HAUL · UNIQLO flagship re-opening

 

Second photo

 Socks (Rib) in Olive and Black by UNIQLO

Pop, Pretty Sleeveless Graphic T-Shirt by UNIQLO UT x Sophie Henson

Third photo

Bra Dress in Green by UNIQLO x Liberty London

Short Sleeve Graphic Tunic by UNIQLO x Liberty London

Cotton Oversized High Neck Sweater in Navy by UNIQLO 

[Taken by me on Samsung Galaxy S5]

Today I woke up much earlier than I usually do to head to the re-opening of the revamped UNIQLO UK flagship store on Oxford Street. As one of the first people in the queue UNIQLO staff handed out coffee (not so great) and croissants (super great) to us whilst we waited, once the doors opened we were greeted with a goody bag (second photo) with a free UT Sophie Henson top, two pairs of socks and a bottle of water. We then headed to the rooftop (bottom photo) of the store, or "utopia" as they called it, where could enter codes to win prizes. Unfortunately I didn't get one of the higher prizes but still appreciated the £10 off a £50 spend voucher. The majority of things I picked up instore happened to be from their new Liberty London collaboration but I also tried on some items from the Lemaire collection too, which I might go back to or wait until they are on sale.

EXHIBITION · Ruaidhri Ryan / Michael Simpson

 Belt Craft Studios by Ruaidhri Ryan (1) / Flat Surface Painting by Michael Simpson (2-3)

16/01 until 27/03

Spike Island

Bristol

[Taken by me on Samsung Galaxy S5]

Currently there are two exhibitions showing at Spike Island, whereas the Flat Surface Painting exhibition covers most the gallery space the Belt Craft Studios exhibition consists of one short film in a room by itself. Whilst I didn't take too much from Ruaidhri Ryan's film, its score that bled into the rest of the exhibition space added a further depth for Michael Simpson's work. Simpson's mostly monochrome paintings and the forms within them give a sense of the spiritual. This is both enhanced by the choral music in Ryan's film as well as the theory of the 'white cube' being interpreted as another religious vessel. Before seeing this exhibition, I can only remember seeing shows that featured some sort of sculpture or installation at Spike Island. I really enjoyed seeing work confined to the walls in this space, the almost starkness of the paintings is reflected really well in the near-emptiness of the relatively vast space. 

FAVOURITES · February

Here are my favourite things from over the course of February. Any images that are not my own click through to their original sources and I have tried to be as comprehensive with the links as I can so you can find more info, outlets where to buy products and where to watch/listen/consume anything else.

30 Rock (Television)
Even though it ended 3 years ago I have only just started watching 30 Rock properly, taking over my choice of Netflix binge from my The Office/Parks and Rec/Arrested Development never-ending cycle.

Happy Valley (Television)
After what felt like an eternity, Happy Valley finally came back for a second series. Sarah Lancashire plays Catherine Cawood, one of the best female characters on screen at the moment - perfect for those who are missing their fix of The Fall!

Tea Tree Skin Clearing Clay Mask by The Body Shop (Beauty)
Whereas I don't consider myself as someone who has a beauty regime, I have started to wear face masks regularly. This is the one I have been most frequently using and always leaves my skin feeling super soft.

Make Me Like You - Gwen Stefani (Music)
Gwen, Gwen, Gwen - I can't believe you are finally back with not only another new solo single but an album coming soon to back it up with!  I'll forgive you for taking so long as it comes out on my birthday (18/03) however I am still holding on for some UK live dates!

Swimming (Activity)
At the start of the last academic year I said that myself that I would go swimming at least once a week, naturally that never happened. Now, over a year later, I am trying to do that again. Swimming is the one of the few forms of exercise where I can exert myself but still feel great afterwards.  I can't wait to use my Misfit Speedo Shine in the pool (which I keep forgetting), it is always surprising how far you have actually swam when you count how many laps you've done. Last time I swam 50 laps which is 1.25km!

