Thursday 8 November 2012

A (Relatively) Quick Update

Hello!

It's been a few weeks since I last posted so I thought I'd do a quick update before I come back with a proper post super soon.

Of late, I've been busy with uni, work, trying and failing to lose weight for my 12 week challenge, working on my zine - Slimeball - with Katy and looking at pictures of cats on the internet.

In slightly more depth:
I've not been very successful with my 12 Week Challenge in the past few weeks. I'm 6 weeks, so half way, in and had some rubbish weeks recently - no loss, a gain, a loss, then a small gain - so as it stands I've lost about 6lbs which, although commendable, isn't where I was hoping to be at at this stage.
If I'm honest, I really haven't been trying very hard (...but I'm placing 80% of the blame the new coffee shop next to work with the most delicious cakes I've ever eaten) so I'm going to be making an active effort from now on!
6 weeks and 8lbs to go!

I haven't spoken much about my masters course on here, probably because I haven't had the time but it's going well! I'm struggling a little to balance uni, 2 jobs and a life but the life has definitely taken a back seat. There are some aspects of the course that I'm finding really hard but having had 3 years out of this kind of academia, I did expect it.
Everyone in my classes are incredibly intelligent, so sometimes I do feel like the dunce, but they are all so lovely and I can feel myself starting to get the hang of the work and the passion for the subject has certainly come back with full force!
My first essays (12,000 words in total) are in after Christmas so I'll be spending December stuffing my face with mince pies in front of the computer (the diet won't appreciate it but I'll need some fuel!)

Miles is delicious as always and it's his birthday a week on Monday so I'm really excited to give him his pres. After that it's Christmas shopping time and I'm such a festive nut, I'm definitely going to get carried away!

I had planned to do a proper post today but spent most of my day laying down with a migraine, feeling very sorry for myself. It'll come soon though I promise - I'm planning a haul post of my recent eBay purchases (perhaps it might inspire some ideas for christmas presents, it might not, but either way, give it a read!) I know a lot of people do these as videos but since I'm a dweeb on camera, it'll just be text and pictures...
Keep your eyes peeled for that!

Right, this was supposed to be a quick update so sorry for rambling on, though it's no surprise I'm sure!
I'm off to bed to watch Drop Dead Gorgeous (in my top 10 fave films of all time) as I have work tomorrow - I'll be more interesting soon, but until then, here's a picture of me with a lovely cat friend I met in London.
Byee!
Xo

Thursday 11 October 2012

12 Week Challenge - Week Two




So it's week two and despite really being rubbish this week (pulled pork sandwich at Red's and pizza for tea twice!) I still managed to lose 1.5lbs!

I genuinely thought I would have gained something this week but hell, I'm not complaining!

Heading to London this weekend to see my delicious best pals Lexi and Zoe so I will try my best not to drink my weight in red wine but so far so good...

Week Two:
Weight lost: 1.5lbs
Overall weight lost: 5lbs
Weight still to lose: 9lbs

Byeeee!
Xo

Thursday 4 October 2012

12 Week Challenge - Week One



So the first week is over and I tentatively stepped on the scales this morning to weigh in for the first time.

After a disappointing sneaky mid week weight check I was expecting a 1lb loss, max, but I've lost 3.5lbs!

This is after a week including a no holds barred trip to cattle grid for my pal mig's birthday meal (I ate EVERYTHING) and 2 takeaways (though I chose the healthiest options available...) as well as the occasional cookie/chocolate fail so I'm really impressed!

I decided that rather than spend precious money on a gym membership just yet, I was going to try workout videos and was pointed in the direction of bodyrock.tv - the online tutorials are free (even better) and everyone had good things to say.
I have to admit, as a total beginner, the site was a little confusing to navigate and the first videos I saw were so beyond my ability, but I found a great 30min yoga 'flow' video and have really enjoyed doing that a couple of times this week.
I'm a bit stretchier than I thought and it left me feeling super chilled out so I think I'll be keeping this up!
If anyone has any other yoga tutorial/DVD suggestions let me know!

I'm going to brave some faster paced workout tutorials this week too so I'll let you know how that goes!

