Lunch in Leeds

On the 28th of October Lee and I went to Leeds to see his brother Andrew and his fiancee Libby. They had been in Leeds to see a band (not Fall Out Boy, haha) the night before and had stayed over, so they asked us to go and meet them for lunch. We booked a table at Bundobust and got there about 12.30. Driving into Leeds is a nightmare at the moment because they seem to be digging up the whole entire city and the traffic is awful. Plus Leeds were at home so that didn't help either! But it was okay and we finally got to Andrew and Libby. 

I love Bundobust because it's all vegetarian so I can choose literally anything. I always get the chaat because I love it so much. I also went for stuffed paratha, these were really nice and I'd get them again. My last dish was the vada pav, which is a deep fried mashed potato ball in a burger bun. It tasted nice, but the texture was a bit bland so I didn't eat it all and wouldn't order it again. But I'm glad I tried it! I also had a lychee cocktail which was delicious. 

After lunch we went into Trinity, which happened to have a craft fair going on in the middle. I bought a couple of Christmas presents and some earrings, and we bought some brownies to share later. It was so nice! All four of us went in a couple of shops and then we went down to the Hotel Chocolat cafe for a drink. Unfortunately it was really understaffed so the queue to get drinks was huge and Andrew and Libby had to leave to get their train. But Lee and I had some delicious hot chocolate which came with cocoa whip on top and was delicious! 

We got home about 4.30pm and I had a lie down and a nap because I was absolutely exhausted from the night before. Apparently the October slide is a known thing for people with chronic illness and I was definitely feeling it by the end of the month. Resting is good! 

I dug out my Dr Marten boots for the first time this year. I got them on Vinted last Christmas and wore them really late into the year because they're really easy to just pull on. The top layer is supposed to rub off and reveal the brighter red underneath - this had started a bit when I got them but I've definitely worn them in more! They're really comfy. I was also wearing reddish tights with bats on that I got from Snag because it was near Halloween. 

My outfit was a red skirt that I picked up at a clothes swap in June - it's from New Look originally. It's a size 22 and the waistband is a bit tight but it's actually fine on me. I paired it with my 'We are the weirdos, mister" which came from Grin in Manchester in October last year. It's a quote from The Craft if you don't know it, and it's perfect for near Halloween! 

My boots and tights as we were on the way out

Lychee cocktail, it came in a really dainty glass which was cute

Chaat at the top and the stuffed paratha at the bottom - there were two different types of paratha but they were both nice

Vada pav! Lee had one of these too

Classic hot chocolate with cocoa whip

My outfit - love these together!

Tea out with Katie and What I Wore December 5th

I went out for tea with my friend Katie on the 5th of December. She said for me to choose where we went, so I looked around and decided on Ego at the Bull's Head in Horbury. It had some nice veggie options and I thought it would be nice for just before Christmas. We met at 7 and Katie had bought me the cutest necklace shaped like a jammy dodger! Amazing!

I had actually been to craft club earlier in the day and had worn a new t-shirt that says 'Merry Kissmas' on it, I bought it in the sales in early 2022. I wore it with my pleated silky skirt from New Look forever ago, and a red cardigan that came from George at Asda originally. It was a cute outfit to wear to craft club.

Back to Katie! I had garlic mushrooms to start with then a halloumi kebab, then I ordered chocolate tart and Katie ordered lemon tart and we shared them - they were both nice. I didn't love the halloumi kebab but it was fine. The garlic mushrooms were good though! It was nice to catch up with Katie.

I wore this houndstooth dress that I got from Hell Bunny forever ago. I don't wear it often as it's quite thick. It's such a winter dress! I do like it, and Katie complimented it too. The collar is velvet which adds to how warm it is. 

Outfit I went to craft club in 

Garlic mushrooms

Halloumi kebab

Chocolate salted caramel tart

And my houndstooth dress!

What I Wore March 12th

On Saturday the 12th of March I headed to Leeds for a Body Shop conference of my region. It's the first one I've been able to attend as I couldn't go to the one in October and clearly prior to that they'd been stopped because of Covid. I didn't know anyone else who was going but was assured that I would sit with someone and would meet people. I knew exactly where to park which was useful. It was a bright sunny day so I put on a spring outfit and also my new white Converse which Lee bought me for my birthday. I haven't worn them before because I didn't want them to get mucky straight away!

