A really, really good food day.

Alabama's Brunch and Menagerie Afternoon Tea

I'm normally really organised when it comes to sorting out my social life. I like having everything in my calendar, because otherwise there's literally zero chance of me turning up (thanks to the constant chaos happening inside my head). According to aforementioned calendar, this post should be called "a really, really good food weekend" but, you guessed it, I clearly cocked up and ended up ubering from one side of Manchester to the other, but... that's another story.

I met up with Tori from @unfoldtheday for brunch at Alabama's in the Nothern Quarter early on Saturday. We'd arranged to go there as somewhere neither of us had visited before, and we managed to be one of the few people who nabbed a table immediately (hint: go pre-10am). I went for bannoffee french toast (yep) and Tori opted for eggs benedict. Even though I went for the "small" size of three slices, don't think you're getting a health meal as I was full to the brim and could quite happily have napped it away on the leather sofas. However, instead we headed to the Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art and mooched for a while out of the rain.

Next I met my uni pal Georgia for lunch at El Capo. No photos. El Capo and I are a friendship based on margaritas (this trip was no different), and we were halfway through a bottle of wine when I got a text from Clare saying they'd just been seated in Menagerie, so to just call when I was there. Apparently, Sunday was actually Saturday, so I headed off in search of something bubbly.

Afternoon tea at Menagerie is an event. A very long, very good event. Laura, Clare and I started with champagne (as all good stories start), and went through the courses of sandwiches, cakes and then scones, as well as them letting us try some sushi, which is always a welcome addition. I'd seen it on everyone's instagram prior to entering so I knew exactly what to expect from the venue, but it's true that Menagerie is beautiful, and you need to go if you're a fan of opulent interiors that give Manchester a good name.

We then went to Gaslight, but probably the less said about that the better.

For this odd but beautiful mix, I wore an outfit of ol' faithfuls. These & Other Stories kick flares have definitely earned their place in my wardrobe, and thankfully the guys over at Rooi had popped a Kate Spade umbrella in the post so I wasn't too soggy by the end of the day.

If you've got any more Manchester food recommendations, I'm more than happy to do a service to all and go try it out. Challenge, accepted.

What I Wore

Kate Spade umbrella: c/o Rooi. Laura Ashley trench coat. Oasis turtleneck top. And Other Stories jeans. Zara silver boots. Urban Outfitters bag.

Photos by Tori.

What's on Insta

Brunchin' with @unfoldtheday at @alabamas_mcr (and complaining about the lighting) 🍴 #manchester #mcruk #eatmcr #brunch

A post shared by Rebecca 😈 (@rebeccacohen_) on Feb 18, 2017 at 3:27am PST

Yep, definitely need avocado wall art of some kind now 🥑🥑🥑🥑🥑 #Manchester #mcruk #avocado

A post shared by Rebecca 😈 (@rebeccacohen_) on Feb 20, 2017 at 12:56pm PST

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Life Lately: Turning 25, Turning 2017 and Turning a New Leaf.

Quarter of a Century

Well, somehow I've made it 25 years without ending things a bit prematurely despite a couple of tequila-related close calls, so I guess some congratulations are in order. Late last year I hit the big two-five. No massive fireworks, no attention seeking spectacle (I hope), but a nice embarrassing round of happy birthdays from the guys at work, a card and present and a few cards in the post.

Our pal earth also had a birthday - tenuous link alert - and we hit 2017. Other than starting it with a stinking cold, the new year's got off to a pretty productive start and it looks like things are gonna be on the up with a couple of trips planned in and some preeeetty big life moments about to happen. 17's always been a favourite of mine, so I've got a good feeling about this one.

And while this has all been happening, I've neglected this little blog. Since starting it way back when in 2010, this online journal of sorts has covered my knobby phase, my I-listen-to-the-Smiths phase, my fuck-it-let's-move-abroad phase and my everything's-just-getting-too-much phase (or phases, let's be honest). But it looks like in my things-are-going-to-be-just-fine phase this blog didn't really have a place.

See, I guess I've never really done blogging the "right" way. I started it pre-surge, never really wanted it to be a career path, didn't network intensively and didn't hire a photographer to shoot multiple outfits in one go. As I got older, although this blog obviously does still centre around me, I've found it more and more of an uncomfortable subject, and don't get me started on the being in photos part. I've doing a lot of thinking, which I know can be a dangerous pastime, and I'm starting to reconsider what I think are the important parts of blogging part time. Instead of making sure there's fresh new content weekly, it's about time I let myself slip a little and think it's ok to let things lie low once in a while. Additionally, until I feel ok with having photos of myself on here again, it's time to dust off the camera and start being behind the lens properly.

