OUTFIT | #59

blazer, blouse: H&M; jeans, shoes: Topshop; watch: ASOS

The weather is muggy and I am struggling. How does one dress for 'muggy'? 23 degrees yet still overcast with a forecast of rain? I feel like a broken record constantly banging on about the weather but come on, what is this? It's not just affecting my outfit choices. Even typing this entry is made more difficult by this weather. Here's some behind the scenes information: I can't write these entries unless I have total silence. Music in the background, someone talking to me, any extraneous noises and I can't focus. Which means I can't have my fan on, despite the fact that my room feels like a sauna, because even that is too distracting.

Anyway, enough whining. I've been keeping myself busy since I've been home, seeing friends and running errands and the like. I wore this to have breakfast with some of my favourite hometown ladies (Wetherspoons Full English for £2.99? You can't beat it) The top (that I've already said is a firm summer favourite) and shoes were an attempt to look somewhat bright, despite the weird muggy-but-miserable weather. This is probably as close as I'll get to the whole neon for summer thing, unless it's on my nails. The black jeans, while very much within my comfort zone, did get a bit much after a while. I had to make a quick pitstop at home to switch them out for a maxi dress before going to the cinema in the afternoon. 

WISHLIST | #2

Catseye London make-up bag; Jack Black lemon lip balm; Clarks loafers; Casio watch; Topshop t-shirt; Minoux necklace

It's my birthday quite soon (okay, more like 2 months but a girl can plan ahead) so I've started looking out for things I fancy. Some of the things on my list are practical (read: dull) like new kitchenware odds and ends for my house at uni. Others less so, like the Catseye London make-up bags I've had my eye on for a while now. Do I really need a make-up bag with a giant fluffy cat on it? Probably not. I want it anyway. The Shakespeare t-shirt from Topshop definitely feels like a need though. I'm a literature student, and an especial fan of old Shakey. It's perfect for me!

OUTFIT | #58

blouse, shorts: H&M; sandals: Topshop, lips: Revlon 'Pink About It' (discontinued), nails: Revlon 'Pink Lingerie'

It feels odd to be taking outfit shots in my bedroom at home with my old backdrop again. How long has it been? No more balancing my camera precariously on my windowsill in my little rooms in halls. It'll be all change again soon. When I move back to university in September I'll be living in a house with another new room. Hopefully there's a nice spot there to take pictures. Oh, the woes of a blogger!

This is one of my favourite outfits so far this summer. I have no shame in admitting I repeat outfits, and frequently. I've worn this one around 3 or 4 times now. I actually bought the shorts for a fancy dress night when I went as Snow White and needed something yellow to go with her blue and yellow theme (I know, I know, I could have bought one of those package costumes off eBay but I'm a student - they're way out of my budget!) They've become a firm summer staple in my wardrobe though and I almost wish I'd bought them in a few others colours as they're so comfortable. 

Now I'm home for a few months, I've mostly been mooching about watching a lot of tv (I'm currently addicted to Nurse Jackie, after finishing both season 1 and 2 in a week) and am trying to read more. Here's a tip for anyone heading into their first year as an English Literature student: reading for pleasure goes totally out of the window. Relish the opportunity in your summers! I am doing a bit of volunteering and ad hoc work here and there, as well as some travelling, though so I'm not totally wasting away my summer. Never fear! There will be plenty of blog posts about what I get up to coming up.

RECENT PURCHASE | The Zara 'It' Bag

bag: Zara

No doubt you've seen this bag on countless blogs over the past few months. It's been a real hit, mostly because of its £19.99 price tag. Most people seem to have opted for the cream version with rose gold hardware. Confession: I don't really like rose gold. I know, who am I? It just doesn't do it for me. This version actually has silvery-gold hardware, you just can't tell in my picture. 

My old faithful Topshop favourite, that I've featured a few times on here, fell apart a few weeks ago. I bought that bag with my first ever wages from my first job, working Saturdays at my local Boots when I was 17. It was well loved and slowly falling apart then, as I was moving out of halls and back home for the summer, the handles snapped off. RIP little Topshop bag. You will be missed. 

And so, to fill the hole in my handbag collection that the Topshop bag left behind, I went for this Zara bag. Not even because I'd seen it on blogs everywhere. I bought it because it fulfilled my main criteria for a new bag: it had to be cheap. Real talk: I'm pretty skint at the moment. Plus, it's pretty, simple and functional which is a bonus. 

TRAVEL | Prague, or Bust

Charles Bridge

Love padlocks on Charles Bridge

View from the Astronomical Clock

St. Vitus Cathedral

Prague was wonderful. It is now definitely one of my favourite European cities, after Berlin and London. It basically has everything going for it. Beautiful? Definitely. Lots to do? Tons. Cheap? Ridiculously so. I would highly, highly recommend it as a place to visit. The Czech language is a bit difficult to attempt, but it's worth a go so you don't sound like a total bimbling tourist idiot (even if you look like one, with your 'Top 10 of Prague' map hanging out of your pocket). I would absolutely go back. We didn't manage to see the Kafka Museum or the National Museum, plus the night life is worth it in itself. 

I nearly didn't make it there. When we arrived at the airport, I opened my bag and realised I'd left my passport at home. Who does that? This girl, apparently. I take back every time I laughed when my parents asked me 'Do you have your passport?' before leaving the house. Cue frantic phone calls back home and a very expensive taxi to bring the bloody thing to me. I made it. Just. It arrived half an hour before check-in for my flight closed. Tip: Always check, double check and then triple check, just to be safe, that you brought your passport with you.