Where there's a Wills, there's a way

Striped breton top: £30, Aubin and Wills. Suede skirt: £8, Oxfam. Black pumps: 50p, Russell and Bromley via ebay. Shoulder bag: £15, Oxfam. Necklaces: (from top) vintage, elsie belle, gift.

Don't let that carefree smile fool you, the last photo is c/o my camera's irritating ability to take photos just as someone asks whether it's okay for them to walk past. Cue dying inwardly, the perpetual story of my life.

I bought this top with my birthday money last December from the then recently opened Aubin and Wills along Church Alley. Hidden just off the high street, I'm always popping in to see what I can only dream of owning (oh, why must I spend my student loan on boring things like rent?). Perhaps I go in there a little bit too much as Carrie, the store manager, passed my details on to Lucy in their head office, and was invited to an event they hosted in-store last Friday. Two of my friends and I headed down to listen to the beautiful harmonies of Blue Rose Code and sample the swift brown fox topped cupcakes made by Cake Shop Liverpool (the one with the rad Beatles cakes in Central Station). I had a look at the new collection whilst the band were doing band things pre-performance, and amongst the classic cuts that Aubin and Wills are known for, there were beautiful floral prints, and a navy (favourite colour!) dandelion print playsuit, that would be perfect for telling the time in - don't deny it, everyone believed that the amount of puffs it took to clear a dandelion head equated to the nearest o' clock when they were young! However, the evening soon drew to a close, and we got rather soggy walking home - typical Liverpool. It's not very often that stores host events like this, and it was nice to just spend an evening pretending I don't have coursework due next week (gulp), and indulge in my love of stripes. Obviously. I'm determined to go to the Aubin Cinema in Shoreditch when I'm home this Summer; I feel like I only ever do the same things when I visit London, so do you have any recommendations?

Plus!! The blogger meet up took place on Saturday, and it was lovely to meet such wonderful people at long last. In the vague name of chronology I decided to post this first, what a whacky idea.

|

Read more

A great while ago the world begun, with hey, ho, the wind and the rain.

In England, it is tradition for universities to dedicate their Wednesday afternoons to sports. However, having managed to avoid every single lesson throughout sixth form (that Russian GCSE really did come in handy), I had no intention of embarrassing myself on AU night when starting in Liverpool. Instead, I went on a trip to the midlands with the English society for something slightly more cultural than a quad-vod from Slater's.


After winding our way down the M6, we finally arrived in Stratford-upon-Avon, home to more rain and as many Shakespeare-themed pubs as you can bite your thumb at. To avoid the rain (and a rumbling stomach) before the performance, Clarity, Bertie and I popped into Hobsons Patisserie for a sandwich and a cup of tea, not realising the sheer size of the meal! Fully content, and aware that we were still sitting there nearly half an hour after it'd closed, we went for a wander to Shakespeare's birthplace, where we could be princes of Norway to our hearts' content.


Yet the evening wore on, and we headed over to the instantly recognisable Globe for Twelfth Night: a comedy of mistaken identity, and yellow stockings. The World Shakespeare Festival started last month as part of the 2012 Olympics celebrations, and Stratford plays host to the Shipwreck Trilogy (the Comedy of Errors and The Tempest completing the trio). I'd really recommend going if the opportunity ever presents itself, they've got such a good reputation for a reason!


Fun Fact Fursday*: RSC stands for the Royal Shakespeare Company, but they're also my initials, guess my middle name?


xxx


*This is not going to become a regular feature, don't worry.


|

Read more

I'll be there for you when the rain starts to pour

Blouse: £2, charity shop. Bow detail jeans: £5, Topshop via ebay.  Belt: came with dress, oh my love. Pumps: 50p, Russell and Bromley via ebay. Teacup and spoon necklace: £6, Accessorize. Glitter clutch: free!, Topshop.


Today's plan, initially, was to go to the library, write my dissertation proposal (gulp!) and maybe sneak in a couple of outfit photos, as I finally got my hands on these jeans that I regretted not purchasing the moment they sold out. However, it turned into an hour long walk in the rain, finally finding some cherry blossom in Liverpool, popping into the new Central Perk Liverpool that opened along Hatton Garden today, and serendipitously passing the Giant Uncle on his trip to Anfield as part of Sea Odyssey.


The latter is a three day event run by Liverpool City Council in association with a lot of other people, as seen in the fourth photo (taken by the LJMU Avril Robarts library). I can't get over the scale of it - notice how tiny the Superlambanana looks in comparison! I've seen a fair few scornful facebook statuses, but it was great watching its slow progression through the city centre, and having a chat with the people standing next to you. Liverpudlians are generally quite friendly, something I miss when I'm in London where it's a cardinal sin to make eye contact on the tube. It's continuing until Sunday, so if the route goes near you it's worth fifteen minutes in the cold.


While shivering behind the barrier (polyester blouses really aren't appropriate in this weather, even with a coat on top), I was clutching my hot drink to keep my hands toasty. Central Perk is actually my closest coffee shop now, so I dread to think how much time I'll spend in there. They have a massive TV playing episodes of Friends, loads of comfy sofas, and it's cheaper than many of the chains on the high street - win!


xxx

|

Read more