10 Loves #6

1.    Country runs…not loving the shin splints I now have though.

2.    Girl’s season 5 spotify playlist…I have been absolutely loving this fifth and penultimate season of Girls so far, in particular The Panic in Central Park which was a beautiful and touching episode centred around Marnie. Every episode surprises me. It’s worth catching up if you’re behind. The soundtrack to the season will get you in the mood!

3.    My dad’s record player & collection…he’s been hiding some absolute gems for years (along with some questionable musical choices).

4.    Raw. Vegan. Not gross…I’m neither vegan nor a raw- only eater, but there’s some healthy and delicious inspiration here for everyone.

5.    Garden Centres…I went to 3 in one week and decided middle aged people know how to live. They are great places to hang out; Rummaging through the plants could almost double as a jungle experience, and every garden centre seems to sell the tastiest cakes in the world. Get down to your local.

6.    Jonathan Groff's rooftop duet…New York. Spring. Rooftop. Love song...so much romance!

7.   Mindfulness: Plain and Simple…mindfulness is something I always seem to come back to albeit in many different forms. But after reading this book, this time I think I finally understand it. The only trouble is remembering to do a little every day.

8.    Bowls full of fruit for breakfast…pretending it’s summer since ’93.

9.    I didn’t include this in #5 because it was getting a bit Hamil- centric. But come on. Come. On.

10. Plant nanny…an app to monitor your hydration. Every time you drink a glass of water, you water the plant. It could be in my head but I feel like I’ve been reaping the rewards of drinking plenty of water; my skin is aglow! Just sayin’.

Do follow me on Instagram, where you can see the loves that didn't make it!

Spring Fashion: a Wishlist

Please bear in mind that this is a wish list and I FO SHO can’t afford all of these items in one season!

1.    Floral Pull- On Ivory Top- Staringat Stars, at Urban Outfitters, £39

I’m obsessed with this boho silhouette at the moment- boyfriend jeans and floaty silk top of some description.

2.    Simple Dungaree Dress, Olive,£48

Unless I happen to drop 2 dress sizes in a month, Olive is out of bounds for me this Spring. For those who don’t know, most of their beautiful pieces are only available in size S or S/M. I totally buy into their mission of choosing ethical, sustainable clothing over endless variety, but being an ethical consumer shouldn’t be a privilege reserved for skinny people.

3.    Floral Embroidered Bomber Jacket- Zara, £59.99

I’ve been obsessing over this beauty for a couple of months but wanted to wait until Spring arrived to pounce, only to discover it’s now out of stock. TYPICAL.

4.    Stark Sweater- Aritzia,£88.37

Call me crazy, but I love a cardigan in Spring and even summer. There’s something really comforting about pulling some wool over your shoulders on a summers night after showing skin all day. 

5.     The Perfect Summer Jean in Fitzgerald Wash- Madewell, £90.18

What else can I say? This is the perfect pair of summer jeans. COME TO MAMA.

So I read this article: Blogs I've been loving lately

I am that friend who sends you a million links to articles I think you would like. Let’s face it, it’s kind of like extra homework, so for that I apologise. Girl Gang probs. So here are my current favourite blogs I like to push on people.

Lifestyle

IN A PAVILLION http://www.inapavilion.com/

BLUEBIRD http://bleubirdblog.com/

BETHANYELL http://bethanyell.com/

CIDER WITH ROSIE http://www.ciderwithrosie.com/

Beauty & Fashion

ESTEE LALONDE http://www.esteelalonde.com/

VIVIANNADOESMAKEUP http://www.viviannadoesmakeup.com/

INTO THE GLOSS http://intothegloss.com/

LAURA MAGGIE http://lauramaggie.com/

Food & Health

SUSTAIN THE GLOW http://sustaintheglow.com/

DELICIOUSLY ELLA http://deliciouslyella.com/

THE KITCHY KITCHEN http://www.thekitchykitchen.com/

 MINIMALIST BAKER http://minimalistbaker.com/ 

Other bits and bobs

POLITICO http://www.politico.com/

THE NEW YORKER  http://www.newyorker.com/

THE POOL https://www.the-pool.com/

For more inspiration be sure to follow me on pinterest (my home interiors board is seriously one of my proudest achievements) 

An Ode to Spring

The link between my mental health and the sun is palpable at this time of year. We’re on the verge of Spring; we’re not quite there yet but we’re getting tasters of the real thing every day, just enough to excite me when I wake up to the sun streaming through the curtains.

