July Jaunts

This month I've been:

1. Listening to Crimes, Creeps and Thrills by You Animals!
2. Reading the Canal by Lee Rourke after meeting him on the Book Barge
3. Wearing my studded Topshop loafers almost every day
4. Going mad over anything with polka dots like this tee and dress
5. Obsessing over this enormous tartan bow tie from ASOS
6. Having a great time in Derby one weekend
7. Loving my new running blog Feet on Fire

How was your July x

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What I wore for Weezer

Vest from Topshop
Skirt from H&M
Loafers from ASOS

A couple of weeks ago I was luckily enough to get a last minute back stage pass to see Weezer at Brixton Academy thanks to my friend G and her amazing contacts. In fact it was arranged by the same guy who got us back stage at Leeds Festival last summer! Hold your horses though because we didn't get to hang out with the band or anything that incredible... We did however get to free food and drink (non alcoholic) in the catering room, walk past Fab Moretti from The Strokes and get to check out the side of the stage. In the end we opted to watch Weezer from the 'normal' side of the stage and mingle with all the commoners because let's face, we would have looked a bit odd hanging out at the side with the VIPs!

I wore my animal print vest which reminds me of Noah's Ark and my trusty skater skirt. I didn't actually find out I was going to see the band until 4pm that afternoon so this was what I had been wearing to work that day. Normally for a gig I'd wear converse or at least a shoe my sturdy than these but luckily no one trampled on my feet! I love this top., my animal print obsessions has no limits!!

Our back stage 'working' passes

The kit room behind the stage

The view from the stage after Weezer had finished

In terms of the gig I was actually glad I didn't have to pay for a ticket because I didn't think they were actually that great. I'd seen them at Leeds Festival last summer and they had been much better then. It was probably because they played a lot of B sides that I didn't recognise this time round which suited the more die hard fans. I was a fun evening and getting back stage is always an amazing experience, even if you don't get to hang out and chat with the VIPs!

Have you ever been backstage at a gig x

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Think pink

Shirt and skirt from Topshop
Bow brooch from ASOS
Pumps from Urban Outfitters

It's nice to wear something bright pink now and then, even if it does clash with the orange doors at work. Pink always works well with blue and with the colour popping trend around for summer it's the perfect way to give the trend a go as everyone has some denim in their wardrobe. This shirt is quite sheer but the panelling at the front stops it being too see through thus making it a good choice for work. I attached this cute little bow brooch too, just for fun!

I bought these pumps a few weeks ago from the Urban Outfitters sale for £18. I love how they have a slight platform, I'm a big fan of wedges so they were a must for me.

Considering I like the colour pink a lot I don't actually have many clothes in the colour. It's probably because it clashes with my often flushed skin tone but I'm glad I bought this shirt, because it's a nice bright addition to my wardrobe. Plus it has some extremely cute buttons down the back which are always a nice detail for me.

Do you ever wear pink x

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Museum of Brands

Tucked away behind Portabello Road in Notting Hill is a little gem of a place, The Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising. The museum features Robert Opie's collection of all things to do with daily life including food packaging, board games, toiletries, souvenirs, magazines, memorabilia, you name it. Opie first started collecting aspects from his life at the age of 16 with a packet of Munchies and the collections has expanded into a phenomenal size ever since. There is so much to see and because Opie has continued to collect over the years you can see how branding has changed and in some cases stayed true to the original design.

Branding is a funny thing and I definitely fall victim to buying into certain brands even if the sole reason is the appearance. Anyway, this wonderful snippet of nostalgia is definitely worth a few hours of your time one weekend.

Have you kept anything from the past x

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Dotty for Harry Potter

Top, skirt and necklace from Topshop
Pumps from Vivienne Westwood c/o Daniel Shoes
Cuff from ASOS

Took these photos at some stupid hour of the evening hence the dodgy quality but what you gonna do? I love this top, it's huge with bat wing / kimono like sleeves plus l love the spots and oversized shape!

Tonight I'm seeing the new Harry Potter film and I am beyond excited! I read the first book when I was about 11 and before they were famous so I really have grown up with the series. I queued up at midnight for the final book and I know I'm going to shed a tear (or more) after seeing the film, it's the end of an era! I was really excited to hear about PotterMore and I'm really looking forward to reading all the ebooks once it's opened. Of course I'm wearing my Deathly Hallows necklace from Victoria tonight in celebration. Last night we watched Deathly Hallows part 1 in preparation so I've barely been able to contain my excitment today at work!