If 2017's set to be a good one, then I full on plan to take it by the balls and prioritise the important stuff, meaning that there might not be hundreds of new posts but there will be little updates popping up here and there. Soz if you were after a post about how to wear blogger trends or fashion blogger hacks, but I guess that's just another example of crap blogging and feel free to keep reading for some more. Who knows, you might not get learn the angles to take a fire selfie, but you might have a laugh and we both know which is more fun.

What I wore.

Oasis Jumper. Warehouse Skirt. Public Desire Shoes. Beauty Bakerie Lipstick.
Photos by Clare. 

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Blogging full circle.

Throwback.

It's been a while.

When I first started blogging my outfits "properly", i.e. not on my laptop camera, all I required was a flat surface/low wall and my point and shoot camera's self-timer function. Since then, I've been pretty good at coercing or full on bribing people into taking the occasional photo, meaning those ten repositioning yourself seconds haven't happened for a while. Safe to say, I'm rusty at this malarky so there were plenty of outtakes. It's also a hell of a lot harder when there's a 50mm lens involved and your tripod is a precarious stack of boxes on a dining room chair, but that's the glamorous life of the fusshun blogger.

I know the obvious solution to dropping one of the most expensive items you own on the floor from the height of about 20 shoeboxes would be to arrange to meet up with a photographer. I know a lot of bloggers do this; it's good for both parties, and means you have fire content for your blog, other than the slightly out of focus photos you see above. But does that prospect make anyone other than me want to sort of shrivel up and die inside a little? I'm no model (cringe), look like a turd most days and there's no way I'd be able to pay, so realistically it's a waste of time, surely?

It's weird how so much has changed since I last used self-timer. Of course this goes without saying; from final year uni student to mid-level full-time employment, the only things that've stayed with me are my terrible repertoire of jokes, quite a few split ends, and me occasionally uploading something to this blog. There was that bit a couple of years ago where I uploaded so frequently because I thought that would be a Magic Formula for Something (who knows what?). But it's quite nice for things to come full circle: taking things back home, making things a little bit more personal, less polished, and just a bit simpler.

Also, it's really, really hard to take a decent photo of your back.

What I wore.

Jumper: c/o Clothes2Order. Oasis jeans.
Laura Ashley cushions (pink and grey). Flourish bouquet.

What's on Insta.

#PDBAE 💅🏻 The cuties at @clothes2order sent these to work. Shoes are @publicdesire, obvs 😏😏 #publicdesire #pink #boomerang #ootd

A video posted by Rebecca 😈 (@rebeccacohen_) on Sep 24, 2016 at 8:04am PDT

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White lace and disco shoes.

A long weekend in town, the Manchester fashion blogger way.

There's nothing like having someone come to visit, in order for you to realise all you do with your weekends is spend a weird amount of time eating and drinking. "You'd like to do something else, you say?", leading to a quick flick through your mental vaults of What To Do and thinking all your trying to be a Manchester fashion blogger location recces were a bit useless, and maybe Dusk 'Til Pawn at 2am probably isn't a good shout when your guest is your mum. I suggested she stay in ABode, as it's a good distance from Piccadilly and where I live, whilst also being juuust far enough away from bars. And the walls have books all over them. From there, we headed to old favourite Ezra and Gil for lunch, and then wandered round town. Because, of course, it was raining, so there wasn't all that much you could do.

The next day, we headed to Media City, and spent the morning checking out the Lowry gallery. My mum's a big fan of Lowry's work, and it was only ignorance that meant I wasn't too. There was a talk given by a guy who was weirdly like my dissertation tutor (horrific flashbacks to the week before hand-in), which gave a little insight into the artist's life. I'd definitely recommend if you're a fan, or, if you're entertaining, it's freeee. As we were that side of town, it was only polite to head to the Trafford Centre AKA the Vegas of shopping centres. That evening we enjoyed some prosecco in the hotel. Because if you've got the chance to drink some fizz, who would turn it down?

On the last day of my mum's visit, we went for breakfast at Koffee Pot (always. Hands down best breakfast in Manchester). The sun was starting to show itself finally so we snapped the above photos before heading to the Portico library and Manchester Art Gallery for the Vogue 100 exhibition. Definitely saw a few Manchester fashion bloggers shiftily making their way along the photos. I see ya.

So, while I add a few more places onto my Manchester roster, are there any places you'd recommend? Always happy to test in advance, particularly if there's a cafe.

What I Wore.

Amy Childs Collection dress: c/o. Public Desire Katie shoes. Urban Outfitters sunglasses: £10 (now £6).

Where We Went.

What's On Insta.

