Spring Madness

So much has happened this Spring that I haven't had time to properly blog. I'm hoping to start dedicating more time to blogging at the end of the month once my life settles back down again.

So the biggest news is that I have officially moved to Northern Ireland! I have a part time job working for Her Majesty's Passport Office and I'm settling in well. Jonathan and I are enjoying living together and spending much more time with eachother. We're enjoying having a tasty home cooked vegan dinner together in the evenings and cuddling up with the duvet on the sofa and a film.

Here's some posts from my instagram over the last few weeks..

• We constructed our first Ikea bed! Jonathan was obviously pretty happy about this...
• The new member of the family! Meet Reginald, known as Reggie to his friends. He's a little albino gerbil I felt sorry for after all his brothers were sold in my local pets at home. This little guy was on his own for months but thanks to a friend who works there who had an old gerbilarium cage she was able to give me the little furry face has a new home! I'll be bringing my two girls, Florence and Clio, over in two weeks, though they'll be in separate cages as I'm not prepared for baby gerbils! I can't wait to have our little family all together including Jonathan's two bearded dragons Moz and Marr. 
• Jonathan turned 24 last month so we decided to spend the day at one of the local National Trust properties, Castle Ward. It's a stunning location and it was such a beautiful afternoon that we tromped around the grounds and left the actual house for another time (there's a big secondhand book and record event in the autumn we're interested in). 
• I've been training for my first 5km which is this Sunday!! The event is Race for Life and raises money for Cancer Research UK, if anyone wants to sponsor me please go to my justgiving page. Thankyou! :) Jonathan and I are hoping to find a 10km event in the autumn and are aiming to run the Bath half marathon next year, fingers crossed!
• We had some gorgeous weather recently so here's Jonathan at Victoria Squares viewing platform in Belfast. 
• Leaving for work face.
• Lorde inspired make up.
• At the end of March I went to Birmingham to see Interpol with my good friend, Davy. It was a fun night with a tasty meal at Las Igaunas followed by a band I've wanted to see since I was 14! 
• Jonathan's been so supportive recently with all the changes in my life, I'd be lost without him. He's a very special dinosaur! 
• One of Jonathan's birthday presents from me... a HUGE canvas map of Middle Earth. I wanted it to go above the fireplace but it seems I may have ordered a tad too big! Still it's a great piece for our living room.
• I went to my first Magic the Gathering prerelease event for the new set, Journey Into Nyx. I chose white as my main deck is a green/white midgame deck. I ended up doing really well coming 7th out of 24 and even beating Jonathan! I've met some really ace people down at the club where we play and Friday Night Magic is part of our weekly social life.

Phew! We're heading back to England this weekend for my 5km, dental surgery (boo!) and my 24th birthday so I'll probably still be a little absent until we're back. I have lots of things planned. I hope you're all having a wonderful Spring and thankyou for your patience. 

Love always,
Amy xx

The Memory Lives On : Cats 2013 UK Tour

Meow!

So, last night I was walking through a rather drizzly dull Bristol city centre with my Mum in a sparkly black dress. We were already full of food from Wagamamas and as we passed faceless commuters rushing to catch their bus home we were on our way to the Bristol Hippodrome. Why? To fulfil a 16 year old dream I've had, to see the musical Cats live on stage! 

Selfie before we left. 

Walking through those miserable, cold streets I felt like a firework I haven't felt such intense excitement in a long time I felt like I was going to explode into bright colours, or something equally dramatic

Macavity!

I should probably start with the beginning of this story, the time I was first introduced to the effulgent poems from T S Eliot's 'Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats'. I was in primary school and my teacher at the time (who happened to be an old theatre actor himself) read some of the poems in english class. I was in awe and immediately went to the town library to get the book out to read myself. In the end I think it turned into the book I rented from the library the most, every few months I got it again. It was the same year that my teacher invited me to join the theatre company he ran with his wife. I ended up spending alot of my youth in that company, 'Break-A-Leg' joining both the acting and dance classes for years. This was my first exposure to Cats the Musical. We preformed 'Macavity' as part of a Cabaret performance when I was 7 and that was when my Mum bought the film version on VHS, as it happened to also come out that year. 

Was it Mungojerrie? Or Rumplteazer?

I was entranced. Ever since that day I vowed to see Cats live one day no matter what. With the same theatre group I went on to dance and sing in various Cats acts, though sadly never the whole musical. My love was sealed.

Magical Mr Mistoffelees!