BOROUGHING · Dulwich

[Taken by me on Samsung Galaxy S5]

Although I have lived near Dulwich for the entirety of my university life, it wasn't until the other week I thought that maybe I should go and explore there. On the first trip (The first two photos) I went to East Dulwich's Lordship Lane, there I got some late breakfast from Brick House Bread and perused around the independent shops. I've been following Brick House on Instagram for a while and have bought bread from their Herne Hill Market stall several times, so I knew I had to visit whilst I was nearby. I treated myself to a flat white and a 'Morning Bun', a doughnut-like pastry with some zesty sugar on top, I can't wait to have another one! Luckily they also had some samples of their chocolate sourdough bread out, which I always wanted to try but was scared to commit to a loaf, also very tasty. A fortnight or so after I walked to Dulwich Village (The bottom three photos). Dulwich Village lives up to its name with its beautiful and charming buildings and cute white fences. Whilst here I went around the Dulwich Picture Gallery, which boasts a collection of paintings by impressive names as well as a mausoleum (Bottom photo). Luckily for me entry to the gallery is free for students! 

HAUL · Almost oversize

Dry Sweat Short Sleeve Dress by UNIQLO

Pile Lined Sweat Long Sleeve Pullover by UNIQLO

Custom Fit T-Shirt by POLO Ralph Lauren

[Taken by me on Canon EOS 600D]

Recently I've wanted to get some oversized jumpers, although that look will not be flattering at all on my body I wanted to give it a try. On my last shopping trip I tried to find some oversize items but couldn't really find any suitable ones, in fact the nearest I got to was the one on the left hand side of the image and that is technically a dress. I am going to layer it over some jeans and maybe play with some brighter long sleeve shirts underneath it or possibly over another long sleeve jumper with a different texture. Most of the jumpers I have are woollen but with the ~dress~ and the jumper in the middle I am going to start moving away from wool. The grey jumper is going to look great to incorporate into a more sports luxe look and being pile lined is still going to be warm and cosy like my other jumpers, which also all seem to be from UNIQLO too now that I think of it. Finally I got this t-shirt in the Salvation Army shop just off Oxford Street, which I first visited as rumour has being round the corner from the Vogue offices it is wear employees drop off their unwanted clothes. As this t-shirt is a men's XXL it is another oversize item to add to my wardrobe.

RECIPE · Porridge my way

Here I am going to tell you the way I like to have my porridge at the moment, the measurements may not be precise but let's face it porridge is a dish where you can really just play it by ear. I came up with this combination by throwing mainly what I already had in my cupboard into the mix because I thought "Hey! How could this combination not be anything but tasty?". This is a loose recipe and can easily be changed to suit any diet.

Ingredients:

• Oats (Any form you want however I wouldn't recommend instant oats as they are usually pre-flavoured, unless hey they happen to replace an ingredient later on)
• Almond Milk (This is what I use but feel free to use any milk - dairy or otherwise)
• Cacao Powder
• Cinnamon
• Vanilla Protein Power OR Vanilla Extract
• Agave/Maple Syrup or Honey (Can be replaced with another sweetener of your choice)
• Pecan Nuts

Recipe:

1.  In a bowl add how many oats you wish to use, pouring in almond milk that covers them completely.
2. Take your flavourings (Cacao powder, cinnamon and vanilla protein powder) and place about 1-2 dessert spoons of the cacao and vanilla powder and a dash of cinnamon into the bowl stirring it into the oats and milk. As stated before these aren't strict measurements, feel free to add to taste.
3. Place the bowl in the microwave for about 1 minute, take out and stir then place back into the microwave for another 30 seconds or until the consistency is right for you. If you think it is too stodgy add more milk and microwave again.
4. Then add your agave/maple/honey to the mixture, stirring in to taste. 
5. Then add a handful of pecan nuts onto the top of the mixture then you're ready to eat!

BOROUGHING · Chelsea

[Taken by me on Samsung Galaxy S5]

Walking through the back streets of Chelsea, the top two photos shown were taken in and around the beautiful Lennox Gardens. Picked up along the journey were the latest issue of ArtReview magazine and cute little jug from Habitat. No trip to Chelsea is made until you stroll down the King's Road and visit the Saatchi Gallery, the two bottom photographs show details of Maha Mullah's installation and one of Julia Dault's sculptures in the Champagne Life show.