Pizza and Prints.

Rudy's Pizza, Ancoats

Complete disclaimer here: on Friday I got acrylic nails for the first time, so I needed to find an excuse to practice typing before I go back to the office. I thought I might as well make this time for something productive. So, enjoy.

If you've been reading this ol' blog for a while, you'll be well aware that I'm into my prints. Way back when, I wrote my dissertation all about how Dante Rossetti combined the arts and written word so to mix clothing and prints I love is right up my street. Of course, I get all my William Morris news from Jazmine (who doesn't?), so was well aware when the new William Morris x HM collaboration would drop, and that meant I headed straight to H+M after work to pick up a few pieces - this beautiful skirt included.

I'm not particularly a pleated skirt person - they're not the most flattering of pieces when you're not completely flat up and down, let's be real - but I decided to throw all caution to the wind and add this to my collection, as I am wild. It would look a lot better in situ at the William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow, however I'm more than happy to style it in Ancoats, as there's pizza around the corner.

The elasticated waistband came in very useful as Clare and I headed to Rudy's Pizza in Ancoats for a load of pizza. We cheated the system and didn't have to queue by going at lunchtime (there's a first time for everything), and enjoyed all the carbs while Clare's newest best pal Eva napped next to us, judging when she saw how much we'd eaten once she'd woken up. I think Eva was pretty taken with my newest wardrobe addition (lots of movement, lots of contrast), so it's got a thumbs up IMO.

Have you tried any of the new collab, or is it not your thing? I know it's a bit "much", but I'm enjoying seeing how people are styling all the different pieces on Instagram.

PS, not the most insightful of posts today, however I'm watching the Jeffree Starr x Shane videos whilst typing up, so very much distracted.

What I'm Wearing.

William Morris x HM Skirt. M&S Top. The Kooples Leather Jacket. And Other Stories Boots.

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I didn't forget, I swear.

Throwback Sunday

You know that friend you meet up with and you sit there trying to work out how long it's been since you last saw them, and then you get that guilty "oh crap, it was a lot longer ago that I thought" moment? Well, I'd like to introduce you to some photos from mid-May, which I will gloriously throwback with just a mere five months later. Whoops.

In all honesty, not that much has changed since, other than I wear a lot more bronzer because I look a lot like death in these photos. I also had to throw these jeans away as unfortunately skinny jeans and Laura's mini cooper do not a good match make. Otherwise, the last five months have been spent in equal amounts going to the gym and eating cheese, and having your standard mid-twenties crisis. You only need to scroll through Refinery29 for 10 minutes to find out that you're "not alone" and you're "doing just fine", but that's never going to stop a lil bit of doubt creeping in every once in a while. It's been a hard few months for me, with a lot going on. But, and here is your cheesy morale alert, there really is just something in paying attention to the little things and focusing on small bits that will see you through. Namely, not long until we can start talking about pigs in blankets - hurrah!

With all that in mind, this weekend is being spent with family, taking some much needed time out and heading back to Essex with white boots instead of white stilettos in my weekend bag. Might even burn a basic pumpkin scented candle, who know how crazy things will get?

What I Wore.

Primark leather jacket: £10. Arctic Monkeys top: £20. Oasis skinny jeans. Claudie Pierlot chelsea boots. Marks and Spencer bag: £43. Urban Outfitters sunglasses.

Where I went.

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City and country.

Townie

City vs country: tale as old as time, etc. etc. When I was teeny tiny, we lived on a road where one end had a park and the other had a golf course, but was a 20 minute walk from the nearest tube stop. Then we moved to the arse end of nowhere a hamlet which had three pubs and no shops. Following that, I moved to Liverpool for university, then my family moved to the edge of a small town, I upped sticks to Munich for a bit (lol) and now I've settled in Manchester for a year and a half. All the above shows when I started to get a bit bored of writing out my life story but also illustrates how I tend to navigate towards cities rather than the countryside.

I find that there's a distinct difference between northern cities and their southern counterparts. Trust me, I love Cambridge, Oxford and Brighton just as much as your average girl, but when you start to edge past Birmingham the pretensions edge off, just that slightly. Where you wear your city as a badge of honour, much like a family crest of arms, when you pay your half a mil for a house in the home counties, there's still pride in Manchester, Leeds, et al., but the badge is more a tarnished pin badge, worn on your lapel among your other loves (probs the Stone Roses). It's just a bit more understated, and people seem to shout about it less. It's taken for granted that you live in the greatest place in the world, so there's no need to text in to the Metro and go on about it.

Anyway, as I'm coming to the v real conclusion that I'm going to stay in Manchester for the next few years for real, this is making me think about the other northern cities I need to get to know better. The above photos illustrate Liverpool (which I definitely don't need to walk any more, but know I'll be back anyway), but I plan on adding Newcastle, Halifax, Harrogate and Hull to my 'places I've been' list before long.

With that waffle over and done with, I'm going to get out of my pyjamas and do something with my Sunday. And yes, that does mean eating a lot.

What I Wore

The Kooples leather jacket. The Last Shadow Puppets tee: £20. Carven shorts: £69 (on sale, similar but cheaper). Claudie Pierlot boots: £172 (on sale). Marks and Spencer bag: £42 (on sale, I see a theme...).

