Tag: fashion blogger

Category is: EBay Eleganza

Published on by Quinn of the Nerds6 Comments

Welcome back lovelies! Now before we leap into this chinwag have you got a cup of tea, coffee or beverage of choice in hand? Wonderful!

So I’m on a mission, sent to me by the fashion gods! With me so far? Rightyho!

I decided a little while ago that for the rest of the year (as an experiment) I’m not going to buy one single piece of brand new clothing.

It can be new to me, but not newly made is what I mean.

Yes this decision was a spur of the moment thing and I’ll admit it was most definitely a wake up in the morning and shout it from the rooftops decision, but it comes as a result of following the amazing Teresa Maria (known as the fantastic Outlandish Blog). Her whole platform has made me aware of brands that claim they sell sustainable items and has educated me on the damages of fast fashion. Believe me; I thought I was aware of what’s going on… But oh no, she has fully opened my eyes and that’s just the tip of the iceberg with her blog! But I fully recommend her blog and her e-book on sustainable fashion.

Since then I’ve been on a quest to “shop my wardrobe” some more. I know I’ve mentioned this on more than one occasion, but during the lockdown I found it necessary to do it more than usual and if I do require a piece of clothing, to only buy second-hand garments – unless the garment has to be underwear, of course! That requires some research into sustainably made pants.

I want to do more to be kinder to our planet and being more sustainable with fashion I feel is a good start for me.  

I know that this is just a small step in the grand scheme of things, but if I can be more select with my fashion choices it’s paving the way for more changes.

Admittedly throughout the last few months of lockdown I have bought a few key pieces to get me through the height of summer; if you’ve stuck around for this long you may remember me saying a few times that my summer wardrobe has always been pretty abysmal haha! But I took to the land of eBay to amend this and found some beautiful true vintage 1960s pieces that have stood the test of time because of how well made they are. The purchases I made were even more worthwhile when the sellers told me that they were giving the money to charity!

  • Vintage 1969 dress (seller stated it’s from USA)
  • Vintage 1969 dress (John Meyer of Norwich)

It’s given me the nudge to be more cautious about where I spend my money, who does it go to, who does it benefit? What do I get out of it? Even by just starting with sites like EBay and depop I’m able to put my thought into why I want these pieces and do I really need them? I mean, what I get out of it is key pieces that are truly one of a kind, no one will have these and I’m truly an individualist haha.

I simply can’t help it I thrive on looking unique and different, always have! Hence why I’ve also started the process of making my own clothes… Well, I say started the process. A sewing machine has arrived at my house, but we all start somewhere and this is an adventure I’ve wanted to embark on for years and didn’t have the confidence to challenge myself. The time is now lovelies!

As Vivienne Westwood once said “buy Less, choose well, make it last”

Grey Hair, Don’t Care!

Published on by Quinn of the Nerds9 Comments

Hello lovelies!

I truly hope you’re all making the most of being home more, but whatever your situation I sincerely hope you’re all happy, healthy and staying creative!

But whilst we’re all sat here growing our hair out and doing our best not to reach for the kitchen scissors, I wanted to discuss what I feel is my biggest accessory!

Mainly because it makes me look like I’m a Lego Mini Figure.

Now I make it no secret that I’m only going grey, not only that but I never hid the fact that I’ve been going grey since the age of 21. Fair to say I’ve always been punctual!

I also make it no secret that I dye my hair and that I dye it my natural hair colour (there is a point to this, honest!) A lot of this has been purely for work purposes, as unfortunately with a lot of what I do it’s always been easier if my appearance looks consistently the same. So to keep it one slick overall colour has always seemed the easiest thing to do!

But let’s be honest now, during this lock down I have not once felt the urge to reach for the box dye (yes, I’m a box dye type-a-gal haha) and cover up my grey roots, instead (like many others) I’m letting it do its thing and I’m embracing it.

I’m now 31; and it is a known fact among my family that I am indeed greyer than my own dad (no shade)! You see back when I was 21 and I discovered not just my first grey hair but a cluster of them (clearly one didn’t want to be the first to the party so decided to bring friends), this was immensely difficult to cope with. Especially being around the time I was graduating university and I had this horrid feeling that I was aging quicker than everyone around me!

