Make it Cosy.

With last weekend probably marking the last one before the madness of Christmas takes over, following on one of the busiest work-weeks of my life, I took the opportunity to make the most of my down-time and really relax.

From a couple of long lie-ins to a roast dinner and a short, leisurely stroll around the town, everything about last weekend was about being in the slow lane - and I think that's really necessary sometimes.

Now Monday is here and it's back to being in full-swing of designing the digital brochure that's been my main project for the last few weeks. It's so nice to be busy again, thinking about the last 18 months and comparing it to the last month or so and I can see how bored and unmotivated I was. It's amazing how far a little bit of praise and finally allowing myself to ease in can go, it's pretty good to back.

Brizzle Sunday.

Newbury may not be the most exciting place to live, but one thing it definitely has going for it is the fact that it's in the middle of everything we need. Trips to either Bristol or back home to Surrey can be done in just over an hour, and then there's commuting in to Oxford, popping down to the seaside or heading to the New Forest, it's all easy. Not the mention that Newbury generally isn't to bad to hang around either, we've got a John Lewis, don't you know?!

Last Sunday, before going to the Trampled by Turtles gig at Thekla we figured going to Bristol for the afternoon was a good way to make a day of it and Bristol is just one of my favourite UK cities.


We actually walked past a 'street art of Bristol' tour while we were milling around and actually, even though it seems super-contrived, I think I'd quite like to go on one, it seems like a cool way to learn about some of the more established pieces. They do them in Brick Lane too and we overheard some pretty great historical facts last time we were there.





Stumbling upon the Christmas market had us feeling all festive a little before time but it was quite nice, particularly as December moves ever closer and we're probably going to put up our tree some time next week (it's only a month to go on Tuesday, guys!).






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Moon's growing a beard for No-Shave November and currently hating life. I quite like it and definitely think it will get less itchy over time but if he wanted to get rid of it I wouldn't cry over it or anything. Still, that macho pride is getting the better of him and it's here to stay until 30th November.







Some absolute bantersaurus-rex put bubble bath in one of the fountains, chaos ensued and it just seemed to get worse (and more fun) each time we walked past.


We filled our tums with delicious fried chicken from Start the Bus, which didn't quite meet up to our recent Big Society outing but certainly did the job.






There aren't many better ways to spend a late autumn afternoon than browsing the shops before eating lots, this Sunday is a little less about travelling to the city and more about wrapping up and relaxing before a sure-to-be busy week - I'm good with either option really though. ♥

Fast Banjos.

Moon and I have very much been on the live music wagon in the last couple of months, but Sunday's Trampled by Turtles gig marked our last definite 'date in the diary' until February.

After agreeing to come and see Eliza and the Bear with me back in September, I was slightly obligated to agree to see a band I hadn't heard of as well.

Trampled by Turtles, to me at least, are probably a band that might not get on with the popularity of Mumford & Sons (at least ever so slightly), but they're also a real mish-mash of guys just hanging out, playing really fast country music. They didn't set my world on fire but they sounded really good and a gig in Bristol is always a treat, even more so when it's on a boat.


Thekla is a boat that calls Bristol Docks its home, it doesn't even feel like you're on a boat once you're inside with the only clues being the subtle interior design nods but I kind of like that. It looks so pretty when it's lit up and to add to that, it even offers one of the cheapest most affordable parking spots in the whole city.



The support for the evening were Dirty Beggars, a bluegrass band from the centre of Scotland - yep! While I spent a lot of their set concentrating on how much their harmonicist looks a lot like ultimate frontman, Ricky Wilson, they were actually a whole lot of fun, with an array of nice folksy songs including a great one about chicken (sort of).











It was a nice way to spend the evening and funny to see Moon so excited as he's wanted to see Trampled by Turtles for ages. All this has meant that I've spent most of this week catching up on sleep but it's quite good to know Bristol isn't that far away. Must make an effort to pop over there more often!

Light It Up.

It's pretty likely that I'm a little late to the fireworks party, especially as most displays will have been and gone by now, but here are my Bonfire Night photograph efforts.

We popped over to Chieveley for their firework display on 5th November and found the best pub in Ye Olde Red Lion for a dinner, honestly, I know you can't really go wrong with belly pork but this was ah-may-zing! ♥


I think Chieveley's display is the biggest near us and although the fireworks didn't last all that long and their bonfire was tiny, it was a good display and I even saw a few bangers that I don't think I've seen before. Plus Catherine wheels, the best!






Loved the atmospheric full moon, I think I could really get better at photographing it if I put a bit of time in to it.







We've actually been meaning to have our own firework display since last year and have a selection of Lidl's finest in the 'cat cupboard' in our kitchen. I hope to definitely make the effort, at least by New Year's - if they even still work!