Birthday Buys

I got a bit of money for my birthday, mostly that I'm going to be saving, but Michael and I went to town today and I managed to bag a couple of little bargains in the sale! All of which I am in love with :D

 

£2 rings from River Island (Thanks MilkTeef, I have been looking for these for AGES)

From accessorize, I got the most adorable bee and hive necklace for £3 (above), 

and aztec triangle earrings for £3 (below) 

Since leaving uni and not living with Theana anymore, I haven't had any good earrings to wear so now I am starting to build up my collection!

Our Little Getaway

Michael took me to a little cottage in North Devon for my birthday. Partly for my birthday, partly for some time together for a few days whilst he was back :) We found the place here and enquired further- this was because of Michael's R&R, we didn't want to be away for a whole week because he'd want to spend time with his family too. The owners were incredibly lovely and could work with our dates, so we went ahead and booked it. We were emailed all the details before hand so it all worked out rather smoothly. When we arrived, the keys were already in the door which was a nice touch- it made it feel very safe! We decided to explore, check it out...

Birthday Presents

Michael's gone surfing so I'm attempting to have a super productive day - blogging, painting, sending off job application, replying to letters etc. Here are a few of the things I got for my birthday this year :)

2.8 HOURS LATER.

The rather late zombie post! My friend Alyna's boyfriend knows the guy that wrote the script for a little something called 2.8 hours later. The website says 'Run. Understand that at every moment you are being hunted; by zombies, by police, by vigilantes. Starting from a secret border location, you are issued with a map and the address of the first location you must reach, somewhere in your quarantined city. Each location will immerse you further into the world of 2.8, where being bitten by a zombie doesn't just mean infection, it could mean quarantine. As you journey further into the game you uncover clues to the location of the mysterious Asylum. Once there, you will be scanned for infection – if you are infected you are transformed into one of the zombie horde. Asylum is a place of refuge for the infected and non infected alike, where both can live in harmony and get down at the Zombie Disco – THE party at the end of the world.'

Basically, a company called Slingshot took over Leeds (I'm talking the mall, carparks, the university buildings, random bus depots, alleys - the lot), and pretended that there was a zombie apocalypse going down. We were given a map at the start, and the co-ordinates to ONE checkpoint, then at that check point we got the co-ordinates for the next one. If you get through all of the checkpoints, you'll eventually get to the asylum and be quarantined or freed....

During our game, we started in an abandoned car park (okay, it was just late at night and no one was there, but it wasn't abandoned), gave our tickets to two very rude ladies (whom I started up a conversation about nail varnish with and eventually won them over) got given a green arm band, and prepared ourselves for a brief. The arm bands, although highly attractive, are essential to the game; the zombies know they can chase after you if you're wearing a band - if you aren't, you're an innocent member of the public and did not sign up for the fun. 

ZOMBIE FIGHTERS READY, Eley above, Aly below

My team consisted of Eley, Rosi, James, Rod, Helen.and two girls we didn't know. After the first check point Helen was too freaked out to continue (they had been misguided - you can't trust those check point helpers! - and sent down a tunnel FILLED with zombies), so she went home and we continued on. Lots of running and walking on - I had been caught by a pretend policeman who knew I was an illegal (cause I didn't have papers - yeah, it's all part of the storyline) and lots of zombies chased us. Someone lead us through the mall to a loading bay that had some very quick and angry zombies and also, at there were a few alley's we simply had to sprint through. It was tiring but you had so much adrenaline pumping you didn't care - you just wanted to get to the end! 

 

Upon reaching the last alley, I was too tired. I also actually WANTED to be made up as a zombie (why pay and play to not?), so I decided I was fair game and only jogged the final stretch. This meant I was caught and infected (marked with a UV pen), and when going through quarantine marked as infected.

 

James was brave enough to film and run, so here's a little snapshot of the last alley we had to clear. I am second on the right but you can barely see me! 

All in all it was a GREAT experience, I'm so glad I went and would urge anyone who is kind of interested to go along for the ride, it was funny in places and down right scary in others. Just perhaps do a bit of fitness training first ;)

Early Birthday Celebrations

I asked my mum if we could have a birthday BBQ again this year - it was very nice last year (she likes a lotta variety and so do I!) so I wanted a repeat. It was a couple of days earlier than my actual day of birthday this year, as my favourite person is back on that day and we're going to have to get him from the airport!