Doing WW this week has made me realise just how much I snack. Mainly on biscuits. That's been the biggest change for me - swapping biscuits or toast for fruit (which is 0 points) has probably been the hardest part but it's clearly making a difference!

I'm still yet to find a goal dress so more on that another time...


So at the end of week one:
Weight lost: 3.5lbs
Weight still to lose: 10.5lbs

Bye!
xo

Thursday 27 September 2012

12 Week Challenge


Today I rejoined weight watchers.

It was just over a year ago that I stopped tracking my points and trying to lose weight and finally I decided to start again.
I only did weigh watchers for 6 months (if that) and lost nearly 2 stone but I got lazy and figured I could maintain the weight on my own (I have zero willpower when it comes to food and am terrible at exercise so I was very wrong).
Needless to say, the weight slowly crept back and, according to the horrifying chart that has kept my details from last time, I've nearly put all the weight I lost, back on. (Nice one.)

I haven't always struggled with my weight, I'm very tall and that's usually quite handy if you gain a couple of pounds because no one notices. I used to be a lot skinnier (and obviously, being a young girl, thought I was fat) but age and medical issues (that's a whole other story) caused me to gain considerable weight in a very short period of time. I finally decided to get off my sizable behind and do something about it last year and was so impressed with the results.
Old clothes fit me, I felt healthier and, unlike every other diet I've tried, (slimfast I'm looking at you) I wasn't hungry and actually quite enjoyed myself!
Tracking your points with weight watchers is super easy, you can get an app for your phone which helps calculate the points of pretty much everything and because I'm too shy to go to meetings, I can do it all online. It's a healthy, non crash-diet way of losing weight and they give you heaps of advice at every stage of the process.

So, having got up (for the second time) off my derriere, I'm setting myself a challenge.

There are 13 weeks (ish) left of 2012 and I am giving myself 12 of them to lose a stone.
I currently have no plans for New Years Eve, but I am going to find a delicious dress in a smaller size and aim to get into it in time for the countdown.

Being honest with myself, I'm probably not going to go to the gym very often, so this will mainly be down to dieting/general healthier eating, but I didn't go to the gym once last time and lost so much, I have faith!

I've always carried quite a lot of junk in my trunk, to put it nicely, but I don't mind that - it's my belly, arms and chins (plural) that I want to sort out now! Ideally, I'd have tiny legs and the same size bum as I do now, but that's never going to happen (and I don't think I'd balance very well) so a few inches lost from my thunder thighs would be a success.

I have to weigh in every Thursday for weight watchers so am going to attempt to track my weekly progress on here as well - knowing people will see it will push me even more to lose the weight!

I won't be divulging my exact weight because I am a little embarrassed, but I'll post about how much weight I've (hopefully) lost and maybe some progress photos too.
I've taken some 'before' photos but for fear of making people throw up, I'm not going to post them all.
Here is an unflattering, but honest picture of me now. I'm ill and tried to take a picture in something form fitting (so would usually make more of an effort...) but in 12 weeks, I'll take a picture in the exact same outfit and hopefully there will be a difference! I know I'm no Rik Waller but still...

Week 0:

If anyone has any weight loss tips (to do with, or separate from, weight watchers) let me know, and if anyone fancies joining in with a 12 week challenge of their own, it'd be fun to support each other!

Xo

Tuesday 18 September 2012

Lovely Bones

I recently bought an amazing bracelet and wanted to share it with you all!

My lovely friend Alice has a brand new little jewellery collection called blackroot and I couldn't resist buying this gorgeous skeleton bracelet:


It's the most adorable brass skelebones on a brown wax cord and is the perfect addition to my (ever growing) collection of skelton/skull/bones jewellery. I've worn it every day since I arrived home from work and found a little package waiting for me and can't think of anything that I could wear that it wouldn't go with! Also, it cost £3. THREE POUNDS. The word bargain doesn't even cover it.

Alice (being lovely and silly) also sent me two more bracelets (which I have taken a rubbish picture of, that doesn't do them any justice whatsoever) - one with a little silver St Mary pendant on a black wax cord, and the other, on black elastic with a six-pointed star - both super cute and so easy to wear.


