Golden Dreams Were Shiny Days: September

September, as told by my Iphone.

Making plans

Night in

Amazing evening at Tyneside Cinema.

Walking

New hat and changing to a middle parting for the first time in 10 years.

Rainy walk in beautiful Newcastle

Bike cafe

'These boots were made for walkin...''

Lunchtime treat from the Coffee Rooms at work.

Tea bags made especially to compliment 'hard' Northern water

Childhood sweets

Probably the most disturbing book I've ever read, but so amazing I ploughed through it in 4 days.

Rainy Sunday indoors

Book sale at City Library. You could fill an entire box for £2! I was in my element.

Loot

More walks

Pals

Fancy Pants & Other Recent Purchases

I got paid last week, hurrah! I know I'm supposed to be saving for Paris, but I managed to stumble across some raging bargains that I just couldn't say no to, rubbish willpower...

Studded socks from Topshop £3

Bow back blouse from Topshop £10 in the sale!

  

High waisted underwear, £5 in the sale Urban Outfitters

Lace up 'Victorian' style boots, £30 from eBay

Polka dot dress, £3 charity shop

Black button up shirt, £2.50 charity shop

Frame £1.50 charity shop

Topshop hat, £3 eBay

I finally own a Kent hairbrush. So happy! I bought a friend a fold-out tortoiseshell Kent comb because he adores Don Draper and have loved this brand ever since.

September has been SO busy!

Dear me, I have honestly had the busiest couple of weeks in my entire life. I promised myself to partake in as many 'socials' as possible and this past fortnight has been sort of wild.

Last Friday I went to a friend from works 'Not a club night, club night', Whip Your Hair. I had the greatest night out I've had in recent years. The atmosphere was incredible and I ended up busting some rather severe moves, that my ageing bones weren't please about the next morning. I blame the hip-flask I had hidden in my bag and Jay-Z. Sigh!

I lazily did not go to boot camp at all these past 2 weekends. I'm sort of ashamed, but I have been going on a Thursday and now I have suitable footwear to go back to the running class on Monday night. (I suffered a rather harrowing injury the other week and got scolded for wearing 'fashion trainers').

On Saturday I went out with a couple of girls from work, but only had a few drinks before returning home to eat pizza and watch Jonathan Creek in bed.

I saw Hope Springs and a Hitchcock film at the cinema. The latter was AMAZING. There is nothing quite like a black and white, crackling film on a Sunday afternoon. Plus I love the way British voices sound in old films, especially the way ladies sound when they say 'you'.

I caught up with a friend and we went to Nudo, which is the most amazing Japanese restaurant in Newcastle. We had lots of sushi and caught up on 6 months worth of gossip.

I made a new  friend at Whip You Hair (aww) who was reviewing a play at the Peoples Theatre this week and I was invited along. It was Carpe Jugulum, which is a Terry Pratchett novel about Vampires and other ghoulish types. My Dad has been trying to bully me into reading Terry Pratchett books since I could read, but I just don't have any interest. Anyway, the play was by a youth theatre so it was never going to be mind-blowing. However, once you suspend your disbelief and just take it for what it is it is really enjoyable. I even got a couple of little frights. 

Friday was a night out with work colleagues to celebrate the culmination of a recent project for young people. There was lots of red wine and crisps and dip (which, I truly believe needs a revival cause you rarely see it on 'modern buffets') followed by dancing to Mo-Town in World Head Quarters.

Then on Saturday my little Grandma visited  and my Dad, my siblings and I went for Chinese food. My Grandma bought a new 'snazzy' walking stick for the occasion, told a joke with the 'F' word in and then bought herself a keyboard. She is the best kind of wacky!

Now it is Sunday and after a wander around town where I picked up some pastries from Waitrose and ran a few errands I am going to have a well deserved cup of tea and a VERY early night.

The next 3 days I will be sleeping away from home. I'm taking part in a sleep study...eep! I'm sorted of nervous about being observed while I'm asleep and having wires allover my head, but we shall see. It's a cheap night out, I guess!

Zut Alors! I'm Off To Paris!

Well. I only went and booked a trip to Paris on a complete whim didn't I!

