Honey, I'm Home!

Ohhhh the excitement of seeing blogger interface on my screen once again! The thrill of sitting before a clean page of 'New Post'! The buzz of being able to type the blog-post which I have been looking forward to for ever so long... I am LOVING LIFE!

For those of my lovely loyal followers who have stuck by me during what feels like a millenium-long blog break, I have nothing but the most sincere thanks. As you will know, making the decision to take my break was really difficult, because to be honest, blogging is quite literally my favourite thing to do. I love it so much, that I was wanting to invest more time in HauteFuture than in my university studies. Now I know some of you are probably thinking, 'So why didn't you???' Well, it can be hard when you know that the consequences of doing something you love might be disappointing to the people you love the most. Although I'm still quite positive I'm only going to get a *perfectly respectable* 2.2 degree classification for my past three years studying English Literature at the University of Birmingham, I had to feel like I was doing my best, so at least if my grade does disappoint, I know there's nothing more I could have done. Anyway, enough of that palaver, if you want to read more about my Blog Break Decision click here. So as I said, thank you very much, followers, for sticking by me and being patient whilst I pursued my education for a little bit.

Also, a huge thank you goes out to my fantastic guest bloggers who held the fort for me while I was gone. If you missed any of their posts, please check them out! We had...

Fighting Acne Together by Sophie Nightingale

Long Distance Fairy-Tale Relationships by Karyn O'Donnell

Being Miss Thrifty by Victoria's Vintage

Fur, Friend or Faux? by Erin Allenn

North American Fashion by Rachel and Her Journal

Also, there were many other lovely ladies who got in touch in order to write guest posts for me, but we just didn't get round to publishing them yet, so please expect a couple more guest posts in the future, and similarly, if you think you'd like to write a guest post for me please read this post and send me an email :) I welcome anyone, blogger or non-blogger, male or female, human or amphibian.

Finally, I want to say a huge thank you to my friends and family who have been so supportive over the past few months. Having to quit something you're passionate about in order to pursue something you're not passionate about was a big sacrifice for me and without lovely home-cooking, hour-long phone calls, and the occasional late night booze-up I literally wouldn't have gotten through all this! You realize the people who really love you not by the fact that they're always there to enjoy the good times, but also because they pick you up when you're down and share the bad times with you too. I'm pretty sure I owe drinks to way more people than I can afford at the moment because of all the support, but I promise I'll get it all sorted in good time... Like, when I get a job maybe? Yes, I think that's fair... :)

So this was just a huge 'Thank You' post really, but I think it needed to be said. I'm so happy to be back to blogging, especially as there are so many posts that I've been dying to write for months and I can't wait to get back to my YouTube channel as to be honest, I feel like my most recent video was one of my best and the most professionally done so far, so I can't wait to improve even more! I'm definitely going to be posting often now, however, I'm not going to make a schedule just yet because I believe that will ruin the spontaneity which I'm loving at the moment. I may consider making a schedule after a few weeks, but we'll see! If you'd like a sneak peek of some of the things I've got in the pipeline, click here. My next post will be a run-down of all the things which have been keeping me busy over the past few months...

Now you know I'm back in blogging-business if there are any posts you'd like to see, please let me know... Would you like some more beauty tutorial videos? More lifestyle than I used to do? Perhaps I could write up some more events I've been attending? It's totally up to you! So please let me know :)

Love and snuggles
gabriellasofia x

Guest Feature: Fur, Friend or Faux? by Erin Allenn...

So it's time for my fourth guest post since I decided to take my blog break, and I can genuinely say that this whole guest post idea was fantastic and I am a genius! I've had such a great response from handfuls of budding writers and awesome bloggers alike and everyone has been really supportive. One such beautiful blogger is the lovely Erin from The 411 of Fashion. 

When this lady contacted me expressing her interest to write about the very important debate about genuine versus faux fur I leaped at the opportunity of having her on board. As a fashionista, and not necessarily an animal rights activist, I've often wondered to myself where I would draw the line in terms of what I would do to look good. It's a very personal thing really, depending on your own personal beliefs and some, like me, have what some people may call an 'odd' standpoint on the controversial topic. I believe that if I could get a good price on a vintage genuine fur, then I would buy it. I might not wear it as these days it can be kind of dangerous to sport real fur in public due to violent animal rights activists. However, I'd consider it a fair purchase, as I'd be owning what I think of as a fundamental piece of fashion history. Having said that, I would NEVER buy a new fur item, because these days we all know how awfully these animals are treated, and generally have a better idea of the difference between right and wrong. I also like to think that I'd never purchase from a brand that has used real fur since we learnt how horrible it is to kill animals in order to enhance our personal appearance. Even if I was about to purchase something not-fur-related because I'd hate to be seen as supporting a company that endorses cruelty in such a big way.

Like I said, some people may think that's a huge contradiction, but it's how I feel and it's a very personal topic where I think everyone is allowed their own opinion if they can argue it validly, intelligently and respectfully. Anyway, enough about what I think, let's see what the rather talented Erin has to say about this often compromising issue...

