Packing Light

I am not generally a ‘pack light’ kind of girl – ‘put it in, just in case’ is definitely more my style. What if it rains, What if it is hot / cold / wet? What if I magically gain 5 stone and none of my clothes fit? What if my feet hurt? What if I am suddenly invited to a film premier / the Oscars etc etc?!?!

You get the idea anyway!

As I may have mentioned once or twice, I am off to Paris at the weekend. On the Saturday, we will fly into Paris around 8am and then have a full day to sightsee before heading to our hotel. In this time, I have to keep my luggage with me.

Normally, we would share a large suitcase and I would also take a small carry on case – but I can’t really picture myself (in reality, probably Olli…) climbing the Eiffel Tower with 2 cases.

So I am challenging myself to pack a capsule wardrobe to fit into a mid-sized holdall.

This is the bag, which I bought from a local stall for under £20!

 

Unfortunately, the weather forecast shows rain for the weekend, so with that as my guide, I am going to pack the following:-

Jeans. These comfy capri jeggings (not technically jeans I know) were only £20 from Dorothy Perkins don’t crease, so are perfect for cramming into my bag. I will wear some classic black leggings with a long top to travel in - these ones (£20 for a twinpack) from Sainsburys have a high waist for a great fit and are made out of thicker material that doesn't go see through.

Top. A top to wear and a spare in case of spillages (very likely to happen!) This black camisole, £18 from Topshop also works dressed up for night. My red leopard print one was only £8 from Asda (unfortunately not on your website) - I often get distracted when doing my grocery shop!

Lumberjack Shirt. Worn alone or as a cover up. Similar can be found here.

Black Cardigan. Classic item that can be worn with any outfit

2 pairs of underwear.  Need I say more!

PJ top. No sense in taking full PJs in my bag, so will pack a top to sleep in.

Scarf. Multiple use for warmth, to wrap head, as a pashmina or just an accessory. My swallow print one came from a local boutique, but can be found here

Make up essentials . My favourite Seventeen BB Cream doubles up as SPF, some Rimmel Clear Complexion pressed powder to eliminate shine, Barry M blusher, eyebrow pencil (mine comes from this AMAZING set from Seventeen & mascara (my current favourite is also from Seventeen at Boots, but I also love this L'oreal one.) I'm debating taking my Barry M nail varnish in case of chips and always pack a lip balm - I love the Born Lippy range at The Body Shop. Add in some black liquid eyeliner for some glamorous flicks in evening (in an easy to use pen to minimise mistakes!) and a suitably Parisian Rockalily red lipstick in Rockette Red (unfortuntely the talented ReeRee no longer makes these) and I’m good to go! 

I always carry a bandana for hair cover ups (ebay has a great selection) and this gingham scrunchie from Topshop is a super cute way to put hair up. I will be taking my lovely black orchid & cherry hair clip from the lovely Bad Kitty - a hair flower is perfect to add for the evenings.

Dry Shampoo. I wash my hair twice a week anyway, so shouldn’t need to wash it while I am away. I love dry shampoo for adding texture and volume and have bought a mini can from Batiste for the trip.

This XXL plumping powder (also Batiste) is a must have for me to add volume to my hair.

Wash bag. My Lush pots are perfect for travelling – the Angels on Bare Skin cleanser doubles up as an exfoliator, I can double up my Imperialis moisturiser as a hand / body cream and I will decant my witch hazel into a little bottle to use as a toner – a bargain at £1.59 for Sainsburys! A small roll on deodorant, an almost empty tube of toothpaste, my toothbrush and a muslin face cloth finish off my wash bag. The hotel will have shower gel, so I am not going to waste space packing any.

Ballet pumps. I will be wearing my trusty comfy Toms to travel and these will be perfect for walking around Paris. But it would be nice to have a ‘smarter’ pair of shoes to wear in the evening.

Rain mac. An obvious item with the weather forecast for the weekend. I bought a pocket mac in Primark at the weekend for £9. Classic black will go with everything.

Handbag. I need to get a bag that is small enough to tuck into my holdall, but big enough to use on it’s own once I’ve dropped my bag off at the hotel.

Essentials. Passport, Euros, Bank Card, Ear plugs, map.

Finally, the most important item… Minnie Mouse ears! I can’t go to Disneyland and not wear the ears that my sister lent me for the trip!

