#100London - January Update

In my ever growing quest to explore London and know all it's little secrets, dirty or otherwise, I've set myself a wee challenge this year, I'm going to see if I can visit 100 different museums and galleries. Now some of you might not even think there are 100 museums in London but earlier today I made a (some what) quick list of places I want to visit and came up with 80, after a little more digging around I'm pretty confident I can make that 100. I've decided to call this challenge #100London and will update you each month with my progress. If I visit 9 different museums a month (2 a week) I'll be laughing and considering some of the places on my list are pretty small I think this challenge should be achievable. Saying that I'm not off to a very good start as I only managed to visit 5 places this month. My only rule is as of 1st January 2013 my score was 0 so all the museums I've visited in the past don't count, that means I have to visit EVERY WHERE this year!

So the first place I visited this year was the Barbican to see the Random International: Rain Room. Now this is probably a controversial starting point as I'm not sure the Barbican actually counts as a museum or gallery but for the time being I'm going to allow it as it does showcase many wonderful exhibitions. Despite the 2 hour queue, Rain Room is a must see installation! Feeling like you control the weather and have the rain actually stop around you as you walk through it is quite a phenomenal feeling. Open until 3rd March, you must see this!

Take a coat, you might get a 'little' wet

The second place I hit up was the Tate Britain to see the Pre-Raphaelites: Victorian Avant Garde exhibition. Unfortunately this exhibition is over now but to be honest it wasn't really my cup of tea, I just wanted to make use out of my Tate membership and catch it before it closed.

A couple of weeks ago went to the National Gallery to see Seduced by Art: Photography Past and Present which again is over now (sorry about that) but I did enjoy seeing how old paintings inspired contemporary photography. On the same day I popped into the National Portrait Gallery to see the first official portrait of HRH The Duchess of Cambridge. Might as well leave my two cent here and say I think it ages her terribly but go an make up your own mind as you have until 1st September to see the painting.

The last gallery I visited this month was the Tate Modern to see another exhibition that is now over, William Klein and David Moriyama. I love the Tate Modern and will definitely be back several more times this year as there are some great exhibitions coming up.

Strictly speaking this entry doesn't count but I wanted to tell you all about the Take a View: Landscape Photographer of the Year exhibition at the National Theatre as it really is worth visiting. So many incredible scenes from across the UK plus it's free and on until 1oth February.

So that's 5 down and 95 in 11 months to go, totes doable! As for February I definitely want to visit the Wellcome Collection to catch the Death exhibition, the Natural History Museum to catch the Wildlife Photography of the Year exhibition and the Royal Academy of Arts to catch a couple of exhibitions before they close. I'm also going to visit plenty of smaller galleries and museums and come the end of the month I'll let you know all about my happenings.

What's your favourite museum x

Follow with Twitter Tumblr

How to dress like Jess from New Girl

Dress - Topshop

Cardigan - H&M

Shoes - Deena and Ozzy via Urban Outfitters

I'm a big fan of American TV shows, there are so many I love to watch including dramas like Dexter and Once Upon a Time and comedies such as Big Bang Theory, Modern Family and Community. However the style of all the characters in these shows is not something I'd particularly want to channel at home, that being said when it comes to dressing like Jess from New Girl it's a completely different story. I love Jess' style, she's quirky, fun and definitely doesn't take herself too seriously. She can always been seen in cute little dresses and cardigans with a nice pair of pumps plus her hair always looks perfectly done. My hair is never going to look perfectly done but I can pop on a cute little tea dress with a heart print cardigan and be ready to go. The dress and cardigan in this outfit are so old I don't really wear them much these days so it was fun to get them out of the wardrobe for a little spin. The pumps were acquired in the recent Urban Outfitters sale and I absolutely adore them, the fox face is so cute! Jess might not wear tights in California but over here in freezing cold London they are most definitely a necessity!