I put on this Yours dress with florals on, it's one of my favourite dresses and I like wearing it when the weather improves a bit. It's quite thin but with leggings underneath it was fine. Plus the room we were in was really hot so I didn't mind that my outfit was cool. I put this crocheted mint green top on which was from New Look around ten years ago. I had a purple one too but got rid of it, and wish I hadn't! 

I found my new Converse comfortable, and really liked wearing them. They have a floral stripe down the back of them which is really cute. I took my denim jacket too but when I went out to buy lunch I didn't need it because it was such a nice day. 

I enjoyed the conference, it felt nice and welcoming and not too cliquey. There were some interesting speakers for sure. I got home just after 4pm which was great. I had been having some health issues so needed to rest in the evening which I did. On my way out of the conference I had bought two donuts from Doh Hut which was just next to the hotel. I've been past it a few times but it's always been closed, so when it wasn't I took my chance and went in! I bought Lee a donut with creme patissier inside, and myself one with chocolate ganache inside. I only ate half of mine so I had some left for the next day! 

I have a pair of black slip on Converse that I wore to death last summer. They're really comfy and easy to slip on and off, and I love the look of them. I saw these in the sale after Christmas and asked Lee to buy them for my birthday

Picture just when I got home, I do love this outfit, it's casual but feels pretty put together too!

27th December with Family and What I Wore

As I said previously, my aunt, uncle, cousin and grandma came to my mum's house on the 27th. Lee and I had stayed over on Boxing Day night too because all the cats were managing to exist in the same place still, which was nice. So we were already there. Also as a reminder, my other cousin Rob and his wife Beth couldn't come as they both had Covid. They had had to stay at home in Leicester! But the rest of us had a nice time together. 

They arrived in the morning and for lunch we got fish and chips from a place near my mum's. I had battered halloumi and chips though. We opened presents from each other, played some games, and had a buffet for tea. It was a really lovely and relaxing day! 

I was wearing my burgundy pleated skirt from New Look which I had worn just before Christmas too, but this time with a sparkly top from Simply Be. Both are old but I really like them both and think they make a nice outfit

Should kitten be sitting on there? Absolutely not, but she's going to do it anyway

My mum playing with Jasmine

My friend Laura bought me cat bingo so me, Lee, Peter, and Neil played it, it was a lot of fun!

Peter and me in our traditional annual Christmas photo

Poppy being ridiculous

Simply Be top - it is sparkly but you can't see it here very well, and New Look skirt

The vinyl that Lee bought me for Christmas!

The Week Before Christmas with a Few Photos

As we hadn't stayed in Durham all weekend, we had a quiet Sunday the day after. The kittens terrorised the Christmas tree, I did some cross stitching, and we had vegan hotdogs and waffle fries for tea. It was a nice, relaxing day! 

On Mondays I usually go to craft club but we had had the last one the week before, with a fuddle to celebrate. So I just had a quiet day in I think. On Tuesdays I go to work, and when I got there I got two gifts from them for Christmas - an Asda gift card and a bottle of rose wine. Everyone got the same, it was really nice!

On Wednesday I definitely went somewhere, as I was wearing the outfit below which is a pleated burgundy skirt from New Look and a Simply Be t-shirt that says "Express your elf" on it which I think is very cute. I can't remember where I went now, though. I don't think I met up with anyone because there's no photos... hmm. Ah, I remember! I went to meet Laura for brunch at Yummy Yorkshire and to swap presents, and then I drove to Sheffield to swap presents with Sarah! I also made some mince pies a bit later on, and Jasmine deigned to sit on me for a while. Neither cat is really a lap cat, but Jasmine has sat on me a few times recently which is obviously lovely! I also had some of the Salted Caramel Baileys in the evening - have you tried it? It's delicious! I saw someone on Instagram with it and immediately ordered some! 

On Thursday my mother and I went to see the new West Side Story at the cinema in Wakefield. It started at 12.30 ish so we both took sandwiches and bought some nachos to share. I love the original film and thought the remake was brilliant too. It was gritty and real, but with the same brilliant music. My mum liked it too. 

Lee finished work on the Wednesday; his company gave everyone an extra day off which was nice! So on the Thursday I left him to do what he liked, I think he was mostly playing a Switch game! It was a nice relaxing week which I always appreciate before Christmas as it's always so busy!

Gifts from work - I'll probably buy fancy gin with the gift card or something

New Look pleated skirt and Simply Be Christmas top 

Vegan meatballs and tagliatte in a peppercorn sauce - a simple meal but one we really like

Cute little mince pies I made. I just bought pre rolled pastry, and the mincemeat was made by my friend Bee and had a LOT of rum in it!