I’ve decided to stick to red & black for my colour palette for the weekend, as this really helps with sticking to a small capsule wardrobe (I definitely didn’t plan the colours around the ears… honest!)

Now just to hope there is nothing I have forgotten. And if Olivier Martinez calls, I’ll just have to visit a Parisian boutique for a new outfit!

30 things to do before I am 30

With just over 365 days until I start a new decade, I've been having a philosophical think about some of things I want to accomplish before my birthday next year. Some are pretty small things, whilst others are going to need a bit more work!

1. Go to Disneyland in Paris

I am cheating slightly with this one thanks to my lovely boy, but it was on my mental list!

2. Visit a new city in Europe

There are so many beautiful cities in Europe that I have yet to experience and you can get some great deals on flights, so I plan to visit another city.  Any recommendations?

3. Go to a music festival

I’m ashamed to say, I have never been to a ‘proper’ (sleep in a tent, get covered in mud) music festival. I want to change that!

4. Visit friends in Carlisle & Yorkshire

Two of my closest friends moved away (was it something I said?!) and I miss them very much. I still speak to them regularly, but would love to visit them. ROAD TRIP!!

5. Take a trip back to Lincoln with my University girls

I still meet with 4 of my friends from Uni regularly, but I’ve not visited Lincoln for so long. It would be great to take a trip back together to reminisce on an amazing 3 years that brought us all together, especially as we are all turning 30 in the next few years.

6. Make some curtain tie backs for the flat

I’ve neglected my sewing machine and the sewing related content of the blog, so have set myself a few challenges to complete to make up for it.

7. Stitch a curtain for my dressing table

8. Make myself something to wear (and wear it in public!)

I’m still a complete beginner at sewing, so this should be interesting….

9. Make some cushion covers

10. Make a gift for someone

I love receiving hand made gifts, so would love to make a special something for someone

11. Paint / draw a picture for the flat

I’ve never excelled at art, but want to push myself to try and be a bit more creative. I’ve bought so many lovely prints recently; it would be great to add one of my own to the flat J

12. Write a book

13. Make my own jam / chutney

I love jam and chutney, but rarely eat it. How about a slightly more unusual spread to have on toast or with cheese and biscuits?

14. Bake a cake

I love to cook, but am really not patient enough for baking and have never actually baked a cake. Olli also loves cake, so he will appreciate this!

15. Bake a sweet filling pie

As above

16. Bake a soufflé

A soufflé looks so impressive, but apparently are relatively easy to do and would be a great dinner party dish

17. Complete a charity 5k

18. Learn a new sport /attend a different fitness class

19. Print out and display photographs

20. Learn a new language

21. Take a class

22. Have a digital switch off for 24 hours

It would be great to go a full 24 hours without my phone, laptop, internet, tv etc – I am so reliant on technology

23. Go on a spontaneous roadtrip

I am not good with spontaneity and love a good plan / list (hence this post!) I want to push myself to plan less and just enjoy spur of the moment activities

24. See a top show in London

The only ‘big’ show I have seen in London is Wicked. I would love to see Les Miserables or The Lion King in London – any other recommendations?

25. Learn to make cocktails

26. Sell something I have made

27. Volunteer for a good cause

28. Take a ‘risk’ – go sky diving, bungee jumping, walk on hot coals etc

29. Write a letter to myself in 10 years

A great opportunity to think about where I think I may be in 10 years and a chance for future reflection

30. Create a portfolio of professional photographs

This one makes me look incredibly bigheaded, but I would love to have a selection of photos to look back on as I get older. I've done a bit of pin up style modeling and some bits for skating

Birthday Treat

It's my Birthday next week :D

After feeling pretty unwell again on Saturday, I got home to an early Birthday surprise from my lovely boy...

WE'RE GOING TO PARIS!!

On Saturday morning we will be flying to Paris to spend the day in the city.

Then Sunday and Monday are being spent in Disneyland! I am a big Disney fan and I cannot wait to finally go to Disneyland Paris!

I'm such a lucky girl to have such an amazing boyfriend, he really is the best.

Birthday Wish List

As much as I love that the weather is getting warmer and flowers are blooming, my asthma does not. I've been suffering all week and have been given some steroids, which have made me feel pretty poorly.

So as I am spending a Friday on the sofa, thought I would do a birthday wish list (12th of May if you wondered!)