Do you ever dress like your favourite TV character x

Follow with Twitter Tumblr

Ombre Tights

 

Jacket - H&M

Top - Mulberry via Net-a-Porter

Skirt - Oasis

Scarf - Alexander McQueen

Studded flatforms sandals - River Island

Tights c/o Jonathon Aston via My Tights

Bracelets - ASOS

Watch - Casio

Nails - Barry M Gelly nails in Pomegranate

There's two things I want to talk about today; the fact I did a bad thing and bought this Mulberry tshirt after saying I had bought enough Mulberry in the last few weeks and how awesome my new ombre tights are!

I do love the ombre trend, I've got a few ombre tops and I quite fancy a pair of ombre jeans. I'd seen various people in London wearing ombre tights and I had no idea where they were from and after a little internet searching I only found stupidly expensive pairs on etsy. I was having no luck with the high street stores until I discovered this Jonathon Aston pair on My Tights for the grand sum of £12. They also have a pair in pink/purple which I am very tempted to get but for now I thought the grey tones where much more versatile. Now, these tights are on the thin side and I'm a little worried I might ladder them but until that happens I absolutely adore them. The white to grey fade is perfect, it's not too OTT which means I can wear them without being worried that people will stare at my legs. That's the seem you can see in the picture of my legs and not a ladder as I originally thought once I'd put them on...

The second discussion topic is my awesome tshirt I mentioned last week. I'd seen this in the Net-a-Porter sale for 50% off and after resisting for a few days I knew it was too good an offer to pass up. As I said before I absolutely loved the Where The Wild Things AW12/13 collection from Mulberry. This is probably one of the most comfiest and best quality tshirts I've ever owned and I will definitely be keeping my eye for future Mulberry bargains in the sale!

Would you wear ombre tights x

Follow with Twitter Tumblr

Hair Envy

After having short hair for most of my life I am finally growing it out, I'm not sure what length I want but as long as it's long enough to tie in a giant top knot I'll be happy.

For a very long time I hated my naturally curly hair, I spent most of sixth form and university taming it with my trusty GHDs, I wanted it poker straight and glossy like every other girl in town. This was fine as I was only getting my hair highlighted until then but once I graduated university I began to get my hair full on bleached, I was dying for the Lady Gaga platinum blonde look. This meant my hair become severally damaged, dry and frizzy thus making it even harder to tame with my straighteners. I bite the bullet the decide that I could no longer have straight hair (any sort of heat was killing it) and would have to embrace my natural curls. This took a bit of getting used to as well as swapping my entire hair product collection for remedies that made my curls bounce and frizz stay a bay (as best as it can with a head full of bleach). Now I absolutely love having curly hair, the volume suits my face a lot more and on the very odd occasion I have straight hair (twice a year perhaps) I really don't like it. Plus my hairdresser told me that if I start using heat it'll probably start falling out! Curly hair is definitely more me and after all these years my crazy white fro is my signature look, my friends always say they spot my hair first in a crowd. The growing element is taking some time and I don't think I'll have my desired length for another year or two but it is getting there.

In the mean time I have absolutely fallen in love with Annasophia Robb's hair in the new TV series, the Carrie Diaries. Now let's not dwell on how absolutely cheesy the shows is, apart from the soundtrack which is awesome, but let's talk about that amazing head of curls. Just wow! The curls are so defined and bouncy and are the exact look I want to achieve when my hair is finally at my perfect length. I know her curls aren't natural but on a good day my hair does dry naturally in that style, the only problem is once I sleep on it for a few days it's starts to seriously mattify and become a mess. I will continue to fight the battle of having bleach blonde, curly hair and whilst it is a pain to maintain for me it is totally worth it.

Who's your hair icon x

Follow with Twitter Tumblr

Saw a band

Jumper from ASOS

Dress from ASOS

Shoes from Underground

I love going to see bands live whether it's little local bands in small pubs or big world famous bands in massive arenas. You all know my favourite band it Green Day right? I've seen them so many times and never tire of their amazing live shows, oh so many memories! Last Friday I went to see Teenage Bottle Rocket and Dropkick Murphys at the HMV Forum in Kentish Town, I'd never been there before and it was a really good gig despite the speakers blowing and some very smelly topless men...

