Today has involved reading by the river and soaking up as much sunshine as I can. It’s so beautiful outside! Oh, London, why can’t you be like this every day?
Happy Daddy’s Day, to the best dad I know! Thanks for being awesome, Dad. Love you lots!
OPI Teenage Dream polish, OPI Crown Me Already polish, Starbucks black americano, peanut butter M&Ms, ASOS turquoise enamelled ring.
If I was going to go out and pick up some little pick-me-ups then they would definitely be these. I love OPI’s glitter nail polishes. I’ve been wearing Absolutely Alice lately and it’s so pretty and sparkly without being chunky and difficult to apply. And anyone who tells me that peanut M&Ms are as good as peanut butter M&Ms is just a big, fat liar! Peanut butter all the way!
For the past couple of days I’ve been hanging with my mum – eating good food, being attacked in my sleep by stray limbs, walking for miles and miles and miles, and chilling out in front of a movie or two, or three. It’s been a lot of fun, and I think I’ve eaten my weight in food. I know every nook and cranny of Westfield (amazing pretzels, gelato, and all!) and I’ve brushed up my knowledge of the British museum.
We had to head back to Heathrow today so that mum could go home to our puppy Willow. And my dad of course, but mostly the pup.
I have spent the rest of the day re-reading Breakfast At Tiffany’s and watching episodes of Grey’s Anatomy while I organize my wardrobe. Let me tell you, it’s no mean feat! Wish me luck.
Lunch and today’s freebies! Glamour magazine was giving away teeny, tiny samples of Benetint, Posietint, and High Beam from Benefit Cosmetics (who are one of my favourites, despite the fact that Badgal Lash mascara never stays on my actual lashes!).
I’ve used Benetint before but I have to say – after testing all three on the back of my hand I’m a little in love with Posietint… it’s so pink! I have a thing for all things pink. Very girly, I know.
Also pictured: my lunch, because as we’ve already established, I don’t cook. Opening packets and rinsing I can do. I won’t lie though, I couldn’t be bothered rinsing those raspberries. Don’t remind me of this moment if I get food poisoning.
Not pictured: me, because my eye bags are resembling seriously over sized luggage. Like, the kind they make you ship freight rather than check into the hold of a plane.
My birthday was surprisingly lovely this year. The festivities really started on Tuesday evening when our team at work all went out for (unrelated) dinner and drinks. There was copious wine, and pizza, and shots of sambuca chased with champagne, and – most importantly – I wasn’t out a cent. It was a really fun night, although the next day saw me quietly curled up in my spinney desk chair sipping Lucozade and eventually nibbling on Walkers ready salted crisps.
After my recovery it was back out on Thursday night for dinner and drinks in Covent Garden with my friend Emi. I managed to get lost on my way to her work, of course, and ended up walking half-way down the Strand and back in four inch heels. I was rewarded with the tastiness of Wahaca, though! They do this delish street food in tiny little plates that arrive as they’re cooked, and margaritas with real tequila and thick, salted rims. So good! They don’t take reservations and by the time we left around 9 pm there was a queue out the door waiting to be seated, I completely see why!
Birthday card and cute little matchbooks full of chilli seeds to grow! They came with the bill. Very cool.
Luckily all the guacamole and enchilladas soaked up the tequila and I woke up hangover free on my actual birthday. I still had work though – and because I have next week off so that my mum can visit – it was ridiculously busy. During the summer months we work later Monday through Thursday so that we can leave at 3 pm on a Friday. It’s a nice treat, but it made cramming all my work into a couple of hours one crazy feat.
It was still a nice time though. The lovely girls in my team bought me Starbucks and chocolate cake. What more could you want?
Even better, I followed this all up with a trip to London Zoo in the evening to partake in their Zoo Lates event. It is so, so much fun. I knew it would be a good time; my friend Ariana was escorting me for the night, and she’s hilarious. I had no idea it would be so much of a party atmosphere.
Obligatory visit to the giftshop! I was trying to get the best view of the hat… but managed look a little creepy.
It reminded me of a music festival in the zoo! There were drinks and food tents clustered together, little live bands scattered around, and all the animals were super awake. We got to see the tigers wandering right up to the edge of their enclosures, and (our favourite of the night) the giraffes galloping about. Even the penguins were most excited about being fed when we passed by.
These guys kept coming up to say hello. They were beauuuuuutiful!
The penguins…
…and this little guy who seemed to be their king!
We fell a little in love with a company called Hardcore Prawn who were selling the most amazing chicken and pork skewers. I kept finding my way back there to try just one more.
All in all the best of days (/weeks) and I feel like it’s barely begun as I have girly time in London with my mum next week to show her all the sights out in the little section where I live.