This was always made ten times more difficult when someone would point out “Oh my god, do you realise I can see 10 grey hairs just from where I’m standing!” Cue me, (insert sarcasm here) Geez thanks for that, nope I clearly had no idea… Now I hear you lovelies, you’re probably thinking along something of the lines of “kids can be so mean, can’t they?” However this was actually said by people that in theory were considered adults and yes adults can also be incredibly mean.

Needless to say Mr Lee, my wonderful partner has always been incredibly supportive and truly loves me for the person I am and feels I can rock anything… Unless I suddenly decide to grow out my fringe, then he’s told me something’s would be extremely wrong and I would require an intervention, haha! As he knows this is something I will never ever do! The bangs stay.

But truthfully it’s the confidence that I; myself have built up over the last few years that have allowed me to be fully comfortable with this change.

Over time I have come to love and embrace what I’ve been given, which is very thick, healthy hair… It just happens to be going grey! I’m going to be honest, I know this process for some might be incredibly stressful and you may be struggling with your confidence and if dying your hair makes feel confident and it brings back a sense of normality, then you do you hun!

I just count myself considerably lucky that I have hair and if going grey is all I have to worry about… Then bring it on!

I’m not saying I’ll never dye my hair again, haha! For certain scenarios there’ll no doubt come a time where I’ll have to cover my silver strands, but right now for the purposes of a cheeky selfie for the Instagram or a zoom chat with the besties I’m going with the “I am who I am” look… Oh, I feel a song coming on! I should quit while I’m ahead.

I digress! What I saying is, whenever the day arrives and I do go the whole hog; you’ll find me rocking my chic bob as per, applying my favourite red lipstick, styling with my retro eye-wear I’ll be good to go.

Just call me Dame Judi or Dame Helen… But minus the Dame part!  

(Side note: Please remember my lovelies, if you do decide on a radical change and happen to reach for the bread knife at this time, if your hair meets the requirements consider donating your locks!)

Bisous!

Feig-ing Fabulous

Published on by Quinn of the Nerds14 Comments

Paul Feig – director, creator, fashion icon and one of my favourite people!

Now my lovelies you know his movies: Spy, Last Christmas, Bridesmaids (just to name a few) and if you’re like me you’ll also know the fantastic TV series Freaks and Geeks! But what many of you may not know is how much of a style icon this gentleman is and how his style has influenced the fashions of his own movies.

He is (in my opinion) one of the best dressed people I have ever had the pleasure to come across, he even collaborated with J. Crew on a range of stylish suit accessories and recently has been entertaining us worldwide with a series he calls “quarantine cocktail time” a quaren-tini, if you will, on Instagram live. Every night (without fail) he has a little cocktail party in his home, joined by his delightful wife Laurie for a jaunt around their kitchen as they chat, make a cocktail and have a boogie.

Honestly it’s become one of the major highlights of my day!

But I digress, this post (that I’ve been desperate to write for AGES!) is to have a chinwag about the fashion from two of my favourite movies by Mr. Feig Ghostbusters and A Simple Favour.

More specifically I really want to talk about the everyday fashions of the characters; Erin (Kristen Wiig) with a smidge of Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon) and Stephanie (Anna Kendrick) from A Simple Favour.

Please remember hun’s for these posts I don’t buy anything new in order to put these ensembles together and I’m not trying to cosplay either, I’m definitely not talented enough for that (my sewing skills are minimal to say the least)! This is simply me playing dress up with my own wardrobe, talking about characters whose fashion I resonate with or have clearly been inspired by… albeit subconsciously. Yes, safe to say I see some similarities and a penchant for tweed.

With Ghostbusters what really caught my eye was (everything because I bloody adore it) their use of patterns, textures and layering used for Erin’s Columbia University outfits and Holtzmann’s ensembles. Brilliantly designed by Jeffrey Kurland he created clear, distinct characters and made fashion such a statement in the movie and that’s even without mentioning how amazing the Ghostbuster’s flight suits are (swoon)… And yes, I do have one in case you were wondering.

