In which there is a last bit of light

 This last week I got interviewed for television for my work... It's my first media appearance and it was very scary. Just like an essay or an exam I thought of much better things to say as soon as it was over! I had to do lots of takes and say the same thing in as many different ways as possible. It was actually incredibly exhausting in the end, but I'm looking forward to seeing the end piece. Even though I fear the cringes.

We took these photos in our local park back when there was still a reminder of daylight. These past few days it has only been grey and then black. I hate how little sun we are having.  I always feel down in the winter without the bright light and the warmth of the house. It gets dark around 3.30pm and so afternoon walks with photography have become impossible. I can't even get any good shots of toys in my house for some upcoming posts because it's just not letting the same light in. However, it does make for some cosy evenings and excuses for hot chocolate and cake.

I just bought the new lipstick I'm wearing and it seemed perfect to go with this rich red dress which I fall in and out of love with. I wore almost this exact same outfit earlier in the year but with the same shirt over the top of the dress, not under it. Sorry for my lack of imagination with it!

 I want to develop a more sophisticated style, but I still find myself wearing these very girly outfits. They look good, but they somehow don't feel quite like me. This look is a little bit like wearing a past version of myself. Have you any suggestions to toughen this dress up?

I bought these chunky boots recently and I love them to bits. They are fleece lined, very warm, and you can fold them over to make them shorter and show the contrasting fleece. Plus they work well with more femme items.

Pumpkin necklace is perfect for Autumn outfits.

In which there are fairies, forests and leather

I finally found a way to wear the leather skirt I bought after the end of the Season Ten of Project Runway when I was obsessed with everything Melissa made. I decided that I too needed some leather in my wardrobe, bought the skirt and then promptly hated it. It went to the back of a shelf as a little bit embarrassing. The sign of my Project Runway stupidity. It's a weird fit and didn't seem to flatter me at all. It's high waisted but also clingy so it does nothing flattering to my belly. However! Now that it is the season for jumpers I can pull them down over the awkward bit and it actually looks kind of good. I even wore it to work this week with a baggy top so once I got it out

You may remember my post about London being so loud and me being desperate to leave. The city was just getting me down and I wanted to go visit my parents in Yorkshire. Unfortunately the train fares were so expensive I couldn't afford to, and I was a little down about the whole thing. However my parents then decided to visit me, with their car. And so they drove me out to some countryside in my own area without having to go to Yorkshire at all. It was beautiful. It's nice to know that there is all this around. The thing with having no car is I tend to only go where trains can take you, so it was beautiful to have this little trip around. I also found lots of amazing mushrooms to photograph! We were actually about to head off when I found the beautiful red ones, so I called everyone back and then we saw more everywhere from that little bright patch. Maybe ten different types of mushrooms.

I also wanted to say thank you for all the words of support on my last blog post when I wrote about my assumptions about feminism. It is really comforting to know that other people care. So thanks all.

 And now for the forest!

I am so happy to have spotted these. Such a rare sight.

All the trees in this one area were covered in the yellow lichen and in the bright sun were shining and glowing.

We actually had a massive storm the day before this walk, with windows rattling, trees down and all the London train stations closed. I wanted to take a few photos of the wreckage here too.

All the fairy mushrooms

This little shroom pushing it's way up pressing the soil as it comes was amazing.

This one was about the size of my foot.

We then managed to fit in a quick visit to a small  local castle as the sun was setting.

In which there is much less noise here

 Lately London has been like a weight on my senses. It's so loud all the time, always sirens or children screaming or cars revving or that sound of fast trains that go by so suddently, it makes your heart pound in that one half-second you consider them coming off the tracks. I've been so overwhelmed by it lately I feel an urge to put my hands over my ears as I walk down the street. There's so much dirt and smells, and people. Always, so many people, and so much work to be done.

I realised that the last time I was in Yorkshire and in the real countryside was when I was getting married. Perhaps I am indeed romanticising it because of this association, perhaps I last saw Yorkshire at it's best and now London is looking at its worst. But I think not. I just need a break. On Sunday Andy and I went on a train a little bit further out from our home, not all the way north at all. Just the first bit of real countryside we get to. This enormous park has paths leading off it into the woods and we had a beautiful walk all around the fields and the trees for hours.

When we walked into the park I could feel my whole self relaxing, tension I didn't even know was there. The power of that is wonderful.

I still love London too, in it's own way. I love the view from Blackfriars train station, I love seeing sunset behind Tower Bridge. I love the way the Shard looms over and shines like a fantasy villain's tower. I love all the museums and being able to go to life drawing classes. But right now, I'd prefer sunset over the dales and only the trees to tower. In the meantime this trip to the park refreshed me, and I hope the pictures show that.

 

Outfit details
 Skirt: charity shop
Jumper & tights: H&M
Shoes: New Look
Necklace New Look

In which it is third time lucky

I had a lovely weekend where I foolishly dressed like it was Autumn. In fact it was incredibly warm when we took these photos and I was near melting. We actually had ice creams in the park shortly before we took them. 

I love this outfit to bits but this was the third time I tried to take outfit pictures in it in 2 weeks! The first time we were out and then got some bad news and I was in too much of an upset mood to smile for a camera or indulge in vanity, the second time it chucked down with rain. We tried indoors but I so disappointed with them that we deleted them all. Then, even this time, we nearly gave up because it was too hot for it. But you know we have to suffer for our art right? :P However, comfy jumper, felt hat and stompy boots is the perfect combination to enjoy an Autumn walk in my opinion. I wear these boots and this hat ever Autumn and they are both many years old. The hat is faded and battered and about 7 years old, but it's still the best hat purchase ever. Maybe next year I'll replace it. What are your favourite Autumnal wardrobe pieces? 

It was my birthday party at the weekend. It was my birthday 2 weeks ago in fact and I left this event completely unremarked upon in this blog. I am now at my 1/4 of a century and thus 25. I had a cocktail party where we made mojitos and daquris and other delights and played ugg-tect. A fantastic party game where you have to instruct your team to build a structure, but only communicating in cave man language. There are inflatable clubs. There's a little more to it than that and I really recommend it. I do play a lot of weird board games, but this one is incredibly easy to pick up and play. Would anyone be interested in a post on the board games I have at some point? I could show off some of the crazy boards and pieces they come with.

Outfit details
Jumper: H&M
Necklace: H&M
Dress: Inlovewithfashion
Shoes: Doc Martens
Hat: House of Fraser
Earrings: Handmade