Cutie little Jasmine sitting on my knee. I love black cats so much!

Salted Caramel Baileys - I bought a second bottle too

And finally this was an advert in the cinema just before West Side Story started! 

What I Wore 29th September

On 29th September Lee and I headed out for tea to meet Bettie and Jen in Sheffield. We haven't seen them since March when we met up at Rivelin Valley Park, so it was beyond time to see them and catch up. Bettie suggested Mount Lebanon on West Street so we met there after work. They have tons of vegetarian starters but not many veggie main dishes, so I went for feta salad to start with and then the vegetarian mezze platter for mains, even though it's really a starter. Bettie did the same thing, the waiter was amenable to it!

The food was delicious - I loved the sharp salad and feta, and the falafel on the main was so good. I would go back there again.

I was wearing this New Look dress - it used to be black and white but ended up in the wash with something that made it not white anymore. I dyed it black but you can still see the stripes. I quite like the effect though so I wear the dress anyway. I pulled out my red cardigan from George at Asda to put on top. I think it's a good outfit!

Please excuse the mop and computer next to me in the photo - I know we need to get rid of both but we haven't got to the tip yet! So glamourous! 

Still wearing my Converse everywhere

Delicious feta salad

And the mezze platter - hummus, baba ganoush, falafel (heart shaped!), spicy potatoes, tabouleh, stuffed vine leaves. All so good!

Camping in Essex - Day 4

Day 4 was our last day camping. Time to put everything away and go home! Rob and Beth had had to leave really early in the morning, so we had said goodbye to them the night before. But Neil made pancakes for breakfast - I had two with chocolate and one with lemon and sugar. Absolutely delicious! 

Peter helped us put the tent down which was so helpful, and then we helped with bits of my aunt's and uncle's tent. My mum and stepdad were staying another couple of nights, so we had to say goodbye to them too sadly. 

Lee and I drove home, stopping to get a sandwich on the way home, and picked up the kittens, who were really happy to see us. We relaxed for the rest of the day, we were both so tired! 

I was wearing this dress from Yours that I've had for three years, I only wore it once or twice when it split on the seam. It's been in my mending pile for ages but I finally got round to sewing it up! I love it and the asymmetric hem, plus the pattern. I'm so happy to be able to wear it again! I wore it with this ancient knit crop top from New Look. 

Everyone trying to get the roof box shut

It needed rearranging

Here's this gorgeous navy dress with green and yellow flowers, plus crop top!

What I Wore 31st July

On the 31st of July our friends Lou and Si came over to hang out with us and see the kittens, who they last saw in September 2020 when they were only a few months old. We ordered pizza from Papa Johns as we had a voucher which gave us 50% off. We had a vegan pizza, a veggie pizza, and a chicken pizza, to get everyone's needs catered for, and a bunch of sides. I don't LOVE Papa Johns pizza, but it was okay - the veggie pizza was nice. Lou and Si brought some vegan cakes from near their house, which were lovely.

In the morning, Lee and I had been to the gym. I'm not sure if I mentioned it, but I set myself a challenge to swim 2.5 miles in July. This was 202 lengths. We usually go swimming only once a week, and I'd say we only do around 20 lengths each time, so obviously that's only around 80 a month. So doing more than twice that would be a proper challenge for me. I decided to ask for sponsorship and wanted to raise money for Mind as mental health issues are close to my heart, so they're a charity I like to support. 

I knew it would stretch me, and challenge me. I did lengths with my mum and with Lee. When it was really hot Lee and I went a few times to cool down, so didn't do loads of lengths then, but everything was a little more towards the total. On the 26th of July my mum and Lee and I did enough lengths so that I only had ten left to do! 

I went to the gym a couple of times by myself, which is not something I do often, but when I did I managed to do thirtty lengths all at once. I paid for it with pain the next day though, when I could barely walk because I was hurting so much. I'm sure most people could do way more lengths than me, but due to chronic pain I've to be careful. But it was a challenge for me!

Anyway, before Lou and Si arrived, Lee and I went to the gym and did the final ten lengths and then eight more, meaning I had a total of 210 for the month! I'm so pleased. I also raised over £500 for Mind, which is absolutely brilliant. I had so many brilliant donations and I'm so pleased I did it. And proud of myself! 

We will definitely try to go to the gym more often I think, and I really should get better at going by myself. I'll try to keep a tally of how many lengths I do next month and see whether I could get to 150, for instance. 