Then we come to genius that is Renee Enrlich Kalfus! Oh my life, the use of fashion in A Simple Favour is in a word delicious and so cleverly put together! The costume choices made for Anna Kendrick’s character (Stephanie Smothers) in particular show how her character develops through the movie as the plot unfolds; don’t worry there be no spoilers here! But honestly it is genius the impact the costumes have on this movie and it had a profound effect on me!

However looking at my wardrobe, it definitely doesn’t reflect the high-fashion-Ralph-Lauren-suited-and-booted Blake Lively. A girl can dream, alas I know my destiny is to live the life of an animal sock wearing blogger; that would do anything for that Alice + Olivia pom-pom sweater. Isn’t it just delightful?

Paul Feig’s own fashion styling he’s mentioned was inspired by people such as Cary Grant and the golden age of Hollywood. His own sense of style then became the vision for Blake Lively’s character and Mr Feig, I salute you!

This is a just a small appreciation post dedicated to Paul Feig and the wondrous designers and creatives he surrounds himself with, to help create something I feel is truly special. Ahem.. A Simple Favour is available to watch on Netflix lovelies and I encourage you all to watch it, that’s if you haven’t already m’dears. Bisous!

Photography credits: Ghostbusters wiki, Slash film & IMDB

A Pinny For Your Thoughts

Published on by Quinn of the Nerds4 Comments

Afternoon luvvies! How are we all? I do hope you’re eating plenty of treats, drinking much tea and looking after yourselves.

Now during these times I am fully aware that some of us… Ok probably a lot of us are living in realm of lounge wear and pajamas, including myself! Comfy worn-in joggers and slouchy jumpers have become the new office attire; let’s face it even if you’re working from home in these times and have to take a conference call who says that you can’t be put together on the top half and cosy on the bottom? You’ve totally earned it! But if you do happen to wake up one morning and the notion of getting dressed presents itself then do it, sometimes putting on an outfit I really like can make a huge difference to my day and I genuinely feel more productive simply just by getting dressed.

One of my favourite pieces in this scenario is (you may have guessed by the title!) The pinafore!

Now I’ll be honest I steered away from buying a pinafore for years, out of fear that I’d end up looking a bit like a child and let’s be honest I wouldn’t be worlds away with my haircut and collection of peter pan collars… However when I started to plan my outfit choices for a holiday to Scandinavia, ordering one by chance completely changed my mind and it has now become a major staple in my wardrobe.

I got this navy blue one from Joanie Clothing (my favourite online store I might add) and much like Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat, I honestly wish I had this pinafore in so many different colours and shades (hint hint)! It’s versatile and one of those timeless pieces that can get you through any season.

When it gets a little chilly in the air a cute jumper with a collar works perfectly with a pair of opaque tights. Fast forward to the height of summer, now you can ditch the tights altogether and opt for a basic tee or an adorable blouse with all the frills imaginable. What made me fall head over heels with this pinafore in particular was just how much you can do with it! It can be casual one minute or dressed up if you’re going out for a lovely lunch somewhere. One of my favourite places to where this item is when travelling, specifically on a train journey. I find it comfortable and effortless; it’s a no-brainer outfit! I for one cannot rock lounge wear out and about in public it simply doesn’t suit me, so something like a pinafore is fantastic.

Whether you have a modern dress sense or you want to jazz it up a little and make it look 1960’s and retro, a pinafore can work for your personal style no matter what outfit choices you have in mind.

I have yet to buy another like this and when I stumble upon the right one you better believe I’ll be buying another one… or three!

It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad TV Show!

Published on by Quinn of the Nerds8 Comments

Hope you’re all safe and sound my lovelies! Keeping sane and being creative I hope. I’m pretty good at spending a lot of time indoors, I must admit. Presently I’ve been putting outfits together and trying to be creative with my ensemble choices (y’know so I can look utterly fabulous, once I emerge from my cave of wonders) and it got me to thinking just how much of what I wear is actually influenced by what I watch! This also works the other way around too; a lot of what I watch is definitely influenced by what I wear!

This has been most apparent with Mad Men.