I'll be spending 4 days there over Christmas. Why Christmas? It sort of sealed it when I read that in 1962 France passed a law stating that all letters written to Santa would be responded to with a postcard. That's kind of adorable. French kids also leave their shoes on the fireplace and they are filled with little gifts when they wake up in the morning. Also, adorable.

This will be my first trip abroad alone. I often think about how little I have done solo, and booking this trip has evoked something inside of me that just wants to see and do as much as I possibly can. I've cast aside 'serious plans' and even the desire to window shop in home ware sections of department stores has subsided. I want to be brave, bold, end up in awkward situations and have stories to tell. I want to get lost, discover hidden gems and let my feet be my map. All in all, I feel very inspired and rather excited!

I opted to stay in a hostel in Montmartre, which for those who are au fait with all things French, will know that it is where most of Amelie was filmed. After abandoning the French language after leaving secondary school I started learning again a few months ago. My desire to learn has soared to new heights and I've had my CD playing whilst getting ready, sitting in bed and even when I've been in the bath.

Things I Plan To Do And See

Ice skating at the Eiffel Tower. I will have my fingers, toes and limbs crossed in hope for snow. I've got a very romanticised image in my head of how this is going to play out and there is always snow.

 

  Have a coffee in Les Deux Moulins.

  See the 'melting' building. How very Dali!

L’Urgence Bar. In this bar all drinks are served in baby bottles, by staff dressed in nurse's garb. The bar is decorated (?) like a hospital.

I plan to visit the Montmartre Cemetery along with the catacombs. I'm starting to realise I'm quite the macabre young lady. Both holidays this year will have involved visiting catacombs and looking at human remains. I think this morbid fascination started when I learnt about mummies in Primary School. I couldn't get over the idea of a tomb adorned with riches, brains pulled out through the nose and generally the whole fuss of it all!


I don't plan on doing much shopping. I'm much more of an explorer when on holiday, however I would like to peruse a flea market and pick up some unique Christmas presents. Aside from that the only purchase I have my heart set on is some Nuxe face cream. I've read such good things about it on various beauty blogs that I simply have to give it a try.

I'm sure I'll think of much,much more before December, and that I'll discover things when I'm actually there. Anyway, until next time, or should I say...à la prochaine!

Sunny Saturday

I had a very busy Saturday filled with lovely wholesome fun.

Last night I went to see Lawless with my brother, it was fantastic and I highly recommend seeing it...and not just for the 'totty' (Tom Hardy).  I then went to meet a couple of work buddies in the Lady Grey, which is quickly turning into a post-work haunt. It could have easily got messy, but I decided to get the last bus home so that I could get up early and seize Saturday by it's glorious little chops. 

And get up early I most certainly did, I had a cup of tea and watched an episode of Jonathan Creek in bed. Then I went along to boot camp, today involved dragging a gigantic tractor tyre around in teams of 4. I guess I have to work up a sweat if I'm going to continue to devour Kitkat chunky's. My appetite for them is insatiable. 

This was my outfit of choice for today. I'm a little (very) obsessed with Anna Karina at the moment. She has succeeded Michelle Williams as my lady crush and Alexa Chung as my style icon. Feeling inspired, I decided to go back to thick, winged black eyeliner and even stuck a couple of rollers in my hair to try and get that French tousled look. I think I need a little more practice though! I've always been kind of bad with styling my hair...

I knew I would be out and about so I opted for a roomy bow back striped blouse from Topshop and black American Apparel high waisted jeans. American Apparel trousers are always far too long for me so I cut a few inches of material off and roll them up to mid-calf length. For shoes I just went for a pair of black Topshop ballet pumps.

 Anna Karina hair.

I spent the afternoon with two of my very greatest friends, Will and Gemma. We went to the local sweet shop and stocked up on 50p mix ups and headed to Heaton Park. We walked around, visited the shoe tree (basically a collection of trees that people have thrown shoes into) and went to Pets Corner to look at the goats, pigs and an array of birds ranging from budgies to parrots. Very strange, but delightful non the less. Then we sat on the grass and had ice cream...where we took this snap:

Good friends really are the only cure for the blues. Thank you for a wonderful day you adorable little critters!