6:45am for work (horrendous I know) and spraying my perfume is the last thing I do before getting in the car. By lunch time (12pm) it is just about still 'smellable' (that's not even a word but sums up perfectly what I mean), however by 2pm it is no longer noticable. This is slightly disappointing when I compare it with my Jimmy Choo perfume which still smells just as fresh 10pm at night as it does at quarter to seven in the morning! However this only means I have the pleasure of whipping out that gorgeous bottle and spritzing myself som more - which in all honesty, I am more than happy to do.

Price: 8/10 - for 30ml it costs £36.50 (based on the Perfume Shop). The largest bottle at 100ml costs £62.50. These prices compared to other brands such as Chanel which can cost over £100, are much more affordable and reasonable. Whilst the largest bottle might go on your christmas list, the smaller size is perfect for a weekend treat for yourself.

Minnie inspired nails

So finally, here is my attempt at doing some Disney-inspired nails. I decided to go with a Minnie theme and so decided to paint them the same colour as her famous dress; red with white polka dots. I know for some this is a really simple design however for someone like me who doesn't have the most steadiest hand in the world, certainly can't draw and most of the time gets more nail polish on my fingers rather than my actual nails, this was hard enough as my first attempt. But lets think positively!

I think with more practice and time I'll be splashing out designs like a pro. I certainly need to pactice painting neatly around my cuticles - I found this the hardest part of the nail to paint.

Firstly I filed and shaped my nails (trust me they were in desperate need!). I then used a No.7 base coat which I found went on really well and dried extremely quickly. I then used Models Own nail polish in 'Red Alert' which is super, super bright. I have to say I've never used Models Own nail polishes before (I personally like OPI), but it went on like a dream!! I would definitely recomment this brand and at only £5.49 per bottle, it's much cheaper than some other brands out there. Finally I applied the white dots using again Models Own Nail art pen in white. I've never used a nail art pen before (total virgin in this area) so was slightly nervous about using it but I was totally impressed with the ease of which it can be used. The tip was extremely fine which is great when painting small detail. At the other end is a thicker brush for stripes and thicker patterns. So it's like two products in one which definitely makes it worth the £6 it costs. Nail art is everywhere at the moment so if you don't already own one of these babies, make it your weekend must-buy!

Thought of the week

So I decided to make a regular, weekly post that's just a quick 'ditty' to read. I hope it provokes you too, to reflect on the words as I know it certainly makes me stop and think for a moment. So let me introduce this weeks:

Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect; it means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.
                                                                                                                        Unkown

This has definitely got to be one of my favourites - it might seem obvious, but it sure is hard to remember at times. Particularly as a girl, I find that I am constantly putting myself down in one way or another, whether it be my appearance, my skills, my complete and utter lack of geography knowledge or my ability to humiliate myself at every possible opportunity and then some. It's so much easier to constantly make digs at yourself, to the point I believe it starts to become a habit. So right now I hereby declare that I will take heed of this thought and remember this every time I put myself down; happiness = warts and all :)

All in the nails



I am so in LOVE with these Disney nail art designs right now :D I am such a huge fan of Disney, I'd find it hard to choose which character and design to go for, there are so many to choose from! Nail art has seen a huge boom in popularity lately, gracing the hands of anyone who's anyone. Seen on all our favourite fash-spirations including Ri-Ri, Katy Perry and of course not forgetting Lady Gaga. I'm going to be channeling my inner nail technician and have a go this weekend after buying some nail art pens. I'm not too confident as I know it takes a steady hand, but I'm sure with practice I'll be painting them out perrfectly in no time (she says not so confidently!) I'll let you know how I get on and post a pic!

Fudgie says hello

This gorgeous, fine boy is my 15 year old cat Fudge. I've had him and his brother Toffee (who sadly passed away last year) since I was 7 years old. In 3 words he is cheeky, adorable and so in love with his food (slighly more than 3 words!) Even the biggest of cat haters can't deny his cuteness.

Happy Birthday Dainty Ballerina

Wow. This is an awesome day. Why I hear you think (or rather not hear, but imagine). Well today is the birth of my blog, Dainty Ballerina. I'm sorry it's not more exciting but it IS exciting for me because I've been thinking of stating one of these things for ages but never really got round to it before now.

So here are a few things I can tell you about Dainty Ballerina and moi.

1. I came up with the name because I am a ballet dancer and thus love all things ballet
2. Another major love of mine is fashion and anything to do with it (to the point that yes I do spend until I'm so overdrawn my father confiscates my credit card...not good!)
3. Whilst I was originally training to be a ballerina, due to a back injury back in 2009, I was forced to give up on that dream (and keep it as a hobby) and therefore created a new one - I am now a psychology graduate from the University of Birmingham and will be studying for a masters in the same subject this September.
4. I think I may have mentioned else where that I am now 22 years old (and feeling scarily old).
5. Finally why have I started this thing? Well I felt there are so many things I love and want to shout out about that I thought why not shout out about it online. There are also some things that I feel very strongly about and thought this would be a 'perf' (sorry I love saying that word) way of venting my opinions

And that's all folks as they say at Warner Brothers.

If you're still reading, I applaud you and if you choose to follow Dainty Ballerina, well, that's just going to make me do this - :D

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