***

"You murderer" With those slanderous words shouted at the poor Kim Catrall in the ever-forgiving film Sex and the City, we have to wonder if real fur will ever grace fashion weeks again? Whether we like it or not, everybody wants to create a reaction within the fashion landscape, even if it is wearing a ferret around your neck or a rabbit on your body. With fur always being a hot topic and the mass media always having something to say with reactions flying everywhere and dividing the industry, I began to think about my opinions on this topic. Would I sport a fur coat if I had the opportunity or just stick to fake fur? Would I want to create a reaction or just sink into the background of the fashion industry? An industry which usually encourages controversy.

Why must animals die when faux fur can look as chic as this?

With star studded celebs and hot-to-trot models tottering around with real fur jackets, gilets and scarves including the likes of Kate Moss, plus the ever-increasing popularity of vintage clothes, it's no wonder that the public domain has been hunting real fur jackets in recent years. However it's big name designers such as Mathew Williamson, Burberry and Mulberry who have previously used real fur in their collections that come as a shock. 

With electrocution, gassing and drowning as the top three ways that animals are killed for fashion it just shows the harsh realities of what designers are willing to do in order to cause a reaction. Of course we know how competitive the fashion world can be. However, what some designers will do to stay at the top of their game is horrific in my opinion. 

With real fur being ever-so-easy to get hold of and at the cheapest it's been for a long while, fashion conscious ladies of all ages are having a field day. Vintage stalls and festivals are in their prime with real fur being sold left, right and centre. A friend of mine bought a rabbit fur jacket for £15 - I must add my reaction was one of shock. Of course, this is all a case of personal preference.

Charities forcefully fighting the use of real fur including PETA set up a campaign using big name models announcing to the world that they are against the use of real fur with the slogan 'We'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur'. I'm sure this grabbed 99.9% of the male population, score! On a more serious level though, the release of this has had a hugely positive impact in the fashion world with real fur slowly vanishing from fashion weeks and fake fur rapidly becoming an ultimate must. Real fur momentarily became a craze of the past as fake fur sales rocketed.

Rocking another faux fur. You can still have that animal print look... without supporting murder of our furry friends! Check out your high-street faves for cruelty free chicness this A/W 2013.

However, our new found obsession with the fashions of the past has brought the debate back into the public eye and I have no doubt it will be everlasting. Real fur versus fake fur. Animals being killed versus animals kept alive. I know which one I'd pick. For me, wearing a rabbit has never been appealing.

***

Its funny because to be honest, before Erin contacted me, I didn't find the debate between faux and real fur to be a contemporary or relevant one for us today... Following the 'We'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur' campaign which Erin refers to, I just kind of thought it was universally decided that, yes, it's wrong and unnecessary to use real fur and no we won't do it anymore. However, our obsession with trends of years gone by has allowed real fur to sneak back into our fashion consciousness and leaves us questioning exactly where we stand... My opinion is the same as in my little introduction, but I'd be interested to see what my readers have to say about the topic... Would you buy a vintage fur? Would you wear it? If Chanel decided to use zebras to make coats (and you were a millionaire) would you buy one if it looked nice enough?

Thank you for reading and definitely go and check out Erin's blog here. She does some fabulous outfit posts and her hair and make-up are always perfection... GO FOLLOW! Haha :) Thank you Erin, you've been great and you're more than welcome to guest post again. I've really enjoyed working with you :)

If you're interested in guest posting for HauteFuture, please check out this link and send me an email.

Love

gabriellasofia

x 

HauteFuture Needs You!

Hey guys!

So I'm writing this post because if you've been reading recently then you'll see that I've recently had to decide to take a big long blog-break which is really sad for me :( If you didn't know, please check out this post: http://hautefuture.blogspot.com/2012/02/we-are-on-break.html. Anyways, it is for this reason that I have decided to accept guests posts during my break. What I hope to gain by doing this is: 

1) To make sure my poor blog doesn't look barren and unloved

2) To give some of my fellow bloggers access to my followers

3) To get bloggers who like my page (and their followers) to be more interactive with me

Basically there are only a few 'requirements' of guesting on my page. Firstly, I try and make HauteFuture seem as professional as physically possible. This means using only original photos (none 'borrowed' from other websites and blogs unless approved and accredited), I like photos in virtually every post as they catch people's eye on the News Feed and I like the photos to be quite clear although they obviously don't need to look like a photography expert took them haha. The quality of the writing style and language used means a lot to me on my page. I literally do not tolerate swearing practically at all. Sometimes I'll put a naughty word with asterixes in the middle eg. 's**t'. However, I try not to use these words hardly ever, and when I do they're in a kind of flippant or off-hand way as a joke rather than aggressively. Ideally I'd prefer for my guests to avoid these words completely if at all possible. As for the quality and style of the piece, check out my page: http://hautefuture.blogspot.com/ to see the sort of 'standard' I work at. Obviously, there are always a couple of rascally typos that slip through the net, but generally I tend to draft then proof-read my posts to make sure that they read as well as they can. This means not using sentences that are too long, words that are too long/in the wrong context, punctuation errors etc. I will obviously proof-read and perhaps slightly edit if necessary the pieces you send to me but I will send you any editions that I make to confirm that you feel like you're still being truly represented. I will hopefully not have to make too many changes though, as explained in my WE ARE ON A BREAK post, I don't have a lot of spare time at the moment!