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Old Wellington.

Cherry Blossom in Manchester.

If there's one thing that the North does well, it's a roast. So when Clare got in touch to mention that the folks at Nicholson's were asking her to review the Old Wellington, Laura, Kate and I were on it before you could say roast potato. 

I've been past the Old Wellington countless times as it was on my walk to work on my old commute (more on that later), but had never stopped off to try it out. Let's be honest here, the beer gardens outside have a bit of a rep, particularly on match day, but once you step inside it's a beautiful old british pub and the food menu matches your expectations. It may have been the hottest day of the year so far, but that didn't stop me going for the yorkshires. Despite it not being wholly weather appropriate, it was still bloody fantastic and I'd be more than happy to head back when the temperatures drop back down again.

Located right next to the Cathedral, we took the opportunity to be as cliché as possible and take a few photos before the cherry blossom ended up completely on the floor. Who could resist, eh?

As you know, cherry blossom season is pretty much behind us, giving way to wisteria hysteria (because, you know, why shouldn't it have its own hashtag?). There's no point even apologising for the infrequent posting any more as apparently this is becoming more of a monthly thing, rather than weekly. I started a new job just after my last blog post, and things have stepped up a bit. The hours are longer and there's more out of hours work. That combined with my hospital treatment means that this hobby's taking much more of a backseat so I can concentrate on my career and making sure that I'm having a little screen-free time too. But after a lovely weekend, I thought it was about time to settle down with a cuppa and Miss Congeniality 2, and finally get round to editing the photos from a few weeks back. After all, better late than never.

What I Wore.

Vintage Levi's jacket: gift, but similar. Brandy Melville tee: £17. Vintage suede skirt: £7, Oxfam. Public Desire shoes: sold out :( M&S bag.

What's On Insta.

Sunny Sunday roasts 🐽 Head to @nicholsonspubs' insta stories to see @iliketweet's takeover too! #manchester #eatmcr #manchestergram #sundayroast

A post shared by Rebecca 😈 (@rebeccacohen_) on Apr 9, 2017 at 12:52pm PDT

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Chateau de Stylist.

Welcome to My Crib.

Well, grey-skied Manchester this ain't. A few weeks back, amongst the 20% off everything at PLT emails clogging up my inbox, I noticed something slightly more exciting. Booked holiday and a fair amount of repressed excitement later, I was headed off to City airport to catch a flight to Nantes along with Stylist magazine to Chateau de Stylist. Just to clarify, I wasn't invited as a blogger (lol, I barely even blog any more, no chance), I entered the competition they'd been pushing a little while and was lucky enough to be selected to head along too. As Facebook was telling me I'd spent this time last year slumming it in a tent at Glastonbury, I rocked up to a bloody chateau. I live a life of contrasts, it has to be said.

Before arrival, all we knew about Chateau de Stylist was that we'd be experiencing a taste of #ThisFrenchLife and the team would be creating an issue (out last Wednesday, pre-Bastille Day) on site. Little did I know about the five star treatment we'd be receiving. Our room suite wasn't one I was able to give up easily, and had the most amazing hamper of french pharmacie treats ever - with some Bioderma micellar water just in time to replace my kidnapped Garnier version from airport security. We were treated to Chambord cocktails on arrival, before heading upstairs to sample a little french sunset and head to dinner.

Of course, this trip was the perfect excuse to pick up another striped tee, this one courtesy of Topshop's Summer sale, and I paired it with my new love culottes and fit like a glove boots from Public Desire. Because, we were all about adding a little french je ne sais quoi to our time while we were there.

I've got another post on my second day there coming up next week, cos it was impossible to keep all that perfection to one blog post. Impossible.

What I Wore.

Topshop striped tee: £15. Alexa Chung x Marks and Spencer culottes: £39.50. Topshop fedora: £7. Public Desire Lia boots.

Where We Went.

What's On Insta.

Well, definitely didn't wake up here today 😭 #thisfrenchlife #france #chateau

A video posted by Rebecca (@rebeccacohen_) on Jun 25, 2016 at 1:30am PDT

All packed for France with @stylistmagazine @chambordchannel tomorrow (a day early, despite watching the game last night. Somehow.) How's this for an invite? 🇫🇷 #thisfrenchlife #chambord #blue #theeverydayproject #thisjoyfulmoment #thehappynow

A photo posted by Rebecca (@rebeccacohen_) on Jun 21, 2016 at 12:39am PDT

Actually can't deal with how perfect this is. Might need another @chambordchannel to make it seem real. #thisfrenchlife #france #chateaudestylist #chambord

A photo posted by Rebecca (@rebeccacohen_) on Jun 22, 2016 at 9:03am PDT

Just chillin' at my chateau #cribs @stylistmagazine @chambordchannel #thisfrenchlife #ootd #topshop #marksandspencer #publicdesire #pdbae

A photo posted by Rebecca (@rebeccacohen_) on Jun 22, 2016 at 11:33am PDT

Sorry I've been off my Instagram and blog game, I've been having a life (hard to believe, I know) #thisfrenchlife #france #🍴

A photo posted by Rebecca (@rebeccacohen_) on Jun 28, 2016 at 12:48pm 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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