What I'm Loving: July 2014

Well folks, we're officially over halfway through another year, which is super scary to say the least. But also really exciting, because I'm (hopefully) starting a few new things later on in the year. Before I get ahead of myself though, let me talk you through all things July...

What I've Been Wearing:

These vintage Polaroid sunnies are a big hit with me right now, mainly because it is SO bright at the moment. Normally, I'm more about the classic "Ray Ban" shape when it comes to sunglasses, but when I spotted this cat eye pair, they promised me all kinds of Holly Golightly fabulousness. In reality, it's more of a surreal mash up of Roy Orbison/Dame Edna Everage/The Two Ronnies (both of them at once), but I love them nevertheless. They're more quirky than my go-to pairs of sunglasses, and I love the fact that the little screws that hold them together are daisy shaped.

I've spoken about this little bike brooch before, but it's become one of my recent favourites. I always used to wear a lot of jewellery all at once, but now I find myself reaching for just a couple of stand out pieces, and letting those pieces do the talking. I particularly love wearing this with plain little dresses, or even pinned to my handbag.

What I've Been Reading:

Sometimes you come across something that is so perfect, and you didn't even know it existed. That's the case when I came across Stories They Wouldn't Let Me Do On TV by Alfred Hitchcock. Let's please just take a second to appreciate the fact that this even exists. Before you get too excited though, I'll tell you that this is not an anthology of stories written by Hitchcock, but instead compiled by him. But they are brilliant anyway. You can read each short story in about half an hour, which makes this the perfect holiday read, or even a read for the daily commute. Ok, so none of these stories are ever going to be prize winning literature, but they are daft and entertaining, and sometimes you just need a bit of a cheap thrill. My favourite has to be Nunc Dimittis by Roald Dahl, although they are all worth a read.

What I've been Listening to:

I'm so behind the times, that I've only recently discovered White Lies, but I am into them in a big way now. My favourite album of theirs has to be To Lose My Life - it's synth and bass heavy, and just how I imagine the 80s should have sounded. It's such an upbeat album, which I find myself listening to a lot, whether I'm doing a bit of exercise, sat at my sewing machine, or even just browsing through a magazine. 

What I've Been Up To:

In other news, I turned 21 this month - which was really fun and exciting, although I find it weird to think of myself as being that old! And in case you were wondering - yes, that is a macaron atop a ridiculously chocolately cake. What can I say? On your birthday you should eat whatever you want to! I also spent a few days in Anglesey just before my birthday, which was absolutely lovely. It's one of those places that I don't think I could ever tire of, and I'm already anticipating my next visit. It's such a pretty island, and even though some parts of it are quiet and sleepy, there is so much to do there. 

What have been your favourite things from July?