Piece of Me #13: It's December, This Month I Love...

A little later than planned (flippin' flu!) here's what I'm loving this month!

Check Anne Hathaway out, she's looking red hot in a shoot for Stella.
And she's not the only one. In a run down of the year's style icons, Emma Watson is effortless in white - expect even bigger things from the Burberry muse in 2011.
Skull and crossbone nail tattoos are inspiring my inner rock chick this week... once I'm recovered I think I'll give them a go!
And finally, the outfit I'm lusting over at the moment - sequinned maxi skirt, and striped silk, January's paycheck perhaps?!
P.S. You'll see a snippet about Peep Show at the bottom, if you've not seen it already you should seriously consider catching it. A favourite of my brother and I...
"Frosties are just cornflakes for people who can't face reality."

Piece of Me #12: Advent Update

I thought it was about time that I showed you all some of my amazing advent gifts... Credit where credit's due, Barbs- you done good!

Lucious lolly-pops

Racy red for Christmas nails

Relaxtion in a roll-on

And... Beautiful Baileys

Piece of Me #11 At Home With The Hollis'

The perks of living at home!

When I first realised that I would be living at home- after getting a job in Lincolnshire —the idea certainly took some getting used to...

For starters I feared that it would ruin the great relationship I have with my parents, and after three years of doing it alone up in Newcastle, I wasn’t sure I could go back to the pesters of “where are you going?”and “when will you be back?”...

I just couldn’t decide whether having my bedroom cleaned and my dinner cooked would outweigh the potential strain that might develop between the three of us.

However — even though Lincolnshire isn’t the most buzzing place in the world — I can safely say that coming home to Roge and Barbs is not quite as daunting as I thought it would be, and I find myself appreciating their company, savouring the tastes of some delicious suppers, and not an electricity or heating bill in sight!

An open fire, a plentiful fridge, and most recently a beautiful advent calendar...

Maybe I don't have it so bad...

Piece of Me #10: November... This Month I'm Loving...

Chanel-esque Hunter wellies, cool crops, and one FABULOUS Christopher Kane frock... All of which I'm loving this November!

I also found this amazing pastel pink and black dress which I'm lusting after for the party season (which is only just around the corner now!) And, I'm in love with these seriously sparkly Jimmy Choos which I know I'll never be able to afford... but there's no harm in wishing eh?

ALSO... Spotted in this month's Glamour magazine, Isabel Lucas (of Home and Away fame)- she has blossomed immensely since her Summer Bay days... absolutely gorgeous!

Pictures: ELLE, Glamour, Grazia, Stella

Piece of Me #9: Pining for Paolo...

Is anyone else desperately awaiting the return of Mr Nutini?

Scottish soul sensation Paolo seems to have disappeared off the radar somewhat.

And I, like many others, want him back!

These Streets take me right back to happy university days... it makes me nostalgic of Jesmond’s narrow packed side streets, lined in the summer with gangs of scantily dressed students enjoying meat from Grainger market on disposable bbqs...

And New Shoes has picked me up many a time when I’ve been feeling low...

As well as that, he was the mastermind behind Pencil Full of Lead - the 21st Century Jazz inspired soundtrack guaranteed to brighten my day every time...

His performance at Evolution Festival last May with the gals even reduced me to tears...

So come on Paolo, you’re a music maestro, a vocal whizkid... show us what you’ve got!

Piece of Me #8: In Awe of Autumn...

How incredible are the colours of the leaves right now....?

In case you hadn’t noticed, there’s an array of burning auburns, fiery reds and rusty yellows dressing the autumn trees.

Their glowing colours are a clear indication of our transition away from British summertime, but I’m sure you’ll agree they’re more stunning than anything we witnessed in the summer months!

If you get the chance, sneak a peek at a nearby wood or forest and you’ll see what I mean. Together the colours look like a burning flame.
Call me indulgent ... but I think it’s a real treat...

Piece of Me #7: Itsy Bitsy Spider...

Look what invaded last week! It had spun a web all the way from the ceiling beams onto the sofa...



I wouldn’t have normally gone near it (slight acrophobia) but there was something beautiful about the web...



Itsy Bitsy Spider climbed up the water spout.
Down came the rain, and washed the spider out.
Up came the sun, and dried up all the rain.
And itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again.

As long as itsby bitsy spider doesn’t make his way up to my room, I’ll leave him be...

Piece of Me #6: Summer Sun vs. Winter Wonderland

As crispy autumn leaves fell from the trees and a bumpy blanket of conkers covered my drive as I left for work this morning, I frowned at the fact that summer was well and truly over, and winter is on its way.

Gone for another year are lazy summer evenings and sunny student holidays. Bbq’s, Pimms and tennis out in the garden will have to patiently wait in the wings for their next chance.

And then, all of a sudden, I remembered. Winter’s not so bad after all.

Even though the cold darkness eclipses the daylight, and getting into bed is painful if you’ve forgotten to put your electric blanket on, there are so many things I would miss about British winters...

