Oh, Home!

I feel like I've actually been back at my Mum's a whole lot recently, I guess because we were only there for Chinese New Year at the beginning of the month and before Christmas I wasn't visiting that regularly.

It's quite nice to use the visit as an excuse to get up to London and have a good ol' change of scenery that you and I both know I enjoy. And London sure was looking great in the sunshine on Saturday.

My sister was back home which was the main reason I went up and treated myself to a long weekend with a half day on Friday too! We made homemade nachos and watched two really bad films on our first night, like bad bad, not good bad, would definitely never recommend Magic Mike to anyone, it's appalling - the nachos were great though!




We had hopes of leaving early in order to make it to The Breakfast Club in Spitalfields but I wayyy overslept. With the amount of great places to eat around Spitalfields, I pretty much outright refuse to queue to get in somewhere on a Saturday afternoon, I might be missing out but I'm okay with that.






After leaving Shoreditch High Street station and getting distracted by Box Park and some neat street art just across the road, we mooched on over to Spitalfields where we high-teched the hell out of getting a table for two at The Diner - they have an iPad and text you when the table's ready, thing of the future.

I ♥ Shoreditch.

Apart from the hipsters and dickheads.. :3

Yesterday I took Moon to Shoreditch to show him all the cool things I don't get to look at because I'm always worrying about time during my lunch break. I bought so many things and had such a nice time and saw so many nice things. It was such a good day out. We started off at Maiden (unf, what a shop, truly living up to it's amazing window display!), then we went over to the vintage flea market at Old Spitalfields Market, also awesome, after that we had a browse around Brick Lane and on the way headed to Lazy Oaf's Pop-Up Christmas Shop (bargain-tastic!) and some how we ended up at the Wellcome Collection after Moon found a leaflet outside Spitalfields toilets. Quite a trek but I think we definitely made the most of the day and it was so nice being together and feeling like a couple and not having to talk to each other on the phone. I talk as though we never see each other, but the last week has been a long one with no real relaxation time, I'll definitely be sick of him when I'm back to being unemployed :).
Should I apologise for the following photo-essay? :3

We had a pretentious moment before we entered the market and went into a little kitchen shop and picked up Long's parents a nice gift for when we visit them next week, it was delicious and, despite preconceptions, the shop was both welcoming and helpful. I kind of fell in love with the sales assistant and his gift wrapping skills, a little bit. Even if he did have a weak moustache.

I've passed this shop every other day for two weeks, I'm not that into the whole Lomography trend but it's window display is amazing and they always seem to have great offers. Lomography Gallery Store.

Even though he is being a standard grump, I like this picture, the DoF is nice and the colour is nice and his face is nice. ♥

Casually looking super-Chinese and cheesy with a ginger beer.

As much as I loved the environment and the hustle and bustle, and although there were some proper bargains and amazing items there, I did question the value of some of the items on display as well as their presentation. When would you need mannequin legs that aren't on a mannequin?

I was seriously considering buying the 'Zoo' book for nostalgia but I was kind of a bit sad that whoever had owned it had carefully written their own additions to the book. It satisfied me enough to remember that this is exactly what I used to do, that and so much unnecessary colouring in.

New style icon.

InSpitalfields.

Chipped into the wall.

If I had enough room for another book, I would definitely have bought this, so much love for branding.

There were so many pop-up shops and sample sales everywhere, best way to find nice new things.

While on our way back to the station we stumbled into this shop called Lik + Neon, and there were a few sleeping cats lying around, real ones, just casually as if it was normal. Amazing and they were so calm and well behaved.

This is the sun setting, it was weird to see it from this perspective and it was basically already dark...

After making the trek from Shoreditch to Euston and thinking we were lost but actually weren't, we made it to the Wellcome Collection. It was something I was initially excited about as I thought it would have curiosities, which can be quite fun, it wasn't what I thought and Moon and I just ended up feeling a bit uneasy, but maybe we were just missing the point...