This is what I wore and as gig outfits go it's pretty typical for me. Easy to wear dress with a cosy jumper and sturdy shoes, bish bash bosh! This dress is actually a new addition to my wardrobe, it's navy with this fab pointed collar making it very easy to wear. My Mum tells me it's just like her old nursing uniform especially when coupled with my red satchel. The shoes are my latest purchase from Underground, I just love myself some chunky creepers and during a gig it's important to wear something comfy that will keep your feet protected from all the moshing!

When it comes to buying tickets I often forget on the day they are released and before you know it they've sold out, however with the help of eBay owned website StubHub you can buy second hand tickets with the security that they're real deal. You can visit the site for One Direction tickets, theatre tickets, sporting events and more.

What do you wear to gigs x

Follow with Twitter Tumblr

Leather skirt, leather sleeves

Leather sleeve jacket from Topshop

Breton top from New Look

Leather skirt from Oasis

Snood c/o Next

Boots from ASOS

This is a very 'go-to' outfit for me when I don't really know what to wear. It's full of loads of my favourite clothing; pleated skater skirt check, stripy top check, patterned scarf check, chunky boots check! I've been a hug fan of the leather look sleeves this autumn winter and I definitely don't think it's overkill wearing this sort of jacket with a leather look skirt as well. I didn't get a chance to have my outfits snapped in the snow this weekend which is a little annoying but picture this with a woolly jumper, stupid hat and duffel coat and viola that's what I've been wearing!

Do you like leather sleeves x

Follow with Twitter Tumblr

When Hannah Discovered Mulberry

Jumper from Mulberry

Denim shirt from ASOS

Trousers from Uniqulo

Bag from Mulbery

Shoes from Underground

Arty ring from YSL

This week has been unusually luxurious for me as I've purchased two things from one of my favourite British designers, Mulberry. I've wanted an Oversized Alexa for absolutely years, when I first laid eyes on the bag I knew it was the perfect style for me especailly as I love the satchel shape so much. After saving my hard earned birthday and Christmas money I was finally able purchase my dream bag and fortunately because I know someone who works at Heathrow I was able to save almost 30%. When I picked up the bag on Saturday I couldn't be more thrilled, it's absolutely perfect and with a little love I know it'll last for a very long time.

My second purchase was this wonderful 'Where The Wild Things Are' sweater from Mulberry's AW12/13 collection. I had spied this several months previously and whilst I loved it back then I never really considered buying it, however when it went in the Net-A-Porter sale for 30% off I knew it was now or never. I am so glad I purchased this because I absolutely love it! It's quite an oversized jumper and perfect for wearing with shirts as the collar nicely sticks out plus it's super comfy and the Maurice Sendak inspired print is so adorable, I just love all those little wild things! I'm actually quite tempted to pick up this top from the same collection as well but that might just be Mulberry overkill (is there such a thing)!

Anyway my weeks aren't normally filled with such extravagant purchases but as I get older I'm leaning towards more expensive but better quality items rather than lots of cheap clothing that doesn't stand the test of time.

Have you bought anything from Mulberry before x

Follow with Twitter Tumblr

Favourite Jewellery AW12/13

Dress from ASOS

Leather sleeve blazer from River Island

Boots from ASOS (similar)

Beaded pearl necklace from Topshop

Watch from ASOS

Pyramid bracelet from Topshop

Turquoise cross bracelet from the Bohemian Collective 

Silver bracelet from Topshop (part of a set)