A few months ago I was casually browsing our local theatre, the Bristol Hippodrome, for performances (I went to see the comedian, Bill Bailey, for the second time in September) and there were those iconic yellow cat eyes staring back at me. I looked at performance dates and immediately ran downstairs to my Mum to ask if she wanted to go as part of her 50th birthday presents from me. I actually squealed one the booking was confirmed and ever since I've had excitement building, I've read my copy of OPBoPC so many times I almost know it word from word! And last night, was the night!

Outfit I wore. Forest Green Blazer, Sparkly Black cut Out Dress and Floral Tights.

I could hardly sit still as we took our seats (great seats in the Grand Circle) and viewing the junkyard set I was practically buzzing! The lights dimmed and the music began to swell and I could feel tears pricking, here I finally was 16 years later fulfilling the dream of a theatre lover. 

View from our seats!

The performance itself was flawless, in all honesty I'm still in awe of the dedication of the cast and crew to bringing the world of the Jellicle Cats to life. The singing and dance routines were flawless and I loved the little quirks of personality the actors have brought to the characters. I know the songs so well I was miming along with the cast totally enthralled. 

Grisabella The Glamour Cat.

I don't think a smile left my face the whole time. I can't even pick out a standout performance, everyone was so perfectly cast and really gave their performance, no matter how small all their dedication. The special effects were in time and spot on, the live orchestra gave the music flair and made the performance even more magical. I feel like I'm running out of adjectives to really describe my experience but it was unreal. I've been to many fantastic theatre productions before but this one meant so much to be I don't think I could fault it if I tried! I extend all my thanks and admiration for all the cast and crew who have worked to make this tour as special as it has been. Thankyou for fulfilling my dream and going beyond all my expectations; I'm still spellbound!

Demeter, Bombalurina and Jennylorum.

Cats is a show that has it all; memorable musical hits, beautiful ballet and gymnastic inspired dance routines, feline acting and pizazz! Faithful to the original poetry Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic score leaves you feeling breathless and wanting more; wanting to explore this mysterious world of the cats further. This is a show that I recommend to anyone, even people who do not enjoy the theatre because you will love this show. I'm hoping they do another UK tour in a few years so I can take my niece as she would be equally enthralled as I was as a young child.

Cast

Remaining tickets for this UK/Europe tour can be found here.

Images bar my own are all from the current UK/Europe Tour and found on the official Cat's website found here.

My Relationship with Books

I'm not one to like being dictated into what to do, what to say or believe but when I see lists of books, films, artwork or television shows that are classed as musts then I can't help but want to experience these cultural epochs. Today it was brought to my attention a list published by The Guardian of 1000 books you must read so of course I've sat and worked out how many I've read.
Total: 73

I was a little shocked at this, I generally consider myself well read than most people. (perks of chronic illness means lots of reading time) Alot of the books on the list are ones I either currently have in my 'to read' pile or are books I want to read as soon as I find them in second hand shops and/or are bought for me. I think as a result of this I've realised my taste in books varies alot: there were books I've read in each of the genres and for this I'm quite proud. I'm a girl who's hard to pin down, who has tastes in varied things and therefore experiences so many different kinds of books. I like books that have meaning, that can transport me to another reality, that stay with me long after I've read their words. Maybe in that sense I'm a bit of a book romanticist, but they truly are some of my most treasured possessions. 99% of the time I will read a book even if it's boring me in the optimistic hope that it'll get better. I'm the type of person who always has a book in her bag, who never travels without at least one literary companion. Now I have a kindle as well I can carry lots of books with me at once, though it'll never replace the comfort of the typed words, the grainy texture and smell of a book in my hands.

Next week I'm getting 100 new paperbacks for £12, thanks to an advertisement in the local Sainsburys. I can't wait to sift through the titles and imagine what these books have seen before their life in a woman's attic (this makes me sad..). Some of the books are children's Enid Blyton's from the sixties and since my Mum sadly had to part with her copies I'm looking forward to reliving some beautiful childhood memories of sitting with my Mum's battered copies in the garden, or lying on my bed on rainy weekends filling my head with fantasy and adventure.

I wouldn't be who I am without books. Even from an early age the written word spoke to me, my Mum recalls times I got into trouble for refusing to leave book sections in shops. Being a bit of a loner in school with not many friends I sought comfort in books and would spend lunchtimes in the library huddled into a corner with a new favourite story. It wasn't just fiction, my Mum once inherited several huge encyclopaedias of science and I remember sitting in the hallway engrossed into the life of a star or learning about new and fantastic creatures I knew nothing about.