I do love statement jewellery, like my new skeleton friend, but it doesn't have to be huge and sparkley to get my vote - I love the simplicity of these pieces - they can be worn alone or (if you're me) added to the mix of over accessorising an outfit!


So, follow the link here (hover over 'here') to visit blackroot's online store and buy everything (but leave some for me!)

Here are some more of my favourites -




Delicious huh??


On a side note, it was my induction at university yesterday (no, Barclays haven't sorted my career development loan out yet, but I'm just carrying on in the hope they hurry!) so I'll be posting about that soon.
Very exciting but very intense, a Masters is going to be no easy feat that's for sure!

I have a lot of reading to do in preparation for next week, so better get back to it.

Byeee!
xo

Friday 14 September 2012

Hard as Nails

For someone trained in make-up, I rarely talk about cosmetics on here. But I've recently got a new nail varnish that is totally worth raving about, so here I go...

Maybelline Forever Strong Pro in 'Extreme Blackcurrant' (number 5) - photo below.

I bought this bottle because I saw it in the bargain bin section at Boots (always on the hunt for cheap things!) and needed a new dark varnish since all of mine (and there are many) have gone AWOL.

The reason I feel this is worthy of a post is that I am really rubbish at painting my right hand (and often my left hand to be honest) and this is, by far, the easiest nail varnish I have ever applied. The brush, and thickness of the nail varnish itself mean that even someone as cack-handed as me can apply it flawlessly in a couple of strokes.
Plus, it's immediately the colour that it shows in the bottle - it only needed two applications before it was perfect and it's so shiny I didn't even need a top coat (good job really since mine spilt everywhere when we moved house) - delicious!

It says that it lasts up to 7 days on the bottle, but I'm a serial nail picker so no nail varnish lasts that long with me. I'm going to try my best this time to see if this will live up to its claim...

I'm yet to try other shades from this range and still have no clue why it was in the bargain bin, but I'm on the look out and will post any updates!

That's all for now, byeee!



Sunday 9 September 2012

Flower Power - Outfit of the Day

I've been home down south this weekend, it's been 4 months since I was last here which is ridiculous, so I've made a promise to myself never to leave it this long again!

It's always a fleeting visit but I get to see my cats Millie and Cookie which is always a blessing! Millie was my 7th birthday present, so she's 17 years old - she's still my little bambino though!
As an eternal cat woman, I spend as much time with them as possible when I come home.

It's been a lovely weekend, it's rare that all four of us (Mama, Papa, little bro Harvey and me) are together at the same time any more so we've been making the most of it.

Today I was channeling some flower power, thanks to the sunshine (and my mum's wardrobe) so thought it was a good reason to do an outfit of the day.

The goofy picture is me telling my patient brother to get the necklace on in the picture...

I'm wearing:
Dress & necklace - Mum's wardrobe.
Ring - market in Spain
No shoes because I'm being a hippy...
New lipstick! - Coral Tonic by Maybelline

Xo

Tuesday 4 September 2012

The Dark Side

Sorry for being quiet again on the blog front. Lots of preparations and technicalities going in to starting my Masters course - things (ie funds) still aren't certain yet and induction is in less than two weeks so it's pretty stressful!
Without a scholarship, fees for an MA are very pricey (unless £5000 is pocket money to you - if so, can I borrow some cash?) and you need a bank loan to cover them. This has turned out to be a long and difficult process that's still going on, so I'll keep you updated! Fingers crossed it all goes to plan, and sharpish!


In lighter (well, darker) news, I dyed my hair back to black! No more red, much less maintenance, and despite looking like a member of the Addams family, I'm enjoying my return to the dark side.

I'll be back with more OOTD posts (I haven't forgotten!) and other things very soon, but for now, here is a pose-tastic picture of my new hair and same old pale face.

Bye!

Monday 6 August 2012

Bone Head - Outfit of the Day

I'm wearing black again, but I jazzed it up with some silver details and a big ol bone on my head.
While my hair is still red (not sure how since I dyed it dark two weeks ago...) I want to embrace it. When I first dyed it red - I'm naturally very dark - I felt like a cartoon character so sometimes try to play on the cartoon vibe, be it the little mermaid with extensions or, today, a flintstone's character!
I rarely wear this bone clip because it's a bit of a statement accessory but today was a Pebbles day.

