Weekly Update!

Recovery and A Night In Horsforth

After travelling to Letchworth last Sunday, Monday of this week saw the mammoth drive back, via Banbury and Stoke to drop my various passengers off. I was so tired that rather than drive all the way home, I stayed over in Crewe, as a five hour journey completely took it out of me!

Feeling much more refreshed on Tuesday, I headed back to Timperley and after unpacking went on a very pleasant run. I had been dying to go for a while, but the last few dregs of snow and bouts of rain had put a stop to my previous attempts.

On Wednesday, I did some editing. I am the editor-in-chief of Tattered Lace, a magazine that the Fashion Society started producing last year, and we are now on our third issue. I have three editors (Fashion, Culture and Beauty) and they each send me articles from their respective sections once they have been put together and proof read. I then have to make sure the content is right and do a final proof-read before forwarding them onto our wonderful producer, who collates it all with the photoshoots from our creative director, and makes it look all pretty. It is hard work and often very hectic, but so worth it for the gorgeous issues that we make!

Wednesday night was both amazing and devastating, as I went out to Wagamama's with my friends, and then on to a few bars and ended in 5th Avenue nightclub in Manchester. I had such an awesome time, until I lost my purse at the end of the night, and had a drama with people staying in my house! The following day I mostly moped around feeling sorry for myself, and sorted out the what seemed like masses of lost cards I had to replace.

On Friday, after a nice lie in and a five hour shift, I headed to Leeds with my parents and sister to visit my aunty, uncle and cousins there. My eldest cousin

is in the army and I hadn't seen him for over two years, so it was great to catch up on what we'd both been up to, even if it did make me feel hugely insignificant partying at uni while he has been stationed in Afghanistan! We opened belated Christmas presents first, and then headed into Horsforth where they live for a few tipples. After slightly more than a few, we walked back home and enjoyed a gorgeous curry before hitting the sack considerably later than usual.

Yesterday we woke up quite late, had a fabulous cooked breakfast (the full monty- black pudding and all!) and then drove back home. After a spot of shopping in Sale I then stayed in for the rest of the day, playing on The Sims 3 (sad, I know, but it's a new experience!) before catching an early night ready for going back to work today. Not the most exciting or productive week, but there's been worse.

A Taster of Tattered Lace!

Screen Sirens

It probably isn’t the first place you would think of looking to for style inspiration, but the silver screen is jam packed with outfit ideas just screaming to be recreated. As there are so many films produced and released every year, the fashion within them is guaranteed to be constantly changing- and it is not just Hollywood dollars that can make

iconic items available.

Over the years there have been many trends that have emerged from movies; just think of the ‘Vote For Pedro’ T shirts that were all over Urban Outfitters after Napoleon Dynamite hit cinemas in 2004, or Swarovski’s ‘Alice In Wonderland’ range that was launched following Tim Burton’s remake of the Disney animated classic. Even if some of the designs you have seen in the cinema are unsuitable for an average night on the town, what’s to stop you donning something crazy for the next fancy dress event?

Classic Film Looks

Star Wars- It may be 33 years since the first film was released, but Princess Leia’s cinnamon bun hairstyle and provocatively draped white dress will stay firmly fixed in our memories.

A Clockwork Orange- Aside from widespread controversy, the on-screen adaptation of Anthony Burgess’ novel also resulted in a bizarre clothing creation- boxers over dungarees and only one false eyelash? Nowadays it would be called drunkenness!

Kill Bill- Tossing the famous black bob from Pulp Fiction to one side, who can forget when Uma Thurman sliced her way onto our screens in that yellow catsuit?

New Looks To Covet

Burlesque- it may not have smashed the box office records, but some of the outfits worn by Christina Aguilera in this Cabaret inspired musical were simply stunning. Think sequins, lace, corsets and hold- ups; everything about last year’s ‘underwear as outerwear’ trend, taken to the next level.