I guess my books are my faithful friends, I could never part with them as everyone I've read holds a part of my soul.



-
To see what I'm currently reading and reviews check out my Goodreeads account: Amy Maries.
I also post pictures of my latest purchases and what I'm reading on my instagram: missamykatherine

She opened her eyes to see, She was the one for me

Hi! I'm back from my holiday from Devon and since being back I've already got my creative head on. A few weeks ago I found a tutorial for a simple straight line skirt and I already had bought some fabric from the NEC sewing for pleasure exhibition that I had already bookmarked for a skirt. 

The tutorial is simple to follow and it's a really simple design that is perfect for a casual day look. The elastic waist is also friendly for people like me who can be prone to bloating a bit after big meals! It's also so cute for summer days out! 

The only problems I had with this were:

•  I measured the elastic to fit exactly to my waist but when I put it on it's really loose. Next time I'll make it an inch or two smaller so it fits more snugly and allows for my continuing weight loss aims. 
•  Make sure you leave about two inches of the side sem free or else it's a nightmare when you thread the elastic through later! 
•  I used a zigzag stitch on my machine but my Mum said a straight would be better, I didn't really realise until it was almost finished. 

If you'd like to have a go yourself then the tutorial by Brett Bara is here. 

You can also purchase her book on amazon here, I already have it on my wishlist!

Outfit Details:

Denim shirt - charity shop and diy, skirt - diy, belt - new look. 

I can see clearly now the rain is gone

Staying positive is a really hard thing to do, I think with all the media that's thrown our way it's so easy to get down and only see the negatives in life. It's hard to pull yourself out of that cycle but when you do, oh does it feel wonderful.

I started 2013 wanting to work on my positivity, I have trouble staying optimistic and little things can really get me into a seemingly endless sadness to the point of not wanting to do anything but lie in bed staring at the walls. I realised how much of life I'm just throwing away and therefore I decided I wanted to take 2013 as a new year and start finding and counting my blessings. Some days are obviously easier than others, as the classic Coldplay song goes 'No-one said it was easy, no-one ever said it would be so hard".

I want to share with you some of the little things that have helped me start embracing life as fully as I can again.

Count your blessings. 
Every few days (I don't make it a thing I have to do everyday because then it seems like a chore) I write down the things that have made me smile, laugh or made me happy. Some of these are special days spent with loved ones, other days are just being thankful that I have people who care and love me. Anything can go into this growing list, from making a really tasty sandwich to seeing the first flowers bloom in the garden. I use this book when I feel sad, it's full of little memories now that I can fall back on when things get too much. Having a written record is great for this, you could even do one on your computer if that suits you but I love seeing my handwriting and the act of writing these things out.

Get a hobby. 
In the last few months I've got back into sewing, something I hadn't done since I was a little girl, and now I have several creative projects lined up to do. Finding something you enjoy helps keep you motivated but also is a great stress or anxiety outlet. I was so overwhelmed one afternoon that I grabbed my scissors and material and ended up making a new cushion cover by the end of the evening and I felt so much better for it. I also find baking is a huge anxiety release, when things got really stressful at university I would whip up a batch of cupcakes and sometimes it helped release that stress - and gave me something yummy at the end! I personally find the hobbies that have a physical 'object' at the end of each session are the best for me. I also find working with my hands helps distract any anxiety symtoms such as hyperventilating and has also had positive effects on my neurological conditions symtoms. n days when I either feel too unwell to leave my bed I find reading is also a good outlet. I've loved reading since I knew what a book was, and my family have always referred to me as a bookworm. I find being able to drift into another reality therapeutic as a very simple hobby. Other examples could be photography (which would also help get you out the house), knitting, creative writing, playing or learning a new instrument or origami.

Try to exercise more.
So we're always hearing how good exercise is for staying healthy and increasing/maintaining fitness but guess what it has another advantage! During exercise our body releases endorphins and lifts our mood, anyone who works out regularly can testify to the exhilarated mood after a good work out. Obviously this doesn't mean you need to go forking out for gym memberships and the such, even having a walk has the same effects on the body. I personally do, almost daily, my neuro-physio excersises, a mix of yoga and tai-chi I've adapted to my health conditions and last week I started the 30 day squat challenge. I also enjoy swimming, but due to my health constraints I have to be with someone and have to be feeling well enough to do it. I know when you're really down finding the energy to do exercise cna make you feel more exhausted but doing just a little of something really has positive effects on the physical and psychological aspects of our bodies.

