(Here, have some unnecessary photos of my face.)

(& yes, I do actually need those glasses. I wear them all the time… except in photos, apparently.)

Hey there, my name is Mélanie Jasmin, but you can call me Mél. I am 18 years old, & live in Sydney, Australia. I’m currently studying English Literature + Law at university. I write prose & verse.

I post a smorgasbord of things: fashion/style, fitspo & health, art & design, poetry, interiors, etc. – essentially whatever takes my fancy.

About my blog URL & name: My URL, poppiesinjuly, is taken from a Sylvia Plath poem of the same name. My blog title, ‘Love’s ruinage’, is from Sylvia Plath’s ‘The Other Two’: ‘As if, above love’s ruinage, we were / The heaven those two dreamed of, in despair.’

Single or taken? I am happily taken by a wonderful man. His name is Rocco, & he is my best friend. We’ve been together since May 2010.

What’s your ethnicity? I am half Greek-Cypriot (Dad) & half Welsh (Mum).

About my weight loss/health & fitness journey: Having suffered from severe illness (mental & physical) for a number of years & having an erratic relationship with food as a result, just after I turned 18 (in April 2011) I finally decided to treat my body the way it deserves to be treated: with nourishment & care. For me, this has involved losing weight (I was a couple of kilos overweight when I started), establishing healthy eating habits, & exercising religiously. I tend not to weigh myself anymore, as I have EDNOS tendencies, & tend to get obsessive about the number on the scale. I have learnt that that number does not define me, & that health is about so much more than what you weigh! (Read: this is a pro-health blog. I am in no way pro-ana or pro-mia, but I am here if you need ED support.)

About my exercise routine: I do an hour of cardio (exercise bike) & at least 2 POP Pilates workouts minimum 6 days a week.

I have another question that you haven’t answered here: Please feel free to use my ask box! I will be happy to talk to you :) (NB: I have disabled anonymous asks. Unfortunately, people tend to abuse them, & send anon hate.)

If you are struggling with ANYTHING - whether it be an ED, other mental illness, physical illness, bullying, whatever! - please, please talk to me. All conversations of this nature will be kept strictly confidential. I just want to help you.