Yes I know! But don’t worry, I won’t spoil anything for those that haven’t watched it on Netflix yet… hint hint.

I remember when I first watched the show I instantly resonated with the wardrobe of Peggy Olson, played fantastically by Elizabeth Moss! Am I right?

Firstly, I think it’s fair to say I could easily sit through one episode and vocally express that I wanted (nay needed) every single outfit from every character… Including the supporting artists!

Yes I actually did that, if you were wondering.

Peggy’s array of bows, peter pan collars and not to mention her bangs! It was crystal clear that there was a lot I could take away from this character and already had unbeknownst to me.

Now please bear in mind sweeties I had all these clothes in my wardrobe whilst doing this blog post, I bought nothing new for the occasion! I wish! I know that these are not in any way accurate depictions or cosplay’s of Peggy’s costumes, but I found it interesting just how much of what I already owned lent itself to the iconic TV series.

As you all know (unless you’re new here, then welcome lovelies!) I have a penchant for retro and vintage clothing, particularly that of the 1950s and 60s. However when my putting these ensembles together the hair was the hardest thing to get right! Oh my goodness, no matter what I do to my hair it just naturally wants to form itself back into the 1920’s flapper bob that it is… But thanks to unwashed hair, pin-curling the night before (and a sleepless night due to bobby pins sticking into my skull), some severe back combing and a big tin of hairspray I managed to achieve (only just) this look!

What I love and adore most about the costumes created for Elizabeth Moss is that they always put her in a combination of patterns and textures and were never afraid of a pop of colour!

They clearly showed her evolution through the changes in fashion and trends at the time- I’m now going to blame the stylists for my growing obsession with the colours mustard yellow, rust and green!

These costumes creatively designed by Janie Bryant concentrated on Peggy’s journey, not only through the decades of the show but her important transition through the period of time as a woman and what it meant to be a woman in what was a male dominated world. The women on this show were (let’s face it) positively badass! They were not afraid of the men around them, to assert their authority when necessary and knew how to achieve exactly what they wanted to; they were go-getters and will always be (in my opinion) considered as some of the best written characters on TV and I think we can all agree some of the most stylish!  

A Momentous Occasion

Published on by Quinn of the Nerds4 Comments

Happy Sunday lovelies- now hold on to your cup of tea, this post is going to be a mushy one.

Today I’m sending love and appreciation to all the mum’s, mam’s, mummy’s, mama’s, step-mum’s, grandma’s, granny’s, nan’s and nana’s out there.

To the mother’s that we are still lucky to have here with us and those that are sadly not with us anymore, you are constantly in our thoughts.

The ladies that are celebrating their first mother’s day and the ladies who are about to join motherhood!

Not forgetting all the wonderful dads out there who are also mum.

While we should celebrate these beautiful people every day, this day in particular is dedicated to you.

My mumsy is a truly magnificent person. She’s one of those who will not stand to see anyone stuck and has a duty of care towards everyone she meets; honestly her willingness to go above and beyond for people knows no bounds!

I think it’s fair to say that she’s been there for me through times where I’ve been at my lowest, even miles apart she’s helped me get through countless panic attacks just by being on the phone (she even sent me the loveliest care package, paper bags with inspirational messages written on them!) Through teenage bullying, job losses, rejection, anxiety, going to university, moving out of my family home, feeling like a failure and a whole lot more rejection! She’s been my rock through it all and I honestly cannot thank her enough for putting up with me (aka this theatrical, dramatic emotional mess).

But through all of the hardships, we’ve also had some pretty amazing successes! One of my favourites would be seeing Fleetwood Mac together (I know, right?) This dream finally came true in 2013 and singing Don’t Stop hand in hand with my mama I will cherish for years (upon years) to come. Then last year I experienced not only my first cruise but we had our first mother/daughter holiday exploring Scandinavia, ticking a few things off my imaginary list of things I’ve been desperate to do! We got to be ladies who lunch for an entire week and I absolutely loved it (can we start planning the next one yet?)

I know I’m waffling right now, but I have so much to thank her for (and if she’s reading this, I’m going to assume she’s already started welling up by now… Sorry!)