I had pimms, twoooo cakes, lots of chicken, vegetable kebabs, sausages, burgers and lamb, and I spent it with some wonderful people :)

(no Isabelle is not autistic, it was her father!)

Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo/Conditioner/Oil

I regularly (read: always, in this wonderful heat) just twist up and clip my hair, and it looks okay, but today it looks GREAT. ha. I like to think my skillz are developing, but I reckon that it's not the case. Well perhaps that's part of it. But I think it may also be because my hair is in INCREDIBLE condition after using the Moroccan oil shampoo, conditioner and oil deal I shared with you a little while ago? It took a long time to get here (just over a week) but boy was it worth it! Even the feeling of my wet hair after I washed the shampoo out was different, and after I blew it dry it was just SO GOOD. I cannot stop swishing and touching it, odd I know. I've read lots of reviews on it but I'm not the biggest fan of the smell to be honest, but that is my only downside and I can certainly put up with it if I get luscious locks in return. Definitely what was needed. 

Shameless selfies. I couldn't help myself

Just for Jasmine, I would like to inform you all that Michael is home TOMORROW! Hopefully.. if the flights are settled now.. and I am FAR TOO EXCITED TO NOT TELL YOU ;) It is also my birthday, think it'll be a quiet one this year which is perfect, and more than fine by me :) 

A Good-Bye Dinner with Friends

Before I left, Rosi was a cutie and invited a couple of mutual friends for a meal before I left. I thought it was just a general gathering but apparently it was a birthday AND going away party, and my friends bought gifts for me. It was a little over whelming but luckily they didn't make a big deal out of it! We went to Thai Aroy Dee which is a real hidden treasure in Leeds. It has off the chart ratings on trip adviser and if you don't get there early, you're queuing around the block. The menu has tonnes to offer, and the little greedy pigs we are ordered the set menu for four people. I was cocky and thought 'I won't take the dish names as they'll be on the menu and I'll just sneakily use them', what a fool.. the set menu we had is not on that list :( boo.

ANYWAYS. We all started by trying different drinks - Helen (from this post) got coconut juice kinda thing - it had little coconut chunks in too (at the back)! I had Pandan juice to remind me of my travels in Indonesia (green bread and peanut butter, the cup in front), Rosi had an Indonesian coffee which was incredible (right), and Zeynep had coke (left)!

For starters we got the mixed Hors d'oeurves 

we then got a soup

 

got egg fried/basmati rice

 

A delicious beef curry, realllllllll tasty. If I knew what it was I'd recommend it!

This chicken was SPICY. Super spicy, I couldn't handle much of it.

 I'm gutted this dish is blurry - it was my favourite, lots of veg with a tasty sauce, again quite spicy but I ate most it so it couldn't be that bad ;)

sweet and sour (ish, Thai style not Chinese) King Prawns. 

Having all suitably had our fill, we paid and went our separate ways. Rosi and I had more plans that evening so we took a walk and found this lovely little grassy area, right in the middle of the city! Having been here for 4 years I have no idea how I didn't know about it before, but then again, thinking about it, I've had no need for it before. Now I'm considering it to be my room of requirement. 

  

My friends bought me some nail varnishes and Rosi's nails were bare so we sat for 45 minutes painting them, we chatted and ate cinnamon buns (that Rosi hand made for me, very spoiled!) 

A lovely meal with friends at a delicious place - great value for money, you should definitely go if you're ever up that way! 

Weekly Roundup #37

Hmm.. what have I got for you this week? Quite a lot as usual! I finished off my last week at uni; my last shift at work, last meal with friends etc

 

At work, my boss took me to Frankie and Benny's for a goodbye meal - potato skins, pizza and waffles!

 

I bumped into my pal Aly D, I cooked us some spag bol and then we went to her new pad for a cuppa, check out her cool green tea proper leaves - super fancy.

Obviously Rosi and I had to have one last coffee shop date

 

and we actually went for a wax, pedicure and picnic before I left too which was nice :)

A good bye chocolate box enjoyed with Theana

This was the same evening as the final meal with friends (separate post!)

and also the same evening as the ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE. (Separate post again ;) )

a funny letter from Thomas

and BED SHOPPING YIIPPEEEEEE! (yay for redecoration) 

Looking back on this feels like it was months ago, but it really wasn't. I'm enjoying my time at home a lot, it's lovely to spend much needed time with family, but I am seriously looking forward to Michael being home soon!!

p.s. my Granddad is my newest reader - HI GRANDDAD!!