Pinch.

Hello, March! What a kicking way to start a new month.
Here's my nails, but sadly they've chipped and don't look like this anymore.

This part might be a bit dull, but I began the day baking a cake for Moon's birthday, although it was actually terrible, I don't know why but the finished product didn't live up to any kind of standard - think, slightly thick, sweet pizza, vom.

This is how I wrapped Moon's birthday presents, a bit simple but I quite like it, and there's no decent wrapping paper about at the moment, plus I ended up not having the time.



I had a helper though and as a reward she was allowed to hunt invisible things in the garden for a little while.


Moon arrived late in the afternoon and brought over some really pretty flowers, I hope that Dolly doesn't eat them.


After catching up with this week's American TV shows, we headed off to the first part of Dry the River day, a really beautiful, intimate in-store acoustic set at Banquet Records.
Here's what I wore, I only took one photo while we were at Banquet as you could hear a pin drop and I didn't want to be 'one of those people'.

Blazer: Primark
Dress: Yumi
Necklaces: Primark, H&M
Belt: Primark
Tights: Primark
Shoes: Primark





They had copies of 'Shallow Bed', Dry the River's debut album all laid out, letting everyone know that we wouldn't be able to get them until Monday. Apart from that wasn't true, guess who's got a signed copy and has already given it three full listens? It's so good! I did think it was a bit weird to have an album launch party before the album was even released.




This is Moon with my copy, but we got one each, because we're losers...
After having dinner at Mum's restaurant, we went back into Kingston for New Slang. I think it was actually my first 'clubbing' night out since finishing University, which is weird. We were primarily there to catch Dry the River again, but we stayed and had a little dance and actually had a smashing-great time.












How great is this girl's t-shirt? I may have cornered her like a creep, it's from Drop Dead, super cute. ♥


Got a cheeky snap with Scott from Dry the River, he's nice, and tall. He tried to make me feel less small by hunching, but I told him I was fine.



It was a pretty great night out, to celebrate Moon's actual birthday, which is today, we went down to Brighton, it was a pity that the weather wasn't as nice as it could have been but we had another nice day, photos to follow soon. I'm pretty pleased with how some of the gig photos came out, given that I was contending with being in the second row, everything about yesterday was a great excuse to change the scenery and get snapping.

Vrooom!

Hands up if you made it over a life-hurdle yesterday? No, I still haven't got a job, they've actually been a bit slow on the ground so far this week.
I passed my driving theory test! No more dumb DVD revision, it was the revision part of it that made me wish I'd done it when I was 17. I haven't had any kind of exam in over four years, and I hope that that was the last one I have to do. I was so nervous, not just because a load of questions were ones that had never come up while I was revising, but also because it would cost silly-money to retake it if I did fail, but I didn't so it's out the way. I got 44 on the theory and 56 on the hazard perception.

Busker in Kingston, who put on a pretty sweet performance and having filmed him (and his back-up dancers) and having recently seen 'Once', I felt compelled to give him money.

So, after visiting the Job Centre yesterday, which turned out to be fine because I've switched advisors, I had a ton of time to kill before going on to the test centre. An annoying amount of time in fact, not enough to go home, but too much to spend mooching around. What better way to waste time though than to shop?

I actually was pretty bad yesterday and spent more money than I should have, therefore basically breaking one of my New Year's Resolutions. However, up until then I hadn't really spent any money apart from a couple of things in the Christmas sales and Christmas presents... I'm not going to try and justify it, yesterday was a crap-money day.
I even bought room-spritz, just to come one step closer to my free Body Shop gift..

Anyway, here are a selection of the things that I bought, which I like, and although I feel remorseful for my bank account, I think I made some wise choices, anyway, I had a bit more money than I thought I would so...

Brook Street Mews - Nails Inc (Gift set)
053 Apricot Punch - Rimmel
Top Turquoise - Models Own
3D Glitter Polish, Magic - Accessorize
Nail Art Pen - This eBay seller
Top coat - 421 Clearly Clear - Rimmel Pro

I used the last of my Models Own Top Turquoise on this mani, but I really like it. Apparently despite having tons of nail art pens to choose from, I'll still go for trusty black. I'm still on the hunt for a Topshop pen but this one, which came in the set my sister bought me is basically the same as the WAH Nail Art pen, which I probably won't buy again due to it's now tiny (and therefore inferior VFM) packaging.