Even now, in my thirties, my mum has never once doubted my ability to follow my dreams no matter how wild and ‘out there’ they seem. She has always allowed me the freedom to express myself and to be a creative free spirit, which is why I sing at the top of my lungs, dance my heart out and wear exactly what I want to. She’s always championed me for being unique and different.

I owe her so much.

M’dears If you can’t be with the ones you love right now, whether it’s due to forces out of your control or (like my mum) unfortunately don’t live around the corner, if you haven’t already send a card, text, call, facetime, skype, even carrier pigeon! But if you miss somewhere dearly and they’re not with us anymore, you can always tell me what you’re what’s on your mind today and what you miss most about them- I’ll be more than happy to listen.

But please, tell them how grateful you are that they’re/were in your lives and that you love them.

Happy Mother’s Day x

A Day at the Opera (Cake)

Published on by Quinn of the Nerds8 Comments

Did someone say cake? Part 2

If you know me, you’ll know that I am what I call a cake enthusiast… Or y’know a person who just flippin’ loves cake but thinks she deserves a fancier title (is it just me that thinks Miranda Hart would strongly approve of that statement?)  

Whenever it comes to a catch up with a friend what says “let’s have a chinwag” better than cake? Nothing that’s what! Everyone can enjoy cake whether it’s gluten free, dairy free, flourless! Yasssss is what I say!

Well last week I visited the most adorable café that I simply have to share my experience with you all, just in case you ever visit London town.

Boulangerie Jade is a traditional French artisan bakery and patisserie and I know what you’re thinking “well that ticks all the boxes doesn’t it?” You’re darn tootin’ hun. I instantly felt I was back in Paris the moment I walked through the door and it was wonderful to have the feeling in the heart of London. They have four locations, all SE London and but it’s definitely worth travelling out of Central London, not only the cafes but the delightful surroundings. My dear friend chose to visit here as it was her birthday and she was keen to try somewhere new (my kind of mentality!) She decided upon Boulangerie Jade as one of the locations was in East Dulwich (which is such a pretty part of town) and it’s the only one out of the locations that does hot food.

The place felt cosy and warm and the ladies who worked there made you feel extremely welcome. It’s not a particularly large place but nonetheless there were plenty of places to sit and it was clear by the number of people it’s a popular choice with the locals (and this is always a good sign). So before I go anywhere I always tend to scour the menu beforehand, this is because I could talk for England and reading the menu when I meet up with a friend isn’t very high up on my priority list! However…Trying to narrow down a patisserie menu filled to the brim of some of my favourite cakes and pastries, this proved to be incredibly difficult and could have easily ordered 5 things off of the menu…

I didn’t however if that’s what you’re thinking! Cheeky.

I opted for the Opera cake, which is one of the most beautiful combos ever put into cake form, if you’ve never tried it and are a chocolate/coffee obsessive then honestly what are you waiting for?  Again, due to popularity (and no doubt because it’s been featured on the Great British Bake Off) there was only one of these available. But I wanted to my dear friend to have it, as it was her birthday and after all one of us had to have it!! Nevertheless my luck was in when my other favourite was in fact available, another popularised by British Bake Off fame- Millefeuille. The most beautiful flaky pastry sandwiched between layers of crème pâtissère. My idea of heaven basically! We paired it was a couple of their light and creamy coffees and we were two very happy Northern girls!

Having now tried a sampling of their cake and pastry, I would return in a heartbeat and wouldn’t hesitate to try their hot food offerings and leave enough room to try another of the cakes, tarts or pastries.

No matter where in the world you live I think we can all agree that one thing we could always have more of are lovely little cafes, where they provide comforting hot drinks and luxurious desserts that taste so good you can’t even be bothered to feel guilty about devouring.      

If you Quant it, Flaunt it!

Published on by Quinn of the Nerds4 Comments

Her clothes appealed to both ‘duchesses and typists’.

Her fashion was described as kooky, mad and way out.

Mary Quant – role model for the working woman.

If you’ve read my first ever blog on here, then you’ll know it was all about this lady! To those that haven’t (not to worry), in a nutshell I managed to visit a scaled down Mary Quant exhibition last year at the Fashion and Textiles museum; it featured not only Quant but Terence Conran (the man behind the store Habitat).