Now enough of the 'rules' haha, I want this to be fun! So what am I looking for? What do I hope to achieve by having guests on my blog? Well, I've noticed that a lot of people run 'interview' posts while others just allow the guests to write whatever they want. I don't want my guest posts to be cliche and I also want them to have some kind of structure. So I was brain-storming a bit and then I though YES that's the point... Bloggers have brains. I'm so sick of the stereotypes that bloggers are just dumb bimbos who don't care about anything bar mascara, mini-skirts and macaroons (because cupcakes are sooooo out!) A couple of times I've had hater comments telling me how 'shallow', 'unintelligent' and 'spoilt' we are, and how if we only opened our beautifully made-up eyes for two seconds we'd see a world of pain around us blablabla. So I want to do something to prove that bloggers have brains AND hearts, by giving them a platform to express their social conscience. Sound complicated? Well, it's really not... let me explain how we can translate beauty, fashion and lifestyle to things that 'matter'. 

Here are some examples of posts which I'd like to see... if you can think of other ideas then I really welcome them! The more the merrier...

Beauty

- Human hair extentions

- Animal testing

- Animal hair in make-up brushes

- Tanning 

- Children being beautified eg. Toddlers and Tiaras/salons for kiddies

Health

- Fad diets

- Supplements/diet pills 

- Body image

Fashion

- Sweat shops

- Real fur versus faux fur

Lifestyle

- Non-mainstream interests (in music, film, books)

- Self-improvement

- Making money go further in the recession

- Bisexuality

- Home-made gifts versus shop-bought

Like I say, these are just some ideas and anyone is welcome to run with them! I want the blogger to be passionate about the piece she chooses and I want her to know her topic inside out. What I mean here is, if you've never used hair extensions before then don't write about the humans versus synthetic hair topic. Similarly, although I wouldn't want the gory details of a bisexual experience you've indulged in (although more power to you sister!), if you've never considered your sexuality in depth then please don't write about bisexuality.

I don't want these pieces to be telling people, 'Don't do that' or 'Do do this'. I want them to look like a sensible argument which takes into consideration both sides of the story, but ends with your personal opinion. I'd like the pieces to be quite short (less than 500 words) so you don't have A LOT of space to work with, but as intelligent young women I'm sure you'll be able to put across your points eloquently :) I don't mind the pieces being 'controversial' perhaps one of you out there believes that animal testing has numerous benefits. However, I don't want any of the pieces to discriminate or be prejudiced towards anyone... For example, if you choose to run with with 'home-made versus shop-bought' gift idea, please don't say something like, 'Shop bought gifts are thoughtless and impersonal and anyone that does this has not imagination.' Instead, say 'Home-made gifts are thoughtful, more personal and show that your imaginative and creative side.'

I know these points are kind of obvious to everyone out there, but I thought I should say them as I know that some bloggers out there have a different tack with things like this than I do. I don't want my page to be biased (even if I don't agree with your stance but you've argued your point well, I'll feature it!) and I don't want my readers to think that I'm handing my blog over to a bunch of guests who have no idea what HauteFuture is all about. 

In terms of photos, it's pretty easy really. If you want to write about animal testing put a picture of you and your pet, and you wearing a face full of make-up (whether from anti or pro animal testing brands depending on your stance). If you are posting about faux versus real fur, post a picture with your wearing your fave fur coat. If you're posting about body image, perhaps draw a picture of a 'perfect' body, or if you're feeling really brave, post a bikini picture of your own (class is important though!)

Finally, I would like any guests to my blog to do a mini post on their own site saying something like 'Check out my fab guest post over at HauteFuture' with a link to my blog, and also to tweet and post on Facebook (if you have a Facebook page for your blog) about it too, all complete with links. In return for this, I will of course link your blog and write a sentence or two about why I love it at the beginning or end of your post. 

So where do we go from here? I would like to schedule one guest post per week, so I'd like you all to email me to show that you're interested with a few little details...

1) Your name

2) Your Twitter

3) Your blog Facebook (if you have one)

4) Your blog link

5) Your top two favorite topics to write about from the list or from your own imagination :) 

6) A deadline for when you think you can have the piece written by

My email address is: hautefuture@gmail.com

Once again thank you for all of the support I've had recently from everyone out there. I know this post has been an absolute essay, but things are really hard since I've decided to take my break and kind of 'handing over the mic' on my page is a big deal and I'd like to make sure that my faithful followers are seeing guest posts which are true to the image which I've given HauteFuture. I hope that makes sense! Thank you so much for agreeing to help me, it means so much!

Hope to hear from your all soon...

Love

GabriellaSofia

x

ps. Even if you've NEVER blogger before, I still want to hear from you!