SNAPSHOT: Hay-on-Wye and Tretower

Writing travel posts is something I love doing, but is also something I've been wanting to switch up for a while now. I've always felt like travel posts should be comprehensive pieces, with a lot of writing and recommendations, however lately I've been wanting to make travel posts a little lighter and more fun to create (and read!). Enter SNAPSHOT, a new series I'm starting in order to share my travel photos from the last year, with a little writing and recommendations, but with more focus on the images (an image is, after all, worth a thousand words).

Hay-on-Wye, situated on the perimeter of the Anglo-Welsh border, is the National Book Town of Wales. As such it features numerous charming little book shops, some general, some specific, but all housed in sweet old country shops and decorated in a very individualistic manner. Having lived and grown up on the English side of the border, Hay-on-Wye certainly had a familiarity to it which I always feel upon visiting border-towns, but had a charming higgledy-piggledy nature of its own.

//SHOP//

Richard Booth's Bookshop: One of the most famous (and oldest) bookshops in Hay-on-Wye, selling a selection of the latest titles and well chosen second-hand books, with a good balance between fiction and non-fiction. There's a lovely cafe downstairs, and a cinema too, all housed in a gorgeous tile-fronted building, with plenty of windows for natural lighting, and the cosiest armchairs for a spot of reading before you buy.

Addyman Books: A maze of bookish delights, with rooms dedicated to genres all decorated in a befitting way. This shop was truly awe-inspiring, and wandering from room to room made me excited about what was to be found around the corner.

Murder & Mayhem: One of Hay's specialist booksellers, dedicated to (you guessed it!) murder mysteries. Owned by Addyman Books, this is decorated in the same manner and as you step through the door you feel instantly transported to the eerie passages of Poe or perhaps the study of Sherlock Holmes. If you love a good whodunnit, this is a must visit.

Bartrums: If you love stationery, than Bartrums is right up your street - a well stocked stationery shop with big brands, and some independent brands too, making it the perfect place to buy a gift, or maybe something for yourself...

The Old Electric Shop: An eclectic and changing mix of vintage clothes and furniture, paired with independent companies and brands makes The Old Electric Shop a truly quirky shop that you won't forget. There's also a cafe, so it would naturally be rude not to visit.

The small village of Tretower is a short drive away, nestled in the stunning scenery of the Brecon Beacons. It's a jumble of slate and large stones which feels like it hasn't changed for at least 50 years, with a few small houses and a farm or two all watched over by the remains of a castle. It's a rather small, rather rugged place, that won me over as an idyllic, isolated Welsh gem. Being in the heart of the Brecon Beacons makes it a great place to go on a walk from, but during a fleeting visit I personally just enjoyed walking along a few of the village lanes seeing where they led to. It's quite a jumbled little place, but I think rather charmingly so!

-Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this post. I'm excited about working on this series, as I have got so many unpublished photographs on my camera that I want to look over, some from almost a year ago!- 

What is it Like to Study With the Open University?

This is one of those posts that I've been sat on for a while, trying to post it at a seasonal time. However, I'm so out of touch with UCAS deadlines and school leaving times that I haven't been sure when to post it! Seeing as I've just completed my first week of my third year of study though, there seems no time better than the present. Read on to find out the basics of studying with the Open University, how it compares to a bricks-and-mortar university, and my general thoughts on the whole process...

Penrhyn Castle and the Problem with Material Culture

Since the beginning of the year, I've been making an effort to travel to places that aren't that far away yet I've never actually visited. Therefore, I've accumulated quite a collection of snaps that I'm intending to share here at some point, and I was going to do so in date order because I'm a bit of a stickler for chronological order. However today I'm going to talk about a more recent trip to Penrhyn Castle in Bangor, North Wales. This one is playing heavy on my mind at the moment, particularly because I went the day after 'b-day' and I was naturally feeling devastated by the result, and also troubled about the future of the UK.