After the gym we came home and I got in the shower. Lou and Si arrived and so did the pizzas and it was really nice to just chill! 

I was wearing this t-shirt from Simply Be with sequinned lips on it, I haven't worn it in ages but I like it, and a black pleated skirt that I think is from New Look. I got it at a clothes swap though - remember them! Hopefully we'll be able to have one again soon. 

What I Wore November 10th

One Sunday in the middle of November Lee and I went to Leeds to see our friends Leanne and Adi. We haven't seen them for a while, so we had made plans to go to their house for lunch.

It was at the end of our week of holiday, and as I had done a lot while we were away I was really in pain and tired. Plus the bed on holiday wasn't ideal for me and I hadn't slept well. I woke up early, but took a bit of a while to get going. I showered and got ready but we were a bit late setting off. Leanne didn't mind, which was good, but I'm sharing the story just to say that just because I look okay doesn't mean I'm not in pain. Chronic illness and pain suck, and really take it out of you!

Anyway, Leanne and Adi and their baby A were pleased to see us. They made lunch and we chatted for ages about all kinds of things. It was a really lovely afternoon.

I was wearing this new burgundy skirt from New Look. I saw it on someone on Instagram and thought, ooh that's lovely, I need to have that immediately. It was only about £24 and while I don't often wear midi length skirts I liked it so much that I thought I would keep it. I love the colour and the silky feel of the material.

I had already decided that it would look best with tights, so I put on my plain black ones from Snag Tights. I love them, they fit me really well. I also pulled out this black top, which I think came from Everything5Pounds originally, although I haven't worn it in ages. I like black with this colour. It felt like a comfortable but somewhat dressy outfit, and I liked it!

The skirt has an elasticated waist at the back, which gives it a nice shape at the front. It's pleated and I love the colour

And here's my outfit in full!

What I Wore March 29th

At the end of March I went to Meadowhall to meet up with my friend Sarah for lunch. I also needed to buy a ton of things, so she and I walked a really long way getting stuff. I got myself some new leggings and a mustard top from Yours, which I'm looking forward to wearing soon. I also got a bunch of things needed for our vow renewal. Then Sarah and I went to the Handmade Burger Co for lunch. I was pleasantly surprised to see their veggie and vegan options - I was spoilt for choice! I went for the goats' cheese stack in the end, which had a round of goats' cheese, a big mushroom, and grilled peppers in it. It was really nice. Sarah and I shared some chips and some onion rings.

I pulled this dress out to wear. It was from New Look years ago, but I don't wear it very much. I'm not sure why because I really like it on, but it feels quite fancy and sometimes I just don't need to be that fancy. It's also weird because I never look at New Look for clothes anymore. They used to do really fun stuff but the sizing all went to pieces and now I don't bother anymore. But I do still love this dress. I love the colour and I love the sheer sleeves and the bows on them. I'll try to wear this again soon!

My leggings are from Yours, I had to buy some new ones because these have got a hole in on the knee, and my bag was from Accessorize.

What I Wore August 20th

I haven't worn this outfit in ages, but as we were packing to go away I thought I'd put it in the case. I put it on on the Monday to wander round Llanidloes. The skirt is quite thick but the top isn't, so I was just about right temperature wise.

The skirt is from Asos and I bought it years ago. It's scuba like material with a nice sheen and a nice texture. I love the flowers so much. I'm honestly not sure why I don't wear this skirt more because I really like it!

I got the top from New Look, it's a very light material and I love the sheer sleeves on it. I also love that it matches the skirt perfectly!

I think I'm definitely going to take this on holiday with me in September

What I Wore 24th June

One of the things about being on holiday and going swimming a lot is that I end up getting changed a lot! I think my record was four times in one day. But that does mean that I got lots of outfit photos for my blog!

I had bought this cover up for the pool a few weeks ago on Crazy Clearance because it was really really cheap and I liked it a lot and thought it would be perfect to shade me a little bit from the sunshine. My swimming costume came from Yours, but a while ago. I like it though, it feels comfortable but also looks really lovely. I will definitely be taking the wrap with me on holiday later in the year too.

I always try to wear either a hat or a headscarf when swimming in the sun because I do burn my head easily. I forgot one day and ended up with a burnt parting which is so painful and then awful when it peels!

After my shower I got dressed. I had taken this yellow Scarlett & Jo skirt because it's perfect in the summer as it's just one layer and really cool. I bought this top three years ago just before we went to France and although I don't wear it a lot I do really like it and I thought it looked cute with this skirt.

