In which there are celebrations and spring

So soon after my Brighton anniversary, I have another post about the beach! Yes, at the weekend I had a small holiday to the moderately-sunny but ever-homelike Aberystwyth. It is the town I went to university in and where I met my beloved, learnt to fence and dance and learnt to love Heart of Darkness, where I discovered role-playing and cooking and saw the best sunsets in the world and where I made some amazing friendships. Friends who were back too! It was the 60th anniversary of 'Methsoc' aka the Methodist Society. I mention us once before on my blog in my theological rant about stumbling blocks. We were a close group who met in the minister's living room, ate cake and discussed things. We were/are all a little bit odd, but we were also a great group. And so it turns out were other Methsoc groups for sixty years!
So I saw lots of old friends, made a few new ones and (despite apparent Methodism) went to the pub every night for 3 in the row. Plus I ate the largest Sunday roast I have ever had where one full half of the plate was just a mountain of meat. I kid ye not. Found out some of my old friends have, like me, got into Magic (the card game) since graduating and so played a good bit of that, went to the castle, paddled in the cold cold sea and danced!

I was really busy and I didn't take a lot of photos of the town itself and the ones I did take were bloody awful so I can't share the beach with you. I did manage to sneak in an outfit photo session on the way to the barn dance.

This dress is 'new', in that I bought it from a charity shop last week. I absolutely love it to bits. If you've followed this for a while you'll know I love games and toys (and am even having a game themed-wedding in two months) so this seemed exactly right. It is even more appropriate because I had tried on a playing card print dress in New Look and felt torn not buying it, but the fabric was horrible. Then I saw this on the model in a local charity shop and went straight in to grab it! Plus it flares out when I dance.

 

I know my hair is going a bit crazy, I apologise for the general messiness but it was windy!

I bought some nail art pens recently and am pretty obsessed with them!

All the flower beds were so beautiful and colourful.

Outfit details
Dress: Charity shop, originally Topshop
Necklace: Stall in Brighton
Leather jacket: XXI in America a few years ago
Satchel: New Look

Also, I want to ask a question that might seem a bit silly for a blogger, but where do you get your blog designs? I don't really love mine and want something that looks a little more fresh but I don't have the skills to do it myself. Does anyone have a place they can recommend for templates or even a designer? I'm willing to pay but I can't afford hundreds sadly.