Weekend #3: January 2015 Round Up

Photos from my instagram

Now that January's drawing to a close, it's starting to feel like we're 'properly' settled into 2015 now (early January is just an extension of Christmas, amirite?). Although it has to be said that the amount of snow we've been having at the moment is making it feel like Christmas all over again. So, I'm going to take a few minutes snuggled up with a huuuge blanket to write about bits and pieces from January. Enjoy!

What I've Been Up To
As of today, I'm studying full time as opposed to part time. Long story short, I realised that unless I did go full time, I wouldn't be able to study the modules that I really want to do. So, yeah, it'll be a little more hard work than it has been, but I'm feeling positive about it, and I'm sure it'll be fine. It's going to give me the push to manage my time more effectively, but I am definitely going to make sure I have the time to do the things I love.

On another note, I've been wanting to up my reading game for what seems like ages, and the past couple of weeks have seen me really get back into the habit of making more time to read. I'm really excited about my reading list at the moment, and I'm going to create myself a Goodreads account to track my reading habits. I'm finally making big progress on The Bone Clocks (which is a great read), and I'm planning what is going to be next. I'd love to hear suggestions!

Whilst I haven't got any large sewing projects on the go at the moment, I have spent the last few days working on a smaller project involving navy faux fur. It's now finished, so I'll be sharing the results with you, as soon as I hoover up all the pieces of faux fur which are everywhere. I'd work with faux fur more often if it wasn't for the incredible mess it makes.

What I've Been Wearing

I've been wearing as many layers as I can get away with (it's so cold), so chunky jumpers, cardigans, and tights under jeans have been my uniform of late. One way I've been adding a little more fun to these outfits is by wearing this incredible checked wrap coat over top. I say this about a lot of things I buy, but I am being deadly serious when I say that this has to be my best charity shop find of all time (it cost £2.99!!!). I'd so very nearly bought a big, fluffy, brushed wool coat on so many occasions, but I'm lucky I didn't, because in all honesty, I much prefer the design of this one than the ones on the high street. I'm not sure exactly how old it is, but it has that 60s thing going on which I adore. After a little inspection, I do believe it to be handmade too, mostly because the stunning pink lining overhangs the back of the coat a little bit. I'm in two minds about adjusting it - sure, I could make it neater, but I actually kind of like the little bit of pink peeking out. Surprise pink is the best kind of pink.

Prepare to be shocked when I tell you that, as a general rule, I'm not a big sale shopper. The cheapskate thrifty side of me always demands that I look, but it's very rare that I'll actually find something that I like enough to buy. So I don't say it lightly when I say that I love, love, love the Faith shoe sale at Debenhams. I am a serial shoe addict, and the styles they have at Faith always make my heart flutter. However, after looking at the price tag, my fluttering heart soon turns into mini heart attack. So, if I see a style I like, I always try to keep an eye out for a pair in the sale (Debenhams are pretty consistent with their sales). My black chelsea boots had seen better days, and when I spied this gorgeous pair of pointed black ankle boots, I snapped them up. The chunky heel is comfortable to walk in, and when worn with black jeans, make my legs look longer. I can't see them on the website anymore, but you may be lucky enough to find them in store.

What I've Bookmarked

Yoga With Adriene 
A change in my weekly schedule has meant that I haven't been able to make it to my weekly yoga class anymore. After unsuccessfully trying to find another one, I came across Adriene's videos on Youtube, and have been really enjoying them. They are a great mix of postures I know, and ones that are a little more tricky, and the roughly 30 minute length of them means that I can always find the time to do one multiple times a week. Adriene is really funny as well, which makes completing each video a lot easier. Also, I am also seriously jealous of her interior design, especially her window seat!

Make My Lemonade
I've been a long time fan of this blog, so when Make My Lemonade announced this week that they were starting to make sewing patterns, I couldn't be more happier. I love Lisa's quirky, yet typically Parisian style, and her first pattern looks set to be a hit. Whilst you're over there, make sure you check out her other DIY tutorials, they are so inspiring!

Duolingo
Whilst I did study French at GCSE level, it's been something that I've been meaning to get back into for a while. I have no trips to France planned (I wish!), but I feel like learning a language is something which is fun, and can be really useful. Which is where Duolingo comes in. Forget being in a classroom learning irregular verbs off by heart, Duolingo instead offers a more interactive way of learning, which makes things more interesting. Motivating yourself is surprisingly easy, as you can set yourself daily targets. Of course, you don't have to learn French, you can choose from a lot of languages (Spanish, German, Italian, to name a few), with more options being introduced in the future. So, if you have a holiday abroad booked, get learning!

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!