It's been all about Models Own for me for a while but Accessorize have really creeped under the radar. They're making some awesome polishes at the moment, some metallics they have could potentially rival Model's Own's Beetlejuice, and with Accessorize being £1 cheaper, I'm really drawn to them. There's been a bit of buzz around '3D polishes', to me it just seems like it just means that they contain lots of differently shaped glitter. I've thrown a lot of polish out recently so I thought I'd introduce some new ones and think I made a good choice with this one. Sadly it's much prettier in the bottle but it still looks nice on, although I'd say it needs four rather than the suggested three coats.

I bought this card from Scribbler. I think it's meant to be a bit Valentines-y but I think it's far too nice for any boy to really appreciate, so I bought a frame for it so I can hang it in my someday home. It's by Rob Ryan, I've liked his work for a while now. I got a free print (which I need to frame properly) a few years ago when I bought an issue of It's Nice That and I've been coveting the heart he did for Tatty Devine for ages, now I have another piece of his work and it makes me feel warm.
Rob Ryan on Etsy

Monday Cat, Gemma Correll, £3.50 + P&P

I had to have this as soon as I saw it, although admittedly this item isn't part of the haul I got yesterday, I only got it in the post today anyway so I thought I may as well share it with you. I've been looking everywhere for relevant cat-lady accents to add to my life and I think this is lovely. I think Gemma Correll is great, it's so lame that her 'Pugs not Drugs' illustration has been ripped off by everyone, but now Urban Outfitters sell an official t-shirt. I'm a proud 'Pugs not Drugs' tote owner, before it got overused ♥.

Sticky notes, Paperchase, £4.50

These were something I needed as the ones I bought last year for my diary have now nearly run out. Admittedly I could have gone for standard (and cheap) post-its, but I'm a sucker for slightly nicer paper. At least they'll get used, that's how I'll justify it to myself, plus look at the patterns and the lovely shapes and sizes. Unf.

Horse-print dress, £12.99 - Cityscape dress, £21.99, both Yumi.

Don't worry I wouldn't normally pair either of these with this lazy legging/socks combo.
I had no idea that the Yumi sale would be so amazing. Yumi is usually a brand that I tend to stay well away from because usually I see everything as overpriced, although what I really mean is that I can never afford anything. But I saw these two bargains and I had to have them, they're such nice shapes and really flattering, with quite original patterns. I know, I know, another horse-print dress, but I promise, promise, promise, this is the last one and this one is a bit different. I love the cityscape one, the birds fly really high on the back. I kind of get the usual £40+ price tag at Yumi, because they're both really well made, but I'm still umming and ahhing out of principal because I think they are more realistically worth what I paid for them in the sale... then again, I'm poor so what do I know?

I'm so, so nervous for this interview with Mirrorpix on Thursday, but excited, because what if I get it? I don't think I would want to move out on my own though, going back to a house that just has a cat and no one else screams loneliness and potential madness to me.

Dry the River, The Cricketers.

Last night Moon and I went to see Dry the River for the third time in six months. Either this is a demonstration of my loyalty to Moon and his fanboyism, or a demonstration of my own fangirlism towards them, you decide. They were amazing, the venue was lovely, might have been teaming with hipsters but it was worth it to hear Peter Liddle's beautiful voice.

Here are some photos I took, they are black and white because otherwise they would mainly be yellow.

The support was a nice girl called Lucy Rose, she has her own CD and website and everything, you should go and listen to her.

I know that it's a rubbish as hell photo, but I had to share this guy with you. He was at the gig, eating salad, and not just a little bit of salad, a whole fruitbowl's worth of salad. They make them differently here in 'not quite London'.

Do I think we'll see them again before the year is out? Who knows, they're a really hard working band. They're new single 'Weights and Measures' is out now and it is very good (but it sounds better in real life).


Dry the River official website
Follow Dry the River on Twitter
Download 'Weights and Measures' from iTunes