Frosted grass crunching under your feet. Clouds of your own breath in the bitter air. And dare I say- the most clichéd icon of the Christmas season- roaring log fires.

Now I’m reminiscent of layering up, going for a winter stroll, coming back with numbed fingers and toes, sitting on the Aga, and drinking one of my mum’s divine Hot Toddy’s (warms the soul!)

It won’t be long until we put the clocks back, and that’s when you know winter is just around the corner...

Now I’m unexpectedly longing for that blanket of conkers to turn into a blanket of snow...
Bring it on!

Piece of Me #5: Sea-Fever

My 25 days of oceanic adventures cannot be put down on paper because my words would not do it justice. So I've called upon some help- in the form of John Masefield's beautiful poem 'Sea Fever'.

I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea’s face and a grey dawn breaking.


I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.


I must down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.

Piece of Me #4: University: A Waste of Time?

Published in this week’s Grazia was an article entitled “So, is going to university a total waste of time?”

Short answer: Definitely not.

In the article,The Telegraph columnist Bryony Gordon remembered her stint as a student as “doing a degree just because I had to and drinking away my student loan in a bar.”
When commenting on today's graduates, she asked "What exactly, has their degree done for them?"

"How many of them would have been better off learning on the job?” she added.

But a university career is about so much more than pursuing the stereotype of a boozy indebted twenty-something. It is a valuable lesson in life.

Amongst the perks:

Beautiful friends:




A 2.1 Hons in History:



Learning to cook:



Gaining my independence:



The worst part of the whole experience: saying goodbye to a bunch of friends I couldn’t be without, leaving behind memories which can never be topped.

Yes, there are - inevitably - parts of my student career that I regret. Making the decision to see it through for three years... Not one of them.

Piece of Me #3: If your stomach is rumbling...

Wander away from London’s bustling Oxford Street into chic Marylebone and you’ll find a real gem. Cafe Luc offered a delicious value for money three course set menu, the flavours of which were just as tasty as the price- just what one needs after a day of shopping which has exhausted the credit card and the feet alike. On arrival, the diners were sparse amongst the great expanse of elegant decor, but as the evening went on willing diners gradually filtered in. A delicate portion of duck terrine with foie gras followed by fresh mackerel stuffed with rich tomato, red pepper, and onion left my guest and I satisfied and intrigued for what desert might offer. A unique ‘Nutella’ crème brulee did not disappoint, and really complimented what was an honest and uncomplicated three course menu.
However, despite an expansive wine list, the bottle of red we chose to accompany our dinner was lacking the depth and intensity of the food we savoured which was a real shame. Service was prompt, the staff were attentive and friendly. We left feeling satisfied by the adequate portion sizes, and smug that we had stumbled, by chance, upon such a fine brasserie.

Piece of Me #2: Dreams: A Date with Destiny or Deceptive Delusions?

Our worries and fears are often manifested through our dreams. Our subconscious works tirelessly during those crucial 8 hours of shuteye and we are habitually confused over the meanings or significance of what happens whilst we slumber. But are dreams truly reflective of your inner thoughts and desires? Are they accurate indications of things to come?
According to official statistics, on average, we have approximately 36 dreams every night.
A friend of mine dreamt of a plane crashing into her family home the night of the September 11th attack in 2001. Indisputably more than a coincidence. Clearly, I am not suggesting that those recurring dreams involving you and Brad Pitt or Megan Fox are indicative of a blossoming future relationship (Sorry to let you down...) But those midnight visions that are closer to home which feature familiar faces, places, and events surely have some innate connection to reality. They must mean something, or else why would they frequent our sleepy minds?
Should we be more perceptive to the messages communicated through our dreams? Should they be recognised as a guiding force not to be reckoned with, or are they merely trivial optimisms unlikely to materialise?
Ever had a dream come true? No? Me neither.

Piece of Me #1: Class of 2010, Mission: Impossible?

Here begins the education of life. As one in a multitude of twenty-somethings freshly emerging from a flourishing career in lie-ins, coffee dates and hangovers, the class of 2010 graduates are by no means prepared for the real world. Having recently received degree results, (I, alongside many other of my companions have become part of the ‘clever but not square club’,) the world is our oyster. Or at least it should be. The class of 2010 find themselves halted in their tracks. Less hot to trot, and more hot under the collar a clear path for the class of 2010 seems tenuous. The age old question “What Now?” incessantly posed by relatives at family gatherings and university lecturers alike is met with shrugged shoulders and a anxious glaze. The guarantee of employment at the end of a degree is, for the majority of us, no longer a reality. (Cue harks of “It wasn’t like that in our day” from aforementioned relatives.) But fear not. Good things come to those who wait. We all have values and qualities which will see us through eventually. Stay optimistic. Enjoy the freedom while you can. And when the time comes- start at the bottom of the career ladder... and I’ll meet you at the top.