We took this photo on the steps of the caravan just before we sat outside in the late sunshine with a cold drink each!

What I Wore February 10th

As I said previously, we headed to Glossop to see friends at the beginning of February and I made a bit of an effort with my outfit and face, so here's a post about them.

We recently sorted out our whole bedroom, getting rid of my dressing table and replacing it with a chest of drawers in order to have more storage space. We went through all of my clothes, which meant that I rediscovered loads of old favourites that I really want to wear again. I also bought myself some acrylic storage for make up, so I can now see my make up much more clearly, which has made me determined to wear more of it. Hang on, let me show you the new storage solutions! (Do I sound like a proper professional blogger now?)

There are three different sets here - the thing that holds brushes, the thing that has nail stuff and cotton wool pads in it, and then the bigger unit towards the back, which actually comes in three parts. There's big drawers on the bottom holding palettes, smaller drawers in the middle holding blushers, compacts, and little eyeshadows, and the thing on top which holds lipsticks, mascaras, and a few other bits. I'm totally in love with this set up! I may get another of the bigger units at some point, but at the moment it works really well. I LOVE being able to see everything. I went through all my make up and binned a load of old stuff, and my mum bought me a few nice new bits for my birthday.

On the left is this see through box which holds all my hair clips/combs etc, and the dry shampoo in front of it which I don't use often but when I do I like to have it close at hand! Then there's a kitchen roll holder which I use to hold bangles on. I may move these at some point to next to the rest of my jewellery, but that's a work in progress at the moment

The drawers themselves. They were from Argos and have five big drawers and two small ones. I now have a whole drawer for knickers, a who drawer for bras, and a whole drawer for my comfy round the house clothes! It's amazing.

Anyway, I got rid of some clothes while we were going through them. Some I put aside to take to the March clothes swap in Sheffield, but some I put on eBay to try to make some money off them. Last time I did this they did really well so I'm hoping this lot will too. I found this netting skirt from Scarlett and Jo which I think I've only worn once before (despite loving it) and this t-shirt with an old school tattoo print on, so I paired them together and put my black cardigan over the top. Lee took my outfit photo when we got back and I think I look pretty terrible, but I thought I'd share the photo anyway. I liked this outfit, I felt pretty badass!

All in black which is unusual for me!

A better view of the skirt.

Because it was so cold I actually dried my hair, and was pretty pleased with how it looked. I finally feel like I like my hair again after about a year of hating it. I'm starting to go grey at the temple but I like it!

Ready to go out - my lipstick is from Illamasqua and is really dark. I love it! I could've used more blusher I think, but I kept it and my eyeshadow light

And here's Lee and I in the pub!

What I Wore April 2nd

This is what I wore at the end of March and on the Sunday of our trip away. Some of this stuff is new. I needed some new leggings so I picked some up in Evans at the White Rose centre for £10. They're comfortable and stretchy which is what I like in a pair of leggings. My top is also new; it came in a multipack from Simply Be with a blue one and a red one, I believe. I'm wearing a new bra too, although you can't see it. It's black and is a Flirtelle one, and it's really, really comfortable!

The skirt is from Scarlett & Jo and it's nicely lined but with this gorgeous chiffon layer on top. The shrug is ancient, from New Look, and I would really like a navy blue cardigan to wear with this outfit instead! Oh well, maybe I'll look for one of them soon.

What I Wore 26th March

26th March was Mother's Day, so we went out for a meal with my mum, stepdad, and grandma. We went for tea at a pub near Wakefield - it was cheap but the food was only so-so. Oh well, it was nice to see my mum and grandma for the day. I bought them both an Easter egg and some jewellery for my mum.

Beforehand, Lee and I went to Leeds to see Logan at the Everyman cinema. It's a gorgeous cinema with comfortable sofas and stuff. You can also get food delivered to your seats. The film was fantastic and I thoroughly enjoyed it, even though it's really sad too.

I needed an outfit that would be comfortable enough to wear to the cinema but nice enough to go out in, so I ended up pulling out this dress from New Look. I've only worn it once before, but it's really nice. The sleeves are sheer and I love the bows on the end of them. I paired it with my grey Joe Browns leggings, which are maybe slightly longer than I'd like them to be. They're comfortable though. Then I wore these new shoes I bought from George at Asda. I love them - a cute colour, with funky straps, and really comfortable to wear. They were only £12, too!