Outfit:
Cardigan: H&M (last year)
Scarf: Primark (ancient)
Top/Dress: Gift from Moon
Skirt: Primark
Bag: River Island
Boots: River Island

Sometimes I realise how short I am.

'I Can't Help The Way I Feel' (2003) - John Issacs

A slice of human body.

Okay, so we didn't exactly enjoy the museum, but sometimes not liking things together is fun, and it was something different and somewhere warm to be for another hour. It was also free, and you know how much we love free things.

Trip, success. I wish it wasn't such a trek, I think I could handle dickheads if I could own half the things I didn't buy yesterday. I'm looking forward to the next couple of weeks, there's a lot on, I don't think my feet are really going to touch the ground.

The Renegade Craft Fair and other things.

Last Friday night was the first time Moon has ever slept over at my house, which was nice because I have better pillows than him. After being really stressed out at the beginning of last week, I calmed down a lot and took a few personal days to take my mind off my depressing job hunt. Taking time out resulted in considering booking my theory driving test and finally editing down the images to be uploaded onto my online portfolio because it seriously needs an update.


When Moon got here on Friday we had stew and watched Friday-night telly, not really exciting but nice anyway.

What I Wore 07/10/2011:
Cardigan: Topshop
Scarf: Primark
Dress: Dorothy Perkins
Belt: Primark
Tights: Dorothy Perkins
Boots: Fitflop
First time busting out the wooly boots, I have no idea what October thinks it's playing at. Also got complimented on the tights, I find it weird that people don't know where to buy coloured tights, I'm pretty sure nearly everywhere does them now.


On Saturday we woke up late but thought that we should definitely do something so took ourselves to Brick Lane to have a look at the markets, as well as have a quick nose around the vintage shops, not that that was much cop.

We accidentally stumbled into The Renegade Craft Fair, which was being held in The Old Truman Brewery. It was really cool, with lots of work from independent artists and loads of different craft-related stalls. Sadly I came away empty handed but I'm definitely considering a What Party? embroidery as well as a Jimbobart plate and a poster from the Bungaloo. Moon was lusting over the Bungaloo's My Morning Jacket poster, fanboy.
It was nice to just look though, and it's good that I can refer back to this when I have the room and money to buy all these lovely things. A list of the artist's that were at the Renegade Craft fair can be found here, I hope that they put another one on soon.

What Party?

Cheese + Pickles studio

Jimbobart

the Bungaloo!

After looking at the craft fair we had a wander around Brick Lane, making the now obligatory trip to Rough Trade and venturing into a lacklustre vintage clothes market that was also being held at the Old Truman Brewery. It was a nice day out because it actually felt like we had done something and it was a bit more interesting than hanging out at home or in somewhere like Crawley. The public transport situation was lame though and we walked all the way from Brick Lane to London Bridge, getting a bit, but not too lost on the way.

I find it funny that every other person walking around this area had some kind of camera yet nearly everyone doing anything is funny about you taking photos. What are fun things to look at if there's not even a choice of whether you can or can't take a photograph or not?

Taking the opportunity to say this stall's stuff was overpriced because he wouldn't let me take a photo of the neat way he'd laid out his merchandise.

The most noisy street performer, ever.

I went back with Moon to his house where we were disappointed with X Factor and couldn't stream An Idiot Abroad. On Sunday morning we went to Rusper carboot with Chris and it wasn't as good as last time, but I have a feeling it's because we were a bit too early (even though it doesn't start until 12pm). I picked up some delicious strawberries and a dress, which was a bargain at £1.50.





I spent Sunday evening with my Gran and cousins catching up and eating. It was nice, and I have a potential job too, an advantage of having a close family.
I feel a bit guilty for writing a post about the weekend when the weekend was a whole two days ago, but I just haven't had the time, you'll see why later.

To find out more about the Renegade Craft fair, click here.