In approximately 40 minutes I turn twenty-five-years-old. (Although, officially, I think it’s more like 3.15 am but let’s not quibble!) So, in honour of this auspicious occasion I have compiled a crazy little wish list of fun things to have and do.
1. Bloch two-tone patent-leather ballerina flats (£115)
2. MAC Girl About Town lipstick (£13.50)
3. Archer Season 1 DVD (£11.99)
4. Tiffany Circlet earrings (£1625)
5. Hunter Original fushia gloss (£72)
6. Juicy Couture gold and amethyst estate ring (£73)
7. Mui Mui cats eye sunglasses (£120)
8. OPI Big Apple Red nail polish (£10.50)
9. House of Harlow 1960 starburst pendant (£75)
10. Nancy Gonzalez long crocodile clutch (£1045)
11. Burberry Prorsum buckle-detailed patent-leather belt (£250)
12. 16GB pink iPod Nano (£163)
13. Jenny Packham french lace and silk-chiffon chemise (£500)
14. Smythson leather iPad case (£170)
15. 64GB iPad 2 with WiFi (£559)
16. Nikon D3100 18-55vr Kit (£438.99)
17. Kirkland Jelly Belly Bean Bulk Jar 1.8kg 45 flavours Sweets (£19.20)
18. Wonka Rainbow Nerds assorted mixed pack (£2.90)
19. New Super Mario Brothers for Wii (£34.97)
20. Scrabble (£12.99)
21. Joseph Joseph Nest 8 Food Preparation Bowl Set (£32.06)
22. Sunnydale High t-shirt (£12.49)
23. Blue A5 Paperchase notebook (£4)
24. Underground aqua Oyster card holder (£8)
25. Cashmere throw in Oyster (£280)
I would write more but I’m gloriously tipsy on Wahaca margaritas right now, so I’ll document my birthday week later after the majority of the festivities!
Aren’t these babies beautiful?
I have a shoe addiction so old that I can’t even remember when it began. As a kidlet I was an early walker. The parentals claim I was toddling around at nine months. Clearly I was eager to get into the heels.
In the beginning, I had a pair of hard-soled, pink slippers which I refused to take off. There are pictures of me wearing them with pyjamas and party dresses. There’s even one of me curled up in the dog’s bed, wearing them. Not long after that I discovered the wonder of plastic dress-up shoes, and (here’s the stubborn streak!) refused to take those off no matter how many times my mother pleaded with me that it was dangerous to walk up and down the stairs in them.
Oh, it gets worse. I grew up in rural Scotland where wellies are a staple, yet I managed to con my daddy into buying me white, peep-toe, frilly sandals when we went out to get my school shoes one year. It’s okay, I got to keep them.
Ever since then, I’ve always been the shoe girl. I’ve had knee-highs, thigh-highs, crazy Spice Girl platform sandals, pointy-toe, peep-toe, steel-toe, and everything in between. I went through a phase of wearing these ridiculously blinged out platform Sketchers.
The only shoes I’ve never really worn are Converse – I have an irrational dislike for canvas shoes. In fact, almost a year ago I made a pledge to myself that I would only wear leather shoes, with the exception of flip-flops and wellies (and glitter jelly sandals, I will always make an exception for jellies, especially if they’re pink). I’ve stuck to it, and although it does make getting my fix a little more expensive, and a little trickier, it’s definitely worth it to my poor feet who now deal with a thousand less blisters than they did in the days of plastic shoes.
The pretty, little doodlebops above are an early birthday present to myself. (I turn 25 on Friday. Eeek!) I got both pairs from ASOS, and they were in the sale super cheap. Bonus! Now, all I need to do is remember how to walk in five inch platform heels, and I’m golden.
A cautionary tale to those who would go to bed with wet hair.
Oh yes. My hair thinks it’s a lion’s mane today.
I had plans for today. Big plans! They involved cleaning, and jogging, and DIY manicures. Instead I had a Buffy the Vampire Slayer marathon and drank cider. A productive day if ever I knew one.
My neighbours seem to be taking advantage of the early summer every weekend with BBQs, and children running around the garden screaming while cheesy music blasts from all their windows.
I live in the top-half of a terraced town house on a pretty street that houses mostly middle-aged people, and families. (I have two roommates because this is London and if you can afford to live alone at twenty-four then you’re probably an heiress or a minor celebrity.) Because we live on the top two floors we don’t get the garden, but my bedroom window does look directly down onto it. That means if I’m hanging at home I’m vicariously invited to their shin-digs. (I’m never actually invited because this is London and if you know your neighbours then… you’re a crazy anomaly.)
Anyway, today was fun — warm breeze, good food, and Celebrate Good Times shaking some one’s speaker system.