Leeds Festival '13

I am still not quite out of my blogging funk, so here's a quick run down of what happened at the festival.

1. we were volunteering, but not camping (we drove home each evening, got cooked meals, had showers and stayed in lovely beds)
2. Our job was to set up and man an information tent, and help people decide where to camp etc
3. we worked two shifts (12 hours in total), and got the rest of the time off
4. we saw (in my favourite order); Bastille, Kodaline, Chase and Status, and Eminem.
5. we got stuck in the mud... a lot.
6. we didn't cry, not once (although I did get close)
7. we made so so many friends, and charmed a lot of security personnel
8. but most of all, we had a GREAT time. 

I am at Leeds fest today (hence the serious lack of posts, I'm really sorry!), trying to prepare for the imminent rain that is quickly approaching. Check out the sock that I did not measure before packing.. these are not a pair. If you're going and you see me, please say hi!

New Items in the Shop

So I spent the evening at my mums last night, have a good ol' crafting session. I came up with a couple of new pieces for the shop that I wanted to share with you guys too!

They are all made to order and don't have to be glued on the hair pins should you want them for craft etc!

What I wore: This Shirt.

I love this shirt. It used to be a lot longer, but as usual, I decided I didn't like it like that and cut it up to make something better.. and now I love it. These are also my new trousers. A pair of too-big jeggings and a turquoise pair of jeans are not suitable wardrobe choices now we're getting into autumn. And I just love that these show my ankles, makes me feel saucy haha. I also added in my bunting necklace around the neck, for a little something extra.

 

Just for added laughs, I sent Michael a photo when I wasn't sure whether to purchase them or not (who am I kidding, they're gorgeous), and he said (and I quote) 'they are nice, it almost looks as if you've pulled them up too far though?' I commend him for being brave enough to speak up (I can be rather adamant sometimes) and also appreciated the heads up, but what a boy.

What I wore: Branching out... or not

This was another of the items Hollie gave to me, and this one was also a dress. Luckily I have friend who is as peculiar as I am and also shops in the kids section! ha! I am not the only one! Anywho, she decided she didn't want this number anymore, as there were too many ruffles on the top part of the dress. I agreed and again, changed it into a skirt.

 

 

I don't think I've done this skirt justice, so I may well restyle it at another point. I could decide on the best top - I tried a spaghetti strap, a boob tube but I also wanted to break out of my comfort zone and... wore a crop top. Better luck next time, eh? 

Monday's Recipe: Courgette Salad

I unfortunately forgot to snap a good picture of this delicious dish yesterday, but I will be making it again very soon so I'll get one then :) This salad is very simple and good for BBQ's (that's where I first had it!). All you need is:

A courgette (Zucchini)
a cheese grater
chili flakes (half a fresh chili would be better)
lemon juice
olive oil
garlic (fresh or granules)
mint
salt and pepper

Directions:
Cut the courgette in half and grate it length ways on the cheese grater - I used the biggest hole setting but you choose! Be careful with your fingers, but make sure you get the whole length of the courgette for bigger pieces.

Drain any excess fluid, add the seasoning, sprinkle in the garlic granules (less than half a teaspoon), the chili flakes (or fresh chili - again, less that half a teaspoon or to your taste), a teaspoon of lemon juice and a teaspoon of olive oil, with as much fresh mint as you'd like.

Mix it up and give it a taste, see if you think you need any more ingredients and enjoy. Goes great on a burger or just as a side salad!

What I wore: Picking Michael Up

I forgot to blog about my Birthday day when Michael's family and I drove to pick him up from the airport, but thinking about it I'm quite happy to keep that day to myself, because it was just perfect :) I will, however, share with you what I decided to wear! You'll probably see a theme occurring of 'this used to be a dress but I decided I didn't like it anymore and decided to change it into a skirt'. Well, yes. I am guilty. But it's better to change it into something that I will wear than throw/give it away, isn't it? and I feel like I get a new wardrobe without having to spend any money (which is more than necessary right now).

 

This was another skirt I wasn't sure about before I started the project (I think it's because I really didn't like the dress to begin with), but I am just smitten, it's colours are lovely. I do need to take it in a bit but I am a little lazy on that front. My mum won't let me do it unless it's done proper and I'd rather wear it a bit baggy until it annoys me too much, haha! I'm not complaining about my mum - it's the best way to be, there's no point putting half of your effort into something if you want to be proud of it.