The sparkley shirt/jacket I'm wearing was from a charity shop and only cost me £4!

Also, I have different shoes on for once! They are still creepers but brand spanking new ones from my lovely gentleman. He bought me some for my birthday but I had asked for the wrong size (my bad, thought a 6 would fit...) so today I exchanged them for these bad boys. My other creepers have died a death so it was definitely time for some newies!

Here I am, looking awkward with my cup of tea and the fitting room sign poking out of my head:



I'm wearing -
Black dress and leggings - H&M
Studded creepers - present from Miles
Shirt - Charity shop

Accessories:
Bone hair clip - etsy
Ring - Swarovski - an 18th birthday present
Necklaces - eBay and my mama!

Mug - Pop Boutique ;)

I'm not usually keen on my hair up because I have such a round face, but the bone clip looks so much better with a bun.

The tea was delicious by the way, there were more photos of me drinking it than posing...


As a bit of a totally sad ps, this evening I found out my Nanny Brenda's lovely dog Josh was put to sleep today, which is gutting. He was the cutest little old man ever and will be sorely missed.
RIP Joshy </3


Xo

Wednesday 1 August 2012

Back in Black - Outfit of the Day

Well my 'not just black clothes' rule didn't last long! My face also looked very 'Children of the Corn' - hence the creative editing.
My hair wasn't behaving at all which is why it is up.
I'm very boring today, apologies.

Here I am:



I'm wearing:
Dress - H&M
Super soft cardigan (even though you can only see the sleeves) - Next
Jacket - Primark - studded by yours truly
Creepers and Leggings, of course, as before.

Jewellery:
Body harness necklace - Topshop (christmas present from my baby bro last year)

xo

Tuesday 31 July 2012

Handpicked Handmade Vol.3

An OOTD post is unlikely today since I am spending my day off in my pj's because I feel totally rubbish.
If you really want to picture what I look like - hair up, glasses on, tracksuit bottoms, an enormous hoodie and some crumbs from the toast I just ate - VOGUE.

Instead, I thought I'd do a new Handpicked Handmade. It's been a while since I did my last one as I've been lacking in inspiration for a theme, however, I felt a nod to my previous Strange Magic post was necessary, so decided on a white witch collection. Please bear in mind I really only have an aesthetic interest in this, so if I am including things that have nothing to do with white magic, I don't mean to offend, I just imagine they would look delicious together.

Here are my picks:

Rose Quartz Sphere from MagickallyMade

This natural rose quartz sphere from MagickallyMade is delicious - it is believed to 'dispell negativity and amplify the energy of this sphere making it extremely powerful in matters of the heart' - sounds good to me!


Belladonna Talisman Pendant from Witchcrafts Artisan Alchemy

No white witch is complete without a talisman - this beautiful pendant, from Witchcrafts Artisan Alchemy, contains Belladonna (or Deadly Nightshade) - When a necklace comes with warnings (its contents are poisonous) you know it is serious, so perhaps not a purchase for a part time witch, but delighful on the eye nonetheless!


Oracle Tarot Deck by Lisa Chow

These Tarot cards are the artists personal take on a traditional set. Illustrator Lisa Chow has put an awesome spin on this deck (and her other work is adorable too - definitely worth a look!) and as interpreting my own designs of a tarot deck is something I have been considering doing myself (though seeing these, they will put mine to shame) - I was drawn to these over many others I found on etsy.


Signature Candle from The Magickal Cupboard

Did someone say sparkly candle? This is The Magickal Cupboard's Signature candle and, despite lusting after every single one of the candles in their shop and finding it hard to choose just one, this is 'kissed With Enchanting Magickal Dust'! I love the effort that goes into hand-pouring and hand-dripping candles, and the result is just lovely!


Amethyst Crystal Pendulum Necklace from Mystarrrs

I am so in love with this Amethyst crystal pendulum necklace. There are plenty of crystal pendulums on etsy, but this has to be my favourite. I love the simplicity of the necklace, which can be found in Mystarrrs shop, and with amethyst being known to provide a calming and protective energy, I think I might just invest!