Petrichor

It's something of a stereotypical cliche that when us Brits don't know what to talk about, or have run out of conversation, we always bring up the weather. And so here I am, talking about the weather. It's officially been summer for a while now, but the heat and sunshine arrived a couple of weeks ago, casting everything in that hazy golden light that makes the world appear so still it might as well be a painting. At first it was nice to feel the sun on my skin, but after a few days even self-professed 'summer-people' began to tire of the uphill battle against the lazy heat. Life felt that much slower, like everything was coated in honey and wading through it was so much effort that it was easier to give in to the desire to do nothing. This being Britain, the sunshine eventually broke and we had heavy thundershowers arrive without notice. I don't consider myself to be much of a pluviophile, but I have to admit that the sound of the rain against the windows was a much needed reprise from the still silence of the heat. The world suddenly seemed awake again.

It's All In The Process

So, here's the story. Recently I was knitting a hat following a pattern which was a little more complex than those I usually reach for, and this naturally took a lot more concentration (and patience!) than I'm used to. I actually surprised myself with how much I enjoyed stretching my skills, and how instead of dreading working a tangled mess, I actually came to enjoy the level of concentration that this project required. The reason? Concentrating on this knitting project kept me in the moment, because I was so absorbed in the process.  I really slowed down towards the end of that project, because I didn't want the absorption to end, and I liked that after a busy day I could sit so consumed by my knitting that nothing else other than wrapping wool around needles entered my train of thought.

Why I Love Voluntary Work

It's no secret that voluntary work does wonders for your career and job prospects, whether you're a recent graduate or someone looking to change career path. However, as a long time volunteer I believe the benefits of a little volunteering lie far beyond that of furthering your career, so I thought I'd talk today about the few of the reasons why I love my voluntary positions.

Goals for 2016

So, we're now a few weeks into February and here I am writing about what it is I'm hoping to achieve in 2016 (a little late to the party I know!). The truth is, I'm not a big believer in New Year's Resolutions, instead thinking that a healthier way to make a change is to do so organically and when you feel like you need to. So this is more like a general list of things I'm hoping to do, rather than a must-stick-to-it-resolution, mostly because it feels like a good place to start after a little blogging break.

Last Minute DIY Gift: Nutella Fudge

No intention to panic anyone, but Christmas is this Friday and I find myself thinking about a few last minute gifts I need to get. As much as I love making presents for people, this year I feel I've lacked enough time in order to plan what I'm going to make (and make it of course!). Which is where this recipe for fudge comes in. It's really simple, only requiring three ingredients, and takes 45 minutes to make, tops. Last minute gifts don't come as easy or yummy as this!

AWAKE: Thoughts on Giving Up

"I won't give up, this won't be the last you'll hear from me," sobs the contestant just voted off a televised talent show. "Don't give up, you can do it!" Shout the people on the sidelines of the London Marathon, cheering on the runners. "Never gonna give you up!" Sang Rick Astley (truly deeply sorry about this reference).

Here's the thing though - I think we should cut 'giving up' a bit of slack. Sure there's a lot to be said about perseverance, and there are a lot of things that I didn't think I would ever manage to do, but got there in the end after a lot of blood, sweat and tears. However, there are also things that I've given up on that I do not regret at all. In fact, I want to reclaim the territory of 'giving up' - I believe it's important to know when to call time on things, especially when they are no longer bringing you joy and you don't want to do them anymore.

So, read on to find a few things that I gave up on (big things and little things) and couldn't be happier about...

AWAKE: Dinas Bran in Autumn

Last weekend I finally got around to making my way up to Dinas Bran, a ruined Norman castle in North Wales, and although it was something I was thinking I would do this summer, I'm really pleased I did the walk in autumn. This past week has seen the trees start to change colour, and it was great to be able to see nature do its work from up high. Here are a few photos of the walk, and I'll let them do the talking before I start rambling on about jumpers and candles and pumpkin spiced lattes and all thing autumn :)

Slow Fashion October II: Quality vs Quantity

Buying and making things that are higher in quality, rather than having a lot of lower quality items is something that I've been thinking over a lot lately. And seeing as my recent thoughts on this tie in nicely with #slowfashionoctober I thought I would dedicate a post to my thoughts on this. I'm not promising any conclusions, because it's just a jumble in my head at the moment! Although usually getting things down on paper (or, er, the web) organises my thoughts a little better, so here goes!