The feeling of excitement for the day just isn’t something I experience in winter. I wish I was one of those people who are at 100% all year round, who could be in a blizzard and still be up n’ at ‘em. Me? I’m type A for 6 months of the year, and for the other half type B would be a generous assessment. It’s not that I don’t know Spring is coming and the gloom will be over soon, it’s just that I can’t see it; at least not when it’s 6am on 8^th of February and 1 degree everywhere but my house, which I have to leave.

So when, on one March day, I can leave the house  without scarf/hat/gloves, and when the next day  there’s still sunlight at 6.30pm, and the day after  that I actually want to go outside and enjoy the Sun,  you can imagine my brain’s excitement. Don’t even  get me started on how much joy spotting the first  cherry blossom brings me.

The best thing about pre- spring is the knowledge  that it’s only going to get better from hereon in. It’s  just like the relief of getting to the top of a long hill,  knowing that the rest of your journey will be so  much easier. No more running in 3 layers of  jumpers (who am I kidding? I don’t run in winter).

This Saturday I had my windows open all day and  purged the house of what was left of winter; the  need to be cosy all the time, hot chocolate  cravings, the longing to have a log fire, wanting to  watch It’s a Wonderful Life twice a week. I let all the  new vibes in; a constant urge to listen to show  tunes, cravings for salad and fruit, the energy to  exercise, the determination to power through the  pile of books on my bedside table.

So here’s to spring cleaning, birds singing and actually wanting to get out of bed in the morning!

Happy pre- spring- go get em’! J

10 Loves #5

1.    Hamilton…I’m late to the party but I’m partying hard. My love for Lin Manuel Miranda’s masterpiece knows no bounds. I’ve begun finding ways to slip the story of Alexander Hamilton and his amazing/tragic American life into every conversation. What I would give to be able to get my hands on some tickets! Guess I’ll have to keep singing along to the soundtrack myself until then.

2.   Flowers…aside from the overnight snow storm of last week, which we won’t talk about (snow in March. March), we’re beginning to see the first signs of spring! What says spring more than filling the house with flowers? But really I need no excuse.

3.    I Low-key need this T Shirt in my life

4.  Dog Walking…I’ve begun walking my dog every morning; the sun on my face feels like the equivalent of a morning coffee…speaking of which…

5.   Coffee…my taste buds have recently woken up to the wonders of coffee and, I’m not gonna lie, I feel like a new woman who could achieve many many great things.

6.    JohnOliver…I’ll let this speak for itself

7.   Iggy Pop and Josh Homme…my favourite musical collaboration for yonks. Their album isn’t out until 18^th March, but if their singles, Break into your heart, Gardenia, and Lust for life are anything to go by, we’re in for a treat.

8.   This banana loaf recipe from Jamie Oliver…this mid-afternoon treat is nothing fancy, but it hits the spot. My nearly 2 year old niece is crazy about it, and I baked one for my mum for her recent birthday- it was gone in a day! They can’t get enough.

9.    Christine has started vlogging…I’ve been following her youtube channel and gorgeous instagram for so long that her vlogs feel like catching up with a friend. She is so cool, you won’t regret watching over your breakfast. Plus she lives in SoCal. I’m *SoJel*.

10. This lengthy interview with President Obama…is worth getting to the end of if you have a spare 20 minutes (or hour if you’re a ridiculously slow reader like moi). It gives an interesting insight into his foreign policy decisions, and reflects on how history will view some of them.