What I wore: Green and Paisley

I have felt a bit reluctant to blog recently, especially following Michael having to return to Afghanistan, but doing all these outfit posts reminds me why I like doing it. I like being able to take the time to put a bit of thought into what I'm wearing, to find what suits which outfits and what different aspects I can add in. I like standing alone in my room, figuring out the light, making all kinds of ridiculous faces and pretending Tyra Banks would totally love me if I went on America's Next Top Model. So yeah, there are going to be a couple more of these posts. I know I haven't quite got round to showing you my new room yet (apart from the sneak peak you can see in the background of these, and darn does it looks good) but I will get to it when it doesn't feel like a chore.

 

 

I feel a little bit like poison ivy with all this ginger and green going on, and I can happily say that I don't mind that at all! I forgot to mention that this was another dress from Hollie that I cut and made into a skirt - I wasn't sure how it'd go but I am very pleased with it :D The hair piece is actually hair band and I got it from eBay a long time ago. I think it came from Japan and cost £2 in total, bargain. How's your day going?

What I wore: Pink and Brown

So, not only do I have super generous friends in Leeds, a friend at home surprised me too! Hollie came round for dinner the other day and brought a big bag with her - she's just bought a house so I expected it to be 'what do you think of this...' and whilst there was some of that, she also said 'I've cleaned out my wardrobe and wondered if you wanted any of this'. PERFECT. Yes please. So I nabbed a couple of items, some I've kept as they are, some I've changed from dress into skirts etc. Here is the first piece - a very simple item that I can see coming in very handy in Autumn :)

 

  

This time round I kept it simple and paired it with a flowery pink necklace (London Market), brown scarf  (Primark) and black 3/4 leggings (New Look). The first time I wore it was to the post office, and I didn't wear the leggings. I felt self conscious the whole time and vowed never to wear it legless again haha. But in Autumn I reckon it'll be a tights-jobby. 

The Final Stop

It wasn't the final stop, that is a fib. We also went to the Bodmin jail but I didn't get any photos so I'm not going to tell you about it because it seems unfair! So, our technical-final-stop was at the Lobster Hatchery! AND BOY WAS I EXCITED. There was a very friendly man on reception who let us in, and then we were free!

I loved these little babies, I think they were cuttlefish. 

Jaffa was obviously a cutie pie 

This guy flashed us, cheeky (protecting his dignity behind the cut)

Monday's Recipe: Fragrant Brown Rice

I was just moaning to Michael that I can never seem to follow just one recipe - I usually have an idea in my head of how things are supposed to go, and if none of the recipes fit it exactly but just have certain components I'll mix them all together. I should just trust my gut in the first place really! So today I am discussing a fragrant rice recipe, and you will need:

1. Brown rice, as much as you'd like
2. Oil to heat spices before boiling in the rice
3. Cardamon pods - I accidentally let 7 fall into the pan but I meant to put 5 in.
4. Cloves - I put 2, depends how much you like
5. Mustard seeds - a fair few
6. Cumin seeds
7. Cinnamon quill - or ground if you have that
8. Black pepper corns - 3
9. Lemon juice

Basically, you put all the ingredients bar the rice and lemon juice in a saucepan, let it do it's thing for a few minutes (until the mustard seeds start to pop), and then add the hot water, rice and lemon juice. LET ME SAY RIGHT NOW - The hot water WILL sizzle in the pan with the hot oil so prepare yourself, wear long sleeves and make sure you step back. I don't want any casualties! 

I took my cinnamon quill out halfway through cooking because, as much as I love cinnamon, I don't want it to be the dominant flavour (that's why I don't mind about the excessive cardamon!).

Have you ever tried a recipe like this? What would you include or leave out? I'm eager to hear more!

Surprise!

Hi Everyone :)

I don't know if you've seen on the top bar up there, but I've decided to open a little Etsy shop. I regularly make things for fun and whilst I am working a few jobs over summer, I thought why not add this to the bill. There are only a few things in there at the moment and I don't know how successful it'll be, but I won't really lose anything and it'll be a fun adventure!

So yeah, keep an eye out if you're looking for a good present or something :D

Lunch

For lunch we stopped in Padstow.

First Stop of the Day Trip

When Michael and I woke up (I'd like to pretend it was bright and early, but the cockerel didn't call until at least 8), we had showers, breakfast and set off for the day. I had it all planned out, and the first stop was underground caverns! We only drove for a little bit before discovering their story...

 

he so much dreamier than I am. haha, plus my nose is shadowy

apparently they do weddings in the caves which would be lovely - you could see leftover candles from the last ones. I think it'd look magical but I wouldn't want to wear the yellow hard hats that are required. After we finished looking around, we went outside for a nice nature walk. Michael, the soldier, got out of breath on the incline and had to slow down, what a girl!

 

It was a good first stop and set high expectations for the rest of the trip!