A little fun fact for all you Harry Potter fans! Before they made the second film a casting person came and watched our school play. She obviously thought we were such great actresses at the age of 14 or so that we were all allowed to audition for the parts of Susan Bones and Moaning Myrtle. I did such a good job that I was called back for a second audition at their casting offices in Central London but unfortunately my acting wasn't actually that good and I didn't get the part =( Just imagine if I had though. Rupert Grint could have been my real life boyfriend instead of pretend and I could steal Emma Watson's clothes! Wishful thinking......

Are you a Harry Potter fan x

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Floral Frenzy

Dress and socks from Topshop
Liberty x Nike trainers via Office
Belt from Primark
Necklace from Me & Zena

Added to my ditsy floral collection recently with these new Liberty x Nike high top trainers and Topshop dress. I'd been lusting after the shoes for ages now and finally succumbed to them online and boy am I glad I did. The colours are perfect and they are so comfortable. I'll be wearing them all the time! I love this dress too, it's got the vintage vibe going on plus it's something I can get away with wearing at work. I've been wearing it with my favourite denim jacket.

My little sister is travelling around Italy for a month at the minute so she's taken back her Canon 1000D SLR which means I'm stuck taking pictures with my old compact camera. Whilst the quality is still good I miss using the fancy camera. I really should save up and buy my own 550D but after buying an iPad the other weekend I'm reluctant to splash out mega bucks on more technology.

What shoes are you wearing this summer x

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Brick Lane Art

Brick Lane is a fantastic place to hang out at the weekend because there is so much going on from market stalls, vintage shops, live music, great food and cool art. Last time I was in the area I took it upon myself to visit a few of the little galleries in the area. The 3 I visited included the Stolen Space Gallery, the East Gallery and the Brick Lane Gallery.

I've been to Stolen Space a few times and have really enjoyed The Reign of Pink, Never Judge...? and The Art of Rock exhibitions. The gallery is a tiny room and you'll be in there for about 10minutes tops but the images displayed are always quite contemporary and definitely worth a visit if you like that sort of thing, I like it there a lot!

The East Gallery is about half way down Brick Lane and once again it's quite a small space but definitely worth a look in if you have a few minutes spare. I popped in to see the BA photography exhibition It's Complicated and found the photographs of inmates by Nicole Lichtman really interesting.

The Brick Lane Gallery is spread across 2 different venues but they're within a 2 minute walk (if that) of each other so they aren't difficult to find. I saw the Haze exhibition and really enjoyed all the abstract paintings. The art was a bit wacky and nonsensical but that's the sort of thing I enjoy so I'll definitely pop back in next time I'm in the area.

All 3 galleries have some great up and coming exhibitions on that are definitely worth a visit if you're around Brick Lane for a spot of shopping plus they are all free which is always a bonus.

Graffiti in Spitalfields, a Nicole Lichtman photograph, tea in the Vintage Emporium and the Reign of Pink exhibition


More graffiti, fantastic shoes that were a size too small for me, Brick Lane street music, more Reign Of Pink artwork.

Since I moved back to London in September I've been making a real effort to visit new places. It's really paying off because I've discovered all these little gems and it's little galleries like these tucked away on a street full of vintage shops that makes this city such an exciting and inspiring place. The art is so diverse that there really is something for everyone, making it accessible to the masses which is a hard feat when there are so many self righteous artists about these days. I love East London to bits, it surprises me with new things every time I visit.

Are you always learning new things about your home town x

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Race for Life

Dress from Topshop

Yesterday I did the Hammersmith 10K Race for Life. It was hard and gave me the most horrific blisters ever but I'm glad I did it as it was the first time I'd ever run 10k! On Friday I forgot to bring my gym bag home from work so I had to use my old trainers for the race hence the foot problems. My time was a bit on the slow side (1hour 12mins or there about) but because my feet were in such agony I did well considering.

Race for Life is such a fantastic way to raise money for Cancer Research UK and also a very emotional event but if you were ever thinking about doing a competitive charity race I would not recommend it. Your time is not monitored and so many people walk that it's hard to get going at first. But if you are looking for a fun race that isn't taken too seriously then I would definitely recommend it. Even though my raise is now over you can still sponsor me here!

After the race and a huge lunch of pasta I went to get my hair cut and coloured. It's mega short this time with quite a big fringe thing. It's taking some getting used to as I didn't expect so much to be cut off but I love it. It's the awesome grey colour I love too! I wish I could blow dry it as well as my hairdresser Frankie does but I'm rubbish and make it look all frizzy =( I need some new hair products I think.

Have you done any charity races before x

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