Hi guys! I've been so busy lately. Just finished a summative essay and my dissertation draft and have another summative essay due tomorrow. I've also been writing various applications and just... working! Despite all of that I've been feeling very calm as of late. I'm enjoying all of the work I'm doing at the moment. My dissertation is on sex trafficking and prostitution law so it's my first real opportunity to write a long academic essay on something I'm really interested in. It's stressful in some ways because this adds another layer of pressure - I have to do my views justice - but easier in the sense that I would be reading about this topic in my free time anyway so it feels less like work. That being said... it has still been tough to write. I also just got my most hated subject completely finished and I have only three other subjects left and the dissertation! So... yes! I feel calm. For now.

This is what I wore yesterday for going out to lunch, walking along the riverside and doing a spot of work. The other day I got a sudden urge to buy... a jumpsuit! Haha. Even the name sounds faintly ridiculous. So buy one I did. I think it's the first time I've worn proper trousers in months. I felt so free and practical hoho. Accessorised with this necklace from Sammydress (find it here).

Jumpsuit: Asos // Shoes: Asos // Necklace: Sammydress // Backpack: Chicwish

How are you guys?

Happy new year!

I arrived back in Durham about a week ago and it's taken me exactly that long to get over my 'awaysickness' (as opposed to homesickness). I've had a crazy month.

My mum flew over to spend Christmas with my sister and I in Cambridge. We were all too disorganised to book Christmas Day lunch so we had a fancy Christmas Eve dinner and a hotel breakfast to make up for it haha. Not too bad! We did manage to find some mulled cider and mince pies in a pub overlooking the River Cam on Christmas Day so it wasn't a total failure. Plus the weather was perfect! I think I've realised that what I like the most about Christmas is not Christmas Day itself, but the whole season. Christmas Day doesn't even have to happen haha. Just give me the tinsel and festive food and I'm done.

A couple of days after Christmas we headed over to Brighton where we stayed for a couple of weeks. It was so, so weird to be back. I haven't stayed for more than a couple of days at a time since I left for uni in 2011. It felt like I lived there again. Definitely bittersweet. It was like returning to another age. I forgot just how very at home I felt there and how much I loved it. So many great places to just sit and hang out, shop, eat etc.  Just the knowledge that I could be doing something else was enough to make working bearable, in a way! I had a great many meals out. A great many well made coffees. It was also very nice to be around my family (well, not the whole family but still nice).

Also - look at the last photo of this bunch below! It's called an 'egglette'. From what I remember, it's a cup made of bacon, a layer of pesto, and then an egg cracked into it and sundried tomato on top. I'm guessing it's baked. Gonna try to recreate it one day.

I also got a probably long overdue haircut! I went to Simon Webster on Gardner St and was given a fabulous (albeit expensive) bob. Unfortunately this all coincided with that week of almost apocalyptic rain - my hair kept its shape for all of 20 minutes. I broke four poundshop umbrellas that week. FOUR.

So now I'm back in Durham with a tonne of essays to write. I don't plan on doing much except work over the next couple of weeks at least. At least I had a good holiday!

Outfit time! I was recently contacted by Bank to select a few things from their online store and put together some outfits, as ya do. Admittedly, prior to this I had never been inside Bank. Generally the sight of parkas and trainers makes me think that a store probably isn’t for me. But I stand corrected! I really do. There ended up being an absolute tonne of brands to choose from (over 100), and consequently a lot different looks. For me, it’s also nice to know that there is a physical store to visit and that the company is UK-based. I ended up picking these three things:

1 // 2 // 3

Can you see what mood I was in when I picked these? Haha. This is the very simple outfit I ended up wearing with the jacket (not sure how these photos became so grainy)! Will post the other outfits later this week. But anyway. Thank you Bank!

Bye guys!

Baby its cold outside

Hi guys. Hi. It’s been a while! ‘I must update more often’ I cried, before not posting for two months.

Well, I’m in my third year of university now. Things have been surprisingly hectic. Everyone told me that third year is the easiest because one gets ‘used to it’ by then. Not true! There has been a significant increase in workload. Luckily I do enjoy most of what I’m studying this year. There’s also the added stress of preparing for post-uni life. Do I apply for masters programmes or do I apply for jobs? I haven’t got a clue and yet I need to start doing at least one of the two like… right now. The end of student life fast approaches (scream)!

Probably due at least in part to the stress of this year and the fact that I’ll be moving somewhere else soon, I’m thinking of ‘decluttering’. While the idea of a minimalist lifestyle doesn’t appeal to me - I love environments that are aesthetically pleasing, cosy and full of memories - I have way too much stuff. I am one of those people who is very deeply affected by her environment so I think this is a good thing to do… but how to do it?

Unsurprisingly, most of my possessions are clothes which just happen to be the hardest things to throw away! The ‘six month rule’ just does not work for me. If it’s in my closet, it’s been worn in the past six months.  That’s one downside of knowing what you like - the years pass by and ya still wanna wear it all! Consequently I have a tonne of stuff. I think the route I’m going to have to take is asking myself whether a particular item of clothing is in line with how I want to dress over the next couple of years. It means that I’ll force myself to stop wearing the clothes I bought when I was a teenager. Probably a good thing!