Bison Leather Book from Coco's Creations

If you're looking for somewhere to keep your spells, stop the search! This leather bound book from Coco's Creations has an adorable ceramic button sporting a dragonfly and is one of the smaller books in her shop, so is perfect for a witch on the go! Forget your moleskins, you need a bison leather journal.



There were about 50 more items that I 'favourited' on etsy for this Handpicked Handmade, but I had to cut them down so I didn't get carried away - it was mainly candles if I'm honest...
That's it for now, I'll be back with an OOTD when I don't feel/look so rough.

Hope you liked it!
xo

Monday 30 July 2012

Karma Chameleon - Outfit of the Day

Today I felt like a strange Boy George/Ballerina hybrid.

I don't wear this hat often because
a) it takes some courage to rock a hat that's not a beanie
b) last time I wore it the wind blew it off my head and half way down Briggate and I'm still embarrassed months later
c) it's windy loads
d) I look like Boy George in it

But today I decided to embrace the Culture Club look (on my head at least) and I kinda liked it.

I also wore (some) colour! I got this skirt for £5 in the River Island sale on my birthday, it's a bit too big but a belt holds it up enough to make it wearable.

So here I am - Miles was getting frustrated at me making him take so many pictures so this is the best of a bad bunch! I look quite short which is very strange, since in my creepers I'm almost 6ft...


I'm wearing:
Black top with lace detailing - Topshop (years ago, but I like the lower back, hence the creepy over shoulder picture, it's kind of like a leotard, I felt it added to the 'ballerina' vibe I had made up in my head)
Skirt - River Island
Leggings - Next
Creepers (again) - eBay

Jewellery:
Brown ring (worn yesterday) from lovely Phebe W-J - not pictured
Black pyramid ring - H&M
Wooden cross necklace - eBay

That's it for today, just a quick post.

Hope everyone is well!
Xo

Sunday 29 July 2012

What Charli Wore - Outfit of the Day

A year or so ago, I religiously followed a blog called What Katie Wore - A site run by Katie and her partner Joe, starting with a bet between them that Katie couldn't wear a different outfit every day for a year - turns out she could, and the blog continued after that year, with a daily update of Katie's amazing style (comments on each outfit by Joe).
I thought the blog was such a lovely idea, and I delighted in seeing what outfit Katie had worn every time I visited the site. As time went on, I visited less frequently, though today, following a conversation with my friend/manager Katy (different Katy!) about a project she used to do (more on that later) I decided to see what Katie and Joe had been up to. I was met with an image (from January - it's been a long time) entitled "What Katie Wore: The End!" explaining that on the third anniversary of What Katie Wore, they were 'retiring from the blogging game' - I responded to this with a slightly too loud 'NOOOO' and made the decision there and then to, in homage to WKW, start (or at least try) to track what I've been wearing.

Now, I'm far from a fashionista, and I hope this doesn't come across as a totally vain task - I just fancied pushing myself a little out of my 'all black and nothing else' comfort zone.
We moved house nearly a month ago, I have SO many clothes that are still packed, and I'm probably only wearing about 10% of what I own - granted, a lot of my clothes don't fit me anymore, but my biscuit/bread addiction is a tale for another day, and I'm going to attempt to lose weight in order to get a smokin bod back - so this task is to force myself to utilise my vast wardrobe. I work in a vintage clothes shop for goodness sake, yet I spend most of my time in oversized band tshirts and leggings.

Anyway, Katy (friend/manager) has a blog called 'I Get Dressed In The Morning' -on which she documented her outfits of the day and, having neglected it for a while, was discussing taking it back up again, which spurred my 'Outfit Of The Day' idea even more.

Today, of course, I wore black. Lots of it. But I had animal print socks on to make up for it. Hopefully OOTD posts in the future will be a little more exciting, but this is the whole point of the exercise :)

Here I am - ignore the dorky face!




I'm wearing:
Oversized, bat wing top from Zara
Black skirt and leggings from H&M
Fake Creepers from eBay
Socks - a christmas present!