Because every wall needs a picture of flying books, surely? #Manchester #mcruk #abode #hotel #interiors #pictureoftheday

A photo posted by Rebecca (@rebeccacohen_) on Jul 28, 2016 at 11:21am PDT

I'd heard the @evelynscafebar pancakes were the best, so... 😏😏😉 #Manchester #mcruk #earmcr #evelyns #breakfast #brunch #food #coffee #latteart

A photo posted by Rebecca (@rebeccacohen_) on Jul 30, 2016 at 2:38am PDT

Be not afraid of greatness. #selfridges #Shakespeare #quote #shakespeare400

A photo posted by Rebecca (@rebeccacohen_) on Jul 29, 2016 at 12:25pm PDT

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You could wait for a lifetime to spend your days in the sunshine.

Catarzi fedora hat: £25 (jeeze, they've really increased the price of these). Warehouse bardot dress: £24.  Oasis loafers: £4. Warehouse belt (I think, found it in my room one day). Marks and Spencer bag: £43. Scarf c/o Style by Portobello. 

Weekend museuming and sunshine.

As I sit here, having just uploaded the best. boomerang. ever. (if I do say so myself) looking at some very grey skies, it's making me chuckle to look at the above photos: what a difference a week makes! It wouldn't be a patriotic Great British Summer without discussing the clouds every two minutes, so I'm glad to see we can continue this tradition. Less chat about the Euros the better, however. 

Making the most of last week's sunshine, I headed along to meet Clare and Joe at the Imperial War Museum North to check out their newest exhibition: Fashion on the Ration. I hadn't been to IWM since 2003, so was well overdue a visit to the funny looking building on the other side of the river to the Lowry. It's a beautiful museum as it is (despite its subject matter), so would recommend a look round. But, if you're nearby, the Fashion on the Ration exhib is worth a look-in too, as it'll definitely make you feel #blessed after last night's asos splurge. Anyone else kinda want those undies made from a silk ex-army map? 

As I'd bought a weekend tram ticket, I asked on Twitter if anyone had any sunny Sunday recommendations for me, and Emma recommend heading to Sale before walking on to Didsbury. The one thing I've found since moving to Manchester and living a stone's throw from the city centre is that I'm constantly in the urban jungle, with little to no green space available. So, without much hesitation, I took up this suggestion, and got my weekly dose of the green stuff. Now, this comes with a warning: take suncream. Idiotic me prioritised ice cream (not really that sorry), and I'm still applying cocoa butter every day to make up for it. The walk along the Mersey to Didsbury was the perfect antidote to a long ol' week, and I think I've fallen a little in love with that part of Manchester. It's got a very village-y feel (think Wimbledon village, if you're trying to work out its vibe), and it sells parma ham paninis for £6.50.

If that's not got you sold, I made a mini-vlog of my Sunday here. Let me know if you liked it, cos I might start making these a weekly thing (when it's not raining).

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Eyelet details and espadrilles.

H+M tee: £6.99. M&S skirt: £17.50. Hobbs espadrilles: £1. Urban Outfitters bag: £15. Warehouse sunglasses: £god knows, fill a bag for a fiver find.

Updating my wardrobe essentials game.

You can read this post in many ways:

1. I'm refining my wardrobe, and sticking to the pieces I know I'll wear forever/until they've been washed see-through.

2. I'm skint after deciding to seriously up the amount I'm saving per month, so basic's about as good as it's going to get. Tara embellishment, you were good while the student loan lasted.

3. I'm completely disillusioned with all trends right now, so just giving up on it all and going for the things I really like and/or suit me. Not necessarily at the same time.

4. I bought this top when H+M had an offer on and now I'm trying to justify spending my money somewhere other than Morrsion's.

Whichever number you pick, you're a good portion of the way to the truth.

Without trying to rehash old ground, we all know that as a general rule a certain type of bodyshape is portrayed again and again in the media. Yes, it's getting better. No, I don't think retail stores are to blame. But when it comes to trend pieces, those rip-offs from the catwalk in some capital city miles away were made to fit a certain frame, and most of the time the high street-filtered version is a pretty damn good copy (did someone say six weeks lead time?), so why should it suit me? I'm not sad about it at all (apart from shift dresses, cos I really, really want to dress like Twiggy on the daily). I accept that there's no point trying to give my own take on a trend, which is basically just a carbon copy of everyone else's, and thus *unpopular opinion klaxon* it's boring. There's a reason I follow the women's blogs I do: I like to see original, well thought out content that tells a story, because if I want to see trends I'll toddle off to Vogue, who do it very, very well.

I'm not a stylist who knows how to put perfect outfits together; I still bleary eyed chuck things on in the morning, only to re-assess in the toilet at work thinking "nah, definite miss". But I do like to document what I've jumbled together here, and hope you don't mind that it's a little more "wardrobe essentials" than "fresh off the catwalk".

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