Hi Everyone!

Pleased to announce that I did a collaboration with the newly created capsuletheblog! The creative mind behind it, Jessica, asked me my impression and take on Australian style, of course I tried my best to describe what I could with my lack of fashion vocabulary. However, she managed to deliver this little article which I think does it justice! Check out the original article below and her blog for your daily fashion buzz.

The struggle is finally over. I am sure that I am not the only one who also feels like this year has really done a number on themselves!

The year is coming to a hasty end and I thought I would prematurely reflect upon all the things I achieved this year. I suppose what has triggered this is probably the fact that I received grades the other day and I could finally say 'Yep no more uni for the rest of the year!' Hakuna Matata!!

Quick look at this year's lack of posts

To sum up this year in my biggest achievements;

1. I received my 2 scholarships and got paid weww (yes materialistic I know), but it was a pretty big amount of money for someone who never grew up with a lot of it.

2. I got a full time cadet position in my current field of study at a Quantity Surveying firm and I am forever grateful. I can say that I really do enjoy it there, I have learnt so much from the people around me and have made so many new friends from work, learnt new skills and many life lessons. I also got to experience just being out on a construction site; going up in crane shafts, exploring the hidden parts of almost abandoned buildings in the city and that feeling of 'going behind the scenes' of how the places we inhabit come to be! Really interesting stuff for me!

3. I bought a house. Enough said right... I can happily say that I am in debt for approximately 70k and I am happy that I can give a helping hand to my parents by paying off the mortgage to OUR house. Just slowly building my empire. Watch me. A lot of people thought I was crazy and I was met with many mixed reactions when I told others, they all said 'Why did you do that? That sucks...' and here I am thinking that what I did was the right thing, and you know what? I am happy with that decision, it was a big compromise but it all felt right when someone introduced me to a stranger and said 'This is Chelsea. She's 18 and already owns a house'. That was such a nice feeling! like 'Aw hell yeahh' but in my head of course. I am also seeing this as if I am finally giving back to the two people who have shaped me and raised me to the person who I am today, my parents.

4. I successfully set up this blog! It has been just a little thought in my head up until Yanni said 'Just go for it!' and I'm glad I at least gave it a shot! Although now it's dying down and I have other priorities in my life it was still a step in the direction of pursuing a small hobby of mine.

5. I'm glad I managed to make friends at uni! haha I was doubting my social skills at the start of the year and it's a big accomplishment for me to actually know I can successfully make friends Baha. I am so happy I am surrounded by such motivating and caring people!

6. I attained a grade point average of 7.0 at the end of this semester and I am so glad I did! Academic struggle, hard work, attitude and devotion to my studies has really been a big deal for me this year. I know a lot of people don't care for it, thought I had no life, and didn't see the value, but for me this achievement is a big deal and a testament to the amount of hours poured in to uni work and the many other values that go along with it. Consequently, I've been on the Dean's list for both semesters this year.

7. That transition of your position in society. From going to a high school student that stood up for others on the bus to now, people wanting ME to have a seat, people hailing a taxi for ME to get home safely, someone buying ME a drink and letting ME out the elevator first. I have never been exposed to such lovely treatment and chivalry, it was the exact opposite in all the past years I've been alive. I always let others out first and all those small things, and now its completely the opposite! No longer a student but now a 'ladies first' kinda world. Of course, I still have it ingrained in my brain and I let people who are older than me do what they want first, because you know, respect your elders etc and they look at me weirdly like 'No ladies first!'

8. Gaining more independence, responsibility and freedom. There were days and even weeks, at one point an entire month where every single week day I would leave at 7:45 every morning, complete a 15 hour long day working and then studying or doing assignments, and then getting home at 10pm. For 2 weeks straight during blocks I left the house at 5:30 in the mornings to sneak in more study before work. Because of this I barely interacted with my parents at home, and I was away from home the entire day, basically just eating and sleeping there. Because of this, I gained more independence and my parent's trusted me more being out in the city late every night.

9. Finally, getting settled into my workplace and with the people around me. It took me a really long time, I've been working there for almost 11 months now and I finally feel a lot more in the rhythm of working at my firm. The smell of coffee in the morning and the daily rush with everyone else in the city each morning. I feel like I'm finally making a contribution and doing meaningful things and developing my skills.

So, if you've come this far thank you for reading until the end. This year has been quite a whirl wind, the weeks go unbelievably quickly, I don't even think in dates any more, its just days, Monday Tuesday... next thing you know its Friday and then I would say to my dad 'Guess what! Its Friday! That means it's basically Monday tomorrow!' because the weekends went by too quickly.

I hope you all accomplished something this year, whether it be getting through that academic struggle, achieving goals or going somewhere you've always wanted to go! These have been my accomplishments for the year, and although a lot of people think I need to get out more, or get a life and socialise more I am content with my lifestyle. Life is definitely a compromise, but I think I've managed to successfully navigate through 2015, and my 18th year alive.

Good luck to you all for next year and happy holidays!

The first collaboration here on Style Spectrm! We are so excited to bring you this lil number,  our friend Eugenie is super talented, seriously check this out! When I saw these drawings I was like 'Wow can I live an animated life yet?!'

Eugenie is ridiculously good at doing these editorial drawings that we commonly see and wish we could do. However, she injects her own funky and eclectic twist giving each of her illustrations a certain quality and flair. As you can tell she loves pinks and cool tones and managed to find a way to integrate some in despite giving her an all monochromatic look to work with! These slender figures, long crisp lines and use of tones are - the only way I could possibly describe by as being - on point!

I strongly recommend checking out her blog here or her instagram here! A big thank you to Eugenie for taking the time to do these illustrations and we want to wish her all the best with pursuing this hobby of hers and inspiring others!

Check it!

Thanks for stopping by!
- Chelsea