Meditation and breathing techniques. 
I've added this even though I find it so hard to switch my mind off, after years of trying I still can't master it! But I know it's been really helpful for others, and even slowing down our minds for five minutes can have those uplifting effects. Look online for tips on breathing techniques (which are amazing during anxiety attacks!) and meditation. From what I've heard and read it is something that takes some mastering so I still try when my mind starts making quantum leaps!

Try not to compare yourself to others. 
I for one know how difficult this is but it's integral to being positive about your life. Instead of seeing what everyone else has achieved write a list of everything you have achieved. Even the littlest things like getting through a tough period and still standing is worthy of this. We're all individuals and comparing ourselves to everyone else just makes us miserable. It's another thing that would probably help keeping a written record of to remind ones self on bad days.


These are just five suggestions but there are so many more out there. I would suggest that if a low mood or anxiety is directly affecting your daily life then it would be a good idea to speak to someone you can trust like a doctor, teacher or relative even just to chat. Sometimes we need someone who we don't know just to listen and give us a bit of a helping hand and there's no shame in that. Working towards a more positive lifestyle and attitude towards life may not be the easiest thing to do but it's worth it. I'll post any other tips and ideas to help when I can think of some more but I think these are the ones that in general have helped the most.

Why wait to discover your dreams?

Wearing: Black pattern flatforms - Office, Black tights - Marks and Spencers, Denim Mini Skirt - Topshop, Black belt - Primark, Oversized cream blouse - Urban Outfitter's, Necklace - Etsy

I hope all my readers had a lovely Easter! I come from a non-religious family and I'm an atheist myself so it was never a big thing in my family bar chocolate. Now I'm older (and vegan) I didn't get any chocolate, apart from two eggs I had from Jonathan's Mum and Aunt when I was in Northern Ireland last. I did buy Phoebe the Lion King on dvd as an Easter present and I think it'll turn into a tradition now that she gets a new Disney dvd for Easter. She gets alot of chocolate from family already so I'd rather give her a little gift that lasts! I might look for some Easter crafts next year as she'll be two and able to do more. Though she did make an Easter card with my Mum for me! However you celebrate Easter or not at all then I hope you had a good weekend. 

Easter chick card made by Phoebe and my Mum. 

Since I have had three weeks at home before jetting back to Northern Ireland for Jonathan's birthday I've been wanting to work on some projects I keep putting off. I'm not the best person at always finishing something I've started because my mind and imagination are always jumping off to the next thing but I'm trying to remedy this habit. As a result I've been working on some sewing projects that date from Christmas. I've made my sister and my niece each their own cushion, my first ever go at quilting! I finished all the machine sewing yesterday and then tomorrow I'm going to do the fastenings and they'll be finished. Mum's helping me with some other projects that are a tad more complicated for my current skill level. 

 Wearing: Black shoes - charity shop, black tights - Marks and Spencers, Black PU skirt - River Island, Thin belt - Primark, Batwing jumper - Republic

When I get home, probably after my holiday to Devon with the family, I want to start work on a fabric covered noticeboard for my room with some of the pretty bird material I bought. I've also decided to paint my feature wall in my room cream like the rest of my room instead of wallpaper because I want to carry on my collection of pretty paintings and prints of animals and things. I currently have two owl paintings that my Mum created for my birthday, two owl prints I got for 50p each at a market and a vintage style painting of finches by my Gran. Plus I need room for my hockey jersey! I'm not a minimalist person in style as I like lots of trinkets so I'm learning to balance that to make practical spaces without overcrowding - I can't wait to have a whole house to decorate! 

Finches Painting by my Grandmother. 

Another experiment of mine was a baking experiment. It being easter weekend I needed to make something sweet and yummy to celebrate and I was entranced to make the mini pineapple upside down cakes from A Beautiful Mess. Obviously, I would need to adapt the recipe to make it vegan so I used my now trusty cake batter mix (it's for a red velvet cake but I just leave out the chocolate and food colouring and it makes a gorgeous batter that has tricked many into not knowing it was vegan!). I also changed the whiskey in the recipe for amaretto as I'm not a big whiskey fan and we didn't have any in anyways! The results were the best pineapple upside down cakes I've ever made! I've made them before but never thought to put a caramel layer under the pineapple and it makes such a difference. These are now my go-to party cakes and I'll be whipping up a batch for Jonathan's work colleagues next week! 