Home

The lovely Laura at Last Gang Emporium stocks some amazing items, including some great bits for a new homeowner (hint hint!)

Loving the old fashioned swallow tattoo design on these His & Hers Towels, only £11.95 by Sourpuss - these would also make cute wedding gift for a rockabilly or tattoo loving couple, don't you think?

Last Gang Emporium, £11.95

My journey to becoming ‘Slammin’ Siren’

I’ve skated with the Brawds for almost 4 years. My derby name being Slammin’ Siren and I skate with the number 56 (the year my lovely mum was born).

It all started early in 2010, (my story is similar to many others!) with the film ‘Whip It’, directed and featuring Drew Barrymore alongside Ellen Paige & Juliet Lewis. Roller derby looked amazing, a bunch of strong athletic women with a strong bond and common passion, which really resonated with me.

At the time, I was single after a pretty toxic relationship and was looking for different activities to get involved in (apart from getting drunk, which I did pretty regularly in this period). I searched online for roller derby teams in Norfolk and no search results came up. I read a bit about the sport and thought about how great it sounded, but then thought no more about it. Little did I know that The Norfolk Brawds were on the verge of being formed.

After a few months and trying out burlesque classes for a time, my thoughts returned to roller derby and I decided to search online again. Through the mountains of results, an article caught my eye from my local paper about a new roller derby league who met on a Monday at our local skate rink.

I found details of one of the girls on Facebook and messaged her asking if I could come along and the next Monday I got a taxi to the venue. I was absolutely terrified, my childhood insecurities coming back full force – they looked ‘too cool’ to want me there. I also hadn’t skated for 13 years and had never been very good at it. But the girls were all so welcoming. Even after getting a black ear from smacking my head into a wall (no helmet or mouthguard :s), I was hooked!

Back then there were about 10 or so skaters (none of us having much of a clue about what we should be doing – particularly me!). Practice was spent skating around, hitting each other and playing bulldog and our first 2 open matches were laughable (we all skated bolt upright and were too scared to hit anyone).

Photo from a recent shoot

But over time the league has developed massively. We now have a full team that travels to games called the All Stars and are developing a B Team. We have over 40 skaters coming to our Fresh Meat (new skater) sessions, were sponsored by The Darkness last year and have a developing men’s team (The East Anglo Smacksons). This year we are participating for the second time in the Heartlands tournament, one of our skaters even has a burger named after her on the menu of our current sponsors, Zaks!

I feel incredibly proud to be a part of such an amazing group of people. There is so much support from my team-mates and every time I play is like hanging out with my friends. I have so much respect for this awesome bunch and can’t imagine my life without my league.

As you can see from my gushing, roller derby is a big passion of mine and I would urge anyone who gets the chance to go and watch a game - most cities (particularly in the US & UK) have a team and it’s continually expanding in Europe – there’s even a team that skate for England and a World Cup! It was even short-listed to be added as a sport to the Olympics (unfortunately didn’t make it this time).

 I often get asked where my derby name comes from. There is no earth shattering story about it unfortunately – we are a nautical themed team and I love mermaids. I really wanted to incorporate Siren into my name and most names at the time had some reference to how ‘hard’ you were, so ‘Slammin’ Siren’ was formed. Laughably, it took me a few years to even be able to slam into anyone with much force, but the name has stuck!

Check out our Website and Facebook page

Life lately

So, my blogging completely fizzled out! I’m going to make another attempt, hopefully it will stick this time and I thought I best provide a little update on my life lately.

One big thing happened, I am now a home-owner! Pretty much on the spur of the moment in December, I put an offer in on a flat and just over 8 weeks later, we were moving in! We’ve now been living there for just over a month and I am loving it! The spare room is full of boxes (what is even in them?!?!) and the bathroom needs to be completely redone, but it really feels like home.

My keys :D

RIP Mo...

Mo died on Friday 10th May. I've been really sad and being at home has been really difficult with him not being there.

I've had so many lovely comments from friends and family, but there will always be those who think that a cat is just a pet and can be easily replaced. Someone at work actually asked me if I had got a 'replacement' cat yet! It upsets me, but then I just feel sad that they've obviously not experienced the love and companionship of an animal.

I'm not going to go into too much detail here, it's still a little raw, so here are some more of the pictures of the little boy that I was so lucky to have....

RIP little one xxx