Have any of you guys had a good ol’ clear out before? Or given yourself a total style overhaul? Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

I’m spending a few days in Durham before leaving for Christmas. I forget how quiet it gets when the students leave. One of my housemates has gone home, the other leaves today and I leave tomorrow. I’m off to Cambridge until the 27th and then off to Brighton for 2 weeks. Right now I’m just hanging out trying to get things done - what else is new? I’m really excited to go back to Brighton and have a potter round London. I just love this time of year.

Outfit time! This is from one of my 'mod days' which I have occasionally. The jacket is from FrontRowShop! You can buy the exact one here. Ten points if you can recognise which famous horror film this exact pattern can be seen in.

Also - check out my interview at Tntst.com here!

Hope you're all well!

Hats!

I am terrible at coming up with titles. Every post is a slight struggle. Perhaps it’s time to embrace their awkwardness.

So I’m back from Belfast. It was not what I expected at all! Well, being honest, I had no idea what to expect as neither I nor my friend had actually researched the city that much before we left haha. It was actually quite small and, while it was nice and I am very much interested in visiting other parts of Ireland, I’m not sure I would visit Belfast again. Hmm, I think this might be the first time I’ve written about somewhere I’ve been on this blog and felt so distinctly ambivalent about it (I have a lucky tendency to love pretty much everywhere I visit). I don’t want to be mean about Belfast so I will say that there are a few possible reasons for this unrelated to the city itself e.g. I got sick right before I left haha.

I suppose in one way it was good – I’ve learned more about what I should do to make a trip a good one. Don’t get sick, pick where to stay myself, research the place beforehand and figure out what I want to do, get enough sleep. But yeah. I’m glad I went but I know it would have been better had the circumstances been different. I also didn’t get that many nice photos! Darn it. Generally, it might have been one trip too much for this break.

For now, I’m happy to be back in the north east of England. My head feels messy and I need to sort everything out, come up with a routine, get healthy and start taking care of myself properly before my classes start again. This is going to be a tough year, but hopefully the good kind of tough rather than the kind I experienced last year. I’m optimistic!

So on to more fashion-related matters, I wanna talk about hats. My relationship with hats. Hats and me. I have a few of them. I think 8 or 9 now. More will be bought. When I was younger, my parents used to say that I looked good in hats. I thought they were just telling me that so I wouldn't end up with skin cancer but I now realise, many years later, that actually hats are pretty great. While I wouldn't want to return to an era where every outfit required a hat to be 'finished', they are certainly a very stylish way of hiding the fact that you're too stingy to get your roots done.

While I was in Sydney, I tried to take a whole bunch of outfit photos with all the hats I brought with me haha. Maybe you will see how they turn an otherwise simple / whatever outfit into a slightly better than whatever outfit. You will also see pretty much all the clothes I had with me! haha. I think my hat to other clothes ratio was a bit off.

This is my black bowler hat. If there was a 'basic' hat, this would be it. I resisted bowler hats for ages because of how trendy they are. I mean, wearing the above outfit made me feel almost like I was in some kind of 'alternative girl' uniform with the hat, glasses, tattoos and all black outfit. But you know what? It's an easy way to make a simple outfit not a boring outfit. Embrace the uniform. Occasionally.

Click here for the exact hat I'm wearing!

A summery straw bowler in an autumnal mustard colour? I'm wearing that forever. This was $5 from a Dangerfield discount store in Newtown.

Now I grant you this is rather wide categorisation but I don't possess enough wide-brimmed hats to break this down any further hoho. I own but a single variety - a navy blue, wool hat with a chiffon bow that I bought in Camden in my first week of arriving in the UK back in January 2009. It was once completely stiff and is now a little floppy (and as of last week slightly crumpled). I have not taken good care of it, poor old thing... but only because I wear it so much because it goes with seemingly everything I own. No, really. I'm not exaggerating. It's just one of those things.

This is not a Sydney photo. This is actually from 2011 haha.

See, not the most fabulous of outfits but with the addition of a hat, it has ... slightly improved? I could totally be a fashion writer.

I don't know guys, they keep the sun off your face, the rain off your fringe, a slight air of mystery if worn with sunglasses? A felt halo? (too much?)

Here are some on Etsy I like!

 

1 // 2 // 3 // 4

Pillboxes. These are my thing. Any look I would go for is always such that a pillbox could easily be included. They are probably the most impractical of hats. They provide neither warmth nor protection from the elements. Brimmed hats kind of make sense. Bowlers and cloche hats kind of make sense. Pillboxes are literally just a little block of colour added to the top of your head to make you look more put together. I don’t know guys. It works somehow.

This is the one I wear most often – my plain black, wool felt hat. 