Arty ring from YSL

A few months ago I treated myself to a little something... I've wanted an Yves Saint Laurent Arty ring for a really long time now and after making a penny or two from selling stuff on eBay I knew it was the right time to make a purchase. The colour choice was easy, I adore anything turquoise so off I popped to the YSL store on Bond Street and viola this baby was finally mine. I love how well the colour goes with my cross bracelet and I've really been enjoying layering the chunky jewellery at the moment. This rose gold watch was only £25 from ASOS and I think it looks really similar to the Michael Kors numbers out there. I've actually had my eye on this silver Michael Kors watch for a little while now but I'm not quite ready to drop the bucks, hopefully a 20% voucher will pop up on ASOS soon... The amazing necklace was another terrific find. I first saw it in the sale for £20 reduced from £40 which I wasn't too keen to pay but then a week or so later I noticed it had been reduced again to £10 so I snapped it up. It's perfect for adding some detailing to an otherwise boring top or dress, plus it goes all the way around so it's the perfect collar but not quite a collar accessory. I'm really getting into jewellery at the minute and finding it a lot more enjoyable to accessorise, I think Elodie may be an influence.

What's you favourite of jewellery x

Follow with Twitter Tumblr

The Shopperholic Bag

Shopperholic bag c/o Mustard

Earrings c/o Pilgrim

Jumper from Primark

Jeans from River Island

Creepers from Underground via ASOS

Being environmentally friendly is something I try to practice daily and because of this I have ended up with an enormous collection of totes bags. What's so great about tote bags I hear you ask? Well, because plastic bags take forever to decompose they are a terrible source of pollution and I hate using them. Instead I like to carry around a tote bag with my at all time so if I buy something whilst out and about I can put it in a reusable bag rather than taking a new plastic bag that's just going to sit around in a landfill site doing the environment no favours! Can you tell I work as an environmental scientist?

Most of my totes bags are made from cotton which means they stain easily so aren't great for carrying around food and drink. I bought a lot of them at bookshops and museums and whilst I do love their designs they aren't practically 'stylish'. The thing I love about this shopperholic bag from Mustard is that the design and shape reminds me of a Mulberry Alexa i.e. my favourite handbag ever! It looks great and is easy to keep clean plus it folds away into a cute little pouch making it easy to store in your handbag. I would much rather be walking around with this cute reusable bag on my arm after a shopping trip rather than an horrible carrier bag that's probably going to rip on your journey home causing your eggs, milk and nail varnish to spill all over the street. At £4.98 this bag is a steal and the perfect addition to your every day handbag.

Do you use tote bags on a regular basis x

Follow with Twitter Tumblr

Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone, I hope you all had fun celebrating last night? I went to Kaff Bar in Brixton with a few friends to see the new year in and had a great time. There were free cocktails and champagne, a David Bowie tribute act (photo on the right), 3 burlesque acts and some great songs for dancing to. Before heading out I fell down a couple steps at my friends house and now my ankle is turning black, I'm actually surprised I was able to dance at all last night and by the time I was heading home I had to almost crawl from the bus stop I was in so much pain. Despite that I had a lot of fun and really enjoyed the celebrations. The last couple of years have been really low key for me so it was great to be out dancing this time round.

So with 2013 already a day in it's time to set some resolutions and all that jazz. One thing I really want to concentrate on this year is blogging more. Since starting a full time job over a year and a half ago it's been really hard blogging regularly but I'm determined to do better than my current a couple times a month effort. I actually started a travel blog and burger blog the other day which is crazy as I barely have time to keep this one afloat but blogging is something I love and it's had a massive impact on my life so I definitely want to keep it up!

I also want to run more in 2013 and really make an improvement in my training. I've already signed up to a few half marathons but now that I've gone and messed up my ankle I'm a little worries about how this might affect my plans.

2012 was a good year for me, I did a lot of travelling and became a bit of a foodie in particular burger lover. I want to travel more and sample more of London's many restaurants but I also want to manage my money a little bit and work harder at saving so it's all about balance. I have a few trips planned this year, Paris, Berlin, Norway, New York and a Copenhagen to Stockholm adventure which I am extremely excited about, travelling really is my biggest passion!

With all that being said I want 2013 to be a fun year where I try new things, learn a couple of new skills (I fancy learning how to play the ukulele) and enjoy time with my family and friends.

What will 2013 bring to you x

Follow with Twitter Tumblr