Black Swan- Natalie Portman looks set for a busy year, starting with this psychological thriller by the director of The Wrestler and Requiem for a Dream. Although there are some jumpy scenes, an abundance of elegant tutus and ballet shoes (and no shortage of pretty people!) take the edge off; in cinemas now.

Red Riding Hood- with capes fluttering aimlessly in and out of fashion for the past few years, if anything can ensure they stay alive, it is the retelling of this children’s favourite. Set for release in March this year, Amanda Seyfried plays the young girl warned to “stick to the path” in this darkened version of the classic fairytale.

New Tastes...

Wagamama, Manchester

Last night, three friends and I decided to go for a meal and a few drinks in Manchester, as we are all heading back to uni soon. It is a tradition amongst us all to go to Wagamama, as it's cheap, a bit different and really tasty! We hopped on a train, and were soon sat in the warmth of the restaurant on their trademark communal benches. For those that haven't been before, Wagamama serves Asian food, with a few quirky culture differences to how you dine.

For a start, as mentioned before, rather than having individual tables, there are long benches to sit on, so everyone sits together in rows. I personally like this, as it means

even dining alone you can get talking to people, and it makes it feel sociable and informal. As well as this, the food is served when it is ready, regardless of English tradition, so often one dish appears, and others in the group may be waiting ten more minutes before they get theirs. This could be awkward if you were eating with someone who is strict with etiquette, but I tend to go with friends, so we just start while it's hot! The menu is split up into different categories depending on what the dishes mainly consist of (rice, noodles etc) and then you can order various sides as well.

I ordered Cha Han, which I have had before and really like. It is 'stir-fried rice with chicken and prawns or tofu, egg, mangetout, mushrooms, sweetcorn and spring onion' AND IT comes with a little bowl of miso soup, and pickles. My friends had all ordered the Chicken Katsu Curry (they get it every time!) and mine happened to arrive first, so I tucked into the miso soup while we waited for theirs to come. It was all gorgeous, and I don't think it would come as a surprise to people I know that I would head back there in a flash. It is also relatively healthy, and has plenty of veg in it, so I feel less guilty for eating out!

After the meal we went for a few drinks in the Northern Quarter, which then turned into a few more drinks on Deansgate, and a night ending in 5th Avenue. But then the unplanned nights are always the best!

Weekly Update!

Sales, NYE and a Long Drive! (delayed from yesterday)

This week was relatively quiet after the bustle of the Christmas period, but I still ended up being away from home for the majority of it. Apart from the couple of shifts I worked, I was the definition of a social butterfly! On Wednesday I went to Crewe to stay with my boyfriend, and had my first opportunity for a bit of sales shopping. Compared to previous years, I was slightly disappointed, as the reductions were minimal, and it only seemed to be off a very small selection of stuff. I did manage to get some really nice khaki/ brown knee high boots with a slight heel and buckles on the back from Dorothy Perkins, which were a steal at £30.

On Thursday I drove back home and did the evening shift at work, followed by the early morning one on Friday, which always kills me (I have to be up at 6.20am). However, they were the only times I worked all week, so I was then free to enjoy New Year's Eve. My friend Emily decided to host a party at her student house in Nottingham, so a convoy of cars drove there on Friday afternoon. It was a really good night, as there were lots of different people there, a large number of whom I didn't know, so there was plenty of opportunity to get to know some new faces. On New Year's Day (the passengers very much worse for wear) we drove back to Manchester, and I had the chance for a couple of hours extra sleep at home before I drove to Crewe for a second time.

The following day was my flatmate from last year's 21st birthday party, so a group of us planned to travel to Letchworth in Hertfordshire where he lives to go.

As I'd driven to Crewe the night

before, the monster journey (I was going via Banbury to pick some friends up) was slightly shorter, and after about four and a half hours on the road we arrived at his house. It was a brilliant day, my friend Laura was back in England from Paris so it was great to see her again; and there was gorgeous food and a free bar- which we made full use of!