Hat: vintage // Coat: Primark // Scarf: Edinburgh Woollen Mill

Here are some Etsy links:

1 // 2 // 3 // 4

Our little woollen French friends who will, without fail, make you look like you should be riding a bicycle with a baguette in the front basket. Some might say you should beware pairing a beret (almost wrote baguette) with a striped shirt. I say don’t let the bastards tell you what to do!  …Unless you are a man with a moustache… shave it off, you beast.

Shirt: Saba // Collar: Chicwish // Backpack: Chicwish // Skirt: Bettina Liano

Thanks to Chicwish for the collar and bag! Click the links above for the exact product pages.

I also LOVE the berets in Orla Kiely SS14. Please let me look like that when I wake up tomorrow. Please. Please.

I can post no more. I must leave the house and stop tempting myself by surfing Etsy hoho.

What are your favourite hats? Do you have a certain kind you like / that contributes to your overall look?

x

Glasses pt. 2

I was actually going to make a completely different post with a little glasses-related 'by the way' at the beginning, but I've actually rambled enough to make this its own post hoho. I think I'll continue writing and queue them? I have never once used the queue function so let's hope it works.

I have managed to acquire two pairs of glasses since my last glasses post. Apparently it got me in a glasses mood? Gave me some glasses awareness?

1. These glasses from Glassesshop.

Here's the link to the exact product page. They're pretty great and I've been getting a bunch of compliments on them (always a good sign). I didn't get my prescription lenses put in these because my prescription is probably too strong to be able to be put in free. However, if you have a normal prescription (anything less than blind as a bat really), your lenses are included in the price. Pretty good! 

If I'm being honest about them though, they are very plasticy feeling and don't feel as high quality as my other frames. So if you're looking for something that lasts a long time, I'm not sure these will do it for you. However, this is arguably reflected in the price. I've just been wearing them as an extra accessory.

2. Shelled out on these Ksubi frames. The design is actually a couple of years old by now but they were just perfect for me so I had to get them. I've always wanted thick rimmed black glasses but as I'm so blonde, pasty and small-faced (hoho) they almost always look way too much on me. I just randomly tried these on and they actually looked great! They have a bit of gold on them too. 

Do you guys know any glasses blogs you could recommend? Good glasses stores? 

There is a toddler in this cafe screaming literally as if its imitating a metal singer. Just yer average day in Durham.

I'm going to Belfast tonight! 

BYE

Back in the UK

Hello!

I'm back in Durham. It feels like an age since I was here last. It's very strange indeed to be back, as if I've stepped back 2 months. I forgot what it felt like to have nothing to do! Not sure I'm into it.

Well I had a truly wonderful trip to Australia. Just fantastic. I went back about a year ago and for some reason didn't enjoy myself nearly as much as I did this time. I guess my outlook must have been completely different because my impression of Sydney before - boring, empty, not-quite-cool - was the complete opposite of my experience this time. I just loved it.

Fact is, when I lived in Sydney, I was not a fan. It had its good bits but they paled in comparison to London, and the UK in general. I now know that they are just different places with their own pros and cons. Neither one is vastly better than the other, and which one you prefer depends entirely on what you are looking for. I've found that having lived in the UK for a few years and having been to a few different places in Europe, Sydney is actually pretty great. It's fun, beautiful and exciting. I feel so lucky to have grown up there. While I doubt I would ever move back (for the pure reason that you only live once and I'd rather experience somewhere new), I have to say that Sydney would be a pretty damn fantastic place to spend your twenties. Or your life in general! Also, I had almost no gross insect experiences... except one cockroach and one massive moth (outside the house so easily escaped from). Yeah!

Apart from Sydney specifically, it was also nice to spend time in an actual city. Because I lived in Brighton for a couple of years and now live in Durham/next to Newcastle, I think I forgot what it actually felt like haha. It's pretty great.

Because I have so much to say and I'm still waiting on photos from friends, I'll separate all my Sydney-related ramblings into a couple of entries. This post will be mainly based around what I have access to at the moment hoho.

Breakfast is great in Sydney. Well, all food is great in Sydney but I can't even count the number of times I went out for breakfast while I was away haha. A ridiculous amount. And it was always good! Casually posting Elena's breakfast because mine was not quite so photogenic hoho. Apparently this place is very popular because there was quite a big line to get a table. Another fabulous thing about Sydney is that even in winter it's warm enough to eat outside... and the weather is always great. I should have photographed all my breakfasts!

Another great thing about Sydney (or certain parts of it) is the number of fun, independent stores and designers. We found this place down some stairs off Crown St, Surry Hills and it was just filled with awesome, 60-ish clothes all made by the daughter of the shop assistant. I wish I could remember what it was called! Argh! There are also a bunch of fabulous Korean clothes stores in the city, the equivalent of which I just can't find in the UK. I'm definitely going to try to save up for clothes for next time I go.

Outfit!

A whole bunch of Asos stuff and a hat from OMGFashion.co.uk!

N'aww.

So yeah. I actually have a lot more to post but won't do it all at once. For now, I'm going to go home, relax, make dinner, and go to Newcastle - the closest thing I have to a proper city here (still fond of it).

Bye!