My vegan mini pineapple upside down cakes.

Currently Reading: Syd Moore's 'Witch Hunt'

Currently Listening: Deftones - Koi No Yokan

I've had three outfits here to show you as I've been a tad behind. I'm trying to brace more spring attire despite the cold temperatures for the UK. Today it was actually sunny and a lovely 8 degrees which was very welcome! It's not quite at the stage where I can not wear tights but my cute summer dresses will be hopefully be making more of an appearance now. The only things I want to buy clothes wise this spring/summer is a new swimming costume for my Devon holiday (probably not ready confidence wise for a bikini yet though with my latest weight gain) and some pretty walking around sightseeing sandals. I want some decent long lasting sandals that are going to last from May until the end of September when I go to Athens so any suggestions of brands are welcome (no leather or suede or flipflops though!).

Wearing: 

Tan brogues - Urban Outfitters, Black tights - Marks and Spencers, Green retro bow pattern dress - Primark, Tan belt - New Look, Pink Lace top - Urban Outfitters, Owl necklace - Accessorize. 

Ps. I'm selling some of my old or unworn clothes on eBay. 

Less than a day left to bid but any that don't sell will be auctioned again. 

My vegan journey

Homemade garlic and oregano bread with wholewheat pasta and roasted vegetables.

I've been wanting to do an post on how my journey into veganism has been going. I've now been fully vegan since Christmas and I'm proud of my progress so far. I still really miss cheese and eggs and bacon sandwiches but it'll take a long time until those cravings past - and I'm pleased to say I haven't caved! I'm going to split this post into a few sections to make it easier for me to be focused and not repeat myself.

Porridge made with water, dried cranberries, fresh blueberries, desiccated coconut and pumpkin seeds.

Food and cooking. 
I've always enjoyed cooking and baking, it's just something that helps me relieve stress and anxiety. For years I got lazy with my cooking, I was never a fan of ready meals but I did use alot of pre-made sauces and wasn't too bothered about my health. Since becoming vegetarian last year and now vegan one of the things I wanted to accomplish was eating healthier and looking after my body. I've been plagued for years with illnesses and problems with my health and I just want to help my body anyway I can. So I'm always doing my research and I'm learning to incorporate a wide variety of vegetables, pulses and fruits into my diet to get as many health benefits as I possibly can. Since becoming more health conscious I've also dived back into cooking from scratch, which is cheaper and quicker than I first thought, as a way of knowing what good things are in my food. I now know exactly what is my food, I add little to no salt and there are no preservatives in my cooking. I already feel generally more energetic (which is a big thing for a girl with chronic fatigue!) and little, niggling problems I had with my health have disappeared.

Black bean and vegetable chilli with rice and soya yoghurt. 

Yes, I miss some foods but I know I'm looking after myself. I'm also doing my bit to help provide sustainable food sources for future generations (the meat industry is not sustainable with global population growth) and everything I eat is cruelty free. To conter with my helping animals I'm also trying to buy more things that are fair trade and ethically produced. This also includes trying to buy more locally sourced food where possible, I can't wait for my Mum's garden to explode with goodies during harvest season! My Mum has noticed food bills in general have dropped since she's trying to have more vegan meals for weight loss reasons and although sometimes buying something seems expensive they last for several meals making them cheaper in the longrun. Now, I don't want to be one of those vegans who preach all the time and I've been assured by my family I'm not, but I do want to be an advocate for healthy and nutritional diets. To do this adapting more vegetarian or vegan meals into your life is the best way, so why not try having a vegan day once a week? You'll be suprised at the wealth of delicious recipes to try! :)

Vegan vanilla fairy cakes with sultanas. 

Clothing and Make-up. 
To be honest clothing was pretty easy for me as sheep's wool makes my skin come up in rashes so I tend to avoid it. The hardest thing has been leather shoes! I've found so many gorgeous shoes and boots I want but can't have because they're leather. It is great seeing more high street stores using PU plastic to make shoes and boots, it looks and feels like leather and I think it'll be great to see more styles on the shelves soon! I think it's much easier than it used to be to get animal friendly clothing. Again, same with the food I'm looking to start looking for more ethical sources for my clothing but it'll be a long journey and alot of research required.

Homemade Sweet and sour sauce with tofu and vegetables.