Jewellery:
Silver ring from Leeds Market
Gold and brown ring - a birthday present from Miles' lovely sister Phebe
Gold studded bracelet from eBay
Necklace from a market in Spain
-I'm not one to usually mix gold and silver, but I didn't really pay attention this morning!

Well. That's it for today, I can't promise future OOTD posts will be particularly stylish, but I promise to try and include more colour!
Hope everyone has had a lovely weekend
XO

Tuesday 17 July 2012

My Week On Instagram

I've seen a few blogs where this has been done and think its a great idea so here is last week, through my instagram pictures!

Monday:
A pretty dull day, but I found some of my nail varnishes when unpacking and decided on yellow - it matched the 'Pop' mugs at work and as the day had been pretty uneventful I thought that was instagram worthy...



Tuesday:
We finally got sky! It's such a relief to have working internet as well as all the best channels and I spent my night catching up on trashy tv and putting my feet up with the best pug pillow in the world!



A late night photo followed of Miles drawing away til the early hours. I'm not sure I've mentioned much about Miles on here (which is strange because I talk about him a lot usually!) but he is a tattooist so when he's not in the studio he is drawing. Always. I'm incredibly proud of him and am constantly in awe of how talented he is (barf) but I wish there were more hours in the day for him so he could stop working for just a second! Even though he is always working, he's still delicious to look at so I'm just a creep and take pictures of him while he's drawing away.


Wednesday:
I unpacked my Vogue and Harper's Bazaar magazines - 2 years of subscription (which I can't afford to renew right now - boo) has resulted in a rather large collection. One day I hope to have a library of Vogues, all displayed - in chronological order of course.


Tomorrow is my 24th birthday and I'm having a Jersey Shore themed party on Saturday. I'm usually super pale so any excuse to fake tan beyond recognition is a plus... (last year it was a Big Fat Gypsy Wedding theme - I had fairy lights in my skirt and mahogany skin of course)
This is just a selection of the fake tan I'll be using over the next week to perfect the Jersey look. True dedication.


Thursday:
Another quiet day, so just an appreciation picture of my slipknot tshirt...


Friday:
I got my nails done! Glitter gels for my birthday as a present from my pal
Kiri. I thought they would enhance my Jersey look though no so secretly totally love them. I'm such a magpie (as discussed previously!) and catch myself just staring at the sparkles. Delicious.


xo

Saturday 7 July 2012

Home Sweet Home

Just a quick post from my phone because we won't have internet until next week, but after the stressful weekend of moving house, we're finally settling in.

This house wasn't our original choice, in fact it was plan C, but after missing out on dream flats 1&2 we signed for this place. Initially I wasn't excited about the move because we were so gutted about missing out on the flats we loved but I am SO glad we got the house!

Our landlady is an interior designer so the house is totally different from anything I've seen in the area and it's got so much character, we've had nothing but compliments from people that have come to visit.

We've still got a lot of unpacking to do, especially since Miles and I haven't had a day off together since the move. Despite this, it's already feeling like home and I really love it.

I'll post more about the house as we continue to unpack and make it our own, but for now, here is a picture of our new kitchen.

Lovely!
Xo

Tuesday 26 June 2012

Fragile

So this week is moving week - the lead up to which has kept me particularly quiet on the blog front.


I hate moving, but unfortunately, in the areas of Leeds that we want to stay in, contracts are 'student' lets, from July 1st - June 30th and unless you sign for the same house again (which wasn't really even an option for us this time due to a change in letting agents and the break in that I've never really got over) you face the inevitable homeless night on the 30th and stress of moving the same day as the entire student population of Leeds.

Let me tell you a little something about what we like to call LS6-mas.
Everyone dumps their unwanted belongings on the streets, and the whole of Hyde Park, Headingley and Burley kind of becomes a tip/free for all hybrid.
If I'm honest, the cheap skate in me thinks it's a great time to grab yourself some free furniture (and apparently, scrap metal) and the piles of ikea items and mounds of bin bags have come to be an expected part of the moving day experience.
The homeless night I so lovingly refer to also comes part and parcel of the weekend. Everyone has to be out by midday on the 30th but can't get the keys to their new place until the following lunch time - thank god for Miles' parents living near enough for us to stay, or it would make the move a whole lot more stressful.