The recent exhibition at the V&A museum however was all about Quant and her legacy. What made this exhibition unlike any other I’d visited was that the majority of the collection was on loan to the museum from owners of original Mary Quant pieces. They were displayed beautifully alongside a placard detailing whom the item had come from, where/when they may have purchased it and how much for (honestly it was such a sweet idea!) They then proceeded to display how much the item in question would be worth now and heed my advice when I say this, if you have an original Mary Quant garment lingering about in your loft or your Grandmama’s wardrobe then for heaven’s sake hold on to it!

Or you know, sell it to me so I can at least wear it…

I guess you could say Mary Quant has always inspired my look, from the clothes I wore growing up to the hair on my head. Her whole ethos on why she designed clothes to look a certain way and how she wanted women to feel wearing her pieces, it definitely had an impact on my own wardrobe when forming my own personal style.

She’s quite simply put a revolutionary and a rebel! Apart from celebrating her 90th birthday the day before I visited this exhibition, I might add. Her belief in her own designs extended its way onto the red carpet when visiting Buckingham Palace to collect her OBE. She decided to rock up in front of the world press wearing her own brand from head to toe! This included makeup, tights and even underwear (apparently), all of which could be purchased directly from her store- the ultimate business lady and a badass! See, isn’t she amazing? Not to mention you have her to thank for the mini skirt and waterproof mascara, things you could say we take for granted.

Although her clothes were still expensive, above all she wanted them to be affordable. So she wasn’t quite Primark, but she wasn’t Chanel either!

Walking around the exhibition I see an array of clothes I would still wear to this day. They’re classic and even now they’re edgy! Every pinafore, collared dress and monochrome pattern I see my mind screamed “I simply must have this in my possession!” and if you thought this happened upon viewing the entire collection, then yes you’d be right…

I find the exhibitions at the V&A are always well thought-out and presented beautifully and this one was no exception. I spent a good 2 hours here and if it was a little less crowded I could have easily ogled for a bit longer. Instead after the exhibition (and raiding the store for any goodies I could get my hands on…) I decided to have a jaunt to Kings Road in Chelsea to have a peek at where Mary Quant’s store Bazaar would have stood back in 1955.

Mary Quant. Thank you for sitting in your bedsit designing and creating quirky dresses, tackling the class system and being unconventional!  

As you put it best, “We knew we had to do it ourselves, or nothing would happen at all”      

“Just call me Aunt Teek!”

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When looking to plan a perfect day out and about; for me it would be a morning moseying around local antique and second-hand stores, a stop off somewhere for some tea and cake (or a cheeky chai latte, if it’s on offer) preferably at a quaint café where the cake is homemade, then an afternoon wandering little side streets with another coffee to walk around with.

Now I’ll be honest with you all the antique stores in Shoreditch are quite simply not my cup of tea. I think they’re overpriced and Shoreditch itself I find to be rather stressful!

When antique hunting in London I find it best to scour the internet first instead of hopping straight to Shoreditch and some of the best places I’ve found so far are in the SE London. Crystal Palace antiques and Love Atomica which has a space Croydon are fantastic, if you’re looking for vintage furnishings! Maybe you’re looking for a tea set just like your Grandma used to have and you remember it from your childhood, or a funky 1960s Mad Men style bureau. Places like this are really worth taking a look round and they won’t have you forking out so much money that you end up thinking – “was it just worth buying something similar from Ikea?”       

My favourite haunt as of lately is Mabel’s Five & Dime, in Sydenham. Now hold onto your seats kids it gets better, there’s also a cute little café next door… I know right?

However Mabel’s is only open Thursday through Saturday, but this should just further the urgency to go and visit!

It’s such a perfectly sized store and is curated beautifully. The owner handpicks everything that goes into Mabel’s (by the way if you’re curious Mabel is a cute little pup) and the way everything is displayed instantly made me personally want to spend a lot of time there, just to make sure I didn’t miss a beat. The store stocks everything from furniture, china, books, toys, clothes/accessories and plenty of vintage fabric. Even better, if you do see an item of clothing you do have your eye on there’s a changing room!