Make-up has also been a challenge, I've always been against animal testing for cosmetic reasons and I already tried to avoid brands I knew where known to be animal testers. Since being vegan more research meant I discovered more brands and was devastated to learn how big the industry was. Luckily, from March 24th animal testing for cosmetics in Europe has been banned for ingredients and products. I'm waiting a few weeks but I'm pleased to say any new products released here will now not be tested on animals, no matter the brand.

Vegan lasagne with tofu, spinach, tomato and vegetable sauce and a breadcrumb and garlic topping.

Family. 
My family have been really supportive of my choice with both my Gran and Mum taking elements of the diet side into their own diets. My Gran has asked me for recipes and my Mum looks forward to nights when I'm cooking. Even my brother has adapted to using the soya mince in shepherds pies without fuss. No-one has ridiculed me and I feel blessed to be apart of such an accepting and loving family. I understand it can be difficult for some people to understand and accept, and I have had friends outrightly disagree with me, but that;s their choice. I think the hardest thing would be as a teenager who still relies on their parents for food as it can be hard to be cooking several meals at once with a family but it is possible and maybe they will learn to enjoy vegan cuisine!

Vegan pancakes.

If anyone has any questions about veganism, recipes or healthy diets then please feel free to leave a comment and I'll reply.
To follow more of my vegan cooking/baking adventures follow my instagram: amehduck or my twitter: hovercrab . :)

Vegan chocolate brownies.

Can't make time stand still, but you can make it run

I am the worst person at finding time to update, but in all fairness I have been really ill and busy the last week!
I had a wonderful 6 weeks in Northern Ireland with my boyfriend. It's painful how much I miss him now but less than 2 weeks until I'll be back there for his birthday. :) He's a very special person and I would be totally lost without him at the moment. He also got me my first hockey jersey for Valentines. With the Belfast Giant's team member 'Walton' on the back, my favourite player. :)

I had an adventure last weekend visiting my Grandparents in the Midlands and seeing 2 good friends, Nick and Davy. My Mum, Gran and I also went to the Sewing For Pleasure show at the NEC and I now have several gorgeous new fabrics to work with. The great thing about it was that I was able to get companies websites that I now can say in confidence I can get decent fabric from at good prices rather than hit and miss with ebay. I'll do a comprehensive list on another post for anyone who is also on the search for good fabric! :)

The weather while I was in the Midlands was TERRIBLE! I was so unwell on Thursday when we left I literally just threw clothes into my bag without paying much attention to what it was or even looking at weather reports (like I usually do) so getting a few inches of snow was not expected! I had my tan brogues and dark green loafers with me... both of which have NO grip at all. I packed clothes-wise, a maxi skirt with some tops and a dress. Again, NOT snow suitable! I managed to get through this disaster though without getting too cold, wet and didn't fall over once! :) Despite this I had a good time and was feeling much better by the Friday so the weekend wasn't ruined.

Outfit Details: 

Black Maxi Skirt - Exhibit (NI), Aztec 3/4 sleeved top - Charity Shop, Beatles Crop Tee - H&M, Hamsa Necklace - Internacionale

On coming back I had some medical appointments Monday and saw my sister and niece  Phoebe can say my name now! It was beyond adorable and I was almost in tears, just seeing how much she'd grown and developed since I saw her a month and a half ago was astonishing. Her language skills are really developing and it makes me proud as her aunt that she's mastering these skills.

Yesterday was a rest day as my various medical problems were starting to play up so I took the initiative and spent most the day sleeping and reading. Today's a similar kinda day but I've done my physio and adapted yoga (omg my legs HURT from not doing it in so long!) and I'm planning to spend the evening reading and just taking it easy. I also got some new shoes I ordered (I've had some bad news I don't want to talk about and I'm really disheartened and sad atm so I bought shoes). They're gorgeous colourfully patterned flatforms from Office for £10 reduced from £35. I've never worn flatforms before and they're surprisingly comfortable and easy to walk in! I'm actually finding it easier to keep my balance in these compared to my normal shoes! I've also donned my wig today as I've missed it, and my roots are atrocious. Mum and I are going to dye our hair this Easter weekend so just a few days left with icky blondeness!

Currently Reading: CJ Sansom's 'Revelation'
Currently listening to: Doll & The Kicks (amazing band that sadly never made it. Bargin album for £5 on itunes. Highly recommended!)

Outfit Details: 

Wig - eBay, 'Konichiwa' oversized shirt - Urban Outfitters, Bleached denim jeggings - new look, Flatforms - Office.