I'm a stress ball at the best of times, but moving house brings out the worst in me.
I have been packing for what feels like an eternity (3 days) yet nothing seems to be packed! How Miles and I have managed to fill a 2 bedroom house (with a junk room and an attic) is beyond me. We've only been living together for a year so I can only imagine what our houses will be like in the future! I have packed 4 boxes of ornaments (labelled 'nice things' and 'be fucking careful' - such a lady) and that's not even touched the ever growing collection of weird stuff we decorate our home with...
I also packed a box of multi coloured hair, a separate box containing solely candles, and another full of false lashes. Christ.

I wasn't kidding...

I've been googling 'packing tips' in between boxing up our belongings and taking countless (much needed) tea breaks, though the suggested 'reuse old boxes and don't use thin black sacks for clothes... start six weeks before your move (we have 4 days left now) and put heavy items at the bottom' all seems like common sense to me.
If anyone has any genuinely helpful moving tips, they would be well received right now, but maybe a miracle is our only hope?!

One of the more politely labelled boxes

Apologies for my slightly erratic post, it's clearly just a reflection of my poor little mind right now - I have to give it to Miles, he's incredibly patient with his 5'11 red headed crazy woman and calms me down every time I have a 'moment' - I'm very lucky to have such a brilliant chap in my life (plus our amazing parents who are helping us out with the move).

Anyway, as of Sunday, we will be in our new place, just down the road from where we are now, another 2 bed house to fill with our weird and wonderful ornaments and make a home (until next LS6-mas at least!)

Once we have the internet set up at our new place, I'll be making an effort to post more on here because I feel I've been a bit rubbish at blogging recently.

I'm off to pack myself into a box labelled 'Fragile' - see you on the other side!
xo

Friday 8 June 2012

Moonrise Kingdom


On Wednesday I watched Moonrise Kingdom and have become so obsessed, I can't stop thinking/talking/dreaming about it.

Wes Anderson, you've done it again.

My little heart actually squeezes every time I think about it (which is a lot) and I want everyone I know to go and watch it so we can gush about it together. I'm actually so excited about the film, that I'm typing really fast (and making loads of typos in the process) because I want to talk about it FOREVER.

I knew I'd love it from the trailer alone and I don't even know where to start when it comes to talking about it.
The costume, the set, the soundtrack, the actors, the story line, the tiny cute kitten...

I don't want to ruin the story for anyone that hasn't seen it, and this is far more of an appreciation post than a movie review, but I thought I'd dedicate this post to my newest obsession.

I watched the film at the Hyde Park Picture House, which I'm sure only added to my falling in love with it. I've only ever been to the Picture House once before and it's so awesome, I'll definitely be going again. It's cheaper than the standard cinema, more intimate AND I had a cup of tea while watching the movie. Can't complain!

So -

The film follows 12 year old Suzy and Sam who run away together on an adventure planned in letters to one another and the adults who try to find them. Wrap this up in delicious 60's costume and sets beautiful enough to make your eyes water and you've got Moonrise Kingdom.

The story is set in 1965 so you can already imagine how delicious the wardrobe would be - tiny dresses with peter pan collars (a permanent obsession of mine), bold prints and knee high socks.
In a story of the most heartwarmingly innocent love, the youngest characters eventually appear to be the most mature; with Suzy's blue eyeshadow, a reflection of her old soul, and the khaki scout uniform looking more fitting on Ed Norton's character Scout Master Ward, than the 12 year old runaway Sam.

The story line alone is enough to warm even the iciest of hearts, but the film's impeccable casting and Wes Anderson's magic touch means (and yes, I'm being serious) move over Virgin Suicides, I've got a new favourite film on my hands.
It's a feast for the eyes, ears and soul. Characters on an adventure I can still only dream of, in clothes I want to own, with a soundtrack I could listen to forever...oh yeah, and it has the cutest kitten in the world. Meow.

Have some pictures, and if that's not enough, a trailer. Go and watch Moonrise Kingdom as soon as you possibly can, I promise you won't regret it.