Slow Fashion October I: My Slow Fashion Story

When I first heard the concept of Slow Fashion October over on Fringe Association, I was really excited by the idea of a month that celebrated individual takes on slow fashion. What I love in particular about Karen's idea is that it's inclusive of all - whether you're a thrifter, a maker, a mender, a minimalist, or just interested in supporting local, or sustainable, fair-trade companies, you can take part. It just so happens that with a quirk of coincidence, I was already planning a couple of posts touching on some of the issues connected with slow fashion, so thought I might as well tie them in with everyone else in October. Here's a quick introduction of how I got interested in slow fashion, and where I am today with my consumer habits...

AWAKE: City of Spires

A couple of weeks ago saw my first ever visit to Oxford, and whilst it took me a ridiculously long time to discover this gorgeous city, I'm hoping it won't be too long until my next visit. Whilst planning for my whistle-stop visit, I was unsure how much I would be able to fit in, but upon arriving found that Oxford is delightfully compact. Seeing as how everything I wanted to see was easily within a 20 minute walk of the city centre, I'm pleased with how much of the city I saw, and yet I'm still left wanting more. Here are the highlights of my visit...

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AWAKE: Creative Headspace

We've all seen those inspirational quotes popping up on every kind of social media feed: "You cannot run out of creativity - the more you use, the more you have" etc etc. And yet, all of us who create in some manner or another (whether you write, paint, sew, build, plan) know that it is inevitable that at some point, for a period of time, you will be left feeling uninspired, and unable to create anything, no matter how much you want to. Well, that's how I've been feeling about blogging of late. It hasn't been that I haven't wanted to, in fact quite the opposite as I've sat down several times wanting to blog, but feeling like I've got nothing to say.

This isn't a post telling you how to get out of a creative lull - instead, this is a post about how taking a short break can in fact benefit you, and how a week long absence from Awake + Make has made me feel refreshed and refocused on what I want to do with this space.

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June 2015

Photos from my Instagram

It wasn't until a friend mentioned to me the other day that we are now halfway through the year (and halfway to Christmas!), that I realised the rather alarming rate at which June sped by. One minute it was 'shall I take a jacket in case it rains', the next it was 'denim is just too warm for this weather', aaand now it's nearly July. I'm rather excited for July - it's a month which will see me turn 22, and it feels great (I was that person having a panic over turning 21 - it's a defining milestone of becoming an adult), I've got the feeling that 22 is going to be a more relaxed and carefree age.

So, here's my June favourites...

The Weekend Whim: Links for Sunny Days

When the summer heat has well and truly set in, it fills me with an odd kind of optimism. I'm definitely not the kind of person to let the weather govern what I do by any means (when you live in Britain you have to make do!), but at the same time, sunny days make me dream about how I'm going to be spending the following few weeks. So, in spirit of the fact summer has finally arrived, this Sunday I'm sharing a few of my recent favourite links, so take advantage of some out of doors wifi and enjoy!

May 2015

Photos from my Instagram

It's pretty scary to say that we're edging towards being halfway through 2015 (um... like where did time go?), and in just over a month I'll be turning 22 (whuut???). Now that it's starting to feel a lot more like summer, and my uni workload has lightened up, I'm in the mood to start sewing up summer dresses left right and centre, read outside in the park or garden, and take my camera out to new horizons. And May certainly delivered in those aspects! Here are a few of my favourite things from May...

The Weekend Whim: April 2015

Pictures from my Instagram

Happy Sunday, lovely people! This week has been a rather hectic one for me, filled with volunteering at the museum, dashing off to university tutorials, a visit to the cinema to see The Age of Ultron, and, er, maybe a whole day spent watching the second series of Broadchurch (I'm hooked you guys!). So, before time rushes away and I find myself halfway through May (seriously, where does time go?), here's a round up of all things April...

The Weekend Whim: Loves + Links

Another week draws to a close, and it's another week closer to being summer. This past week has been so sunny and mild that it doesn't seem long before I can banish tights to the back of my wardrobe, eat all my meals al fresco, and hit up the peach iced lemonade at Costa. So, before I disappear with a book into the garden, here's a few things which have made my week.

The Weekend Whim: HOMEBODY

After reaching a couple of deadlines in the past week, I've had a few spare days where I can just relax and not have to do anything except take it easy (hurrah!). Yesterday I did a little baking, and whilst it was hardly groundbreaking, it was fun to do something that I haven't done in a long time (blame working in a bakery!). So, with this in mind, I've compiled a list of different things to do when you want a relaxing day at home - without the requirement to leave the house.