I knew as soon as I entered that I’d be walking away with something and that I did! Now would you honestly believe me if I told you that these finds came to £24 altogether? I know right! I didn’t think they would either to be perfectly honest. But it just showed me what vintage and antique stores can be like once you venture away from Central and East London, and I’m eager to find more to visit.

If you know of any fantastical vintage/antique stores on the outskirts of London that I simply must go and give some love, then please do send your recommendations my way. Or if you know of any around the country, I will make it my mission to go visit those too!

Catch-up & A Coffee, with a side of NYC

Published on by Quinn of the Nerds1 Comment

Hello lovelies!

I’m so glad to be back (for good this time, like Take That…) Now do make sure you’re comfy and have just made a cup of tea, coffee, hot chocolate (go on, treat yourself)!

So we met again dearies! We’ve been here many times before haven’t we? Now normally I would go on a tangent (a long winded one, I might add) apologising for my absence. However, if any of you have seen my Instagram page/stories from the past month you’ll probably have a good idea why I’ve been a bit M.I.A. But those darlings that don’t know please let me share with you my wonderful news!

On our recent getaway to our favourite place in the entire world New York City, on a visit to the quaint and quirky Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow, my wonderful partner Lee got down on one knee and proposed. Of course I said YES! It was absolutely beautiful; he picked the perfect spot that most definitely encapsulates us as a couple; somewhere that we’ll both share forever and we couldn’t be happier.

As you can fully imagine, I’ve been in a whirlwind ever since! I get to be a bride! (cue constant daydreaming…)

Before I get completely carried away and begin hyperventilating from all the excitement, I’m going to delve into our New York trip a little more over my next few blogs. Honestly I have so much to tell you all!

But for today I just wanted to have a little general catch-up with you.

So it’ll be my birthday in a week’s time and I’ll be 31. It may (or may not) surprise you but It’s not really something I’ve thought much about this year. I suppose it’s just one of those times where I’m kind of embracing it with open arms and seeing what happens in the year to come. Last year brought me face to face with a lot of realisations about myself, who I was and just how strong I’m capable of being (although I hadn’t realised most of this until early this year). I’m so different today from the person I was 6 months ago, I’m now a lot more aware of how certain things affect my mental state and can assess situations I find uncomfortable much more quickly and I’ve learnt how to deal with them much more effectively. But yet I’m still realising that a lot of the time I need to be my own cheerleader. This I’ve always found incredibly difficult and it’s always something I’ve known I need to work on. I just suck at it basically. I’m not one to champion myself and constantly wait for the approval of others, whenever I received feedback from tutors at university I got this note every single time and it’s one of the notes they gave me that they’re actually right about.

I’ve been trying not to bog myself down too much about it and luckily thanks to a visit to see my fantastical mum, many chats with my partner and the lovely Daffny (A Vintage Nerd), who reached out to me. I’ve since realised I’m not being stupid in the slightest and basically come to the conclusion that I need to give myself a bit more self-love.

Sounds simple when you put it like that, doesn’t it?

Although in the midst of all of this, I did have something truly wonderful happen the other week!

I was attending a drag competition a friend of mine was been competing in (their name is Anna Toni; they did absolutely incredible and made everyone including myself very proud). But before the competition began I was waiting at the cloakroom (this story has a point, bear with me) and as I hand in my coat I strike up a conversation with one of the lovelies behind the counter. They ask me if I’ve ever made youtube videos, in which I tell them that it was a while ago now but yes I used too but in a rash decision deleted all my content due to anxiety last year and refused to put myself on camera since. Turns out they knew exactly who I was and actually watched my videos (WHAT!) To that dear person, I just want to say the biggest thank you! You still have no idea quite how much your kindness made my day.

Since that moment, I have been thinking about the prospect of vlogging again… Maybe not everything, but certain events or conventions… Hmm maybe, even if it’s just for myself!

But do tell me, how are you all? What’s been happening in your lives lately?

If you’ve been having a bit of a rough week, please remember “be enough for yourself first, the rest of the world can wait”.